Yea ... after testing with Spider on this mono-white list, I'm pretty sure this newest list has an issue with burn and affinity.
If you're in the market to handle those two decks, I suggest playing with a mircosplash in black. Cards like Dark Confidant allow you to keep pace in cards with affinity, which can function more like a glass cannon in game one, while post board you are predominently mono white and can get access to cards like Orzhov Pontiff, Lingering Souls (you could run this maindeck, but I'm not putting it MD in my black splash yet), while also gaining access to an upgraded sunlance in Fatal Push in addition to this you get to run 5 lands that can gain you life (3-4 shambling vents and 1-2 vault if you choose) which allow you to transition into the lategame against Burn. Vault of the archangel also plays very well with all of the first strike present in the deck. Ultimately, if these two decks are how the meta shifts to combat both Taxes and DS as they have decent matchups against both, then it may be best to just go back to running EnT as that deck has historically had a good matchup against both affinity and burn. Though I think the eldrazi are less necessary now without as much combo running around (tidehollow sculler isn't even very great in this meta). This sort of leads back to a microsplash in black for some maindeck insurance and cards that are "strictly" upgrades. while still being able to reliably play any good WW cards.
Edit kambal, consul of allocation could even be a card the deck wants to play, he's asymmetrical, helps against burn, and isn't even poor in some scenarios vs DS. Storm also cannot beat him, not that that matchup was ever an issue to begin with.
I know it's been awhile. My current work schedule doesn't allow me to get out and play much competitive magic, but I have enjoyed current events, especially after months of telling people at the LGS that ask about the deck to take a serious look at Monowhite.
Brian Coval just posted an article on his Invitational win with Death & Taxes. A must read, especially for his sideboarding decisions.
Thanks for the link!
His comments following the event and in this article have helped confirm some of my own lines in the deck.
...
Had a lot more to those, but lost the post, mainly current list, reasons, etc. If there's interest, will add later.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“Modern has provided us a non-rotating format that is far more accessible than Legacy or Vintage, but still retains many of the qualities that people enjoy in those formats—such as a more stable metagame, the ability to play and tweak the same deck week after week, and simply a much more powerful card pool than Standard.”
- Sam Stoddard, “Developing Modern” (June 21, 2013) (by means of Sheridan Lardner, "Fixing Modern: Defining Format Mission (March 16, 2016))
Has anybody thought about adding some angel of condemnation in the mono white list (at least SB)? It looks like an interesting option, especially for grindy matchup. It could replace restoration angel? What do you think? Was it discussed already?
FWIW, I think this deck is legit. I'm not exactly a good player - probably had a 50% win rate with B/W Eldrazi and Taxes - but since playing the Mono-White version my record is 27-8-4.
In light of Brian Coval's win at the SCG Invitational Weekend with mono-W Death & Taxes, I wrote a blog post covering some of my thoughts about the deck and the D&T archetype in general.
...
While this mono-W list (the Theau Mery list) has done very well for a second time (along with an explosion of 5-0 results on MTGO), my opinion of it is that it is a very metagame-targetted deck, which is obviously a good thing in these cases: the pilots identified the target decks, and built/played a deck to beat them. On a more local level with a more random and varied assortment of decks, I don't imagine this list will consistently do quite as well (though it definitely has a LOT of good things going for it).
What has me absolutely tickled pink about this deck is how close it is to the original Modern D&T lists. It's the closest we've been to it since Death&Catmix's original Lingering Taxes deck.
I love that, despite swings for unbalanced metas, it ultimately comes back to the same thing when the meta is relatively healthy.
I really, really like the Mery list. It's hard to argue with something so brilliantly tuned for the meta that requires significantly fewer play decisions than traditional lists; it's great for the long haul of Opens and GPs.
That said, while I am playing a list unquestionably close to it, I do make a few deviations.
Cavern of Souls: I don't like it here. Willing to admit I may be wrong, though. Still, this slot can be so many other cards that I'm enjoying having here instead.
Eiganjo Castle: This card is a relic from the days when this deck had a plethora of Legendary creatures and Bolt was the removal of choice. It serves almost no purpose in the current iteration of the deck and opens vulnerability to Blood Moon. I'd rather reserve non-basic slots for more useful cards.
Horizon Canopy: I don't have them. If I did, I'd play them.
Tectonic Edge: This isn't a bad card, but it's easily played around and not as game-changing as other available choices.
Creatures:
Phyrexian Revoker: This card has just never worked out for me. It's one of the few cards I keep as an "option", but I just don't feel it in the current meta.
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben: I feel 4 is overkill and 3 is still plenty of redundancy without risking a handful of unplayable legends.
