"Mono blue living end was just a novelty, it lacks the power or consistency."
Sure seems like it, huh? I'm glad I don't see it around anymore. Those Ancestral Visions made it nearly impossible to win the attrition match against them with Jund (Jund Jund, not Jund Living End). A bunch of guys at my LGS thought As Foretold LE was the new big thing. I kept trying to tell them that Jund LE had way more staying power and was way more resilient and grindy than they realized. Still, I thought the As Foretold deck would've stuck around a little longer that it did. It seemed good. But I guess I was only playing Jund Jund at the time and I kept getting wrecked by it.
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MODERN: BRGJUNDGRB---BRHOLLOW ONERB---BGELVESGB---BRGLIVING ENDGRB---GWBOGLESWG EDH: BRGKARRTHUS, TYRANT OF JUNDGRB
Don't get me wrong, I think that the U/R version of the As foretold-Living end combo is way better than the Mono U version. This is what i've been tinkering with the As Foretold Living end in Cockatrice:
I think that the As foretold version of the deck is wayyy weaker against Counterspells, that's why i have several pieces of Spell pierce and Izzet Charm in the main. Also, wit the U/R version you can discard with either IzzetC. or Faithless looting your fatties, and normally you should be playing the biggest of the bunch in Modern. Chancellor of the Annex is Huge in your early game because it basically stops them from casting turn 1 their things, or even turn 2 if they have an slow hand. Urabrask the Hidden so that you can give your fatties haste (Since this always cast living end on your turn, it can be open to wraths).
What do you guys think? I have been having some success with it, the games i loose basically i lost to myself for not assembling the combo soon enough, but that was because i didn't have serum visions or faithless looting to start the engine going in the first few turns. This deck has a consistent turn 3 As foretold or Kari-zev.
Hello!
I'm new to living end but considering taking the deck to a team event, and have some questions. My build is fairly standard, md 3 SSG, 2 LE at this stage. (like this list )
Foremost: Does anyone have a updated sidaboard guide for the current meta?
Further regarding the board: What is the reasoning for K-command over more Ingot Chewers? In what matchups do we board it in, and with what plan?
Thragtusk in the board - is this really sufficient for beating burn? I guess it does a lot of heavy lifting hardcast against the grindier matchups of course.
Another note on sideboards: I feel there should probably be a point in diversifying the sideboard creature hate to get around multiple Meddling Mages from humans. Something like 3 Shriekmaw, 1-2 Dead//Gone, 1 Anger. Thoughts on this? Dead//Gone also feels useful against other aggro matchups, like burn and affinity.
I really like the feeling of playing this deck - instant speed card draw and sweepers along with land destruction and a fast clock is all I want in magic!
Grateful for any points in the right direction!
K command is a great sideboard tool against many other decks that ingot chewer can't hit. Specially against humans and hollow one. And Thagtusk is a great midrange card. Normally against Burn you should not expect to cast a thragtusk to save you the game: Instead, you should have to race them and kill them before they do. If you face lots of burn in your meta, you should put life-gain sideboard cards other than thragtusk. But thragtusk is much better suited to midrange games where we can already cast our creatures from our hand. In those matchups, if you can already cast your creatures, why not cast one of the best value creatures in the format? It costs the same amount of mana as Archfiend or Horror.
I'm a long time living end player, been playing it since almost the start of modern. I did have some questions for the group and hope to get some other fellow players insight to these cards. I notice that sideboards more recently have been playing cards like
Dead//Gone, Thragtusk, and Kolagan's Command
The Kolagan's Command makes sense for those matches you side out a demonic dread due to lack of creature targets. It has some nice utility and flex.
I'm however curious on what kind of matches and uses folks are using Dead//Gone and Thragtusk.
To me the life gain from tusk seems too slow for those decks you want life gain in.
