Excellent work Spooky.
About a two years ago, I tried to brew quillspike-devoted druid combo for modern. Unfortunately, tutors like summoners pact and chord of calling were way too expencive.
Seeing this article forces me to try that againg, since both cards are reprinted.
Example of the list is below:
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Phyrexian Dreadnought
4 Spellstutter Sprite
Spells
2 Dig through time
2 Gitaxian probe
4 Ponder
4 Spell Pierce
4 Brainstorm
4 Misdirection
4 Vision Charm
4 Stifle
2 Runechanter's Pike
Land
10 Island
8 blue fetchlands
I don't like cloudform and with all cantrips you don't need tutors.
The list is somewhat on the budget and the most important addition would be wasteland and then force of will.
Also i am changing some cards from time to time, adding daze, chain of vapor, counterspell, etc. and cutting gitaxian probe, spell pierce.
Note: Do not underestimate spellstutter sprite, most of legacy spells are 1 CMC and sprite with runechanter's pike closing the game quite fast.
Best regards,
Dejan
Protect him the best you can (mother, sylvan safekeeper,...).
You could also try to tweak you sideboard.
For example: If he is searching for TNN and equipment, you could try to play cards like stony silence, which will also be useful against stoneblade decks.
This card could hurt you too, so be careful to judge properly is it beneficial enough.
Excellent idea! It searches for both combo pieces and fills GY so DTT could be cast more easily (if there is a need).
Since AD is the most important problem, I will personally go with misdirection over FOW and I will keep spell pierce for early protection from bolts, swords, ...
That being said, this is the list i will try out:
2 Island
1 Forest
1 Dryad Arbor
2 Tropical Island
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Verdant Catacombs
3 Bloom Tender
4 Deathrite Shaman
1 Progenitus
Other spells
4 Freed from the Real
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Living Wish
4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Misdirection
2 Dig Through Time
4 Spell Pierce
4 Commune with the Gods
From my point of view, if you want to use living wish, you should use 4 of them.
Than you may cut bloom tender to 3 and put 1 in SB.
Secondly, since you may not tutor for your second combo piece, you should play 4 Freed from the Real.
Thirdly, as Kurts said, more digging will be nice (Dig through time should fit in nicely), misdirection instead of daze.
Personally, I believe that this deck should play some form of control until it combos off, so no goyfs.
To sum it up, down there is my idea of this deck.
2 Island
2 Forest
2 Tropical Island
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Verdant Catacombs
3 Bloom Tender
4 Deathrite Shaman
1 Progenitus
Other spells 34
4 Freed from the Real
4 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will
4 Ponder
4 Living Wish
4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Misdirection
2 Dig Through Time
4 Spell Pierce
1 Emrakul The Aeon's Torn should stay in SB and will be your win con, especially against unfair decks.
1 Progenitus in MB is more than good win against fair decks.
Maybe -1 forest +1 dryad arbor.
9 Island
4 Flooded Strand
4 Polluted Delta
Creatures
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Hedron Crab
4 Spellstutter Sprite
3 Snapcaster Mage
4 Brainstorm
4 Daze
4 Force of Will
4 Ponder
4 Treasure Cruise
2 Umezawa's Jitte
3 Dig Through Time
3 Preordain
I have thoughts about mizzium Skin and misdirection as well, especially for SB.
Although I will try to keep some unsummons, i am planing to reuse them on sprites, or to save my creatures from removal.
Something like:
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Phyrexian Dreadnought
4 Spellstutter Sprite
Spells
2 Counterspell
2 Daze
4 Ponder
4 Spell Pierce
4 Preordain
2 Unsummon
2 Misdirection
4 Vision Charm
4 Stifle
2 Runechanter's Pike
Land
16 Island
2 Mutavault
I am not fond of Trinket Mage, 3 mana is little bit too high for my taste.
I am thinking to build Phasenought deck (have all cards, except phyrexian dreadnought).
This is a list I am thinking about:
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Phyrexian Dreadnought
4 Spellstutter Sprite
Spells
4 Counterspell
4 Ponder
4 Spell Pierce
4 Preordain
4 Unsummon
4 Vision Charm
2 Runechanter's Pike
Lands
16 Island
2 Mutavault
Only changes are 18 lands (which I think is quite enough) and 2 Runechanter's Pike.
I add 2 Runechanter's Pike to have another option to win apart from Phyrexian Dreadnought.
2 Mutavault are added to back up sprites and deliver a few extra points of damage, if it is needed. (although I am not quite sure about them).
Thinking about Daze. But I am not sure what to cut.
All comments are well come,
Dejan
You have 4 cards that are helpful in your side board: 2 swan songs and 2 spellskites.
Spellskites are very good in this MU, because they delay their combo for a few turns and can save your creatures from removals (if you do not draw Kira).
I agree, he is not full force spike, but where he shines he shines quite brightly.
Besides meta (and in my only 2 to 3 decks including my own do not run fetches), your build also has influence on Cosi's ability.
I personaly play U/W merfolks with 4 path to exiles & 2 ghost quarters.
I won't claim that this is absolutely best build, but from my perspective it is.
Personally, I run them as 3/3 split and my way of playing is more control than aggro.
I absolutely disagree with previous statement.
We have 2 excellent 1 - drops:
1. cursecatcher - force spike on a merfolk is awesome
2. cosi's trickster - from my experience this guy is usually 3/3 for 1 one mana.
I have tried that combination in legacy (before TNN and abrupt decay were printed).
Coralhelm commander used to be excellent late game creature, vial it in, pump it and attack, which usually lead to victory.
Now-days, with abrupt decay printed, kira iz not able to save him all the time, not to mention that TNN is excellent in all phases of game, which renders Commander obsolete.
In modern, I believe he is even more fragile, because there are much more strong decks which have access to decay. (Melira pod, Rock, Dregevine,...)
When I use him I usually run him with spellskite, to be sure that he is well protected, although I don't run him at all any more.
One of mine friends played modern vampires for some time.
The exact list is similar to the one in budget legacy primer maintained by spooky.
If i recall correctly, list looks like one down there:
4 Bloodghast
4 Bloodline Keeper
4 Gatekeeper of Malakir
4 Kalastria Highborn
2 Malakir Bloodwitch
4 Vampire Nighthawk
4 Vampire lacerator
2 Disfigure
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Smother
4 Blade of the bloodchief
22 Swamp
Happy brewing,
Dejan