Here is a deck idea I thought about which revolves around Eternal Witness+Eerie Interlude (the new Ghostway) and creatures with EtB abilities that can be flickered to grind out value.
The deck is similar to the older Abzan/Junk Ghostway decks, the more recent Naya/Bant versions and the Bant CoCo decks (particularly Bant CoCo Humans).
Meddling Mage (or Phyrexian Revoker) also seems good here as it can be reset to different cards after blinking to wreck certain strategies (it might be a better idea to run it over Icatian Javelineers).
Another possible top-end for the deck can be Lavinia of the Tenth that can lock out the opponent or open up an alpha strike option.
Familiar's Ruse is an interesting idea, can probably take a couple of sideboard slots to test it (though I don't have much Blue in the deck) or maybe replace Cloudshift with it.
The card I consider taking out is Mulldrifter.
Though it works well with Eternal Witness, setting up the evoke+blink play seems way too hard.
Familiar's Ruse is an interesting idea, can probably take a couple of sideboard slots to test it (though I don't have much Blue in the deck) or maybe replace Cloudshift with it.
The card I consider taking out is Mulldrifter.
Though it works well with Eternal Witness, setting up the evoke+blink play seems way too hard.
As someone who's been playing Eternal Ruse for more than two years now (not all the time but I always come back to it after testing some other brews) I would advise you against using Famliar's Ruse in your SB. If you play counters in your SB they usually come in against combo and then Negate is strictly better as it doesn't require you to have a creature on board and doesn't cost you tempo. If you wanna play with Ruse, play it maindeck and play Aether Vial aswell to offset the tempo loss.
Maybe you wanna take a look at the Eternal Ruse thread, it's been pretty dead for a while but besides RUG you'll find some Bant lists there aswell.
How have the Javelineers been doing for you?
I haven't played much with the deck so far as it is in a rather early state but Icatian Javelineers helped against mana dorks on occasion and also messed with combat (can help catch an unsuspecting player by surprise together with "Exalted" from Noble Hierarch).
If they underwhelm I consider playing 4x Meddling Mage maindeck which might shut down certain decks and be reset to different targets with Eerie Interlude.
Is it a good idea ?
First of all how is Spiketail Drakeling a repeatable counterspell? Because you can get him back with Witness? (Which gets you back any card you want anyway, counterspells included). It also doesn't even synergize with your deck, you want ETB effects so you can abuse them with Eerie Interlude.
Also counting Mulldrifter you're playing 18 3-drops...18! thats way too many in a format like modern, against an unknown deck, hands that can't interact or add pressure until turn 3 are simply not keepable. And now you want to add another 3-drop? Don't do that. You'd be better off shaving some 3 drops actually.
And also there's a reason why Glen Elendra Archmage is played in modern SBs but the Drake isn't...GEA is card advantage and abusable (by blinking it or putting +1/+1-counters on it for example). The card is waaayyy better than the drake.
The more I look at your list the more I'm thinking about why you're actually needing blue. You said yourself that Mulldrifter doesn't really cut it, Reflector Mage isn't really a good card in modern and Vendillion Clique alone isn't really cutting it.
Black on the other hand offers maindeck targeted discard against combo, Siege Rhino, and you could try some nice Tidehollow Sculler, Flickerwisp, Wasteland Strangler shenanigans.
Seems like a lot of fun to me
Harbinger of the Tides doesn't even see play in every Merfolk deck and he got a lot of tribal support there so no he's not good enough. Meddling Mage isn't really good in modern because it's just so full of spot removal. Coiling Oracle is neat but not really better than Wall of Omens, Krasis is really only good with Kiki for the Infinite Combo, Skynight is plain to bad (a 3cmc sorceryspeed card that dies to Bolt must do more in modern). The Eldrazi has some potential but is really situational, you can give it some testing, but like I said you're already more than full on 3 drops.
So if you wanna stay in blue, I'd say some Serum Visions to smooth out draws and maybe the Familiar's Ruse are better things to try out.
And no Spiketail Drakeling doesn't work like Mangara of Corondor.
