6/8 eldrazi in the top 8 is a horrible meta. The colorless decks look focused on taking out infect, burn and boggles. The chalice on 1 is bad for us, but I will say Eldrazi mimic has my attention. LSV played 2 on the first turn after playing a single eye.
Frankly I am not scared of deaths shadow. We have a enough removal to deal with them I believe and life gain with vault and sorin.
Of all the decks I am most intrigued by the UR version. The use of skyspawnners is really cool imo. The way the deck plays with Gemstone Cavern they can play a turn 2 smasher which is just stupid good.
I am not going to talk about bans here, but the ban thread is buzzing right now.
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Current Decks
Modern
No idea because my favorite decks keep getting banned or having the rules changed against them
Well I got to play some more this weekend, and I will just give the cards that went well.
Main deck, TKS,Smasher, Oblivion Sower Souls, Vault and Sorin, Ghost Quarter. All was all stars.
Sideboard, Ratchet Bomb is really close to becoming main decked just due to how brutal it is against out bad matches, Vendetta, Grim Discovery (still need to playtest more but I really wanted it in my hand several matches)
Round 2 vs. Affinity (2-0): Lingering Souls did its thing again, this time with Vault on T5 to put the game out of reach. Souls took game 2 as well, with a T2 Stony Silence that I kept in a one-land hand after mulling to six. SIDE IN: Disenchant x2, Stony x2, Engineered Explosives x2 OUT: TKS x2, Ulamog, Extraction, Claws, Map. EE is a nonbo with Stony (as are my Relics, Claws, and Map) but both Stony and EE are so good vs. Affinity that I bring them in anyway. I keep Relic in here as well, to help me set up Strangler and dig for answers if I don't draw Stony. I find Affinity very positive for this deck post-board.
Now that twin is gone, would Revoke existence be a replacement for Disenchant? Did you ever come across a situation against affinity where the instant speed was relevant?
6/8 eldrazi in the top 8 is a horrible meta. The colorless decks look focused on taking out infect, burn and boggles. The chalice on 1 is bad for us, but I will say Eldrazi mimic has my attention. LSV played 2 on the first turn after playing a single eye.
Frankly I am not scared of deaths shadow. We have a enough removal to deal with them I believe and life gain with vault and sorin.
Of all the decks I am most intrigued by the UR version. The use of skyspawnners is really cool imo. The way the deck plays with Gemstone Cavern they can play a turn 2 smasher which is just stupid good.
I am not going to talk about bans here, but the ban thread is buzzing right now.
I'm on the same spot, Mimic was a star, T1 Mimic into T2 TKS into T3 Smasher is back breaking !!!
In all honesty while losing eye or temple (or even both) would hurt us a lot I think we'd still be a decent modern deck. In place of temples/eyes we'd probably play more md GQ and caverns or something. So we'd lose speed but gain a little more interactivity. Our creatures and spells are powerful enough on their own that we are still a solid midrange deck even w/out cheating things out. Im hoping we don't get hit w/ a ban at all, and if we do I'm hoping we'll only lose one of our sol lands. but regardless of what happens I think we are probably still a viable, albeit weaker, deck. I will say however that losing eye/temple probably kills all variants of eldrazi that are not-BW processor, as we are probably the version least focused on dumping it's hand onto the field. (It's been a while since I played any of the other variations so if this is false/unfair I apologize).
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My Decks:
UG Merfolk RG 8-Whack BWG Abzan midrange GRB Living End UWB Spirit Control
GU Kruphix's "Hug Assassin" RW Kalemne's "Play Fatties and Hope for the Best!" BUGW Atraxa's "All counters, all the time"
Eh, eye enables us to chain herders, and it lets us search ulamog for inevitability. I think the deck is significantly worse without it. In fact, no reason to be black anymore, as urborg is just bad.
There are cards in every color worth playing. The reason we are black is to take full advantage of the urborg/eye interaction. Without eye, black needn't be automatic.
april 4th is the day when eye of ugin will get the ban when we have the next announcement. although i just finished building it i am going to sell everything of it next week. 3 modern gp's are in march so prices may slightly rise and it will be the perfect time to sell. there is just no way eye will stay longer than april.
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I've had many games where I never get an Eye out and the deck still performs fine. Sometimes never get a Temple or Eye out. Just early interactions, land drops, delay / race with Souls, fuel the processors with Paths / TKS / Relic, cast Processors, and smash face with Reality Smasher.
