Im trying to start better than casual and build up to FNM worthy. Nothing competitive anytime soon.
I own Overgrown tombs and the BUG Scryland cycle.
I like to play control.
I own Ashioks and jace architects.
Everythign else i own sucks.
I also wanted to build a wellspring ensoul/shrapnel blst deck.
Anything that uses crackling perimeter. Lol i love that card
Wellspring isn't Modern legal. It's a cool sweet card, but doesn't have a Modern Legal printing.
Ensoul/Shrapnel Blast sounds like a Budget Affinity deck. Check out MTGGoldfish on YouTube. There's a Budget Magic (a series where a man by the name of Seth, or Saffron Olive, builds competitive Magic decks for under $100 across Standard and Modern) for UW Tempered Steel, which is a great start toward Affinity. The deck is also FNM competitive from the get-go. Keep in mind that prices fluctuate over time, so check the article in the description to see the deck with the up-to-date price by TCG Mid pricing. However, Affinity is not a control deck. But your also in luck, because MTGGoldfish has done episode on Budget Magic for mono white Emeria/Titan Control and Esper Evoke Control. (If other readers can't tell by now, I LOVE the Budget Magic series. It's a great resource.) There is a primer for Emeria Control here. I'm on mobile so I can't link to the thread right now. You'll have to do some digging, but I think it's in the Developing Competitive Decks section. Should be towards the top, actually. While your Jaces and Ashioks don't get into either deck, they also don't typically see play in Modern, although it isn't unusual to see Jace AoT in a control list. Do you prefer tap-out control or draw-go styles? This would help me out a lot.
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Ensoul/Shrapnel Blast sounds like a Budget Affinity deck. Check out MTGGoldfish on YouTube. There's a Budget Magic (a series where a man by the name of Seth, or Saffron Olive, builds competitive Magic decks for under $100 across Standard and Modern) for UW Tempered Steel, which is a great start toward Affinity. The deck is also FNM competitive from the get-go. Keep in mind that prices fluctuate over time, so check the article in the description to see the deck with the up-to-date price by TCG Mid pricing. However, Affinity is not a control deck. But your also in luck, because MTGGoldfish has done episode on Budget Magic for mono white Emeria/Titan Control and Esper Evoke Control. (If other readers can't tell by now, I LOVE the Budget Magic series. It's a great resource.) There is a primer for Emeria Control here. I'm on mobile so I can't link to the thread right now. You'll have to do some digging, but I think it's in the Developing Competitive Decks section. Should be towards the top, actually. While your Jaces and Ashioks don't get into either deck, they also don't typically see play in Modern, although it isn't unusual to see Jace AoT in a control list. Do you prefer tap-out control or draw-go styles? This would help me out a lot. [/quote]
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I had little hope that this thread was active. As for wellspring i meant the artifact cycle mycosynth and ichor wellsring. I have no real preference with control. I prefer draw go but when im not facing another blue player I love to tap out.
Ill take a look at the mtggoldfish, see what i can find. I went through my collection and can update the list of cards i have. Ive traditionally plaed BUG, its my fave colours.
4 Sylvan Caryatid 3 Ashiok 1 Liliana Vess 2 Llanowar Wastes 3 Temple of Mystery 3 Temple of Deceit
4 Courser of Kruphix 2 Kiora, Crashing wave 2 Whip of Erebos 1 Yavimaya Coast 4 Overgrown Tomb 1 Taasigur, Golden fang
I really, really, really wanna play bug but i cant afford fetches. Id prefer to play draw and go, but tap out works fine for me. Thank you again for replying
Ensoul/Shrapnel Blast sounds like a Budget Affinity deck. Check out MTGGoldfish on YouTube. There's a Budget Magic (a series where a man by the name of Seth, or Saffron Olive, builds competitive Magic decks for under $100 across Standard and Modern) for UW Tempered Steel, which is a great start toward Affinity. The deck is also FNM competitive from the get-go. Keep in mind that prices fluctuate over time, so check the article in the description to see the deck with the up-to-date price by TCG Mid pricing. However, Affinity is not a control deck. But your also in luck, because MTGGoldfish has done episode on Budget Magic for mono white Emeria/Titan Control and Esper Evoke Control. (If other readers can't tell by now, I LOVE the Budget Magic series. It's a great resource.) There is a primer for Emeria Control here. I'm on mobile so I can't link to the thread right now. You'll have to do some digging, but I think it's in the Developing Competitive Decks section. Should be towards the top, actually. While your Jaces and Ashioks don't get into either deck, they also don't typically see play in Modern, although it isn't unusual to see Jace AoT in a control list. Do you prefer tap-out control or draw-go styles? This would help me out a lot.
The issue is that there aren't any real BUG control decks in Modern. Perhaps you might like the Umezawa's Orchard decks in the Deck Creation thread? It's really cool check it out!
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I feel like UW Tempered Steel is the better bang for your buck. I would look into that. Proxy up both decks and playtest them against your local Modern scene. Obviously, you won't be able to enter FNM/your event, but you can just jam some games between rounds. Your budget is tight so you can't afford to spend it on a deck you don't like. Alternatively, if you just really want a deck, get UW Tempered Steel. (How convenient; you enjoy Budget Magic too! Guess I don't need to push you in that direction!)
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Colors/Style you like to play (control, combo, aggro, midrange, tempo, ramp, rogue)
Something interesting I guess combo/control or aggro/combo.
Budget you have
~100$
Level you want to play at, or aim to build up to (casual, fmn, ptq)
fnm
I've been thinking of making this deck, what do you think about it? (Based on this ) I guess I could also build uw tempered steel or some affinity variant.
Thanks
I recently put together Azorius Titan and went to my first store-level Modern level event. I love the deck, but at least presently, I don't feel that there's a ton of room to grow as far as upgrades. Instead, I'd like to start putting together a second deck with an entirely different play style from the slow, grindy value game that Titan offers.
I have no strong color preference. I want a deck that's going to give me fast, explosive games, and if I'm leaning toward anything, it's combo or aggro-combo. I have a soft spot for fringe decks, but I prefer being able to actually win consistently to demonstrating a cool idea.
I want to start with $50-100.
