Hmmm, Reality Shift is as good as blue removal will get, but I doubt it will see alot of play in modern. They still give their opponent a 2/2.
Edit: I know its far from strong enough to be played, but Humble Defector and Stonecloaker make a nice pair
stone cloaker, resto and vialed in flickervwisp but yeah seems kinda silly and red isn;t played too much a splash
There's one card that makes me want to make a WR Death and Taxes deck and that's [Eidolon of the Great Revel].
I have been trying to fool around with avalanche riders and boom//bust.
Well there goes the format....when you give blue arguably the best removal spell in the format delver and patriot control is gonna run this format....what were they thinking when printing Reality Shift. seems like all the new cards are geared towards beefing up blue ( and to a lesser extent) red. If banns don't happen soon delver will be the only deck you can feasibly play in the format.
Wow. That's actually a pretty strong removal card. I mean, in my mind it's about the same as beast within. Maybe a little better since it costs less, exiles, and the creature is smaller, but beast within can hit much more and the card can be a creature that gets transformed. It also feels reminiscent of path with being a cheap exile, but I think the 1 mana difference makes it fair with the drawback being a creature for them instead of a land.
I have been trying to fool around with avalanche riders and boom//bust.
I'm interested in the the WR D&T builds as well. As I recall, LtGlitter is our resident WR expert. Here's the last WR decklist that he posted in this thread.
If you want, I can make a post that discusses WR card choices. (It would be similar to this one that I made for WU, but it would be less detailed, because I have less play experience with the red splash.)
Playing millions of cards every turn... Slowly and systematically obliterating any chance my opponent has of winning... Clicking the multitude of locking mechanisms into place... Not even trying to win myself until turn 10+ once I have nigh absolute control... Watching my opponent desperately trying to navigate the labyrinthine prison that I've constructed... Seeing the light of hope fade and ultimately extinguished in an excruciatingly slow manner... THAT'S fun Magic.
We have 2-3 users that are dramatically making this thread incomprehensible and non-productive for anyone else to possibly join in the discussion. This needs to change.
Every time I see [ktkenshinx] post in here, I get the impression of a stern dad walking in on a bunch of kids trying to do something dumb and just shaking his head in disappointment.
Near Mint: The same as Slightly Played, but we threw some Altoids in the box we stored it in to cover up the scent of dead mice. Slightly Played: The base condition for all MTG cards. This card looks OK, but there’s one minor annoying ding in it that will always irritate and distract you whenever you draw it. Moderately Played: This card looks like it survived the Tet Offensive tucked inside the waistband of GI underwear. It may smell like it, too. Heavily Played: This card looks like the remains of Mohammed Atta’s passport after 9/11. It may be playable if you double-sleeve it to stop the chunks from falling out. The condition formerly known as "Washing Machine Grade" Damaged: This card is the unfortunate victim of a Mirrorweave/March of the Machines/Chaos Confetti/Mindslaver combo.
[M]aking counterfeit cards is the absolute height of dishonesty. Ask yourself this question: Since most people...are totally cool with the use of proxies...what purpose do [high] quality counterfeit cards serve?
If we wanted a 4/4 beater for 3 mana, we would use loxodon smiter. I would also run Serra Avenger before that thing in monowhite lists.
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My Modern decks: Death and Taxes, Hatebears, Well Oiled Machine, Merfolk, Nyx Wave, Soul Sisters, Stompy, Matyr Proc, Naya Zoo, Robots (I refuse to call it affinity!), Bogles, Kiki Chord
Playing millions of cards every turn... Slowly and systematically obliterating any chance my opponent has of winning... Clicking the multitude of locking mechanisms into place... Not even trying to win myself until turn 10+ once I have nigh absolute control... Watching my opponent desperately trying to navigate the labyrinthine prison that I've constructed... Seeing the light of hope fade and ultimately extinguished in an excruciatingly slow manner... THAT'S fun Magic.
We have 2-3 users that are dramatically making this thread incomprehensible and non-productive for anyone else to possibly join in the discussion. This needs to change.
Every time I see [ktkenshinx] post in here, I get the impression of a stern dad walking in on a bunch of kids trying to do something dumb and just shaking his head in disappointment.
Near Mint: The same as Slightly Played, but we threw some Altoids in the box we stored it in to cover up the scent of dead mice. Slightly Played: The base condition for all MTG cards. This card looks OK, but there’s one minor annoying ding in it that will always irritate and distract you whenever you draw it. Moderately Played: This card looks like it survived the Tet Offensive tucked inside the waistband of GI underwear. It may smell like it, too. Heavily Played: This card looks like the remains of Mohammed Atta’s passport after 9/11. It may be playable if you double-sleeve it to stop the chunks from falling out. The condition formerly known as "Washing Machine Grade" Damaged: This card is the unfortunate victim of a Mirrorweave/March of the Machines/Chaos Confetti/Mindslaver combo.
[M]aking counterfeit cards is the absolute height of dishonesty. Ask yourself this question: Since most people...are totally cool with the use of proxies...what purpose do [high] quality counterfeit cards serve?
