Sphinx: Great against Jund and RUG Delver. Also great against most Red-based Aggro decks in general.
Sphinx is actually not great against jund, as they run a bunch of lilianas as well as black removal at times. I think you'd rather have elesh there, because she outright kills bloodbraid and bob immediately, and at least makes goyf smaller.
I believe Gitaxian Probe is a decent flex slot, as it doesn't cost much card-wise. Unfortunately, I'm testing out 2 Izzet Charm and still using a Pillar of Flame right now, and I even prefer the 4th Traft over Probe. (Traft's butt is soooooo fragile...)
Speaking of Izzet Charm, how good will this card be for this deck? It's nice that it's both removal and a counterspell (and a decent way to discard Rites fatties, but it's no Faithless Looting for when you need to Gifts that fatty out of your hand), but it doesn't hurt players...
Sphinx is actually not great against jund, as they run a bunch of lilianas as well as black removal at times. I think you'd rather have elesh there, because she outright kills bloodbraid and bob immediately, and at least makes goyf smaller.
There isn't a black removal spell that kills sphinx though. GffT, doom blade, terminate, pulse, and putrefy.are the commonly played non lilly removal spells and they all fail against sphinx for protection or casting restriction reasons.
Well, i really like what izzet charm brings into this deck, and since i dont like the gifts pack anyways, im not worried about it being better or worse than faithless.
I may cut a spellpierce and a magma jet for 2 copies, since this card can cover both fairly well, and is good with scepter.
Yea Lily is the only card out of Jund that really deals with Sphinxy, and you can play around her easy enough.
Izzet Charm is definitely very playable in this deck, especially as a SB option alongside Gifts. Being multipurpose makes it MUCH better than having to run Faithless Looting. I'd imagine 1-2 might be maindeckable depending on your build. I'll certainly be chasing down foil copies. I very much approve.
Yea Lily is the only card out of Jund that really deals with Sphinxy, and you can play around her easy enough.
Izzet Charm is definitely very playable in this deck, especially as a SB option alongside Gifts. Being multipurpose makes it MUCH better than having to run Faithless Looting. I'd imagine 1-2 might be maindeckable depending on your build. I'll certainly be chasing down foil copies. I very much approve.
Am I correct in assuming Izzet Charm on a scepter gives you all 3 options everytime you want to play it?
That seems very main deck material to me for those who are playing Ischrons.
Izzet Charm might be cost 2 mana but it makes up for being flexible. I like to have it as a 2 of in the deck. It's never a dead card. It's good early game and can be used to cycle cards late game to help dig burn spells. I'm always having problems filling in the last 2 slot in the deck. There are games where I want spell pierce or removal/pillar in the main and this card fits perfectly.
Yes, thats right, even in scepter you can use every command, since you are casting a copy of the exiled card.
I actually dont like it being at 2 cmc, since spell snare is everywhere, but there is just no way such a good spell could be 1, and 3 is too much.
Yes, thats right, even in scepter you can use every command, since you are casting a copy of the exiled card.
I actually dont like it being at 2 cmc, since spell snare is everywhere, but there is just no way such a good spell could be 1, and 3 is too much.
Spellsnare isn't too prevalent, it only gets played in a few decks. Izzet charm+scepter does seem quite good, I'm curious to see what the UW and RW charms offer this archetype since running all 3 or even 2 of the 3 charms will probably be difficult to fit.
Yea, but its free. So you could play it and delver turn one. Although I think in this deck it would be too hard to cut 4 cards from the list
As previously stated, gitaxian probe is not free. There is an "opportunity cost" to running this card.
Think about it this way, why not run memnite? I mean it's a free creature!
I don't think gitaxian probe is the worst by any means. Especially in a format like modern when you have no idea what deck your playing or what their sideboard plan is. But this deck has a ton of self damage with all the fetches and shocks. Im not sure it can afford gitaxian probe (and let's be honest probe for 1 blue is pretty bad compared to alternatives).
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-Swizzie
Top 16 GP Miami 2013
Top 4 Florida States 2013
Several PTQ top 8's
Writer for South Florida Magic
Think about it this way, why not run memnite? I mean it's a free creature.
But Gitaxian probe gives relevant information, has alternate costs, and replaces itself. Memnite literally does nothing in this deck, so that's not a great comparison.
Still I get your point. As stated before, Gix Probe is a useful effect for us, but only if you think you can afford the life and need the information. In a meta full of creatures, it's a little lackluster. I'll add it to the primer when I get a chance though.
