With the witch hunt of all combo decks being banned from standard we are back at a point where fog can thrive. Here's the list I will be starting with.
I don't think you want to validate removal (now with 20% more Abrade) with the Torrential Gearhulk in your fog deck. Plus you can't use Inspiring Statuary to help pay for it, which is so lame.
Once Torrential Gearhulk is out, you can feel really good about running Pull from Tomorrow instead of Anticipates and Glimmers and that synergizes with the Statuary plenty too.
If you feel like you need the Gearhulk as a win condition, I would say I think playing the Approach maindeck is better.
This is a rock paper scissors deck. While it can beat control if they are lacking in threats or counterspells that is not the goal. This deck wants to beat up on mid-range and aggro decks that tend to pop up at the beginning of any new meta game. This typically happens because control needs to be tuned to a meta to have the right answers and right now there is none.
As for torrential versus pull. It's nice being able to double up on the fogs and counterspells out of the sideboard.
One change I would like to try is bount of the luxxa. I'm pretty sure I spelled that wrong. I'd also want to try out different win cons that are more resilient.
The fun thing about this deck is that against control I get to board out my fogs and some of my wrath effects and just bring the whole sideboard in. This gives me access to way more power and helps.
Going to time is definitely a problem. However, as long as you win game one it can be an advantage xD. Definitely 1-0'd my fair share with this deck at local Win-a-box tournaments and pptq's
After playing in an event I updated to this list. Updated the main post as well. This deck runs awesome in RUG colors and sures up problems with planeswalkers. To make room for more counterspells I changed the wincon from Ulamog to Fleeting Memories which is harder to deal with game one anyway. This deck is tuned for aggression and midrange game one and has the sideboard dedicated mostly to control.
Now, I'd make a few changes after the Pro Tour. To start, -1 Hour of Revelation for +1 Descend upon the Sinful Mainboard I think I'd remove all creatures, so -1 Kefnet and -2 Torrential. Then, add one or two Authority of the Consuls. Sideboard, I'd add Gideon's Intervention against Walking Ballista. This deck hates Chandra's and other planeswalkers, so I might add some more planeswalker removal mainboard (like Cast Out). My version of Fog wins on manlands, awakened lands or, mainly, Approach. I need to tweak the card draw around a bit more as well. The Pulls can be awkwards, but they can also really help with finding or digging for Approach. However, if you are playing Torrentials, the Glimmers do so much work being flashed back after casting your first approach (just scry two to the bottom and draw the other two and you're 4 cards closer to the second Approach). Lifegain is really good against the monored decks, so you might want to add another Fumigate as well.
Without lifegain, I'm not sure how you survive the various red decks and all their burn. After taking the initial brunt before you setup consistent fogs, Hazoret the Fervent, Chandra, Torch of Defiance, and even their lands start to deal 2 non-combat dmg. This is without considering their burn or a single Insult // Injury in the sideboard.
I'm trying to think of what popular decks you could punish and the only ones that come to mind are cats and zombies. Pummeler's run fling, the control match seems scary, and the random dude playing with his janky mill deck just laughs.
If you can somehow survive against the more agressive burn decks, I think you'll have something special.
To be honest, I've not had a problem against mono-red, or red-green aggro. Mainboard, yes, it's a race to get to fogs, but my manabase seems to support me very well. It's not an easy matchup mainboard, that's true, but you only need 2 mana for most fogs anyway. Sideboard, having Gideon online and Repel the Abominable to save him from burn does the trick. Also, counterspells and Cast out against Chandra. Having Authority of the Consuls helps, too. Dont forget to sacrifice your manlands as chump blockers when you need to survive. They can trade fine with most red creatures.
Cats, Vehicles, Zombies(though the lifedrain is annoying, use your boardwipes here), any midrange creature deck (best matchups) are really good. Against other control decks I do fine as well, because I play two Approaches mainboard. No one I played against so far expected the second one after they countered the first. Commit//Memory can help draw the game into overtime after your first win. I know, it's not classy, but a 1-0-1 is still a win for us.
Red Deck Wins and all variants are and will remain the bane of this deck. It's just so hard mainboard to win, but aggro to control always is. Truth be told, I'm expecting the meta to shift to midrange really fast (midrange > aggro) to beat the red decks, making our deck that much better (as we outlast the midrange decks with ease. Half their deck is removal, which is useless against creatureless fog). Hazoret, believe it or not, is not a big problem as long as you dig hard for Approach. Because their decks carry removal that they can't use, and are usually low on lands, it's hard for them to get <1 cards in hand.
I could post my last results with this deck if you want? I did change my list around after the Pro tour (swichtching Gearhulks and Kefnet for Ulamog and two Authorities, and changing the sideboard a bit). I'll be running this deck both on my local FNM and on the upcoming gameday.
