None of these is midrange
Tron - combo/control
Kiki/twin/melira/pod - combo
affinity -swarm
BGx - aggro-control
Actually you can find midrange only in block constructed and standart
Isn't aggro control the definition of mid-range? lol
In regards to how to improve the format wizards really needs to unban 5-6 cards. People have cards they want to play and when they can't use those cards in their decks they get pissie and hate on said format that does not let them play said cards. Perfect examples are seething song, wild nacatal, ancestral vision, golgari grave troll and debatably stoneforge mystic, bitter blossom and jace.
It also does help that $tarcity has sky rocketed the price of modern singles even if they are only used as 1 or 2 ofs in tier 1.5-2 decks....ridiculous
I have been messing around with a mono-black control deck that sort of morphed into a Devotion deck, and have been really impressed with my matchups against Jund.
I know it runs red, but only for a couple of multicolored cards and a manland, and it eschews a few creatures that you have in the deck in the OP, but it seemed the best place to post it. I really like a heavy removal package against GBx and Jund and that is why I went for a more controlling shape to the deck. I find that rather than trying to out-jund jund by playing a similar curve and early creatures I win more by out controlling them. I have no interest in curving out to midrange creatures when I can drop Obliterator and shut down whatever they have left swinging. Messenger is great in that it comes back, but I would rather keep Gouger in play with a four toughness and force them to have to draw into non-bolt removal. Liege is great at taking my late game over the top, and Erebos helps be draw out of binds.
My SB needs work as I need to start considering low-creature decks and be capable of transforming a bit games two and three.
If your running 3 liliana's demigod of revenge MIGHT be better then Obliterator due to synergy HOWEVER if there is a lot of scavenging ooze in your meta don't do it! Regardless I think it warrant's some testing. I'd also recommend lowering your curve by making the lieges gougers since you prefer him over messenger.
Hey maybe its just me but does anyone else think this deck should be re-named? There are no bears in the deck and the name is kind of lame (yes I realize bears are 2 mana 2/2's). At the very least it should be called Hate Cats considering most decks run a play set of leonin arbiter and some number of qasali pridemages. Maybe even G/W Denial or Land Destruction. Generic I know but it is a focal point of our strategy, denying our enemies lands and mana.
Thoughts? I'm sure someone more creative then I could think of a better name then Hate Bears....
Stoneforge into Batterskull is the main issue here. It would further destroy aggro strategies in the format on top of push white to a huge share of the meta because there's no reason not to run a Stoneforge package in many decks (running a single Batterskull, and maybe a single sword of your choice).
I think the format has enough ways to deal with stoneforge and batterskull that it would not be much of a problem, i mean 4/5 goyfs crush it as does access to removal that wasn't in standard when the card was banned. Stoneforge Mystic was preemptively banned like Jace, grave troll and bitterblossom because they were problem cards in standard and extended so wizards decided to ban them before the format began, I don't think it would be a problem in modern as the format has plenty of answers to it (same could be said for Jace and bitterblossom).
Stoneforge Mystic: If jitte and sword of the meek are banned I don't know why this is. Turn 3 batterskull is good and all but not unanswerable, if Sfm can't grab jitte she loses a lot of her utility.
Golgari Grave Troll: like the sfm situation if dread return is banned golgari grave troll should be unbanned. The card itself is quite weak with out the dread return and with death rite shaman and scavenging ooze in the format grave strategies are a little lacking.
Ancestral vision: I think this card is fine to unban. It's slow and inconsistent without cascade. And since the only good modern cascade card is banned you can't even do that, blue needs some love and this could help control vs combo.
I think you should be running at least 3 snapcaster mage you can tutor for it with teachings and it allows you to re-use your entire deck.
In regards to finisher creeping tar pit instead of the drownyard could be the way to go. In conjunction with snapcaster mage its a quick clock which would complement or negate the need for aetherling.
I recently put together a human deck for MTGO and I found that B/W is the best combination (a red splash could also work I reckon). Dark confidant is such a power house for giving us tons of card advantage aka more humans to play. The life loss is often negated by blood artist and he can also be sacrificed to cartel aristocrat if needed or used in conjunction with gather the towns folk for 5 dudes. Black also allows us access to inquisition or thoughtseize to help with the combo match up...which ever you prefer.
