I was on the fence about cutting it too, Spazik. Not Sure where else I could make room for the SB though. Maybe Cut just one angel, one thrag and one smiter?
So I was piling through the tourney I played last night until I ran into two Jund decks. It seems to be a hard matchup for us and I ran out of gas quick. I lost both matches by a very close margin.
My thought is to keep my early aggro, add card draw and some bombs for late game.
I'm new to the modern format and am looking to create a viable decklist to take with me to local tourneys. Below is the start to my deck's framework.
However, I guess a valid question to ask is if a deck of this sort is even viable in the current meta (since I'm unaware of what decks are most popular in modern).
I like the idea, june_yah. How do you deal with cards like Curse of Death's Hold? I don't know if it's going to be around much post-rotation, but it hosed spirits first go around.
With all of the +1/+1 it's unlikely you would run into many situations you can't play your creatures, but still something to think about in case.
Since AVR debuted, I've wanted to create a viable Soulbond deck for standard. This aggro build is my first attempt. I clamped down tightly on the mana curve to ensure a reliable progression from turn one until the end of the game. I also wanted to keep an even balance between soulbond creatures and those with ETB effects.
This deck is still untested, so I'm looking for any feed back you folks might have before I take it on my first trial.
Phyrexian Unlife + Melira, Sylvok Outcast means you can't die. (At least not while both are on the field.) However, assembling the pieces to make Fateful Hour work either aren't consistant enough or take too long to get moving.
But there has to be a way to break it. Why else would it be in the game if not for players to break? :-D
I had this very thought today. Right now I run RUG titans with three copies each of Inferno and Frost. But morbid and undying have given me new ideas. If I have a Sun Titan to recur in late game all the creatures that died in the early game...hmmm...
The deck has spirits, but I'm not playing it to overwhelm my opponents with tokens or out-tempo them (like the Delver decks) and following up with spirits.
I want this to play like a control deck and use the spirits as a finisher once I have board control, which is why I've stocked up on all these instant-speed spells.
I thought about Ponder, but it's sorcery-speed. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE fixing, but at least Gitaxian Probe doesn't "cost" anything. I can easily gain the life lost there with Tribute to Hunger.
And Thought Scour is a fantastic idea! I totally missed the fact it's a cantrip too. Definate inclusion into my sideboard for control matchups (where my 12-card removal suite might not be as effective).
Off the top of my head I'm thinking Marrow Shards for aggro/token decks and copies of Celestial Purge and Flashfreeze. But what do I do against matchups with fellow control decks? Or Wolfrun Ramp? Any insites you folks have is much appreciated.
At the moment I have three copies of both Think Twice and Forbidden Alchemy, but I can't get over the strength of knowing what my opponent has in hand and being able to counter it. Below is my current deck list:
I've been trying to build an Esper deck for about a week now. My first idea was to use a tempo Delver build, but I think control suits the color combination much, much better. With that in mind, I built this:
I feel this deck covers most of my bases against the current meta. I'm experimenting with a lot of cards that haven't seen much play (like Tribute to Hunger and Night Terrors) to see just how effective they are.
Tribute is great to achieve the Morbid requirement for Tragic Slip and Night Terrors is a proactive way to deal with swords while also getting a glimpse of your opponent's hand.
Testing is forthcoming this week. Any ideas for what should go in or come out?
I was going to call this "Necro Dever," but black is really more of a splash. The main theme in this deck is drawing the right card for the right moment of the game. I'm still very much in the early design phase, so input is welcome.
One of my worries here is mana. Twenty seems a bit low. I want 22, but don't know what to cut. I also wonder if three Bloodgift Demons are too much. I keep going back and forth between two and three. I settled on three because the demon is a reliable finisher and can refill my hand late in the game.
I'm going to experiment with Frightful Delusions here. I haven't seen the card around much and I'm going to give it a test to see how it works in this deck. The forced discard is nice for disruption.
They're some tough choices to make.
My thought is to keep my early aggro, add card draw and some bombs for late game.
Here is my current deck list:
7 Forest
3 Gavony Township
5 Plains
4 Sunpetal Grove
4 Temple Garden
// Creatures
4 Arbor Elf
3 Avacyn's Pilgrim
3 Knight of Glory
4 Loxodon Smiter
3 Restoration Angel
3 Silverblade Paladin
3 Strangleroot Geist
3 Thragtusk
2 Wolfir Silverheart
1 Oblivion Ring
3 Rancor
3 Selesnya Charm
1 Angel of Serenity
1 Elderscale Wurm
2 Garruk, Primal Hunter
2 Oblivion Ring
2 Planar Cleansing
1 Rest in Peace
2 Sigarda, Host of Herons
2 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
2 Triumph of Ferocity
Vs. Jund:
-3 Rancor
-3 Restoration Angel
-2 Wolfir Silverheart
-2 Ajani, Caller of the Pride
+2 Planar Cleansing
+2 Garruk, Primal Hunter
+2 Triumph of Ferocity
+2 Oblivion Ring
+1 Angel of Serenity
+1 Elderscale Wurm
Any better ideas? Have any of you run into problems like this Vs. Jund?
However, I guess a valid question to ask is if a deck of this sort is even viable in the current meta (since I'm unaware of what decks are most popular in modern).
Any advice you folks can give me?