Edit: Oh, and having played TurboFog in Modern as well helps a lot. Though, I prefer having a mill-option in Archive Trap or Sphinx's Tutelage. I really miss the mill in standard atm with this deck.
My version has been working well for me at local events. I've been testing Graf Mole out of the board for rdw and so far it's been stellar. Pretty easy to fog a few turns. Drop an Hour then untap and play trail or tracker and start valuing off. Sweltering suns goes around both the mole and thing from the sideboard.
Those are the cards I would consider running. Kefnet is good. I'd mostly focus on spells and gearhulk. Then we just need a way to close the game. Not sure on that one but we have plenty of options still available like Dynavolt Tower.
Edit: if you wanted you could make kefnet your main wincon and use the destroy all permanents spell in white. Personally I prefer hour of devastation still.
Metallurgic Summoning is a great wincon. For Primal Well I have to disagree. Double triggers on our spells is extremely useful. Great against counterspells, and great with glimmer / heiroglyphic illumination. Also makes Hour of Devastation gauranteed to absolutely obliterate the board xD. Approach of the Second Sun I believe becomes a one shot too which is sick.
Blinding Fog is bad. I tldr'd the card xD. Good catch.
Bounty of the Luxa is a decent card for us if you're in the market for some turbo.
I think playing a Primal Well or two doesn't make us a control deck. I just think it's a pretty decent card that provides a lot of synergy and power once it flips. Turbofog has always been about preventing damage, wiping the board, and having a few wincons you turbo into to win after you've stalled out the game. It uses a lot of the same tools as control so even though it's a fog deck it's definitely on the same spectrum as control.
3 Torrential Gearhulk
Artifacts:2
1 Abandoned Sarcophagus
1 Dynavolt Tower
Sorceries:8
4 Attune with Aether
4 Hour of Devastation
Instants:21
3 Censor
4 Commencement of Festivities
4 Haze of Pollen
2 Countervailing Winds
2 Supreme Will
2 Glimmer of Genius
2 Hieroglyphic Illumination
2 Roilmage's Trick
1 Fleeting Memories
4 Trail of Evidence
Lands:21
4 Aether Hub
3 Botanical Sanctum
2 Cinder Glade
4 Evolving Wilds
3 Forest
3 Island
2 Mountain
3 Thing in the Ice
3 Tireless Tracker
4 Sweltering Suns
1 Commit // Memory
4 Fevered Visions
2 Trophy Mage
3 Torrential Gearhulk
1 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
Spells:32
4 Attune with Aether
3 Anticipate
4 Commencement of Festivities
4 Haze of Pollen
1 Dynavolt Tower
2 Encircling Fissure
1 Inspiring Statuary
4 Trail of Evidence
3 Glimmer of Genius
1 Mechanized Production
4 Fumigate
1 Descend upon the Sinful
4 Aether Hub
2 Botanical Sanctum
3 Canopy Vista
4 Evolving Wilds
3 Forest
3 Island
1 Plains
2 Prairie Stream
3 Thing in the Ice
2 Kefnet the Mindful
3 Negate
1 Commit // Memory
2 Overwhelming Denial
3 Hour of Revelation
1 Approach of the Second Sun
Looking for tips and feedback.
Martyr Proc Thread
Esper Relicblade Thread
Standard:
Mardu Superfriends
Turbofog
Once Torrential Gearhulk is out, you can feel really good about running Pull from Tomorrow instead of Anticipates and Glimmers and that synergizes with the Statuary plenty too.
If you feel like you need the Gearhulk as a win condition, I would say I think playing the Approach maindeck is better.
2) run more negate/dispell vs control ?
Let's check competitive results
As for torrential versus pull. It's nice being able to double up on the fogs and counterspells out of the sideboard.
One change I would like to try is bount of the luxxa. I'm pretty sure I spelled that wrong. I'd also want to try out different win cons that are more resilient.
The fun thing about this deck is that against control I get to board out my fogs and some of my wrath effects and just bring the whole sideboard in. This gives me access to way more power and helps.
