I think the main issue is keeping your opponent in check before casting geist by using cheap efficient removal. I've been thinking about trying out some Forked Bolts
I also want to point out that Archangel Avacyn at eot does not make your creatures indestructible the next turn.
Removal does not bring you ahead. They play a guy, you spend your mana to remove it, they play another guy. The key here is tempo; putting your opponent in a state where they are reacting to what you play while you expand your gameplan. And that's both the biggest advantage and disadvantage of Geist: once you have the offense it might just be the best creature in the game to maximally use that tempo, but once behind geist does almost nothing as it's essentially a 6/2 in combat
on the play
turn 2 you hold up mana
turn 2 they play their threat, you stop it
turn 3 you land geist
turn 3 they play a threat
turn 4 you remove the threat and swing with geist
on the draw
turn 2 they play a threat
turn 2 you respond to that threat
turn 3 they play a threat
turn 3 you play geist
turn 4 they play another threat
turn 4 you can deal with one threat but they now have one left
Now if you have a tempo gaining card like Spell Snare on the draw
turn 2 they play a threat, you Spell Snare it
turn 2 you hold up mana
turn 3 they play a threat, you stop it
turn 3 you play geist
turn 4 they play a threat
turn 4 you remove the threat and swing with geist
Of course this is a very simplified scenario but it does show how important tempo is in Geist decks. I feel like the best way to make Geist good again is to strongly focus on tempo-gaining spells
Putting Eldrazi aside for a moment, I've always seen the biggest issue with Geist decks that although they are stellar once ahead, it can be difficult to come back from being behind on the board. Most importantly, the deck seems to be exceptionally stronger on the play than on the draw compared to other decks I play.
So basically what I'm wondering is; what cards can be used to come back from being on the draw game 1? Spell Snare obviously comes to mind by trading up, possibly Remand. Anything more exotic? What other cards could be used to grab that original tempo needed to make the deck shine?
I want to report back on Jeskai Charm, because it has been absolutely amazing for me so far. Every mode has its utility and each one of them is super powerful, especially the lifelink one. I love Electrolyze, but together with Geist charm is just way better, I really want to suggest you guys to try it out for a few more matches.
And speaking of Liliana, she dies to Jeskai Charm as well
EDIT: this is my list atm, although the sideboard is still somewhat experimental
If we're talking about UWr flash, I've been thinking about playing Pestermite. It's a great tempo card on its own, tapping down attackers and coming in for 2 flying damage a turn. And of course, the kiki combo can be ran as a backup plan
I'd say UWr geist is by far the strongest UWr deck right now (compared to control, kiki, flash, and other midrange respectively). It does however suffer from the same problem all UWr decks have: a difficulty with coming back from a boardstate where we're forced to be defensive. We run a ludicrous amount of removal and have tons of ways to get geist through which makes us able to race a lot of decks, but the moment we can not we run into trouble. Once the deck starts to stagger, it's really tough to get back up again.
I really think it's a shame it can't shock to the face and I really wonder why it can't.
Given that it's 4 mana I'd rather max out on Cryptics before I'd start considering Brutal Expulsion, and since we never do, I don't think expulsion makes the cut
I finally got my Vendilion Cliques for a not-stupid price so I've been picking this deck up again. I'd definitely run Stony Silence right now, not only for affinity but also because it's one of the best cards against tron
A discussion I'd like to revive is Jeskai Charm: back when it first came out, Lingering Souls was everywhere, but nowadays Electrolyze always seems like the worst card in the deck for me; small critters isn't what we have problems dealing with, it's the big delvers and goyfs, and while bouncing a Tasigur with cryptic is pretty damn strong already, putting him on top for a mana less seems even stronger. Add to that a 16 point life swing with Geist and the ability to go to the face and it seems incredibly strong in current modern where being on the aggressive is so important
Another discussion I kind of left in the middle of: in my opinion, building any deck that's blue and not merfolk should start with 4 Serum Visions and then the rest.
I have always been skeptical about 4c lists but the manabase worked out very well, only one time I wasn't able to play a Lightning Helix, all other spells were easily castable on curve (although I did decide on playing Anger over Supreme Verdict because I'm a tad low on white sources)
First match is the one I lost, my opponent playing sort of an Eternal Command brew, with Eternal Witness, Tarmogoyf, Aether Vial, Cryptic Command and Familiar's Ruse. Both games he managed to get a turn 1 vial, which made the games pretty damn hard. I made a very big misplay game 2 that cost me the game, where I blocked his 3/4 Tarmogoyf with my Tasigur and he bolted Tasigur before combat damage, which I should've seen coming. There was a really interesting exchange game 1, where I Lightning Helixed his Tarmogoyf and he bounced his own Tarmogoyf with Familiar's Ruse and I then Remanded my own Helix.
