Everything Doomsday

2021.03.21
By Jacob Mayer (Jacobisboss)
Special thanks: Bart van Etten (Diem4x), Max Vervoort (MaxMagicer), SingPanMan, and discoverN

Table of Contents

• The Main Deck
• The Sideboard
• A Sideboard Guide
• Playing vs. Breach with discoverN
• Playing vs. BUG with SingPanMan
• Playing vs. Bant with discoverN
• Playing vs. shops with Jacobisboss
• Credits

Download List

Many Legacy Doomsday players come to Vintage wondering why the deck does not play Cavern of Souls. The reason is that after building a pile, you generally will have a Gush or Ancestral Recall on top. If the opponent has a counterspell, they aren't going to save it for Thassa's Oracle. They have to go after Ancestrall Recall or Gush. This is because the card draw spell will draw you into a counter for theirs as well as your Oracle.
In my mind, there are only three main deck flex slots available. In this build, we have elected to use Mystical Dispute, Force of Negation, and Portent.

Mystical Dispute and Force of Negation

These slots are generally used for Treasure Cruise and a disruptive spell or two disruptive spells. Standard cards in these slots are the third Daze, the 4th Flusterstorm, Duress, or Chain of Vapor. With Shops and mirrors so popular in the meta, it’s nice to have a fifth free counterspell on the draw, so that’s why we have chosen Force of Negation. We have Mystical Dispute over something like another Flusterstorm because of things like Leovold, Emissary of Trest, Hullbreacher, and Lavinia, Azorius Renegade. These cards are significant problems. Having a one mana answer that also counters Force of Will is very lovely.

Portent

This slot is almost always used for extra cantrips. Often you will see Sleight of Hand, Peek, or even Cling to Dust. Ponder is restricted for a reason. While Portent can’t crack piles, it’s very good card selection or can mess up your opponent’s top three cards. This is especially useful in something like the mirror.

Steel Sabotage

This is only used for the Shops matchup, but it’s so crucial that you want four copies in games two and three. It’s the most effective way to get rid of Sphere of Resistance type cards without investing too much mana.

Mindbreak Trap

This is good against decks that try to do a lot on the first turn, such as Paradoxical Outcome, Shops, or the mirror. At worst, it’s a card to pitch to Force of Will, which makes sure it’s not a dead card later in the game.

Duress

Duress is a decent card against all decks where you want to play around counters. It is sometimes exactly what you need in your Doomsday pile, especially when you have a Mox Jet, as you won’t need to tap a land to play it. A handy thing it can do is snag a Brain Freeze before you combo, so you don’t die on the spot.

Fatal Push

You need an answer for cards like Lavinia, Azorius Renegade, Deathrite Shaman, Thalia, Guardian of Thraben, Archon of Emeria, Leovold, Emissary of Trest, Collector Ouphe, and other hatebears. Push is the most efficient one in the game. It’s also good against Ravager Shops because it can give you enough time to beat their stax pieces.

Opposition Agent

Opposition Agent is outstanding in the mirror. It will win the game if it’s not answered, while still being decent against all decks that play tutors.

Leyline of the Void

These are only for Dredge or other Bazaar of Baghdad decks. It's the most efficient card to play without dedicating too many spots for the matchups.

Tasigur, the Golden Fang

It is necessary to have an additional win condition. Tasigur is for decks that can disrupt your combo well, like with Brain Freeze or a deck with many specific counters, like Flusterstorm and Pyroblast. Tasigur comes in when the opponent boards out their removal spells. For example, Jeskai likely boards out Swords to Plowshares, and this is a card they have to counter. Yet Flusterstorm, Pyroblast, or even Force of Negation won't work. Because of this, it can sometimes steal games.

Island

Having a second basic is another tool for Shops to better play around Wasteland and Ghost Quarter.