Generally we don't want a return to hand effect. Yes it's cute with vial but it would take something reallllllly spectacular for this to be a good effect. Bouncing them is just THAT MUCH BETTER. What we really want is a restoration angel effect at 3 mana (likely smaller body)
Hmmm, Reality Shift is as good as blue removal will get, but I doubt it will see alot of play in modern. They still give their opponent a 2/2.
Edit: I know its far from strong enough to be played, but Humble Defector and Stonecloaker make a nice pair
stone cloaker, resto and vialed in flickervwisp but yeah seems kinda silly and red isn;t played too much a splash
There's one card that makes me want to make a WR Death and Taxes deck and that's [Eidolon of the Great Revel].
The card looks good but paying for the RR is really annoying on turn 2.
Edit: I hadn't thought about trying to use mostly humans for RW, I think it could work pretty well. Especially if we put in 1-2 copies of that new 3cmc human who can reanimate "every" creature in the deck for ww.
Double Edit:
I think I'd go with something like this as a base. Its similar to the last version of the deck I was playing and with 2 of the new 3cmc human we get to bring back fan favorites such as Blade Splicer and Avalanche Rider!
Ash Zealot cause its a 2cmc human. I might be convinced to go down to only 2 Riders now that we can bring them back from the dead. Will need to play some games to get a feel for it.
Hi, I'm in the process of building G/W Death and Taxes and wondering if anyone had and suggestions for improving my list,mainly the side board as there is going to be a local modern event soon which i will be bringing this too. Some of the decks that are probably going to be there is
U/W/R control
Delver
Merfolk
Affinity
Pod
G/W hatebears
Mono white pillowfort
Burn
Thank you for any help and any criticism is welcome.
As requested, here is a card choice list for the Red Splash...
WR D&T
From what I can tell, there two questions to be answered after you decide to run WR D&T:
1) Is your deck primarily aggro or control?
2) Do you run Thalia?
Regarding question (1), red is an aggressive color. It tends to deal damage relatively quickly, and you can build your deck accordingly. However, red also gives you access to efficient land destruction and resource denial. Both types of builds may work, but you'll have to pick one at a time.
With respect to question (2), red gives you access to a bunch of useful noncreature spells. Needless to say, they don't play nicely with Thalia. The discussion about whether or not to include Thalia is really a discussion about how many noncreature spells you'd like to run. Generally, I'd run Thalia, but the symmetry of the effect can be a problem.
For Aggro Builds:
1) Keldon Marauders. It's a 2 CMC Shock to your opponent's face that can also be Vialed in, swing, and be flickered for value. Oddly enough, it has the creature type Human, which can be relevant if you have a Cavern of Souls in play.
2) Vexing Devil. Even though you never want to give your opponent a choice, this is a painful T1 play. It can be a terrible topdeck, but it can also give you an early advantage. If nothing else, it's an aggressive move, and it may result in your opponent putting you on Burn or Zoo.
3) Shivan Wumpus. A 6/6 trampler is intimidating. So is having to sacrifice a land each turn that you'd like to keep it at bay. For our opponents, this is a choice between bad and worse. It can be a terrible topdeck if you're behind, but it can also steal the game.
4) Iroas, God of Victory. Not only does it make your attacking creatures hard to block, but it also makes your attacking creatures hard to kill. Unless you bump into mass removal or you're already behind, it's hard to lose the game with this card on the battlefield. Plus it can be Vialed in. Run either one or two copies.
5) Purphoros, God of the Forge. You'll probably never get to five devotion in red (unless you're running Boros Reckoner), but Shocking your opponent every time a creature enters the battlefield under your control is a huge advantage. It can also be a decent mana sink. Definitely worth running, although not as a 3-of or 4-of.
For Control Builds:
1) Boom/Bust. Boom is cheap land destruction that plays very nicely with Flagstones and Ghost Quarter. Bust is a game-winner if you're ahead. Given how D&T likes to run resource denial, it's hard to justify omitting this card from a list (unless you're running Thalia).
2) Avalanche Riders. It has haste, and whenever it enters the battlefield, you get to destroy target land. It's probably the most enticing flicker target in the deck, which says a lot, given we run Blade Splicer. That said, it can be a bad topdeck, because it doesn't help you when you're behind.
3) Blood Moon and Magus of the Moon. These cards are game-winners against greedy manabases. Magus can be Vialed in, dodges the Thalia tax, and it's also a Human. However, these cards are a huge nonbo with our many utilitylands. The good news is that we have Æther Vial and red cards, so ideally these effects would hurt us less than our opponents. If you land one of these cards on the board, be prepared to enter topdeck mode for a little while.
4) Ajani Vengeant. This is resource denial, creature removal, and direct damage all in one card. The +1 ability keeps lands tapped. The -2 ability is a Lightning Helix. The -7 ability is a one-sided Armageddon. It's just a shame that it doesn't play nicely with Thalia.
5) Alesha, Who Smiles at Death. It's worth mentioning, but given Fate Reforged hasn't been released yet, it's a bit early to call this one. It can return a Blade Splicer or an Avalanche Riders, which can be a pretty explosive play.
Instants and Sorceries That Make a Difference:
1) Lightning Bolt. This card is the reason to play red. It kills creatures, and gives you nice reach. Unless you have a really good reason, don't pass up an opportunity to play this card.