I've been looking at Tempered Steel, Mono-G Infect, Mono Red Storm, and Puresteel Paladin/Mentor.
I would recommend UW Tempered Steel if you want an effective, upgradable deck. However, I would also check out Shamanism as a potential second deck. The deck is incredibly cheap and effective.
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This is a very budget deck centered around creating infinite mana and then winning the game by casting Profane Command or Blue Sun's Zenith targeting your opponent, which either one-shots them or mills their entire deck.
This combo abuses the synergy between Mindcrank and Duskmantle Guildmage. This is an infinite mill / damage combo. However, I do think that it is the least viable of the three options, maybe tied with the Pili-Pala infinite combo above.
You can't expect to build a deck in Modern that's under $50 unless it's mono-red. Modern isn't a format I recommend for new players. It's better to grasp Standard, and the deck archetypes present there first and then go for Modern. Does this mean you shouldn't play Modern? Not at all! In fact, go for it! But you need to understand what is and isn't playable in Modern. I find that with new players, this is a super steep learning curve. Again, I'm not saying you shouldn't play Modern. Far from it. I'm just saying to examine the format closely so that you grasp Modern quickly. Find a deck idea that you like and go for it!
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Honestly, not much. I've been entirely a standard player but the prices are just getting to be too much - Jace, new Gideon, and now Ulamog, you know. Opened a few packs of MM2015 and a friend at my LGS gave me a bunch of randoms I need to sort through, but I doubt I have many if any staples at the moment.
I do, however, have a full playset of Flooded Strand from Khans block if that can help. Might have a Bloodstained Mire or two lying around as well. Kinda shelved my RB idea in DTK standard before I knew fetches were a thing.
Going to sort through that section of my collection, will put in anything that seems particularly interesting as an edit here.
Colors I like to play:
I'm drawn the most toward U/W kinds of things. but I'm really open to things. Currently I have a G/B ramp deck I was working on in standard before I realized how much it was going to cost to really finish it...
As for modern, friends have suggested I look into Merfolk or Elves, but if it were that simple I wouldn't be posting here, now would I
Styles:
Really, anything other than pure aggro. I guess I'm kind of a tempo/midrange kind of guy. Have played control and combo as well, but just seem to like striking a balance between your pure "I'll counter your counter of my counter" style of play and being able to finish out matches before turns are called.
Hell, I take that first part back. Burn shenanigans do sound interesting too, though I'd be tempted to splash W or something. I'm a deckbuilder at heart, so give me something to work off of and I'll be happy
Budget:
Oh boy, the key question. I'd say probably can comfortably build between $100 and $200 if I stagger it out over a decent amount of time - I think my favorite standard deck got up to around $150 by the time I was done with it - but I'd also like something that I can play with some substitutions while I'm waiting. Of course, given Modern doesn't rotate I wouldn't mind gradually spending more and more to buy my way into one of those decks on mtgtop8 after a while once I grow comfortable in reading the format, understanding the meta, etc. Let's say a core under $100 if possible, but a clear upgrade path over time. I don't need to go for the extreme $10 budget decks that you can find on tappedout per se, but I can't exactly be buying snapcasters on impulse, y'know?
I'd say around the $15-$20/card mark is where I start having second thoughts about my singles buying.
Level of Competition:
FNMs for now, with an eye toward building up to not going 0-3 drop at a GP at some point in the not too distant future. Possibly noteworthy to mention, the LGS closest to me that does modern seems to do a monthly Win-a-Box and will be hosting an SCG Modern IQ soon, so I think it might be on the more competitive end of the spectrum...
Standard: I'm a control player at heart, but going with Boros Allied Equipment this Standard
Modern: Love my Goblins, but want to build Merfolk
Utterly terrible at all things limited
Honestly, not much. I've been entirely a standard player but the prices are just getting to be too much - Jace, new Gideon, and now Ulamog, you know. Opened a few packs of MM2015 and a friend at my LGS gave me a bunch of randoms I need to sort through, but I doubt I have many if any staples at the moment.
I do, however, have a full playset of Flooded Strand from Khans block if that can help. Might have a Bloodstained Mire or two lying around as well. Kinda shelved my RB idea in DTK standard before I knew fetches were a thing.
Going to sort through that section of my collection, will put in anything that seems particularly interesting as an edit here.
Colors I like to play:
I'm drawn the most toward U/W kinds of things. but I'm really open to things. Currently I have a G/B ramp deck I was working on in standard before I realized how much it was going to cost to really finish it...
As for modern, friends have suggested I look into Merfolk or Elves, but if it were that simple I wouldn't be posting here, now would I
Styles:
Really, anything other than pure aggro. I guess I'm kind of a tempo/midrange kind of guy. Have played control and combo as well, but just seem to like striking a balance between your pure "I'll counter your counter of my counter" style of play and being able to finish out matches before turns are called.
Hell, I take that first part back. Burn shenanigans do sound interesting too, though I'd be tempted to splash W or something. I'm a deckbuilder at heart, so give me something to work off of and I'll be happy
Budget:
Oh boy, the key question. I'd say probably can comfortably build between $100 and $200 if I stagger it out over a decent amount of time - I think my favorite standard deck got up to around $150 by the time I was done with it - but I'd also like something that I can play with some substitutions while I'm waiting. Of course, given Modern doesn't rotate I wouldn't mind gradually spending more and more to buy my way into one of those decks on mtgtop8 after a while once I grow comfortable in reading the format, understanding the meta, etc. Let's say a core under $100 if possible, but a clear upgrade path over time. I don't need to go for the extreme $10 budget decks that you can find on tappedout per se, but I can't exactly be buying snapcasters on impulse, y'know?
I'd say around the $15-$20/card mark is where I start having second thoughts about my singles buying.
Level of Competition:
FNMs for now, with an eye toward building up to not going 0-3 drop at a GP at some point in the not too distant future. Possibly noteworthy to mention, the LGS closest to me that does modern seems to do a monthly Win-a-Box and will be hosting an SCG Modern IQ soon, so I think it might be on the more competitive end of the spectrum...
