Luckily I got four even to favorable match-ups in the swiss (UR Wizards, UW Control, Jund, Affinity) but was paired to GDS which I indeed see as unfavorable. They go under you, your answers are situational (Remand is good vs delve threats but suck vs DS, Bolt is not really good either), Stubborn Denial is a beating and they can strip away any answer that might line up well. Your best bet is Pia and Kiran Nalaar, Blood Moon can steal a game, and hope they stumble like them having no answer for Thing in the Ice.
The deck runs pretty smooth and because of the gazillion cantrips you are bound to see you 1-of or 2-ofs more often than you should. Thing in the Ice has impressed me, even in its lesser match-ups.
Pretty solid list of match-ups, as I don't really feel disadvantaged here and actually think I have a solid match-up vs Affinity and Infect. Slightly disappointed in the loss in R3 as I feel I played it as well as I could but the cards weren't on my side. On the contrary, a lot of games were close where one small play couldve easily changed the game and thus it really felt rewarding to win those, or in the case of R7, to lose. I Ambush Viper'd Snapcater Mage more often than I thought I would, but it felt definitely correct and feels like a pretty underrated play, even outside of the combo/big mana match-ups where it's more obvious.
Ashiok absolutely rocks in the midrange (and even control!) matches and Staticaster did some good work. I think the mainboard is fine, Opt was pretty good but I might go back to 4x Visions as it sets up Delver and let's you dig for early lands better.
Small question, is siding in Grafdigger's Cage against a deck like yours (4x Company but no real other 'targets') any good or should it be left in the board?
This deck will be completly dead when not only BfZ block but also SoI block rotates. We almost lose literally everything, emerge package, zombie package, lightning axe package, fevered visions, manland and more.
Now that Saheeli Rai combo is banned, how will this deck proceed? I'm not really that well educated regarding current standard and what decks (I basically hear 'every deck' but Constrictor decks especially) are forced out of the field due to the combo existing? I think we want to go to a build where Fevered Visions build is on the side and Bloodrage Brawlers in the main. Maybe some Hazoret aswell. Bloodrage Brawler has been great for me in my limited testing, the explosive starts of with it are insane. Also testing out Hazoret but I haven't been able to really play or be impressed by it.
To be fair, he didn't really have anything else to board in and some cards like Spell Snare are straight up worse than Fulminator. Trading that Delver for Skyspwaner and Terminate vs Scion seems super weird though. I wouldn't have argued Terminating the Skyspawner and just beat down with Delver.
I went 6-1 with this version of Madcap Moon one month ago, anyone interested in a report? My memory might be a bit sketchy and the deck could be a bit outdated with the rise of new decks like Eldrazi Tron and Death's Shadow midrange.
Yeah, same here. I'm jumping ship from Twin into Delver(Thinking about Grixis Control too, but that deck has a really hard time beating Tron so I'm not sure it's the right choice at the moment). I'm just worried about Burn being too prevalent since I remember the match being somewhat abysmal.
Trying 2 Inquisitions main over countermagic. Also thinking about Deprive over a Leak to have a Hard Counter. Thoughts?
I don't like Keranos in an 18-land and don't feel like he's needed, especially now that Twin's gone. 2 Pia/Kiran might be streching too but I do agree it is a very good card and certainly competes for a spot in the deck. Consider running a second Young Pyromancer, it's a very flexible threat. It pressures your opponents immensely if you jam it on t2 and they don't interact with it (vs Tron for example), or it can do the long game and generate a lot of value in fair match-ups after sculpting your hand and mana. Inquisitions also help a lot of protecting Pyromancer and can see if the coast is clear as YP dies to everything.
Hey guys, I'm currently getting into this archetype and after testing it a few times it really is a very interactive and fun deck to play. The high density of burn spells (to the face) and incidental life gain is something I really dig compared to other decks I play (Grixis Delver and a bit of URb Twin). I got a question about Geist though, is 3 really too few and 4 the number? In some match-ups he is obviously amazing but in some match-ups I'd rather have something else and it can get stuck in your hand when you have one on the field.
Also, what do people think about Blade Splicer? It's a pet card of mine and I think a single Splicer can be good. It's 4 power for 3 over 2 bodies, it has great synergy with Resto, resillent vs sacrifice, blocks Etched Champion and hold the fort well vs smaller creatures.
Pia and Kiran is also a recent addition, I have always been supportive of its viability in Modern so I wanted to give it a shot. I bring it in against the grindy BGx (castable under Blood Moon!) and URx match-ups, while also being randomly good vs Infect and Affinity. With the amount of cantrips this deck runs, I haven't really found it troubling to cast it.