2) Lightning Helix. This card is half Lightning Bolt and half Healing Salve. It's hard to argue with that kind of efficiency. Still, you won't be able to run this with a playset of Lightning Bolts. If you need some life gain, you should keep this card in mind.
3) Char. It's absolutely terrible with Thalia, but it has excellent reach for a single red mana. It doesn't work in every deck, but you should be aware that this is an option.
4) Boros Charm. These are three extremely relevant abilities. This card may be useless against combo, but it's worth running against everything else.
5) Magma Jet. It's not particularly efficient, but it's versatile and it filters your draws. It's worth considering, but it may not make the cut.
Additional Taxes and Æther Vial tricks:
1) Tunnel Ignus. Don't have an Arbiter or a Mindcensor in play? No problem. If your opponent cracks a fetchland and doesn't fail to find, he or she takes a Bolt to the face. Ouch. Tunnel Ignus also makes your Paths that much better.
2) Zo-Zu the Punisher. Like Tunnel Ignus, this card penalizes your opponent for putting lands in play. Generally speaking, this is very good for WR D&T, and it gets you extra mileage out of your Paths.
3) Boros Reckoner. Okay, so it's not technically a tax, but if you Vial it in, it becomes a solid combat trick. It also gives you a rather large boost to your WR devotion, if that matters for your deck.
Additional Land Destruction:
1) Fulminator Mage. Nonbasic land destruction that can be Vialed in. It's great when it works, but if your opponent doesn't have any nonbasic lands, the trick is on you.
2) Crack the Earth. This card is a staple in land destruction decks, but it can backfire if your opponent drops a nonland permanent on T1. It's a terrible topdeck, but it's great on the draw when combined with Simian Spirit Guide.
3) Stone Rain and Molten Rain. These are the most straightforward land destruction cards in Modern. They probably aren't the right cards for WR D&T, but they're worth mentioning.
4) Invader Parasite. Its CMC is too high for what it does, but I'm listing this for the sake of completion. This card is half Avalanche Riders and half Zo-Zu the Punisher. It can be flickered for value, but it often feels like a win-more, because it won't save you if you're already behind.
4) Flagstones of Trokair. This works really well with Boom/Bust. Despite it being Legendary, feel free to run it in multiples. If you send one to the graveyard, you get to tutor up a Plains card. (This can be a nonbo with Leonin Arbiter though.)
5) Slayers' Stronghold. This card is definitely worth running. Who wouldn't want to swing for 5 in the air with a Flickerwisp?
6) Keldon Megaliths. At first glance, this card doesn't seem very powerful, but you should consider running this as a 1-of or a 2-of. D&T frequently plays with an empty hand, and that Hellbent ability becomes a good late-game mana sink.
7) Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep. Admittedly, this doesn't add much value, given Thalia already has first strike. Still, it can be nice if you're running Brimaz.
Offbeat Choices:
1) Ash Zealot. It's a 2 CMC Human with first strike and haste. It also punishes anyone running Snapcaster Mage or playing PiF Storm. Unfortunately, that's all it does. It's an aggressive early play, but doesn't get you late-game value in most match ups.
2) Eidolon of the Great Revel. This is the card that single-handedly made Burn a tier 1 deck. It's extremely aggressive, and you can play around it if you have a Vial on the battlefield. However, most of our deck is 3 CMC or less, and if you're not careful, this card can cost you the game.
3) Legion's Initiative. It may not be a creature, but this is a flicker effect on an enchantment. Not only can you use this card to get additional value out of creatures with EtB effects, but you can also use this card to Fog your opponents by declaring blockers and flickering your board.
4) Simian Spirit Guide. It's a terrible topdeck, but it can also get you a T1 Arbiter on the play. Depending on your opponent's deck, he or she may concede on the spot. T1 Thalia or Tunnel Ignus is also fantastic.
5) Volcano Hellion. I'm not a huge fan of this card, but it's worth mentioning (LtGlitter once talked about this being an option). It's Vialable creature removal with an impressive body. It can be flickered for value, but the echo cost is typically insurmountable. Its pretty useful with Slayers' Stronghold, and has a very funny interaction with Boros Reckoner. Sure the Hellion/Reckoner combo is very, very dangerous. Still, who wouldn't want to win via Stuffy Doll?
6) Duergar Hedge-Mage. This is the WR Reclamation Sage. It's a conditional Disenchant with legs, and it can be flickered for value. Unfortunately, it doesn't play nicely with our utilitylands. Even if you don't run this card, you should be aware that it exists.
7) Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker. Why swing with a millionfaeries when you can swing with a millionAngels? If your opponent doesn't know to be watching for this, it's a fun way to win out of nowhere. That said, the RRR in the mana cost can be tough to reach. This trick works better in lists that are running Blood Moon and Magus of the Moon, because those cards turn your utilitylands into mountains.
I'm sure there are more choices, and I'll add them as I think of them. Let me know if you think there's something that I've missed, and I'll add it to the list.
