thanks 4 your advice is much appreciated. i love them, too, but i fear i will color screw by running 2 over 25. maybe i could cut it for a plains? or risking to go 2x...
Not sure how often you play your version, but personally I haven't had many color screw games (had a few, but they are far and few between) and I run 3 Tectonics.
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Current Decks:
Modern Modern Warp / UR Control / UR Storm / Naya Breachshift / ElectroBalance
Legacy Solidarity / Lands / Sneak and Show / Grixis Delver / Reanimator / Belcher / Storm / Dredge
// Sideboard SB: 1 Pithing Needle SB: 2 Rest in Peace SB: 2 Shadow of Doubt SB: 2 Stony Silence SB: 2 Surgical Extraction 2 Sowing Salt 2 Leyline of Sanctity
I have just recently gotten into modern. I have to say it is quite diverse and throughly enjoyable. While cost are a bit restrictive to some, it doesn't take an arm and leg to be successful. I chose UWR geist due to its flexibility and great aggro match up. So far my store has held three events and have posted a 8-3 overall record. This deck, I have learned, will absolutely punish you or reward you for how you play. I really enjoy this style as it is helps you improve.
I took out 1 arid mesa from my MB to put the second tectonic edge into, without changin the number of playable lands and without taking out colored mana sources... let's see what happens!
He should be fine with 7 getches, specially with only 5 shocks, and 4 basics that are targets.
Too many fetches can backfire if you dont run eough shocks to search for, and aven mindsensor and even worse shadow of doubt are seeing more play now.
In that metagame, i think it would be a safe move to lower your artifact hate, stony silence doesnt seem as necessary if there are no tron or affinity decks. (a singleton uw tron doesnt matter all that much)
If you think the meta will stay like that for you, it would be a wise move to adapt quickly.
Aside from the record, im happy you are satisfied with the chages we proposed here and how your deck performed.
Its important to note that modern evolves fast, so a list you are satisfied with today may not cut it next week, so its a good idea to swap cards and tweak numbers even if your list did well. Who knows, you may even find better uses for those slots.
The meta is likely to contain a fair amount of affinity, jund, junk and a lot of Twin. So I need to focus on that. There may be some Pod players too.
Any help / advice on the deck?
I'd make sure you jam a couple (if not more) Pyroclasm in there, a 4th Path, and at least 2 Counterflux.
I also had an event last night. After last week's 4-0 finish, this week's 2-2 finish was a little bitter. I finally got a good look at the meta, and even though I feel my build is weak to combo, there are at least 3 Affinity, 1 RG aggro, and 1 Burn that are played every week. I'll just comment real quick, wont be lengthy like my last post.
Match 1: 2-0 (vs Puresteel Paladin combo)
Game 1, I stick Geist and swing, he scoops; no answers before Geist closes the gap. Game 2, I play Colonnade tapped and pass, he goes off with Spoils of the Vault...and wiffs for 18, just enough to finish himself off after a Gitaxian Probe. This was silly.
Match 2: 2-0 (vs UWR midrange)
Never played the mirror before but oh my god, Ajani Vengeant guys, M friggen VP. Game 1 was much more back and forth but Game 2 Ajani came down again and used his -7. Tec edge + Ajani was also amazing for keeping him off of Colonnades and Cryptic mana.
Match 3: 0-2 (vs GR aggro)
Game 1, I kept a decent hand but he was extremely aggressive. I was stabilizing, but I tapped 3 for Electrolyze at EoT and he went Tarfire->bolt to deal exactly 5, ending me. Pretty sure I had Cryptic Command in hand ready to cast :(.
Game 2, turn 3 Blood Moon into my Mana Leak, feeling real good until he slams another Blood Moon and I look at my 3 mountains, 1 island, and my hand full of Ajani and Cryptic and cry.
Match 4: 1-2 (vs Affinity)
Game 1 I win, I don't remember how. Electrolyze killed so many X/1's it was scary.
