MTG Salvation

Zero Titanshift in the top 16 GP Hong Kong and top 28 GP Stockholm. Is the deck a bad choice in the current meta, or a great one moving forward ? I have a mixed feeling on this. Both GPs have 50% of control and/or Tron decks, which is a good MU for Titanshift but at the same time aggro decks like Humans/Spirits/Hardened Scales kinda difficult for us.

Quote from elpeludo »

I was the one that finished 9th on tie breakers =/
Solemn works fine. I tested BBE but was having problems when i was cascading. Sometimes needed to cascade ramp spell and cascade into de removal. And cascading into Pactnis the worst thing.
Did a little report in the facebook group (:

Congratulations anyway ! If you don't mind to post your report here too ?

9th mb Solemn Simulacrum
12th with BBE
14th Titan Breach
15th mb Obstinate Baloth

I always thought that if Titanshift going to play BBE, might as well play Solemn Simulacrum instead. Ramp and a body. With BBE, we thinned 2 cards off library immediately (assuming we find a ramp spell) but Solemn Simulacrum thinned 1 card etb and 1 card when died.

Quote from FoodChainGoblins »

While I'm waiting for the link to load, I just gotta say that I'm 99.9% certain that "Search for Azcanta" meant to say "Search for Tomorrow."

LOL ! How did I missed that ?! *smh*

A recent SCG Open 2nd place Titanshift http://www.starcitygames.com/decks/122032

He plays 4 Search of Azcanta main deck without any blue source other than a singleton Prismatic Omen.

Quote from Dos_Rouge »

http://www.starcitygames.com/decks/StarCityGamescom_Classic/2018-05-06_modern_Baltimore_MD_US/1/

two titan shift in this top 8.


splashed in the one list for Renegade Rallier, that was a surprise. I like the idea behind it, its a "snapcaster-effect" for most of our decks permanents.

Personally I never got around to testing much white plash, always wanted to try Nahiri, the Harbinger

I like the Renegade Rallier version. With 7-8 fetches and STE, it is almost like a bigger version of Wood Elves. The problem is sequencing the land drop and to play around so that your white source is not so vulnerable to land destruction like Ghost Quarter or Field of Ruin. Of course we can slot in Plains for safety, but I've experienced several occasion where if I drew a Mountain or a ramp spell, I would have win the game, but instead I drew the third colour basic land (that 1 and only in the deck).

Btw on Mill match up, if one is concern about it, yeah a single Gaea's Blessing might help.

I'm considering a playset BBE in the main, taking up 2 flex spots and 2 Summoner's Pact. It has almost similar function like STE and Wood Elves, as a blocker and ramp or at worst, cascading into Lightning Bolt, which is not bad either.

Quote from Reymon27 »

I don't like Ruric Thar in the board. Storm kills you way before you drop Ruric (the earliest) on Turn 4(If you're lucky and they don't remand it...). A single Lightning Bolt would do a better job than Ruric, as they need one of their 8 Cost Reducers to go off. And as they don't expect us to have much interaction they might play them in riskier (on Turn 2 e.g.) spots. Against Control it is fine... If it resolves, which might be a difficult case. If you want a green creature to beat control, take Thrun, the Last Troll
Path is a very strong card and the splash might be worth it, but I'm on Spike4972's side that Black offers you strong removal as well plus some Sideboard options that can help in difficult matchups. (like Slaughter Games against Combo) White offers really good SB options as well like Stony Silence. The problem here is, that I don't think you will reliably cast it on Turn 2, as you only have 1 white Dual in the deck, and after Turn 2 it might be too late, even on the play!
I think white is the best in a Through The Breach Version with Emrakul and Nahiris, altough I prefer the RG(b) Version.

Yeah you're probably right. Ruric Thar might be too late for Storm, and Thrun is better against Control.

