This style of deck was popularized by Wafo-Tapa, when he got 9th place in a PTQ (December 2012). He was splashing black for esper charm, terminate, mystical teachings, and some sideboard cards. Here's the decklist:
The deck has evolved over time to cut the black to make the mana base more stable. The configuration above did not have enough red sources for you to cast lightning bolt turn one. And dropping the 4th color lets you play more tectonic edges.
Snapcaster Mage
Every deck list should have this card. It can provide card advantage, or let you beat down early in the game to put a clock on the opponent. It also lets you play a ton of spells(reactive cards) and singletons. It doesn't matter if the opponent kills it, as you probably got value from it. The real question is how many do you play? It seems the general consensus is to play 3. You don't want to have a bunch in your hand, so that's why people play 3 over 4. Although all the channel fireball guys love this card, so they play the full playset.
Vendilion Clique
Most people have this card in their sideboard. One of the aims of this deck is to make the opponent's removal blank. So playing very few creatures is ideal. Also playing few creatures lets you main deck wraths. Most people have this card in their sideboard. It's great vs combo and other control decks.
Restoration Angel
Instead of playing sorcery speed planeswalkers and batterskulls, you can have a flash threat in restoration angel. It's a better card against combo decks since it lets you hold up mana on their turn, and beats them down. Restoration angel can also give you some value by blinking your creatures, like snapcaster mage, wall of omens, or vendilion clique. Though that is usually unlikely as your opponent will just use removal on those creatures as they have very few targets for their removal. Restoration angel can also save your creatures or celestial colonnades from removal.
Geist of Saint Traft
For this deck, Geist is a sideboard card. If you want to play Geist main deck there's an archetype dedicated to it here. You would bring Geist in against combo decks so you can have a quick clock. Though looking at the winning decklists, no one likes that Geist plan.
Planeswalkers/Finishers
Elspeth, Knight-Errant
This is the Planeswalker of choice for Wafo-Tapa, He plays 2 in the sideboard. It can protect itself, it gets 5 loyalty when you use it, so it's hard to kill, and it can put on a quick clock.
Ajani Vengeant
This card is great vs aggro decks since it will kill a creature and gain life. It's also okay against an active birthing pod. A lot of people played this card to kill other players' Ajanis but with the new changes coming up in M14, this will no longer be the case.
Gideon Jura
This is another great card vs aggro. It's very hard for aggro decks to kill you, or Gideon since he has so much loyalty. It can also be used as a finisher. But it does turn on the opponent's removal. It is also useful against splinter twin/Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker decks, as if it resolves they can't kill you that turn unless they remove Gideon.
Batterskull
This is a very resilient threat that's also great vs aggo and control. Although it does have some bad interactions with sideboard cards you might have, shatterstorm, stony silence.
Spells
Mana Leak
There's not much to say about the card. It's the staple 2 mana counter that you're happy to play 2-3 of. Your tectonic edges and shadow of doubts help it stay alive longer.
Remand
It's a very powerful card, but it's not the best in this deck. As this deck can't win very fast, you can't utilize the tempo remand provides. But it is amazing vs flash back and suspend spells. So you can sometimes play a miser's copy.
Cryptic Command
One of the best cards in the deck. It can save you from a lot of bad situations. It's great card advantage so you want to play 3-4 in your deck. If you get a bunch of them in your hand, it can be pretty bad, so that's why some people play 3.
Izzet Charm
It's not inherently powerful, but it gives you a lot of options. I think if it did 2 damage to the opponent more people would play it. As this deck can turn into a burn deck at times.
Lightning Bolt
It's usually a 4 of, but it's not that great vs combo, so that's why you see some lists with 3. It's one of the best removal spells in the format, that also helps you finish off the opponent. It also helps you deal with planeswalkers.
Lightning Helix
It's a great anti aggro card, and can help you stay above 18 life vs scapeshift decks. It's very meta dependent so there's no set number of how many you should play.
Electrolyze
There are a lot of 1-2 toughness creatures in the format. So this card is insane. It also cycles so you can slowly burn out a combo/control opponent. It's a 2-3 of since it's not that great in multiples, and not that great vs creatureless decks.
Path to Exile
Wafo-Tapa does not like this card, since it's bad with his mana leaks and tectonic edges. He plays azorius charm instead. However since voice of resurgence is really popular and splinter twin decks are on the rise, you really want some number of paths.
Azorius Charm
It's a removal spell that cycles when it's dead. It helps you hit your land drops. However there are a lot of creatures with great come into play abilities so this card can back fire. And there are also creatures that rarely attack like deathrite shaman and dark confidant. It's also bad if there are a lot of voice of resurgence in your meta. So you have to know your meta very well to consider playing this card.
Shadow of Doubt
It's one of your best ways to beat scapeshift decks. It also helps vs pod decks, tron decks, and it can occasionally hit a fetch land, which helps make your mana leaks live longer. When it's dead or when you need a land it cycles. You can also chain it together with path to exile, so your opponent does not get a free land.
Think Twice
It helps you hit land drops. It lets you hold up counter mana without getting punished. It's card advantage. It's your best card to discard against liliana. It helps the deck work. You want 2-4 of these.
Sphinx's Revelation
It's secretly a finisher card. If you resolve this for 4+ you should be a huge favorite to win. It's better than white sun's zenith or blue sun's zenith, as the life gain on revelation gives you 1-3 time walks. So you don't really need your X spell to kill your opponent. Plus this card is better at 5 mana than WSZ or USZ.
Wrath of God/Supreme Verdict/Pyroclasm
These are the wraths most people play. Wrath of god is mainly for killing thrun, the last troll. Supreme verdict is usually better as there are more counter spells than there are thruns. Pyroclam doesn't kill as many creatures, but it's generally better against pod and other aggro decks since you get to play it a lot sooner, and you can flash it back with snapcaster sooner as well. Pyroclam is probably slightly better against Geist than supreme verdict.
Lands
All lists play 26 lands. Don't play any less!!