Game 2 was much closer. With an active Etched Champion I couldn't block/kill/tap it down so it was a race, and unfortunately he had Galvanic Blast when I was at 3. Saw no Helices or Ajani. I did have Geist-Elspeth on the table but they showed up too late.
Game 3 I kept a STUPID hand...5 lands, Wear//Tear, path. I figured with 25 lands and plenty of fetches I'd just draw into removal; not the case. I was stabilizing...until I drew like, 4 lands in a row. Never saw my Pyroclasms, Verdicts, Stony Silence or other Wear//Tear.
I see my losses were probably playing/sideboarding mistakes and unluckiness on my part, but I still have not regretted playing Ajani and Elspeth mainboard together. That mirror match shows this easily, and I should've been able to deal with that Affinity match as well. I think I'll be boarding pretty hard anti combo anti aggro for next time.
Well, im back from a small gpt with 20 people, with a decent record of 3-1-1.
My only loss came from a random boggle deck.
Ut wasnt as bad a match up as i initially tought, i lost 2-1 and in G3 i was 1 life away from killing him, so im more than satisfied.
R1 i won agaisnt a 4 colour gifts 2-0, R2 i won agaisnt a kikipod 2-0, R3 y lost to boggle 2-1, R4 i won agaisnt Rug fae 2-0, and R5 i tied with a scapeshift.
In top 8 i won the mirror 2-1, and lost in top 4 to a junk deck, mostly to bad draws.
All in all, im satisfied with the results i got, so i cant complain too much, even if im a bit bitter about losing to junk.
On another topic, i got a friend to switch from uwr control to midrange, so we got alot of testing done (finally!) and i got a few conclusions from that.
The mirror is still dominated by geist, altough in a slightly different manner. When two players have their geist, the one with the lowest life tends to lose, since its almost impossible to race.
The number of vendilion cliques drawn REALLY affects the outcome of the match. At that moment i was playing 1, my friend 3. Im now convinced that 3 is the right number, but that poses another question, is resto angel a good tool again? that i still dont know, but i will keep testing to see if it has more value than ajani, which is useless in the mirror.
Tectonic edge is a beast in that game. Double tectonic on a single colour is backbreaking, therefore running 3 is the right choice i think.
Im still not sure what to cut for the 2 vendilion cliques i need to add, maybe both commands, maybe both ajanis, or another combination of cards.
The 4th path was completely cut from the side, and i dont miss it one bit.
Supreme veredict is better than wrath if you expect a lot of mirror. We CAN win a game even of thrun resolves. We cannot win a game if the opponent geist lands and ours does not, verdicts are our only real answer here, wraths will get countered.
Well, im back from a small gpt with 20 people, with a decent record of 3-1-1.
My only loss came from a random boggle deck.
Ut wasnt as bad a match up as i initially tought, i lost 2-1 and in G3 i was 1 life away from killing him, so im more than satisfied.
R1 i won agaisnt a 4 colour gifts 2-0, R2 i won agaisnt a kikipod 2-0, R3 y lost to boggle 2-1, R4 i won agaisnt Rug fae 2-0, and R5 i tied with a scapeshift.
In top 8 i won the mirror 2-1, and lost in top 4 to a junk deck, mostly to bad draws.
All in all, im satisfied with the results i got, so i cant complain too much, even if im a bit bitter about losing to junk.
On another topic, i got a friend to switch from uwr control to midrange, so we got alot of testing done (finally!) and i got a few conclusions from that.
The mirror is still dominated by geist, altough in a slightly different manner. When two players have their geist, the one with the lowest life tends to lose, since its almost impossible to race.
The number of vendilion cliques drawn REALLY affects the outcome of the match. At that moment i was playing 1, my friend 3. Im now convinced that 3 is the right number, but that poses another question, is resto angel a good tool again? that i still dont know, but i will keep testing to see if it has more value than ajani, which is useless in the mirror.
Tectonic edge is a beast in that game. Double tectonic on a single colour is backbreaking, therefore running 3 is the right choice i think.
