Do you have a list? I'm kind of interested in a Grixis build too. I've thrown some cards together. I'll have to buy the cards before I have any testing or results, but it looks like it could be a pretty fun list. I'd love some input from the community. Keep in mind this is a very very preliminary list.
Mana base is just a placeholder. I do intend to have plenty of cycling lands in it, but in all likelihood there will be a lot fewer ETB Tapped lands.
The idea is, if having Enigma Drake is good, having a 2nd Drake-like creature is also good. Everything in the deck is either cycling, instant/sorcery or both. Right now, I have Ruthless Sniper in, but he's also just a place holder. It could just as likely be something like a Flameblade Adept and be aggro in that slot instead of control. They could also both be replaced with a Cryptic Serpent. It's very early in the build process.
Also, instants and sorceries can be whatever. I do think Fling will make the list after testing. Also, Lightning Strike and Shock, most likely.
Either way, the main idea of the deck is instead of having 4 Drakes, have 8. I know it's not exactly having 8 Drakes, but it's where I'm starting. What does everyone think?
Im going off memory, but this is really close to the list ive been running. I haven't played since i got my Fatal Pushes, so i may be off on what i cut to have them. The siren and freebooter are extra disruption and Fiery Cannonade doesn't do anything to them. Discard helps make Censor, Pierce and Push better, you can kind of sculpt their hand so the they play into them. Opt needs no explanation, but it is essential for the deck. Chart is usually just a filter, but can just be a better Divination. Burn for versatile removal and speeding the clock up. Ideally, Drake or Serpent comes down with them in a near top deck mode and gets there before they can recover. When it works it crushes, but it does have variance with discard often being blank later and some mana issues. A high energy version with Hubs, Harnessed Lighting, Die Young and...some other energy cards, Glimmer, I guess, may be easier on mana.
Edit: I really like Vile Manifestation, but the problem i see with it is it suffers all the same problems Enigma has but worse. Its grounded, dies to Glorybringer and Fatal Push and gets shrunk with grave hate, so, Cryptic should just be better and be resilient to the cards that fight Drake, you don't want all your threats to fall prey to the same answers if that makes sense.
I'd considered Fatal Push and GY hate when I threw the deck together. That all will probably make Serpent get the nod over the other creatures. Or at the very least, a role in the Sideboard. I'm hoping Faith of the Devoted and/or Drake Haven will help make up for those shortfalls.
Also, considering how much the deck likes discard, I'm thinking of dropping Glimmer (and the rest of the energy cards) for Cathartic Reunion (or Tormenting Voice) and replacing Harnessed Lightning with actual burn. I think over all, it'll be a fun little deck!
Hmm have I only been overlooking Revolutionary rebuff because it was bad last standard season. Really only gearhulk it misses atm, plus when we can abrade things now. Is censor just a better version? or another mana good enough.
Pierce is usually better, but it can be good, not great, but good. I would say Supreme Will should get the nod over it, just be sure you get to 3 and have other instant speed interaction.
Match 2 vs UR artificers.
Game 1. I played riddleform and just sat there scrying every turn because he didn't have anything threatening. Scatter the wirler virtueso. Hit him with the riddleform when he taps out otherwise scry each turn. Slowly grind away the game.
Game 2. Similar start, I am not in a hurry to win because he isn't threatening take hits with 1/1s for a bit until I find a wrath. Drop two serpents swing and fling gg.
Match 3 vs Temur energy.
Game 1. Mull to 5. Riddleform. shock mana dork. opponent misses land. strike mana dork. opponent misses land. Riddleform riddle form strike face kill him. whille he was still on 2 lands.
Game 2. Opponent struggled a little with mana again, I found my chandra's defeats for key targets. I let myself take a hit from a glorybringer to use Vizier of Many Faces to copy it and kill his chump blocker allowing me to also hit with my serpent for 10.
Match 4 vs Red (splash black) ramp/control.
Game 1. Army of riddleforms, lucky lightning strike off the top to kill chandra. Opponent floods.
Game 2. Opponent has a quick Neheb but I strike it twice to get it off the table. I play some serpents which are too large for my opponent to kill. opponent dies quickly
Enigma drake kind of feels like the weakest threat atm. I am really liking just having essence scatter over censor I know cycling is great but everyone is playing around the censor and its to stop those top end threats like the gods and whirler virtueso later once when they have a million energy. Makes me much weaker against planeswalkers though.
Very interesting deck list! I like the Sniper more if you cut the other cycle engines cuz you're on 22 land already with expensive enchantments/artifacts that don't do much so your early creatures are gonna get Fatal Push'd and with only 12 creatures recursion is going to be hard to make count. I used to run Izzet before rotation where we lost Lightning Axe, Fiery Temper and Thing in the Ice so I am very familiar with this tempo-like strategy and want to see Sniper do work where Thing in the Ice fit so nicely.