Arid Mesa/Scalding Tarn
Playing wedge colors gives you access to 2 fetches that give you a less painful mana base. You can fetch basics more often when you need too, and your fetches always can get any shock land you need. Most lists play 6-8
Tectonic Edge
This card gives you game against scapeshift and tron decks. Though it's not particularly great vs tron since they can assemble tron before tec edge is active. It can also help you color screw opponents, and it helps makes your mana leaks live longer. Though the one down side is that every time you activate this land, you're farther away from activating celestial colonnade. Most lists play 3, having 4 screws with your mana a bit too much.
Celestial Colonnade
An auto 4 of in this deck. It's a great finisher and a great way to kill planeswalkers. It's also taps for 2 colors of mana.
Basic Lands
You want 1 of each mountain and plains, and 2-3 islands. The more islands you have help you play around blood moon better.
Sideboard Cards
Wear/Tear
Replaces disenchant as it can potentially get a 2 for 1. You normally only want 1 of this effect in your sideboard, as it's not inherently powerful.
Counterflux
Great vs combo and control. You want 1-2 of this card
Spellskite
It's an all around great card vs a lot of strategies, burn, infect, bogle, splinter twin. But burn and twin can often ignore it or kill it (ancient grudge, smash to smithereens, so it's only amazing vs bogle and infect.
Threads of disloyalty
It's basically gain control of target dark confidant or tarmogoyf. So this card is very meta dependent. Also you have to hope your opponent is siding out abrupt decays, so this card is probably good to steal a game 2, but in game 3 they might side in decay after losing to threads. If you suspect your opponent is going to play decay, you can bring in spellskites to protect threads.
Sowing Salt
Strong vs tron and scapeshift. You can occasionally bring it in the mirror. Though it's mostly good against RG tron as the other decks will usually counter it.
Negate/Dispel
Cheap counters you can bring in vs combo and control. Dispel is pretty narrow, so most lists don't have it. But you normally want at least 1 of these cards.
Tempest of Light/Paraselene
Cards you can bring in against bogle decks if they are popular in your metagame.
Rest in Peace
Great vs storm, living end, reanimator, spirit jund, and gifts ungiven strategies. It's not that effective against Melira pod, since they can kill you with creatures especially with an active gavony township. However Rest in Peace is a nombo with snapcaster.
Relic of Progenitus
Another great card vs graveyard decks. It cycles when you need a card. It doesn't blank your snapcasters as much as rest in peace does.
Stony Silence
Decent vs birthing pod, tron and affinity decks. However it turns off your relic. So if you bring in stony silence and relic vs tron or eggs decks, be aware you can't activate relic with stony silence out.
Combust
Good against twin/kiki decks, as well as celestial colonnade.
Timely Reinforcements
Good against aggro. Though the deck is built to be good against aggro so you don't really need this card. But if you're not playing lightning helix main, you probably want timely in the sideboard.
Surgical Extraction
A really good card with snapcaster mage. And it's obviously good vs graveyard strategies, or a way to mise against combo opponents by removing scapeshift, tron land, emrakul, etc... However if this is your only form of graveyard hate, you're going to have problems with deathrite shamans and tarmogoyfs.
Vendilion Clique
Good card vs combo and control. You probably want at least 1 of these. As opponents will side out removal vs you.
Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
Another good card vs control and some combo decks. It turns off all the opponents counter spells.
Hallowed Burial
Great vs bogles, persist creatures, voice of resurgence, living end. However it costs 5 mana so it's not the best sweeper against the fast aggro decks like affinity and gruul aggro.
Thundermaw Hellkite
This is a big threat that puts a clock on the opponent while being hard to kill. It also is a great counter to lingering souls.
Was it really to confusing to just discus this in Esper teachings? It's not That different. I did relegate black to a 3 card splash in my build however so it's not particularly Esperish... Even though Esper Charm (and teachings flashback) is the card it's for haha. So it's still Esper teaching isn't it!
This deck is great, but there isn't much to discuss besides side boarding.
I think the mana could be better, e.g. -4 Arid Mesa +4 Marsh Flats, and -1 Steam Vents +1 Sulfur Falls. With regards to the fetches, Steam Vents is probably the worst dual to grab right away, while having access to Watery Grave is probably more important. Sacred Foundry is normally the red fetch you want first in most cases, and this is preserved.
With regards to the Sulfur Falls, it comes into play untapped with any of your Duals. No point in having 2 Vents really. I am thinking about cutting a fetch for another land, not sure which one. In long games you will very frequently run into situations in which you simply have nothing to search for. Maybe it should be 3 Marsh Flats and a filter or buddy land. Not sure which I'd want most.
I think the mana could be better, e.g. -4 Arid Mesa +4 Marsh Flats, and -1 Steam Vents +1 Sulfur Falls. With regards to the fetches, Steam Vents is probably the worst dual to grab right away, while having access to Watery Grave is probably more important. Sacred Foundry is normally the red fetch you want first in most cases, and this is preserved.
I think the worst dual to grab right away is blood crypt. I don't really find myself going for black mana unless I have those cards in hand.
With regards to the Sulfur Falls, it comes into play untapped with any of your Duals. No point in having 2 Vents really. I am thinking about cutting a fetch for another land, not sure which one. In long games you will very frequently run into situations in which you simply have nothing to search for. Maybe it should be 3 Marsh Flats and a filter or buddy land. Not sure which I'd want most.
I could see playing 1 m10 dual. I don't really like filter lands, I'd rather play calciform pools over a 2nd filter land.
How many life gain cards do you think are needed in the 75? I think 4 is a good amount for all the burn decks online. I'm testing out a lightning helix over 1 electrolyze. The lightning helix is pseudo card advantage, and helps lower the curve a tiny bit, though it's awkward to cast on turn 2.
just played this to a 3-1 in a daily event
beat scapeshift r1 in 2-1
beat infect 2-1 r2
beat esper delver 2-1 r3
lost to soul sisters r4 1-2
so in round four he got and average draw in g1 and my draw was decent drew my one board wipe into WSZ and beat him easily from there g2 he has serra ascendant into martyr while i was on the draw and i got crushed g3 he drew really well and i had to mull i was doing fine until he drew back to back rangers of eoses and crushed me with them
also a couple things of note esper charm is the best card in the deck by far the mana can kinda of suck there were a few times where my fetches had nothing to get with like 3 of them left in my deck
i have duress in the board because i dont want to shell out for thoughseizes but there were a couple times where thoughsieze would have been better to have
electrolyze does tons of work in this deck it really shines in the creature matchups because alot of the time it you dont want to spend early removal on small creatures but because it cantrips its almost always worth using
Why no wurmcoil? If your going to durdle from one turn to the next atleast drop a finisher. If you dont drop a game winning threat, tron will. This deck is bad
Why play slow clunky sorcery speed threats when you can just flash in 7 cats? This deck is bad? That's all you have to offer? And why would tron be our number one concern anyways? Shouldn't the first deck mentioned be Jund?
