While this deck had some early success most notably by Jeff Hoogland, it fell off after the pro tour. While many key cards for other decks have rotated out, this deck is untouched and gains a few upgrades. They key feature of the deck is a draw go tempo aggro shell where everything other than the 2 cheapest creatures in the deck is instant speed and even those two are granted flash by Rattlechains.
Kaladesh brings Revolutionary Rebuff as an early counter spell, Glimmer of Genius as mid game card selection and advantage, and Torrential Gearhulk as a huge flash snapcaster mage and finisher.
Mausoleum Wanderer A very powerful one drop that is like Judge's Familiar on steroids and has synergy with the other spirits in the deck.
Selfless Spirit A great 2 drop that protects against sweepers, allows us to play our own for value, and synergizes well with Archangel Avacyn. It can also make for very good trades while blocking.
Rattlechains Grants our other early plays flash as well as protecting them and most notably Spell Queller from spot removal.
Spell Queller A strong tempo play on an evasive body that is card advantage if you can protect it which this deck does a good job of doing. It can also ambush 2/2s.
Reflector Mage Astrong tempo play that has giving creature decks headaches since it's printing, it's lack of flying makes it more of just a speed bump against aggressive decks, but sometimes a speed bump is what we need.
Nebelgast Herald A good tempo play that helps racing situations and adds the affect you your other spirits that are flashed in as well.
Archangel Avacyn Fantastic at ambushing creatures that attack, it is also a very fast clock that excels at racing, can serve as a small sweeper, and can also protect your board.
2 Torrential Gearhulk Although it costs 6 mana, this can make for some very big plays. Not many things can attack through it and it will be rare that it isn't at least a 2 for 1 or better.
Blessed Alliance Making them sac a creature and gain 4 life is a great deal at 4 while it's also a good 2 mana play.
Revolutionary Rebuff While this is compared to other counters from history and not hitting artifacts is a glaring omission with the new set, this is the early counter we have and fills a role we need.
Stasis Snare While 3 mana removal that is vulnerable to some things could be better, we are looking for instant speed in this deck and exiling can be very relevant.
Void Shatter A 3 mana counter that exiles which is relevant against many things currently seeing play.
Glimmer of Genius The best inspiration I've ever seen at a time when other instant speed card draw has had significant drawbacks.
Good of you to start the thread, but as a [Primer], it should be much more descriptive. You up to at least grabbing the best parts from the archived spirits thread?
I'm totally a non-fan of Rebuff. It fails to hit artifacts (which are huge now) and fails to do anything late game. I would main Negate and side that counter-target-colorless spell. Stasis Snare can deal with any creature that slipped in, and Void Shatter is good late defense against all spells.
For lands, I believe in Aether Hub, replacing Prairie Stream. Thanks to Glimmer of Genius, you will have that extra color those few times you need it.
For an aggro matchup, I think you want Nebelgast Herald and/or Reflector Mage, though the latter is worse due to Vehicles.
For the sideboard, definitely liking the Flagship to deal with planeswalkers or big flyers.
Fumigate is another sideboard card, good with Selfless Spirit.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Current Awesome Deck: UWAll-In GiftsWU Consistent, Resiliant, and way overpowered, making multiple 4/4s per turn.
GB Electric Dreams BG Deal 20 in one shot, or discard their hand?
GWUFree Stuff MidrangeUWG Slowly bury the opponent with more threats and answers than they can handle.
Sorry, I will edit it and add more when I get a chance. Was just throwing it up from my phone while I was on my break at work. Rebuff isn't a great spell, but it does help catch up when on the draw, especially against Liliana. Pretty much just a role player and also helps to double spell sooner. Countering their 4 drop and playing a 2 drop is big game for this deck.
I haven't tested it yet but right off the bat the Rebuff's are not good with all the vehicles and I'd probably cut 2 of them and add 2 negate, maybe. Also a poster above said not running Gideon feels like a mistake and I agree with him completely.
Mhjames: mtgsalvation: I DON'T SEE HOW THIS CARD IS GOOD. I KNOW PATRICK CHAPIN USED IT AND WENT 8-0, BUT THAT WAS A SMALL TOURNAMENT. THE CARD IS TOO SLOW. YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THE OPPONENT HAS A SPELL IN THE GRAVEYARD
Mhjames: mtgsalvation: I DON'T SEE HOW THIS CARD IS GOOD. I KNOW PATRICK CHAPIN USED IT AND WENT 8-0, BUT THAT WAS A SMALL TOURNAMENT. THE CARD IS TOO SLOW. YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THE OPPONENT HAS A SPELL IN THE GRAVEYARD
How do you guys feel about Smuggler's Copter as a good turn 2 play to be crewed by, say, Mausoleum Wanderer and adjust our hand a bit? I think it's a great card to pair with Always Watching too, since you get to choose if you draw-discard when you attack and or block.
