So I'm a Blue Moon player, but I'm considering buying into GDS as it seems extremely fun and has game against a lot of the field. I came to ask two questions, if I may:
1) Are there any recommended articles or videos I could check out to really get into how to play this deck? I have played against GDS maybe 5 times at FNM and on MTGO, so I don't have a ton of exposure to it.
2) Would GDS be a good second deck to add to my arsenal? Does it have as much game against the field as it seems, or are those results from people who know the deck inside and out?
I currently have the Through the Breach version of blue moon built, and while I like it a lot and it's fun, it feels just a tad too slow. I have tried all of the versions except madcap, and while the straight blue moon version has a shot in some meta's, the deck just felt very slow.
1) Are there any recommended articles or videos I could check out to really get into how to play this deck? I have played against GDS maybe 5 times at FNM and on MTGO, so I don't have a ton of exposure to it.
Check out Ben Friedman's latest article about the deck here. Jeff Hoogland ran it through a MTGO league a while back here. He's not really experienced with the deck so he makes a couple mistakes, but he's a good Magic player in general and he talks through his lines, which is helpful.
2) Would GDS be a good second deck to add to my arsenal? Does it have as much game against the field as it seems, or are those results from people who know the deck inside and out?
Yeah, GDS is a good deck. Like a lot of decks in Modern, it gets better the more experienced you are with it, so you'll probably struggle a bit early until you're more familiar with it. Once you've got a solid understanding of what you're doing, there aren't really any matchups that are just unwinnable, which is one of my favorite aspects of the deck. UW Control and Dredge are probably the worst matchups, and they're roughly ~35%, but basically everything else is in the 45-55% range, with spell based combo like Storm and Ad Naus being slam dunk matchups for us.
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So I'm a Blue Moon player, but I'm considering buying into GDS as it seems extremely fun and has game against a lot of the field. I came to ask two questions, if I may:
1) Are there any recommended articles or videos I could check out to really get into how to play this deck? I have played against GDS maybe 5 times at FNM and on MTGO, so I don't have a ton of exposure to it.
2) Would GDS be a good second deck to add to my arsenal? Does it have as much game against the field as it seems, or are those results from people who know the deck inside and out?
Keep in mind Ben and Magnus have different philosophies about how they play the deck but it's still something to keep in mind. Actually a lot of players have different ways they play the deck like for instance I refuse to play the card Mishra's Bauble in any of my lists and I like playing more copies of Temur Battle Rage in the side. One you get to test more you will get a feel for what you like and what you don't.
As for it being "good" or not that really just depends on the metagame. Previously it has not been kind to GDS at all, with pilots needing to get relatively lucky on the side of pairings because the majority of the GP and PT metas have been fairly hostile. However with the rise of a new deck, Bridgevine (River Styxx) the format may become faster to race with this deck and as a result decks like Infect, Storm, Shoal and so on may see a resurgence. All of those decks are an even to favorable matchup for GDS so it is a good sign going forward. Still since you seem to own quite a few pieces of overlap this doesn't seem like a bad deck to buy into.
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Modern URBSome variant of Death's Shadow URB Grixis Control (Chapin Version) JFM Storm / Treasure Cruise Delver / Splinter Twin / Infect
Thank you, sincerely! These are a lot of great resources that I will be able to check out on my week of vacation next week.
I do have some overlap, really just need the U/B lands, a few of the black cards, and sideboard cards. I printed off some proxies so I can start goldfishing the deck in the meantime and getting used to play patterns.
gonna be playing GDS at a PPTQ tomorrow at m
myf irst comp rel event with the deck on months, in my playtesting I've been having problems with UW miracles and humans. With humans I just don't know how to define my role, I guess I'm probably control as they're much faster. also just don't know how to approach it.
found myself getting blown out by UW miracles and can't establish mcuh
You think so? Also how do you feel about Dylan Hovey’s statemennt on 3 k-commands in the sideboard to fight control because the sorcery speed hay makers are not good enough
You think so? Also how do you feel about Dylan Hovey’s statemennt on 3 k-commands in the sideboard to fight control because the sorcery speed hay makers are not good enough
Trying to out- grind control is a losing strategy. The games you beat them are mostly going to be when you shred their hand, stick an early threat, and then kill them before they find an answer.
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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
It's not great. Graveyard hate doesn't really hurt Mardu all that much, they can play through it really easily. Only board it in if you don't have enough more impactful sideboard cards to bring in for whatever you want to board out in the match up.
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Commander BG Meren of Clan Nel Toth BG BGUW Atraxa, Praetor's Voice BGUW
Has anyone tested Eidolon of the great revel in this deck? Or claim//fame?