Quote from spike4972 »

It's actually quite easy to reliably have all three colors. You just need to do more than have one Rx shock. In Jund Titan, the standard manabase has 1 basic swamp, 1 overgrown tomb, and 1 blood crypt. Combine that with 7 fetches and you can pretty easily get the right mana. That being said, it is occasionally a little late.

@afosz I totally understand the too much shuffling thing. The hand surgery I mentioned that put me afk this past weekend was for carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands. It was so bad I frequently had a friend or my opponent shuffle for me. If my symptoms were getting bad I wouldn't play the deck because it hurt too much

I played jund with 1 Swamp, 1 Overgrown Tomb and 1 Blood Crypt and I don't quite like it. I like having 1 Blood Crypt as a splash for sideboarding cards. If I were to play Fatal Push and Abrupt Decay in the main, I think I might play 2 Blood Crypt instead. There were times I drew both Overgrown Tomb and Swamp, it just slows down the Mountain count. Otherwise, I might play 3 Prismatic Omen.

Anyway, speedy recovery !

Late PPTQ report. 6 rounds, result was 2-4. I really need to practice a lot more. I love the deck so much and really enjoy playing it. The one thing I kinda hate, is the shuffling. Too much shuffling.



Round 1 vs. UW Control. Both games went easy. I was on the draw and he started off with a couple of Spreading Seas but my opening hands full of lands and ramp spells and very fortunate Titan resolves with no counter spells in hand. Gideon of the Trials did made a last minute appearance, but a couple of land drops and a couple of Valakut triggers enough to kill Gideon and to face. 2-0

Round 2 vs. Eldrazi Tron. Game 1, both neck to neck in dropping each other's life but I was able ramp faster despite on the draw. Game 2, sideboarding mistake. I forgot to take out Anger of the Gods for a better card, perhaps Relic of Progenitus. But still, a turn 3 Wurmcoil Engine is a little bit tough to handle. Game 3, I was able to cast Slaughter Games on Thought-Knot Seer but was beat down by Matter Reshaper all the way. I was stuck on 4 lands for a couple of turns (I think) until he found his Witchbane Orb. 1-2

Round 3 vs. Affinity. Game 1 on the play but I could not cope with Affinity's speed. Game 2 was a silly mistake. I could have cleared his entire board with Valakut triggers but I leave Etched Champion because of protection online (along with 2 Springleaf Drum). He top decked Cranial Plating and enough for lethal. 0-2

Round 4 vs. Burn. Game 1 on the play, lost to a quick burn. Game 2, he stuck on 1-2 lands for a while, enough for me to have Titan, Valakut and Bolt to kill him. Game 3, he won on turn 4 and if he didn't, I would have won next turn. 1-2

Round 5 vs. Sultai Control. Game 1 on he play and he knows what I'm playing. He kept a heaving counter spells (Countersquall, Mana Leak, Cryptic Command) in hand and nothing much I can do besides a slow death by Snapcaster Mage. Similar on game 2, he stuck on 2 lands but still able to counter away my ramp spells and play 2 Tarmogoyf out of Aether Vial. 0-2

Round 6 vs. BW Eldrazi. I was on the draw in game 1, and Anger of the Gods clear the board until I found my wincon. Game 2, I kept a 6 lands and a Slaughter Games hand because I knew he would play Inquisition of Kozilek turn 1, which he did. Slaughter Games took out Thought-Knot Seer and that is it. I only drew Sakura-Tribe Elder and the rest all lands. Game 3 neck to neck, him beating with Wasteland Strangler, met with a Bolt later on and soon enough I was able to Scapeshift away. 2-1

I prepared my deck for an aggro meta, and I was correct. A lot of Burn and Affinity that day. I was not impressed by Courser of Kruphix. Having a spell with GG in it sometimes slows down the Mountain count because there were times when I had to fetch for Forest to play Courser of Kruphix, at which I don't quite prefer to do so.

