Snakerunners

As a back up kill condition I think 1 ætherling is good. Doing only 2 Nightveil I'm worried about decreasing my early devotion for Thassa also Nightveil does generate some decent card advantage especially if it can get in a few times. Also I'm really hoping that I can keep ætherling alive. Making sure I play it when I have at least 2 extra blue mana up.

Though you aren't wrong I'm not sure what I would cut for ætherling to be fair. However I really should find at least 1 slot shouldn't I in case of being slaughter games for Master. 3 Nightveil and 1 ætherling?

Interesting. Not quite sure about the deck as is but I think it has some potential.

Some immediate changes I would think to try out would be:
24(maybe even 25) land not 23, also try to get 2(or 3 if you go to 25) temple of deceit. The scry lands are actually really quite nice and effective.

Hero's Downfall, not a card to ignore at all, the instant speed planeswalker removal and creature removal makes the card a powerhouse of a kill spell. Better yet it can target things that Doom Blade can't

Slaughter Games should be sideboard no question. You may see a big threat come out, kill it and then be able to slaughter games but in general it's better once you have an idea of what your opponent is playing and then being able to sideboard into that answer instead of maindeck where it can play dead fish.

Similar issue with Reap Intellect as to Slaughter Games. The fact is that you could very well top deck it when your opponent has no cards in hand, or at least no good cards for targeting. It is too slow and makes too slight an impact, even worse is that it makes no impact on the board state. You'd rather have threats and answers can top decking "fun" cards that really end up as "do-nothings".

Psychic Intrusion is another card I'm just not really feeling. It's interesting and all but this is yet another one of the cards that can make too small of an impact on the game. If your behind on the board and play this your still behind until you can untap play the card from your opponent and hope that it makes such a large impact that you have effectively stabilized the board in most cases there aren't going to be many cards that will do that well. Supreme Verdict against Esper, they won't care, Sphinx's Rev ehh that is decent but you could still be setting yourself up for 2 turns of tapping out with such a small impact that your allowing that opponent to gain tempo, even still Sphinx's Rev against a deck that plays them could be setting yourself into a trap of getting counterspelled.

Syncopate, decent card though I think there are better counter-spells to try running such as counterflux for grixis; the uncounterable is quite nice. Dissolve letting you scry away unneeded cards is also very nice. Psychic Strike, depending on how much you rebuild if you do at all could make a decent impact.

Spellheart Chimera as interesting as it can be it is also just too weak as far as I can tell. It dies to a ton of removal and then to boot it doesn't even attack for too much. You can fill your grave pretty well with instant and sorcery cards but not fast enough for Chimera to make a solid impact on curve. You'd be better off with a larger stronger creature in this kind of a control deck, Aetherling is very strong and nearly impossible to kill.


A few cards I think you would have an issue against. Gods, you don't really have any way to deal with them. While not many decks do have a really good answer it is still worth considering some of the options you have open to you that can get to them. Such as far//away and turn//burn (this one in particular). Blood Baron can run in the same vein however each of those removal spells can deal with him effectively. Obzedat, again if you go with either of these removal you have an answer but other good one aforementioned is the Hero's Downfall. That removal can also help deal with opposing Ashiok, Elspeth, Jace, Xenagos, Domri all of which are seeing some decent play.

While I'm probably pushing against the kind of rogue brew and towards what I would think of as kind of "core" grixis control right now I think you will be much better off in this manner than what you currently have set up.



Here is an idea I came up with to give the deck more synergy.
http://www.mtgvault.com/snakerunners/decks/theros-grixis-control/

Frost Burn+Nightveil+Jace all have decent devotion to Thassa to make her into a creature. A 5/5 indestructible, scry 1 every turn, make creature unblockable, is a really solid card to have; especially for what the deck is trying to do. The aim isn't per say to get devotion to thassa, though it would be nice, but to get her out and use her ability to get Master of Cruelties unblockable so he is guarenteed to get in for that ability. Then you have a couple of finishers, any other creature with unblockable will get the job done along with a few other spells. Rakdos's return which also has some other versatility as a control card can finish the game; then there is turn // burn which can deal with a few annoyances such as gods, blood baron, and obzedat, also burn can hit a player for the last 2 points of damage if need be. Lightning Strike is still here mostly as a finisher but it can deal with a few creatures. The reason I didn't add more is because of the fact that it doesn't do quite as much as some other cards in the deck.

Anger of the Gods, while it doesn't do the absolute best job actually could be very important here because a few of the creatures survive notable the important 1 and then the back-up almost "wall" Frostburn weird which does slow down a few decks and provide decent devotion to Thassa. He can be pretty key here in a few ways.