Going to time is definitely a problem. However, as long as you win game one it can be an advantage xD. Definitely 1-0'd my fair share with this deck at local Win-a-box tournaments and pptq's
Martyr Proc Thread
Esper Relicblade Thread
Standard:
Mardu Superfriends
Turbofog
3 Torrential Gearhulk
Artifacts:2
1 Abandoned Sarcophagus
1 Dynavolt Tower
Sorceries:8
4 Attune with Aether
4 Hour of Devastation
Instants:21
3 Censor
4 Commencement of Festivities
4 Haze of Pollen
2 Countervailing Winds
2 Supreme Will
2 Glimmer of Genius
2 Hieroglyphic Illumination
2 Roilmage's Trick
1 Fleeting Memories
4 Trail of Evidence
Lands:21
4 Aether Hub
3 Botanical Sanctum
2 Cinder Glade
4 Evolving Wilds
3 Forest
3 Island
2 Mountain
3 Thing in the Ice
3 Tireless Tracker
4 Sweltering Suns
1 Commit // Memory
4 Fevered Visions
Martyr Proc Thread
Esper Relicblade Thread
Standard:
Mardu Superfriends
Turbofog
2 Torrential Gearhulk
1 Kefnet the Mindful
Spells:
3 Anticipate
3 Pull from Tomorrow
3 Glimmer of Genius
3 Commit//Memory
3 Bounty of the Luxa
4 Encircling Fissure
4 Haze of Pollen
3 Repel the Abominable
4 Commencement of Festivities
1 Fumigate
1 Hour of Revelation
2 Approach of the Second Sun
2 Fortified Village
2 Irrigated Farmland
1 Port Town
1 Scattered Groves
4 Aether Hub
2 Lumbering Falls
4 Island
3 Forest
4 Plains
3 Dispel
2 Negate
2 Disallow
1 Kefnet's Last Word
4 Cast Out
2 Gideon of the Trials
1 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
Now, I'd make a few changes after the Pro Tour. To start, -1 Hour of Revelation for +1 Descend upon the Sinful Mainboard I think I'd remove all creatures, so -1 Kefnet and -2 Torrential. Then, add one or two Authority of the Consuls. Sideboard, I'd add Gideon's Intervention against Walking Ballista. This deck hates Chandra's and other planeswalkers, so I might add some more planeswalker removal mainboard (like Cast Out). My version of Fog wins on manlands, awakened lands or, mainly, Approach. I need to tweak the card draw around a bit more as well. The Pulls can be awkwards, but they can also really help with finding or digging for Approach. However, if you are playing Torrentials, the Glimmers do so much work being flashed back after casting your first approach (just scry two to the bottom and draw the other two and you're 4 cards closer to the second Approach). Lifegain is really good against the monored decks, so you might want to add another Fumigate as well.
Affinity, Slivers, TurboFog
Standard
R/B Aggro
I like the concept of cutting the creatures. I love the multifaceted win conditions you have, keeps opponents from picking just one kind of answer.
I've been a TurboFog fan forever. I even Wrote the Modern Primer for it.
This has got to be the most interesting incarnation of it yet.
I'm trying to think of what popular decks you could punish and the only ones that come to mind are cats and zombies. Pummeler's run fling, the control match seems scary, and the random dude playing with his janky mill deck just laughs.
If you can somehow survive against the more agressive burn decks, I think you'll have something special.
Cats, Vehicles, Zombies(though the lifedrain is annoying, use your boardwipes here), any midrange creature deck (best matchups) are really good. Against other control decks I do fine as well, because I play two Approaches mainboard. No one I played against so far expected the second one after they countered the first. Commit//Memory can help draw the game into overtime after your first win. I know, it's not classy, but a 1-0-1 is still a win for us.
Red Deck Wins and all variants are and will remain the bane of this deck. It's just so hard mainboard to win, but aggro to control always is. Truth be told, I'm expecting the meta to shift to midrange really fast (midrange > aggro) to beat the red decks, making our deck that much better (as we outlast the midrange decks with ease. Half their deck is removal, which is useless against creatureless fog). Hazoret, believe it or not, is not a big problem as long as you dig hard for Approach. Because their decks carry removal that they can't use, and are usually low on lands, it's hard for them to get <1 cards in hand.
I could post my last results with this deck if you want? I did change my list around after the Pro tour (swichtching Gearhulks and Kefnet for Ulamog and two Authorities, and changing the sideboard a bit). I'll be running this deck both on my local FNM and on the upcoming gameday.
Edit: Oh, and having played TurboFog in Modern as well helps a lot. Though, I prefer having a mill-option in Archive Trap or Sphinx's Tutelage. I really miss the mill in standard atm with this deck.
Affinity, Slivers, TurboFog
Standard
R/B Aggro
Martyr Proc Thread
Esper Relicblade Thread
Standard:
Mardu Superfriends
Turbofog
Primal Amulet
Opt
Those are the cards I would consider running. Kefnet is good. I'd mostly focus on spells and gearhulk. Then we just need a way to close the game. Not sure on that one but we have plenty of options still available like Dynavolt Tower.
Edit: if you wanted you could make kefnet your main wincon and use the destroy all permanents spell in white. Personally I prefer hour of devastation still.
Martyr Proc Thread
Esper Relicblade Thread
Standard:
Mardu Superfriends
Turbofog
Blinding Fog is bad. I tldr'd the card xD. Good catch.
Bounty of the Luxa is a decent card for us if you're in the market for some turbo.
Martyr Proc Thread
Esper Relicblade Thread
Standard:
Mardu Superfriends
Turbofog
Martyr Proc Thread
Esper Relicblade Thread
Standard:
Mardu Superfriends
Turbofog