@Stabil0
Yeah, I'm not thrilled with THC, but on the other hand, there is no card I want to replace her with that isn't SFM, which is a no-go, so yeah. Playing tonight, should be another 12-20 player 4 round event, I'll let you know how it goes.
Whatever the tweaks, love the deck and glad you have brought it out there! It's been fun to let no one else have fun.
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Tempo Modern
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"I'm a lead farmer... !" Quote ruined due to policy.
I also recently won a couple more D&T matches... Mostly against the mono white version with thraben inspectors. I would agree this version is easier to deal with. Do you sideboard in Stony Silence against Merfolk and D&T? I generally don't but have recently which I think helped me win my recent marches against d&t.
Ok now moving on to very low probability hypotheticals, if sfm got unbanned, what would we do about arbiter? What kind of split would you guys go to?
Late addition to my previous comment:
While I don't think Stony is great against DnT I could see bringing it in simply because of a lack of better alternatives.
You want to side out Arbiter (it's actively bad in this MU) and Chalice so you need at least 8 cards to bring in. (SSG is highly medium as well)
@Stabil0
Yeah, I'm not thrilled with THC, but on the other hand, there is no card I want to replace her with that isn't SFM, which is a no-go, so yeah. Playing tonight, should be another 12-20 player 4 round event, I'll let you know how it goes.
Whatever the tweaks, love the deck and glad you have brought it out there! It's been fun to let no one else have fun.
Gl man! I'm glad if people have fun with the deck
Thalia might not be the most powerful card by herself but if there is a meta where she shines it is certainly this one. Thalia is great against Eldrazi (all non basic and they try to stabilize with one big creature) and punishes fetch heavy decks as well (looking at you Death Shadow).
(I played a league today and she was great in 4 out of 5 matches, but I also played against an Eldrazi deck in 3 out of those 4).
I did not play Modern too much in the last couple of days but still got some testing done today (5-0) and yesterday (4-1);
I liked Reshaper. Maybe the fourth should come in as well.
I tried some of the discussed removal cards (atm I play 3 Path, 1 Celestial Purge, 1 Valorous Stance, 1 Journey to nowhere) and have been decently happy with all of them. Will continue running this split as for now. Each has its own application and advantage. Especially Journey has been good. Clean answer to all Eldrazi (Displacer, Rishaper, Smasher especially). The Valorous Stance did not come up too often so I will just continue playing it.
I think having 3 RiP and 3 Stony is great in this meta.
Went 2-2, but the bye doesn't count. Beat control as usual, taking out the Caverns immediately.
Lost to Ad Nauseum game 3, despite TGT on turn 1 with Chalice on 0 because Cavern was not a white source. Stuck with 2 Stony in hand I could not cast.
Lost to UWR Mid-range because I could not cast W spells game 2 because I had to use turn 1 Cavern on Cat for Arbiter, which he was able to bolt and then I had no white mana for 5 turns with Thalia and Displacer in hand.
There just isn't enough counter-magic for me to feel that Cavern has value over being able to actually cast spells.
I think I am going to Matter Reshaper over Aven Mindcensor because the only matchup I really want the 2/1 flyer is Scapeshift and with all of the Through the Breach builds, it isn't that great. the potential card advantage of Reshaper is real enough to make me want to try it. Still keeping Linvala, Keeper of Silence, especially without Cavern of @Holes.
@redtwister
It's definitely true that control isn't a big thing atm so Caverns effect is less needed.
But when it does work out it is still a painless untapped dual land (can even give you red lategame), even without the uncounterable ability being relevant.
It's an awful feeling to be stuck on cards in your hand you can not cast but it also sounds like you drew really unlucky.
I think if you want to hit white more consistently it may be good to ditch the wastes and the mutavault.
With 11 non-Cavern white sources and without counting GQ you hit white on T2 with about 82%. This increases each turn by about 3%.
It's not that likely to not get white by about T4 or T5 (when they go off) (and not having GQ) and to draw your two Stonys but not enough other relevant spells to disrupt your opponent.
But I definitely see where you are comming from and I think reducing the number of Caverns is reasonable as well (even going as low as 0) and might be correct in the current meta.
@Stabil0 Wastes is literally only there for the one guy who comes in with Sun and Moon 50% of the time. That could be a Cavern of Souls otherwise. As a Legacy DnT player, I am super-sensitive to having the right amount of white and colorless over uncounterability and this deck is even more dependent with so many creature types, unlike the always human-heavy Legacy DnT.
@Everyone
Also, Tom Ross repping the deck on SCG today if you have sub. Death's Shadow is a really dumb card and it just fits Grixis/Jund shells really well. It pays you to play fetches and 4 Thoughtseize. After the match, Tom ross said he didn't want to dig for a hand with Chalice and I don't understand that. Chalice of the Void on 1 is huge in that match and if you don't hit a very aggressive opening, you won't win otherwise.
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Don't understand why he did not bring in EE, Dec in Stone, and Worship against Death's Shadow. Also, he seems to have sided out Chalice game 5, which mystifies me/
That's pretty sweet. Thanks for the info redtwister. Unfortunately I don't have premium - guess now could be a good time to get it...
Yeah I agree, EE, Dec and Worship seem very good to me in this MU. And I would certainly not side out Chalice in this MU.
I would guess that he was on the draw in g5 and chalice looses some value on the draw against the discard and that he brought in all the path - but Chalice is great nonetheless here.
Mulligan decisions depend greatly on being on the play or draw this MU. On the play I would keep most hands with T1 Chalice or Arbiter but on the draw I would not keep a hand that has just one strong hatecard against them. You would rather have a good mixture of lands and spells.
I think the MU is in our favor, as we have many really strong cards against them, but Death Shadow Jund is constructed such that it has not many horrible MUs in general (similar to regular Jund), so you will still loose a fair amount of games where they have the right amount of discard into pressure and you draw poorly. Death Shadow is powerful, consistent and redundant but also weak to many of our hatecards.
So I watched it now. Cool to see another player piloting the deck.
I think it's a good call from Tom Ross to leave the Worship in the board actually. Multiple mana leaks and Snapcaster makes it worse than against Death Shadow Jund.
I would have boarded quite differently than him though and taken some different lines during the game but still nice to see his approach.
For my own understanding of the deck, what would you have done differently specifically? Here is my take.
Keeps:
Game 1: Not good. No disruption and not aggressive.
Game 2: Not good. No disruption and not aggressive.
Game 3: Fine
Game 4: Okay keep, IMO, since he has a shot at Turn 2 TKS and then the ability to cast 2 of the other creatures after that, which isn't bad.
Game 5: Not a good keep. Not disruptive.
Sideboarding:
- Do not take out all the Chalice in that match, too many 1-drops, even on the draw. Turn 1 Chalice is huge to stopping our hand getting picked apart and Bolt/Push on thalia or Arbiter. Then Thalia and Arbiter can keep them from getting to 3 mana right away to Kolaghan the Chalice.
- I would take out Matter Reshaper, it is the least relevant card and we aren't racing with that card. -3
- Dismember is so-so against that build, but better against Jund. I would take them out here. -3.