I'd definitely cut/test:
2 Enigma Drake - 2 Curator of Mysteries * 8 Drakes with different graveyard buffs is inconsistent but 6 seems fair so upping cycling with Curator and using Enigma as the late game win-con seems more appealing with Manifestation as the play-set
3 Harnessed Lightning - 2 Curator of Mysteries 1 Sweltering Suns * same thing as above really, Lightning seems like a bunk draw against decks that run Blossoming DefenseDive DownThe Scarab God
2 Faith of the Devoted - 2 Riddleform * lowers your curve, its ability = Faith's cmc, works better with Enigma and Sniper, more resilient to disruption
2 Key to the City - 2 Riddleform * Key to the City is great but is so much slower than Riddleform or just running Glint-Sleeve Siphoner and Champion of Wits
3 Countervailing Winds - 3 Supreme Will * gotta do it, leaving 1 Countervailing Winds is good way to only see it late game when it counts, Supreme Will to find it
2 Abrade - Lightning Strike * Abrade is great but also can be in SB for the MD to focus on player damage
1 Abrade - Blazing Volley * Same as above, 1 damage to each is reassurance in the MD for a number of token decks or if they stick multiple Glint-Sleeves
Fling would be a tight 1-of Grapeshot kinda mid-range jank in the MD or SB.
I like the build after my own experience I would recommend insult over fling as it has a similar effect but you don't loose the creaters and injury gives you some late game damage and small removal. (Playing insult turn 4 with 2 riddle forms is really powerful.)
I would also recommend 2-3 spell pierce. It deals with pretty much anything that essence scatter doesn't. Turn one atune the aether, removal, oponets counters, plainswalkers and second sun. And opoentes never expected a one mana counter. Hope all goes well.
I wonder if it is just super meta dependant. Its really the creatures I am scared of the large, indestructable, returning or whiriler virtueso. Removal is annoying sure but it can be really hard to tag it without my opponent having mana up. The only thing spell piece is good against is planeswalkers. Vraksa and mono green nissa kill me really fast... Chandra is annoying but riddleform and chandra's defeat can deal with it.
I had Insult//injury in my deck for the PPTQ and it was terrible. It was just extremely clunky.. I cast it just to double a lightining strike a bunch of times. The problem is that your creature just gets chump blocked or killed (its a sorcery)... fling is a huge burn spell that doesn't care about blockers or removal. I always side it out if I expect counters.
Hey everyone! New to URx Enigma Drake. I love the deck though, first saw Seth post it on MTGGoldfish, the Temur Miracle Grow one. I'v also been dabbling in Modern lately and really love Grixis Death's Shadow.
Tis type of deck, reminds me a lot of GSD, so I wanted to see if I could put together a Grixis version. Well here it is:
I just put this together, so I haven't had a chance to devise a sideboard yet.
Some thoughts, almost completely dropped R. No more burn, instead going with the proactive route of discard. Now yes discard can be dead late game, however worse case scenario, Harsh Scrutiny is a Scry 1. Also with all the filtering and draw of this deck, I feel like top deck mode shouldn't be a problem.
Looking for some constructive feedback, thoughts? Thanks
I like the build I would recommend -1 serpent +1 Riddleform. (I'm finding it just makes for a more aggressive deck.) Also in some cases serpent can get stuck in hand were as not the case with riddleform
Actually through my testing I was actually thinking of decreasing the number of the riddleform. Sometimes it just feels awkward, idk maybe I’m playing it wrong.
I also don’t think I like Lay Bare the heart. Every time it’s in my hand I wish it were something else, not sure what to put in though. Any suggestions?
Well lightning strike would be my suggestion I have a hard time sleeving a deck without it
I like your decks mana effiency though, and I prefer the proactive plays to the counters I use.
I don't know if my meta is just all creature based midrange but spell piece just isn't strong in my meta but perhaps that is changing a little now.
How is the mana base?
The manabase has been fine. With all the draw/filtering I don’t really get screwed. Every once in a while I’ll get screwed out of a single color or a turn, but that’s about it.
I was thinking about Lightning Strike, I think I’ll -1 Riddleform, -2 Lay Bare the Heart, +3 Lightning Strike.
Spell Pierce has been good when it’s Good, but feels bad as the game goes longer. Sometimes I just wish I had a hard counter. Although feels good to counter turn 1 or 2 Attune against energy and screw them out of a color.
The other option would be to replace Spell Pierce with something like Censor. Same concept, hits more, and can be cycled late game when it’s not as useful. Only problem is it’s 1 cmc more which is a HUGE difference.
Another option, in place of Lay Bare, that I might test is Kitesail Freebooter. It lets me look at their hand, gaining a lot of info, and is a flying body that can get in some damage, or it’ll eat early removal, paving the way for one of my bigger threats. Thoughts on Kitesail?
