And yet another revamp of the Snipers deck. With the coming of Pyromancer's Guantlet in M14, the Snipes damage just shot through the roof. Potentially 10+ damage per Snipe trigger makes this deck really scary now. Combine that with a bunch of 1/1 tokens that the Young Pyromancer will spit out, and you can both overrun and nuke down anyone.
This deck is both simple to play, and unfortunately also has simple flaws.
Ideal setup:
You want to get a stalker out and ciphered as soon as you can. Each casting triggers the Snipes and the Pyromancers, granting you direct damage and elemental creature tokens for blocking.
As soon as you have the mana for it, get the Guantlet out to improve your Snipe damage. When you get Stolen Identity out, alternate copying Snipes and gauntlets until you reach crazy stupid level of damage.
The staticasters are still in here to help deal with small creature threats and token generation decks.
Most ideal setup:
Izzet Guildgate
Island or Mountain
Invisible Stalker
Goblin Electromancer
Guttersnipe
Hidden Stringsx2
First 2 ideal draws: Land and Curiosity (in that order)
If you draw on first play, and get to turn 3, Last Thoughts is best next card.
Play order:
T1: Guildgate
T2: Stalker, Land
T3: Electromancer, Land (if drawn), Hidden strings (cast for 1, untap 2 mana, cipher to stalker), Hidden Strings (as before, now all your mana's untapped), Snipe
Attack with stalker to trigger snipe twice (total 5 damage). If curiosity was drawn on this turn, play on snipe now that your mana's untapped. Otherwise play and cipher Last Thoughts (2 more damage, draw a card).
T4: Play Curiosity or Last thoughts, whichever you have. If you have another cipher or instant in hand, cast if able. Ideally, you've done 2 additional damage here. Total done to opponent now 9. Attack with stalker. Untap all mana, all 3 (or 4) ciphers go off (total 7 (or 9) damage. Draw 4 (or 5) cards (Last thoughts + 3 (or 4)x curiosity trigger). Total damage at 16 now. Play 2 more instants/sorceries to finish off the opponent.
It's not always this fast, but I've had it happen pretty much exactly like this. Hope for the best, plan for the worst. Against control or murder decks, be FAR less aggressive initially so you can store up some counterspelling.
Above all, protect your snipes. Unsummon them when they get targeted. Negate spells targeting them. Rewind, mizzium skin, whatever it takes.
Previous versions of this deck:
http://www.mtgvault.com/jhaiisiin/decks/snipers-20/
http://www.mtgvault.com/jhaiisiin/decks/snipers/
Decks were inspired by this one:
http://www.mtgvault.com/tralese/decks/sniped-to-death/