MTG Salvation

So this is in the very early stages of a rough draft. Unfortunately I do not have the means for online testing (only have my phone) and I want to try to refine the deck some what before I buy it.

Currently the idea is to use cards like
Primal Forcemage and Ambuscade Shaman

To allow haste/haste trample creatures to get in for large amounts of damage.

Many of the creatures also Recur from the grave to make the deck less susceptible to instant speed removal (except maybe [Card]Path to Exile[Card].

There's a bit of reload through Life's Legacy that get much better with Forcemages on the field and generally we sacrifice creatures that are coming back or dying EOT anyways.

Anyways, here's the deck.

while I like the idea. I wouldn't think this deck can compete on a high level. Due to the point that all removal, both targeted and global, hurts this deck more than most. Then it's not fast enough to race the turn 4 decks. If you can figure out a way to speed it up then that would be great. Unfortunately the only way I can see that being done is to include bushwhackers.

I'm sure I won't be top 8ing anything other than maybe a faitly casual FNM with a deck like this. I am just a big fan of certain cards and know that I would enjoy playing this. That being said, I would like to make it as competitive as possible without losing the overall theme.

Do you think something like reckless bush whacker could go in place of bolts? I also thought about a 2 of Temur battle rage but it seems too cutesy. I also thought about swapping Kolaghan commabds to main.

The great saffron olive got you covered.

https://www.mtggoldfish.com/articles/instant-deck-tech-forcemage-green-modern

https://www.mtggoldfish.com/articles/much-abrew-about-nothing-forcemage-green-modern

The second video has play throughs in it.

So I did some testing and this is the new deck I have as of right now.

The mono green list seems interesting but I'm not a huge fan of a lot of the options because I think there are lots of lightning elementals that take way better advantage of the forcemage. Also the Bloodghasts are amazing in this deck and the Ambuscale shamans make it way more consistent.

The updated decklist that I posted did great work in the games I played. It's a very resilient to spot removal and puts great pressure on.

I like what I see so far. I had written a reply but the window crashed so I will try to be short.

The facts that Ambushscade Shaman functions as forcemage 5-8 and that they both can be found with Coco is good.

Does your deck winn before turn 4? If not I woudl recomend playing cards that stop your opponent, since many modern decks withh turn 4.

Discard: Inquesition of Kozilek, Thoughtsieze. Since you have CoCo: Brain Maggot.

Kill: Lightning Bolt, Fatal Push, Abrupt Deckay, Malestorm Pulse. These last 2 kills ensnaring bridge.

Play the full 4 Ambushscade Shaman. It is what your deck is build around, and your deck is 'bad' withouth them. Othervice you could just build regular jund, or zoo.

Try to have at least 27 creatures to hit of CoCo.

You might finaly also have found the one deck where soulflayer is good. A 4/4 flying, trample, haste for 2 mana. Yes.

You can considder to try out: Goblin Rabbelmaster and Hanweir Garrison.

Lightning Mauler could turn creatures into haste creatures.

Lathnu Hellion could be dope. Big and agressive, and maybe better for your manabase.

(Note: While Hanweir Battlements could give your non haste creatures haste, I think it would be far to cute. Fun though, I guess it depends if you play kitchentable or tournament.

Note: When melding you exile the cards and they 'come back into play' )

Lightning Mauler is important to test. Has an interesting ceiling with Ambushscade Shaman

I think Soulflayer is an amazing Idea that I would probably run 2 of (due to mana constrains plus coco, and that I won't be able to Delve twice in a game)

The big issue with Lathnu is his inabilit to trample. I found non Tramplers to have issues. The main reason Strangleroot made the cut is that his 2 mana cost is perfect for curve in aggression and his interaction with life's legacy.

The speed of the deck in goldfish mode is actually consistent turn 4. Of course with all the removal in the game atm it will probably be turn 5+. The Kolaghan's commands are very good in the side for taking care of Gradiggers and Bridges, and the 2nd mode of return a creature has allowed for great recovery.

What do you feel are the cuts for addition Ambuscades?

Also, are the tormented thoughts too cutesy in the side? They've definitely worked as turn 3 discard 3-6 with spark elementals.

If you are winning turn 4 then you are doing something right.

I have no idea for what to cut, besides a card pool of possible cards to add. In order to suggest cards to cut I would need to playtest with it.

I am a bit sceptical to your manabas, but if you have no problems then keep on trucking.

The manabase is very punishing and I plan to replace a few shocks with Copperline Gorges and a Couple Blooming Marsh.

Changed the sideboard as I've found rites of consumption to help us beat out burn and valakut, tormented thoughts gets combo and control. I thought about trying to play collective brutality and I upped the blood ghast count

How are you fishing a turn 4 win with this deck? Sorry I just don't see it.

Honestly if you stay on curve it's not hard for T4.
A less than Ideal situation that still goldfishes T4 would be something like T1 Spark, take to 17. T2 Strangleroot take to 15. T3 Groundbreaker with Geist to 7 and then T4 multi hasters. But that's not what the deck intends to do.

The more ideal play would be T1 mana dork. T2 Forcemage, T3 CoCo to Groundbreakers swing for 20. That's an amazing hand though and with out interference.

