UR Phoenix 1-2: I swiftly took game one, he settled on a thing in the ice and I killed it with pongify and took over the game. Game two, i brought him to 3 life and he was able to flip Thing In the Ice for game. Game 3, I also applied a ton of pressure, went for the kill with atarka's command and he had a dispel. Left him at 1. He couldn't flip a thing in the ice and I couldn't evolve cloudfin raptor for 1 point of damage to close out the game, until he finally flipped it. Really unfortunate loss.
I had similar experience in my fnm, and after i recently lost a perfectly winnable game with useless repeal in hand, unable to move opp's sun titan, i have moved back to vapor snags. (Time did tell, and rather quickly in this case.. )
If you're really worried about Blood Moon, I would like to point out that running more red cards allows you to have more relevant cards after it hits play. Also, sitting on an unusedfetch to grab a singleton Forest in response to a Moon is generally going to be good enough to let you keep playing through it. Either that or floating Blue mana in response so you can Repeal it. Though, Unsubstantiate or Echoing Truth seem like better options if you are looking to bounce things bigger than 2cmc. If you assume Moon is coming in, boarding in Natural State, Destructive Revelry, or some other Naturalize effect gives you more reactive outs to it. You just need to try to read the opponent's potential plays to try and foresee it coming down. When they hit 3 mana you need to ask yourself if it is more likely for them to try to add more to the board, sit back on removal or try to disrupt you out of the game with Moon. Then play according to that hunch. Prioritizing getting 2 Forests into play before a Moon hits is going to severely limit the plays you can make in the early stages of the game, which are the most important turns for the deck. Which, to me, doesn't sound like the best way to win a game.
...
How has Smuggler's Copter been working for you? It doesn't trigger Evolve but the evasion and looting seem decent. It also gives some legs to your late game 1/1s. I may need to try it out over Kari Zev. She's solid but definitely is a flex spot in my list.
u misunderstand me, i don't sit on unused fetches, lol, i use them. But with only set of bolts in MB i was fine by having one botanical/breeding pool, and fetching a forest after that, and sometimes for the third land as well. After adding the vexing devils i haven't been able to do this, as sitting with bolt is not as detrimental as sitting with a threat in hand. This has led to more losses and i'm thinking of going back to no devils and consequently E1, not pelt collector.
Usually the matches i go red with ancient grudges from the side are ones that will be lost over controlling the board. So shocking myself to destroy expedition map or ensnaring bridge doesn't matter.
Tron is a known matchup for the deck, probably more so than Phoenix. I just boarded in stubborn denials to spike karn and ugin. UR Phoenix is something else, though. Doesn't seem that bad, all we seem to care about is Thing In the Ice, as long as it doesn't flip, we can usually find a way to win. Makes the 3rd time I've missed taking the match against the deck.
For me, ancient grudges and ceremonious rejections have been enough of a commitment. Some we lose, tron IS a nastty MU, but i wouldn't take it too seriously, no amount of SB slots is gonna win u the game if u don't happen to draw them. So tough luck but don't fret. Against phoenix i like to add the surgicals from side. Maybe i'll consider using them to thing too, not just the birds...
Almost finished building the deck and I noticed Brainpipe's post about Vexing Devil rulings. I know Fling is a no go, but does Pongify/Rapid still work for the turn 2 Pelt Collector "combo"?
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Current Modern Decks BG Elves // "He's back. And he brought his friends. And their friends." BG The Rock // "Dwayne Johnson approved." RU Izzet Phoenix // "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." UGW Bant Spirits // "Super Ghost Bros." BUG Sultai Wildnerness Teachings // "How many turns did I just take again?" C Colorless Eldrazi // "Smash you."
Almost finished building the deck and I noticed Brainpipe's post about Vexing Devil rulings. I know Fling is a no go, but does Pongify/Rapid still work for the turn 2 Pelt Collector "combo"?
It's still checking for higher power, which evolve also does, so I assume it does. That's how I understood it worked and none of my opponents opposed it.
