Okay, sorry for the delay. Here’s a rundown of the PPTQ last weekend:
R1 vs UB Reanimator:
Pretty easy 2-0 with all my removal and grave hate.
2-0, 1-0
R2 vs Esper Approach:
Lose game 1 to Approach. Post-sideboard, this matchup is pretty easy due to lots of hand disruption. I won game 2 but we go to turns in game 3 as I’m unable to flip Gateway in time. I would’ve won game 3 with a few more minutes.
1-1-1, 1-0-1
Round 3 vs UW Drake Haven:
Easy 2-0 as they don’t have much interaction.
2-0, 2-0-1
Round 4 vs UB Midrange:
Easy 2-0 thanks to lots of removal and hand disruption.
2-0, 3-0-1
Round 5 vs 4-color Walkers/control
Interesting list from my opponent. Lots of planeswalkers which were hard to get through. He won game 1, but I had lethal on board game 2 until he topdecked a Glorybringer.
0-2, 3-1-1
Round 6 vs Esper Tezzeret
Another grindy matchup that goes to turns in game 3. He has the advantage after turn 5 so I concede to him since drawing again does neither of us any favors and it gives him a shot at top 8.
1-1-1, 3-2-1 (concession)
Round 7 vs Esper Approach:
Pretty much a repeat of round 2, though I play much faster this time. He wins game 1 with Approach, but I take games 2 and 3. I think I must’ve drawn like 20 cards in game 3, where I won with a Ballista with 18 counters.
2-1, 4-2-1
Deck was really fun and sometimes just a Torment for value was a gamechanger. There were a few cards i wasn’t impressed with, and have decided to give a red splash a try. The following is my latest list:
Unsure about the Kitesail’s. Might just replace them with Duress to add more 1-drops for Gateway. This opens up some slots in the board as well. Not sure what I’d add to the board, however.
Did you run the original list from the Against The Odds article?
I get the reach that Marionette Master provides with the sac outlets and I've always been into the go wide approach of tokens. Why aren't we running Angel of Invention? Too slow? Curious to know before I sleeve up, since I already have all the components anyway.
I don’t think this deck wants Angel of Invention because it’s not getting reanimated with base stats of 4/4. Even with Fabricate, it’s only a 4/3 and can be killed via Lightning Strike.
The reach that Marionette Master offers is far too great.
I am sort of new to Modern and just picked this deck up on MTGO.
Playing around in the Tournament Practice tables I feel that there are two cards I just am not liking all that much in Khalni Heart Expedition and Prismatic Omen.
I see why Omen is decent, pairing well with Valakut, but KHE feels like it just doesn't impact the board at all and feels clunky.
Am I off-base here? How do you guys feel about these two cards?
How many Metallic Rebuke's are you running in your version? I still find operating at instant speed to be so awkward. This awkwardness is why I'm not liking Spell Swindle.
Side note: I have really liked Chard a Course so far. Just like your point of being able to keep 2 land hands with Metalspinner's Puzzleknot, Chart fills the same role.
I don't like Rebuke in the deck. The deck is kinda built around durdling until Marionette or Tezzeret go off, rather than countering things. I initially had the same thought about Spell Swindle being unnecessary, but Conley's explanation for it is that it can occasionally just win you the game with T5 Swindle into T6 Marionette. He went as far as to say it's the most powerful card in the deck for that reason. Watching his streams, it actually has won him the game on a couple occasions.
He seems to have gone away from Spell Swindle. Aside from activating things like Hidden Stockpile or Treasure Map, I feel this deck just doesn't care to do anything at instant speed, including Spell Swindle. Every time I see Conley play the deck he just runs out of cards, and can fall behind because aside from MAYBE Stockpile and Tezzeret, none of our cards are great on their own. This is why my search for adding card advantage has been ongoing.
Because of this search for card advantage, I am going to try the following:
So far the inclusion of Metalspinner's Puzzleknot and Reverse Engineer make the deck flow a little better. Scrys on top of drawing actual cards feels so good.
Also again, the Forsaken Sanctuary is only there because Concealed Courtyard is pricey on MTGO.
Ive found metalworkers puzzleknot better in most situations. 3 cmc feels bad for no immediate return. Usually if youre comboing youll have the mana to sac the puzzleknot for more damage anyway.
And it makes some 2 land hands keep able.
The t2 map
T3 puzzleknot lets you keep up mana for rebuke which people still ignore often or a push on a snake when they try to pump it with rhiskar.