Though I also genuinely am worried about this deck having a key card banned from it, I think it's important to remember two things: 1) Banlist has a separate thread and 2) the decks at this PT are very different from the BW variant. It could just as easily be Chalice or Simian Spirit Guide since that also is what gives the deck less interactive broken starts.
As I said, its a more aggro approach but you can go midrange if you need it (specially after sideboarding). Deck feels right and some openings are brutal (t1 Eye + Mimic/t2 Temple + Thought knott/t3 Reality smasher). I was thinking about cutting 1 Thought Knott as its kinda useless in grindy matches when your opponent has no cards in hand and maybe another relic, as I dont rely too much on processors (just strangler to fight aggro decks)
Any thoughts? Thx!
Since you are not running blight herder and not planning on ramping to ulamog, I would just cut the wasteland stranglers and relics, then come join me at the <>bw midrange eldrazi here.
Does anyone think this deck might be at all viable as a midrange deck without Eye of Ugin?
Havn't tested it, but as long as we get to keep Temple i think we are fine. Might not be anything more than tier 2 if that. Might have to change our top end and go more aggro to be able to cast our spells. Maps will probably be ditched in favour of something else - more creatures or removal.
On another note: How do the new aggro eldrazi change our deck and our sideboard - im thinking about changing all our 0 and 2 CC removal for dismember. Maybe trim 4 of path for some dismember. As for sideboard, not sure. Crucible of worlds perhaps.
Ghostly Prison I'm thinking warrants serious discussion if the meta continues along the lines of fast aggro decks like Affinity, Zoo, and Aggro-drazi lists. It greatly slows down all their attacks - Aggro-drazi has to actually tap 2 lands to pay for Ghostly Prison for instance. Thinking the sideboard should find spots for:
Notice I didn't include Timely / Rest for Weary. I suspect a lot of people will be picking up these eldrazi decks due to this weekends blowout and Prisons at least for now I think will fare better in the 75 than Timely / Rest for Weary - especially to deal with Reality Smashers which trample over the soldier tokens anyways. The Leylines are there almost exclusively for Burn since talking with my Burn friends, they tell me they side out a lot of creatures for more burn spells in that matchup. This makes it so timely will often just be a sorcery speed possibly gain 6 (and probably just get skullcracked and lose 3 instead) with no chump blockers to make. Burn is one of the only matchups where I would want Rest for the Weary. My plan for sideboard this coming week:
I also think a lot of people are starting to realize how powerful Chalice on 1 can be, so Disenchants are still needed. I would still mainboard some sort of Exile any non-land permanent like Oblivion Ring to also have an answer for it, as well to add another way to fuel our processors. Thoughts on these?
Ok so here's my quick summary of my scg report. I found almost every match to be real grindy and drawn out as I went against no aggro decks. It was weird since infect, zoo, and robots were everywhere.
I did go 4-3 overall and dropped after that because my buddy was done as well adn we were out of prize contention after that.
Round 1 vs. Jund 0-2
We beign with some back and forth discard, but IOK left a couple reality smashers smasher apart the board. He top decked a damnation followed up by a tasigur which quickly took over game one.
Game 2 I kept a heavy removal and disruption hand with thought-knot, 2 paths, 2 TS, and a couple lands. He had a couple TS himself and ripped away part my seer and dropped a top decked liliana. I never drew a creature and she ultimated, which I couldnt recover from. I did have a shambling vents, but it mattered very little with a fulminator mage online.
Round 2 vs. American Control 2-0
Opened with 2 TS in hand and drew the next 2 in succession. he had nothing while cratures tore him up.
Game 2 I opened with all 3 Seers in hand with 2 temples and proceeded to rip out his creatures. It ended pretty quick.
Round 3 vs. B/W Control 0-2
This was a terrible match. Even with opening TS both games, he had multiple removal spells, vendilion cliques, and a supreme verdict. He continued to just gain value between remands and Revelations. The cliques tore my plans apart as well.
Round 4 vs. Jund 2-1
These games were back and forth with a lot of drawing nothing but lands and stalemating. Game 1 he was able to use liliana to break it and won there. Game 2 the reality smashers took over the game. Game 3 was pretty bad at the start, with a mulligan to 5 and getting Iok I wasnt feeling too great with just a couple paths in hand after this. He hollowed up with liliana and was able to ultimate her to make me have 2 lands and a strangler. He followed it up with another liliana and made me sac the strangler. We both whiffed on draws just getting lands and hand removal for awhile. It finally broke apart when I was able to draw and flashback lingerning souls. They started to fight the lilana and one got terminated. I drew a blight herder after that and continued to push back against another terminate and murderous cut. Liliana bit the dust and the linger souls began to drop his life back. He top decked a goyf, which was a 0/1. He continued to top deck lands and the souls won over.
