I used to play MTG when it was KAM-RAV Standard, and a little bit when TSP came out. Now I want to return to MTG, but there is no big playgroup in my town, just several folks gathering together to play some casual magic with their old decks. So, the format is casual Modern. I want to build a budget Esper control with Momentary Blink and ETB effects. This is initial decklist which came to my mind:
The idea is to play control, gain card advantage with Mulldrifter, use Forbidden Alchemy as draw and graveyard filling engine, then use Unburial Rites to reanimate creatures or just hard-cast them (deck is running 27 mana source cards, and I even think it's not enough). Overall, this is supposed to be something like Solar Flare.
Also thinking about including Sea Gate Oracle. Of course, Court Hussar is better in Solar Flare, but it dies after blink, which is not good.
My concerns are:
1) Is this set of creatures enough?
2) Should I even play counterspells in such deck, or Solar Flare is more about playing valuable cards rather than answering opponent's threats?
3) How to build good sideboard? I understand that 4 Aven Riftwatcher is what I need in sideboard, but can't find what else.
4) Everyone plays Path to Exile, but I don't really want to spend money on them, though card is going to be playable in many many decks. Should I play it in this deck? And can cheaper alternatives like Condemn do Path's job?
5) And what can I do with my manabase? Current one is slow, faster manabase is more expensive. Can you guys suggest anything cheap that could fit this deck?
Overall, can you give some advice on how can I improve this?
I realized that on turn 2 I usually do nothing, so I decided to add 4 Wall of Omens. It buys time and does not cause card disadvantage. Cut 1 Forbidden Alchemy, 1 Mulldrifter, 1 Unburial Rites, 1 Lightning Helix.
This variation was quite successful against RG Valakut deck (without Scapeshift, just Primeval Titans and lots of ramp).
Being a huge fan of Kam-Rav Solar Flare deck and the next version called Blinktouch, I am trying to build the modern deck around heavy creatures.
The idea is to play control-style, play manasources each turn and then put fatties with ETB effects.
Currently this deck beats virtually every deck I face in "Just for fun", but against competitive decks it is unplayable.
Creatures:
2 Bogardan Hellkite - very nice flash finisher who can change situation on board completely if you play it at blocking phase.
2 Angel of Despair are here just because they were in old Solar Flare and have huge ETB effect. Probably, should be replaced with Ashen Rider.
3 Mulldrifter - nice card advantage; can block heavy creatures, then be blinked to save and draw two more cards.
2 Venser, Shaper Savant - nice trick, bounces heavy spells or attackers or even Oblivion Ring that captures our Bogardan Hellkite. Seriously, there was a situation once, when I blinked this, returned an Oblivion Ring capturing my Angel of Despair, it came back, destroyed another Oblivion Ring so that Bogardan Hellkite returned. Venser is cool.
Control:
4 Supreme Verdict - excellent sweeper. As we want to survive to 10th turn, this must be 4-of. And don't worry about cost: 4 Azorius Signet helps to play it easily.
3 Mortify - just removal in our colors. Destroys enchantments. And we don't worry about 3 CMC, because there is nothing to play on turn 3, this deck is quite heavy and 3 CMC is not an issue.
3 Electrolyze - love it's card advantage and flexibility.
4 Lightning Helix - well, maybe this should be a sideboard option. Not sure if need 4 of them mainboarded.
Tech:
3 Momentary Blink help me to save fatties and Mulldrifter, untap Venser, Shaper Savant for blocking and some tricks and I just love this card and not going to exclude it (but replacement with Cloudshift or Ghostly Flicker is possible).
3 Unburial Rites - reanimation of dead fatties or just Mulldrifter. Reanimating creatures with ETB effect is sweet.
3 Forbidden Alchemy - card advantage, helps us to find Supreme Verdict or removal spell when needed, also puts fatties to graveyard for further reanimation.
Here are 28 manasources, and a lot of them are taplands. I recently refactored my manabase to make it a bit faster, but sometimes I have little troubles with red mana when need to flash Bogardan Hellkite. It's slow, but it doesn't matter. Still to be refactored. Can't run shocklands, fetchlands, filterlands.
Currently I have a lot of cards in my head that could be useful:
and lots and lots more, but can't decide what to play.
Guys, if you like this idea, please help me imporve this to make it more competitive. And please, if you suggest something to put, tell also what to cut in favor of your suggestion.
