Overview of the Deck
Titan Scapeshift is a straight forward combo deck that utilizes Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle and six other Mountains to deal as much damage as possible to win the game. This can be done as early as turn 4 by ramping up to 7 lands and casting Scapeshift. You might say "Yeah I know, I've played the RUG Scapeshift deck before, and we already have a primer for that." And to that I answer, "Okay... but this is a functionally different deck." They do have similarities in that they both use Scapeshift to Valakut as a win-condition, but as RUG Scapeshift controls the match until they can cast their namesake card to win the game, we on the other hand singularly ramp up as fast as possible and then cast Scapeshift; or alternately, in what is the biggest difference we have with that version of the deck, is to play Primeval Titan and deal damage with the accumulation of Mountains and Valakut, beatdown, or all of the above. To quote one of the most known player responsible for popularizing the deck -
I mostly just played ramp spells and lands until I combo killed my opponent. - Thien Nguyen
History of the Deck
Titan Scapeshift first has its roots in Standard back in the Zendikar-M11-SOM block where most of the components of the deck were printed, and it is when Valakut Ramp dominated the meta. Reid Duke once called it in one of his articles as "the most powerful deck in Standard". Scapeshift did not make any waves when it was first printed in Morningtide since it did not have the key component to finish the combo. Not until Extended did Scapeshift catch up to Valakut eventually, which coincided with the dominance of Valakut Ramp in Standard. Scapeshift decks even then were differentiated into two -- the awesomely named Wargate Scapeshift; and RG Scapeshift, which as you may think, looks very similar to what our deck is now. And back then, they became the most dominant archetype of combo decks in Extended. So dominant in fact, that when Modern was first rolled out on 2011, Valakut was among the first to be banned. It was only more than a year later when it was unbanned, and then several builds that incorporated the Scapeshift - Valakut combo appeared.
Early Modern versions of the RG build relied on large creatures and had Summoning Trap, focusing more on the beatdown. Another configuration of the Primeval Titan - Scapeshift deck was very similar to the RUG Scapeshift build, but added the Titan as an alternate wincon, replacing Snapcaster Mage's creature slot. The Modern version that is the most similar to the iteration we use now was piloted by Felix Tse to second place in a 148-man tournament in Toronto back in July of 2015. It was a removal heavy version, with main-deck 4 Lightning Bolts, 4 Anger of the Gods and 3 Magma Jets (which also helped speed up the combo with Scry). It was also the first to include 4 Relic of the Progenitus in the main as cantrip to dig for answers/ solutions.
Then on the 11th of November 2015, Thien Nguyen reached 7th place (out of 2674 players) in the Grand Prix Pittsburgh which further cemented the deck as a contender, and popularized it even more. His list concentrated on the combo aspect of the deck, used Commune with Lava to find Scapeshift which overall streamlined the main deck with as little interaction as possible. This has been the basis for what the deck is now.
Scapeshift - the namesake of the deck. Enables T4 kills, and topdeck skills. Play 4-off. Primeval Titan - the other namesake. A 6/6 trampler that fetches 2 lands to enable your combo, along with beat down. Also play 4-off. Search for Tomorrow - suspends for 2 at G to search for a basic land. Evens out your curve. Include 4. Sakura-Tribe Elder - affectionately called "Steve", he is your primary chump blocker and also fetches for a basic land. Can beat down the initial 2 damage when needed in a pinch. Run 4. Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle - the main damage dealer of the deck. You actually only need one to deal 18 damage, but this deck favors redundancy so that you can naturally draw it and can do individual damage outside of the combo. Run 3-4.
Relic of Progenitus - was included in Felix Tse's and Thien Nguyen's deck mainly as a cantrip, with opponent's graveyard interaction only in hindsight. The primary flexible component in those decks and the first to be boarded out, so later lists relegated this to the sideboard completely. Run 0-4 according to your meta. Commune with Lava - with the deck's ramp nature, you may find yourself with over abundance of lands with no gas. This card converts those resources to answers. Use during your opponent's end of turn to maximize profit, with the downside being you have to keep a fairly large amount of lands open to increase probability of finding your answer. The decks that run it use 2, others use a different strategy altogether. Thien Nguyen feels that Commune is inappropriate for the current aggro meta. Prismatic Omen - converts all your lands into Mountains (among other basic land types) for a more explosive whopping 72(!) damage with six lands in play with Scapeshift. Also used to speed up your Valakut triggers, and makes your fetchlands into pseudo bolts. Some consider this more of a "win-more" card, so use according to your play style. Lightning Bolt - one of the most popular card in the format. Adds interaction to your deck against the aggro match-up. Run up to 4 depending upon the situation. Primal Command - being a multi-purpose card almost makes up for it's 5cc, but hindered by being a Sorcery unlike its blue counterpart in the RUG variants. Notable modes are the lifegain and the Primetime tutor. Summoner's Pact - recent lists run this as Primetime no.5 and 6, so 2 seems to be the magic number when including this.
Land Count and Choice
Along with any other part of the deck, there has been a lot of discussion with the number of lands for our deck. Majority of the players have settled with a 27 land count, containing the following:
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Valakuts
3 Green fetchlands
5 RG lands (different configurations of Stomping Grounds and Cinder Glades)
6-8 Mountains
2-4 Forests
Other tech lands have also been considered, and is discussed below.
How does Scapeshift work and how do I play it?