Playing millions of cards every turn... Slowly and systematically obliterating any chance my opponent has of winning... Clicking the multitude of locking mechanisms into place... Not even trying to win myself until turn 10+ once I have nigh absolute control... Watching my opponent desperately trying to navigate the labyrinthine prison that I've constructed... Seeing the light of hope fade and ultimately extinguished in an excruciatingly slow manner... THAT'S fun Magic.
We have 2-3 users that are dramatically making this thread incomprehensible and non-productive for anyone else to possibly join in the discussion. This needs to change.
Every time I see [ktkenshinx] post in here, I get the impression of a stern dad walking in on a bunch of kids trying to do something dumb and just shaking his head in disappointment.
Near Mint: The same as Slightly Played, but we threw some Altoids in the box we stored it in to cover up the scent of dead mice. Slightly Played: The base condition for all MTG cards. This card looks OK, but there’s one minor annoying ding in it that will always irritate and distract you whenever you draw it. Moderately Played: This card looks like it survived the Tet Offensive tucked inside the waistband of GI underwear. It may smell like it, too. Heavily Played: This card looks like the remains of Mohammed Atta’s passport after 9/11. It may be playable if you double-sleeve it to stop the chunks from falling out. The condition formerly known as "Washing Machine Grade" Damaged: This card is the unfortunate victim of a Mirrorweave/March of the Machines/Chaos Confetti/Mindslaver combo.
[M]aking counterfeit cards is the absolute height of dishonesty. Ask yourself this question: Since most people...are totally cool with the use of proxies...what purpose do [high] quality counterfeit cards serve?
@Jonny You have a lot of 1-2 copies of cards in the deck which I don't think have really high impacts on the game on their own. We don't have blue to make our draws more consistent so I think you are going to run into problems where one game you draw a Thalia, and the next you draw a Wall of Omens. Those two cards will cause you to play quite differently which might mess up your games overall. I think if you want to play Magus & Kiki, you should take one of the more "stock" lists for mono white and then play 2 magus and 1 kiki main. Kiki is nice but at 5 mana he is a pain to actually get into play. Additionally Magus is either really good or really eh. 2 main is enough to usually see one of him per game, and then if you are playing pod or UWR you can side in 2 more for game 2, or only have to side 2 out if you are playing vs. burn or delver.
Advice to these past couple lists posted: everytime I see a flickerwisp cut, I toss a puppy off a bridge. Card is the best card in our 75 hands down. That is all.
The one thing this does have going for it over Whitemane Lion is the inclusion of the word may. The last card to make the bounce optional included U in the cost.
That said walls really aren't what this deck is about.
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“Modern has provided us a non-rotating format that is far more accessible than Legacy or Vintage, but still retains many of the qualities that people enjoy in those formats—such as a more stable metagame, the ability to play and tweak the same deck week after week, and simply a much more powerful card pool than Standard.”
- Sam Stoddard, “Developing Modern” (June 21, 2013) (by means of Sheridan Lardner, "Fixing Modern: Defining Format Mission (March 16, 2016))
This is my list. It punishes delver and lots of decks running any sort of can trips. 4 chalice. Thorn's, 4 Thalia. That is all.
The 4th Flickerwisp and a playset of Paths are necessities, as you just lose to a number of decks without them. Brimaz is better than Hero of Bladehold, and at least 3 Blade Splicer, but preferably 4, need to find space in the main. Kitchen Finks is not a card you want 4 of, Mirran Crusader is bad in the current Delver-heavy meta and also suffers from the lack of equipment in the deck, and Serra Avenger is playable, but isn't necessarily impactful enough over other 2 drops. What makes the card good in the legacy version isn't the fact that it's a 3/3 vigilant flyer for 2, it's that the card is a house with equipment attached.
With regards to the Thorn/Chalice plan, I don't like it. It's just way too slow and bad against every deck that isn't Delver, Burn, or Infect (Basically, any deck that runs a lot of 1-drops). Mainboard hate for Delver is fine, but make sure it can do something if you aren't playing against delver. Your T1 vial -> T2 chalice plan looks great - until your opponent drops a Noble Hierarch on turn 1 off a Razorverge thicket.
When choosing hate cards, make sure that the card can do something if the hate isn't relevant. Against pod, for instance, Thalia isn't particularly good. However, it is a 2/1 with first strike. So, while the taxing ability may not be relevant, the first strike body will not allow the opponent to swing with Finks, Voice, an earlygame Ooze, and so on. A Chalice and Thorn, on the other hand, are just dead cards that do absolutely nothing.
If you want a good Delver matchup, splash black and throw an Orzhov Pontiff or 2 in the deck. Don't use hate that's dead in certain matchups, because this deck contains no card draw outside of Horizon Canopy, and needs to use every card it can get.
Edit: Forgot to add - if you stay mono-coloured, 22 land should be plenty. You can also run a third Tectonic Edge just fine.
@lightspeed: I have been thinking of making a hatebears D&T hybrid for the current meta. This looks pretty close but I think you need the 4th wisp (maybe only 3 hierarch) . If removal is king in the meta make them burn multiples. and were the path to exiles in the lands supposed to be tectonic edge or do you only run 20 lands because of the hierarchs?
