Leylines are consistently brilliant in modern. Admittedly some decks are able to remove one before combining but if you can back a turn 0 leyline up with control spells you're fine.
Agreed with post above that Chalice and leyline often come in together against certain decks. Kind of... Valakut decks need leyline, lantern, living end, bogles, jeskai and a slew of others require only Chalice and don't really warrant leyline (lantern warrants leyline but I'd side in chalices first).
Anyway I could drop the chalices but what for? Hard to know! I'm thinking maybe something like meddling mage or runed halo. Meddling mage is sometimes superior because it doesn't even let opponents cast their critical spell whereas halo still allows them (in some instances) to cast it. I like both cards I have to say.
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Modern: G Tron, Vannifar, Jund, Druid/Vizier combo, Humans, Eldrazi Stompy (Serum Powder), Amulet, Grishoalbrand, Breach Titan, Turns, Eternal Command, As Foretold Living End, Elves, Cheerios, RUG Scapeshift
@purklefluff I'm interested in your thoughts on no Path to Exile. Fatal Push has consistently been an excellent card for me (killing Baral/Electromancer, stopping Devoted Druid combo, slowing aggro decks), and it seems like Path should fill a similar role. Is it just unnecessary?
I played UB turns at GP Santa Clara to a disappointing 5-3 team finish (I think my personal record was also 5-3 and I believe that I punted two matches). I'm planning on writing a short tournament report later this week.
I am not splashing white, but mage is not really good in this deck, it eats incidental removal, but bigger problem is that it beats neither storm, nor ad nauseam - both have answers, ad nauseam sides in 2-3 echoing truths and storm already has bolts, grapeshots and also some bounce effects.
Do you have experience with Snapback?
Cheers,
Agreed that storm has those cards, but what self-respecting storm player brings in creature removal against this deck? It's so weird of an angle to hate on them I don't think they'd even consider it. Likewise with ad naus although in fairness they've got to contend with leylines as well.
And of course you don't board meddling mage in against removal heavy decks. I can see maybe against valakut though naming primeval titan because they'll be boarding out most of their removal.
Snapback is OK. Tried it a little bit but it never really stuck for me. I can see it as a one-of in the same way that people sometimes run a one-of electrolyze in some control lists. Narrow but when it's good it's great.
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Modern: G Tron, Vannifar, Jund, Druid/Vizier combo, Humans, Eldrazi Stompy (Serum Powder), Amulet, Grishoalbrand, Breach Titan, Turns, Eternal Command, As Foretold Living End, Elves, Cheerios, RUG Scapeshift
@purklefluff I'm interested in your thoughts on no Path to Exile. Fatal Push has consistently been an excellent card for me (killing Baral/Electromancer, stopping Devoted Druid combo, slowing aggro decks), and it seems like Path should fill a similar role. Is it just unnecessary?
I played UB turns at GP Santa Clara to a disappointing 5-3 team finish (I think my personal record was also 5-3 and I believe that I punted two matches). I'm planning on writing a short tournament report later this week.
Path is great. It gets better the more snapcasters you run obviously. However I'd caution you that it's only brilliant against certain decks and terrible against others.
Path is at its best when you are aggroing or tempoing out an opponent and you need a cheap way to hard-remove their midrange big beefy blocker on turn 4 while holding up some burn. Obviously we aren't doing that.
Here it's more of a stalling card which is tricky because you're also ramping them. The advantage though is that it deals with essentially everything. I'd say use it sparingly and only to disrupt combos or remove the biggest nastiest threats that opponents have tapped out for. Leverage the mana advantage from exiling something that costs 3+ mana for your W. Don't path stuff early. Use it the turn before you go off to ensure it happens, or to kill (for example) a gaddock teeg.
I would rather run fatal push if I had to run a maindeck removal spell. As it is, with a white splash and some really powerful white sideboard cards (mono U maindeck) I have toyed around with a couple path in the side and they have pulled their weight. Sometimes you just need a hard answer to a hatebear, combo piece or disruptive creature (iona?). Don't just bring it in against any old creature deck. Path doesn't fill the same role as push. Push is for stunting aggro decks early. Path is for giving us inevitability through creature-based disruption and being able to snipe the odd massive creature that someone cheats out.
I like both spells but push is the anti-aggro card. If your meta is super aggro, dredge and burn etc. I'd strongly consider a black splash: run black leylines, fatal push, snapcaster and collective brutality.
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Modern: G Tron, Vannifar, Jund, Druid/Vizier combo, Humans, Eldrazi Stompy (Serum Powder), Amulet, Grishoalbrand, Breach Titan, Turns, Eternal Command, As Foretold Living End, Elves, Cheerios, RUG Scapeshift
Leylines are consistently brilliant in modern. Admittedly some decks are able to remove one before combining but if you can back a turn 0 leyline up with control spells you're fine.
