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Best ways to reuse instants and sorceries in Izzet

Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2022 10:45 pm
by Ertai Planeswalker
Hi all,

I have an izzet deck with a spellslinger component, and I'm looking for ways to reuse instants and sorceries. The aim is to run out of removal less quickly. Do you have any tips for this? I'm not looking for cards like Relearn but cards that allow me to recur spells without card disadvantage or parity.

Re: Best ways to reuse instants and sorceries in Izzet

Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2022 11:03 pm
by Dunadain
Honestly, I think the best option is to just draw MORE cards, but if that doesn't suit you, then perhaps cards like Archaeomancer and Snapcaster Mage?

Re: Best ways to reuse instants and sorceries in Izzet

Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2022 11:31 pm
by Mookie
If you want to go for maximum durdle, it's hard to beat Runic Repetition + Mystic Retrieval - for the low, low price of 7UUR, you can return an instant or sorcery from your graveyard to hand over and over. (hint: cost reducers are good)

For something slightly more efficient, I'll recommend The Mirari Conjecture. Kairi, the Swirling Sky and Scholar of the Ages are two more expensive options, but also open up some creature synergies (i.e. cloning / flickering).

Exalted Flamer of Tzeentch is a new option - a bit slow, but good if you're also in the market for a pinger.

Past in Flames, Mizzix's Mastery, and Underworld Breach are the three most powerful options if you're looking for one big turn.

Beyond those, there are the usual options: Archaeomancer, Shipwreck Dowser, Snapcaster Mage, etc. I'll also call out Lier, Disciple of the Drowned as an option.

Also: I'm obligated to plug Kess, Dissident Mage in the command zone (assuming you're open to adding a color) - double-dipping on removal (and other) spells from the graveyard is pretty much her entire schtick.

Re: Best ways to reuse instants and sorceries in Izzet

Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2022 2:26 am
by NZB2323
Mystic Sanctuary is a great way to get cards back, and you can reuse it with cards like Gush or a bouceland.

Mission Briefing is also a good choice.

Re: Best ways to reuse instants and sorceries in Izzet

Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2022 9:39 am
by darrenhabib

Re: Best ways to reuse instants and sorceries in Izzet

Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2022 12:37 pm
by PrimevalCommander
Archaeomancer + Izzet Chronarch + Ghostly Flicker is the defacto durdle spell engine. Only once online to recur any instant and sorcery. There is also redundancy for each of these pieces should one get exiled. Largest downside is the mana value of the creatures. Replace Cronarch with Snapcaster Mage for cheaper start up cost that exiles your utility spell. Archaomancer can return Flicker every turn.

Mystic Sanctuary loops and Mission Briefing are good. That Exalted Flamer of Tzeentch is pretty decent for the mana cost. I would probably try it out just for fun.

Re: Best ways to reuse instants and sorceries in Izzet

Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2022 5:46 pm
by Ertai Planeswalker
Thanks for allthe suggestions. But afaik, there's no reliable way for a decent mana cost or not involving multiple cards.

Re: Best ways to reuse instants and sorceries in Izzet

Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2022 1:45 am
by kraus911
Charmbreaker Devils is slow but works.

Re: Best ways to reuse instants and sorceries in Izzet

Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2022 2:27 am
by RxPhantom
I went from dead in the water to winning the game last week thanks to The Mirari Conjecture.

Re: Best ways to reuse instants and sorceries in Izzet

Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2022 5:03 am
by Mookie
Ertai Planeswalker wrote:
1 year ago
Thanks for allthe suggestions. But afaik, there's no reliable way for a decent mana cost or not involving multiple cards.
Something I'll call out is that as a general rule, recursion effects are costed more conservatively than other forms of card advantage, at least in blue. Compare Divination vs Call to Mind, or Think Twice vs Mystic Retrieval, or Fblthp, the Lost vs Archaeomancer. From a design perspective, there are two reasons for this. FIrstly, recurring the right spell is significantly more powerful than drawing a random card. This is, admittedly, dependent on graveyard status, but it's certainly true in the lategame. However, the other reason is that lots of recursion tends to lead to poor gameplay. Imagine a player looping Counterspell or Cyclonic Rift over and over - or even worse, Time Warp. As a result, spell recursion tends to not be very aggressively costed, or it has safeguards in place (such as exiling itself or the recurred spell) to prevent looping.

Another thing I'll call out is that recursion engines are much easier to assemble than other multi-card value engines, since one card can explicitly recur the other. It's easy to use a Ghostly Flicker for incremental value in the early game, and grab it back with Archaeomancer in the lategame.

That said, whether or not these things are worth pursuing is definitely dependent on your meta - the faster it is, the more important it is to have cards that are immediately impactful, which recursive spells generally aren't. I will call out that Snapcaster Mage and Torrential Gearhulk have both seen extensive competitive play in other formats though, and Mnemonic Wall + Ghostly Flicker has seen Pauper play, so recursive strategies definitely have potential at various points on the power curve.
RxPhantom wrote:
1 year ago
I went from dead in the water to winning the game last week thanks to The Mirari Conjecture.
Ha, indeed. The Mirari Conjecture ranks very highly on my 'opponents should really kill this thing more often than they actually do' list.

Re: Best ways to reuse instants and sorceries in Izzet

Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2022 2:58 am
by RowanKeltizar
I think running a commander like Gale, Waterdeep Prodigy, Kess, Dissident Mage (i know you said izzet, but Kess is amazing) or Lier, Disciple of the Drowned is proably your best bet if you need the recursion that badly. You always have access to the effect and if they die you can recast. But as others have said, drawing new cards is sometimes more efficient.

Aside from commanders, Underworld Breach is the closest to what you are decribing. If you use cards like Mana Geyser or an untap effect like Frantic Search you are casting spells for free or very near to it. All you need to do is keep filling your graveyard using things like Tolarian Winds.

Mizzix's Mastery is the next closest thing to "i cast all the cards in my graveyard for free" kind of thing.

No one mentioned Shreds of Sanity. I think it's fairly good.