I've noticed some infect decks running Dismember either in the maindeck or sideboard (e.g., Tyler Hill's PT Fate Reforged deck). I think this is a great card since it gets rid of the likes of spellskite and grim lavamancer while removing any potential blockers. Has anyone try running Vapor Snag in this slot? To me it seems like an end-of-turn snag is just as good as a Dismember in most cases where you are setting up for the kill. Vapor snags also allows you to save your creature from removal, return a source that has been named via deflecting palm and even return inkmoth or dryad arbor to activate landfall for groundswell. Any thoughts?
Hey there, Im working on a homebrew list and would have found that about 90% or so of my meta is rock and infect.
What mainboardable cards would you guys say are absolutely the worst for this deck? The cards you just despise dealing with and biggest threat early game? I intend to have these types of cards be the core of my deck, as last tournament I played a couple weeks ago was literally 7 rounds of rock and infect. There's literally like 10 or so people who play not these decks in tourneys upwards to 100 ppl.
Bonus points if Rock hates that card too.
I would say spellskite, cheap removal, and board wipes. Non-target removal is probably the worse because infect players usually will have either vines of vastwood or apostle's blessing up for protection.
I've noticed some infect decks running Dismember either in the maindeck or sideboard (e.g., Tyler Hill's PT Fate Reforged deck). I think this is a great card since it gets rid of the likes of spellskite and grim lavamancer while removing any potential blockers. Has anyone try running Vapor Snag in this slot? To me it seems like an end-of-turn snag is just as good as a Dismember in most cases where you are setting up for the kill. Vapor snags also allows you to save your creature from removal, return a source that has been named via deflecting palm and even return inkmoth or dryad arbor to activate landfall for groundswell. Any thoughts?
Edit: You also save 4 life
I think the main draw to dismember is that it can be cast with green or colorless mana from inkmoth nexus. It isn't always trivial to leave up blue in this deck. Also, infect is probably the one deck that would much rather run unsummon over vapor snag.
I've noticed some infect decks running Dismember either in the maindeck or sideboard (e.g., Tyler Hill's PT Fate Reforged deck). I think this is a great card since it gets rid of the likes of spellskite and grim lavamancer while removing any potential blockers. Has anyone try running Vapor Snag in this slot? To me it seems like an end-of-turn snag is just as good as a Dismember in most cases where you are setting up for the kill. Vapor snags also allows you to save your creature from removal, return a source that has been named via deflecting palm and even return inkmoth or dryad arbor to activate landfall for groundswell. Any thoughts?
Edit: You also save 4 life
I think the main draw to dismember is that it can be cast with green or colorless mana from inkmoth nexus. It isn't always trivial to leave up blue in this deck. Also, infect is probably the one deck that would much rather run unsummon over vapor snag.
You're right! I did not even think about unsummon -- that would definitely be the preferred choice since the opponent's life total doesn't matter most of the time while ours does. I am not as convinced about the lack of blue mana though since most decks run a variety of one blue drops i.e., distortion strike, spell pierce, twisted image.
I guess the question is, are there still enough creatures that are seeing play which need to be removed from the battlefield permanently, rather than temporarily, to make Dismember a necessity?
Along with Spellskite which you would certainly prefer not to come back, Dismember is very good at dealing with Deceiver Exarch and Pestermite for just 1 colorless mana (which can be quite relevant when they flash in a guy at the end of their turn and tap down a land).
Hey there, Im working on a homebrew list and would have found that about 90% or so of my meta is rock and infect.
What mainboardable cards would you guys say are absolutely the worst for this deck? The cards you just despise dealing with and biggest threat early game? I intend to have these types of cards be the core of my deck, as last tournament I played a couple weeks ago was literally 7 rounds of rock and infect. There's literally like 10 or so people who play not these decks in tourneys upwards to 100 ppl.
Bonus points if Rock hates that card too.
I would say spellskite, cheap removal, and board wipes. Non-target removal is probably the worse because infect players usually will have either vines of vastwood or apostle's blessing up for protection.
Would you say spellskite, abrupt decay, and drown in sorrow are my best bets then? I also would have 3 tec edges as well for inkmoths.
ey guys just dropping in to ask about the sudden rise in infect's tier listing. What's the deal? I've had a little UG infect list put together for awhile but it never really performed to the degree i wanted it to. What changed recently to make it tier one? and I heard mono G infect is a big thing now, anyone care to explain?
I have doubt, if i get glistener elf and i pump it with might of old krosa, does it give 5 poison counters to the opponent or just one?
if you pumped it during the main phase, it becomes a 5/5, and deals 5 damage in the form of poison counters. note that might of old krosa is still an instant during the main phase.
if you pumped it outside of the main phase (for example after you have already declared attackers), it becomes a 3/3 and deals 3 damage in the form of poison counters.
Has anyone else been underwhelmed by the wild defiance's in the MD? I feel like if I don't have it turn 2 (off hierarch), its often too slow. And I only want it in the attrition matchups as a way to make my hierarch's/skites lethal by regular dmg or when they've discarded my entire hand. Anyone try replacing the Defiances MD with more pump/infect guys/protection spells?