Most players already understand how this one-card combo work. You have 7 lands in play, cast Scapeshift, and when it resolves, you sacrifice all 7 lands, fetch for 6 Mountains and a Valakut, and then Valakut deals a total of 18 damage simultaneously. This happens because Valakut and all six Mountains enter the battlefield all at the same time, and each one triggers Valakut as it "sees" each as one more than the required 5 other in play. This means that, unless you have a Prismatic Omen in play, you absolutely must have 7 lands in the battlefield before you cast Scapeshift, otherwise no damage will be dealt. Also keep in mind that 7 lands deal only 18 damage, so do not be too hasty in casting the card when your opponent is on full life. Remember that each land in excess of seven that you sacrifice upon resolution, your damage adds 18 more, since you would fetch an additional Valakut to deal more damage. This comes in handy against decks that gain life. A simple guide below:
7 lands = 18 damage
8 lands = 36 damage
9 lands = 54 damage and so forth.
/r/Hiredgoonthug wrote an excellent post on reddit on how to understand this combo and to play against Scapeshift. It gives us a lot of insight on our matchups and how they can effectively stop our gameplan. Although the post discusses the RUG variant, this is also mostly applicable to our deck. I have edited the post below, removing parts not concerning the RG version.
Mistakes that the combo player makes
Most scapeshift decks play 2 valakuts and 10 mountains. 4 vents, 4 grounds, 2 basics. If the combo player is inattentive, they can sacrifice too many lands and be unable to trigger valakut. If they only have 5 mountains left in their library, for instance, if they sacrifice all 7 of their lands they will not get any valakut triggers as they will only end up with 5 mountains in play after resolving scape. If you take nothing else from this post, take this part. Make your opponent show you the valakut and 6 mountains. The combo player fix to this is to carefully count mountains in hand, GY, and in play and then sacrifice an appropriate number of lands leaving some mountains in play, dealing less damage. Not floating mana It's generally good practice to float mana from extra lands while casting scapeshift. If you pass priority to your opponent without floating mana and they do nothing, scapeshift starts resolving without giving you a chance to float mana (as you don't get priority again). Make sure that you don't let scapeshift players float mana if they don't do it properly. This is very important, especially if you have ways of bouncing lands or surviving the combo damage.
Some scape players think that they still have to sacrifice lands after their opponent resolves an aven mindcensor or shadow of doubt. This is just not true, you sac lands upon resolving scape, not as a cost.
Finally, valakut has a 'may' clause on it's damage. If there were some weird game happening where one player had a leyline of sanctity out and the scapeshift player felt the need to trigger valakut and it's only target was the scapeshift player himself, they don't need to take 3 damage. This is probably more relevant with the RG prime time version of the deck.
Ways to disrupt the combo
Keep in mind that many scapeshift players choose to have alternative win conditions in their sideboard like Inferno Titan, Batterskull, Keranos, Wurmcoil, and Obstinate Baloth. If your deck inherently has some of these disruptive elements, consider keeping some creature removal around. Discard and Extirpate effects. Lili and thoughtsieze. Liliana is one of the best single cards against this deck as it's exceptionally hard to play 7 lands when lili is being activated every turn and she ults quite fast, reducing land count even more. If you have extirpate or slaughter games or similar, scapeshift is an easy card to exile. Finally, keep in mind that even if you've got the scape player hellbent, they have a chance to topdeck scape.
Liliana is so good against the deck that some players have as many as 3 obstinate baloths in their sideboard to fight her. Make sure that you have some way to deal with a baloth before you play her. This can be as simple as having a tarmogoyf in play. Land Destruction/bounce. On the uphill climb to 7 lands LD is obviously very powerful. Perhaps the most powerful card of this variety is Sowing Salt. The most obvious target is valakut, to make it impossible for them to combo, but the red shocks are equally devastating.
Letting a scapeshift resolve and then bouncing or destroying a mountain in response to the valakut triggers will make all but one of the valakut triggers do nothing, assuming that they are brought below 6 mountains in play. This is why it's important to float mana as the combo player. A boomerang or cryptic command bounce will fizzle the combo. An on board tec edge, ghost quarter, or fulminator mage can occasionally do the trick too, given that the combo player makes a mistake and did not play around the on board trick. Note that bouncing or destroying the fetched valakut will not prevent it's damage.
The combo player fix to this is to get to 8 lands and fetch out 7 mountains and a valakut, or for ghost quarter to make sure there is a basic mountain left in the deck. Blood Moon Obviously. It's a 3 color deck and a nonbasic land is it's wincon. If you have the opportunity to play a redundant blood moon, TAKE IT. Mill If you're playing a mill deck, congratulations, this is one of your easiest matchups. Also what are you doing on this subreddit? If you have incidental mill like Ashiok, you might want to leave it in post board as it can randomly win the game. Hitting both valakuts or enough mountains can make the combo impossible. Lifegain / Spellskite. As I said earlier, the quickest combo deals 18 damage. If you can stay above 18, you've bought yourself one extra turn. This is an advantage that decks like Merfolk get that make them even more annoying for scape to play against. This is really only relevant for Soul Sisters.
Spellskite can redirect valakut triggers to itself at the cost of 1 blue or 2 life. This means that if you have access to zero blue mana and have a skite on board, your new numbers are as follows:
7 lands in play: 12 damage
8 lands in play: 24 damage
It starts to become reasonable to live through a combo if you have a pure lifegain spell like Feed the Clan and a spellskite in play.
Kill em before they get anywhere near 7 lands. Burn, Affinity, and Infect. You might have relevant hate cards in your sideboard to disrupt the combo, but don't dilute your speed too much to bring them in. These decks prey on scapeshift as it is, you don't want to bring in Kor Firewalker as a burn deck to try to gain life and dodge removal, it's just not worth it. Keep in mind that scapeshift packs a TON of sideboard hate against your decks, so try to anticipate what they will bring in. TL;DR - Scapeshift needs at least 1 valakut and 6 mountains in play after it resolves, make them resolve the spell and show you every time. Staying above 18 life can buy you an extra turn. Hate cards are good but not infallible. Be wary of post board creature win cons.
