Honestly, I wish I could find more room in the main for the second Surgical Extraction. It just completely wrecks so many decks, especially when combined with 7 discard spells (plus K Command). Ashiok has been pretty good as well, either exiling key pieces of their deck or putting opponent creatures under my control. Plus it usually draws damage and attacks away from me, if my life total is threatened.
Definitely interested to hear how the deck performed. Surgical is something I've been thinking about adding to the main 60 as well. It's an additional loss of life to get DS online, can cripple certain decks, and can sometimes work as a second 1st turn discard spell if an opponent has multiples in their opening hand. I feel like in that case it's almost like a 1 for 1 with a bonus since it helps get your DS online faster and it puts more cards into your yard for the delvers. In a lot of decks, it would be an extremely mediocre to outright bad play, but these considerations might make it a better play for this build. I'm not sure I'd run it without the 7 discard spells, though (or at all?). Still, I like that you are giving it consideration and are willing to test it out.
Honestly, I wish I could find more room in the main for the second Surgical Extraction. It just completely wrecks so many decks, especially when combined with 7 discard spells (plus K Command). Ashiok has been pretty good as well, either exiling key pieces of their deck or putting opponent creatures under my control. Plus it usually draws damage and attacks away from me, if my life total is threatened.
Definitely interested to hear how the deck performed. Surgical is something I've been thinking about adding to the main 60 as well. It's an additional loss of life to get DS online, can cripple certain decks, and can sometimes work as a second 1st turn discard spell if an opponent has multiples in their opening hand. I feel like in that case it's almost like a 1 for 1 with a bonus since it helps get your DS online faster and it puts more cards into your yard for the delvers. In a lot of decks, it would be an extremely mediocre to outright bad play, but these considerations might make it a better play for this build. I'm not sure I'd run it without the 7 discard spells, though (or at all?). Still, I like that you are giving it consideration and are willing to test it out.
Surgical was fairly lackluster, but I wasn't against any decks that get destroyed by it.
Round 1: Esper Control 2-1 (Won games 1 and 3)
The only time I cast Surgical, I think I hit Supreme Verdict, but I honestly don't remember, was inconsequential overall. Stubborn Denial was a house overall as well as not being threatened on my life total whatsoever. Comfortably got to low life total and landed/recured/protected threats without much fret. It's not a great matchup by any means, but good draws and timely counterspells backed by lots of discard help a lot.
Round 2: DS Jund 2-0
I think we each did more damage to ourselves than each other. I think his build was suboptimal with other strange choices and perhaps wasn't as familiar with playing it. Either way, I enjoyed chit-chatting through the games.
Round 3: Affinity 0-2
Game 1 mulligan to 5, sort of slow start, stuck on 2 lands, overrun quickly. Game 2 had decent opening hand, but not awesome, he seemed to nut draw turn 1 Ravager, turn 2 Etched Champion... I had Engineered Explosives in hand, but he had 0, 1, 2, and 3 drops. Mix of bad luck and card choice.
Round 4: Bant Eldrazi 0-2
Most frustrating match of the night. Game 1 I have him at 1 life for several turns, unable to draw a burn spell or another attacker after mine takes a Path. He top decks a Reality Smasher to kill me. Game 2 I have him down to 4 life with a Tasigur on the field. He plays a Drowner of Hope to tap it on my next turn. All I have in hand is Fatal Push and am at low life. I draw a Terminate and try to kill Drowner, he taps Tasigur and then lets it resolve. Top decks a Reality Smasher to kill me. It kills me to know that this deck is still a thing and I can't put into words how much I hate Eldrazi creatures.
All in all, I do not really care for the Grixis version at the moment. I want Path to Exile and I want enchantment removal. Terminate is often too expensive at 2 mana (or too color-intensive), Bolt almost always does nothing, and K command is great, but so are Liliana and white sideboard cards. The deck essentially plays the same as Grixis so I'll still lurk and contribute in and out, but I feel this deck absolutely needs 1cmc unconditional removal.