To me, playing Dead//gone is if you're really, and I mean really afraid of hyper aggro creature decks and i'm not personally seeing the need for it when shriekmaw exists and one hit isn't the end of the world. The bounce also doesn't strike me as particularly useful for the mana cost and the lack of widespread applications.
I'd personally wouldn't side in thragtusk against burn, 5 mana is already a tall order against a deck as quick as burn and getting blown out by skullcrack/command is not something i'm interested in either. I might like it more against grindier decks like the various gb/x decks but i'd rather run other cards at that point.
I personally don't use Dead//Gone that much, altough it has it's utility as the cheapest removal in the deck. It's great against Humans and targetting meddling mage, or Mardu Pyro or Delver of secrets. Even a scooze tapped out for mana can be a great target from it. And because it only costs 1 red in a deck that you can't casts spells below 3, it usually saves you from t1 or t2 taxing creatures.
Thragtusk on the other hand is a great Midrange plan: When you just run out of living ends and you just rely on casting your creatures, Thragtusk gives so much value for the same cost than your best cyclers. you should side it against burn but knowing full well that you might not get the life value of him enter the battlefield ability
What are we so scared of that we would eschew shriekmaw in favor of dead//gone though? The usual taxers we'd likely face (Thalia) makes it so it's the same cost as shriekmaw anyways.
And if humans in the general sense is a deck to be worried about, the key is to diversify our answers to beat meddling mage, i'd sooner play anger of the gods over dead//gone. Between it, shriekmaw, beast within, and living end itself, it's unlikely they would be able to have all those meddling mages on the field simultaneously.
Thanks. I been looking at decklist and see that and tusk a lot. To me tusk is ok but against control or mid-range I think I rather play avalanche riders. Had to get to the mid-game with no lands and it's good against other decks. Or for life gain it would be gnaw to the bone.
Dead//Gone is one I might play 1 of in the side. I do think it's for diversity if anything. That's the only thing I can really think it would be used for. It's not that great of a card.
Yes, you are right. The Jundillion Build is definitely doing work in competitive tournaments and leagues. I have tested the 2 Living end Strategy and it works fine and haven't had a problem with it at the moment. The problem. Altough drawing 1 Living End when you have two puts additional pressure on your gameplay. On the other hand i've been working with Thragtusk in the sideboard and i absolutely love them. It makes your casting big fatties plan infinitely much better against control decks.
I'm testing out the 2 living end list. I watched a video on the why behind it and it's worth testing.
However I haven't liked the Thragtusk in the sb. I get these are for midrange and grindy matches but to me one big living end followed by another when creatures get low tends to work just as well. I use to run a Kessig in the main that allowed me to get through those grindy blocks
I like a one of K. Command in sb. I removed a chewer for a copy and it seems good.
One thing I have considered is running a one of Damping Sphere in the sideboard a good plan for Tron. I know it doesn't meet the 3 cc threshold but does it do enough work to win you the game just by harding casting. Something I'm going to test. I think that these types of plans are better suited for the build with 2 LE where there is less to remove main.
I'm very wary of a 2 Living End build. I suppose that against a heavy creature meta, it doesn't seem bad, but against U/W, Jeskai, Bant spirits, Merfolk, etc., you really need to have that 3rd Living End. Maybe it's a metagame call, but as a longtime player of the deck, I honestly can't see an argument for this being a new normal.
I'm very wary of a 2 Living End build. I suppose that against a heavy creature meta, it doesn't seem bad, but against U/W, Jeskai, Bant spirits, Merfolk, etc., you really need to have that 3rd Living End. Maybe it's a metagame call, but as a longtime player of the deck, I honestly can't see an argument for this being a new normal.
I'm leary of it as well but it's worth playing a few games and finding out first hand. I use to think when SSG first came on the scene it wasn't good. I didn't understand at the time why it was included but after testing it and seeing the benefits first hand my mind was changed.
