Is Shardless Agent Crunched? Looking at the list I don't believe it is, but the Scryfall Crunch has every known card crunched between Nature's Chant and Thundering Djinn. Am I missing something about the way the numbering works or is there still a chance Shardless fits between those two cards?
I beat Elves, Infect and Junk Unburial Rites. I lost to "Eldrazi and Taxes". I really liked the list, but I'll likely make a few changes. Azcantas should be Snapcaster Mages, and I'd like another removal spell in the sideboard, probably another Cast Down.
I ran this list again at FNM tonight at a different shop. I finished 4-0 for 1st place beating Jeskai Aggro, UW Miracles, Bant Control and "Eldrazi and Taxes". I was surprised to see another Eldrazi and Taxes two weeks in a row as I'd never played against the deck before the last two FNMs. I got to Clique an Entreat while the miracle trigger was on the stack, which was pretty sweet. I caught another opponent with mutavault/spellstutter shenanigans. Creeping Tar Pits were amazing, Tasigur bailed me out of two games. Azcanta was good because of the control matchups. Such a fun deck!
Congrats on the wins! I wish the meta at my LGS was more like yours, lol. Here I face Gx Tron, Hollow One, Affinity, and Humans on a regular basis. That being said, Faeries can adapt fairly well, although Affinity still gives me fits. Nothing sweeter than hitting a HR during their end step though, lol.
Thanks!
The first shop I went to is doing Modern again this week so I'll be back on Faeries. That store has quite a bit more aggro than the other place. I'll let you know how it goes :).
I beat Elves, Infect and Junk Unburial Rites. I lost to "Eldrazi and Taxes". I really liked the list, but I'll likely make a few changes. Azcantas should be Snapcaster Mages, and I'd like another removal spell in the sideboard, probably another Cast Down.
I ran this list again at FNM tonight at a different shop. I finished 4-0 for 1st place beating Jeskai Aggro, UW Miracles, Bant Control and "Eldrazi and Taxes". I was surprised to see another Eldrazi and Taxes two weeks in a row as I'd never played against the deck before the last two FNMs. I got to Clique an Entreat while the miracle trigger was on the stack, which was pretty sweet. I caught another opponent with mutavault/spellstutter shenanigans. Creeping Tar Pits were amazing, Tasigur bailed me out of two games. Azcanta was good because of the control matchups. Such a fun deck!
Why you don't play Mana Leak ? Is Tasigur really good in this deck ?
Mana Leak: This is kind of a weird question. There are literally hundreds of modern legal blue and black cards I didn't play. Do you mean why didn't I play Mana Leak instead of XXXXXX? If so, which card are you comparing it to? I like Mana Leak, but I just didn't use it in this build and probably won't this upcoming Friday either but after playing the deck I suspect it's fine and as good of a choice as some of the disruption or the sideboard counterspells.
Tasigur: I casted him three times over the course of the night and it felt like one of the better cards in the deck, and I didn't activate his ability.
I beat Elves, Infect and Junk Unburial Rites. I lost to "Eldrazi and Taxes". I really liked the list, but I'll likely make a few changes. Azcantas should be Snapcaster Mages, and I'd like another removal spell in the sideboard, probably another Cast Down.
I don't think I'd call Villainous Wealth a win more card in this deck. Having a ton of mana available isn't a win condition, having something like Villainous Wealth to spend it on is. Sadly there's just not a lot of X cost spells to put the mana into in this standard, as far as creatures go it's pretty much Hooded Hydra or Hangarback so options for using all this mana are limited.
I guess in addition we have Crater's Claws if we want to dabble in red, but I think Villainous Wealth would be able to close out games better when Crater's Claws can't be cast enough for lethal. Hooded Hydra is interesting, as is Hangarback Walker. At the very least, Hangarback might be good in the sideboard for control. Both of them give us more permanents to draw more cards if the opponent tries to deal with them. I have both, I may try them in the sideboard this week. I'll come back with a finalized decklist today for tonight's FNM.