I doubt my land is perfect because I put the entire deck together in all of 5 minutes, this also goes for the sideboard. There are a few cards I know belong, then a few filler cards that I thought could be handy. J.Memory can be good against control trying to just stall them out while milling them to death. Pithing Needle is good against a few planeswalkers and Aetherling, planeswalkers shouldn't be a real big issue but again this is one of those slightly "filler" cards. Slaughter Games like I said is solid in side. Thoughtseize is a good answer to some decks but I couldn't really find good room in mainboard for the card while sideboard it is really good anyways. Negate against more spell heavy decks like control. Far // Away just a different removal option, same for doom blade and hero's downfall as extras in side, just incase you need more removal for a specific match-up. Something I didn't focus on was card draw but with scry it may not be a huge issue.

Rakdos's Return is an absolutely awesome card in the fact that it can strip an opponents hand while killing a planeswalker they control, or even them given it's late game. With that said you could consider them in place of Dreadbores, however then you have less creature removal and dreadbore does deal with planeswalkers a little more efficiently than Rakdos's Return. So honestly I'm not quite sure

Jace on the other hand, I think he would serve you better than Ral Zarek. He slows down faster decks pretty well while protecting himself. Also his card draw can be quite effective. Ral Zarek in my opinion doesn't do much, he can kill something, though nothing huge, and then untap a land of yours and tap down their best creature which just untaps anyways. /shrug

I like the deck though I have a few suggestions

Jace, Architect of Thought would be better than Ral Zarek in my opinion

I think you'd be better off with 25 land than 24 as you typically want more land in control.

Personally I don't think Swan song is good here. You don't really want to be giving your opponents creatures via swan song.

Rapid Hybridization, again you don't really want to give your opponents creatures.

--However you could run some of one or the other. I think your supporting your deck with too many double sided control cards. If your worried about guns like Blood Baron, and Obzedat you have other options but could still keep a one or the other. Personally I'd err on the side of caution keeping Rapid Hybridization instead of Swan Song because it doesn't require you to have the answer in hand already versus being able to top deck.

Instead of Rapid/Swan I'd consider the following options

Far//Away- Can really help slow down an opponent by killing one of there creatures (even blood baron because of no targeting) and bounce a different one which could slow them down.

Doom Blade- Cheap effective removal, can feel a bit limited but still very powerful in general

Mizzium Mortars, another card that deals effectively with Blood Baron of Vizkopa, also eventually you may be able to overload it and wipe an opponents board like a powered up Anger of the Gods.

Another thing to consider is having 1 or 2 "Opportunity" as it is a solid draw that is more or less the "Sphinx's Rev" for Grixis (or any other non-W/B control deck).

I like the deck, I think your going in the right direction.

Something I would suggest is moving the thoughtseize sideboard. Currently you don't have much in the way of early game stabilization. So your going to be taking damage off of shock lands already to keep up with aggressive strategies. With all of that said you won't have much life left to spend casually with thoughtseize when it can be really bad in several match ups. It gets even worse if your running read the bones also. Bones alone is fine because it really does net you some really good value.

In place of thoughtseize I'd consider adding Scavenging Ooze. Ooze is probably going to be your best creature for utility in the game. It comes down early on defense and can get big enough to go into late game, and better yet gains you some much needed life while doing it.

Your removal package is pretty solid the only thing I would really be worried about is Boros Reckoner so maybe get some extra removal sideboard like an extra abrupt decay and or doom blade.


As far as other sideboard options. Golgari Charm I think has become a huge player for a solid sideboard option it can slow down or kill aggro, it can remove detention sphere and burning earth, and it can regenerate a board of solid creatures if your opponent tries to wrath the board. Lifebane Zombie could be pretty solid in some match-ups. Thoughtseize as I mentioned just being moved from main to side.
Slaughter Games could be really useful against many control match-ups. Peak Eruption, this can slow down mono-red and even put a damper on R/B/W with their "chained to the rocks". Fade to Antiquity could be nice if gods every become troublesome or rampant in standard. Currently I don't think that the Gods have really made much of an impact on constructed but there was a pretty solid mono-green with 4 Nylea that made top 4 at SCG Cleveland; this may be evidence of what is to come in an unshaped meta. Better yet it removes whip of erebos on an opponents board. Whip as far as I know is seeing some pretty solid play time and I for one plan to abuse it's interaction with Obzedat given the chance. The whip brings to point that I don't see any Putrefy, it is still a solid removal spell and could very well finally be seeing the relevance of it's destroy artifact side now. Primeval Bounty, with whip and ooze I'm not sure entirely about the relevance of this card but it is a pretty solid value card as a 1 or 2 of in side I think. --Lastly I've considered Vraska, not sure exactly where you want her in the meta but as I have one floating around I've stuck her in sideboard for my decks just because I thought she could fill a few unseen holes (no puns intended if any).

Naya aggro/burn. Very interesting.

