I*'m going to test those teamDFL, especially the Hoplite and Street Denizen. It did really well my first match up, just that second one, he had lots of spot removal and bile blight was pretty a factor every single game. So I'm thinking against a control deck it's going to be hand disruption over Burn. I added in Magma Jet for synergy and Prowess Trigger/COmbat Tricks. I like the idea of srcying, and it did help in my first match. Aggro decks rarely get the chance to plan out things in advance, so my burn package is still solid, a little versatility can go a long way.
I have noticed that on the draw, decks that pack a lot of cheap, efficient removal (Bile Blight, Lightning Strike, Chained to the Rocks, etc) can be difficult to get started against. I know that Thoughtseize is a great card for overcoming those strategies.
The sideboard was a bunch of 2 ofs and 1 ofs to see what worked and what didn't.
I don't like butcher a lot in this list, he's cool if you get 1, but getting multiples SUCKS. Even then, he is a 4 drop so that means you're playing him over a 1 or 2 drop that can make your turn 3 ascendancy hit much harder.
Every time I had a curve of 1 drop, 2 drop, ascendancy I won. It's that easy, so we need to optimize this curve.
I also hate magma jet, the 3 damage from strike is really important since it can kill an opposing seeker even if it's prowess gets triggered. I'm honestly not a big fan of either of them, and I want to try out ride down.
I also hate all of the tapped lands that I was playing. I think you need some number of them so if the game goes long you don't kill yourself, but they really screw up your curve.
Another daily is starting in 20 minutes and this is the list I'm playing:
It's possible that the 1 toughness of foundry street denizen makes him a bad choice, but there's a massive upside if he doesn't get dealt with. I can see having issues against the jeskai tokens deck, since they can cast raise the alarm when you attack and then he trades with half a card.
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If MTG is a part of your life, the formats are like relationships:
Standard/Block = The on-again, off-again holiday fling
Modern/Vintage/Legacy = Stable, homely. A ***** after absence/misreading
Limited/Sealed = Heart breaking free spirit
Commander/Cube = Agreeable, needy and expensive
Pauper/Peasant = Sweet, kind, practical, but shy and boring
I am down to 2 Butcher of the Horde in my list simply because the deck cannot operate with multiples. You just about have to make a play each turn and since I am running just 23 lands, Butcher isn't even a guarantee on T4.
I am going to try Iroas, God of Victory. Mostly for giggles, but there is part of me that says that indestructible attackers could be insanely good.
As expected, Iroas was bad three times for every one he was good. He absolutely puts away games in a very narrow set of circumstances, but just doesn't cut it.
The mana is still brutal. I want Bloodsoaked Champion back in the list, but to have him star as the premier one drop and then have Akroan Hoplite play the role of the premier two drop since there is no B/R dual land, just the crappy fetch. The only way to make happen is with a T1 Caves of Kolios or Mana Confluence that is honestly pretty narrow and not really a recipe for success, IMO.
The mana base still needs work, I am pretty sure that I want four Ascendancies because they aren't bad in multiples and that while Trumpet Blast can get you out of board stalls or push through the last few damage when you can only get a couple of 1/1 tokens past their defenses, more Stoke the Flames would likely be a better choice. I also need to refine the sideboard.
I have one week to get this "right" so I am hoping for some more input.
I went back the base black build that leverages value from the Warrior tribal synergies. The red deck is certainly more explosive and while the burn does allow you to finish some games with a win, it simply doesn't have the resilience needed, in my opinion. Yes, Akroan Hoplite is amazing and I really hope someone follows that path and gets it to work better than I have, but I feel like he is going to be a R/W token deck.
So far, here is what I know:
23 lands as all I ever need is four but I always need three on turn 3, so I am pretty sure this is the way to go
4 Bloodsoaked Champion - best one drop in the format
4 Chief of the Edge - 3/2 for two is just fine in an aggro deck and the fact that he pumps other guys can be very helpful
4 Crackling Doom - best removal in the format
4 Mardu Ascendancy - best way to beat the token hate everyone is packing
4 Goblin Rabblemaster - the hype is real and he is a warrior
2 Tymaret, the Murder King - great way to give the deck reach, so good with Bloodsoaked Champion and a warrior
2 Sorin, Solemn Visitor - he isn't the best, but if you can go wide with one token generator (Rabble or Ascendancy) the +1 is incredibly strong
That is really the core of the deck. I am pulling together the rest but those are pretty much written in stone at this point as they really are what makes the deck go.
Tomorrow I'l finally be able to run the deck at my local game shop. I've revised the decklist to include a few cards you have all recommended. I dropped my ideas with Prowess (Just wasn't good enough and I was missing real synergy) and stuck to a theme that's more "mardu".
Check the first post I made for the updated decklist.
I'll post results tomorrow
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Standard Arena: Eh? Gruul or Die
Modern: Decks I'm playing right now: G Mono Green Tron (34-10-3 paper record, only SCG/Regionals/PPTQ record) C Eldrazi Tron (9-5) UG Infect RW Burn
It went...BAD lol I changed my deck last night and it was a bust. In fact, I saw 2 variants of the original deck concept we had worked with.
I will go back to the swiftspears and seeker's for next week and see how that works. I mainboarded Thoughtseize, it was to critical to not include. Also I took out Mardu Ascendancy and opted for a better turn 3 play. However I think that was a mistake and the Mardu Ascendancy could stay in but only in 2 or 3 copies.
Also, the scry lands are...really good for this deck. I used 4 Temple of Triumph and saw Magma Jet played. This was the mirror match and it made a huge difference. The best version of this deck had Seeker of the Way to net crucial life gain. That card made the difference every single time I played against it.
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Standard Arena: Eh? Gruul or Die
Modern: Decks I'm playing right now: G Mono Green Tron (34-10-3 paper record, only SCG/Regionals/PPTQ record) C Eldrazi Tron (9-5) UG Infect RW Burn
I am going all in on Mardu Ascendancy with four in the main. I will see if it works or not. So far, in limited testing, it has done quite well. I was waffling for a little while, but I want to give it a real shot. If it doesn't work, oh well. I am sure I will still have some fun and surprise enough people to make it worthwhile.
I so want to like Seeker and there are some games that he is really good, but there are more games where he is a bear and nothing more. In order for Ascendancy to be at its best, you need to be playing lots of creatures. In order for Seeker to be his best, you need to be playing lots of non-creature spells. This isn't to say that there isn't a sweet spot where the two can work together, just that I haven't found it.