When you read both cards carefully you see that the cost of the drake's effect is 'sacrifice SD: counter...' so to activate you need to pay the cost which means ot goes to grave before the effect can resolve. Mangara reads 'tap: exile MoC and another target permanent'. The cost you need to pay to activate it is simply to tap it, the exiling is part of the effect not the cost. Which is way you can abuse it with flicker effects. (And MoC is a pretty much the only modern legal card that has that kind of weird wording by the way).
I'm not sure that Serum Visions is really necessary for this deck, I would probably prefer Coiling Oracle instead for more card draw.
And I'm not sure about maindeck counterspells here.
Lyev Skyknight can detain not only creatures but also Planeswalkers/Artifacts (with activated abilities) and 3 power with flying isn't bad so it can be relevant in my opinion.
I also think that Reflector Mage is rather good in a deck that can abuse it's ability repeatedly (it even seems to fit the deck better than Fiend Hunter).
There is Noble Hierarch (and also vial) to speed up Thought-Knot Seer which is neccessary to disrupt opponents as the deck doesn't have much interaction, and it is also my biggest attacker.
Thraben Inspector seems uneccessary with 4x Wall of Omens and 4x Elvish Visionary already in the deck for the card draw.
I'm actually worried it might be too much as they don't actually help deal (any real) damage to win the game.
Lands:
4x Eldrazi Temple
1x Breeding Pool
1x Temple Garden
1x Hallowed Fountain
2x Brushland
2x Adakar Wastes
1x Gavony Township
2x Forest
2x Plains
1x Island
1x Wastes
3x Fetchlands (I use Flooded Strands)
21
The company is helpful for pulling ETB effects of of thin air. I used to try Wingmate Roc and Thragtusk, and when they hit they're great, but too inconsistent to get out with the mana.
I have always been on the fence about abusing the Fiend Hunter triggers, but with Spell Queller released, I'm using both for a soft lock on most decks.
My SB is in flux, depending on where I play, but I am taking it to a local event tonight and will let you guys know how it goes.
I'm open to constructive criticism and I can answer any questions. I have been playing and modifiying this brew for a few months now.
Lands:
4x Eldrazi Temple
1x Breeding Pool
1x Temple Garden
1x Hallowed Fountain
2x Brushland
2x Adakar Wastes
1x Gavony Township
2x Forest
2x Plains
1x Island
1x Wastes
3x Fetchlands (I use Flooded Strands)
21
The company is helpful for pulling ETB effects of of thin air. I used to try Wingmate Roc and Thragtusk, and when they hit they're great, but too inconsistent to get out with the mana.
I have always been on the fence about abusing the Fiend Hunter triggers, but with Spell Queller released, I'm using both for a soft lock on most decks.
My SB is in flux, depending on where I play, but I am taking it to a local event tonight and will let you guys know how it goes.
I'm open to constructive criticism and I can answer any questions. I have been playing and modifiying this brew for a few months now.
I've gone back and forth on vial vs company and found company more useful for filling the board after a board wipe or what have you. Recruiter helps filter through the deck for ETB triggers with its first side, and its flip function can be relevant.
Granted, Recruiter and Sage are four spots I'm not sold on. The werewolf flip mechanics aren't my favorite, and Reflector Mage has proven its worth to stall sometimes.
The thing with Reclamation Sage is that its a main deck silver bullet for a lot of matchups (vs Affinity and Bogles sure, but against an unpopped OStone, Vial in Merfolk, Blue Moon,among others).
My build genuinely struggles against Jeskai Control though, so I'm beginning to rethink Vial.
EDIT: I've tried Wall of Omens, Elvish Visionary, and Coiling Oracle at various points, I almost prefer the filtering Duskwatch Recruiter can provide over the card draw.
The deck is similar to the older Abzan/Junk Ghostway decks, the more recent Naya/Bant versions and the Bant CoCo decks (particularly Bant CoCo Humans).