I have went back to UR, added 2 Gearhulk and 2 Chandra, made my late game wayyyy better. Small energy package with Hub, Harnessed and 2 Glimmer, Harnessed is just such an efficient piece of removal. I still have a hard time with RamRed but sideboard does help a lot. Energy can still be difficult, Whirler stone walls and Glorybringer is Drakes worst enemy. Liking this build tho
I might try maindeck chandra again its always useful and possibly I'll put in search again since it can be tutored with it. I did play UR control featuring Chandra and Glorybringer main to great effect last standard. Quickly game closing control
I have found myself playing riddleforms and just sitting back and scrying until my opponent actually puts out a clock I have to deal with. Since it is fragile and likely to eat removal. I don't need to use it to race unless it is safe. At which point I am definately playing a control deck.
I feel like I'd need too many lands to play gearhulk and also the sorceries are some of the more powerful cards, since you have to pay twice as much mana for the same effect at instant.
I see that most of you have dropped strategic planning for more interaction, I think I will test out that approach tonight.
I'm running 23 land with the Gearhulks, cantrips and cycling have served me well for getting to land. With only 2 gearhulks i have only had them clog my hand a couple of times and just played the regular game of cheap stuff tempo, make them deal with Drake and Cryptic then when i hit 6 land or get a chandra down, boom gearhulk time! Main phase Gear off of her mana ability is still very strong, it worth it if you can wall off attackers to try an ult her, winning is so easy then.
I am sorely missing Crash Through tho, so many games tokens have kept my big guys at bay, it would have made all the difference. 2 are going back in, at the least, and maybe 3 if it works ok.
GW cats unwinnable match up: unsummon was actually good here though boucing cards that are targeted with pumps and tokens. Appeal // Authority. Authority particularly is a big challange to deal with when I don't have a lot of creatures.
mono red that is more recently unwinnable: I am kind of confused why i can't win it though. I seriously had a hand of nothing but removal got stuck on two land and lost. Should I just be blowing up the couriers over creatures that deal more damage?
Temur midrange: the Vizier of Many Faces in the sideboard i stupidly strong against them. Also new player not super confident in thier play. temur is not an easy deck to play for how powerful it is.
Grixis midrange: Oh god spell pierce was completely unfair here, I just tagged all his removal and crushed him. Game 2 they lost to thier mana base. (which makes me uncertain about trying grixis version).
Man it feels like we have all the answers just those answers are super narrow, amazing in one match up and terrible in another.
Gw cats is a real bad matchup, go wide demands a sweeper as pinpoint removal is just laughable. Red is basically the same, but they have all the reach and inevitability. Timely Fiery Cannonade, Suns or Hour are your best options at swinging it in you favor. Fc is stupid strong, and underplayed, the instant wipe against these strategies is so important with holding up counters. Suns goes bigger and can cycle in a pinch. Hour has been impressing me lately, especially against energy, they dont play around it and its usually a hard wrath, if hydra or cub dont die to it you would have lost anyway lol. Rivers Rebuke is also good for a 1 sided wipe, and if you can get an attack in with a serpent or drake they should be way behind.
As far as answers go, a better 2 mana counter is really what we need to go over the top. Revolutionary Rebuff has often impressed me, it just gets weak so fast.
Match 1: Bye: they forgot to put me in the event when they paired...free win.
Match 2: Red Aggro. 2-0
Game 1:Opening hand 2x Swelting suns 2x mountain. Drew a blue land. Wrath, Wrath. Hazoret D:. I managed to survive just long enough to kill opponent with riddleform and burn.
Game 2: We traded chandra's, then he slammed Hazoret. I manage to race it with 2x Cryptic serpent.
Match 3: UW Approach. 2-0
Game 1: I had a very counter heavy draw that allowed me to prevent him drawing cards. Then I slammed a cryptic serpent which carried me to victory.
Game 2: Opponent starts with 2x field of ruin. These just ended up fixing my mana to be able to cast chandra. Opponent just died to chandra and my hand filled with counters.
Match 4: Big Red (Splash black) 2-1
Game 1: Opponents deck is a slow rampy deck. Has no main deck way to deal with a cryptic serpent. I unsummoned his large red creatures and beat face.
Game 2: my whole sideboard is good against him.... but then he beat me to death with little red men (I assume out of the side)
Game 3: I only side the shocks back in. This game was an epic tussle. Including chandra and glorybringer battles. Comes down to me and an army of riddleforms stuggling to find spells to kill my opponents chandra. Which I do then and I am back on the offensive... but on 6 life. Opponent aftermaths back Cut//Ribbons for my life total... spell pierce. Engima drake (11/4) opponent fires back with the 2/1 haste and a lightning strike he is forced to use on the drake (after blocks)... I find a lightning strike from my riddleform scrys and kill him. I forgot about the vizisir in my grave the whole time.
