By Clever Combo
The podcast currently has 37 episodes available.
Despite some recently printed cards of questionable power, Wizards knows not to print a few specific things these days. One of those things is instant-speed, targeted discard. Understanding why only requires you to know that as the inactive player, you receive priority during your opponent’s draw step, allowing you (if you have instant speed discard) the opportunity to lock them into an empty hand.
Nothing intrigues us as brewers more than finding ways to play magic in single player mode, so if you’re playing Lydia this week, you may want to bring a book or some knitting.
The key is adding instant speed timing to the existing sorcery-speed discard options. This means playing a full mainboard playset of Leyline of Anticipation, on top of everyone’s favorite (now) 3-mana planeswalker, Teferi, Time Raveler. As a backup, we’re running 2 copies of Emergence Zone as well.
Most of the discard options are pretty straightforward, it’s simply a matter of picking the best mix available. Duress isn’t necessarily ideal (certainly it’s no Thoughtseize…), but it’s an easy turn one play. Follow that up with Burglar Rat and then Mind Rot and you’re off to the races. Importantly, Mind Rot and Harvest Fear actually allow you to start generating some card advantage by forcing the opponent to discard more than one card.
The deck should ultimately function a bit like a control deck, just one that preemptively discards your resources, rather than countering them. This means we want some card advantage options in our own deck in the form of Tamiyo’s Epiphany. We also need a sweeper to clean up the first 2-3 turns worth of plays, which is why we have Kaya’s Wrath. Lastly, a solid finisher, in the form of Reaper of Night.
Tune in to Clever Combo S4E7 for more on the deck
WotC Play Design Article: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/play-design-lessons-learned-2019-11-18
Try it out and leave us a comment on how you like it
This week’s Deck: http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/discard-lockdown-copy
Where to find us:
Decklists are hosted on TappedOut.net: http://tappedout.net/users/CleverCombo/mtg-decks/
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.clevercombopodcast.com
Twitter: twitter.com/clever_combo
This week, Lydia and JJ took some new topics for a spin. First, we reviewed our deckbuilding process, and not just another guide on how to select lands or build a curve. Instead we created a list of universal questions that help create the shape of any style deck.
After that we took a dive into a listener suggested combo using Jace, Wielder of Mysteries, Lost Legacy, and any card that allows any number of copies. For the first time we built our decks live on the air!
Lydia ended up with a Persistent Petitioners deck that splashes in a couple Fraying Sanity, and a playset of Ipnu Rivulet to try to gain extra self-mill value. 30 Petitioners rounds out the deck. Fabled Passage and a test copy of Evolving Wilds will help thin out the deck, especially after a Lost Legacy.
JJ opted for Shadowborn Apostle which also allows any number of copies. Being cheaper and needing 6 (rather than 4 like Petitioners) means we’ll need some easy draw, so we added Castle Locthwain. Since we hope to have 5 or 6 of them, we also decided to test a pair of Westvale Abbey. If we manage to land 6 apostles, we can sac them to fetch Demonlord Belzenlok who helps empty the graveyard
We also considered a Rat Colony deck, which would allow us to build a small army of ever-growing rats to hide behind while we look for our Jace and LL.
If you try either deck, leave us a comment to let us know how it goes. This week’s Decks
JJ’s Shadowborn Apostle build: https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/jaces-legacy-shadowborn-apostle-edition
Lydia’s Persistent Petitioners build: https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/jaces-legacy-persistent-petitioners-edition
Deckbuilding questions to ask yourself
Where to find us:
Decklists are hosted on TappedOut.net: http://tappedout.net/users/CleverCombo/mtg-decks/
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.clevercombopodcast.com
Twitter: twitter.com/clever_combo
This week we review results from JJ’s first few attempts in Pioneer, as well as the first ever Pioneer Banned and Restricted Announcement (link below). Then we get into JJ’s deck, Sultai Summonings.
One of the most interesting build-arounds to come out of the Kaladesh block was definitely Metallurgic Summonings. While 5 mana is a lot to ask in anything but a slow format, the power it provides if you can stick it is undeniable
In order to maximize the card’s potential, we did two things. First, we looked for cards that work before and after a resolved Summonings. While removal is key to the function of the deck, we don’t want to get stuck with cards in hand and no targets for them. So one of the key cards types comes in the form of ramp.
Spring//Mind is an excellent example. Spring provides a 3-5 skip, while also loading up an expensive draw spell for the late game. We don’t mind how much Mind costs because if we cast it after a resolved Summonings, we get a 6/6. Growth Spiral is a helpful fixer, though it’s ramp aspect is slightly less consistent.
