UB Shipwreck

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PhEnOm here once again, with another sample drafted list. This Archetype like Brick and Beu said, another "Fringe" deck. The "Shipwreck" deck. For those who miss the reference this is about blue/black. The reference is to Shipwreck Singer:

The deck I find is very mana intensive, but it can be hard for an opponent to deal with. This color combo makes use of a very powerful common. Returned Phalanx stops allot of the early game aggro that most decks count on. And late game gets up and dishes out some damage of its own. Here is the deck list that I had for this archtype recently.

Played cards:

Creatures:

2 Returned Phalanx

1 Omenspeaker
2 Blood-Toll Harpy

1 Mogis's Marauder

2 Tormented Hero

2 Shipwreck Singer
1 Keepsake Gorgon
1 Shipbreaker Kraken
1 Wavecrash triton

2 Disciple of Phenax

Other Spells:
1 Fate Foretold

2 Triton Tactics

2 Griptide

1 Ordeal of Thassa

1 Sip of Hemlock

1 Lash of the Whip

Lands:

1 Temple of Deceit

8 Swamp

8 Island

Notable cards that did not make deck:

1 Stymied Hopes

2 Viper's Kiss

1 Scourgemark

1 Annul

1 Triton Fortune Hunter (last card to be cut)

The main issue here is that Returned Phalanx and Shipwreck Singer require mana on a turn basis to be effective. The idea is to use siren to force unfavorable attacks that you opponents cannot enjoy. Not only does it force certain guys to swing, but it can weaken them as well. Making them easy prey for your blockers. There is also a nice combo in this deck that I found while playing. Tormented Hero and Triton Tactics are very nice together. You get the heroic from Tormented Hero and you get to block with a now 2/4, who frostbreaths a creature for a turn. This was my first experience with the siren, and I do like her ability. 

The weaknesses this deck has are the "Big guy" tactics of green decks. Nessian Asp, for example, wrecks this deck. The other creatures that those decks can produce, they just outrank our guys very quickly. Most of the creatures in blue/black are small and they need combat advantages to win.

Drafting this deck is sometimes hard as Shipwreck Singers are seen as already good and at uncommon they go fast. You need very good blue cards that people are already taking, like Voyage's End, Griptide, Sea God's Revenge. Triton Tactics is better here than in most decks because you can force certain creatures to be tapped for a combat phase. 

Black offers you one early removal card, one midrange, and one late removal card. Pharika's Cure kills most small dudes but is sometimes hard to cast. Lash of the Whip can hit some of those troublesome "Dinosaurs". Also very powerful when used in conjunction with shipwreck siren. Sip of Hemlock kills anything (the only card at common range to do this) and they lose 2 life. Sadly black's ideal role in this set is the Devotion deck. I feel that you really have to lean on blue, which in my book is the best draft color in Theros (agruements can be made for White and Red also). 

May all your opponents be mana-screwed when you need to win big. 

PhEnOm out.