A note from Jeff Hoogland's twitch stream last night:
"Here's the thing about Nebelgast Herald:
I think it is fine in an aggressive spirits deck.
I think all of the aggressive spirits decks are bad decks.
That's what they were last season.
They were worse than the other aggressive decks in the format."
Personally, I love Herald. It's a great tempo card, but I think with that lack of card draw we have at our disposal, it's just not viable.
I think I might shift to a build similar to what jeff is using atm.
My tempo deck went 3-1 at game day.
The only thing it lost to horribly was esper enchantments.
It makes sense. It's slow in an aggressive build. Topplegeist does much of the same thing (especially if we hit delirium), without flash and 1 less power, for 2 mana less. I could see myself running Topplegeist and Smuggler's Copter instead of Nebelgast Herald or Reflector Mage, especially since my 3-drop slot is so overcrowded. I'll have to test it however.
The Copter is going to be an issue for us soon.
I think I'll avoid using him until I see some solid results with him in a dedicated spirits build.
Everyone else not playing a spirit deck loves it because it avoids spot removal and board wipes.
I think we'll soon be running the (U) instant counter target colorless spell to deal with that.
Topplegeist isn't for me personally because I usually don't hit delirium.
The Copter is going to be an issue for us soon.
I think I'll avoid using him until I see some solid results with him in a dedicated spirits build.
Everyone else not playing a spirit deck loves it because it avoids spot removal and board wipes.
I think we'll soon be running the (U) instant counter target colorless spell to deal with that.
Topplegeist isn't for me personally because I usually don't hit delirium.
Copter is easy to deal with. We operate at instant speed and it becomes a creature when activated. Heck, the opponent has to tap down a creature to crew it too. It basically plays right into our own strategy.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
The Copter is going to be an issue for us soon.
I think I'll avoid using him until I see some solid results with him in a dedicated spirits build.
Everyone else not playing a spirit deck loves it because it avoids spot removal and board wipes.
I think we'll soon be running the (U) instant counter target colorless spell to deal with that.
Topplegeist isn't for me personally because I usually don't hit delirium.
Copter is easy to deal with. We operate at instant speed and it becomes a creature when activated. Heck, the opponent has to tap down a creature to crew it too. It basically plays right into our own strategy.
Kinda confused
How do you plan on taking care of there 3/3 copter?
I am playing 4 Smuggler's Copter in my build. I feel the card fits Spirits perfectly, so I am a little surprised people are only discussing playing against it as opposed to playing with it.
The Copter is going to be an issue for us soon.
I think I'll avoid using him until I see some solid results with him in a dedicated spirits build.
Everyone else not playing a spirit deck loves it because it avoids spot removal and board wipes.
I think we'll soon be running the (U) instant counter target colorless spell to deal with that.
Topplegeist isn't for me personally because I usually don't hit delirium.
Copter is easy to deal with. We operate at instant speed and it becomes a creature when activated. Heck, the opponent has to tap down a creature to crew it too. It basically plays right into our own strategy.
Kinda confused
How do you plan on taking care of there 3/3 copter?
Unsubstantiate, Nebelgast Herald, Negate, Spell Queller, Blessed Alliance (They wont be attacking with a lot of creatures so they'd probably have to sac the copter), and that's just a few of the answers we usually already have in our deck. It's a powerful card, but against UW tempo / control it's an easy way for the opponent to get two for one'd. The only one that I'm really worried about is Fleetwheel Cruiser because it doesn't require a pilot and does a great Ball Lightning impression.
Remember, vehicles are not creatures even if they look like it. They are equipment cards that require a creature to tap in order to use. The part that I'm envisioning may bring some rough waters is the kinds of decks using copter. the Copter Madness deck and a number of other red decks are basically a pile of 3 damage to the face cards and aggressive creatures.
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
If you crew a vehicle with a creature and the kill the vehicle
The creature that crewed the vehicle die
Is that how that works for sure? I thought you tap a creature to crew a vehicle. If the vehicle dies or gets exiled, the creature stays tapped on the battlefield. So the creature would go under the vehicle and both get removed?
"Creatures that crew a Vehicle aren’t attached to it or related to it in any other way. Effects that affect the Vehicle, such as by destroying it or giving it a +1/+1 counter, don’t affect the creatures that crewed it."
"Creatures that crew a Vehicle aren’t attached to it or related to it in any other way. Effects that affect the Vehicle, such as by destroying it or giving it a +1/+1 counter, don’t affect the creatures that crewed it."
Kaladesh brings Revolutionary Rebuff as an early counter spell, Glimmer of Genius as mid game card selection and advantage, and Torrential Gearhulk as a huge flash snapcaster mage and finisher.