I'm very wary of a 2 Living End build. I suppose that against a heavy creature meta, it doesn't seem bad, but against U/W, Jeskai, Bant spirits, Merfolk, etc., you really need to have that 3rd Living End. Maybe it's a metagame call, but as a longtime player of the deck, I honestly can't see an argument for this being a new normal.
I'm leary of it as well but it's worth playing a few games and finding out first hand. I use to think when SSG first came on the scene it wasn't good. I didn't understand at the time why it was included but after testing it and seeing the benefits first hand my mind was changed.
Aside from adding in one additional card, what other benefit do you see?
So i've been wanting to ask some thing regarding living end interactions:
1. If your opponent has Nihil spellbomb in play and you go off with Living End, they respond sacrificing the spellbomb and exile your graveyard, can you then follow up with one or two Street Wraiths so that you get some value of your living end? And how do you explain that line of play to your opponent, passins priority or as a response to the Spellbomb ability?
2. Is playing leyline of sanctity worth it? People in this sub seem to like it a lot, but i don't think that taking 4 slots in the SB is worth it.
3. Can you Beast within a land against Valakut when they scapeshift before the triggers? or do you have to beast within it first. Halp with this matchup pls
1 and 3 answered correctly, so I’ll jump in with my opinion of 2. Personally, I think the Leylines are not worth it. I used to run 3-4, but I have found them to be good not great. Unless they are “Mulligan to this and win” for a matchup, there is kinda no point.
For the matchups mentioned, I think it is best to just race Burn or accept losing to it. Unless our meta is loaded with Burn, I would just ignore it. Storm can be beaten, but they often bring in Echoing Truth to deal with hate even without seeing it in Game 2. Shapeshift has plenty of ways to destroy it or can just win with a Prime Time while killing your dudes. KCI is too narrow, and they can just win with Emrakul anyway.
I have a new tournament result to share. This is from a local 1K Modern tournament with 21 entrants. Low due to SCG Baltimore, but everyone who entered is a Modern grinder playing tier decks. Basically a PPTQ for $1000 in prizes.
I have been away from Modern for a while but got in some practice online in the few days before the tournament and sleeved up the following:
I made 2 major maindeck changes from my 7-2 deck at SCG Philadelphia. I went up to 3 Archfiend of Ifnir, and I added back the 19th land. Small changes, as it meant I cut 1 Beast Within, and I removed a few spells from my sideboard and pushed the 4th copy of Faerie Macabre and Fulminator Mage to the board.
Round 1, I faced Affinity and Archfiend was awesome, as I was able to cycle post Living End to kill his Signal Pest before it could receive Arcbound Ravager counters. In Game 2, he had the turn 2 Rest in Peace lined up, but never found colored mana. Instead he played a Steel Overseer, which I answered with an Ingot Chewer, before going off the next turn after he activate an Inkmoth Nexus.
Round 2, I faced Ponza. In game 1 when I cycled at the end of his first turn, he laughed and said his keep was horrible. A few turns later, I cascaded into 16 power and won in short order. I have played Ponza at FNM numerous times, so I knew to just hold my basics and play fetches and leave them uncracked. I managed to stay not mana screwed, but I got very flooded and ended up losing to a Huntmaster of the Fells. In game 3, I cycled an early Horror and left up Outburst on turn 2. He had an Arbor Elf, played a Stomping Ground and then a Blood Moon. I responded with Outburst to kill his mana dork and get back just my Horror. I followed that up with a Fulminator Mage on his nonbasic Mountain, and he missed his next land drop. I had plenty of cyclers in hand, so I won in a few turns pumping up my Horror.
Round 3, I faced Burn, and it was a good ol' fashioned race. In game 1 he ended up playing a Goblin Guide on 1, Swiftspear plus Lava Spike on 2, and then on 3 he played 2 more Guides. Foruntately, I had the Violent Outbust to blow him out and get a clean 4 for 1, plus add my own 4 creatures to the field and kill him in one shot. For game 2, I brought in my anti-burn package of... nothing. Well, I did bring in my 2 Shriekmaw, and I was able to get his turn 2 Eidolon with the Maw. He mulled to 5, so I really felt good, though I did win with just a turn to spare. This matchup is definitely unfavorable, but it's not nearly as bad as when we used to play a lot more 2 mana cyclers or 3 power Minotaurs. I think the best plan is just to race or dodge it.