If it's possible to establish a sort of choke hold early on, then:
Crackling Doom, Thoughtseize, Magma Jet, and Lightning Strike would fuel the prowess triggers for the Monastery Swiftspear and Seeker of the Way. Mardu Ascendancy can be really hard to deal with as it puts a wrench in Anger of the Gods and Bile Blight. There were times it sat in my hand and made zero impact, but the times it resolved it made my opponent really have to think about how to remove my creatures. Still there are times I'd rather play a rabblemaster and just go in for the kill. As I've to say " Just gotta get there".
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Standard Arena: Eh? Gruul or Die
Modern: Decks I'm playing right now: G Mono Green Tron (34-10-3 paper record, only SCG/Regionals/PPTQ record) C Eldrazi Tron (9-5) UG Infect RW Burn
Went to a ≈65 man SCG IQ with the above. Including a bye, went 3-3. Goal was .500, so reached that goal.
I did very little sideboarding as I was never really sure how to not make the deck worse.
Round 1 - Mardu Midrange
Early pressure in game 1 gave me the win, but game 2 I got colored screwed for one turn and ended up too far behind, unable to force the action when I needed to. Counting on 3 damage removal (Bile Blight, Arc Lightning, Lightning Strike etc) in game 3 made this a pretty easy win. Was feeling very good at this point. Side note, great opponent. My son and/or I seem to play this guy at every IQ we attend and it is always a pleasure as he is not only a quality opponent, but a quality person.
Round 2 - Abzan Midrange with Whip
Game 1, mull to 5, never in it. Game 2, early pressure then T4 Rhino, T5 Rhino, T6 Rhino, T7 play whip and activate with help from Caryatid to get back a Rhino. Yeah, 24 point life swing. I did 28 points of damage to him and he still won. Sometimes you can do everything right and still lose.
Round 3 - W/U Heroic
G1 on the draw, lose by 1 turn. G2 on the play, win by 1 turn. G3 on the draw, lose by 1 turn.
Round 4 - W/U Heroic
G1 on the draw, lose by 1 turn. G2 on the play, win by 1 turn. G3 on the draw, lose by 1 turn. No, this is not a misprint, this is actually how it happened two rounds in a row.
Round 5 - BYE
Round 6 - Blue/Green Flash
This was a brew that was trying to abuse Prophet of Kruphix. Fun games, but I was just too fast for him to get anything going. Signed the slip so as to give him the win as he was continuing on while my wife had prepared a beautiful roast at home for dinner.
Thoughts Mardu Ascendancy is a four of or a zero of. You have to be willing to sac it to save your guys, even one-for-one, and if you cannot be confident that you will have a good chance of getting another, then its value goes way down. It is very, very good against all the midrange decks but is almost a dead card vs. Heroic.
I put two Thoughtseize into the main as a last minute hedge; this was a mistake. Yes, there are cards that can do real damage to you and Thoughtseize is perhaps the most efficient answer to everything, however, it is best left in the sideboard as this deck is all about making the opponent answer you. This is a big switch from my mono-black aggro deck where Thoughtseize was essential to opening a big gap and driving your team through it.
Sorin, Solemn Visitor is the real deal. Yeah, yeah, we all know that anthem effects and the go wide strategy go together like Black Lotus and winning, but the ability to undo the damage the mana base inflicts while simultaneously upping the threat level of the team is game changing. At this point, I am going up to three and also holding auditions for other anthems effects. Looking at you Trumpet Blast.
The two drop slot is still a problem. Chief of the Edge is head and shoulders above the rest of the pack. It is comical really how much worse the deck runs without this card on the table. I had 2 of my 6 opponents note just how good that card is without any prompting from me. Seeker of the Way can be good, but is nowhere near as consistent as my favorite sword wielding warrior woman. Tymaret, the Murder King works because people are reluctant to use their removal on him once you have a token generator online, but just isn't quite good enough at this point and while likely be benched. I am very tempted to go back to the Akroan Hoplite as it can approximate the power of Chief of the Edge, even if the mana is tricky. Will also test a higher one-drop count build as two one drops on T2 would likely be quite good as well.
Having no burn in the deck for reach was a mistake. The combination of the amount of lifegain in standard and having to sometimes play on the draw makes it essential, in my opinion. Perhaps that will change if I can get more anthems in the deck as they often act like a burn spell, but it is likely that the need for burn will remain.
I am also thinking about soft removal options like Oppressive Rays and Crippling Blight. Moving a guy aside for one mana is really what this deck is all about. These could be really good sideboard options for games on the draw as they would allow the deck to regain the initiative.
For the sideboard, Spirit of the Labyrinth is fantastic against Heroic where their cantrips and Ordeal of Thassa are so key to their victory plan. The rest, I hardly used.
I intend to keep refining this deck. I believe that it has real potential and, given enough testing and work, could be the equal of Abzan Aggro in terms of its place in the metagame. In speaking with my opponents, they agree. A two drop the quality and resilience of Rakshasa Deathdealer and I think it would be there already. I will need a real plan for the Heroic deck so that it isn't decided by the die roll and also a lot of help developing and employing the sideboard, but even if it never works out to be as good as I think, I will have a lot of fun.
I agree that this deck has real potential. I've gone 6-0-1 with my version of the deck recently, winning a FNM in the process. It needs a few cards, but it's really not that far off at all.
I'm actually happy with my two-drops, Chief of the Edge and Seeker of the Way. The card I want replacing is Goblin Rabblemaster, which in my version of the deck is too often lacklustre. The whole reason I run this deck is because of Chief of the Edge. It's a seriously pushed card and I love it.
Interesting to see Sorin, Solemn Visitor work for you. This might be because you go wider than I do (Mardu Ascendancy and friends). I want to run it and Spirit of the Labyrinth, but I'd want to run at least 2 and 4 of these respectively and it's about finding the room. Instead I just run four Thoughtseize.
Oppressive Rays is a good call. It's a good tempo card as it's one mana. I just need to find the room...
I agree that this deck has real potential. I've gone 6-0-1 with my version of the deck recently, winning a FNM in the process. It needs a few cards, but it's really not that far off at all.
I'm actually happy with my two-drops, Chief of the Edge and Seeker of the Way. The card I want replacing is Goblin Rabblemaster, which in my version of the deck is too often lacklustre. The whole reason I run this deck is because of Chief of the Edge. It's a seriously pushed card and I love it.