Im still not sure what to cut for the 2 vendilion cliques i need to add, maybe both commands, maybe both ajanis, or another combination of cards.
The 4th path was completely cut from the side, and i dont miss it one bit.
Supreme veredict is better than wrath if you expect a lot of mirror. We CAN win a game even of thrun resolves. We cannot win a game if the opponent geist lands and ours does not, verdicts are our only real answer here, wraths will get countered.
Well, thats all for now, toughts?
You could try the list that Paul Cheon and LSV 4-0'd with for starters. I made some changes to it like cutting Cryptics completely in favor of cheaper countermagic. In my testing, having something like Izzet Charm is better in the mirror and most matchups. The only time I wanted Cryptics is when I faced Tron decks.
Having 3 cliques makes 2 copies of Restoration Angel worth it. It's alright to have Resto in the main if you meta has a lot of combo decks. I usually side her out when I play against midrange decks for bombs like Baneslayer / Batterskull / Thundermaw. Having these big guys made it easier for me when facing opposing Baloths and Thruns.
You could try the list that Paul Cheon and LSV 4-0'd with for starters. I made some changes to it like cutting Cryptics completely in favor of cheaper countermagic. In my testing, having something like Izzet Charm is better in the mirror and most matchups. The only time I wanted Cryptics is when I faced Tron decks.
Having 3 cliques makes 2 copies of Restoration Angel worth it. It's alright to have Resto in the main if you meta has a lot of combo decks. I usually side her out when I play against midrange decks for bombs like Baneslayer / Batterskull / Thundermaw. Having these big guys made it easier for me when facing opposing Baloths and Thruns.
i'm not a fan of izzet. if it could 2 to the dome i'd be sold.
on the fence about resto. new legendary rules make clique so good. i wish i had a third, so i'll just stick to my two. without a third i don't know if i can justify a rest. maybe one.
i'm not a fan of izzet. if it could 2 to the dome i'd be sold.
on the fence about resto. new legendary rules make clique so good. i wish i had a third, so i'll just stick to my two. without a third i don't know if i can justify a rest. maybe one.
The reason why I have Izzet Charm is because I want to have 8 counters to deal with a turn 2 Liliana of the Veil, without having to use a playset of Mana Leak. Of course if I happen to remand it on turn 2, I have 3 cliques to deal with it later on. This card conveniently kills Huntmasters, DRS and some creatures in the Pod MU if needed.
Regarding Resto, it's really up to you if you want to have it. But imo, It works well with Cliques, is good in the combo matchup and the mirror because she lets you leave counter mana up.
Even if you just own 2 Cliques, I think it's still worth trying. I saw a list went 4-0 with it. You can always take it out if it's doesn't fit your taste.
While Leak is awesome, I'd rather be using Remand early game and I'd rather be using Command late game...I'm not saying there are not cases where Mana Leak does not shine, but Cryptic Command can tap out the opponent for Geist of Saint Traft, return a manland or planeswalker to the opponent's hand, or serve as one of the few hard counters in this deck...o yeah, and the cantrip is amazing of course...
While Leak is awesome, I'd rather be using Remand early game and I'd rather be using Command late game...I'm not saying there are not cases where Mana Leak does not shine, but Cryptic Command can tap out the opponent for Geist of Saint Traft, return a manland or planeswalker to the opponent's hand, or serve as one of the few hard counters in this deck...o yeah, and the cantrip is amazing of course...
I couldn't agree more with that line up, but can this archetype be as potent without :symr:?
It seems as if this archetype can go in a few different directions, each of which can have their own advantages/disadvantages over one another.
My only qualm with this deck is that Geist of Saint Traft seems less potent without Enchantments, or even Swords. Sure, burn spells can clear a path, but how does this deck deal with opposing Hexproof?
My only qualm with this deck is that Geist of Saint Traft seems less potent without Enchantments, or even Swords. Sure, burn spells can clear a path, but how does this deck deal with opposing Hexproof?
