Hey guys, just came back from GP Oakland Modern showdown. Here's my tournament report:
<snip>
My record is enough to get into Top 8 and we all split prize tickets rather than endure another potential 3 rounds. I have enough for two boxes of modern masters. Not bad for my first major modern tournament Eager to see what Oath brings to the table!
Congratulations on your victory. Wow, you showed them the power of Eldrazi. Made up of many cards in Standard, but can go against decks in Modern.
Thanks for sharing the report. It's an informative read.
Just one question... is it hard to play against UW or Jeskai control decks with board wipe and Snapcaster?
No, its actually a complete walk over them if you don't give them their mass removal back in their graveyard while they have double snapcaster and six mana up
I like the land base, I've been working around not having marsh flats either but went windswept heaths since they were cheaper. It doesn't sound like you had much trouble with fetch targets, but I am curious since you have only 3 targets for bloodstained. Did you ever have a dead one? Thanks!
Thanks! No trouble, either I had the targets or an Urborg so they tapped for black mana regardless of whether I had fetch targets.
Am i the only one here that thinks B<> versions should just be BG<> literally just for ancient stirrings? the card is REALLY good, it can find anything we need to get going (Early game: relic if we need processing, ramp/color lands to drop our stuff on curve, or Late game: threats if we kept a hand that didn't have many). I think it'll make it a TON easier to keep hands that we don't feel we need to auto-mulligan away. Also, since it basically replaces itself with any of the cards we need, we can trim away other stuff to fit space for it instead of cutting a card completely. For sure i think it can replace at the very least expedition map.
Is there something I'm missing? I don't mean to sound rude if i did but im absolutely puzzled (i play the GW<> version so obviously theres a gap in knowledge between running the B<> deck and the one I have). Is it because aggro decks out-tempo us too hard for us to take advantage of the card?
Am i the only one here that thinks B<> versions should just be BG<> literally just for ancient stirrings? the card is REALLY good, it can find anything we need to get going (Early game: relic if we need processing, ramp/color lands to drop our stuff on curve, or Late game: threats if we kept a hand that didn't have many). I think it'll make it a TON easier to keep hands that we don't feel we need to auto-mulligan away. Also, since it basically replaces itself with any of the cards we need, we can trim away other stuff to fit space for it instead of cutting a card completely. For sure i think it can replace at the very least expedition map.
Is there something I'm missing? I don't mean to sound rude if i did but im absolutely puzzled (i play the GW<> version so obviously theres a gap in knowledge between running the B<> deck and the one I have). Is it because aggro decks out-tempo us too hard for us to take advantage of the card?
I'm not going to make the mana base worse to play a mini tutor. The monoblack variant honestly doesn't need it. It's actually very good as is.
Am i the only one here that thinks B<> versions should just be BG<> literally just for ancient stirrings? the card is REALLY good, it can find anything we need to get going (Early game: relic if we need processing, ramp/color lands to drop our stuff on curve, or Late game: threats if we kept a hand that didn't have many). I think it'll make it a TON easier to keep hands that we don't feel we need to auto-mulligan away. Also, since it basically replaces itself with any of the cards we need, we can trim away other stuff to fit space for it instead of cutting a card completely. For sure i think it can replace at the very least expedition map.
Is there something I'm missing? I don't mean to sound rude if i did but im absolutely puzzled (i play the GW<> version so obviously theres a gap in knowledge between running the B<> deck and the one I have). Is it because aggro decks out-tempo us too hard for us to take advantage of the card?
The secondary color is a metagame call. However after OTG I can see a B/u version being the preferred method. G adds Stirrings and Abrupt Decay. Nothing in the creature department. At least with W and U you get options that are far more impactful than card draw and removal.
Because your mana base is a actual consideration when adding any color. Is stirrings fundementally improving your aggro MU? Sure you get Decay but I'm not convinced dipping into green is better than having access to Path and Souls when talking about splashes. Not to mention superior options in the board.
Personally I prefer the consistency offered by staying monocolored as my meta is very hostile to stumbling on ones own manabase. Adding any color adds versitility but it's especially not as easy a consideration to make, especially when we haven't pinned down the best version of what is essentially a archetype in it's infancy.
EDIT: Dredge is hardly a MU that I would use to formulate an opinion on since that is the epitome of lobsided if I've ever seen any. I will say that Ashiok strikes me as unimpressive.
Disrupting Shoal requires you to exile a blue card from your hand, i somewhat doubt that is usable (i have been playing MonkeyGrow for some time, im aware that you need a lot of blue cards to make Shoal work).
On another Note:
What do all you guys think about the new Kozilek, the Great Distortion. Will he replace one of the Ulamog, or maybe go in as a third uber-fatty or will he not be worth it?
Thoughts on this?
