Halo is definitely reasonable.
Its more like path to exile than leyline of sanctity in that matchup, but it cleanly answers cards like reality smasher, thought-knot, and walking ballista.
All on one, 2cmc card.
Sometimes you have to slap it down early, and sometimes you'll "guess wrong" for their first threat, but if the game goes long enough, they are likely to draw the named card at some point.
It also answers every single copy, which is nice.
The named creature can still block, though, so Runed Halo doesn't help your geist get through in the way a removal spell would. And Ballista can still ping your creatures.
So, as promised. I went for GP Birmingham modern fanatic package. That is side events only and these were my results.
Friday Modern I "Double Up":
Elves 2-1
Jund 0-2
Monoblue Grand Architect 2-0
Eldrazi Tron 2-1
Friday Modern II
Grixis Death Shadow 2-0
UB Control 2-0
Abzan Midrange 2-1
Esper Reanimator 0-2
Saturday Modern I "Double Up"
Elves 0-2
Kuldotha Goblins 2-0
Elves 2-0
UW Control ID
Saturday Modern II
BW Tokens 2-1
Death & Taxes 2-1
Bant Spirits 0-2
Grixis Death Shadow 1-2 (I mulled to five game two and to four three, after winning game one and almost winning game two if I hadn't screwed my block)
Sunday was a particularly bad day, full of no lander hands and really bad mulligans pretty much like the above game, specially on the second tournament... :'(
Sunday Modern I "Double Up"
Ad Nauseam 2-1 (Could have been 2-0, but I conceded round 1 knowing my opponent had failed his own combo, as he resolved Ad Nauseam before casting Angel's Grace and he was on pretty low health already)
Affinity 2-0
Ad Nauseam 1-2
Jund 2-0
Sunday Modern II
RG Titanshift 2-1
GW Goodstuff 1-2 (The new list that runs crucible of worlds on a creature)
Burn 0-2 (Literally mulled two 4 both games, with no landers - not even joking, this was one of my best match ups according to my excel data records)
Jeskai Nahiri 2-1
I was happy to run 0 Stony Silences, I don't feel like I need them at all against affinity. Against RG Tron and Eldrazi Tron I prefer Spreading Seas because it works against both versions of Tron and particularly against RG Tron, Spreading Seas delays them as much as Stony Silence but actually increases our chances of getting the badly needed Geist, Snap, Counters or worse case scenario bolt.
I also decided to completely remove Rest in Peace from the sideboard. So now I am running 2 Supreme Verdict and 1 Grim Lavamancer. If Dredge or other similar degenerate decks are in your meta, I would replace Grim with a second Anger of the Gods or add Relic of Progenitus or some other force of Graveyard Hate instead. This is something I am not 100% sure about just yet.
You played the Ancestral Vision-list you posted a page back?
I enjoy playing UWx decks and mostly have been playing UW recently. However, closing games out is an issue and UWR appeals for this reason. The problem as I see it is, as always, is TRON. It doesn't surprise me at all that the UWR Geist list went down 0-2 to E-Tron in the finals last weekend. What is the answer here - more Ceremonious Rejection and even Disdainful Stroke (hedge against Valakut as well)? Perhaps some Runed Halo - which covers off on these two currently big meta decks.. Also Chalice on 1 is pretty rough - so perhaps 2x Explosives in the 75? UWR is pretty vunerable to Moon - is another good reason to pack Explosives and perhaps Celestial Purge.
I've recently been testing the list below:
//Mana
4 Celestial Colonnade
4 Flooded Strand
3 Scalding Tarn
1 Arid Mesa
2 Steam Vents
2 Hallowed Fountain
1 Sacred Foundry
2 Sulfur Falls (I'm not sure why some lists prefer Canal - I prefer my 4th land to come in untapped for Cryptic etc)
3 Island
1 Plains
1 Mountain
(No room for GQ - I think its too greedy to have a colourless source?)
//Creatures - Shaving on Queller and Geist could be wrong?
