Restoration Angel is amazing. Gives you more Snappies, more Cliques, and safely gets 4 damage in from Geist by saving him from combat. All that on a 3/4 body that flies. 4 is the magic number in Modern, add on that it has evasion for 3 there is no way you can do wrong. The winning GP list only ran 1 because I'm sure he wanted more Cliques because Splinter Twin seems to be way more popular over the pond than it is here, and it's still pretty popular over here.
MemoryLapse, just because Geist won a GP doesn't automatically mean it's the be all end all. Reid Duke got 2nd at Pro Tour with Boggles. Where is Boggles now? Still in tier 2.
The reason I think his deck works against Goyfs is because he brings in two Threads of Disloyalty.
The only change I made from his list was -1 Clique +1 Resto. I think he ran 3 as a meta choice. Seemed to be a lot of combo decks. My change should be a bit more balanced for my own meta.
My big question is why he runs Batterskull and another Hellkite in the board? Why those 2? Why both? No Baneslayer?
I remember saying the move was premature, as Modern season barely even started.
Well, I guess I'm going to have to make a shot to try Cryptic Commands again. Hrmm. A mana base tweak might have been what I needed. Time to study the top 8 list.
Could you explain why you think spell snare is a necessary evil?
I also do think that Geist is outdated at the moment. It's poor against pyroclasm, liliana, blockers like kitchen finks and voice... That's the entire upper part of the meta except for uwr and tron. Blade Splicer fixes all these problems, and to boot it can block etched champions. It's also arguably better with restoration angel, and it gives an extra option against goyfs by blocking and bolting after first strike damage. You should test them, I'm pretty sure you'd like it.
It hits very relevant spells in a few tricky matchups, and especially in the top 2 decks (imo) right now.
Countless spells in Jund get hosed by Spell Snare.
Tron runs a play set of Pyroclasm for a reason, and that card is one of their only outs against us. (it's a very good out, though) It also hits a few ramp spells if you need it too.
A Spell Snare in your opening hand against Affinity is pretty close to winning the game.
Scapeshift is also getting more and more popular, and Spell Snare hits a plethora of spells against them as well.
I'm just finding that Spell Snare hits against more decks than it misses.
Blade Splicer is almost a different deck, I think. I notice that most Blade Splicer lists are running 2-4 Cryptic Command, which is a card I've never had success running in a Geist list. I play my Geist shell by using removal to clear the way for Geist to swing in, which wins me the game. The Blade Splicer lists are almost using Blade Splicers as defense, not offense like you'd use Geist for. Geist lists really remind me like playing UWR Control, not midrange.
Blade Splicer is definitely good, but your entire game plan changes when you remove Geist from this shell.
So I'm coming to the realization that Spell Snare is just a necessary evil for G1. I don't like it in the SB, so I'll just keep playing two in the main.
After playing a bunch these past few days, this is where my list sits now. I'll keep it like this for a while.
I really haven't had many problems against Jund with this deck. Especially if you're running 4 PtEs main. Siding out Remands (and possibly Mana Leaks) and just becoming a creature deck with burn in it works pretty well against them. Even better if you're running Relic.
Kill Bob/DRS' on site, no exceptions. Path Goyf on site, no exceptions. Then get in with some beats and burn. Pretty simple game plan.
edit: That's also why this deck runs red. Lots of Jund lists (especially The Rock) have really amped up their land destruction, and Colonnade is not 100% reliable against them. Bolt/Helix + Snapcaster becomes a very real win-con.
edit2: UWR Control has a worse matchup against Jund/The Rock than we do thanks to them beefing up their land destruction game. The matchup against GR Tron for UWR Control is like 75:25 in Trons favor. I'd put it at 50:50 for us. If we take Splinter Twin into account we can round out (in my opinion) the top 3 decks in the format right now. I've found UWR Midrange has the same chance of winning against Splinter Twin as UWR Control does.
edit3: UWR Control is only placing on MODO because Chepa (Wafo-Tapa???) is amazing with the deck, and refuses to play anything else. I think if UWR Midrange had a Chepa to pilot it, we'd have the same winnings as UWR Control.
Anyway, this deck plays nothing like UW or UWR Control. They share colors, but that doesn't matter. T2 you -always- either hold mana for a counter, bluff a counter, or put a Helix somewhere. If you have to shock yourself to make those happen, you do it. If the only place for that Helix to go is the dome, put it there. If you need to use a Bolt, probably okay to do that too.
MemoryLapse, just because Geist won a GP doesn't automatically mean it's the be all end all. Reid Duke got 2nd at Pro Tour with Boggles. Where is Boggles now? Still in tier 2.
I was more wondering why the 2nd Hellkite over a Baneslayer
The only change I made from his list was -1 Clique +1 Resto. I think he ran 3 as a meta choice. Seemed to be a lot of combo decks. My change should be a bit more balanced for my own meta.
My big question is why he runs Batterskull and another Hellkite in the board? Why those 2? Why both? No Baneslayer?
3x Arid Mesa
4x Celestial Colonnade
2x Hallowed Fountain
2x Island
1x Mountain
1x Mystic Gate
1x Plains
1x Sacred Foundry
4x Scalding Tarn
3x Steam Vents
1x Sulfur Falls
2x Tectonic Edge
3x Electrolyze
4x Lightning Bolt
4x Lightning Helix
2x Mana Leak
3x Path to Exile
3x Remand
4x Geist of Saint Traft
2x Restoration Angel
4x Snapcaster Mage
1x Thundermaw Hellkite
2x Vendilion Clique
1x Baneslayer Angel
1x Batterskull
2x Celestial Purge
2x Counterflux
1x Engineered Explosives
1x Path to Exile
1x Sowing Salt
2x Stony Silence
2x Threads of Disloyalty
This is what I'll be testing for the next few days. I'm sad to see my favorite card Batterskull be shipped to the bench, but I'll give it a shot.
