Splicers are one of of the best main deck affinity bashing options out there. I know stuff has really changed, but I think it has a place as a two off. Depends on the build I suppose.
2mrPandarian
1 Sorin MB is, in fact, an experiment of mine. My meta is crowded with Naya Zoo or Naya Burn decks, and it feels like an ok card to MB. Much like a singleton Batterskull in UR Delver/Blue Moon shells, it is a good card to access some life gain and stabilize the game after some creatures hit the board. If I don't see it, probably won't miss it. If I can't cast it due to missing land drops, it is a single dead card in my hand. It should probably be replaced with a proper 3rd Smasher if I feel like it annoys me more than helps. TBH, it was able to provide HUGE life swings in the matches I've found it. Unfortunately, it was the kind of match life gain was not so relevant, like game 1 vs Nahiri Control. Still, by turn 4 even a 4/1 lifelinker Flickerwisp is relevant in an aggro matchup.
Now, for the 2 SB Leylines, I just want some game against Burn, discard effects (BGx decks and 8-rack) and the occasional combo that needs to target players to win. Grishoalbrand comes to mind, although vs Ad Nauseum it is a mistake considering Laboratory Maniac. It can also be sided in vs storm if I pair it with Zealous Persecutions, covering both Grapeshot and Empty the Warrens. It really shines when I can get it out of my hand before the game begins vs Jund and the like, as it blanks 2 to 3 cards in their hands. They usually pack MORE discard and MORE removal against me, and Lily's -2 is back breaking against my Smashers. Is there a better way to shore up at least Burn and BGx matchups? Is Fiendslayer Paladin a real card expecting Pyroclasm or Anger of the Gods type of effects out of our opponent's sideboard?
Splicers are one of of the best main deck affinity bashing options out there. I know stuff has really changed, but I think it has a place as a two off. Depends on the build I suppose.
I agree in instances of non-Eldrazi list. In Eldrazi list there's really only 2-4 flex slots depending on what you consider the core of the deck and Displacer feels like a much stronger option. In fact Affinity is one of the match ups where multiple Displacers really begins to shine.
With this talk of Wisp, why are people still running blade splicer? It's a three mana creature that doesn't really help against most of the meta game right now. Its a shame since it can't really block Goyf/anglerfish/Tasigur/Eldrazi by itself, also against those decks you need something to stop them, wisping splicer calls for blow outs like mentioned above, however wisping their attacker will always cut off an attack if it hits the battlefield.
Now I know I'm biased, I think I probably will be with this card. Even in Monowhite.
It blocks well, dodges a liliana -2, breaks board stalls when combined with displacer, and is 4 power for three mana when you're trying to put a clock on combo decks. It's also one of your best cards against other D+T decks.
Not saying it's a bomb, but there's a lot of things it can do. I run two and they always seem to perform well enough to avoid getting cut.
I'm with sheepz here - 2 of in my current mono w build. I've had so many opponents point a bolt at the golem and then I can just flicker and make another. It's also a decent topdeck - can stall the ground for one more turn while you swing in the air for the win.
I agree that it doesn't really replace splicer. I would play no less than 3 splicers in mono-white or blue white. Out of the 3 drops, I would replace mind-censor, if anything. Switching to blue probably works best in an environment where anti-search effects aren't as strong, as you need to free up slots for meddling mage anyway and that means either cutting some number of thalia or arbiter and I can't imagine cutting Thalia when I have this. Another possibility would be going down to 3 wisp since some of the time wisp is just their to blank removal and this does the same thing with flash.
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Crystal Shard came up in the Cube thread in regards to Spell Queller. Seems like U/W is going to have a lot interesting paths to go down.
I'm wondering if you could take an E & T list, cut Arbiter, TKS, and temple. Play painlands, and a fetch mana base and stretch to 3.5 colorless as Queller+Displacer+Strangler+Sculler seems completely nuts if you can get the mana to work, but 3.5 colors is a big stretch.
