Every other card in the deck I consider to be essential, and in most cases I would run more copies if I could. Even Chart a Course. It's very good in this type of shell
For the purposes of this exercise I consider Fulminator to be part of the core because of how good it is in the meta game. It's not great against Whirza, Humans, or any of the snow variation of decks for that matter. But it's decent against Burn, Jund and UW Control.. And it's fantastic against Tron and Scapeshift.
Looking at my flex slots and the cards I've chosen, notice they are all extremely flexible. I'd love to include probably +2 LOTV and +2 Chart a Course and maybe even another Snapcaster. But none of those offer the same unique flexibility that I have in these 5 cards. The only argument is that an extra Snap may be better than the first Eternal Witness. I think Witness getting back Fulminator, Ghost Quarter, Liliana, or a creature/threat is too valuable for such a low opportunity cost (i.e. 1 slot in my deck)
Only testing will tell if my presumptions are correct
In my past experiences with the deck, Burn and Tron are always the most difficult matches. Hence Iona in the main and Norn in the SB. Also running Fulminator in the main for tron and Scapeshift. I've felt like LOTV is not particularly potent in the current metagame but maybe it's correct to at least swap Last Hope for another LOTV. Lingering Souls is another card that is so horrendously bad in certain matches that I don't want to draw it too often. It's great against BGx and UWx hence my extra copy in the board. I think the trap that I see a lot of Gifts lists fall into (in this thread and elsewhere) is running too many 3-drops. I've got 9 here including Snapcaster Mage. I've chosen to include things like Knight if Autumn and Kaya's Guile over additional copies of Souls and LOTV.
It's funny you mention the Witness and Snapcaster though. I thought about dropping the Witness for another Snap but I like that Witness comes back with Titan and gets back Planeswalkers or even another threat such as Tarmogoyf.
Whirza is ridiculously powerful. It's not even Urza himself. But also holding removal for him doesn't help much when they can combo off at instant speed. It's a very consistent engine and Thopter + Sword can grind for a long time. Elesh Norn helps lock them off but they have soft locks of their own. Admittedly I haven't played this match up yet but I speculate that it might be difficult
I think with the prevalence of Tron and Burn in the current meta game, we're going to need a couple key components built into our main board. The first is a reasonable clock. Tarmogoyf, possibly even Siege Rhino and/or Tasigur are going to be needed to ensure we can close out games in a reasonable amount of turns. Decks like Tron, Burn, Scapeshift, Whirza - all have some serious inevitability.
Burn and Scapeshift can be kept at bay with a main deck Iona lock. Some main board life gain helps these match-ups as well..
Tron is very different. A reasonable clock is critical but we can lock them out in a single turn with a Gifts pile. My go-to is of course the Fulminator/Unearth/Sun Titan/Unburial Rites pile. But with 3-4 main deck Relic of Progenitus, they often laugh in our face.
Whirza is a whole new animal for me. Admittedly I haven't piloted any 4C Gifts configuration against this opponent yet. I would imagine that a pile such as Knight of Autumn / Unearth / Snapcaster Mage / Nature's Claim - would be pretty effective but I'm not about to keep a Nature's Claim in the main deck. Maybe a case could be made for a single Knight of Autumn since it has so many applications.
Admittedly I haven't played 4C gifts in a competitive REL environment is over 2 years. I've been a die-hard Death's Shadow grinder since then. But Shadow is heavily meta dependant and can get hosed out pretty badly if the stars don't align just right. In a wide open fresh meta game like we find ourselves in now, I think it's time I return to my Swiss Army Knife. Back to 4C gifts for a Modern Championship near me coming in a few weeks.
We can spec to beat tron. It's no secret that I'm a big fan of the Fulminator / Sun Titan plan in the main board.
Izzet charm is an interesting idea if I continue to push those colors (WBUR). I guess a Grixis variant with a white splash could have some merit
With the assumption that graveyard hate is going to be dialed back considerably, we may have a shot at competitive once again. Stoneforge unban means people will likely play slower in general. I predict Jund and Tron to be top tier, with possible Esper Urza close behind.
My question to you fellas is: do we adopt the SFM package as well?
3 mana is a whole lot more than 2 unfortunately, so I can't really get behind any of these options. I'll point out that in modern, cards that cost 3+ mana should generate card advantage. Maelstrom Pulse gets away with it in Jund because sometimes it's free off BBE. In this respect, Deputy is the best choice but it's honestly the least attractive to me. It's nice that it can come back with Titan but I don't want to rely on blue for any more than I have to. And for that matter I'd like to lean off white a bit more too, but Path is so good right now.