I could make a few suggestions. U/W Control is Tier 2, atm, and fits within your description. The most competitive versions of the deck use Celestial Colonnade, Snapcaster Mage, Cryptic Command, and Vendillion Clique but you don't have to have those to be super competitive. In fact, a large portion of the deck can be purchased easily within your budget. The problem is that its a steep climb up. Some decks you can build for $50 and then make slow $10-$30 upgrades here and there. Not this deck. You will build it for $50 and then your next upgrade will cost you $200 for a playset of Snapcaster Mage or Celestial Colonnade.
Building the core for cheap? Absolutely!
Clear upgrade path? Check!
Competitive enough to take to the events you've described both in budget form and non-budget form? Bingo!
Cost of upgrade path? How many extremities are you willing to part with?
Depending on how you want to upgrade this deck, the cheapest next step would be running Ojutai's Command over Dissolve. I hesitate to suggest that upgrade because you would probably end up removing Ojutai's Command later on as well and its not so cheap that the cost is ignorable.
Next I would focus on replacing Glacial Fortress with Hallowed Fountain and Prairie Stream. That's going to help the consistency of the deck imminsely given how relatively affordable of an upgrade it is.
There are a lot of other fun decks out there. This just fits what you already have and your estimated budget. Its certainly good enough for an FNM.
I will say this though, and this is really for anyone getting into Modern, you might be surprised as to what kind of deck you finally latch on to. It is always hard starting off because of the investment you are making and you don't want it to be the wrong one. I started off with Goblins, then went to Soul Sisters, then B/W Tokens, then Stompy, then U/W Control, then Aristocrats, then my own B/r Control build, then Mono-U Tempo (Ninja/Bear/Delver). It was the last three decks I found that have been the most fun decks and the decks I am best able to pilot. I saw that to say this: Aristocrats was very easy for me to get into because of my time in B/W Tokens because of the staples that cross over. Aristocrats made my time getting into B/r Control easier, again, because of the staples. Its a lot of money to shell out $20-$25 for Path to Exile + $60 for Thoughtseize + $20 for Remand but its probably worth it. Any deck that runs Staples (U/W Control is good for that with Path and Remand being even moderatly budget obtainable). Your journey around Modern will probably take you through many decks and the more cross over cards you have, the easier it is to make that transition. One of the biggest problems people have getting into new decks is the mana base. Fetches are expensive but shocks and the new "Tangolands" or whatever can really help with that burden. Its a shame that one of the first things to get cut when building a budget deck are the lands because they are one of the most universally useful. If you ever find yourself with funds to spend on Magic, pick up lands. I find Pucatrade to be VERY helpful in this. I created a wish list of cards I want, even really expensive ones, and then just trade off old cards I no longer want. Eventually I get enough "points" and someone sends me a really expensive card out of no where and I spent zero money out of pocket to do it.
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The following link is an invitation to join Pucatrade (card trading service though similar to TCGPLayer). If you follow the link then it awards me with tokens to exchange for actual cards. Thanks! https://pucatrade.com/invite/gift/86097
I could make a few suggestions. U/W Control is Tier 2, atm, and fits within your description. The most competitive versions of the deck use Celestial Colonnade, Snapcaster Mage, Cryptic Command, and Vendillion Clique but you don't have to have those to be super competitive. In fact, a large portion of the deck can be purchased easily within your budget. The problem is that its a steep climb up. Some decks you can build for $50 and then make slow $10-$30 upgrades here and there. Not this deck. You will build it for $50 and then your next upgrade will cost you $200 for a playset of Snapcaster Mage or Celestial Colonnade.
Building the core for cheap? Absolutely!
Clear upgrade path? Check!
Competitive enough to take to the events you've described both in budget form and non-budget form? Bingo!
Cost of upgrade path? How many extremities are you willing to part with?
Depending on how you want to upgrade this deck, the cheapest next step would be running Ojutai's Command over Dissolve. I hesitate to suggest that upgrade because you would probably end up removing Ojutai's Command later on as well and its not so cheap that the cost is ignorable.
Next I would focus on replacing Glacial Fortress with Hallowed Fountain and Prairie Stream. That's going to help the consistency of the deck imminsely given how relatively affordable of an upgrade it is.
There are a lot of other fun decks out there. This just fits what you already have and your estimated budget. Its certainly good enough for an FNM.
I will say this though, and this is really for anyone getting into Modern, you might be surprised as to what kind of deck you finally latch on to. It is always hard starting off because of the investment you are making and you don't want it to be the wrong one. I started off with Goblins, then went to Soul Sisters, then B/W Tokens, then Stompy, then U/W Control, then Aristocrats, then my own B/r Control build, then Mono-U Tempo (Ninja/Bear/Delver). It was the last three decks I found that have been the most fun decks and the decks I am best able to pilot. I saw that to say this: Aristocrats was very easy for me to get into because of my time in B/W Tokens because of the staples that cross over. Aristocrats made my time getting into B/r Control easier, again, because of the staples. Its a lot of money to shell out $20-$25 for Path to Exile + $60 for Thoughtseize + $20 for Remand but its probably worth it. Any deck that runs Staples (U/W Control is good for that with Path and Remand being even moderatly budget obtainable). Your journey around Modern will probably take you through many decks and the more cross over cards you have, the easier it is to make that transition. One of the biggest problems people have getting into new decks is the mana base. Fetches are expensive but shocks and the new "Tangolands" or whatever can really help with that burden. Its a shame that one of the first things to get cut when building a budget deck are the lands because they are one of the most universally useful. If you ever find yourself with funds to spend on Magic, pick up lands. I find Pucatrade to be VERY helpful in this. I created a wish list of cards I want, even really expensive ones, and then just trade off old cards I no longer want. Eventually I get enough "points" and someone sends me a really expensive card out of no where and I spent zero money out of pocket to do it.
Interesting. I do love me some UW control and will be looking into this. That said...I've had a terrible RW Goblins idea in my head all day that I'm tempted to try out. I see that goblins aren't quite in the meta these days, though that hasn't stopped me in Standard...
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Standard: I'm a control player at heart, but going with Boros Allied Equipment this Standard
Modern: Love my Goblins, but want to build Merfolk
Utterly terrible at all things limited
I could make a few suggestions. U/W Control is Tier 2, atm, and fits within your description. The most competitive versions of the deck use Celestial Colonnade, Snapcaster Mage, Cryptic Command, and Vendillion Clique but you don't have to have those to be super competitive. In fact, a large portion of the deck can be purchased easily within your budget. The problem is that its a steep climb up. Some decks you can build for $50 and then make slow $10-$30 upgrades here and there. Not this deck. You will build it for $50 and then your next upgrade will cost you $200 for a playset of Snapcaster Mage or Celestial Colonnade.