How does this deck deal with opposing Trafts? By legend ruling him out clever blocking and outracing.
How does this deck deal with opposing Thruns? By boarding in Wrath of God/Celestial Flare and crossing its fingers. A lot. Heck, this deck can't deal with Thrun well at all...maybe outracing him with fliers is possible?
How does this deck deal with Bogles? By boarding in Celestial Flare/Engineered Explosives and crossing its fingers a lot again. Heck, the Bogles match-up may be worse than the Thrun one.
How does this deck deal with opposing Trafts? By legend ruling him out clever blocking and outracing.
How does this deck deal with opposing Thruns? By boarding in Wrath of God/Celestial Flare and crossing its fingers. A lot. Heck, this deck can't deal with Thrun well at all...maybe outracing him with fliers is possible?
How does this deck deal with Bogles? By boarding in Celestial Flare/Engineered Explosives and crossing its fingers a lot again. Heck, the Bogles match-up may be worse than the Thrun one.
This deck's Hexproof match-up is fairly bad.
I disagree on thrun. I have found that i can play just as always with a thrun on the opposing side, i really dont care about him.
An hexproof guy is always a pain, but as long as i have my own geist, thrun wont be attacking anytime soon in fear of retaliation, so i can take my time to burn down/hit with colonnades for a win.
Thrun is REALLY overrated, imo, people playing green think they resolve him and we lose, and it just isnt like that.
The other two are true, geist mirrors are a race more now than ever, and boggle comes down to a) you have explosives/spellskite or b) you have enough burn+geist and they dont have coronet; if so, you win.
This may be a really stupid question, but does anyone consider using Mindbreak Trap in the sideboard? I'm sure there are just better sideboard cards, but as an effective way to combat storm (although its not that popular right now), Thrun, and Emrakul (although you should have ways to deal with the lands in the sideboard already)
I've been following Modern for awhile, trying to build a deck for the last few months. I've played URW in standard since it was an archetype. I felt building this deck would be the easiest transition into the modern format since I'm so familiar with this archetype.
Here's the list I've been trying to build.
The only cards I need to acquire are the Fetchlands, Cryptic Command's, and Vendilion Clique's. I've tested it a bit on Cockatrice with some friends, but outside of that I haven't played any REAL games or tournaments with it. The list does seem pretty solid though. I have yet to make a sideboard for this, I feel that will probably be the hardest thing to do. I'm just not sure which cards are bad in each match-up do to my lack of experience, I'd appreciate it if someone could help me.
I've been following Modern for awhile, trying to build a deck for the last few months. I've played URW in standard since it was an archetype. I felt building this deck would be the easiest transition into the modern format since I'm so familiar with this archetype.
Here's the list I've been trying to build.
The only cards I need to acquire are the Fetchlands, Cryptic Command's, and Vendilion Clique's. I've tested it a bit on Cockatrice with some friends, but outside of that I haven't played any REAL games or tournaments with it. The list does seem pretty solid though. I have yet to make a sideboard for this, I feel that will probably be the hardest thing to do. I'm just not sure which cards are bad in each match-up do to my lack of experience, I'd appreciate it if someone could help me.
If you are going to be running Cryptic Command which I am a fan of, having 6 sources of mana in your deck that do not have blue would be a bad option IMO...I would take out a mountain and plains for a Sulfur Falls and a Glacial Fortress respectively...
Also, since you are running the Commands, I would go 4 PtE and 2 Mana Leak
Sulfur falls is always a good idea in this deck, since the red sources are hard to come by sometimes, even if it doesn't look like it at first sight.
I have had at least twice as many red screws, as white or blue screws.
the glacial fortress is a bit questionable, i would add a second tectonic edge rather than that.
Also, a single spell snare seems way too conditional to work, if you like it (as i do) play 2 or 3, otherwise cut it, one doesn't get anything done.