Being just UW also seems super interesting to brew with as UW has such unexplored territory now:
Spellstutter + Eldrazi Displacer + Mutavault//
Vendillion Clique + Spirit of the Lab + Geist Reich Sanitarium //
Meddling Mage + Spell Queller + Eldrazi Displacer //
Ooo, that Spell Queller seems like fun. Could have nice synergy with Grand Abolisher or Eidolon of Rhetoric type effects, too. It is especially nice that it doesn't force us to play multiple faeries to stop some bigger spells (even if it is a temporary counter) the way Spellstutter Sprite does (they might even complement each other).
@Ftz That cube idea might be a little too expensive upfront for D&T. It'll cost 3U+tax for that first cast+activation, for an artifact that basically lets us chumpblock (whenever Spell Queller isn't in hand). I'll admit Crystal Shard isn't a completely dead card without Spell Queller in hand (since we can chumpblock), and that it has the virtue of resetting the combo itself, but I'm not quite sold that it does enough fast enough (Saving Grasp could be played twice for U+tax flashback W+tax for that mana and probably wouldn't be that great). Maybe that lategame grindiness is worth it, though...?
With this talk of Wisp, why are people still running blade splicer? It's a three mana creature that doesn't really help against most of the meta game right now. Its a shame since it can't really block Goyf/anglerfish/Tasigur/Eldrazi by itself, also against those decks you need something to stop them, wisping splicer calls for blow outs like mentioned above, however wisping their attacker will always cut off an attack if it hits the battlefield.
Now I know I'm biased, I think I probably will be with this card. Even in Monowhite.
For me it's a placeholder for the new Thalia until EMN hits. I've been since reminded of the situational potency the card can have sometimes.
2mrPandarian
1 Sorin MB is, in fact, an experiment of mine. My meta is crowded with Naya Zoo or Naya Burn decks, and it feels like an ok card to MB. Much like a singleton Batterskull in UR Delver/Blue Moon shells, it is a good card to access some life gain and stabilize the game after some creatures hit the board. If I don't see it, probably won't miss it. If I can't cast it due to missing land drops, it is a single dead card in my hand. It should probably be replaced with a proper 3rd Smasher if I feel like it annoys me more than helps. TBH, it was able to provide HUGE life swings in the matches I've found it. Unfortunately, it was the kind of match life gain was not so relevant, like game 1 vs Nahiri Control. Still, by turn 4 even a 4/1 lifelinker Flickerwisp is relevant in an aggro matchup.
Now, for the 2 SB Leylines, I just want some game against Burn, discard effects (BGx decks and 8-rack) and the occasional combo that needs to target players to win. Grishoalbrand comes to mind, although vs Ad Nauseum it is a mistake considering Laboratory Maniac. It can also be sided in vs storm if I pair it with Zealous Persecutions, covering both Grapeshot and Empty the Warrens. It really shines when I can get it out of my hand before the game begins vs Jund and the like, as it blanks 2 to 3 cards in their hands. They usually pack MORE discard and MORE removal against me, and Lily's -2 is back breaking against my Smashers. Is there a better way to shore up at least Burn and BGx matchups? Is Fiendslayer Paladin a real card expecting Pyroclasm or Anger of the Gods type of effects out of our opponent's sideboard?
I wouldn't use the Paladin
I agree that Sorin can be great in WB. I ran him when I was still playing the Anafenza combo and Flip Lili in the deck (before I switched to Lingering Taxes). He's fantastic, but rough to cast, and is functionally similar to Vault.
Leyline is only good if in your opener. The likelihood of this with only 2 is small. Late game it can be okay, but not against Jund or Burn.
If you have it, try Auriok Champion in those slots instead. It has great game against both decks.
Vial, with thought knot seers and smasher the vials become less good. The threats are more spread out over the curve
The deck has pretty much the same cmc curve. Blade splicer becomes strangler, and resto angel becomes TKS.
Unless you run the Smashers as well, which does warp the curve a little.
What warps it more is Tidehollow Sculler, which led to me eventually cutting it and smoothing the curve overall with early-game artifacts and less WW and WB cards. With 4 TKS, and 2 Smasher, as long as you limit it to 8 2-drops, you'll have 13 3-drops to profit nicely off Vial.
“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))
Vial, with thought knot seers and smasher the vials become less good. The threats are more spread out over the curve
The deck has pretty much the same cmc curve. Blade splicer becomes strangler, and resto angel becomes TKS.
Unless you run the Smashers as well, which does warp the curve a little.
