Topic: [MODERN] Izzet Delver: From a Budget to a Real Deck

Before starting with the deck, a little bit about myself:
I'm a 16 year old player from the middle of the Atlantic (Azores, Portugal) who started playing in M10, alongside with my brother. There's not a lot of players in the island, so we ended up just playing against each other with our intropacks and such (we're talking about an 11 year old and a 9 year old). After playing for a couple months, we sort of stopped, until we came back to playing 2 years ago. The community of magic in our island is still very strict, but now we found a place where we can play with other 10~15 players sometimes per week, wich makes us want to play a lot. But they have hell of a strong decks, and our collection, altough it's pretty big, doesn't enough cards to make a decent deck. So I'm going to play modern now, and I've been making a few trades here on deckbox (altough some cards are still pretty hard to get), and this is what I came up with to try and beat these new opponents: https://deckbox.org/sets/1438136

UPDATE (9 August 2016): I've been playing around with it and made some changes, including siding in all the 4 Stormchaser Mages. Happy with the results I've been getting, and will get this to my local game store this sunday for game day. Will post results smile
Note: "local game store" where I pass my vacation, since I actually don't have any Magic game stores in my island hmm. Instead, I play with a group of local players (who are very competitive and run decks such as afinity and infect) and a group of my friends (way more casual, some of them only started playing a couple of months ago).

UPDATE (15 August 2016): Update with the most recent changes and added "Tournament Results". Also, renamed the deck from "[MODERN] 115$ Izzet Delver" to "[MODERN] Izzet Delver: From a Budget to a Real Deck" since I'm slowly upgrading it smile

Tournament Results

  • GAME DAY (Modern) 14 of August, 2016.
    1st Match: Lost 0-2 to Merfolk. Feel like this would be an even match, but bad draws and my bad plays complimented by great starts from my opponent sealed both matches. Also, I think I didn't sideboard too well. Took out 3 Manaleaks 2 Monastery Swiftspear for 3 Anger of the Gods 2 Magma Spray. Turns out, 2 damage doesn't hit a lot when he pulls out 2 merfolks who both pump others for +1/+1. Should have taken out 3 Izzet Charms for 3 Angers and that's it.
    2nd Match: Lost 0-2 to "Nahiri Land Destruction". Did not expect anything like this, it based on destroying my lands and agression and then pulling an Emrakul for the final blow. Feel like this should be an easy matchup for this deck, since we run so low on the curve, but the few lands made him lock down the deck somewhat easily. Also, I think I should've been way more aggressively trying to beat him down before he could do anything. Game 2, once I realised this, was far more close, but it all came down to trying to topdeck a mountain in order to Lightning Bolt him for lethal. Unfortunately, draw a island instead. Manabase doesn't help.
    3rd Match: Won 2-1 again Mardu Aggro, piloted by my brother. Same story, we are both playing on a budget. Actually I designed his deck. Not much to say here, easy match for me as my deck is way more consistent and has a better power level.
    Resume: This tournament had a way higher power level of decks than this Izzet Delver could handle. Still, I feel like I could've played better and didn't use the deck to it's full pottential, as the first 2 matches were definetively very winnable or at least 1-2 instead of 0-2. But, on another note, I got a Bedlam Reveler and 2 Steam Vents to upgrade my deck smile

Full decklist:
Creatures

  • 4 Delver of Secrets

  • 4 Monastery Swiftspear

  • 4 Young Pyromancer

  • 1 Bedlam Reveler

  • 3 Stormchaser Mages

Other Spells:

  • 4 Serum Visions

  • 4 Gitaxian Probe

  • 3 Izzet Charm

  • 4 Lightning Bolt

  • 4 Vapor Snag

  • 4 Mana Leak

Lands

  • 7 Island

  • 7 Mountain

  • 2 Steam Vents

  • 4 Shivan Reef

Sideboard:

  • 3 Anger of the Gods

  • 1 Echoing Truth

  • 2 Electrolyze

  • 2 Vandalblast

  • 3 Dissolve

  • 2 Dragon's Claw

  • 2 Magma Spray

Card Rundown:

  • Delver of Secrets: the reason behind this deck. A 3/2 flier for 1 mana is pretty good.

  • Monastery Swiftspear: a pretty solid card that can be easily pumped up for damage with all the non-creature spells in the deck.

  • Young Pyromancer: a card wich synergises well with all the 26 instants or sorceries the deck has.

  • Stormchaser Mage: Prowess works very well with this deck, and this creature has evasiveness, wich helps pushing out damage.

  • Bedlam Reveler: Currently a 1 of, trying to get a second copy, this card is great. With the amount of spells you'll be casting such as cantrips, you'll be able to cast it for 2 or 3 usually. Also, everything else in the deck costs 2 or less, so you'll be dumping your hand very quickly, wich adds immense value to it's effect.

  • Gitaxian Probe and Serum Visions: good cantrips that help cycle trough the deck and set up delver.

  • Izzet Charm: flexible card that can help dealing with creatures, looking for answers and deny non creature spells

  • Lightning Bolt: good removal that can also damage face.

  • Vapor Snag: great tempo tool. Helps with getting creatures out of the way so that everything can go trough.

  • Mana Leak to help dealing with control and midrange decks. Mana Leak can act early and stop a lot of things that would otherwise cause trouble like Collected Company or midrange minions that would stop our attackers.

  • Mana Base: could obviously be upgraded with Shocklands and Fetchlands, but those are hard for me to find and too costly for me.

Sideboard: Yes, the sideboard needs a little help. But I don't quite now my local meta, so I didn't give it too much tought, and I'm not sure yet what would be this decks problems.