As for Sb options, as always, its entirely up to your meta-game, but some of the most common choices include:
x2 supreme verdict/wrath of god: depending on weather your are more worried about thrun or GoST mirrors.
x2 counterflux: this is not optional, run them.
x2-3 and 1-2 wear/tear : stony silence and wear/and tear make affinity and tron match ups a bye. They just cant win with a turn 2 silence. Simple as that. Some people don't expect all that much tron or affinity on their metagames, so wear/tear´s versatility is a better choice.
x2 surgical extraction/RiP/relic of progenitus: the most common Gy hate options. With living end, melira pod, gifts, and so many other decks abusing the gy, together with cards like deathrite shaman, KoTR and goyf, shutting down the gy is a solid move, even at the cost of our own snapcasters. Handle with care tough, the deck isnt the same without tiago.
The rest i would say are flex slots. Some people run batterskull, land destruction, anti-search options like mindsensor or shadow of doubt, spellskite, engineered explosives, Elspeth, celestial purge, kor firewalker, more cliques, negate, dispel, etc etc.
Thanks for the quick advice. The points you made definitely make sense.
From what you said these are the changes I've made to my list above.
-1 Plains
-1 Mountain
-1 Mana Leak
+1 Sulfur Falls
+1 Tectonic Edge
+1 Path to Exile
With those changes I really like the way the deck is set up. So with the Spell Snare if anything, I will probably just remove it. I was debating going down to 2 Electrolyze to add a second Spell Snare, but Electrolyze seems really good against Aggro plus you draw a card. Is there any card good enough to be in here as just a 1 of?
From what you mentioned about sideboard options, this is what I've come up with.
2 Supreme Verdict (Geist seems a lot more scarier than an opposing Thrun, thanks to the new legendary rule.)
2 Counterflux (mandatory seems sweet against any control/combo deck)
3 Wear/Tear (like the Versatility of also being able to destroy enchantments. Great synergy with Snapcaster Mage. Don't like Stony Silence b/c it's an enchantment and can easily be destroyed.)
3 Rest in Peace (I have a lot of experience with this card in Standard, so I know how to play with it. Although it being an enchantment sort of scares me. )
The rest of the sideboard will be put together as I figure out my local meta and get more comfortable with the format. Thanks again Rhinne!
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Not sure how often you play your version, but personally I haven't had many color screw games (had a few, but they are far and few between) and I run 3 Tectonics.
4 Arid Mesa
2 Celestial Colonnade
2 Hallowed Fountain
1 Eigjano's Castle
1 Island
2 Misty Rainforest
1 Mountain
1 Plains
1 Sacred Foundry
3 Scalding Tarn
1 Seachrome Coast
3 Steam Vents
2 Sulfur Fallsxxx
2 Tectonic Edge
4 Geist of Saint Traft
2 Restoration Angel
3 Snapcaster Mage
2 Vendilion Clique
// Spells
2 Cryptic Command
2 Electrolyze
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Lightning Helix
3 Mana Leak
3 Path to Exile
4 Remand
1 Spell Snare
1 Sphinx's Revelation
SB: 1 Pithing Needle
SB: 2 Rest in Peace
SB: 2 Shadow of Doubt
SB: 2 Stony Silence
SB: 2 Surgical Extraction
2 Sowing Salt
2 Leyline of Sanctity
I have just recently gotten into modern. I have to say it is quite diverse and throughly enjoyable. While cost are a bit restrictive to some, it doesn't take an arm and leg to be successful. I chose UWR geist due to its flexibility and great aggro match up. So far my store has held three events and have posted a 8-3 overall record. This deck, I have learned, will absolutely punish you or reward you for how you play. I really enjoy this style as it is helps you improve.
EDH Decks
Thanks To DarkNightCavalier For the Sig!!!
i would pull the sulfur falls over the mesa. fetches are too important, especially with only 1 gate and so many doubles.
Too many fetches can backfire if you dont run eough shocks to search for, and aven mindsensor and even worse shadow of doubt are seeing more play now.
If you think the meta will stay like that for you, it would be a wise move to adapt quickly.