And the way I built the deck, I built it to be aggressive as possible while also being resilient enough that it doesn't just lose on turn 4 if it doesn't kill, like Bushwhacker zoo does. It isn't as aggressive, but it has counterspells to tighten up some matchups, which I really like. But with both styles of decks, you just sign up to lose to blood moon, that's just how I see it.
Almost finished building the deck and I noticed Brainpipe's post about Vexing Devil rulings. I know Fling is a no go, but does Pongify/Rapid still work for the turn 2 Pelt Collector "combo"?
It's still checking for higher power, which evolve also does, so I assume it does. That's how I understood it worked and none of my opponents opposed it.
And the way I built the deck, I built it to be aggressive as possible while also being resilient enough that it doesn't just lose on turn 4 if it doesn't kill, like Bushwhacker zoo does. It isn't as aggressive, but it has counterspells to tighten up some matchups, which I really like. But with both styles of decks, you just sign up to lose to blood moon, that's just how I see it.
I meant more of "Is Vexing Devil a legal target for Pongify/Rapid before it's sacrificed" or is that a no go?
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Current Modern Decks BG Elves // "He's back. And he brought his friends. And their friends." BG The Rock // "Dwayne Johnson approved." RU Izzet Phoenix // "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." UGW Bant Spirits // "Super Ghost Bros." BUG Sultai Wildnerness Teachings // "How many turns did I just take again?" C Colorless Eldrazi // "Smash you."
But can you target the Devil after the opponent's paid 4?
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Current Modern Decks BG Elves // "He's back. And he brought his friends. And their friends." BG The Rock // "Dwayne Johnson approved." RU Izzet Phoenix // "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." UGW Bant Spirits // "Super Ghost Bros." BUG Sultai Wildnerness Teachings // "How many turns did I just take again?" C Colorless Eldrazi // "Smash you."
Current Modern Decks BG Elves // "He's back. And he brought his friends. And their friends." BG The Rock // "Dwayne Johnson approved." RU Izzet Phoenix // "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." UGW Bant Spirits // "Super Ghost Bros." BUG Sultai Wildnerness Teachings // "How many turns did I just take again?" C Colorless Eldrazi // "Smash you."
@capt.nick
btw, have u tried pelt collector instead of E1? i'm thinking that pelt's ability to register dying creatures w'd add up nicely with rancored hellsparks etc. or is that not something that occurs often enoug to compensate the loss of regeneration? (i'm considering losing the devils and trying rancors insted..and wandering if u have experience in this)
No, I never tried Pelt Collector. I don't really have any ways outside of Rancor to get creatures above 3 power. So it wouldn't be as consistent as getting two +1/+1 counters on Experiment One. Vexing Devil with Pelt Collector is cute but without a second 4 power guy, I don't know if it'd necessarily be better than E1. Maybe with Hooting Mandrills as another 4 power dude for 1-2 mana would be alright?
Vexing devil and Pelt collector is still insane because you don't need another 4 power creature. I've been playing narnam renegade and it's really good. Prior to renegade, I tried kird ape and dryad militant, which both did the same job as narnam renegade. They never let you keep the Devil, so it's usually 8 damage on turn 2.
After trying different combinations of creatures i've returned to original list with two smuggles copters. Seems my results are more constant that way, and maybe creatures are actually fine.. So, now i'm trying to up the spells, and specifically the SB-options. I dropped surgicals for two heroic intervention to survive annoying boardwipes, and swapped 3xceremonious rejection to 2xunified will and an extra spell pierce. Nissa is still powerhouse for any game that goes longer, and ancient grudges and life goes on will stay too, but otherwise i'm still mulling it over.
Any lists on how u guys side for specific MU's w'd be appreciated...
For reference: in my games the absolute best start is
T1: breeding pool/botanical sanctum and raptor/E1
T2: any land+wolf+pongify
T3+ trying to hold interaction up while adding creatures one by one..