Of Prime Times and Khalni Hearts
As I've said above, our biggest difference with other Scapeshift decks is that we are not as reliant with Scapeshift, because we have Big Daddy, Prime Time, Primeval Titan. He not only acts as a big bludgeon that hits your enemies bluntly in the face when not handled immediately, his land tutor ability can end the game immediately at best and sets you up for mid game at the very least. One thing that is good to keep in mind when playing with RG Scapeshift is that unlike our more popular cousin, we ideally fetch our mountains immediately. We usually have 12 Mountains and 4 Valakuts, 2 more for each than they have, which means we have a bit more leeway in the event we have to sac them via a topdecked Scapeshift. A good line of play is that once you have 2 G sources, you stick to fetching up those mountains, so that when Primedaddy hits the dance floor, you're sure to deal at least 3 damage from the Mountain and Valakut that you bring with him. "Only 3 damage?" you say. Yes, but I did say at least, didn't I? This is where this Enchantment shines. Khalni Heart Expedition is a very deceptively strong card that at first glance is just one of the cards that quickly assist you to your journey to 7 lands, but it's true power lies when you just keep your Heart lying in the sidelines, waiting for the perfect opportunity. As I've said in the the Card Choices section, you can reserve the sacrifice ability of the card when you need it. You may even add additional counters every Landfall just to mess with your opponent. So in this situation, when you have Khalni Heart in play a turn prior to Primetime, it is most likely to have a at least a single counter on it. So when the 2 lands enter the battlefield, you can respond to this trigger and sac KHE for 2 Mountains and immediately deal 6 more damage. Or have Big Boss Prime fetch 2 Valakuts instead, deal no damage (yet), but have Khalni Heart's Mountains enter and deal 12 damage. This only gets obviously much more fun the more KHE you have before you cast Primetime, especially if you add Prismatic Omen to the mix. So many configurations to mix and match according to your playstyle, and you'd get to explore it further the more you play with the deck.
Sideboard and Alternate Card Choices
As you have probably noticed by now, ours is mainly a combo deck. With that in mind, we want as little interaction with our opponent as possible. We are vulnerable to the aggro matchup and discard, thus this will most likely reflect in our choice of sideboard cards. Discussions have also been done on tech lands and other shenanigans that we can include to complement our combo plan. This includes cards that we think can be interesting but may not necessarily be auto-include, but merits further testing and discussion. We will update this section from time to time as we further discuss our strategy moving forward.
Anger of the Gods - our primary sweeper. Effective against the Abzan matchup because of the exile effect. Obstinate Baloth - when the going gets tough, we add another beater. Efficient because it handles both the BGx and the Burn matchups, meaning you can dedicate more of your slots for other stuff. Nature's Claim - 1cc Enchantment and Artifact hate. The life gain for the opponent is mostly irrelevant since you can deal large enough damage thrice his total life points. Ancient Grudge - artifact destruction you can use twice. Crumble to Dust - a fancier Sowing Salt. Good against the TRON variants, RUG Scapeshift, the mirror and manlands. Jaddi Offshoot - chump blocks like a champ, then gives you more time. If your meta is plagued with Burn and RDW, use this. Others use this as an Obstinate Baloth replacement. Spellskite - a very versatile card against combo and Infect, among others. Some lists include this in the main. Courser of Kruphix - helps your combo plan with excellent interaction with Explore, with lifegain to boot. Pyroclasm - cheap 2cc weenie hoser. Used against Zoo and Infect. Some lists include this in the main board due to the prevalence of these decks. Beast Within - all around flexible card. Can even produce a blocker or beater for you in a pinch. Sudden Shock - not personally a fan, but effective against the Infect and Abzan matchups when properly used. Engineered Explosives - effective against Affinity among others. Shatterstorm - also against Affinity obviously. Rending Volley - previously auto-include for the Twin matchup, can also be used against Merfolk. Inferno Titan - additional sweeper and win-con. Also effective when you just want to play around Blood Moon. Boil - can instantly shut-off Blue decks when used properly. Use with caution when playing with Prismatic Omen. Mwonvuli Acid-Moss - land destruction for ramp decks. Chalice of the Void - need further discussion Melira, Sylvok Outcast - due to the ubiquity of Infect, this has been in serious consideration, even main deck. Fog - effective against decks that build up their alpha strike, and buys you a turn. Use against Affinity and Infect. Dismember - for the Eldrazi matchup. Roast - also for the Eldrazi matchup, and Big Zoo variants. Kessig Wolf Run - also not personally a fan of, but further investigation may be required. Raging Ravine - further discussion needed
Match Reports:
February 7th, 2016 - Pro Tour Oath of the Gatewatch - Thien Nguyen discusses his 8-2 run on the Pro Tour.
February 10th, 2016 - SCG Regionals Modern - Richard Meshell (aka nookularboy) on his 7-2, 22nd place finish on the Regionals.
03.02.16 - Primer has been published 03.03.16 - edited some words; added to Sideboard cards; added to Match Reports. 03.13.16 - added content to Deck History, added more strategy to How to Play the Deck, linked SB guide by Emracool
Hey everyone, I just thought it would be a great idea to start a separate thread for the version of Scapeshift piloted to 8th place by Thien Nguyen at GP Pittsburgh. I think it qualifies as a distinct enough deck from its most similar counterparts (Temur Scapeshift and RG Breach Trap) to merit its own thread. Here's Thien Nguyen's top 8 Decklist:
I am just getting the pieces for this deck as my second modern list. Looking forward to its potential. I am active on Elves! Thread and have contributed to the community there. Hope I can do the same here as this deck seems to be a sleeper hit and I want to be involved from the beginning hope we can make this big.
Thien Nguyen, the guy who took the RG Titan list to top 8 of Grand Prix Pittsburgh, gave us a report on how he ran the list and card choices. Although it is not in his report, a guy on the thread asked the same question. He essentially says that he wanted to keep the deck consistent and Relic of Progenitus being able to cycle made the turn three or four kill more reliable. Of course, the effect of the Relic of Progenitus is to neuter Goyf and lists using the gy.