What warps it more is Tidehollow Sculler, which led to me eventually cutting it and smoothing the curve overall with early-game artifacts and less WW and WB cards. With 4 TKS, and 2 Smasher, as long as you limit it to 8 2-drops, you'll have 13 3-drops to profit nicely off Vial.
It still warps the curve.
Traditionally D&T has run 14/16 2 drops and another 12/16 3 drops with 0/2 4 Drops (Restos), making an end deck 8/9 non creatures and 29/30 creatures.
Having 8 2 drops 14 3 drops 4 4 drops and 2 5 drops is awful for vial, and that is what diversifies (or warps) the curve, not the colors to cast spells, but the ability to profitably gain steady value from keeping vial on a specific number. Spells being WW, BB or WB don't affect a vial on 2.
Benefiting from a Vial on 3 is so much slower than benefiting from a vial on 2, then moving it to 3 when the gamestate needs it (being it the CMC in your hand, your manabase being compromised or the ETB triggers needed). It's even worse when you 'have' to move the vial to 4 for Seer because you have been ghost quartering your opponent and don't get to 4 mana, been cut off colorless , or because you know your opponent has a full grip of counterspells you won't be able to pass through by casting it.
When Eldrazis start rolling, the are really good. But a sinlge stick in the wheel and the deck becomes really slow and can be dealt with pretty easy. That's why I stepped out of E&T.
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Short report, went 2-1-1 tonight, losing to jeskai, win vs lantern control and merfolk, draw vs soul sisters. I also went 3-1 last week with the same deck with missing pieces. Don't remember the matchups...
Shifting from abzan to g/w, there is a learning curve, the two decks play quite differently. First impressions, the deck is very consistent with hierarch and oath. Was happy with arbiter shenanigans, but the one thing i missed the most was a kill spell on a body (shriekmaw, wasteland strangler). Everything is fine if i draw a path to exile, the 4 E wit can act as such.
The first game vs soul sister was very long, all the sisters gained my opponent tons of life as i tried playing my stuff to survive and apply minimal pressure. In the end she had 7 sisters... at some point she played 2 honor of the pure and alpha striked, but i double wisped the anthems and blew her out. The game lasted 40 minutes Game two we went to time and i tried to kill her when all i needed to do was stall and win 1-0-1, and lost due to my lack of patience...
The loss vs jeskai, not quite sure what to make of. I think i made a few misplays, and also wall of resurgence was useless on defense and all the awakened lands ate bolts... I think gavony township + wall is a nonbo, when you lose land creatures township becomes bad... Anyways they are placeholders until new thalia comes out. I will try kitchen finks in that spot until the release of eldritch moon.
I'm only missing the horizon canopy, i will try to get them soon (they are currently brushlands).
Yeah, I'm feeling weird about Wall of Resurgence. I don't think it ever won me a game. It can block goyf, sure... but like you said, all the lands ended up getting bolted and the one time I did attack with a land, I don't think it made the game any different. I'm not sure it's worse than Blade Splicer, though, but I do feel like something better can go in there. Maybe it's just new Thalia.
An often overlooked fact of the ground defense of D&T is the First Strike - which allows you to stack multiple First Strikers and stall anything short of a Newlamog. Pairing Thalia with Thalia and Splicer will enhance this feature while allowing you to keep hammering in the (hopefully uncontested) air. While Kitchen Finks is a better card in the abstract, the difference between flickering a Splicer and a Finks is huge especially when it comes to offense. Only thing Finks really does, is give you a better'ish Burn matchup.
Hey guys! It seems you are all as excited as I am with the new set.
Love the new primer. These new spoilers are really hyping me to pick up my first competitive modern deck (D&T). This set may give us the push we need to stay a T2 deck so here's hoping.
Atm I'm running a GW list because of how eager I am to play new Thalia in turn 2. In my testing against RG Eldrazi she hasn't been game breaking but 4 mb lb and kozileks return weaken her impact so it may not be the best deck to test against. That being said, I don't think it's that good if played after turn 2. As we all know, there's a lot of fast decks out there and this just doesn't have an immediate impact like the old Thalia.
The spirit that sacs for indestructibility seems like something we can run a set of in the 75. It will shore up our control matchups and will even help against Tron and Scapeshift by giving our creatures staying power to continue beating face while keeping Arbiter and Thalia alive to disrupt them.