LP, I'm checking your article out as well. Behind all of your swag is the brain of one of the most intelligent Magic players I've ever known. I guess that's one more thing for you to add to the wall of ego that is your Sally sig.
I can go with that. LK, you are the Mace Windu of red mages...cool, tempered logic in deliberation, but capable of just flat kicking tail when the situation warrants it.
Why no wurmcoil? If your going to durdle from one turn to the next atleast drop a finisher. If you dont drop a game winning threat, tron will. This deck is bad
Look at the engine behind the deck you would see that wurmcoil is not a workable part of the game plan. Had you suggested maybe a 1-of Bogardan Hellkite the point you are trying to make about threats would make more sense. Even vendilion clique would be a better suggestion than wurmcoil for the purposes of the deck. Just because a deck doesnt windmill slam game winning threats doesnt mean its bad. This deck works on the incremental advantage principle and uses small damage over time with burn and aggressive creatures to put the opponent down on life. I would even suggest a 1-of comet storm somewhere myself. (Part of me wishes runechanter's pike were good in modern because of this deck)
Decks I have in my bag of tricks- Needless to say, someone who wants to play will probably have a deck UB/x Faeries UR Storm XURWB Affinity G Elves UW control
This deck is really sweet against any sort of Delver-y, Snap-y or Elf-y deck.
Electrolyze a Delver and a Snapcaster, draw a card.
I guess that's the definition of a three-for-one, right?
However, it has some serious problem vs any creature with more than 3 toughness.
Restoration Angel, Tarmogoyf, Celestial Colonnade, even Mistbind Clique.
The only ways out are 1 Terminate, 1 Dismember, and the 4 Cryptic Command to counter them. In theory, you can still Electrolyze, draw a card, and then Bolt, and it's still a 1-for-1, but it seems a waste of resources and/or mana.
I would probably add a couple of Paths, or an extra Terminate, for that matter.
Plus, IMHO, Mana Leak should be in Remand's spot. This is not a tempo deck, but a real "balls-to-the-wall" control deck, and the extra card doesn't justify the fact that the opponent still has that Blood Moon, Tarmogoyf, Karn, or whatever, in hand.
I don't get a couple of Wafo's sideboard cards, but I guess that every side should be personal.
Props to Wafo.
I usually hate remand in control decks, but here they're justified as all you really want to do is hit land drops the whole game and cast cryptic command a bunch of times. This deck would be very hard pressed to beat a blood moon though.
LP, I'm checking your article out as well. Behind all of your swag is the brain of one of the most intelligent Magic players I've ever known. I guess that's one more thing for you to add to the wall of ego that is your Sally sig.
I can go with that. LK, you are the Mace Windu of red mages...cool, tempered logic in deliberation, but capable of just flat kicking tail when the situation warrants it.
Saw another person 1-2 this today... It isn't that it is just slow, but it is weaker to a nut draw then alot of other decks. Pure control needs to enda bit quicker, you are at the mercy of your draws too much if you give them 10 turns to find the cards to finish you(you will be low on life most times you win)
is there any links to watch his replays? I am def interested in watching how the deck plays out as I have been itching to play actual control in Modern.
Look at the engine behind the deck you would see that wurmcoil is not a workable part of the game plan. Had you suggested maybe a 1-of Bogardan Hellkite the point you are trying to make about threats would make more sense. Even vendilion clique would be a better suggestion than wurmcoil for the purposes of the deck. Just because a deck doesnt windmill slam game winning threats doesnt mean its bad. This deck works on the incremental advantage principle and uses small damage over time with burn and aggressive creatures to put the opponent down on life. I would even suggest a 1-of comet storm somewhere myself. (Part of me wishes runechanter's pike were good in modern because of this deck)
Comet storm would be sweet. This deck goes to late game, I thought the advantage of durdle decks were to drop big blue eyes white dragon creatures, in the late game. Does anyone have a video of this deck, so I can see more how it works.
I think the worst dual to grab right away is blood crypt. I don't really find myself going for black mana unless I have those cards in hand.
I could see playing 1 m10 dual. I don't really like filter lands, I'd rather play calciform pools over a 2nd filter land.
How many life gain cards do you think are needed in the 75? I think 4 is a good amount for all the burn decks online. I'm testing out a lightning helix over 1 electrolyze. The lightning helix is pseudo card advantage, and helps lower the curve a tiny bit, though it's awkward to cast on turn 2.
Perfect mana allows you to basically cast your XXR removal spells, Esper Charm, and Cryptic. You need the Black - Marsh Flats has already been way better. Blood Crypt might be a worse fetch than Steam Vents sometimes, but with a Hallowed Fountain, I've occasionally grabbed a Blood Crypt on T1.
The Sulfur Falls has been way better, I'd encourage you to try it. I am going to test out cutting a fetch soon, not sure when I'll have the time though. Like someone else said, eventually you'll get to the point where you will fail to find.
I like the idea of Lightning Helix, though I think I'd still rather have all the Electrolyzes MD. The prevalence of red decks online was one of the reasons I wanted a third Timely or a Rest for Weary in my SB. I hate losing to those decks, especially when my deck has access to White. Okay, now that I'm channeling the emotions I get when I lose to those decks, you could maybe convince me on Lightning Helix.
I don't understand the statement "(Part of me wishes runechanter's pike were good in modern because of this deck)". If it's good in this deck, use it. Don't not use it because no one else is. That is such a bad method of deck-building, and would be the reason why 90% of the people playing 'good' decks don't win. They netdeck, and create amalgamations, but don't build a deck with the intention of winning, just with the intention of copying.
I play Isochron Scepter because it's a good card. I don't then consider myself to be playing Scepter control or anything. I play a control/tempo deck that has Scepter, and I make decisions based around that. If I need more, I add them, if I don't, I don't. Don't constantly look to other people for how to build decks and win, build a deck, test it out, see what its strengths and weaknesses are, and then build around that.