Btw, here is an example of a similar deck from last year - http://www.mtggoldfish.com/archetype/modern-bant-ghostway#online
4x Noble Hierarch
4x Icatian Javelineers
4x Wall of Omens
3x Eternal Witness
3x Kitchen Finks
2x Reflector Mage
2x Fiend Hunter
2x Vendilion Clique
2x Mulldrifter
2x Restoration Angel
1x Thragtusk
2x Cloudshift
4x Eerie Interlude
4x Path to Exile
Land (21)
1x Breeding Pool
2x Flooded Strand
1x Forest
2x Hallowed Fountain
2x Island
2x Plains
4x Razorverge Thicket
3x Temple Garden
4x Windswept Heath
2x Meddling Mage
2x Phyrexian Revoker
2x Stony Silence
2x Supreme Verdict
2x Beast Within
2x Detention Sphere
2x Reclamation Sage
1x Lavinia of the Tenth
Other creatures I considered:
Bounding Krasis, Snapcaster Mage, Flickerwisp, Blade Splicer, Void Grafter, Venser, Shaper Savant, Stonehorn Dignitary, Mangara of Corondor, Glen Elendra Archmage, Lyev Skyknight, Nest Invader, Reveillark, Elvish Visionary/Coiling Oracle, Eldrazi Skyspawner, Whirler Rogue, Harbinger of the Tides and Thraben Inspector.
Meddling Mage (or Phyrexian Revoker) also seems good here as it can be reset to different cards after blinking to wreck certain strategies (it might be a better idea to run it over Icatian Javelineers).
Another possible top-end for the deck can be Lavinia of the Tenth that can lock out the opponent or open up an alpha strike option.
Would this deck work ?
Familiar's Ruse is an interesting idea, can probably take a couple of sideboard slots to test it (though I don't have much Blue in the deck) or maybe replace Cloudshift with it.
The card I consider taking out is Mulldrifter.
Though it works well with Eternal Witness, setting up the evoke+blink play seems way too hard.
Should I use Flickerwisp instead ?
As someone who's been playing Eternal Ruse for more than two years now (not all the time but I always come back to it after testing some other brews) I would advise you against using Famliar's Ruse in your SB. If you play counters in your SB they usually come in against combo and then Negate is strictly better as it doesn't require you to have a creature on board and doesn't cost you tempo. If you wanna play with Ruse, play it maindeck and play Aether Vial aswell to offset the tempo loss.
Maybe you wanna take a look at the Eternal Ruse thread, it's been pretty dead for a while but besides RUG you'll find some Bant lists there aswell.
How have the Javelineers been doing for you?
Talking about repeatable counterspells, what about Spiketail Drakeling ?
It seems more efficient than the more expensive Glen Elendra Archmage.
I haven't played much with the deck so far as it is in a rather early state but Icatian Javelineers helped against mana dorks on occasion and also messed with combat (can help catch an unsuspecting player by surprise together with "Exalted" from Noble Hierarch).
If they underwhelm I consider playing 4x Meddling Mage maindeck which might shut down certain decks and be reset to different targets with Eerie Interlude.
Is it a good idea ?
With A.Vial would any of these cards be good in the deck:
Kor Skyfisher, Stonecloaker, Deputy of Acquittals (Quickling/Whitemane Lion), Faerie Impostor
?
First of all how is Spiketail Drakeling a repeatable counterspell? Because you can get him back with Witness? (Which gets you back any card you want anyway, counterspells included). It also doesn't even synergize with your deck, you want ETB effects so you can abuse them with Eerie Interlude.
Also counting Mulldrifter you're playing 18 3-drops...18! thats way too many in a format like modern, against an unknown deck, hands that can't interact or add pressure until turn 3 are simply not keepable. And now you want to add another 3-drop? Don't do that. You'd be better off shaving some 3 drops actually.
And also there's a reason why Glen Elendra Archmage is played in modern SBs but the Drake isn't...GEA is card advantage and abusable (by blinking it or putting +1/+1-counters on it for example). The card is waaayyy better than the drake.
The more I look at your list the more I'm thinking about why you're actually needing blue. You said yourself that Mulldrifter doesn't really cut it, Reflector Mage isn't really a good card in modern and Vendillion Clique alone isn't really cutting it.
