I understand that running more dig and delay tactics means we can run less ways to tutor, but only a single Misfortune? No Bloodletting to speed it all up? And how on earth is Pierced Heart the best out of all the curses? Because it's a low-drop? How does a 20-turn clock starting at quickest T2 beat a 2-turn clock on T6?
And how is a single Death's Hold even relevant in this format? When I ran this in Standard, I ran two because 1. it fuels Thirst and 2. almost everything you'll encounter has a higher toughness than one. A single Death's Hold does not hit Deathrite, or Goyf, or Scooze. Sure, it might hold off an Affinity or Soul Sisters deck, but I feel like we already BEAT those decks simply due to removal and hand control.
I personally love Heartless, but if we are running it, shouldn't we run the infinite combos that go along with it? Also, it sounds like we HAVE to hit two of them just to be relevant, and with all the life loss we have by drawing cards if we don't hit something we are just helping out our opponent.
I've brought it up lots of times before, but now I'm serious about getting this deck fine tuned.
During the Innistrad block, when Dark Ascension was just introduced, I tested the crud out of my first ever deck I made from scratch: a black/red deck that win the game via enchantments. Sounds silly, but it rocked everything in my meta other than Delver (it's biggest struggle was G/W Humans).
I've been doing my best to somehow plug this into Modern somehow, since I have most of the cards to the deck, and when it comes right down to it I just miss the deck. ;(
So, without further ado, here is the current decklist:
~This is our key player here, letting us search our entire library for a curse, and putting it into play attached to our opponent. What it lacks in cheap CMC and only able to tutor for ones not already attached, it makes up for by putting them into play and letting us to this during our upkeep (yay, let's draw after a free shuffle!).
~A heavy-cost 1/2, which normally seems bad, but she has deathtouch and when she hits the yard, we can tutor for ANY CURSE and put it into play attached to our opponent. We get a blocker that can kill and a free curse, seems good. What with Path, Leyline of the Void, and RiP in the format she may not be of much use...but I mean, come on, they will totally save their path for that Stormbreath Dragon they think is coming.
~This curse triggers at your opponent's upkeep, and then precedes to deal damaged to them equal to the curses attached to them. Seems somewhat weak, until you stack more than one on them. Then it starts to be a problem. Or, you could just attach one of the next bad-guys on the list to them.
~This is our other heavy-hitter, and while it does no damage itself, it doubles ANY amount of damage from ANY source. Got Thirst, Bloodletting and one other Curse? Take 6. Lightning Bolt? Take 6. Falkenrath Aristocrat makes it through? Take 8, and the fun just keeps getting...doubled! (ba dum, tish!) Stack two, double the double. Stack 3, double the double you just doubled. It easily gets out of hand not long after it hits the battlefield.
~Yes, it's only 1 damage, but it along with one of each of the other three, and your opponent is on a 2 turn clock or quicker. Also, when I first ran the deck, we had judge rule that the damage from it could be redirected to planeswalkers, but I'm still a bit iffy on that one.
The deck also does well at keeping the board clear of creatures, and making sure Bitterheart does her job. The deck will just pretty much fold to Sanctity, and a well-placed counterspell or bounce spell puts us in a bind, which is why I added a slight touch of hand control, ever so slight mana ramp, and even ever so slight a touch of draw.
Any and all comments on how to make this deck excel would be appreciated!
I've tested this quite a few times, and it seems that we draw LOTS of cards once we start, and we literally have no control over it. Ichor draws when it enters and when it dies, Prism when it enters, Star when it dies. Once we start looping, we start digging, but at some point we will have to sacrifice less artifacts so we don't deck out, and even then it will be hard (Conjurer's does not help prevent this).
The ones we do have control over are Conjurer's, Sphere, Mind Stone and Spellbomb (which we use for damage 99.9% of the time). These are the only ones that we have control over, but at times we are forced to use them to draw. Ichor by itself gets a little silly, so to prevent us from decking ourselves once we have combo'd, maybe a few Mishra's Bauble or a 1-of Elixir of Immortality. You'd have to be careful when playing Elixir though, as you could potentially screw yourself if you do it wrong. I feel it would only be used after a successful Faith's/Vault to put all the spells back in. Mishra's also allows us to draw without paying for anything in the early game, and I think that could be quite useful.
Spells that reduce mana costs are a waste of time in this deck: the point it to make enough mana to do the combo, so you don't need reducers as the clog up your deck and slow you down. What we DO need though is more wincons: a Jund that ramps out Slaughter games T3 takes out Pyrite, and now we have no wincon. Disciple is not applicable due to Path and Decay, so I think our best bets are including a 1-of Banefire and a 1-of Emrakul, the Aeons Torn. This gives us enough wincons that drawing into one shouldn't be a problem, and them getting removed no longer becomes one either. These options also cannot be countered, and Emrakul is not easily answered (plus we hard-cast him, so we get the extra turn), while getting the mana for either of these isn't all that hard. This also means we don't have as many of those moments where we have to waste a Reshape on getting Pyrite.
As for sideboard, WE NEED Chalice of the Void! Stony Silence is in fact a card, and it gets played a lot in the board due to Affinity decks. Well, this hurts us too, as it shuts down nearly EVERYTHING. Siding in Chalice vs a white-running deck is perfectly fine, and 4 mana isn't that hard to produce for us. I still think a few Spell Snare in the side would be good as well, because Chalice does no good if The have already cast Stony. A couple of Sanctity probably wouldn;t hurt either, as having it start out in play isn't nearly as bad as your opponent forcing you to discard a necessary piece to combo off.
As for what else would be in our board, I'd have to test to see other weaknesses the deck has. So far, I have yet to lose with the deck as is. I love this combo, and I think it can still be great even without Sunrise!
The threats that can hit Blightsteel I wouldn't call minuscule. Path To Exile is literally the most common removal in the format. Oblivion Ring and Detention Sphere are also pretty common. There's also Vapor Snag and Cryptic Command. This isn't to say that Blightsteel isn't a good choice, there are many decks that don't run those removal spells, or if they do, they don't run the full playsets. We also can protect Blightsteel with counters. Inkwell on the other hand doesn't get hit by any of those threats. It doesn't get chump blocked all day because it has trample, and it can islandwalk over numerous tier 1 decks even without Spreading Seas. Inkwell doesn't win as fast as Blightsteel, but it is a very difficult card to answer and outside of edict effects like Geth's Verdict (which are unpopular) and board wipes like Wrath of God (which few really powerful decks run) it's virtually unstoppable.
Like I mentioned before, my meta is either some version of combo/control, or Jund. There is little to no variation to that. Therefore, Liliana of the Veil is VERY, VERY prevalent. I mean, I hear people talking about her in casual conversation (it almost feels like that's all they talk about). So, when we combo off with Leak in hand, and they drop Lili and just pay the extra...buh-bye Inkwell. At least Wurmcoil would give us tokens! Inkwell just goes straight to the yard and sits their until we manage to return him to the deck/hand or Deathrite Shaman/Scavenging Ooze take care of him for us. I never see O-ring or D-Sphere outside of Cockatrice, I never EVER see Vapor, and Cryptic would also tap Inkwell...so it's just good against us in general. My meta has a a lot of 'Merica Control runners, so Supreme Verdict is always something I just expect. And for the record, I have had Inkwell chump-blocked: a Junk deck chumped with a Goyf, then immediately proceeded to immortal servitude and take control off the game.