Yeah, I think I had 2 island, a swamp, 2 polluted delta and 2 sunken hollow but it seems like that may be too much because I've run out of forests a few times. I'm also going to experiment with Retreat to Hagra since I'm using black anyways, it seems like an early retreat or two could definitely drain someone out with all the land drops and then sideboard it out for dreadwaters against decks with a lot of lifegain. Not sure yet if that route is as effective but it's worth trying, against other decks that make a lot of tokens a dreadwaters into great Aurora could definitely mill them out.
Running out of forests was an issue I ran into as well, almost every game. It was always an issue after resolving the first Aurora and casting a couple of ramp spells. The "tightest" way to run this list may be mono green to remedy that, but I like at least the blue splash, if for any other reason having a dispel up on the turn you are casting the Aurora is really nice.
If I were to build the list more competitive based on what I have experienced so far, I'd take my original list with the blue cards in the side, cut one Nissa's Renewal and consider trading the Jaddi Offshoots for something else as they always felt like the weakest cards in the deck. The only thing about the Offshoots though is that they probably sure up the aggro matchup a bit, even if they get ran over by a Temur Battle Rage. My sideboard was a mess, but a lot of that had to do with this being the first standard FNM we played since rotation, so I would shape that up a little better as well.
I may be going a bit overboard with the blue this week, and the Villainous Wealth may be a bit too win more, I'll have to reevaluate before I finalize my deck list tonight.
First game with Villainous Wealth, it got me an Ugin, a Ruinous Path, and Halimar Tidecaller, guy conceded right away. Second match with it was mono red, got 2 sliderunners, a swiftspear, and Atarka's command with X=5. Never drew any of the 3 in the 3rd match I played against aristocrats despite drawing through 35 cards. Didn't draw any Auroras either by that point and I had somewhere to be so I conceded while we both had something like 20 creatures.
Nice! I'll try it as a one of at this FNM and see how it goes for me. I think I can get by with just one swamp since we have so many ways to fetch it.
Haven't played against RDW yet but I've played against some aggro mostly involving drana. Had some that I got down to about 5 life but I recovered them, once resolved a great Aurora into retreat into nissa's renewal and went on to win the game.
It seems like there are a few routes to go with it. I could easily see a version that includes a single swamp and some villainous wealth since the deck gets so much mana or dreadwaters to mill them out, though that one seems less likely.
I thought about Villainous Wealth, but that limits you to one Aurora, because the second Aurora would result in them drawing cards off every permanent you played off Villainous Wealth. You know, that may not matter though. I've felt like even resolving one Great Aurora puts you in such a commanding position, you are going to win the game, so casting Villainous Wealth after an Aurora should be the nail in the coffin, and you shouldn't need another Aurora.
I saw some old Aurora lists from last standard that ran Dreadwaters as an alternate win condition just in case Demonic Pact wasn't getting it done, but I'm not sure the results they had with the addition of Dreadwaters.
I think you can kind of pick your win condition with this deck because no matter what happens up to the point you cast Aurora, after you resolve it you are going to win the game. I even missed hitting my big win cons on an Aurora one game and saw it to a grindy conclusion of hunting for my few remaining lands to trigger a Roil and 2 Retreats and rode some elementals with +1 counters to victory.
I'm hoping this week to Aurora into Day's Undoing. A couple of games last week the opponents restarted the game drawing 12 and playing just a few lands. It would be nice to make them dump their remaining 8 to 10 cards and draw another 7, hopefully a hand filled with lands and put them at even a more severe disadvantage.
That Great Aurora deck has been surprisingly effective. I honestly wasn't expecting much from it but Zendikar's roil gets out of hand fast. Out of 4 or 5 matches so far I've lost once to an Ulamog deck that exiled all of my Great Auroras and Roils on the first swing.
In the beginning, I only had Zendikar's Roil as a one of in the deck, but I soon realized it really is the star of the show. It's especially good leading up to an Aurora because it clogs up the board and let's you draw more cards. If you hit a big Aurora, Roil is not nearly as good when played after, but fortunately you usually get to attack with Gaea's Revenge on a clear board or instantly flip Nissa to start your "New Game".