Some things I'd think about is extending your creature base to include some 2 drops and maybe some 3's. One really awesome deck a friend of mine piloted and made top 8 of a PTQ was a Naya Humans deck running up to 3cmc creatures (he lost in top 8 because of poor luck with land only finding 1 in each of the two games he lost).

Some really awesome cards he was running included.
Experiment One; if you can extend to 2 and 3 cmc he could get fairly big 3/3 or 4/4.
Rip-clan Crasher; 2/2 haste for 2
Lightning Maulter; cause why not be hasty =)
Burning-tree Emissary; because value!

Now the rest of his deck I believe was more tailored for the human side of things which isn't where your going so I'm not confident in suggesting anything else at 1 or 2 cmc from his deck.

However you are still open to Goblin Guide which can cause some serious damage early game. Voice of Resurgence because why not, it can be extreme value trading for one of there guys and then netting you another creature which could very well be one of the biggest creatures you can get. Scavenging Ooze could be pretty awesome, it will help with versatility because it is a 2/2 that can grow and gain you life which is nice in and of itself then add on the fact it hates on Tarmogoyf and Snapcaster and you have yourself an amazing value card. Now if you can afford Tarmogoyf you could run him possibly in place of Scavenging Ooze or just be careful with what your Ooze is eating.

After that if your willing to go to 3cmc
Loxodon Smiter, uncountable which is potentially helpful. The discard ability can come into play because thoughtseize, inquisition of kozilek and probably best of all Liliana of the Veil are all fairly popular cards in modern. To boot you have a 4/4 body which alone is the reason why I want this card. Absolutely a strong body in modern where most burn for removal is netting 3 damage which this guy survives.

I don't know if you really want to go this route but Kitchen Finks is a pretty solid value card also, netting you probably 4 life per card while still having a solid body to boot. There is a reason this guy has been a modern staple for a while.


Sideboard is fairly solid looking. You have the cards I was more or less going to suggest for some specific match-ups and I'm not a Naya player so I'm not sure about the rest so that is all you.


Land. Seems okay but I would suggest changing it up a bit. If you can find yourself some Arid Mesas that would be amazing.
4 Arid Mesa
2 Stomping Ground
2 Sacred Foundry
2 Temple Garden
is probably about where you want to be with fetch and shock. If you picked up some Marsh Flats or Misty Rainforests you would probably reconsider the number of shocks especially if you got some fastlands ->> razorverge thickets and copperline gorges could be really nice depending on how the mana base ends up shaping up; I don't mean to suggest 4 off's for either necessarily but 2-3 of each maybe could be nice. Lastly if you found the Lorwyn lands they could be helpful, not sure which ones you want to even what the names are, Twilight Mire is the only one I know the name of and that is the B/G one.

I already have everything I need to try to pull off a Junk Midrange "whip obzedat" kind of a deck so instead of playing a budget version of this I'd rather stick to a non-budget deck that was cheap to finish.

Even still very cool and I like the insight for making it a more "budget friendly" version.

Very well then! I've seen a little footage of RUG delver and I knew it was a solid deck I haven't seen anything on "American Delver" in legacy but it seems like the cards here are all pretty solid. Then again a series of solid cards doesn't always mean the best deck.

How'd it test?

Yeah that was kind of my thought about the card it would never really wif like Augur could but it doesn't do much of anything either.

Personally I like the idea of Frostburn and anger of the gods because I saw some footage of how they play together and it absolutely works but even still I suppose there are better options anyways.

Even still I love the deck, the Assemble the Legion I think is an awesome win condition eventually just flooding your opponent so much they have no options and you also don't care much about wrathing the board when you have that because it's just going to give you even more next turn anyways.

If I wasn't lacking so many of the money cards here I would give it a shot but dropping $100+ for the Sphinx's Rev's is too rich for my blood currently.

I wouldn't know very well how up to date they are, but even still I don't think a lot of new cards really affect the eternal formats often.

Instead of Legacy I'm slightly into Modern; I started my Melira Pod deck directly after the banning of BBE in modern. Since then I've put together Unburial gifts, soul sisters, somewhat close to Selesnya Aggro (G/W hate bears), my ultimate goal would be to get Jund together for both legacy and modern.

Awesome, very well thought out. I suppose slaughter games is a card I've very much forgotten about dumbly.

Again, my knowledge on legacy is lacking but this is very much a solid looking deck. If I had to choice a legacy deck this is very well an option, or at least I'd like to think it is in my top 3; Jund, Esper Stoneblade, and Maverick.

I'm not up to date on legacy much but this seems like a spicy deck. I'm a little more partial to the RUG Delver with Tarmogoyf but to each his own I suppose.

Another amazing deck, I wish this quality of deck was more common on the hot pages here but sadly it isn't

Again I only find myself thinking there are a few barely out of place cards, if they are even that. I'm not feeling the need to have all three Aetherling, Obzedat, and Blood Baron but it isn't like it's detrimental at all anyways. I think you'd be fine without Obzedat but I may be mistaken and could very well be more of a meta call.

