I'm confident Growing Rites and Opt will both be duds. You can't transform it on command, and only at the end step. Opt is interesting but it has no home. Modern is a format where you either need to dig deeper (Serum Visions) or use the Graveyard (Thoughtscour). Scry one, draw one is only good when you have another instant at the same cost. SO it looks promising in a control build until you remember that these builds would be running Snapcaster and he would prefer you filled up the graveyard, not hide the card away.
I don't disagree with Rites, but the Opt assessment seems way off. Digging +1 in Modern control is way less important than holding up mana for answers. Control decks, especially on the draw, no longer need to tap out on T1 for a cantrip. They can also Snapcaster/Opt on an opponent's T3, instead of tapping out for Snap/SV on their own T3. Finally, you don't get a blind draw off Opt, which is critical in a Modern format that demands specialized answers. Overall, Opt will be a strong card in control, GDS, and other strategies.
GDS? Grixis Death's shadow? What would Opt replace?
I agree, I doubt opt will replace thought scour in GDS. Especially with Tasigur and Delve Fish in the deck.
If you see affinity as a big amount of creatures needed to be wipe with damnation and stuff you would be investing too much resources in removal and not being able to skirmish damage. With the spot removal /artifact and creature, you can keep your quick creatures (even gifted aetherborn) and deal damage to being able to win by attrition.
So should I not be boarding in my wipes then? I've always thought that in this matchup we were the defender not the aggressor.
So my main issue with affinity is that I'm using way too many resources trying to keep Crainial Plating off his guys while I try to find my Kolaghan's Command and even then mainboard Etched Champs are annoying as well. But the biggest issue is that sideboarded in Ghirapur Æther Grid. I cannot deal with that card obviously besides thoughtseizing it and hoping for the best. Should I just fold to that card or maybe splash white for some hate? Any advice?
With this list, it sounds like you simply need some more practice in the matchup. Between the copies of Fatal Push, Lightning Bolt, Terminate, Anger of the Gods, and Kolaghan's Command, Affinity should quite honestly be one of the best matchups for you in the room.
As for how to win with your card choices, the best advice that I can give is to play the match more defensively. With your list, it might be tempting to jam a Dark Confidant on turn two or a Goblin Rabblemaster on turn three, but this should almost never be the case unless your opponent is off to a miserable start. The most important creature cards to deal with are Signal Pest and Steel Overseer. It might seem like Arcbound Ravager is one of the scariest creatures in the matchup, but since you are playing 4x Terminate, it's not as rough for you. Kalitas destroys that card, to be honest, and invalidates it in many ways.
Be sure to keep hands that have at least two removal spells, and play a reactive game for the first three turns. Once you get to the point where you have 3 or 4 mana, then you play a creature and leave up mana for a removal spell. Your last resort is generally jamming the bigger creatures. Kalitas can come down early if you are against an Arcbound Ravager, but be careful so that the opponent doesn't put all their counters on an Inkmoth Nexus in response. I have a matchup guide to beating Affinity on the original post, and would recommend you read that to see which cards of theirs you are most susceptible to.
As for your issue with Ghirapur Aether Grid, remember that three mana can be difficult for Affinity to get to when you are playing removal spells, and if you continually destroy their artifacts, then Aether Grid can't do a lot of damage to you while you try to take over the game with a Goblin Rabblemaster or a Kalitas. If you're still having issues playing against Affinity after some more practice and strategy, I would recommend putting another copy of By Force into your sideboard. Torpor Orb as a sideboard card seems like a strange choice in today's metagame, and might be metagame-specific to your LGS, so I would recommend making that switch if necessary.
You mention keeping in Rabblemaster against affinity, why is that the case? Wouldn't you rather play a better finisher against them? Especially when you board in stuff like damnation and flaying tendrils?
So my main issue with affinity is that I'm using way too many resources trying to keep Crainial Plating off his guys while I try to find my Kolaghan's Command and even then mainboard Etched Champs are annoying as well. But the biggest issue is that sideboarded in Ghirapur Æther Grid. I cannot deal with that card obviously besides thoughtseizing it and hoping for the best. Should I just fold to that card or maybe splash white for some hate? Any advice?
I've found Cream of the Crop to be very useful in my Wanderer deck. Sure, you don't get to Cream for 7 when you cast Wanderer until after both cascades, but assuming you have a fair number of creatures, you can dig for the cards you want really well. (And if your first cascade is a creature, you can Cream before doing the second cascade.)