Don't know about you guys, but isn't Oath of Nissa exactly what we want in this deck? Digging for win cons? I think it's better than progenitus. We can add more win cons in planes walker (new Chandra perhaps?) so we can dig for right win con for the win.
Chandra seems good too. Wrath, hand refill, winning on its own? I feel this deck, with tweaking, can really abuse Oath and Chandra.
@mikeduges
Went 5-0 at a modern event with a direct replacement of the Relics for a playset of Oath of Nissa and the rest of main deck being the same. The sideboard was more artifact hate and a singleton of Stuffy Doll (Rogue tech vs Leyline). The card definitely helps and the conditional card draw is kinda awkward but usually you're fine with the card you select. The reason I really liked the card was it made Explore insanely better. To take advantage of Explore the amount of lands you need is actually kinda high. Oath facilitates that in a big way. And it just digs more for that primetime for the non-Scapeshift Valakut trigger win. Ideally you want a Scapeshift in hand when you use Oath but since the secondary win condition is also sufficient I think it's fine.
I've been having trouble against decks with permission and discard. I've been thinking of slotting in eternal witness/boseiju or even Gaea's revenge against these decks. Anyone have any advice on how to deal with these match ups? (U/B faeries, BGx/Eldrazi with discard, etc.)
My List the same as OPs, except more stomping grounds in place of forests, bolts instead of relics and 3 coursers to replace some explores/farseek.
I'll post a list once i start to learn how this forum works.
I'm enjoying the deck at the moment and plan to take it to several upcoming large events, so I look forward to discussion.
Thanks for the write up. I just build the deck (except for the Scapeshifts, hopeing for a soonish reprint) but I couldn't get any games in yet. I have little time to play lately. I am running with Thien Nguyens list atm.
I like the Sudden Shocks, that is exactly the sideboard card I was looking for. It's the best option atm against Infect and the Kiki-Jiki combo decks I think.
I've been having trouble against decks with permission and discard. I've been thinking of slotting in eternal witness/boseiju or even Gaea's revenge against these decks. Anyone have any advice on how to deal with these match ups? (U/B faeries, BGx/Eldrazi with discard, etc.)
My List the same as OPs, except more stomping grounds in place of forests, bolts instead of relics and 3 coursers to replace some explores/farseek.
I'll post a list once i start to learn how this forum works.
That's what Obstinate Baloth is for in the side, it's not only good against aggro but also against discard. Against blue decks you can try Boil in the sideboard. Play Boil eot, let them counter it and then play your Titan or Scapeshift during your turn. Don't use Boseiju it just weakens your combo if you play any other lands than the usual fetches, forests, mountains and Valakuts.
To post a deck list just type it in, mark the text and use the Deck button at the top of the text field.
I'm enjoying the deck at the moment and plan to take it to several upcoming large events, so I look forward to discussion.
Thanks for the write up. I just build the deck (except for the Scapeshifts, hopeing for a soonish reprint) but I couldn't get any games in yet. I have little time to play lately. I am running with Thien Nguyens list atm.
I like the Sudden Shocks, that is exactly the sideboard card I was looking for. It's the best option atm against Infect and the Kiki-Jiki combo decks I think.
I've been having trouble against decks with permission and discard. I've been thinking of slotting in eternal witness/boseiju or even Gaea's revenge against these decks. Anyone have any advice on how to deal with these match ups? (U/B faeries, BGx/Eldrazi with discard, etc.)
My List the same as OPs, except more stomping grounds in place of forests, bolts instead of relics and 3 coursers to replace some explores/farseek.
I'll post a list once i start to learn how this forum works.
That's what Obstinate Baloth is for in the side, it's not only good against aggro but also against discard. Against blue decks you can try Boil in the sideboard. Play Boil eot, let them counter it and then play your Titan or Scapeshift during your turn. Don't use Boseiju it just weakens your combo if you play any other lands than the usual fetches, forests, mountains and Valakuts.
To post a deck list just type it in, mark the text and use the Deck button at the top of the text field.
So I recently switched to this deck after the bans. Would like to get advice on how the boarding plan is after g1. Like which cards do you normally cut first for "answer" cards? So far I would always take out the Farseeks first, then start cutting one of each Search For Tomorrow > Sakura-Tribe Elder > Khalni Heart Expedition if I need to take out more cards. Not sure (at all) if I'm doing it right though. lol.
Here's the list I've been playing with. It's pretty much Mispagel's list with a slightly edited SB.
I like the 4 Lightning Bolt in the main instead of the Relic of Progenitus/Oath of Nissa because I've been seeing a lot more of the fast/aggro decks since the bans (ie. fish, zoo, infect, etc.), and it also lets us Scapeshift with 7 lands even if the other dude doesn't fetch too much (happened to me twice aready against those Bx eldrazi decks)
Also I still kept 3 relics in the 75 because there isn't much we can do against a turn 2 Goryo's Vengeance. But then again, I'm still new to this, and I could be wrong.
Also I still kept 3 relics in the 75 because there isn't much we can do against a turn 2 Goryo's Vengeance. But then again, I'm still new to this, and I could be wrong.
To be fair, there aren't a lot of decks that can do much against it. You're best bet is to keep a T4 hand and punish them if they stumble.
Hello fellow purist (RG Titan vs RUG scapeshift). It seems our brethren has made a splash in the SCG meta. I fully agree with this direction and I think prismatic omen is an under rated way to quicken our deck, assure we get the triggers early even without titan or scapeshift and fix our mana (never run out of mountains). With the lightning bolt main, we can be interactive and drop the opponent down to 17 life to up the consistency of a 4th turn win.