The spirit that exiles a spell seems really good in a tempo build with Judge's Familiar and swords/batterskull. I could see Bant D&T having a blast by being able to cast him turn 2 with a Hierarch.
One last thing. I'm sure you guys have covered what I'm about to say but please enlighten me. What the consensus on Declaration in Stone as sideboard tech for extra removal? Is Dismember still the best option? I mainly need an edge against grixis delver.
I can't wait to see everyone's brews! Thanks for reading.
Oh, the irony! When I change my WU version to WB endrazi after many failed tentatives of play and traded the U-cards for other pieces, Wizards of the Coast make more options to the deck! I hate you, Wizards haha
One last thing. I'm sure you guys have covered what I'm about to say but please enlighten me. What the consensus on Declaration in Stone as sideboard tech for extra removal? Is Dismember still the best option? I mainly need an edge against grixis delver.
I like declaration in stone as a 5th removal for the deck, but if you need the 1 cmc removal go with dismember. Vs. delver it can help with pyromancer tokens if they are playing that, its power comes from hitting two creatures at once for 2 mana.
I agree that Sorin can be great in WB. I ran him when I was still playing the Anafenza combo and Flip Lili in the deck (before I switched to Lingering Taxes). He's fantastic, but rough to cast, and is functionally similar to Vault.
Leyline is only good if in your opener. The likelihood of this with only 2 is small. Late game it can be okay, but not against Jund or Burn.
If you have it, try Auriok Champion in those slots instead. It has great game against both decks.
2Chalupacabra
Thanks for the insightful comments! Unfortunately I already run 2 copies of Auriok Champion in my sideboard and can't afford any more copies in my budget right now. It does wonders in the burn matchup and has some utility vs Grixis and BGx decks. My problem with Leyline of Sanctity, though, is that I'm looking for cards that shore up both the Burn and BGx matchups. Perhaps ticking Leyline to 3 by cutting a single Stony Silence could do the trick? Or maybe cutting the 3rd Stony Silence AND the Leylines to make room for other good stuff? What would you recommend? Much appreciated!
1 Sorin MB is, in fact, an experiment of mine. My meta is crowded with Naya Zoo or Naya Burn decks, and it feels like an ok card to MB. Much like a singleton Batterskull in UR Delver/Blue Moon shells, it is a good card to access some life gain and stabilize the game after some creatures hit the board. If I don't see it, probably won't miss it. If I can't cast it due to missing land drops, it is a single dead card in my hand. It should probably be replaced with a proper 3rd Smasher if I feel like it annoys me more than helps. TBH, it was able to provide HUGE life swings in the matches I've found it. Unfortunately, it was the kind of match life gain was not so relevant, like game 1 vs Nahiri Control. Still, by turn 4 even a 4/1 lifelinker Flickerwisp is relevant in an aggro matchup.
Now, for the 2 SB Leylines, I just want some game against Burn, discard effects (BGx decks and 8-rack) and the occasional combo that needs to target players to win. Grishoalbrand comes to mind, although vs Ad Nauseum it is a mistake considering Laboratory Maniac. It can also be sided in vs storm if I pair it with Zealous Persecutions, covering both Grapeshot and Empty the Warrens. It really shines when I can get it out of my hand before the game begins vs Jund and the like, as it blanks 2 to 3 cards in their hands. They usually pack MORE discard and MORE removal against me, and Lily's -2 is back breaking against my Smashers. Is there a better way to shore up at least Burn and BGx matchups? Is Fiendslayer Paladin a real card expecting Pyroclasm or Anger of the Gods type of effects out of our opponent's sideboard?
BUR Grixis Death's Shadow/Control BUR & WBC Eldrazi & Taxes WBC
EDH:
UG Edric, Spymaster of Goodstuff UG
I agree in instances of non-Eldrazi list. In Eldrazi list there's really only 2-4 flex slots depending on what you consider the core of the deck and Displacer feels like a much stronger option. In fact Affinity is one of the match ups where multiple Displacers really begins to shine.
It blocks well, dodges a liliana -2, breaks board stalls when combined with displacer, and is 4 power for three mana when you're trying to put a clock on combo decks. It's also one of your best cards against other D+T decks.