Problem has been the lack of powerful interaction: spell pierce and bolt do nothing to goyfs and such, and lose value quickly
After trying different combinations of creatures i've returned to original list with two smuggles copters. Seems my results are more constant that way, and maybe creatures are actually fine.. So, now i'm trying to up the spells, and specifically the SB-options. I dropped surgicals for two heroic intervention to survive annoying boardwipes, and swapped 3xceremonious rejection to 2xunified will and an extra spell pierce. Nissa is still powerhouse for any game that goes longer, and ancient grudges and life goes on will stay too, but otherwise i'm still mulling it over.
Any lists on how u guys side for specific MU's w'd be appreciated...
For reference: in my games the absolute best start is
T1: breeding pool/botanical sanctum and raptor/E1
T2: any land+wolf+pongify
T3+ trying to hold interaction up while adding creatures one by one..
Problem has been the lack of powerful interaction: spell pierce and bolt do nothing to goyfs and such, and lose value quickly
i'm going back and forth with small changes, surgicals came back to the side for izzet phoenix and dredge (mainly prized amalgam and phoenix, but i do now that another echoing truth w'd get the job done as well).
What i like about the current list is moderate burn from lands, E1 evolves from narnam renegade, and pongifying a blocker in front of avatar has won me some games. Mostly if opp has BGx or eldrazi tron etc. i grab unified wills and nissas from the side, and if against something quick the copters will go. Sure, some games go horribly wrong with mulling to 5 etc. but this has been best for me at least. Admittedly my bad plays may play a huge role in this: with familiar build i make less of them.
@capt.nick: thanks for ur suggestions but seems i personally am not good at playing the more red version, and bigger creatures aren't as good as nissa in my build, so i'm being conservative here.
Nice going! What do u think about the mu's for ur deck?
I haven't been able to settle. Went to fnm last week with very poor results(2-2), but i think it was mostly due to making wrong moves, like boarding snags out against U-tron that only had wurmcoils as threats. I completetly agree with ur sb with 4x relics and some spheres.
Recently i got inspired by the rg-hatebears list that's floating around, and made attempt to that direction a la stompy. The list has very little in common with what were're trying to do with blue, but i thought it interesting experiment: It has different weak spots than our list, so now im trying to mix them card by card. For instance, dryad militant is really not that good for us, but perhaps izzet phoenix makes it okay at the moment.
Are Pongify and Rapid Hybridization still worthwhile in this deck? The enforce restrictive deckbuilding and provide minimal advantage (E1, Young Wolf in play, Pongify the Wolf, end up with a 2/2 E1, 2/2 Wolf and a 3/3 Token none of which are particularly impressive).
Skipping Young Wolf and Pongify/Rapid Hybridization led me to this shell:
Are Pongify and Rapid Hybridization still worthwhile in this deck? The enforce restrictive deckbuilding and provide minimal advantage (E1, Young Wolf in play, Pongify the Wolf, end up with a 2/2 E1, 2/2 Wolf and a 3/3 Token none of which are particularly impressive).
To me, 7-8x pongify IS the point of the deck and the reason to play blue here. Sure, in modern T2 with 8 power on the board is not that impressive and zoo decks can do better. What the pongifyes exel is interaction. Just last game i kept regenerating and pumping E1 midcombat. To keep this going, u need almost the full two sets of pongifyes, otherwise u can't count on getting more copies as the the game progresses.
This deck is not even close to top tiers, and to succeed u have to be fully consentrating and think about interactions a lot..and even then some of the top decks will just wipe the floor with u. Then again, any mid-level deck or opponent that doesn't know what to do (and maybe boards rest in peace against us) and this deck will suddenly do exactly what is was supposed to.
the second list is slower but much more consistent and in my testing it felt better at grinding games, despite not having the explosiveness of the temur version.
The thing i didn't test was surgical extraction, but i guess it's better, in the current meta, than my 4x relic of progenitus.
so, u asked for suggestions
IF ur using the red splash with 8 red cards in mainboard i w'd definitely recommend using 1 more stomping ground. Also, ancient grudge is in my experience so much better than reclamation sage: With the same amount of mana u get rid of two artifacts, and the instant speed is nothing to sniff at. Sage has a weak body as well, so the upside is really small.
the second list is slower but much more consistent and in my testing it felt better at grinding games, despite not having the explosiveness of the temur version.