Second match was against infect, game 1 I almost died to the pumped Noble Hierarch beatdown when my opponent was on his last legs, but Lightning Helix saved the day. Game 2 I had a pretty gross hand and managed to beat down with geist while tapping his team down with Cryptic Command and snapcaster flashback Cryptic Command.
Match 3 was against Grixis Control, game 1 was the most exciting game of the evening for me. Lots of burn, lots of counter wars, and I got a really good read on him having Dispel even though I hadn't seen him mainboard it yet. Game 2 was over really quickly as my opponent missed 3 land drops and I kept hitting mine, which is just fatal in control mirrors.
Match 4 was a strange deck, with tronlands, Chalice of the Void and Mind Stone for some reason, so I assumed it was Utron and since he didn't get much going game 1 I boarded for that. But the moment I kept my opening hand for game 2 I realized he was playing stax and then lost to chalice on 1 and 2 and two lodestone golems, with my four-drops uselessly in my hand. For game 3 I went as low on the curve as possible and managed to get through thanks to Engineered Explosives on 0 and Wear // Tear. Celestial Colonnade beats won the game and then he showed me his hand of All is Dust and Oblivion Stone, both unable to kill Colonnade. It was a really cool deck though and I asked to see his list so I might build it myself for funsies
In the end: very satisfied with the build, Tasigur is a beast and there is almost no reason not to play black in any modern goodstuff deck nowadays. I only got to play Kolaghan's Command once, against the stax player, where I destroyed a lodestone Golem and dealt him 2 to the face so my Celestial Colonnade could kill him one turn faster.
I personally prefer Serum Visions over Anticipate, seeing as I found myself often using Anticipate main phase to find lands anyways.
Also @GreatNate, I'd like to hear your input on the questions I posted above, seeing as you also don't seem to run Spell Snare anymore and used Anticipate in yout PPTQ list and you generally seem to have about the same ideas about the deck that I have
I have some questions and opinions I'd like to discuss:
1. I see a lot of lists have cut Spell Snare altogether. I still religiously run at least 2 as they are strong in counter wars and help catching up when on the draw, so I'd like to know why people cut them
3. Looking at the field, it seems that the strongest option for UWr right now is to be able to morph between control and midrange. But what deck would be strongest game 1? Essentially, would you rather put Geist mainboard with Wraths and wincons in the sideboard or vice versa?
4. Purposefully putting myself on an extreme standpoint here, but I think that (apart from Merfolk) every blue deck in modern should be running 4x Serum Visions. It solves, or at least eases, a lot of problems for UWr Midrange that are often causes of a loss (I didn't draw an early Geist/I didn't draw enough or too many lands/I didn't find my removal). The main challenge is finding out what to cut for it, which is a matter of narrowness of the cut card's utility as every Serum Visions increases the odds of drawing said card anyways.
It's kind of depressing that, now I finally have UWr complete after two years of slowly building it, it isn't good anymore. Meanwhile the merfolk thread, the deck I've been playing for those two years is celebrating because of multiple placements
However I am looking forward for Origins, with Prowess and scry now being evergreen and in UR, I expect to see some good tempo creatures soon.
It functions very similarly to tarmotwin, having a fast clock while always threathening the combo, making your opponent reluctant to tap out. You take a bit more damage from shocklands especially because of Serum Visions, but I feel it is necessary to have some dig in this deck.
I've been looking a bit more at Spreading Seas and I think it'll actually be my landhate of choice. I already play Ghost Quarter and Path to Exile, so manascrew is not what I'm aiming for. Spreading Seas however still makes me turn off tron, manlands and stuff like Gavony Township for a mana cheaper. Even on the draw you can turn off tron before they get the chance, and I'd rather draw a card than deal two damage. The biggest upside to Molten Rain for me is that it can be Snapcastered back later on, which you can;t do with seas.