@Charons: great breakdown for Wr builds. ( I love my Wb build but in current meta i think another color may be key...prob either G or R... I know blue is strong but not quite my style)
I am trying to make a METADEATH and taxes Mono white version...pretty much anti delver; i will post a list when i finish tweaking it.
What are people's thoughts on Trinisphere in the SB?
@lightspeed: I have been thinking of making a hatebears D&T hybrid for the current meta. This looks pretty close but I think you need the 4th wisp (maybe only 3 hierarch) . If removal is king in the meta make them burn multiples. and were the path to exiles in the lands supposed to be tectonic edge or do you only run 20 lands because of the hierarchs?
@Sheepz: great breakdown for Wr builds. ( I love my Wb build but in current meta i think another color may be key...prob either G or R... I know blue is strong but not quite my style)
I am trying to make a METADEATH and taxes Mono white version...pretty much anti delver; i will post a list when i finish tweaking it.
What are people's thoughts on Trinisphere in the SB?
Lol thanks but I think that was glitter. I was just complaining cause people cut a wisp.
WDeath and TaxesW
RWGBurnGWR
WDeath and TaxesW
RWGBurnGWR
Both Pongify and Rapid Hybridization have existed for years, and they're both better than Reality Shift. The major indestructible problem in this format, has protection from colored spells anyway. Reality Shift will see zero play in Modern.
I'm interested in the the WR D&T builds as well. As I recall, LtGlitter is our resident WR expert. Here's the last WR decklist that he posted in this thread.
If you want, I can make a post that discusses WR card choices. (It would be similar to this one that I made for WU, but it would be less detailed, because I have less play experience with the red splash.)
WUDeath&TaxesWG
Legacy
UBRGDredgeUBRG
UHigh TideU
URGLandsURG
WR Card Choice List
WUR American D&T
WUB Esper D&T
The Reserved List
Heat Maps
WDeath and TaxesW
RWGBurnGWR
Probably not. I'd rather run Whitemane Lion, and that hardly ever sees play.
WUDeath&TaxesWG
Legacy
UBRGDredgeUBRG
UHigh TideU
URGLandsURG
WR Card Choice List
WUR American D&T
WUB Esper D&T
The Reserved List
Heat Maps
Generally we don't want a return to hand effect. Yes it's cute with vial but it would take something reallllllly spectacular for this to be a good effect. Bouncing them is just THAT MUCH BETTER. What we really want is a restoration angel effect at 3 mana (likely smaller body)
Edit: I hadn't thought about trying to use mostly humans for RW, I think it could work pretty well. Especially if we put in 1-2 copies of that new 3cmc human who can reanimate "every" creature in the deck for ww.
Double Edit:
I think I'd go with something like this as a base. Its similar to the last version of the deck I was playing and with 2 of the new 3cmc human we get to bring back fan favorites such as Blade Splicer and Avalanche Rider!
3 Restoration Angel
4 Ash Zealot
2 Alesha, Who Smiles at Death
4 Flickerwisp
4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
1 Aven Mindcensor
2 Blade Splicer
4 Avalanche Riders
4 Leonin Arbiter
4 Path to Exile
2 Slayers' Stronghold
4 Ghost Quarter
2 Plains
1 Mountain
1 Tectonic Edge
4 Arid Mesa
4 Sacred Foundry
4 Cavern of Souls
Ash Zealot cause its a 2cmc human. I might be convinced to go down to only 2 Riders now that we can bring them back from the dead. Will need to play some games to get a feel for it.
4 Path to Exile
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Restoration Angel
3 Flickerwisp
4 Blade Splicer
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
4 Leonin Arbiter
1 Qasali Pridemage
3 Scavenging Ooze
2 Aven Mindcensor
2 Voice of Resurgence
2 Gavony Township
4 Horizon Canopy
4 Razorverge Thicket
4 Temple Garden
4 Path to Exile
1 Eiganjo Castle
2 Plains
1 Forest
3 Kor Firewalker
2 Choke
1 Mark of Asylum
1 Creeping Corrosion
1 Stony Silence
2 Kataki, War's Wage
1 Qasali Pridemage
2 Chalice of the Void
1 Fracturing Gust
1 Sunlance
Hi, I'm in the process of building G/W Death and Taxes and wondering if anyone had and suggestions for improving my list,mainly the side board as there is going to be a local modern event soon which i will be bringing this too. Some of the decks that are probably going to be there is
U/W/R control
Delver
Merfolk
Affinity
Pod
G/W hatebears
Mono white pillowfort
Burn
Thank you for any help and any criticism is welcome.
WR D&T
From what I can tell, there two questions to be answered after you decide to run WR D&T:
1) Is your deck primarily aggro or control?
2) Do you run Thalia?
Regarding question (1), red is an aggressive color. It tends to deal damage relatively quickly, and you can build your deck accordingly. However, red also gives you access to efficient land destruction and resource denial. Both types of builds may work, but you'll have to pick one at a time.
With respect to question (2), red gives you access to a bunch of useful noncreature spells. Needless to say, they don't play nicely with Thalia. The discussion about whether or not to include Thalia is really a discussion about how many noncreature spells you'd like to run. Generally, I'd run Thalia, but the symmetry of the effect can be a problem.