4 Snapcaster Mage
3 Spell Queller
3 Geist of Saint Traft
//Counters
4 Cryptic Command
2 Mana Leak
1 Logic Knot (I dont want too many GY dependent cards - ppl inevitably bring in GY hate when the see snaps)
//Removal
4 Path to Exile
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Lightning Helix
3 Electrolyze
1 Engineered Explosives (better in the sb? - I like to have an out to permanents that cant be dealt with otherwise)
//Other
4 Serum Visions
//Sideboard
SB: 2 Runed Halo (Valakut, TKS, Grapeshot)
SB: 2 Ceremonious Rejection (E-Tron, Tron, Affinity, Lantern)
SB: 1 Disdainful Stroke (Valakut, E-Tron, Tron, CoCo, Chord, Control mirror)
SB: 1 Negate
SB: 1 Relic of Progenitus
SB: 1 Rest in Peace
SB: 2 Surgical Extraction (Mostly for Storm and Dredge - most oversideboarded card - don't bring it in willy-nilly)
SB: 1 Engineered Explosives (Im not playing stony silence - so this is a utility card for Affinity while being useful elsewhere - Chalice on 1, Moon with island/plains in play - wrath effect at times, shadow decks)
SB: 1 Celestial Purge (Lilliana, Moon, Shadow)
SB: 1 Blessed Alliance (additional life gain for burn, Shadow decks, Thrun!)
SB: 1 Supreme Verdict
SB: 1 Vendilion Clique (Valakut, Storm, combo in general..)
I have considered playing an Engineered explosives in the main. I noticed Jean Sato played 1 in his list that made top 8 in GP Sao Paulo: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/730062#paper
It will be poor in some matchups, but may be flexible enough, and frees up a sideboard slot. Detention Sphere is more flexible, and can catch Tron/E-Tron's big plays (like planeswalkers and smashers without having to discard), as well as multiple Death's shadows, Finks, Goyfs, Lingering souls etc. so it's also worth considering imo. Oblivion stone, All is dust and abrupt decay/maelstrom pulse can be a setback for it, though.
Big weekend for jeskai midrange and geist fans! Jonathan Rosum top 8'ed SCG Modern Open Syracuse with 917 players and ended 3rd-4th place, while Michael Deidolori made 21st place. Rosum won 2-1 against grixis death's shadow in the quarterfinals, but lost 0-2 to Eldrazi Tron in the semi.
Two jeskai decks made top 8 in the MKM series Prague modern event (~300 participants) yesterday, where one was jeskai geist (top 4) and one was jeskai saheeli (top 8)
A Jeskai Geist list made it to the top 8 of the trial event on friday as well (about 100 participants).
I attended the event as well and I played a Jeskai list with Geist and Spell Queller. I was a 5-3 drop but the deck felt pretty good and I just ran into a few bad MUs (Ad Nauseam, RG Ponza and the Todd Stevens CoCo list with mana denial). It seems like it's time to play Geist again.
Yeah, pretty interesting the list from the trial event too, with 4 maindeck Spreading Seas, maindeck Dispel and only 9 creatures:
Two jeskai decks made top 8 in the MKM series Prague modern event (~300 participants) yesterday, where one was jeskai geist (top 4) and one was jeskai saheeli (top 8)
Anyone tried serpent? I see some UR list with Cryptic Serpent has made some 5-0s on modo, and decided to try it in jeskai midrange together with Thought Scour, kind of similar to the "grixis control" lists. Serpent can come out turn 3 after thought scour and two other one mana spells. May be too slow, though. Needs more testing.
Regarding electrolyze, yes I know it can kill two thoughness creatures, but at that point you are no longer doing two for one which is the main reason to run the card,
Yes, you are doing two for one when your electrolyze kill one card and draw you one card. If you kill i.e. two noble hierarchs, you are doing three for one.
Following your advice, I am replacing one of them (down to 2) with Electrolyze. It's extra removal against Company decks and it still gives card advantage. Unfortunatly Devoted Druid is still a 0/2 danger, I guess I will have to bolt it and Eletrolyze other creepers.
You can kill 2 toughness creatures with Electrolyze, if that's what you meant. You can direct the 2 damage to a player or to one or two creatures.
Why would you play 4 Boros Charm in a midrange deck? I don't think you always can expect to be on the aggro-burn plan here. Very often you're on defence, and then your Boros Charms will probably look pretty bad.
Well boys, this card should absolute tilt for burn! Set it up with counterspell backup when you are at 5-8 life.
Flash it back later = )
It's going to be tilt for me too, I came here to ask for help.
I've have a very decent win rate with my list on not so "competitive" environments, FMN style and such. But I've been losing a lot, and I really mean ALOT against counter company. I used to find Melira and Abzan Company cake walk, but right now, with a build with even more removal I am just folding to all sorts of broken Companies, even when I have average to good hands. Another match-up that is giving me lots of trouble is Colorless Eldrazi Tron. Specially when they have nut hands.
Usually lose the either because I lack some gas in the end to get the last points of damage. Specially WHEN they chain the finks.