Aside from the record, im happy you are satisfied with the chages we proposed here and how your deck performed.
Its important to note that modern evolves fast, so a list you are satisfied with today may not cut it next week, so its a good idea to swap cards and tweak numbers even if your list did well. Who knows, you may even find better uses for those slots.
I'd make sure you jam a couple (if not more) Pyroclasm in there, a 4th Path, and at least 2 Counterflux.
I also had an event last night. After last week's 4-0 finish, this week's 2-2 finish was a little bitter. I finally got a good look at the meta, and even though I feel my build is weak to combo, there are at least 3 Affinity, 1 RG aggro, and 1 Burn that are played every week. I'll just comment real quick, wont be lengthy like my last post.
Match 1: 2-0 (vs Puresteel Paladin combo)
Game 1, I stick Geist and swing, he scoops; no answers before Geist closes the gap. Game 2, I play Colonnade tapped and pass, he goes off with Spoils of the Vault...and wiffs for 18, just enough to finish himself off after a Gitaxian Probe. This was silly.
Match 2: 2-0 (vs UWR midrange)
Never played the mirror before but oh my god, Ajani Vengeant guys, M friggen VP. Game 1 was much more back and forth but Game 2 Ajani came down again and used his -7. Tec edge + Ajani was also amazing for keeping him off of Colonnades and Cryptic mana.
Match 3: 0-2 (vs GR aggro)
Game 1, I kept a decent hand but he was extremely aggressive. I was stabilizing, but I tapped 3 for Electrolyze at EoT and he went Tarfire->bolt to deal exactly 5, ending me. Pretty sure I had Cryptic Command in hand ready to cast :(.
Game 2, turn 3 Blood Moon into my Mana Leak, feeling real good until he slams another Blood Moon and I look at my 3 mountains, 1 island, and my hand full of Ajani and Cryptic and cry.
Match 4: 1-2 (vs Affinity)
Game 1 I win, I don't remember how. Electrolyze killed so many X/1's it was scary.
Game 2 was much closer. With an active Etched Champion I couldn't block/kill/tap it down so it was a race, and unfortunately he had Galvanic Blast when I was at 3. Saw no Helices or Ajani. I did have Geist-Elspeth on the table but they showed up too late.
Game 3 I kept a STUPID hand...5 lands, Wear//Tear, path. I figured with 25 lands and plenty of fetches I'd just draw into removal; not the case. I was stabilizing...until I drew like, 4 lands in a row. Never saw my Pyroclasms, Verdicts, Stony Silence or other Wear//Tear.
I see my losses were probably playing/sideboarding mistakes and unluckiness on my part, but I still have not regretted playing Ajani and Elspeth mainboard together. That mirror match shows this easily, and I should've been able to deal with that Affinity match as well. I think I'll be boarding pretty hard anti combo anti aggro for next time.
UWRUWR Midrange/GeistRWU
Retired
GWBMelira PodBWG
My only loss came from a random boggle deck.
Ut wasnt as bad a match up as i initially tought, i lost 2-1 and in G3 i was 1 life away from killing him, so im more than satisfied.
R1 i won agaisnt a 4 colour gifts 2-0, R2 i won agaisnt a kikipod 2-0, R3 y lost to boggle 2-1, R4 i won agaisnt Rug fae 2-0, and R5 i tied with a scapeshift.
In top 8 i won the mirror 2-1, and lost in top 4 to a junk deck, mostly to bad draws.
All in all, im satisfied with the results i got, so i cant complain too much, even if im a bit bitter about losing to junk.
On another topic, i got a friend to switch from uwr control to midrange, so we got alot of testing done (finally!) and i got a few conclusions from that.
The mirror is still dominated by geist, altough in a slightly different manner. When two players have their geist, the one with the lowest life tends to lose, since its almost impossible to race.
The number of vendilion cliques drawn REALLY affects the outcome of the match. At that moment i was playing 1, my friend 3. Im now convinced that 3 is the right number, but that poses another question, is resto angel a good tool again? that i still dont know, but i will keep testing to see if it has more value than ajani, which is useless in the mirror.