- Definitely bring in +1 Engineered Explosives, since on 1 it is very useful, especially if they go with 2+ DS, which they seem to like to do to make blocking impossible.
- Bring in +1 Declaration in Stone (same thinking as EE)
- Bring in +2 RiP, which he did.
- Bring in Celestial Purge, he brought his one in, I have +2.
Lines of play?
Game 1:
Game 2:
Game 3: @18 mins, I would have taken Harambe to my hand and cast both TKS and Arbiter. I think he had enough mana to do both.
Game 4: @21 mins, I don't know if you use Harambe there. You have turn 2 TKS, thalia, or Displacer, but using Harambe hurt his choices. @22:25, I think I opt to blink and keep my life total up, while waiting for lands. Thalia just isn't good enough there. @24:15, I think I PTE and attack.
Game 5: @29:30, does he cast THC with 2 lands??? @30:10 Tom wishes his Caverns were Plains. He meant pain lands, but yeah. @31 mins, play the Displacer!!!
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Eldrazi and Staxes
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DnT
"I'm a lead farmer... !" Quote ruined due to policy.
For my own understanding of the deck, what would you have done differently specifically? Here is my take.
Keeps:
Game 1: Not good. No disruption and not aggressive.
Game 2: Not good. No disruption and not aggressive.
Game 3: Fine
Game 4: Okay keep, IMO, since he has a shot at Turn 2 TKS and then the ability to cast 2 of the other creatures after that, which isn't bad.
Game 5: Not a good keep. Not disruptive.
Sideboarding:
- Do not take out all the Chalice in that match, too many 1-drops, even on the draw. Turn 1 Chalice is huge to stopping our hand getting picked apart and Bolt/Push on thalia or Arbiter. Then Thalia and Arbiter can keep them from getting to 3 mana right away to Kolaghan the Chalice.
- I would take out Matter Reshaper, it is the least relevant card and we aren't racing with that card. -3
- Dismember is so-so against that build, but better against Jund. I would take them out here. -3.
- Definitely bring in +1 Engineered Explosives, since on 1 it is very useful, especially if they go with 2+ DS, which they seem to like to do to make blocking impossible.
- Bring in +1 Declaration in Stone (same thinking as EE)
- Bring in +2 RiP, which he did.
- Bring in Celestial Purge, he brought his one in, I have +2.
Lines of play?
Game 1:
Game 2:
Game 3: @18 mins, I would have taken Harambe to my hand and cast both TKS and Arbiter. I think he had enough mana to do both.
Game 4: @21 mins, I don't know if you use Harambe there. You have turn 2 TKS, thalia, or Displacer, but using Harambe hurt his choices. @22:25, I think I opt to blink and keep my life total up, while waiting for lands. Thalia just isn't good enough there. @24:15, I think I PTE and attack.
Game 5: @29:30, does he cast THC with 2 lands??? @30:10 Tom wishes his Caverns were Plains. He meant pain lands, but yeah. @31 mins, play the Displacer!!!
That's a thorough analysis! I don't recall everything right now and I don't have the time to rewatch it but I hope to give you an answer eventually on how I would have approached it.
So what is the plan against death's shadow? Haven't won a single Match against it yet. Any suggestions appreciated.. Annoying how they can abrupt decay and kologhans command chalices... I'm almost to the point where it's better to side in more removal and take out the chalices.
Are any of you guys having good luck against it? What's your plan.
@redtwister
I think hands in g1 g2 and g5 are all borderline but keepable. I wouldn't keep hand 2 against death shadow but since it was pre SB I think it's ok in the dark.
But I could also see myself mulliganing them.
@bmchu168
Rip, Chalice, Arbiter, Displacer, TKS, removal spells (sometimes Worship) are good. Medium are Reshaper, Big Thalia, Smasher. Don't keep hands that rely too much on one hatecard (because of discard) especially on the draw. And board out Dismember.
@Stabil0
Yeah, I'm a pretty aggressive mulligan person for non-U decks. I err on the side of over-mulliganing these days, since bad or very marginal keeps have really hurt me more often than not without some manner of card filtering/draw/card advantage.
@Everyone
Reid Duke has an article on best/worst decks vs Death's Shadow, and while I think most Eldrazi variations are not great against it, I think we might be fine, especially with maindeck Chalice + white spells + mana hate, which really can hurt them.
Thoughts anyone?
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Redtwister, I disagree. They have such easy answers for our threats and even when we do land our sideboard bullets, they're only a Bauble draw or Traversing away from an Abrupt Decay or K-Command to put us back in place.
Stabilo and Redtwister and everyone else, what do your sideboards look like these days?
I'm thinking Leyline of Sanctity needs to join our SB soon. Wish there a way to direct burn them in the dome also within our colors (white or colorless). Valorous Stance is looking better and better.
about the DS MU:
I think the DS MU is in our favor but not fantastic. We do have all the tools to fight them (RIP, Chalice, Exile Removal, Arbiter, Displacer) but DS is just an inherently powerful deck and some lucky draws on either side can swing the game. They normally don't play Decay and only 2 MD K-Command so a resolved Chalice has the potential to stay there for a while.
@bmchu168 You will see my SB in the list below. I have not too much experience with Leyline in general so I'm not sure if it is what this deck needs. Try it out though and report to us :).
MOCS Write-up:
So despite being horribly hung-over, I competed in the MOCS today. I went 6-2 which puts me on the 11th rank, hyped Unfortunately I totally spewed one game. This resulted in one of the two match losses...
Round 1 vs Eldrazi Tron 2:0
G1 He keeps a one lander on 6 on the play with map. I have T2 TKS into stuff. He doesn’t get out of it in time. Big Thalia being good.
G2 I have 2 Path and T2 TKS. He floodes out a bit. Displacer being good.
SB: in: 3 path, 2 Journey, 3 Stony. out: 3 Thalia gt, 4 Chalice, 1 SSG (on the draw)
Round 2 vs Revolt Zoo 2:1
G1 he goes SSG into 4 creatures on T1. I mull and get run over.
G2 Worship saves my butt
G3 Worship and Chalice
SB: in: 3 Path, 2 Worship, 1 Ratchet, 2 Journey, out: 3 Dismember, 4 Smasher, 1 Displacer
Round 3 vs Abzan Shadow 2:1
G1 Displacer dominates the board.
G2 I mull and keep rather bad 6. Didn’t get there. Liliana wrecks me.
G3 Hatebears lock him out. Chalice seals the deal.
SB: in: 2 Rip, 2 Path, 2 Worship, 2 Journey, 1 Ratchet, 1 Purge out: 3 Dismember, 4 Smasher, 3 Reshaper.
Round 4 vs Uw control 2:1
G1 answers line up perfectly
G2 close game in my favor
G3 close game in my favor. Flooding on the other side and cavern saves my butt.
SB: in: 2 Rip, 1 Grafdiggers out: 3 Dismember
Round 5 vs Dredge 0:2
G1 Kept a bad 7 and drew bad.