By Bart van Etten and Max Vervoort

BUG

In
+2 Fatal Push, +1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang, +1 Duress
Out
-1 Force of Negation, -1 Street Wraith, -1 Mystical Tutor, -1 Vampiric Tutor

Breach

In
+1 Mindbreak Trap, +1 Duress, +1 Opposition Agent, +1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
Out
-1 Island, -1 Vampiric Tutor, -1 Mystical Tutor, -1 Portent

Jeskai

In
+1 Duress, +2 Fatal Push, +1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
Out
-1 Island, -1 Mystical Tutor, -1 Vampiric Tutor, -1 Force of Negation

Doomsday

In
+1 Duress, +1 Opposition Agent, +1 Mindbreak Trap
Out
-1 Island, -1 Vampiric Tutor, -1 Mystical Tutor

Hogaak

In
+2 Fatal Push, +4 Leyline of the Void, +1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
Out
-1 Force of Negation, -1 Necropotence, -1 Mystical Dispute -3 Flusterstorm, -1 Dig Through Time

Dredge

In
+4 Leyline of the Void, +1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang

Out
-1 Mental Misstep, -1 Force of Negation, -1 Necropotence, -1 Dig Through Time, -1 Portent

RUG

In
+1 Duress, +2 Fatal Push, +1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
Out
-1 Force of Negation, -1 Mystical Tutor, -1 Vampiric Tutor, -1 Portent

Ravager Shops

In
+4 Steel Sabotage, +2 Fatal Push, +1 Island, +1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
Out
-3 Flusterstorm, -1 Mental Misstep, -1 Necropotence, -2 Daze , -1 Mystical Dispute

Golos Shops

In
+1 Duress, +4 Steel Sabotage, +1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang, +1 Island
Out
-3 Flusterstorm, -1 Mental Misstep, -1 Mystical Dispute, -2 Daze

Oath

In
+1 Mindbreak Trap, +1 Duress, +1 Opposition Agent
Out
-1 Island, -1 Vampiric Tutor, -1 Mystical Tutor

Bant Archon

In
+2 Fatal Push, +1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
Out
-1 Force of Negation, -1 Necropotence, -1 Street Wraith

DPS

In
+1 Mindbreak Trap, +1 Duress, +1 Opposition Agent
Out
-1 Island, -1 Mystical Tutor, -1 Vampiric Tutor

White Hatebears

In
+2 Fatal Push, +1 Island, +1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
Out
-3 Flusterstorm, -1 Mystical Dispute

You are against Breach, and the opponent was on the play with seven cards and went Misty Rainforest, Mox Ruby, pass. They have 5 cards remaining. You mullagained once, and your hand is Doomsday, Street Wraith, Force of Will, Preordain, Underground Sea, Tasigur, the Golden Fang, and Dark Ritual. Notable play arounds are Pyroblast, Flusterstorm, and Brain Freeze. How do you want to play this turn and the rest of the game?

discoverN’s Answer

Game Plan:
First, I want to play Tasigur. After the opponent makes a move, I want to play Doomsday.

Choices

1. Play Ritual into Doomsday (Too risky.)
   If the opponent doesn't have Brain Freeze, they very likely has a lot of counters. So a turn one kill won’t be possible.

2. Cycling Street Wraith to find a fetch land, another Wraith, or Gitaxian Probe to make casting Tasigur easier. (Not bad.)

3. Play Preordain (My choice.)
   This choice has few flaws.
   Good things: It can keep Street Wraith, which is a vital card for beating Brain Freeze.

You are at 16 life versus BUG game three. Assume Fatal Push is in your deck and nothing in exile, so you have your whole deck to put in your pile. You cast a Doomsday with a Dark Ritual in hand and three Underground Seas in play. Your opponent has Leovold, Collector Ouphe, three lands, and three cards in hand. You assume their graveyard doesn’t matter (i.e., Snapcaster Mage). What is your pile?

SingPanMan’s Answer

, , , ,
From the top: Demonic Tutor, Time Walk, Thassa's Oracle, Thassa's Oracle, Island (Double Assassin's Trophy is an issue)

1. Pass the turn.
2. Play Dark Ritual.
3. Play Demonic Tutor, and get Time Walk.
4. Play Time Walk.
5. In extra turn, play Thassa's Oracle.

I think there are low odds of winning this match. But you will have to go all-in.

If the opponent plays two Trophies (or plays Wasteland and trophy), you need to search for an Island. Let's pray that won't happen.