Tectonic edge is a beast in that game. Double tectonic on a single colour is backbreaking, therefore running 3 is the right choice i think.
Im still not sure what to cut for the 2 vendilion cliques i need to add, maybe both commands, maybe both ajanis, or another combination of cards.
The 4th path was completely cut from the side, and i dont miss it one bit.
Supreme veredict is better than wrath if you expect a lot of mirror. We CAN win a game even of thrun resolves. We cannot win a game if the opponent geist lands and ours does not, verdicts are our only real answer here, wraths will get countered.
Well, thats all for now, toughts?
You could try the list that Paul Cheon and LSV 4-0'd with for starters. I made some changes to it like cutting Cryptics completely in favor of cheaper countermagic. In my testing, having something like Izzet Charm is better in the mirror and most matchups. The only time I wanted Cryptics is when I faced Tron decks.
Having 3 cliques makes 2 copies of Restoration Angel worth it. It's alright to have Resto in the main if you meta has a lot of combo decks. I usually side her out when I play against midrange decks for bombs like Baneslayer / Batterskull / Thundermaw. Having these big guys made it easier for me when facing opposing Baloths and Thruns.
i'm not a fan of izzet. if it could 2 to the dome i'd be sold.
on the fence about resto. new legendary rules make clique so good. i wish i had a third, so i'll just stick to my two. without a third i don't know if i can justify a rest. maybe one.
The reason why I have Izzet Charm is because I want to have 8 counters to deal with a turn 2 Liliana of the Veil, without having to use a playset of Mana Leak. Of course if I happen to remand it on turn 2, I have 3 cliques to deal with it later on. This card conveniently kills Huntmasters, DRS and some creatures in the Pod MU if needed.
Regarding Resto, it's really up to you if you want to have it. But imo, It works well with Cliques, is good in the combo matchup and the mirror because she lets you leave counter mana up.
Even if you just own 2 Cliques, I think it's still worth trying. I saw a list went 4-0 with it. You can always take it out if it's doesn't fit your taste.
4x Geist of Saint Traft
4x Snapcaster Mage
3x Vendilion Clique
2x Restoration Angel
That being said, I think people vastly underestimate Cryptic Command. Here is the way I look at it...I kind of see it as either:
2x Mana Leak or 2x Cryptic Command
While Leak is awesome, I'd rather be using Remand early game and I'd rather be using Command late game...I'm not saying there are not cases where Mana Leak does not shine, but Cryptic Command can tap out the opponent for Geist of Saint Traft, return a manland or planeswalker to the opponent's hand, or serve as one of the few hard counters in this deck...o yeah, and the cantrip is amazing of course...
I couldn't agree more with that line up, but can this archetype be as potent without :symr:?
It seems as if this archetype can go in a few different directions, each of which can have their own advantages/disadvantages over one another.
My only qualm with this deck is that Geist of Saint Traft seems less potent without Enchantments, or even Swords. Sure, burn spells can clear a path, but how does this deck deal with opposing Hexproof?
How does this deck deal with opposing Trafts? By
legend ruling him outclever blocking and outracing.How does this deck deal with opposing Thruns? By boarding in Wrath of God/Celestial Flare and crossing its fingers. A lot. Heck, this deck can't deal with Thrun well at all...maybe outracing him with fliers is possible?
How does this deck deal with Bogles? By boarding in Celestial Flare/Engineered Explosives and crossing its fingers a lot again. Heck, the Bogles match-up may be worse than the Thrun one.
This deck's Hexproof match-up is fairly bad.
I disagree on thrun. I have found that i can play just as always with a thrun on the opposing side, i really dont care about him.
An hexproof guy is always a pain, but as long as i have my own geist, thrun wont be attacking anytime soon in fear of retaliation, so i can take my time to burn down/hit with colonnades for a win.