Agreed with post above that Chalice and leyline often come in together against certain decks. Kind of... Valakut decks need leyline, lantern, living end, bogles, jeskai and a slew of others require only Chalice and don't really warrant leyline (lantern warrants leyline but I'd side in chalices first).
You guys are forgeting about affinity! I think a 2-2 split or even 3 leyline 1 chalice would be better than none. Also, often times burn sides in aftifact/enchantment hate so if you have challice on 2 they cant beat you.
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UR and sometimes WDelver Modern U and sometimes WTurns Modern URBWAffinity Modern GWKarametra Enchantress EDH UBRG Yidris Storm EDH WSram Cheerios EDH
Thoughts on The Immortal Sun?
It is probably too expensive for a mine effect but I figured it might be good to discuss if there is any shell that might want it for its cost reduction or planewalker hate.
The fact that it has to go down on turns where you could be time walking or holding up interaction make it seem pretty tough to justify though.
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Modern
Yes, I am that guy.
Yes, I have had my nose broken before.
Thoughts on The Immortal Sun?
It is probably too expensive for a mine effect but I figured it might be good to discuss if there is any shell that might want it for its cost reduction or planewalker hate.
The fact that it has to go down on turns where you could be time walking or holding up interaction make it seem pretty tough to justify though.
Hadn't seen that card. Looks sweet for commander.
However in this deck it's essential that you are able to drop a mine before you start chaining turns. For 6 mana that ain't gonna happen sadly.
Nice artwork though and cool general flavour. Just not competitive in modern (in this deck at least)
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Modern: G Tron, Vannifar, Jund, Druid/Vizier combo, Humans, Eldrazi Stompy (Serum Powder), Amulet, Grishoalbrand, Breach Titan, Turns, Eternal Command, As Foretold Living End, Elves, Cheerios, RUG Scapeshift
In regards to lands, I would not run lower than 23 lands. While goldfishing with 23 lands, sometimes I miss land drops even with a mine out. Though it is rare, I feel that missing land drops will hurt us more than drawing 1 extra land. My list runs 6x mines, 1x JVP, 4x Serum Visions, 1x Opt, and 3x Remands.
Consider this a perspective; I am by no means a coach. I acknowledge that for every situation where you could argue for an extra land, there is also a situation where you could argue for less. I have an easier time accepting a loss because I become flooded, but this can be mitigated with fetches for land thinning. However, I feel worse losing a game where I was unable to cast spells on "curve" because of my greed. If you are hitting all your land drops, you always have a chance of winning. If you miss a land drop, you're likely dead.
I'm planning to get into Turns in paper after playing a very similar deck for a long time in EDH, and I was wondering- if you were going to be going into a blind meta, would you take UW, UB or monoU?
First time poster but long time reader of this thread. Been a huge fan of Turns (I prefer the term Walks)for quite some time and I've been testing Mono U, and the Ub/Uw Varients online for over a year. My favourite is the Blue/Black version with Fatal Push, Thoughtseize and Collective Brutality. Push is a house in almost all metas, it just takes care of so many threats and doesn't punish you like path to exile does. Collective is great against aggro/burn decks. Thoughtseize is good in a few matchups (combo/control) but has left a lot to be desired for me as of late. The problem with the Ub and mono-U builds is their weakness to discard. Chalice of the void in the sideboard is a 100% MUST. It is the only reason this deck has legs against many decks games 2 and 3.
The Uw build has Leyline in the sideboard and that shores up a lot of matchups, plus other silver bullets like Stoney silence/Kataki, Rest in peace, supreme verdict etc. I just feel that the Uw build doesn't pack the punch that the black splash does, it has great sideboard options but the 3x fatal, 2-3xCollective and (maybe)2x Thoughtseize have better overall game against most decks. If you struggle against artifacts, pack some Hurkyll's Recall. Graveyard shenanigans getting to you? pack Leyline of the Void (not recommended in most cases).
Regardless of the build you are running, THING IN THE ICE!!! This card takes over games and has nearly doubled my win rate since adding it to my builds, I'm up to 3 in the sideboard and I'm very comfortable with that.
In the end I'd suggest either the Black or White build, the mana base is not crippling because you're only small splashing (bit more painful in black splash due to more fetches for more revolt triggers for Fatal Push)so might as well splash a second colour. Just know that if you're splashing black, Chalice goes in your sideboard, if you splash white, you go Leyline and probably no Chalice's. You also have to decide on Search for Azcanta's, there is no middle ground here when it comes to deciding whether you want that card in your deck, you just have to test for yourself, I'm personally against it.