Round 5 vs. American Control 2-0
This game was a bit more drawn out but reality smasher took his time and broke the 1st game wide open unti Gideon Jura showed up and destroyed him. Ulamog finally made his debut and I took the gideon and a colonnade. He conceded when Ulamog went to attack.
Game 2 was reality smahser and lingering souls to just make it a drawn out fight against electroize and snapcaster. The smasher ate a path. Blight herder arrived, followed up by my sower and a restoration angel later and he had nothing and was dead.
Round 6 vs. Red/White Kiki combo 2-1
This match went to time. I was able to TS and Surgical extract kiki on turn one and that made me feel great. I saw he had 4 blood moons main board and even played one.I was set back but sill making my plays very careful and used reality smasher and lingering souls to work the game in my favor.
Game 2 was really close with a lot of removal but Ajani vengeant keeping my reality smasher in check with restos keeping the trample damage light. He was able to to get there with the resto.
Game 3 was much of the same, but I Extracted his angels after a TS. On my next TS I saw a blood moon and took his crumble to dust, which utterly confused him. I had a map on the field as well as a swamp, with a plain in hand. I just fetched a waste. Next turn I played a ratchet bomb and the game stalled out to land drops. He played a finks and next turn wrathed the board, but I path the finks to make sure he wasn't going to gain life and have a beater. I had 2 temples on the field when the bomb went off to get rid of a blood moon, followed up by a sower which hit 3 lands. I dropped my Smasher the turn after that. He hid hit another ajani, which with another path put me back on attacks. i top decked 2 lingering souls, and with 4 tokens, he played a resto. The next turn he double bolted. I finally had an opportunity to activate eye and fetched a relaity smasher and played him. The next turn I was able to get thought-knot and made sure the coast was clear before swinging for lethal.
Round 7 vs. Melira Combo 0-2
Game 1 I mulliganed to 5. I was a bit slow with stranglers being played. After a couple turns he went infinite life. He did use scavenging ooze, which I waa glad to process my strangelers with and a couple blight herders. I top decked relic and was able to keep him off the red cap until he chorded for a reclamation sage. He collected company int witness and got back the coco. It was top deck ulamog or relic to stop the combo and I got a land.
Game 2 I mulliganed to 6 and keep a 2 relic hand with 2 paths and 2 lands. I was feeling pretty good until he emptied his hand with noble on turn 3. I never drew a creature and just got worked over by seers and Melira.
Overall I had a really fun time and rahter enjoyed most of the matches. I was annoyed at the amount of aggro which I prepared for and didn't get to play once. I was expecting a better match up with Melira combo, I just had a rough time with mulligans both games.
Round 1: 0-2 against UW Gifts Tron
Game 1, I mulled to 6 and lead with IoK and discarded his cantrips. I saw that he already have two Tron lands and a Wurmcoil. I was not able to find my GQ. I misplayed by exiling Signet via Oblivion Ring because I wanted to process immediately with Blight Herder. Tron went online and he landed a Wurmcoil. I didn't find Path or GQ in time but managed to hold the bay by chumping with the my Scions. I misplayed here again by not sacrificing the Scion upon blocking to negate the lifelink. He resolved Gifts Ungiven and dump Iona, Elesh and Unburial Rites. He flashbacked rites next turn and re-animated Elesh. I scooped right after.
We were not able to play game 2 since we were both late and did not have enough time. I conceded and gave him the win. What would be the best course of action there? Should I had asked him to draw instead?
Round 2: 2-0 against BR Eldrazi
Game 1: I was matched with a kid no more than 10 years old. He was just starting it out and his father was guiding him. Anyway his deck consist of small eldrazi creatures and built likely as an intro deck. I played slow and easy and taught him how my cards works. I tried to have an interactive game so the kid can have as much fun and learning as possible.
Game 2: I didn't sideboard anything. Went several turns and put the game away with Smasher and Seer. This was essentially a bye but I was happy for the kid to be able to play in a decent tournament. I first started playing as an 11 year old and didn't got to experience competitive Magic mainly because I was intimated by the grown-ups and my deck was made of trash cards.
Round 3: 2-1 against UG Infect
Game 1: I lead with an IoK and discarded a Blighted Agent. We went several turns without a creature until he was able to resolved Necropede with a Cathedral of War. He attacked casting Become Immense to get me at 8 poison counters. I answered with a Lily forcing him to sacrifice the Necropede. I discarded Lingering Souls to Lily the next turn and flashed it back. He cast a Ichorclaw Myr only to be sacrificed to Lily again. I slowly chipped away at his life with two tokens while shredding his hand. A Reality Smasher later and he scooped.