Artifacts:
Aether Vial: I did quite a write up on the merits of playing 3 instead of 4 in the previous thread. The short version is you're trading a 5% chance of having it in your opener for better later-game draws. With the tweaks I decided to make to the deck I was left with the choice of 4 of these, or 4 Restos, which I feel just plays better.
Sideboard:
Burrenton Forge-Tender: This was a difficult cut, but with the additions I made to the board, they just weren't essential anymore.
Mirran Crusader: There's no need to have any in the side with 3 in the main.
Relic of Progenitus: I understand the value of the card draw over Rest in Peace, but I prefer the more consistent solution. Also the potential issue with Stony Silence, while mostly irrelevant, was still a concern.
Sunlance: I don't feel the extra removal is necessary with the other changes to the deck.
Lands:
Concealed Courtyard: Possibly the best card available to this deck for splashing B. Testing showed more than 4 B sources were necessary, so this was cut down to 3 due to later-game issues.
Godless Shrine: The other WB land. No more than 2 are necessary. If I require another WB land, I'll add the 4th Courtyard.
Mutavault: With 4 copies of Blade Splicer in the deck, it's hard not to include potentially First-Striking lands. These both speed up the deck and improve its late game. What's not to like?
Vault of the Archangel: The first card in the deck to take advantage of the B splash. So many creatures in this deck have First Strike (or Double Strike) that this is virtually a land that taps for a one sided Wrath. Even if it can't be fully exploited in this capacity, it is potentially large-scale, repeatable lifegain.
Creatures:
Mirran Crusader: So yeah, I'm playing 3...in the main deck. My thought is, if I can get away with playing a card that hates on most of the beaters of choice in the meta, why not do it? If the meta swings back to Bolts, 2 Brimaz could work here instead.
Serra Avenger: See previous. I know that Mery played 2, but Coval did not. I think it's fair to play 2 while still possible. If the meta has too many Bolts, play 2-3 Selfless Spirit instead.
Sorceries:
Lingering Souls: The other reason for the B splash. As Death&Catmix taught us, 2 of these is all it takes to push this deck in matches like old school Jund/Junk and against other would-be midrange/interactive decks. It also makes an easy side out for cards like Grafdigger's and RiP.
Sideboard:
Auriok Champion: This card has absurd interactions with the token producers in this deck and is a nightmare for decks that rely on B or R removal. It can block Shadow, Tasigur, and most Dredge creatures while pumping up your life total. If there's ever a point where slots open in the main, this is a legitimate contender for them.
Ethersworn Canonist: Without a proper collection of legitimate "police decks" in the format, combo decks are currently enjoying a resurgence. Storm, Living End, and Ad Nauseum are showing higher numbers and greater success. One of the weaknesses of the Mery and Coval lists was their inability to effectively answer such combos. This card does that.
Grafdigger's Cage: 1-mana, artifact graveyard/search hate that plays nicely with Stony Silence? Sign me up! Increased to 2 copies to compensate for the decrease in sideboard graveyard hate.
Rest in Peace: While this doesn't play nice with Dusk // Dawn, Relic and Cage don't either. This at least does what it needs to do alongside Stony Silence and, even if removed, still wipes yards.
Stony Silence: Mery ran 2. Coval ran 3. 3 is correct. It also trades easily for the 3 Vials.
“Modern has provided us a non-rotating format that is far more accessible than Legacy or Vintage, but still retains many of the qualities that people enjoy in those formats—such as a more stable metagame, the ability to play and tweak the same deck week after week, and simply a much more powerful card pool than Standard.”
- Sam Stoddard, “Developing Modern” (June 21, 2013) (by means of Sheridan Lardner, "Fixing Modern: Defining Format Mission (March 16, 2016))
Some of the Mono-white Death and Taxes lists that have placed well over the last couple of months - 4th place at the MOCS playoff, 2nd at a GP, 1st place at SCG invitational - have a lot of cards in common, especially in the main. Instead of debating how many flex slots there are, I will say there are at least 2, which have been filled with either 2 Honour of the Pure, or 1 Phyrexian Revoker and 1 Weathered Wayfearer in the aforementioned decks. Considering this decks plays ~9 colourless mana sources, do you think Eldrazi Displacer could be worth a look in? It's certainly something I will be testing out, in addition to the 3 mana Thalia and Kitchen Finks (FWIW I'm really not a fan of Smuggler's Copter).
Last night I decided to play in two leagues (off stream) with Mono-White Dnt. I ran a pair of Smuggler's Copters in place of weathered and a Revoker. I went 4-1 x2 aka winning 8'of 10 matches. One of the losses was to Affinity and the other was to Smallpox. The Pox loss felt more like I had a chance but upticking vial to 4 aggressively ended up losing the game for me.
