I think I tried really hard to make Mardu Midrange work but I just have had better results with Orzhov Midrange.
I tried splashing for Bolt, Helix, K's Command and Butcher. Young Pyro, Bolt, Helix and Doom. Ajani, Bolt, Pyromaster and Lavaman. A million different configurations among these and just notthing.
Neither was much better than us. Affinity is much easier and Infect is a bye, big deal when you still lose like a baby to both Tron variants and you have worse game vs Jund and Junk.
Never tested the match but may be better vs Elves and Merfolk, and you gotta experience things firsthand, so try it out and tell us how it did.
I tested a lot with Orzhov midrange and my final build was this one:
That is, in my opinion the optimal build for my metagame, and the worst matchups are: BURN, LAND decks (Tron, amulet, scapeshift).
and medium to dificult: Jund.
All the other archetypes were normal to easy... And some of them a bye. So my Sideboard just needed cards that interact with lands, and cards for life-gain or burn protection
I have to admit, at some point, that the Red-splash is a fanatism inner love for Kolaghan's command being ALWAYS 2x1!
and Bonus: We got the BEST sideboard cards agains tron, scapeshift and amulet in the Red color.
The deck is doing amazing!
- It certainly got more removal than before:
4 bolt, 2 helix, 3 lilis, 2 paths, 1 terminate (12) (16 if u count the "Shock" from command)
4 path, 2 go for the throat, 3 lili (9)
- The hand control got a little worse, its true i miss my tidehollows:
3 IoK, 2 seize, 4 kolaghan, 3 lili (12)
3 Iok, 3 seize, 4 tidehollow, 3 lili (13)
- I got now a decent matchup agains aggro, its not a 60-40 for them anymore.
3 Finks, 2 helix, (Butcher lifelink) I often keep my life at 20-21.. sometimes to 25-28 (YES, with dark confidant in table)
- Kolaghan's command let you re-cast your dead dark confidant (That little removal magnet we love)
it lets you recover Kitchen finks for more lifegain
- I did win a match with Fulminator mage + command screwing 1 of his colors
- Butcher and finks can be funny too.. doble sacrifice: Haste+lifelink or vigilance+haste + 2 life.
- Needless to say... that the best aggro Tier 1 deck in the format right now (Affinity) its super easy having artifact destroy effects mainboard... And I finally dont waste Sideboard slots in stupid cards like Disenchant
- Having burn spells allows you to win out of nowhere, the enemy cant see it coming: Atack with 2 dudes, 1 does hit, folowed by 2 bolts = win. it happens often.
I have tested Young Pyromancer in my first list, it wasnt so good... Its cool in grixis because Serum visions and Remand, cryptic command.
- Cards that i'll like to add but i cant find more room:
- About pack rat. Still doing good, its a cool Plan B and i use it on turn 2 sometimes to save my dark confidant from removal and recover the rat late game via Kolaghan's Command.
2 Copies of pack rats are enought for that mision
Another data that crossed my mind:
What do you think to have a more Burned based deck mainboard and Combo in sideboard.
I already have 3 Kitchen finks and 3 Butcher of the horde... If anafenza is casted there, you got infinite life, or swap finks for the other 4cc demon (Cant remember the name) and that is infinite damage.
anyway I dont wanna go combo for now, its just good to have in mind.
I would reduce brimaz -1 and add +1 lingering souls
And your deck being so "creature based" i would swap Bladehold for 1 or 2 Sorin (May be is better to keep bladehold and do it with Blood baron of vizkopa, put him on SB)
Neh' . I repeteat: Affinity do not deserve SB slots, and we got better stuff for tron. I recommend 4 fulminator mage and 2 any other good cards vs Tron/scapeshift/amulet.
Ye.. Out Drowns in Sorrow, in Mirran crusader.
Out 2 disenchant, in Darkblast and Rest in peace
to be more consistent in SB the best is to have x2 or x3 of each card.
Our worst matchups are: Lands combos Scapeshift, Tron, Amulet (this one is the easiest), Burn and zoo (super aggro)... And thats all. We got super easy matchs against: Affinity, grixis aggro, Twin, and other combos like ad nauseam, ascendancy, etc
So our SB should focus in : Land destruction, Life gain, Graveyard hate and sweepers.
Of courses im thinking in an open tournament with unknown decks, if you know your meta forget all this :s
Whip of Erebros is interesting, the permanent lifelink is cool.
The abilily can be strong with Brimaz, Hero of bladehold free tokens
and Geralf's Messenger / Kitchen finks who stays after dying to the ability (Kitchen finks will give you 7 life!)