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MODERN RGB Jund BGR WGB Junk/Abzan Company WGB
LEGACY RUGB Delver GURB
EDH UW Geist of Saint Traft Aggro-Control WU RUG Riku of Two Reflections Combo GUR BBB Skithiryx Control BB
To progress from the probe discussion has anyone had any recent success with the steppe lynx based lists?
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Decks I have in my bag of tricks- Needless to say, someone who wants to play will probably have a deck UB/x Faeries UR Storm XURWB Affinity G Elves UW control
Shouldn't the title of the thread be changed to [Primer] rather then [Deck] now that HomelandZecurity has written a primer; who must btw, be given props for it
Also, what is the correct split between Marsh Flats and Misty Rainforest? Or does it depend on how many Hallowed Fountain you run, and whether or not you run a Watery Grave? I am thinking those two lands would make more Misty Rainforests important.
very important. Eiganjo castle protects geist form snapcasters, bolts, cliques, bobs, maybe from a small tarmogoyf, and the list goes on.
The best fetchland here is, without a doubt, scalding tarn. Next would be between arid mesa and misty rainforest, while marsh flats is last. But since many people run 12 fetches, im guessing all this is not really important, you will most likely run 4 each.
BTW, i prefer annul, but thats just a matter of taste.
To progress from the probe discussion has anyone had any recent success with the steppe lynx based lists?
Everyone who plays WUR online.
I think you should rephrase, since the Steppe Lynx build is already proven, whereas the non-Lynx builds haven't seen much success yet. I understand MODO isn't the only format, and that it differs greatly from paper (hence all the bastardized Gifts Sideboards), but it's still the best source of tracking this deck's performance at the moment.
Pand3m0nia, thanks for the shout-out. I will update the title to (PRIMER) as soon as I get the sideboarding guide up.
Also, good news for everyone in Modern on the Shockland Reprinting! Now I can actually attempt to get some foils!
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MODERN RGB Jund BGR WGB Junk/Abzan Company WGB
LEGACY RUGB Delver GURB
EDH UW Geist of Saint Traft Aggro-Control WU RUG Riku of Two Reflections Combo GUR BBB Skithiryx Control BB
very important. Eiganjo castle protects geist form snapcasters, bolts, cliques, bobs, maybe from a small tarmogoyf, and the list goes on.
The best fetchland here is, without a doubt, scalding tarn. Next would be between arid mesa and misty rainforest, while marsh flats is last. But since many people run 12 fetches, im guessing all this is not really important, you will most likely run 4 each.
BTW, i prefer annul, but thats just a matter of taste.
No need to protect from bolt with Eiganjo. Hexproof. I'd say the bare basic land build is:
1x each basic, 2x each shock, 4x tarn, 4x mesa, 2x misty, 2x marsh flats. 21 total. Add haunt or castle to go to 22, drop Sacred Foundry as first call if wanting one in but to stay at 21. If trying to squeeze more out of lynx, go to 22 by -1 foundry +1 haunt/eiganjo and +1 misty.
It depends on land build (number, haunt or castle or not) but generally decks run 4 Mesa and Tarn and then split misty or marsh flats at either 2 each, or 3 misty 2 flats if running 13 fetches. Also seen 3 misty and 1 flats split.
Depending on slots in board, why not split the difference? Shattering Spree/Smash to smithereens and Shatterstorm are pretty much purely affinity hate, Disenchant and Annul are a bit more flexible but you'd also bring in against affinity. If you don't run Shatterstorm, Annul at least can deal with an Etched Champion so it gets the nod there.
Started building this deck recently. Very confident against midrange and agressive decks but what about storm? seems like a scary matchup. What would you recommend for sideboarding? I thought kor firewalker to gain life through their storm, any other cards worth considering?
Sphinx is actually not great against jund, as they run a bunch of lilianas as well as black removal at times. I think you'd rather have elesh there, because she outright kills bloodbraid and bob immediately, and at least makes goyf smaller.
*DCI Rules Advisor*
Speaking of Izzet Charm, how good will this card be for this deck? It's nice that it's both removal and a counterspell (and a decent way to discard Rites fatties, but it's no Faithless Looting for when you need to Gifts that fatty out of your hand), but it doesn't hurt players...
There isn't a black removal spell that kills sphinx though. GffT, doom blade, terminate, pulse, and putrefy.are the commonly played non lilly removal spells and they all fail against sphinx for protection or casting restriction reasons.
Unless we see a huge rise in Tragic Slips, Robokroma does seem good against Jund. (Better boot Olivia Voldaren before they get enough mana.)
I may cut a spellpierce and a magma jet for 2 copies, since this card can cover both fairly well, and is good with scepter.
