Why doesn't Mono Blue splash White?
Standard forum
Posted on Feb. 17, 2014, 3:19 a.m. by byepolarbear
So I'm watching some tournaments on youtube and wondering why Mono Blue doesn't splash white for like 2 or 3 Sphinx's Revelation and a few Detention Sphere (perhaps in the sideboard), especially with the U/W scry lands.
Is MUD just too aggro to give up 2 slots for potentially massive card advantage? If Supreme Verdict is basically game over, why not bring in something that can reset your hand?
The Doctor says... #3
and at that point you may as well swap to azo control
February 17, 2014 3:30 a.m.
byepolarbear says... #4
Swap to control because of 2 mainboard spells and 6 lands? 4 scry lands to help search for Thassa, God of the Sea or whatever you need at that point, like 2 shock lands to make it more reliable and 2 spells to help you recover from removal is enough to totally change the archetype of the deck?
February 17, 2014 3:38 a.m.
because mono blue has some creatures with heavy blue requirements like nightveil specter so I'm guessing its more of a mana base thing.
February 17, 2014 4:29 a.m.
RussischerZar says... #6
If they're running 4 shocks, 4 temples they can get over the triple blue of nightveil with additional temples of silence (produce black for spectre and white for the splash). But I think that would mean they might have to reduce stuff like Mutavault and therefore consistency and resilience.
I guess it could work, maybe no one really tried it yet.
February 17, 2014 5:37 a.m.
and tempo, tempo is really REALLY important. Scry and Schockslands would make it slower, risking to lose it's tempo
February 17, 2014 5:44 a.m.
Because why play Sphinx's Revelation ? Its a terrible card for MUD. Its only worth it if you get to 6-7 land when it is drawing 3-4 cards at least. Since MUD plans on winning before that why would you play it? U/W control on the other hand...
February 17, 2014 6:36 a.m.
Monoblue can splash white, but it wouldn't use Sphinx's Revelation
for draw power.
Ephara, God of the Polis says hi.
February 17, 2014 6:48 a.m.
gheridarigaaz says... #10
Mono blue doesn't need white, but adding something like Azorius Charm would be great for it's tempo-plays, setting opponents back Time Ebb style helps negate scry and Underworld Connections , digging with the draw on it and the lifegain can definitely put opponents out of reach and i'm going to say Lavinia of the Tenth could very well be the overrun the deck needs to push through those pesky rat tokens and caryatids.
On other colours i have seen a combo-kill version running purphoros and master of waves, that simic biomancer of waves version looked amazing and i'm helping someone build a janky black version using Clone and Fated Infatuation to get more bang for your buck off of grey merchant
February 17, 2014 8:17 a.m.
Schuesseled says... #11
With devotion decks you don't really want to splash too much of another colour unless there are a lot of hybrid cards you could play. G/R has bte's U/B has the nightviel spectres and R/W has the Boros Reckoners, thats only one card for each of those two colour decks that works towards both devotions in each colour at the same time, therefore making only a splash acceptable if at all.
February 17, 2014 11:28 a.m.
byepolarbear says... #12
OK, that makes a lot of sense. I didn't really think of the fact that against control decks if you get hit by a verdict and lose your board state you absolutely don't want to waste 2 turns to use Sphinx's Revelation since your top end is sad pandas when compared to the control deck's top end.
I can definitely see how scry lands would be a huge issue with this type of deck, especially if you were on the draw. Turn 2 Cloudfin Raptor on the draw? luls.
4 Hallowed Fountain so you don't lose tempo for 2-3 Azorius Charm probably wouldn't be worth it either since you'd basically always have to shock yourself with it even if you didn't have the charm in your hand...
BUT IT WOULD BE SO COOL! =-(
February 17, 2014 2:05 p.m.
ChrisHansonBiomancin says... #13
They already have Bident of Thassa and Jace, Architect of Thought providing card advantage that's faster than what Sphinx's Revelation offers, and the life gain isn't as relevant in an aggro deck. Also, both Rapid Hybridization and Curse of the Swine are solid removal options; Detention Sphere is better, but in the end the difference is small enough that it's not worth splashing a new color for these two cards.
February 17, 2014 2:23 p.m.
I agree with Jimhawk on Ephara, God of the Polis that with a few Detention Sphere and you got a whole new midrange devotion deck goin on.
Back when Theros first became standard legal, I ran a brew with Jace, AOT, Elspeth Sun's Champ, and Thassa, god of the sea with Master of waves and a playset of D-sphere's, it worked fairly well and then about two weeks later Mono-Blue had been defined as an archetype. So I abandoned my initial idea's and went with Mono-Blue, but I've always wanted to go back and make a devotion deck in U/W without running derpy creatures like Cloudfin and Judge's Familiar.
February 17, 2014 2:33 p.m.
The Doctor says... #15
If you're going to splash anything with mono-blue, it'd be black so you'd have options against control, such as Hero's Downfall and Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver .
February 17, 2014 4 p.m.
wombatman880 says... #16
Alot of people seem afraid of verdict but the ultimate piece of advice is don't play it aggro duriing these potential matches. A verdict only ends the game for you because of rushing. I don't recommend playing the white. Fated Infatuation looks good though. It's good for targetting Tidebinder Mage or Master of Waves and can also be used to avoid certain effects on a Thassa, God of the Sea as it's instant speed. The main reason to add white is Detention Sphere but we can deal with issues that a Detention Sphere can hit cheaper with Rapid Hybridization , Cyclonic Rift , Disperse , or even AEtherize in many cases. I also think it might be worth it to side Mutavault . It's good for some thiings but it slows down the pace for most match-ups. Itt's always nice to have this land drop that's also a creature but in the end this deck doesn't usually lack creatures. Bring it in for destruction heavy decks maybe but mainboarding it seems like a wasted space. Also what are people really stopping with Judge's Familiar ? Yea they can't cast that doom-blade turn 2 but they know about the limitation and even if they foolishly proceed and you counter it then you lose a good flying attacker. If they play destruction heavy then I'd side Mizzium Skin . This also stops a Detention Sphere , Banishing Light , Banisher Priest or Chained to the Rocks which Judge's Familiar can do nothing against. I also have some doubts about the utility of Nightveil Specter . He's good for devotion but since you aren't playing other colors his exile usually nets you some land and maybe a late game something. He has no good replacement unfortunately. I board Wall of Frost but that card is equally as useless in many matchups but It stops aggro builds and can more adequately evolve your Cloudfin Raptor . You lose a 2 point attacker but it really doesn't seem to matter unless you are racing and if you are racing then a 0/7 wall might be good.
Behgz says... #2
Cuz then it wouldn't be mono-blue, it's be U/W midrangey-control.
February 17, 2014 3:29 a.m.