My main complaints with Grixis are 1) like all Shadow versions, we are heavily reliant on the graveyard, and 2) it feels like we're one or two threats short of where we need to be. 1) can't really be solved for any of the shadow variants as far as I'm aware, though if you manage to pull that off you've possibly built the best deck in the format, bar none. 2) may be solvable. My first forays into Grixis shadow (starting with Esper really) were with 8 delve creatures, 0 Snapcasters, and more air (Mishra's Bauble). I don't think this is the way to go, but maybe taking a step in that direction is a good idea. I might try shaving 1-2 Snapcasters for 1-2 delve creatures. And also probably shaving a K Command for something cheaper to help support the extra pressure on the graveyard.
Surgical maindeck seems very suspect. It's card disadvantage plain and simple.
To be honest, I love it more than I probably should. It has outright won me G1s multiple times, and at worst is a life-loss enabler for Shadow that allows me to see my opponent's hand. Depending on how crazy I feel, I may find something else to cut in order to fit the full 8 discard spells and 2 main deck Surgicals. But who knows, maybe I'm just crazy.
My main complaints with Grixis are 1) like all Shadow versions, we are heavily reliant on the graveyard, and 2) it feels like we're one or two threats short of where we need to be. 1) can't really be solved for any of the shadow variants as far as I'm aware, though if you manage to pull that off you've possibly built the best deck in the format, bar none. 2) may be solvable. My first forays into Grixis shadow (starting with Esper really) were with 8 delve creatures, 0 Snapcasters, and more air (Mishra's Bauble). I don't think this is the way to go, but maybe taking a step in that direction is a good idea. I might try shaving 1-2 Snapcasters for 1-2 delve creatures. And also probably shaving a K Command for something cheaper to help support the extra pressure on the graveyard.
Could it be? Tombstalker in Modern? One can dream...
Naw, the 1st Tombstalker is the 9th best delve creature in modern. Tasigur + Angler 1-8 are better. Though there are spots where Tombstalker's flying shines, generally the difference between 1 and 2 mana is too large for flying to make up for it, especially in Modern.
(I've played Tombstalker in Modern before as both the 8th and 9th delve creature in some whacky grixis delver lists.)
Boltable and also doesn't turn on Stubborn Denial, or even at least trade with TKS or a powered up Grim Flayer, or bounce off Siege Rhino / Tasigur, etc.
Hi guys, I know we are in slightly unfavorable against eldrazi decks, they have 3 big titans that most frustrates us. TKS ripped our hand, taking our protection spell. A top deck drowner come down really pressuring us. Putting down 2 little guys and could make our threats tap anytime. A great hit from smasher could be really hurt us taking 5 damage.
The real plan against them is play thoughtseize first before they lay down their eldrazis? What our plan against them?
Turn 1 Thoughtseize against an unknown opponent is generally what you want to open with anyway, unless you're on the play and you just wanna slam that Angler ASAP - in which case you might just want to Thought Scour.
But yeah, you have to race Eldrazi like crazy because you can't beat them in the late game.
My main complaints with Grixis are 1) like all Shadow versions, we are heavily reliant on the graveyard, and 2) it feels like we're one or two threats short of where we need to be. 1) can't really be solved for any of the shadow variants as far as I'm aware, though if you manage to pull that off you've possibly built the best deck in the format, bar none. 2) may be solvable. My first forays into Grixis shadow (starting with Esper really) were with 8 delve creatures, 0 Snapcasters, and more air (Mishra's Bauble). I don't think this is the way to go, but maybe taking a step in that direction is a good idea. I might try shaving 1-2 Snapcasters for 1-2 delve creatures. And also probably shaving a K Command for something cheaper to help support the extra pressure on the graveyard.
I've definitely noticed #2 as well, and another part of that is that sometimes it can be difficult to play out multiple delve creatures if you haven't seen enough Thought Scours. This has been especially true for me in long, drawn out games where my creatures are dying. Just to throw out some other possibilities: Enigma Drake, Cryptic Serpent, Kiln Fiend, Thing in the Ice... Can't think of anything else off the top of my head.