Interesting to see Sorin, Solemn Visitor work for you. This might be because you go wider than I do (Mardu Ascendancy and friends). I want to run it and Spirit of the Labyrinth, but I'd want to run at least 2 and 4 of these respectively and it's about finding the room. Instead I just run four Thoughtseize.
Oppressive Rays is a good call. It's a good tempo card as it's one mana. I just need to find the room...
The wider you go, the better Sorin gets, in my experience. He is good with Mardu Ascendancy and Goblin Rabblemaster, but mediocre without either of the token makers online. He is actively disappointing if you have only one creature (or less) on the battlefield and often ends up being a 4 mana 2-2 vampire. Needless to say, win percentages in those cases are likely very low.
Please note that Oppressive Rays is a theory and completely untested. Similarly, I am thinking about giving Grim Haruspex a play test or two. There seems to be real synergy with Bloodsoaked Champion (who we don't care if he dies) and Butcher of the Horde (who makes our guys die). Maybe that is all a big reach and it doesn't work out that way, but it seems like it could be viable option. It may be better out of the sideboard when opponents will be packing more removal and Grim Haruspex will help tax those resources. This deck already has some interesting synergies and that could add another element. I never found a way to get Herald of Torment in to the main from the board, and perhaps that was a mistake.
I am also wondering if Chief of the Scale is worth a shot too. I know that toughness boost for an aggro deck seems really bad, but a Rabblemaster or Chief of the Edge who can attack into a Courser of Kruphix doesn't sound so bad to me. Likely too narrow, but something to keep in mind.
Hey guys, I cooked this up today, and I actually tried Chief of the Scale alongside Chief of the Edge for a change. A recurring Bloodsoaked Champion at 2/2 or 3/2 wasn't bad at all. The Buff my Rabblemaster got kept him around and alongside Mardu Ascendancy (I put 4 in again, just because I want this card to WORK) seems to run alright. Here's the initial deck list:
I've been thinking about running Bile Blight alongside Crackling Doom for removal. Maybe I can drop to 21 critters but being that there's the warrior theme going, it a 2/3 for 2 mana Chief of the Scale isn't bad.
Rabblemaster enters plays and gets one shotted every single time. He has that effect on the board.
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Standard Arena: Eh? Gruul or Die
Modern: Decks I'm playing right now: G Mono Green Tron (34-10-3 paper record, only SCG/Regionals/PPTQ record) C Eldrazi Tron (9-5) UG Infect RW Burn
Bile Blight is so versatile and is actually the main reason I went with a base black version of the deck over a base red or white. Double of one color is going to be tough in this deck, especially on two, but because of Urborg, it is likely easiest to do with black.
It's been a while since I posted any updates for the deck. After testing various Mardu renditions, I've gone 2-2, 3-0-1, 1-3, and 2-2 with the Mardu Midrange I was running. My deck building with Mardu aggro went on the back burner, I felt that I needed to learn more about my meta-game and see how the Midrange version worked (as that's the most successful build so far). I had some really good success with the aggro build a few weeks back ( see link here: http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/deck.asp?deck_id=1222357)
I just felt like it needed more aggressiveness game 1. So I came up with this:
I'm thinking this can do the aggro game's 1 for sure. Games 2 -3 if can morph into midrange or go full control. I hope this can work, in play testing it's been pretty fun. I played a really good Green Devotion deck Tuesday night and it was tough all around. Went 1-2 there, and wound up besting a Jeskai tokens deck, 2-1. The following match up was with Mardu Mirror and full of crackling dooms everywhere lol. I lost that match up but won my last one against a mono red deck.
I am keeping Mardu Aggro on the shelf until after FRF. The spoilers make me pretty happy and I think the deck will be better positioned to finish those last few points of life. The biggest problem for aggro decks is that token decks exist and the hate for token decks is effective against conventional aggro strategies so the midrange decks don't have to stretch their sideboard to beat either.
I like the theory of the above list, but I would think you would want an extra land in the sideboard. There are a large number of 5CMC+ spells that I think you would want a 25th land.
I have actually considered doing the reverse - running a control version main, boarding out 13 spells and 2 lands and bringing in an aggro package. What was the bottom of your curve becomes the top end. I haven't explored the idea in any meaningful way, but at the very least it would be silly fun to do.
FRF will give Mardu Aggro/ Warriors a lot more to work with. Some of the new cards we've been shown can work in a token based strategy for Mardu I'm hoping we can find a little more use to Mardu Ascendancy, if not it will be a card that looked like it had potential on paper.
i've run the Mardu Control Version and it works alright (Just alright, I don't think it's a Supa Build at all). I tried Midrange and that one was good as well, but Jeskai and Hornet Queen are huge staples in my meta game so the match-ups are rough all night. With green's Ramp and that 2/4 Courser of Kruphix on the board things can get silly really fast. Sometimes Mardu Mid/Control can draw some dead hands where you're not really getting any action on the board, and your opponent is just pumping things out left and right. I saw an Abzan Aggro demolish the top Mardu Mid-range deck of the night, and it was simply "obliteration". We had similar builds, but it's funny when End Hostilities resolves and the Rakshasa Deathdealer regenerates, it did take a few Rhinos though. Still with Bile Blight, and Hero's Downfall as their removal it seemed like Abzan was always in control.
FRF will give Mardu Aggro/ Warriors a lot more to work with. Some of the new cards we've been shown can work in a token based strategy for Mardu I'm hoping we can find a little more use to Mardu Ascendancy, if not it will be a card that looked like it had potential on paper.
It sure is! There were two cards I felt my deck needed to be a proper aggro deck:
1) A third one drop warrior that was decent (ideally a 2/1).
2) A warrior finisher.
I was actually hoping for something like "Whenever a warrior you control attacks, bolster 1" - but that would have been silly. Regardless I'm happy with what's been spoilt and hope to go the more aggro route from here on in with warriors. I'll substitute out 4 noncreature spells for the new one drop warrior and probably play 2 Butcher of the Horde and 2 Brutal Hordechief as my finishers, dependent on what else gets spoiled.
I'll probably also run Mardu Ascendancy as a two of, to combo with both Butcher of the Horde and Brutal Hordechief. I've playtested a deck with these changes and it feels good. We'll have to see, though. I don't think it will be tier one.
Just thought I'd post my version of this. Seems like at one point you guys started to lean in this direction but then rapidly moved away again. Might still have some useful differences.