A more mid ground and consistent set I see is something like T1 dork, T2 one of the 6 forcemage effects, t3 pretty much least amount of powdr I'm swinging for is 8 (Hell's thunder with no additional haster and the weaker forcemage effect, and azsuming my dork has died now) Then T4 making the double haster play makes the kill.

When play testing I did consistently get T4 with little interaction decks (played against Valakut with 3 mained anger of the gods. Won about 50% of our games). I also got about 50% of my games against fish. Against bring to light scapeshift I actually only got one match in but I won 1 game and lost the other 2 as electrolize is crazy good against me.

Obviously gold fishing it's easy to getthe T4, when playing against others obviously I will play against more interactive and non aggressive decks but I found other than electrolize and anger of the gods, the deck didn't mind fatal pushes and bolts that much as between hellsparks, bloodghasts, and strangleroot, it's easier to push through many effects, though path to exile is very good.

So I just went to Tcgplayer modern states with the deck and it definitely out performed my expectations

The overall record was 3-3 with my games coming out to 9-7.

Tournament summary as follows:

R1: Baral Storm
G1 got flooded out with 7 lands and 2 mana dorks, he went off on turn 4.

G2: Still some minor flooding but resolving Ambuscade T2 allowed the T3 swing for 18 when I CoCo'd.

G3: Still more flooding, though he stormed early to get 10 goblins and I was able to present near lethal through 5 goblins blocking, he wasn't able to use the other 5 offensively as any haste tramplers had him dead if he started swinging.

R2: Bring to light Scapeshift

Possibly one of my worst match ups
G1 I Ran T2 Strangleroot into T3 Strangleroot Spark Elemental. He had fetch shocked twice and was able to wipe up with anger, I responded by dropping a groundbreaker and spark elemental the following turn

G2: Very soft hand with not much going on but I had Mull'd to 5 and couldn't go lower. He got me on turn 4 I believe.

G3: Turn 1 Noble, T2 Birds, swung for 1 with noble, t3 I collected companied for 2 groundbreakers and cast a spark elemental for 15. He had fetch shocked for 3 which brought him to 1. He could not recover

R3: GR Ponza

G1 I T2 forcemaged and T3 dropped 2 spark elementals and a hellspark elemental, swung for lethal

G2. A very timely bonfire of the damned wipes my dorks. Then I get blood mooned with 2 ground breakers and a blood ghast in hand. Bad decl building on my part by not having a couple more basics

G3, I get triple stone rained. Very unfortunate

R4: Coco Elves

G1. I play turn 2 Forcemage and then double hellspark elemental for 12. Following turn I unearth hellspark and play Hell's Thuder. He blocks with every elf he's made to stay alive. I unearth hell's thunder following turn.

G2 I dork, Then Dork Strangleroot, then Coco for a groundbreaker and forcemage. He blocks strangleroot and then on his following turn drops his hand on the field. I go to next turn and drop a groundbreaker and hellspark. Swing the team, I blocks with most elves to stay alive. He was on the defensive at that point and couldn't get pressure back on.

R5: CoCo Elves
Not much to say on this one

R1 was just too quick for him to get set up.

R2 he just operated great. Had the turn 2 archdruid and t3 dropped 2 more lords. Forestwalk gets me

R3 had him on the backfoot. He was at 4 life and I had a forcemage. Any haste killed him. I coco and get a single birds of paradise.

R6: Fish
Also not much to say

G1 I played T1 birds and T2 forcemage and she played a t2 lord. I cocod double ground breaker and then killed the following turn with t3 hellspark.

G2 she plays nothing I play dork she plays spreading seas, I play strangleroot, she keeps it tapped, I play forcemage, she passes, V cliques me on draw, takes my coco andI get coco. I coco groundbreaker and Hellspark. Swung for 15. Following turn was hellspark and spark elemental for game.


That's it. Super happy in the tourney. Definitely gonna refine this more.

Frank Lepore did a deck similar to this a little while ago, his article is here.

maybe he can give some ideas?
his list is:

Bloodghast seems a bit out of place here as it doesn't initially have haste and the BB isn't great in a mostly GR deck.

Even something like Uktabi Drake for more early damage seems like a better idea, or Boggart Ram-Gang or more Ambuscade Shaman.
I would also add the 4th Strangleroot Geist as it is one of your best creatures (and it stays after attacking).

For card draw another decent option can be Hunter's Insight as an instant speed it is less prone to removal like Life's Legacy.

It doesn't work with CoCo but Giantbaiting is a pretty good spell to generate a hasty beater (or two with "conspire").

I definitely agree with bloodghast. I think 2 of ball lightning should take its place.

Life's legacy was great in what it did as the cost of sacking a creature rather than targeting a creature to die made it so that no one to respond by bolting, pathing or pushing. Basically no one got to Two for 1 me.

I think if I were to run any token creators I would run Thatcher Revolt but it just seems too cutesy. I like the strangleroots but their lack of trample has been an issue.

Uktabi drake was very off and on for me. Sometimes he just was a green shock to the face and other times he made the redzone.

Another 2-drop option can be Ash Zealot, but it is probably more of a SB card against GY's.

For some reason I thought you've already maxed out on Ball Lightning (since you already have 4x Groundbreaker), if not it seems like it can replace Hell's Thunder as well.

I thought I would share my thread which I had a similar thing going on.
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/modern/deck-creation-modern/774132-cocoball
I really like the Boggart Ram-Gangs, it is more threatening then it looks.