Other than that I suppose I'm a little surprised to find the deck devoid of Hero's Downfall. I'm not quite sure how much of an issue this deck really feels it has against planeswalkers but I don't think your struggling much for mana where you could very well support it as a solid kill spell that has the upside of planeswalker removal especially if you end up facing down Elspeth or something. Then again it just dawned on me you have D.Sphere, I suppose that is more of your choice removal spell especially as it is more color friendly for you. (However I still think I would replace the Ultimate Price with Hero's Downfall)

AWESOME deck!

Only card I'm questioning here is the Omenspeaker, I don't know if I'm just playing spoiled brat but -> IT'S NOT AUGUR!
I'll have to take your word for it if you say it works well enough. Personally I think the Scry isn't valuable enough to make it playable especially when there seems to be enough 3/x's in the format where it at least doesn't look like it is a strong blocker even. I suppose I would suggest replacing it with Frostburn weird. Frostburn won't make trades quite too often but it can slow an opponent down pretty well and get them on the back swing if you decided to go deeper with Anger of the Gods.

Interesting deck for sure, it has made me rethink one of my deck ideas a bit even.

Still I would like to at least voice a few suggestions. Unflinching courage is decent but it seems more like a dead card than anything in this deck. You should have enough lifelink on the top end and enough large bodies early game to stave off the decks that you need a card like that for. With U.Courage and no hexproof creatures what you are really asking for is getting 2-for-1'd. One of the best ways to lose a game is setting yourself backwards which is something your doing when your giving your opponent the option of making a high value trades like that. You may very well have invest 2 turns and 5+ mana getting a creature with a courage while your opponent then just doom blades the attached creature spending 2 mana removing your highest value threat. Maybe it could go sideboard.

You need to have more land I think especially with as many 5 drops as your aiming to play. Even with Caryatid 22 isn't enough to reliably get out a 5-drop out on turn 4 or 5. So I think you could turn the 3 unflinching courage into 2 land and a Elvish mystic, or 3 land.


I'm really unsure of having Varolz, his placement in the deck just seems off, even if he is sideboard. Your aiming very much for a midrange strategy not a scavenging one. Trying to mix two different deck ideas only serves to really weaken your deck versus just focusing towards your one true goal.

Also in concerns to the sideboard, looking through the deck it appears you are not every going to pull off devotion for either of the gods. Neither ability is strong enough in my opinion to bother running the god if you have such a small hope of pulling off devotion.

I nearly wanted to suggest running the new Elspeth however I don't think she is going to have good synergy with the deck as the 1/1's aren't hugely relevant, and the wrath for creatures with power greater than or equal to 4 is going to run well either here as most of your creatures are higher than that. I'm leaving this here for my input and suggestions away from her if anyone else attempts to make the suggestion of including her.


Back to mainboard, I don't think I see where you plan on going with Gift of Immortality. There doesn't seem to be good synergy here for that card.

Umbric, though Scavenging Ooze is exceptional against Tarmogoyf and Snapcaster and all, your restricting your thoughts to where it thrives versus where it can simply just live. Scavenging Ooze with kill spells is still an extremely strong combination. Ooze as a "bear" is still the best bear you can hope for, mid to late game he can come in gain you 2-3 life and become a 4/4, 5/5 or even bigger.

My point is that it doesn't need to hate out a strategy and or a creature to be powerful.


Also I'm not sure SpaceManatee meant specifically Scavenging Ooze but instead scavenging as a strategy, the keyword from Varolz etc.

Ordeal of Purphoros I'm thinking... Ordeal is cool and all but it has to build for it to be completely effective madcap I think is just a step better.


Other ideas that are coming back to me, In a deck that I have sort of been working on I'm using Ethereal Armor, Spear of Heliod, and Heliod. Ethereal Armor and Heliod can be pretty powerful, the 2/1's aren't hugely effective but post wrath (supreme verdict, Anger of the Gods, etc.) he can be effective just being able to generate board presence; also the fact that the 2/1's are "enchantments" buff Ethereal Armor.

As for places to put any of that, ... I'm not sure just ideas I'm throwing out.

I know it's a "cute" interaction but I'm surprised you didn't add in any "Madcap Skills" because Madcap and Alpha Authority makes a creature unblockable as nothing meets the block requirement that both auras create. And ignoring that Madcap is still pretty good, potentially better now that there aren't many good token producers.


I said this in a comment but I'll reiterate. Chandra Pyromancer if you wanted to add in a Planeswalker seems the most fitting here because it allows you to do roughly the same thing as Domri Rade getting card advantage however it will never miss. Also Chandra could help a little clearing your way to victory.