My version focuses on just being as aggro as it can. Stick lots of pressure fast then follow it up with endurance by way of Atheros, and evasion with Iroas/Scarhide/sort of Crackling Doom. Thinking about switching the Blazebringer over to Rabblemaster, but I'd like to test him for a while first.
I'll be taking this to two FNM events tomorrow, I'll report how it goes.
White Aven Skirmisher Not great but if we're going all in on Chief of the Edge it's not terrible could help us especially early in going over Courser and Caryatid
Mardu Woe-Reaper Really useful against Sidisi whip and reanimator, bad against token, combo and control not bad against anything else, quite possibly meta dependant
Sandsteppe outcast A mana too much the one one flyer is kinda nice but too many better cards at 3 mana
Battle Brawler I think this is great for our deck drop this turn 2 and depending on our turn three play we could have either a 3/2 or 4/2 first strike, I'm assuming the reason why War-name aspirant never made it far in the build was it was too awkward to get the counter on and mana with Chief?
Brutal Hordechief. Here's our potential finisher, about the only concern I have would be getting that fifth land Right now I'm leaning either 2 butcher and 2 hordechiefs or maybe 3/3 I find my issues is if i don't win early i have a lot of trouble winning so maybe I want more finishers but that probably means no Sorin's main which I'm not sure I like.
Mardu Shadowspear I'd possibly replace Tormented heroes with these. They can block the turn they come down if you need to 1 damage is always getting through. They can't trade up into a Caryatid with Chief of the edge on the field that's the big downside.
Mardu Strike Leader Tough card for me to evaluate there are so many other cards I'd want to cast turn 3 or 4, but it's so good post sweeper maybe a couple in the sideboard?
Merciless Executioner Again another tough call it can potentialy be a slightly weaker version of Crackling doom 5-8 or it can whiff a lot. I'm really not sure how to evaluate this. I think it works best if you've got an aristocrats type deck.
Sultai Emissary Probably not the card we want. Again possibly in Aristocats/recursion type deck but it does keep up the pressure I just don't think it's quite powerful enough.
Alesha, Who Smiles at Death It's a great card, but you need to build around her. I really think there may be a recursion deck with her that can work well but it's going to be built around her.
Flamerush Rider too slow, there's nothing we have that I'd want to create as a token, the closest would be Butcher but heck for 4 mana I'd rather play a second butcher and find something to sac to him.
Non Warrior cards Monastery Mentor God I wish he could work with a warriors deck, but we just don't cast enough spells. Mardu Tokens however
Valorous Stance I first thought this card was really great for us, but not so sure anymore I mean it hits Courser, Wingmate, Rhino misses mantis Rider though. Protects from spot removal but not drown in sorrow, but we have the ascendancy for that. I would probably try it main usually side it out depending on what I'm playing.
Archfiend of Depravity A little too slow, on the other hand if we cast this turn 6 and get to untap we're in good shape, getting to untap is problem is they are probably going to attack with everything turn 5 if they can't kill it. It does kinda hose Elspeth though. I might consider one in the sideboard.
Orc Sureshot Probably better in a token build however Works really well with the ascendancy though, the main issue is it's mana cost. Again though we have Butcher, Hordechief and Sorin at 4. He does seem to be a really good turn 5 play if we have ascendancy out.
Break Through the Line This might be the card if you're going heavy on the Foundry Street Denizen, Akroan Hoplite, Goblin Rabblemaster type build. (you're probably gonna want to run 4 Gods Willing and 4 Valorous Stance though (possibly feat of resistance but that's gonna stop you from running that trick more than once if you're not careful)
Collateral Damage Only for that recursion version of the deck with Alesha
Dragonrage I think this is much better for us than say Trumpet blast. The wider you go the better. In someways it acts like a Brutal Hordechief. you can let the one creature who didn't get blocked hit for a lot, you can let something trade up by more than one might usually expect in a combat trick. It might be worth trying.
Temur Battle Rage I don't know how consistently we'd hit 4 power to make it worth our while. I would love a double strike trample lifelinked butcher though. (it's also not Terrible with Seeker of the way even if it is only three power when you cast it) If you're doing the full 8 seeker and edges maybe try it?
Harsh Sustenance it's way too risky to every really use this. The best I could see is a one of in a tokens deck, but even then wouldn't stoke be better?
I think Abzan Midrange is much better for this card especially if they play Elspeth.
War Cry Costs too much but that extra toughness and untapping is tempting
So the way I see potentially viable archetypes are
A straight forward warrior build
An Akroan Hoplite Goblin Rabblemaster build with Temur battle rage and Breakthrough the line to get the damage through
I took my version above (with the Blazebringer swapped for a Rabblemaster) to FNM. It went better than I expected for being an untuned deck, sideboard was not very relevant. I went 2-0-1 drawing for first in the 4 o'clock and 2-2 in the 6 o'clock.
4 o'clock (1 game matches)
U/B Control: This was a pretty easy match. Won killing him the turn that Perilous Vault came down. Just way too fast, even attacking into Bile Blight and Thoughtseize.
R/W Aggrotokens: This was that red white list that has been gaining in popularity recently. I'm not sure this was too representative of the matchup. He played a hordling outburst and the a few Stoke the Flames/Lightning Strike, but was losing too much life and value on each trade. War-name Aspirant was the hero in this matchup as an early 3/2 or 4/2 unblockable.
Jeskai Tempo: We drew immediately as the only two undefeated, but then played out our game. I ended up getting crushed. Putting Butcher or Chief of the Edge on top of the deck was much worse than it being killed most of the time, and if there wasn't a timely Crackling Doom, Mantis Rider was too much value. This was the list from the start of the standard season though, I definitely haven't seen it around in general.
6 o'clock (3 game matches)
U/B Control (2-1): Same guy as the earlier tournament. This time I didn't win quickly, I actually won both games really late. I won the first game just recurring Tymaret while attacking, none of his spot removal was very effective because things kept coming back. I sided out the Iroas and sided in Thoughtseize and Dictate of the Twin Gods. He won game 2, I wasn't able to get a Mana Confluence to get on colors in time. Game three he was down to 5 life when he landed his Pearl Lake Ancient along with that leech that can give life link. He was able to hit me for a chunk and gain back up to 11. I attacked with a Butcher and one other guy, and when he didn't block flashed in a Dictate for the win, knowing he only had a Keranos in hand from an earlier Thoughtseize.
That's essentially the deck I have prepared to run. I've been quite liking it in my testing.