On a side note, I've been testing Uw with Riverwise Augur lately (don't know how to link cards yet), it's fun and it works, but my win rate is much higher playing Ub Walks. Just wish we had more toys to play with in Rivals. So many tease/modern unplayable cards.
Hey everyone, I posted roughly 2 months ago asking about my As Foretold list. Unfortunately I got 0 replies in this primer and really don't know if its even worth discussing here. I have been on Taking Turns for roughly 2 1/2 years on and off and just recently started testing out an As Foretold variant both on MTGO and at my LGS. Here is what my list is looking like currently, I would really love your guys' thoughts on the deck, and if anyone else out there is trying out AF.
I have found As Foretold to be a much more fun variant to play. I have access to a toolbox of 0 CMC cards thanks to Tolaria West I am able to board wipe with Living End or Restore Balance. Restore also buys me time against Valakut decks.
This deck also doesn't rely heavily on Mine effects and instead relies on Ancestral Visions, Wheel of Fate and Chandra, Torch of Defiance to generate the card advantage needed to combo off. An added bonus of this card draw package is we are not giving our opponents any extra cards and suspend becomes very powerful against hand disruption. I have played games where I have still managed to win even through a Liliana -6 Ultimate.
There were a couple of cards I wanted to talk about firstly Wheel of Fate has been absolutely amazing in this list. I've been able to combine this with a well timed Exhaustion and it will absolutely just end the game there. Also in a jam late game being able to tutor this can mean the difference between fizzling on turns or winning the game.
Next I must say the 1 of Search for Azcanta has Absolutely earned it's spot in the 75. This card just simply does everything this deck wants, the card selection early into the late game ramp and tutor effects help this card take over the game especially if you drop it on turn 2.
Thing in the Ice has also been killer out of the sideboard for me. I usually replace my Snapcasters with Thing and find my opponents bringing in graveyard hate in place of removal and get to blank them a second time.
Finally I cannot speak higher of Gigadrowse and Exhaustion. These two cards buy me more turns then anything else and Gigadrowse alone is enough to beat any control deck. There is nothing more satisfying than tapping the opposing control players blue sources down and following it up by dropping an As Foretold into a Ancestral Vision. I have yet to lose to control because of this.
On MTGO I have played mostly in the practice rooms, and have had some really good results that reflect what I have been able to do at my LGS. Most matchups feel winnable and the only matchup in particular I feel I struggle with is against Grixis Death Shadow.
The main reason for building this deck is I feel it absolutely crushes most blue based decks in Modern. My local meta is pretty heavy on decks like Blood Moon, Through the Breach, RUG Moon, Ad Naus and Kiki-Exarch. I have played in two 4 round events and one 3 round event and have a cumiltive record of 7-3-1 so far. My only losses were against the same GDS player twice and an 8-rack deck and my draw being to Eldarazi Tron running mainboard chalice and us going to time.
If you guys have any questions about the deck, or would like to playtest with me on MTGO please let me know! I've been having a blast piloting it so far and am currently considering bringing it to Grand Prix Phoenix this March.
@seba
-I like your deck idea, but not sure it's in the same category as the traditional "mono u turns" deck. Have certainly seen it elsewhere preform well! As Foretold is such a cool card and has a home in the mono u living end deck, so hopefully it can get stirred up elsewhere; maybe in a version similar to yours where the main win is from an ultimated Chandra
I know the set hasn't officially released yet but just shocked that we aren't brainstorming ideas on how to fit the first modern legal brainstorm card into the deck! Now I understand if the chance to put a miracle back on top of your library at sorcery speed isn't that exciting. What if the deck played a Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir, some Scout's Warning's or splash G for Savage Summoning's?
All of this is likely "too cute" and probably total garbage, but lets get the namesake going and brainstorm!
@Seba_
Though I do not play UR turns, I am a big fan of your deck and your colors. Your list looks very versatile. Let's just hope that abrupt decay does not become more popular in your meta. I built UW turns for two main reasons; it seemed consistent and budget friendly (I had access to many of the cards). I'm curious about your deck's consistency. How often do you fail to assemble your "engine"? If you don't find an As Foretold early, with 4x Ancestral Visions and 4x Exhaustion, I imagine you can stall the game long enough for AV to come off suspend...
@ALL
Been researching ways to improve our DS match up without making the side board too narrow. Auriok Champion seems versatile tech against both DS and burn (ideal if not for skull crack). A more narrow card is Slaughter the Strong; it eliminates DS's biggest threats a turn earlier than Supreme Verdict. For now, I will go with path/condemn for it's power and versatility.