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Modern UBR Grixis Shadow UBR UR Izzet Phoenix UR UW UW Control UW GB GB Rock GB
Commander BG Meren of Clan Nel Toth BG BGUW Atraxa, Praetor's Voice BGUW
My main complaints with Grixis are 1) like all Shadow versions, we are heavily reliant on the graveyard, and 2) it feels like we're one or two threats short of where we need to be. 1) can't really be solved for any of the shadow variants as far as I'm aware, though if you manage to pull that off you've possibly built the best deck in the format, bar none. 2) may be solvable. My first forays into Grixis shadow (starting with Esper really) were with 8 delve creatures, 0 Snapcasters, and more air (Mishra's Bauble). I don't think this is the way to go, but maybe taking a step in that direction is a good idea. I might try shaving 1-2 Snapcasters for 1-2 delve creatures. And also probably shaving a K Command for something cheaper to help support the extra pressure on the graveyard.
I've definitely noticed #2 as well, and another part of that is that sometimes it can be difficult to play out multiple delve creatures if you haven't seen enough Thought Scours. This has been especially true for me in long, drawn out games where my creatures are dying. Just to throw out some other possibilities: Enigma Drake, Cryptic Serpent, Kiln Fiend, Thing in the Ice... Can't think of anything else off the top of my head.
We can't play Enigma Drake and Cryptic Serpent because our yard is getting eaten by the Delve creatures all the time, or flashbacked by Snapcaster mage. Kiln Fiend we can't play, because we have no Mutagenic Growth. Thing in The Ice can't reliably flip with no Phyrexian Spells and if you wanted to play it you should replace Street Wraith with something else.
The only viable solution if you want more threats is one: Delver Of Secrets. And that's debatable.
Hmm, a threat not neccessary a creature. A planeswalker like Liliana could it be?
I've certainly had some success MDing 1-2 Liliana of the Veil, though this takes you down more of a grindy midrange route. It's really good in pseudo-mirrors and vs control and midrange decks, but Lily isn't really a threat vs stuff like Affinity, Burn, Valakut, Amulet, Tron, etc.
Speaking of which, has anyone ever sideboarded Imp's Mischief ? I remember it was talked about a lot when Ancestral Visions was spoiled. I think it might be good now too.
Good as in, it shores up bad matchups? Which ones exactly? It's ***** against Burn, Abzan and Tron. Yeah it hits AV but so does Denial.
Don't see how it's bad vs burn, especially since you can redirect a Bolt or Searing Blaze towards one of their own creatures. Also, I'd rather draw 3 cards vs counter it completely, not sure about you. Vs Abzan, you can still redirect a path or an abrupt decay. Agreed it's bad vs Tron - that's why I suggested it as a sideboard card.
Anyway, I'm going to test it out as a 2-of in the sideboard in place of Countersquall and see how I like it.
In that UB list, I'd rather try Slither Blade than Delver of Secrets sadly...
Last night TNM was horrible, 0-3 drop. Lost every single game because the hands were bad after mulling down to 5 and the matchups were horrendous. Faced Storm, GR Tron, Bant Eldrazi. Didn't bother to stay for the last 2 games. Made two mistakes but they didn't matter once I explained them to my opponents.
Commander GUR Maelstrom Wanderer BWU Sydri, Galvanic Genius BGB Meren of Clan Nel Toth WGW Nazahn, Revered Bladesmith RRR Feldon of the Third Path WWW Heliod, God of the Sun
You can't redirect Searing Blaze with Imp's Mischief.
At best, Imp's Mischief redirects a bolt and gains you 2 life and kills a creature of theirs. At worst, good luck redirecting that Rift Bolt, or Searing Blaze, or Atarka's Command. Often it will only gain you 2 life and chip shot them for a few damage (Lava Spike, Boros Charm, many burn spells when they don't have a creature). It's ok, but I wouldn't call it good vs burn.
Speaking of which, has anyone ever sideboarded Imp's Mischief ? I remember it was talked about a lot when Ancestral Visions was spoiled. I think it might be good now too.
