That's a lot of different RG/RUG modern lists! What is it about RUG you love so much?
Blue, Red, and Green offer the most satisfying Magic gameplay experience, in my opinion. I dont know what it is, but Temur offers the fairest (aside from Blood Moon) gameplay, with awesome tempo capabilities. I played Temur Grow for a long time, and it was one of the most challenging decks I have ever played. Not because it was a bad deck, but because of exactly the opposite. It was a very good deck that commanded a very good pilot, and at the time I was not a very good pilot. But even losing, I had a lot of fun.
And since far fewer people play Temur midrange/tempo strategies, it makes for more unique gameplay scenarios.
This is the best variant of the deck I've seen recently. It's a little less cute than some of the other variants (no shackles, no traverse, no blood moon) but it's solidly on the RUG gameplan and doesn't feel awkward very often. I grabbed the list from one of the top 32 decks at an SCG Open last month.
I have moved away from AV. After 40-50 games with it, Im no longer convinced.
I'd hate to say I told you so, but...
ANYWAYS, I have been playing a Bounding Krasis and Kiki list for a while now (I'll put it in the spoiler on this post), and I haven't played with Eldritch Evolution or Traverse the Ulvenwald yet but they seem pretty interesting to say the least
I have moved away from AV. After 40-50 games with it, Im no longer convinced.
I'd hate to say I told you so, but...
ANYWAYS, I have been playing a Bounding Krasis and Kiki list for a while now (I'll put it in the spoiler on this post), and I haven't played with Eldritch Evolution or Traverse the Ulvenwald yet but they seem pretty interesting to say the least
Have any of you thought of playing a more Super friends midrange deck? Im toying with the idea, but not sure if its any better than playing straight midrange. PWs in these colors can do quite a bit.
@NovemberMike thanks for the list it seems like what I was looking for to start!
@Kovo Condescend has worked great so far for me in pretesting, how's your experience with it? Is 3-4 too much?
Would it be possible to throw Path to Exile in a list like that one? Anyone try this?
Edit: Has anyone looked into Bedlam Reveler as well?
@NovemberMike thanks for the list it seems like what I was looking for to start!
@Kovo Condescend has worked great so far for me in pretesting, how's your experience with it? Is 3-4 too much?
Would it be possible to throw Path to Exile in a list like that one? Anyone try this?
Edit: Has anyone looked into Bedlam Reveler as well?
I love Condescend, but I think 2 is enough. I seriously think Blue players need to give it a try, more. Sometimes even a Condescend you know will be payed for, is still worth it for the Scry 2. Too many times have I been able to scry 2 lands to the bottom when I really didnt need more lands.
As for the removal issue with Temur, this is something I have been struggling with recently. Splashing a fourth color is really not an option. Dismember is a nice way to remove most threats. I have also been toying with Imprisoned in the moon. It does the job, and Ive won games thanks to it. Temur has a problem because our colors do not provide any real hard removal that isnt damage based. I also want to try Spontaneous mutation. The thing with Dismember is that 4 life is a lot to pay for that kind of removal. In a deck where we hurt ourselves quite a bit with our mana base, Dismember makes things harder, especially since we bring it in against decks that have big creatures hitting us, in the first place.
Hi guys, I've been playing for months a very similar list to the Harlan firer's One. I realized that we've a lot of good match ups and we are able to compete against almost every deck on the field except for bant eldrazi. How do you deal with them? Bolt doesn't do that much and our remands/snares are Just Dead cards. They're too fast and sometimes our tarmogoyfs are useless.
As I said, they are not smoking guns, and far from efficient, but they do get rid of creatures we cant bolt out, and they can also deal with planeswalkers out of our reach (in the case of IntM). IinM wont stop a turn 2 or 3 reality smasher, but those games are a little more rare anyway. I think we can find some utility in one of these cards. So far,I like IinM a lot, and most opponents never see it coming.
Hey mate!
I don't know why almost no one here on MTGS seems interested in RUG midrange variants. I myself play Eternal Command, another nice RUG midrange deck (with the Crpytic Command/Eternal Witness soft lock) that's definetely better than people are giving it credit for (just won an FNM with it last week, going 8-1 overall in matches).
Looking at the meta right know I would probably play Blood Moon MD actually, as you said the new deck to beat is Bant Eldrazi, but the card is still pretty good against other decks like RG Valakut, Abzan etc.
I really think you should play Serum Visions, digging for the right answers is just so important in RUG. I'd probably cut 1x land, 1x Visions and the 2x Flame Slash as I think the card is really badly positioned currently. Bant laughs at it as it's only really effective when you draw it after they already played TKS, it doesn't help you vs Jeskai because of sorcery speed and is really only effective against Kalitas (which sees less and less play) and Grim Flayer. I actually like a 1x Roast a lot more as 4 vs 5 points of damage is huge.
And if you have problems against Burn and RG Valakut, maybe you can fit another Spell Snare somewhere? The card is MVP against both (and a lot of other decks).
I just want to say that I've been getting amazing results with this deck. I did a gpt and a modern tournament where I won 66 dollars in credit in total over the weekend. If anyone still cares about this deck I'd love to talk about it.