Hey everyone, I've been lurking here for awhile and finally decided to create an account.
I have been playing Turns for a few years now, trying a variety of builds, and right now I'm back on the classic mono-u style.
Please take a look at my list below and let me know what y'all think.
I've been taking this deck to my LGS for FNM for quite a while and have been doing pretty well with it, over the last month posting 3-0-1 twice, and 3-1 last friday.
Also hello to Herkamurjones, I appreciate those AVs you sold me, although they're currently not being used.
Anyway, enough about that take a look below:
2 Snapcaster Mage
4 Dictate of Kruphix
2 Howling Mine
2 Search for Azcanta (Last week was first time trying it, will be keeping it this week as well)
4 Time Warp
4 Temporal Mastery
3 Part the Waterveil
1 Gemstone Caverns
1 Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
1 Oboro, palace in the Clouds
1 Geier Reach Sanitarium
1 Inkmoth Nexus
1 Snow Covered Island (no functional reason)
17 Island
Please take a look at my list below and let me know what y'all think.
I think it looks pretty good. Personally, I prefer a U/B build but this version of mono blue is pretty strong.
I have found Search for Azcanta to be lacking. The scry on turns 3-6 are nice if you land one right on turn 2, but if not - it's a pretty dead draw in the mid/late game. I've found that once you flip it, it's not really that great since you're almost always tapping out to cast warps for the next several turns as you go off. If you happen to fizzle on chaining extra turns at that point, the 4 mana needed to use the land is hard to have to spare most of the time - usually you're going to be spending your mana on Cryptic and Exhaustion and Remand and Gigadrowse to just survive a turn or two to topdeck another time walk effect and give the combo another shot.
I do like using Snapcaster Mage because it helps bridge you from turn 7-9 when you might need to Snap-Warp to get your mana for Part the Waterveils online or as a pinch pseudo walk with passing turn and Cryptic (tap/draw) and then Snap-Cryptic (tap-bounce on Snap) into Gigadrowse, Snap-Gigadrowse to buy a couple more turns before you go off.
Does Mono-U have any reasonable ways of beating lantern? Laboratory Maniac + Hurkyl's Recall seem like they might be able to get some wins but it seems iffy since you are probably going to get hit by hand disruption if you have it from the start and they probably aren't going to let you draw it. Jace Beleren and Elixir of Immortality might also get us there in some lucky games.
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Modern
Yes, I am that guy.
Yes, I have had my nose broken before.
Also hello to Herkamurjones, I appreciate those AVs you sold me, although they're currently not being used.
WELCOME! Good to see you on here (finally ) Your list is very similar to the one I run, including the 2x Search which I've found to be helpful, but still testing.
What is your meta/sideboard like?
PS: could always put the AV's to use in the As Foretold/Living End build. Didn't you have something similar to Seba in the UR Chandra style deck?
Does Mono-U have any reasonable ways of beating lantern?
Lantern can be tricky. Your Howling Mines and Dictates will tax their mill rocks pretty well, but it may be difficult to land them if they aren't in your opening hand (and get milled first) or taken via Thoughtseize, etc ... otherwise, Serum Visions and Opt will help to let you get past their lock. Gigadrowse and Exhaustion can also help buy you an unlocked turn. Re-shuffle graveyard effects like Elixir of Immortality aren't good solutions since they often will either Pithing Needle it or just mill it away. The key is to know that once they have 3 or 4 mill rocks and a Lantern down you should probably scoop unless you have Mine effects in play already or multiple Mine effects & card draw spells in hand already. The good news is that other than a little light hand disruption and their mill rocks, they put you under almost NO pressure, so if you can build your board early before the lock is down, there's a good chance you can start chaining Time Walk effects and beat them easily.
I think it looks pretty good. Personally, I prefer a U/B build but this version of mono blue is pretty strong.
I have found Search for Azcanta to be lacking. The scry on turns 3-6 are nice if you land one right on turn 2, but if not - it's a pretty dead draw in the mid/late game. I've found that once you flip it, it's not really that great since you're almost always tapping out to cast warps for the next several turns as you go off. If you happen to fizzle on chaining extra turns at that point, the 4 mana needed to use the land is hard to have to spare most of the time - usually you're going to be spending your mana on Cryptic and Exhaustion and Remand and Gigadrowse to just survive a turn or two to topdeck another time walk effect and give the combo another shot.
I do like using Snapcaster Mage because it helps bridge you from turn 7-9 when you might need to Snap-Warp to get your mana for Part the Waterveils online or as a pinch pseudo walk with passing turn and Cryptic (tap/draw) and then Snap-Cryptic (tap-bounce on Snap) into Gigadrowse, Snap-Gigadrowse to buy a couple more turns before you go off.