Mausoleum Wanderer A very powerful one drop that is like Judge's Familiar on steroids and has synergy with the other spirits in the deck.
Selfless Spirit A great 2 drop that protects against sweepers, allows us to play our own for value, and synergizes well with Archangel Avacyn. It can also make for very good trades while blocking.
Rattlechains Grants our other early plays flash as well as protecting them and most notably Spell Queller from spot removal.
Spell Queller A strong tempo play on an evasive body that is card advantage if you can protect it which this deck does a good job of doing. It can also ambush 2/2s.
Reflector Mage Astrong tempo play that has giving creature decks headaches since it's printing, it's lack of flying makes it more of just a speed bump against aggressive decks, but sometimes a speed bump is what we need.
Nebelgast Herald A good tempo play that helps racing situations and adds the affect you your other spirits that are flashed in as well.
Archangel Avacyn Fantastic at ambushing creatures that attack, it is also a very fast clock that excels at racing, can serve as a small sweeper, and can also protect your board.
2 Torrential Gearhulk Although it costs 6 mana, this can make for some very big plays. Not many things can attack through it and it will be rare that it isn't at least a 2 for 1 or better.
Revolutionary Rebuff While this is compared to other counters from history and not hitting artifacts is a glaring omission with the new set, this is the early counter we have and fills a role we need.
Stasis Snare While 3 mana removal that is vulnerable to some things could be better, we are looking for instant speed in this deck and exiling can be very relevant.
Void Shatter A 3 mana counter that exiles which is relevant against many things currently seeing play.
Glimmer of Genius The best inspiration I've ever seen at a time when other instant speed card draw has had significant drawbacks.
4 Selfless Spirit
4 Rattlechains
4 Spell Queller
4 Archangel Avacyn
2 Torrential Gearhulk
3 Revolutionary Rebuff
3 Stasis Snare
3 Void Shatter
2 Glimmer of Genius
4 Prairie Stream
1 Spawning Bed
9 Island
7 Plains
3 Rattlechains
4 Reflector Mage
4 Selfless Spirit
4 Spell Queller
4 Thraben Inspector
4 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
4 Smuggler's Copter
3 Stasis Snare
6 Island
9 Plains
4 Port Town
4 Prairie Stream
2 Westvale Abbey
2 Blessed Alliance
2 Ceremonious Rejection
1 Declaration in Stone
2 Fragmentize
1 Fumigate
2 Jace, Unraveler of Secrets
1 Linvala, the Preserver
2 Negate
2 Summary Dismissal
4 Rattlechains
4 Selfless Spirit
4 Spell Queller
4 Archangel Avacyn
2 Island
1 Mountain
4 Plains
3 Aether Hub
2 Evolving Wilds
3 Inspiring Vantage
1 Needle Spires
2 Port Town
4 Prairie Stream
4 Wandering Fumarole
4 Glimmer of Genius
4 Harnessed Lightning
4 Revolutionary Rebuff
1 Fumigate
3 Ceremonious Rejection
2 Galvanic Bombardment
2 Negate
2 Summary Dismissal
2 Jace, Unraveler of Secrets
2 Fumigate
Modern: UW Spirits
I'm totally a non-fan of Rebuff. It fails to hit artifacts (which are huge now) and fails to do anything late game. I would main Negate and side that counter-target-colorless spell. Stasis Snare can deal with any creature that slipped in, and Void Shatter is good late defense against all spells.
For lands, I believe in Aether Hub, replacing Prairie Stream. Thanks to Glimmer of Genius, you will have that extra color those few times you need it.
For an aggro matchup, I think you want Nebelgast Herald and/or Reflector Mage, though the latter is worse due to Vehicles.
For the sideboard, definitely liking the Flagship to deal with planeswalkers or big flyers.
Fumigate is another sideboard card, good with Selfless Spirit.
GB Electric Dreams BG Deal 20 in one shot, or discard their hand?
GWU Free Stuff Midrange UWG Slowly bury the opponent with more threats and answers than they can handle.
