@aghawa, yea after thinking about it Kira nonbos too much with the deck. Lightning Greaves is a good alternative as it gives haste and protects. It allows you to cast and use Master Transmuter on the spot, or just put it on Platinum Angel. If you are looking for removal, Dismember is a pretty good option.
If you really want to go all in on the Mindslaver route, Slippery Bogle is a blue creature that is hard to kill.
So for the new meta i'm going to try 2x phyrexian revoker in the place of 2x phyrexian metamorph. They just seem great vs decks that i commonly play against. I really wish they could hit lands but there a lot of mana dorks in my meta, i feel like they could complement our mana denial strategy.
Let us know how it goes...
Also are you still on the Mortarpod plan?
Yes, mortarpod has been great, i really like the 2/2 split with them and vedalken shackles.
On a side note i'm almost done foiling my deck... There are a lot of cool alternate art versions of key cards in this deck... I think i will never stop playing it, it has been the deck i've held the longest (basically since chief engineer was printed) and i never get tired of playing it.
I'd like to run them but i'm very conservative when it comes to mana. Frank Kartsen wrote a well know article about how many colored sources you should run so that you are able to consistently cast your spells. To have UU on turn 3 (to cast grand architect) he recommends 19 sources. I am already below that, therefore i am not willing to go down on islands.
I also need lots of islands for vedalken shackles. 4 colorless mana producing lands is the maximum, and i think blinkmoth nexus is the best option for me. The ability to produce mana for myr superion comes up very often, and having more flyers helps a lot my aggro plan with signal pest and grand architect. Having flying blockers is also important, and the ability to self pump on defense is sometimes very good.
Of course you play Æther Vial so perhaps these concerns do not apply to your deck (except for shackles)...
Reporting from today's tournament, went 2/2. Beat 8 rack round one, round two my opponent didn't show up, lost to jeskai control/midrange(a cool deck with thing in the ice and goblin dark-dwellers), and then lost to jund.
I did not get to play any matchups where phyrexian revoker would have been good. Maybe phyrexian metamorph is just better because it is always good?
Losing to control/midrange is pretty normal, i did not expect these decks today. Oh well...
My list look pretty similar, i dont like the cheesy stategies. So its all out "aggro"
I really like lodestone golem casting it turn 3 on the play is really good.
I have some questions about your list.
How have Phyrexian Revoker worked out for you? havent tried it in the list.
I play Sleight of hand for consistensy but my deck have changed alot from when i added the Sleight of Hand but it really helped it back then. Have you tried using them or the nonbudget option Serum visions
Well i only played 3 matchups with phyrexian revoker but it didn't do anything. I really wish it could get lands like pithing needle because everyone plays special lands. Bottom line is: probably not good enough.
I've had serum visions in the deck for a while. I liked it but it was taking important slots in the deck so i decided to not play them anymore.
@AdamP, wow those are some pretty intense lists.
The Painter Servant list one is something I've thought about; as far as the other list, I just can't seem to convince myself to play Pili-Pala.
Maybe I can try Mindslaver again...would love to get that to work.
Reporting from today's tournament, went 3-1, tied for 1st place (nobody 4-0'd). Beat 2 different zoo/burn decks, beat r/g land destruction, lost to affinity.
Games vs affinity were interesting. Game one i basically beat my opponent with his own deck. I shackled his early steel overseer and double metamorphed his master of etherium, lol, fun time... lost game 2 due to a misplay, i miscounted my mana on my turn, awkward... game 3 mulled into oblivion to 5 cards and did not draw 3rd land for my architect + vedalken shackles
Made a few changes to the main, i cut the conditionally useful phyrexian revoker, moved mortarpod to the board and added back phyrexian metamorph and wurmcoil, to add extra power vs my field:
So is there anyway to fit Matter Reshaper in this deck?
Hits Superion, Shackles, Architect, lands etc...
Maybe create an Eldrazi/Architect hybrid.
Would probably have to drop Lodestone.
So is there anyway to fit Matter Reshaper in this deck?
Hits Superion, Shackles, Architect, lands etc...
Maybe create an Eldrazi/Architect hybrid.
Would probably have to drop Lodestone.
I don't think this would be an happy mix. I'm sure there are unexplored eldrazi decks left to discover in modern, but eldrazis have zero synergy with architect, engineer etc.
This is a synergy deck, you can't throw non artifacts, non blue cards and hope it works out well, regardless of how good the said cards are by themselves.