Building the core for cheap? Absolutely!
Clear upgrade path? Check!
Competitive enough to take to the events you've described both in budget form and non-budget form? Bingo!
Cost of upgrade path? How many extremities are you willing to part with?
Depending on how you want to upgrade this deck, the cheapest next step would be running Ojutai's Command over Dissolve. I hesitate to suggest that upgrade because you would probably end up removing Ojutai's Command later on as well and its not so cheap that the cost is ignorable.
Next I would focus on replacing Glacial Fortress with Hallowed Fountain and Prairie Stream. That's going to help the consistency of the deck imminsely given how relatively affordable of an upgrade it is.
There are a lot of other fun decks out there. This just fits what you already have and your estimated budget. Its certainly good enough for an FNM.
I will say this though, and this is really for anyone getting into Modern, you might be surprised as to what kind of deck you finally latch on to. It is always hard starting off because of the investment you are making and you don't want it to be the wrong one. I started off with Goblins, then went to Soul Sisters, then B/W Tokens, then Stompy, then U/W Control, then Aristocrats, then my own B/r Control build, then Mono-U Tempo (Ninja/Bear/Delver). It was the last three decks I found that have been the most fun decks and the decks I am best able to pilot. I saw that to say this: Aristocrats was very easy for me to get into because of my time in B/W Tokens because of the staples that cross over. Aristocrats made my time getting into B/r Control easier, again, because of the staples. Its a lot of money to shell out $20-$25 for Path to Exile + $60 for Thoughtseize + $20 for Remand but its probably worth it. Any deck that runs Staples (U/W Control is good for that with Path and Remand being even moderatly budget obtainable). Your journey around Modern will probably take you through many decks and the more cross over cards you have, the easier it is to make that transition. One of the biggest problems people have getting into new decks is the mana base. Fetches are expensive but shocks and the new "Tangolands" or whatever can really help with that burden. Its a shame that one of the first things to get cut when building a budget deck are the lands because they are one of the most universally useful. If you ever find yourself with funds to spend on Magic, pick up lands. I find Pucatrade to be VERY helpful in this. I created a wish list of cards I want, even really expensive ones, and then just trade off old cards I no longer want. Eventually I get enough "points" and someone sends me a really expensive card out of no where and I spent zero money out of pocket to do it.
Interesting. I do love me some UW control and will be looking into this. That said...I've had a terrible RW Goblins idea in my head all day that I'm tempted to try out. I see that goblins aren't quite in the meta these days, though that hasn't stopped me in Standard...
As a Goblins player, I can tell you that Goblins is not doing very well. Tribal strategies rely on lords - lords that are small. Goblins falls apart easily with a well-timed removal spell. Merfolk can avoid this because blue opens up disruption in the form of counterspells and Spreading Seas. Goblins cannot unless you run land destruction, which can be crippling but is slow you down a lot because the cheapest Modern LD gets is 3 cmc(at least, that's the case for good LD), which is when you want to be dropping more creatures, not time walking your opponent, which is surprisingly ineffective in this deck. I've lost countless games by swinging for lethal, and then having my opponent remove Goblin Chieftain and getting killed in the next few turns because I need to play defense, which is not what a mono-red deck (or any aggro deck, for that matter) wants to be doing. I suggest sticking with UW Control. It can be built with any budget and is still incredibly competitive. $50 UW Control decks 4-0ing dailies or winning FNM's is not unheard of. Goblins, on the other hand, can just get blanked by drawing one too many lands. Goblins is fun for the first 9-12 months, but gets really old after a while. I have a mono red list I can send you if you want to see it.
Is UW Tempered Steel really the best budget Affinity deck? I would have guessed Mono Red with Galvanic Blast and Shrapnel Blast would be better. Has anyone compared the two?
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Now Playing Modern RUBW Affinity BGR Midrange UWR Control RG Titan Shift RW Burn GW Bogles G Tron
Is UW Tempered Steel really the best budget Affinity deck? I would have guessed Mono Red with Galvanic Blast and Shrapnel Blast would be better. Has anyone compared the two?
UW is much better. Mono red turns into a worse Goblin deck pretty quick. Plus, Tempered Steel lets you get into the late game, and given that UW Tempered Steel doesn't play the cards that makes Affinity so explosive, it's a must have. Playing blue gives you Ensoul Artifact and a small counterspell package. Playing red gives you some burn, but hitting three colors reliably is either too expensive or not reliable. Blue mana up turn two for Ensoul, double white up next turn, and than a red to burn the next turn? That doesn't sound like a cheap mana base, and by that point you could just build regular Affinity.
I could make a few suggestions. U/W Control is Tier 2, atm, and fits within your description. The most competitive versions of the deck use Celestial Colonnade, Snapcaster Mage, Cryptic Command, and Vendillion Clique but you don't have to have those to be super competitive. In fact, a large portion of the deck can be purchased easily within your budget. The problem is that its a steep climb up. Some decks you can build for $50 and then make slow $10-$30 upgrades here and there. Not this deck. You will build it for $50 and then your next upgrade will cost you $200 for a playset of Snapcaster Mage or Celestial Colonnade.
Building the core for cheap? Absolutely!
Clear upgrade path? Check!
Competitive enough to take to the events you've described both in budget form and non-budget form? Bingo!
Cost of upgrade path? How many extremities are you willing to part with?
Depending on how you want to upgrade this deck, the cheapest next step would be running Ojutai's Command over Dissolve. I hesitate to suggest that upgrade because you would probably end up removing Ojutai's Command later on as well and its not so cheap that the cost is ignorable.
Next I would focus on replacing Glacial Fortress with Hallowed Fountain and Prairie Stream. That's going to help the consistency of the deck imminsely given how relatively affordable of an upgrade it is.
There are a lot of other fun decks out there. This just fits what you already have and your estimated budget. Its certainly good enough for an FNM.