For Aggro Builds:
1) Keldon Marauders. It's a 2 CMC Shock to your opponent's face that can also be Vialed in, swing, and be flickered for value. Oddly enough, it has the creature type Human, which can be relevant if you have a Cavern of Souls in play.
2) Vexing Devil. Even though you never want to give your opponent a choice, this is a painful T1 play. It can be a terrible topdeck, but it can also give you an early advantage. If nothing else, it's an aggressive move, and it may result in your opponent putting you on Burn or Zoo.
3) Shivan Wumpus. A 6/6 trampler is intimidating. So is having to sacrifice a land each turn that you'd like to keep it at bay. For our opponents, this is a choice between bad and worse. It can be a terrible topdeck if you're behind, but it can also steal the game.
4) Iroas, God of Victory. Not only does it make your attacking creatures hard to block, but it also makes your attacking creatures hard to kill. Unless you bump into mass removal or you're already behind, it's hard to lose the game with this card on the battlefield. Plus it can be Vialed in. Run either one or two copies.
5) Purphoros, God of the Forge. You'll probably never get to five devotion in red (unless you're running Boros Reckoner), but Shocking your opponent every time a creature enters the battlefield under your control is a huge advantage. It can also be a decent mana sink. Definitely worth running, although not as a 3-of or 4-of.
6) Akroma, Angel of Fury. Okay, so this one isn't specific to WR D&T. Still, it's actually a red card, and plays pretty nicely with Legion's Initiative, in addition to the usual enablers.
For Control Builds:
1) Boom/Bust. Boom is cheap land destruction that plays very nicely with Flagstones and Ghost Quarter. Bust is a game-winner if you're ahead. Given how D&T likes to run resource denial, it's hard to justify omitting this card from a list (unless you're running Thalia).
2) Avalanche Riders. It has haste, and whenever it enters the battlefield, you get to destroy target land. It's probably the most enticing flicker target in the deck, which says a lot, given we run Blade Splicer. That said, it can be a bad topdeck, because it doesn't help you when you're behind.
3) Blood Moon and Magus of the Moon. These cards are game-winners against greedy manabases. Magus can be Vialed in, dodges the Thalia tax, and it's also a Human. However, these cards are a huge nonbo with our many utility lands. The good news is that we have Æther Vial and red cards, so ideally these effects would hurt us less than our opponents. If you land one of these cards on the board, be prepared to enter topdeck mode for a little while.
4) Ajani Vengeant. This is resource denial, creature removal, and direct damage all in one card. The +1 ability keeps lands tapped. The -2 ability is a Lightning Helix. The -7 ability is a one-sided Armageddon. It's just a shame that it doesn't play nicely with Thalia.
5) Alesha, Who Smiles at Death. It's worth mentioning, but given Fate Reforged hasn't been released yet, it's a bit early to call this one. It can return a Blade Splicer or an Avalanche Riders, which can be a pretty explosive play.
Instants and Sorceries That Make a Difference:
1) Lightning Bolt. This card is the reason to play red. It kills creatures, and gives you nice reach. Unless you have a really good reason, don't pass up an opportunity to play this card.
2) Lightning Helix. This card is half Lightning Bolt and half Healing Salve. It's hard to argue with that kind of efficiency. Still, you won't be able to run this with a playset of Lightning Bolts. If you need some life gain, you should keep this card in mind.
3) Char. It's absolutely terrible with Thalia, but it has excellent reach for a single red mana. It doesn't work in every deck, but you should be aware that this is an option.
4) Boros Charm. These are three extremely relevant abilities. This card may be useless against combo, but it's worth running against everything else.
5) Magma Jet. It's not particularly efficient, but it's versatile and it filters your draws. It's worth considering, but it may not make the cut.
Additional Taxes and Æther Vial tricks:
1) Tunnel Ignus. Don't have an Arbiter or a Mindcensor in play? No problem. If your opponent cracks a fetchland and doesn't fail to find, he or she takes a Bolt to the face. Ouch. Tunnel Ignus also makes your Paths that much better.
2) Zo-Zu the Punisher. Like Tunnel Ignus, this card penalizes your opponent for putting lands in play. Generally speaking, this is very good for WR D&T, and it gets you extra mileage out of your Paths.
3) Boros Reckoner. Okay, so it's not technically a tax, but if you Vial it in, it becomes a solid combat trick. It also gives you a rather large boost to your WR devotion, if that matters for your deck.
Additional Land Destruction:
1) Fulminator Mage. Nonbasic land destruction that can be Vialed in. It's great when it works, but if your opponent doesn't have any nonbasic lands, the trick is on you.
2) Crack the Earth. This card is a staple in land destruction decks, but it can backfire if your opponent drops a nonland permanent on T1. It's a terrible topdeck, but it's great on the draw when combined with Simian Spirit Guide.
3) Stone Rain and Molten Rain. These are the most straightforward land destruction cards in Modern. They probably aren't the right cards for WR D&T, but they're worth mentioning.
4) Invader Parasite. Its CMC is too high for what it does, but I'm listing this for the sake of completion. This card is half Avalanche Riders and half Zo-Zu the Punisher. It can be flickered for value, but it often feels like a win-more, because it won't save you if you're already behind.