Decks I beat were: Multiple Burn lists, 2 GW Human decks, Bant Knightfall, 2 Death Shadow and traditional Abzhan.
The first league, I used the already presented SB and was very disappointed. I ended up on a sb closer to my experience and felt like I was the closest to the 5-0 there. Sadly that was the league I played against affinity and this white list has a hard time there. Most of you know I hate leagues but I really wanted to test this list in an environment where people are playing there tightest. The deck and a (good) pilot should be able to run reasonably well with mono-white.
Ultimately, the reason I'm posting this is because I wanted to give some data to help you adjust this list moving forward. The decks I have continuously had issues with in personal testing and from what the vacuum consensus seems to be are: affinity, burn, elves, (and some would say GW humans.) the list seems to be readily able to fight the remaining portion of the format and doesn't not crutch on the sb for help. I'm looking at taking this knwown information and skewing the sb to help these more difficult match ups.
Can Bygone Bishop be worth in the flex slots of the mono white build ?
It can be another source of card advantage though it can complicate sequancing with A.Vial
@tdog09876 it quite literally is Brian Coval's take with -weathered and -Revoker for 2x Smuggler. Not my "favorite" take but wanted some insight to why people feel this is the most powerful iteration.
2 Godless Shrine
3 Concealed Courtyard
4 Caves of Koilos
2 Shambling Vent
4 Eldrazi Temple
4 Ghost Quarter
1 Vault of the Archangel
2 Plains
1 Swamp
Spells
4 Aether Vial
4 Path to Exile
1 Fatal Push
4 Leonin Arbiter
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
4 Tidehollow Sculler
2 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
4 Flickerwisp
4 Eldrazi Displacer
3 Wasteland Strangler
4 Thought-Knot Seer
2 Gonti, Lord of Luxury
2 Relic of Progenitus
1 Rest in Peace
2 Stony Silence
2 Blessed Alliance
2 Timely Reinforcements
1 Celestial Purge
1 Zealous Persecution
1 Orzhov Pontiff
1 Fatal Push
I think it's pretty solid overall, but I would like to read some thoughts on 3 Basic Lands and big Thalias.
If you're in the market to handle those two decks, I suggest playing with a mircosplash in black. Cards like Dark Confidant allow you to keep pace in cards with affinity, which can function more like a glass cannon in game one, while post board you are predominently mono white and can get access to cards like Orzhov Pontiff, Lingering Souls (you could run this maindeck, but I'm not putting it MD in my black splash yet), while also gaining access to an upgraded sunlance in Fatal Push in addition to this you get to run 5 lands that can gain you life (3-4 shambling vents and 1-2 vault if you choose) which allow you to transition into the lategame against Burn. Vault of the archangel also plays very well with all of the first strike present in the deck. Ultimately, if these two decks are how the meta shifts to combat both Taxes and DS as they have decent matchups against both, then it may be best to just go back to running EnT as that deck has historically had a good matchup against both affinity and burn. Though I think the eldrazi are less necessary now without as much combo running around (tidehollow sculler isn't even very great in this meta). This sort of leads back to a microsplash in black for some maindeck insurance and cards that are "strictly" upgrades. while still being able to reliably play any good WW cards.
Edit
kambal, consul of allocation could even be a card the deck wants to play, he's asymmetrical, helps against burn, and isn't even poor in some scenarios vs DS. Storm also cannot beat him, not that that matchup was ever an issue to begin with.
WBC Eldrazi & Taxes CBW
UR Keep on Cantripin' (UR Phoenix) RU
WU Surprise! It's not UW Control! (UW Midrange) UW
BG The Rock, Straight BG
U Mono-Blue Fish U
RBW Mardu Pyromancer BWR
RG Rabble! Rabble! (GR Blood Moon Aggro) GR
Legacy
W Death & Taxes W
I'll admit I haven't sat down and fully fleshed out the fine details, but this was my initial starting point. completely untested however.
EDIT:
The more I look at it, the more I like converting the basic swamp into more untapped turn 1 white sources
His comments following the event and in this article have helped confirm some of my own lines in the deck.
...
Had a lot more to those, but lost the post, mainly current list, reasons, etc. If there's interest, will add later.
- Sam Stoddard, “Developing Modern” (June 21, 2013) (by means of Sheridan Lardner, "Fixing Modern: Defining Format Mission (March 16, 2016))
How to Use Spoiler Tags
Starting Over: The Origins of the Mulligan Rule
Practical Approach to Slow Play
THE Guide to Aggro, Part 2: SWARM and TOOLBOX
THE Guide to Aggro, Part 3
THE Guide to Aggro, Part 4
These videos are by MTG Salvation Moderator Lantern!