I remember saying the move was premature, as Modern season barely even started.
Well, I guess I'm going to have to make a shot to try Cryptic Commands again. Hrmm. A mana base tweak might have been what I needed. Time to study the top 8 list.
It hits very relevant spells in a few tricky matchups, and especially in the top 2 decks (imo) right now.
Countless spells in Jund get hosed by Spell Snare.
Tron runs a play set of Pyroclasm for a reason, and that card is one of their only outs against us. (it's a very good out, though) It also hits a few ramp spells if you need it too.
A Spell Snare in your opening hand against Affinity is pretty close to winning the game.
Scapeshift is also getting more and more popular, and Spell Snare hits a plethora of spells against them as well.
I'm just finding that Spell Snare hits against more decks than it misses.
Blade Splicer is almost a different deck, I think. I notice that most Blade Splicer lists are running 2-4 Cryptic Command, which is a card I've never had success running in a Geist list. I play my Geist shell by using removal to clear the way for Geist to swing in, which wins me the game. The Blade Splicer lists are almost using Blade Splicers as defense, not offense like you'd use Geist for. Geist lists really remind me like playing UWR Control, not midrange.
Blade Splicer is definitely good, but your entire game plan changes when you remove Geist from this shell.
After playing a bunch these past few days, this is where my list sits now. I'll keep it like this for a while.
3x Arid Mesa
4x Celestial Colonnade
1x Eiganjo Castle
2x Hallowed Fountain
2x Island
1x Mountain
1x Sacred Foundry
4x Scalding Tarn
3x Steam Vents
1x Sulfur Falls
3x Tectonic Edge
3x Electrolyze
4x Lightning Bolt
3x Lightning Helix
3x Mana Leak
3x Path to Exile
3x Remand
2x Spell Snare
4x Geist of Saint Traft
3x Restoration Angel
4x Snapcaster Mage
2x Vendilion Clique
1x Baneslayer Angel
2x Celestial Purge
2x Counterflux
2x Engineered Explosives
1x Path to Exile
2x Relic of Progenitus
2x Stony Silence
1x Wear / Tear
Kill Bob/DRS' on site, no exceptions. Path Goyf on site, no exceptions. Then get in with some beats and burn. Pretty simple game plan.
edit: That's also why this deck runs red. Lots of Jund lists (especially The Rock) have really amped up their land destruction, and Colonnade is not 100% reliable against them. Bolt/Helix + Snapcaster becomes a very real win-con.
edit2: UWR Control has a worse matchup against Jund/The Rock than we do thanks to them beefing up their land destruction game. The matchup against GR Tron for UWR Control is like 75:25 in Trons favor. I'd put it at 50:50 for us. If we take Splinter Twin into account we can round out (in my opinion) the top 3 decks in the format right now. I've found UWR Midrange has the same chance of winning against Splinter Twin as UWR Control does.
edit3: UWR Control is only placing on MODO because Chepa (Wafo-Tapa???) is amazing with the deck, and refuses to play anything else. I think if UWR Midrange had a Chepa to pilot it, we'd have the same winnings as UWR Control.
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Celestial Colonnade
4 Arid Mesa
3 Tectonic Edge
3 Steam Vents
2 Sulfur Falls
2 Island
2 Hallowed Fountain
1 Plains
1 Mountain
12 CREATURES
4 Blade Splicer
4 Snapcaster Mage
2 Restoration Angel
2 Vendilion Clique
4 Path to Exile
4 Cryptic Command
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Mana Leak
3 Lightning Helix
3 Electrolyze
1 OTHER SPELL
1 Venser, the Sojourner
2x Aven Mindcensor
2x Celestial Purge
1x Combust
2x Counterflux
2x Engineered Explosives
2x Threads of Disloyalty
2x Stony Silence
2x Sowing Salt
Was bored at work when I put this together. Might put it together online and mess with it. Seems interesting. I've always loved Venser.
Anyway, this deck plays nothing like UW or UWR Control. They share colors, but that doesn't matter. T2 you -always- either hold mana for a counter, bluff a counter, or put a Helix somewhere. If you have to shock yourself to make those happen, you do it. If the only place for that Helix to go is the dome, put it there. If you need to use a Bolt, probably okay to do that too.
This deck always has a T2 play.
Personally I think that this deck is just a well rounded deck. I think people sometimes exaggerate match ups.
I've found that UWr Midrange is pretty close to 50:50 with most decks in the format right now.
Any reason you have Thirst For Knowledge over Think Twice?
I'm taking Wear//Tear as a meta choice over Combust for now.
3x Arid Mesa
4x Celestial Colonnade
1x Eiganjo Castle
2x Hallowed Fountain
2x Island
1x Mountain
1x Plains
1x Sacred Foundry
4x Scalding Tarn
3x Steam Vents
1x Sulfur Falls
3x Tectonic Edge
4x Lightning Bolt
3x Lightning Helix
3x Mana Leak
3x Path to Exile
3x Remand
4x Geist of Saint Traft
3x Restoration Angel
4x Snapcaster Mage
2x Vendilion Clique
1x Batterskull
2x Aven Mindcensor
1x Baneslayer Angel
2x Celestial Purge
1x Combust
2x Counterflux
2x Engineered Explosives
1x Path to Exile
2x Relic of Progenitus
2x Stony Silence
So this is where I'm at with the advice of you guys. My 2 card flex spot got filled with a basic Plains, and 1x Ajani Vengeant.
I'm excited to see if Ajani is any good.
edit: Combust could, and probably should, be a Wear//Tear