I'd recommend Harsh Sustenance somewhere, at the very least in the sideboard. It's a pretty sweet tempo card. It also acts like additional Brutal Hordechiefs, but for one mana less.
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I have noticed that on the draw, decks that pack a lot of cheap, efficient removal (Bile Blight, Lightning Strike, Chained to the Rocks, etc) can be difficult to get started against. I know that Thoughtseize is a great card for overcoming those strategies.
4 battlefield forge
4 caves of koilos
4 bloodstained mire
4 nomad outpost
1 temple of triumph
3 mountain
1 swamp
4 monastery swiftspear
4 bloodsoaked champion
4 seeker of the way
4 akroan hoplite
4 goblin rabblemaster
4 butcher of the horde
2 lightning strike
2 magma jet
4 crackling doom
4 mardu ascendancy
3 stoke the flames
The sideboard was a bunch of 2 ofs and 1 ofs to see what worked and what didn't.
I don't like butcher a lot in this list, he's cool if you get 1, but getting multiples SUCKS. Even then, he is a 4 drop so that means you're playing him over a 1 or 2 drop that can make your turn 3 ascendancy hit much harder.
Every time I had a curve of 1 drop, 2 drop, ascendancy I won. It's that easy, so we need to optimize this curve.
I also hate magma jet, the 3 damage from strike is really important since it can kill an opposing seeker even if it's prowess gets triggered. I'm honestly not a big fan of either of them, and I want to try out ride down.
I also hate all of the tapped lands that I was playing. I think you need some number of them so if the game goes long you don't kill yourself, but they really screw up your curve.
Another daily is starting in 20 minutes and this is the list I'm playing:
4 battlefield forge
4 caves of koilos
4 bloodstained mire
3 nomad outpost
3 mana confluence
3 mountain
1 swamp
Creatures: 24
4 foundry street denizen
4 monastery swiftspear
4 bloodsoaked champion
4 seeker of the way
4 akroan hoplite
4 goblin rabblemaster
4 crackling doom
4 mardu ascendancy
4 stoke the flames
2 sorin, solemn visitor
4 thoughtseize
2 glare of heresy
3 ride down
3 arc lightning
2 Chandra, pyromaster
1 murderous cut
It's possible that the 1 toughness of foundry street denizen makes him a bad choice, but there's a massive upside if he doesn't get dealt with. I can see having issues against the jeskai tokens deck, since they can cast raise the alarm when you attack and then he trades with half a card.
Standard/Block = The on-again, off-again holiday fling
Modern/Vintage/Legacy = Stable, homely. A ***** after absence/misreading
Limited/Sealed = Heart breaking free spirit
Commander/Cube = Agreeable, needy and expensive
Pauper/Peasant = Sweet, kind, practical, but shy and boring
I am going to try Iroas, God of Victory. Mostly for giggles, but there is part of me that says that indestructible attackers could be insanely good.
The mana is still brutal. I want Bloodsoaked Champion back in the list, but to have him star as the premier one drop and then have Akroan Hoplite play the role of the premier two drop since there is no B/R dual land, just the crappy fetch. The only way to make happen is with a T1 Caves of Kolios or Mana Confluence that is honestly pretty narrow and not really a recipe for success, IMO.
Current list for those who are curious:
1 Swamp
3 Battlefield Forge
4 Nomad Outpost
3 Caves of Koilos
1 Mana Confluence
4 Mountain
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
4 Bloodstained Mire
2 Temple of Triumph
Creatures: 22
2 Tymaret, the Murder King
4 Goblin Rabblemaster
2 Soldier of the Pantheon
4 Monastery Swiftspear
2 Butcher of the Horde
4 Akroan Hoplite
4 Foundry Street Denizen
4 Crackling Doom
3 Mardu Ascendancy
2 Ride Down
2 Trumpet Blast
2 Stoke the Flames
2 Lightning Strike
2 Purphoros, God of the Forge
2 Hushwing Gryff
4 Thoughtseize
3 Erase
2 Utter End
2 Arc Lightning
The mana base still needs work, I am pretty sure that I want four Ascendancies because they aren't bad in multiples and that while Trumpet Blast can get you out of board stalls or push through the last few damage when you can only get a couple of 1/1 tokens past their defenses, more Stoke the Flames would likely be a better choice. I also need to refine the sideboard.
I have one week to get this "right" so I am hoping for some more input.
So far, here is what I know:
23 lands as all I ever need is four but I always need three on turn 3, so I am pretty sure this is the way to go
4 Bloodsoaked Champion - best one drop in the format
4 Chief of the Edge - 3/2 for two is just fine in an aggro deck and the fact that he pumps other guys can be very helpful
4 Crackling Doom - best removal in the format
4 Mardu Ascendancy - best way to beat the token hate everyone is packing
4 Goblin Rabblemaster - the hype is real and he is a warrior
2 Tymaret, the Murder King - great way to give the deck reach, so good with Bloodsoaked Champion and a warrior
2 Sorin, Solemn Visitor - he isn't the best, but if you can go wide with one token generator (Rabble or Ascendancy) the +1 is incredibly strong
That is really the core of the deck. I am pulling together the rest but those are pretty much written in stone at this point as they really are what makes the deck go.
Check the first post I made for the updated decklist.
I'll post results tomorrow
Modern: Decks I'm playing right now:
G Mono Green Tron (34-10-3 paper record, only SCG/Regionals/PPTQ record)
C Eldrazi Tron (9-5)
UG Infect
RW Burn
I will go back to the swiftspears and seeker's for next week and see how that works. I mainboarded Thoughtseize, it was to critical to not include. Also I took out Mardu Ascendancy and opted for a better turn 3 play. However I think that was a mistake and the Mardu Ascendancy could stay in but only in 2 or 3 copies.
Also, the scry lands are...really good for this deck. I used 4 Temple of Triumph and saw Magma Jet played. This was the mirror match and it made a huge difference. The best version of this deck had Seeker of the Way to net crucial life gain. That card made the difference every single time I played against it.
Modern: Decks I'm playing right now:
G Mono Green Tron (34-10-3 paper record, only SCG/Regionals/PPTQ record)
C Eldrazi Tron (9-5)
UG Infect
RW Burn
I so want to like Seeker and there are some games that he is really good, but there are more games where he is a bear and nothing more. In order for Ascendancy to be at its best, you need to be playing lots of creatures. In order for Seeker to be his best, you need to be playing lots of non-creature spells. This isn't to say that there isn't a sweet spot where the two can work together, just that I haven't found it.