Also the mana would be a train wreck, because you'd have to have double blue for architect, give up shackles because they can't be supported with a colorless mana base, find enough colorless lands and blue land, meaning painlands, meaning more damage from lands...
Some time ago, i too was looking for CA and tried military intelligence. It felt like a slight upgrade to bident and i enjoyed it for a while. Ancestral vision is now available too...
Drawing cards is sweet in this deck but i think consistency and tempo are more important. The main thing i like about card draw is that, thanks to our mana creatures, we can cast everything we draw right away. The thing i don't like about card draw is the tempo loss that comes with it. We can't hold mana and cast instant speed card draw, we are a permanent-based deck... and card draw always comes at the cost of tempo.
...Drawing cards is sweet in this deck but i think consistency and tempo are more important...
Yea, actually the more I play this deck, the more I find that value is also better than card advantage. Creatures with etb effects or resiliency.
On another note, thoughts on Brittle Effigy and its synergy with Trinket Mage? Tutorable artifact removal that can deal with opposing Wurmcoils, Emrakul, Ulamog etc...
... On another note, thoughts on Brittle Effigy and its synergy with Trinket Mage? Tutorable artifact removal that can deal with opposing Wurmcoils, Emrakul, Ulamog etc...
I could see this work, probably in the sideboard. For most matchups vedalken shackles is better, but vs big guys, where shackles can never get them, effigy might be worth it. I can get behind siding out some shackles for some brittle effigy in those cases.
The only thing i'm worried about is needing grand architect or 4 lands to activate it, but i guess decks that play huge stuff don't pressure you early so you might have the time to get to 4 mana in time. Testing will tell!
I just realized Thopter/Sword + Architect would allow for infinite tokens/life if it wasn't for Architects lord effect. Guess there's always Illness in the Ranks and Heartless Summoning lol...
I just realized Thopter/Sword + Architect would allow for infinite tokens/life if it wasn't for Architects lord effect. Guess there's always Illness in the Ranks and Heartless Summoning lol...
Wasn't there a UB version of Grand Architect a long long time ago that just powered out huge threats more so than it already does? The biggest downside I can see with it trying to play the 1/1 theme is that you're super susceptible to having GA removed, where the point of playing Heartless Summonings is to create redundancy. Night of Souls' Betrayal could be a good fit though since the asymmetrical effect would actually benefit us.
I just realized Thopter/Sword + Architect would allow for infinite tokens/life if it wasn't for Architects lord effect. Guess there's always Illness in the Ranks and Heartless Summoning lol...
Wasn't there a UB version of Grand Architect a long long time ago that just powered out huge threats more so than it already does? The biggest downside I can see with it trying to play the 1/1 theme is that you're super susceptible to having GA removed, where the point of playing Heartless Summonings is to create redundancy. Night of Souls' Betrayal could be a good fit though since the asymmetrical effect would actually benefit us.
I think someone posted an heartless summoning list some time ago, so it is feasible but, like, 4 card combo, not the best thing haha!
So i've reverted back to main deck mortarpod, there is a resurgence of affinity and elves in my meta, so i figured it deserves slots in the main. I also realized that mortarpod + wurmcoil can kill 2 things, thx to deathtouch (in case wurmcoil doesn't win you the game already).
Got to find space for Myr Superion and its really hard to have any 1 drops but I am thinking Sidisi's faithful is the best one for heartless decks it still has value later in the game.
I took all my wurmcoils and I play Blue tron now but I check in here every now and then since this deck is my first love.. haha.
Got to find space for Myr Superion and its really hard to have any 1 drops but I am thinking Sidisi's faithful is the best one for heartless decks it still has value later in the game.
I took all my wurmcoils and I play Blue tron now but I check in here every now and then since this deck is my first love.. haha.
How about ditching the hangarback walkers for those myr superion? The -1/-1 from heartless summoning cancel the mana bonus and the tokens die instantly, so i think they may be your worst creature...
Also you have only 9 land that can cast thoughtseize on turn one, so maybe they are not the best. I understand they are your only turn one play, so maybe run 4 and add some polluted deltas instead of a couple of temple of deceit/drowned catacombs/islands? One mana discard spells are usually 4x, seems weird to just play 2...
There is. Its what I play. However the issue here is that the combo is too ineffective in the deck to be worth it. From Architect boost and the -1/-1 boost you end up with 2/2 thopters or 0/0 thopters and it makes for just inconsistent sub-par pieces.
If you really want to go all in on the Mindslaver route, Slippery Bogle is a blue creature that is hard to kill.
