Wizards did it again. They created a Standard-legal common that is making waves in Eternal formats. First it was Slash Panther, and now it is safe to add Delver of Secrets to that list. Over the last few weeks Delver has seen a sharp rise in play in Classic, leading up to its recent “coming out party” during the Classic Winter Celebration. In fact, four of the Top 8 decks in the Classic Championship were in fact Delver decks. So what makes a Delver deck, a Delver deck? And what are the key interactions to look out for?
Creature Base
Obviously, the namesake card is a four-of, but other creatures are considerations for a Delver deck. While there is no universally accepted pairing of creatures, it is understood that the creature package should range between 10-14 total. When you consider that four of those consist of Delver, the remaining creatures of choice will certainly dictate how the rest of your deck is to be built.
That being said, here is a short list of the best creatures to pair with Delver, from most common to least common.
Snapcaster Mage
Dark Confidant
Vendilion Clique
Tarmogoyf
Sower of Temptation (metagame play versus prevalence of Oath decks)
Trygon Predator
Scavenging Ooze
Stoneforge Mystic
Quirion Dryad
There are several other cards that could be candidates for the list above, but generally speaking the above cards are the best options available. Additionally, the list is heavily weighted towards the top of that list, so much so that 3-4 Snapcasters are the norm. The reality is that the same cards that make Delver such a powerful card also work well with Snapcaster. Dark Confidant, due to its insane card advantage, is also a common choice, usually as a 3- or 4-of as well. ‘Goyf is just a big dumb creature and can take over stalled board states against other creature decks. After that, the remaining 2-4 slots consist of metagame plays such as Sower, Trygon, and to a lesser extent, Clique.
So, how do you manage your creature package? Obviously, you are trying to land Delver ASAP. I use the word “land” on purpose. The biggest fault of Delver is probably is mana cost, ironically. While it is a quick creature, Mental Misstep is being played as a 4-of in almost every deck playing blue. If you suspect your opponent is playing blue and you do not have counter backup, namely a Misstep of your own, it’s probably not a good idea to throw Delver out there on Turn 1, as the low creature count might mean you can go several turns before seeing your next threat. On the other hand, if you do not believe your opponent is playing Misstep, by all means, get Delver on the board early! The more chances to see the top card of your deck and have it flip your 1/1 fledgling human into a 3/2 flying mutant insect, the better off you’ll be. With that in mind, it brings me to the next, and perhaps most important, part of the deck, the instant/sorcery package.
Spell Package
While the deck’s name might be Delver, the meat and potatoes of the deck consists of the blend of spells that are at the disposal of the pilot. First and foremost, Delver decks are tempo-control decks, and much of the spell package consists of countermagic, disruption, and removal. Generally speaking, you will see full playsets of the following spells in every Delver deck:
Force of Will
Brainstorm
Mental Misstep
Complementing those three cards, Delver decks employ many different options that the deckbuilder can select to their personal preference and to suit the metagame. Other popular blue spells include:
Ponder
Preordain
Mana Drain
Gush
Spell Pierce
Spell Snare
Steel Sabotage
Stifle
Flusterstorm
Hurkyl’s Recall
Annul
Daze
Among others…
The choice of spells is also affected by the choice of the creatures above. For example, if Bob (Dark Confidant) is chosen as a creature, then black mana provides access to powerful spells such as:
Demonic Tutor
Vampiric Tutor
Yawgmoth’s Will
Surgical Extraction
Diabolic Edict
Dismember
Pilots that chose green for ‘Goyf or Trygon have access to Nature’s Claim. Additionally, colors outside of the creature package can be splashed easily with dual/fetch lands. Other cards that work well include:
Lightning Bolt
Ancient Grudge
Swords to Plowshares
Path to Exile
Other Maindeck Options
Long a staple in Legacy tempo decks, Jace, the Mind Sculptor is a powerful ally in Delver Decks. There has been enough written about Jace already to fill up your local library, so I won’t go into much hyperbole here. Just note that Jace works exceedingly well as an alternative win condition beyond his great source of card advantage and synergy with Delver.
Recently, there have been some prominent Vintage players piloting what amount to be Snapcaster Fish decks, which include Skullclamp. Perhaps this is the next evolution for Delver decks? Few cards in the game can compete with the card advantage that Skullclamp offers and if there is anything that Delver decks thrive on, it’s card advantage. As a singleton off a suite of tutors or even a Trinket Mage or Stoneforge, Skullclamp might be the answer to beating pesky decks like Hate Bears, Affinty, and the mirror.
In addition to Skullclamp, those same Vintage players have been experimenting with Green Sun’s Zenith and a small green creature package, such as singleton ‘Goyf, Knight of the Reliquary, Edric, Spymaster of Trest/Cold-Eyed Selkie, Scavenging Ooze, or 1-3 Trygons. Dryad Arbor is also thrown in for good measure as an accelerant against mana denial decks. Although slow, you can’t ignore Snapcaster’s possible synergy with Green Sun’s Zenith, especially off of a Mana Drain.
