Regarding the calls to ban Cyclonic Rift, okay, it’s annoying. However, in theory, isn’t the ban list for things that lead to free wins or homogenizes games throughout the community? Cyclonic Rift is a board wipe. There’s always going to be a “best” board wipe. Ultimately it’s just a tempo play.
The thing about Cyclonic Rift is that it is one-sided without further Input. With other wipes you have to work to break parity (with the perception of Farewell and maybe Austere Command) by building your deck a certain way. Rift does not require any building around AND has an additional mode as single-target bounce spellAND can be fired at Instant speed. It is, in terms of its applicability, so far beyond other board wipes it's not even funny.
Fierce Guardianship was a design mistake. It’s a free counterspell without a downside. Yes, Force of Will is free, but you have to exile a blue card from your hand - that is a cost. Moreover, if you’re not heavy-blue, there may be times when you don’t have another blue card.
@@jamesgratz4771 a card can be good but a design mistake. Skullclamp? Oko? Thassa’s Oracle? It’s not that I won’t play against it. I’m saying that it was design space that should not have been explored.
@@jamesgratz4771 Fair. I never took offense. It’s just that some people in the MtG community will equate the statement of poor design with “bad card” or “butt-hurt”. I can honestly say that there was a time I was in that camp.
I really like retraced image, works as a ramp spell if you have an island in hand and in play, also is great to cheat out things that both you and your opponents have. Also it’s only 1 mana.
What blue does best: counter magic, card draw, and extra turns. Many players hate blue just for these three things, especially the extra turns. But, each color has strengths and you don't hear me complaining that green has way too much ramp. Mono-blue has zero ramp, but that is just how the game is designed. Imagine if I could get more islands into play, wouldn't that be nice. Sometimes I need to use an extra turn spell just to get another island on the field!! That's just how it goes. About the video, yeah, several of the spells are auto-include. It just depends on the budget, the commander, and the playgroup/environment. Simple counter spell is an auto-include, because it counters ANYTHING with no restriction. The only thing better is Mana Drain, which gets you mana back. Mana Drain is $50, and counter spell is $1. So, the only reason you are running Mana Drain is to compete against high powered decks. Arcane Denial should also be considered, because there is no restriction - counters anything. Yes, there is a downside that your opponent gets to draw two cards, but YOU draw a card -- meaning the card replaces itself. I tend to favor cards that have less restrictions, and give your opponents something in return (except Arcane Denial). Swan Song is great, but it has a restriction and gives your opponent something. The "something" in this case isn't much, so I do run this in some decks. Fierce Guardianship is such an incredibly unfair card, and it should never have been printed. There's nothing more feel bad when you counter someone's game winning play, and they cast a free counter spell with no downside. Force of Will, Force of Negation, and Pact of Negation at least have downsides. Pact of Negation has a huge downside, so you'll only play this if you are winning the game on that turn. These should be only played in high-powered decks, and I do run them. An Offer You Can't Refuse is the BEST new counter spell, at one mana -- simply amazing! Demo usually makes great vids, but one flaw in this is that he doesn't go over card draw options very much, which is a strength of blue. There are a lot of Instants that draw cards, which work specifically well in blue decks. The top example is probably something like Blue Sun's Zenith, because you can leave mana open for counterspells, and then if you didn't have to use it, you can tap out just before your turn and draw cards, and it goes back into your deck. There is also Pull From Tomorrow and Commander's Insight, which are better in some cases, but do not get shuffled back into your library. There are also several blue cantrips that draw cards (Preordain & Opt), Wizards that draw cards, and cheap card draw spells like Frantic Search. Many players, especially in red and white, get jealous when they see all the card draw in blue. If you splash green, you get even more options! Let's talk removal. First, Cyclonic Rift is not nearly as good as the hate it gets. Is it great? Yes, absolutely. Is it busted? No, not a chance. The best use of Cyclonic Rift is to tap and play it just before the end step of the last player before you. But, to hold up SEVEN mana is a bit much, which means you probably didn't do anything on your last turn. So, you are nearly skipping a turn to play this card at the timing mentioned above. You may