I don't have the deck on paper but Ive been playing it on Xmage a lot to learn the deck for when I do play against it on paper. I've also played it against it a lot (i'm currently on SKRED as I feel it's awesome right now). I would say possibly for fun on FNM. However I don't think the new Kozilek is worth it. Not once did I ever lose the game after dropping Ulamog. Never. He wins the game when cast pretty much.
Personally I find Bucher of Truth to be the superior option as far as Kozilek is concerned. The Great Distortion's on cast ability has a higher ceiling but asks more of you deckbuilding wise and Butcher is much more powerful if you get to untap with him.
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Brilliant ideas are stupid ideas that worked - Patrick Chapin
I'd stick to Thought-Knot Seer for the Processor list. I've been playtesting with it proxied, and it's the real deal. I've even started beating Elves and Merfolk more with it without really sacrificing any of my other matchups.
I wouldn't worry about any of the other spoilers for this version of Eldrazi. The other thread labeled "<>B Eldrazi Midrange", which is more focused on quickly assembling threats, can focus on the other more aggro oriented new cards like Reality Smasher and Eldrazi Mimic.
You can certainly label Reality Smasher as an optional tech for the variant, but I wouldn't list it as core. On the other hand, I certainly feel like Seer is becoming a core card for me now. I wouldn't run any less than 3.
TKS and Wailing Wail have been all stars for me. I have had people scoop on turn 3 after t1 & t2 discards followed by TKS on t3. Also Wailing Wail has been pulling it's weight but isn't an auto 4 of. 1-2 for me MD for WW and 4 of for TKS.
Reality Smasher is matchup dependant. Has been amazing or terrible. Too inconsistent.
That is what I've been saying all along on that guy. He works fine against some control match ups and even some burn decks, but otherwise he's mostly just a vanilla 5/5 trampler. I've been happier with my Funeral Charm sub in for IoK in the mono-B version as it has great utility with Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth and Thought-knot seer. Over all, I think the charm gets underrated a lot.
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1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
First post ever but this deck got me into Modern. I am playing UB and took down a Modern FNM last night. The cards I'm most impressed with are Ashiok and Ulamog's Nullifier. In one game I was able to eye of ugin up a nullifier to win. A hard UB counter target spell is amazing. Also, I replaced the Mind Stones with Thought Scour. This was amazing each time around. It also hoses the Mulligan Scry. Funeral Charm I have in my board as a 1 of and put it in often. I higly recommend.
Am i the only one here that thinks B<> versions should just be BG<> literally just for ancient stirrings? the card is REALLY good, it can find anything we need to get going (Early game: relic if we need processing, ramp/color lands to drop our stuff on curve, or Late game: threats if we kept a hand that didn't have many). I think it'll make it a TON easier to keep hands that we don't feel we need to auto-mulligan away. Also, since it basically replaces itself with any of the cards we need, we can trim away other stuff to fit space for it instead of cutting a card completely. For sure i think it can replace at the very least expedition map.
Is there something I'm missing? I don't mean to sound rude if i did but im absolutely puzzled (i play the GW<> version so obviously theres a gap in knowledge between running the B<> deck and the one I have). Is it because aggro decks out-tempo us too hard for us to take advantage of the card?
I'm not going to make the mana base worse to play a mini tutor. The monoblack variant honestly doesn't need it. It's actually very good as is.
I can see how the mana base is "worse" but its still not "bad". I almost never have a problem right now with colours in the BW build, so i can't see there being an additional problem by simply switching them over to the green version. I mean, maybe its something to consider in the heartless build, but i really dont think that dipping into green cripples the mana base at all. The way I see it, you are slightly hurting you mana-base but GREATLY increasing your consistency.
Although, I do agree with someone else that maybe white is better because of PtE and Lingering Souls. However, I do believe some combination of endless one / scavenging ooze can replace the lingering souls slot to buy time against early game aggro, and PtE could be replaced with some number of dismember/slaughter pact (in this case I wouldn't run abrupt because i do believe THAT card will be too hard to cast as BG).
I also have to agree with someone else that after Oath, dipping into white might not be necessary anymore (although i'll miss PtE), since it can just be a mono<> deck. At that point, again i would then emphasize to play G<> for the stirrings. Maybe I'm just crazy though. on that note i just ordered my 4x ancient stirrings online incase it turns into another IoK-economy situation
Because your mana base is a actual consideration when adding any color. Is stirrings fundementally improving your aggro MU? Sure you get Decay but I'm not convinced dipping into green is better than having access to Path and Souls when talking about splashes. Not to mention superior options in the board.
Personally I prefer the consistency offered by staying monocolored as my meta is very hostile to stumbling on ones own manabase. Adding any color adds versitility but it's especially not as easy a consideration to make, especially when we haven't pinned down the best version of what is essentially a archetype in it's infancy.