G2 mull into oblivion. I mulled a borderline 7. no / all lander on 6 and 5. kept bad 4. In all these hands I have not seen a single SB card.
Sb: in: 3 Path, 2 Worship, 1 Grafdiggers, 2 Rip, 2 Journey, 1 Celestial Purge, out: 3 Dismember, 4 Arbiter, 4 chalice
Round 6 vs Dredge 2:0
G1 mediocre 6 gets there. Hatebears randomly screw opp. Thalia and Arbiter and Displacer work nice together
G2 mull to 5. RIP gets thoughtseized. opp kept bad hand though and I topdeck another RIP. opp didn’t get the ball rolling. Displacer did good work.
Sb: in: 3 Path, 2 Worship, 1 Grafdiggers, 2 Rip, 2 Journey, 1 Celestial Purge, out: 3 Dismember, 4 Arbiter, 4 chalice
Round 7 vs valakut 0:2
G1 close game, he got there.
G2 close game. I misklick which might have cost me the game.
SB: in: 2 Journey out: 2 Chalice
Round 8 vs Dredge 2:1
G1 opp had the nuts
G2 opp mulls to a bad 5, I have RIP
G3 RIP and functional hand get me there
Sb: in: 3 Path, 2 Worship, 1 Grafdiggers, 2 Rip, 2 Journey, 1 Celestial Purge, out: 3 Dismember, 4 Arbiter, 4 chalice
So rather short notes that I took. I expected more DS and Eldrazi decks. This also explains some of my SB choices. Seems like Dredge is still a good deck. I would guess it has a positive MU against DS and Eldrazi decks so it's reasonable to see it here. If it starts to get more popular again I would play Declaration in Stone in the SB.
I played 1 Cage over Rip number 3 for the CoCo MUs. I have a 3 Path, 2 Journey, 1 Purge split as I anticipated many Eldrazi and DS decks. I didn't play Valorous Stance because I don't want to leave mana open for the indestructible part and want to 1. exile and 2. hit smaller creatures like Displacer too.
I'm still hesitant about the second Worship, the third path, the second journey and Ratchet Bomb vs EE. And maybe Hushwing gryff or Aven Mindcensor have to join the board.
I'm happy with the overall performance of the deck. It is fun to play and has some great draws. I'm taking a little break though and won't play too much Modern in the upcoming time. So not too much contribution from my part.
Can someone go over the idea of siding out chalice vs dredge with me? It seems like it would slow a lot of their early stuff and stop them from killing your rips.
I can see an argument for keeping it on the play but on the draw it is often too late as they often only need one loot to get the ball rolling.
Cathartic Reunion and Conflagrate go around it and enable their discard.
Most dredge lists don't play nature's claim but abrupt decay in the board nowadays so your Rip won't be protected.
You bring in Path so minimizing internal dis-synergy is good.
We bring in many cards so there has to come something out and I think Chalice is one of the worst we have in this MU. Next would probably be Displacer and Reshaper but I think I prefer them over Chalice.
@stabil0 I think it could be very play/draw dependent as you mentioned. Oh i wasn't aware they made the swap over to decay generally. So worship just wins here then? I was wondering about worship vs ghostly prison, but I think I see why worship can be better here.
Also, it looks like matter reshape is one of our worst cards against then as that's a grind card in a MU where value isn't that important and where rip shuts it down. I think arbiter does more work as they still run fetches.
Hey guys! I went to my first competitive event, a small regional tournament yesterday and ended up 5-0 using this deck, resulting in 1st place and taking home 1x MM17 Snapcaster Mage and 1x Scalding Tarn.
Note: There were only 12 players and competitive level probably wasn't all too high. The field was quite diverse though - 1x Abzan Hardened Sneks, 1x Ad Nauseam, 1x Affinity, 1x Gr Tron, 1x Gw Tron, 1x Infect, 1x Jeskai Geist Control (?), 1x classic Jund, 1x Naya Aggro are what I've seen.
I'm writing on my mobile so please forgive eventual formatting mistakes...
1. Round: Gw Tron, 2-0, on the play
What can I say, the matchup is very favourable.
Game 1, T1 Chalice on 1 with SSG sealed the deal. Opponent couldn't find Tron and we went to game 2 after 5 minutes.
Game 2, he mulled to 5 and kept a 0 land hand... He couldn't topdeck any lands for 2-3 turns, I went Thalia 1.0 into some Eldrazi and beat him to death.
SB - in: 4x Path, 2x Stony Silence, out: 3x Displacer, 3x Dismember
2. Round: Infect, 2-0, on the draw
This one got me nervous but hey, Chalice on 1!
Game 1, he opened with Noble Hierarch. I had lucky Gemstone and T1 Chalice on 1. He continued into Blighted Agent and tried to race me with exalted triggers, Reality Smasher said "nope." In the end, I was on 8 poison though!
Game 2, Opponent started with Inkmoth Nexus which I immediately GQ'ed. SSG and topdeck Chalice closed the game early iirc.
SB - in 4x Path, out: 2x Mindcensor, 2x Arbiter (?)
3. Round: Ad Nauseam, 2-0, on the play
Never played this matchup before but did my homework - Chalice on 0!
Guess I got lucky here although I felt naked throughout the match.
Game 1, I mulled to 5... almost shat myself. T1 Chalice on 0 completely hosed his gameplan and screwed Lotus Bloom. By now, everybody in the room looked at me with utter disgust.
Game 2, no Chalices but a held back Stony Silence put 2 Pentad Prisms to rest. 2 TKSs picked his hand apart - he had all the combo pieces but not enough mana. Haha.
SB - in: 2x Stony Silence, 1x Worship, 2x Path, out: 3x Dismember, 2x Mindcensor (?)
Top 4 - Semifinals: Jeskai Geist Control, 2-1 (0-1), on the draw (?)
Wow, this was hard. The opponent seemed inexperienced but played quite well. I have to buy 2 Cavern of Souls asap.
Game 1, my opponent countered everything. No matter what I tried - everything. Snapcaster and Resto Angel beat me down.
Game 2, by far my grindiest game this day. Although I explained Arbiter to him, he managed to fetch without being able to pay later on. I managed to stabilise when he ran out of counters and Anger of the Gods. A wall of TKS, Reality Smasher, RiP, Elspeth, Knight-Errant, Chalice on 1, 2 and 0 (!) (he sided Engineered Explosives, which almost blew off my Chalices) led to 1-1. Glad, he didn't find Supreme Verdict.
Game 3, I got down Chalice on 1 early. His removal at hand got hosed and I was able to carefully tighten the screws.
SB - in: 2x Elspeth, Knight-Errant, 2x RiP, out: 4x Displacer (?) not sure anymore...
Finals: Naya Aggro, 2-0, on the play
Favourable matchup but I had absolutely no idea what I was playing against. T1 Arid Mesa into Stomping Grounds made that quickly clear fortunately. Did I mention Chalice on 1?
Game 1, felt a bit grindy. Thalia 1.0 got removed but later Thalia 2.0 and Displacer took over.