If you put a list up with Pike, I would in no way ridicule you, because you could simply say "Test it, it's incredible" and then go win a PTQ.
I know the issues of pike in modern right now. My statement was only made because o the number of decks playing abrupt decay. The pike'd creature would not actually get damag through against lingering souls. I get what you are saying but i have given a lot of cards a lot of thought.
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Decks I have in my bag of tricks- Needless to say, someone who wants to play will probably have a deck UB/x Faeries UR Storm XURWB Affinity G Elves UW control
This deck is really sweet against any sort of Delver-y, Snap-y or Elf-y deck.
Electrolyze a Delver and a Snapcaster, draw a card.
I guess that's the definition of a three-for-one, right?
Actually the UWR delver deck is a bad match up. They play geist which is very hard for this deck to answer. The only way it can deal with it is blocking with snapcaster, wrathing and multiple cryptics tapping it. They play cheap threats backed up with cheap disruption, so they can easily get under your higher casting cost cards. Also this is one of those match ups where being on the play/draw matters a lot.
Restoration Angel, Tarmogoyf, Celestial Colonnade, even Mistbind Clique.
The only ways out are 1 Terminate, 1 Dismember, and the 4 Cryptic Command to counter them. In theory, you can still Electrolyze, draw a card, and then Bolt, and it's still a 1-for-1, but it seems a waste of resources and/or mana.
You also have to spend 2 cards killing kitchen finks. This deck has no problem spending 2 cards to kill 1 creature. Remember a lot of your cards have value like snapcaster and electrolyze. You can also remand their 4+ casting cost creature and buy more time.
Colonnade isn't that good of a threat against us. It forces them to tap their mana. And it's a huge tempo swing when you bounce their colonnade with cryptic.
Plus, IMHO, Mana Leak should be in Remand's spot. This is not a tempo deck, but a real "balls-to-the-wall" control deck, and the extra card doesn't justify the fact that the opponent still has that Blood Moon, Tarmogoyf, Karn, or whatever, in hand.
The cantrip matters on remand. Plus it punishes people for playing expensive spells. A common play is remand their spell, they recast it then you can izzet charm it.
Saw another person 1-2 this today... It isn't that it is just slow, but it is weaker to a nut draw then alot of other decks. Pure control needs to enda bit quicker, you are at the mercy of your draws too much if you give them 10 turns to find the cards to finish you(you will be low on life most times you win)
The sideboard should address that by bringing in cheaper cards. I really think there needs to be a darkblast in the sideboard.
is there any links to watch his replays? I am def interested in watching how the deck plays out as I have been itching to play actual control in Modern.
Is there a good tutorial on how to use recording programs? I could put up some of his replays on youtube (the next time I see him playing in a modern event).
If you put a list up with Pike, I would in no way ridicule you, because you could simply say "Test it, it's incredible" and then go win a PTQ.
Yeah I thought about pike, but you'd need to add more creatures. Then resto angel is an obvious inclusion. And you'd probably board pike out game 2-3 when they bring in grave hate.
I was also thinking about adding a planeswalker (over consume the meek). Ajani Vengeant (the +1 has never seemed good to me) Chandra, the Firebrand (wouldn't it be sweet to see this card played in modern? -2 and take them to value town) Gideon Jura (sadly he really shines with other planeswalkers in play, this deck can't afford to play many walkers) Jace Beleren (this deck won't feel that bad when +2ing it) Jace, Architect of Thought (what's not to like about this card, it "gains life," protects himself, and draws cards) Tamiyo, the Moon Sage (does similar things like Jace AoT, costs 1 more but has a sweeter ultimate)
I like the idea of Lightning Helix, though I think I'd still rather have all the Electrolyzes MD. The prevalence of red decks online was one of the reasons I wanted a third Timely or a Rest for Weary in my SB. I hate losing to those decks, especially when my deck has access to White. Okay, now that I'm channeling the emotions I get when I lose to those decks, you could maybe convince me on Lightning Helix.
I'll try the land base changes and see how they go. I don't know if removing an electrolyze for a lightning helix is correct. But it might be worth trying. I hate those burn decks too.
1) it doesn't run enough creatures
2) it doesn't run thought scour
3) you have to remove cards to add pike, i'm guessing a pike would replace WSZ, which doesn't seem like a good upgrade to me
You will have to make a new deck to play pike, which means this thread isn't the place to discuss it.
Creeping tar pit would need to be a concession to pike also which i thought was already in the deck. But i would easily cut one of the 4x ofs after researching their full interaction with the deck
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Decks I have in my bag of tricks- Needless to say, someone who wants to play will probably have a deck UB/x Faeries UR Storm XURWB Affinity G Elves UW control
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Introduction
This is the premier pure control deck in modern. It tries to answer every single one of the opponent's threats. It 1 for 1s the opponent with cards like lightning bolt, mana leak, spell snare, tectonic edge. And it eventually pulls ahead with spells like, think twice, electrolyze, cryptic command, sphinx's revelation. It eventually wins with burn to the face, celestial colonnade beats, snapcaster mage beats or with a planeswalker or batterskull. Though sometimes casting a sphinx's revelation for 4 will get the opponent to concede. It is the ultimate durdle deck.
History
This style of deck was popularized by Wafo-Tapa, when he got 9th place in a PTQ (December 2012). He was splashing black for esper charm, terminate, mystical teachings, and some sideboard cards. Here's the decklist:
4 Arid Mesa
1 Blood Crypt
2 Celestial Colonnade
4 Darkslick Shores
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Island
1 Mystic Gate
1 Plains
2 Reflecting Pool
1 Sacred Foundry
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Steam Vents
1 Tectonic Edge
1 Watery Grave
4 Snapcaster Mage
Spells (30)
1 Consume the Meek
4 Cryptic Command
1 Dismember
4 Electrolyze
4 Esper Charm
3 Izzet Charm
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Mystical Teachings
4 Remand
1 Sphinx's Revelation
1 Terminate
1 White Sun's Zenith
1 Celestial Purge
2 Counterflux
1 Extirpate
1 Smelt
2 Supreme Verdict
1 Tectonic Edge
4 Thoughtseize
2 Timely Reinforcements
1 Vendilion Clique
The deck has evolved over time to cut the black to make the mana base more stable. The configuration above did not have enough red sources for you to cast lightning bolt turn one. And dropping the 4th color lets you play more tectonic edges.
