twInsanity: Turbo Grind 2.0

Sideboard: Spells

Negate (4)
Part of the change in the deck is likewise the way it should be played. The tactic for now is to play aggressive/defensive. With no other allowace for tricks. Negate adds additional defense when against control decks.

Replaces: Vendilion Clique










Sower of Temptation (3)
When we need another source of win, we have to resort to using creature spells. The Vendilion Cliques might be useful but they are legendry creatures. The Sower of Temptation allows us to bring them out in numbers as well as removing threats from the opposing mage by bringing their own creatures to our side.

Replaces: Memory Plunder

twInsanity: Turbo Grind 2.0

A few modifications to the decklist:

Lands

Reliquary Tower (1)
Since we'll be playing with a full set of Howling Mines, it would be safe to put in the Reliquary Tower so as to avoid letting go of important cards.

Replacing: Island











Spells

Howling Mine (4)
The key to the grind is to remove as much cards as we could from the opponent's deck. The Howling Mine allows just that. With Jace and the Time Warps, we should be able to likewise find the cards faster without much interference from the opposing mage.

Replacing: Sleep








Ponder (1)
It occured to me that whenever we grind, we sometimes play the risk of putting all the other grinds in the bottom of the library and that I am left wishing the opponent would path to exile my plumeveils so that the library could be reshuffled.

Replacing: Island

Travel Log: Ambush

The problem with being too visible to any of the planes is that the locals seem to take notice of you and when they do they tend to be ready when you return. This proved to be true the last time I visited Lorwyn it seems my last encounter with the Kithain has reached Gaddock Teeg, cenn of the clachan of Kinsbaile, who is one of those leaders.



Gaddock is all about giving his side an advantageous playing field. White and green are famed for their strong, low-cost creatures but are vulnerable to spells that can destroy large numbers of small critters at once, such as Damnation and Molten Disaster. And, of course, a well-placed Demonfire or Dragonstorm can ruin anyone's day pretty quickly. Gaddock shuts those cards down, forcing opponents to fight on your terms. Creatureless decks may find their efforts particularly hampered, though any deck that depends on a powerful or expensive spell might find a hard time of it. Kithkin enjoy a relatively simple life; Gaddock is a fine example of putting that culture to practical purpose.

On the otherhand, it wasn't simple when another mage I encountered was able several Demigods of Revenge during one of out matches. It seems the Demigod might be vulnerable to my countering magics but that would only delay me while its brothers were coming up on me from behind. I barely escaped with my life from that encounter.



The worst battle would probably be the fact an enemy mage was able to cut me off from my own source of power. He managed to cut my access to my Sanity Grind spells and I was unable to find another means of defending myself. Being too eager likewise made it difficult as I left myself defenseless without by counterspells.


It seems I have rework my spellbook in order to catch them again off guard.

Travel Log: Zendikar Calling

It will still be a couple of months before the plane of Zendikar could be accessed but for now it seems the mana of their Islands are already calling me...





Travel Log: Naya

From time to time, I managed to drop by Alara in order to look for something and in a few of those planeswalk I managed to find myself in the Shard known as Naya.


Naya is a plane overrun with lush, tropical jungle that boasts the most varied forms of life of all the shards. A permanent, pale mist known as the Whitecover hangs over the rainforest, punctured by ranges of steeply sloped mountains. Naya is Alara's cradle of life, a world so fertile and abundant that the process of living is barely even a challenge—the overwhelming biodiversity of the jungle provides everything a human or elf or pip fawn could need. There are certainly dangers on Naya, but by and large, life's good here. To many planeswalkers, it's a paradise without peer.


In my forays to Naya, I always try to keep myself in the sidelines - hidden with different spells as the natives tend to be as wild like the land itself. In the couple of times I have ventured here though I keep encountering one particular elven pack. I have learned they call themselves the Alphastrike but it is their leader that has caught my eye. Hopefully, I'll be able to catch the leader away from the pact and eventually learn a bit more.

Travel Log: Bant Coup

I have just picked up my spell scrolls for the Memory Plunder spells when Max, the Rafiq/Invoker from Bant, contacted me and asked for my help to set up a Martial Coup. I have to say I was intrigued by the proposition as I always thought that the Bants were an organized and loyal group. I sent him a message that I'll hear him out.



I planeswalked to Bant and found in his camp. I was *ahem* detained in one of the tents and was later confronted by the Rafiq himself. I heard his proposition and decided to not get involved. He refused and continued to hold me against my will.

As much as I would like to stay (not), I managed to put the whole camp to sleep and literally just walk out of Bant.

Travel Log: Time Sieve

Part of being a good planeswalker is not only having the right spells with you but also being able to know how to use such spells. I have been in possession of the Time Warp for ages and yet I haven't been able to fully realize how to use it. So that's why I decided to planeswalk to Dominaria where my old school was located and see if I could find something or someone who could help me with it.



I was lucky enough to find some of the younger mages I used to study with. One particular mage I found interesting was Reyvs as he was currently studying island magic but, unlike me, he dabbled in other sources particulary in artifacts. I managed to catch him in action found his control over time fascinating. He not only employed the Time Warp spells that I have been using, but also that of the Time Sieve artifact which allows him to basically stop time.



When it came to test how the process goes, I had to admit that he was the better of me when it came to the control of time. I only had been able to cast a few spells before I saw the inital effects of the time spell take a hold of me. The next thing I knew was Reyvs collapsing on the floor from exhaution as as much as he was able to take control of time, I managed to cut off his knowledge of how to tap magic from the land. Eventually he didn't have enough mana to sustain his spells.