Thrun is REALLY overrated, imo, people playing green think they resolve him and we lose, and it just isnt like that.
The other two are true, geist mirrors are a race more now than ever, and boggle comes down to a) you have explosives/spellskite or b) you have enough burn+geist and they dont have coronet; if so, you win.
Here's the list I've been trying to build.
4 Snapcaster Mage
4 Geist of Saint Traft
2 Restoration Angel
2 Vendilion Clique
SPELLS:
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Lightning Helix
3 Mana Leak
3 Path to Exile
3 Remand
3 Electrolyze
2 Cryptic Command
1 Spell Snare
4 Arid Mesa
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Celestial Colonnade
2 Hallowed Fountain
2 Steam Vents
2 Island
2 Mountain
2 Plains
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Eiganjo Castle
1 Tectonic Edge
The only cards I need to acquire are the Fetchlands, Cryptic Command's, and Vendilion Clique's. I've tested it a bit on Cockatrice with some friends, but outside of that I haven't played any REAL games or tournaments with it. The list does seem pretty solid though. I have yet to make a sideboard for this, I feel that will probably be the hardest thing to do. I'm just not sure which cards are bad in each match-up do to my lack of experience, I'd appreciate it if someone could help me.
If you are going to be running Cryptic Command which I am a fan of, having 6 sources of mana in your deck that do not have blue would be a bad option IMO...I would take out a mountain and plains for a Sulfur Falls and a Glacial Fortress respectively...
Also, since you are running the Commands, I would go 4 PtE and 2 Mana Leak
I have had at least twice as many red screws, as white or blue screws.
the glacial fortress is a bit questionable, i would add a second tectonic edge rather than that.
Also, a single spell snare seems way too conditional to work, if you like it (as i do) play 2 or 3, otherwise cut it, one doesn't get anything done.
As for Sb options, as always, its entirely up to your meta-game, but some of the most common choices include:
x2 supreme verdict/wrath of god: depending on weather your are more worried about thrun or GoST mirrors.
x2 counterflux: this is not optional, run them.
x2-3 and 1-2 wear/tear : stony silence and wear/and tear make affinity and tron match ups a bye. They just cant win with a turn 2 silence. Simple as that. Some people don't expect all that much tron or affinity on their metagames, so wear/tear´s versatility is a better choice.
x2 surgical extraction/RiP/relic of progenitus: the most common Gy hate options. With living end, melira pod, gifts, and so many other decks abusing the gy, together with cards like deathrite shaman, KoTR and goyf, shutting down the gy is a solid move, even at the cost of our own snapcasters. Handle with care tough, the deck isnt the same without tiago.
The rest i would say are flex slots. Some people run batterskull, land destruction, anti-search options like mindsensor or shadow of doubt, spellskite, engineered explosives, Elspeth, celestial purge, kor firewalker, more cliques, negate, dispel, etc etc.
From what you said these are the changes I've made to my list above.
-1 Plains
-1 Mountain
-1 Mana Leak
+1 Sulfur Falls
+1 Tectonic Edge
+1 Path to Exile
With those changes I really like the way the deck is set up. So with the Spell Snare if anything, I will probably just remove it. I was debating going down to 2 Electrolyze to add a second Spell Snare, but Electrolyze seems really good against Aggro plus you draw a card. Is there any card good enough to be in here as just a 1 of?
From what you mentioned about sideboard options, this is what I've come up with.
2 Supreme Verdict (Geist seems a lot more scarier than an opposing Thrun, thanks to the new legendary rule.)
2 Counterflux (mandatory
3 Wear/Tear (like the Versatility of also being able to destroy enchantments. Great synergy with Snapcaster Mage. Don't like Stony Silence b/c it's an enchantment and can easily be destroyed.)
3 Rest in Peace (I have a lot of experience with this card in Standard, so I know how to play with it. Although it being an enchantment sort of scares me. )
The rest of the sideboard will be put together as I figure out my local meta and get more comfortable with the format. Thanks again Rhinne!