I would say that delaying is exactly what a combo deck wants to do. Delay until you can combo off. Remand is one of the best delaying cards of all time, which is why you are running it and if it were in my budget, I'd run it over Dissolve. Hell, come to think of it, Delay might not be a that bad idea here.
I actually read Delay already, and it seems like it could work better than remand besides the fact that we cantrip off it. If we counter it, they can't cast it again, and have to wait. Meanwhile, if it was on their turn, that gives us 4 turns without worry about said spell.
As for the list of alternate options you provided, virtually all of them are quite terrible and not worth mentioning. The honorable mentions are hardly honorable at all (really, Witchbane Orb and Phyrexian Juggernaut). Blightsteel and Inkwell are the best choices. Sundering Titan is worth mentioning, and just wrecks certain decks, but is not consistently amazing. Steel Hellkite is way too slow. It doesn't make sense cheat something in that dies to any removal spell and takes 4 turns to win the game. Darksteel Colossus is good, but worse than Blightsteel Colossus. Platinum Emperion has no evasion, and protecting him the turn he comes out seems impossible without Not of This World and because he doesn't have trample or flying, we'd have to protect him for many turns until he'd be able to actually win. For what it's worth, Sphinx of the Steel Wind is a card you didn't mention that wouldn't be terrible, and if it had a little more evasion it certainly could be a contender.
I knew that going into it, I just felt all the other bases should be covered in case someone else decided to look into it. Darksteel is obviously the best choice out of all those I listed, I already acknowledged that, but I think Emperion has it's place vs aggro and burn/damage combo. That's why I said it could be a board card, as all we would have to do is save mana to counter a spell or two targeting him and the rest is just chipping away.
To be fair, I never looked into anything outside of blue or colorless, because I already was thinking about either getting it bounced or having to hard-cast for whatever reason. Steel Wind is pretty strong, and I think it would fit better vs aggro and creature-heavy decks than Emperion. The flying is plenty of evasion, and it already gets passed anything red or green that could stop it after that. Add life gain, hitting first, can attack and still block, AND it's a 3/4-turn clock? Seems pretty good to me, better board replacement than Emperion. I think it's perfect vs a deck that does T3-T4 Prime Time.
I've been desperately trying to test this, and it feels like I'm cursed to never test it throughly, but from 7 matches (out of an attempted 15, -.-) and just some idea tossing, it feels like we just scoop to a heavy control deck. This deck also takes a few turns to get a 2-card combo to go off (3-card if you want to do it every turn), which makes us fold under the pressure of decks that hit T1 running.
Instead of Crucible, I would recommend some mana rocks that will not only stay after your combo, but will also accelerate your mana. Coalition Relic and Coldsteel Heart are what I'm currently testing, and they worked out in the one match I got to play with them in. I'm currently trying to balance out the deck between counterspell and fetches/digging, because right now I feel we need more counters but I do not wanna cut any of the digging spells. I originally cut Kira, but I feel like it may be wise to put two back in just to have your opponent waste their mana trying to deal with Kirin.
What I can tell you is Elite Arcanist is too expensive for what little he offers, which is tapping him for 0 to cast Evermind on your next turn. He dies way too easily, and you have to have the spell in hand, similar to isochron, but with isochron you can pay 4 and cast it then cast Evermind (all on the same turn, even). Arcanist just sits there and begs to be killed. Kaho not only offers what Arcanist does, but also tutors for Evermind (and two other of choice), and gives a tad more security (he can block a 1/1, :D).
Muddle the Mixture fits well in here, as both a counter and searching for isochron.
Still working on a lot more testing, hopefully I'll have better luck.
Sorry for the double post, but I'm here to address my earlier comment of Inkwell Leviathan 'being the problem.' Blightsteel of course has his weaknesses, but his are minuscule, and Inkwell isn't that bad of an option. Yes, he has Shroud, but that also means we can't target him either. If the opponent isn't running blue, he can be chump-blocked all day, and he only hits for 7 IF all his damage gets through. Where Blightsteel can end it in one turn, even at his best Inkwell needs 3. I feel this is plenty of time for an opponent (especially blue, and even MORE especially if they are allied with another color) to find an answer for him. So while he is a good options, I think it doesn't hurt to take a look at what else we have at our disposal.
Here are some other options I found, in order of how useful I found them:
Darksteel Colossus: The older, less corrupted brother of Blightsteel. Has all the same benefits as Blightsteel save for Infect, but as opposed to Inkwell, he only has to swing twice (ideally).
Platinum Emperion: When this guy hits the field, burn has an immediate new target. You don't have to worry about aggro, Emperion will never have to block, and while he's much squishier than Blightsteel, Darksteel, or Inkwell we can save our countermagic to keep him alive. Also, since the Modern meta loves fetches and shocks, there's a good chance he'll only have to swing twice! I feel like he would be a board-in, though, as an opponent who wins via a non-damaging combo or Infect gets right by him.
Wurmcoil Engine/Sundering Titan: I can't decide which of these is more useful in the meta. Wurmcoil kills nearly anything he touches, prolongs the game with life gain, and continues his legacy if he were to die. He's also not that bad of a cost to hard-cast, but Path is prevalent in the meta, and he has to swing 4 times (which is worse then Inkwell).
On the same level, Sundering Titan looks like he could come in T4 and keep himself alive by the land destruction, but what if your opponent only has fetches/nonbasics he can't target? What if they aren't running blue and you have to target your own Island, or worse; they aren't running blue AND you had to sac Inkmoth to fetch him? :/ That, and he takes 3 swings to win.
Steel Hellkite: Has evasion, can win faster than 4 turns, and can clear your opponent's board of threats, AND is easy to cast. Stony Silence shuts off his abilities, and for any other reason you can't buff him, he takes four turns. Also has no protection.
Mind Slaver: This card is a thing, and has it's own deck set towards not only preventing your opponent from playing magic, but also playing it for them. We can perform the combo, but at 12 mana to loop it's quite costly and would slow down our game tremendously. We would also have to change up the deck a bit to suit just one card and with no guarantee we could pull it off or that doing so wins us the game. Still worth some thought, though.
Myr Battlesphere: Produces attackers/blockers, can win quicker than 5 turns (and supplies itself the means to do so), tokens can be used as a stepping stone to our other wincon, is easy to cast, cycles well if destroyed. Has no protection or evasion, and without other Myr it takes 5 turns.
Phyrexian Colossus: Takes 2-3 turns to swing for win and has his own form of evasion. Has no protection, kills us before we can win, we run no combos to untap him for free. Another cards we would have to change up the deck for.
Inkmoth Nexus as a secondary win condition is fine if you are using them as attackers, but sacrificing a land to Shape Anew should be a last resort. Running Darksteel Relic not only is far more resilient, but also faster, and again, speed is crucial in a competitive combo deck.
Voyage's End is a card that is worth mentioning by the way, I'm considering running it over Into The Roil, but I still am worried about having to bounce noncreature permanents.
Anyway, I'll continue to keep tabs on this thread, I am hoping others become as interested in this deck as I am. I recently ordered the deck, I'd expect for all of it to arrive by next Thursday, so by then or the following weekend I'll have a lot to report.
It still is a last resort: this is if all else has failed, including attempts to recur the artifact of choice. I never meant it as the first option, good lord no. Mana is important (even though it's colorless), it's I'd would would definitely first try to win swinging with it before sacrificing it. I'm just simply pointing out the other options available in case something doesn't go according to plan.
Voyage's isn't bad, but I feel like we can dominate the game with counters, enough so that we do not need to worry much about returning things to their hand. After all, that's just delaying, not a preventive measure.