Land Choices:
1) Sacred Foundry, Arid Mesa, Clifftop Retreat, and Battlefield Forge. Which of these cards that you run, and in what quantities you run them, will depend on your deck.
2) Rugged Prairie. The filter lands can go a long way in smoothing out your curve. Definitely worth thinking about.
3) Cavern of Souls. WR D&T can have a large number of Humans, which gives you extra incentive to run Cavern of Souls. Just to name a few, there are Keldon Marauders, Ash Zealot, Avalanche Riders, Thalia, and Magus of the Moon.
4) Flagstones of Trokair. This works really well with Boom/Bust. Despite it being Legendary, feel free to run it in multiples. If you send one to the graveyard, you get to tutor up a Plains card. (This can be a nonbo with Leonin Arbiter though.)
5) Slayers' Stronghold. This card is definitely worth running. Who wouldn't want to swing for 5 in the air with a Flickerwisp?
6) Keldon Megaliths. At first glance, this card doesn't seem very powerful, but you should consider running this as a 1-of or a 2-of. D&T frequently plays with an empty hand, and that Hellbent ability becomes a good late-game mana sink.
7) Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep. Admittedly, this doesn't add much value, given Thalia already has first strike. Still, it can be nice if you're running Brimaz.
Offbeat Choices:
1) Ash Zealot. It's a 2 CMC Human with first strike and haste. It also punishes anyone running Snapcaster Mage or playing PiF Storm. Unfortunately, that's all it does. It's an aggressive early play, but doesn't get you late-game value in most match ups.
2) Eidolon of the Great Revel. This is the card that single-handedly made Burn a tier 1 deck. It's extremely aggressive, and you can play around it if you have a Vial on the battlefield. However, most of our deck is 3 CMC or less, and if you're not careful, this card can cost you the game.
3) Legion's Initiative. It may not be a creature, but this is a flicker effect on an enchantment. Not only can you use this card to get additional value out of creatures with EtB effects, but you can also use this card to Fog your opponents by declaring blockers and flickering your board.
4) Simian Spirit Guide. It's a terrible topdeck, but it can also get you a T1 Arbiter on the play. Depending on your opponent's deck, he or she may concede on the spot. T1 Thalia or Tunnel Ignus is also fantastic.
5) Volcano Hellion. I'm not a huge fan of this card, but it's worth mentioning (LtGlitter once talked about this being an option). It's Vialable creature removal with an impressive body. It can be flickered for value, but the echo cost is typically insurmountable. Its pretty useful with Slayers' Stronghold, and has a very funny interaction with Boros Reckoner. Sure the Hellion/Reckoner combo is very, very dangerous. Still, who wouldn't want to win via Stuffy Doll?
6) Duergar Hedge-Mage. This is the WR Reclamation Sage. It's a conditional Disenchant with legs, and it can be flickered for value. Unfortunately, it doesn't play nicely with our utility lands. Even if you don't run this card, you should be aware that it exists.
7) Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker. Why swing with a million faeries when you can swing with a million Angels? If your opponent doesn't know to be watching for this, it's a fun way to win out of nowhere. That said, the RRR in the mana cost can be tough to reach. This trick works better in lists that are running Blood Moon and Magus of the Moon, because those cards turn your utility lands into mountains.
I'm sure there are more choices, and I'll add them as I think of them. Let me know if you think there's something that I've missed, and I'll add it to the list.
I hope this was helpful!
EDIT: Added Kiki-Jiki.
WUDeath&TaxesWG
Legacy
UBRGDredgeUBRG
UHigh TideU
URGLandsURG
WR Card Choice List
WUR American D&T
WUB Esper D&T
The Reserved List
Heat Maps
WDeath and TaxesW
RWGBurnGWR
4 Æther Vial
4 Chalice of the Void
2 Thorn of Amethyst
//Creature (27)
1 Akroma, Angel of Fury
2 Aven Mindcensor
3 Flickerwisp
1 Hero of Bladehold
4 Kitchen Finks
4 Leonin Arbiter
2 Mirran Crusader
4 Restoration Angel
2 Serra Avenger
4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
//Land (23)
1 Eiganjo Castle
4 Ghost Quarter
16 Plains
2 Tectonic Edge
SB: 2 Disenchant
SB: 3 Kor Firewalker
SB: 1 Linvala, Keeper of Silence
SB: 2 Pithing Needle
SB: 2 Rest in Peace
SB: 1 Spellskite
SB: 3 Stony Silence
SB: 1 Worship
This is my list. It punishes delver and lots of decks running any sort of can trips. 4 chalice. Thorn's, 4 Thalia. That is all.
That said walls really aren't what this deck is about.
- Sam Stoddard, “Developing Modern” (June 21, 2013) (by means of Sheridan Lardner, "Fixing Modern: Defining Format Mission (March 16, 2016))
How to Use Spoiler Tags
Starting Over: The Origins of the Mulligan Rule
Practical Approach to Slow Play
THE Guide to Aggro, Part 2: SWARM and TOOLBOX
THE Guide to Aggro, Part 3
THE Guide to Aggro, Part 4
These videos are by MTG Salvation Moderator Lantern!