even need to hold up a counter spell, to protect it. Imagine if you cast Cyclonic Rift and someone counters it with An Offer You Can't Refuse? You're pretty much either out of the game or really far behind. If you cast Rift on your main phase, and passing turn, everyone is just building back their board state and pissed off at you, so you're going to be the target. The ceiling for Cyclonic Rift is a spell that potentially sets you up to win if you cast before your turn, but doesn't guarantee a win. It just means that the board is clear for you to do what you want for one turn, but players can still interact with your board. At worst, it buys you time for one turn cycle, pissing off everyone else at the table. Is it an auto-include? I would argue YES, because it is one of the most powerful blue spells there are, but not THE most powerful. That being said, you don't always need to overload it, and can bounce something for two at instant speed in a pinch, giving it flexibility. Hot take over. Now, as for Pongify, Rapid Hybridization, and Resculpt - yes they are good, with downside. If you remove their stuff, they are absolutely swinging those creatures at you, and Resculpt is the worse, giving your opponent a 4/4 to swing at you. When you are playing mono-blue 4/4 is a lot of damage to you, because of the lack of creatures. I think Pongify and Resculpt are good at one blue, for sure, but they do give your opponent a 3/3 to swing at you. How about Suspend? Creature goes away for two turns. Your opponents are also going to be wary of the big threat looming too, so they might hold up removal instead of going after you (as long as you don't seem like a threat). Demo has given up a bit on Reality Shift, but it is still really good. 95% of the time, they won't hit anything better, and you'll have removed a huge threat. I don't remember ever having played Reality Shift and regretted it. Problem solved! Extra Turns - are they auto-include? No, because it really depends on your playgroup. But, I would recommend running at least one. Are they good? Yes. Are they busted? No. Consider cards like Bolas' Citadel, Genesis Wave, or Akroma's Will. Those cards are way more powerful than extra turns. Bolas's Citadel is like getting 3 turns with all the stuff you can do. As long as you take your extra turn relatively quick, then it is fair. The higher up in power you go, the more fair it becomes. If you are at a high powered game, infinite turn wins are totally fair, considering all of the easy infinite win combos out there. Thassa's Oracle and Demonic Consultation being one of them. Three mana? Come on. If I am playing a casual, pre-con game, then I am not bringing out the extra turns mono-blue deck anyway. But, if I am playing against Kalamx, or Kozilek Eldrazi, YES I am playing the extra turn and counter spell deck every time. Suck it! No reason not to. I have a mono-blue Eligeth, Crossroads Augur & Siani, Eye of the Storm parter deck that's incredibly fun to play. This is my best deck, so I've loaded up with all of the good stuff that comes in blue, but obviously stuff that pairs well with the commander. This deck draws a TON of cards. Mono-blue is all about strategizing & focusing the mind. It is being a master of the mystical arts. Mono-blue can be very fun if you know what you are doing. When I first started, I sucked and this was too advanced for me. But, all players who level up should eventually build a mono-blue deck to see what it feels like. It's a much different feeling than playing other types of decks. Not easy to win with, but very satisfying when you do. Here is the link to the deck: www.moxfield.com/decks/sDdAdDWTKEWNWf68dUx9vg
I only run three counters spells in all my edh decks with blue: force of will, pact of negation, and force of negation; and I put a cyclonic rift and all of them to. Yeah, I'm very cheeky that way and revel in it!
I am absolutely that guy in the play group that uses Cyclonic Rift or other board bounce effects liberally, to the great displeasure of others. And i wont even be going for game, just clearing the board because its crowded or because i want my Windfall to be huge. Thats why i dont play my Charix deck very much.
I love Echoing Truth, but that is a pet card. It removes any non-land permanent at instant speed (including saving your own stuff), and can also save you from a token swarm, or get rid of someone's treasure pile. Also, my only current mono blue deck has no instants or sorceries at all, so I agree you can totally make interesting mono blue decks. Same can be said for any colour : )
I love your videos! If Lazotep Plating isn't in this list I'm petitioning for it to be in here. *Edit I'm posting before the video, to see if I'm right
What else do you have for tutoring instants and sorceries in mono-blue? Lets not forget the king of all blue tutors: Mystical tutor. Costs U to find any instant or sorcery that goes on the top of your library.