3 Celestial Colonnade
1 Forest
3 Glacial Fortress
4 Hallowed Fountain
1 Island
3 Plains
2 Seachrome Coast
3 Sunpetal Grove
4 Temple Garden
// Creatures
3 Augury Owl
4 Blade Splicer
3 Elvish Visionary
3 Eternal Witness
4 Restoration Angel
2 Sun Titan
3 Thragtusk
1 Jace, Architect of Thought
3 Path to Exile
4 Rune Snag
3 Vapor Snag
3 Venser, the Sojourner
1 Angel of Serenity
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
2 Geist of Saint Traft
3 Oxidize
3 Phantasmal Image
2 Sigarda, Host of Herons
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
2 Wrath of God
With all of the +1/+1 it's unlikely you would run into many situations you can't play your creatures, but still something to think about in case.
This deck is still untested, so I'm looking for any feed back you folks might have before I take it on my first trial.
2 Alchemist's Refuge
8 Forest
4 Hinterland Harbor
8 Island
// Creatures
2 Acidic Slime
2 Borderland Ranger
2 Clone
2 Dungeon Geists
2 Elgaud Shieldmate
4 Mayor of Avabruck
2 Snapcaster Mage
2 Tandem Lookout
4 Wingcrafter
2 Wolfir Silverheart
4 Young Wolf
4 Ghostly Flicker
4 Joint Assault
2 Peel from Reality
2 Devastation Tide
2 Druid's Familiar
2 Dungeon Geists
2 Naturalize
2 Nightshade Peddler
4 Unsummon
But there has to be a way to break it. Why else would it be in the game if not for players to break? :-D
I want this to play like a control deck and use the spirits as a finisher once I have board control, which is why I've stocked up on all these instant-speed spells.
Does the control deck this section is for have to rely on a big finisher like Wurmcoil Engine, Grave Titan, Consecrated Sphinx, etc.?
And Thought Scour is a fantastic idea! I totally missed the fact it's a cantrip too. Definate inclusion into my sideboard for control matchups (where my 12-card removal suite might not be as effective).
4 Drowned Catacomb
4 Glacial Fortress
6 Island
2 Moorland Haunt
4 Plains
2 Swamp
4 Drogskol Captain
2 Dungeon Geists
3 Phantasmal Image
3 Snapcaster Mage
// Spells
4 Doom Blade
3 Forbidden Alchemy
4 Mana Leak
4 Midnight Haunting
3 Think Twice
4 Tragic Slip
4 Tribute to Hunger
Off the top of my head I'm thinking Marrow Shards for aggro/token decks and copies of Celestial Purge and Flashfreeze. But what do I do against matchups with fellow control decks? Or Wolfrun Ramp? Any insites you folks have is much appreciated.
4 Drowned Catacomb
4 Glacial Fortress
6 Island
2 Moorland Haunt
4 Plains
2 Swamp
4 Drogskol Captain
2 Dungeon Geists
3 Phantasmal Image
3 Snapcaster Mage
// Spells
4 Doom Blade
3 Forbidden Alchemy
4 Mana Leak
4 Midnight Haunting
3 Think Twice
4 Tragic Slip
4 Tribute to Hunger
4x Drowned Catacomb
3x Evolving Wilds
1x Ghost Quarter
4x Glacial Fortress
2x Island
2x Moorland Haunt
2x Plains
6x Swamp
//Creatures
2x Bloodgift Demon
1x Geist of Saint Traft
2x Bloodline Keeper
3x Snapcaster Mage
1x Gideon Jura
1x Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
//Spells
1x Angelic Destiny
1x Day of Judgment
4x Doom Blade
3x Forbidden Alchemy
2x Lingering Souls
4x Mana Leak
3x Think Twice
4x Tragic Slip
4x Tribute to Hunger
1x Day of Judgment
1x Gideon Jura
1x Lingering Souls
4x Marrow Shards
4x Night Terrors
4x Oblivion Ring
I feel this deck covers most of my bases against the current meta. I'm experimenting with a lot of cards that haven't seen much play (like Tribute to Hunger and Night Terrors) to see just how effective they are.
Tribute is great to achieve the Morbid requirement for Tragic Slip and Night Terrors is a proactive way to deal with swords while also getting a glimpse of your opponent's hand.
Testing is forthcoming this week. Any ideas for what should go in or come out?
4x Drowned Catacomb
2x Ghost Quarter
8x Island
2x Shimmering Grotto
4x Swamp
//Creatures
3x Bloodgift Demon
4x Delver of Secrets
1x Phyrexian Metamorph
1x Skaab Ruinator
3x Snapcaster Mage
4x Forbidden Alchemy
4x Frightful Delusion
4x Gitaxian Probe
4x Mana Leak
4x Ponder
3x Runechanter's Pike
4x Silent Departure
1x Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
4x Doom Blade
2x Evil Twin
4x Gut Shot
1x Phyrexian Metamorph
4x Tribute to Hunger
One of my worries here is mana. Twenty seems a bit low. I want 22, but don't know what to cut. I also wonder if three Bloodgift Demons are too much. I keep going back and forth between two and three. I settled on three because the demon is a reliable finisher and can refill my hand late in the game.
I'm going to experiment with Frightful Delusions here. I haven't seen the card around much and I'm going to give it a test to see how it works in this deck. The forced discard is nice for disruption.
Thoughts are welcome. Any ideas, folks?