Are these cards effective with any builds?
Eidolon of the great revel isn't partiularly too good in our deck since we already have enough ways to deal ourself life. But not so much just that the actual sweet spot tend to be around 9 life meaning we want to lose life to around 8 or 9 as fast as we can and then stop asap (unless we're in pure race matchups). Eidolon isn't particularly great in either case because we cannot stop the bleeding and if we want to race we have to take off an entire turn of ours to cast it which will cost us.
Claim//fame I think was tested as soon as it came out by people and pros and the consensus was that it simply was not good enough. It is too low impact of a card as it only really hits shadow which is 4 cards and hitting snap isn't all that great. I've heard that it can be decent in Traverse Shadow though since they do have 8-9 targets in their lists but even then I don't think they really play it. Kolaghan's Command does a similar thing while being a much more general card that answers a variety of things and can come in against both grindy and combo matchups.
Hi guys on want to hit the GPPrague and one of the choice is Death Shadow, I'm actually playing this list (I won't list the sideboard since I want to focus on main deck)
I'm thinking deeply about:
- changing Mishra for Opt or other cantrip
- faithless looting speed up the gurmag angler.. but its devasting for you hand
- mutagenetic growth will be use full to get a death shadow from the bin
What do you think? This build could good with the actual meta
I've been on serum almost all this time but I know someone else on a 4 bauble 2 looting build and he'd been loving it and having great success with it. I'd give it a shot. If you want opts you can try adding 1-2 extra copies of it as well (I think he cut snapcaster mage for them). I will most likely be trying them out this weekend (and his crazy sideboard which cuts Lavamancers all together)
Looting can be devastating to the hand but it's only a 2 of, and is so good in the mid-late game. And sometimes if you gotta do what you gotta do for the turn 2 angler.
I've also tried crazy builds of this deck with Monastery Swiftspear and Mutagenic Growth as a way to add more threats since that's this deck's biggest weakness. Simply put, don't do it lol. It really isn't consistent enough and if you want to run Mute growth just play Zooicide it's the much better shell for it.
Nihil is okay and slows them down a bit while also relacing itself. The card I've heard Mardu players say they do not want to face is Leyline of the Void since it really shuts down a lot of their value plan (Looting and souls become mediocre, 2 of Kommand's modes are dead, and Reveler is nigh uncastable).
LotV is great against control if you're running her, but I don't love Last Hope against them. Most of their removal doesn't put the creature in the graveyard, so she can't buy them back, and trying to ult her probably won't work, as they have several ways to deal with her. I would bring her in if you have room, but she's not great in the matchup.
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1) Are there any recommended articles or videos I could check out to really get into how to play this deck? I have played against GDS maybe 5 times at FNM and on MTGO, so I don't have a ton of exposure to it.
2) Would GDS be a good second deck to add to my arsenal? Does it have as much game against the field as it seems, or are those results from people who know the deck inside and out?
I currently have the Through the Breach version of blue moon built, and while I like it a lot and it's fun, it feels just a tad too slow. I have tried all of the versions except madcap, and while the straight blue moon version has a shot in some meta's, the deck just felt very slow.
Thanks for any insight!
Yeah, GDS is a good deck. Like a lot of decks in Modern, it gets better the more experienced you are with it, so you'll probably struggle a bit early until you're more familiar with it. Once you've got a solid understanding of what you're doing, there aren't really any matchups that are just unwinnable, which is one of my favorite aspects of the deck. UW Control and Dredge are probably the worst matchups, and they're roughly ~35%, but basically everything else is in the 45-55% range, with spell based combo like Storm and Ad Naus being slam dunk matchups for us.
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
Here's a few that I have stockpiled, thanks in part to help from others.
Ben Friedman's guide: http://www.starcitygames.com/articles/37401_An-Updated-Guide-To-Deaths-Shadow.html
Magnus Lantto's guide and choices for the PT: https://www.reddit.com/r/spikes/comments/9558ol/modern_card_choices_and_sbguide_for_my_pt25a/
Keep in mind Ben and Magnus have different philosophies about how they play the deck but it's still something to keep in mind. Actually a lot of players have different ways they play the deck like for instance I refuse to play the card Mishra's Bauble in any of my lists and I like playing more copies of Temur Battle Rage in the side. One you get to test more you will get a feel for what you like and what you don't.