Good as in, it shores up bad matchups? Which ones exactly? It's ***** against Burn, Abzan and Tron. Yeah it hits AV but so does Denial.
Don't see how it's bad vs burn, especially since you can redirect a Bolt or Searing Blaze towards one of their own creatures. Also, I'd rather draw 3 cards vs counter it completely, not sure about you. Vs Abzan, you can still redirect a path or an abrupt decay. Agreed it's bad vs Tron - that's why I suggested it as a sideboard card.
Anyway, I'm going to test it out as a 2-of in the sideboard in place of Countersquall and see how I like it.
Imp's Mischief only works on spells with a single target. Cool, you redirected a Bolt for 2 mana and prevented 2 damage. If that's your best case scenario, my 'Burn doesn't give a *****' argument still applies as far as I'm concerned.
Of course I'd rather draw 3 than just counter an AV, but I already have a maindeck answer to AV that costs 1 mana less and has so many more applications. I'm not going to dedicate precious sideboard space to a fringe scenario where I have to have a specific card in hand and 2 mana up as my opponent resolves an AV without a counterspell to protect it.
Again, none of our bad matchups care about Imp's Mischief and neither should you. It's a cool card and I'd definitely run it if it had its merits in our deck but hey, let's not go down that road because I have an Ashiok waiting in line here.
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Abzan Traverse / Traverse Shadow / UR Kiki
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Definitely interested to hear how the deck performed. Surgical is something I've been thinking about adding to the main 60 as well. It's an additional loss of life to get DS online, can cripple certain decks, and can sometimes work as a second 1st turn discard spell if an opponent has multiples in their opening hand. I feel like in that case it's almost like a 1 for 1 with a bonus since it helps get your DS online faster and it puts more cards into your yard for the delvers. In a lot of decks, it would be an extremely mediocre to outright bad play, but these considerations might make it a better play for this build. I'm not sure I'd run it without the 7 discard spells, though (or at all?). Still, I like that you are giving it consideration and are willing to test it out.
Surgical was fairly lackluster, but I wasn't against any decks that get destroyed by it.
Round 1: Esper Control 2-1 (Won games 1 and 3)
The only time I cast Surgical, I think I hit Supreme Verdict, but I honestly don't remember, was inconsequential overall. Stubborn Denial was a house overall as well as not being threatened on my life total whatsoever. Comfortably got to low life total and landed/recured/protected threats without much fret. It's not a great matchup by any means, but good draws and timely counterspells backed by lots of discard help a lot.
Round 2: DS Jund 2-0
I think we each did more damage to ourselves than each other. I think his build was suboptimal with other strange choices and perhaps wasn't as familiar with playing it. Either way, I enjoyed chit-chatting through the games.
Round 3: Affinity 0-2
Game 1 mulligan to 5, sort of slow start, stuck on 2 lands, overrun quickly. Game 2 had decent opening hand, but not awesome, he seemed to nut draw turn 1 Ravager, turn 2 Etched Champion... I had Engineered Explosives in hand, but he had 0, 1, 2, and 3 drops. Mix of bad luck and card choice.
Round 4: Bant Eldrazi 0-2
Most frustrating match of the night. Game 1 I have him at 1 life for several turns, unable to draw a burn spell or another attacker after mine takes a Path. He top decks a Reality Smasher to kill me. Game 2 I have him down to 4 life with a Tasigur on the field. He plays a Drowner of Hope to tap it on my next turn. All I have in hand is Fatal Push and am at low life. I draw a Terminate and try to kill Drowner, he taps Tasigur and then lets it resolve. Top decks a Reality Smasher to kill me. It kills me to know that this deck is still a thing and I can't put into words how much I hate Eldrazi creatures.
All in all, I do not really care for the Grixis version at the moment. I want Path to Exile and I want enchantment removal. Terminate is often too expensive at 2 mana (or too color-intensive), Bolt almost always does nothing, and K command is great, but so are Liliana and white sideboard cards. The deck essentially plays the same as Grixis so I'll still lurk and contribute in and out, but I feel this deck absolutely needs 1cmc unconditional removal.