I was able to intentionally draw twice and end the Swiss rounds as the top overall seed in the top 8. I played the same Ponza deck, and this time I put on a clinic. His best chance to beat me was in game 2 when he curved turn 1 Arbor Elf into turn 2 Scavenging Ooze and ate a dude. But Shriekmaw bailed me out again, and from there I was the assertive one. he got some value from a Huntmaster of the Fells, though I really blew him out when he passed on his turn to flip his Huntmaster in attempt to kill my Shriekmaw, but I responded to the transform trigger with Beast Within. I eventually won by hardcasting an Archfiend and then cycling away multiple creatures to wipe his board and then attack for lethal.
The top 4 all agreed to a clean split of the remaining $600 prize pool, so I left with $150 and an undefeated record. I was happy to leave to save the time, though I think I was favored against R/G Tron in the semis, and would have played the winner of Jund/Eldrazi Tron in the finals.
Top 8 in order:
Living End
Eldrazi Tron
Jund
Burn (R3 opp)
R/G Tron
Ponza
Burn
Ponza (R2 opp)
I'm very wary of a 2 Living End build. I suppose that against a heavy creature meta, it doesn't seem bad, but against U/W, Jeskai, Bant spirits, Merfolk, etc., you really need to have that 3rd Living End. Maybe it's a metagame call, but as a longtime player of the deck, I honestly can't see an argument for this being a new normal.
I'm leary of it as well but it's worth playing a few games and finding out first hand. I use to think when SSG first came on the scene it wasn't good. I didn't understand at the time why it was included but after testing it and seeing the benefits first hand my mind was changed.
Aside from adding in one additional card, what other benefit do you see?
So pros is you have 2 copies meaning less of a chance to draw one. For heavy graveyard hate you have less dead cards. Also you play one less simian guide, now you can play one less with 3 in the deck but seems more common when you only have 2 LE.
The cons are as all of us are already mentioning.....if you draw one you are in a bad spot. Also I have been in situations others have mentioned where you go Violent Outburst end of turn, then demonic dread your turn when playing vs control. You can't do this as safely in the 2 LE build.
I'm however strongly considering a dead//gone in sb. I think playing that in the 4th shriekmaw spot is a good choice. Against humans who can meddling mage naming shriekmaw it gives you some flex. It also can come in those matchups where beast within just feels bad. Like you don't want to beast within Goblin Guide, but Dead//Gone is a good choice.
As far as Thragtusk....I'm not sure on this card. My game plan against midrange is combo, make them deal with creatures then combo again to refill the board. I have been in spots hard casting creatures too but usually those midrange matches play swamps and a street wraith can go a long way. So playing tusk seems clunky to me.
I have a new tournament result to share. This is from a local 1K Modern tournament with 21 entrants. Low due to SCG Baltimore, but everyone who entered is a Modern grinder playing tier decks. Basically a PPTQ for $1000 in prizes.
I have been away from Modern for a while but got in some practice online in the few days before the tournament and sleeved up the following:
I made 2 major maindeck changes from my 7-2 deck at SCG Philadelphia. I went up to 3 Archfiend of Ifnir, and I added back the 19th land. Small changes, as it meant I cut 1 Beast Within, and I removed a few spells from my sideboard and pushed the 4th copy of Faerie Macabre and Fulminator Mage to the board.
Round 1, I faced Affinity and Archfiend was awesome, as I was able to cycle post Living End to kill his Signal Pest before it could receive Arcbound Ravager counters. In Game 2, he had the turn 2 Rest in Peace lined up, but never found colored mana. Instead he played a Steel Overseer, which I answered with an Ingot Chewer, before going off the next turn after he activate an Inkmoth Nexus.