The thing i didn't test was surgical extraction, but i guess it's better, in the current meta, than my 4x relic of progenitus.
Feel free to drop by any suggestion!
Not much to add here as i haven't played with simic version, but the reclamation sage does look weak here too. Also, this list doesn't have any ways to get rid of big and annoying blockers, only make them 3/3's instead. I get that the idea is to trample over them, just not sure how fast it will be if ur using ur creatures to smash against TKSs and alike.
Surgicals on the other hand haven't been too good, so ur relics are a lot better. Problem with Phoenix decks for example hasn't been so much how to remove birds than how to get rid of every thing in the ice before they flip..
At this moment my sb is a compromise that i'm not happy with:
damping spheres are semi okay, but i'd definitely feel i'd need one more relic. spellbreakers i'm testing against control-mu's, since they tend to go longer and i have time to get enough mana. Relics are good against most midrange-decks and as cantrips they rarely wreck the whole game. What do u think?
Hey there, nice to find out there's already a community around the deck that I've been playing. I think with the printing of Pelt Collector the focus has really shifted to ensuring those evolve triggers. Vexing Devil and Hellspark Elemental bring the danger of the deck doing some damage and then falling apart but with the high density of evolvers they have really worked for me. Narnam Renegade is a strong card but it just doesnt support the evolve plan well enough for me personally and even with my 12 fetches it is a miserable topdeck. Avatar of the resolute is a great stompy card but against a high density of removal it usually stays small and then plays sitting duck for a turn. Slightly win-more. Zameck Guildmage is a card I'm aware I shouldn't be playing. The upsides are obviously the ability to have creatures enter the battlefield with higher power (evolve) and to reset our undying creatures. The card draw lets us dig for sideboard cards. The 2/2 for 2 is just abysmal in this deck though. You can activate its first ability and pongify it to flash in a 4/4 which is kinda cool. I only play 6 Pongify effects because they really can lose you a game when drawn too much which isn't the case with our undying creatures.
It was very interesting reading your posts and I hope with Modern horizons coming there will be at least one good card among the 3 colors we are playing.
I had similar experience in my fnm, and after i recently lost a perfectly winnable game with useless repeal in hand, unable to move opp's sun titan, i have moved back to vapor snags. (Time did tell, and rather quickly in this case..
u misunderstand me, i don't sit on unused fetches, lol, i use them. But with only set of bolts in MB i was fine by having one botanical/breeding pool, and fetching a forest after that, and sometimes for the third land as well. After adding the vexing devils i haven't been able to do this, as sitting with bolt is not as detrimental as sitting with a threat in hand. This has led to more losses and i'm thinking of going back to no devils and consequently E1, not pelt collector.
Usually the matches i go red with ancient grudges from the side are ones that will be lost over controlling the board. So shocking myself to destroy expedition map or ensnaring bridge doesn't matter.
Copter has been good, and when it's not, like against any deck with kolaghan's command (that is almost unwinnable tempo loss) i swap it with nissa, steward of elements.
For me, ancient grudges and ceremonious rejections have been enough of a commitment. Some we lose, tron IS a nastty MU, but i wouldn't take it too seriously, no amount of SB slots is gonna win u the game if u don't happen to draw them. So tough luck but don't fret. Against phoenix i like to add the surgicals from side. Maybe i'll consider using them to thing too, not just the birds...
BG Elves // "He's back. And he brought his friends. And their friends."
BG The Rock // "Dwayne Johnson approved."
RU Izzet Phoenix // "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."
UGW Bant Spirits // "Super Ghost Bros."
BUG Sultai Wildnerness Teachings // "How many turns did I just take again?"
C Colorless Eldrazi // "Smash you."
It's still checking for higher power, which evolve also does, so I assume it does. That's how I understood it worked and none of my opponents opposed it.