Black on the other hand offers maindeck targeted discard against combo, Siege Rhino, and you could try some nice Tidehollow Sculler, Flickerwisp, Wasteland Strangler shenanigans.
Seems like a lot of fun to me
(There are also Meddling Mage, Coiling Oracle and also Bounding Krasis, Lyev Skyknight and Void Grafter which I still think about using).
Spiketail Drakeling can be blinked in response to it's trigger to keep it, right ?
(like Mangara of Corondor)
Meddling Mage isn't really good in modern because it's just so full of spot removal.
Coiling Oracle is neat but not really better than Wall of Omens, Krasis is really only good with Kiki for the Infinite Combo, Skynight is plain to bad (a 3cmc sorceryspeed card that dies to Bolt must do more in modern). The Eldrazi has some potential but is really situational, you can give it some testing, but like I said you're already more than full on 3 drops.
So if you wanna stay in blue, I'd say some Serum Visions to smooth out draws and maybe the Familiar's Ruse are better things to try out.
And no Spiketail Drakeling doesn't work like Mangara of Corondor.
When you read both cards carefully you see that the cost of the drake's effect is 'sacrifice SD: counter...' so to activate you need to pay the cost which means ot goes to grave before the effect can resolve. Mangara reads 'tap: exile MoC and another target permanent'. The cost you need to pay to activate it is simply to tap it, the exiling is part of the effect not the cost. Which is way you can abuse it with flicker effects. (And MoC is a pretty much the only modern legal card that has that kind of weird wording by the way).
And I'm not sure about maindeck counterspells here.
Lyev Skyknight can detain not only creatures but also Planeswalkers/Artifacts (with activated abilities) and 3 power with flying isn't bad so it can be relevant in my opinion.
I also think that Reflector Mage is rather good in a deck that can abuse it's ability repeatedly (it even seems to fit the deck better than Fiend Hunter).
Other potential Blue creatures are Lavinia of the Tenth, Venser, Shaper Savant and Whirler Rogue,
can they be good enough here ?
Let's say I want to rebuild the deck and want to establish what is the core of it:
Spells (12):
4x Eerie Interlude
4x Æther Vial (any point to run less ?)
4x Path to Exile (or other removal/disruption or counterspells)
Creatures (26-28):
3x Eternal Witness (Engine)
4x Wall of Omens/Coiling Oracle/Elvish Visionary (card draw)
2x Vendilion Clique (disruptive beater)
3x Kitchen Finks (blocker/beater with lifegain)
4x Noble Hierarch (mana dork)
10-12x Flex slots:
Value Beaters:
Blade Splicer, Wall of Resurgence, Eldrazi Skyspawner, Thragtusk, Whirler Rogue, Void Grafter, Loxodon Hierarch, Archangel Avacyn.
Blinkers:
Flickerwisp, Restoration Angel.
Removal (/Bounce/detain/tap) :
Magus of the Disk, Icatian Javelineers, Fiend Hunter, Reflector Mage, Harbinger of the Tides, Venser, Shaper Savant, Lyev Skyknight, Lavinia of the Tenth, Bounding Krasis, Mangara of Corondor.
Other:
Thraben Inspector (card draw), Knight of the White Orchid (land tutoring), Nest Invader (mana ramp and blockers), Stonehorn Dignitary (anti-aggro, can soft-lock combat), Reveillark (recursion, beater), Glen Elendra Archmage/Mystic Snake (counterspell) and Sagu Mauler (a finisher, can be morph-blinked or hard-casted).
And 20-22x lands (any utility ones that can be good here ?)
Any other ideas on how the deck should be composed ?
(it"ll obviously require some more testing):
4x Noble Hierarch
4x Coiling Oracle
4x Wall of Omens
3x Blade Splicer
3x Kitchen Finks
3x Eternal Witness
2x Vendilion Clique
4x Restoration Angel
4x Eerie Interlude
4x Path to Exile
Artifact (4)
4x Æther Vial
Land (21)
1x Breeding Pool
2x Flooded Strand
1x Forest
2x Hallowed Fountain
2x Island
2x Plains
4x Razorverge Thicket
3x Temple Garden
4x Windswept Heath
What is the opinion on the new version ?