The deck plays mostly like a grindy control deck. We can’t let our opponent set up a board state while we durdle up to Summonings, and we also want as many Instant and Sorcery cards in the deck as possible. Pioneer has given us access to an incredible suite of powerful, flexible, efficient removal.
Fatal Push and Thoughtseize are two of the most efficient and powerful 1-mana spells in the format. Abrupt Decay deals perfectly with T3feri and Oko while also being highly efficient. Assassin’s Trophy will clear up anything left over from those initial three options. Drown in the Loch works best in either Mill or hard control, so we slotted two of those in, as well. At the top end, we have a couple copies of Casualties of War, which can be an excellent way to level the playing field.
Lastly, we have a few haymakers. The two best spell types to pair with Summonings are either high CMC cards with cost reduction (or alternative payments like Delve) or cards with X in the cost.
For X cards we only have Villainous Wealth in this deck. It’s a singleton since there’s a chance that it will whiff on the opponent’s deck. However, when it lands it can be brutally powerful.
Our best bet for big CMCs with low actual costs is currently Dig Through Time. We chose this over Treasure Cruise because it has a higher selection. We’re less concerned with getting the addition card that Cruise provides than we are with seeing as many cards as possible so we can fill whatever gap we have in our defenses.
All in all, the deck plays mostly like either a long-game midrange Sultai list, or like a tapped-out control deck. Either way, resolving a Summonings and going off with a bunch of sweet spells is a terrific feeling that we recommend you try out.
Try it out and leave us a comment on how you like it
This week’s Deck: http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/06-11-19-sultai-summonings/
November Banned and Restricted announcement: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/november-4-2019-pioneer-banned-announcement
Where to find us:
Decklists are hosted on TappedOut.net: http://tappedout.net/users/CleverCombo/mtg-decks/
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.clevercombopodcast.com
Twitter: twitter.com/clever_combo
Seven Dwarves is a powerful card in multiples, which is why we are nowhere near satisfied with just 7. Tune in to Season 4 Episode 4 of Clever Combo to hear how we made a deck with Twenty-Seven Dwarves.
The key to an absolute horde of dwarves is making copies on the cheap. Quasiduplicate, Replicate, and Spark Double make an absolute swath of dwarves, and since each one is lorded by all the others, they can get out of hand very quickly.
Pattern Matcher helps dig for more actual dwarves, as does Tamiyo, Collector of Tales. She also guarantees the ability to bring back key cards that get sent to the yard.
Ferocity of the Wilds is a cheap way to make all those dwarves swing in with trample in case the field is clogged with tokens or cheap chump blockers.
Lastly, we can apply significant (if highly unpredictable) pressure with Mirror March.
Try it out and leave us a comment on how you like it
This week’s Deck: https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/twenty-seven-dwarves-copy/
Where to find us
Decklists are hosted on TappedOut.net: http://tappedout.net/users/CleverCombo/mtg-decks/
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.clevercombopodcast.com
Twitter: twitter.com/clever_combo
This week was a very exciting week in magic. The banning of Field of the Dead paved the way for an equally linear and oppressive Oko-based Standard, but more importantly, WotC announced a new format. Pioneer!
We covered the basics of Pioneer in our last bonus episode, but JJ simply couldn’t wait to brew up some new decks for this shiny new format. In fact, he made three!
“Gone Myth-Thing”
Azorius seems like a very strong color pair for control in Pioneer. The lack of the best blue counterspells from Modern means that cards like Dovin’s Veto and Absorb have a strong foothold for top counterspells. Sphinx’s Revelation is amazing, alongside Supreme Verdict.
Since we’re in UW, I like the idea of going super hard on Instants with the main goal of flipping a Thing in the Ice and/or pumping up a Myth Realized. On the one hand, dropping these on turns 1 and 2 sort of gives away our game plan, but they are also terribly hard to interact with.
A T1 Myth or T2 Thing will be backed up by a full grip of counterspells and cheap cantrips to get the triggers rolling fast and protect our investment. Thing also provides early blocks as long as we’re careful not to get trapped in a combat trick. Myth is also resilient to traditional sweepers which is bad for our opponent and good for us. The addition of a mana sink is nice for those turns where the opponent offers no good counterspell targets.
I enjoy the idea of showing exactly what kind of shenanigans we’re up to and letting the opponent sweat the ticking time bomb.
“Hoedown”
Dance of the Manse has been on my mind daily since it was spoiled. I’ve built two Standard shells, neither of which felt like they quite got there. But the card is undeniably fun, and unquestionably powerful.
Pioneer offers us a fantastic opportunity to make a really neat deck built around it, by opening up a plethora of powerful enchantments and artifacts, as well as the famed Enchantment Creatures from Theros block.
