hello forums, it has been awhile. i am glad to see that someone else has moved to a teachings style list. i am interested in the fact that you choose to play with beseech the queen, though you do play a 4 color deck. any specific reason why you chose to run the esper charm, revelation, helix, and have the abrupt decay sitting in there?
i do not hate the list in fact it looks awesome. my main concern is the fact you get seriously hurt by your mana base.
My opinion about Sphinx's Revelation x Cruel Ultimatum.
Cruel Ultimatum wins the game when resolved, its almost like Splinter Twin or Scapeshift, your opponents must play around the card.
Sphinx's Revelation in the other hand will draw the cards make you wins the game, giving your opponents time to Twin, Scapeshift or even Cruel Ultimatum.
Plus, Cruel Ultimatum don't need a previous board state to be casted, Twin needs a creature, Scapeshift needs lands and Sphinx's needs a clean board.
So, thats why, in my opinion, Cruel Ultimatum is better than Sphinx's, and so, harder to be resolved.
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Born to learn, live to control.
Magic player since 2001 - Modern player since 2011
Got some more testing in last night. Jace, Vryn's Prodigy is the real deal guys. Flashbacked a Cruel Ultimatum with double counter backup, pitched away early Cruels and useless lands when flooded. I like him
Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver put in more work last night. Wrecked affinity by playing two Signal Pests and attacking for lethal in two turns with Snap and Tar Pit.
I'm finally getting all the foils for this deck. Should be done by January, already got most of the foil and expedition lands I need.
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Level 1 Judge
Level 2 in progress...
UUU Merfolk UUU "Above the waves you may be mighty indeed, but down here you belong to me."
-Empress Galina
UBR Cruel Control UBR "The essence of every world, every spell, and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
-Nicol Bolas
Hey everyone. I wanted to show a different take on Cruel Control that I recently tried out. It is a bit more of a Rakdos control splashing for Snapcaster mage and I have had a number of 4-0 and 3-1 performances with it. Let me know what you think
This is tap-out Cruel, list looks very nice. I've put 4 discard spells n my 75 and I really like them.
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Level 1 Judge
Level 2 in progress...
UUU Merfolk UUU "Above the waves you may be mighty indeed, but down here you belong to me."
-Empress Galina
UBR Cruel Control UBR "The essence of every world, every spell, and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
-Nicol Bolas
Yeah, I wouldn't recommend this version in every single meta-game environment but at my store there is a significantly higher number of Amulet, Tron and Jund players. Not as much burn and zoo. So I get a lot more of the "free wins" that the engine of Fulminator Mage and Kolaghans Command can generate, where that engine would be actively bad against a burn or Naya Zoo deck. I am trying out a version that plays 4 blightning, and rather than say that blightning is better than Kolaghan's Command I would just say that they are different cards looking to do different things. But I love playing 4 K Command in modern with a 4 inquisition, 4 serum vision, 4 lightning bolt set up, it allows for a really good consistency and ability to be playing and making early set up plays so you can win early against the decks where trying to resolve Cruel Ultimatum will just never be a reality.
Jace was once again very good tonight. Spell Snare is garbage right now so I cut it for the two charms. The Tango/Battle Lands are good as well, I also have zero problems with Blood Moon due to having 6 basic lands. This deck really needs the UR manland, then I'll have 8 red sources.
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Level 1 Judge
Level 2 in progress...
UUU Merfolk UUU "Above the waves you may be mighty indeed, but down here you belong to me."
-Empress Galina
UBR Cruel Control UBR "The essence of every world, every spell, and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
-Nicol Bolas
I've been playing Twin for over a year now and thinking about sleeving this up again for fun (it was my first Modern deck). How do you all deal with Blood Moon, aside from playing around it?
I'm looking at squeezing in a couple of Abrupt Decays with an Overgrown Tomb and Breeding Pool in the deck for more removal... has anyone tried this?
As for Spell Snare, I don't think its out of favor, at least not in other control decks. There are still a ton of 2 drops in Modern.