Match 1: Bye: they forgot to put me in the event when they paired...free win.
Match 2: Red Aggro. 2-0
Game 1:Opening hand 2x Swelting suns 2x mountain. Drew a blue land. Wrath, Wrath. Hazoret D:. I managed to survive just long enough to kill opponent with riddleform and burn.
Game 2: We traded chandra's, then he slammed Hazoret. I manage to race it with 2x Cryptic serpent.
Match 3: UW Approach. 2-0
Game 1: I had a very counter heavy draw that allowed me to prevent him drawing cards. Then I slammed a cryptic serpent which carried me to victory.
Game 2: Opponent starts with 2x field of ruin. These just ended up fixing my mana to be able to cast chandra. Opponent just died to chandra and my hand filled with counters.
Match 4: Big Red (Splash black) 2-1
Game 1: Opponents deck is a slow rampy deck. Has no main deck way to deal with a cryptic serpent. I unsummoned his large red creatures and beat face.
Game 2: my whole sideboard is good against him.... but then he beat me to death with little red men (I assume out of the side)
Game 3: I only side the shocks back in. This game was an epic tussle. Including chandra and glorybringer battles. Comes down to me and an army of riddleforms stuggling to find spells to kill my opponents chandra. Which I do then and I am back on the offensive... but on 6 life. Opponent aftermaths back Cut//Ribbons for my life total... spell pierce. Engima drake (11/4) opponent fires back with the 2/1 haste and a lightning strike he is forced to use on the drake (after blocks)... I find a lightning strike from my riddleform scrys and kill him. I forgot about the vizisir in my grave the whole time.
I am interested in a few of your card choices, or even more so, lack there of.
Insult // Injury - I noticed you didn't include it or Fling for that matter. Do you find you don't need it? Or is it too slow? What's your thought processes on it?
Crash Through - Again, I was under the impression most UR Drake players really liked having it to punch through.
Search for Azcanta - What are everyone's thought's on it? Is it just too slow?
Soul-Scar Mage - I see that really your only creatures are Serpent, Drake, and Riddleform, Im just nervous that it isn't enough threats overall. Am I wrong?
Chandra, Torch of Defiance - Have you ever had a problem getting the 4 mana to cast her? With only 20 lands that would be my biggest concern.
Blossoming Defense - Without splashing G, does anyone miss the hexproof? Anyone experience that it leaves our creatures just to vulnerable without some form of protection?
I am really interested in this deck type. However I am so torn on which version to run, UR, Grixis, or Temur, and which cards to include, it seems like there are so many options.
Search for Azcanta - I like it in the sideboard for certain matchups. I can skew towards control and use Search to make a big drake or ensure cheap Serpents. Later, it gets you cards you need. It's definitely too slow for what the main wants to do in game one or other games if you don't plan to be more controlling.
Soul-Scar Mage - This build, the two color, is aggro/tempo rather than straight aggro, so 11-12 creatures fits the bill well. Weather the initial storm, then start playing threats. If I were going pure aggro, I'd want more stuff on the battlefield.
Blossoming Defense - Less green means more counters, so the hexproof is largely not missed, for me.
I am really interested in this deck type. However I am so torn on which version to run, UR, Grixis, or Temur, and which cards to include, it seems like there are so many options.
This was mentioned above, but the UR version is the most stable by far. The other two can have major mana issues. Temur is second place thanks to Attune with Aether, but I feel like Grixis really suffers, especially with access to only one fast land and no Attune.
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4 Enigma Drake
4 Ruthless Sniper
4 Vile Manifestation
Enchantments 2
2 Faith of the Devoted
Artifacts 2
2 Key to the City
Instants 20
3 Abrade
4 Censor
4 Countervailing Winds
2 Glimmer of Genius
3 Harnessed Lightning
4 Hieroglyphic Illumination
2 Sweltering Suns
Lands 22
4 Aether Hub
4 Canyon Slough
1 Desert of the Glorified
1 Desert of the Mindful
4 Dragonskull Summit
4 Drowned Catacomb
4 Fetid Pools
Mana base is just a placeholder. I do intend to have plenty of cycling lands in it, but in all likelihood there will be a lot fewer ETB Tapped lands.
The idea is, if having Enigma Drake is good, having a 2nd Drake-like creature is also good. Everything in the deck is either cycling, instant/sorcery or both. Right now, I have Ruthless Sniper in, but he's also just a place holder. It could just as likely be something like a Flameblade Adept and be aggro in that slot instead of control. They could also both be replaced with a Cryptic Serpent. It's very early in the build process.
Similarly, Faith of the Devoted could be Drake Haven.