The spell I felt the most longing for while building a Standard shell was Authority of the Consuls. Backing that up with Search for Azcanta will grind our opponent to a halt while giving us valuable selection, as well as fueling our graveyard for later. Lastly, Pithing Needle ensures our opponent’s prison is complete.
Underworld Coinsmith, Grim Guardian, and Nyx Fleece Ram will provide excellent defense, bolster our life total, and drain the opponent of resources. Trading them in combat is favorable to us, as we can simply re-animate them later with Dance.
Similarly, Gleaming Barrier will give us early protection and possible mana advantage to reach Dance’s demanding need for 8 mana. Chief of the Foundry is mostly a re-animate target, and Noxious Gearhulk ensures a powerful 2-for-1 every time it hits the board.
Having very nearly all our Enchantments and Artifacts doubled as creatures means it’s easy to protect ourselves, and even easier to fill up our graveyard with juicy targets. If the opponent won’t help us do so, we always have Hour of Revelation to clean up the board and set up a next-turn dance.
The ETBs attached to most of our creatures should provide a powerful life swing when we do finally crack off a hefty Dance of the Manse.
“Syr Konrad’s Crypt”
Syr Konrad, The Grim was another obvious build-around from ELD, but like many others, it felt like it was lacking some key tools to really make it shine. Add to that an oppressive, linear meta, and Pioneer felt like the right home for a deck built around this card.
Moving formats gave us access to the critical Tormod’s Crypt which will allow us a combo-kill on our opponent, assuming we have enough in the yard to finish off their life total. Since it comes at 0 mana, and without concern for summoning sickness, we can theoretically combo as early as turn 4 or 5.
Gilded Goose will help us fix our mana, and hopefully get our combo out a turn early. Stitcher’s Supplier may be the single best self-mill card ever printed, and was sorely missed in building the Standard version of this deck. Add to that Glowspore Shaman, who will also fix a low-land opening hand, and Gorging Vulture and we have a nice clean curve of self-milling creatures.
We can shore up our defenses with the versatile 1-2 combo of Thoughtseize and Assassin’s Trophy. Murderous Rider may be some of the best removal around, but it’s also a creature target for Syr Konrad.
My favorite bit of tech in this deck is Tamiyo, Collector of Tales who serves a variety of purposes. Her static helps protect us from hand attack, her Plus digs for our combo pieces or needed defensive removal all while filling up our yard with targets, and her minus makes sure that any piece we lose we can recover easily. She can even dig a land out of the yard if we need it.
The paranoid in me keeps a copy of Bond of Revival in the main in case our opponent cottons on to our plan and target Konrad with all their removal.
Try out any of these decks, or all of them, and leave us a note on what you think.
Gone Myth-Thing: http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/gone-myth-thing/
Hoedown: http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/hoedown/
Syr Konrad’s Crypt: http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/syr-konrads-crypt/
Where to find us:
Decklists are hosted on TappedOut.net: http://tappedout.net/users/CleverCombo/mtg-decks/
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.clevercombopodcast.com
Twitter: twitter.com/clever_combo
This week Wizards of the Coast announced a brand-new format intended to help Standard players who are sick of Field of the Dead and Oko to transition to a new format where all those old banned cards are perfectly legal.
The best way to understand the format better is to get in there, make some decks, and play some games. Barring that, you should read Wizard’s announcement about the format (below). If that fails, listen to us ramble on about it for a half hour or so. At least we have a few puns.
Tune in to Season 3 Episode 2b for more!
Make sure you tune in next week as we'll be featuring not 1, but 3 new Pioneer brews!
Pioneer Resources
Pioneer vs. Modern infographic: https://i.redd.it/38fmix3kl6u31.jpg
Pioneer sets infographic: https://media.wizards.com/2019/images/daily/wpzaFLGZet.jpg
Pioneer announcement at WotC: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/announcing-pioneer-format-2019-10-21
Where to find us:
Decklists are hosted on TappedOut.net: http://tappedout.net/users/CleverCombo/mtg-decks/
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.clevercombopodcast.com
Twitter: twitter.com/clever_combo
Throne of Eldraine brought some kitschy references to a number of fairy tale tropes, perhaps none more than Happily Ever After, which flavorfully as possible, presents a challenging but powerful alternate wincon. This week Lydia will take a crack at making it work.
The main combination rides on Planewide Celebration, which allows us to hit up to 4 of the main win conditions (a sorcery in the graveyard, a creature on the field, a 5c permanent on the field, and 20 or more life). However, it will take more than this to make the deck work. Sphinx of the Guildpact is our backup 5c creature, and also counts as an artifact for types.
Since both of these cards are 7-drops, we have a sweet ramp package in the form of Lotus Field, Fertile Footsteps, and Kiora, Behemoth Beckoner.