Game 2, I had lucky Gemstone into T1 Chalice on 1. Arbiter and GQ T2 took him off red and finished the game very quickly. Opponent seemed a bit salty after that.
SB - in: 2 Celestial Purge, 1 Basilisk Collar, 1x Worship (?), 4x Path, out: 3x Displacer, 2x Mindcensor, 3x Dismember
Summary: Chalice was the uncontested MVP this day an won me most matchups. I can't help but feel like I got pretty lucky with the pairings however. Control made the need for Cavern of Souls obvious. Ad Nauseam felt like a 50/50 matchup. All in all a fun tourney!
@stabil0 I think it could be very play/draw dependent as you mentioned. Oh i wasn't aware they made the swap over to decay generally. So worship just wins here then? I was wondering about worship vs ghostly prison, but I think I see why worship can be better here.
Also, it looks like matter reshape is one of our worst cards against then as that's a grind card in a MU where value isn't that important and where rip shuts it down. I think arbiter does more work as they still run fetches.
Some lists still run Nature's claim but most don't atm. I think many don't have an out to Worship in their 75.
I have played Ghostly for a while but I think Worship is just the stronger version of it most of the time and they serve a pretty similar role generally.
You are probably right about Reshaper, Arbiter actually seems better.
@SaltySips
Hey congratz man!
Some inputs:
against Infect I would probably take out the more expensive cards and leave in the search hate - it is quite effective against Infect.
against ad nauseam I would leave in the Mindcensor or maybe Elspeth for some additional pressure over path to exile and Worship. Chalice on 1 is good as well if they don't open with Lotus and Chalice on 3 wrecks them if it ever comes to that. In my experience it is a much better MU than 50/50 (I'm currently 8-0 in matches against it).
Depending on how many (non hexproof) creatures you see g1 I would also consider siding out Dismember against Jeskay control.
@G_g53
You are right we don't have many answers to Ensnaring Bridge. Some additional Disenchant effects could be good. I don't know if it has to be actual Disenchant or if an additional Ratchet Bomb could do the trick.
I agree Cavern definitely has its moments and should be in the deck. I think 2-3 are really strong.
As you mentioned Rec Sage:
I think there is an option to splash for some Green Cards in the Board. Thragtusk, Rec Sage, Sigarda, Dromokas Command all come to mind.
We could replace some Plains for GW duals and the Battlefield Forge for Brushland and would have those, Horizon Canopies and Cavern.
Now I don't know if the inconsistency and susceptible mana is worth it but it could be.
In case I didn't tell you, I don't care about your opinion I just want your facts. And not the facts that make you seem smart. I want the ones that are actual facts.
@poopingmypants
I have not, but it doesn't strike me as something we would want honestly.
@G_g53
Decreasing internal dis-synergy is certainly something to aim for.
Valorous Stance could also be good, I agree. I'm skeptical about the 4th Dismember. You don't want to see two during one game because of the lifeloss.
I agree playing Stony and Ratchet feels weird. But to be fair this only comes up sometimes against Affinity and Lantern (which sees not much play) where you still have to draw both and not be already winning because of Stony.
Intrepid hero seems sweet. Could be good in the current meta.
I have played a bit with mangara and found it to be quite slow and win more with Displacer. If you have two unanswered creatures, one of them being Displacer you are winning anyways.
The thing about path is that it is still just the best in some MUs like Merfolk, Spirits, Bant Knightfall, Eldrazi Tron, Affinity, KikiChord/Abzan Company, DnT etc. So having some in the board seems good to me. But maybe 2 is sufficient.
I feel like the delver MU is quite favorable (partly because I think that delver is not very good in Modern generally..)
I have played 4 a little bit and found it was too many. The stompy list is really forced because there is just nothing else that is playable. We have access to Path/valorous Stance/Journey etc. But if you feel like the deck supports it then it is certainly a good inclusion. Just keep in mind that I play 3 Canopies and some number of B. Forge which the stompy deck doesn't so there is some additional lifeloss.
Yes double white can be a bit difficult. If you are looking for a general answer then Oblivion Ring is also an option. Mangara has a high ceiling (with Displacer) so it is certainly worth exploring.
I would certainly bring in Rip against grixis delver. It's fantastic against them. They can snap bolt from T3 on so even if the game is short it is a concern. Under a RIP snappy does nothing, Tasigur is too slow so their only threat is Delver.
1 Kataki instead of 1 Stony is a valid option. In the current meta I really like having Stony for Eldrazi Tron though.
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Yeah, I'm not thrilled with THC, but on the other hand, there is no card I want to replace her with that isn't SFM, which is a no-go, so yeah. Playing tonight, should be another 12-20 player 4 round event, I'll let you know how it goes.
Whatever the tweaks, love the deck and glad you have brought it out there! It's been fun to let no one else have fun.
Tempo
Modern
Eldrazi and Staxes
Whir Prison
Legacy
5c Humans
DnT
"I'm a lead farmer... !" Quote ruined due to policy.
Late addition to my previous comment:
While I don't think Stony is great against DnT I could see bringing it in simply because of a lack of better alternatives.
You want to side out Arbiter (it's actively bad in this MU) and Chalice so you need at least 8 cards to bring in. (SSG is highly medium as well)
Gl man! I'm glad if people have fun with the deck
Thalia might not be the most powerful card by herself but if there is a meta where she shines it is certainly this one. Thalia is great against Eldrazi (all non basic and they try to stabilize with one big creature) and punishes fetch heavy decks as well (looking at you Death Shadow).
(I played a league today and she was great in 4 out of 5 matches, but I also played against an Eldrazi deck in 3 out of those 4).
I did not play Modern too much in the last couple of days but still got some testing done today (5-0) and yesterday (4-1);
I liked Reshaper. Maybe the fourth should come in as well.
I tried some of the discussed removal cards (atm I play 3 Path, 1 Celestial Purge, 1 Valorous Stance, 1 Journey to nowhere) and have been decently happy with all of them. Will continue running this split as for now. Each has its own application and advantage. Especially Journey has been good. Clean answer to all Eldrazi (Displacer, Rishaper, Smasher especially). The Valorous Stance did not come up too often so I will just continue playing it.
I think having 3 RiP and 3 Stony is great in this meta.
Lost to Ad Nauseum game 3, despite TGT on turn 1 with Chalice on 0 because Cavern was not a white source. Stuck with 2 Stony in hand I could not cast.
Lost to UWR Mid-range because I could not cast W spells game 2 because I had to use turn 1 Cavern on Cat for Arbiter, which he was able to bolt and then I had no white mana for 5 turns with Thalia and Displacer in hand.
There just isn't enough counter-magic for me to feel that Cavern has value over being able to actually cast spells.
I think I am going to Matter Reshaper over Aven Mindcensor because the only matchup I really want the 2/1 flyer is Scapeshift and with all of the Through the Breach builds, it isn't that great. the potential card advantage of Reshaper is real enough to make me want to try it. Still keeping Linvala, Keeper of Silence, especially without Cavern of @Holes.
Tempo
Modern
Eldrazi and Staxes
Whir Prison
Legacy
5c Humans
DnT
"I'm a lead farmer... !" Quote ruined due to policy.