Sideboard
-1 Sorin
-1 Ulamog
+2 Ratchet Bomb
Game 2: He had two early Glistening Elves while I only have Ratchet Bomb. I sacrificed Ratchet Bomb at 1 to destroy both elves. I got Relic online and started exiling his yard. He resolved a blighted agent and was able to attacked with Groundswell and Might of old Krosa getting me at 9 poison counters. I cast Strangler targetting Agent and he cast Apostle's Blessing in response. I argued that he cannot choose colorless and we called a judge. The judge confirmed that Blessing cannot save the creature from devoid or colorless creatures. He was able to topdecked Agent again however and I didn't have an answer.
Game 3: I have an early Ratchet Bomb online. He cast Myr again only to get destroyed. I got another Ratchet Bomb on standby and had Eye and Temple. I cast Seer, exiling Agent. He played a Nexus which I immediately Pathed. I drop another Seer exiling his Necropede. He only has pump spells in hand by that time. He tried one more time by dropping another Nexus and attacked even though I have a GQ on standby. I immediately destroyed it and it was over.
Round 4: 1-2 against UR Pyromancer Storm
Game 1: I lead with an IoK and discarded Thoughtscour. He played Delta and pass. I cast a relic and exiled Thoughtscour, he responded by fetching to save the Scour. I started drawing my Relics in succession. He was able to resolved two Pyromancer's Ascension but it didn't do anything as yard was always empty. I started beating him down with Seer, Strangler and Herder.
Sideboard
-1 Ulamog
-4 Path
+2 Rest for the Weary
+1 Memoricide
+1 Disenchant
Game 2: I didn't mull even though I do not have an opening Relic. This was a big mistake on my part. I got stuck in 3 lands and he was able to power out Empty the Warrens for 8 and 6 in consecutive turns.
Sideboard
-1 Lingering Soul
-1 Blight Herder
+2 Ratchet Bomb
Game 3: I dropped Seer on turn 2 and exiled Faithless Looting. I didn't mull a for a Relic again. He was able to cast Pyromancer's Ascension and I answered with a Reality Smasher. He was facing lethal when he was able to dig for rituals and started the chain. He cast a big Grape Shot to kill me.
Round 5: 2-0 against Goblin Tokens
Game 1: He was on the play and drop an early 3 1/1 tokens. I answered back with two consecutive IoK. He was stuck on 1 land when I cast a Strangler. He was forced to chump blocked with two of his tokens. I played Temple and was able to cast my first Seer. I then topdecked 2 more Seers in a row. I had already two in my opening hand. By the time I landed the 4th Seer, he conceded. 4 Seers in a row is just crazy!
+2 Ratchet Bomb
+2 Rest for the Weary
+2 Timely Reinforcements
+2 Flaying Tenderils
Game 2: He had a single token in play and I countered with an IoK, discarding Blood Moon. He was again stuck with 1 land for a few turns and I have no relic so I started dropping Strangler and Herder to race him. He was able to find his next lands and had a a lord in play. He dropped me to 12 and I played a Smasher the next turn and then played Sorin, attacking him for 14. I got to 26 life and he scooped.
Notes: I was not able to find any Surgical Extraction but would want to have 2 in my SB for combo match ups. I felt I could have won against Storm if I have it. The deck is solid. I had a lot of misplays and could have easily gone undefeated if piloted by someone better and more experienced. I totally suck in some of the matchups, exiling the wrong cards with Seer or playing the wrong sequence of lands. I never activated Shambling Vent even once. I found it too slow and expensive. Bojuka Bog will probably take its place. Liliana is an all-star in some matchups. I didn't got any trouble casting her even with BB. 2 or 3 is probably the correct number for our number of black sources. She is an immediate threat that needs to be answered. At the very least she is able to buy us time. I also find the meta too fast for Ulamog so I am not sure if he needs to stay MB. I also do not run Maps so it's hard to ramp him when you don't have multitude of Temples and Eye.
I was really saddened with what happened during the pro-tour, and now we have a big bulls-eye in our back. Eye was really broken for the low-casting Eldrazis as it becomes basically free. I haven't really tested the deck without Eye or Temple but it's best to be prepared for the worst. I love this deck. It plays a very good midrange game without the absurd price of Jund. I hope it gets to stay far longer. Big thanks to everyone contributing to this thread!