Also, instants and sorceries can be whatever. I do think Fling will make the list after testing. Also, Lightning Strike and Shock, most likely.
Either way, the main idea of the deck is instead of having 4 Drakes, have 8. I know it's not exactly having 8 Drakes, but it's where I'm starting. What does everyone think?
4 Enigma Drake
3 Cryptic Serpent
2 Siren Stormtamer
1 Kitesail Freebooter
Spells
4 Opt
3 Chart a Course
3 Harsh Scrutiny
3 Duress
4 Censor
3 Spell Pierce
3 Fatal Push
2 Shock
4 Lightning Strike
1 Fiery Cannonade
4 Spirebluff Canal
3 Drowned Catacomb
3 Dragonskull Summit
1 Fetid Pool
1 Canyon Slough
2 Evolving Wilds
3 Swamp
2 Island
1 Mountain
Side
2 Chandra's Defeat
3 Negate
2 Essence Scatter
2 Abrade
1 Essence Extraction
2 Bontu's Last Reckoning
2 Vraska's Contempt
1 Fiery Cannonade
Im going off memory, but this is really close to the list ive been running. I haven't played since i got my Fatal Pushes, so i may be off on what i cut to have them. The siren and freebooter are extra disruption and Fiery Cannonade doesn't do anything to them. Discard helps make Censor, Pierce and Push better, you can kind of sculpt their hand so the they play into them. Opt needs no explanation, but it is essential for the deck. Chart is usually just a filter, but can just be a better Divination. Burn for versatile removal and speeding the clock up. Ideally, Drake or Serpent comes down with them in a near top deck mode and gets there before they can recover. When it works it crushes, but it does have variance with discard often being blank later and some mana issues. A high energy version with Hubs, Harnessed Lighting, Die Young and...some other energy cards, Glimmer, I guess, may be easier on mana.
Edit: I really like Vile Manifestation, but the problem i see with it is it suffers all the same problems Enigma has but worse. Its grounded, dies to Glorybringer and Fatal Push and gets shrunk with grave hate, so, Cryptic should just be better and be resilient to the cards that fight Drake, you don't want all your threats to fall prey to the same answers if that makes sense.
Needs moar Delver.
Also, considering how much the deck likes discard, I'm thinking of dropping Glimmer (and the rest of the energy cards) for Cathartic Reunion (or Tormenting Voice) and replacing Harnessed Lightning with actual burn. I think over all, it'll be a fun little deck!
Pioneer:UR Pheonix
Modern:U Mono U Tron
EDH
GB Glissa, the traitor: Army of Cans
UW Dragonlord Ojutai: Dragonlord NOjutai
UWGDerevi, Empyrial Tactician "you cannot fight the storm"
R Zirilan of the claw. The solution to every problem is dragons
UB Etrata, the Silencer Cloning assassination
Peasant cube: Cards I own
Needs moar Delver.
Needs moar Delver.
4x Enigma Drake
4x Cryptic Serpent
Enchantment (4)
4x Riddleform
Instant (18)
4x Opt
4x Shock
4x Lightning Strike
4x Essence Scatter
2x Fling
4x Strategic Planning
4x Chart a Course
2x Sweltering Suns
Land (20)
4x Spirebluff Canal
3x Highland Lake
2x Ramunap Ruins
1x Ipnu Rivulet
5x Island
5x Mountain
2x Abrade
2x Negate
2x Chandra's defeat
3x Search for azcanta
2x Vizier of Many Faces
2x Chandra, Torch of Defiance
2x Glorybringer
3-1 standard showdown.
match 1 vs GR Pummeler.
Game 1 2x mountain, shock, lightning strike... opponent plays Greenbelt Rampager.. I don't draw any more land die to the elephant.
Game 2 one shot by pummeler through a cryptic serpent block
Match 2 vs UR artificers.
Game 1. I played riddleform and just sat there scrying every turn because he didn't have anything threatening. Scatter the wirler virtueso. Hit him with the riddleform when he taps out otherwise scry each turn. Slowly grind away the game.
Game 2. Similar start, I am not in a hurry to win because he isn't threatening take hits with 1/1s for a bit until I find a wrath. Drop two serpents swing and fling gg.
Match 3 vs Temur energy.
Game 1. Mull to 5. Riddleform. shock mana dork. opponent misses land. strike mana dork. opponent misses land. Riddleform riddle form strike face kill him. whille he was still on 2 lands.
Game 2. Opponent struggled a little with mana again, I found my chandra's defeats for key targets. I let myself take a hit from a glorybringer to use Vizier of Many Faces to copy it and kill his chump blocker allowing me to also hit with my serpent for 10.
Match 4 vs Red (splash black) ramp/control.
Game 1. Army of riddleforms, lucky lightning strike off the top to kill chandra. Opponent floods.