It's definitely true that control isn't a big thing atm so Caverns effect is less needed.
But when it does work out it is still a painless untapped dual land (can even give you red lategame), even without the uncounterable ability being relevant.
It's an awful feeling to be stuck on cards in your hand you can not cast but it also sounds like you drew really unlucky.
I think if you want to hit white more consistently it may be good to ditch the wastes and the mutavault.
With 11 non-Cavern white sources and without counting GQ you hit white on T2 with about 82%. This increases each turn by about 3%.
It's not that likely to not get white by about T4 or T5 (when they go off) (and not having GQ) and to draw your two Stonys but not enough other relevant spells to disrupt your opponent.
But I definitely see where you are comming from and I think reducing the number of Caverns is reasonable as well (even going as low as 0) and might be correct in the current meta.
Wastes is literally only there for the one guy who comes in with Sun and Moon 50% of the time. That could be a Cavern of Souls otherwise. As a Legacy DnT player, I am super-sensitive to having the right amount of white and colorless over uncounterability and this deck is even more dependent with so many creature types, unlike the always human-heavy Legacy DnT.
@Everyone
Also, Tom Ross repping the deck on SCG today if you have sub. Death's Shadow is a really dumb card and it just fits Grixis/Jund shells really well. It pays you to play fetches and 4 Thoughtseize. After the match, Tom ross said he didn't want to dig for a hand with Chalice and I don't understand that. Chalice of the Void on 1 is huge in that match and if you don't hit a very aggressive opening, you won't win otherwise.
Tempo
Modern
Eldrazi and Staxes
Whir Prison
Legacy
5c Humans
DnT
"I'm a lead farmer... !" Quote ruined due to policy.
4 Eldrazi Displacer
4 Leonin Arbiter
3 Matter Reshaper
4 Reality Smasher
4 Simian Spirit Guide
4 Thought-Knot Seer
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
2 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
Lands (25)
4 Plains
2 Battlefield Forge
1 Blinkmoth Nexus
3 Cavern of Souls
4 Eldrazi Temple
4 Ghost Quarter
3 Horizon Canopy
1 Eiganjo Castle
3 Gemstone Caverns
4 Chalice of the Void
3 Dismember
1 Engineered Explosives
3 Rest in Peace
2 Stony Silence
2 Worship
1 Celestial Purge
4 Path to Exile
1 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
1 Declaration in Stone
Don't understand why he did not bring in EE, Dec in Stone, and Worship against Death's Shadow. Also, he seems to have sided out Chalice game 5, which mystifies me/
Tempo
Modern
Eldrazi and Staxes
Whir Prison
Legacy
5c Humans
DnT
"I'm a lead farmer... !" Quote ruined due to policy.
Yeah I agree, EE, Dec and Worship seem very good to me in this MU. And I would certainly not side out Chalice in this MU.
I would guess that he was on the draw in g5 and chalice looses some value on the draw against the discard and that he brought in all the path - but Chalice is great nonetheless here.
Mulligan decisions depend greatly on being on the play or draw this MU. On the play I would keep most hands with T1 Chalice or Arbiter but on the draw I would not keep a hand that has just one strong hatecard against them. You would rather have a good mixture of lands and spells.
I think the MU is in our favor, as we have many really strong cards against them, but Death Shadow Jund is constructed such that it has not many horrible MUs in general (similar to regular Jund), so you will still loose a fair amount of games where they have the right amount of discard into pressure and you draw poorly. Death Shadow is powerful, consistent and redundant but also weak to many of our hatecards.
Tempo
Modern
Eldrazi and Staxes
Whir Prison
Legacy
5c Humans
DnT
"I'm a lead farmer... !" Quote ruined due to policy.
I think it's a good call from Tom Ross to leave the Worship in the board actually. Multiple mana leaks and Snapcaster makes it worse than against Death Shadow Jund.
I would have boarded quite differently than him though and taken some different lines during the game but still nice to see his approach.
Keeps:
Game 1: Not good. No disruption and not aggressive.
Game 2: Not good. No disruption and not aggressive.
Game 3: Fine
Game 4: Okay keep, IMO, since he has a shot at Turn 2 TKS and then the ability to cast 2 of the other creatures after that, which isn't bad.
Game 5: Not a good keep. Not disruptive.
Sideboarding:
- Do not take out all the Chalice in that match, too many 1-drops, even on the draw. Turn 1 Chalice is huge to stopping our hand getting picked apart and Bolt/Push on thalia or Arbiter. Then Thalia and Arbiter can keep them from getting to 3 mana right away to Kolaghan the Chalice.
- I would take out Matter Reshaper, it is the least relevant card and we aren't racing with that card. -3
- Dismember is so-so against that build, but better against Jund. I would take them out here. -3.
- Definitely bring in +1 Engineered Explosives, since on 1 it is very useful, especially if they go with 2+ DS, which they seem to like to do to make blocking impossible.
- Bring in +1 Declaration in Stone (same thinking as EE)
- Bring in +2 RiP, which he did.
- Bring in Celestial Purge, he brought his one in, I have +2.
Lines of play?
Game 1:
Game 2:
Game 3: @18 mins, I would have taken Harambe to my hand and cast both TKS and Arbiter. I think he had enough mana to do both.
Game 4: @21 mins, I don't know if you use Harambe there. You have turn 2 TKS, thalia, or Displacer, but using Harambe hurt his choices. @22:25, I think I opt to blink and keep my life total up, while waiting for lands. Thalia just isn't good enough there. @24:15, I think I PTE and attack.
Game 5: @29:30, does he cast THC with 2 lands??? @30:10 Tom wishes his Caverns were Plains. He meant pain lands, but yeah. @31 mins, play the Displacer!!!
Tempo
Modern
Eldrazi and Staxes
Whir Prison
Legacy
5c Humans
DnT
"I'm a lead farmer... !" Quote ruined due to policy.
That's a thorough analysis! I don't recall everything right now and I don't have the time to rewatch it but I hope to give you an answer eventually on how I would have approached it.
Are any of you guys having good luck against it? What's your plan.
I think hands in g1 g2 and g5 are all borderline but keepable. I wouldn't keep hand 2 against death shadow but since it was pre SB I think it's ok in the dark.
But I could also see myself mulliganing them.
@bmchu168
Rip, Chalice, Arbiter, Displacer, TKS, removal spells (sometimes Worship) are good. Medium are Reshaper, Big Thalia, Smasher. Don't keep hands that rely too much on one hatecard (because of discard) especially on the draw. And board out Dismember.
Yeah, I'm a pretty aggressive mulligan person for non-U decks. I err on the side of over-mulliganing these days, since bad or very marginal keeps have really hurt me more often than not without some manner of card filtering/draw/card advantage.
@Everyone
Reid Duke has an article on best/worst decks vs Death's Shadow, and while I think most Eldrazi variations are not great against it, I think we might be fine, especially with maindeck Chalice + white spells + mana hate, which really can hurt them.
Thoughts anyone?