Not to mention the spare mana we need to flip the treasure map asap.
Basically implement, in my experience, leaves us too open early game which is when we are the weakest.
Could try the improvise draw spell
Sound argument.
How many Metallic Rebuke's are you running in your version? I still find operating at instant speed to be so awkward. This awkwardness is why I'm not liking Spell Swindle.
Side note: I have really liked Chard a Course so far. Just like your point of being able to keep 2 land hands with Metalspinner's Puzzleknot, Chart fills the same role.
I hate to be this picky, but the blue puzzleknot is NOT card advantage. It's literally no different than scrying with Treasure Map, Hidden Stockpile, or Contraband Kingpin.
Sure, just like those cards I just mentioned, it helps set up your following draws, but it will not pull you ahead at all. A deck like this wants to have cards be fairly versatile. Blue puzzleknot really is there to help facilitate the combo.
I think Daleos got mixed up. It's either Metalspinner's Puzzleknot or Implement of Examination. The last thing this deck needs is more scrying. Instant speed card draw on an artifact can be nice though because it allows us to rip a card or two off the top when we are in the middle of 3 scry 1's so none of the scry is wasted. It's also just another artifact to sacrifice to Master.
That's fair. I've tried both cards. I've seen Conley mess with Implement.
Metalspinner's Puzzleknot is ok. Drawing you a card right away is nice, but the 3 cost to sacrifice is a tad steep.
Implement is a less mana investment overall for the same amount of cards drawn, and no life lost. Just no card up front.
However, at this moment, I don't have anything at the 3 spot on my curve. Maybe I need to revisit Implement.
The blue puzzleknot is CA and a combo piece.
T3 puzzleknot
T4 tez +
T5 + tez
T6 master buff with tezz sac etherium sac puzzleknot 21 damage
I hate to be this picky, but the blue puzzleknot is NOT card advantage. It's literally no different than scrying with Treasure Map, Hidden Stockpile, or Contraband Kingpin.
Sure, just like those cards I just mentioned, it helps set up your following draws, but it will not pull you ahead at all. A deck like this wants to have cards be fairly versatile. Blue puzzleknot really is there to help facilitate the combo.
@Iajube you're not wrong in saying Treasure Cove is a source of card advantage, but in my opinion, if you're sacrificing Treasures to drawing cards instead of sacrificing them for the Marionette Master kill, you're probably not doing too hot.
I am going to keep trying out Chart a Course.
For reference, here is my main deck. Apologize in advance for being on mobile and not knowing how to made decklists look all pretty.
4 WB tapland (on MTGO and Concealed Courtyard is expensive)
4 Evolving Wild
2 Fetid Pool
2 Drowned Catacomb
2 Glacial Fortress
1 Field of Ruin
3 Swamp
2 Plains
3 Island
Spell Swindle is the card I really don't like right now. I never feel I have the opportunity to cast it, as I'm mostly playing at Sorcery Speed.
i've played conley's contraband build for a few weeks now and i've came to the same conclusion. most of the games i'm scrying towards answers but as there's no card advantage I eventually reach a state of trying to top deck every turn for answers or master for the win. some days you get there some times they top deck glorybringers and you're fked.
deck needs a way to pull ahead in grindy match ups instead of staying at parity.
I actually have just started trying out Chart a Course.
I don't have many games in with it, but 2 mana, draw 2 seems quite good. We also can very easily negate the downside of discarding by attacking with a token we otherwise would probably sacrifice to Stockpile anyways.
I feel that right now the following seems fairly locked in:
I've been following the different versions Conley Woods has been trying out.
I feel like there is definitely something to the core cards of Treasure Map, Marionette Master, Tezzeret the Schemer, and Hidden Stockpile.
It almost feels like outside of those, the rest of the deck is medium at best.
Last couple days, Conley has been trying out a version that swamps Contraband Kingpin for Supreme Will (to be cold to opponent's removal), and Implement of Examination over Doomfall (another artifact that can be sacrificed on the cheap).
Still don't feel he's quite there yet though.
The problem I have with cutting Contraband Kingpin and swapping Supreme Will in it's place is that it starts to put the deck into another identity crisis (as if that wasn't a huge problem already). Contraband Kingpin is, imo, the best creature in the deck, and is quite flexible against the field, excluding the Control variants. When our deck has an answer to literally anything the meta can throw at us, being able to scry numerous times to find that answer is paramount to the deck's success. If anyone is worried about their opponent's removal, they can start running Duress in the mainboard, which, depending on the meta, doesn't seem like a bad idea these days.