Mirri's Guile lets you Sensei's Top on your upkeep for free. Sylvan Library lets you sort-of Brainstorm every turn (you can't put back cards you didn't draw this turn, but you can also pay life to draw extra cards).
Cream of the Crop won't work my deck has max of 5-6 creatures. I also have the other 2 cards in the deck already.
The fast mana like Sol Ring, Mox Diamond and Chrome Mox are a 'no go', as is Strip Mine.
That directly ties into my second point, lower the mana cost. 1 vs 1, decks have to be faster, sleeker, meaner. Think 'Legacy highlander'. A vcard like lightning Bolt has no place in multiplayer. Here? it kills Vial Smasher, Yisan, Azami and can go to the face if needed.
The untap ability of Samut only works with Elvish Piper right now. There can be gains made there. Think of mana creatures that produce more as 1 mana (Joraga Treespeaker for example, maybe Priest of Titania) and on the big side Godsire for example. But there will be more.
Sylvan Tutor is very slow, sorcery speed carddisadvantage, but Chord of Calling is similar, faster and plays on their turn. Good way to find your combo.
What does Spike Feeder do? Is the combo in there somewhere with that Angel? (ah, I mean Archangel of Thune)
I would play some equipment and Stoneforge Mystic (tap ability!). Umezawa's Jitte vs mono green seems game. Skullclamp is really good against control (blue) decks where it can upgrade a card like Eternal Witness into 2 cards after said card did what it had to do. Mana creatures become relevant late game. Maybe a Sword of Fire and Ice and Sword of Feast and Famine with a Batterskull to round it out.
In short, make it legal, make it faster. Nothing above 5 (that is Samut, all other creatures should land T4, minus maybe your combo) and hit hard, that could be a nice ground rule in that meta game.
Is this not the Traditional 1v1? Isn't sol ring and the lot not legal in French only? If so let me clarify, we're playing with the ban list where those ARE legal.
I agree with the rest however. I'll defiantly take into consideration of what you said.
I have a what I try to make competitive Samut, Voice of Dissent EDH deck. Main win-con is to aggro them out or surprise combo them if given the chance. The 3 most competitive decks there are...
Azami
Karuum/Vial Smasher
Teferri OR Yisan
So if possble I would like my deck to be tuned to fight them. Here's my deck list.
If you have any cards that you would add then PLEASE tell me what to get rid of for them. I am not great at building EDH decks and I often have trouble deciding what to remove.
I have a what I try to make competitive Samut, Voice of Dissent EDH deck. Main win-con is to aggro them out or surprise combo them if given the chance. The 3 most competitive decks there are...
Azami
Karuum/Vial Smasher
Teferri OR Yisan
So if possble I would like my deck to be tuned to fight them. Here's my deck list.
If you have any cards that you would add then PLEASE tell me what to get rid of for them. I am not great at building EDH decks and I often have trouble deciding what to remove.
Sadly, for Wizards this would be just a non diverse format. 3 decks(Abzan Swords/Twin/DS) would have consumed half of the meta.
Except that we don't know this, not at all. And neither does Wizards. But unfortunately, because people (Wizards included) have these deeply rooted opinions, we will never actually find out, which is unfortunate for players.
Power corrects power. You have to unban a lot of cards massively if you want such a format. Twin, SFM, maybe Preordain, maybe GSZ, hell even a card like Seething Song.
Thing is Wizards won't ever do it.
Sadly, this would be a skill format. And a more interactive one. Sad truth is that we get to have only Grixis Shadow as a totally interactive deck and then there is Abzan midrange in Tier 1.5. Then we have a TON of linear decks like Tron, Eldrazis, EldraTrons, Storm, Burn, Dredge, Affinity, Valakut, Living End, Ad Nauseam. Even UW Control is on its way to Tier 3. DS is the only thing holding this nonsense from breaking.
Agreed, if I one inch away from quitting modern forever if I even see one more ban. My faith in wizards is walking on a very THIN line.
Hey guys I am having issues with the Eldrazi MU more specifically the Bant and WB MU. What are some good cards for this MU and maybe some good tips for the MU?
I agree, I doubt opt will replace thought scour in GDS. Especially with Tasigur and Delve Fish in the deck.
So should I not be boarding in my wipes then? I've always thought that in this matchup we were the defender not the aggressor.
You mention keeping in Rabblemaster against affinity, why is that the case? Wouldn't you rather play a better finisher against them? Especially when you board in stuff like damnation and flaying tendrils?
Were you talking to me? If so what do you mean?