I play just fine without fetches. The mana is so tight as it is, not sure how you would fit in fetches. With a couple maps, its works as a pseudo fetch and I was never really pressed on missing a color.
Round 1: 0-2 against UW Gifts Tron
Game 1, I mulled to 6 and lead with IoK and discarded his cantrips. I saw that he already have two Tron lands and a Wurmcoil. I was not able to find my GQ. I misplayed by exiling Signet via Oblivion Ring because I wanted to process immediately with Blight Herder. Tron went online and he landed a Wurmcoil. I didn't find Path or GQ in time but managed to hold the bay by chumping with the my Scions. I misplayed here again by not sacrificing the Scion upon blocking to negate the lifelink. He resolved Gifts Ungiven and dump Iona, Elesh and Unburial Rites. He flashbacked rites next turn and re-animated Elesh. I scooped right after.
We were not able to play game 2 since we were both late and did not have enough time. I conceded and gave him the win. What would be the best course of action there? Should I had asked him to draw instead?
FYI, a match in which only one game is completed is a win for the player that won that game.
I play just fine without fetches. The mana is so tight as it is, not sure how you would fit in fetches. With a couple maps, its works as a pseudo fetch and I was never really pressed on missing a color.
I like the fetches to insure against Blood Moon and can't see why people don't like them (other than cost). The only time I wished I had a different dual was when I'm looking at one Flats as my only dual in an opener with both Thoughtseize and Path/Lingering Souls. Which does come up.
Do we have any other sideboard tech besides Leyline/Rest for the Weary/Timely Reinforcements against burn?
I went into the Regionals and lost to 2 burn decks and had leyline starts with 50% of those games and still lost due to Atarka's Command and Deflecting Palm.
Could Vampiric Links be the answer? Put this on Smasher and just go to town sounds good.
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Decks I play:
Modern:
BR Control
Grixis Bloo
EDH:
Food Chain Prossh
Land Wipe Maelstrom Wanderer
Selvala, Hearth of the Wilds Eldrazi
We'll get lumped in with those decks when people make comparisons. Oh well.
Not sure how are our matchup does vs. them.
Chalice on 1 is horrific for us. Discard, Relics, Path's all die.
I also expect metagame to respond, and RW Land destruction or Ensnaring Bridge decks to attack the Eldrazi.
Also gonna be a lot of death's Shadow decks coming to an FNM near you.
Frankly I am not scared of deaths shadow. We have a enough removal to deal with them I believe and life gain with vault and sorin.
Of all the decks I am most intrigued by the UR version. The use of skyspawnners is really cool imo. The way the deck plays with Gemstone Cavern they can play a turn 2 smasher which is just stupid good.
I am not going to talk about bans here, but the ban thread is buzzing right now.
Main deck, TKS,Smasher, Oblivion Sower Souls, Vault and Sorin, Ghost Quarter. All was all stars.
Sideboard, Ratchet Bomb is really close to becoming main decked just due to how brutal it is against out bad matches, Vendetta, Grim Discovery (still need to playtest more but I really wanted it in my hand several matches)
I like the idea of Revoke Existence, it's a SB good card
I'm on the same spot, Mimic was a star, T1 Mimic into T2 TKS into T3 Smasher is back breaking !!!
GXTronGX
RWxBurnRWx
RG 8-Whack
BWG Abzan midrange
GRB Living End
UWB Spirit Control
GU Kruphix's "Hug Assassin"
RW Kalemne's "Play Fatties and Hope for the Best!"
BUGW Atraxa's "All counters, all the time"
Modern: Bogles // 8-Whack/Goblins // UW Titan // Hollow One // Affinity // Dredge
EDH: Nissa, Vastwood Seer // Atraxa, Praetor's Voice // Meren of Clan Nel Toth
Though I also genuinely am worried about this deck having a key card banned from it, I think it's important to remember two things: 1) Banlist has a separate thread and 2) the decks at this PT are very different from the BW variant. It could just as easily be Chalice or Simian Spirit Guide since that also is what gives the deck less interactive broken starts.
EDH: Rakdos, Lord of Riots
Since you are not running blight herder and not planning on ramping to ulamog, I would just cut the wasteland stranglers and relics, then come join me at the <>bw midrange eldrazi here.
Path is still amazing against the eldrazi aggro. I would consider cutting a few Inquisition of Kozilek for thoughtseize and run some actual sweepers in the sideboard such as day of judgment or damnation. I currently use languish as my go-to sweeper but it misses all of the reality smashers.