Along the same lines, has anyone tried thought scour as a 1/2-of in the MD as a way to enable Become Immense and further smoothe out draws?
Has anyone else been underwhelmed by the wild defiance's in the MD? I feel like if I don't have it turn 2 (off hierarch), its often too slow. And I only want it in the attrition matchups as a way to make my hierarch's/skites lethal by regular dmg or when they've discarded my entire hand. Anyone try replacing the Defiances MD with more pump/infect guys/protection spells?
Along the same lines, has anyone tried thought scour as a 1/2-of in the MD as a way to enable Become Immense and further smoothe out draws?
I really like the main deck Defiances. It gets you so many more turn 3 wins if you play it on turn 2. It can be slow if you don't draw it until later in the game, but you can often find a way to surprise your opponent in those instances by slow-rolling it and using it almost like an extra pump spell. I don't think you should run more than 1 or 2 in the main, but I think you should have access to the full 4 in the 75.
With regards to Thought Scour, I haven't tried it personally, but it's an interesting idea. I've been running 2 Sylvan Scrying but I haven't been too impressed with them. It might be worth testing a couple of Thought Scour in their place. I'm not sure Thought Scour would be better than simply running an extra Sleight of Hand or two though, since it's rarely very difficult cast Become Immense anyway in my experience. Probably worth testing, but I'm not convinced simply enabling a faster Become Immense would be worth the slots.
Hmmm, I've never played Wild Defiance as a slow roll pump spell with protection spells. Maybe I need to think about them more in that manner. Turn 2 Defiance is amazing but any turn after that, I almost never want to see it.
With regards to scour, I've found that a lot of times, the first BI is easy to cast. However, if you have to go for it and hope they don't have removal and they do, or if they just counter the BI, the second becomes hard to get rid of. Also, BI seems like one of those cards that I always want to see one of, but I never want to see 2 of. Scour makes it so that 2 is ok.
Has anyone else been underwhelmed by the wild defiance's in the MD? I feel like if I don't have it turn 2 (off hierarch), its often too slow. And I only want it in the attrition matchups as a way to make my hierarch's/skites lethal by regular dmg or when they've discarded my entire hand. Anyone try replacing the Defiances MD with more pump/infect guys/protection spells?
Along the same lines, has anyone tried thought scour as a 1/2-of in the MD as a way to enable Become Immense and further smoothe out draws?
Wild Defiance is a meta call in my opinion. Good if there's a lot of red decks in your meta. There isn't in mine so I've moved them to the side and replaced them with two Monastery Siege maindeck which I find good both early and late game. Dragons mode has utility against discard and random things like Gifts Ungiven.
I don't think Thought Scour smooths out draws. It fuels become immense but it doesn't give you any card selection as it merely replaces itself. This is why Sleight of Hand and sometimes Serum Visions is played instead for a slight increase in consistency. I personally don't have room for either.
I thought it was because infect decks are generally searching for that last card they need to go off that turn and serum vision sets you up well for the next turn where as sleight of hand gives you the whole value of the card at once.
Hi guys :)) I won today's GPT Singapore, which was perfect because I plan to play there this coming June :)) Here are my match-ups:
Round 1: 0-2 RG Tron (4. MAINDECK. SPELLSKITES)
Round 2: 2-0 Splinter Twin (I killed him in G2 with 20 power worth of Spellskites xD)
Round 3: 2-1 Death and Taxes
Round 4: 2-0 BW Tokens (he died Turn 3 both games)
Round 5: Intentional Draw into Top8
Quarterfinals: 2-0 Abzan Midrange
Semnifinals: 2-0 Splinter Twin (same person from Round 2 who lent me Hierarchs)
Finals: He gave it to me since he already has 2 byes. :3
I run the Tom Ross list, except that I use 4 Groundswell instead of Might of Old Krosa, and instead of Sleight of Hand I have a 2nd Spellskite MD. Also earlier, I realized that I have no boards agains BW Tokens. Was it wise of me to bring in Dispel and 2 Spell Pierce just for their removal and token-makers? :/
Dispel and spell pierce work well against tokens, the main cards that annoy you are the spirits, the path to exile and zealous persecution, those two cards give you a way to counter their cards. Especially spell pierce because dispel doesn't stop the any of the spirit making cards they have. Finding a way to get rid of their virtue will help because vigilance is strong against infect because we can fly over you and then still have blockers.
ey guys just dropping in to ask about the sudden rise in infect's tier listing. What's the deal? I've had a little UG infect list put together for awhile but it never really performed to the degree i wanted it to. What changed recently to make it tier one? and I heard mono G infect is a big thing now, anyone care to explain?
Infect got a lot better after the Birthing Pod ban. When one of the top tier decks in Modern has Melira, Sylvok Outcast as its main wincon, Infect sort of gets hosed by default. Nothing new massively changed how Infect decks work, it's just that the meta changed.