I'll confess that the match-up vs Burn is not good, especially game 1, we hurt ourselves a lot between fetching, shocking and Probing. You need an interactive hand with Bolts and Snares and preferably a delve threat to stabilize and pressure them.
Game 2/3 it get's better, my list does not run dedicated burn hate like Vampiric Link/Dragon's Claw, but we cut a lot of bad cards in this match-up (Probe, Remand, Clique, YP and K-Command also not very good here) for significant upgrades like counterspells, the artfiacts and sweepers, Forked Bolt and Death's Shadow, which takes the role of a (often times bigger) 4th and 5th delve threat.
I haven't tested a second Explosives yet and it defintely does a similar job as Anger, it all depends on the meta you're facing. Explosives is better vs Bogles and is easier on the mana and while Anger hits Voice/Finks better and is a sorcery which is a + for Delver and Snap flashback.
Congratulations! These are very positive results. May I know the sideboard plan for Death's Shadow? Also how is 7 counterspells working for you as you cut 1 Terminate and 1 Forked Bolt/Electrolyze to make room for the Remand? I am thinking of adding Remand as well as a two of to replace Murderous Cut and Spell Pierce.
Thanks! Death's Shadow comes in vs most aggro decks who try to 20-0 in a fast pace, but who usually do not have explosiveness to 20-0 you or close tot that in one turn (which decks like Affinity and Elves can.) Decks to bring in include Zoo, Burn, Merfolk, GW Hatebears, Delver mirrors. With the exception of Merfolk Death's Shadow can come in and both stabilize the board while putting a fast clock. Against Merfolk you just turn it sideways and try to race unless you know they have no Islandwalk lords available. I don't like him vs grindier match-ups like Jund because they get stuck in the hand too often.
As for the Remands, this is more personal taste, I personally like having more counterspells, and while Remand are cuts that I often make for SB games (vs Burn/Affinity for example), they are solid when you have a threat on board. Remanding 3+ mana spells feels pretty good. Spell Pierce I have played with and it always felt underwhelming, the pressure is on you to make the card not dead. I like Dispel much better in this position. Electrolyze is too expensive as I already have 3 3-mana spells main and I only run 18 lands. Forked Bolt feels more like a sideboard card to me, though 1 in the main can't hurt and it's very good vs Affinity/Elves. I do suggest to run 1 non-Terminate hard removal spell so you have an out vs Master of Waves. Murderous Cut gets the bonus for me of not getting any damage when dealing with Eidolon and beign castable for a single black.
Went 5-1 and finsihed 2nd in a ~60-man tournament with a fairly stock Grixis Delver list. I had UR(b) Twin ready, but I chose Delver because I had much more practice/experience with it and quite frankly I felt it was more satisfying to play.
R1 vs Merfolk (2-1): Merfolk is a tough match-up, we need to draw the right amount of removal vs their lords and Master of Waves is hard to answer. G1 I won due to Bolting enough lords and finishing off with my creatures after holding the ford. G2 he kept one-land with Vial and Vialed me out of the game with Cursecatchers and multiple lords while I looked stupid with double Snare in hand. G2 was grindy, with double Cursecatcher and once again a Vial on his side. A timely Explosives vs his MoW tokens (glad I decided to hold it in hand and not putting it on 2 the turn previous!) and 2 Death's Shadow/Angler proved too much for my opponent.
R2 vs GW Aggro (2-1): Hatebears and Wilt-leaf Liege. G1 went pretty smooth, as my Tasigur were too big for him. G2 I got locked out with Mindcensor and I could not answer his multiple threats on board. G3 it was grindy, both sides answering each other threats. Luckily I Clique'd away a Choke in my opponents draw step However, I topdecked better with Death's Shadow and Terminate.
R3 vs Naya Zoo/Company (2-0): G1 he had a fast start with Hierarch, Tarmogoyf and Knight of the Reliquary. I was able to block with Tasigur and a Pyromancer token one threats down and I drew Terminate for the other. After that he ran out of gas an I finished him off. G2 Probe revealed him holding a pretty slow hand with a lot of lands and Path. I got hit by Choke but luckily I had a Shores with could cast Death's Shadow and Angler. Eventhough my hand was stone dead, my opponent didnt draw much gas and my threats were too big for him to handle.