Mana Base
The mana base is pretty straight-forward. For a tempo-based control deck, Wasteland and Strip Mine are auto-includes. Library of Alexandria never seemed to find a home to abuse its unrestricting in Classic until Landstill and Delver decks came along. As many as three Libraries have found their way into Delver decks as a form of uncounterable card advantage. Another utility land in decks opting for a large concentration of wizards, Riptide Laboratory can provide some added value as a singleton in the deck. Its inability to tap for colored mana is a strong preventative measure from including any more than one, especially if trying to stuff your deck with three Libraries. Rounding out the mana base, you’ll find a small suite of requisite dual and fetch lands to bring the land count to 20-22 total lands.
Key Interactions
Delver decks appear to be fairly straight-forward, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. There are many interactions the outcomes of which can be the difference in winning and losing.
First, one needs to know how to use the stack during your upkeep with an active Delver. It’s also important to know how to use Brainstorm and fetch lands properly (I, too, can use a little fine tuning at this skill!). Basically, Brainstorm can help facilitate flipping over a Delver earlier than what might have been possible. At the end of your opponents turn, you can use Brainstorm to look at your top three cards and put back on top of your library an instant/sorcery in order to ensure that Delver is flipped on the following turn. After the Delver trigger has been initiated, you can then set a stop before your draw step to shuffle away that card (assuming you have a fetch land available) if it’s not something you wish to draw. An example of this would be getting rid of a Misstep against a Workshop deck. The same method can be used with a Jace, though at sorcery speed.
Second, while designed to win in the red zone, Delver decks are very much control decks. In most match-ups, Delver pilots must control the board and grind out a long victory; there are very few quick matches with this deck! After the board is stabilized, the Delver pilot must switch gears into a beat-down mode. Timing when that shift needs to occur is very important.
With that in mind, here are some of the matchup analyses and the key interactions to be aware of:
Oath decks — Naturally, Oath of Druids is the card that must be stopped at all costs. As strange as it sounds, Delver decks are the “control” decks in this matchup. Saving countermagic for an early Oath is imperative. Additionally, it’s unwise to drop an early creature and risk triggering your opponent’s Oath if the opponent manages to get in onto the battlefield. The ShOath variants are a little trickier in that Oath is not the only card that can prove troublesome. Channel and Show and Tell are threats similar to Oath as they accomplish the same goal of dropping a large creature onto the battlefield that will likely end the game on the spot. Once the Delver deck has established control of the match-up, then, and only then, is it advisable to play your creatures. Even then, be prepared with countermagic in case the opponent topdecks an answer. Delver decks that contain Jace, the Mindsculptor have an advantage in this matchup, as there is a built-in win condition that does not involve playing a creature and winning in the red zone. To help improve the match-up, the creature of choice is Trygon out of the sideboard, or maindeck if the metagame demands it.
Affinity decks — Affinity’s brutal speed is impossible for a Delver deck to match. In this matchup, Delver decks are also very much the “control” deck, as the only chance of surviving is to try to weather the storm until the board is stabilized and Delver’s evasion (when flipped) can turn the tide of the match. There are several cards that Delver pilots must counter/remove at all costs, namely, Lodestone Golem, Arcbound Ravager, Steel Overseer, Skullclamp, and to a lesser extent, Genesis Chamber. With the lack of 1-mana targets in the Affinity deck, it’s wise to save your Missteps for the Skullclamps. Clamp is usually the only form of card advantage that Affinity is packing, though some Affinity decks also include Memory Jar. Ravager and Overseer are both 2-mana creatures and wonderful targets for a timely Spell Snare. Quite possibly, the only answer a Delver deck will have to a Lodestone is Force, so it’s best to save them unless your opponent tries to sneak out an early Clamp and you don’t have any other counters.
Dredge — Pre-board, it is awfully tough for a Delver deck to win, though not impossible. Wasteland is just about the only card maindeck that has any use against Dredge. In light of this, to win the Dredge match-up, some players have started to maindeck Scavenging Ooze, though it’s mana intensiveness doesn’t make it a sure bet. Thus, it’s best to load up your sideboard to account for the poor Game 1 rate with at least seven hate cards. Here is where playing black in the maindeck has its advantages, as Delver decks have access to the best anti-Dredge options: Leyline of the Void, Yixlid Jailer, Ravenous Trap, and the Snapcaster-friendly Surgical Extraction.
Workshop Decks — While on the decline, there may come a point in time where Shop decks become a larger part of the metagame again. In that vein, there are a few cards to watch out for which must be stopped at all costs; they are: Lodestone, Wurmcoil Engine, early Sphere effects (Thorn of Amethyst, Sphere of Resistance, Trinisphere), and any other large creature that trumps your own. Having a well-rounded suite of countermagic is crucial. Spell Snares and Spell Pierces can take out the spheres, while Forces need to be saved for the large creatures or a Turn 1 sphere on the draw. Most Workshop decks these days do not include Steel Hellkite, though that may change with the rise of Delver. This is key because no other typical Workshop artifact creatures can block a flipped Delver. Since most Shop decks taking damage off of their Ancient Tombs, Mana Crypt, Mana Vault, and likely Slash Panther or Phyrexian Metamorph, it only take a few hits from a Delver to end the game.