Being newer to infect, I have been proxying two Noble Hierarchs because I only have two. I borrowed the two I needed and jumped into my first tournament. I saw a lot of twin and affinity. Couples of Abzan showed, so after this knowledge, I altered my board and main to resemble the following:
I have debated on hurkyl's recall or creeping corrosion for affinity matches, but haven't seen it in many boards or seen it in action. I am just looking for feedback mostly. Thank you all!
Edit: You also save 4 life
I would say spellskite, cheap removal, and board wipes. Non-target removal is probably the worse because infect players usually will have either vines of vastwood or apostle's blessing up for protection.
I think the main draw to dismember is that it can be cast with green or colorless mana from inkmoth nexus. It isn't always trivial to leave up blue in this deck. Also, infect is probably the one deck that would much rather run unsummon over vapor snag.
You're right! I did not even think about unsummon -- that would definitely be the preferred choice since the opponent's life total doesn't matter most of the time while ours does. I am not as convinced about the lack of blue mana though since most decks run a variety of one blue drops i.e., distortion strike, spell pierce, twisted image.
Would you say spellskite, abrupt decay, and drown in sorrow are my best bets then? I also would have 3 tec edges as well for inkmoths.
if you pumped it during the main phase, it becomes a 5/5, and deals 5 damage in the form of poison counters. note that might of old krosa is still an instant during the main phase.
if you pumped it outside of the main phase (for example after you have already declared attackers), it becomes a 3/3 and deals 3 damage in the form of poison counters.
Whats you guy think about Postmortem Lunge?
Almost one more creature in the deck, but with haste, and comes from grave instead.
Magic player since 2001 - Modern player since 2011
Along the same lines, has anyone tried thought scour as a 1/2-of in the MD as a way to enable Become Immense and further smoothe out draws?
Hmmm, I've never played Wild Defiance as a slow roll pump spell with protection spells. Maybe I need to think about them more in that manner. Turn 2 Defiance is amazing but any turn after that, I almost never want to see it.
With regards to scour, I've found that a lot of times, the first BI is easy to cast. However, if you have to go for it and hope they don't have removal and they do, or if they just counter the BI, the second becomes hard to get rid of. Also, BI seems like one of those cards that I always want to see one of, but I never want to see 2 of. Scour makes it so that 2 is ok.
Wild Defiance is a meta call in my opinion. Good if there's a lot of red decks in your meta. There isn't in mine so I've moved them to the side and replaced them with two Monastery Siege maindeck which I find good both early and late game. Dragons mode has utility against discard and random things like Gifts Ungiven.
I don't think Thought Scour smooths out draws. It fuels become immense but it doesn't give you any card selection as it merely replaces itself. This is why Sleight of Hand and sometimes Serum Visions is played instead for a slight increase in consistency. I personally don't have room for either.
Wow. Nice find, I have never seen this before. Definitely worth testing as a one or two-of.
Round 1: 0-2 RG Tron (4. MAINDECK. SPELLSKITES)
Round 2: 2-0 Splinter Twin (I killed him in G2 with 20 power worth of Spellskites xD)
Round 3: 2-1 Death and Taxes
Round 4: 2-0 BW Tokens (he died Turn 3 both games)
Round 5: Intentional Draw into Top8
Quarterfinals: 2-0 Abzan Midrange
Semnifinals: 2-0 Splinter Twin (same person from Round 2 who lent me Hierarchs)
Finals: He gave it to me since he already has 2 byes. :3
Infect got a lot better after the Birthing Pod ban. When one of the top tier decks in Modern has Melira, Sylvok Outcast as its main wincon, Infect sort of gets hosed by default. Nothing new massively changed how Infect decks work, it's just that the meta changed.
UTeferi, Temporal ArchmageU's prison: blue is the new orange is the new black.
Mizzix Of The Izmagnus : wheels on fire... rolling down the road...
BSidisi, Undead VizierB: Bis zum Erbrechen
GTitiania, Protector Of ArgothG: Protecting Argoth, by blowing it up!
GYisan, The Wanderer BardG: Gradus Ad Elfball.
Duel EDH: Yisan & Titania.
In Progress: Grand Arbiter Augustin IV duel; Grenzo, Dungeon Warden Doomsday.
MD
4 Glistener elf
4 Blighted agent
4 Hierarch
1 Spellskite
1 Ichorclaw myr
4 Probe
2 Sleight of hand
1 spell pierce
4 Muta
4 Vines
3 Krosa
3 Become Immense
2 Distortion Strike
2 Blessing
2 Wild Defiance
8 Fetches
4 inkmoth
2 Pendelhaven
2 forest
2 Breeding pool
1 Dryad Arbor
SB
3 nature's claim
3 twisted image
1 spell pierce
2 dispel
1 simic charm
2 spellskites
1 defiance
1 monastery siege
1 carrion call
I have debated on hurkyl's recall or creeping corrosion for affinity matches, but haven't seen it in many boards or seen it in action. I am just looking for feedback mostly. Thank you all!