Round 2, I faced Ponza. In game 1 when I cycled at the end of his first turn, he laughed and said his keep was horrible. A few turns later, I cascaded into 16 power and won in short order. I have played Ponza at FNM numerous times, so I knew to just hold my basics and play fetches and leave them uncracked. I managed to stay not mana screwed, but I got very flooded and ended up losing to a Huntmaster of the Fells. In game 3, I cycled an early Horror and left up Outburst on turn 2. He had an Arbor Elf, played a Stomping Ground and then a Blood Moon. I responded with Outburst to kill his mana dork and get back just my Horror. I followed that up with a Fulminator Mage on his nonbasic Mountain, and he missed his next land drop. I had plenty of cyclers in hand, so I won in a few turns pumping up my Horror.
Round 3, I faced Burn, and it was a good ol' fashioned race. In game 1 he ended up playing a Goblin Guide on 1, Swiftspear plus Lava Spike on 2, and then on 3 he played 2 more Guides. Foruntately, I had the Violent Outbust to blow him out and get a clean 4 for 1, plus add my own 4 creatures to the field and kill him in one shot. For game 2, I brought in my anti-burn package of... nothing. Well, I did bring in my 2 Shriekmaw, and I was able to get his turn 2 Eidolon with the Maw. He mulled to 5, so I really felt good, though I did win with just a turn to spare. This matchup is definitely unfavorable, but it's not nearly as bad as when we used to play a lot more 2 mana cyclers or 3 power Minotaurs. I think the best plan is just to race or dodge it.
I was able to intentionally draw twice and end the Swiss rounds as the top overall seed in the top 8. I played the same Ponza deck, and this time I put on a clinic. His best chance to beat me was in game 2 when he curved turn 1 Arbor Elf into turn 2 Scavenging Ooze and ate a dude. But Shriekmaw bailed me out again, and from there I was the assertive one. he got some value from a Huntmaster of the Fells, though I really blew him out when he passed on his turn to flip his Huntmaster in attempt to kill my Shriekmaw, but I responded to the transform trigger with Beast Within. I eventually won by hardcasting an Archfiend and then cycling away multiple creatures to wipe his board and then attack for lethal.
The top 4 all agreed to a clean split of the remaining $600 prize pool, so I left with $150 and an undefeated record. I was happy to leave to save the time, though I think I was favored against R/G Tron in the semis, and would have played the winner of Jund/Eldrazi Tron in the finals.
Top 8 in order:
Living End
Eldrazi Tron
Jund
Burn (R3 opp)
R/G Tron
Ponza
Burn
Ponza (R2 opp)
Top 4:
Living End
Eldrazi Tron
Jund
R/G Tron
Think I'm in the same boat in terms of anti-burn. I don't know if it's worth even worrying about. How has blood moon been performing for you? I've been in the Riders group for a while since it gives me some game against other decks. Is the moon worth it?
Also Archfiend is great against Affinity. It solve the problem with them ravaging in response to wipe their board. The fiend just kills everything. I have in games just living end that back and won the game by using my cyclers as removal
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Sure seems like it, huh? I'm glad I don't see it around anymore. Those Ancestral Visions made it nearly impossible to win the attrition match against them with Jund (Jund Jund, not Jund Living End). A bunch of guys at my LGS thought As Foretold LE was the new big thing. I kept trying to tell them that Jund LE had way more staying power and was way more resilient and grindy than they realized. Still, I thought the As Foretold deck would've stuck around a little longer that it did. It seemed good. But I guess I was only playing Jund Jund at the time and I kept getting wrecked by it.