Introduction to Tempo
Controlling Tempo
Elements of Tempo
Roadblocks to Tempo
How Not To Build A Deck - Tempo
Learn How To Sideboard, Dammit!
Mulligan's Island
The Art of the Mulligan
The Art of the Mulligan: Eight Case Studies
Fundamentals: The Mulligan
Some Mulligan Exercises
A Mulligan Is Worth Three Cards
The Mulligan Debate
Common Sense: The Art of the Mulligan
Who's The Beatdown?
3 Caves of Koilos
3 Eldrazi Temple
2 Fetid Heath
3 Godless Shrine
4 Ghost Quarter
3 Plains
3 Shambling Vent
2 Tectonic Edge
Artifacts (4):
4 Æther Vial
4 Path to Exile
Creatures (29):
3 Aven Mindcensor
3 Eldrazi Displacer
3 Fiend Hunter
4 Flickerwisp
4 Serra Avenger
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
3 Thought-Knot Seer
3 Tidehollow Sculler
3 Wasteland Strangler
3 Chalice of the Void
2 Dismember
2 Oblivion Ring
2 Rest in Peace
3 Stony Silence
3 Surgical Extraction
3 Flooded Strand
6 Island
3 Polluted Delta
3 Steam Vents
3 Sulfur Falls
Creatures (16):
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Monastery Swiftspear
4 Snapcaster Mage
4 Stormchaser Mage
2 Gut Shot
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Mutagenic Growth
3 Spell Pierce
3 Twisted Image
3 Vapor Snag
Sorceries (8):
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Serum Visions
2 Ancient Grudge
2 Blood Moon
2 Dispel
1 Forked Bolt
1 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Repeal
2 Roast
1 Spell Snare
2 Spellskite
1 Vapor Snag
4 Bloodstained Mire
1 Clifftop Retreat
1 Copperline Gorge
5 Mountain
3 Sacred Foundry
2 Stomping Ground
4 Wooded Foothills
Creatures (14):
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
4 Goblin Guide
2 Grim Lavamancer
4 Monastery Swiftspear
4 Atarka's Command
4 Boros Charm
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Lightning Helix
3 Searing Blaze
Sorceries (8):
4 Lava Spike
4 Rift Bolt
2 Deflecting Palm
4 Destructive Revelry
2 Kor Firewalker
2 Path to Exile
2 Rending Volley
3 Skullcrack
19 Forest
3 Treetop Village
Creatures (24):
4 Avatar of the Resolute
4 Dryad Militant
2 Dungrove Elder
4 Experiment One
4 Leatherback Baloth
2 Scavenging Ooze
4 Strangleroot Geist
4 Rancor
Instants (10):
3 Aspect of Hydra
4 Vines of Vastwood
3 Dismember
2 Choke
2 Gut Shot
2 Deglamer
2 Feed the Clan
2 Oxidize
2 Relic of Progenitus
2 Skylasher
1 Unravel the Æther
The 4th Flickerwisp and a playset of Paths are necessities, as you just lose to a number of decks without them. Brimaz is better than Hero of Bladehold, and at least 3 Blade Splicer, but preferably 4, need to find space in the main. Kitchen Finks is not a card you want 4 of, Mirran Crusader is bad in the current Delver-heavy meta and also suffers from the lack of equipment in the deck, and Serra Avenger is playable, but isn't necessarily impactful enough over other 2 drops. What makes the card good in the legacy version isn't the fact that it's a 3/3 vigilant flyer for 2, it's that the card is a house with equipment attached.
With regards to the Thorn/Chalice plan, I don't like it. It's just way too slow and bad against every deck that isn't Delver, Burn, or Infect (Basically, any deck that runs a lot of 1-drops). Mainboard hate for Delver is fine, but make sure it can do something if you aren't playing against delver. Your T1 vial -> T2 chalice plan looks great - until your opponent drops a Noble Hierarch on turn 1 off a Razorverge thicket.
When choosing hate cards, make sure that the card can do something if the hate isn't relevant. Against pod, for instance, Thalia isn't particularly good. However, it is a 2/1 with first strike. So, while the taxing ability may not be relevant, the first strike body will not allow the opponent to swing with Finks, Voice, an earlygame Ooze, and so on. A Chalice and Thorn, on the other hand, are just dead cards that do absolutely nothing.
If you want a good Delver matchup, splash black and throw an Orzhov Pontiff or 2 in the deck. Don't use hate that's dead in certain matchups, because this deck contains no card draw outside of Horizon Canopy, and needs to use every card it can get.
Edit: Forgot to add - if you stay mono-coloured, 22 land should be plenty. You can also run a third Tectonic Edge just fine.
@Charons: great breakdown for Wr builds. ( I love my Wb build but in current meta i think another color may be key...prob either G or R... I know blue is strong but not quite my style)
I am trying to make a METADEATH and taxes Mono white version...pretty much anti delver; i will post a list when i finish tweaking it.
What are people's thoughts on Trinisphere in the SB?
WDeath and TaxesW
RWGBurnGWR
Lol thanks but I think that was glitter. I was just complaining cause people cut a wisp.