I do know that Phantasmal Image + Palinchron is infinite. That's why Phantasmal Image is in the deck.

Guided Passage isn't even playable in this deck, since it's RUG and not BUG. Even if it was playable, it's significantly worse. Not being able to tutor for the cards in question takes away all the utility of the spell. If I cast Intuition finding Tooth and Nail , Eternal Witness , and Snapcaster Mage , it's game over. The two cards going to the graveyard is in no way disadvantageous, since BUG loves to recur things and virtually every card is still a threat when I have access to it in my yard. Guided Passage only gets you a nonblue basic land (if your opponent is intelligent) and two other irrelevant cards. Plus you have to reveal your entire library.

I personally hate basic lands because I have better options available. When you're working with a limited budget, they're passable as inclusions. I would sooner put in duals of some kind that don't ETB tapped than put in basics.

ok, thanks for the advise, w

why did you take out vorenclex?

Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger proved to be too situational and underpowered. At the high level of competition, 8-drop creatures are not something you want to be holding in hand unless the win the game immediately. Vorinclex doesn't do that. Also, Deadeye Navigator proved to be a more versatile substitute given that it is useful after the infinite mana combo (for example, Deadeye Navigator can be used to get infinite mana and then be used again as part of the wincon with that infinite mana if there's a creature-based win strategy readily available for execution).

Man, Intuition for Tooth and Nail , Eternal Witness , and Snapcaster Mage is so sexy.

I like to announce Intuition by saying "at your EOT, you lose the game."

thats fair... what about Forbid , plus as you say, you dont mind cards being in the graveyard

Forbid isn't necessary. The problem is you have to discard two for it to be any better than Cancel . I never find myself with anything I can afford to discard. There are enough counterspells in the deck that not being able to buy one back is not really a problem. It's one thing to put two cards carefully chosen from your library into the graveyard, but it's another to have to make an on-the-spot decision of which two cards in your hand to lose. The latter is especially damaging to your tempo and advantage because it's limiting your immediate options whereas the former only takes from your library and the choice is much easier.

In my meta, I generally try to Terastodon the combo/control player before turn 4 in order to give myself a chance to win. Or bring in Omniscience before turn 4 or 5 to be able to win against the control player before they can get off the ground. It's a little cutthroat, but I just run threats, no true control, so I'm at a disadvantage against the combo player if I let them live or proceed with any land/permanents past turn 5 or 6 or so.

But about the deck, Sphinx of Uthuun is powerful with Deadeye Navigator , as I'm sure you've considered. If there was a way to get the interaction online sooner than t7, that might be useful, but I understand why you dropped it. I'm looking forward to seeing what new edh stuff rtr will provide.

One more thing: I've replaced some of the creatures that you mentioned were underpowered/unnecessary with (hopefully better ones, but I'm still just holding a place with Kaervek the Merciless . Would you suggest a specific creature to replace this one? Maybe Iona, Shield of Emeria ? Not quite sure currently :-(

In my meta, I generally try to Terastodon the combo/control player before turn four (to blow up three blue sources) in order to give myself a chance to win. Or bring in Omniscience before turn four or five to be able to win against the control player before they can get off the ground. It's a little cutthroat, but I just run threats, no true control, so I'm at a disadvantage against the combo player if I let them live or proceed with any land/permanents past turn five or six or so.

But about the deck, Sphinx of Uthuun is powerful with Deadeye Navigator , as I'm sure you've considered. If there was a way to get the interaction online sooner than t7, that might be useful, but I understand why you dropped it. I'm looking forward to seeing what new edh stuff rtr will provide.

One more thing: I've replaced some of the creatures that you mentioned were underpowered/unnecessary with (hopefully better ones, but I'm still just holding a place with Kaervek the Merciless . Would you suggest a specific creature to replace this one? Maybe Iona, Shield of Emeria ? Not quite sure currently :-(

I never ran Sphinx of Uthuun to begin with. The cost and speed are simply too prohibitive to make it viable.

What is the last part of your comment in regards to?

Oh sorry! I meant that you're not using it in general but that if it were a little more affordable the pairing would be awesome. And I meant for my deck, Think Fast! Bombs for Free. Definitely forgot to post that, oops! I'm really looking for the last few card spots to be optimized. Thinking about taking out Deathrender or another slow-ish card for my incoming Eureka as well.

For those interested, this deck is also featured in a thread on MTGS, which can be found here.

what did you update?

also, you going to play Chromatic Lantern ?

Chromatic Lantern is already in the deck. That was part of the update.

I replaced Coalition Relic for Chromatic Lantern because the latter is like an upgrade of the former. The only advantage of the former is its ability to produce two extra mana on one turn.

what else did you update?

Swapping Burgeoning for Exploration was the other change I remember making. I mostly wanted to clear the comments because they were beginning to build up again.

good call... why the change with Burgeoning ? Exploration seems a little better, seeing that you can play lands when YOU want to...

That's why Exploration is currently in the deck and Burgeoning isn't.

I'd like to run both but I don't know what I would drop to add the other.

lol, sorry bout that, didnt read that. I would take out Mystic Remora for it actually. From playtesting with it, i cant justify paying any upkeep costs, it always goes down.

How are you using Mystic Remora ?

well, im not dropping it early game, its more for mid game... i just cant end up paying that because all my efforts go to ramping/tutoring for Tooth and Nail to go infinite.

You may be using it incorrectly.

When I play this deck, I break the game into three stages. The first is the early game and is devoted entirely to ramping and establishing cheap advantage generators. The second is for continuing to ramp and cast/fuel advantage generators as well as applying control magic. The third is for comboing off. Generally, Mystic Remora is best cast after some solid early ramp so its CU cost doesn't interfere with your other plays. You want to be able to use early ramp to fund any costs and additional ramping that needs to be done in the midgame while using your normal land drops to fuel your control.

Reference my thread on MTGS for a deeper analysis of the three stages of the game and how to use Mystic Remora .

Since this is a combo deck, I'm wondering if Necropotence would be better in here than Mystic Remora , simply because, apart from the higher initial cost and color restriction, it can 1) draw you cards unconditionally (though at eot, except you have plenty of instant speed cards) and 2) draw you maybe more cards faster. Just a thought. I know Mystic Remora is good too.

In my MGTS thread for this deck, I am considering dropping Mindbreak Trap for Necropotence . Although I don't like potence because it forces me to find BBB early in the game, it is a good card.

I see. Just a guess, but Mindbreak Trap is pretty conditional. Is that the reason you're thinking of switching it, or is it just for more draw, or both? I made some changes to my own deck based on some of your suggestions. Thanks for the pointers :-)