If/when the meta shifts after the next B&R announcement, I could see possibly playing a Grixis shell with a white splash. But currently PTE is the best spot removal in the format (mainly because of Hogaak & Phoenix)
I really would like 23 land, but in my first few variations I was getting flooded so I dropped to 22. Sooner I'd like to fit another Unearth because that card is broken in modern
There is a tremendous amount of synergy in the moist Mardu list. I really miss having a catch-all like Trophy Or Decay. I'm even considering Bedevil
Smiting Helix is too cute, also it's only a Sorcery which has been my gripe with the card since day 1
Seasoned Pyromancer is the reason to play this deck. I wanted to include more copies of LOTV but she takes longer to generate value than SP. Also I'd love to have a few more copies of Lingering Souls (since I want to win off the back of Elesh Norn) but yet again, SP does their job just fine while refilling my hand
I keep going back and forth between Fulminator and Remorseful Cleric in the main. Fulminator is generally better against my worst match-ups (Tron and UWx) but graveyard aggro is so prevalent right now that it makes much more sense to keep the Cleric main
Finally - I don't think they will ever ban Faithless Looting in modern. There's too much invested into it,just like Brainstorm in legacy
I've married, bought a house, and had two children since I wrote the original primer so I hardly have the time to update. Your help is greatly appreciated.
That being said, I've been working diligently on a Red/x version that utilizes Seasoned Pyromancer as I feel it's an insane power house in this kind of deck. At the current meta game status, graveyard hate is too pervasive for me to test at the upcoming GP Vegas, but I may try out my list at a few of the side events. Basically my concept is a Mardu control shell with a blue splash for Snap, Jace, and Gifts
- Knight of Autumn
- Kaya's Guile
- Maelstrom Pulse
- Eternal Witness
- Jace, Vryn's prodigy
Every other card in the deck I consider to be essential, and in most cases I would run more copies if I could. Even Chart a Course. It's very good in this type of shellFor the purposes of this exercise I consider Fulminator to be part of the core because of how good it is in the meta game. It's not great against Whirza, Humans, or any of the snow variation of decks for that matter. But it's decent against Burn, Jund and UW Control.. And it's fantastic against Tron and Scapeshift.
Looking at my flex slots and the cards I've chosen, notice they are all extremely flexible. I'd love to include probably +2 LOTV and +2 Chart a Course and maybe even another Snapcaster. But none of those offer the same unique flexibility that I have in these 5 cards. The only argument is that an extra Snap may be better than the first Eternal Witness. I think Witness getting back Fulminator, Ghost Quarter, Liliana, or a creature/threat is too valuable for such a low opportunity cost (i.e. 1 slot in my deck)
Only testing will tell if my presumptions are correct
Draft My Cube!
It's funny you mention the Witness and Snapcaster though. I thought about dropping the Witness for another Snap but I like that Witness comes back with Titan and gets back Planeswalkers or even another threat such as Tarmogoyf.
Whirza is ridiculously powerful. It's not even Urza himself. But also holding removal for him doesn't help much when they can combo off at instant speed. It's a very consistent engine and Thopter + Sword can grind for a long time. Elesh Norn helps lock them off but they have soft locks of their own. Admittedly I haven't played this match up yet but I speculate that it might be difficult
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Burn and Scapeshift can be kept at bay with a main deck Iona lock. Some main board life gain helps these match-ups as well..
Tron is very different. A reasonable clock is critical but we can lock them out in a single turn with a Gifts pile. My go-to is of course the Fulminator/Unearth/Sun Titan/Unburial Rites pile. But with 3-4 main deck Relic of Progenitus, they often laugh in our face.
Whirza is a whole new animal for me. Admittedly I haven't piloted any 4C Gifts configuration against this opponent yet. I would imagine that a pile such as Knight of Autumn / Unearth / Snapcaster Mage / Nature's Claim - would be pretty effective but I'm not about to keep a Nature's Claim in the main deck. Maybe a case could be made for a single Knight of Autumn since it has so many applications.
Admittedly I haven't played 4C gifts in a competitive REL environment is over 2 years. I've been a die-hard Death's Shadow grinder since then. But Shadow is heavily meta dependant and can get hosed out pretty badly if the stars don't align just right. In a wide open fresh meta game like we find ourselves in now, I think it's time I return to my Swiss Army Knife. Back to 4C gifts for a Modern Championship near me coming in a few weeks.