Doomfall in the mainboard is a meta call against UB Control. If you expect to see a good amount of UB Control in your meta, run at least 2 Doomfall in your main 60.
Since I'm in Japan, I expect to see a meta of at least 40% UB Control and UW Approach at my FNMs, Showdowns, and minor tournaments. This will lead me to going down on Fatal Push, up on Doomfall, and up on Harsh Scrutiny, as well. Harsh Scrutiny is actually very good proactive disruption in the current meta. Even against UB Control, you have targets that Duress can't hit (The Scarab God and Torrential Gearhulk).
The point I'm trying to make is that Esper Hidden Trea-zzeret can completely destroy a meta if you know what to expect. However, in Conley Wood's testing, the online meta is much more unpredictable and volatile to new trends, spice, and rogue decks that queue up for Competitive Leagues. Again, I wouldn't sweat the variance, and I encourage everyone to read Conley Wood's article again and understand why there are so many flex-spots.
I get what you mean. I think Conley understands that there is a lot in the deck that doesn't quite feel "there" and is trying to find the best build against most of the meta. I personally think Doomfall is bad. I also don't like Supreme Will in this deck either.
His logic for turning off opponent's Fatal Push is quite sound. He also makes sense in how he explains the curve of the deck. Turn 1-2 you want to play a permanent. Turn 3 you generally are either playing a Map and leaving mana up to activate, or Hidden Stockpile for the same reason. Doomfall on turn 3 is by far one of the worst plays against any deck not control. Turn 4 you want to remove something with Cast Out or stick a Tezzeret.
I feel a problem with this deck is no card advantage. Sure you have all the scrying in the world with Treasure Map, Hidden Stockpile, and Contraband Kingpin, if you're still playing it, but that doesn't help you pull ahead. All control decks need a way to accumulate card advantage, and I feel this deck doesn't do that. Living off the top of your deck, even if you can mitigate what the top card is to an extent, is still not a place control decks want to be. That's exactly what Conley said this deck is too: a control deck.
I've been following the different versions Conley Woods has been trying out.
I feel like there is definitely something to the core cards of Treasure Map, Marionette Master, Tezzeret the Schemer, and Hidden Stockpile.
It almost feels like outside of those, the rest of the deck is medium at best.
Last couple days, Conley has been trying out a version that swamps Contraband Kingpin for Supreme Will (to be cold to opponent's removal), and Implement of Examination over Doomfall (another artifact that can be sacrificed on the cheap).
The newest and sickest addition is Liliana, the Last Hope. She is by no means a requirement for the sideboard, and if you would like to remain rotation-proof, I'd recommend 1 Ruthless Sniper and 2 Nimble Obstructionist.
I'm curious what you are cutting when sideboarding. These type of glass-cannon style combo decks can't have too many cards cycled out, otherwise you dilute the initial gameplan.
Did you run the original list from the Against The Odds article?
I don’t think this deck wants Angel of Invention because it’s not getting reanimated with base stats of 4/4. Even with Fabricate, it’s only a 4/3 and can be killed via Lightning Strike.
The reach that Marionette Master offers is far too great.
Playing around in the Tournament Practice tables I feel that there are two cards I just am not liking all that much in Khalni Heart Expedition and Prismatic Omen.
I see why Omen is decent, pairing well with Valakut, but KHE feels like it just doesn't impact the board at all and feels clunky.
Am I off-base here? How do you guys feel about these two cards?
I get that it can cast Living End and Ancestral Vision, but what are you aiming to bounce with it?
I believe that it's not very good. Dies to all removal and it's a very poor blocker.
He seems to have gone away from Spell Swindle. Aside from activating things like Hidden Stockpile or Treasure Map, I feel this deck just doesn't care to do anything at instant speed, including Spell Swindle. Every time I see Conley play the deck he just runs out of cards, and can fall behind because aside from MAYBE Stockpile and Tezzeret, none of our cards are great on their own. This is why my search for adding card advantage has been ongoing.
Because of this search for card advantage, I am going to try the following:
4 Evolving Wilds
2 Fetid Pools
1 Field of Ruin
4 Forsaken Sanctuary
2 Glacial Fortress
3 Island
2 Plains
3 Swamp
4 Renegade Map
4 Hidden Stockpile
4 Metalspinner's Puzzleknot
4 Treasure Map
4 Cast Out
4 Tezzeret the Schemer
3 Fumigate
2 Reverse Engineer
4 Marionette Master
So far the inclusion of Metalspinner's Puzzleknot and Reverse Engineer make the deck flow a little better. Scrys on top of drawing actual cards feels so good.