2 Angel of Despair
2 Mulldrifter
1 Venser, Shaper Savant
1 Shriekmaw
Tools
2 Unburial Rites
1 Momentary Blink
2 Undying Evil
3 Forbidden Alchemy
2 Repeal
4 Mana Leak
3 Condescend
2 Supreme Verdict
2 Mortify
2 Detention Sphere
4 Lingering Souls
Manabase
4 Arcane Sanctum
2 Azorius Chancery
1 Dimir Aqueduct
1 Orzhov Signet
2 Azorius Signet
2 Azorius Guildgate
1 Dimir Guildgate
1 Orzhov Guildgate
6 Island
4 Swamp
3 Plains
The idea is to play control, gain card advantage with Mulldrifter, use Forbidden Alchemy as draw and graveyard filling engine, then use Unburial Rites to reanimate creatures or just hard-cast them (deck is running 27 mana source cards, and I even think it's not enough). Overall, this is supposed to be something like Solar Flare.
Also thinking about including Sea Gate Oracle. Of course, Court Hussar is better in Solar Flare, but it dies after blink, which is not good.
My concerns are:
1) Is this set of creatures enough?
2) Should I even play counterspells in such deck, or Solar Flare is more about playing valuable cards rather than answering opponent's threats?
3) How to build good sideboard? I understand that 4 Aven Riftwatcher is what I need in sideboard, but can't find what else.
4) Everyone plays Path to Exile, but I don't really want to spend money on them, though card is going to be playable in many many decks. Should I play it in this deck? And can cheaper alternatives like Condemn do Path's job?
5) And what can I do with my manabase? Current one is slow, faster manabase is more expensive. Can you guys suggest anything cheap that could fit this deck?
Overall, can you give some advice on how can I improve this?
This variation was quite successful against RG Valakut deck (without Scapeshift, just Primeval Titans and lots of ramp).
Here is a deck I am playing in MTGO in "Just For Fun" section:
3 Mulldrifter
2 Bogardan Hellkite
2 Venser, Shaper Savant
4 Supreme Verdict
3 Momentary Blink
3 Mortify
3 Forbidden Alchemy
4 Lightning Helix
3 Unburial Rites
3 Electrolyze
3 Clifftop Retreat
2 Glacial Fortress
1 Azorius Chancery
2 Orzhov Basilica
1 Isolated Chapel
4 Crumbling Necropolis
3 Plains
1 Drowned Catacomb
2 Island
2 Dragonskull Summit
2 Evolving Wilds
1 Mountain
Being a huge fan of Kam-Rav Solar Flare deck and the next version called Blinktouch, I am trying to build the modern deck around heavy creatures.
The idea is to play control-style, play manasources each turn and then put fatties with ETB effects.
Currently this deck beats virtually every deck I face in "Just for fun", but against competitive decks it is unplayable.
Creatures:
2 Bogardan Hellkite - very nice flash finisher who can change situation on board completely if you play it at blocking phase.
2 Angel of Despair are here just because they were in old Solar Flare and have huge ETB effect. Probably, should be replaced with Ashen Rider.
3 Mulldrifter - nice card advantage; can block heavy creatures, then be blinked to save and draw two more cards.
2 Venser, Shaper Savant - nice trick, bounces heavy spells or attackers or even Oblivion Ring that captures our Bogardan Hellkite. Seriously, there was a situation once, when I blinked this, returned an Oblivion Ring capturing my Angel of Despair, it came back, destroyed another Oblivion Ring so that Bogardan Hellkite returned. Venser is cool.
Control:
4 Supreme Verdict - excellent sweeper. As we want to survive to 10th turn, this must be 4-of. And don't worry about cost: 4 Azorius Signet helps to play it easily.
3 Mortify - just removal in our colors. Destroys enchantments. And we don't worry about 3 CMC, because there is nothing to play on turn 3, this deck is quite heavy and 3 CMC is not an issue.
3 Electrolyze - love it's card advantage and flexibility.
4 Lightning Helix - well, maybe this should be a sideboard option. Not sure if need 4 of them mainboarded.
Tech:
3 Momentary Blink help me to save fatties and Mulldrifter, untap Venser, Shaper Savant for blocking and some tricks and I just love this card and not going to exclude it (but replacement with Cloudshift or Ghostly Flicker is possible).
3 Unburial Rites - reanimation of dead fatties or just Mulldrifter. Reanimating creatures with ETB effect is sweet.
3 Forbidden Alchemy - card advantage, helps us to find Supreme Verdict or removal spell when needed, also puts fatties to graveyard for further reanimation.
Here are 28 manasources, and a lot of them are taplands. I recently refactored my manabase to make it a bit faster, but sometimes I have little troubles with red mana when need to flash Bogardan Hellkite. It's slow, but it doesn't matter. Still to be refactored. Can't run shocklands, fetchlands, filterlands.
Currently I have a lot of cards in my head that could be useful:
and lots and lots more, but can't decide what to play.
Guys, if you like this idea, please help me imporve this to make it more competitive. And please, if you suggest something to put, tell also what to cut in favor of your suggestion.
Thank you in advance for any help!