Twitch: gamerchamp
Modern: UGrand Architect, UBTezzeret Control, UBWRG Bridge From Below (Dredge)
Legacy: UWGTrue-Name Bant
Vedalken shackles seems better than ever, although it is probably wise to side them out vs white decks, i expect a lot of stony silence with thopter foundry/sword of the meek.
I will try this out later this week in my LGS's tournaments.
Also are you still on the Mortarpod plan?
Twitch: gamerchamp
Modern: UGrand Architect, UBTezzeret Control, UBWRG Bridge From Below (Dredge)
Legacy: UWGTrue-Name Bant
Yes, mortarpod has been great, i really like the 2/2 split with them and vedalken shackles.
On a side note i'm almost done foiling my deck... There are a lot of cool alternate art versions of key cards in this deck... I think i will never stop playing it, it has been the deck i've held the longest (basically since chief engineer was printed) and i never get tired of playing it.
Sure:
4 Hangarback Walker
4 Signal Pest
4 Judge's Familiar
2 Spellskite
2 Phyrexian Revoker
4 Myr Superion
4 Etherium Sculptor
4 Chief Engineer
4 Lodestone Golem
artifacts: 4
2 Mortarpod
2 Vedalken Shackles
lands: 20
4 Blinkmoth Nexus
16 Snow-Covered Island
4 Thorn Of Amethyst
2 Torpor Orb
2 Trinket Mage
2 Relic Of Progenitus
2 Pithing Needle
1 Basilisk Collar
1 grafdigger's cage
1 welding jar
Twitch: gamerchamp
Modern: UGrand Architect, UBTezzeret Control, UBWRG Bridge From Below (Dredge)
Legacy: UWGTrue-Name Bant
I'd like to run them but i'm very conservative when it comes to mana. Frank Kartsen wrote a well know article about how many colored sources you should run so that you are able to consistently cast your spells. To have UU on turn 3 (to cast grand architect) he recommends 19 sources. I am already below that, therefore i am not willing to go down on islands.
I also need lots of islands for vedalken shackles. 4 colorless mana producing lands is the maximum, and i think blinkmoth nexus is the best option for me. The ability to produce mana for myr superion comes up very often, and having more flyers helps a lot my aggro plan with signal pest and grand architect. Having flying blockers is also important, and the ability to self pump on defense is sometimes very good.
Of course you play Æther Vial so perhaps these concerns do not apply to your deck (except for shackles)...
I did not get to play any matchups where phyrexian revoker would have been good. Maybe phyrexian metamorph is just better because it is always good?
Losing to control/midrange is pretty normal, i did not expect these decks today. Oh well...
http://sales.starcitygames.com//deckdatabase/displaydeck.php?DeckID=101911
4 Painter's Servant
4 Spellskite
1 Wurmcoil Engine
4 Birds of Paradise
2 Eternal Witness
4 Grand Architect
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Treasure Mage
2 Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
Lands (22)
4 Forest
3 Island
2 Breeding Pool
4 Misty Rainforest
2 Scalding Tarn
1 Stomping Ground
2 Wooded Foothills
4 Academy Ruins
4 Chord of Calling
4 Collected Company
1 Mindslaver
3 Phyrexian Revoker
3 Kitchen Finks
2 Blood Moon
2 Ancient Grudge
2 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
2 Vendilion Clique
http://sales.starcitygames.com//deckdatabase/displaydeck.php?DeckID=101613
4 Pili-Pala
2 Spellskite
4 Eternal Witness
4 Grand Architect
1 Hornet Queen
1 Spawnsire of Ulamog
4 Wall of Roots
2 Courser of Kruphix
Lands (23)
3 Forest
3 Island
4 Breeding Pool
1 Cavern of Souls
2 Flooded Grove
3 Ghost Quarter
2 Hinterland Harbor
1 Lumbering Falls
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Aether Vial
3 Blue Sun's Zenith
4 Chord of Calling
4 Cryptic Command
1 Engineered Explosives
2 Relic of Progenitus
1 Hornet Nest
2 Kitchen Finks
2 Obstinate Baloth
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Void Grafter
1 Dismember
2 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
1 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
Well i only played 3 matchups with phyrexian revoker but it didn't do anything. I really wish it could get lands like pithing needle because everyone plays special lands. Bottom line is: probably not good enough.
I've had serum visions in the deck for a while. I liked it but it was taking important slots in the deck so i decided to not play them anymore.
These list look interesting, both look kind of like tron but without tron.