Tempo
Modern
Eldrazi and Staxes
Whir Prison
Legacy
5c Humans
DnT
"I'm a lead farmer... !" Quote ruined due to policy.
Stabilo and Redtwister and everyone else, what do your sideboards look like these days?
I'm thinking Leyline of Sanctity needs to join our SB soon. Wish there a way to direct burn them in the dome also within our colors (white or colorless). Valorous Stance is looking better and better.
I think the DS MU is in our favor but not fantastic. We do have all the tools to fight them (RIP, Chalice, Exile Removal, Arbiter, Displacer) but DS is just an inherently powerful deck and some lucky draws on either side can swing the game. They normally don't play Decay and only 2 MD K-Command so a resolved Chalice has the potential to stay there for a while.
@bmchu168 You will see my SB in the list below. I have not too much experience with Leyline in general so I'm not sure if it is what this deck needs. Try it out though and report to us :).
MOCS Write-up:
So despite being horribly hung-over, I competed in the MOCS today. I went 6-2 which puts me on the 11th rank, hyped Unfortunately I totally spewed one game. This resulted in one of the two match losses...
Anyway here is my list:
4 Eldrazi Displacer
4 Reality Smasher
3 Matter Reshaper
4 Thought-Knot Seer
4 Leonin Arbiter
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
2 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
4 Simian Spirit Guide
Lands (25)
5 Plains
3 Battlefield Forge
2 Cavern of Souls
4 Eldrazi Temple
4 Ghost Quarter
3 Horizon Canopy
1 Eiganjo Castle
3 Gemstone Caverns
4 Chalice of the Void
3 Dismember
2 Rest in Peace
1 Grafdigger's Cage
3 Stony Silence
2 Worship
1 Celestial Purge
3 Path to Exile
2 Journey to nowhere
1 Ratchet Bomb
Round 1 vs Eldrazi Tron 2:0
G1 He keeps a one lander on 6 on the play with map. I have T2 TKS into stuff. He doesn’t get out of it in time. Big Thalia being good.
G2 I have 2 Path and T2 TKS. He floodes out a bit. Displacer being good.
SB: in: 3 path, 2 Journey, 3 Stony. out: 3 Thalia gt, 4 Chalice, 1 SSG (on the draw)
Round 2 vs Revolt Zoo 2:1
G1 he goes SSG into 4 creatures on T1. I mull and get run over.
G2 Worship saves my butt
G3 Worship and Chalice
SB: in: 3 Path, 2 Worship, 1 Ratchet, 2 Journey, out: 3 Dismember, 4 Smasher, 1 Displacer
Round 3 vs Abzan Shadow 2:1
G1 Displacer dominates the board.
G2 I mull and keep rather bad 6. Didn’t get there. Liliana wrecks me.
G3 Hatebears lock him out. Chalice seals the deal.
SB: in: 2 Rip, 2 Path, 2 Worship, 2 Journey, 1 Ratchet, 1 Purge out: 3 Dismember, 4 Smasher, 3 Reshaper.
Round 4 vs Uw control 2:1
G1 answers line up perfectly
G2 close game in my favor
G3 close game in my favor. Flooding on the other side and cavern saves my butt.
SB: in: 2 Rip, 1 Grafdiggers out: 3 Dismember
Round 5 vs Dredge 0:2
G1 Kept a bad 7 and drew bad.
G2 mull into oblivion. I mulled a borderline 7. no / all lander on 6 and 5. kept bad 4. In all these hands I have not seen a single SB card.
Sb: in: 3 Path, 2 Worship, 1 Grafdiggers, 2 Rip, 2 Journey, 1 Celestial Purge, out: 3 Dismember, 4 Arbiter, 4 chalice
Round 6 vs Dredge 2:0
G1 mediocre 6 gets there. Hatebears randomly screw opp. Thalia and Arbiter and Displacer work nice together
G2 mull to 5. RIP gets thoughtseized. opp kept bad hand though and I topdeck another RIP. opp didn’t get the ball rolling. Displacer did good work.
Sb: in: 3 Path, 2 Worship, 1 Grafdiggers, 2 Rip, 2 Journey, 1 Celestial Purge, out: 3 Dismember, 4 Arbiter, 4 chalice
Round 7 vs valakut 0:2
G1 close game, he got there.
G2 close game. I misklick which might have cost me the game.
SB: in: 2 Journey out: 2 Chalice
Round 8 vs Dredge 2:1
G1 opp had the nuts
G2 opp mulls to a bad 5, I have RIP
G3 RIP and functional hand get me there
Sb: in: 3 Path, 2 Worship, 1 Grafdiggers, 2 Rip, 2 Journey, 1 Celestial Purge, out: 3 Dismember, 4 Arbiter, 4 chalice
So rather short notes that I took. I expected more DS and Eldrazi decks. This also explains some of my SB choices. Seems like Dredge is still a good deck. I would guess it has a positive MU against DS and Eldrazi decks so it's reasonable to see it here. If it starts to get more popular again I would play Declaration in Stone in the SB.
I played 1 Cage over Rip number 3 for the CoCo MUs. I have a 3 Path, 2 Journey, 1 Purge split as I anticipated many Eldrazi and DS decks. I didn't play Valorous Stance because I don't want to leave mana open for the indestructible part and want to 1. exile and 2. hit smaller creatures like Displacer too.
I'm still hesitant about the second Worship, the third path, the second journey and Ratchet Bomb vs EE. And maybe Hushwing gryff or Aven Mindcensor have to join the board.
I'm happy with the overall performance of the deck. It is fun to play and has some great draws. I'm taking a little break though and won't play too much Modern in the upcoming time. So not too much contribution from my part.