Did you play against any red decks or other fast aggro? The fastest deck I played against was abzan and I expect the deck gets beat up pretty bad in a faster meta.
Here is the list I am taking this Friday (It may change a little before then)
Part the Waterveil in the main should really be Nissa's Renewal and I may flip that, but I'd really like to try Part the Waterveil after an Aurora awakening a Lumbering Falls and swinging for bunches. It is likely too cute, but FNM isn't always about winning.
I wanted to share a deck with you guys I am very excited about because I get to play Shahrazad in Standard! It looks weird on paper, but I swept FNM with it last Friday playing against Esper Control and Abzan Midrange along the way. I am not sure if this deck belongs in this thread or somewhere else, but I think it fits the definition of a G/x Ramp deck even if the goals are a bit different than the other decks in the thread.
I get that the Wooded Foothills interact positively with the Roils, but Windswept Heath would do as well, if I understand the plan correctly. With some Canopy Glade and Prairie Stream, the Heaths could help with the U splash, too.
OTOH, I'm not winning FNM and you didn't ask for help, so you can just forget I said anything.
There is a cute interaction between the great aurora and gaea's revenge. If you cast the great aurora before combat, you can often draw a gaea's revenge and attack for 8 that turn while their board is clear. The best win condition so far has been zendikar's roil. I won a few games without hitting aurora simply because retreat and roil get out of hand.
Nissa was amazing early game and after auroras. At least once I remember thinking 4 were too many after an aurora, but she does so much in the deck I'm not sure I am ready to go to three.
The list I am taking this week is more simic with a couple of day's undoing coming in main, a new land configuration with a couple of lumbering falls and I'm going to test part the waterveil as a fun of.
I wanted to share a deck with you guys I am very excited about because I get to play Shahrazad in Standard! It looks weird on paper, but I swept FNM with it last Friday playing against Esper Control and Abzan Midrange along the way. I am not sure if this deck belongs in this thread or somewhere else, but I think it fits the definition of a G/x Ramp deck even if the goals are a bit different than the other decks in the thread.
I've just been goldfishing it online at the moment. I'll take it to FNM next Friday because I expect the cards won't make it to me before this Friday. I see the win conditions from best to worst as being Assault Formation, Kin-Tree Invocation, Graveblade Marauder.
Some interesting starts/interactions I have found so far include turn 1 Sidisi's Faithful into turn 2 Kin-Tree Invocation. Taigam's Scheming does a good job of feeding Graveblade Marauder and fueling Murderous Cut.
I'd even argue Encase in Ice is almost main deck material if the meta shapes up how it is looking right now. I didn't leave Pacifism off because I thought the cards I listed were strictly better. I would have included it if I had thought about it when I was typing up the list. That being said, I do think they are all better than Pacifism except for Tightening Coils.
@Bonkshebonk
For some reason, I completely missed the red splash in your list, even though I looked it over pretty good. I think I pictured Frontier Siege when I read Outpost Siege. The comments I made about card advantage being an issue are mitigated a bit by your version, which is cool. Also, looking back at my post, I don't think my ways of dealing with tokens are that hot. I noticed in one of the other threads about the deck. someone mentioned running the enchantment that gives creatures -1/0. That may just be a better plan in the long run, Although I think Profaner of the Dead deserves some testing. Ultimately, you likely already have the best token answer in Radiant Flames.
Thanks!
The first shop I went to is doing Modern again this week so I'll be back on Faeries. That store has quite a bit more aggro than the other place. I'll let you know how it goes :).
I ran this list again at FNM tonight at a different shop. I finished 4-0 for 1st place beating Jeskai Aggro, UW Miracles, Bant Control and "Eldrazi and Taxes". I was surprised to see another Eldrazi and Taxes two weeks in a row as I'd never played against the deck before the last two FNMs. I got to Clique an Entreat while the miracle trigger was on the stack, which was pretty sweet. I caught another opponent with mutavault/spellstutter shenanigans. Creeping Tar Pits were amazing, Tasigur bailed me out of two games. Azcanta was good because of the control matchups. Such a fun deck!