CBW midrange deck
CBW eldrazi processor deck
CBW bw eldrazi shadow midrange
3 Leylines
2-3 Ghostly Prison
2-3 Stony Silence
2-3 Sweepers (Tendrils, Explosives, Damnation, Languish, etc)
0-2 Celestial Purge
1-2 Disenchant
0-2 Surgicals
Notice I didn't include Timely / Rest for Weary. I suspect a lot of people will be picking up these eldrazi decks due to this weekends blowout and Prisons at least for now I think will fare better in the 75 than Timely / Rest for Weary - especially to deal with Reality Smashers which trample over the soldier tokens anyways. The Leylines are there almost exclusively for Burn since talking with my Burn friends, they tell me they side out a lot of creatures for more burn spells in that matchup. This makes it so timely will often just be a sorcery speed possibly gain 6 (and probably just get skullcracked and lose 3 instead) with no chump blockers to make. Burn is one of the only matchups where I would want Rest for the Weary. My plan for sideboard this coming week:
1 Languish
1 Flaying Tendrils
1 Celestial Purge
2 Stony Silence
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Disenchant
3 Leyline of Sanctity
2 Ghostly Prison
I also think a lot of people are starting to realize how powerful Chalice on 1 can be, so Disenchants are still needed. I would still mainboard some sort of Exile any non-land permanent like Oblivion Ring to also have an answer for it, as well to add another way to fuel our processors. Thoughts on these?
EDH: Rakdos, Lord of Riots
I did go 4-3 overall and dropped after that because my buddy was done as well adn we were out of prize contention after that.
Round 1 vs. Jund 0-2
We beign with some back and forth discard, but IOK left a couple reality smashers smasher apart the board. He top decked a damnation followed up by a tasigur which quickly took over game one.
Game 2 I kept a heavy removal and disruption hand with thought-knot, 2 paths, 2 TS, and a couple lands. He had a couple TS himself and ripped away part my seer and dropped a top decked liliana. I never drew a creature and she ultimated, which I couldnt recover from. I did have a shambling vents, but it mattered very little with a fulminator mage online.
Round 2 vs. American Control 2-0
Opened with 2 TS in hand and drew the next 2 in succession. he had nothing while cratures tore him up.
Game 2 I opened with all 3 Seers in hand with 2 temples and proceeded to rip out his creatures. It ended pretty quick.
Round 3 vs. B/W Control 0-2
This was a terrible match. Even with opening TS both games, he had multiple removal spells, vendilion cliques, and a supreme verdict. He continued to just gain value between remands and Revelations. The cliques tore my plans apart as well.
Round 4 vs. Jund 2-1
These games were back and forth with a lot of drawing nothing but lands and stalemating. Game 1 he was able to use liliana to break it and won there. Game 2 the reality smashers took over the game. Game 3 was pretty bad at the start, with a mulligan to 5 and getting Iok I wasnt feeling too great with just a couple paths in hand after this. He hollowed up with liliana and was able to ultimate her to make me have 2 lands and a strangler. He followed it up with another liliana and made me sac the strangler. We both whiffed on draws just getting lands and hand removal for awhile. It finally broke apart when I was able to draw and flashback lingerning souls. They started to fight the lilana and one got terminated. I drew a blight herder after that and continued to push back against another terminate and murderous cut. Liliana bit the dust and the linger souls began to drop his life back. He top decked a goyf, which was a 0/1. He continued to top deck lands and the souls won over.
Round 5 vs. American Control 2-0
This game was a bit more drawn out but reality smasher took his time and broke the 1st game wide open unti Gideon Jura showed up and destroyed him. Ulamog finally made his debut and I took the gideon and a colonnade. He conceded when Ulamog went to attack.
Game 2 was reality smahser and lingering souls to just make it a drawn out fight against electroize and snapcaster. The smasher ate a path. Blight herder arrived, followed up by my sower and a restoration angel later and he had nothing and was dead.
Round 6 vs. Red/White Kiki combo 2-1
This match went to time. I was able to TS and Surgical extract kiki on turn one and that made me feel great. I saw he had 4 blood moons main board and even played one.I was set back but sill making my plays very careful and used reality smasher and lingering souls to work the game in my favor.
Game 2 was really close with a lot of removal but Ajani vengeant keeping my reality smasher in check with restos keeping the trample damage light. He was able to to get there with the resto.