Ok this is the deck I made based on a lot (and I mean a lot) of other similar decks I compared and analyzed. A card I should probably mention is Stormchaser Mage, and the reason he is not in this decklist is because I sorta dislike him and haven't given it a try yet. I still haven't gathered all the cards or this deck, so I have not playtested it yet.

So, any thoughts on this decklist? Anything obvious I might be missing? Anything I should consider or any trouble it might face?

Thanks in advance for any replies, and sorry if my english fails somewhere,
MTGPedro

P.S.: Also, feel free to take a look at my wishlist and tradelist at https://deckbox.org/MTGPedro. If you have any cards that might interest me or I have any that interest you (or even better, both of them!) please leave me a message and will see what we can work out big_smile


SWITCHES

  • Mainboard
    -1 Island
    -1 Izzet Charm
    -2 Magma Jet
    +4 Vapor Snag
    -----Credit to Valdor

  • Mainboard
    -4 Dissolve
    +4 Stormchaser Mage
    Sideboard
    -2 Magma Spray
    -2 Echoing Truth
    -1 Chandra, Pyromaster
    +1 Electrolyze
    +3 Dissolve
    +1 Vandalblast

  • Mainboard
    -1 Island
    -1 Mountain
    +2 Steam Vents
    -1 Stormchaser mage
    +1 Bedlam Reveler
    (15/08/2016 after Game Day)

Last edited by MTGPedro (2016-08-15 13:11:18)

Re: [MODERN] Izzet Delver: From a Budget to a Real Deck

It depends on your local meta of course, but I'd add some way to deal with artifacts.  Vandalblast would be my recommendation for the sideboard.

Re: [MODERN] Izzet Delver: From a Budget to a Real Deck

Hi, the deck does look solid for a first Modern deck and I do love me Delver. I do agree with the poster above me in that you might need artifact hate in the SB somewhere. While I part of me loves the Swiftspear, I do urge you to try the Stormchaser Mage. The problem with Delver builds is once they land a bigger creature you are stopped from attacking. Stormchaser Mage (like the Delver after a flip) has the flying to get around the defense of the opponent. It may not be the correct call, but it is an option if you find the other players have bigger creatures. I also highly recommend Vapor Snag in a deck like this. You want to out tempo your opponent and always keep them on the back foot and this card is perfect for making them waste a turn playing there creature, just for you to bounce it and make them lose a life

Re: [MODERN] Izzet Delver: From a Budget to a Real Deck

Talus21 wrote:

It depends on your local meta of course, but I'd add some way to deal with artifacts.  Vandalblast would be my recommendation for the sideboard.

Yes, it's right. I only have a copy. Should I use 2?

valdor wrote:

Hi, the deck does look solid for a first Modern deck and I do love me Delver. I do agree with the poster above me in that you might need artifact hate in the SB somewhere. While I part of me loves the Swiftspear, I do urge you to try the Stormchaser Mage. The problem with Delver builds is once they land a bigger creature you are stopped from attacking. Stormchaser Mage (like the Delver after a flip) has the flying to get around the defense of the opponent. It may not be the correct call, but it is an option if you find the other players have bigger creatures. I also highly recommend Vapor Snag in a deck like this. You want to out tempo your opponent and always keep them on the back foot and this card is perfect for making them waste a turn playing there creature, just for you to bounce it and make them lose a life

Ok, I'll give him a try, I have a couple laying around. Also, regarding Vapor Snag, it seems a good idea. I think I have 1 somewhere. How many for the deck? 2? And sub what for them?

Last edited by MTGPedro (2016-07-01 18:13:28)

Re: [MODERN] Izzet Delver: From a Budget to a Real Deck

I will be honest, I think you need 4 Vapor Snags. I would drop the 2 Magma Jet, an Izzet Charm and Replace on land and only play 21 lands. This deck does not need many lands to work.

Also, there are lots of sites that let you proxy cards, so I would proxy the deck and just play test it with people that are ok with it to see how it works and to learn the ins and outs.

Re: [MODERN] Izzet Delver: From a Budget to a Real Deck

valdor wrote:

I will be honest, I think you need 4 Vapor Snags. I would drop the 2 Magma Jet, an Izzet Charm and Replace on land and only play 21 lands. This deck does not need many lands to work.

Yea, you're right. It's definetly a card I overlooked. The more I think about it, the more it looks like the blue Lightning Bolt to me lol
Change Made

Last edited by MTGPedro (2016-07-01 19:52:28)

Re: [MODERN] Izzet Delver: From a Budget to a Real Deck

I'd start off with 2 Vandalblast in the SB.  You can adjust from there depending on your meta.

Re: [MODERN] Izzet Delver: From a Budget to a Real Deck

Talus21 wrote:

I'd start off with 2 Vandalblast in the SB.  You can adjust from there depending on your meta.

Well, I still haven't assembled the whole deck, so I guess I'm not participating in any tournaments soon. I'll use 1 for now and adapt as it goes, since I only have one copy.

Re: [MODERN] Izzet Delver: From a Budget to a Real Deck

UPDATED

Will soon post results of my next tournament smile

Re: [MODERN] Izzet Delver: From a Budget to a Real Deck

Updated: Added Tournament Results and a few more things. I feel like this is getting to some sort of "community guide" to Izzet Delver smile

Re: [MODERN] Izzet Delver: From a Budget to a Real Deck

I don't think izzet charm is very good.  While it is flexible it just doesn't do any thing very well.  I feel like spell snare or spell peirce would be better in that slot.

Also electrolyze can help with opposing tokens and go to their face when you don't have another use for it and it replaces itself.