BRGJUNDGRB---BRHOLLOW ONERB---BGELVESGB---BRGLIVING ENDGRB---GWBOGLESWG
EDH:
BRGKARRTHUS, TYRANT OF JUNDGRB
// 17 Creature
4 Curator of Mysteries
4 Street Wraith
1 Terastodon
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
1 Griselbrand
3 Chancellor of the Annex
1 Urabrask the Hidden
1 Platinum Emperion
1 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
// 4 Enchantment
4 As Foretold
// 8 Instant
4 Izzet Charm
1 Gifts Ungiven
1 Remand
2 Spell Pierce
3 Island
1 Mountain
4 Spirebluff Canal
4 Steam Vents
2 Tolaria West
4 Scalding Tarn
// 13 Sorcery
4 Living End
4 Faithless Looting
4 Serum Visions
1 Kari Zev's Expertise
I think that the As foretold version of the deck is wayyy weaker against Counterspells, that's why i have several pieces of Spell pierce and Izzet Charm in the main. Also, wit the U/R version you can discard with either IzzetC. or Faithless looting your fatties, and normally you should be playing the biggest of the bunch in Modern. Chancellor of the Annex is Huge in your early game because it basically stops them from casting turn 1 their things, or even turn 2 if they have an slow hand. Urabrask the Hidden so that you can give your fatties haste (Since this always cast living end on your turn, it can be open to wraths).
What do you guys think? I have been having some success with it, the games i loose basically i lost to myself for not assembling the combo soon enough, but that was because i didn't have serum visions or faithless looting to start the engine going in the first few turns. This deck has a consistent turn 3 As foretold or Kari-zev.
K command is a great sideboard tool against many other decks that ingot chewer can't hit. Specially against humans and hollow one. And Thagtusk is a great midrange card. Normally against Burn you should not expect to cast a thragtusk to save you the game: Instead, you should have to race them and kill them before they do. If you face lots of burn in your meta, you should put life-gain sideboard cards other than thragtusk. But thragtusk is much better suited to midrange games where we can already cast our creatures from our hand. In those matchups, if you can already cast your creatures, why not cast one of the best value creatures in the format? It costs the same amount of mana as Archfiend or Horror.
I'm a long time living end player, been playing it since almost the start of modern. I did have some questions for the group and hope to get some other fellow players insight to these cards. I notice that sideboards more recently have been playing cards like
Dead//Gone, Thragtusk, and Kolagan's Command
The Kolagan's Command makes sense for those matches you side out a demonic dread due to lack of creature targets. It has some nice utility and flex.
I'm however curious on what kind of matches and uses folks are using Dead//Gone and Thragtusk.
To me the life gain from tusk seems too slow for those decks you want life gain in.
Thoughts?
To me, playing Dead//gone is if you're really, and I mean really afraid of hyper aggro creature decks and i'm not personally seeing the need for it when shriekmaw exists and one hit isn't the end of the world. The bounce also doesn't strike me as particularly useful for the mana cost and the lack of widespread applications.
I'd personally wouldn't side in thragtusk against burn, 5 mana is already a tall order against a deck as quick as burn and getting blown out by skullcrack/command is not something i'm interested in either. I might like it more against grindier decks like the various gb/x decks but i'd rather run other cards at that point.
Thragtusk on the other hand is a great Midrange plan: When you just run out of living ends and you just rely on casting your creatures, Thragtusk gives so much value for the same cost than your best cyclers. you should side it against burn but knowing full well that you might not get the life value of him enter the battlefield ability
And if humans in the general sense is a deck to be worried about, the key is to diversify our answers to beat meddling mage, i'd sooner play anger of the gods over dead//gone. Between it, shriekmaw, beast within, and living end itself, it's unlikely they would be able to have all those meddling mages on the field simultaneously.
Dead//Gone is one I might play 1 of in the side. I do think it's for diversity if anything. That's the only thing I can really think it would be used for. It's not that great of a card.
However I haven't liked the Thragtusk in the sb. I get these are for midrange and grindy matches but to me one big living end followed by another when creatures get low tends to work just as well. I use to run a Kessig in the main that allowed me to get through those grindy blocks
I like a one of K. Command in sb. I removed a chewer for a copy and it seems good.