Also again, the Forsaken Sanctuary is only there because Concealed Courtyard is pricey on MTGO.
Sound argument.
How many Metallic Rebuke's are you running in your version? I still find operating at instant speed to be so awkward. This awkwardness is why I'm not liking Spell Swindle.
Side note: I have really liked Chard a Course so far. Just like your point of being able to keep 2 land hands with Metalspinner's Puzzleknot, Chart fills the same role.
That's fair. I've tried both cards. I've seen Conley mess with Implement.
Metalspinner's Puzzleknot is ok. Drawing you a card right away is nice, but the 3 cost to sacrifice is a tad steep.
Implement is a less mana investment overall for the same amount of cards drawn, and no life lost. Just no card up front.
However, at this moment, I don't have anything at the 3 spot on my curve. Maybe I need to revisit Implement.
I hate to be this picky, but the blue puzzleknot is NOT card advantage. It's literally no different than scrying with Treasure Map, Hidden Stockpile, or Contraband Kingpin.
Sure, just like those cards I just mentioned, it helps set up your following draws, but it will not pull you ahead at all. A deck like this wants to have cards be fairly versatile. Blue puzzleknot really is there to help facilitate the combo.
I am going to keep trying out Chart a Course.
For reference, here is my main deck. Apologize in advance for being on mobile and not knowing how to made decklists look all pretty.
4 Renegade Map
4 Fatal Push
4 Chart a Course
4 Hidden Stockpile
4 Treasure Map
4 Cast Out
4 Tezzeret the Schemer
3 Fumigate
2 Spell Swindle
4 Marionette Master
4 WB tapland (on MTGO and Concealed Courtyard is expensive)
4 Evolving Wild
2 Fetid Pool
2 Drowned Catacomb
2 Glacial Fortress
1 Field of Ruin
3 Swamp
2 Plains
3 Island
Spell Swindle is the card I really don't like right now. I never feel I have the opportunity to cast it, as I'm mostly playing at Sorcery Speed.
I actually have just started trying out Chart a Course.
I don't have many games in with it, but 2 mana, draw 2 seems quite good. We also can very easily negate the downside of discarding by attacking with a token we otherwise would probably sacrifice to Stockpile anyways.
I feel that right now the following seems fairly locked in:
4x Renegade Map
2-4x Fatal Push
4x Hidden Stockpile
4x Treasure Map
3-4x Cast Out
4x Tezzeret the Schemer
2-4x Fumigate
3-4x Marionette Master
22-23 lands
The rest is completely up in the air and should be, in my opinion, be considered "flex slots".
I get what you mean. I think Conley understands that there is a lot in the deck that doesn't quite feel "there" and is trying to find the best build against most of the meta. I personally think Doomfall is bad. I also don't like Supreme Will in this deck either.
His logic for turning off opponent's Fatal Push is quite sound. He also makes sense in how he explains the curve of the deck. Turn 1-2 you want to play a permanent. Turn 3 you generally are either playing a Map and leaving mana up to activate, or Hidden Stockpile for the same reason. Doomfall on turn 3 is by far one of the worst plays against any deck not control. Turn 4 you want to remove something with Cast Out or stick a Tezzeret.
I feel a problem with this deck is no card advantage. Sure you have all the scrying in the world with Treasure Map, Hidden Stockpile, and Contraband Kingpin, if you're still playing it, but that doesn't help you pull ahead. All control decks need a way to accumulate card advantage, and I feel this deck doesn't do that. Living off the top of your deck, even if you can mitigate what the top card is to an extent, is still not a place control decks want to be. That's exactly what Conley said this deck is too: a control deck.
I feel like there is definitely something to the core cards of Treasure Map, Marionette Master, Tezzeret the Schemer, and Hidden Stockpile.
It almost feels like outside of those, the rest of the deck is medium at best.
Last couple days, Conley has been trying out a version that swamps Contraband Kingpin for Supreme Will (to be cold to opponent's removal), and Implement of Examination over Doomfall (another artifact that can be sacrificed on the cheap).
Still don't feel he's quite there yet though.
I'm curious what you are cutting when sideboarding. These type of glass-cannon style combo decks can't have too many cards cycled out, otherwise you dilute the initial gameplan.