I agree about the snapcasters, and for the moment disagree about Search. I'm only disagreeing because I haven't been able to test it enough yet, tonight will be week number 2 with it in the mainboard. My meta is fairly control heavy at times, a lot of UWx Control decks so oftentimes it can bait out a counterspell leaving my Time Warps wide open.. I know this isn't the ideal way to think of the card but its still true.
I'm a huge fan of U/B and hope to give that a shot at some point soon, and your list looks pretty close to what I'm interested in. I like the idea of mainboard thoughtseize though, have you tried / considered this?
Does Mono-U have any reasonable ways of beating lantern? Laboratory Maniac + Hurkyl's Recall seem like they might be able to get some wins but it seems iffy since you are probably going to get hit by hand disruption if you have it from the start and they probably aren't going to let you draw it. Jace Beleren and Elixir of Immortality might also get us there in some lucky games.
I wish I could answer this question, there is only 1 lantern player at my LGS and he hasn't played that deck in awhile, that being said, I personally have played against Lantern a total of 0 times...
WELCOME! Good to see you on here (finally ) Your list is very similar to the one I run, including the 2x Search which I've found to be helpful, but still testing.
What is your meta/sideboard like?
PS: could always put the AV's to use in the As Foretold/Living End build. Didn't you have something similar to Seba in the UR Chandra style deck?
Yes finally is right! Yes i used to run a list almost identical to Seba's although ive moved away from that for the time being, it wasnt performing as well as i would like and i found myself drawn to the old faithful mono-u, so thats what ive been working on!
About my sideboard, it changes week to week depending on what i expect to see, but last week it was the below:
2 Spell Snare
2 Spreading Seas
3 Thing in the Ice
2 Swan Song
1 Censor
1 Commandeer
1 Cryptic Command
1 Shadow of Doubt
1 Nimble Obstructionist
1 Howling Mine
I have 2 Hurkyll's Recall stashed away that should probably be in there, but havent seen much affinity at my LGS lately. Ill be scouting the comp. tonght tho lol!
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Agreed with post above that Chalice and leyline often come in together against certain decks. Kind of... Valakut decks need leyline, lantern, living end, bogles, jeskai and a slew of others require only Chalice and don't really warrant leyline (lantern warrants leyline but I'd side in chalices first).
Anyway I could drop the chalices but what for? Hard to know! I'm thinking maybe something like meddling mage or runed halo. Meddling mage is sometimes superior because it doesn't even let opponents cast their critical spell whereas halo still allows them (in some instances) to cast it. I like both cards I have to say.
I played UB turns at GP Santa Clara to a disappointing 5-3 team finish (I think my personal record was also 5-3 and I believe that I punted two matches). I'm planning on writing a short tournament report later this week.
Agreed that storm has those cards, but what self-respecting storm player brings in creature removal against this deck? It's so weird of an angle to hate on them I don't think they'd even consider it. Likewise with ad naus although in fairness they've got to contend with leylines as well.
And of course you don't board meddling mage in against removal heavy decks. I can see maybe against valakut though naming primeval titan because they'll be boarding out most of their removal.
Snapback is OK. Tried it a little bit but it never really stuck for me. I can see it as a one-of in the same way that people sometimes run a one-of electrolyze in some control lists. Narrow but when it's good it's great.
Path is great. It gets better the more snapcasters you run obviously. However I'd caution you that it's only brilliant against certain decks and terrible against others.
Path is at its best when you are aggroing or tempoing out an opponent and you need a cheap way to hard-remove their midrange big beefy blocker on turn 4 while holding up some burn. Obviously we aren't doing that.
Here it's more of a stalling card which is tricky because you're also ramping them. The advantage though is that it deals with essentially everything. I'd say use it sparingly and only to disrupt combos or remove the biggest nastiest threats that opponents have tapped out for. Leverage the mana advantage from exiling something that costs 3+ mana for your W. Don't path stuff early. Use it the turn before you go off to ensure it happens, or to kill (for example) a gaddock teeg.
I would rather run fatal push if I had to run a maindeck removal spell. As it is, with a white splash and some really powerful white sideboard cards (mono U maindeck) I have toyed around with a couple path in the side and they have pulled their weight. Sometimes you just need a hard answer to a hatebear, combo piece or disruptive creature (iona?). Don't just bring it in against any old creature deck. Path doesn't fill the same role as push. Push is for stunting aggro decks early. Path is for giving us inevitability through creature-based disruption and being able to snipe the odd massive creature that someone cheats out.