Introduction to Tempo
Controlling Tempo
Elements of Tempo
Roadblocks to Tempo
How Not To Build A Deck - Tempo
Learn How To Sideboard, Dammit!
Mulligan's Island
The Art of the Mulligan
The Art of the Mulligan: Eight Case Studies
Fundamentals: The Mulligan
Some Mulligan Exercises
A Mulligan Is Worth Three Cards
The Mulligan Debate
Common Sense: The Art of the Mulligan
Who's The Beatdown?
3 Caves of Koilos
3 Eldrazi Temple
2 Fetid Heath
3 Godless Shrine
4 Ghost Quarter
3 Plains
3 Shambling Vent
2 Tectonic Edge
Artifacts (4):
4 Æther Vial
4 Path to Exile
Creatures (29):
3 Aven Mindcensor
3 Eldrazi Displacer
3 Fiend Hunter
4 Flickerwisp
4 Serra Avenger
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
3 Thought-Knot Seer
3 Tidehollow Sculler
3 Wasteland Strangler
3 Chalice of the Void
2 Dismember
2 Oblivion Ring
2 Rest in Peace
3 Stony Silence
3 Surgical Extraction
3 Flooded Strand
6 Island
3 Polluted Delta
3 Steam Vents
3 Sulfur Falls
Creatures (16):
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Monastery Swiftspear
4 Snapcaster Mage
4 Stormchaser Mage
2 Gut Shot
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Mutagenic Growth
3 Spell Pierce
3 Twisted Image
3 Vapor Snag
Sorceries (8):
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Serum Visions
2 Ancient Grudge
2 Blood Moon
2 Dispel
1 Forked Bolt
1 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Repeal
2 Roast
1 Spell Snare
2 Spellskite
1 Vapor Snag
4 Bloodstained Mire
1 Clifftop Retreat
1 Copperline Gorge
5 Mountain
3 Sacred Foundry
2 Stomping Ground
4 Wooded Foothills
Creatures (14):
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
4 Goblin Guide
2 Grim Lavamancer
4 Monastery Swiftspear
4 Atarka's Command
4 Boros Charm
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Lightning Helix
3 Searing Blaze
Sorceries (8):
4 Lava Spike
4 Rift Bolt
2 Deflecting Palm
4 Destructive Revelry
2 Kor Firewalker
2 Path to Exile
2 Rending Volley
3 Skullcrack
19 Forest
3 Treetop Village
Creatures (24):
4 Avatar of the Resolute
4 Dryad Militant
2 Dungrove Elder
4 Experiment One
4 Leatherback Baloth
2 Scavenging Ooze
4 Strangleroot Geist
4 Rancor
Instants (10):
3 Aspect of Hydra
4 Vines of Vastwood
3 Dismember
2 Choke
2 Gut Shot
2 Deglamer
2 Feed the Clan
2 Oxidize
2 Relic of Progenitus
2 Skylasher
1 Unravel the Æther
Eldrazi Displacer is the better repeatable blinker (especially with some E.Temples for mana).
i don't think that matters too much nowadays. I'd be more worried it dies to Fatal Push. I would definitely still try Angel of Condemnation out
everyone who wants to try it can play 3 resto 1 new angel.
I love that, despite swings for unbalanced metas, it ultimately comes back to the same thing when the meta is relatively healthy. Well, since you insist. ;P
I really, really like the Mery list. It's hard to argue with something so brilliantly tuned for the meta that requires significantly fewer play decisions than traditional lists; it's great for the long haul of Opens and GPs.
That said, while I am playing a list unquestionably close to it, I do make a few deviations.
3 Concealed Courtyard
4 Ghost Quarter
2 Godless Shrine
9 Plains
3 Mutavault
1 Tectonic Edge
1 Vault of the Archangel
Creatures (28):
4 Blade Splicer
4 Flickerwisp
3 Mirran Crusader
4 Restoration Angel
2 Serra Avenger
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
4 Thraben Inspector
4 Leonin Arbiter
3 Aether Vial
Instants (4):
4 Path to Exile
Sorceries (2):
2 Lingering Souls
3 Auriok Champion
2 Dusk // Dawn
3 Ethersworn Canonist
2 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Rest in Peace
3 Stony Silence
- Sam Stoddard, “Developing Modern” (June 21, 2013) (by means of Sheridan Lardner, "Fixing Modern: Defining Format Mission (March 16, 2016))
How to Use Spoiler Tags
Starting Over: The Origins of the Mulligan Rule
Practical Approach to Slow Play
THE Guide to Aggro, Part 2: SWARM and TOOLBOX
THE Guide to Aggro, Part 3
THE Guide to Aggro, Part 4
These videos are by MTG Salvation Moderator Lantern!