But requires you to Tap all your lands on turn 4 and turn 5 to do something. I dont know, against combo you will lose.
Obzedat is good but Blood Baron of vizkopa is just better, Protection White and Black is better than blinking and not bloquing. 4 life / swing is better than 2 lifes every turn u didnt block. And is easier to cast too (In case you got 2 colorless lands in play)
4 Path to exile
3 Gatekeeper of Malakir
2 Go for the throat
1 Darkblast
3 Pack Rats
3 Abyssal Persecutor (or 2 and 1 Blood Baron / Batterskull)
2 Sorin, solemn visitor
4 Lingering Souls (I keep pushing you with this card :/. Cool with pack rats, cool with Sorin, cool with enemy counters, cool with enemy discards, cool with enemy spot removal, cool with enemy boardwipes.)
3 Phyrexian Arena
24 Lands
And 1 slot for... What about Sword of Light and Shadow? lifegain for phyrexian arena and Re-cycle Sculler, Malakir, Rats. Lingering souls and Sorin token can easily hit with them
And that Sword sinergyes too with Kitchen finks and Fulminator Mage, both in SB.
1: You can see oponent hand.
2: You can screw their curve, removing the card thay would have played next turn
3: It can deal damage, its tiny better topdeck than any Cmc 1 discard
4: it clears the way of removal for ur other real threats
I really like him, i was running 3, but then go up to 4, starting the game with 2 or more in hand is insta-win
B) Gatekeeper is very cool if used in the same deck with Abyssal persecutor
And i could see Geralf's Messenger in a build with Restoration Angel, Blade Splicer and maybe Kitchen Finks Sideboard? seems good, but i would test it first in cocatrice or Magic work station before invest $$$ in that. I'm fan of Lingering souls too and it was one of the first reasons i started this deck.
C) Wrench Mind would be better in a Discard strategy (See 8rack deck, its awesome). But in this deck, i would keep my Tidehollow Sculler instead
D) Abyssal Persecutor its becoming my favorite beater. But if u dont have Dark Confidant you could run 1-2 Gurmag Angler, 1-2 Blood Baron of vizkopa MB and for planeswalkers: The bests in this deck are: Sorin, solemn visitor if u run Lingering souls and a 60-40 more creatures deck... And Elspeth, Knight-Errant for more disruptive builds. I really like other versions of elspeth but Elspeth Tirel fits in the tokens/creatures build and its worst than Sorin, solemn visitor. And Elspeth, Sun's Champion feels unplayable, if i've played 40 games with this deck, only in 7/8 I had 6+ lands, but you should try it as a 1 off and see how often is a dead card and how often it wins you the game, and if the results are good you could add another one.
E) On black BB focused builds Blade Splicer >>>>> Brimaz, just because cant drop 1WW in the third turn and dont synergies with Resto angel.
F) I started the deck witouth lilianas and it was good. Now i get 3 and its awesome =P
Its another threat that MUST be answered because she alone can take the control of the game, it forces your oponent to focus and kill her fast. Best with cards to take advantage like Lingering Souls, Darkblast, maybe Sword of light and shadow, etc.
Its not mandatory, but IMO its the best Turn 3 we can have in a game. Imagine T1 thoughtseize, T2 sculler or bob or pack rat or bitterblossom, then T3 Liliana.
[[btw thats another good card you can run if you dant have dark confidant, Bitterblossom is another 2cmc drop that needs and answer or wins the game alone in 7 turns. Of course you cant play it with dark confidant, and synergies with Sorin]]
SB
1x Engineered explosives
1x Slaughter pact
1x darkblast
2x disenchant
2x torpor orb (this one is hard to get mainboard, since it ruins my deck a bit. but ruins all of soul's sister and twin, and twin rules around here so... meta solution)
2x kor firewalker (best against burn.)
2x rest in peace
2x stony silence
1x wrath of god (when you have it you just "build" a board for it i have lots of white, so i prefered to use wrath, but damnation is the same if you have more black)
1x blood baron of vizkopa
Apriciate anything you can say to the list above. My meta has a lot of W control, grixis delver, twin, burn, afinity, elfs, colected company and merfolk and soul sister's variant decks so made my choices purelly based on that.
A lot of creatures to deal with in your Metagame... What do you think about Black Sun's Zenith as a 1 of Mainboard? take only 2 damage from confidant, shuffles in deck (U aren't "losing a card" while u kill some creatures).