One card I haven't had a chance to play with is Mutavault. It seems like it could be beneficial but would hamper our mana or remove tectonic edge.
BitWC is slow too, i tried it in EDH, still extrememly slow.
Seriously mate? It sounds to me that you don't like the card and are pretending to say you played it and pretending that it sucked in commander...you do realize it's almost guaranteed recursion every round which I hear is pretty good in commander.
What about Olivia? She transforms creatures into vampires thus allowing them to gain benefits from tribal abilities...defiantly a tribal effect if there ever was one!
I always enjoy seeing Olivia as a general as she is so much fun! My recommendation would be to use vampires as a sub theme. Your running to many sub par vamps which could be better creature cards like graveborn muse, blood gift demon, steel hellkite and mikaeus now while they arnt vamps they will help your remaining vamps more then the "sub par" vamps. Think of them as your vampires pets and servants.
I would also recommend running some power house red black cards like blightning, terminate and wrecking ball over cards like tragic slip and duress.
Isn't aggro control the definition of mid-range? lol
In regards to how to improve the format wizards really needs to unban 5-6 cards. People have cards they want to play and when they can't use those cards in their decks they get pissie and hate on said format that does not let them play said cards. Perfect examples are seething song, wild nacatal, ancestral vision, golgari grave troll and debatably stoneforge mystic, bitter blossom and jace.
It also does help that $tarcity has sky rocketed the price of modern singles even if they are only used as 1 or 2 ofs in tier 1.5-2 decks....ridiculous
If your running 3 liliana's demigod of revenge MIGHT be better then Obliterator due to synergy HOWEVER if there is a lot of scavenging ooze in your meta don't do it! Regardless I think it warrant's some testing. I'd also recommend lowering your curve by making the lieges gougers since you prefer him over messenger.
Thoughts? I'm sure someone more creative then I could think of a better name then Hate Bears....
I think the format has enough ways to deal with stoneforge and batterskull that it would not be much of a problem, i mean 4/5 goyfs crush it as does access to removal that wasn't in standard when the card was banned. Stoneforge Mystic was preemptively banned like Jace, grave troll and bitterblossom because they were problem cards in standard and extended so wizards decided to ban them before the format began, I don't think it would be a problem in modern as the format has plenty of answers to it (same could be said for Jace and bitterblossom).
Stoneforge Mystic: If jitte and sword of the meek are banned I don't know why this is. Turn 3 batterskull is good and all but not unanswerable, if Sfm can't grab jitte she loses a lot of her utility.
Golgari Grave Troll: like the sfm situation if dread return is banned golgari grave troll should be unbanned. The card itself is quite weak with out the dread return and with death rite shaman and scavenging ooze in the format grave strategies are a little lacking.
Ancestral vision: I think this card is fine to unban. It's slow and inconsistent without cascade. And since the only good modern cascade card is banned you can't even do that, blue needs some love and this could help control vs combo.
In regards to finisher creeping tar pit instead of the drownyard could be the way to go. In conjunction with snapcaster mage its a quick clock which would complement or negate the need for aetherling.
One card I haven't had a chance to play with is Mutavault. It seems like it could be beneficial but would hamper our mana or remove tectonic edge.
3 Blood Artist
4 Cartel Aristocrat
4 Champion of the Parish
4 Dark Confidant
4 Doomed Traveler
2 fiend hunter
4 Xathrid Necromancer
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Path to Exile
4 Godless Shrine
4 Isolated Chapel
7 Plains
5 Swamp
3 Tectonic Edge
2 Deathmark
1 Disenchant
1 Duress
3 mirran crusader
2 Relic of Progenitus
2 Sin Collector
2 Stony Silence
2 Torpor Orb
If I were to splash red it would probably be for lightning bolt, pyroclasm SB and grim lavamancer, as well as fetch lands to help fuel him.
Seriously mate? It sounds to me that you don't like the card and are pretending to say you played it and pretending that it sucked in commander...you do realize it's almost guaranteed recursion every round which I hear is pretty good in commander.
I would also recommend running some power house red black cards like blightning, terminate and wrecking ball over cards like tragic slip and duress.
I hope this helps