There was a RUG list that finished 40th in the last GP, for some reason it was mislabeled as "Blue Moon" despite packing Goyfs and Huntmasters. https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/506270
Goyf and huntmaster are the best beats in the deck. I wouldn't want to cut them for the tracker, but I wouldn't mind running him over clique. tracker seems great with huntmaster as he allows you to do things without casting a spell on your turn.
Izzet staticaster is amazing against infect and other x/1's. I would definitely try it out in the sideboard for infect, its incredibly hard for them to fight through it. I'm currently running 2 flame slash, 2 izzet charm, 4 bolt, 2 anger, and 2 shackles in the main. I think this is a good balance for the moment.
How does this archetype go up against big mana decks such as Tron? Are the Blood Moons good enough to handle it?
If you can land a quick clock and then Blood Moon it's good. Just Blood Moon on its own isn't really amazing because eventually they will drop a Wurmcoil or Oblivion Stone through a Blood Moon.
That's what I figured, thanks. That was a surprisingly quick reply for a thread that hasn't been posted in in a while lol. Are people still playing this deck? I'm really interested in playing RUG colors in modern but I can't find enough recent content about it, tbh. Like, for example, how does this handle DS? Hope that you can roast it? Steal it with a shackles and kill it that way?
That's what I figured, thanks. That was a surprisingly quick reply for a thread that hasn't been posted in in a while lol. Are people still playing this deck? I'm really interested in playing RUG colors in modern but I can't find enough recent content about it, tbh. Like, for example, how does this handle DS? Hope that you can roast it? Steal it with a shackles and kill it that way?
Some people randomly play it, but realistically no one does. Death's Shadow is actually a great example of why no one plays RUG anymore. Tarmogoyf and Death's Shadow are just too big to kill with bolt or even Roast these days. You need Path to Exile or Fatal Push.
Yeah, the deck just seems like a nice change of pace/ gameplay from what I usually play. Truth be told, I was more interested in Eternal Command but didn't want to open myself up to the exploitable weaknesses of a deck that relies both on an artifact and its graveyard. I guess I won't rush into building the deck and wait for a better meta for it.
Thanks for the replies!
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Blue, Red, and Green offer the most satisfying Magic gameplay experience, in my opinion. I dont know what it is, but Temur offers the fairest (aside from Blood Moon) gameplay, with awesome tempo capabilities. I played Temur Grow for a long time, and it was one of the most challenging decks I have ever played. Not because it was a bad deck, but because of exactly the opposite. It was a very good deck that commanded a very good pilot, and at the time I was not a very good pilot. But even losing, I had a lot of fun.
And since far fewer people play Temur midrange/tempo strategies, it makes for more unique gameplay scenarios.
RUG Temur Deprive Delver
BUG Sultai Deprive Delver
2 Huntmaster of the Fells
4 Snapcaster Mage
3 Vendilion Clique
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Scalding Tarn
1 Breeding Pool
1 Stomping Ground
2 Steam Vents
1 Forest
1 Mountain
3 Island
3 Sulfur Falls
1 Desolate Lighthouse
2 Lumbering Falls
4 Serum Visions
1 Mana Leak
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Electrolyze
3 Spell Snare
2 Cryptic Command
1 Dismember
1 Dispel
1 Roast
1 Roast
2 Anger of the Gods
1 Counterflux
1 Dispel
3 Fulminator Mage
1 Negate
2 Ancient Grudge
2 Threads of Disloyalty
2 Engineered Explosives
I'd hate to say I told you so, but...
ANYWAYS, I have been playing a Bounding Krasis and Kiki list for a while now (I'll put it in the spoiler on this post), and I haven't played with Eldritch Evolution or Traverse the Ulvenwald yet but they seem pretty interesting to say the least
2 Breeding Pool
2 Cascade Bluffs
1 Desolate Lighthouse
1 Flooded Grove
1 Forest
2 Island
1 Kessig Wolf Run
3 Misty Rainforest
1 Mountain
1 Raging Ravine
3 Scalding Tarn
2 Steam Vents
2 Stomping Ground
2 Wooded Foothills
4 Birds of Paradise
3 Bounding Krasis
1 Eternal Witness
4 Huntmaster of the Fells
1 Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
2 Mystic Snake
4 Savage Knuckleblade
1 Thragtusk
Instants
2 Cryptic Command
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Mana Leak
Sorceries
2 Forked Bolt
4 Serum Visions
Enchantments
1 Utopia Sprawl
1 Eternal Witness
3 Hurkyl's Recall
2 Keranos, God of Storms
3 Scavenging Ooze
2 Surrak Dragonclaw
2 Swerve
2 Thragtusk
Modern = RBW Aristocrats (Here's the primer thread I made!)
BGW Endless Renewal ( The primer right here! )
Legacy = UB Stiflenought
Sometimes you have to see for yourself, lol.