UR ....... WUBR ........... WB ............. RGW ........ UBR ....... WUB .... BGU
Spells / Blink & Combo / Token Grind / Dino Tribal / Draw Cards / Zombies / Reanimate
UBR Grixis Death's shadow
To be honest, I love it more than I probably should. It has outright won me G1s multiple times, and at worst is a life-loss enabler for Shadow that allows me to see my opponent's hand. Depending on how crazy I feel, I may find something else to cut in order to fit the full 8 discard spells and 2 main deck Surgicals. But who knows, maybe I'm just crazy.
UR ....... WUBR ........... WB ............. RGW ........ UBR ....... WUB .... BGU
Spells / Blink & Combo / Token Grind / Dino Tribal / Draw Cards / Zombies / Reanimate
Could it be? Tombstalker in Modern? One can dream...
Abzan Traverse / Traverse Shadow / UR Kiki
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/modern/deck-creation-modern/772523-esper-death-shadow?page=3
(I've played Tombstalker in Modern before as both the 8th and 9th delve creature in some whacky grixis delver lists.)
UBR Grixis Death's shadow
The real plan against them is play thoughtseize first before they lay down their eldrazis? What our plan against them?
But yeah, you have to race Eldrazi like crazy because you can't beat them in the late game.
Abzan Traverse / Traverse Shadow / UR Kiki
UBR Grixis Shadow UBR
UR Izzet Phoenix UR
UW UW Control UW
GB GB Rock GB
Commander
BG Meren of Clan Nel Toth BG
BGUW Atraxa, Praetor's Voice BGUW
Hmm, a threat not neccessary a creature. A planeswalker like Liliana could it be?
Don't see how it's bad vs burn, especially since you can redirect a Bolt or Searing Blaze towards one of their own creatures. Also, I'd rather draw 3 cards vs counter it completely, not sure about you. Vs Abzan, you can still redirect a path or an abrupt decay. Agreed it's bad vs Tron - that's why I suggested it as a sideboard card.
Anyway, I'm going to test it out as a 2-of in the sideboard in place of Countersquall and see how I like it.
Last night TNM was horrible, 0-3 drop. Lost every single game because the hands were bad after mulling down to 5 and the matchups were horrendous. Faced Storm, GR Tron, Bant Eldrazi. Didn't bother to stay for the last 2 games. Made two mistakes but they didn't matter once I explained them to my opponents.
GURB Grixis/Jund Shadow
RBG Dredge
xUx U Ballista Tron
Commander
GUR Maelstrom Wanderer
BWU Sydri, Galvanic Genius
BGB Meren of Clan Nel Toth
WGW Nazahn, Revered Bladesmith
RRR Feldon of the Third Path
WWW Heliod, God of the Sun
At best, Imp's Mischief redirects a bolt and gains you 2 life and kills a creature of theirs. At worst, good luck redirecting that Rift Bolt, or Searing Blaze, or Atarka's Command. Often it will only gain you 2 life and chip shot them for a few damage (Lava Spike, Boros Charm, many burn spells when they don't have a creature). It's ok, but I wouldn't call it good vs burn.
Imp's Mischief only works on spells with a single target. Cool, you redirected a Bolt for 2 mana and prevented 2 damage. If that's your best case scenario, my 'Burn doesn't give a *****' argument still applies as far as I'm concerned.
Of course I'd rather draw 3 than just counter an AV, but I already have a maindeck answer to AV that costs 1 mana less and has so many more applications. I'm not going to dedicate precious sideboard space to a fringe scenario where I have to have a specific card in hand and 2 mana up as my opponent resolves an AV without a counterspell to protect it.
Again, none of our bad matchups care about Imp's Mischief and neither should you. It's a cool card and I'd definitely run it if it had its merits in our deck but hey, let's not go down that road because I have an Ashiok waiting in line here.
Abzan Traverse / Traverse Shadow / UR Kiki