I'm still tinkering with my mask deck (still a few cards short IRL, but this is a target decklist). I'm really not too sure about my sideboard, and suggestions would most certainly be appreciated.
Mana Sources
1 Tolarian Academy
1 Library of Alexandria
1 Black Lotus
1 Sol Ring
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Emerald
1 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
1 Tropical Island
2 Volcanic Island
3 Tundra
4 Underground Sea
4 City of Brass
Combo
1 Morphling
4 Phyrexian Dreadnought
4 Illusionary Mask
Disruption
1 Misdirection
2 Vindicate
1 Mind Twist
4 Mana Drain
4 Force of Will
Utility and Draw
1 The Abyss - The only critters in here are artifacts and superman
1 Balance
1 Sylvan Library - not sure about this at all
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Wheel of Fortune
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Spiral
1 Timetwister
1 Time Walk
1 Yawgmoth's Will
Search
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Enlightened Tutor
Sideboard
2 Circle of Protection: Red - Sligh
2 Back to Basics - Control. Yes, it hoses my coloured mana, but the combo in here is entirely artifact based, and if I can kill keeper with it, it's definitely worthwhile.
4 Red Elemental Blast - Again, Control
1 Aura of Silence - Combo
1 Sacred Ground
1 Gorilla Shaman - I'd like to maindeck him... maybe instead of sylvan library?
1 Ground Seal - Not sure about this one
1 Diabolic Edict - Not sure about this one either
2 Tranquility - Combo, perhaps erase would be better?
This isn't Mask, this is Keeper with mask in it. Your entire decklist differs from Keeper by about 12 cards. If you want to play funky control cards, play REAL keeper. If you want to smash heads in quickly with 12/12s, build a deck designed to do so.
I once wrote a glorious post to be added to the "what's wrong with multiple strategies in a deck"-post, but BD was down that day... too bad, cause I could have referred to it now.
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Chris
Well, what suggestions do you offer then? I generally find myself with an (uncounterable) dreadnought in play by turn 3. Certainly, the deck does look like some kind of weird aggro-control, but that's because it works. =]
Your mana is ridiculous. Cut green at least (and don't SB green cards with only 7 green sources-incidentally, tranquil domain is better)
Undiscovered paradise would help with the sideboards B2B.
Do you need red? Shaman, despite synergy with draw-7's doesn't seem that important. It looks like you can get by without that whole color pretty easily. That might also get you some basic lands.
Vindicate looks hard to cast with two non-main colors; what about recoil/dismantling blow?
I'd cut sacred ground and ground seal from the side for better cards.
I don't know much about playing mask, but I do know a little about mana bases, so that's all the advice I think I can reasonably give.
Thanks for the comments Jacob. =]
Indeed, tranquil domain IS better, had I known of its existence, I'd have been playing it. ;)
Red is REALLY there for wheel of fortune and SBing REBs.
If I take out Green and Red, then I have 2 maindeck slots, plus 7 SB slots to fill. Do you have suggestions? I can always throw in a merchant scroll and add a counter. I could also conceivably remove white, and go straight U/B. Running duresses, merchant scroll and extra counters. If I DO keep green, I'm also thinking about berserk... it makes 2nd turn kills with a 24/12 dreadnought a very serious threat. Besides, it's a cool card. ;)
Vindicate is basically there as spot removal, and with 9 black and 8 white mana sources, it hasn't really been a problem. I guess I don't really need to worry too much about creatures, so disenchant could take its place, but that often ends up being a dead card against mono decks.
You suggest cutting sacred ground and ground seal, but what do you suggest putting in in their places? I'll be the first to admit that I'm not too hot at building sideboards. ;)
Why don't you make it faster, and poxish? Like... something with Nether Void, Rituals, discard and such...
Or with blue and use a Necrotrix-ish engine...
Just my opinion...
You neeed 2UU and a Mana Drain or FoW and a blue card (which you only have 16 of - FoW and broken spells included) to force out your Illusionary Mask past a lone counterspell. The best spell to force out things with is called Duress and I'd consider making room for it somehow (like going black instead of 5color ;o).
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Chris