I will say this though, and this is really for anyone getting into Modern, you might be surprised as to what kind of deck you finally latch on to. It is always hard starting off because of the investment you are making and you don't want it to be the wrong one. I started off with Goblins, then went to Soul Sisters, then B/W Tokens, then Stompy, then U/W Control, then Aristocrats, then my own B/r Control build, then Mono-U Tempo (Ninja/Bear/Delver). It was the last three decks I found that have been the most fun decks and the decks I am best able to pilot. I saw that to say this: Aristocrats was very easy for me to get into because of my time in B/W Tokens because of the staples that cross over. Aristocrats made my time getting into B/r Control easier, again, because of the staples. Its a lot of money to shell out $20-$25 for Path to Exile + $60 for Thoughtseize + $20 for Remand but its probably worth it. Any deck that runs Staples (U/W Control is good for that with Path and Remand being even moderatly budget obtainable). Your journey around Modern will probably take you through many decks and the more cross over cards you have, the easier it is to make that transition. One of the biggest problems people have getting into new decks is the mana base. Fetches are expensive but shocks and the new "Tangolands" or whatever can really help with that burden. Its a shame that one of the first things to get cut when building a budget deck are the lands because they are one of the most universally useful. If you ever find yourself with funds to spend on Magic, pick up lands. I find Pucatrade to be VERY helpful in this. I created a wish list of cards I want, even really expensive ones, and then just trade off old cards I no longer want. Eventually I get enough "points" and someone sends me a really expensive card out of no where and I spent zero money out of pocket to do it.
Interesting. I do love me some UW control and will be looking into this. That said...I've had a terrible RW Goblins idea in my head all day that I'm tempted to try out. I see that goblins aren't quite in the meta these days, though that hasn't stopped me in Standard...
As a Goblins player, I can tell you that Goblins is not doing very well. Tribal strategies rely on lords - lords that are small. Goblins falls apart easily with a well-timed removal spell. Merfolk can avoid this because blue opens up disruption in the form of counterspells and Spreading Seas. Goblins cannot unless you run land destruction, which can be crippling but is slow you down a lot because the cheapest Modern LD gets is 3 cmc(at least, that's the case for good LD), which is when you want to be dropping more creatures, not time walking your opponent, which is surprisingly ineffective in this deck. I've lost countless games by swinging for lethal, and then having my opponent remove Goblin Chieftain and getting killed in the next few turns because I need to play defense, which is not what a mono-red deck (or any aggro deck, for that matter) wants to be doing. I suggest sticking with UW Control. It can be built with any budget and is still incredibly competitive. $50 UW Control decks 4-0ing dailies or winning FNM's is not unheard of. Goblins, on the other hand, can just get blanked by drawing one too many lands. Goblins is fun for the first 9-12 months, but gets really old after a while. I have a mono red list I can send you if you want to see it.
Hmmm, I'll definitely look into building UW control for sure, then - I do love that archetype after all, and if it can really be that viable on a budget, why not? Speaking of, you wouldn't happen to have one of those $50 lists handy, would you? I'm still in the phase of even trying to find out how vibrant the local modern scene is. While I'm definitely comfortable getting the list you suggested over time (including snapcasters, eventually), if I could take it for a spin under that it would be awesome.
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Standard: I'm a control player at heart, but going with Boros Allied Equipment this Standard
Modern: Love my Goblins, but want to build Merfolk
Utterly terrible at all things limited
I could make a few suggestions. U/W Control is Tier 2, atm, and fits within your description. The most competitive versions of the deck use Celestial Colonnade, Snapcaster Mage, Cryptic Command, and Vendillion Clique but you don't have to have those to be super competitive. In fact, a large portion of the deck can be purchased easily within your budget. The problem is that its a steep climb up. Some decks you can build for $50 and then make slow $10-$30 upgrades here and there. Not this deck. You will build it for $50 and then your next upgrade will cost you $200 for a playset of Snapcaster Mage or Celestial Colonnade.
Building the core for cheap? Absolutely!
Clear upgrade path? Check!
Competitive enough to take to the events you've described both in budget form and non-budget form? Bingo!
Cost of upgrade path? How many extremities are you willing to part with?
Depending on how you want to upgrade this deck, the cheapest next step would be running Ojutai's Command over Dissolve. I hesitate to suggest that upgrade because you would probably end up removing Ojutai's Command later on as well and its not so cheap that the cost is ignorable.
Next I would focus on replacing Glacial Fortress with Hallowed Fountain and Prairie Stream. That's going to help the consistency of the deck imminsely given how relatively affordable of an upgrade it is.
There are a lot of other fun decks out there. This just fits what you already have and your estimated budget. Its certainly good enough for an FNM.
I will say this though, and this is really for anyone getting into Modern, you might be surprised as to what kind of deck you finally latch on to. It is always hard starting off because of the investment you are making and you don't want it to be the wrong one. I started off with Goblins, then went to Soul Sisters, then B/W Tokens, then Stompy, then U/W Control, then Aristocrats, then my own B/r Control build, then Mono-U Tempo (Ninja/Bear/Delver). It was the last three decks I found that have been the most fun decks and the decks I am best able to pilot. I saw that to say this: Aristocrats was very easy for me to get into because of my time in B/W Tokens because of the staples that cross over. Aristocrats made my time getting into B/r Control easier, again, because of the staples. Its a lot of money to shell out $20-$25 for Path to Exile + $60 for Thoughtseize + $20 for Remand but its probably worth it. Any deck that runs Staples (U/W Control is good for that with Path and Remand being even moderatly budget obtainable). Your journey around Modern will probably take you through many decks and the more cross over cards you have, the easier it is to make that transition. One of the biggest problems people have getting into new decks is the mana base. Fetches are expensive but shocks and the new "Tangolands" or whatever can really help with that burden. Its a shame that one of the first things to get cut when building a budget deck are the lands because they are one of the most universally useful. If you ever find yourself with funds to spend on Magic, pick up lands. I find Pucatrade to be VERY helpful in this. I created a wish list of cards I want, even really expensive ones, and then just trade off old cards I no longer want. Eventually I get enough "points" and someone sends me a really expensive card out of no where and I spent zero money out of pocket to do it.