Game 2. Opponent has a quick Neheb but I strike it twice to get it off the table. I play some serpents which are too large for my opponent to kill. opponent dies quickly
Enigma drake kind of feels like the weakest threat atm. I am really liking just having essence scatter over censor I know cycling is great but everyone is playing around the censor and its to stop those top end threats like the gods and whirler virtueso later once when they have a million energy. Makes me much weaker against planeswalkers though.
Pioneer:UR Pheonix
Modern:U Mono U Tron
EDH
GB Glissa, the traitor: Army of Cans
UW Dragonlord Ojutai: Dragonlord NOjutai
UWGDerevi, Empyrial Tactician "you cannot fight the storm"
R Zirilan of the claw. The solution to every problem is dragons
UB Etrata, the Silencer Cloning assassination
Peasant cube: Cards I own
I'd definitely cut/test:
2 Enigma Drake - 2 Curator of Mysteries * 8 Drakes with different graveyard buffs is inconsistent but 6 seems fair so upping cycling with Curator and using Enigma as the late game win-con seems more appealing with Manifestation as the play-set
3 Harnessed Lightning - 2 Curator of Mysteries 1 Sweltering Suns * same thing as above really, Lightning seems like a bunk draw against decks that run Blossoming Defense Dive Down The Scarab God
2 Faith of the Devoted - 2 Riddleform * lowers your curve, its ability = Faith's cmc, works better with Enigma and Sniper, more resilient to disruption
2 Key to the City - 2 Riddleform * Key to the City is great but is so much slower than Riddleform or just running Glint-Sleeve Siphoner and Champion of Wits
3 Countervailing Winds - 3 Supreme Will * gotta do it, leaving 1 Countervailing Winds is good way to only see it late game when it counts, Supreme Will to find it
2 Abrade - Lightning Strike * Abrade is great but also can be in SB for the MD to focus on player damage
1 Abrade - Blazing Volley * Same as above, 1 damage to each is reassurance in the MD for a number of token decks or if they stick multiple Glint-Sleeves
Fling would be a tight 1-of Grapeshot kinda mid-range jank in the MD or SB.
4 Ruthless Sniper
4 Vile Manifestation
4 Curator of Mysteries
2 Enigma Drake
1 Champion of Wits
17 Instants
4 Censor
3 Supreme Will
3 Hieroglyphic Illumination
3 Lightning Strike
2 Perilous Voyage
1 Countervailing Winds
1 Fling
3 Sorceries
3 Sweltering Suns
4 Enchantments
4 Riddleform
15 SB
4 Hollow One
3 Warfire Javelineer
3 Abandoned Sarcophagus
2 Saheeli Rai
2 Glorybringer
MODERNW InstaKnightMentSTANDARDUR Desert SpellsSTANDARDBGU Golgari GOALSI wonder if it is just super meta dependant. Its really the creatures I am scared of the large, indestructable, returning or whiriler virtueso. Removal is annoying sure but it can be really hard to tag it without my opponent having mana up. The only thing spell piece is good against is planeswalkers. Vraksa and mono green nissa kill me really fast... Chandra is annoying but riddleform and chandra's defeat can deal with it.
I had Insult//injury in my deck for the PPTQ and it was terrible. It was just extremely clunky.. I cast it just to double a lightining strike a bunch of times. The problem is that your creature just gets chump blocked or killed (its a sorcery)... fling is a huge burn spell that doesn't care about blockers or removal. I always side it out if I expect counters.
Pioneer:UR Pheonix
Modern:U Mono U Tron
EDH
GB Glissa, the traitor: Army of Cans
UW Dragonlord Ojutai: Dragonlord NOjutai
UWGDerevi, Empyrial Tactician "you cannot fight the storm"
R Zirilan of the claw. The solution to every problem is dragons
UB Etrata, the Silencer Cloning assassination
Peasant cube: Cards I own
Tis type of deck, reminds me a lot of GSD, so I wanted to see if I could put together a Grixis version. Well here it is:
4x Aether Hub
4x Drowned Catacomb
4x Spirebluff Canal
2x Dragonskull Summit
3x Swamp
2x Island
1x Mountain
4x Enigma Drake
4x Cryptic Serpent
4x Glint-Sleeve Siphoner
Instant 14
4x Fatal Push
4x Opt
3x Spell Pierce
3x Unsummon
4x Harsh Scrutiny
3x Chart a Course
2x Lay Bare the Heart
Enchantment 5
3x Riddleform
2x Search for Azcanta
I just put this together, so I haven't had a chance to devise a sideboard yet.
Some thoughts, almost completely dropped R. No more burn, instead going with the proactive route of discard. Now yes discard can be dead late game, however worse case scenario, Harsh Scrutiny is a Scry 1. Also with all the filtering and draw of this deck, I feel like top deck mode shouldn't be a problem.