Not saying it's a bomb, but there's a lot of things it can do. I run two and they always seem to perform well enough to avoid getting cut.
I'm wondering if you could take an E & T list, cut Arbiter, TKS, and temple. Play painlands, and a fetch mana base and stretch to 3.5 colorless as Queller+Displacer+Strangler+Sculler seems completely nuts if you can get the mana to work, but 3.5 colors is a big stretch.
Being just UW also seems super interesting to brew with as UW has such unexplored territory now:
Spellstutter + Eldrazi Displacer + Mutavault//
Vendillion Clique + Spirit of the Lab + Geist Reich Sanitarium //
Meddling Mage + Spell Queller + Eldrazi Displacer //
It's a good day to be a D & T brewer.
The deck has pretty much the same cmc curve. Blade splicer becomes strangler, and resto angel becomes TKS.
@Ftz That cube idea might be a little too expensive upfront for D&T. It'll cost 3U+tax for that first cast+activation, for an artifact that basically lets us chumpblock (whenever Spell Queller isn't in hand). I'll admit Crystal Shard isn't a completely dead card without Spell Queller in hand (since we can chumpblock), and that it has the virtue of resetting the combo itself, but I'm not quite sold that it does enough fast enough (Saving Grasp could be played twice for U+tax flashback W+tax for that mana and probably wouldn't be that great). Maybe that lategame grindiness is worth it, though...?
I agree that Sorin can be great in WB. I ran him when I was still playing the Anafenza combo and Flip Lili in the deck (before I switched to Lingering Taxes). He's fantastic, but rough to cast, and is functionally similar to Vault.
Leyline is only good if in your opener. The likelihood of this with only 2 is small. Late game it can be okay, but not against Jund or Burn.
If you have it, try Auriok Champion in those slots instead. It has great game against both decks. Unless you run the Smashers as well, which does warp the curve a little.
What warps it more is Tidehollow Sculler, which led to me eventually cutting it and smoothing the curve overall with early-game artifacts and less WW and WB cards. With 4 TKS, and 2 Smasher, as long as you limit it to 8 2-drops, you'll have 13 3-drops to profit nicely off Vial.
- 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
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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
It still warps the curve.
Traditionally D&T has run 14/16 2 drops and another 12/16 3 drops with 0/2 4 Drops (Restos), making an end deck 8/9 non creatures and 29/30 creatures.
Having 8 2 drops 14 3 drops 4 4 drops and 2 5 drops is awful for vial, and that is what diversifies (or warps) the curve, not the colors to cast spells, but the ability to profitably gain steady value from keeping vial on a specific number. Spells being WW, BB or WB don't affect a vial on 2.
Benefiting from a Vial on 3 is so much slower than benefiting from a vial on 2, then moving it to 3 when the gamestate needs it (being it the CMC in your hand, your manabase being compromised or the ETB triggers needed). It's even worse when you 'have' to move the vial to 4 for Seer because you have been ghost quartering your opponent and don't get to 4 mana, been cut off colorless , or because you know your opponent has a full grip of counterspells you won't be able to pass through by casting it.
When Eldrazis start rolling, the are really good. But a sinlge stick in the wheel and the deck becomes really slow and can be dealt with pretty easy. That's why I stepped out of E&T.
Shifting from abzan to g/w, there is a learning curve, the two decks play quite differently. First impressions, the deck is very consistent with hierarch and oath. Was happy with arbiter shenanigans, but the one thing i missed the most was a kill spell on a body (shriekmaw, wasteland strangler). Everything is fine if i draw a path to exile, the 4 E wit can act as such.
The first game vs soul sister was very long, all the sisters gained my opponent tons of life as i tried playing my stuff to survive and apply minimal pressure. In the end she had 7 sisters... at some point she played 2 honor of the pure and alpha striked, but i double wisped the anthems and blew her out. The game lasted 40 minutes Game two we went to time and i tried to kill her when all i needed to do was stall and win 1-0-1, and lost due to my lack of patience...
The loss vs jeskai, not quite sure what to make of. I think i made a few misplays, and also wall of resurgence was useless on defense and all the awakened lands ate bolts... I think gavony township + wall is a nonbo, when you lose land creatures township becomes bad... Anyways they are placeholders until new thalia comes out. I will try kitchen finks in that spot until the release of eldritch moon.