I think 1 of the biggest diferences with our deck and Junk is that not having Green allows us to run Sweepers, and CoCo decks, soul sister's merfolk, and elfs will just lose after 1.
And i would change E.E. and Blood baron in your SB with another sweeper or Zealous persecution
I found that you dont need to build your deck around Abyssal Persecutor to make it work..
I run only 4 Paths, 2 Go for the throat and 3 lilianas to remove him, and he's wining games. With him on the table u can save your removal because Abyssal himself will kill creatures too.
Blinking with restoration with your oponent at -20 life dont cause you to win the game, I already looked for that rules =P
I tested a lot with Orzhov midrange and my final build was this one:
4 Dark Confidant
4 Pack Rat
4 Tidehollow Sculler
4 Lingering Souls
2 Blade Splicer
2 Restoration Angel
//Disruption
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
3 Thoughtseize
2 Go for the throat
4 Path to Exile
3 Liliana of the veil
2 Zealous Persecution
3 Mutavault
1 Tectonic Edge
4 Marsh Flats
4 Godless Shrine
4 Isolated Chapel
2 Plains
2 Swamp
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
2 Bloodstained Mire
That is, in my opinion the optimal build for my metagame, and the worst matchups are: BURN, LAND decks (Tron, amulet, scapeshift).
and medium to dificult: Jund.
All the other archetypes were normal to easy... And some of them a bye. So my Sideboard just needed cards that interact with lands, and cards for life-gain or burn protection
I have to admit, at some point, that the Red-splash is a fanatism inner love for Kolaghan's command being ALWAYS 2x1!
and Bonus: We got the BEST sideboard cards agains tron, scapeshift and amulet in the Red color.
So... this is how my deck is evolving right now:
4 Dark Confidant
2 Pack Rat
2 Fulminator Mage
3 Kitchen Finks
3 Butcher of the Horde
//Other Spells
4 Kolaghan's Command
4 Lingering Souls
3 Inquisition of kozilek
2 Thoughtseize
3 Liliana of the veil
2 Path to exile
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Lightning Helix
1 Terminate
4 Marsh Flats
4 Bloodstained Mire
2 Godless Shrine
2 Blood crypt
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Swamp
1 Mountain
1 Plains
1 Urborg, tomb of yawgmoth
2 Fetid Heath
1 Isolated Chapel
1 Blackcleave Cliffs
The deck is doing amazing!
- It certainly got more removal than before:
4 bolt, 2 helix, 3 lilis, 2 paths, 1 terminate (12) (16 if u count the "Shock" from command)
4 path, 2 go for the throat, 3 lili (9)
- The hand control got a little worse, its true i miss my tidehollows:
3 IoK, 2 seize, 4 kolaghan, 3 lili (12)
3 Iok, 3 seize, 4 tidehollow, 3 lili (13)
- I got now a decent matchup agains aggro, its not a 60-40 for them anymore.
3 Finks, 2 helix, (Butcher lifelink) I often keep my life at 20-21.. sometimes to 25-28 (YES, with dark confidant in table)
- Kolaghan's command let you re-cast your dead dark confidant (That little removal magnet we love)
it lets you recover Kitchen finks for more lifegain
- I did win a match with Fulminator mage + command screwing 1 of his colors
- Butcher and finks can be funny too.. doble sacrifice: Haste+lifelink or vigilance+haste + 2 life.
- Needless to say... that the best aggro Tier 1 deck in the format right now (Affinity) its super easy having artifact destroy effects mainboard... And I finally dont waste Sideboard slots in stupid cards like Disenchant
- Having burn spells allows you to win out of nowhere, the enemy cant see it coming: Atack with 2 dudes, 1 does hit, folowed by 2 bolts = win. it happens often.
I have tested Young Pyromancer in my first list, it wasnt so good... Its cool in grixis because Serum visions and Remand, cryptic command.
- Cards that i'll like to add but i cant find more room:
Crackling Doom
Olivia Voldaren
chandra pyromaster
Ajani vengant
.. 1 more terminate copie.
.. 1 More 1cc Discard effect.
.. A good manland =P ... lavaclaw reaches sucks, Mutavault its 5 times better in a deck with Pack rat.. But with 3 colors i cant run it anymore.
- About pack rat. Still doing good, its a cool Plan B and i use it on turn 2 sometimes to save my dark confidant from removal and recover the rat late game via Kolaghan's Command.
2 Copies of pack rats are enought for that mision
Another data that crossed my mind:
What do you think to have a more Burned based deck mainboard and Combo in sideboard.