4 Tarmogoyf
1 Jace, Vryn's prodigy
1 Snapcaster Mage
1 Knight of Autumn
1 Fulminator Mage
1 Eternal witness
1 Sun Titan
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
Spells
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
2 Thoughtseize
1 Collective brutality
1 Chart a Course
4 Gifts ungiven
2 Unearth
3 Assassin's Trophy
1 Fatal push
1 Abrupt Decay
1 Path to exile
1 Maelstrom Pulse
1 Unburial Rites
1 Liliana of the Veil
1 Lingering Souls
1 Liliana, the Last hope
1 Kaya's Guile
4 Verdant Catacombs
3 Marsh Flats
3 Prismatic Vista
2 Misty Rainforest
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Watery Grave
1 Temple Garden
1 Breeding pool
1 Godless shrine
1 Creeping Tar Pit
1 Fetid Heath
2 Swamp
1 Forest
1 Island
1 Plains
1 Weather the Storm
1 Damnation
1 Wrath of god
2 Collective Brutality
2 Fulminator Mage
1 Nature's Claim
1 Caustic Caterpillar
1 Lingering Souls
1 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Surgical Extraction
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
The Sideboard is a bit ambitious but I'm feeling confidant on the variation of answers
Draft My Cube!
Izzet charm is an interesting idea if I continue to push those colors (WBUR). I guess a Grixis variant with a white splash could have some merit
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At that point it really just makes more sense to use Urza as your 4-mana spell, seeing as he goes infinite with Thopter + sword
The loss of Looting is crippling for moist Mardu, but I haven't given up on seasoned Pyromancer just yet
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My question to you fellas is: do we adopt the SFM package as well?
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Snapcaster Mage
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
Spells
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
2 Thoughtseize
4 Gifts ungiven
2 Fatal Push
2 Assassin's Trophy
2 Path to exile
1 Abrupt Decay
1 Maelstrom Pulse
2 Liliana of the Veil
1 Unburial Rites
1 Unearth
1 Chart a Course
1 Kaya's Guile
3 Lingering Souls
1 Batterskull
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
23 lands
1 Sword of Light and Shadow
1 Sun Titan
2 Fulminator Mage
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
1 Monastery Mentor
1 Jace, Vryn's prodigy
2 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Life from the Loam
1 Raven's Crime
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Linvala, Keeper of Silence
2 Collective Brutality
I can't help but feel that the Artifact package simply isn't worth it. But I guess only time will tell
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If/when the meta shifts after the next B&R announcement, I could see possibly playing a Grixis shell with a white splash. But currently PTE is the best spot removal in the format (mainly because of Hogaak & Phoenix)
Draft My Cube!
Draft My Cube!
I've married, bought a house, and had two children since I wrote the original primer so I hardly have the time to update. Your help is greatly appreciated.
That being said, I've been working diligently on a Red/x version that utilizes Seasoned Pyromancer as I feel it's an insane power house in this kind of deck. At the current meta game status, graveyard hate is too pervasive for me to test at the upcoming GP Vegas, but I may try out my list at a few of the side events. Basically my concept is a Mardu control shell with a blue splash for Snap, Jace, and Gifts
3 Seasoned Pyromancer
2 Jace, Vryn's prodigy
1 Snapcaster Mage
1 Remorseful Cleric
1 Sun Titan
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
Spells
4 Faithless looting
4 Gifts ungiven
3 Thoughtseize
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
2 Path to exile
2 Fatal Push
2 Lightning Bolt
1 Dreadbore
1 Terminate
1 Liliana of the Veil
1 Lingering Souls
1 Kolaghan's command
1 Unburial Rites
1 Kaya's Guile
2 Unearth
2 Blackcleave cliffs
3 Bloodstained mire
2 Marsh Flats
2 Polluted Delta
1 Flooded Strand
1 Arid Mesa
1 Godless shrine
1 Blood crypt
1 Steam vents
1 Watery Grave
1 Sacred foundry
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Graven cairns
1 Mountain
2 Swamp
1 Plains
3 Fulminator Mage
2 Collective Brutality
1 Kolaghan's command
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Liliana, the Last hope
1 Anger of the gods
1 Damnation
1 Lightning Helix
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
Draft My Cube!