And one of the best ways to learn a deck is to watch a pro play it (efficiently), here are some feature matches you can try to learn from as well.
vs Mardu Pyromancer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VR7VvfxWx2I
vs Humans
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0IkberVIWM
vs KCI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaFgMt3MLvs
vs UW Control
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QsvNdQLLAM
vs Eldrazi Tron
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-ZxUc3TGjA
As for it being "good" or not that really just depends on the metagame. Previously it has not been kind to GDS at all, with pilots needing to get relatively lucky on the side of pairings because the majority of the GP and PT metas have been fairly hostile. However with the rise of a new deck, Bridgevine (River Styxx) the format may become faster to race with this deck and as a result decks like Infect, Storm, Shoal and so on may see a resurgence. All of those decks are an even to favorable matchup for GDS so it is a good sign going forward. Still since you seem to own quite a few pieces of overlap this doesn't seem like a bad deck to buy into.
URB Some variant of Death's Shadow
URB Grixis Control (Chapin Version)
JFM Storm / Treasure Cruise Delver / Splinter Twin / InfectCommander/EDH
This pile of cards when I feel like it
Death's Shadow discord link
I do have some overlap, really just need the U/B lands, a few of the black cards, and sideboard cards. I printed off some proxies so I can start goldfishing the deck in the meantime and getting used to play patterns.
URB Some variant of Death's Shadow
URB Grixis Control (Chapin Version)
JFM Storm / Treasure Cruise Delver / Splinter Twin / InfectCommander/EDH
This pile of cards when I feel like it
Death's Shadow discord link
2x Opt
2x Faithless Looting
4x Thought Scour
4x Street Wraith
4x Gurmag Angler
4x Death's Shadow
4x Snapcaster Mage
1x Kolaghan's Command
2x Fatal Push
2x Lightning Bolt
1x Dreadbore
1x Dismember
2x Stubborn Denial
4x Thoughtsieze
2x Inquisition of Kozilek
4x Polluted Delta
4x Scalding Tarn
3x Bloodstained Mire
2x Watery Grave
1x Steam Vents
1x Blood Crypt
1x Swamp
1x Island
1x Negate
1x Stubborn Denial
2x Young Pyromancer
1x Grim Lavamancer
1x Temur Battle Rage
1x Ratchet Bomb
1x Pyroclasm
1x Disdainful Stroke
1x Search for Azcanta
2x Ceremonious Rejection
2x Nihil Spellbomb
1x Liliana, the Last Hope
myf irst comp rel event with the deck on months, in my playtesting I've been having problems with UW miracles and humans. With humans I just don't know how to define my role, I guess I'm probably control as they're much faster. also just don't know how to approach it.
found myself getting blown out by UW miracles and can't establish mcuh
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
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
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
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
Be aware that recent lists are running some number of Ensnaring Bridge's in so Abrade is a good call.
Are these cards effective with any builds?
Eidolon of the great revel isn't partiularly too good in our deck since we already have enough ways to deal ourself life. But not so much just that the actual sweet spot tend to be around 9 life meaning we want to lose life to around 8 or 9 as fast as we can and then stop asap (unless we're in pure race matchups). Eidolon isn't particularly great in either case because we cannot stop the bleeding and if we want to race we have to take off an entire turn of ours to cast it which will cost us.
Claim//fame I think was tested as soon as it came out by people and pros and the consensus was that it simply was not good enough. It is too low impact of a card as it only really hits shadow which is 4 cards and hitting snap isn't all that great. I've heard that it can be decent in Traverse Shadow though since they do have 8-9 targets in their lists but even then I don't think they really play it. Kolaghan's Command does a similar thing while being a much more general card that answers a variety of things and can come in against both grindy and combo matchups.
I've been on serum almost all this time but I know someone else on a 4 bauble 2 looting build and he'd been loving it and having great success with it. I'd give it a shot. If you want opts you can try adding 1-2 extra copies of it as well (I think he cut snapcaster mage for them). I will most likely be trying them out this weekend (and his crazy sideboard which cuts Lavamancers all together)
Looting can be devastating to the hand but it's only a 2 of, and is so good in the mid-late game. And sometimes if you gotta do what you gotta do for the turn 2 angler.
I've also tried crazy builds of this deck with Monastery Swiftspear and Mutagenic Growth as a way to add more threats since that's this deck's biggest weakness. Simply put, don't do it lol. It really isn't consistent enough and if you want to run Mute growth just play Zooicide it's the much better shell for it.
Nihil is okay and slows them down a bit while also relacing itself. The card I've heard Mardu players say they do not want to face is Leyline of the Void since it really shuts down a lot of their value plan (Looting and souls become mediocre, 2 of Kommand's modes are dead, and Reveler is nigh uncastable).
URB Some variant of Death's Shadow
URB Grixis Control (Chapin Version)
JFM Storm / Treasure Cruise Delver / Splinter Twin / InfectCommander/EDH
This pile of cards when I feel like it
Death's Shadow discord link
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