I'm glad you find this deck so intriguing, as this helps me gather necessary data to improve the deck.
I like your list a lot Forsaken M along with your analysis. Augur of Bolas makes a lot of sense, I don't know why that card slipped my mind. Telling Time is also a great card that I have been testing, I really want to run it, but I don't know what to cut to fit it. I want to cut Spreading Seas and move it to the sideboard, but I really like the islandwalk it brings to Inkwell Leviathan along with the disruption of manlands and greedy mana bases.
I strongly disagree with substituting Darksteel Relic with Relic of Progenitus. This isn't just because you can play Darksteel Relic for free which allows the deck to combo faster, but also because numerous decks run artifact destruction in their respective sideboards and we simply can't afford not to have an artifact to sacrifice to Shape Anew.
I also think speed in a combo deck is incredibly important. This is another reason I don't like Relic of Progenitus and also Scying Sheets. For the most part, all combo decks that are able to be competitive in Modern have something in common; they all can win fairly consistently by turn 5. Speed is essential. It's why Buried Ruin is better than Academy Ruins, because the amount of games where you need to reoccur an artifact multiple times are far fewer than the amount of games where you'd rather have the artifact in your hand now rather than having to wait a turn to draw it.
Into The Roil may often function just as a Disperse, but the kicker can be relevant, especially when trying to find Shape Anew midgame. Having some type of bounce I feel is important, not just to buy time against certain creatures, but also for temporarily dealing with enchantments, artifacts, and planeswalkers. Boomerang seems better because it can bounce lands, but this deck runs enough colorless lands where casting double blue, especially on turn 2, can be difficult. Repeal is alright, but not consistent enough.
Kami of the Cresent Moon seems like a poor choice for sideboard. Thassa, God of the Sea also seems very out of place. I think earlier you were onto something with Not of This World. I think to counter aggro, perhaps cards like Sleep and Gigadrowse deserve a spot in the board. I'll spend some time thinking about a sideboard and try to share a draft for one sometime tomorrow.
I'll do some more testing, but my inclination is that if we shoot for a turn 4 or 5 win, and we are able to counter about two spells before turn 5, then we should be able to outpace most decks and win. However, while your deck may be slower and focus more on digging, I think both decks are similar and seem consistent so I'm quite eager to hear how this new version of your deck will perform and I'm also looking forward to hearing about more alternate versions from other people following this thread.
Every time I see someone post here, I can't help but think about how happy it makes me and how thankful I am for all the input I get. So thank you everyone for any and all input I've been given and will receive in the future.
As for my reasons for the changes:
I cut Spreading because it just wasn't useful enough. Sure, turning their first land into something they can't use is great, but it's not reliable enough to keep in the main. Add to the fact that my personal meta consists of either Jund or some version of control/combo, and Spreading is dead vs 50% of my meta. This also means that Inkwell is likely to get through anyway (if they don't wipe), and I feel Spreading was always more of a 'winmore' card than a 'win' card: sure, it can make Inkwell unblockable, but he's already a 7/11 trample shroud, and if that's not good enough Idk what is.
Darksteel Relic was a fine stepping stone, and if I find I'm getting massive hate in the artifact removal department, I'll consider him once again. Relic of Progenitus gives us a much-needed edge against a lot of decks in the format, and I feel as though we will always win pre-game 2 off the fact that no one has any idea what's about to happen. Also, let us not forget Inkmoth Nexus too quickly: not only is it a secondary wincon, but it's also a secondary means to the primary wincon.
As for your Buried vs Academy reasoning (lol, Battle of the Ruins), I can see what you mean by that, but I would much rather have an Academy as it helps much more than Buried when it comes to Inkwell and Blightsteel. It also gets more than one use, and has a low activation cost, which can allow us to cast something else afterward.
Out of all the times I tested this deck, I only ever cast Roil twice for the kicker: both times in the same game, and it was to target Spreading to draw even more cards. Why? Because I had already dominated my opponent and they couldn't recover, but I couldn't hit the combo pieces. By this time I was already falling behind again, and since I couldn't dig well enough, I lost in the end. This was a common trend for me, and even though I only got to test the deck once after it's makeover (and I lost), they deck felt dramatically improved. I feel the deck is more about only letting minor things resolve, counter the rest, then combo and crush your helpless opponent. Repeal cantrips, Cryptic cantrips, but they don't cost extra to get it done. As far as I'm concerned, I'd rather of had Cryptic in hand than Roil at that moment: the mana cost isn't that different, I ended up tapping the same mana anyway, and I would have had more options available.
I agree that Kami is bad, and that there are better choices, but whatever the choice is it needs to hit Jund hard. Not of This World was cute and a perfect fit...for rushing the combo T4. If I didn't go off T4, it was a dead card. If I didn't go off, it was a dead card. If I went off T4 without it in hand, I ran the risk of losing. Two of the three of these facts change if I wait a turn or so and make sure I can cover my wincon with counters, and I have an easier time digging for them and casting them they way I have it now. As for aggro, Thassa and Cryptic are my answers. Can't stop the aggro fast enough? Cryptic. Opponent decides to hold back a turn to chump-block? Cryptic. Cryptic gets countered? Thassa ability. She also mildly helps with getting you what you need, and she'll never be the target of creature-based removal unless you get some weird combination of the 8 small creatures and Inkwell (and in such a case, she can target herself with her own ability, making herself entirely useful without any drawbacks. Only one other God can claim that...).
Speaking of Inkwell, yes Thassa has dis-synergism with him...but that's not Thassa's fault. Thassa isn't to be held responsible for Inkwell having a outdated keyword when a much better one has replaced it. It's not her fault Inkwell hasn't caught up with the times, maybe Inkwell is the one with the problem? (Hopefully my drift has been caught, more on that later, I need some rest.)
Alright, so the deck has seen a major overhaul, and I'd like to discuss why.
After a few more matches today (and losing them all, :/), I met up with someone running a deck that also digs heavily until it finds what it needs. We talked afterward, and I told him how the deck works, and he liked the idea (he never got to see it happen in real time...T-T). So, after so chatting and ideas flying around, this is the result we came up with:
He agreed that the version Basquait made was the better of the two (which I realized myself after multiple tests), but that it didn't have enough dig and what dig it had wasn't quick enough. The counterspell also didn't take full advantage of all the options and cantrips, so it was adjusted accordingly to balance both removal, counterspell and cantrips.
Mana Leak provides some of that good-old early-game stopping power, Telling Time allows you card advantage while helping you in not drawing a wincon, and bothRemand and Condescend provide you with a little of both. Peer Through Depths has made a return (or never left, depending on which version you were using), as it can fetch you Anew or that counterspell you need, and See Beyond stays in with it's excellent cantrip that shuffles the wincon/un-needed card back in where you want it (perfect for those opening hands that have multiples or are game-winning...if it wasn't for Blightsteel being in hand. >.<). A single Boomerang has been added in case you REALLY need to make something go away, and the Into the Roils have been cut: with what has been added to the sideboard (yes, there is a sideboard now!), it's just a Disperse that more than not never cantrips because you have something else better you need to cast.
When facing Modern aggro (boy, that was a big 'awakening zone' for me, lol) it turns out that Trinket Mage alone doesn't cut it for chump blocking. Enter Augur of Bolas, the 1/3 for 2 that also let's you...you guessed it, Dig (we're practically moles here!)! He doesn't pass the Bolt-test, but it seems lightning tends to strike to highest thing, which is more often than not your life total. He makes the perfect addition to the deck win you just couldn't counter that 1-Drop (Kird Ape is NOT YOUR FRIEND!).