Jaddi Offshoot seems under powered to me. It doesn't give us another win con against decks that counter a scapeshift (like uwr control) where as obstinate baloth gives us another beatstick to drop for control.
I didn't write a report, but I did go 3-0 in my last FNM I attended. It seems our time has come to rise to prominence (until perhaps blue figures out a way to control the meta :P)
I think the only deck right now we have to worry about countering a Scapeshift is Tron (Warping Wail) and Delver. I think Joey game'd hard for Zoo and Burn, where Jaddi Offshoot performs a lot better as an early blocker and incremental lifegain as opposed to Baloth.
But you're right, Baloth comes in a lot of other matchups. In general you don't want Offshoot, but it seemed like a great meta choice.
Went 4-0 last night at our local shop's 16-man with the list I posted a few posts up.
Played against Affinity, RUG delver, Grishoalbrand, and Jund.
The Prismatic Omens and Lightning Bolts were dope. And I would have lost to the Grishoalbrand if I didnt have the relics in my SB. Pretty happy with the list atm, and the only thing I would consider changing are the 2 Boils in my SB, but I haven't played too many games against tron and blue decks to have a good enough basis to consider switching them out for Crumble to Dusts which both Nguyen and Mispagel ran in their successful finishes with the deck.
Went 4-0 last night at our local shop's 16-man with the list I posted a few posts up.
Played against Affinity, RUG delver, Grishoalbrand, and Jund.
The Prismatic Omens and Lightning Bolts were dope. And I would have lost to the Grishoalbrand if I didnt have the relics in my SB. Pretty happy with the list atm, and the only thing I would consider changing are the 2 Boils in my SB, but I haven't played too many games against tron and blue decks to have a good enough basis to consider switching them out for Crumble to Dusts which both Nguyen and Mispagel ran in their successful finishes with the deck.
The only thing I'm waffling on is the MB Prismatic Omen over the MB Primal Command.
So, I'm planning on bringing TitanShift to my LGS this week (finally got the last pieces in the mail!) and I was wondering what you guys think of Relic of Progenitus? I've played at this store a couple times and it seems like no one plays GrizzlyB combo, there's little to no Goyf action, and only a few Grixis decks running around. Is Relic still worth the main deck slot if the majority of the time it's probably just going to be a two mana cantrip? Or would I be better served plugging in something like Lightning Bolt in the main and keeping the Relics in the side? I've seen some back and forth over the Relic slot. Some people seem to think this deck can just peter out without any card draw and Relic is an essential slot in the main because it gives a touch of card draw while offering some nice splash hate, but some lists seem to be tossing it out in favor of more anti-aggro cards like Bolt.
With all that in mind, what would you folks suggest I do?
It is extremely stock, I haven't fiddled with anything really because I haven't had the chance to play it enough to feel confidant making lots of changes. But if you notice anything else that seems out of place, I'm definitely open to hearing opinions. Thanks in advance for the advice!
RG Titan Scapeshift
Overview of the Deck
Titan Scapeshift is a straight forward combo deck that utilizes Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle and six other Mountains to deal as much damage as possible to win the game. This can be done as early as turn 4 by ramping up to 7 lands and casting Scapeshift. You might say "Yeah I know, I've played the RUG Scapeshift deck before, and we already have a primer for that." And to that I answer, "Okay... but this is a functionally different deck." They do have similarities in that they both use Scapeshift to Valakut as a win-condition, but as RUG Scapeshift controls the match until they can cast their namesake card to win the game, we on the other hand singularly ramp up as fast as possible and then cast Scapeshift; or alternately, in what is the biggest difference we have with that version of the deck, is to play Primeval Titan and deal damage with the accumulation of Mountains and Valakut, beatdown, or all of the above. To quote one of the most known player responsible for popularizing the deck -
History of the Deck
Titan Scapeshift first has its roots in Standard back in the Zendikar-M11-SOM block where most of the components of the deck were printed, and it is when Valakut Ramp dominated the meta. Reid Duke once called it in one of his articles as "the most powerful deck in Standard". Scapeshift did not make any waves when it was first printed in Morningtide since it did not have the key component to finish the combo. Not until Extended did Scapeshift catch up to Valakut eventually, which coincided with the dominance of Valakut Ramp in Standard. Scapeshift decks even then were differentiated into two -- the awesomely named Wargate Scapeshift; and RG Scapeshift, which as you may think, looks very similar to what our deck is now. And back then, they became the most dominant archetype of combo decks in Extended. So dominant in fact, that when Modern was first rolled out on 2011, Valakut was among the first to be banned. It was only more than a year later when it was unbanned, and then several builds that incorporated the Scapeshift - Valakut combo appeared.
Early Modern versions of the RG build relied on large creatures and had Summoning Trap, focusing more on the beatdown. Another configuration of the Primeval Titan - Scapeshift deck was very similar to the RUG Scapeshift build, but added the Titan as an alternate wincon, replacing Snapcaster Mage's creature slot. The Modern version that is the most similar to the iteration we use now was piloted by Felix Tse to second place in a 148-man tournament in Toronto back in July of 2015. It was a removal heavy version, with main-deck 4 Lightning Bolts, 4 Anger of the Gods and 3 Magma Jets (which also helped speed up the combo with Scry). It was also the first to include 4 Relic of the Progenitus in the main as cantrip to dig for answers/ solutions.
Then on the 11th of November 2015, Thien Nguyen reached 7th place (out of 2674 players) in the Grand Prix Pittsburgh which further cemented the deck as a contender, and popularized it even more. His list concentrated on the combo aspect of the deck, used Commune with Lava to find Scapeshift which overall streamlined the main deck with as little interaction as possible. This has been the basis for what the deck is now.
Card Choices
The Framework
Primeval Titan - the other namesake. A 6/6 trampler that fetches 2 lands to enable your combo, along with beat down. Also play 4-off.