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I also want to point out that Archangel Avacyn at eot does not make your creatures indestructible the next turn.
on the play
turn 2 you hold up mana
turn 2 they play their threat, you stop it
turn 3 you land geist
turn 3 they play a threat
turn 4 you remove the threat and swing with geist
on the draw
turn 2 they play a threat
turn 2 you respond to that threat
turn 3 they play a threat
turn 3 you play geist
turn 4 they play another threat
turn 4 you can deal with one threat but they now have one left
Now if you have a tempo gaining card like Spell Snare on the draw
turn 2 they play a threat, you Spell Snare it
turn 2 you hold up mana
turn 3 they play a threat, you stop it
turn 3 you play geist
turn 4 they play a threat
turn 4 you remove the threat and swing with geist
Of course this is a very simplified scenario but it does show how important tempo is in Geist decks. I feel like the best way to make Geist good again is to strongly focus on tempo-gaining spells
So basically what I'm wondering is; what cards can be used to come back from being on the draw game 1? Spell Snare obviously comes to mind by trading up, possibly Remand. Anything more exotic? What other cards could be used to grab that original tempo needed to make the deck shine?
4 Geist of Saint Traft
4 Snapcaster Mage
2 Vendilion Clique
2 Restoration Angel
spells
4 Serum Visions
4 Mana Leak
2 Cryptic Command
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Lightning Helix
2 Electrolyze
4 Path to Exile
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
4 Celestial Colonnade
4 Flooded Strand
3 Arid Mesa
1 Scalding Tarn
2 Steam Vents
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Hallowed Fountain
2 Island
1 Plains
1 Mountain
1 Sulfur Falls
2 Ghost Quarter
1 Eiganjo Castle
1 Keranos, God of Storms
2 Kor Firewalker
1 Dispel
1 Negate
1 Celestial Purge
1 Wear // Tear
2 Relic of Progenitus
2 Supreme Verdict
2 Crumble to Dust
2 Stony Silence
Finally got time to go to my FNM for the first time in two months, planning on playing this. Any suggestions?
And speaking of Liliana, she dies to Jeskai Charm as well
EDIT: this is my list atm, although the sideboard is still somewhat experimental
4 Snapcaster Mage
4 Geist of Saint Traft
2 Vendilion Clique
3 Restoration Angel
spells
4 Serum Visions
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Path to Exile
2 Spell Snare
2 Remand
3 Lightning Helix
2 Jeskai Charm
2 Cryptic Command
4 Celestial Colonnade
4 Flooded Strand
1 Scalding Tarn
3 Arid Mesa
2 Island
1 Plains
1 Mountain
2 Steam Vents
2 Hallowed Fountain
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep
1 Glacial Fortress
1 Sulfur Falls
1 Wear // Tear
1 Keranos, God of Storms
1 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
2 Kor Firewalker
2 Dispel
2 Rest in Peace
2 Ghost Quarter
2 Supreme Verdict
2 Stony Silence
Given that it's 4 mana I'd rather max out on Cryptics before I'd start considering Brutal Expulsion, and since we never do, I don't think expulsion makes the cut
A discussion I'd like to revive is Jeskai Charm: back when it first came out, Lingering Souls was everywhere, but nowadays Electrolyze always seems like the worst card in the deck for me; small critters isn't what we have problems dealing with, it's the big delvers and goyfs, and while bouncing a Tasigur with cryptic is pretty damn strong already, putting him on top for a mana less seems even stronger. Add to that a 16 point life swing with Geist and the ability to go to the face and it seems incredibly strong in current modern where being on the aggressive is so important
Another discussion I kind of left in the middle of: in my opinion, building any deck that's blue and not merfolk should start with 4 Serum Visions and then the rest.
4 Snapcaster Mage
4 Geist of Saint Traft
2 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
3 Restoration Angel
Spells
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Lightning Helix
4 Path to Exile
2 Electrolyze
1 Kolaghan's Command
2 Spell Snare
2 Mana Leak
2 Remand
2 Cryptic Command
Lands
4 Celestial Colonnade
4 Flooded Strand
2 Arid Mesa
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Polluted Delta
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Steam Vents
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Watery Grave
1 Blood Crypt
1 Drowned Catacomb
1 Sulfur Falls
1 Glacial Fortress
1 Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep
2 Island
1 Plains
1 Mountain
2 Kor Firewalker
1 Keranos, God of Storms
2 Dispel
1 Counterflux
2 Molten Rain
2 Engineered Explosives
2 Surgical Extraction
1 Anger of the Gods
2 Wear // Tear
I have always been skeptical about 4c lists but the manabase worked out very well, only one time I wasn't able to play a Lightning Helix, all other spells were easily castable on curve (although I did decide on playing Anger over Supreme Verdict because I'm a tad low on white sources)
First match is the one I lost, my opponent playing sort of an Eternal Command brew, with Eternal Witness, Tarmogoyf, Aether Vial, Cryptic Command and Familiar's Ruse. Both games he managed to get a turn 1 vial, which made the games pretty damn hard. I made a very big misplay game 2 that cost me the game, where I blocked his 3/4 Tarmogoyf with my Tasigur and he bolted Tasigur before combat damage, which I should've seen coming. There was a really interesting exchange game 1, where I Lightning Helixed his Tarmogoyf and he bounced his own Tarmogoyf with Familiar's Ruse and I then Remanded my own Helix.