Other Creature Decks such as Hate Bears — Hate Bears versus Delver decks are a strange match-up. Neither deck is well-equipped to deal with the strategy of the other deck, rendering many of their creatures Grizzly Bears or worse. Because these creature decks often outnumber the creatures found in most Delver decks by 2:1 or more, they tend to have the advantage on paper. Delver decks do have the luxury of their suite of countermagic, though, and that in turn is the key to the matchup.
Hermit Druid Decks — This matchup is very similar to Oath. Stopping Hermit Druid from hitting the battlefield is imperative. Recent versions of the deck have included Laboratory Maniac as an alternative win condition, and should be viewed with as much caution as the Hermit. Save your Missteps for Demonic Consultation!
Blue Control Decks — Perhaps the only decks that are more controlling than Delver decks are Landstill and Jace/Tezzeret variants. None of these big control decks seem to be a large factor in the metagame, but in this case, Delver decks are in fact the “Beat-down” decks. Landing an early Delver is key, as is making sure to keep your opponent off a Tinker into Blightsteel Colossus or Time Vault/Voltaic Key combo. Against Landstill, try to save your Wastelands for Mishra’s Factory‘s and keep ahead in board position. Once they drop a Standstill, it’s nigh impossible to keep up with their card advantage, especially if they manage to land a Jace.
Storm — Quite possibly the worst matchup, Storm is a difficult deck for Delver to slow down. Realistically speaking, the best chance is to land an early Delver and hope to draw into a Flusterstorm or Mindbreak Trap. Out of the board, Leylines will keep them off of Yawgmoth’s Will shenanigans.
Mirror Match — The mirror is a true test of wills. Both decks will have an abundance of countermagic, and often the player that wins a key counter war will come out on top. Having greater access to card advantage, be it in the form of a Gush or Library of Alexandria will also be key to the match, so make sure you save your Wastelands for opposing Libraries.
lobster411's Delver Deck, 4th place Classic Champs
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Naoto's Delver Deck, 5th place Classic Champs
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sakurai's Delver Deck, 6th place Classic Champs
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Juzzavore's Delver Deck, 7th place Classic champs
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Wrap-up
Delver decks are here to stay, I believe. They are one of my favorite decks to pilot and don’t have any horrific matchups, besides Storm. On top of all that, they are flexible to adapt to metagame shifts.
enderfall
Clan Magic Eternal
follow me on Twitter @enderfall
Solid article – as always! keep up the great work.
/kris
I’ll put forward my opinion on this. I’m not convinced that Classic (or even Legacy) decks ought to be spending card slots on French vanilla (at best) 3/2s. It just seems so underwhelming a clock for a format with Yawgmoth’s Will.
AJ- From my experience with Eternal formats, I think Delver decks try to play the attrition game and just add more clocks. You know how pathetic Classic and Legacy seem after both players have dumped out all of their top-tier disruption and threats; the games slow to a crawl of topdecking situational cards. But you’re right that a 3/2 looks anemic versus Emrakul, the Aeons Torn or many of the creatures in Shop.
It would appear that a 3/2 with not real “ability” is far to small to make an impact, but there are several factors that come in to play:
1. Classic (and Legacy to a certain extent) has quite a few cards that are present in nearly every deck that actively trade off for life and thus each player doesn’t realistically start at 20 life in the traditional sense. Force of Will, Fetch lands, Misstep, Mana Crypt/Vault, Ancient Tomb, Dark Confidant, Vampiric Tutor… these are all cards that nearly every deck will play at least one or in most circumstances, many more. That makes a 3/2 no longer a 7 turn clock, but often 5 turns or less, without any other help.
2. It’s casting cost helps support the cards in the rest of the deck. Having a CC of 1 means that outside of turn 1 (if in fact played turn 1) your deck that is full of spells has the ability to cast a creature and a spell on most turns. This might not be the case too often in a deck filled with 2 CC creatures in a format rampant with Wastelands and Strip Mine. Imagine a creature that said this: 1U, Summon a 1/1 creature that during upkeep look at top card, if it’s a instant/sorcery, you may reveal it to flip card into a 3/2 Flying Insect; When this creature enters the battle field, choose an opponent. At the begining of target opponents next end step “Brainstorm”. Would that not be the best creature ever printed? Effectively, that is what Delver does in most instances, but with the cost of two cards, instead of one. Snapcaster Mage only amplifies this effect allowing you to flashback all those same spells that make Delver “work”.
3. VERY few creatures in Classic have flying.
Correction, the casting cost would be UU in the above example, but I’m sure you get the point.