Most notable of changes might be the mana-base: Running an Academy Ruins over a singleton Buried Ruin seems much better for repeated use and putting that destroyed Inkwell back ontop, then Peer or Telling it to the bottom on your upkeep. Also, all Islands are enjoying the current season in conjunction with [card]Scrying Sheets[/cards]. This allows us to make sure those pesky lands don't get in the way of us drawing what we need while also helping us decide what spells to cast by getting a sneak preview of what's to come.
As you can probably tell, it's no long Puck, but it's still a Relic: Darksteel Relic as been replaced by Relic of Progenitus. What we lose here in CMC and staying power we gain in graveyard hate (which we all know is a heavily-relied-upon resource in Modern) and keep in ability to tutor (both for it and for wincon). I've long since passed on the idea of going off ASAP and accepted the fact that this deck is meant to go off later than T4, but also more secure.
Also new is a complete Sideboard, filled with goodies to switch in vs those decks that just refuse to crumble beneath Blightsteel's oil-ridden feet. We've got Thassa, God of the Sea (I feel it should be Goddess, but it's w/e), Repeal and Cryptic Command, the latter of the two are good vs one of our arch-nemesi, Aggro (Wild Nactyl hacked our Facebook page once. We reported them, and WotC un-friended them.). All three find their place vs Mid-Range, or that deck that will cause an inevitably long game and demands a board presence.
We also have Spreading Seas in case we need land denial (because Tron decks are a thing), a single Hurkyl's Recall for those silly Robots, and Kami of the Crescent Moon in a attempt to...counter...Jund...yeah, we don't like them either (but we respect them, unlike Aggro). If you can think of something better, I'm all ears.
All in all, I think this is a significant improvement. I really wanna fit Serum Visions somewhere, but at sorcery speed I just don't think it fits the bill. I will be updating the original post, and will soon be working on match ups soon!
I just had a match-up against a deck I never saw before: Mono-Green ramping it's heart out to dominate the game early on. I tested both versions, and with the one I have listed, I lost 1/2. With Basquiat's version, I lost 0/2. I got lucky with my version and Anew'd a Inkmoth into Blight while Relic was still in the deck.
So, this doesn't seem like a mainboard problem, but a sideboard. The deck needs to be able to handle fast-paced decks that do not care if things are returned to their hand or if you counter the second spell they play. You have to counter the first spell, or they will overwhelm you. I feel as though Swan Song and Spell Snare, while having the extra two Spreading Seas will fit the bill when you need to be a little be quicker at applying the pressure.
Whatever works, because I don't wanna be stuck in another Cloudstone Curio loop ever again.
It's a very cute idea. I'd cut Tron entirely, without Expedition Map and other land searches, it's not even consistent. I'd go all Island, and maybe a full playset of Inkmoth Nexus for alternate win condition as well as potential chump blockers. Not of This World is more of sideboard material, but Turn Aside basically does the same thing and more.
I think this deck needs a whole host of counters. Mana Leak is one of the best counters in the format, and Condescend and Dissolve help us find our pieces while thwarting our opponent's answers. Spreading Seas disrupts greedy mana bases and allows Inkwell Leviathan to islandwalk over everything. Into The Roil bounces not only creatures to buy time, but also troublesome permanents like Oblivion Ring and pesky planeswalkers.
Telling Time could work here as well but See Beyond is probably mandatory in case you draw Blightsteel Colossus early.Like Japicx mentioned earlier, Trinket Mage works very well here not only to find Darksteel Relic but also to chump block and swing in rare instances. This doesn't mean we should ditch Fabricate entirely, it is absolutely crucial Darksteel Relic comes out every game. For this reason, I think a couple Fabricate are in order, and even a single Buried Ruin for the rare instance Darksteel Relic gets countered. Here's what I'm thinking:
I feel like this is good and getting somewhere, and will test this, but I feel it falls off in a few areas (all pre-test assumptions)
The counterspells here can fall off late game, as well as possibly using unnecessary mana and they only setup the deck. While it is better put Blight on the bottom rather than draw him, it's just putting something on the bottom or keeping it on top while hoping what's next is better/worse than what you saw. Roil can only single target, and makes it 2UU if you want to draw off it.
Inkwell Leviathan is a very good choice, but I feel like having to swing twice opens up the time window for your opponent to have an answer. If we Anew into Inkwell, and swing our next turn, what happens when the wipe? Especially in the case of Supreme Verdict, it would seem that we end up either digging for Buried Ruin, or delaying until we have enough mana to hard-cast Blightsteel. Since Anew is basically random at this point, it would be easier to counter a Path to Exile for Blightsteel than to delay after Inkwell gets wiped.
As for what you think of my list, I will be flat-out honest: I do not play control-themed decks that often. I'm used to facing them, and their gameplay is simple: either they throw you off your tempo and they dominate the late game, or they sit there while you smash their face to bits because the can't prevent it. Your list looks like it prevents the opponent from having an early game, and since the deck can go off T4/T5, that's still quick enough for the Modern format. I built my list expecting that the opponent will sustain some sort of board presence regardless, but it seems that this deck will often not have a problem going off early if the early-early game is spent preventing your opponent from doing anything relevant.
Like I said, I will play both and see how it goes. As of now, I have them named 'Puck Into Buck' and "Anew Perspective'
Original deck post, for historical reference
-ktkenshinx-
The story of this deck is really fusion of two: A friend of mine wanted to build a deck that turn Darksteel Relic into Blightsteel Colossus, but didn't like how insecure and feeble it was in the standard format at the time. Also, this same friend once built a control deck running the pieces that get The Unspeakable out for free. So, tired of a different friend of mine complaining that I only try out 'net-decks', I decided to build this:
As you can see, there are two combos in this deck:
1. Shape Anew Darksteel Relic into Blightsteel Colossus, then win the following turn, or
2. Use all the tools to put The Unspeakable into play for free (preferably on their turn).
The deck is able to Anew Blightsteel as quick as T4, and can be safe tapping out that turn with Not of This World. Being able to produce a T5-T6 6/7 flying trampler isn't too shabby either.
The added bonus is that Peer, Reach and Sift all also help to dig out either Darksteel Relic, Shape Anew, or whatever you may need at the given time. I also put in the Tron lands because it helps to hard-cast either Unspeakable or Blightsteel in case you draw into them. Inkmoth is there for both a Relic substitute and for an additional win-con, Ruins can bring back a countered or discarded Relic/Blightsteel, and Unspeakable actually can help you dig by returning it's tools to your hand.
So far, I think the synergy and ability this deck has is impressive, but I highly encourage any tips, comments, ideas to improve it's performance. I haven't tested it that much, so I may find further short-comings down the road. I'm working on the sideboard, but like I said, it hasn't been tested much. My greatest fear it that it may be weak in the same ways the Treasure Hunt-theme deck is, and I find that deck entirely too feeble.
There is one thing that can't change though: NO OTHER ARTIFACTS CAN BE INCLUDED! Things that turn permanents into artifacts (Argent Mutation) or things that become artifacts (Blinkmoth Nexus) are fine, but anything that is already an artifact risks the chance of blocking Anew from Blightsteel.
Times Tested - 21
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So I feel that The Unspeakable combo is a deck in itself, and this should just focus on Relic -> Blightsteel. Time to make this a Master of One trade instead of a practitioner of two.