One thing I have considered is running a one of Damping Sphere in the sideboard a good plan for Tron. I know it doesn't meet the 3 cc threshold but does it do enough work to win you the game just by harding casting. Something I'm going to test. I think that these types of plans are better suited for the build with 2 LE where there is less to remove main.
RBGLiving EndRBG
EDH
UFblthpU
BRXantchaRB
BGVarolzGB
URWZedruuWRU
Can you link to the video please?
I'm not entirely sure on the play level of this guy but the points made can make sense in some ways. He is using jundilion's 7-0 list.
I'm leary of it as well but it's worth playing a few games and finding out first hand. I use to think when SSG first came on the scene it wasn't good. I didn't understand at the time why it was included but after testing it and seeing the benefits first hand my mind was changed.
Aside from adding in one additional card, what other benefit do you see?
RBGLiving EndRBG
EDH
UFblthpU
BRXantchaRB
BGVarolzGB
URWZedruuWRU
1. If your opponent has Nihil spellbomb in play and you go off with Living End, they respond sacrificing the spellbomb and exile your graveyard, can you then follow up with one or two Street Wraiths so that you get some value of your living end? And how do you explain that line of play to your opponent, passins priority or as a response to the Spellbomb ability?
2. Is playing leyline of sanctity worth it? People in this sub seem to like it a lot, but i don't think that taking 4 slots in the SB is worth it.
3. Can you Beast within a land against Valakut when they scapeshift before the triggers? or do you have to beast within it first. Halp with this matchup pls
For the matchups mentioned, I think it is best to just race Burn or accept losing to it. Unless our meta is loaded with Burn, I would just ignore it. Storm can be beaten, but they often bring in Echoing Truth to deal with hate even without seeing it in Game 2. Shapeshift has plenty of ways to destroy it or can just win with a Prime Time while killing your dudes. KCI is too narrow, and they can just win with Emrakul anyway.
RBGLiving EndRBG
EDH
UFblthpU
BRXantchaRB
BGVarolzGB
URWZedruuWRU
I have been away from Modern for a while but got in some practice online in the few days before the tournament and sleeved up the following:
4x Blackcleave Cliffs
4x Verdant Catacombs
2x Blooming Marsh
2x Grove of the Burnwillows
2x Swamp
1x Blood Crypt
1x Forest
1x Kessig Wolf Run
1x Overgrown Tomb
1x Stomping Ground
Spells - 13
4x Violent Outburst
3x Demonic Dread
3x Living End
2x Beast Within
1x Kolaghan's Command
4x Desert Ceradon
4x Horror of the Broken Lands
4x Monstrous Carabid
4x Street Wraith
3x Archfiend of Ifnir
3x Faerie Macabre
3x Fulminator Mage
3x Simian Spirit Guide
4x Ingot Chewer
3x Ricochet Trap
2x Blood Moon
2x Shriekmaw
1x Anger of the Gods
1x Boil
1x Faerie Macabre
1x Fulminator Mage
I made 2 major maindeck changes from my 7-2 deck at SCG Philadelphia. I went up to 3 Archfiend of Ifnir, and I added back the 19th land. Small changes, as it meant I cut 1 Beast Within, and I removed a few spells from my sideboard and pushed the 4th copy of Faerie Macabre and Fulminator Mage to the board.
Round 1, I faced Affinity and Archfiend was awesome, as I was able to cycle post Living End to kill his Signal Pest before it could receive Arcbound Ravager counters. In Game 2, he had the turn 2 Rest in Peace lined up, but never found colored mana. Instead he played a Steel Overseer, which I answered with an Ingot Chewer, before going off the next turn after he activate an Inkmoth Nexus.
