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Open the Vaults + Timewarp combo deck


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Griff
User offline. Last seen 16 weeks 1 day ago. Offline
Joined: 11/07/2005
Points: 1274

So checking deckcheck I ran into a nifty deck.  This deck is unlike anything I've seen before, but I suppose it is an old concept come again.

// instant [8]

4 Cryptic Command

4 Pollen Lullaby

// sorcery [8]

4 Open the Vaults

4 Time Warp

// artifact [24]

4 Elsewhere Flask

4 Fieldmist Borderpost

1 Font of Mythos

4 Howling Mine

3 Kaleidostone

4 Mistvein Borderpost

4 Time Sieve

// land [16]

7 Island

3 Mystic Gate

3 Plains

3 Swamp

// planeswalker [4]

2 Jace Beleren

2 Tezzeret the Seeker

60 cards

I really don't see how this deck managed to win a nationals, but that is beside the point.  It would appear that the plan is to draw lots of cards, play lots of artifacts, sac them for extra turns, bring them back with Open the Vaults and do it all over again.  There are two kill conditions, Tezzeret turning all of your artifacts into big beefy creatures, and maybe Jace milling the opponent (I highly doubt it).  It looks to me to be a more proactive varient of turbo fog, exchanging fog effects for extra turn effects.  Open the Vaults will be like a crazy explosion of card draw and free counters on Tezzeret and Jace.  Cryptic command (to tap down creatures) followed by Tezzeret's ultimate ability seems like a decent plan.

I'm only missing the Open the Vaults (currently a junk rare) and a Tezzert (a planeswalker which has nicely cooled off in value) so I might give this deck a shot.  I don't really see right now what is so competitive about it (Elves are better I think), but it looks like a ton of fun to play.  There are so many cards that are simply bad in general in this deck it is amusing.

"This is where apple pie goes when it dies."

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Griff
User offline. Last seen 16 weeks 1 day ago. Offline
Joined: 11/07/2005
Points: 1274

Ok, I've been playing this deck since I posted it and I love it.  As expected it plays a little like turbo fog, but eventually it gains enough momentum and just keeps taking turns until it wins via Tezzert.  Occasionally I've been able to win via jace, but it requires many many turns to do and puts you in a sticky position because you need to keep from decking yourself but you also need to draw lots of cards to keep the turns coming.  I can imagine what the first person to play against this deck at a tournament thought when his opponent drops a second turn Howling Mine and a third turn Elsewhere flask.

Howling Mine / Jace / Font of Mythos is what makes the deck work, without multiple card draws per turn the deck would merely putter out and not be able to take multiple turns in a row.

The secret tech to destroy this deck is Gaddock Teeg, in the presideboard game Gaddock Teeg is just a straight up win.  There is no way for the Vaults deck to win game 1 if Gaddock hits the table, you can't take extra turns efficiently, you can't remove Teeg, and you can't play your win conditions.  If you play Teeg and they don't immediately give up they are not running the above deck.

Thought Hemmorhage is pretty good, but the big question is what do you remove?  I recommend removing Tezzert first.  If you play a second target Jace.  Those are the win conditions, without either the deck has no chance to win.  It still has everything it needs to take tons of turns in a row, but no way to leverage those turns.

Without either of the Planeswalkers it is basically impossible to win.  I'm thinking about putting a one of alternate win condition Oona Queen of the Fae, Baneslayer, or perhaps some mean artifact for some synergy with Open the Gates and Time Sieve.  Inkwell seems like a decent choice, but it is a little on the pricey side manawise and doesn't kill any faster than a Baneslayer (assuming no life gain for the opponent).  I'll have to see if I have one kicking around, often times I'm forced to discard early/mid game, which means I might be able to sneak it into play for "free" with Open the vaults.  Inkwell Leviathain will kill in 4 attacks, and I might not even need to waste a cryptic to ensure that it gets the chance to deal damage (thanks to Islandwalk and trample).  Despite the crazy casting cost it is a great choice because of its immunity to removal, excellent power, and its artifact type.

This deck seems to smash Cascade even ones running 4 Jund Charm.  Unless a Kithkin deck gets an amazing start it will probably lose to the Vaults deck.  I haven't played against Faeries or 5 color control, but I imagine those are poor matchups for this deck.  Mid range creaturs decks will get smashed by this deck.  Duress / thougthsieze is a beast against this deck, but it isn't the end of the world no matter what it takes out of your hand (unless it is your last tezzert), or a fog on a turn when you really need it.

"This is where apple pie goes when it dies."

broga
broga's picture
User offline. Last seen 2 years 22 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 09/12/2008
Points: 88

now some one who has fought this deck a time or to can tell you that you need to kill by trun 5 with out creachers. it is bloodly hard

i live for the sake of liveing

Griff
User offline. Last seen 16 weeks 1 day ago. Offline
Joined: 11/07/2005
Points: 1274

Yeah, taking the deck head on is pretty risky unless you can reliably kill on turn three or so (while the vaults player is frantically searching for a howling mine and fog effect). 

Disruption is the best way to beat this deck.  Destroying lands / border posts, forcing the vaults player to discard important cards, removing the Planeswalkers, etc.  It is way easier to make the vaults player go slowly than it is to try to outpace them.  Don't let them play their game and you should be fine.

"This is where apple pie goes when it dies."

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