Game 3 was much of the same, but I Extracted his angels after a TS. On my next TS I saw a blood moon and took his crumble to dust, which utterly confused him. I had a map on the field as well as a swamp, with a plain in hand. I just fetched a waste. Next turn I played a ratchet bomb and the game stalled out to land drops. He played a finks and next turn wrathed the board, but I path the finks to make sure he wasn't going to gain life and have a beater. I had 2 temples on the field when the bomb went off to get rid of a blood moon, followed up by a sower which hit 3 lands. I dropped my Smasher the turn after that. He hid hit another ajani, which with another path put me back on attacks. i top decked 2 lingering souls, and with 4 tokens, he played a resto. The next turn he double bolted. I finally had an opportunity to activate eye and fetched a relaity smasher and played him. The next turn I was able to get thought-knot and made sure the coast was clear before swinging for lethal.
Round 7 vs. Melira Combo 0-2
Game 1 I mulliganed to 5. I was a bit slow with stranglers being played. After a couple turns he went infinite life. He did use scavenging ooze, which I waa glad to process my strangelers with and a couple blight herders. I top decked relic and was able to keep him off the red cap until he chorded for a reclamation sage. He collected company int witness and got back the coco. It was top deck ulamog or relic to stop the combo and I got a land.
Game 2 I mulliganed to 6 and keep a 2 relic hand with 2 paths and 2 lands. I was feeling pretty good until he emptied his hand with noble on turn 3. I never drew a creature and just got worked over by seers and Melira.
Overall I had a really fun time and rahter enjoyed most of the matches. I was annoyed at the amount of aggro which I prepared for and didn't get to play once. I was expecting a better match up with Melira combo, I just had a rough time with mulligans both games.
4 Eldrazi Temple
4 Marsh Flats
4 Caves of Koilos
2 Eye of Ugin
2 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
2 Ghost Quarter
2 Godless Shrine
2 Swamp
1 Plains
1 Vault of the Archangel
1 Shambling Vent
4 Though-Knot Seer
3 Reality Smasher
3 Blight Herder
3 Wasteland Strangler
1 Ulamog, The Ceaseless Hunger
21 Spells
4 Path to Exile
4 Relic of Progenitus
4 Lingering Souls
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
1 Thoughtseize
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Sorin, Solemn Visitor
2 Liliana of the Veil
2 Disenchant
2 Stony Silence
2 Celestial Purge
2 Rest for the Weary
2 Timely Reinforcements
2 Ratchet Bomb
2 Flaying Tendrils
1 Memoricide
Round 1: 0-2 against UW Gifts Tron
Game 1, I mulled to 6 and lead with IoK and discarded his cantrips. I saw that he already have two Tron lands and a Wurmcoil. I was not able to find my GQ. I misplayed by exiling Signet via Oblivion Ring because I wanted to process immediately with Blight Herder. Tron went online and he landed a Wurmcoil. I didn't find Path or GQ in time but managed to hold the bay by chumping with the my Scions. I misplayed here again by not sacrificing the Scion upon blocking to negate the lifelink. He resolved Gifts Ungiven and dump Iona, Elesh and Unburial Rites. He flashbacked rites next turn and re-animated Elesh. I scooped right after.
We were not able to play game 2 since we were both late and did not have enough time. I conceded and gave him the win. What would be the best course of action there? Should I had asked him to draw instead?
Round 2: 2-0 against BR Eldrazi
Game 1: I was matched with a kid no more than 10 years old. He was just starting it out and his father was guiding him. Anyway his deck consist of small eldrazi creatures and built likely as an intro deck. I played slow and easy and taught him how my cards works. I tried to have an interactive game so the kid can have as much fun and learning as possible.
Game 2: I didn't sideboard anything. Went several turns and put the game away with Smasher and Seer. This was essentially a bye but I was happy for the kid to be able to play in a decent tournament. I first started playing as an 11 year old and didn't got to experience competitive Magic mainly because I was intimated by the grown-ups and my deck was made of trash cards.
Round 3: 2-1 against UG Infect
Game 1: I lead with an IoK and discarded a Blighted Agent. We went several turns without a creature until he was able to resolved Necropede with a Cathedral of War. He attacked casting Become Immense to get me at 8 poison counters. I answered with a Lily forcing him to sacrifice the Necropede. I discarded Lingering Souls to Lily the next turn and flashed it back. He cast a Ichorclaw Myr only to be sacrificed to Lily again. I slowly chipped away at his life with two tokens while shredding his hand. A Reality Smasher later and he scooped.