Mystical Tutor is the reason Solve The Equation sucks. If it was an instant, maybe. If it cost 1 or even 2 mana, maybe. But 3 mana sorcery speed, I’m out dawg
A few options that are autoinclude for me that you didn mention are frogify and witness protection, you mentioned similar ones but that frogify effect can shut a commander off for multiple turns.
Frogify lets them kill their own commander later to reuse them, id rather turn them into a land or smth like that. Can potentially Lock them out of their commander for good
March of Swirling Mist is my new pet card, I just find awesome that you can get to keep the counters/equipment/auras and protect your creatures at the same time, in blue! ✨
Tcgplayer prices on solve the equation would argue that it is good. I started picking them up becauae they sit at around 2 because its a blue tutor. Another blue tutor im a fan of is long term plans because its instant speed for anything even if it is put 3 below your top.
Well of ideas is a fantastic card draw spell that really only works in mono blue. It is expensive to cast but late game you're probably drawing 10 or 11 cards off of this.
I don't. it's a one-sided board wipe in blue. you don't have to win next turn with cy rift. it buys you time and stops people from winning. even in super casual, it totally fine to reset your opponents boards. I thought you guys liked long games?
@@HatBoyConnie "problem player", most hated card. Yall are just filthy casuals. Rivers rebuke sucks. Stop being babies and play good cards. The bias against playing good spells is moronic. I've played tournament magic for years, and I've never had people literally whine at me for winning, until commander.
mybcard draw in every deck is dependent on my strategy. i like synergistic card draw. so in abashon for example, verity circle and effects like that, and in Rayne well that one's obvious.
In my niv mizzeg parun deck I have around 15 counters LOL...none of them are those high end , even i got foil and man, you don't know howany times that counter saved my ass because it's literally the same as FOW but like 100 cheaper
I hate that cyclonic rift has izzet mentioned in the flavor text but its a mono blue card, or the last abazam card but its only golgari. ENOUGH with these flavor fails wizzards!
I don't play blue much, but I always include Brainstorm and Frantic Search. I just can't think of a reason not to. Oh, I also add an O.G. Prodigal Sorcerer just for the Timmy memes.
this guy's takes are so bizarre sometimes that i am starting tot hink he is doing this to onstigate controversy and clout, or to be edgy and "different". bad takes
@@edhdeckbuilding haha I’m jesting. Solid list. I am still curious of the exclusion of Fact or Fiction. I understand it’s more PARTICULARLY strong for graveyard shenanigans but I’ve always found the instant speed card advantage to be great. Couple that with the fact that it’s just a fun interaction with other players and a classic oldie (which based on your fine choices of blue commanders I see you appreciate 👍) it’s an inclusion in every blue deck for me! 😜
I highly recommend Floodgate. It is much easier to play around but it goes off even if it gets removed. Also Dreamscape Artist turns every card in your hand into a Harrow, which in my opinion is great. You ramp for lands, whose come into play untapped. Its easy to get rid off but for me, it has proven its worthyness 😅 Last but not least, I recommend Homarid Spawning Bed. A blue sac outlet, which creates chump blockers or goes wide. Rarely seen it besides in my decks 🙈
In my mono blue decks, my go to for fun ramp is: Apprentice Wizard (U tap add 3 manna) and Dreamscape Artist (2U tap discard and sac one land to get two basic land onto the battlefield untapped)
I have replaced Reality Shift with Resculpt in every deck that can. Manifest can be backbreaking. If I get rid of one threat only to give them an even bigger threat, I wasted my time and mana. Resculpt hitting artifacts as well as giving my opponent something known is just better.
@@nickhannah7234 I agree Reality Shift shouldn't be avoided because it may manifest a worse creature. Odds are, it won't, and like you said, they're going to draw it on their next turn, anyway.