The Painter Servant list one is something I've thought about; as far as the other list, I just can't seem to convince myself to play Pili-Pala.
Maybe I can try Mindslaver again...would love to get that to work.
Twitch: gamerchamp
Modern: UGrand Architect, UBTezzeret Control, UBWRG Bridge From Below (Dredge)
Legacy: UWGTrue-Name Bant
Twitch: gamerchamp
Modern: UGrand Architect, UBTezzeret Control, UBWRG Bridge From Below (Dredge)
Legacy: UWGTrue-Name Bant
Games vs affinity were interesting. Game one i basically beat my opponent with his own deck. I shackled his early steel overseer and double metamorphed his master of etherium, lol, fun time... lost game 2 due to a misplay, i miscounted my mana on my turn, awkward... game 3 mulled into oblivion to 5 cards and did not draw 3rd land for my architect + vedalken shackles
Made a few changes to the main, i cut the conditionally useful phyrexian revoker, moved mortarpod to the board and added back phyrexian metamorph and wurmcoil, to add extra power vs my field:
4 Hangarback Walker
4 Signal Pest
4 Judge's Familiar
2 Spellskite
4 Myr Superion
4 Etherium Sculptor
4 Chief Engineer
2 Phyrexian Metamorph
4 Lodestone Golem
2 Wurmcoil Engine
artifacts: 2
2 Vedalken Shackles
lands: 20
4 Blinkmoth Nexus
16 Snow-Covered Island
4 Thorn Of Amethyst
2 Mortarpod
2 Torpor Orb
2 Trinket Mage
2 Relic Of Progenitus
2 Pithing Needle
1 Grafdigger's Cage
Hits Superion, Shackles, Architect, lands etc...
Maybe create an Eldrazi/Architect hybrid.
Would probably have to drop Lodestone.
Twitch: gamerchamp
Modern: UGrand Architect, UBTezzeret Control, UBWRG Bridge From Below (Dredge)
Legacy: UWGTrue-Name Bant
I don't think this would be an happy mix. I'm sure there are unexplored eldrazi decks left to discover in modern, but eldrazis have zero synergy with architect, engineer etc.
This is a synergy deck, you can't throw non artifacts, non blue cards and hope it works out well, regardless of how good the said cards are by themselves.
Also the mana would be a train wreck, because you'd have to have double blue for architect, give up shackles because they can't be supported with a colorless mana base, find enough colorless lands and blue land, meaning painlands, meaning more damage from lands...
So in my opinion, no.
Added the Trinket Mage and Engineered Explosives main.
Want more options since I just can't find a good card advantage tool...went thru Thoughtcast, Courier's Capsule, Bident of Thassa, Mindless Automaton, Sea Gate Wreckage.
So I figure keep the synergy and add more "tutoring".
Maybe find room for Executioner's Capsule main...
9 Island
4 Polluted Delta
2 Ghost Quarter
2 Blinkmoth Nexus
1 Tectonic Edge
1 Academy Ruins
1 Watery Grave
Spells (2)
2 Dismember
Artifacts (8)
4 Æther Vial
2 Vedalken Shackles
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Batterskull
4 Judge's Familiar
4 Sage of Epityr
4 Grand Architect
4 Chief Engineer
3 Lodestone Golem
3 Myr Superion
2 Hangarback Walker
1 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Spellskite
1 Trinket Mage
1 Treasure Mage
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Triskelion
2 Spell Pierce
2 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Disdainful Stroke
1 Spellskite
1 Echoing Truth
1 Silent Arbiter
1 Elixir of Immortality
1 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Pithing Needle
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Crucible of Worlds
Edit: Removed one Tectonic Edge for another Ghost Quarter (Tron matchup), also added Elixir of Immortality sideboard.
Twitch: gamerchamp
Modern: UGrand Architect, UBTezzeret Control, UBWRG Bridge From Below (Dredge)
Legacy: UWGTrue-Name Bant
Drawing cards is sweet in this deck but i think consistency and tempo are more important. The main thing i like about card draw is that, thanks to our mana creatures, we can cast everything we draw right away. The thing i don't like about card draw is the tempo loss that comes with it. We can't hold mana and cast instant speed card draw, we are a permanent-based deck... and card draw always comes at the cost of tempo.
On another note, thoughts on Brittle Effigy and its synergy with Trinket Mage? Tutorable artifact removal that can deal with opposing Wurmcoils, Emrakul, Ulamog etc...