Decklists
Modern Premier #4940435 on 01/28/2013Magic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards
3 Snapcaster Mage
SPELLS [31]
2 Azorius Charm
4 Cryptic Command
4 Electrolyze
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Mana Leak
2 Shadow of Doubt
3 Spell Snare
3 Sphinx's Revelation
2 Supreme Verdict
4 Think Twice
4 Arid Mesa
4 Celestial Colonnade
2 Hallowed Fountain
2 Island
1 Mountain
1 Mystic Gate
1 Plains
1 Sacred Foundry
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Steam Vents
1 Sulfur Falls
3 Tectonic Edge
1 Spellskite
3 Vendilion Clique
2 Celestial Purge
2 Counterflux
1 Disenchant
1 Supreme Verdict
1 Timely Reinforcements
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Detention Sphere
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1 Gideon Jura
3 Arid Mesa
4 Celestial Colonnade
1 Glacial Fortress
2 Hallowed Fountain
3 Island
1 Mountain
1 Plains
1 Sacred Foundry
3 Scalding Tarn
1 Steam Vents
3 Sulfur Falls
3 Tectonic Edge
3 Snapcaster Mage
Other spells 29
4 Cryptic Command
4 Electrolyze
3 Lightning Bolt
2 Lightning Helix
3 Mana Leak
3 Path to Exile
3 Spell Snare
2 Sphinx's Revelation
2 Supreme Verdict
2 Think Twice
1 Wrath of God
2 Ajani Vengeant
2 Batterskull
2 Celestial Purge
1 Combust
2 Counterflux
2 Sowing Salt
2 Spellskite
2 Stony Silence
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Island
1 Mountain
1 Plains
4 Arid Mesa
4 Celestial Colonnade
2 Hallowed Fountain
1 Mystic Gate
1 Sacred Foundry
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Steam Vents
1 Sulfur Falls
3 Tectonic Edge
3 Snapcaster Mage
Spells (31)
2 Azorius Charm
4 Cryptic Command
3 Electrolyze
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Mana Leak
2 Shadow of Doubt
4 Spell Snare
3 Sphinx's Revelation
3 Think Twice
3 Supreme Verdict
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Detention Sphere
2 Celestial Purge
2 Counterflux
1 Wear
3 Vendilion Clique
1 Ajani Vengeant
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1 Gideon Jura
1 Supreme Verdict
1 Timely Reinforcements
3 Arid Mesa
4 Celestial Colonnade
1 Glacial Fortress
2 Hallowed Fountain
3 Island
1 Mountain
1 Plains
1 Sacred Foundry
3 Scalding Tarn
1 Steam Vents
3 Sulfur Falls
3 Tectonic Edge
Creatures 3
3 Snapcaster Mage
4 Cryptic Command
4 Electrolyze
3 Lightning Bolt
2 Lightning Helix
3 Mana Leak
2 Path to Exile
1 Shadow of Doubt
3 Spell Snare
2 Sphinx's Revelation
2 Supreme Verdict
2 Think Twice
1 Wrath of God
Planeswalkers 2
1 Ajani Vengeant
1 Gideon Jura
2 Celestial Purge
2 Counterflux
1 Magma Spray
2 Relic of Progenitus
2 Sowing Salt
2 Spellskite
2 Stony Silence
1 Surgical Extraction
1 Wear // Tear
4 Arid Mesa
4 Celestial Colonnade
2 Hallowed Fountain
2 Island
1 Mountain
1 Mystic Gate
1 Plains
1 Sacred Foundry
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Steam Vents
1 Sulfur Falls
3 Tectonic Edge
Creatures 8
2 Restoration Angel
4 Snapcaster Mage
2 Vendilion Clique
3 Cryptic Command
3 Electrolyze
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Lightning Helix
3 Mana Leak
2 Path to Exile
1 Pyroclasm
1 Remand
2 Shadow of Doubt
1 Spell Snare
2 Sphinx's Revelation
2 Think Twice
2 Batterskull
2 Celestial Purge
2 Counterflux
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Negate
1 Path to Exile
1 Sowing Salt
1 Stony Silence
2 Supreme Verdict
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Wear // Tear
3 Arid Mesa
4 Celestial Colonnade
1 Glacial Fortress
2 Hallowed Fountain
2 Island
1 Mountain
1 Plains
1 Sacred Foundry
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Steam Vents
2 Sulfur Falls
3 Tectonic Edge
Creatures 8
2 Restoration Angel
4 Snapcaster Mage
2 Vendilion Clique
3 Cryptic Command
3 Electrolyze
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Lightning Helix
3 Mana Leak
3 Path to Exile
2 Shadow of Doubt
2 Spell Snare
2 Sphinx's Revelation
1 Think Twice
Planeswalker 1
1 Ajani Vengeant
1 Celestial Purge
2 Counterflux
1 Dispel
1 Engineered Explosives
3 Molten Rain
2 Pyroclasm
2 Supreme Verdict
2 Thundermaw Hellkite
1 Vendilion Clique
4 Arid Mesa
4 Celestial Colonnade
2 Hallowed Fountain
3 Island
1 Mountain
1 Plains
1 Sacred Foundry
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Steam Vents
1 Sulfur Falls
3 Tectonic Edge
Creatures 4
4 Snapcaster Mage
4 Cryptic Command
4 Electrolyze
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Lightning Helix
3 Mana Leak
2 Path to Exile
1 Pyroclasm
1 Shadow of Doubt
4 Spell Snare
2 Sphinx's Revelation
2 Think Twice
Planeswalker 1
1 Gideon Jura
1 Aven Mindcensor
1 Baneslayer Angel
2 Counterflux
1 Dispel
2 Hallowed Burial
1 Pyroclasm
1 Shadow of Doubt
1 Sowing Salt
1 Tectonic Edge
1 Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
1 Threads of Disloyalty
2 Wear // Tear
Pro Tour Born of the Gods - Modern - 1st PlaceMagic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards
3 Arid Mesa
4 Celestial Colonnade
2 Hallowed Fountain
2 Island
1 Mountain
1 Plains
1 Sacred Foundry
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Steam Vents
2 Sulfur Falls
4 Tectonic Edge
creatures 5
4 Snapcaster Mage
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Anger of the Gods
3 Cryptic Command
3 Electrolyze
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Lightning Helix
4 Mana Leak
3 Path to Exile
2 Remand
1 Spell Snare
2 Sphinx's Revelation
planeswalkers 2
2 Ajani Vengeant
1 Anger of the Gods
1 Celestial Purge
1 Counterflux
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Izzet Staticaster
1 Logic Knot
2 Porphyry Nodes
2 Relic of Progenitus
2 Stony Silence
1 Threads of Disloyalty
1 Timely Reinforcements
1 Wear // Tear
Creatures
Every deck list should have this card. It can provide card advantage, or let you beat down early in the game to put a clock on the opponent. It also lets you play a ton of spells(reactive cards) and singletons. It doesn't matter if the opponent kills it, as you probably got value from it. The real question is how many do you play? It seems the general consensus is to play 3. You don't want to have a bunch in your hand, so that's why people play 3 over 4. Although all the channel fireball guys love this card, so they play the full playset.