- Dreamscape Artist is an auto-include for me in mono-blue as it is effective ramp. - Intuition is great b/c late-game it's political to get an answer to something, or early-game you can just tutor-up 3 islands and chuck 2 into the graveyard, helping you keep up with land-drops and thin your deck of lands. - I like Vanishing more than Imprisoned in the Moon as you can keep your commander safe, or you could be political and threaten to lock-down an opponent's commander. - Vodalian Illusionist is excellent for all the same reasons. - Myriad Landscape goes in all my mono-color decks - Homarid Spawning Bed is my favorite janky blue card, but only in creature-heavy themes
Ravenform is either a sorcery or *wait a turn after investing 2 mana at sorcery speed*. That is not what i'd consider a "strict upgrade" over Reality Shift. Resculp? It's dope. I don't know if it's better than Reality Shift, because most creatures are used for their etbs. People underestimate how big a 4/4 is and what it can do to a boardstate. Still, Resculpt is sick, especially at common.
Few counter spells? What are you talking about?? Of course you play 18-26 counter spells, because it's BLUE!! Even if it risks losing the game, the opponent's reaction alone is priceless xD. A lot of sighs and nopes hahahahahaha. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHA.
I have been playing with a great mono blue commander. I built donal, herald of wings and its a really fun and unique strategy of playing flying creatures and making 1/1 copies of them. A few wacky blue spells I like have been sakashima's will, wash out, polymorphist's jest, domineering will, and keep watch. They are all very fun cards that can impact the game. I even drew ten cards off of keep watch the last time my friends and I played. Cheers!
I don’t understand, you argue against including sol ring because it’s only colourless mana, then immediately advocate for inclusion of worn powerstone which does the same
you would have to point me towards the exact videos you're referring to. i don't play sol ring for a very specific reason and it isn't because it adds colorless mana.
I don't understand the obsession of stigmatizing powerful cards. Making a video about blue staples, but then saying you prefer not to play the most powerful ones (likes fierce guardianship and cyclonic rift) is simply counterintuitive to the video's premise. They're staples because they are objectively more powerful than 99% of other options. That's the definition of a staple.
in order to further understand my philosophy you would have to watch alot more of my videos, but this one helps explain it: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-pMs4LbCvx3Q.html
Corrupted Conscience (and its better sibling Tainted Strike in Black) have become auto-includes. YES its Infect and thats nasty but: sometimes you gotta teach the combo player a lesson Often in games 1 player needs to be dealt with so the table will protect the enchant. You can steal someone's big chonky commander and take it right back at their face with infect :>
If your opponent gets a creature with their manifested card from Reality Shift it's basically like they just drew a card. They still have to pay the cost for the creature, so it's not as bad as Chaos Warp giving them the permanent for free. Most decks might only run around 30% creatures, so they aren't even "drawing" the card most of the time. Couple that with the fact that they won't get any ETB effects on the creature they got means it might be even more useless for them. If they got a better creature with it than the one you exiled, it's not really the fault of Reality Shift most of the time, because they were going to draw it as their next card on top anyway. The only time I think you could realistically get in trouble with it is if they can unflip and meaningfully use the manifested card to wreck the turn you did it. I don't think that's much of a knock on Reality Shift though.
I play Azami, Lady of Scrolls, but I would not recommend it for a new player as people hate it. Possibly go with something like Braid, Conjurer Adapt for putting big creatures into play, more simple strategies for someone learning the game.
Yo man I love your vision and love for magic! You have influenced me in my EDH Game, less is more! Big kiss from Amsterdam. Is it maybe time ( possible for you) to upload a EDH game you play? Thankyou, you rock
Why handicap yourself playing Worn Powerstone instead of Sol Ring (both two colorless producing) besides your tendency to take a contrarian approach? If everyone is playing a Sol Ring, then no one is a target. Wait to play it to delay the targeting if anything.
Probably a meta call. If no one in your playgroup is playing other mana positive rocks (crypt etc) then it's good to take it out I think. Everyone having one mana positive rock (sol ring) means that whoever draws their one in the opening hand just has a huge advantage over everyone. I think it's good to have everyone running lots of them (high power) or no one running any of them. Obviously if you're playing outside of a playgroup that is different, and for pure power reasons just play it.
Why would you auto include arcane signet in a mono color deck? Any 2 drop stone with any utility at all beats it. Unless you are running so many utility lands that it tapping for blue is a big deal? Mono color is really the only situation I wouldn’t drop that into. Anything else is fair game.