I am also getting slightly land secrewed.
So I am thinking of going down 1 remand down to two and 2 resto ration angels down to 0, to add 3 Ancestral Visions, since my only turn 1 play is Bolts and Grim Lavamancer if I sideboard him in.
Thoughts?
What's your list? Electrolyze is good against counter company. I side in 2 dispel to counter company/chord of calling. Also, Anger of the gods and Izzet staticaster is very good from the side. I Don't like remand that much against them because they can cast company your end step, then recast it in their main. Mana leak/Logic Knot/Negate/Dispel/Cryptic Command is better in those situations. Relic of Progenitus is good for keeping their eternal witnesses etc. in check.
I've recently started playing Wall of Omens in place of Serum visions, and liking it pretty good. Playing 4 Snapcasters, 4 Wall of Omens, 4 geists, 3 Restoration angel, 2 Clique. Been doing things like blocking deaths shadow with wall, and flashing in resto to draw a card and keep the wall alive. then crushing in with angel and geist. The wall is nice for neutralizing Matter Reshaper against Eldrazi Tron, so we don't need to kill it and give them a card or permanent. Blessed alliance and ceremonious rejection are nice answers to smasher and thought knot from the side. Cavern could be a problem, though, so we should have some land destruction as well. Supreme/Wrath from the side can also be very good against eldrazi tron.
Wall of Omens has really been helping against dredge too, another problem matchup.
The named creature can still block, though, so Runed Halo doesn't help your geist get through in the way a removal spell would. And Ballista can still ping your creatures.
UWRUWR Delver/Lynx TempoUWR-------UWRUWR Midrange GeistUWR-------UWRUWR Nahiri ControlUWR-------UWRUWR SaheeliUWR
BGRJund / Jund ShadowBGR-------BGWAbzan / Abzan ShadowBGW
Commander (Leviathan/MTGO): UWGeist of Saint TraftUW
The question was for FranciscoK (quote). Sorry about the confusion.
UWRUWR Delver/Lynx TempoUWR-------UWRUWR Midrange GeistUWR-------UWRUWR Nahiri ControlUWR-------UWRUWR SaheeliUWR
BGRJund / Jund ShadowBGR-------BGWAbzan / Abzan ShadowBGW
Commander (Leviathan/MTGO): UWGeist of Saint TraftUW
You played the Ancestral Vision-list you posted a page back?
UWRUWR Delver/Lynx TempoUWR-------UWRUWR Midrange GeistUWR-------UWRUWR Nahiri ControlUWR-------UWRUWR SaheeliUWR
BGRJund / Jund ShadowBGR-------BGWAbzan / Abzan ShadowBGW
Commander (Leviathan/MTGO): UWGeist of Saint TraftUW
I have considered playing an Engineered explosives in the main. I noticed Jean Sato played 1 in his list that made top 8 in GP Sao Paulo:
https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/730062#paper
It will be poor in some matchups, but may be flexible enough, and frees up a sideboard slot. Detention Sphere is more flexible, and can catch Tron/E-Tron's big plays (like planeswalkers and smashers without having to discard), as well as multiple Death's shadows, Finks, Goyfs, Lingering souls etc. so it's also worth considering imo. Oblivion stone, All is dust and abrupt decay/maelstrom pulse can be a setback for it, though.
