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Turbo pits is a Deck is a deck that was designed as an all in, ramp, combo based deck centered around empty the pits, which it intends to maximize the output of zombies on an opponents end step and untap for lethal damage.
Empty the Pits
- The namesake of this deck, XXBBBB is normally a very steep cost for almost every spell but what makes this the primary focal point are two very important characteristics of the card: (run 2-3x)
Delve: this is the backbone that truly fuels this card, it allows us to reach obscene numbers and lets our deck to "Go wide" (I have reach X equals 8 on the opponents turn 4.) which untapped was able to close out the game. Instant: this card being instant speed allows us to hold up our mana, which can be used for our instant speed effects. Villainous Wealth - This is our redundant win condition to steal the game in the most literal fashion possible, while its not fueled by the power of delve like Empty the Pits is, we have ramp from our mana dorks and dictates that allow us to Wealth our opponent for x=10 or more comfortably by turn 5, oftentimes being cast on a number large enough to never whiff and gain a large amount of card advantage to end the game as well. run 2-4x
Elvish Mystic - a turn one mana dork to allow us to ramp into our spells on subsequent turns, and also can serve as a blocker that effectively generates 2 mana for us when we empty the pits. run 4x Sylvan Caryatid - A pillar of the current standard. 0/3 body that blocks aggression? check, produces mana? check, hexproof to make sure its hard to remove? check. run 4x Satyr Wayfinder - This is one of our primary sources of fuel for delving, he often will help smooth our land drops and puts 3 cards in the graveyard, and when he dies predictably as a blocker later on, nets you a total of two zombies. run 2x-3x Nyx Weaver - This guy is a secondary source of fuel to drive our delve cards, while also serving as an insurance policy in case empty the pits or villainous wealth is milled from his or satyr wayfinder. We can just exile him and grab it back whenever we wish. run 2x
Soul of Zendikar
- This guy is our out when we need board presence in the mid game and can take over a game left unchecked, he can clog up the board and make on demand blockers for the midgame and late game if needed, he can be ramped out as early as turn 3, and even brings utility in the grave yard. run 2x-3x Dictate of Karametra - This enchantment is what helps our deck achieve its turbo status. if you are able to cast this at the end of your opponents T4, this will let you untap and have access to 10 mana in total (given you played two mana dorks to ramp into it on turn 3.) run 2-3xDig Through Time - this spell is a powerful effect for sure, this delve spell has a steep mana cost, but it digs deep, and often finds us one or both of our win conditions.This being said, we want to limit our number of these, as only the first one will have the most impact. run 0-2xAEtherspouts - This spell is our other tempo play that sits at the same CMC as Dictate of karametra. This spell acts as a board reset from what can be lethal swings, allowing us to have that extra turn or two needed to set up the kill. run 2-4x
Empty the Pits
- See above Villainous Wealth - see above Drown in Sorrow - This is our first line of defense, it kills early aggression creatures such as Goblin rabble master and tokens, it also deals with opposing dorks, and smooths our card drawing. run 2-4x Mana Confluence - We are a 3 color deck, with heavy mana requirements, so having access to all of our mana early on is essential. run 4x
Temple of Malady
/ Temple of Mystery / Temple of Deceit - these are our safe lands, they allow us access to two colors of mana, while allowing us to smooth our draws.run 7-9x (with quantities of each varying to fit your manabase) Llanowar Wastes / Yavimaya Coast - these strike a balance between our scrylands and confluences, they come in untapped, but only produce two of our colors with the option tap for colorless. these are our other means of having access to our mana in the early game. run 3x-8x (varies with your manabase needs) Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth - this helps us fix our mana in a couple of ways, it makes all of our lands tap for black mana which helps ease the ability in casting
Empty the Pits
. More importantly though, is it allows us to tap our painlands for colored mana (B) without paying life, and also allows fetchlands to tap for mana in the worst case. run 1-2x Polluted Delta - Another method of thinning our deck and fixing our mana, it also provides an early source of delve fuel for our delving spells run 2-4x Basic Lands - needed to fuel our fetches, and are good old fashioned mana sources (number varies, run enough basic lands so that your fetchlands are not dead.) Work In Progress.
These cards are subject to further testing and analysis, and some may be played in lieu of personal preference
Kruphix, God of Horizons - This card is our 61st card, i would love to run this card as a 1 of without loss of consistency, as it serves as a decent potential beater from our incidental devotion sources, and serves as an indestructible mana batter to fuel our extra mana into. run 0-2x Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx - another solid choice that can be ran in the mainboard, but is makes an already harsh manabase even more hostile due to it producing colorless mana, and requiring an investment of mana that can lead to explosive plays. run 0-1x.Rattleclaw Mystic - Another potential mana dork (possibly in place of Embodiment of spring) will allow for some explosive mana generation potential for an empty the pits or villianous wealth, but comes at the cost of consistency. run 0-4x.Taigam's Scheming - This is another solid effect to fill our graveyard, an almost blue Grisly Salvage except it allows us to put back *any* card, such as a board sweeper, or a kill condition, and toss the rest in our graveyard. the fact we are unable to draw cards off of its effect is the ultimate backbreaker it however.
Embodiment of Spring
- another solid one drop. This guy gives us a robust 0/3 body to roadblock early aggression, and can be sacrificed later on to rampant growth us, and serve as an extra card to exile to delve. run 0x-4x In Conclusion, This deck is still very much a work in progress, and am open to suggestions to improve it, as it currently stands, the ultimate goals going forward with developing this deck archetype for standard are the following:
Speed up the deck without sacrificing consistency:: Currently, the deck on average goes off between turn 6 and 7 most of the time, so speeding up this deck will help us combat midrange and aggro strategies more effectivelyImprove our mana generation and manabase: right now we take a lot of incremental damage in terms of painlands which is partially a consequence of a 3+ color demanding manabase. Matchup Analysis and Adaptation: As the metagame develops, looking for ways to adopt new sideboard and mainboard selections to fight the current decklists.I hope you Enjoyed reading my primer and Enjoy this deck as much as I did!