R4 vs UR Twin (2-0): I like the Steam Vents mirror, I feel like we have an advantage due to being more mana efficient and having plentiful disruption vs the combo. G1 I Clique'd away one part of his combo and clocked him with 2 3-power flyers for the win. G2 was very grindy, he drew haymakers like Teferi and Pia and Kiran, but eventually we were both topdecking and he couldn't answer my Angler.
R5 vs Kiki-Chord (0-2): I don't have a lot of experience in this match-up. G1 I had a slow hand and he outvalued me with Witness/Voice/Resto and won with the Kiki combo. G2 my Delvers never flipped and thus I was not quick enough to pose a threat. My Blood Moon came too late as he had a late Birds before I got my Moon and by the time I got his Birds down, he had two different types of basics. He expectedly won the long game and beat me down with Resto.
R6 vs GW Emeria (2-1): A very interesting brew playing a lot of ETB value like Kichen Finks/Witness, with ramp and the two titans as top-end. I had to race him. G1 I couldn't get there as my Delvers didn't flip fast enough and he, just like my last opponent, outvalued me with Resto/ETB and eventually Emeria. G2 I mulled to 5 on the play and was able to clinch one out with Delver, Bolt, Snap and timely topdeck. G3 I kept a hand with a chunk of counterspells, and 1-for-1 his value creatures continiously. Eventually he ran out of gas never drawing his pay-off cards like Titan, while I eventually clocked him with Snaps/Delver/Pyromancer.
Luckily I dodged the bad match-ups in Tron and Burn and played mostly 'fair' games, which made it very interactive and fun. Death's Shadow does a lot of work against the aggro match-ups. Vendilion Clique, which I was testing, did fine. He even saved my butt vs Choke once and having an additional flying threat is very relevant when you clog up the board with Pyromancer and Tasigur. The long-grindy games where you win by Snapcaster and a single Elemental token beats, or the games where you just clinch out 20 damage before losing control of the match makes the deck really feel like a blast to play. I will take this deck to most tournaments unless I know I will only get paired against aforementioned decks like GR Tron and Burn.
How about Forbidden Alchemy instead of Thirst? It digs deeper and fills the yard quicker. I have tested it just a little bit, and it's fine but not really great. I have yet to flashback it for full cost though.
Talking about the Snaptime version, is there something it can do against Darkblast, epseically in the opening seven? It justs eats literally everything sans a flipped Delver over and over again. The Swiftcruise version at least has Swiftspear that survives it.
4 Snapcaster Mage
4 Thing in the Ice
1 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
Spells:
1 Anger of the Gods
4 Opt
4 Serum Visions
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Cryptic Command
4 Remand
1 Spell Snare
2 Electrolyze
2 Abrade
2 Blood Moon
Planeswalkers:
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
Lands:
7 Island
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Flooded Strand
3 Steam Vents
2 Sulfur Falls
1 Mountain
2 Dispel
1 Relic of Progenitus
2 Anger of the Gods
1 Young Pyromancer
1 Surgical Extraction
1 Izzet Staticaster
2 Ceremonious Rejection
1 Roast
1 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
2 Logic Knot
1 Jace, Architect of Thought
Luckily I got four even to favorable match-ups in the swiss (UR Wizards, UW Control, Jund, Affinity) but was paired to GDS which I indeed see as unfavorable. They go under you, your answers are situational (Remand is good vs delve threats but suck vs DS, Bolt is not really good either), Stubborn Denial is a beating and they can strip away any answer that might line up well. Your best bet is Pia and Kiran Nalaar, Blood Moon can steal a game, and hope they stumble like them having no answer for Thing in the Ice.
The deck runs pretty smooth and because of the gazillion cantrips you are bound to see you 1-of or 2-ofs more often than you should. Thing in the Ice has impressed me, even in its lesser match-ups.