Search for Tomorrow - suspends for 2 at G to search for a basic land. Evens out your curve. Include 4.
Sakura-Tribe Elder - affectionately called "Steve", he is your primary chump blocker and also fetches for a basic land. Can beat down the initial 2 damage when needed in a pinch. Run 4.
Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle - the main damage dealer of the deck. You actually only need one to deal 18 damage, but this deck favors redundancy so that you can naturally draw it and can do individual damage outside of the combo. Run 3-4.
Additional Ramp
Explore - 2cc ramp and cantrip. High land volume means that you will almost always have a land to play. Lack of U in the deck makes this one of the more efficient diggers. Use 2-4.
Farseek - the last ramp spell, and most expendable. Lets you fetch your Cinder Glades and Stomping Grounds. Include up to 2.
Flex Spots and Other Main Deck Card Choices
Commune with Lava - with the deck's ramp nature, you may find yourself with over abundance of lands with no gas. This card converts those resources to answers. Use during your opponent's end of turn to maximize profit, with the downside being you have to keep a fairly large amount of lands open to increase probability of finding your answer. The decks that run it use 2, others use a different strategy altogether. Thien Nguyen feels that Commune is inappropriate for the current aggro meta.
Prismatic Omen - converts all your lands into Mountains (among other basic land types) for a more explosive whopping 72(!) damage with six lands in play with Scapeshift. Also used to speed up your Valakut triggers, and makes your fetchlands into pseudo bolts. Some consider this more of a "win-more" card, so use according to your play style.
Lightning Bolt - one of the most popular card in the format. Adds interaction to your deck against the aggro match-up. Run up to 4 depending upon the situation.
Primal Command - being a multi-purpose card almost makes up for it's 5cc, but hindered by being a Sorcery unlike its blue counterpart in the RUG variants. Notable modes are the lifegain and the Primetime tutor.
Summoner's Pact - recent lists run this as Primetime no.5 and 6, so 2 seems to be the magic number when including this.
Land Count and Choice
Along with any other part of the deck, there has been a lot of discussion with the number of lands for our deck. Majority of the players have settled with a 27 land count, containing the following:
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Valakuts
3 Green fetchlands
5 RG lands (different configurations of Stomping Grounds and Cinder Glades)
6-8 Mountains
2-4 Forests
Other tech lands have also been considered, and is discussed below.
Sample Decklists
Guide to Playing the Deck
How does Scapeshift work and how do I play it?
Most players already understand how this one-card combo work. You have 7 lands in play, cast Scapeshift, and when it resolves, you sacrifice all 7 lands, fetch for 6 Mountains and a Valakut, and then Valakut deals a total of 18 damage simultaneously. This happens because Valakut and all six Mountains enter the battlefield all at the same time, and each one triggers Valakut as it "sees" each as one more than the required 5 other in play. This means that, unless you have a Prismatic Omen in play, you absolutely must have 7 lands in the battlefield before you cast Scapeshift, otherwise no damage will be dealt. Also keep in mind that 7 lands deal only 18 damage, so do not be too hasty in casting the card when your opponent is on full life. Remember that each land in excess of seven that you sacrifice upon resolution, your damage adds 18 more, since you would fetch an additional Valakut to deal more damage. This comes in handy against decks that gain life. A simple guide below:
7 lands = 18 damage
8 lands = 36 damage
9 lands = 54 damage and so forth.
/r/Hiredgoonthug wrote an excellent post on reddit on how to understand this combo and to play against Scapeshift. It gives us a lot of insight on our matchups and how they can effectively stop our gameplan. Although the post discusses the RUG variant, this is also mostly applicable to our deck. I have edited the post below, removing parts not concerning the RG version.
Of Prime Times and Khalni Hearts
As I've said above, our biggest difference with other Scapeshift decks is that we are not as reliant with Scapeshift, because we have Big Daddy, Prime Time, Primeval Titan. He not only acts as a big bludgeon that hits your enemies bluntly in the face when not handled immediately, his land tutor ability can end the game immediately at best and sets you up for mid game at the very least. One thing that is good to keep in mind when playing with RG Scapeshift is that unlike our more popular cousin, we ideally fetch our mountains immediately. We usually have 12 Mountains and 4 Valakuts, 2 more for each than they have, which means we have a bit more leeway in the event we have to sac them via a topdecked Scapeshift. A good line of play is that once you have 2 G sources, you stick to fetching up those mountains, so that when Primedaddy hits the dance floor, you're sure to deal at least 3 damage from the Mountain and Valakut that you bring with him. "Only 3 damage?" you say. Yes, but I did say at least, didn't I? This is where this Enchantment shines. Khalni Heart Expedition is a very deceptively strong card that at first glance is just one of the cards that quickly assist you to your journey to 7 lands, but it's true power lies when you just keep your Heart lying in the sidelines, waiting for the perfect opportunity. As I've said in the the Card Choices section, you can reserve the sacrifice ability of the card when you need it. You may even add additional counters every Landfall just to mess with your opponent. So in this situation, when you have Khalni Heart in play a turn prior to Primetime, it is most likely to have a at least a single counter on it. So when the 2 lands enter the battlefield, you can respond to this trigger and sac KHE for 2 Mountains and immediately deal 6 more damage. Or have Big Boss Prime fetch 2 Valakuts instead, deal no damage (yet), but have Khalni Heart's Mountains enter and deal 12 damage. This only gets obviously much more fun the more KHE you have before you cast Primetime, especially if you add Prismatic Omen to the mix. So many configurations to mix and match according to your playstyle, and you'd get to explore it further the more you play with the deck.
Sideboard and Alternate Card Choices
As you have probably noticed by now, ours is mainly a combo deck. With that in mind, we want as little interaction with our opponent as possible. We are vulnerable to the aggro matchup and discard, thus this will most likely reflect in our choice of sideboard cards. Discussions have also been done on tech lands and other shenanigans that we can include to complement our combo plan. This includes cards that we think can be interesting but may not necessarily be auto-include, but merits further testing and discussion. We will update this section from time to time as we further discuss our strategy moving forward.