Mana Leak: This is kind of a weird question. There are literally hundreds of modern legal blue and black cards I didn't play. Do you mean why didn't I play Mana Leak instead of XXXXXX? If so, which card are you comparing it to? I like Mana Leak, but I just didn't use it in this build and probably won't this upcoming Friday either but after playing the deck I suspect it's fine and as good of a choice as some of the disruption or the sideboard counterspells.
Tasigur: I casted him three times over the course of the night and it felt like one of the better cards in the deck, and I didn't activate his ability.
4 Spellstutter Sprite
4 Vendilion Clique
3 Mistbind Clique
1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
Spells:23
4 Fatal Push
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
2 Thoughtseize
4 Bitterblossom
2 Cast Down
3 Collective Brutality
2 Search for Azcanta
2 Cryptic Command
1 Bloodstained Mire
4 Creeping Tar Pit
1 Flooded Strand
4 Island
3 Mutavault
4 Polluted Delta
4 Secluded Glen
2 Swamp
2 Watery Grave
1 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
2 Ceremonious Rejection
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Boomerang
1 Collective Brutality
2 Countersquall
3 Damping Sphere
1 Disdainful Stroke
1 Ratchet Bomb
2 Damnation
I beat Elves, Infect and Junk Unburial Rites. I lost to "Eldrazi and Taxes". I really liked the list, but I'll likely make a few changes. Azcantas should be Snapcaster Mages, and I'd like another removal spell in the sideboard, probably another Cast Down.
I guess in addition we have Crater's Claws if we want to dabble in red, but I think Villainous Wealth would be able to close out games better when Crater's Claws can't be cast enough for lethal. Hooded Hydra is interesting, as is Hangarback Walker. At the very least, Hangarback might be good in the sideboard for control. Both of them give us more permanents to draw more cards if the opponent tries to deal with them. I have both, I may try them in the sideboard this week. I'll come back with a finalized decklist today for tonight's FNM.
Running out of forests was an issue I ran into as well, almost every game. It was always an issue after resolving the first Aurora and casting a couple of ramp spells. The "tightest" way to run this list may be mono green to remedy that, but I like at least the blue splash, if for any other reason having a dispel up on the turn you are casting the Aurora is really nice.
If I were to build the list more competitive based on what I have experienced so far, I'd take my original list with the blue cards in the side, cut one Nissa's Renewal and consider trading the Jaddi Offshoots for something else as they always felt like the weakest cards in the deck. The only thing about the Offshoots though is that they probably sure up the aggro matchup a bit, even if they get ran over by a Temur Battle Rage. My sideboard was a mess, but a lot of that had to do with this being the first standard FNM we played since rotation, so I would shape that up a little better as well.
I may be going a bit overboard with the blue this week, and the Villainous Wealth may be a bit too win more, I'll have to reevaluate before I finalize my deck list tonight.
Nice! I'll try it as a one of at this FNM and see how it goes for me. I think I can get by with just one swamp since we have so many ways to fetch it.
I thought about Villainous Wealth, but that limits you to one Aurora, because the second Aurora would result in them drawing cards off every permanent you played off Villainous Wealth. You know, that may not matter though. I've felt like even resolving one Great Aurora puts you in such a commanding position, you are going to win the game, so casting Villainous Wealth after an Aurora should be the nail in the coffin, and you shouldn't need another Aurora.
I saw some old Aurora lists from last standard that ran Dreadwaters as an alternate win condition just in case Demonic Pact wasn't getting it done, but I'm not sure the results they had with the addition of Dreadwaters.
I think you can kind of pick your win condition with this deck because no matter what happens up to the point you cast Aurora, after you resolve it you are going to win the game. I even missed hitting my big win cons on an Aurora one game and saw it to a grindy conclusion of hunting for my few remaining lands to trigger a Roil and 2 Retreats and rode some elementals with +1 counters to victory.
I'm hoping this week to Aurora into Day's Undoing. A couple of games last week the opponents restarted the game drawing 12 and playing just a few lands. It would be nice to make them dump their remaining 8 to 10 cards and draw another 7, hopefully a hand filled with lands and put them at even a more severe disadvantage.