EDIT: Dredge is hardly a MU that I would use to formulate an opinion on since that is the epitome of lobsided if I've ever seen any. I will say that Ashiok strikes me as unimpressive.
I get what you are getting at, but I'm literally talking about just changing 4 cards (and it's associated mana-base). Literally changing 2-4x exp. map to 2-4x ancient stirrings, or something along those lines (replacing functionally similar cards, but stirrings is just better, in this specific case it would indeed help with the MU by just being cheaper and finding w/e we need).
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Modern: C Serum Eldrazi Legacy: CEldrazi C Mud W Soldier Stompy R Bread (big red stompy) WU Spirit Blade WUG Meat Hooks WUBGR Blue Dredge
First post ever but this deck got me into Modern. I am playing UB and took down a Modern FNM last night. The cards I'm most impressed with are Ashiok and Ulamog's Nullifier. In one game I was able to eye of ugin up a nullifier to win. A hard UB counter target spell is amazing. Also, I replaced the Mind Stones with Thought Scour. This was amazing each time around. It also hoses the Mulligan Scry. Funeral Charm I have in my board as a 1 of and put it in often. I higly recommend.
Grats on doing well. Haven't play tested Nullifier yet. Curious on the #s because the deck is extremely tight atm. Mind Stones have always been terrible imo. Talisman of Dominance helps the color issue and provides <>.
I am leaning towards U atm because Modern is looking like Eldrazi are taking over and I am teching Bribery in the SB for that matchup.
I just quickly threw this together without much thought, probably should be tuned, but you get the idea.
Probably can drop the basics to 2 each and bump up twilight mire to a 4x. No bojuka bog because 1. you can mini-tutor for a mass exiler with ancient stirrings and 2. I don't like the idea of a land entering tapped.
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Modern: C Serum Eldrazi Legacy: CEldrazi C Mud W Soldier Stompy R Bread (big red stompy) WU Spirit Blade WUG Meat Hooks WUBGR Blue Dredge
I played a split of 2 nullifier and 2 wasteland strangler. I was very pleased with the turn out. I also had one sire of stagnation in the main board and although I sided it out a light, it was great to have with the 3 MB GQ. To me it was like sower +1 as it shuts down a lot including mirror Sowers.
btw, anyone else order stuff by mail and are wondering if all their cards are going to make it? I swear, I'm getting paranoid because the ONE order that hasn't arrived is the one with the Ulamogs in it, thus leaving me saying to myself "Why did it have to be that package?!"
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1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
Still testing how to add Knot-Seer in the deck, right now im thinking to cut 1x Oblivion Sower and 1x Blight Herder now that we have a better creature curv0 but they are so good that im not sure if is worth it, maybe 1 Wasteland Stranlger and 1 lightning bolt.
No, its actually a complete walk over them if you don't give them their mass removal back in their graveyard while they have double snapcaster and six mana up
Thanks! No trouble, either I had the targets or an Urborg so they tapped for black mana regardless of whether I had fetch targets.
Is there something I'm missing? I don't mean to sound rude if i did but im absolutely puzzled (i play the GW<> version so obviously theres a gap in knowledge between running the B<> deck and the one I have). Is it because aggro decks out-tempo us too hard for us to take advantage of the card?
C Serum Eldrazi
Legacy:
C Eldrazi
C Mud
W Soldier Stompy
R Bread (big red stompy)
WU Spirit Blade
WUG Meat Hooks
WUBGR Blue Dredge
I'm not going to make the mana base worse to play a mini tutor. The monoblack variant honestly doesn't need it. It's actually very good as is.
C Kozilek C
GB Gitrog GB
G Titania G
WU Brago WU
GB MerenGB
Duel Commander Decks
UR Keranos UR
BRG Jund BRG
GR Tron GR GW Tron GW
C Eldrazi Tron (SB) C
BG Lantern Control BG
UW Control (SB) UW
The secondary color is a metagame call. However after OTG I can see a B/u version being the preferred method. G adds Stirrings and Abrupt Decay. Nothing in the creature department. At least with W and U you get options that are far more impactful than card draw and removal.
Personally I prefer the consistency offered by staying monocolored as my meta is very hostile to stumbling on ones own manabase. Adding any color adds versitility but it's especially not as easy a consideration to make, especially when we haven't pinned down the best version of what is essentially a archetype in it's infancy.
EDIT: Dredge is hardly a MU that I would use to formulate an opinion on since that is the epitome of lobsided if I've ever seen any. I will say that Ashiok strikes me as unimpressive.
I don't have the deck on paper but Ive been playing it on Xmage a lot to learn the deck for when I do play against it on paper. I've also played it against it a lot (i'm currently on SKRED as I feel it's awesome right now). I would say possibly for fun on FNM. However I don't think the new Kozilek is worth it. Not once did I ever lose the game after dropping Ulamog. Never. He wins the game when cast pretty much.