RUG Temur Deprive Delver
BUG Sultai Deprive Delver
1x Arlinn Kord
1x Chandra, Flamecaller
1x Garruk Relentless
2x Garruk Wildspeaker
1x Nissa, Voice of Zendikar
1x Ral Zarek
1x Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
1x Sarkhan Unbroken
1x Sarkhan Vol
Instant (10)
2x Electrolyze
4x Lightning Bolt
2x Mana Leak
2x Remand
1x Breeding Pool
2x Forest
3x Island
4x Misty Rainforest
1x Mountain
4x Scalding Tarn
2x Steam Vents
1x Stomping Ground
4x Wooded Foothills
Creature (10)
4x Noble Hierarch
2x Savage Knuckleblade
4x Tarmogoyf
Sorcery (4)
4x Serum Visions
4x Oath of Nissa
1x Ancient Grudge
2x Blood Moon
1x Counterflux
2x Destructive Revelry
2x Dispel
2x Grafdigger's Cage
3x Kozilek's Return
1x Negate
1x Spellskite
RUG Temur Deprive Delver
BUG Sultai Deprive Delver
@Kovo Condescend has worked great so far for me in pretesting, how's your experience with it? Is 3-4 too much?
Would it be possible to throw Path to Exile in a list like that one? Anyone try this?
Edit: Has anyone looked into Bedlam Reveler as well?
I love Condescend, but I think 2 is enough. I seriously think Blue players need to give it a try, more. Sometimes even a Condescend you know will be payed for, is still worth it for the Scry 2. Too many times have I been able to scry 2 lands to the bottom when I really didnt need more lands.
As for the removal issue with Temur, this is something I have been struggling with recently. Splashing a fourth color is really not an option. Dismember is a nice way to remove most threats. I have also been toying with Imprisoned in the moon. It does the job, and Ive won games thanks to it. Temur has a problem because our colors do not provide any real hard removal that isnt damage based. I also want to try Spontaneous mutation. The thing with Dismember is that 4 life is a lot to pay for that kind of removal. In a deck where we hurt ourselves quite a bit with our mana base, Dismember makes things harder, especially since we bring it in against decks that have big creatures hitting us, in the first place.
RUG Temur Deprive Delver
BUG Sultai Deprive Delver
Read above ^^
RUG Temur Deprive Delver
BUG Sultai Deprive Delver
Im currently playing with Imprisoned in the moon and its actually done quite well.
RUG Temur Deprive Delver
BUG Sultai Deprive Delver
RUG Temur Deprive Delver
BUG Sultai Deprive Delver
Things to think about and test with
RUG Temur Deprive Delver
BUG Sultai Deprive Delver
I don't know why almost no one here on MTGS seems interested in RUG midrange variants. I myself play Eternal Command, another nice RUG midrange deck (with the Crpytic Command/Eternal Witness soft lock) that's definetely better than people are giving it credit for (just won an FNM with it last week, going 8-1 overall in matches).
Looking at the meta right know I would probably play Blood Moon MD actually, as you said the new deck to beat is Bant Eldrazi, but the card is still pretty good against other decks like RG Valakut, Abzan etc.
I really think you should play Serum Visions, digging for the right answers is just so important in RUG. I'd probably cut 1x land, 1x Visions and the 2x Flame Slash as I think the card is really badly positioned currently. Bant laughs at it as it's only really effective when you draw it after they already played TKS, it doesn't help you vs Jeskai because of sorcery speed and is really only effective against Kalitas (which sees less and less play) and Grim Flayer. I actually like a 1x Roast a lot more as 4 vs 5 points of damage is huge.
And if you have problems against Burn and RG Valakut, maybe you can fit another Spell Snare somewhere? The card is MVP against both (and a lot of other decks).
https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/506270
It has quite a bit of game. And even if you dont draw your Land Disruption/Destruction spells, you still get to play the midrange game.
2x Forest
5x Island
4x Misty Rainforest
1x Mountain
4x Scalding Tarn
2x Steam Vents
1x Stomping Ground
3x Wooded Foothills
Enchantment (8)
4x Blood Moon
4x Spreading Seas
2x Electrolyze
4x Lightning Bolt
2x Mana Leak
4x Remand
Creature (10)
2x Huntmaster of the Fells
4x Savage Knuckleblade
4x Tarmogoyf
Sorcery (8)
4x Serum Visions
4x Stone Rain
1x Ancient Grudge
3x Anger of the Gods
2x Destructive Revelry
2x Dispel
2x Grafdigger's Cage
1x Natural State
1x Negate
2x Roast
1x Spell Pierce
RUG Temur Deprive Delver
BUG Sultai Deprive Delver
If you can land a quick clock and then Blood Moon it's good. Just Blood Moon on its own isn't really amazing because eventually they will drop a Wurmcoil or Oblivion Stone through a Blood Moon.
Some people randomly play it, but realistically no one does. Death's Shadow is actually a great example of why no one plays RUG anymore. Tarmogoyf and Death's Shadow are just too big to kill with bolt or even Roast these days. You need Path to Exile or Fatal Push.
The only version of RUG that I would even say is tier 3 or better is Eternal Command like https://www.mtggoldfish.com/articles/tron-tron-everywhere-eternal-command-modern-stream-highlights
Thanks for the replies!