I like both spells but push is the anti-aggro card. If your meta is super aggro, dredge and burn etc. I'd strongly consider a black splash: run black leylines, fatal push, snapcaster and collective brutality.
You guys are forgeting about affinity! I think a 2-2 split or even 3 leyline 1 chalice would be better than none. Also, often times burn sides in aftifact/enchantment hate so if you have challice on 2 they cant beat you.
UR and sometimes WDelver Modern
U and sometimes WTurns Modern
URBWAffinity Modern
GWKarametra Enchantress EDH
UBRG Yidris Storm EDH
WSram Cheerios EDH
It is probably too expensive for a mine effect but I figured it might be good to discuss if there is any shell that might want it for its cost reduction or planewalker hate.
The fact that it has to go down on turns where you could be time walking or holding up interaction make it seem pretty tough to justify though.
Yes, I am that guy.
Yes, I have had my nose broken before.
Hadn't seen that card. Looks sweet for commander.
However in this deck it's essential that you are able to drop a mine before you start chaining turns. For 6 mana that ain't gonna happen sadly.
Nice artwork though and cool general flavour. Just not competitive in modern (in this deck at least)
Consider this a perspective; I am by no means a coach. I acknowledge that for every situation where you could argue for an extra land, there is also a situation where you could argue for less. I have an easier time accepting a loss because I become flooded, but this can be mitigated with fetches for land thinning. However, I feel worse losing a game where I was unable to cast spells on "curve" because of my greed. If you are hitting all your land drops, you always have a chance of winning. If you miss a land drop, you're likely dead.
U
WUBRGPeopleGRBUW
U Turbo Turns U
UB Fae BU
WBG Aristocrats GBW
I'm planning to get into Turns in paper after playing a very similar deck for a long time in EDH, and I was wondering- if you were going to be going into a blind meta, would you take UW, UB or monoU?
First time poster but long time reader of this thread. Been a huge fan of Turns (I prefer the term Walks)for quite some time and I've been testing Mono U, and the Ub/Uw Varients online for over a year. My favourite is the Blue/Black version with Fatal Push, Thoughtseize and Collective Brutality. Push is a house in almost all metas, it just takes care of so many threats and doesn't punish you like path to exile does. Collective is great against aggro/burn decks. Thoughtseize is good in a few matchups (combo/control) but has left a lot to be desired for me as of late. The problem with the Ub and mono-U builds is their weakness to discard. Chalice of the void in the sideboard is a 100% MUST. It is the only reason this deck has legs against many decks games 2 and 3.
The Uw build has Leyline in the sideboard and that shores up a lot of matchups, plus other silver bullets like Stoney silence/Kataki, Rest in peace, supreme verdict etc. I just feel that the Uw build doesn't pack the punch that the black splash does, it has great sideboard options but the 3x fatal, 2-3xCollective and (maybe)2x Thoughtseize have better overall game against most decks. If you struggle against artifacts, pack some Hurkyll's Recall. Graveyard shenanigans getting to you? pack Leyline of the Void (not recommended in most cases).
Regardless of the build you are running, THING IN THE ICE!!! This card takes over games and has nearly doubled my win rate since adding it to my builds, I'm up to 3 in the sideboard and I'm very comfortable with that.
In the end I'd suggest either the Black or White build, the mana base is not crippling because you're only small splashing (bit more painful in black splash due to more fetches for more revolt triggers for Fatal Push)so might as well splash a second colour. Just know that if you're splashing black, Chalice goes in your sideboard, if you splash white, you go Leyline and probably no Chalice's. You also have to decide on Search for Azcanta's, there is no middle ground here when it comes to deciding whether you want that card in your deck, you just have to test for yourself, I'm personally against it.
On a side note, I've been testing Uw with Riverwise Augur lately (don't know how to link cards yet), it's fun and it works, but my win rate is much higher playing Ub Walks. Just wish we had more toys to play with in Rivals. So many tease/modern unplayable cards.
-Keep on walking Y'all!
4 As Foretold
2 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
2 Cryptic Command
4 Exhaustion
1 Gemstone Caverns
6 Island
1 Living End
1 Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
1 Mountain
2 Opt
2 Gigadrowse
4 Scalding Tarn
1 Search for Azcanta
4 Serum Visions
2 Snapcaster Mage
2 Steam Vents
4 Sulfur Falls
4 Temporal Mastery
4 Time Warp
3 Tolaria West
2 Wheel of Fate
2 Ceremonious Rejection
2 Dispel
1 Engineered Explosives
2 Gigadrowse
2 Pyroclasm
1 Relic of Progenitus
2 Thing in the Ice
1 Tormod's Crypt
1 Anger of the Gods
1 Restore Balance
I have found As Foretold to be a much more fun variant to play. I have access to a toolbox of 0 CMC cards thanks to Tolaria West I am able to board wipe with Living End or Restore Balance. Restore also buys me time against Valakut decks.