4 tectonic edge
4 ghost quarter
2 sea gate wreckage
2 horizon canopy
1 Gemstone Caverns
1 Eiganjo Castle
9 Plains
8 non creature spells
4 Aether Vial
4 Path to Exile
4 Leonin Arbiter
4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
3 Selfless Spirit
2 Spellskite
1 Phyrexian Revoker
3 blade splicer
3 Eldrazi Displacer
2 Fiend Hunter
4 Flickerwisp
3 Restoration Angel
2 Blessed Alliance
2 Rest in Peace
2 Stony Silence
2 Ghostly Prison
1 Worship
1 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
2 Surgical Extraction
1 Sundering Growth
2 Plains
1 Forest
2 Razorverge Thicket
1 Temple Garden
2 Brushland
3 Horizon Canopy
4 Ghost Quarter
2 stirring wildwood
2 Gavony Township
1 tectonic edge
1 gemstone caverns
10 noncreature spells
4 Path to Exile
4 Aether Vial
2 Collected Company
28 creatures
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Leonin Arbiter
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
2 Scavenging Ooze
2 Spellskite
1 Selfless Spirit
4 Flickerwisp
2 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
2 Courser of Kruphix
1 Eternal Witness
1 Eldrazi Displacer
2 Restoration Angel
2 Stony Silence
2 Rest in Peace
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Burrenton Forge-Tender
2 Blessed Alliance
2 Ghostly Prison
1 Worship
1 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
4 Caves of Koilos
4 Concealed Courtyard
2 Godless Shrine
1 Shambling Vent
4 Ghost Quarter
4 Eldrazi Temple
1 Vault of the Archangel
2 Plains
1 Gemstone Caverns
8 Noncreature Spells
4 Aether Vial
4 Path to Exile
4 Tidehollow Sculler
4 Leonin Arbiter
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
4 Flickerwisp
4 Eldrazi Displacer
2 Spellskite
2 Selfless Spirit
3 Wasteland Strangler
4 Thought-Knot Seer
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Rest in Peace
2 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
2 Sin Collector
2 Orzhov Pontiff
2 Blessed Alliance
2 Burrenton Forge-Tender
1 Worship
3 Brushland
3 Eldrazi Temple
1 Forest
2 Gavony Township
1 Gemstone Caverns
4 Ghost Quarter
2 Plains
3 Razorverge Thicket
2 Stirring Wildwood
1 Temple Garden
10 noncreature spells
4 Aether Vial
2 Ancient Stirrings
4 Path to exile
4 Noble Hierarch
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
3 Leonin Arbiter
1 Aven Mindcensor
1 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
1 Spellskite
1 Scavenging Ooze
3 Eldrazi Displacer
4 Flickerwisp
1 Eternal Witness
4 Thought-knot seer
2 Reality Smasher
1 Reclamation Sage
2 Stony Silence
2 Rest in Peace
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Burrenton Forge-Tender
2 Blessed Alliance
1 Worship
1 Spellskite
2 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
4 Ghost Quarter
1 Hallowed Fountain
4 Seachrome Coast
1 Eiganjo Castle
2 Tectonic Edge
1 Moorland Haunt
2 Mutavault
1 Island
2 Plains
2 Horizon Canopy
1 adarkar wastes
1 flooded strand
9 noncreature spells
4 Aether Vial
4 Path to Exile
1 detention sphere
28 creatures
3 Spell Queller
3 Selfless Spirit
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
3 eldrazi displacer
3 Reflector Mage
4 Flickerwisp
2 Phyrexian Revoker
3 leonin arbiter
2 Venser, Shaper Savant
2 spellskite
2 Rest in Peace
2 stony silence
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
2 ghostly prison
2 burrenton forge-tender
2 Surgical Extraction
1 kira, great glass-spinner
1 blessed alliance
That's why I sided it out:
Also, it looks like matter reshape is one of our worst cards against then as that's a grind card in a MU where value isn't that important and where rip shuts it down. I think arbiter does more work as they still run fetches.
4 tectonic edge
4 ghost quarter
2 sea gate wreckage
2 horizon canopy
1 Gemstone Caverns
1 Eiganjo Castle
9 Plains
8 non creature spells
4 Aether Vial
4 Path to Exile
4 Leonin Arbiter
4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
3 Selfless Spirit
2 Spellskite
1 Phyrexian Revoker
3 blade splicer
3 Eldrazi Displacer
2 Fiend Hunter
4 Flickerwisp
3 Restoration Angel
2 Blessed Alliance
2 Rest in Peace
2 Stony Silence
2 Ghostly Prison
1 Worship
1 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
2 Surgical Extraction
1 Sundering Growth
2 Plains
1 Forest
2 Razorverge Thicket
1 Temple Garden
2 Brushland
3 Horizon Canopy
4 Ghost Quarter
2 stirring wildwood
2 Gavony Township
1 tectonic edge
1 gemstone caverns
10 noncreature spells
4 Path to Exile
4 Aether Vial
2 Collected Company
28 creatures
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Leonin Arbiter
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
2 Scavenging Ooze
2 Spellskite
1 Selfless Spirit
4 Flickerwisp
2 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
2 Courser of Kruphix
1 Eternal Witness
1 Eldrazi Displacer
2 Restoration Angel
2 Stony Silence
2 Rest in Peace
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Burrenton Forge-Tender
2 Blessed Alliance
2 Ghostly Prison
1 Worship
1 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
4 Caves of Koilos
4 Concealed Courtyard
2 Godless Shrine
1 Shambling Vent
4 Ghost Quarter
4 Eldrazi Temple
1 Vault of the Archangel
2 Plains
1 Gemstone Caverns
8 Noncreature Spells
4 Aether Vial
4 Path to Exile
4 Tidehollow Sculler
4 Leonin Arbiter
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
4 Flickerwisp
4 Eldrazi Displacer
2 Spellskite
2 Selfless Spirit
3 Wasteland Strangler
4 Thought-Knot Seer
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Rest in Peace
2 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
2 Sin Collector
2 Orzhov Pontiff
2 Blessed Alliance
2 Burrenton Forge-Tender
1 Worship
3 Brushland
3 Eldrazi Temple
1 Forest
2 Gavony Township
1 Gemstone Caverns
4 Ghost Quarter
2 Plains
3 Razorverge Thicket
2 Stirring Wildwood
1 Temple Garden
10 noncreature spells
4 Aether Vial
2 Ancient Stirrings
4 Path to exile
4 Noble Hierarch
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
3 Leonin Arbiter
1 Aven Mindcensor
1 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
1 Spellskite
1 Scavenging Ooze
3 Eldrazi Displacer
4 Flickerwisp
1 Eternal Witness
4 Thought-knot seer
2 Reality Smasher
1 Reclamation Sage
2 Stony Silence
2 Rest in Peace
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Burrenton Forge-Tender
2 Blessed Alliance
1 Worship
1 Spellskite
2 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
4 Ghost Quarter
1 Hallowed Fountain
4 Seachrome Coast
1 Eiganjo Castle
2 Tectonic Edge
1 Moorland Haunt
2 Mutavault
1 Island
2 Plains
2 Horizon Canopy
1 adarkar wastes
1 flooded strand
9 noncreature spells
4 Aether Vial
4 Path to Exile
1 detention sphere
28 creatures
3 Spell Queller
3 Selfless Spirit
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
3 eldrazi displacer
3 Reflector Mage
4 Flickerwisp
2 Phyrexian Revoker
3 leonin arbiter
2 Venser, Shaper Savant
2 spellskite
2 Rest in Peace
2 stony silence
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
2 ghostly prison
2 burrenton forge-tender
2 Surgical Extraction
1 kira, great glass-spinner
1 blessed alliance
Note: There were only 12 players and competitive level probably wasn't all too high. The field was quite diverse though - 1x Abzan Hardened Sneks, 1x Ad Nauseam, 1x Affinity, 1x Gr Tron, 1x Gw Tron, 1x Infect, 1x Jeskai Geist Control (?), 1x classic Jund, 1x Naya Aggro are what I've seen.
I'm writing on my mobile so please forgive eventual formatting mistakes...