Better than the initial one ?
Without cards like: Reflector Mage, Fiend Hunter and Icatian Javelineers the deck packs much less removal.
I don't even play Flickerwisp here which is (probably) better than Eldrazi Displacer.
What do you think ?
Here is the new G/W build idea:
4x Noble Hierarch
4x Elvish Visionary
4x Wall of Omens
2x Blade Splicer
3x Kitchen Finks
3x Eternal Witness
3x Restoration Angel
4x Thought-Knot Seer
4x Eerie Interlude
4x Path to Exile
Artifact (4)
4x Æther Vial
Land (21)
4x Windswept Heath
4x Temple Garden
4x Razorverge Thicket
2x Plains
2x Forest
4x Brushland
1x Wooded Bastion
Thought-Knot Seer seems a bit too slow. Maybe try 4 Thraben Inspector in the main.
I think a build based around 1/2 cmc etb creatures could be sweet. Even things like Augury Owl, Sage of Epityr, Soul's Attendant.
Maybe something like Dust Elemental to help close the game out.
Could make a B/W/+ version with Chittering Rats, Ravenous Rats, etc.
Could have a soft lock similar to eternal command decks with Mystic Snake.
Thraben Inspector seems uneccessary with 4x Wall of Omens and 4x Elvish Visionary already in the deck for the card draw.
I'm actually worried it might be too much as they don't actually help deal (any real) damage to win the game.
Its gone through many changes, and performed inconsistently at times but it is fun to play.
I'm new to posting so I dont know how to format a decklist correctly (if anyone could help out that would be great!)
NonCreature Spells:
3x Path to Exile
4x Collected Company
3x Training Grounds
10
Creatures:
4x Eldrazi Displacer
3x Eternal Witness
4x Noble Hierarch (you can substitute BoP)
2x Fiend Hunter
2x Spell Queller
2x Inquisitor Exarch
2x Duskwatch Recruit
3x Kitchen Finks
2x Restoration Angel
3x Flickerwisp
2x Reclamation Sage
29
Lands:
4x Eldrazi Temple
1x Breeding Pool
1x Temple Garden
1x Hallowed Fountain
2x Brushland
2x Adakar Wastes
1x Gavony Township
2x Forest
2x Plains
1x Island
1x Wastes
3x Fetchlands (I use Flooded Strands)
21
The company is helpful for pulling ETB effects of of thin air. I used to try Wingmate Roc and Thragtusk, and when they hit they're great, but too inconsistent to get out with the mana.
I have always been on the fence about abusing the Fiend Hunter triggers, but with Spell Queller released, I'm using both for a soft lock on most decks.
My SB is in flux, depending on where I play, but I am taking it to a local event tonight and will let you guys know how it goes.
I'm open to constructive criticism and I can answer any questions. I have been playing and modifiying this brew for a few months now.
Why no Æther Vial? Duskwatch Recruiter isn't great in modern, and Reclamation Sage should maybe go to the side. Wall of Omens for card draw.
Granted, Recruiter and Sage are four spots I'm not sold on. The werewolf flip mechanics aren't my favorite, and Reflector Mage has proven its worth to stall sometimes.
The thing with Reclamation Sage is that its a main deck silver bullet for a lot of matchups (vs Affinity and Bogles sure, but against an unpopped OStone, Vial in Merfolk, Blue Moon,among others).
My build genuinely struggles against Jeskai Control though, so I'm beginning to rethink Vial.
EDIT: I've tried Wall of Omens, Elvish Visionary, and Coiling Oracle at various points, I almost prefer the filtering Duskwatch Recruiter can provide over the card draw.
http://modernnexus.com/spell-queller-uw-blink/
http://modernnexus.com/perfecting-spell-queller-blink/
It seems very interesting though I would probably disagree with some of the card choices.
And another U/W build:
http://www.starcitygames.com/article/33553_Daily-Digest-That-Darned-Cat.html