I'm only missing the horizon canopy, i will try to get them soon (they are currently brushlands).
The list i'm aiming at right now:
4 path to exile
Artifacts : 4
4 Æther vial
enchantments : 4
4 oath of nissa
creatures : 28
4 noble hierarch
4 thalia, guardian of thraben
4 leonin arbiter
2 scavenging ooze
2 kor skyfisher
4 flickerwisp
4 eternal witness
2 thalia, heretic cathar
2 restoration angel
2 horizon canopy
2 plains
2 forest
4 temple garden
4 razorverge thicket
4 ghost quarter
2 tectonic edge
4 burrenton forge-tender
4 qasali pridemage
2 spellskite
2 eidolon of rhetoric
3 undecided
I think the last sideboard stuff will be removal, maybe declaration in stone? Orzhov pontiff is also very much missed...
BW Eldrazi & Taxes
BG Collected Company Elves
Legacy
W Death and Taxes
EDH
GW Sigarda, Host of Herons
GW Saffi Eriksdotter
Love the new primer. These new spoilers are really hyping me to pick up my first competitive modern deck (D&T). This set may give us the push we need to stay a T2 deck so here's hoping.
Atm I'm running a GW list because of how eager I am to play new Thalia in turn 2. In my testing against RG Eldrazi she hasn't been game breaking but 4 mb lb and kozileks return weaken her impact so it may not be the best deck to test against. That being said, I don't think it's that good if played after turn 2. As we all know, there's a lot of fast decks out there and this just doesn't have an immediate impact like the old Thalia.
The spirit that sacs for indestructibility seems like something we can run a set of in the 75. It will shore up our control matchups and will even help against Tron and Scapeshift by giving our creatures staying power to continue beating face while keeping Arbiter and Thalia alive to disrupt them.
The spirit that exiles a spell seems really good in a tempo build with Judge's Familiar and swords/batterskull. I could see Bant D&T having a blast by being able to cast him turn 2 with a Hierarch.
One last thing. I'm sure you guys have covered what I'm about to say but please enlighten me. What the consensus on Declaration in Stone as sideboard tech for extra removal? Is Dismember still the best option? I mainly need an edge against grixis delver.
I can't wait to see everyone's brews! Thanks for reading.
GBRJund Elves
GWDevoted Elves
WDeath & Taxes
GWUBRHumans
EDH:
GTitania, Protector of Argoth
Hightower | Vial/Thrasios | Mogis | Grenzo | Endrek |
Tatyova|Sisay|Zurgo|Breya|Chisei|Marchesa|Olivia|KaradorPauper | Pauper |
Legacy|4fun|4fun|Modern|Frontier|StandardI definitely want to play the DnT here, but don't want to play elDnT!
Here is my options: W,WB, colorless W.
Any ideas which one would be better? There is a lot of aggro, midrange and trones. Less control and seldom comboes here.
DnT! I'm a power-load
DnT! Watch me Explode
I like declaration in stone as a 5th removal for the deck, but if you need the 1 cmc removal go with dismember. Vs. delver it can help with pyromancer tokens if they are playing that, its power comes from hitting two creatures at once for 2 mana.
2Chalupacabra
Thanks for the insightful comments! Unfortunately I already run 2 copies of Auriok Champion in my sideboard and can't afford any more copies in my budget right now. It does wonders in the burn matchup and has some utility vs Grixis and BGx decks. My problem with Leyline of Sanctity, though, is that I'm looking for cards that shore up both the Burn and BGx matchups. Perhaps ticking Leyline to 3 by cutting a single Stony Silence could do the trick? Or maybe cutting the 3rd Stony Silence AND the Leylines to make room for other good stuff? What would you recommend? Much appreciated!
Here is my sideboard for reference:
1 Reality Smasher
3 Thoughtseize
2 Auriok Champion
2 Leyline of Sanctity
2 Rest in Peace
2 Zealous Persecution
3 Stony Silence
BUR Grixis Death's Shadow/Control BUR & WBC Eldrazi & Taxes WBC
EDH:
UG Edric, Spymaster of Goodstuff UG