Sideboard
-1 Sorin
-1 Ulamog
+2 Ratchet Bomb
Game 2: He had two early Glistening Elves while I only have Ratchet Bomb. I sacrificed Ratchet Bomb at 1 to destroy both elves. I got Relic online and started exiling his yard. He resolved a blighted agent and was able to attacked with Groundswell and Might of old Krosa getting me at 9 poison counters. I cast Strangler targetting Agent and he cast Apostle's Blessing in response. I argued that he cannot choose colorless and we called a judge. The judge confirmed that Blessing cannot save the creature from devoid or colorless creatures. He was able to topdecked Agent again however and I didn't have an answer.
Game 3: I have an early Ratchet Bomb online. He cast Myr again only to get destroyed. I got another Ratchet Bomb on standby and had Eye and Temple. I cast Seer, exiling Agent. He played a Nexus which I immediately Pathed. I drop another Seer exiling his Necropede. He only has pump spells in hand by that time. He tried one more time by dropping another Nexus and attacked even though I have a GQ on standby. I immediately destroyed it and it was over.
Round 4: 1-2 against UR Pyromancer Storm
Game 1: I lead with an IoK and discarded Thoughtscour. He played Delta and pass. I cast a relic and exiled Thoughtscour, he responded by fetching to save the Scour. I started drawing my Relics in succession. He was able to resolved two Pyromancer's Ascension but it didn't do anything as yard was always empty. I started beating him down with Seer, Strangler and Herder.
Sideboard
-1 Ulamog
-4 Path
+2 Rest for the Weary
+1 Memoricide
+1 Disenchant
Game 2: I didn't mull even though I do not have an opening Relic. This was a big mistake on my part. I got stuck in 3 lands and he was able to power out Empty the Warrens for 8 and 6 in consecutive turns.
Sideboard
-1 Lingering Soul
-1 Blight Herder
+2 Ratchet Bomb
Game 3: I dropped Seer on turn 2 and exiled Faithless Looting. I didn't mull a for a Relic again. He was able to cast Pyromancer's Ascension and I answered with a Reality Smasher. He was facing lethal when he was able to dig for rituals and started the chain. He cast a big Grape Shot to kill me.
Round 5: 2-0 against Goblin Tokens
Game 1: He was on the play and drop an early 3 1/1 tokens. I answered back with two consecutive IoK. He was stuck on 1 land when I cast a Strangler. He was forced to chump blocked with two of his tokens. I played Temple and was able to cast my first Seer. I then topdecked 2 more Seers in a row. I had already two in my opening hand. By the time I landed the 4th Seer, he conceded. 4 Seers in a row is just crazy!
Sideboard
-2 Liliana
-4 Path
-1 Ulamog
-1 Thoughtseize
+2 Ratchet Bomb
+2 Rest for the Weary
+2 Timely Reinforcements
+2 Flaying Tenderils
Game 2: He had a single token in play and I countered with an IoK, discarding Blood Moon. He was again stuck with 1 land for a few turns and I have no relic so I started dropping Strangler and Herder to race him. He was able to find his next lands and had a a lord in play. He dropped me to 12 and I played a Smasher the next turn and then played Sorin, attacking him for 14. I got to 26 life and he scooped.
Notes: I was not able to find any Surgical Extraction but would want to have 2 in my SB for combo match ups. I felt I could have won against Storm if I have it. The deck is solid. I had a lot of misplays and could have easily gone undefeated if piloted by someone better and more experienced. I totally suck in some of the matchups, exiling the wrong cards with Seer or playing the wrong sequence of lands. I never activated Shambling Vent even once. I found it too slow and expensive. Bojuka Bog will probably take its place. Liliana is an all-star in some matchups. I didn't got any trouble casting her even with BB. 2 or 3 is probably the correct number for our number of black sources. She is an immediate threat that needs to be answered. At the very least she is able to buy us time. I also find the meta too fast for Ulamog so I am not sure if he needs to stay MB. I also do not run Maps so it's hard to ramp him when you don't have multitude of Temples and Eye.
I was really saddened with what happened during the pro-tour, and now we have a big bulls-eye in our back. Eye was really broken for the low-casting Eldrazis as it becomes basically free. I haven't really tested the deck without Eye or Temple but it's best to be prepared for the worst. I love this deck. It plays a very good midrange game without the absurd price of Jund. I hope it gets to stay far longer. Big thanks to everyone contributing to this thread!
I went into the Regionals and lost to 2 burn decks and had leyline starts with 50% of those games and still lost due to Atarka's Command and Deflecting Palm.
Could Vampiric Links be the answer? Put this on Smasher and just go to town sounds good.
Modern:
BR Control
Grixis Bloo
EDH:
Food Chain Prossh
Land Wipe Maelstrom Wanderer
Selvala, Hearth of the Wilds Eldrazi
I hope this version survives!