Introduction to Tempo
Controlling Tempo
Elements of Tempo
Roadblocks to Tempo
How Not To Build A Deck - Tempo
Learn How To Sideboard, Dammit!
Mulligan's Island
The Art of the Mulligan
The Art of the Mulligan: Eight Case Studies
Fundamentals: The Mulligan
Some Mulligan Exercises
A Mulligan Is Worth Three Cards
The Mulligan Debate
Common Sense: The Art of the Mulligan
Who's The Beatdown?
3 Caves of Koilos
3 Eldrazi Temple
2 Fetid Heath
3 Godless Shrine
4 Ghost Quarter
3 Plains
3 Shambling Vent
2 Tectonic Edge
Artifacts (4):
4 Æther Vial
4 Path to Exile
Creatures (29):
3 Aven Mindcensor
3 Eldrazi Displacer
3 Fiend Hunter
4 Flickerwisp
4 Serra Avenger
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
3 Thought-Knot Seer
3 Tidehollow Sculler
3 Wasteland Strangler
3 Chalice of the Void
2 Dismember
2 Oblivion Ring
2 Rest in Peace
3 Stony Silence
3 Surgical Extraction
3 Flooded Strand
6 Island
3 Polluted Delta
3 Steam Vents
3 Sulfur Falls
Creatures (16):
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Monastery Swiftspear
4 Snapcaster Mage
4 Stormchaser Mage
2 Gut Shot
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Mutagenic Growth
3 Spell Pierce
3 Twisted Image
3 Vapor Snag
Sorceries (8):
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Serum Visions
2 Ancient Grudge
2 Blood Moon
2 Dispel
1 Forked Bolt
1 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Repeal
2 Roast
1 Spell Snare
2 Spellskite
1 Vapor Snag
4 Bloodstained Mire
1 Clifftop Retreat
1 Copperline Gorge
5 Mountain
3 Sacred Foundry
2 Stomping Ground
4 Wooded Foothills
Creatures (14):
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
4 Goblin Guide
2 Grim Lavamancer
4 Monastery Swiftspear
4 Atarka's Command
4 Boros Charm
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Lightning Helix
3 Searing Blaze
Sorceries (8):
4 Lava Spike
4 Rift Bolt
2 Deflecting Palm
4 Destructive Revelry
2 Kor Firewalker
2 Path to Exile
2 Rending Volley
3 Skullcrack
19 Forest
3 Treetop Village
Creatures (24):
4 Avatar of the Resolute
4 Dryad Militant
2 Dungrove Elder
4 Experiment One
4 Leatherback Baloth
2 Scavenging Ooze
4 Strangleroot Geist
4 Rancor
Instants (10):
3 Aspect of Hydra
4 Vines of Vastwood
3 Dismember
2 Choke
2 Gut Shot
2 Deglamer
2 Feed the Clan
2 Oxidize
2 Relic of Progenitus
2 Skylasher
1 Unravel the Æther
Decks I beat were: Multiple Burn lists, 2 GW Human decks, Bant Knightfall, 2 Death Shadow and traditional Abzhan.
The first league, I used the already presented SB and was very disappointed. I ended up on a sb closer to my experience and felt like I was the closest to the 5-0 there. Sadly that was the league I played against affinity and this white list has a hard time there. Most of you know I hate leagues but I really wanted to test this list in an environment where people are playing there tightest. The deck and a (good) pilot should be able to run reasonably well with mono-white.
Ultimately, the reason I'm posting this is because I wanted to give some data to help you adjust this list moving forward. The decks I have continuously had issues with in personal testing and from what the vacuum consensus seems to be are: affinity, burn, elves, (and some would say GW humans.) the list seems to be readily able to fight the remaining portion of the format and doesn't not crutch on the sb for help. I'm looking at taking this knwown information and skewing the sb to help these more difficult match ups.
Let me know what y'all think!
-Catmix
WWModern Death And Taxes (w/ Militia Bugler) (JUL '19)
GWModern Maverick (JUL '19)
WBCatmix on Twitch!
WWCatmix on Youtube
It can be another source of card advantage though it can complicate sequancing with A.Vial
WWModern Death And Taxes (w/ Militia Bugler) (JUL '19)
GWModern Maverick (JUL '19)
WBCatmix on Twitch!
WWCatmix on Youtube