Think I have the core down, just need to decide on creature balance and what removal to run. Removed Titanic Growth since Confront the Unknown did pretty much the same thing, and added Tread Upon for a bit of combat utility. I reall like this addition as it can flip Uninvited Geist
Flip, get Outland Colossus Renowned, plus get clues with Bearer of Overwhelming Truths
Flip along with triggering its Prowess.
Going to outline cards in each category to hopefully get my head around what I want in.
Potential 1-drops:
Sidisi's Faithful - defence, removal later
Jaddi Offshoot - defence ++
Faerie Miscreant - evasion
Other Creatures:
Bounding Krasis - control, flash.
Can add extra blocker to combat, or remove an attacker.
Byway Courier - body, clue.
Would only add if going with some Ulvenwald Mysteries.
Whirler Rogue - evasion, bodies.
Pros: Fits the theme and adds some extra blockers (w. flying), effect free as clues don't need to be tapped to sac. Cons: fairly expensive to play, not much staying power at 2/2 so effect wouldn't be used much unless I had board presence. Mana cost slot taken by Briarbridge Patrol. Rogue's Passage does the same thing without taking a creature slot.
Control:
Disperse - instant, cheap, board tempo.
Flexible as not just creature removal.
Epic Confrontation - sorcery, cheap, creature removal.
Iffy removal (only +1), scales off creature power which I don't have a lot of early.
Into the Void - sorcery, mid-cost, board tempo.
Set-up for removing blockers so something big can get through. Better after getting finisher out, but could stall until I can get there.
Press for Answers - sorcery, cheap, temporary combat tempo/damage mitigation.
Also Clue. Doesn't stall opponent's mana unlike Return to Hand options.
Rabid Bite - sorcery, cheap, creature removal.
Again scales of creature power, but unlike Epic Confrontation my creature doesn't take damage so attacking after is safer.
Sweep Away - instant, mid-cost, hard creature tempo.
Reaction to being attacked. Very nice early stall.
Mirror Mockery - enchantment, cheap, permanent combat control.
Removes cards with power > tough if they attack, prevents damage from power < tough. Take advantage of any EtB effects opponent has. Good synergy with Whirler Rogue if I put that in... though it would have to attack to take advantage of it.
Other:
Ulvenwald Mysteries - Different Clue generation, adding blockers to protect core damage/combo pieces. However only get a body on clue sac so that's 2 mana for a 1/1 (+ draw a card). Only get clues from this when something dies, however decent clue generation elsewhere so would be mainly used for the tokens. Good sideboard card.
Rogue's Passage - Perfect for getting late damage through. Why don't I have any?
From that write-up I think I like
1-drop: Jaddi Offshoot
Combat Creatures: Daring Sleuth
Flip, Uninvited Geist
Flip, Bounding Krasis (x3 ea?)
Control: Sweep Away, Disperse.
This gives me a very defensive early game while I ramp up clues so I can get out Outland Colossus and swing 2x buffed + unblockable for the win. Only problem I see with this strategy is it's incredibly vulnerable to kill/exile spells or enchants like Pacifism. Just whack one of those on the Colossus and that's it. That's why I liked the counterspells I had in here, but in practice I had to use my mana to get board presence early or else I got run over, so I had nothing left to counter with - and with no removal, anything that got on the board stayed there. Maybe it was my play and I was overextending, but with these return to hand spells hopefully I can stall the board so my creatures have a better chance of doing enough damage.
It feels like the clue stuff is holding me back. With slots from Ongoing Investigation, Tamiyo's Journal, Briarbridge Patrol, Erdwal Illuminator and Confront the Unknown opened up, I could run counterspells as well plus some more land and maybe some mana ramp. That's like half the deck though... it would become something completely different. I'd neet to get rid of Daring Sleuth
Flip as well since it would never flip.
I'd probably add Void Shatter and Titanic Growth back in, then for creatures I have literally no idea. I would be building a new U/G midrange unblockable deck. Maybe I will do that, just make an offshoot of this one. I'd have to do a bunch of research to find out what's good in the green / blue creatures sphere. Definitely don't have time right now.