Interesting. I do love me some UW control and will be looking into this. That said...I've had a terrible RW Goblins idea in my head all day that I'm tempted to try out. I see that goblins aren't quite in the meta these days, though that hasn't stopped me in Standard...
As a Goblins player, I can tell you that Goblins is not doing very well. Tribal strategies rely on lords - lords that are small. Goblins falls apart easily with a well-timed removal spell. Merfolk can avoid this because blue opens up disruption in the form of counterspells and Spreading Seas. Goblins cannot unless you run land destruction, which can be crippling but is slow you down a lot because the cheapest Modern LD gets is 3 cmc(at least, that's the case for good LD), which is when you want to be dropping more creatures, not time walking your opponent, which is surprisingly ineffective in this deck. I've lost countless games by swinging for lethal, and then having my opponent remove Goblin Chieftain and getting killed in the next few turns because I need to play defense, which is not what a mono-red deck (or any aggro deck, for that matter) wants to be doing. I suggest sticking with UW Control. It can be built with any budget and is still incredibly competitive. $50 UW Control decks 4-0ing dailies or winning FNM's is not unheard of. Goblins, on the other hand, can just get blanked by drawing one too many lands. Goblins is fun for the first 9-12 months, but gets really old after a while. I have a mono red list I can send you if you want to see it.
Hmmm, I'll definitely look into building UW control for sure, then - I do love that archetype after all, and if it can really be that viable on a budget, why not? Speaking of, you wouldn't happen to have one of those $50 lists handy, would you? I'm still in the phase of even trying to find out how vibrant the local modern scene is. While I'm definitely comfortable getting the list you suggested over time (including snapcasters, eventually), if I could take it for a spin under that it would be awesome.
I'm sorry to say hat I do not. Prices fluctuate over time, and some of those lists might be more expensive now. I'm still deciding between UW Control amd Titan Control myself. My best advice is lurk in the UW Control thread (it's in the Tier 2 section) and see what comes up. DO NOT ASK FOR A BUDGET DECK THERE! You will get in trouble with the moderators. Just sit back and read posts. Find out what's being played, what the staples are, evem in a budget deck, and what should be cut. I wouldn't limit yourself to $50. Try to hit the $100-150 mark if you can. That being said, the list given by alphagprime is an amazing start. Buy it, grind out games, and upgrade. I'm going to give you a quick control sideboard tip: there are no definite answers and "musts" for a control deck's sideboard. While there are widely used cards and, to a degree, universal answers, control is a meta-dependent deck. You may find yourself including some truly strange cards in your sideboard (Head Games, anyone?), but if they hit the big contenders in your local meta, they are the correct call.
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"Don't believe everything you read on the internet." - Abraham Lincoln
Hey guys, first post here. I'm trying to find a flexible deck that ranges from aggro to tempo (or at least with the cards to switch it depending on the day). Basically disruptive aggro/aggro-control, and all tabletop level.
Cards I Have: I enjoy both my budget U/R Delver and budget Naya Zoo deck (beatdown with bolts and removal), but looking for something more synergistic creature-wise. So cards I own are general useful cards like Ponder, Preordain, Mana Leak, Bolt, Swords to Plowshares, Mutagenic Growth, Go for the Throat, stuff like that. No Paths yet, working on that.
Colors I like to Play: All of them. I really enjoy being able to swap cards out at will, like turning my U/R Delver into Miracle Grow, then back, just for fun. The main thing is that I find single color decks to be very limiting, so dual color is preferred because tri is pricey land-wise, even though I made do for Zoo because it was my first deck.
I've been looking at possibly B/W Warriors, Allies (not a fan of their single turn effects that don't last though), Tempered Steel (for being able to stand up better over time, but it is really aggressive), or a different deck that runs like that and is budget. Any suggestions would be really appreciated!
@hhIhhh: I'd suggest either checking your hobby store or ordering the cards online from somewhere in country. Depending on what legality you want it to be, the deck isn't that pricey at all! I just made some adjustments to lists that I saw (so no Snapcasters), and ended up with this for tabletop:
2x Deprive
2x Electrolyze
1x Essence Scatter
1x Gush
2x Izzet Charm
4x Lightning Bolt
4x Mana Leak
1x Nullify
3x Snap
1x Act of Treason
4x Ponder
3x Preordain
1x Roast
2x Frontier Bivouac
10x Island
7x Mountain
4x Delver of Secrets
4x Monastery Swiftspear
4x Young Pyromancer
Don't know if that's good or not, but it ran me around $60 before Monastery Monk was more played. It should maybe run you around $75 now at the most? Best of luck!
I own Overgrown tombs and the BUG Scryland cycle.
I like to play control.
I own Ashioks and jace architects.
Everythign else i own sucks.
I also wanted to build a wellspring ensoul/shrapnel blst deck.
Anything that uses crackling perimeter. Lol i love that card
Ensoul/Shrapnel Blast sounds like a Budget Affinity deck. Check out MTGGoldfish on YouTube. There's a Budget Magic (a series where a man by the name of Seth, or Saffron Olive, builds competitive Magic decks for under $100 across Standard and Modern) for UW Tempered Steel, which is a great start toward Affinity. The deck is also FNM competitive from the get-go. Keep in mind that prices fluctuate over time, so check the article in the description to see the deck with the up-to-date price by TCG Mid pricing. However, Affinity is not a control deck. But your also in luck, because MTGGoldfish has done episode on Budget Magic for mono white Emeria/Titan Control and Esper Evoke Control. (If other readers can't tell by now, I LOVE the Budget Magic series. It's a great resource.) There is a primer for Emeria Control here. I'm on mobile so I can't link to the thread right now. You'll have to do some digging, but I think it's in the Developing Competitive Decks section. Should be towards the top, actually. While your Jaces and Ashioks don't get into either deck, they also don't typically see play in Modern, although it isn't unusual to see Jace AoT in a control list. Do you prefer tap-out control or draw-go styles? This would help me out a lot.
