This is a tempo deck that I came up with that counters opponents spells while simultaneously dealing direct damage to them. This deck has two win cons that mesh really well.
General Strategy as follows:
Thermo-Alchemist
This creature is your bread and butter for the tempo of the deck, can block smaller creatures and deals damage everytime it untaps. Generally the idea is you ping someone with him prior to countering an opponents spell. (Hence the name of the deck) Also can be used in conjunction with support cards such as visions, bolt and madcap. This strategy keeps your opponents aggro at bay while punishing them for every attempted spell they cast. Get more then 1 into play and you’re in business. Remember to ping your opponent at their EOT!
Delver of Secrets
Low mana cost, easy to flip and can give you a head start on damage if you can get him to flip early. Definitely keeps the aggro pressure on.
Blood Moon / Madcap Experiment / Platinum Emperion
After you get blood moon online: Let’s you pull out an 8/8 for 4 mana and your life total isn’t effected after madcap resolves. Your opponent is going to have difficulty removing emperion with only red mana. Can be used as win-con for obvious reasons. Also your life total can’t be altered until emperion is removed. It really puts your opponent into a tight spot.
Snapcaster Mage
Pretty obvious why this card is good
Jace, the Mind Sculptor
Utility! Utility, Utility! Also helps prevent you from drawing into your emperion. Can be used as a win con on his own if you can keep him alive.
Cryptic Command
Solid utility counter spell , is also helpful if you’re going for the emperion win route by tapping down all of your opponents creatures and smacking them for 8 damage.
Remand
Delay and draw power to get to blood moon faster. Tempo card.
Spell Snare
1 drop hard counter. Useful when it’s your opponents turn 2 and a lot of pesky spells in modern happen to be 2 drops. Great card.
Wizard's Retort
5 wizards in the deck and only 2 of these in the main, make it very likely you will get to have a 2 drop hard counter.
Serum Visions
Draw power and helps you set up a delver flip. Also helps you avoid drawing into that emperion and helps you get to blood moon faster.
Lightning Bolt
Solid removal or can be used as a finisher. Especially when you got blood moon online it becomes one of the few useable cards.
Academy Ruins
Can let you salvage your emperion if it gets killed or discarded.
Search for Azcanta
The Utility on this card is nuts. Helps out greatly drawing into our win cons.
Sideboard:
Robe of Mirrors
Side blood moon out for this if BM is relitvely of little value in the match up. Atleast going this route you’ll still have access to your blue spells to control the battlefield.
Damping Sphere
Even though blood moon destroys tron and hinders storm, I chose to put this in there because it’s much easier to get onto the battlefield and it simply increases our chances into drawing into a card that just makes tron and storm lose.
Madcap Experiment
Incase you go against a burn deck or deck that loses to emperion.
Platinum Angel
Good if your opponents win con is anything that doesn’t rely on putting your life total to zero. Replace emperions with these.
Anger of the Gods
Decent board wipe that exiles creatures. Great for pesky creatures like Kitchen Finks that have persist.
Final thoughts:
With the exception of creatures and lands; every card is a trigger for thermo alchemist to be utilized and it’s direct damage is extremely useful if your emperion can’t swing through without being gang blocked to death. This deck will generally destroy burn decks and halt aggro in its tracks. Don’t play Blood Moon unless you know you can safely beat your opponent in the face with your red cards. Activating blood moon prematurely can be just as bad since it eliminates your blue spells (Unless of course you got your basic islands in play.)