2x Aven Mindcensor
4x Eldrazi Displacer
4x Leonin Arbiter
4x Reality Smasher
4x Simian Spirit Guide
4x Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
2x Thalia, Heretic Cathar
4x Thought-Knot Seer
4x Chalice of the Void
Land (25)
4x Battlefield Forge
1x Eiganjo Castle
4x Eldrazi Temple
3x Gemstone Caverns
4x Ghost Quarter
2x Mutavault
7x Plains
3x Dismember
1x Basilisk Collar
2x Celestial Purge
2x Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1x Engineered Explosives
4x Path to Exile
2x Rest in Peace
2x Stony Silence
1x Worship
1. Round: Gw Tron, 2-0, on the play
What can I say, the matchup is very favourable.
Game 1, T1 Chalice on 1 with SSG sealed the deal. Opponent couldn't find Tron and we went to game 2 after 5 minutes.
Game 2, he mulled to 5 and kept a 0 land hand... He couldn't topdeck any lands for 2-3 turns, I went Thalia 1.0 into some Eldrazi and beat him to death.
SB - in: 4x Path, 2x Stony Silence, out: 3x Displacer, 3x Dismember
2. Round: Infect, 2-0, on the draw
This one got me nervous but hey, Chalice on 1!
Game 1, he opened with Noble Hierarch. I had lucky Gemstone and T1 Chalice on 1. He continued into Blighted Agent and tried to race me with exalted triggers, Reality Smasher said "nope." In the end, I was on 8 poison though!
Game 2, Opponent started with Inkmoth Nexus which I immediately GQ'ed. SSG and topdeck Chalice closed the game early iirc.
SB - in 4x Path, out: 2x Mindcensor, 2x Arbiter (?)
3. Round: Ad Nauseam, 2-0, on the play
Never played this matchup before but did my homework - Chalice on 0!
Guess I got lucky here although I felt naked throughout the match.
Game 1, I mulled to 5... almost shat myself. T1 Chalice on 0 completely hosed his gameplan and screwed Lotus Bloom. By now, everybody in the room looked at me with utter disgust.
Game 2, no Chalices but a held back Stony Silence put 2 Pentad Prisms to rest. 2 TKSs picked his hand apart - he had all the combo pieces but not enough mana. Haha.
SB - in: 2x Stony Silence, 1x Worship, 2x Path, out: 3x Dismember, 2x Mindcensor (?)
Top 4 - Semifinals: Jeskai Geist Control, 2-1 (0-1), on the draw (?)
Wow, this was hard. The opponent seemed inexperienced but played quite well. I have to buy 2 Cavern of Souls asap.
Game 1, my opponent countered everything. No matter what I tried - everything. Snapcaster and Resto Angel beat me down.
Game 2, by far my grindiest game this day. Although I explained Arbiter to him, he managed to fetch without being able to pay later on. I managed to stabilise when he ran out of counters and Anger of the Gods. A wall of TKS, Reality Smasher, RiP, Elspeth, Knight-Errant, Chalice on 1, 2 and 0 (!) (he sided Engineered Explosives, which almost blew off my Chalices) led to 1-1. Glad, he didn't find Supreme Verdict.
Game 3, I got down Chalice on 1 early. His removal at hand got hosed and I was able to carefully tighten the screws.
SB - in: 2x Elspeth, Knight-Errant, 2x RiP, out: 4x Displacer (?) not sure anymore...
Finals: Naya Aggro, 2-0, on the play
Favourable matchup but I had absolutely no idea what I was playing against. T1 Arid Mesa into Stomping Grounds made that quickly clear fortunately. Did I mention Chalice on 1?
Game 1, felt a bit grindy. Thalia 1.0 got removed but later Thalia 2.0 and Displacer took over.
Game 2, I had lucky Gemstone into T1 Chalice on 1. Arbiter and GQ T2 took him off red and finished the game very quickly. Opponent seemed a bit salty after that.
SB - in: 2 Celestial Purge, 1 Basilisk Collar, 1x Worship (?), 4x Path, out: 3x Displacer, 2x Mindcensor, 3x Dismember
Summary: Chalice was the uncontested MVP this day an won me most matchups. I can't help but feel like I got pretty lucky with the pairings however. Control made the need for Cavern of Souls obvious. Ad Nauseam felt like a 50/50 matchup. All in all a fun tourney!
Legacy: Death&Taxes (almost there)
EDH: Squee, Goblin Nabob / Phelddagrif
Some lists still run Nature's claim but most don't atm. I think many don't have an out to Worship in their 75.
I have played Ghostly for a while but I think Worship is just the stronger version of it most of the time and they serve a pretty similar role generally.
You are probably right about Reshaper, Arbiter actually seems better.
@SaltySips
Hey congratz man!
Some inputs:
against Infect I would probably take out the more expensive cards and leave in the search hate - it is quite effective against Infect.
against ad nauseam I would leave in the Mindcensor or maybe Elspeth for some additional pressure over path to exile and Worship. Chalice on 1 is good as well if they don't open with Lotus and Chalice on 3 wrecks them if it ever comes to that. In my experience it is a much better MU than 50/50 (I'm currently 8-0 in matches against it).
Depending on how many (non hexproof) creatures you see g1 I would also consider siding out Dismember against Jeskay control.
@G_g53
You are right we don't have many answers to Ensnaring Bridge. Some additional Disenchant effects could be good. I don't know if it has to be actual Disenchant or if an additional Ratchet Bomb could do the trick.
I agree Cavern definitely has its moments and should be in the deck. I think 2-3 are really strong.
As you mentioned Rec Sage:
I think there is an option to splash for some Green Cards in the Board. Thragtusk, Rec Sage, Sigarda, Dromokas Command all come to mind.
We could replace some Plains for GW duals and the Battlefield Forge for Brushland and would have those, Horizon Canopies and Cavern.
Now I don't know if the inconsistency and susceptible mana is worth it but it could be.
Cockatrice username: Blackcat77
I have not, but it doesn't strike me as something we would want honestly.
@G_g53
Decreasing internal dis-synergy is certainly something to aim for.
Valorous Stance could also be good, I agree. I'm skeptical about the 4th Dismember. You don't want to see two during one game because of the lifeloss.
I agree playing Stony and Ratchet feels weird. But to be fair this only comes up sometimes against Affinity and Lantern (which sees not much play) where you still have to draw both and not be already winning because of Stony.
Intrepid hero seems sweet. Could be good in the current meta.
I have played a bit with mangara and found it to be quite slow and win more with Displacer. If you have two unanswered creatures, one of them being Displacer you are winning anyways.
The thing about path is that it is still just the best in some MUs like Merfolk, Spirits, Bant Knightfall, Eldrazi Tron, Affinity, KikiChord/Abzan Company, DnT etc. So having some in the board seems good to me. But maybe 2 is sufficient.
I feel like the delver MU is quite favorable (partly because I think that delver is not very good in Modern generally..)
Yes double white can be a bit difficult. If you are looking for a general answer then Oblivion Ring is also an option. Mangara has a high ceiling (with Displacer) so it is certainly worth exploring.
I would certainly bring in Rip against grixis delver. It's fantastic against them. They can snap bolt from T3 on so even if the game is short it is a concern. Under a RIP snappy does nothing, Tasigur is too slow so their only threat is Delver.
1 Kataki instead of 1 Stony is a valid option. In the current meta I really like having Stony for Eldrazi Tron though.