Obstinate Baloth - when the going gets tough, we add another beater. Efficient because it handles both the BGx and the Burn matchups, meaning you can dedicate more of your slots for other stuff.
Nature's Claim - 1cc Enchantment and Artifact hate. The life gain for the opponent is mostly irrelevant since you can deal large enough damage thrice his total life points.
Ancient Grudge - artifact destruction you can use twice.
Crumble to Dust - a fancier Sowing Salt. Good against the TRON variants, RUG Scapeshift, the mirror and manlands.
Jaddi Offshoot - chump blocks like a champ, then gives you more time. If your meta is plagued with Burn and RDW, use this. Others use this as an Obstinate Baloth replacement.
Spellskite - a very versatile card against combo and Infect, among others. Some lists include this in the main.
Courser of Kruphix - helps your combo plan with excellent interaction with Explore, with lifegain to boot.
Pyroclasm - cheap 2cc weenie hoser. Used against Zoo and Infect. Some lists include this in the main board due to the prevalence of these decks.
Beast Within - all around flexible card. Can even produce a blocker or beater for you in a pinch.
Sudden Shock - not personally a fan, but effective against the Infect and Abzan matchups when properly used.
Engineered Explosives - effective against Affinity among others.
Shatterstorm - also against Affinity obviously.
Rending Volley - previously auto-include for the Twin matchup, can also be used against Merfolk.
Inferno Titan - additional sweeper and win-con. Also effective when you just want to play around Blood Moon.
Boil - can instantly shut-off Blue decks when used properly. Use with caution when playing with Prismatic Omen.
Mwonvuli Acid-Moss - land destruction for ramp decks.
Chalice of the Void - need further discussion
Melira, Sylvok Outcast - due to the ubiquity of Infect, this has been in serious consideration, even main deck.
Fog - effective against decks that build up their alpha strike, and buys you a turn. Use against Affinity and Infect.
Dismember - for the Eldrazi matchup.
Roast - also for the Eldrazi matchup, and Big Zoo variants.
Kessig Wolf Run - also not personally a fan of, but further investigation may be required.
Raging Ravine - further discussion needed
Matchups
EDIT: Temporarily, here is a link to a Sideboarding guide per matchup from Emracool while we are working on a proper matchup analysis.
Videos and Other Resources
Credits and Log
Thanks to the following for helping out with the content:
Heenock
/r/Hiredgoonthug
Thien Nguyen
Emracool
03.02.16 - Primer has been published
03.03.16 - edited some words; added to Sideboard cards; added to Match Reports.
03.13.16 - added content to Deck History, added more strategy to How to Play the Deck, linked SB guide by Emracool
3 Windswept Heath
4 Cinder Glade
1 Stomping Ground
7 Mountain
4 Forest
4 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
4 Primeval Titan
4 Search for Tomorrow
2 Farseek
4 Explore
4 Scapeshift
1 Primal Command
4 Relic of Progenitus
4 Khalni Heart Expedition
2 Commune with Lava
3 Nature's Claim
3 Anger of the Gods
3 Crumble to Dust
3 Obstinate Baloth
BGElvesBG and BUGNissa ElvesBUG Faithful Elfer since May 1st, 2015
Results: SCG IQ Top 8, Monthly Modern Masters Top 4
Grixis, Jund, Naya?
Green @ it's best
Thien Nguyen, the guy who took the RG Titan list to top 8 of Grand Prix Pittsburgh, gave us a report on how he ran the list and card choices. Although it is not in his report, a guy on the thread asked the same question. He essentially says that he wanted to keep the deck consistent and Relic of Progenitus being able to cycle made the turn three or four kill more reliable. Of course, the effect of the Relic of Progenitus is to neuter Goyf and lists using the gy.
BGElvesBG and BUGNissa ElvesBUG Faithful Elfer since May 1st, 2015
Results: SCG IQ Top 8, Monthly Modern Masters Top 4
Chandra seems good too. Wrath, hand refill, winning on its own? I feel this deck, with tweaking, can really abuse Oath and Chandra.
BGElvesBG and BUGNissa ElvesBUG Faithful Elfer since May 1st, 2015
Results: SCG IQ Top 8, Monthly Modern Masters Top 4
I played in the SCG Classic this past weekend with RG and did a small writeup:
https://fetchshockblog.wordpress.com/2016/01/27/scg-atlanta-modern-classic-report-rg-scapeshift/
I also did a small report on a GPT earlier this month:
https://fetchshockblog.wordpress.com/2016/01/11/gpt-detroit-rg-scapeshift-report/
I'm enjoying the deck at the moment and plan to take it to several upcoming large events, so I look forward to discussion.
Fetch-Shock-Blog
Moderator of /r/Scapeshift
Went 5-0 at a modern event with a direct replacement of the Relics for a playset of Oath of Nissa and the rest of main deck being the same. The sideboard was more artifact hate and a singleton of Stuffy Doll (Rogue tech vs Leyline). The card definitely helps and the conditional card draw is kinda awkward but usually you're fine with the card you select. The reason I really liked the card was it made Explore insanely better. To take advantage of Explore the amount of lands you need is actually kinda high. Oath facilitates that in a big way. And it just digs more for that primetime for the non-Scapeshift Valakut trigger win. Ideally you want a Scapeshift in hand when you use Oath but since the secondary win condition is also sufficient I think it's fine.
I've been having trouble against decks with permission and discard. I've been thinking of slotting in eternal witness/boseiju or even Gaea's revenge against these decks. Anyone have any advice on how to deal with these match ups? (U/B faeries, BGx/Eldrazi with discard, etc.)