Vendilion Clique
Most people have this card in their sideboard. One of the aims of this deck is to make the opponent's removal blank. So playing very few creatures is ideal. Also playing few creatures lets you main deck wraths. Most people have this card in their sideboard. It's great vs combo and other control decks.
Restoration Angel
Instead of playing sorcery speed planeswalkers and batterskulls, you can have a flash threat in restoration angel. It's a better card against combo decks since it lets you hold up mana on their turn, and beats them down. Restoration angel can also give you some value by blinking your creatures, like snapcaster mage, wall of omens, or vendilion clique. Though that is usually unlikely as your opponent will just use removal on those creatures as they have very few targets for their removal. Restoration angel can also save your creatures or celestial colonnades from removal.
Geist of Saint Traft
For this deck, Geist is a sideboard card. If you want to play Geist main deck there's an archetype dedicated to it here. You would bring Geist in against combo decks so you can have a quick clock. Though looking at the winning decklists, no one likes that Geist plan.
Planeswalkers/Finishers
This is the Planeswalker of choice for Wafo-Tapa, He plays 2 in the sideboard. It can protect itself, it gets 5 loyalty when you use it, so it's hard to kill, and it can put on a quick clock.
Ajani Vengeant
This card is great vs aggro decks since it will kill a creature and gain life. It's also okay against an active birthing pod. A lot of people played this card to kill other players' Ajanis but with the new changes coming up in M14, this will no longer be the case.
Gideon Jura
This is another great card vs aggro. It's very hard for aggro decks to kill you, or Gideon since he has so much loyalty. It can also be used as a finisher. But it does turn on the opponent's removal. It is also useful against splinter twin/Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker decks, as if it resolves they can't kill you that turn unless they remove Gideon.
Batterskull
This is a very resilient threat that's also great vs aggo and control. Although it does have some bad interactions with sideboard cards you might have, shatterstorm, stony silence.
Spells
There's not much to say about the card. It's the staple 2 mana counter that you're happy to play 2-3 of. Your tectonic edges and shadow of doubts help it stay alive longer.
Remand
It's a very powerful card, but it's not the best in this deck. As this deck can't win very fast, you can't utilize the tempo remand provides. But it is amazing vs flash back and suspend spells. So you can sometimes play a miser's copy.
Cryptic Command
One of the best cards in the deck. It can save you from a lot of bad situations. It's great card advantage so you want to play 3-4 in your deck. If you get a bunch of them in your hand, it can be pretty bad, so that's why some people play 3.
Spell Snare
It's a really good card in the format now that voice of resurgence took off. This is a great answer to voice, and a great card when you're on the draw. It hits a lot of relevant cards in the format, (cranial plating, steel overseer, remand, mana leak, izzet charm, Sakura-Tribe Elder, spellskite, farseek, tarmogoyf, dark confidant, sylvan scrying). You rarely cut it unless you're against a UR splinter twin deck.
Izzet Charm
It's not inherently powerful, but it gives you a lot of options. I think if it did 2 damage to the opponent more people would play it. As this deck can turn into a burn deck at times.
Lightning Bolt
It's usually a 4 of, but it's not that great vs combo, so that's why you see some lists with 3. It's one of the best removal spells in the format, that also helps you finish off the opponent. It also helps you deal with planeswalkers.
Lightning Helix
It's a great anti aggro card, and can help you stay above 18 life vs scapeshift decks. It's very meta dependent so there's no set number of how many you should play.
Electrolyze
There are a lot of 1-2 toughness creatures in the format. So this card is insane. It also cycles so you can slowly burn out a combo/control opponent. It's a 2-3 of since it's not that great in multiples, and not that great vs creatureless decks.
Path to Exile
Wafo-Tapa does not like this card, since it's bad with his mana leaks and tectonic edges. He plays azorius charm instead. However since voice of resurgence is really popular and splinter twin decks are on the rise, you really want some number of paths.
Azorius Charm
It's a removal spell that cycles when it's dead. It helps you hit your land drops. However there are a lot of creatures with great come into play abilities so this card can back fire. And there are also creatures that rarely attack like deathrite shaman and dark confidant. It's also bad if there are a lot of voice of resurgence in your meta. So you have to know your meta very well to consider playing this card.
Shadow of Doubt
It's one of your best ways to beat scapeshift decks. It also helps vs pod decks, tron decks, and it can occasionally hit a fetch land, which helps make your mana leaks live longer. When it's dead or when you need a land it cycles. You can also chain it together with path to exile, so your opponent does not get a free land.
Think Twice
It helps you hit land drops. It lets you hold up counter mana without getting punished. It's card advantage. It's your best card to discard against liliana. It helps the deck work. You want 2-4 of these.
Sphinx's Revelation
It's secretly a finisher card. If you resolve this for 4+ you should be a huge favorite to win. It's better than white sun's zenith or blue sun's zenith, as the life gain on revelation gives you 1-3 time walks. So you don't really need your X spell to kill your opponent. Plus this card is better at 5 mana than WSZ or USZ.