Crackling Doom, Thoughtseize, Magma Jet, and Lightning Strike would fuel the prowess triggers for the Monastery Swiftspear and Seeker of the Way.
Mardu Ascendancy can be really hard to deal with as it puts a wrench in Anger of the Gods and Bile Blight. There were times it sat in my hand and made zero impact, but the times it resolved it made my opponent really have to think about how to remove my creatures. Still there are times I'd rather play a rabblemaster and just go in for the kill. As I've to say " Just gotta get there".
Modern: Decks I'm playing right now:
G Mono Green Tron (34-10-3 paper record, only SCG/Regionals/PPTQ record)
C Eldrazi Tron (9-5)
UG Infect
RW Burn
4 Battlefield Forge
4 Bloodstained Mire
4 Caves of Koilos
2 Mana Confluence
2 Mountain
3 Nomad Outpost
2 Swamp
2 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Creatures: 21
4 Bloodsoaked Champion
2 Butcher of the Horde
4 Chief of the Edge
4 Goblin Rabblemaster
2 Seeker of the Way
3 Tormented Hero
2 Tymaret, the Murder King
4 Bile Blight
4 Crackling Doom
4 Mardu Ascendancy
2 Thoughtseize
Planeswalkers: 2
2 Sorin, Solemn Visitor
2 Erase
3 Herald of Torment
2 Hero's Downfall
2 Hushwing Gryff
2 Spirit of the Labyrinth
2 Thoughtseize
2 Utter End
Went to a ≈65 man SCG IQ with the above. Including a bye, went 3-3. Goal was .500, so reached that goal.
I did very little sideboarding as I was never really sure how to not make the deck worse.
Round 1 - Mardu Midrange
Early pressure in game 1 gave me the win, but game 2 I got colored screwed for one turn and ended up too far behind, unable to force the action when I needed to. Counting on 3 damage removal (Bile Blight, Arc Lightning, Lightning Strike etc) in game 3 made this a pretty easy win. Was feeling very good at this point. Side note, great opponent. My son and/or I seem to play this guy at every IQ we attend and it is always a pleasure as he is not only a quality opponent, but a quality person.
Round 2 - Abzan Midrange with Whip
Game 1, mull to 5, never in it. Game 2, early pressure then T4 Rhino, T5 Rhino, T6 Rhino, T7 play whip and activate with help from Caryatid to get back a Rhino. Yeah, 24 point life swing. I did 28 points of damage to him and he still won. Sometimes you can do everything right and still lose.
Round 3 - W/U Heroic
G1 on the draw, lose by 1 turn. G2 on the play, win by 1 turn. G3 on the draw, lose by 1 turn.
Round 4 - W/U Heroic
G1 on the draw, lose by 1 turn. G2 on the play, win by 1 turn. G3 on the draw, lose by 1 turn. No, this is not a misprint, this is actually how it happened two rounds in a row.
Round 5 - BYE
Round 6 - Blue/Green Flash
This was a brew that was trying to abuse Prophet of Kruphix. Fun games, but I was just too fast for him to get anything going. Signed the slip so as to give him the win as he was continuing on while my wife had prepared a beautiful roast at home for dinner.
Thoughts
Mardu Ascendancy is a four of or a zero of. You have to be willing to sac it to save your guys, even one-for-one, and if you cannot be confident that you will have a good chance of getting another, then its value goes way down. It is very, very good against all the midrange decks but is almost a dead card vs. Heroic.
I put two Thoughtseize into the main as a last minute hedge; this was a mistake. Yes, there are cards that can do real damage to you and Thoughtseize is perhaps the most efficient answer to everything, however, it is best left in the sideboard as this deck is all about making the opponent answer you. This is a big switch from my mono-black aggro deck where Thoughtseize was essential to opening a big gap and driving your team through it.
Sorin, Solemn Visitor is the real deal. Yeah, yeah, we all know that anthem effects and the go wide strategy go together like Black Lotus and winning, but the ability to undo the damage the mana base inflicts while simultaneously upping the threat level of the team is game changing. At this point, I am going up to three and also holding auditions for other anthems effects. Looking at you Trumpet Blast.
The two drop slot is still a problem. Chief of the Edge is head and shoulders above the rest of the pack. It is comical really how much worse the deck runs without this card on the table. I had 2 of my 6 opponents note just how good that card is without any prompting from me. Seeker of the Way can be good, but is nowhere near as consistent as my favorite sword wielding warrior woman. Tymaret, the Murder King works because people are reluctant to use their removal on him once you have a token generator online, but just isn't quite good enough at this point and while likely be benched. I am very tempted to go back to the Akroan Hoplite as it can approximate the power of Chief of the Edge, even if the mana is tricky. Will also test a higher one-drop count build as two one drops on T2 would likely be quite good as well.
Having no burn in the deck for reach was a mistake. The combination of the amount of lifegain in standard and having to sometimes play on the draw makes it essential, in my opinion. Perhaps that will change if I can get more anthems in the deck as they often act like a burn spell, but it is likely that the need for burn will remain.
I am also thinking about soft removal options like Oppressive Rays and Crippling Blight. Moving a guy aside for one mana is really what this deck is all about. These could be really good sideboard options for games on the draw as they would allow the deck to regain the initiative.
For the sideboard, Spirit of the Labyrinth is fantastic against Heroic where their cantrips and Ordeal of Thassa are so key to their victory plan. The rest, I hardly used.
I intend to keep refining this deck. I believe that it has real potential and, given enough testing and work, could be the equal of Abzan Aggro in terms of its place in the metagame. In speaking with my opponents, they agree. A two drop the quality and resilience of Rakshasa Deathdealer and I think it would be there already. I will need a real plan for the Heroic deck so that it isn't decided by the die roll and also a lot of help developing and employing the sideboard, but even if it never works out to be as good as I think, I will have a lot of fun.
I'm actually happy with my two-drops, Chief of the Edge and Seeker of the Way. The card I want replacing is Goblin Rabblemaster, which in my version of the deck is too often lacklustre. The whole reason I run this deck is because of Chief of the Edge. It's a seriously pushed card and I love it.
Interesting to see Sorin, Solemn Visitor work for you. This might be because you go wider than I do (Mardu Ascendancy and friends). I want to run it and Spirit of the Labyrinth, but I'd want to run at least 2 and 4 of these respectively and it's about finding the room. Instead I just run four Thoughtseize.
Oppressive Rays is a good call. It's a good tempo card as it's one mana. I just need to find the room...