In the beginning, I only had Zendikar's Roil as a one of in the deck, but I soon realized it really is the star of the show. It's especially good leading up to an Aurora because it clogs up the board and let's you draw more cards. If you hit a big Aurora, Roil is not nearly as good when played after, but fortunately you usually get to attack with Gaea's Revenge on a clear board or instantly flip Nissa to start your "New Game".
Did you play against any red decks or other fast aggro? The fastest deck I played against was abzan and I expect the deck gets beat up pretty bad in a faster meta.
Here is the list I am taking this Friday (It may change a little before then)
4 Jaddi Offshoot
4 Rattleclaw Mystic
4 Nissa, Vastwood Seer
2 Gaea's Revenge
Spells:22
2 Day's Undoing
4 Nissa's Pilgrimage
3 Retreat to Kazandu
4 Explosive Vegetation
4 Zendikar's Roil
1 Part the Waterveil
4 The Great Aurora
4 Blighted Woodland
14 Forest
3 Island
2 Lumbering Falls
1 Yavimaya Coast
4 Dispel
1 Displacement Wave
1 Negate
2 Day's Undoing
1 Retreat to Kazandu
1 Clever Impersonator
2 Nissa's Renewal
1 Part the Waterveil
2 Gaea's Revenge
Part the Waterveil in the main should really be Nissa's Renewal and I may flip that, but I'd really like to try Part the Waterveil after an Aurora awakening a Lumbering Falls and swinging for bunches. It is likely too cute, but FNM isn't always about winning.
There is a cute interaction between the great aurora and gaea's revenge. If you cast the great aurora before combat, you can often draw a gaea's revenge and attack for 8 that turn while their board is clear. The best win condition so far has been zendikar's roil. I won a few games without hitting aurora simply because retreat and roil get out of hand.
Nissa was amazing early game and after auroras. At least once I remember thinking 4 were too many after an aurora, but she does so much in the deck I'm not sure I am ready to go to three.
The list I am taking this week is more simic with a couple of day's undoing coming in main, a new land configuration with a couple of lumbering falls and I'm going to test part the waterveil as a fun of.
Excuse the formatting, replying from my phone.
4 Jaddi Offshoot
4 Rattleclaw Mystic
4 Nissa, Vastwood Seer
2 Gaea's Revenge
Spells:22
4 Nissa's Pilgrimage
3 Retreat to Kazandu
4 Explosive Vegetation
4 Zendikar's Roil
3 Nissa's Renewal
4 The Great Aurora
4 Blighted Woodland
14 Forest
2 Island
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Dispel
4 Negate
4 Day's Undoing
1 Retreat to Kazandu
2 Gaea's Revenge
4 Jaddi Offshoot
4 Sidisi's Faithful
4 Dragon's Eye Savants
4 Graveblade Marauder
4 Monastery Flock
Spells:19
2 Shape the Sands
3 Anticipate
4 Assault Formation
4 Kin-Tree Invocation
4 Taigam's Scheming
2 Murderous Cut
2 Forest
3 Island
4 Llanowar Wastes
4 Opulent Palace
3 Polluted Delta
1 Swamp
4 Yavimaya Coast
2 Dispel
4 Duress
2 Shape the Sands
2 Negate
2 Sultai Charm
3 Mizzium Meddler
Some interesting starts/interactions I have found so far include turn 1 Sidisi's Faithful into turn 2 Kin-Tree Invocation. Taigam's Scheming does a good job of feeding Graveblade Marauder and fueling Murderous Cut.
@Bonkshebonk
For some reason, I completely missed the red splash in your list, even though I looked it over pretty good. I think I pictured Frontier Siege when I read Outpost Siege. The comments I made about card advantage being an issue are mitigated a bit by your version, which is cool. Also, looking back at my post, I don't think my ways of dealing with tokens are that hot. I noticed in one of the other threads about the deck. someone mentioned running the enchantment that gives creatures -1/0. That may just be a better plan in the long run, Although I think Profaner of the Dead deserves some testing. Ultimately, you likely already have the best token answer in Radiant Flames.