I typically play a Chromatic Lantern in the deck over land #26 and play a 2nd lantern in the SB. I also build my manabase around basics and the BFZ lands and so far it I have actually been impressed with not needing to run as many Ravnica Duals and simply moving to running 6-8 basics and BFZ duals and upping the fetchland count to 9-10 to accommodate. A typical land build can be 3 islands, 2 swamps mountain. 4 tarn 3 delta 2 bloodstained mire. 3 BFZ lands 3 Ravnica lands and 4 Creepings
So I haven't kept up on modern at all, but why is everyone so down on Spell Snare. Did it get worse or did Remand just get that much better?
Spell Snare has a target in just about every deck. Against the top tier decks, 2 CMC slot is pretty crucial, especially if it's a Arcbound Ravager or Steel Overseer for example. It's AMAZING on the draw, and great on the play. It's a card that's almost never dead in this format.
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Signature by Rivenor of Miraculous Recovery Signatures
"In response.. Mana Leak?"
"Every game loss is due to your inability to interact with your opponent"
So the past few weeks I've been trying to get Esper/Bant control builds to work, and they do with some success. My LGS just announced a $10 win a box tournament set in a few weeks, and I think I'm taking Cruel Control to it. It was just so consistent and so much easier to control the game with this deck than anything else I've played in modern. The deck also hasn't changed much and it's been my go-to deck when I don't feel like trying to brew something new and just want to take a solid deck to locals. Here's the list I've been running.
I'm thinking of changing something in the sideboard to help more against tron (maybe a third Crumble to Dust?), but I'm not sure what to cut to make room, perhaps the Electrolyze? I feel like I do pretty well against aggro decks already, and I have a ton of creature removal as it is, the second one just doesn't feel necessary, more like a win-more.
Did everyone move on to the grixis midrange/delve lists? I'm almost done foiling this deck out, thus I have not played it recently since I won't play a partially foiled deck. I've got some Judge foil lands and expeditions incoming, the deck already looks super sweet.
I will be playing this and my foil merfolk deck exclusively in modern for the foreseeable future. That being said, I think it is past time for a primer update for this deck. I played against our deck in the Modern IQ at SCG Denver this weekend!!! (I was on Jund and crushed him 2-0 because I know all the cruel tricks )
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Level 1 Judge
Level 2 in progress...
UUU Merfolk UUU "Above the waves you may be mighty indeed, but down here you belong to me."
-Empress Galina
UBR Cruel Control UBR "The essence of every world, every spell, and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
-Nicol Bolas
I had to play something while I'm foiling the deck out
Tried grixis twin and hated it, so now I'm playing the foil Fish deck until late January/early February. My goal is to have this deck foiled by next modern season and play the ***** out of it.
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Level 1 Judge
Level 2 in progress...
UUU Merfolk UUU "Above the waves you may be mighty indeed, but down here you belong to me."
-Empress Galina
UBR Cruel Control UBR "The essence of every world, every spell, and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
-Nicol Bolas
UUU Merfolk UUU "Above the waves you may be mighty indeed, but down here you belong to me."
-Empress Galina
UBR Cruel Control UBR "The essence of every world, every spell, and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
-Nicol Bolas
Also, I'm still waiting to see how terrible the UR manland is.
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Level 1 Judge
Level 2 in progress...
UUU Merfolk UUU "Above the waves you may be mighty indeed, but down here you belong to me."
-Empress Galina
UBR Cruel Control UBR "The essence of every world, every spell, and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
-Nicol Bolas
UUU Merfolk UUU "Above the waves you may be mighty indeed, but down here you belong to me."
-Empress Galina
UBR Cruel Control UBR "The essence of every world, every spell, and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
-Nicol Bolas
I think this deck needs more Jace. Can't stress how good it is to play your Cruel Ultimatum from your GY without paying extra snapcaster costs. Just sayin
i do not hate the list in fact it looks awesome. my main concern is the fact you get seriously hurt by your mana base.