Twitch: gamerchamp
Modern: UGrand Architect, UBTezzeret Control, UBWRG Bridge From Below (Dredge)
Legacy: UWGTrue-Name Bant
I could see this work, probably in the sideboard. For most matchups vedalken shackles is better, but vs big guys, where shackles can never get them, effigy might be worth it. I can get behind siding out some shackles for some brittle effigy in those cases.
The only thing i'm worried about is needing grand architect or 4 lands to activate it, but i guess decks that play huge stuff don't pressure you early so you might have the time to get to 4 mana in time. Testing will tell!
Twitch: gamerchamp
Modern: UGrand Architect, UBTezzeret Control, UBWRG Bridge From Below (Dredge)
Legacy: UWGTrue-Name Bant
MTGO/MTGA: Tyclone
My Primers ~ GWx Vizier Company ~ Knightfall ~ RG Eldrazi ~ Green's Sun's Zenith
More Brews ~ Modern Four Horsemen ~ Gitrog Dredge
I think someone posted an heartless summoning list some time ago, so it is feasible but, like, 4 card combo, not the best thing haha!
So i've reverted back to main deck mortarpod, there is a resurgence of affinity and elves in my meta, so i figured it deserves slots in the main. I also realized that mortarpod + wurmcoil can kill 2 things, thx to deathtouch (in case wurmcoil doesn't win you the game already).
4 Hangarback Walker
4 Signal Pest
4 Judge's Familiar
2 Spellskite
4 Myr Superion
4 Etherium Sculptor
4 Chief Engineer
4 Lodestone Golem
2 Wurmcoil Engine
artifacts: 4
2 Mortarpod
2 Vedalken Shackles
lands: 20
4 Blinkmoth Nexus
16 Snow-Covered Island
4 Thorn Of Amethyst
2 Torpor Orb
2 Trinket Mage
2 Relic Of Progenitus
2 Pithing Needle
1 Chalice of the Void
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 flex slot
I got my hands on a chalice of void, should be helpful in a lot of cases, since with all our mana we can cast them for like 4, maybe vs scapeshift?
2 Spellskite
4 Chief engineer
4 Hangarback walker
4 Grand architect
4 Lodestone golem
4 Phyrexian metamorph
2 Sphinx summoner
2 Wurmcoil engine
2 Thoughtsieze
3 Heartless summoning
lands
4 Watery grave
4 Darkslick shores
2 Drowned catacombs
2 Temple of deceit
2 Academy ruins
6 Island
1 Swamp
Got to find space for Myr Superion and its really hard to have any 1 drops but I am thinking Sidisi's faithful is the best one for heartless decks it still has value later in the game.
I took all my wurmcoils and I play Blue tron now but I check in here every now and then since this deck is my first love.. haha.
Pioneer:UR Pheonix
Modern:U Mono U Tron
EDH
GB Glissa, the traitor: Army of Cans
UW Dragonlord Ojutai: Dragonlord NOjutai
UWGDerevi, Empyrial Tactician "you cannot fight the storm"
R Zirilan of the claw. The solution to every problem is dragons
UB Etrata, the Silencer Cloning assassination
Peasant cube: Cards I own
How about ditching the hangarback walkers for those myr superion? The -1/-1 from heartless summoning cancel the mana bonus and the tokens die instantly, so i think they may be your worst creature...
Also you have only 9 land that can cast thoughtseize on turn one, so maybe they are not the best. I understand they are your only turn one play, so maybe run 4 and add some polluted deltas instead of a couple of temple of deceit/drowned catacombs/islands? One mana discard spells are usually 4x, seems weird to just play 2...
Here is my deck for reference:
2 Dimir Signet
2 Sculpting Steel
2 Vedalken Shackles
Artifact Creature (18)
3 Etherium Sculptor
4 Lodestone Golem
4 Phyrexian Metamorph
3 Spellskite
2 Sphinx Summoner
2 Wurmcoil Engine
Creature (4)
4 Grand Architect
Enchantment (3)
3 Heartless Summoning
2 Dismember
Planeswalker (2)
2 Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
Sorcery (4)
4 Sleight of Hand
Land (21)
1 Academy Ruins
1 Flooded Strand
2 Ghost Quarter
8 Island
1 Marsh Flats
3 Polluted Delta
2 Sunken Hollow
1 Swamp
2 Watery Grave
1 Chalice of the Void
2 Dodecapod
1 Duplicant
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Mindslaver
2 Pithing Needle
3 Thorn of Amethyst
2 Torpor Orb
2 Trinket Mage