4x Snapcaster Mage
2x Young Pyromancer
2x Tasigur, the Golden Fang
1x Gurmag Angler
4x Lightning Bolt
3x Serum Visions
4x Thought Scour
4x Opt
2x Mana Leak
1x Spell Snare
2x Kolaghan’s Command
2x Terminate
1x Remand
3x Fatal Push
1x Electrolyze
1x Collective Brutality
1x Countersquall
3x Scalding Tarn
2x Island
2x Steam Vents
1x Watery Grave
1x Blood Crypt
1x Darkslick Shores
1x Bloodstained Mire
1x Mountain
1x Swamp
1x Spirebluff Canal
2x Ceremonious Rejection
1x Ancestral Vision
1x Countersquall
1x Vendilion Clique
2x Dispel
1x Collective Brutality
1x Surgical Extraction
1x Abrade
1x Anger of the Gods
1x Engineered Explosives
1x Izzet Staticaster
1x Blood Moon
1x Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver
R1 Eldrich Evolution (2-0)
R2 Temur Moon (2-0)
R3 GR Devotion (1-2)
R4 Affinity (2-0)
R5 Infect (2-1)
R6 5C Death's Shadow (2-1)
R7 Affinity (1-2)
Pretty solid list of match-ups, as I don't really feel disadvantaged here and actually think I have a solid match-up vs Affinity and Infect. Slightly disappointed in the loss in R3 as I feel I played it as well as I could but the cards weren't on my side. On the contrary, a lot of games were close where one small play couldve easily changed the game and thus it really felt rewarding to win those, or in the case of R7, to lose. I Ambush Viper'd Snapcater Mage more often than I thought I would, but it felt definitely correct and feels like a pretty underrated play, even outside of the combo/big mana match-ups where it's more obvious.
Ashiok absolutely rocks in the midrange (and even control!) matches and Staticaster did some good work. I think the mainboard is fine, Opt was pretty good but I might go back to 4x Visions as it sets up Delver and let's you dig for early lands better.
Now that Saheeli Rai combo is banned, how will this deck proceed? I'm not really that well educated regarding current standard and what decks (I basically hear 'every deck' but Constrictor decks especially) are forced out of the field due to the combo existing? I think we want to go to a build where Fevered Visions build is on the side and Bloodrage Brawlers in the main. Maybe some Hazoret aswell. Bloodrage Brawler has been great for me in my limited testing, the explosive starts of with it are insane. Also testing out Hazoret but I haven't been able to really play or be impressed by it.
I went 6-1 with this version of Madcap Moon one month ago, anyone interested in a report? My memory might be a bit sketchy and the deck could be a bit outdated with the rise of new decks like Eldrazi Tron and Death's Shadow midrange.
I don't like Keranos in an 18-land and don't feel like he's needed, especially now that Twin's gone. 2 Pia/Kiran might be streching too but I do agree it is a very good card and certainly competes for a spot in the deck. Consider running a second Young Pyromancer, it's a very flexible threat. It pressures your opponents immensely if you jam it on t2 and they don't interact with it (vs Tron for example), or it can do the long game and generate a lot of value in fair match-ups after sculpting your hand and mana. Inquisitions also help a lot of protecting Pyromancer and can see if the coast is clear as YP dies to everything.
Also, what do people think about Blade Splicer? It's a pet card of mine and I think a single Splicer can be good. It's 4 power for 3 over 2 bodies, it has great synergy with Resto, resillent vs sacrifice, blocks Etched Champion and hold the fort well vs smaller creatures.
Game 2/3 it get's better, my list does not run dedicated burn hate like Vampiric Link/Dragon's Claw, but we cut a lot of bad cards in this match-up (Probe, Remand, Clique, YP and K-Command also not very good here) for significant upgrades like counterspells, the artfiacts and sweepers, Forked Bolt and Death's Shadow, which takes the role of a (often times bigger) 4th and 5th delve threat.
I haven't tested a second Explosives yet and it defintely does a similar job as Anger, it all depends on the meta you're facing. Explosives is better vs Bogles and is easier on the mana and while Anger hits Voice/Finks better and is a sorcery which is a + for Delver and Snap flashback.
Thanks! Death's Shadow comes in vs most aggro decks who try to 20-0 in a fast pace, but who usually do not have explosiveness to 20-0 you or close tot that in one turn (which decks like Affinity and Elves can.) Decks to bring in include Zoo, Burn, Merfolk, GW Hatebears, Delver mirrors. With the exception of Merfolk Death's Shadow can come in and both stabilize the board while putting a fast clock. Against Merfolk you just turn it sideways and try to race unless you know they have no Islandwalk lords available. I don't like him vs grindier match-ups like Jund because they get stuck in the hand too often.
As for the Remands, this is more personal taste, I personally like having more counterspells, and while Remand are cuts that I often make for SB games (vs Burn/Affinity for example), they are solid when you have a threat on board. Remanding 3+ mana spells feels pretty good. Spell Pierce I have played with and it always felt underwhelming, the pressure is on you to make the card not dead. I like Dispel much better in this position. Electrolyze is too expensive as I already have 3 3-mana spells main and I only run 18 lands. Forked Bolt feels more like a sideboard card to me, though 1 in the main can't hurt and it's very good vs Affinity/Elves. I do suggest to run 1 non-Terminate hard removal spell so you have an out vs Master of Waves. Murderous Cut gets the bonus for me of not getting any damage when dealing with Eidolon and beign castable for a single black.