3 Goblin Rabblemaster
2 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
1 Hazoret the Fervent
1 Stormbreath Dragon
1 Thundermaw Hellkite
4 Fatal Push
2 Lightning Bolt
4 Thoughtseize
4 Terminate
1 Collect Brutality
3 Kolaghan's Command
2 Anger of the Gods
3 Blood Moon
2 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
1 Batterskull
4 Bloodstained Mire
2 Polluted Delta
4 Blood Crypt
7 Swamp
2 Mountain
2 Lavaclaw Reaches
Sideboard:
2 Collective Brutality
1 Shatterstorm
1 By Force
2 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Torpor Orb
1 Flaying Tendrils
1 Damnation
3 Gifted Aetherborn
1 Grave Titan
1 Blood Moon
1 Surgical Extraction
So my main issue with affinity is that I'm using way too many resources trying to keep Crainial Plating off his guys while I try to find my Kolaghan's Command and even then mainboard Etched Champs are annoying as well. But the biggest issue is that sideboarded in Ghirapur Æther Grid. I cannot deal with that card obviously besides thoughtseizing it and hoping for the best. Should I just fold to that card or maybe splash white for some hate? Any advice?
Cream of the Crop won't work my deck has max of 5-6 creatures. I also have the other 2 cards in the deck already.
Keep in mind this is for my Maelstrom Wanderer land destruction deck.
Dragon's Claw
Collective Brutality
Gifted Aetherborn
I definitely like Brutality, but it's between dragon's claw and the aetherborn that I can't decide between.
Is this not the Traditional 1v1? Isn't sol ring and the lot not legal in French only? If so let me clarify, we're playing with the ban list where those ARE legal.
I agree with the rest however. I'll defiantly take into consideration of what you said.
Azami
Karuum/Vial Smasher
Teferri OR Yisan
So if possble I would like my deck to be tuned to fight them. Here's my deck list.
1 Elvish Mystic
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Fyndhorn Elves
1 Avacyn's Pilgrim
1 Voice of Resurgence
1 Tarmogoyf
1 Fauna Shaman
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Duskwatch Recruiter
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Kataki, War's Wage
1 Selfless Spirit
1 Goblin Rabblemaster
1 Shaman of Forgotten Ways
1 Village Bell-Ringer
1 Somberwald Sage
1 Spike Feeder
1 Aven Mindcensor
1 Prowling Serpopard
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Manglehorn
1 Eternal Witness
1 Selvala, Heart of the Wilds
1 Combat Celebrant
1 Hero of Bladehold
1 Champion of Rhonas
1 Restoration Angel
1 Elvish Piper
1 Linvala, Keeper of Silence
1 Iroas, God of Victory
1 Verdurous Gearhulk
1 Kalonian Hydra
1 Whisperwood Elemental
1 Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
1 Zealous Conscripts
1 Archangel Avacyn
1 Urabrask the Hidden
1 Bane of Progress
1 Aurelia, the Warleader
1 Pathbreaker Ibex
1 Siege Behemoth
1 Avenger of Zendikar
1 Balefire Dragon
1 Heroic Intervention
1 Path to Exile
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Naya Charm
1 Eladamri's Call
1 Traverse the Ulvenwald
1 Unexpectedly Absent
1 Worldly Tutor
1 Sylvan Tutor
1 Beast Within
1 Nature's Claim
1 Aura Shards
1 Sylvan Library
1 Mox Diamond
1 Chrome Mox
1 Mana Crypt
1 Sol Ring
1 Taiga
1 Savannah
1 Plateau
1 Stomping Ground
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Temple Garden
1 Sunpetal Grove
1 Rootbound Crag
1 Clifftop Retreat
1 Canopy Vista
1 Cinder Glade
1 Karplusan Forest
1 Battlefield Forge
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Command Tower
1 Reflecting Pool
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Windswept Heath
1 Arid Mesa
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Bloodstained Mire
3 Forest
3 Plains
3 Mountain
1 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
1 Command Beacon
1 Ancient Tomb
1 Temple of the False God
If you have any cards that you would add then PLEASE tell me what to get rid of for them. I am not great at building EDH decks and I often have trouble deciding what to remove.
Once again thank you so much for any help!
Azami
Karuum/Vial Smasher
Teferri OR Yisan
So if possble I would like my deck to be tuned to fight them. Here's my deck list.
If you have any cards that you would add then PLEASE tell me what to get rid of for them. I am not great at building EDH decks and I often have trouble deciding what to remove.
Once again thank you so much for any help!
Agreed, if I one inch away from quitting modern forever if I even see one more ban. My faith in wizards is walking on a very THIN line.
The CoCo Company Devoted Druid and Vizier combo.