That is what I've been saying all along on that guy. He works fine against some control match ups and even some burn decks, but otherwise he's mostly just a vanilla 5/5 trampler. I've been happier with my Funeral Charm sub in for IoK in the mono-B version as it has great utility with Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth and Thought-knot seer. Over all, I think the charm gets underrated a lot.
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
UB Faeries (15-6-0)
UWR Control (10-5-1)/Kiki Control/Midrange/Harbinger
UBR Cruel Control (6-4-0)/Grixis Control/Delver/Blue Jund
UWB Control/Mentor
UW Miracles/Control (currently active, 14-2-0)
BW Eldrazi & Taxes
RW Burn (9-1-0)
I do (academic) research on video games and archaeology! You can check out my open access book here: https://www.sidestone.com/books/the-interactive-past
I can see how the mana base is "worse" but its still not "bad". I almost never have a problem right now with colours in the BW build, so i can't see there being an additional problem by simply switching them over to the green version. I mean, maybe its something to consider in the heartless build, but i really dont think that dipping into green cripples the mana base at all. The way I see it, you are slightly hurting you mana-base but GREATLY increasing your consistency.
Although, I do agree with someone else that maybe white is better because of PtE and Lingering Souls. However, I do believe some combination of endless one / scavenging ooze can replace the lingering souls slot to buy time against early game aggro, and PtE could be replaced with some number of dismember/slaughter pact (in this case I wouldn't run abrupt because i do believe THAT card will be too hard to cast as BG).
I also have to agree with someone else that after Oath, dipping into white might not be necessary anymore (although i'll miss PtE), since it can just be a mono<> deck. At that point, again i would then emphasize to play G<> for the stirrings. Maybe I'm just crazy though. on that note i just ordered my 4x ancient stirrings online incase it turns into another IoK-economy situation
C Serum Eldrazi
Legacy:
C Eldrazi
C Mud
W Soldier Stompy
R Bread (big red stompy)
WU Spirit Blade
WUG Meat Hooks
WUBGR Blue Dredge
I get what you are getting at, but I'm literally talking about just changing 4 cards (and it's associated mana-base). Literally changing 2-4x exp. map to 2-4x ancient stirrings, or something along those lines (replacing functionally similar cards, but stirrings is just better, in this specific case it would indeed help with the MU by just being cheaper and finding w/e we need).
C Serum Eldrazi
Legacy:
C Eldrazi
C Mud
W Soldier Stompy
R Bread (big red stompy)
WU Spirit Blade
WUG Meat Hooks
WUBGR Blue Dredge
What would that mana-base then look like? Got a draft?
Grats on doing well. Haven't play tested Nullifier yet. Curious on the #s because the deck is extremely tight atm. Mind Stones have always been terrible imo. Talisman of Dominance helps the color issue and provides <>.
I am leaning towards U atm because Modern is looking like Eldrazi are taking over and I am teching Bribery in the SB for that matchup.
something along the lines of:
2 overgrown tomb
4 eldrazi temple
2 eye of ugin
2 urborg, tomb of yawgmoth
2 twilight mire
4 verdant catacombs
2 ghost quarters
3 forest
3 swamp
I just quickly threw this together without much thought, probably should be tuned, but you get the idea.
Probably can drop the basics to 2 each and bump up twilight mire to a 4x. No bojuka bog because 1. you can mini-tutor for a mass exiler with ancient stirrings and 2. I don't like the idea of a land entering tapped.
C Serum Eldrazi
Legacy:
C Eldrazi
C Mud
W Soldier Stompy
R Bread (big red stompy)
WU Spirit Blade
WUG Meat Hooks
WUBGR Blue Dredge
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
2x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
3x Eye of Ugin
4x Blood Crypt
4x Eldrazi Temple
4x Blackcleave Cliffs
2x Sulfurous Springs
1x Ghost Quarter
1x Bokuka Bog
2x Mountain
1x Swamp
1x All is Dust
2x Terminate
4x Inquisition of Kozilek
2x Anger of the Gods
4x Lightning Bolt
Artifacts
4x Relic of Progenitus
2x Scrabbing claws
2x Expedition Map
1x Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
3x Oblivion Sower
3x Blight Herder
4x Thought-Knot Seer
4x Wasteland Strangler
BWC Processors Eldrazi CWB
UBC Emerge EldraziCBU
C Tron Eldrazi C
RBC Meld Eldrazi CBR
GU Tokens Eldrazi UG
1 TS
4 relic
1 Pyxis
1 expedition map
1 surgical
2 thought scour
2 Delay
2 dismember
1 slaughter pact
2 ashiok
1 spells kite
2 strangler
2 nullifier
3 blight herd
1 drowned of hope
4 sower
1 sire of stagnation
1 ulamog