The wider you go, the better Sorin gets, in my experience. He is good with Mardu Ascendancy and Goblin Rabblemaster, but mediocre without either of the token makers online. He is actively disappointing if you have only one creature (or less) on the battlefield and often ends up being a 4 mana 2-2 vampire. Needless to say, win percentages in those cases are likely very low.
Please note that Oppressive Rays is a theory and completely untested. Similarly, I am thinking about giving Grim Haruspex a play test or two. There seems to be real synergy with Bloodsoaked Champion (who we don't care if he dies) and Butcher of the Horde (who makes our guys die). Maybe that is all a big reach and it doesn't work out that way, but it seems like it could be viable option. It may be better out of the sideboard when opponents will be packing more removal and Grim Haruspex will help tax those resources. This deck already has some interesting synergies and that could add another element. I never found a way to get Herald of Torment in to the main from the board, and perhaps that was a mistake.
I am also wondering if Chief of the Scale is worth a shot too. I know that toughness boost for an aggro deck seems really bad, but a Rabblemaster or Chief of the Edge who can attack into a Courser of Kruphix doesn't sound so bad to me. Likely too narrow, but something to keep in mind.
4 Blood Soaked Champion
3 Seeker of the Way
4 Chief of the Edge
4 Chief of the Scale
4 Goblin Rabblemaster
4 Butcher of the Horde
4 Crackling Doom
4 Lightning Strike
Enchanments:
4 Mardu Ascendancy
Planeswalker:
2 Sorin, Solemn Vistor
Lands: 23
3 Battlefield Forge
2 Caves of Kiolios
2 Temple of Malice
2 Temple of Triumph
2 Temple of Silence
4 Nomad Outpost
4 Bloodstained Mire
2 Swamp
2 Mountain
I've been thinking about running Bile Blight alongside Crackling Doom for removal. Maybe I can drop to 21 critters but being that there's the warrior theme going, it a 2/3 for 2 mana Chief of the Scale isn't bad.
Rabblemaster enters plays and gets one shotted every single time. He has that effect on the board.
Modern: Decks I'm playing right now:
G Mono Green Tron (34-10-3 paper record, only SCG/Regionals/PPTQ record)
C Eldrazi Tron (9-5)
UG Infect
RW Burn
http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/deck.asp?deck_id=1222357)
I just felt like it needed more aggressiveness game 1. So I came up with this:
4 BloodSoaked Champion
4 Monastery Swiftspear
3 Seeker of the Way
4 Goblin Rabblemaster
4 Butcher of the Horde
Socercies/Instants: (13)
4 Lightning Strike
4 Crackling Doom
3 Hordeling Outburst
2 Stoke the Flames
3 Chained to the Rocks
Planeswalkers: (1)
1 Sorin, Solemn Visitor
Lands: (24)
5 Mountain
2 Caves of Koilios
3 Battlefield Forge
4 Bloodstained Mire
4 Nomad Outpost
2 Temple of Silence
3 Temple of Triumph
1 Swamp
3 Anger of the Gods
2 Utter End
2 Glare of Heresy
2 End Hostilities
2 Sarkhan, The Dragonspeaker
2 Chandra, Pyromaster
2 Elpseth, Sun's Champion
I'm thinking this can do the aggro game's 1 for sure. Games 2 -3 if can morph into midrange or go full control. I hope this can work, in play testing it's been pretty fun. I played a really good Green Devotion deck Tuesday night and it was tough all around. Went 1-2 there, and wound up besting a Jeskai tokens deck, 2-1. The following match up was with Mardu Mirror and full of crackling dooms everywhere lol. I lost that match up but won my last one against a mono red deck.
Modern: Decks I'm playing right now:
G Mono Green Tron (34-10-3 paper record, only SCG/Regionals/PPTQ record)
C Eldrazi Tron (9-5)
UG Infect
RW Burn
I like the theory of the above list, but I would think you would want an extra land in the sideboard. There are a large number of 5CMC+ spells that I think you would want a 25th land.
I have actually considered doing the reverse - running a control version main, boarding out 13 spells and 2 lands and bringing in an aggro package. What was the bottom of your curve becomes the top end. I haven't explored the idea in any meaningful way, but at the very least it would be silly fun to do.
i've run the Mardu Control Version and it works alright (Just alright, I don't think it's a Supa Build at all). I tried Midrange and that one was good as well, but Jeskai and Hornet Queen are huge staples in my meta game so the match-ups are rough all night. With green's Ramp and that 2/4 Courser of Kruphix on the board things can get silly really fast. Sometimes Mardu Mid/Control can draw some dead hands where you're not really getting any action on the board, and your opponent is just pumping things out left and right. I saw an Abzan Aggro demolish the top Mardu Mid-range deck of the night, and it was simply "obliteration". We had similar builds, but it's funny when End Hostilities resolves and the Rakshasa Deathdealer regenerates, it did take a few Rhinos though. Still with Bile Blight, and Hero's Downfall as their removal it seemed like Abzan was always in control.
Modern: Decks I'm playing right now:
G Mono Green Tron (34-10-3 paper record, only SCG/Regionals/PPTQ record)
C Eldrazi Tron (9-5)
UG Infect
RW Burn
It sure is! There were two cards I felt my deck needed to be a proper aggro deck:
1) A third one drop warrior that was decent (ideally a 2/1).
2) A warrior finisher.
I was actually hoping for something like "Whenever a warrior you control attacks, bolster 1" - but that would have been silly. Regardless I'm happy with what's been spoilt and hope to go the more aggro route from here on in with warriors. I'll substitute out 4 noncreature spells for the new one drop warrior and probably play 2 Butcher of the Horde and 2 Brutal Hordechief as my finishers, dependent on what else gets spoiled.
I'll probably also run Mardu Ascendancy as a two of, to combo with both Butcher of the Horde and Brutal Hordechief. I've playtested a deck with these changes and it feels good. We'll have to see, though. I don't think it will be tier one.
3x Athreos, God of Passage
4x Bloodsoaked Champion
4x Borderland Marauder
3x Butcher of the Horde
4x Chief of the Edge
2x Gnarled Scarhide
3x Iroas, God of Victory
1x Mardu Blazebringer
4x Soldier of the Pantheon
4x Tormented Hero
2x Tymaret, the Murder King
1x War-Name Aspirant
4x Crackling Doom
Lands
2x Battlefield Forge
4x Bloodstained Mire
3x Caves of Koilos
4x Mana Confluence
2x Mountain
3x Nomad Outpost
2x Swamp
1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
My version focuses on just being as aggro as it can. Stick lots of pressure fast then follow it up with endurance by way of Atheros, and evasion with Iroas/Scarhide/sort of Crackling Doom. Thinking about switching the Blazebringer over to Rabblemaster, but I'd like to test him for a while first.