I already have 3 Kitchen finks and 3 Butcher of the horde... If anafenza is casted there, you got infinite life, or swap finks for the other 4cc demon (Cant remember the name) and that is infinite damage.
anyway I dont wanna go combo for now, its just good to have in mind.
You also get:
Lightning Bolt
Lightning Helix
Terminate
Ajani vengant, Sowing Salt, mardu charm, a manland... What do you think?
And your deck being so "creature based" i would swap Bladehold for 1 or 2 Sorin (May be is better to keep bladehold and do it with Blood baron of vizkopa, put him on SB)
4 Dark confidant
4 Tidehollow Sculler
3 Abyssal Persecutor
4 Lingering Souls
4 Path to exile
3 Inquisition of kozilek
3 Thoughtseize
3 Liliana of the veil
2 Go for the throat
1 Darkblast
1 Black Sun's zenith
4 Godless Shrine
3 Isolated Chapel
3 Swamp
2 Plains
1 Urborg, Tomb of yawmgoth
2 Bloodstained Mire
2 Mutavault
3 Tectonic Edge
And i already posted my SB:
3 Fulminator mage
3 Rest in peace / Relic of progenitus
3 Timely reinforcements
1 Darkblast
1 Black sun' zenith
2 Blood baron of vizkopa
1 Dismember
1 Zealous persecution.
There will be about 12 - 15 people in the tournament, i just know may be... 1 or 2 affinity, 1 RG tron and maybe 1 U tron, and Grixis delver, faeries.
Any ideas of SB cards against Grixis delver?
Out 2 disenchant, in Darkblast and Rest in peace
to be more consistent in SB the best is to have x2 or x3 of each card.
Our worst matchups are: Lands combos Scapeshift, Tron, Amulet (this one is the easiest), Burn and zoo (super aggro)... And thats all. We got super easy matchs against: Affinity, grixis aggro, Twin, and other combos like ad nauseam, ascendancy, etc
So our SB should focus in : Land destruction, Life gain, Graveyard hate and sweepers.
Of courses im thinking in an open tournament with unknown decks, if you know your meta forget all this :s
4 Fulminator mage / Tectonic edge / rain of tears.
3 Timely reinforcements / Kor firewalker / kitchen finks / rest of the wary / etc
3 Rest in peace / Relic of progenitus / Tormod's crypt / etc
2-3 Wrath of God / Damnation / Day of judgament / Black sun's zenith / etc etc
1-2 jund junk finisher i like Blood baron of vizkopa and Mirran crusader
1-2 singleton card you find usefull
My actual SB is:
3 Timely reinforcements
1 Black sun's zenith
1 darkblast
3 rest in peace
2 blood baron of vizkopa
1 Zealous persecution
The abilily can be strong with Brimaz, Hero of bladehold free tokens
and Geralf's Messenger / Kitchen finks who stays after dying to the ability (Kitchen finks will give you 7 life!)
But requires you to Tap all your lands on turn 4 and turn 5 to do something. I dont know, against combo you will lose.
Obzedat is good but Blood Baron of vizkopa is just better, Protection White and Black is better than blinking and not bloquing. 4 life / swing is better than 2 lifes every turn u didnt block. And is easier to cast too (In case you got 2 colorless lands in play)
3 Inquisition
3 Thoughtseize
4 Tidehollow
4 Path to exile
3 Gatekeeper of Malakir
2 Go for the throat
1 Darkblast
3 Pack Rats
3 Abyssal Persecutor (or 2 and 1 Blood Baron / Batterskull)
2 Sorin, solemn visitor
4 Lingering Souls (I keep pushing you with this card :/. Cool with pack rats, cool with Sorin, cool with enemy counters, cool with enemy discards, cool with enemy spot removal, cool with enemy boardwipes.)
3 Phyrexian Arena
24 Lands
And 1 slot for... What about Sword of Light and Shadow? lifegain for phyrexian arena and Re-cycle Sculler, Malakir, Rats. Lingering souls and Sorin token can easily hit with them
And that Sword sinergyes too with Kitchen finks and Fulminator Mage, both in SB.
I'll go point by point..
A) Tidehollow sculler is a very nice T2 droop:
1: You can see oponent hand.
2: You can screw their curve, removing the card thay would have played next turn
3: It can deal damage, its tiny better topdeck than any Cmc 1 discard
4: it clears the way of removal for ur other real threats
I really like him, i was running 3, but then go up to 4, starting the game with 2 or more in hand is insta-win
B) Gatekeeper is very cool if used in the same deck with Abyssal persecutor
And i could see Geralf's Messenger in a build with Restoration Angel, Blade Splicer and maybe Kitchen Finks Sideboard? seems good, but i would test it first in cocatrice or Magic work station before invest $$$ in that. I'm fan of Lingering souls too and it was one of the first reasons i started this deck.