UWRUWR Delver/Lynx TempoUWR-------UWRUWR Midrange GeistUWR-------UWRUWR Nahiri ControlUWR-------UWRUWR SaheeliUWR
BGRJund / Jund ShadowBGR-------BGWAbzan / Abzan ShadowBGW
Commander (Leviathan/MTGO): UWGeist of Saint TraftUW
You don't like Cavern of Souls naming spirit or wizard? Neither do I
UWRUWR Delver/Lynx TempoUWR-------UWRUWR Midrange GeistUWR-------UWRUWR Nahiri ControlUWR-------UWRUWR SaheeliUWR
BGRJund / Jund ShadowBGR-------BGWAbzan / Abzan ShadowBGW
Commander (Leviathan/MTGO): UWGeist of Saint TraftUW
Jonathan Rosum's list:
4 Snapcaster Mage
4 Spell Queller
2 Geist of Saint Traft
1 Thundermaw Hellkite
Instants
4 Cryptic Command
3 Electrolyze
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Lightning Helix
3 Logic Knot
4 Path to Exile
4 Serum Visions
Basic Lands
3 Island
1 Mountain
1 Plains
Lands
4 Celestial Colonnade
4 Flooded Strand
2 Hallowed Fountain
1 Sacred Foundry
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Spirebluff Canal
2 Steam Vents
2 Relic of Progenitus
1 Rest in Peace
2 Runed Halo
2 Stony Silence
2 Ceremonious Rejection
1 Dispel
1 Wear
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
1 Anger of the Gods
1 Supreme Verdict
Michael Deidolori's list:
4 Snapcaster Mage
2 Spell Queller
4 Geist of Saint Traft
2 Vendilion Clique
Instants
2 Cryptic Command
1 Electrolyze
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Lightning Helix
2 Mana Leak
1 Negate
4 Path to Exile
1 Remand
Planeswalkers
1 Ajani Vengeant
4 Serum Visions
Basic Lands
3 Island
1 Mountain
1 Plains
Lands
1 Cavern of Souls
4 Celestial Colonnade
4 Flooded Strand
1 Glacial Fortress
2 Hallowed Fountain
1 Mystic Gate
1 Sacred Foundry
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Steam Vents
2 Engineered Explosives
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Izzet Staticaster
1 Rest in Peace
2 Stony Silence
3 Ceremonious Rejection
1 Wear
1 Keranos, God of Storms
1 Supreme Verdict
2 Timely Reinforcements
UWRUWR Delver/Lynx TempoUWR-------UWRUWR Midrange GeistUWR-------UWRUWR Nahiri ControlUWR-------UWRUWR SaheeliUWR
BGRJund / Jund ShadowBGR-------BGWAbzan / Abzan ShadowBGW
Commander (Leviathan/MTGO): UWGeist of Saint TraftUW
Yeah, pretty interesting the list from the trial event too, with 4 maindeck Spreading Seas, maindeck Dispel and only 9 creatures:
Francisco Esteban – Jeskai Aggrocontrol
3 Geist of Saint Traft
2 Spell Queller
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Path to Exile
4 Serum Visions
3 Lightning Helix
2 Electrolyze
2 Cryptic Command
2 Mana Leak
1 Logic Knot
1 Spell Snare
1 Dispel
4 Sreading Seas
4 Flooded Strand
4 Scalding Tarn
3 Celestial Colonnade
2 Hallowed Fountain
2 Steam Vents
1 Scared Foundry
1 Spirebluff Canal
3 Island
1 Mountain
1 Plains
1 Ghost Quarter
2 Ceremonious Rejection
2 Surgical Extraction
1 Stony Silence
1 Supreme Verdict
1 Dusk // Dawn
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Counterflux
1 Izzet Staticaster
1 Crumble to Dust
1 Blessed Alliance
1 Celestrial Purge
UWRUWR Delver/Lynx TempoUWR-------UWRUWR Midrange GeistUWR-------UWRUWR Nahiri ControlUWR-------UWRUWR SaheeliUWR
BGRJund / Jund ShadowBGR-------BGWAbzan / Abzan ShadowBGW
Commander (Leviathan/MTGO): UWGeist of Saint TraftUW
http://series.magiccardmarket.eu/coverage-mkm-series-prague-2017-modern/
Geist list runs 4 cryptic Commands and only 9 creatures, including a Dragonlord Ojutai:
4 Snapcaster Mage
4 Geist of Saint Traft
1 Dragonlord Ojutai
Instant/Sorcery 27:
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Path to Exile
4 Serum Visions
1 Spell Snare
2 Logic Knot
2 Mana Leak
1 Negate
3 Lightning Helix
2 Electrolyze
4 Cryptic Command
3 Celestial Colonnade
2 Sulfur Falls
4 Flooded Strand
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Steam Vents
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Sacred Foundry
2 Island
1 Mountain
1 Plains
1 Minamo, School at Water's Edge
1 Eiganjo Castle
1 Desolate Lighthouse
UWRUWR Delver/Lynx TempoUWR-------UWRUWR Midrange GeistUWR-------UWRUWR Nahiri ControlUWR-------UWRUWR SaheeliUWR
BGRJund / Jund ShadowBGR-------BGWAbzan / Abzan ShadowBGW
Commander (Leviathan/MTGO): UWGeist of Saint TraftUW
We may want to do as other UWx shells increasingly are doing: mainboard 3-4 Spreading Seas.