Wrath of God/Supreme Verdict/Pyroclasm
These are the wraths most people play. Wrath of god is mainly for killing thrun, the last troll. Supreme verdict is usually better as there are more counter spells than there are thruns. Pyroclam doesn't kill as many creatures, but it's generally better against pod and other aggro decks since you get to play it a lot sooner, and you can flash it back with snapcaster sooner as well. Pyroclam is probably slightly better against Geist than supreme verdict.
Lands
All lists play 26 lands. Don't play any less!!
Playing wedge colors gives you access to 2 fetches that give you a less painful mana base. You can fetch basics more often when you need too, and your fetches always can get any shock land you need. Most lists play 6-8
Tectonic Edge
This card gives you game against scapeshift and tron decks. Though it's not particularly great vs tron since they can assemble tron before tec edge is active. It can also help you color screw opponents, and it helps makes your mana leaks live longer. Though the one down side is that every time you activate this land, you're farther away from activating celestial colonnade. Most lists play 3, having 4 screws with your mana a bit too much.
Celestial Colonnade
An auto 4 of in this deck. It's a great finisher and a great way to kill planeswalkers. It's also taps for 2 colors of mana.
Basic Lands
You want 1 of each mountain and plains, and 2-3 islands. The more islands you have help you play around blood moon better.
Sideboard Cards
Replaces disenchant as it can potentially get a 2 for 1. You normally only want 1 of this effect in your sideboard, as it's not inherently powerful.
Counterflux
Great vs combo and control. You want 1-2 of this card
Celestial Purge
It is a great card vs jund. It can stop splinter twin through a spellskite. And it's fine vs Red based aggro decks.
Spellskite
It's an all around great card vs a lot of strategies, burn, infect, bogle, splinter twin. But burn and twin can often ignore it or kill it (ancient grudge, smash to smithereens, so it's only amazing vs bogle and infect.
Threads of disloyalty
It's basically gain control of target dark confidant or tarmogoyf. So this card is very meta dependent. Also you have to hope your opponent is siding out abrupt decays, so this card is probably good to steal a game 2, but in game 3 they might side in decay after losing to threads. If you suspect your opponent is going to play decay, you can bring in spellskites to protect threads.
Sowing Salt
Strong vs tron and scapeshift. You can occasionally bring it in the mirror. Though it's mostly good against RG tron as the other decks will usually counter it.
Negate/Dispel
Cheap counters you can bring in vs combo and control. Dispel is pretty narrow, so most lists don't have it. But you normally want at least 1 of these cards.
Tempest of Light/Paraselene
Cards you can bring in against bogle decks if they are popular in your metagame.
Rest in Peace
Great vs storm, living end, reanimator, spirit jund, and gifts ungiven strategies. It's not that effective against Melira pod, since they can kill you with creatures especially with an active gavony township. However Rest in Peace is a nombo with snapcaster.
Relic of Progenitus
Another great card vs graveyard decks. It cycles when you need a card. It doesn't blank your snapcasters as much as rest in peace does.
Stony Silence
Decent vs birthing pod, tron and affinity decks. However it turns off your relic. So if you bring in stony silence and relic vs tron or eggs decks, be aware you can't activate relic with stony silence out.
Combust
Good against twin/kiki decks, as well as celestial colonnade.
Timely Reinforcements
Good against aggro. Though the deck is built to be good against aggro so you don't really need this card. But if you're not playing lightning helix main, you probably want timely in the sideboard.
Surgical Extraction
A really good card with snapcaster mage. And it's obviously good vs graveyard strategies, or a way to mise against combo opponents by removing scapeshift, tron land, emrakul, etc... However if this is your only form of graveyard hate, you're going to have problems with deathrite shamans and tarmogoyfs.
Vendilion Clique
Good card vs combo and control. You probably want at least 1 of these. As opponents will side out removal vs you.
Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
Another good card vs control and some combo decks. It turns off all the opponents counter spells.
Hallowed Burial
Great vs bogles, persist creatures, voice of resurgence, living end. However it costs 5 mana so it's not the best sweeper against the fast aggro decks like affinity and gruul aggro.
Thundermaw Hellkite
This is a big threat that puts a clock on the opponent while being hard to kill. It also is a great counter to lingering souls.
Articles
http://www.starcitygames.com/article/26158_GP-Portland-UWR-Wafo-Tapa-In-Modern.html
Shaun McLaren's Pro Tour Born of the Gods Tournament Report
http://www.starcitygames.com/article/28014_ThRead-Dis-Pro-Tour-Born-Of-The-Gods-Winner.html
Videos
http://www.starcitygames.com/article/28063_One-Top-8.html
Paul Cheon also has some videos you can watch from his stream
http://www.twitch.tv/haumph/profile/pastBroadcasts
Paul Cheon playing on Channel Fireball
http://www.channelfireball.com/videos/channel-cheon-modern-uwr-control/
LSV playing on Channel Fireball
http://www.channelfireball.com/videos/channel-lsv-modern-uwr-control/
Here are some old replays of the first version of the deck. There's no audio, so you have to supply your own music/commentary.
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQw6HUuVJl1tUzKoQDX9qkQ/videos?view=1
This deck is great, but there isn't much to discuss besides side boarding.
With regards to the Sulfur Falls, it comes into play untapped with any of your Duals. No point in having 2 Vents really. I am thinking about cutting a fetch for another land, not sure which one. In long games you will very frequently run into situations in which you simply have nothing to search for. Maybe it should be 3 Marsh Flats and a filter or buddy land. Not sure which I'd want most.
Sig by DNC/HotP Studios
I think the worst dual to grab right away is blood crypt. I don't really find myself going for black mana unless I have those cards in hand.
I could see playing 1 m10 dual. I don't really like filter lands, I'd rather play calciform pools over a 2nd filter land.
How many life gain cards do you think are needed in the 75? I think 4 is a good amount for all the burn decks online. I'm testing out a lightning helix over 1 electrolyze. The lightning helix is pseudo card advantage, and helps lower the curve a tiny bit, though it's awkward to cast on turn 2.