I took out The Unspeakable, and all the digging cards associated with him. This makes more room for better things. I never got to the mana to pull off all 3 for a free Unspeakable: I was either already winning with Blight, or was already losing, so it feels too slow to keep in here. They have been replaced with 3 Careful Consideration, 3 Runeboggle, a fourth Remand, 3 Dissipate, 3 Blustersquall, and 3 Oona's Grace. Reasons for Blustersquall and Oona's are that I had problems with chump-blockers delaying the game until they could muster a win (and anything else is either too slow, single target, or effects myself), and I feel that the draw engine could be good if I'm forced into a long game.
I also changed the land base: Took out Tron and Ruins, and 4 Scalding Tarn, 4 Misty Rainforest, and 2 more Inkmoth. After some more tests, I realized the lack of blue mana was definitely an issue
Added 4 Trinket Mage, while cutting down to 2 Fabricate and gutting Tezz entirely. I agree he was too slow, for the deck and the format.
I took World to 3. I understand it's not the best counterspell out there, but it does allow me to tap out T4 for the combo without needing to hold back a turn more mana. It also counters abilities that target, as proving useful during a test run vs a token deck running Sarkhan Vol.
Situation: Turn 1 Gladecover Scout, Turn 2 one of the above Ordeals enchanting Scout, swing for 2. Turn 3 another Ordeal enchanting the same Scout, swing.
Question: When stacking the Ordeals, due to how the card is worded, will one Ordeal see the Scout with only two +1/+1 counters and not trigger?
Alright, I'm working on a deck for Modern that focuses on winning the game by...you guessed it, cloning creatures. Preferably ones you control, but as I've found out playing the deck I had built for Innistrad-Standard, sometimes your opponent's give you better options! I believe the first part here is to list all the ways one can clone a creature in the Modern format. Here is what I've come up with so far:
Feel free to list any I missed. While that may seem like a lot of options, the only colors that seem to clone the most consistently, most easily, and without relying on too many variables are blue and green. This cuts out a lot of the cards listed above, and would seem to secure the colors of the deck.
Now, to find what we want to clone as a constant, I think there is no other first choice but Biovisionary. I mean, sure there are other options, but come on: the only time you have something better to clone than a creature that wins you the game when it sits down for tea with it's siblings is the time that Biovisionary is unavailable to call as a party guest.
Other hypothetical permanent in play: Biovisionary
Question: What would the token Cackling produces be a copy of if you chose to have Artisan become a copy of Biovisionary? If I'm correct, after you declare Artisan as a target (and before Cackling resolves), you may use her triggered ability.
So...would the token be a copy of a regular Artisan, a regular Biovisionary, or a Biovisionary with Artisan's Heroic text? Or, can I not use Artisan's triggered ability before Cackling resolves?
I understand that running more dig and delay tactics means we can run less ways to tutor, but only a single Misfortune? No Bloodletting to speed it all up? And how on earth is Pierced Heart the best out of all the curses? Because it's a low-drop? How does a 20-turn clock starting at quickest T2 beat a 2-turn clock on T6?
And how is a single Death's Hold even relevant in this format? When I ran this in Standard, I ran two because 1. it fuels Thirst and 2. almost everything you'll encounter has a higher toughness than one. A single Death's Hold does not hit Deathrite, or Goyf, or Scooze. Sure, it might hold off an Affinity or Soul Sisters deck, but I feel like we already BEAT those decks simply due to removal and hand control.
I personally love Heartless, but if we are running it, shouldn't we run the infinite combos that go along with it? Also, it sounds like we HAVE to hit two of them just to be relevant, and with all the life loss we have by drawing cards if we don't hit something we are just helping out our opponent.
During the Innistrad block, when Dark Ascension was just introduced, I tested the crud out of my first ever deck I made from scratch: a black/red deck that win the game via enchantments. Sounds silly, but it rocked everything in my meta other than Delver (it's biggest struggle was G/W Humans).
I've been doing my best to somehow plug this into Modern somehow, since I have most of the cards to the deck, and when it comes right down to it I just miss the deck. ;(
So, without further ado, here is the current decklist:
3 Arid Mesa
2 Blackcleave Cliffs
4 Blood Crypt
2 Graven Cairns
2 Lavaclaw Reaches
1 Mountain
2 Overgrown Tomb
1 Stomping Ground
1 Swamp
3 Verdant Catacombs
Planeswalkers:
3 Liliana of the Veil
2 Falkenrath Aristocrat
4 Bitterheart Witch
Artifacts:
3 Coalition Relic
3 Talisman of Indulgence
Curses:
2 Curse of the Pierced Heart
3 Curse of Bloodletting
4 Curse of Misfortunes
3 Curse of Thirst
Instant:
3 Starstorm
Sorcery:
3 Damnation
3 Read the Bones
2 Pithing Needle
3 Surgical Extraction
1 Thoughtseize
3 Fulminator Mage
3 Maelstrom Pulse
3 Slaughter Games
Alright, now let's take a look at the MVPs of the deck here:
~This is our key player here, letting us search our entire library for a curse, and putting it into play attached to our opponent. What it lacks in cheap CMC and only able to tutor for ones not already attached, it makes up for by putting them into play and letting us to this during our upkeep (yay, let's draw after a free shuffle!).
Bitterheart Witch aka 'Bitterheart Wench' or 'Bitterheart B****'.
~A heavy-cost 1/2, which normally seems bad, but she has deathtouch and when she hits the yard, we can tutor for ANY CURSE and put it into play attached to our opponent. We get a blocker that can kill and a free curse, seems good. What with Path, Leyline of the Void, and RiP in the format she may not be of much use...but I mean, come on, they will totally save their path for that Stormbreath Dragon they think is coming.
Curse of Thirst aka 'Damage-dealing Curse.'
~This curse triggers at your opponent's upkeep, and then precedes to deal damaged to them equal to the curses attached to them. Seems somewhat weak, until you stack more than one on them. Then it starts to be a problem. Or, you could just attach one of the next bad-guys on the list to them.
Curse of Bloodletting aka 'Rolling Doubles! Curse.'
~This is our other heavy-hitter, and while it does no damage itself, it doubles ANY amount of damage from ANY source. Got Thirst, Bloodletting and one other Curse? Take 6. Lightning Bolt? Take 6. Falkenrath Aristocrat makes it through? Take 8, and the fun just keeps getting...doubled! (ba dum, tish!) Stack two, double the double. Stack 3, double the double you just doubled. It easily gets out of hand not long after it hits the battlefield.
Curse of the Pierced Heart aka 'Gotta make it to four! Curse'
~Yes, it's only 1 damage, but it along with one of each of the other three, and your opponent is on a 2 turn clock or quicker. Also, when I first ran the deck, we had judge rule that the damage from it could be redirected to planeswalkers, but I'm still a bit iffy on that one.
The deck also does well at keeping the board clear of creatures, and making sure Bitterheart does her job. The deck will just pretty much fold to Sanctity, and a well-placed counterspell or bounce spell puts us in a bind, which is why I added a slight touch of hand control, ever so slight mana ramp, and even ever so slight a touch of draw.
Any and all comments on how to make this deck excel would be appreciated!
The ones we do have control over are Conjurer's, Sphere, Mind Stone and Spellbomb (which we use for damage 99.9% of the time). These are the only ones that we have control over, but at times we are forced to use them to draw. Ichor by itself gets a little silly, so to prevent us from decking ourselves once we have combo'd, maybe a few Mishra's Bauble or a 1-of Elixir of Immortality. You'd have to be careful when playing Elixir though, as you could potentially screw yourself if you do it wrong. I feel it would only be used after a successful Faith's/Vault to put all the spells back in. Mishra's also allows us to draw without paying for anything in the early game, and I think that could be quite useful.