UWRUWR Delver/Lynx TempoUWR-------UWRUWR Midrange GeistUWR-------UWRUWR Nahiri ControlUWR-------UWRUWR SaheeliUWR
BGRJund / Jund ShadowBGR-------BGWAbzan / Abzan ShadowBGW
Commander (Leviathan/MTGO): UWGeist of Saint TraftUW
4 Snapcaster Mage
3 Geist of Saint Traft
3 Cryptic Serpent
2 Vendilion Clique
Instant/Sorcery 27:
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Path to Exile
4 Serum Visions
4 Thought Scour
1 Spell Snare
1 Censor
1 Mana Leak
2 Remand
2 Lightning Helix
2 Electrolyze
2 Cryptic Command
2 Celestial Colonnade
2 Spirebluff Canal
4 Flooded Strand
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Steam Vents
2 Hallowed Fountain
1 Sacred Foundry
2 Island
1 Mountain
1 Plains
1 Engineered Explosives
2 Ceremonious Rejection
2 Stony Silence
2 Relic of Progenitus
1 Dispel
1 Negate
2 Anger of the Gods
1 Blessed Alliance
2 Crumble to Dust
1 Wear // Tear
UWRUWR Delver/Lynx TempoUWR-------UWRUWR Midrange GeistUWR-------UWRUWR Nahiri ControlUWR-------UWRUWR SaheeliUWR
BGRJund / Jund ShadowBGR-------BGWAbzan / Abzan ShadowBGW
Commander (Leviathan/MTGO): UWGeist of Saint TraftUW
UWRUWR Delver/Lynx TempoUWR-------UWRUWR Midrange GeistUWR-------UWRUWR Nahiri ControlUWR-------UWRUWR SaheeliUWR
BGRJund / Jund ShadowBGR-------BGWAbzan / Abzan ShadowBGW
Commander (Leviathan/MTGO): UWGeist of Saint TraftUW
Yes, you are doing two for one when your electrolyze kill one card and draw you one card. If you kill i.e. two noble hierarchs, you are doing three for one.
UWRUWR Delver/Lynx TempoUWR-------UWRUWR Midrange GeistUWR-------UWRUWR Nahiri ControlUWR-------UWRUWR SaheeliUWR
BGRJund / Jund ShadowBGR-------BGWAbzan / Abzan ShadowBGW
Commander (Leviathan/MTGO): UWGeist of Saint TraftUW
You can kill 2 toughness creatures with Electrolyze, if that's what you meant. You can direct the 2 damage to a player or to one or two creatures.
UWRUWR Delver/Lynx TempoUWR-------UWRUWR Midrange GeistUWR-------UWRUWR Nahiri ControlUWR-------UWRUWR SaheeliUWR
BGRJund / Jund ShadowBGR-------BGWAbzan / Abzan ShadowBGW
Commander (Leviathan/MTGO): UWGeist of Saint TraftUW
UWRUWR Delver/Lynx TempoUWR-------UWRUWR Midrange GeistUWR-------UWRUWR Nahiri ControlUWR-------UWRUWR SaheeliUWR
BGRJund / Jund ShadowBGR-------BGWAbzan / Abzan ShadowBGW
Commander (Leviathan/MTGO): UWGeist of Saint TraftUW
What's your list? Electrolyze is good against counter company. I side in 2 dispel to counter company/chord of calling. Also, Anger of the gods and Izzet staticaster is very good from the side. I Don't like remand that much against them because they can cast company your end step, then recast it in their main. Mana leak/Logic Knot/Negate/Dispel/Cryptic Command is better in those situations. Relic of Progenitus is good for keeping their eternal witnesses etc. in check.
I've recently started playing Wall of Omens in place of Serum visions, and liking it pretty good. Playing 4 Snapcasters, 4 Wall of Omens, 4 geists, 3 Restoration angel, 2 Clique. Been doing things like blocking deaths shadow with wall, and flashing in resto to draw a card and keep the wall alive. then crushing in with angel and geist. The wall is nice for neutralizing Matter Reshaper against Eldrazi Tron, so we don't need to kill it and give them a card or permanent. Blessed alliance and ceremonious rejection are nice answers to smasher and thought knot from the side. Cavern could be a problem, though, so we should have some land destruction as well. Supreme/Wrath from the side can also be very good against eldrazi tron.
Wall of Omens has really been helping against dredge too, another problem matchup.
UWRUWR Delver/Lynx TempoUWR-------UWRUWR Midrange GeistUWR-------UWRUWR Nahiri ControlUWR-------UWRUWR SaheeliUWR
BGRJund / Jund ShadowBGR-------BGWAbzan / Abzan ShadowBGW
Commander (Leviathan/MTGO): UWGeist of Saint TraftUW