And the way I built the deck, I built it to be aggressive as possible while also being resilient enough that it doesn't just lose on turn 4 if it doesn't kill, like Bushwhacker zoo does. It isn't as aggressive, but it has counterspells to tighten up some matchups, which I really like. But with both styles of decks, you just sign up to lose to blood moon, that's just how I see it.
GBW Abzan Midrange
https://www.mtgsalvation.com/decks/9485-temur-evolve RUG
GBR Jund Flayer
Naya Zoo GRW
Pauper:
Izzet Blitz UR
Standard:
Izzet Drakes UR
UR Izzet Wizards
I meant more of "Is Vexing Devil a legal target for Pongify/Rapid before it's sacrificed" or is that a no go?
BG Elves // "He's back. And he brought his friends. And their friends."
BG The Rock // "Dwayne Johnson approved."
RU Izzet Phoenix // "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."
UGW Bant Spirits // "Super Ghost Bros."
BUG Sultai Wildnerness Teachings // "How many turns did I just take again?"
C Colorless Eldrazi // "Smash you."
GBW Abzan Midrange
https://www.mtgsalvation.com/decks/9485-temur-evolve RUG
GBR Jund Flayer
Naya Zoo GRW
Pauper:
Izzet Blitz UR
Standard:
Izzet Drakes UR
UR Izzet Wizards
BG Elves // "He's back. And he brought his friends. And their friends."
BG The Rock // "Dwayne Johnson approved."
RU Izzet Phoenix // "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."
UGW Bant Spirits // "Super Ghost Bros."
BUG Sultai Wildnerness Teachings // "How many turns did I just take again?"
C Colorless Eldrazi // "Smash you."
Nope. Devil is gone at the same time opp pays life. of ouse, if they don't pay, u can target again.
BG Elves // "He's back. And he brought his friends. And their friends."
BG The Rock // "Dwayne Johnson approved."
RU Izzet Phoenix // "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."
UGW Bant Spirits // "Super Ghost Bros."
BUG Sultai Wildnerness Teachings // "How many turns did I just take again?"
C Colorless Eldrazi // "Smash you."
btw, have u tried pelt collector instead of E1? i'm thinking that pelt's ability to register dying creatures w'd add up nicely with rancored hellsparks etc. or is that not something that occurs often enoug to compensate the loss of regeneration? (i'm considering losing the devils and trying rancors insted..and wandering if u have experience in this)
I'd start with something like this:
4 Cloudfin Raptor
4 Pelt Collector
4 Young Wolf
4 Vexing Devil
3 Hooting Mandrills
4 Strangleroot Geist
4 Hellspark Elemental
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Rapid Hybridization
3 Vapor Snag
4 Rancor
Lands: 18
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Wooded Foothills
1 Windswept Heath
2 Botanical Sanctum
2 Copperline Gorge
2 Breeding Pool
2 Stomping Ground
1 Forest
Bloodrage Brawler, Exemplar of Strength, and Frost Walker are other potential enablers but seem a bit more awkward than Mandrills.
GBW Abzan Midrange
https://www.mtgsalvation.com/decks/9485-temur-evolve RUG
GBR Jund Flayer
Naya Zoo GRW
Pauper:
Izzet Blitz UR
Standard:
Izzet Drakes UR
UR Izzet Wizards
Any lists on how u guys side for specific MU's w'd be appreciated...
For reference: in my games the absolute best start is
T1: breeding pool/botanical sanctum and raptor/E1
T2: any land+wolf+pongify
T3+ trying to hold interaction up while adding creatures one by one..
Problem has been the lack of powerful interaction: spell pierce and bolt do nothing to goyfs and such, and lose value quickly
Can you please share your list?
4x experiment one
4x narnam renegade
4x young wolf
4x strangleroot geist
3x avatar of the resolute
4x rapid hybridization
3x pongify
4x lightning bolt
2x spell pierce
3x vapor snag
2x smuggler's copter
1x dryad arbor
4x windswept heath
4x wooded foothills
1x flooded strand
2x breeding pool
2x stomping ground
3x botanical sanctum
2x forest
2x unified will
1x heroic intervention
3x ancient grudge
3x life goes on
1x pyroclasm
1x echoing truth
2x surgical extraction
2x nissa, steward of elements
i'm going back and forth with small changes, surgicals came back to the side for izzet phoenix and dredge (mainly prized amalgam and phoenix, but i do now that another echoing truth w'd get the job done as well).