Round 2, I faced Ponza. In game 1 when I cycled at the end of his first turn, he laughed and said his keep was horrible. A few turns later, I cascaded into 16 power and won in short order. I have played Ponza at FNM numerous times, so I knew to just hold my basics and play fetches and leave them uncracked. I managed to stay not mana screwed, but I got very flooded and ended up losing to a Huntmaster of the Fells. In game 3, I cycled an early Horror and left up Outburst on turn 2. He had an Arbor Elf, played a Stomping Ground and then a Blood Moon. I responded with Outburst to kill his mana dork and get back just my Horror. I followed that up with a Fulminator Mage on his nonbasic Mountain, and he missed his next land drop. I had plenty of cyclers in hand, so I won in a few turns pumping up my Horror.
Round 3, I faced Burn, and it was a good ol' fashioned race. In game 1 he ended up playing a Goblin Guide on 1, Swiftspear plus Lava Spike on 2, and then on 3 he played 2 more Guides. Foruntately, I had the Violent Outbust to blow him out and get a clean 4 for 1, plus add my own 4 creatures to the field and kill him in one shot. For game 2, I brought in my anti-burn package of... nothing. Well, I did bring in my 2 Shriekmaw, and I was able to get his turn 2 Eidolon with the Maw. He mulled to 5, so I really felt good, though I did win with just a turn to spare. This matchup is definitely unfavorable, but it's not nearly as bad as when we used to play a lot more 2 mana cyclers or 3 power Minotaurs. I think the best plan is just to race or dodge it.
I was able to intentionally draw twice and end the Swiss rounds as the top overall seed in the top 8. I played the same Ponza deck, and this time I put on a clinic. His best chance to beat me was in game 2 when he curved turn 1 Arbor Elf into turn 2 Scavenging Ooze and ate a dude. But Shriekmaw bailed me out again, and from there I was the assertive one. he got some value from a Huntmaster of the Fells, though I really blew him out when he passed on his turn to flip his Huntmaster in attempt to kill my Shriekmaw, but I responded to the transform trigger with Beast Within. I eventually won by hardcasting an Archfiend and then cycling away multiple creatures to wipe his board and then attack for lethal.
The top 4 all agreed to a clean split of the remaining $600 prize pool, so I left with $150 and an undefeated record. I was happy to leave to save the time, though I think I was favored against R/G Tron in the semis, and would have played the winner of Jund/Eldrazi Tron in the finals.
Top 8 in order:
Living End
Eldrazi Tron
Jund
Burn (R3 opp)
R/G Tron
Ponza
Burn
Ponza (R2 opp)
Top 4:
Living End
Eldrazi Tron
Jund
R/G Tron
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So pros is you have 2 copies meaning less of a chance to draw one. For heavy graveyard hate you have less dead cards. Also you play one less simian guide, now you can play one less with 3 in the deck but seems more common when you only have 2 LE.
The cons are as all of us are already mentioning.....if you draw one you are in a bad spot. Also I have been in situations others have mentioned where you go Violent Outburst end of turn, then demonic dread your turn when playing vs control. You can't do this as safely in the 2 LE build.
I'm however strongly considering a dead//gone in sb. I think playing that in the 4th shriekmaw spot is a good choice. Against humans who can meddling mage naming shriekmaw it gives you some flex. It also can come in those matchups where beast within just feels bad. Like you don't want to beast within Goblin Guide, but Dead//Gone is a good choice.
As far as Thragtusk....I'm not sure on this card. My game plan against midrange is combo, make them deal with creatures then combo again to refill the board. I have been in spots hard casting creatures too but usually those midrange matches play swamps and a street wraith can go a long way. So playing tusk seems clunky to me.
Think I'm in the same boat in terms of anti-burn. I don't know if it's worth even worrying about. How has blood moon been performing for you? I've been in the Riders group for a while since it gives me some game against other decks. Is the moon worth it?
Also Archfiend is great against Affinity. It solve the problem with them ravaging in response to wipe their board. The fiend just kills everything. I have in games just living end that back and won the game by using my cyclers as removal