My opinion about Sphinx's Revelation x Cruel Ultimatum.
Cruel Ultimatum wins the game when resolved, its almost like Splinter Twin or Scapeshift, your opponents must play around the card.
Sphinx's Revelation in the other hand will draw the cards make you wins the game, giving your opponents time to Twin, Scapeshift or even Cruel Ultimatum.
Plus, Cruel Ultimatum don't need a previous board state to be casted, Twin needs a creature, Scapeshift needs lands and Sphinx's needs a clean board.
So, thats why, in my opinion, Cruel Ultimatum is better than Sphinx's, and so, harder to be resolved.
Magic player since 2001 - Modern player since 2011
Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver put in more work last night. Wrecked affinity by playing two Signal Pests and attacking for lethal in two turns with Snap and Tar Pit.
I'm finally getting all the foils for this deck. Should be done by January, already got most of the foil and expedition lands I need.
Level 2 in progress...
UUU Merfolk UUU
"Above the waves you may be mighty indeed, but down here you belong to me."
-Empress Galina
UBR Cruel Control UBR
"The essence of every world, every spell, and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
-Nicol Bolas
Land (24)
2x Blackcleave Cliffs
1x Blood Crypt
4x Creeping Tar Pit
2x Island
1x Mountain
4x Polluted Delta
4x Scalding Tarn
2x Steam Vents
1x Sulfur Falls
1x Swamp
2x Watery Grave
Creature (8)
4x Fulminator Mage
4x Snapcaster Mage
Instant (13)
2x Cryptic Command
1x Electrolyze
3x Kolaghan's Command
4x Lightning Bolt
3x Terminate
Sorcery (12)
1x Cruel Ultimatum
2x Damnation
4x Inquisition of Kozilek
1x Rakdos's Return
4x Serum Visions
Planeswalker (2)
1x Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
1x Ob Nixilis Reignited
Artifact (1)
1x Chromatic Lantern
Sideboard (15)
1x Anger of the Gods
1x Chromatic Lantern
2x Countersquall
2x Dispel
1x Dragonlord Silumgar
1x Dreadbore
1x Duress
1x Engineered Explosives
1x Extirpate
1x Glen Elendra Archmage
1x Nihil Spellbomb
1x Rakdos's Return
1x Thoughtseize
Level 2 in progress...
UUU Merfolk UUU
"Above the waves you may be mighty indeed, but down here you belong to me."
-Empress Galina
UBR Cruel Control UBR
"The essence of every world, every spell, and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
-Nicol Bolas
Made some adjustments and I'll be running this list next time I pick up the deck:
4 Creeping Tar Pit
3 Polluted Delta
3 Scalding Tarn
3 Island
2 Bloodstained Mire
2 Swamp
2 Steam Vents
1 Watery Grave
1 Blood Crypt
1 Mountain
1 Sulfur Falls
1 Drowned Catacomb
1 Sunken Hollow
1 Smoldering Marsh
4 Snapcaster Mage
2 Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
Spells
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Terminate
4 Cryptic Command
2 Remand
2 Mana Leak
2 Electrolyze
2 Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver
2 Kolaghan's Command
2 Damnation
2 Cruel Ultimatum
1 Izzet Charm
1 Dimir Charm
1 Mogis, God of Slaughter
1 Keranos, God of Storms
2 Thoughtseize
2 Cruel Edict
2 Negate
2 Anger of the Gods
2 Devastation Tide
3 Dispel
Some observations:
Jace was once again very good tonight. Spell Snare is garbage right now so I cut it for the two charms. The Tango/Battle Lands are good as well, I also have zero problems with Blood Moon due to having 6 basic lands. This deck really needs the UR manland, then I'll have 8 red sources.
Level 2 in progress...
UUU Merfolk UUU
"Above the waves you may be mighty indeed, but down here you belong to me."