Izzet Charm is definitely very playable in this deck, especially as a SB option alongside Gifts. Being multipurpose makes it MUCH better than having to run Faithless Looting. I'd imagine 1-2 might be maindeckable depending on your build. I'll certainly be chasing down foil copies. I very much approve.
RGB Jund BGR
WGB Junk/Abzan Company WGB
LEGACY
RUGB Delver GURB
EDH
UW Geist of Saint Traft Aggro-Control WU
RUG Riku of Two Reflections Combo GUR
BBB Skithiryx Control BB
Am I correct in assuming Izzet Charm on a scepter gives you all 3 options everytime you want to play it?
That seems very main deck material to me for those who are playing Ischrons.
I actually dont like it being at 2 cmc, since spell snare is everywhere, but there is just no way such a good spell could be 1, and 3 is too much.
Spellsnare isn't too prevalent, it only gets played in a few decks. Izzet charm+scepter does seem quite good, I'm curious to see what the UW and RW charms offer this archetype since running all 3 or even 2 of the 3 charms will probably be difficult to fit.
As previously stated, gitaxian probe is not free. There is an "opportunity cost" to running this card.
Think about it this way, why not run memnite? I mean it's a free creature!
I don't think gitaxian probe is the worst by any means. Especially in a format like modern when you have no idea what deck your playing or what their sideboard plan is. But this deck has a ton of self damage with all the fetches and shocks. Im not sure it can afford gitaxian probe (and let's be honest probe for 1 blue is pretty bad compared to alternatives).
Top 16 GP Miami 2013
Top 4 Florida States 2013
Several PTQ top 8's
Writer for South Florida Magic
But Gitaxian probe gives relevant information, has alternate costs, and replaces itself. Memnite literally does nothing in this deck, so that's not a great comparison.
Still I get your point. As stated before, Gix Probe is a useful effect for us, but only if you think you can afford the life and need the information. In a meta full of creatures, it's a little lackluster. I'll add it to the primer when I get a chance though.
RGB Jund BGR
WGB Junk/Abzan Company WGB
LEGACY
RUGB Delver GURB
EDH
UW Geist of Saint Traft Aggro-Control WU
RUG Riku of Two Reflections Combo GUR
BBB Skithiryx Control BB
UB/x Faeries
UR Storm
XURWB Affinity
G Elves
UW control
Also, what is the correct split between Marsh Flats and Misty Rainforest? Or does it depend on how many Hallowed Fountain you run, and whether or not you run a Watery Grave? I am thinking those two lands would make more Misty Rainforests important.
PS: Which is a better SB option: Disenchant or Annul?
The best fetchland here is, without a doubt, scalding tarn. Next would be between arid mesa and misty rainforest, while marsh flats is last. But since many people run 12 fetches, im guessing all this is not really important, you will most likely run 4 each.
BTW, i prefer annul, but thats just a matter of taste.
Everyone who plays WUR online.
I think you should rephrase, since the Steppe Lynx build is already proven, whereas the non-Lynx builds haven't seen much success yet. I understand MODO isn't the only format, and that it differs greatly from paper (hence all the bastardized Gifts Sideboards), but it's still the best source of tracking this deck's performance at the moment.
Pand3m0nia, thanks for the shout-out. I will update the title to (PRIMER) as soon as I get the sideboarding guide up.
Also, good news for everyone in Modern on the Shockland Reprinting! Now I can actually attempt to get some foils!
RGB Jund BGR
WGB Junk/Abzan Company WGB
LEGACY
RUGB Delver GURB
EDH
UW Geist of Saint Traft Aggro-Control WU
RUG Riku of Two Reflections Combo GUR
BBB Skithiryx Control BB
No need to protect from bolt with Eiganjo. Hexproof. I'd say the bare basic land build is:
1x each basic, 2x each shock, 4x tarn, 4x mesa, 2x misty, 2x marsh flats. 21 total. Add haunt or castle to go to 22, drop Sacred Foundry as first call if wanting one in but to stay at 21. If trying to squeeze more out of lynx, go to 22 by -1 foundry +1 haunt/eiganjo and +1 misty.
It depends on land build (number, haunt or castle or not) but generally decks run 4 Mesa and Tarn and then split misty or marsh flats at either 2 each, or 3 misty 2 flats if running 13 fetches. Also seen 3 misty and 1 flats split.
Depending on slots in board, why not split the difference? Shattering Spree/Smash to smithereens and Shatterstorm are pretty much purely affinity hate, Disenchant and Annul are a bit more flexible but you'd also bring in against affinity. If you don't run Shatterstorm, Annul at least can deal with an Etched Champion so it gets the nod there.
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