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Casual UR (Izzet)

audiclian

Instant (28)

• 4x Counterspell
• 3x Fire / Ice
• 1x Fireblast
• 4x Flame Burst
• 2x Foil
• 4x Incinerate
• 4x Lightning Bolt
• 4x Remand
• 2x Sudden Shock

Land (21)

• 9x Island
• 8x Mountain
• 4x Steam Vents

Artifact (5)

• 4x Isochron Scepter
• 1x Sensei's Divining Top

Creature (5)

• 4x Delver of Secrets  ^Flip
• 1x Jace, Vryn's Prodigy  ^Flip

Planeswalker (1)

• 1x Chandra, Acolyte of Flame

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Sideboard

Instant (6)

• 3x Disperse
• 3x Impact Resonance

Artifact (3)

• 3x Ratchet Bomb

Sorcery (4)

• 2x Flames of the Firebrand
• 2x Slagstorm

Enchantment (2)

• 2x Steal Enchantment

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This is a classic control deck for casual matches when you need to whip out a deck to show people what's up. The only creature in the deck is Delver of Secrets   (I don't classify Jace, Vryn's Prodigy   as a creature; for the purposes of the deck, it is a planeswalker), with all other spells being based around denying your opponent their spells. (DISCLAIMER: this is NOT a Delver deck, per se; it has been around since way before Delver's time and I just added Delver when it came out.)

That said, this is one of my all-time favorite decks to use and it has gone through many iterations throughout the years - from High Tide + Fireball blowout, to Standstill / Parallax Tide / land destruction, to what it is today. It's remained in its current form the longest because it's a reliable deck to play if you can be a patient, intelligent player.



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Control decks are built almost exclusively around denying your opponents their cards and this deck does that exceptionally well. The main strategy is simple: counter your opponent's deadlier spells while burning or bouncing away their creatures. Most burn decks run the risk of running out of ammo, and therefore opt to burn the opponent far more often than burning pesky creatures. This deck does not have that issue; 4 copies of Isochron Scepter allow for indefinite use of ~42% (nearly 1/2!) of the cards in the deck. Because of the options to burn, bounce, or counter spells, this deck plays steadily and reactively. All the spells pave the way for the hyper-efficient beater Insectile Aberration to do steady damage each turn. Finally cards like Fireblast , Jace, Telepath Unbound , or Chandra Ablaze can close the game from a healthy life total.

Next I'll talk about the card choices and why/how they help the deck achieve its victory conditions.



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Creatures:
Delver of Secrets   : This deck used to be completely creatureless before Innistrad came out. I was so impressed after the ISD Prerelease, where I ran a / flyer deck, that I immediately added Delver to this deck.
Jace, Vryn's Prodigy   : Jace is another finisher in this deck. He is only a creature as long as necessary, and then his [-3] really packs an extra punch. He helps filter cards his creature mode until he is able to flip.

Noncreature Spells:
Chandra Ablaze : Chandra is a finisher in this deck through her [-7] ability, which recycles all burn spells in the graveyard. Her [+1] should be used more than her [-2] in order to fill the graveyard, but both abilities are great in this deck.
Remand : This is a fantastic, inexpensive counter spell. It's cheap enough to put on an Isochron Scepter , maintains tempo, and replaces itself with another card in your hand.
Counterspell : The most reliable counter spell ever printed. Period. It's even better in this deck when paired with the infamous 'stick'.
Foil : An inexpensive counter spell...free, in fact. Most people consider this card the poor-man's Force of Will , but I personally like it more. This deck can spare the extra Island s and reuse the discarded card, which is a no-go with Force.
Lightning Bolt : The best burn spell ever printed. Not great on a 'stick' since you're effectively doubling its mana cost, but still recyclable. I recommend using it without the 'stick' whenever possible, but sometimes you gotta.
Flame Burst : If you want consistency Lightning Strike or utility Magma Jet , this card is not for you. This is for the power player in me who yearns for big, cheap damage in the long game.
Incinerate : This is the next best thing to Lightning Bolt . It also prevents regeneration, which makes it situationally (read: extremely rarely) more useful than Bolt.
Sudden Shock : Though 2 damage for 2 mana looks sad on paper, the split second utility makes this a virtually immutable 2 damage to either finish the game or a pesky creature. It's certainly pulled its weight.
Fireblast : This is a terrific "oops" finisher. I typically use the alternate cost for 4 surprise damage; followed up after two Bolts, this does a whopping 10 damage on 2 mana. Yikes.
Fire/Ice (APC) : This card is a perfect fit for this deck. Not only is it in the right colors, it does everything this deck wants to do, and it fits neatly onto an Isochron Scepter.
Sensei's Divining Top : The Top adds a renewable level of filtering every couple of turns to anticipate answers against opponents or find mini-combo pieces. It's best if used with tempo appropriately, and not every turn.
Isochron Scepter : The infamous 'stick'. This is a must have in this deck. 25 out of 39 playable spells can be imprinted onto it, and it never gets worse with multiples - only better.

Lands:
Steam Vents : The only dual lands in the deck. If I could afford a full playset of Volcanic Island s, they would be included as well, but other dual lands just don't count as an Island or a Mountain for Foil or Fireblast .

Sideboard:
Disperse : This is swapped in when dealing with artifacts or enchantments that can't be burned by my spells. I would exchange some of the less effective burn spells out for these in a heartbeat.
Steal Enchantment : This often overlooked tempo play helps deal with enchantment-based threats that this main deck tends to struggle with, and turns the tide in my favor at the same time.
Impact Resonance : This card is a little flimsy. It doesn't have quite the bang I had hoped for, but it does fit on a 'stick' and does a great job dealing with token decks. Spreading the damage wide means I can deal with goblins, soldiers, and faeries easily.
Flames of the Firebrand : Flames fills a similar role to Impact Resonance but can also be used on a player. Having the option to go big or wide is great for a SB card.
Slagstorm : Yet another wide burn card. There is a reason for all the redundancy and it's because token/weenie aggro decks offer this deck its biggest challenge. More ammo is better.
Ratchet Bomb : Another card intended to deal with artifacts and enchantments that this deck cannot otherwise deal with. It does have the added bonus of being able to deal with creatures (tokens especially) and planeswalkers, too.

Date added	10 years
Last updated	5 years
Legality	This deck is Casual legal.
Rarity (main - side)	1 - 0 Mythic Rares 6 - 8 Rares 19 - 4 Uncommons 17 - 3 Commons
Cards	60
Avg. CMC	2.15
Tokens	Elemental 1/1 R, Emblem Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
Folders	Casual