What i like about the current list is moderate burn from lands, E1 evolves from narnam renegade, and pongifying a blocker in front of avatar has won me some games. Mostly if opp has BGx or eldrazi tron etc. i grab unified wills and nissas from the side, and if against something quick the copters will go. Sure, some games go horribly wrong with mulling to 5 etc. but this has been best for me at least. Admittedly my bad plays may play a huge role in this: with familiar build i make less of them.
@capt.nick: thanks for ur suggestions but seems i personally am not good at playing the more red version, and bigger creatures aren't as good as nissa in my build, so i'm being conservative here.
4 cloudfin raptor
4 pelt collector
2 experiment one
4 vexing devil
3 young wolf
4 strangleroot geist
3 rhonas the indomitable
Spells (17)
4 pongify
3 rapid hybridization
4 lightning bolt
3 rancor
3 chart a course
4 misty rainforest
4 wooded foothills
4 windswept heath
1 stomping ground
1 breeding pool
2 forest
3 botanical sanctum
4 relic of progenitus
2 damping sphere
2 ancient grudge
2 reclamation sage
2 beast within
3 unified will
Pauper
GElvesG || CAffinityC
Commander
I haven't been able to settle. Went to fnm last week with very poor results(2-2), but i think it was mostly due to making wrong moves, like boarding snags out against U-tron that only had wurmcoils as threats. I completetly agree with ur sb with 4x relics and some spheres.
Recently i got inspired by the rg-hatebears list that's floating around, and made attempt to that direction a la stompy. The list has very little in common with what were're trying to do with blue, but i thought it interesting experiment: It has different weak spots than our list, so now im trying to mix them card by card. For instance, dryad militant is really not that good for us, but perhaps izzet phoenix makes it okay at the moment.
4x experiment one
4x dryad militant
2x narnam renegade
4x vexing devil
4x strangleroot geist
2x scavenging ooze
3x gruul spellbreaker
2x blossoming defence
2x rancor
4x lightning bolt
2x relic of progenitus
3x atarka's command
1x dryad arbor
9x fetch
3x stomping ground
3x forest
4x copperline gorge
3x damping sphere
3x ancient grudge
3x life goes on
2x heroic intervention
2x goblin cratermaker
2x surgical extraction
So, i dont have any results but thought to say that im still trying..
Skipping Young Wolf and Pongify/Rapid Hybridization led me to this shell:
4 Experiment One
4 Pelt Collector
4 Narnam Renegade
4 Vexing Devil
3 Strangleroot Geist
4 Avatar of the Resolute
3 Rancor
2 Vapor Snag
3 Chart a Course
2 Light Up the Stage
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Misty Rainforest
3 Scalding Tarn
1 Forest
1 Island
1 Mountain
1 Stomping Grounds
1 Breeding Pool
1 Steam Vents
1 Botanical Sanctum
1 Copperline Gorge
I think this would be higher power and more consistent, though slightly less vulnerable to removal (no Pongify your own guy in response to removal).
Legacy: Strawberry Shortcake, Aggro Loam, DnT+b
Modern: Devoted Karn
Vintage: Survival
To me, 7-8x pongify IS the point of the deck and the reason to play blue here. Sure, in modern T2 with 8 power on the board is not that impressive and zoo decks can do better. What the pongifyes exel is interaction. Just last game i kept regenerating and pumping E1 midcombat. To keep this going, u need almost the full two sets of pongifyes, otherwise u can't count on getting more copies as the the game progresses.
This deck is not even close to top tiers, and to succeed u have to be fully consentrating and think about interactions a lot..and even then some of the top decks will just wipe the floor with u. Then again, any mid-level deck or opponent that doesn't know what to do (and maybe boards rest in peace against us) and this deck will suddenly do exactly what is was supposed to.