Spells that reduce mana costs are a waste of time in this deck: the point it to make enough mana to do the combo, so you don't need reducers as the clog up your deck and slow you down. What we DO need though is more wincons: a Jund that ramps out Slaughter games T3 takes out Pyrite, and now we have no wincon. Disciple is not applicable due to Path and Decay, so I think our best bets are including a 1-of Banefire and a 1-of Emrakul, the Aeons Torn. This gives us enough wincons that drawing into one shouldn't be a problem, and them getting removed no longer becomes one either. These options also cannot be countered, and Emrakul is not easily answered (plus we hard-cast him, so we get the extra turn), while getting the mana for either of these isn't all that hard. This also means we don't have as many of those moments where we have to waste a Reshape on getting Pyrite.
As for sideboard, WE NEED Chalice of the Void! Stony Silence is in fact a card, and it gets played a lot in the board due to Affinity decks. Well, this hurts us too, as it shuts down nearly EVERYTHING. Siding in Chalice vs a white-running deck is perfectly fine, and 4 mana isn't that hard to produce for us. I still think a few Spell Snare in the side would be good as well, because Chalice does no good if The have already cast Stony. A couple of Sanctity probably wouldn;t hurt either, as having it start out in play isn't nearly as bad as your opponent forcing you to discard a necessary piece to combo off.
As for what else would be in our board, I'd have to test to see other weaknesses the deck has. So far, I have yet to lose with the deck as is. I love this combo, and I think it can still be great even without Sunrise!
Like I mentioned before, my meta is either some version of combo/control, or Jund. There is little to no variation to that. Therefore, Liliana of the Veil is VERY, VERY prevalent. I mean, I hear people talking about her in casual conversation (it almost feels like that's all they talk about). So, when we combo off with Leak in hand, and they drop Lili and just pay the extra...buh-bye Inkwell. At least Wurmcoil would give us tokens! Inkwell just goes straight to the yard and sits their until we manage to return him to the deck/hand or Deathrite Shaman/Scavenging Ooze take care of him for us. I never see O-ring or D-Sphere outside of Cockatrice, I never EVER see Vapor, and Cryptic would also tap Inkwell...so it's just good against us in general. My meta has a a lot of 'Merica Control runners, so Supreme Verdict is always something I just expect. And for the record, I have had Inkwell chump-blocked: a Junk deck chumped with a Goyf, then immediately proceeded to immortal servitude and take control off the game.
I actually read Delay already, and it seems like it could work better than remand besides the fact that we cantrip off it. If we counter it, they can't cast it again, and have to wait. Meanwhile, if it was on their turn, that gives us 4 turns without worry about said spell.
I knew that going into it, I just felt all the other bases should be covered in case someone else decided to look into it. Darksteel is obviously the best choice out of all those I listed, I already acknowledged that, but I think Emperion has it's place vs aggro and burn/damage combo. That's why I said it could be a board card, as all we would have to do is save mana to counter a spell or two targeting him and the rest is just chipping away.
To be fair, I never looked into anything outside of blue or colorless, because I already was thinking about either getting it bounced or having to hard-cast for whatever reason. Steel Wind is pretty strong, and I think it would fit better vs aggro and creature-heavy decks than Emperion. The flying is plenty of evasion, and it already gets passed anything red or green that could stop it after that. Add life gain, hitting first, can attack and still block, AND it's a 3/4-turn clock? Seems pretty good to me, better board replacement than Emperion. I think it's perfect vs a deck that does T3-T4 Prime Time.
Instead of Crucible, I would recommend some mana rocks that will not only stay after your combo, but will also accelerate your mana. Coalition Relic and Coldsteel Heart are what I'm currently testing, and they worked out in the one match I got to play with them in. I'm currently trying to balance out the deck between counterspell and fetches/digging, because right now I feel we need more counters but I do not wanna cut any of the digging spells. I originally cut Kira, but I feel like it may be wise to put two back in just to have your opponent waste their mana trying to deal with Kirin.
What I can tell you is Elite Arcanist is too expensive for what little he offers, which is tapping him for 0 to cast Evermind on your next turn. He dies way too easily, and you have to have the spell in hand, similar to isochron, but with isochron you can pay 4 and cast it then cast Evermind (all on the same turn, even). Arcanist just sits there and begs to be killed. Kaho not only offers what Arcanist does, but also tutors for Evermind (and two other of choice), and gives a tad more security (he can block a 1/1, :D).
Muddle the Mixture fits well in here, as both a counter and searching for isochron.
Still working on a lot more testing, hopefully I'll have better luck.
Here are some other options I found, in order of how useful I found them:
Darksteel Colossus: The older, less corrupted brother of Blightsteel. Has all the same benefits as Blightsteel save for Infect, but as opposed to Inkwell, he only has to swing twice (ideally).
Platinum Emperion: When this guy hits the field, burn has an immediate new target. You don't have to worry about aggro, Emperion will never have to block, and while he's much squishier than Blightsteel, Darksteel, or Inkwell we can save our countermagic to keep him alive. Also, since the Modern meta loves fetches and shocks, there's a good chance he'll only have to swing twice! I feel like he would be a board-in, though, as an opponent who wins via a non-damaging combo or Infect gets right by him.
Wurmcoil Engine/Sundering Titan: I can't decide which of these is more useful in the meta. Wurmcoil kills nearly anything he touches, prolongs the game with life gain, and continues his legacy if he were to die. He's also not that bad of a cost to hard-cast, but Path is prevalent in the meta, and he has to swing 4 times (which is worse then Inkwell).
On the same level, Sundering Titan looks like he could come in T4 and keep himself alive by the land destruction, but what if your opponent only has fetches/nonbasics he can't target? What if they aren't running blue and you have to target your own Island, or worse; they aren't running blue AND you had to sac Inkmoth to fetch him? :/ That, and he takes 3 swings to win.
Steel Hellkite: Has evasion, can win faster than 4 turns, and can clear your opponent's board of threats, AND is easy to cast. Stony Silence shuts off his abilities, and for any other reason you can't buff him, he takes four turns. Also has no protection.
Mind Slaver: This card is a thing, and has it's own deck set towards not only preventing your opponent from playing magic, but also playing it for them. We can perform the combo, but at 12 mana to loop it's quite costly and would slow down our game tremendously. We would also have to change up the deck a bit to suit just one card and with no guarantee we could pull it off or that doing so wins us the game. Still worth some thought, though.
Myr Battlesphere: Produces attackers/blockers, can win quicker than 5 turns (and supplies itself the means to do so), tokens can be used as a stepping stone to our other wincon, is easy to cast, cycles well if destroyed. Has no protection or evasion, and without other Myr it takes 5 turns.
Phyrexian Colossus: Takes 2-3 turns to swing for win and has his own form of evasion. Has no protection, kills us before we can win, we run no combos to untap him for free. Another cards we would have to change up the deck for.
Honorable Mentions:
I'm not sure which of these, if any of these, is the better choice. Out of all of them, Darksteel, Emperion, and Hellkite stand out the most to me.
It still is a last resort: this is if all else has failed, including attempts to recur the artifact of choice. I never meant it as the first option, good lord no. Mana is important (even though it's colorless), it's I'd would would definitely first try to win swinging with it before sacrificing it. I'm just simply pointing out the other options available in case something doesn't go according to plan.
