Timeless is a really wild format where the only limit in deckbuilding is represented by creativity. When it comes to creativity, the deck that we will analyze in this article is certainly very original as it combines two very different combo strategies.
With the recent introduction of Modern Horizons 3 on MTG Arena we received many modal double-faced land cards that really helped to upgrade (already existing) strategies based on Goblin Charbelcher.
Before the release of Outlaws of Thunder Junction one of the strongest and most oppressive decks of the format was Sultai Show and Tell, a combo deck that was able to end games potentially on turn two.
What's better than a combo deck? Ali Eldrazi, a famous MTG content creator gave us an answer: a double combo deck. In fact he decided to build a Mono Blue deck that can use both Goblin Charbelcher and Show and Tell combos.
How does the deck work?
The Goblin Charbelcher Combo
As already mentioned the deck can win by using two different combos. Let's go step by step and analyze the easiest one to understand: Goblin Charbelcher.
Goblin Charbelcher ie generally used to kill the opponent on the spot whenever it's used but, in order to do so, it requires a specific deckbuilding where none of the cards contained in the deck is a land card. You might ask: how is that possible? Thanks to the inclusion of modal double-faced land cards: these are cards that can be used as lands but they have a drawback when used in this way: some of them enter the battlefield tapped while other can enter untapped by paying 3 life. For obvious reasons this kind of deckbuilding will likely shift many of our plays by one turn but this is a cost we have to pay in order to get access to the combo.
The Show and Tell Combo
The second combo is represented by Show and Tell and it's a little trickier than the previous one. If the Goblin Charbelcher combo needed a specific deckbuilding in order to work properaly, this second one doesn't stop there and needs a specific sideboard setup as well.
This specific list requires 6 different cards in order to end the game and these are: Show and tell, Omniscience, Fae of Wishes, 2 copies of Mastermind's Acquisition, Bond of Insight and Approach of the Second Sun. While the first 3 cards are played in the main deck, the last 3 cards are only available through the sideboard.
Once again let's go step by step:
- Cast Show and Tell and put Omniscience onto the battlefield;
- Dig through the deck to find Fae of Wishes and cast her adventure;
- Cast Fae of Wishes adventure side (Granted) and take Mastermind's Acquisition from the sideboard;
- Take the second Mastermind's Acquistion by casting the first one;
- Cast the second Mastermind's Acquistion to take Bond of Insight from the sideboard;
- Cast Bond of Insight and take the 2 copies of Mastermind's Acquistion from to graveyard;
- Cast Mastermind's Acquistion to take Approach of the Second Sun from the sideboard;
- Cast Approach of the Second Sun;
- Cast the second copy of Mastermind's Acquistion to take Approach of the Second Sun from the deck;
- Cast Approach of the Second Sun and win the game.
After Omniscience gets put onto the battlefield everything we cast is free so we can easily draw a huge amount of cards in order to find Fae of Wishes and end the game.
Another useful tool for the combo is Borne Upon a Wind since it gives us the chance to do everything at instant speed. This is a huge advantage as we can threaten our opponent to do the combo in their turn as well. Sometimes we might be dying from The One Ring effect and thanks to Borne Upon a Wind we can just put a stop in upkeep and end the game before the trigger of The One Ring resolves. Overall it's a nice and needed tool that becomes very useful (if not essential) in some specific situations.
On top of that we can also use Show and Tell to put Goblin Charbelcher onto the battlefield and use its ability. In this way we'll be able to end the game one turn earlier as we would just need 6 (3 to cast Show and Tell and 3 to activate Goblin Charbelcher) mana and not 7. It's not likely for this to happen but it's still something that need be considered.
The Modal Double-Faced Land Cards Selection
Beyeen Veil can be very useful against decks that are able to generate lots of small creatures. Jwari Disruption is just a bad counterspell that can still be a surprise for our opponent sometimes. Sea Gate Restoration is a really important card as we can cast if for free after putting Omniscience onto the battlefield and can grant us a huge amount of resources needed to find Fae of Wishes. Silundi Vision can help us find Show and Tell itself and is just a versatile card overall. Hydroelectric Specimen can work as a protection for our permanents. Sink into Stupor is a tempo card that can slow our opponents down a little bit even though it's not cheap.
Overall most of these spells are not great but as mentioned earlier they are needed in order to pursue our Goblin Charbelcher plan.
The Counterspells
Mana Drain is just the strongest counterspell of the format and in a deck like this is a must have card since we need to protect some of our spells. Subtlety is very useful to delay our opponent and can also work as a finisher whenever we fail to win the game through our combos. Commandeer is much better than a counterspell since we gain control of a noncreature spell but it's a really expensive spell. Most often it will be casted for free by exiling two blue cards from hand. Stern Scolding, considering the current meta, is almost guaranteed to find a target and it's really cheap.
Other Mentions
In the sideboard we can find many other cheap counterspells. They all have some form of drawback and limitation but their mana cost goes from 0 to 1 mana at least.
We have to remember that thanks to Borne Upon a Wind we can avoid to pay the 5 mana required by Pact of Negation by ending the game during our upkeep before the effect resolves.
Conclusions
I personally think that this deck from Ali Eldrazi is really cool and combo players are definitely going to love it. So far Ali Eldrazi performed really well with a score of 15-5.
What worries me the most is the Mardu Energy matchup as it might be too fast for this deck. The deck lacks spot and mass removal spells since we only have access to blue mana and this might be a problem depending on the meta of the format.
I really like the creativity in building this deck and I would recommend trying to play it since It seems to be a good and fun deck.