I read Chapin's article regarding Naya Titanshift. I kinda like it, but I would replace Chandra, Torch of Defiance with Wood Elves and a Summoner's Pact for the 4th Path to Exile. Assuming that PTE is a dead card in a match up and you need 2 land drops for the win, and you drew a Wood Elves. Also, I love the idea of having Ruric Thar, the Unbowed in the sideboard. It just take down Storm and Control deck if they didn't have removal on the spot.

Quote from spike4972 »

Yes, in a straight RG version of the deck, the green fetches that aren't Wooded Foothills should be 1 each of the other three to avoid situations like this or pithing needle situations. But, they are so rare that most players won't bother shelling out the extra money for it. It is a very tiny percentage point in your favor for the amount of money it costs. But for a more correct deck, varying those fetches is optimal.

You also may randomly get rewarded by your opponent misplaying by thinking you are on BGx midrange if you play a verdant catacombs turn one and don't crack it until your end step. But that will basically never happen.

Also, I am slowly working through updating the primer. I have been fixing some formatting errors and grammar mistakes. The spoiler tagging is now more consistent, the guide at the top now properly jumps to sideboarding when clicked, and I added some reference articles on Intervening If clauses. If you have any suggestions for sections that need an update, have any articles or videos you want me to link, or want to help do the write ups for the white and blue splashes, please send me a PM.

I like the idea of 1 copy of each Forest fetchland other than Wooded Foothills, but as you said, the situation is so rare that it is not worth the extra cost. I don't own both Misty Rainforest and Verdant Catacombs, but those who does, I strongly recommend this.

I wouldn't keep a 2 Mountain for opening hand. Too risky, unless with 2 Bolt, but still too risky for me as the other spells are all green. Experienced this once or twice, I mull away.

Not a fan of Relic. Maybe my timing of playing is bad (because of my judgment towards the card) or the card itself is underperforming.

Agreed. I would cut Relic of Progenitus or Sweltering Suns, depending on meta. I would not remove Lightning Bolt. The card is essential as spot removal, and to drop opponent's life to 17 just in case if we are able to Scapeshift for lethal with 7 lands, especially in some match ups like Tron variants.

On the note regarding Summoner's Pact, it actually happened during the turn I was suppose to pay. After draw step, I shuffled my hand, slight pause (at this point I actually realized I was supposed to pay the Pact), then my opponent caught it. Of course, judge was called, and the judge asked my opponent whether or not to allow the trigger.

I cannot stress enough on how much I like Prismatic Omen. A single card that makes all of your non Mountains becomes valuable. Without it, Forest will be the card you hate to top deck, especially when it comes down to winning or losing the game. I only run 2 Forest, and a few of my games were lost because of if only that Forest I drew or that Forest in play was a Mountain, I would win the game. Of course, I have not met Blood Moon yet until now.

PPTQ report. 6 rounds, result was 3-3. Could have done better. Few mistakes here and there.



Round 1 vs. BG Death Cloud. He ramp early, Sakura-Tribe Elder then Garruk Wildspeaker into Sakura-Tribe Elder. Next turn Death Cloud for 5 when I could have won next turn if he didn't. Game 2 his life up to 27 thanks to Thragtusk and I manage to win with Chameleon Colossus and land drops. Game 3, he up again to 26 life and I manage to Scapeshift with 2 Valakuts for 36 damage. 2-1

Round 2 vs. Eldrazi Tron. Game 1, I ramp well, dropping him to 5. He curved nicely too but saved by Sakura-Tribe Elder blocking Thought-Knot Seer. I was down to 5 as well with 2 Valakuts in play, all I need is a Mountain, and I did. Game 2 I was on 6 lands with him 2 untap Ghost Quarter. I had a Scapeshift and Beast Within in hand with Prismatic Omen in play, all I need is to draw a land to play around Ghost Quarter, but I didn't. I was down to 3 life, had to cast Scapeshift, countered by Warping Wail. Game 3 he Surgical Extraction both Windswept Heath and Wooded Foothills, leaving him down to 16. I'm with 6 lands and a Scapeshift in hand, and I drew Prismatic Omen for a wonderful 72 damage ! 2-1