Bad News

• Can withstand only one turn (16->8, clock=5)
• Lose to one counter (Flusterstorm, Force of Will, Mindbreak Trap, Spell Pierce)
• Lose to one piece of removal (Abrupt Decay, Assassin's Trophy)
• Eventually lose by 1/3 (if I draw an Island, I lose)
• I can't afford the resources (This is all Leo's fault.)

Good News

• Maybe the opponent doesn't have Daze. (If they did have Daze, they will cast it on Doomsday.)
• One Wasteland is not a problem.

Your on-the-play opponent casts Archon of Emeria and now has five cards in hand turn two. It is game three (Fatal Push is in the deck. They may have cards like Meddling Mage or Deafening Silence). You untap and cast Doomsday off of two lands and a Mox after time walking (You drew daze for turn and Ritual last turn). You still have a land drop, and Doomsday resolves. You are at 19 life. (Remember about Archon’s tapped land condition and notable cards to try to play around are things like Lavinia, Ouphe, meddling mage, Hullbreacher, maybe Deafening Silence, counterspells like Flusterstorm, and even Spell Queller.) What is your pile, and what do are you trying to do in the following turns?

discoverN’s answer

, , , ,
The pile is: Timewalk, Thassa's Oracle, Thassa's Oracle, Island, Island.
This turn play a tapped fetch land and pass.
Next turn, play a tapped fetch land, then Time Walk. Next turn, play Thassa's Oracle, fetch in response to removal if needed, or fetch to play around Daze. If countered, play Oracle again the following turn with the ability to fetch for an Island if needed.

You may think that you want to get a Fatal Push pile here, but that means you would likely need it to resolve to win. You could crack the fetch (to get Revolt for Fatal Push) while holding priority and cast Fatal Push on the Archon. While still holding priority with the fetchland on the stack you cast Gush so you know the cards you will draw. But not only do you lose to a Hullbreacher but you loose to Lavinia as well. The pile discoverN lists can beat these cards as well as Flusterstorm and Daze becuase of the two Oracles.

Your opponent has a Thorn of Amethyst and a Sphere of Resistance on the battlefield. You cast Doomsday off of three lands and two Moxes. They also have a Phyrexian Revoker naming Black Lotus and, a 2/2 Stonecoil Serpent. The rest of their cards are an Ancient Tomb, a Mox Emerald, an Inventor’s Fair, and two cards in hand. You are at 16 life, so after Doomsday, you will be dead to two swings. Your hand is Force of Will, Daze, and Preordain. What is the easiest way of winning the next turn? We want to play around Wasteland, another Sphere of Resistance, Mindbreak Trap, Chalice of the Void, Null Rod, more Revokers and so on.

Jacob's Answer

, , , ,
From the top: Steel Sabotage, Gush, Thassa's Oracle, Black Lotus, Island.
The goal is to try to win in two turns. The plan is to pass after the opponent attacks you to 4. You bounce the Revoker mid-combat with Steel Sabotage. When they cast it again, you Force of Will it. Then you untap and cast Gush, play land, and cast Black Lotus and Thassa’s Oracle with Daze backup. There are ways to win the turn after you cast Doomsday. but they lose to a single Sphere, a Mindbreak Trap, or a Wasteland. This line also beats Wasteland. Also if they play a Sphere instead of Revoker again, you can counter that too. The Island is important to beating a Ghost Quarter as well.

Another Option

, , , ,
From the top: Time Walk, Street Wraith, Thassa’s Oracle,Island, Island.
The goal is to win next turn. The plan is to cast Time Walk and then cycle Street Wraith into Oracle and cast it with two cards in deck. This pile beats Mindbreak Trap, one Wasteland, one Sphere of Resistance, and Null Rod. The main issue with this pile is you are dead if they play another Revoker or a Sorcerous Spyglass and name Street Wraith.

Both piles are justifiable, and there are another ten piles you could argue for as well. Playing against Shops is complicated. The most essential thing is mana sources and having enough lands at all times.

Written by Jacob Mayer, Bart van Etten, Max Vervoort, SingPanMan, and discoverN.
The Original File is located here.

Edited by Eric Koziol.