Looking for some constructive feedback, thoughts? Thanks
Actually through my testing I was actually thinking of decreasing the number of the riddleform. Sometimes it just feels awkward, idk maybe I’m playing it wrong.
I also don’t think I like Lay Bare the heart. Every time it’s in my hand I wish it were something else, not sure what to put in though. Any suggestions?
I like your decks mana effiency though, and I prefer the proactive plays to the counters I use.
I don't know if my meta is just all creature based midrange but spell piece just isn't strong in my meta but perhaps that is changing a little now.
How is the mana base?
Pioneer:UR Pheonix
Modern:U Mono U Tron
EDH
GB Glissa, the traitor: Army of Cans
UW Dragonlord Ojutai: Dragonlord NOjutai
UWGDerevi, Empyrial Tactician "you cannot fight the storm"
R Zirilan of the claw. The solution to every problem is dragons
UB Etrata, the Silencer Cloning assassination
Peasant cube: Cards I own
The manabase has been fine. With all the draw/filtering I don’t really get screwed. Every once in a while I’ll get screwed out of a single color or a turn, but that’s about it.
I was thinking about Lightning Strike, I think I’ll -1 Riddleform, -2 Lay Bare the Heart, +3 Lightning Strike.
Spell Pierce has been good when it’s Good, but feels bad as the game goes longer. Sometimes I just wish I had a hard counter. Although feels good to counter turn 1 or 2 Attune against energy and screw them out of a color.
The other option would be to replace Spell Pierce with something like Censor. Same concept, hits more, and can be cycled late game when it’s not as useful. Only problem is it’s 1 cmc more which is a HUGE difference.
Another option, in place of Lay Bare, that I might test is Kitesail Freebooter. It lets me look at their hand, gaining a lot of info, and is a flying body that can get in some damage, or it’ll eat early removal, paving the way for one of my bigger threats. Thoughts on Kitesail?
Pioneer:UR Pheonix
Modern:U Mono U Tron
EDH
GB Glissa, the traitor: Army of Cans
UW Dragonlord Ojutai: Dragonlord NOjutai
UWGDerevi, Empyrial Tactician "you cannot fight the storm"
R Zirilan of the claw. The solution to every problem is dragons
UB Etrata, the Silencer Cloning assassination
Peasant cube: Cards I own
Needs moar Delver.
I have found myself playing riddleforms and just sitting back and scrying until my opponent actually puts out a clock I have to deal with. Since it is fragile and likely to eat removal. I don't need to use it to race unless it is safe. At which point I am definately playing a control deck.
I feel like I'd need too many lands to play gearhulk and also the sorceries are some of the more powerful cards, since you have to pay twice as much mana for the same effect at instant.
I see that most of you have dropped strategic planning for more interaction, I think I will test out that approach tonight.
Pioneer:UR Pheonix
Modern:U Mono U Tron
EDH
GB Glissa, the traitor: Army of Cans
UW Dragonlord Ojutai: Dragonlord NOjutai
UWGDerevi, Empyrial Tactician "you cannot fight the storm"
R Zirilan of the claw. The solution to every problem is dragons
UB Etrata, the Silencer Cloning assassination
Peasant cube: Cards I own
I am sorely missing Crash Through tho, so many games tokens have kept my big guys at bay, it would have made all the difference. 2 are going back in, at the least, and maybe 3 if it works ok.
Needs moar Delver.
GW cats unwinnable match up: unsummon was actually good here though boucing cards that are targeted with pumps and tokens. Appeal // Authority. Authority particularly is a big challange to deal with when I don't have a lot of creatures.
mono red that is more recently unwinnable: I am kind of confused why i can't win it though. I seriously had a hand of nothing but removal got stuck on two land and lost. Should I just be blowing up the couriers over creatures that deal more damage?
Temur midrange: the Vizier of Many Faces in the sideboard i stupidly strong against them. Also new player not super confident in thier play. temur is not an easy deck to play for how powerful it is.
Grixis midrange: Oh god spell pierce was completely unfair here, I just tagged all his removal and crushed him. Game 2 they lost to thier mana base. (which makes me uncertain about trying grixis version).
Man it feels like we have all the answers just those answers are super narrow, amazing in one match up and terrible in another.
Pioneer:UR Pheonix
Modern:U Mono U Tron
EDH
GB Glissa, the traitor: Army of Cans
UW Dragonlord Ojutai: Dragonlord NOjutai
UWGDerevi, Empyrial Tactician "you cannot fight the storm"
R Zirilan of the claw. The solution to every problem is dragons
UB Etrata, the Silencer Cloning assassination
Peasant cube: Cards I own
As far as answers go, a better 2 mana counter is really what we need to go over the top. Revolutionary Rebuff has often impressed me, it just gets weak so fast.
