UG Tempo

UG Tempo plays similarly to the deck I spoke of as the Time Ebb archetype in M14. However, there are a few crucial differences. Theros usually is slower, but it is possible to get in quick with a blisteringly fast aggro deck centering on Heroic. UG Tempo in Theros definitely tries to grind things out, and win with good tempo swings, usually on the ground, as the fliers are lacking the punch they had in M14, and Theros is pretty Voltron-esque. A card you want to see a lot of in this decktype is Voyage's End. This card makes combat against aggro strategies a lot more favorable, and pushes you up into the mid to late game, where you really want to be.

Voyage's End also has a scry 1 tacked on, which makes it a lot better, giving you perhaps one of the most powerful deck-manipulation mechanic ever created. Of course Scry 1 is pretty weak, but it does a lot when you want to topdeck what you want to topdeck.

Next, the creatures. The creatures you want in this deck need to do work all on their lonesome. They should not need any external support that lends itself to an all-in nature of the deck. Of course I'm talking about Heroic here, and you can pretty much avoid those cards if you can, however it still hinges on how many targeting spells you do run in the main. Centaur Battlemaster could be the exception to that rule, since even one activation makes it quite the finisher, as well as the high number of bestow creatures in this format. The common you really want to chase in this decktype is Agent of Horizons, the Simic-colored creature from the off-color cycle. As discussed earlier, it's a 3 power creature for 3, and it's a pretty efficient swing, especially if it can't be blocked until end of turn. It's also a brilliant mana sink, and every swing of this card is profitable.

Another useful card in this deck is Griptide, if a little slow in the format. Four mana is a little bit high, but you can definitely make a couple copies work. Not only does it remove a creature from combat, which is immensely good in Theros, it also "steals" a draw from your opponent, and they have to tap out once more. Especially good when an opponent has all his proverbial eggs in one basket, you can unattach all his bestow creatures, and remove all auras from the creature. A decent trade for a temporary removal spell I think.

Another very important card in this deck, an uncommon usually passed up as it is in two very specific colors, is Horizon Chimera, a massive, massive play. Spoken about earlier, the card is just massive tempo, and flying is quite desired in Theros draft. The problem with this card, however, is that even though it is swing-positive, it isn't very defensive, and it's flash isn't extremely relevant as there are no good counterspells in Theros, as opposed to Essence Scatter, Negate, and Cancel in M14. What Theros gets is Dissolve, at uncommon, and Stymied Hopes, which is not very good at all. Chances are you will run a deck with no counterspells at all. In all, there is worryingly less creature control in Theros, which UG tempo is based around. Tempo wants to get in early, and keep getting in while winning by board attrition. This is quite possible with the next few cards.

In Theros UG tempo, you want to achieve a critical mass of lethal on the board, playing your Nessian Asps as finishers and cards like Nessian Courser, to fill in the gaps to bring about this critical mass. Cards you want to look for include Leafcrown Dryad, a brilliant bestow card, and Vaporkin, quite effective in this archetype. In fact, Vaporkin is highly desired here, a 2 power flyer for 2 somehow very underrated in Theros draft. I've seen them wheel quite often, but I wouldn't bank on that occurring. Near late pack, Vaporkin is a blessing for this deck. It's semi-drawback doesn't even really matter here because if you're playing Vaporkin, you aren't really trying to block.

Nimbus Naiad is also another card which is cheap and efficient, and does a lot more work into the late game, and it's bestow can clearly close out games if on a Nessian Asp or another such green finisher. The only pumps that are actually good in this decktype are Feral Invocation, Ordeal of Thassa, and Ordeal of Nylea. Ordeal of Thassa is generally highly desired here, as it's immensely tempo-positive. Needless to say, it leaves a permanent Giant Growth behind and draws you cards. Feral Invocation however, it a lot more than just a pump. It is also a combat trick you can use to your advantage, and it doesn't fall off once you beat your opponent in combat. It's also a tempo card you can use, and bluff to your advantage.

Another card I wanted to talk about in this decktype, is Mnemonic Wall. Now playing this card comes down to your number of instants and sorceries. Honestly, this deck wouldn't really play a high number of instants and sorceries apart from Voyage's End and Griptide. A good number of those could justify playing a couple of walls, as they really do stonewall some attacks, while providing card advantage. This deck could go up to a couple of Mnemonic Wall for some advantage.

Another good filler card is Prescient Chimera, Flying being a brilliant mechanic to have on your side of the board, and it turns your instants and sorceries into a little dig as well, helping you find those game-ending or tempo cards. Three power for five cards are usually desired in drafts, as we saw with Messenger Drake in M14, and add to that it has an extra toughness, which means it can hang back safely to block as well. Definitely worth a spot in a UG Tempo deck.

Drafting the Deck

Initially, picking game-ending green cards is a good strategy, and picking up decent tempo blue cards should indicate you're in this deck. When you see an early Centaur Battlemaster, it's not a bad idea to turn to GW Heroic, but if you end up establishing blue as your secondary color, you want to pick up a decent number of Agent of Horizons and one or two Horizon Chimera, those cards generally left untouched in the mid pack due to their mana requirements. Usually, green creatures end up being generally better than other creatures, so it's never hard to know what to pick early in the pack. The deck aims to have a critical mass of evasive creatures to end you the game, so be sure to prioritize flying, over tricks, and pick the tempo cards in the mid pack. This deck also leans a little more on blue, Vaporkins and the like are desirable as well. Since this is a goodstuff deck, you can definitely bully your way into it, quite easily in fact, as some of the cheaper commons are hardly desired by other decks. Time to Feed is also great Heroic trigger, as well as life, and board advantage. Definitely a good pick mid to late pack. As always, splash Pharika's Mender, for immense card advantage and pure, unadulterated awesome. Splashing Red for Ill-Tempered Cyclops and Lightning Strikes also help out rather well, and a decent GUr or an GRu deck can be built easily. Lightning Strikes and Rage of Purphoros also make Mnemonic Wall that much more playable, so it is worth a thought.

Playing the Deck

Playing the deck is easier still than drafting it. Your tempo cards like Voyage's End and Griptide are used usually to punish the enchantments put on a creature, and to reset it to it's original state, especially against Heroic strategies. Running a decent number of these cards usually lets you get into the late game against such decks. The main idea is to drop Vaporkins or Nessian Coursers or Agent of Horizons to give you a board state that is nigh unmatchable, bolstered by your later cards like Nessian Asp and Prescient Chimera. Build a sweet board presence, make combat unfavorable, and potentially win.

That's all folks, and as always, have fun drafting!

Cheers,

Brick