1 Mystic Gate
2 Reflecting Pool
1 Sacred Foundry
2 Misty Rainforest
1 Hallowed Fountain
4 Remand
1 Watery Grave
1 White Sun's Zenith
2 Mystical Teachings
4 Snapcaster Mage
4 Electrolyze
1 Terminate
1 Plains
1 Consume the Meek
2 Steam Vents
2 Arid Mesa
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Lightning Bolt
1 Blood Crypt
1 Tectonic Edge
4 Esper Charm
1 Island
1 Sphinx's Revelation
3 Izzet Charm
2 Celestial Colonnade
4 Cryptic Command
1 Dismember
4 Darkslick Shores
1 Celestial Purge
2 Timely Reinforcements
3 Counterflux
2 Supreme Verdict
1 Hide/Seek
1 Extirpate
4 Duress
1 Tectonic Edge
just played this to a 3-1 in a daily event
beat scapeshift r1 in 2-1
beat infect 2-1 r2
beat esper delver 2-1 r3
lost to soul sisters r4 1-2
so in round four he got and average draw in g1 and my draw was decent drew my one board wipe into WSZ and beat him easily from there g2 he has serra ascendant into martyr while i was on the draw and i got crushed g3 he drew really well and i had to mull i was doing fine until he drew back to back rangers of eoses and crushed me with them
also a couple things of note esper charm is the best card in the deck by far the mana can kinda of suck there were a few times where my fetches had nothing to get with like 3 of them left in my deck
i have duress in the board because i dont want to shell out for thoughseizes but there were a couple times where thoughsieze would have been better to have
electrolyze does tons of work in this deck it really shines in the creature matchups because alot of the time it you dont want to spend early removal on small creatures but because it cantrips its almost always worth using
Look at the engine behind the deck you would see that wurmcoil is not a workable part of the game plan. Had you suggested maybe a 1-of Bogardan Hellkite the point you are trying to make about threats would make more sense. Even vendilion clique would be a better suggestion than wurmcoil for the purposes of the deck. Just because a deck doesnt windmill slam game winning threats doesnt mean its bad. This deck works on the incremental advantage principle and uses small damage over time with burn and aggressive creatures to put the opponent down on life. I would even suggest a 1-of comet storm somewhere myself. (Part of me wishes runechanter's pike were good in modern because of this deck)
UB/x Faeries
UR Storm
XURWB Affinity
G Elves
UW control
XXXX
Modern
URTwinRU R.I.P.
EDH
WUGRoon of the Hidden RealmWUG
I usually hate remand in control decks, but here they're justified as all you really want to do is hit land drops the whole game and cast cryptic command a bunch of times. This deck would be very hard pressed to beat a blood moon though.
Esper draw go Control!
Twitch stream: http://www.twitch.tv/pimpdonny
Comet storm would be sweet. This deck goes to late game, I thought the advantage of durdle decks were to drop big blue eyes white dragon creatures, in the late game. Does anyone have a video of this deck, so I can see more how it works.
Perfect mana allows you to basically cast your XXR removal spells, Esper Charm, and Cryptic. You need the Black - Marsh Flats has already been way better. Blood Crypt might be a worse fetch than Steam Vents sometimes, but with a Hallowed Fountain, I've occasionally grabbed a Blood Crypt on T1.
The Sulfur Falls has been way better, I'd encourage you to try it. I am going to test out cutting a fetch soon, not sure when I'll have the time though. Like someone else said, eventually you'll get to the point where you will fail to find.
I like the idea of Lightning Helix, though I think I'd still rather have all the Electrolyzes MD. The prevalence of red decks online was one of the reasons I wanted a third Timely or a Rest for Weary in my SB. I hate losing to those decks, especially when my deck has access to White. Okay, now that I'm channeling the emotions I get when I lose to those decks, you could maybe convince me on Lightning Helix.
Sig by DNC/HotP Studios
I know the issues of pike in modern right now. My statement was only made because o the number of decks playing abrupt decay. The pike'd creature would not actually get damag through against lingering souls. I get what you are saying but i have given a lot of cards a lot of thought.
UB/x Faeries
UR Storm
XURWB Affinity
G Elves
UW control
Actually the UWR delver deck is a bad match up. They play geist which is very hard for this deck to answer. The only way it can deal with it is blocking with snapcaster, wrathing and multiple cryptics tapping it. They play cheap threats backed up with cheap disruption, so they can easily get under your higher casting cost cards. Also this is one of those match ups where being on the play/draw matters a lot.
You also have to spend 2 cards killing kitchen finks. This deck has no problem spending 2 cards to kill 1 creature. Remember a lot of your cards have value like snapcaster and electrolyze. You can also remand their 4+ casting cost creature and buy more time.
Colonnade isn't that good of a threat against us. It forces them to tap their mana. And it's a huge tempo swing when you bounce their colonnade with cryptic.
The cantrip matters on remand. Plus it punishes people for playing expensive spells. A common play is remand their spell, they recast it then you can izzet charm it.
The sideboard should address that by bringing in cheaper cards. I really think there needs to be a darkblast in the sideboard.
Is there a good tutorial on how to use recording programs? I could put up some of his replays on youtube (the next time I see him playing in a modern event).
Yeah I thought about pike, but you'd need to add more creatures. Then resto angel is an obvious inclusion. And you'd probably board pike out game 2-3 when they bring in grave hate.
I was also thinking about adding a planeswalker (over consume the meek).
Ajani Vengeant (the +1 has never seemed good to me)
Chandra, the Firebrand (wouldn't it be sweet to see this card played in modern? -2 and take them to value town)
Gideon Jura (sadly he really shines with other planeswalkers in play, this deck can't afford to play many walkers)
Jace Beleren (this deck won't feel that bad when +2ing it)
Jace, Architect of Thought (what's not to like about this card, it "gains life," protects himself, and draws cards)
Tamiyo, the Moon Sage (does similar things like Jace AoT, costs 1 more but has a sweeter ultimate)
I'll try the land base changes and see how they go. I don't know if removing an electrolyze for a lightning helix is correct. But it might be worth trying. I hate those burn decks too.
1) it doesn't run enough creatures
2) it doesn't run thought scour
3) you have to remove cards to add pike, i'm guessing a pike would replace WSZ, which doesn't seem like a good upgrade to me
You will have to make a new deck to play pike, which means this thread isn't the place to discuss it.
UB/x Faeries
UR Storm
XURWB Affinity
G Elves
UW control