-Empress Galina
UBR Cruel Control UBR
"The essence of every world, every spell, and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
-Nicol Bolas
"The essence of every world, every spell, and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
- Nicol Bolas
I'm looking at squeezing in a couple of Abrupt Decays with an Overgrown Tomb and Breeding Pool in the deck for more removal... has anyone tried this?
As for Spell Snare, I don't think its out of favor, at least not in other control decks. There are still a ton of 2 drops in Modern.
Spell Snare has a target in just about every deck. Against the top tier decks, 2 CMC slot is pretty crucial, especially if it's a Arcbound Ravager or Steel Overseer for example. It's AMAZING on the draw, and great on the play. It's a card that's almost never dead in this format.
Signature by Rivenor of Miraculous Recovery Signatures
"In response.. Mana Leak?"
"Every game loss is due to your inability to interact with your opponent"
I'm thinking of changing something in the sideboard to help more against tron (maybe a third Crumble to Dust?), but I'm not sure what to cut to make room, perhaps the Electrolyze? I feel like I do pretty well against aggro decks already, and I have a ton of creature removal as it is, the second one just doesn't feel necessary, more like a win-more.
2 Augur of Bolas
2 Snapcaster Mage
1 Grave Titan
Other Spells (31)
4 Serum Visions
3 Lightning Bolt
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Terminate
4 Remand
2 Izzet Charm
1 Electrolyze
3 Kolaghan's Command
3 Cryptic Command
2 Coalition Relic
2 Cruel Ultimatum
4 Polluted Delta
3 Bloodstained Mire
2 Steam Vents
1 Blood Crypt
1 Watery Grave
3 Dragonskull Summit
1 Sulfur Falls
4 Drowned Catacomb
3 Island
1 Swamp
1 Mountain
2 Anger of the Gods
2 Devour Flesh
1 Electrolyze
1 Rakdos Charm
1 Nihil Spellbomb
2 Dispel
2 Counterflux
1 Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
1 Keranos, God of Storms
2 Crumble to Dust
I will be playing this and my foil merfolk deck exclusively in modern for the foreseeable future. That being said, I think it is past time for a primer update for this deck. I played against our deck in the Modern IQ at SCG Denver this weekend!!! (I was on Jund and crushed him 2-0 because I know all the cruel tricks
Level 2 in progress...
UUU Merfolk UUU
"Above the waves you may be mighty indeed, but down here you belong to me."
-Empress Galina
UBR Cruel Control UBR
"The essence of every world, every spell, and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
-Nicol Bolas
Cruel Control
Niv-Mizzet EDH
Cruel Tezz
Tried grixis twin and hated it, so now I'm playing the foil Fish deck until late January/early February. My goal is to have this deck foiled by next modern season and play the ***** out of it.
Level 2 in progress...
UUU Merfolk UUU
"Above the waves you may be mighty indeed, but down here you belong to me."
-Empress Galina
UBR Cruel Control UBR
"The essence of every world, every spell, and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
-Nicol Bolas
Decks I'm playing in Modern right now:
URB Grixis Reveler (http://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/modern-grixis-reveler/)
UB Faeries (http://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/ub-fae-2/)
UW Azorious Control (http://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/modern-ojutai-control-2/)
Chromatic Lantern is sweet and playing big daddy bolas is cool.
Level 2 in progress...
UUU Merfolk UUU
"Above the waves you may be mighty indeed, but down here you belong to me."
-Empress Galina
UBR Cruel Control UBR
"The essence of every world, every spell, and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
-Nicol Bolas
Also, I'm still waiting to see how terrible the UR manland is.
Level 2 in progress...
UUU Merfolk UUU
"Above the waves you may be mighty indeed, but down here you belong to me."
-Empress Galina
UBR Cruel Control UBR
"The essence of every world, every spell, and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
-Nicol Bolas
Level 2 in progress...
UUU Merfolk UUU
"Above the waves you may be mighty indeed, but down here you belong to me."
-Empress Galina
UBR Cruel Control UBR
"The essence of every world, every spell, and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
-Nicol Bolas
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