Hello folks! Please find below my version of control Izzet Guildmage combo deck. Comments on ideas and improvements welcomed!
Idea behind:
Top level, you want to play control, limit damage to yourself and survive until you can run the infinite combo loop and smoke oponent in one round.
Combos:
1) Izzet Guildmage + Manamorphose + Training Grounds
for unlimited draw and mana (up to number of cards remaining in your deck) and finish oponent with copying Lava Spike for the mana generated. If you have Izzet and Training on the field then you need 3 mana to run the loop + any additional for counterspell on the first cast if opponent is playing control.
2) Same principle as above but using Biomancer's Familiar + Izzet Guildmage + Manamorphose
Control:
1) One mana:
Swan Song - One mana counter to potential Biomancer's Familiar + Izzet Guildmage
removal. You give them swan but well, there's gotta be an offset. Other options are Dispel or Spell Pierce but they are becoming less and less reliable as the game progresses.
2) Two mana:
Remand - helps you dig and gives you time. I'd say that's good enough in most cases.
Izzet Charm - counter / dig engine / small creature removal. Overall good card for this deck.
Muddle the Mixture - counter for Biomancer's Familiar + Izzet Guildmage
removals + dig for Izzet Guildmage + Biomancer's Familiar + Manamorphose + Pyroclasm + Desperate Ritual + Pyroclasm depending on what you are missing in hand at the time. Must have in this deck!
Dig:
1) One mana:
Opt - I prefer this over Serum Visions as I can play it as instant, keeping my Swan Song in check. Overall Serum has better effect so up to your preference.
2) Two mana:
Izzet Charm - counter / dig engine / small creature removal. Overall good card for this deck.
Thrill of Possibility - remove duplicate / unneeded stuff to draw as instant. Ideas Unbound is an alternative but I do not like that's a sorcery. I rather have my counterspell ready and play only if safe at the end of turn.
Sideboard notes:
Pyroclasm for tribal
Desperate Ritual for mill decks if you don't want to draw more cards from Manamorphose but need mana to finish opponent off with Lava Spike
Nivix Guildmage for Pithing Needle (btw. how stupid this card is....?) on your Izzet Guildmage. You can still draw cards with Manamorphose for free. Need to generate mana with Desperate Ritual though to finish with Lava Spike.
Banefire as ender for decks with prevent dmg cards.
Tormod's Crypt your typical graveyard hate.
Potentials to include:
Surgical Extraction, Ancient Grudge but you have 15 cards to choose from so you gotta make choices.
Matchup difficulty (scale kinda goes like: 0 - easy peasy, 5 - even, 10 - unplayable):
White Tribal - 7 If they are fast you've got a problem. You can board Pyroclasm to clear them early. Once they are slowed down and their hand is empty, you win with control and setting up the combo.
Urza's Saga / Artifact / Affinity - 8 If they get saga fast, they can run you on turn 3 which is way to quick. Problematic deck to play against.
Reanimate - 5 Control + graveyard hate should help. 50/50 depending on what creatures will they run into you.
Mill - 4 You should win. Board Desperate Ritual so that you won't draw your remaining deck out with Manamorphose once you'll start your combo.
Lifegain / dmg prevention - 1 You don't really care much for their health gain until they get to some crazy ~100 numbers. Banefire as win condition fro dmg prevention cards.
Control - 4 You are also control. Boring matchup as you need to play a bit longer, having some mana free to counter their spells or removals of your key pawns to the combo. Once you start your combo, you can play copies off your counterspells on the stack so they cannot match.
Pox/Discard - 9 Unplayable. They will remove your hand with cheap spells. You can try to counter some but you will most likely finish emptyhanded and they will have creature removal for your Izzet.
Storm Combo - 3 You have counterspells and should have way more then them as your combo has less cards than theirs.
Green Tribal - 5 Depends on tempo but usually much slower than white which plays in your favor. For Elves take Pyroclasm
Burn - 7 Can be nasty. You need to protect your Izzet. You'd even prefer to get slapped yourself. Counterspells can help some but those decks are a bit too fast usually.