Round 3 vs. GB Tron. I curved well in game 1, Lightning Bolt him and Scapeshift for the win. Game 2 and 3 I lost badly. Both games Titan was Surgical Extraction. Game 3 literally all my 14 Mountains was in play, without Hour of Promise to find my Valakut. 1-2

Round 4 vs. Mono White Hatebear. Lost game 1 with 2 Leonin Arbiter and a Mirran Crusader. Game 2, his Leonin Arbiter immediately faced with Lightning Bolt. He was able to drop my life to 5, Titan swinging and Scapeshift for the win. Game 3, he didn't find his hate cards for my deck with only Thalia, Guardian of Thraben in play. Scapeshift for 6 triggers, taking Thalia and the rest to face, dropping him down to 5 and win next turn. 2-1

Round 5 vs. Dredge. Game 1 was alright, him dredging, I played ramp spells, Summoner's Pact for Primeval Titan. Until, I FORGOT TO PAY THE PACT ! Next turn, I drew another Pact then only I realized. My opponent caught it a bit late, reminded me and then only I pay. He called the judge and I knew it was over. Game 2 was fast for both of us. I need to survive a turn for my Scapeshift next turn, but Conflagrate for 7 seals it with a couple of Bloodghast, Prized Amalgam, and Narcomoeba. 0-2

Round 6 vs. Affinity. Game 1 I made a mistake. I was on the play, played Stomping Ground tapped and next turn Farseek with Lightning Bolt in hand when he played Vault Skirge and Cranial Plating, dealing 5. Taking unnecessary damage. Game 2 was alright, he vomited Memnite, Ornithopter, Mox Opal and was cleared by Engineered Explosives for 0 on turn 2, leaving him Vault Skirge and a land. Win that with Titan but lost game 3 as I didn't draw any hate cards. 1-2

Overall, I really like Prismatic Omen. 1-2 in the main steals you a game or two. And I finally understand this list http://sales.starcitygames.com//deckdatabase/displaydeck.php?DeckID=115237 that was won by Titanshift with 3 Hour of Promise. That card fills in the 5cmc slot well in turn 3 that you can cast Scapeshift for 21 or 36 damage in turn 4.

Quote from coinmagic45 »

Yeah, sometimes even a good matchup doesn't work out if they draw everything or you draw nothing... What do you think about Vexing Shusher?

I'm not too sure about Vexing Shusher, but if given an option, I would run Boseiju, Who Shelters All instead. It is a turn late but harder to remove. We have Primeval Titan and Hour of Promise to search for it.

But then again, maybe run both as a single copy. Vexing Shusher lets you win instantly with 7 lands with Scapeshift.

Quote from FoodChainGoblins »

Believe it or not, the card actually looks very ... promising. I have purchased 2 of them so far and am just looking for places where I have store credit that have them (although I forgot and used my store credit from this PPTQ for a foil Fatal Push and 2 Merfolk of the Pearl Trident).

I am going to play test 4 Hour of Promise in place of 4 Lightning Bolt in the main. I'll try to keep people up to date on how it goes. But if I don't have time to test during the week, I'll probably run back the version that I played - online PPTQ winner MRICHI's list with only 4 minor changes. (I only run 1 Grafdigger's Cage and no Leyline, but 2 Beast Within. I'm on that card right now, although it may not be necessary with Rec Sage, Ancient Grudge, and Nature's Claim already.)

I got myself a playset, could not resist myself. I intended the build something like this, using the Through the Breach build but using Hour of Promise in place of the said card. I might also consider Lightning Bolt in the main in place of -2 Khalni Heart Expedition, -1 Explore and -1 Scapeshift/Simian Spirit Guide/Hour of Promise.