This deck also doesn't rely heavily on Mine effects and instead relies on Ancestral Visions, Wheel of Fate and Chandra, Torch of Defiance to generate the card advantage needed to combo off. An added bonus of this card draw package is we are not giving our opponents any extra cards and suspend becomes very powerful against hand disruption. I have played games where I have still managed to win even through a Liliana -6 Ultimate.
There were a couple of cards I wanted to talk about firstly Wheel of Fate has been absolutely amazing in this list. I've been able to combine this with a well timed Exhaustion and it will absolutely just end the game there. Also in a jam late game being able to tutor this can mean the difference between fizzling on turns or winning the game.
Next I must say the 1 of Search for Azcanta has Absolutely earned it's spot in the 75. This card just simply does everything this deck wants, the card selection early into the late game ramp and tutor effects help this card take over the game especially if you drop it on turn 2.
Thing in the Ice has also been killer out of the sideboard for me. I usually replace my Snapcasters with Thing and find my opponents bringing in graveyard hate in place of removal and get to blank them a second time.
Finally I cannot speak higher of Gigadrowse and Exhaustion. These two cards buy me more turns then anything else and Gigadrowse alone is enough to beat any control deck. There is nothing more satisfying than tapping the opposing control players blue sources down and following it up by dropping an As Foretold into a Ancestral Vision. I have yet to lose to control because of this.
On MTGO I have played mostly in the practice rooms, and have had some really good results that reflect what I have been able to do at my LGS. Most matchups feel winnable and the only matchup in particular I feel I struggle with is against Grixis Death Shadow.
The main reason for building this deck is I feel it absolutely crushes most blue based decks in Modern. My local meta is pretty heavy on decks like Blood Moon, Through the Breach, RUG Moon, Ad Naus and Kiki-Exarch. I have played in two 4 round events and one 3 round event and have a cumiltive record of 7-3-1 so far. My only losses were against the same GDS player twice and an 8-rack deck and my draw being to Eldarazi Tron running mainboard chalice and us going to time.
If you guys have any questions about the deck, or would like to playtest with me on MTGO please let me know! I've been having a blast piloting it so far and am currently considering bringing it to Grand Prix Phoenix this March.
-I like your deck idea, but not sure it's in the same category as the traditional "mono u turns" deck. Have certainly seen it elsewhere preform well! As Foretold is such a cool card and has a home in the mono u living end deck, so hopefully it can get stirred up elsewhere; maybe in a version similar to yours where the main win is from an ultimated Chandra
I know the set hasn't officially released yet but just shocked that we aren't brainstorming ideas on how to fit the first modern legal brainstorm card into the deck! Now I understand if the chance to put a miracle back on top of your library at sorcery speed isn't that exciting. What if the deck played a Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir, some Scout's Warning's or splash G for Savage Summoning's?
All of this is likely "too cute" and probably total garbage, but lets get the namesake going and brainstorm!
Though I do not play UR turns, I am a big fan of your deck and your colors. Your list looks very versatile. Let's just hope that abrupt decay does not become more popular in your meta. I built UW turns for two main reasons; it seemed consistent and budget friendly (I had access to many of the cards). I'm curious about your deck's consistency. How often do you fail to assemble your "engine"? If you don't find an As Foretold early, with 4x Ancestral Visions and 4x Exhaustion, I imagine you can stall the game long enough for AV to come off suspend...
@ALL
Been researching ways to improve our DS match up without making the side board too narrow. Auriok Champion seems versatile tech against both DS and burn (ideal if not for skull crack). A more narrow card is Slaughter the Strong; it eliminates DS's biggest threats a turn earlier than Supreme Verdict. For now, I will go with path/condemn for it's power and versatility.
I have been playing Turns for a few years now, trying a variety of builds, and right now I'm back on the classic mono-u style.
Please take a look at my list below and let me know what y'all think.
I've been taking this deck to my LGS for FNM for quite a while and have been doing pretty well with it, over the last month posting 3-0-1 twice, and 3-1 last friday.
Also hello to Herkamurjones, I appreciate those AVs you sold me, although they're currently not being used.