Brought Back allows us to make some tricky plays involving recovering the two lands sac-ed to Lotus Field, or recovering a cracked Fabled Passage. It also preserves important permanents like Gideon Blackblade and the Sphinx.
Just in case we have mana and no payoffs, we’ve also included Stonecoil Serpent and March of the Multitudes. The former is a powerful X/X for X with upside, as well as satisfying both creature and artifact for Happily. The latter provides chump blockers to stall into the late game, gives us some much needed lifegain, and puts an instant into the graveyard.
Where to find us:
Decklists are hosted on TappedOut.net: http://tappedout.net/users/CleverCombo/mtg-decks/
This week’s Deck: http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/golden-ending-copy/
Try it out and leave us a comment on how you like it
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.clevercombopodcast.com
Twitter: twitter.com/clever_combo
Syr Konrad, the Grim presents us with an excellent opportunity for a combo kill. He triggers on just about anything a creature can do with the graveyard: dying, milling/discarding into it, and even leaving it.
The combo revolves around getting the yard full of creatures and then emptying it suddenly. Our primary goal is to drop an early Enhanced Surveillance so that as soon as Konrad hits the battlefield, we can crack it to empty the yard, hopefully for an insta-kill. Forever Young presents a good backup options, which also allows us to recover anything we mill into our yard if we end up needing it.
Since we’re milling already, I like having a few cards that take advantage. Gorging Vulture will not only help us mill, but gives us a little lifegain to hold out for our combo. Narcomoeba is not only a free-roll when it gets milled, but it will end up double-triggering Konrad when it bounces through the graveyard. [[Creeping Chill]] also presents an opportunity to keep ahead of opponent attacks, as well as dome them for a few points to bring the combo-kill into range.
Where to find us:
Decklists are hosted on TappedOut.net: http://tappedout.net/users/CleverCombo/mtg-decks/
This week’s Deck: https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/the-mill-kill-thrillride
Try it out and leave us a comment on how you like it
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.clevercombopodcast.com
Twitter: twitter.com/clever_combo
This week we get into our Throne of Eldraine spoiler talk. We reviewed 16 cards that felt like Johnny Combo potential (list below). Let us know what you’re brewing by hitting us up by email, on Twitter, or on Reddit.
Edgewall Innkeeper
Lucky Clover
Oathsworn Knight
The Magic Mirror
Dance of the Manse
Sorcerer's Broom
Tempting Witch
Drown in the Loch
Henge Walker
Shepherd of the Flock / Usher to Safety
The Great Henge
Giant Opportunity
The Cauldron of Eternity
Fires of Invention
Castle Locthwain
Fae of Wishes / Granted
We’d love to hear from you! Please send us your suggestions, feedback, deck ideas, deck feedback, or just drop us a line to say hi.
Email us at [email protected]
Visit us at www.clevercombopodcast.com
Twitter: twitter.com/clever_combo
Decklists at http://tappedout.net/users/CleverCombo/mtg-decks/
This week’s List: https://scryfall.com/@SirManCub/decks/261e3df3-d082-4f3d-8dc7-e04da720b90c
This week we get into our Throne of Eldraine spoiler talk. We reviewed 27 cards that felt like Johnny Combo potential (list below). Let us know what you’re brewing by hitting us up by email, on Twitter, or on Reddit.
Oko, Thief of Crowns
Chulane, Teller of Tales
Foulmire Knight / Profane Insight
Tournament Grounds
Bake into a Pie
Wishclaw Talisman
Shinechaser
Turn into a Pumpkin
Doom Foretold
Rosethorn Acolyte / Seasonal Ritual
Taste of Death
Once Upon a Time
Questing Beast
Wildwood Tracker
The Royal Scions
Joust
Outlaws' Merriment
Harmonious Archon
Charming Prince
Flaxen Intruder / Welcome Home
Murderous Rider / Swift End
Alela, Artful Provocateur
Syr Konrad, the Grim
Beanstalk Giant / Fertile Footsteps
Midnight Clock
Witch's Cottage
Once and Future
We’d love to hear from you! Please send us your suggestions, feedback, deck ideas, deck feedback, or just drop us a line to say hi.
Email us at [email protected]
Visit us at www.clevercombopodcast.com
Twitter: twitter.com/clever_combo
Try out our decks and let us know what you think - suggest a sideboard, a tweak, or just tell us something crazy that happened. Inordinate amounts of testing data welcome.
Decklists at http://tappedout.net/users/CleverCombo/mtg-decks/
This week’s List: https://scryfall.com/@SirManCub/decks/d366f2c9-1346-42a4-a7f8-d7bac091dbda
The podcast currently has 37 episodes available.