Second match was against infect, game 1 I almost died to the pumped Noble Hierarch beatdown when my opponent was on his last legs, but Lightning Helix saved the day. Game 2 I had a pretty gross hand and managed to beat down with geist while tapping his team down with Cryptic Command and snapcaster flashback Cryptic Command.
Match 3 was against Grixis Control, game 1 was the most exciting game of the evening for me. Lots of burn, lots of counter wars, and I got a really good read on him having Dispel even though I hadn't seen him mainboard it yet. Game 2 was over really quickly as my opponent missed 3 land drops and I kept hitting mine, which is just fatal in control mirrors.
Match 4 was a strange deck, with tronlands, Chalice of the Void and Mind Stone for some reason, so I assumed it was Utron and since he didn't get much going game 1 I boarded for that. But the moment I kept my opening hand for game 2 I realized he was playing stax and then lost to chalice on 1 and 2 and two lodestone golems, with my four-drops uselessly in my hand. For game 3 I went as low on the curve as possible and managed to get through thanks to Engineered Explosives on 0 and Wear // Tear. Celestial Colonnade beats won the game and then he showed me his hand of All is Dust and Oblivion Stone, both unable to kill Colonnade. It was a really cool deck though and I asked to see his list so I might build it myself for funsies
In the end: very satisfied with the build, Tasigur is a beast and there is almost no reason not to play black in any modern goodstuff deck nowadays. I only got to play Kolaghan's Command once, against the stax player, where I destroyed a lodestone Golem and dealt him 2 to the face so my Celestial Colonnade could kill him one turn faster.
Also @GreatNate, I'd like to hear your input on the questions I posted above, seeing as you also don't seem to run Spell Snare anymore and used Anticipate in yout PPTQ list and you generally seem to have about the same ideas about the deck that I have
1. I see a lot of lists have cut Spell Snare altogether. I still religiously run at least 2 as they are strong in counter wars and help catching up when on the draw, so I'd like to know why people cut them
2. What do you guys think of Elspeth, Knight-Errant? She is powerful on her own and the synergy with Geist of Saint Traft seems even stronger.
3. Looking at the field, it seems that the strongest option for UWr right now is to be able to morph between control and midrange. But what deck would be strongest game 1? Essentially, would you rather put Geist mainboard with Wraths and wincons in the sideboard or vice versa?
4. Purposefully putting myself on an extreme standpoint here, but I think that (apart from Merfolk) every blue deck in modern should be running 4x Serum Visions. It solves, or at least eases, a lot of problems for UWr Midrange that are often causes of a loss (I didn't draw an early Geist/I didn't draw enough or too many lands/I didn't find my removal). The main challenge is finding out what to cut for it, which is a matter of narrowness of the cut card's utility as every Serum Visions increases the odds of drawing said card anyways.
However I am looking forward for Origins, with Prowess and scry now being evergreen and in UR, I expect to see some good tempo creatures soon.
3 Geist of Saint Traft
4 Restoration Angel
4 Snapcaster Mage
2 Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
spells
4 Remand
4 Path to Exile
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Lightning Helix
2 Electrolyze
2 Spell Snare
4 Serum Visions
lands
3 Celestial Colonnade
3 Arid Mesa
1 Scalding Tarn
4 Flooded Strand
2 Steam Vents
1 Hallowed Fountain
2 Sacred Foundry
2 Sulfur Falls
2 Island
1 Mountain
1 Plains
1 Desolate Lighthouse
1 Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep
2 Kor Firewalker
2 Relic of Progenitus
1 Counterflux
1 Dispel
1 Negate
1 Geist of Saint Traft
1 Batterskull
2 Wear // Tear
1 Keranos, God of Storms
1 Celestial Purge
2 Engineered Explosives
It functions very similarly to tarmotwin, having a fast clock while always threathening the combo, making your opponent reluctant to tap out. You take a bit more damage from shocklands especially because of Serum Visions, but I feel it is necessary to have some dig in this deck.