Voyage's isn't bad, but I feel like we can dominate the game with counters, enough so that we do not need to worry much about returning things to their hand. After all, that's just delaying, not a preventive measure.
I'm glad you find this deck so intriguing, as this helps me gather necessary data to improve the deck.
Every time I see someone post here, I can't help but think about how happy it makes me and how thankful I am for all the input I get. So thank you everyone for any and all input I've been given and will receive in the future.
As for my reasons for the changes:
I cut Spreading because it just wasn't useful enough. Sure, turning their first land into something they can't use is great, but it's not reliable enough to keep in the main. Add to the fact that my personal meta consists of either Jund or some version of control/combo, and Spreading is dead vs 50% of my meta. This also means that Inkwell is likely to get through anyway (if they don't wipe), and I feel Spreading was always more of a 'winmore' card than a 'win' card: sure, it can make Inkwell unblockable, but he's already a 7/11 trample shroud, and if that's not good enough Idk what is.
Darksteel Relic was a fine stepping stone, and if I find I'm getting massive hate in the artifact removal department, I'll consider him once again. Relic of Progenitus gives us a much-needed edge against a lot of decks in the format, and I feel as though we will always win pre-game 2 off the fact that no one has any idea what's about to happen. Also, let us not forget Inkmoth Nexus too quickly: not only is it a secondary wincon, but it's also a secondary means to the primary wincon.
As for your Buried vs Academy reasoning (lol, Battle of the Ruins), I can see what you mean by that, but I would much rather have an Academy as it helps much more than Buried when it comes to Inkwell and Blightsteel. It also gets more than one use, and has a low activation cost, which can allow us to cast something else afterward.
Out of all the times I tested this deck, I only ever cast Roil twice for the kicker: both times in the same game, and it was to target Spreading to draw even more cards. Why? Because I had already dominated my opponent and they couldn't recover, but I couldn't hit the combo pieces. By this time I was already falling behind again, and since I couldn't dig well enough, I lost in the end. This was a common trend for me, and even though I only got to test the deck once after it's makeover (and I lost), they deck felt dramatically improved. I feel the deck is more about only letting minor things resolve, counter the rest, then combo and crush your helpless opponent. Repeal cantrips, Cryptic cantrips, but they don't cost extra to get it done. As far as I'm concerned, I'd rather of had Cryptic in hand than Roil at that moment: the mana cost isn't that different, I ended up tapping the same mana anyway, and I would have had more options available.
I agree that Kami is bad, and that there are better choices, but whatever the choice is it needs to hit Jund hard. Not of This World was cute and a perfect fit...for rushing the combo T4. If I didn't go off T4, it was a dead card. If I didn't go off, it was a dead card. If I went off T4 without it in hand, I ran the risk of losing. Two of the three of these facts change if I wait a turn or so and make sure I can cover my wincon with counters, and I have an easier time digging for them and casting them they way I have it now. As for aggro, Thassa and Cryptic are my answers. Can't stop the aggro fast enough? Cryptic. Opponent decides to hold back a turn to chump-block? Cryptic. Cryptic gets countered? Thassa ability. She also mildly helps with getting you what you need, and she'll never be the target of creature-based removal unless you get some weird combination of the 8 small creatures and Inkwell (and in such a case, she can target herself with her own ability, making herself entirely useful without any drawbacks. Only one other God can claim that...).
Speaking of Inkwell, yes Thassa has dis-synergism with him...but that's not Thassa's fault. Thassa isn't to be held responsible for Inkwell having a outdated keyword when a much better one has replaced it. It's not her fault Inkwell hasn't caught up with the times, maybe Inkwell is the one with the problem? (Hopefully my drift has been caught, more on that later, I need some rest.)
After a few more matches today (and losing them all, :/), I met up with someone running a deck that also digs heavily until it finds what it needs. We talked afterward, and I told him how the deck works, and he liked the idea (he never got to see it happen in real time...T-T). So, after so chatting and ideas flying around, this is the result we came up with:
1 Relic of Progenitus
Creatures:
4 Augur of Bolas
1 Inkwell Leviathan
1 Blightsteel Colossus
4 Trinket Mage
Instants:
1 Boomerang
3 Condescend
3 Remand
3 Mana Leak
4 Peer Through Depths
3 Telling Time
2 Fabricate
4 Shape Anew
4 See Beyond
Lands:
4 Inkmoth Nexus
2 Scying Sheets
1 Academy Ruins
15 Snow-Covered Island
2 Kami of the Crescent Moon
3 Thassa, God of the Sea
3 Spreading Seas
1 Hurkyl's Recall
3 Repeal
3 Cryptic Command
He agreed that the version Basquait made was the better of the two (which I realized myself after multiple tests), but that it didn't have enough dig and what dig it had wasn't quick enough. The counterspell also didn't take full advantage of all the options and cantrips, so it was adjusted accordingly to balance both removal, counterspell and cantrips.
Mana Leak provides some of that good-old early-game stopping power, Telling Time allows you card advantage while helping you in not drawing a wincon, and bothRemand and Condescend provide you with a little of both. Peer Through Depths has made a return (or never left, depending on which version you were using), as it can fetch you Anew or that counterspell you need, and See Beyond stays in with it's excellent cantrip that shuffles the wincon/un-needed card back in where you want it (perfect for those opening hands that have multiples or are game-winning...if it wasn't for Blightsteel being in hand. >.<). A single Boomerang has been added in case you REALLY need to make something go away, and the Into the Roils have been cut: with what has been added to the sideboard (yes, there is a sideboard now!), it's just a Disperse that more than not never cantrips because you have something else better you need to cast.
When facing Modern aggro (boy, that was a big 'awakening zone' for me, lol) it turns out that Trinket Mage alone doesn't cut it for chump blocking. Enter Augur of Bolas, the 1/3 for 2 that also let's you...you guessed it, Dig (we're practically moles here!)! He doesn't pass the Bolt-test, but it seems lightning tends to strike to highest thing, which is more often than not your life total. He makes the perfect addition to the deck win you just couldn't counter that 1-Drop (Kird Ape is NOT YOUR FRIEND!).
Most notable of changes might be the mana-base: Running an Academy Ruins over a singleton Buried Ruin seems much better for repeated use and putting that destroyed Inkwell back ontop, then Peer or Telling it to the bottom on your upkeep. Also, all Islands are enjoying the current season in conjunction with [card]Scrying Sheets[/cards]. This allows us to make sure those pesky lands don't get in the way of us drawing what we need while also helping us decide what spells to cast by getting a sneak preview of what's to come.
As you can probably tell, it's no long Puck, but it's still a Relic: Darksteel Relic as been replaced by Relic of Progenitus. What we lose here in CMC and staying power we gain in graveyard hate (which we all know is a heavily-relied-upon resource in Modern) and keep in ability to tutor (both for it and for wincon). I've long since passed on the idea of going off ASAP and accepted the fact that this deck is meant to go off later than T4, but also more secure.
Also new is a complete Sideboard, filled with goodies to switch in vs those decks that just refuse to crumble beneath Blightsteel's oil-ridden feet. We've got Thassa, God of the Sea (I feel it should be Goddess, but it's w/e), Repeal and Cryptic Command, the latter of the two are good vs one of our arch-nemesi, Aggro (Wild Nactyl hacked our Facebook page once. We reported them, and WotC un-friended them.). All three find their place vs Mid-Range, or that deck that will cause an inevitably long game and demands a board presence.