My greatest hits:
GURFate Reforged Temur Ascendancy COMBORUG
GUDragons of Tarkir Whisperwood Forever UG
Modern: UW Spirits
4 Mausoleum Wanderer
4 Rattlechains
4 Selfless Spirit
4 Spell Queller
3 Elder Deep-Fiend
4 Reflector Mage
4 Dovin Baan
4 Essence Flux
3 Turn Aside
2 Fragmentize
12 Island
4 Aether Hub
4 Prairie Stream
4 Port Town
4 Spell Queller
4 Sylvan Advocate
4 Reflector Mage
4 Selfless Spirit
4 Rattlechains
4 Mausoleum Wanderer
2 Turn Aside
4 Tamiyo, Field Researcher
2 Fragmentize
4 Essence Flux
Lands
4 Canopy Vista
8 Island
4 Botanical Sanctum
4 Port Town
4 Prairie Stream
2x Archangel Avacyn
2x Bygone Bishop
4x Mausoleum Wanderer
4x Nebelgast Herald
4x Rattlechains
4x Reflector Mage
4x Selfless Spirit
4x Spell Queller
7x Island
8x Plains
4x Port Town
4x Prairie Stream
Instant (2)
2x Essence Flux
Sorcery (3)
3x Declaration in Stone
Enchantment (3)
3x Always Watching
Artifact (1)
1x Stitcher's Graft
2x Blessed Alliance
2x Fragmentize
3x Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
4x Negate
2x Planar Outburst
2x Summary Dismissal
Link to deck @ TappedOut.net
Losing Ojutai's Command is a big loss IMHO, since it did some truly broken things. I've cut down to 23 lands and 2x Archangel Avacyn, to use more support spells: the third Always Watching and Declaration in stone, and a single Stitcher's Graft, which should work fantastically with Mausoleum Wanderer.
Smuggler's Copter is probably worthy of a slot, and maybe Topplegeist.
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
4 Archangel Avacyn
4 Rattlechains
4 Mausoleum Wanderer
4 Selfless Spirit
4 Spell Queller
4 Stasis Snare
2 Fumigate
4 Revolutionary Rebuff
7 Island
8 Plains
4 Prairie Stream
2 Aether Hub
3 Glimmer of Genius
4 Port Town
I haven't tested it yet but right off the bat the Rebuff's are not good with all the vehicles and I'd probably cut 2 of them and add 2 negate, maybe. Also a poster above said not running Gideon feels like a mistake and I agree with him completely.
By: ol MISAKA lo
Cockatrice: Infallible
3 Archangel Avacyn
4 Rattlechains
4 Mausoleum Wanderer
4 Selfless Spirit
4 Spell Queller
4 Nebelgast Herald
Spells: 12
4 Stasis Snare
4 Anticipate
2 Revolutionary Rebuff
2 Negate
1 Deadlock Trap
7 Island
7 Plains
4 Prairie Stream
2 Aether Hub
4 Port Town
3 Declaration in Stone
2 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
2 Negate
2 Fumigate
2 Turn Aside
2 Fragmentize
1 Glimmer of Genius
1 Void Shatter
By: ol MISAKA lo
Cockatrice: Infallible
"Here's the thing about Nebelgast Herald:
I think it is fine in an aggressive spirits deck.
I think all of the aggressive spirits decks are bad decks.
That's what they were last season.
They were worse than the other aggressive decks in the format."
Personally, I love Herald. It's a great tempo card, but I think with that lack of card draw we have at our disposal, it's just not viable.
I think I might shift to a build similar to what jeff is using atm.
My tempo deck went 3-1 at game day.
The only thing it lost to horribly was esper enchantments.
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 think I'll avoid using him until I see some solid results with him in a dedicated spirits build.
Everyone else not playing a spirit deck loves it because it avoids spot removal and board wipes.
I think we'll soon be running the (U) instant counter target colorless spell to deal with that.
Topplegeist isn't for me personally because I usually don't hit delirium.
Copter is easy to deal with. We operate at instant speed and it becomes a creature when activated. Heck, the opponent has to tap down a creature to crew it too. It basically plays right into our own strategy.
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
Kinda confused
How do you plan on taking care of there 3/3 copter?
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
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
Unsubstantiate, Nebelgast Herald, Negate, Spell Queller, Blessed Alliance (They wont be attacking with a lot of creatures so they'd probably have to sac the copter), and that's just a few of the answers we usually already have in our deck. It's a powerful card, but against UW tempo / control it's an easy way for the opponent to get two for one'd. The only one that I'm really worried about is Fleetwheel Cruiser because it doesn't require a pilot and does a great Ball Lightning impression.
Remember, vehicles are not creatures even if they look like it. They are equipment cards that require a creature to tap in order to use. The part that I'm envisioning may bring some rough waters is the kinds of decks using copter. the Copter Madness deck and a number of other red decks are basically a pile of 3 damage to the face cards and aggressive creatures.
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
The creature that crewed the vehicle die
Is that how that works for sure? I thought you tap a creature to crew a vehicle. If the vehicle dies or gets exiled, the creature stays tapped on the battlefield. So the creature would go under the vehicle and both get removed?
From the pre-release notes:
"Creatures that crew a Vehicle aren’t attached to it or related to it in any other way. Effects that affect the Vehicle, such as by destroying it or giving it a +1/+1 counter, don’t affect the creatures that crewed it."
Yep just found that info
Thanks
On another note, I think we'll have to worry about Chandra's Pyrohelix... do you guys think this card will make an appearance as a board card?
Always watching is a must play with spirits.