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Snapcaster Mage
2 Young Pyromancer
2 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
1 Gurmag Angler
1 Vendilion Clique
Spells (28):
4 Serum Visions
3 Gitaxian Probe
1 Forked Bolt
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Thought Scour
2 Spell Snare
2 Mana Leak
2 Remand
2 Terminate
2 Kolaghan’s Command
1 Dispel
1 Murderous Cut
3 Scalding Tarn
3 Island
2 Steam Vents
1 Watery Grave
1 Blood Crypt
1 Swamp
1 Mountain
1 Darkslick Shores
1 Sulfur Falls
1 Spellskite
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Kolaghan’s Command
2 Death’s Shadow
1 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
1 Negate
1 Dispel
1 Flashfreeze
1 Anger of the Gods
1 Forked Bolt
2 Thoughtseize
2 Blood Moon
R1 vs Merfolk (2-1): Merfolk is a tough match-up, we need to draw the right amount of removal vs their lords and Master of Waves is hard to answer. G1 I won due to Bolting enough lords and finishing off with my creatures after holding the ford. G2 he kept one-land with Vial and Vialed me out of the game with Cursecatchers and multiple lords while I looked stupid with double Snare in hand. G2 was grindy, with double Cursecatcher and once again a Vial on his side. A timely Explosives vs his MoW tokens (glad I decided to hold it in hand and not putting it on 2 the turn previous!) and 2 Death's Shadow/Angler proved too much for my opponent.
R2 vs GW Aggro (2-1): Hatebears and Wilt-leaf Liege. G1 went pretty smooth, as my Tasigur were too big for him. G2 I got locked out with Mindcensor and I could not answer his multiple threats on board. G3 it was grindy, both sides answering each other threats. Luckily I Clique'd away a Choke in my opponents draw step However, I topdecked better with Death's Shadow and Terminate.
R3 vs Naya Zoo/Company (2-0): G1 he had a fast start with Hierarch, Tarmogoyf and Knight of the Reliquary. I was able to block with Tasigur and a Pyromancer token one threats down and I drew Terminate for the other. After that he ran out of gas an I finished him off. G2 Probe revealed him holding a pretty slow hand with a lot of lands and Path. I got hit by Choke but luckily I had a Shores with could cast Death's Shadow and Angler. Eventhough my hand was stone dead, my opponent didnt draw much gas and my threats were too big for him to handle.
R4 vs UR Twin (2-0): I like the Steam Vents mirror, I feel like we have an advantage due to being more mana efficient and having plentiful disruption vs the combo. G1 I Clique'd away one part of his combo and clocked him with 2 3-power flyers for the win. G2 was very grindy, he drew haymakers like Teferi and Pia and Kiran, but eventually we were both topdecking and he couldn't answer my Angler.
R5 vs Kiki-Chord (0-2): I don't have a lot of experience in this match-up. G1 I had a slow hand and he outvalued me with Witness/Voice/Resto and won with the Kiki combo. G2 my Delvers never flipped and thus I was not quick enough to pose a threat. My Blood Moon came too late as he had a late Birds before I got my Moon and by the time I got his Birds down, he had two different types of basics. He expectedly won the long game and beat me down with Resto.
R6 vs GW Emeria (2-1): A very interesting brew playing a lot of ETB value like Kichen Finks/Witness, with ramp and the two titans as top-end. I had to race him. G1 I couldn't get there as my Delvers didn't flip fast enough and he, just like my last opponent, outvalued me with Resto/ETB and eventually Emeria. G2 I mulled to 5 on the play and was able to clinch one out with Delver, Bolt, Snap and timely topdeck. G3 I kept a hand with a chunk of counterspells, and 1-for-1 his value creatures continiously. Eventually he ran out of gas never drawing his pay-off cards like Titan, while I eventually clocked him with Snaps/Delver/Pyromancer.
Luckily I dodged the bad match-ups in Tron and Burn and played mostly 'fair' games, which made it very interactive and fun. Death's Shadow does a lot of work against the aggro match-ups. Vendilion Clique, which I was testing, did fine. He even saved my butt vs Choke once and having an additional flying threat is very relevant when you clog up the board with Pyromancer and Tasigur. The long-grindy games where you win by Snapcaster and a single Elemental token beats, or the games where you just clinch out 20 damage before losing control of the match makes the deck really feel like a blast to play. I will take this deck to most tournaments unless I know I will only get paired against aforementioned decks like GR Tron and Burn.