We also have Spreading Seas in case we need land denial (because Tron decks are a thing), a single Hurkyl's Recall for those silly Robots, and Kami of the Crescent Moon in a attempt to...counter...Jund...yeah, we don't like them either (but we respect them, unlike Aggro). If you can think of something better, I'm all ears.
All in all, I think this is a significant improvement. I really wanna fit Serum Visions somewhere, but at sorcery speed I just don't think it fits the bill. I will be updating the original post, and will soon be working on match ups soon!
So, this doesn't seem like a mainboard problem, but a sideboard. The deck needs to be able to handle fast-paced decks that do not care if things are returned to their hand or if you counter the second spell they play. You have to counter the first spell, or they will overwhelm you. I feel as though Swan Song and Spell Snare, while having the extra two Spreading Seas will fit the bill when you need to be a little be quicker at applying the pressure.
Whatever works, because I don't wanna be stuck in another Cloudstone Curio loop ever again.
I feel like this is good and getting somewhere, and will test this, but I feel it falls off in a few areas (all pre-test assumptions)
The counterspells here can fall off late game, as well as possibly using unnecessary mana and they only setup the deck. While it is better put Blight on the bottom rather than draw him, it's just putting something on the bottom or keeping it on top while hoping what's next is better/worse than what you saw. Roil can only single target, and makes it 2UU if you want to draw off it.
Inkwell Leviathan is a very good choice, but I feel like having to swing twice opens up the time window for your opponent to have an answer. If we Anew into Inkwell, and swing our next turn, what happens when the wipe? Especially in the case of Supreme Verdict, it would seem that we end up either digging for Buried Ruin, or delaying until we have enough mana to hard-cast Blightsteel. Since Anew is basically random at this point, it would be easier to counter a Path to Exile for Blightsteel than to delay after Inkwell gets wiped.
As for what you think of my list, I will be flat-out honest: I do not play control-themed decks that often. I'm used to facing them, and their gameplay is simple: either they throw you off your tempo and they dominate the late game, or they sit there while you smash their face to bits because the can't prevent it. Your list looks like it prevents the opponent from having an early game, and since the deck can go off T4/T5, that's still quick enough for the Modern format. I built my list expecting that the opponent will sustain some sort of board presence regardless, but it seems that this deck will often not have a problem going off early if the early-early game is spent preventing your opponent from doing anything relevant.
Like I said, I will play both and see how it goes. As of now, I have them named 'Puck Into Buck' and "Anew Perspective'
-ktkenshinx-
The story of this deck is really fusion of two: A friend of mine wanted to build a deck that turn Darksteel Relic into Blightsteel Colossus, but didn't like how insecure and feeble it was in the standard format at the time. Also, this same friend once built a control deck running the pieces that get The Unspeakable out for free. So, tired of a different friend of mine complaining that I only try out 'net-decks', I decided to build this:
1 Relic of Progenitus
Creatures:
4 Augur of Bolas
1 Inkwell Leviathan
1 Blightsteel Colossus
4 Trinket Mage
Instants:
1 Boomerang
3 Condescend
3 Remand
3 Mana Leak
4 Peer Through Depths
3 Telling Time
2 Fabricate
4 Shape Anew
4 See Beyond
Lands:
4 Inkmoth Nexus
2 Scying Sheets
1 Academy Ruins
15 Snow-Covered Island
2 Kami of the Crescent Moon
3 Thassa, God of the Sea
3 Spreading Seas
1 Hurkyl's Recall
3 Repeal
3 Cryptic Command
As you can see, there are two combos in this deck:
1. Shape Anew Darksteel Relic into Blightsteel Colossus, then win the following turn, or
2. Use all the tools to put The Unspeakable into play for free (preferably on their turn).
The deck is able to Anew Blightsteel as quick as T4, and can be safe tapping out that turn with Not of This World. Being able to produce a T5-T6 6/7 flying trampler isn't too shabby either.
The added bonus is that Peer, Reach and Sift all also help to dig out either Darksteel Relic, Shape Anew, or whatever you may need at the given time. I also put in the Tron lands because it helps to hard-cast either Unspeakable or Blightsteel in case you draw into them. Inkmoth is there for both a Relic substitute and for an additional win-con, Ruins can bring back a countered or discarded Relic/Blightsteel, and Unspeakable actually can help you dig by returning it's tools to your hand.
So far, I think the synergy and ability this deck has is impressive, but I highly encourage any tips, comments, ideas to improve it's performance. I haven't tested it that much, so I may find further short-comings down the road. I'm working on the sideboard, but like I said, it hasn't been tested much. My greatest fear it that it may be weak in the same ways the Treasure Hunt-theme deck is, and I find that deck entirely too feeble.
There is one thing that can't change though: NO OTHER ARTIFACTS CAN BE INCLUDED! Things that turn permanents into artifacts (Argent Mutation) or things that become artifacts (Blinkmoth Nexus) are fine, but anything that is already an artifact risks the chance of blocking Anew from Blightsteel.
Times Tested - 21
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So I feel that The Unspeakable combo is a deck in itself, and this should just focus on Relic -> Blightsteel. Time to make this a Master of One trade instead of a practitioner of two.
I took out The Unspeakable, and all the digging cards associated with him. This makes more room for better things. I never got to the mana to pull off all 3 for a free Unspeakable: I was either already winning with Blight, or was already losing, so it feels too slow to keep in here. They have been replaced with 3 Careful Consideration, 3 Runeboggle, a fourth Remand, 3 Dissipate, 3 Blustersquall, and 3 Oona's Grace. Reasons for Blustersquall and Oona's are that I had problems with chump-blockers delaying the game until they could muster a win (and anything else is either too slow, single target, or effects myself), and I feel that the draw engine could be good if I'm forced into a long game.
I also changed the land base: Took out Tron and Ruins, and 4 Scalding Tarn, 4 Misty Rainforest, and 2 more Inkmoth. After some more tests, I realized the lack of blue mana was definitely an issue
Added 4 Trinket Mage, while cutting down to 2 Fabricate and gutting Tezz entirely. I agree he was too slow, for the deck and the format.
I took World to 3. I understand it's not the best counterspell out there, but it does allow me to tap out T4 for the combo without needing to hold back a turn more mana. It also counters abilities that target, as proving useful during a test run vs a token deck running Sarkhan Vol.
Situation: Turn 1 Gladecover Scout, Turn 2 one of the above Ordeals enchanting Scout, swing for 2. Turn 3 another Ordeal enchanting the same Scout, swing.
Question: When stacking the Ordeals, due to how the card is worded, will one Ordeal see the Scout with only two +1/+1 counters and not trigger?
Feel free to list any I missed. While that may seem like a lot of options, the only colors that seem to clone the most consistently, most easily, and without relying on too many variables are blue and green. This cuts out a lot of the cards listed above, and would seem to secure the colors of the deck.
Now, to find what we want to clone as a constant, I think there is no other first choice but Biovisionary. I mean, sure there are other options, but come on: the only time you have something better to clone than a creature that wins you the game when it sits down for tea with it's siblings is the time that Biovisionary is unavailable to call as a party guest.
Permanent being targeted: Artisan of Forms
Other hypothetical permanent in play: Biovisionary
Question: What would the token Cackling produces be a copy of if you chose to have Artisan become a copy of Biovisionary? If I'm correct, after you declare Artisan as a target (and before Cackling resolves), you may use her triggered ability.
So...would the token be a copy of a regular Artisan, a regular Biovisionary, or a Biovisionary with Artisan's Heroic text? Or, can I not use Artisan's triggered ability before Cackling resolves?