I'll be taking this to two FNM events tomorrow, I'll report how it goes.
Death and Taxes Videos
Traproot Graphics
Modern:
Fateseal Control | Current Version on TappedOut
Modern Death and Taxes | Current Version on TappedOut
Bant Tempo | Current Version on TappedOut
Warriors
White
Aven Skirmisher Not great but if we're going all in on Chief of the Edge it's not terrible could help us especially early in going over Courser and Caryatid
Daghatar the Adamant Dragonscale General Too slow doesn't really help us
Mardu Woe-Reaper Really useful against Sidisi whip and reanimator, bad against token, combo and control not bad against anything else, quite possibly meta dependant
Sandsteppe outcast A mana too much the one one flyer is kinda nice but too many better cards at 3 mana
Black
Alesha's Vanguard too slow even with dash
Battle Brawler I think this is great for our deck drop this turn 2 and depending on our turn three play we could have either a 3/2 or 4/2 first strike, I'm assuming the reason why War-name aspirant never made it far in the build was it was too awkward to get the counter on and mana with Chief?
Brutal Hordechief. Here's our potential finisher, about the only concern I have would be getting that fifth land Right now I'm leaning either 2 butcher and 2 hordechiefs or maybe 3/3 I find my issues is if i don't win early i have a lot of trouble winning so maybe I want more finishers but that probably means no Sorin's main which I'm not sure I like.
Mardu Shadowspear I'd possibly replace Tormented heroes with these. They can block the turn they come down if you need to 1 damage is always getting through. They can't trade up into a Caryatid with Chief of the edge on the field that's the big downside.
Mardu Strike Leader Tough card for me to evaluate there are so many other cards I'd want to cast turn 3 or 4, but it's so good post sweeper maybe a couple in the sideboard?
Merciless Executioner Again another tough call it can potentialy be a slightly weaker version of Crackling doom 5-8 or it can whiff a lot. I'm really not sure how to evaluate this. I think it works best if you've got an aristocrats type deck.
Sultai Emissary Probably not the card we want. Again possibly in Aristocats/recursion type deck but it does keep up the pressure I just don't think it's quite powerful enough.
Alesha, Who Smiles at Death It's a great card, but you need to build around her. I really think there may be a recursion deck with her that can work well but it's going to be built around her.
Defiant Ogre Useless Next
Flamerush Rider too slow, there's nothing we have that I'd want to create as a token, the closest would be Butcher but heck for 4 mana I'd rather play a second butcher and find something to sac to him.
Non Warrior cards
Monastery Mentor God I wish he could work with a warriors deck, but we just don't cast enough spells. Mardu Tokens however
Valorous Stance I first thought this card was really great for us, but not so sure anymore I mean it hits Courser, Wingmate, Rhino misses mantis Rider though. Protects from spot removal but not drown in sorrow, but we have the ascendancy for that. I would probably try it main usually side it out depending on what I'm playing.
Archfiend of Depravity A little too slow, on the other hand if we cast this turn 6 and get to untap we're in good shape, getting to untap is problem is they are probably going to attack with everything turn 5 if they can't kill it. It does kinda hose Elspeth though. I might consider one in the sideboard.
Orc Sureshot Probably better in a token build however Works really well with the ascendancy though, the main issue is it's mana cost. Again though we have Butcher, Hordechief and Sorin at 4. He does seem to be a really good turn 5 play if we have ascendancy out.
Break Through the Line This might be the card if you're going heavy on the Foundry Street Denizen, Akroan Hoplite, Goblin Rabblemaster type build. (you're probably gonna want to run 4 Gods Willing and 4 Valorous Stance though (possibly feat of resistance but that's gonna stop you from running that trick more than once if you're not careful)
Collateral Damage Only for that recursion version of the deck with Alesha
Dragonrage I think this is much better for us than say Trumpet blast. The wider you go the better. In someways it acts like a Brutal Hordechief. you can let the one creature who didn't get blocked hit for a lot, you can let something trade up by more than one might usually expect in a combat trick. It might be worth trying.
Temur Battle Rage I don't know how consistently we'd hit 4 power to make it worth our while. I would love a double strike trample lifelinked butcher though. (it's also not Terrible with Seeker of the way even if it is only three power when you cast it) If you're doing the full 8 seeker and edges maybe try it?
Harsh Sustenance it's way too risky to every really use this. The best I could see is a one of in a tokens deck, but even then wouldn't stoke be better?
I think Abzan Midrange is much better for this card especially if they play Elspeth.
War Cry Costs too much but that extra toughness and untapping is tempting
So the way I see potentially viable archetypes are
A straight forward warrior build
An Akroan Hoplite Goblin Rabblemaster build with Temur battle rage and Breakthrough the line to get the damage through
An Aristocrats type deck with Alesha and Athreos
Did I miss anything or am I off base anywhere?
4 o'clock (1 game matches)
6 o'clock (3 game matches)
Death and Taxes Videos
Traproot Graphics
Modern:
Fateseal Control | Current Version on TappedOut
Modern Death and Taxes | Current Version on TappedOut
Bant Tempo | Current Version on TappedOut
4x Battle Brawler
4x Bloodsoaked Champion
3x Brutal Hordechief
3x Butcher of the Horde
4x Chief of the Edge
4x Goblin Rabblemaster
3x Mardu Woe-Reaper
Instants
4x Crackling Doom
2x Valorous Stance
Enchantmens
4x Mardu Ascendancy
2x Sorin, Solemn Visitor
Lands
2x Battlefield Forge
4x Bloodstained Mire
3x Caves of Koilos
4x Mana Confluence
3x Mountain
3x Plains
2x Swamp
2x Temple of Silence
1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
3x Chief of the Scale
2x Deflecting Palm
2x Glare of Heresy
3x Hushwing Gryff
1x Mardu Charm
4x Thoughtseize
Thoughts especially the sideboard.
That's essentially the deck I have prepared to run. I've been quite liking it in my testing.
I'd recommend Harsh Sustenance somewhere, at the very least in the sideboard. It's a pretty sweet tempo card. It also acts like additional Brutal Hordechiefs, but for one mana less.