Needs moar Delver.
U/R?
Temur?
I just watched all of Seth's matches with his original Temur version and it seemed to play really well, when it didn't get mana screwed.
Needs moar Delver.
4x Enigma Drake
3x Cryptic Serpent
Enchantment (4)
4x Riddleform
Instant (21)
4x Opt
4x Shock
3x Spell Pierce
2x Unsummon
4x Lightning Strike
4x Censor
4x Chart a Course
2x Sweltering Suns
Plainswalker (2)
2x Chandra, Torch of Defiance
Land (20)
4x Spirebluff Canal
3x Highland Lake
2x Ramunap Ruins
1x Ipnu Rivulet
5x Island
5x Mountain
2x Abrade
2x Negate
2x Essence scatter
2x Chandra's defeat
3x Search for azcanta
2x Vizier of Many Faces
2x Glorybringer
4-0 at FNM.
Match 1: Bye: they forgot to put me in the event when they paired...free win.
Match 2: Red Aggro. 2-0
Game 1:Opening hand 2x Swelting suns 2x mountain. Drew a blue land. Wrath, Wrath. Hazoret D:. I managed to survive just long enough to kill opponent with riddleform and burn.
Game 2: We traded chandra's, then he slammed Hazoret. I manage to race it with 2x Cryptic serpent.
Match 3: UW Approach. 2-0
Game 1: I had a very counter heavy draw that allowed me to prevent him drawing cards. Then I slammed a cryptic serpent which carried me to victory.
Game 2: Opponent starts with 2x field of ruin. These just ended up fixing my mana to be able to cast chandra. Opponent just died to chandra and my hand filled with counters.
Match 4: Big Red (Splash black) 2-1
Game 1: Opponents deck is a slow rampy deck. Has no main deck way to deal with a cryptic serpent. I unsummoned his large red creatures and beat face.
Game 2: my whole sideboard is good against him.... but then he beat me to death with little red men (I assume out of the side)
Game 3: I only side the shocks back in. This game was an epic tussle. Including chandra and glorybringer battles. Comes down to me and an army of riddleforms stuggling to find spells to kill my opponents chandra. Which I do then and I am back on the offensive... but on 6 life. Opponent aftermaths back Cut//Ribbons for my life total... spell pierce. Engima drake (11/4) opponent fires back with the 2/1 haste and a lightning strike he is forced to use on the drake (after blocks)... I find a lightning strike from my riddleform scrys and kill him. I forgot about the vizisir in my grave the whole time.
Pioneer:UR Pheonix
Modern:U Mono U Tron
EDH
GB Glissa, the traitor: Army of Cans
UW Dragonlord Ojutai: Dragonlord NOjutai
UWGDerevi, Empyrial Tactician "you cannot fight the storm"
R Zirilan of the claw. The solution to every problem is dragons
UB Etrata, the Silencer Cloning assassination
Peasant cube: Cards I own
I am interested in a few of your card choices, or even more so, lack there of.
Insult // Injury - I noticed you didn't include it or Fling for that matter. Do you find you don't need it? Or is it too slow? What's your thought processes on it?
Crash Through - Again, I was under the impression most UR Drake players really liked having it to punch through.
Search for Azcanta - What are everyone's thought's on it? Is it just too slow?
Soul-Scar Mage - I see that really your only creatures are Serpent, Drake, and Riddleform, Im just nervous that it isn't enough threats overall. Am I wrong?
Chandra, Torch of Defiance - Have you ever had a problem getting the 4 mana to cast her? With only 20 lands that would be my biggest concern.
Blossoming Defense - Without splashing G, does anyone miss the hexproof? Anyone experience that it leaves our creatures just to vulnerable without some form of protection?
I am really interested in this deck type. However I am so torn on which version to run, UR, Grixis, or Temur, and which cards to include, it seems like there are so many options.
Insult // Injury - I think this or Fling and/or Crash Through are super strong, but largely replaced by something like Chandra, Torch of Defiance (or a Torrential Gearhulk). Without one or more of these there's really no way to close.
Search for Azcanta - I like it in the sideboard for certain matchups. I can skew towards control and use Search to make a big drake or ensure cheap Serpents. Later, it gets you cards you need. It's definitely too slow for what the main wants to do in game one or other games if you don't plan to be more controlling.
Soul-Scar Mage - This build, the two color, is aggro/tempo rather than straight aggro, so 11-12 creatures fits the bill well. Weather the initial storm, then start playing threats. If I were going pure aggro, I'd want more stuff on the battlefield.
Blossoming Defense - Less green means more counters, so the hexproof is largely not missed, for me.
This was mentioned above, but the UR version is the most stable by far. The other two can have major mana issues. Temur is second place thanks to Attune with Aether, but I feel like Grixis really suffers, especially with access to only one fast land and no Attune.