C) Wrench Mind would be better in a Discard strategy (See 8rack deck, its awesome). But in this deck, i would keep my Tidehollow Sculler instead
D) Abyssal Persecutor its becoming my favorite beater. But if u dont have Dark Confidant you could run 1-2 Gurmag Angler, 1-2 Blood Baron of vizkopa MB and for planeswalkers: The bests in this deck are: Sorin, solemn visitor if u run Lingering souls and a 60-40 more creatures deck... And Elspeth, Knight-Errant for more disruptive builds. I really like other versions of elspeth but Elspeth Tirel fits in the tokens/creatures build and its worst than Sorin, solemn visitor. And Elspeth, Sun's Champion feels unplayable, if i've played 40 games with this deck, only in 7/8 I had 6+ lands, but you should try it as a 1 off and see how often is a dead card and how often it wins you the game, and if the results are good you could add another one.
E) On black BB focused builds Blade Splicer >>>>> Brimaz, just because cant drop 1WW in the third turn and dont synergies with Resto angel.
F) I started the deck witouth lilianas and it was good. Now i get 3 and its awesome =P
Its another threat that MUST be answered because she alone can take the control of the game, it forces your oponent to focus and kill her fast. Best with cards to take advantage like Lingering Souls, Darkblast, maybe Sword of light and shadow, etc.
Its not mandatory, but IMO its the best Turn 3 we can have in a game. Imagine T1 thoughtseize, T2 sculler or bob or pack rat or bitterblossom, then T3 Liliana.
[[btw thats another good card you can run if you dant have dark confidant, Bitterblossom is another 2cmc drop that needs and answer or wins the game alone in 7 turns. Of course you cant play it with dark confidant, and synergies with Sorin]]
So... best threats in B/W modern,
Cmc 1: Gravecrawler, Diregraf Ghoul, Dryad Militant, The Rack, Shrieking Affliction
Cmc 2: Dark Confidant, Pack Rat, Bitterblossom, Jötun Grunt, Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit, Bloodghast, Tidehollow Sculler, Thalia, Guardian of Thraben, Blood Scrivener, Gatekeeper of Malakir,
Cmc 3: Brimaz, King of Oreskos, Liliana of the veil, Blade splicer, Geralf's Messenger, Ajani, Caller of the Pride, Lingering Souls, Kitchen Finks, Phyrexian Arena, Flickerwisp, Mirran Crusader, Vampire Nighthawk, Fulminator Mage
Cmc 4: Restoration Angel, Elspeth, Knight-Errant, Sorin, Solemn visitor, Abyssal Persecutor, Linvala, Keeper of Silence, Sorin, Lord of innistrad, Phyrexian Obliterator, Hero of Bladehold
Cmc 5: Batterskull, Blood Baron of vizkopa, Elspeth tirel, Gray Merchant of Asphodel, Demigod of Revenge
Cmc 6: Elspeth, Sun's Champion, Tasigur, the golden fang
Cmc 7: Gurmag Angler
[Edit] Cmc 8: Tombstalker
A lot of creatures to deal with in your Metagame... What do you think about Black Sun's Zenith as a 1 of Mainboard? take only 2 damage from confidant, shuffles in deck (U aren't "losing a card" while u kill some creatures).
I think 1 of the biggest diferences with our deck and Junk is that not having Green allows us to run Sweepers, and CoCo decks, soul sister's merfolk, and elfs will just lose after 1.
And i would change E.E. and Blood baron in your SB with another sweeper or Zealous persecution
I run only 4 Paths, 2 Go for the throat and 3 lilianas to remove him, and he's wining games. With him on the table u can save your removal because Abyssal himself will kill creatures too.
Blinking with restoration with your oponent at -20 life dont cause you to win the game, I already looked for that rules =P
Do you guys thinks: Abyssal Persecutor > Baneslayer Angel, Batterskull or Blood baron of Vizkopa.
Abyssal: Cost 4 = 6/6, Trample, Flying
Baneslayer: Cost 5 = 5/5 , Lifelink, First strike, Flying
Batterskull: Cost 5 = 4/4 , lifelink, vigilance, recursion.
Baron: Cost 5 = 4/4 , Lifelink, Pro white, pro Black (Path to exile, black removal, Rhino, Tasigur, etc, etc)