Anyway, enough about that take a look below:
2 Snapcaster Mage
4 Dictate of Kruphix
2 Howling Mine
2 Search for Azcanta (Last week was first time trying it, will be keeping it this week as well)
4 Serum Visions
2 Opt
3 Gigadrowse
3 Exhaustion
2 Remand
2 Cryptic Command
4 Time Warp
4 Temporal Mastery
3 Part the Waterveil
1 Gemstone Caverns
1 Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
1 Oboro, palace in the Clouds
1 Geier Reach Sanitarium
1 Inkmoth Nexus
1 Snow Covered Island (no functional reason)
17 Island
I think it looks pretty good. Personally, I prefer a U/B build but this version of mono blue is pretty strong.
I have found Search for Azcanta to be lacking. The scry on turns 3-6 are nice if you land one right on turn 2, but if not - it's a pretty dead draw in the mid/late game. I've found that once you flip it, it's not really that great since you're almost always tapping out to cast warps for the next several turns as you go off. If you happen to fizzle on chaining extra turns at that point, the 4 mana needed to use the land is hard to have to spare most of the time - usually you're going to be spending your mana on Cryptic and Exhaustion and Remand and Gigadrowse to just survive a turn or two to topdeck another time walk effect and give the combo another shot.
I do like using Snapcaster Mage because it helps bridge you from turn 7-9 when you might need to Snap-Warp to get your mana for Part the Waterveils online or as a pinch pseudo walk with passing turn and Cryptic (tap/draw) and then Snap-Cryptic (tap-bounce on Snap) into Gigadrowse, Snap-Gigadrowse to buy a couple more turns before you go off.
For reference, here's my U/B build
4 Drowned Catacomb
1 Inkmoth Nexus
9 Island
1 Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
4 Polluted Delta
2 Sunken Hollow
1 Watery Grave
3 Howling Mine
Enchantment (4)
4 Dictate of Kruphix
Creature (1)
1 Snapcaster Mage
Sorcery (17)
3 Exhaustion
3 Part the Waterveil
4 Serum Visions
3 Temporal Mastery
4 Time Warp
3 Cryptic Command
3 Fatal Push
3 Gigadrowse
4 Opt
Laboratory Maniac + Hurkyl's Recall seem like they might be able to get some wins but it seems iffy since you are probably going to get hit by hand disruption if you have it from the start and they probably aren't going to let you draw it.
Jace Beleren and Elixir of Immortality might also get us there in some lucky games.
Yes, I am that guy.
Yes, I have had my nose broken before.
What is your meta/sideboard like?
PS: could always put the AV's to use in the As Foretold/Living End build. Didn't you have something similar to Seba in the UR Chandra style deck?
Lantern can be tricky. Your Howling Mines and Dictates will tax their mill rocks pretty well, but it may be difficult to land them if they aren't in your opening hand (and get milled first) or taken via Thoughtseize, etc ... otherwise, Serum Visions and Opt will help to let you get past their lock. Gigadrowse and Exhaustion can also help buy you an unlocked turn. Re-shuffle graveyard effects like Elixir of Immortality aren't good solutions since they often will either Pithing Needle it or just mill it away. The key is to know that once they have 3 or 4 mill rocks and a Lantern down you should probably scoop unless you have Mine effects in play already or multiple Mine effects & card draw spells in hand already. The good news is that other than a little light hand disruption and their mill rocks, they put you under almost NO pressure, so if you can build your board early before the lock is down, there's a good chance you can start chaining Time Walk effects and beat them easily.
I agree about the snapcasters, and for the moment disagree about Search. I'm only disagreeing because I haven't been able to test it enough yet, tonight will be week number 2 with it in the mainboard. My meta is fairly control heavy at times, a lot of UWx Control decks so oftentimes it can bait out a counterspell leaving my Time Warps wide open.. I know this isn't the ideal way to think of the card but its still true.
I'm a huge fan of U/B and hope to give that a shot at some point soon, and your list looks pretty close to what I'm interested in. I like the idea of mainboard thoughtseize though, have you tried / considered this?
I wish I could answer this question, there is only 1 lantern player at my LGS and he hasn't played that deck in awhile, that being said, I personally have played against Lantern a total of 0 times...
Yes finally is right! Yes i used to run a list almost identical to Seba's although ive moved away from that for the time being, it wasnt performing as well as i would like and i found myself drawn to the old faithful mono-u, so thats what ive been working on!
About my sideboard, it changes week to week depending on what i expect to see, but last week it was the below:
2 Spell Snare
2 Spreading Seas
3 Thing in the Ice
2 Swan Song
1 Censor
1 Commandeer
1 Cryptic Command
1 Shadow of Doubt
1 Nimble Obstructionist
1 Howling Mine
I have 2 Hurkyll's Recall stashed away that should probably be in there, but havent seen much affinity at my LGS lately. Ill be scouting the comp. tonght tho lol!