Ensoul/Shrapnel Blast sounds like a Budget Affinity deck. Check out MTGGoldfish on YouTube. There's a Budget Magic (a series where a man by the name of Seth, or Saffron Olive, builds competitive Magic decks for under $100 across Standard and Modern) for UW Tempered Steel, which is a great start toward Affinity. The deck is also FNM competitive from the get-go. Keep in mind that prices fluctuate over time, so check the article in the description to see the deck with the up-to-date price by TCG Mid pricing. However, Affinity is not a control deck. But your also in luck, because MTGGoldfish has done episode on Budget Magic for mono white Emeria/Titan Control and Esper Evoke Control. (If other readers can't tell by now, I LOVE the Budget Magic series. It's a great resource.) There is a primer for Emeria Control here. I'm on mobile so I can't link to the thread right now. You'll have to do some digging, but I think it's in the Developing Competitive Decks section. Should be towards the top, actually. While your Jaces and Ashioks don't get into either deck, they also don't typically see play in Modern, although it isn't unusual to see Jace AoT in a control list. Do you prefer tap-out control or draw-go styles? This would help me out a lot. [/quote]
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I had little hope that this thread was active. As for wellspring i meant the artifact cycle mycosynth and ichor wellsring. I have no real preference with control. I prefer draw go but when im not facing another blue player I love to tap out.
Ill take a look at the mtggoldfish, see what i can find. I went through my collection and can update the list of cards i have. Ive traditionally plaed BUG, its my fave colours.
4 Sylvan Caryatid 3 Ashiok 1 Liliana Vess 2 Llanowar Wastes 3 Temple of Mystery 3 Temple of Deceit
4 Courser of Kruphix 2 Kiora, Crashing wave 2 Whip of Erebos 1 Yavimaya Coast 4 Overgrown Tomb 1 Taasigur, Golden fang
I really, really, really wanna play bug but i cant afford fetches. Id prefer to play draw and go, but tap out works fine for me. Thank you again for replying
UW Tempered Steel is a fairly powerful deck in its own right and can be built up to true Affinity over time, provided that you enjoy the deck enough. Here is a link to a U/W Tempered Steel deck that is about $100. http://www.mtggoldfish.com/articles/budget-magic-84-6-tix-modern-uw-tempered-steel Blinkmoth Nexus can be swapped out for any other land as it is fairly expensive. The problem is that the cards in Affinity are not usually used in other modern decks. The Blood Rally style decks that you linked are strong as well. If you're interested in that, This thread: http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/modern/deck-creation-modern/640511-abzan-return-to-the-ranks in Deck Creation about Abzan Rally, which can also be built for fairly cheap. If you want to spread to other colors, you can look at the Aristocrats thread, http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/modern/deck-creation-modern/585486-new-aristocrats-orzhov-abzan-mardu-variants, which is a similar concept.
You're no longer the only one giving advice, CavalryWolfPack.
WUB Puresteel Midrange WUB
As far as staples, I have a playset of Flooded Strand, Path to Exile, and two Hallowed Fountain.
I have no strong color preference. I want a deck that's going to give me fast, explosive games, and if I'm leaning toward anything, it's combo or aggro-combo. I have a soft spot for fringe decks, but I prefer being able to actually win consistently to demonstrating a cool idea.
I want to start with $50-100.
I've been looking at Tempered Steel, Mono-G Infect, Mono Red Storm, and Puresteel Paladin/Mentor.
Thanks!
For mono-blue, im sure you could make something work with the new-ish mill card from Origins, Sphinx's Tutelage, which is fairly strong. In the Standard forum there is a thread here: http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/standard-type-2/deck-creation-standard/638262-ur-tutelage that discusses a U/R version of mill with Tutelage, but it can easily be made mono-blue if you like with Modern's extensive cardpool
For U/B mill combo, there are a few ways you can go:
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/modern/budget-modern/601023-50-shinbatsus-budget-modern-challenge-more-deck?page=3#c59
This is a very budget deck centered around creating infinite mana and then winning the game by casting Profane Command or Blue Sun's Zenith targeting your opponent, which either one-shots them or mills their entire deck.
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/modern/deck-creation-modern/221710-modern-duskmantle-mindcrank-combo
This combo abuses the synergy between Mindcrank and Duskmantle Guildmage. This is an infinite mill / damage combo. However, I do think that it is the least viable of the three options, maybe tied with the Pili-Pala infinite combo above.
WUB Puresteel Midrange WUB
Honestly, not much. I've been entirely a standard player but the prices are just getting to be too much - Jace, new Gideon, and now Ulamog, you know. Opened a few packs of MM2015 and a friend at my LGS gave me a bunch of randoms I need to sort through, but I doubt I have many if any staples at the moment.
I do, however, have a full playset of Flooded Strand from Khans block if that can help. Might have a Bloodstained Mire or two lying around as well. Kinda shelved my RB idea in DTK standard before I knew fetches were a thing.
Going to sort through that section of my collection, will put in anything that seems particularly interesting as an edit here.
Colors I like to play:
I'm drawn the most toward U/W kinds of things. but I'm really open to things. Currently I have a G/B ramp deck I was working on in standard before I realized how much it was going to cost to really finish it...
As for modern, friends have suggested I look into Merfolk or Elves, but if it were that simple I wouldn't be posting here, now would I
Styles:
Really, anything other than pure aggro. I guess I'm kind of a tempo/midrange kind of guy. Have played control and combo as well, but just seem to like striking a balance between your pure "I'll counter your counter of my counter" style of play and being able to finish out matches before turns are called.
Hell, I take that first part back. Burn shenanigans do sound interesting too, though I'd be tempted to splash W or something. I'm a deckbuilder at heart, so give me something to work off of and I'll be happy
Budget:
Oh boy, the key question. I'd say probably can comfortably build between $100 and $200 if I stagger it out over a decent amount of time - I think my favorite standard deck got up to around $150 by the time I was done with it - but I'd also like something that I can play with some substitutions while I'm waiting. Of course, given Modern doesn't rotate I wouldn't mind gradually spending more and more to buy my way into one of those decks on mtgtop8 after a while once I grow comfortable in reading the format, understanding the meta, etc. Let's say a core under $100 if possible, but a clear upgrade path over time. I don't need to go for the extreme $10 budget decks that you can find on tappedout per se, but I can't exactly be buying snapcasters on impulse, y'know?
I'd say around the $15-$20/card mark is where I start having second thoughts about my singles buying.