Lately i've been getting annoyed by tron and phoenix, so my sb looks like this: (suddenly no one seems to be playing midrange..)
2x unified will
2x damping sphere
2x relic of progenitus
1x surgical extraction
1x pyroclasm
1x echoing truth
3x ancient grudge
3x life goes on
4 cloudfin raptor
4 pelt collector
2 experiment one
4 vexing devil
4 young wolf
4 strangleroot geist
3 rhonas the indomitable
Spells (16)
4 pongify
3 rapid hybridization
4 lightning bolt
3 rancor
2 spell pierce
4 misty rainforest
4 wooded foothills
4 windswept heath
1 stomping ground
1 breeding pool
2 forest
3 botanical sanctum
4 surgical extraction
2 damping sphere
1 nissa, voice of zendikar
3 reclamation sage
2 beast within
3 unified will
i switched chart a course for spell pierce, and i'm happy to have more cheap interaction
I also think an UG version is viable
4 cloudfin raptor
4 pelt collector
4 experiment one
4 young wolf
4 strangleroot geist
3 rhonas the indomitable
Spells (18)
4 pongify
4 rapid hybridization
4 spell pierce
3 rancor
4 chart a course
4 misty rainforest
4 wooded foothills
2 windswept heath
2 breeding pool
2 forest
1 island
4 botanical sanctum
4 surgical extraction
2 damping sphere
1 nissa, voice of zendikar
3 reclamation sage
2 beast within
3 unified will
the second list is slower but much more consistent and in my testing it felt better at grinding games, despite not having the explosiveness of the temur version.
The thing i didn't test was surgical extraction, but i guess it's better, in the current meta, than my 4x relic of progenitus.
Feel free to drop by any suggestion!
Pauper
GElvesG || CAffinityC
Commander
so, u asked for suggestions
IF ur using the red splash with 8 red cards in mainboard i w'd definitely recommend using 1 more stomping ground. Also, ancient grudge is in my experience so much better than reclamation sage: With the same amount of mana u get rid of two artifacts, and the instant speed is nothing to sniff at. Sage has a weak body as well, so the upside is really small.
Not much to add here as i haven't played with simic version, but the reclamation sage does look weak here too. Also, this list doesn't have any ways to get rid of big and annoying blockers, only make them 3/3's instead. I get that the idea is to trample over them, just not sure how fast it will be if ur using ur creatures to smash against TKSs and alike.
Surgicals on the other hand haven't been too good, so ur relics are a lot better. Problem with Phoenix decks for example hasn't been so much how to remove birds than how to get rid of every thing in the ice before they flip..
At this moment my sb is a compromise that i'm not happy with:
3x ancient grudge
3x life goes on
2x unified will
1x pyroclasm
2x damping sphere
2x relic of progenitus
2x gruul spellbreaker
damping spheres are semi okay, but i'd definitely feel i'd need one more relic. spellbreakers i'm testing against control-mu's, since they tend to go longer and i have time to get enough mana. Relics are good against most midrange-decks and as cantrips they rarely wreck the whole game. What do u think?
True. But because of the wording it w'd only work nicely with wolf and avatar, making it quite narrow.
It was very interesting reading your posts and I hope with Modern horizons coming there will be at least one good card among the 3 colors we are playing.
4x Cloudfin Raptor
4x Experiment One
4x Pelt Collector
4x Hellspark Elemental
4x Vexing Devil
1x Hooting Mandrills
2x Zameck Guildmage
4x Strangleroot Geist
3x Young Wolf
Spells (10)
3x Pongify
3x Rapid Hybridization
2x Atarka's Command
2x Lightning Bolt
2x Breeding Pool
1x Dryad Arbor
1x Forest
1x Island
4x Misty Rainforest
1x Mountain
2x Stomping Ground
4x Windswept Heath
4x Wooded Foothills
2x Flame Slash
3x Ingot Chewer
3x Life Goes On
3x Spell Pierce
2x Tormod's Crypt
2x Sidisi's Faithful