# [Magic] Stasis/Permission Deck



## el-remmen (Aug 15, 2008)

So, I am building a mono-blue Statis deck with Stasis (of course) and Boomerang and Time Elementals and Mana Shorts, and Arcane Denials and Force of Will.

I purposefully built it w/o creatures (except the elementals and some walls), because the idea is to kill by a very slow decking (there are Mill Stones in there, too).

But my question is, any suggestions for something cheaper more convenient way to control those statis cards aside from the TIme Elemental?  The Boomerangs are great b/c they serve that purpose and cheaper - is there a variation of Boomerang I don't know about (kind of like there are 10 version of counterspell (or at least it seems so))?

Any other suggestions for what could be good in this deck?  Remember, Mono Blue and no cards 8th edition or later.

Thanks!


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## Runestar (Aug 15, 2008)

Millstones are actually redundant, especially if you use howling mines. Because your opponent will draw the extra card before you do, this means that he should deck himself sooner than you (assuming he has no more cards in his deck than you do). If he opts to use the cantrip benefit of arcane denial, all the better. Or you can throw in a single feldon's cane as insurance. Despotic sceptor lets you destroy your own permanent (use when you have another stasis in hand to recast). 

Tempest has capsize (which is a boomerang with buyback). Worth looking into. You may not even need to use boomerangs to return your own statis, since howling mine should ensure that you draw at least 1 land/round to maintain its upkeep. 

Alternatively, there are a few counterspells which do not require mana. Thwart (MM) lets you return 3 islands to your hand instead (perfect for getting more lands), Misdirection (MM）is the deflection version of force of will. Foil (prophecy) lets you discard a card and an island from your hand instead. Urza's saga has rewind (which costs 4 mana, but lets you untap up to 4 lands when cast). Gush (MM) makes a player draw 2 cards (which can be useful in making the opponent deck himself faster), but its most enticing part is its alternative cost of returning 2 islands to your hand.

If you need life-gain, there is ivory tower and zuran orb. Propaganda stalls creatures (especially since you don't use kismets). You may want some form of library manipulation (such as impulse, or possibly even intuition) to ensure you draw your key cards consistently. 

Of course, there is always chronotog (which lets you skip your turn), which lets you work around having to pay its upkeep, and hastening your opponent decking himself. 

You will want to watch out for sands of time (visions artifact) and quiron ranger, which can singlehandedly defeat stasis decks.

Is there a reason it must be mono-blue? Conventional stasis decks tend to splash black and white for key cards like lim-dul's vault, vampiric tutor, enlightened tutor, kismet and equipose.


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## el-remmen (Aug 15, 2008)

I have Vision Charms, did not think to put in Howling Mines, but that might be the way to go.

I have Brainstorm in there for deck manipulation.

Which set is MM?  I need to look into some of those cards you mentioned.


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## el-remmen (Aug 15, 2008)

Runestar said:


> Is there a reason it must be mono-blue? Conventional stasis decks tend to splash black and white for key cards like lim-dul's vault, vampiric tutor, enlightened tutor, kismet and equipose.




Well, because I would need to totally redo the deck to balance it for another color.


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## Runestar (Aug 15, 2008)

MM - mercadian masques.


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## Aus_Snow (Aug 15, 2008)

Temporal Adept is a nice option for the bounce, based on what experience I've had with this stuff. Mostly, I've played _against_ the odd Stasis deck here and there. When I did make one, it was Blue/White, and (at that time) Capsize seemed the best option, so I ran with it. Didn't see much play, but was of course hated at those rare times.

Not sure what else I would chuck in monoblue Stasis. Forbid, maybe. Force of Will and Misdirection, perhaps. But then, all those are in my permission deck, so. . . 

Oops, didn't see most of the above cards already mentioned.


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## CountPopeula (Aug 19, 2008)

I will say that, being post eight edition aside, you're at a serious handicap not using Isochron Scepter. You can set up a hard lock with a boomerang on a scepter and stasis. It'll give you pretty much infinite recursion of every card in your deck. In fact, any deck of this type without scepters is strictly worse than a deck with scepters.

But what the heck, I can't force you to use them, I can just point out it exists.


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## Aus_Snow (Aug 19, 2008)

CountPopeula said:


> I will say that, being post eight edition aside, you're at a serious handicap not using Isochron Scepter.



I had to laugh when I first saw that card. Hella crazy, was my take - mind you, my frist one (a foil) went straight in a deck.  Is it restricted, in whatever format(s) it's available in at all, that is?


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## CountPopeula (Aug 19, 2008)

Aus_Snow said:


> I had to laugh when I first saw that card. Hella crazy, was my take - mind you, my frist one (a foil) went straight in a deck.  Is it restricted, in whatever format(s) it's available in at all, that is?




Scepters are actually the newest cards I actually own, and the only ones I have with the new borders. I bought a full playset as soon as I saw it (for what troll and toad charges for one now), and have still not figured out an end to the crazy-ass things I can do with it. Although you can create crazy card advantage with memory lapse or funeral charm, it's like a better version of cursed scroll with lightning bolt, a better millstone with Vision Charm... it's as good as using the best 1 or 2 mana cost instant you can find every turn. And some of those are Vampiric Tutor, Orim's Chant... it's one of the best cards in the game for any sort of combo-minded player, I think. I have a friend who just scoops when I play it imprinted with Memory Lapse.

They are not restricted in any format, and legal in Extended, Legacy, and Vintage. They've rotated out of Standard just from age. It's too reliant on other cards to be format-breaking on its own, and there are plenty of answers for it. It's just that playing almost any mono-blue or mono-red deck without it is like playing with one hand behind your back... almost. It is as much of a no-brainer in mono-blue control as Gush, Brainfreeze, and Fact or Fiction, though.


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## VultorDaer (Aug 19, 2008)

I would also suggest for this deck....(I hope i'm not getting my names wrong) Frozen Aether (Plane shift, its a blue version of kismet), Capsize as someone else mention is a must, Gush, Daze and thwart can help, I believe a ban is soon to happen (or has) on one of these but unless you Vs a Green deck with Geas's Blessing then Grindstone + Painter Servant is a nice win.  Iscron Specter (above) and Boomerang, Counter Spell/Memory Lapse, Brainstorm, and Impulse in deck is also a nice thing to have.  just some ideas hope it helps


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## nnanji (Aug 19, 2008)

When I ran a Turbo Stasis deck (Stasis plus howling mines for a quicker deck victory) I found Turnabout to be a key card. You can use it for defense against fast creature decks, or use it to tap out the opponent's lands before you initiate stasis. I also found cards like kismet were oevrkill. The other player will only have a couple of chances to cast spells before getting decked, and you can force of will those threats.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Aug 19, 2008)

In a similar, virtually creatureless blue deck, I used Propaganda to force my opponents to pay to attack, and used Intruder Alarm to further bog down their attacks.

In the meantime, I used Yotian Soldiers, Steel Golems and creature lands (like Mishra's Factory and Faerie Conclave) to dish out damage.

I'm currently not allowed to play that deck.


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## Runestar (Aug 20, 2008)

Reminds me of the steel curtain deck. Uses winter orb, propaganda and pendrell mists to create a hostile creature environment, steel golem as blockers, and grindstone to win. 

Ah...good times...


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