Level of Competition:
FNMs for now, with an eye toward building up to not going 0-3 drop at a GP at some point in the not too distant future. Possibly noteworthy to mention, the LGS closest to me that does modern seems to do a monthly Win-a-Box and will be hosting an SCG Modern IQ soon, so I think it might be on the more competitive end of the spectrum...
Modern: Love my Goblins, but want to build Merfolk
Utterly terrible at all things limited
I could make a few suggestions. U/W Control is Tier 2, atm, and fits within your description. The most competitive versions of the deck use Celestial Colonnade, Snapcaster Mage, Cryptic Command, and Vendillion Clique but you don't have to have those to be super competitive. In fact, a large portion of the deck can be purchased easily within your budget. The problem is that its a steep climb up. Some decks you can build for $50 and then make slow $10-$30 upgrades here and there. Not this deck. You will build it for $50 and then your next upgrade will cost you $200 for a playset of Snapcaster Mage or Celestial Colonnade.
Here's a decklist if you are interested:
4x Wall of Omens
3x Restoration Angel
SPELLS (28)
4x Path to Exile
4x Anticipate
4x Mana Leak
3x Remand
4x Dissolve
3x Supreme Verdict
2x Detention Sphere
2x Gideon Jura
2x Elspeth, Sun's Champion
4x Faerie Conclave
4x Flooded Strand
4x Glacial Fortress
7x Island
6x Plains
Depending on how you want to upgrade this deck, the cheapest next step would be running Ojutai's Command over Dissolve. I hesitate to suggest that upgrade because you would probably end up removing Ojutai's Command later on as well and its not so cheap that the cost is ignorable.
Next I would focus on replacing Glacial Fortress with Hallowed Fountain and Prairie Stream. That's going to help the consistency of the deck imminsely given how relatively affordable of an upgrade it is.
After that Snapcaster becomes the next most impactful upgrade followed by Cryptic Command, Vendillion Clique, and then Celestial Colonnade.
There are a lot of other fun decks out there. This just fits what you already have and your estimated budget. Its certainly good enough for an FNM.
I will say this though, and this is really for anyone getting into Modern, you might be surprised as to what kind of deck you finally latch on to. It is always hard starting off because of the investment you are making and you don't want it to be the wrong one. I started off with Goblins, then went to Soul Sisters, then B/W Tokens, then Stompy, then U/W Control, then Aristocrats, then my own B/r Control build, then Mono-U Tempo (Ninja/Bear/Delver). It was the last three decks I found that have been the most fun decks and the decks I am best able to pilot. I saw that to say this: Aristocrats was very easy for me to get into because of my time in B/W Tokens because of the staples that cross over. Aristocrats made my time getting into B/r Control easier, again, because of the staples. Its a lot of money to shell out $20-$25 for Path to Exile + $60 for Thoughtseize + $20 for Remand but its probably worth it. Any deck that runs Staples (U/W Control is good for that with Path and Remand being even moderatly budget obtainable). Your journey around Modern will probably take you through many decks and the more cross over cards you have, the easier it is to make that transition. One of the biggest problems people have getting into new decks is the mana base. Fetches are expensive but shocks and the new "Tangolands" or whatever can really help with that burden. Its a shame that one of the first things to get cut when building a budget deck are the lands because they are one of the most universally useful. If you ever find yourself with funds to spend on Magic, pick up lands. I find Pucatrade to be VERY helpful in this. I created a wish list of cards I want, even really expensive ones, and then just trade off old cards I no longer want. Eventually I get enough "points" and someone sends me a really expensive card out of no where and I spent zero money out of pocket to do it.
https://pucatrade.com/invite/gift/86097
Interesting. I do love me some UW control and will be looking into this. That said...I've had a terrible RW Goblins idea in my head all day that I'm tempted to try out. I see that goblins aren't quite in the meta these days, though that hasn't stopped me in Standard...
Modern: Love my Goblins, but want to build Merfolk
Utterly terrible at all things limited
Modern
RUBW Affinity
BGR Midrange
UWR Control
RG Titan Shift
RW Burn
GW Bogles
G Tron
Hmmm, I'll definitely look into building UW control for sure, then - I do love that archetype after all, and if it can really be that viable on a budget, why not? Speaking of, you wouldn't happen to have one of those $50 lists handy, would you? I'm still in the phase of even trying to find out how vibrant the local modern scene is. While I'm definitely comfortable getting the list you suggested over time (including snapcasters, eventually), if I could take it for a spin under that it would be awesome.
Modern: Love my Goblins, but want to build Merfolk
Utterly terrible at all things limited
Cards I Have: I enjoy both my budget U/R Delver and budget Naya Zoo deck (beatdown with bolts and removal), but looking for something more synergistic creature-wise. So cards I own are general useful cards like Ponder, Preordain, Mana Leak, Bolt, Swords to Plowshares, Mutagenic Growth, Go for the Throat, stuff like that. No Paths yet, working on that.
Colors I like to Play: All of them. I really enjoy being able to swap cards out at will, like turning my U/R Delver into Miracle Grow, then back, just for fun. The main thing is that I find single color decks to be very limiting, so dual color is preferred because tri is pricey land-wise, even though I made do for Zoo because it was my first deck.
I've been looking at possibly B/W Warriors, Allies (not a fan of their single turn effects that don't last though), Tempered Steel (for being able to stand up better over time, but it is really aggressive), or a different deck that runs like that and is budget. Any suggestions would be really appreciated!
@hhIhhh: I'd suggest either checking your hobby store or ordering the cards online from somewhere in country. Depending on what legality you want it to be, the deck isn't that pricey at all! I just made some adjustments to lists that I saw (so no Snapcasters), and ended up with this for tabletop:
2x Deprive
2x Electrolyze
1x Essence Scatter
1x Gush
2x Izzet Charm
4x Lightning Bolt
4x Mana Leak
1x Nullify
3x Snap
1x Act of Treason
4x Ponder
3x Preordain
1x Roast
2x Frontier Bivouac
10x Island
7x Mountain
4x Delver of Secrets
4x Monastery Swiftspear
4x Young Pyromancer
Don't know if that's good or not, but it ran me around $60 before Monastery Monk was more played. It should maybe run you around $75 now at the most? Best of luck!