My List the same as OPs, except more stomping grounds in place of forests, bolts instead of relics and 3 coursers to replace some explores/farseek.
I'll post a list once i start to learn how this forum works.
Thanks for the write up. I just build the deck (except for the Scapeshifts, hopeing for a soonish reprint) but I couldn't get any games in yet. I have little time to play lately. I am running with Thien Nguyens list atm.
I like the Sudden Shocks, that is exactly the sideboard card I was looking for. It's the best option atm against Infect and the Kiki-Jiki combo decks I think.
That's what Obstinate Baloth is for in the side, it's not only good against aggro but also against discard. Against blue decks you can try Boil in the sideboard. Play Boil eot, let them counter it and then play your Titan or Scapeshift during your turn. Don't use Boseiju it just weakens your combo if you play any other lands than the usual fetches, forests, mountains and Valakuts.
To post a deck list just type it in, mark the text and use the Deck button at the top of the text field.
Thanks for the write up. I just build the deck (except for the Scapeshifts, hopeing for a soonish reprint) but I couldn't get any games in yet. I have little time to play lately. I am running with Thien Nguyens list atm.
I like the Sudden Shocks, that is exactly the sideboard card I was looking for. It's the best option atm against Infect and the Kiki-Jiki combo decks I think.
That's what Obstinate Baloth is for in the side, it's not only good against aggro but also against discard. Against blue decks you can try Boil in the sideboard. Play Boil eot, let them counter it and then play your Titan or Scapeshift during your turn. Don't use Boseiju it just weakens your combo if you play any other lands than the usual fetches, forests, mountains and Valakuts.
To post a deck list just type it in, mark the text and use the Deck button at the top of the text field.
Here's the list I've been playing with. It's pretty much Mispagel's list with a slightly edited SB.
4 Sakura Tribe Elder
4 Khalni Heart Expedition
2 Prismatic Omen
2 Commune With Lava
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Explore
2 Farseek
4 Scapeshift
4 Search For Tomorrow
4 Forest
7 Mountain
1 Stomping Ground
4 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
3 Verdant Catacombs
4 Wooded Foothills
3 Relic of Progenitus
3 Obstinate Baloth
2 Boil
3 Nature's Claim
3 Anger of the Gods
1 Primal Command
I like the 4 Lightning Bolt in the main instead of the Relic of Progenitus/Oath of Nissa because I've been seeing a lot more of the fast/aggro decks since the bans (ie. fish, zoo, infect, etc.), and it also lets us Scapeshift with 7 lands even if the other dude doesn't fetch too much (happened to me twice aready against those Bx eldrazi decks)
Also I still kept 3 relics in the 75 because there isn't much we can do against a turn 2 Goryo's Vengeance. But then again, I'm still new to this, and I could be wrong.
Thanks in advance for the help.
In this post Ngyuen talks about his sideboard strategy. Other posts from him about the deck are worthwhile too, he also wrote a tournament report.
To be fair, there aren't a lot of decks that can do much against it. You're best bet is to keep a T4 hand and punish them if they stumble.
Fetch-Shock-Blog
Moderator of /r/Scapeshift
Jaddi Offshoot seems under powered to me. It doesn't give us another win con against decks that counter a scapeshift (like uwr control) where as obstinate baloth gives us another beatstick to drop for control.
I didn't write a report, but I did go 3-0 in my last FNM I attended. It seems our time has come to rise to prominence (until perhaps blue figures out a way to control the meta :P)
BGElvesBG and BUGNissa ElvesBUG Faithful Elfer since May 1st, 2015
Results: SCG IQ Top 8, Monthly Modern Masters Top 4
I think the only deck right now we have to worry about countering a Scapeshift is Tron (Warping Wail) and Delver. I think Joey game'd hard for Zoo and Burn, where Jaddi Offshoot performs a lot better as an early blocker and incremental lifegain as opposed to Baloth.
But you're right, Baloth comes in a lot of other matchups. In general you don't want Offshoot, but it seemed like a great meta choice.
Fetch-Shock-Blog
Moderator of /r/Scapeshift
Played against Affinity, RUG delver, Grishoalbrand, and Jund.
The Prismatic Omens and Lightning Bolts were dope. And I would have lost to the Grishoalbrand if I didnt have the relics in my SB. Pretty happy with the list atm, and the only thing I would consider changing are the 2 Boils in my SB, but I haven't played too many games against tron and blue decks to have a good enough basis to consider switching them out for Crumble to Dusts which both Nguyen and Mispagel ran in their successful finishes with the deck.
The only thing I'm waffling on is the MB Prismatic Omen over the MB Primal Command.
Fetch-Shock-Blog
Moderator of /r/Scapeshift
With all that in mind, what would you folks suggest I do?
For the record, this is my list right now:
4x Primeval Titan
4x Sakura-Tribe Elder
Instants (2)
2x Commune with Lava
Sorceries (13)
3x Explore
2x Farseek
4x Scapeshift
4x Search for Tomorrow
Enchantments (6)
4x Khalni Heart Expedition
2x Prismatic Omen
4x Relic of Progenitus
Lands (27)
4x Cinder Glade
4x Forest
7x Mountain
1x Stomping Ground
4x Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
3x Windswept Heath
4x Wooded Foothills
3x Anger of the Gods
2x Boil
3x Crumble to Dust
3x Nature's Claim
2x Obstinate Baloth
1x Primal Command
1x Pulse of Murasa
It is extremely stock, I haven't fiddled with anything really because I haven't had the chance to play it enough to feel confidant making lots of changes. But if you notice anything else that seems out of place, I'm definitely open to hearing opinions. Thanks in advance for the advice!
Whatever I build from my Box-o-EDH stuff
Legacy
Sneak and Show
UR Delver
Scapeshift Nic Fit
Modern
Merfolk