That's a good question, not really sure what the best lands are. If I'm switching to the battle lands then I'll probably go back down to the 25 land count with 4 censor and 4 illumination. With the cycle lands I'd feel comfortable at 26, but again it's a double edged sword if you cycle away your only black source.
I'm already tweaking his list, I'm putting abrade in the SB, so I'll test out a 25 land version with the battle lands too.
I know cycling is there for the really long game when you want something besides a land, but in this Standard format, when do you really not want to have as much land as you can get, and need 7 to cast Bolas?
With Abrade in all of our control decks, is there anything we can do to the maindecks to shore up the mirror? Seems like game 1s will be monstrously bad if we're just basically playing 'whoever gets more Wandering Fumaroles wins'
I think Disallow is strong for its stifle ability. Sometimes you get to counter a PW emblem/ultimate activation and it'll win you the game. You can also counter Relentless Dead's recursion trigger in a pinch. Those 1-2% upsides will win you games.
Before we get too much into the sideboard discussion, can we all agree at least to what we expect the meta is? What are the main decks you expect to play against? It's easier for me to go to the board when I know what our main is trying to best beat.
Entirely fair. I'm really just looking at Consign, with a 1% upside that might come in hand one match per tournament. But I'd rather have an aftermath that I could actually use, where Memory just doesn't seem to ever be playable. I don't think I need to have the UB cycle land in there, but it's been nice having a cycle land late game.
If unsummon doesn't catch your fancy, then i'd run Commit / Memory (which I'm testing in mainboard as a 1-2 of because of the great interaction with gearhulk).
I don't understand what you mean. Consign/Oblivion has the same interaction with Gearhulk (getting the aftermath part casted for free), and it hits Planeswalkers, for two cheaper mana. This helps delay faster decks like Constrictor GB energy and zombies where you just might need another quick answer. Plus Ithink Oblivion will be extremely relevant in the mirror matches, which we'll see more of this season.
I really like Consign//Oblivion, so I threw in an Estuary (although it might end up being a Fetid Pools instead) to help hardcast, although I will be more likely Gearhulking that during my opponents' draw step.
What do you all think of Negate and Essence Scatter numbers, now that we have more good removal and can 'let' more things resolve?
I'm seeing a divide so far among MTG writers on grixis control. Patrick Chapin has a list with full sets of Harnessed Lightning and Glimmer of Genius in a red/blue splashing black shell, while Todd Stevens moved away from the energy package for Abrade and Painful Truths in a more black/red based shell.
Why would I want to go with one package over another? Seems like the energy package would be best for a 3-color deck, given how good Aether Hub could be. The mana base is sort of awkward here, with lots of options for duel lands as long as you want to get black mana.
Has anyone tested with Crypt of the Eternals at all? I'm really curious to know how that plays and whether it's consistent enough to warrant your splash color spells costing an additional mana.
I see a few trends here - UB splashing red, UR splashing B, and BR splashing blue (see the recent VS video on SCG). I don't really see the ability to consistently make UU RR BB easily, so the idea of playing Never/Return in the same deck as Hour of Devastation and Disallow doesn't seem very good. I like the idea of taking what already works - red/blue control - and adding a light black splash.
I also think the new "charm" spells will be awesome (obviously Abrade with it's ability to kill vehicles/Gearhulks) - Supreme Will has entire-game value and Doomfall's exile will be relevant.
Here's the list I'll be testing with this week. Note that I really like one-ofs in a deck that can draw cards. This will also help me see what works, what doesn't, and what I would like to see more. It's definitely not a tuned list.
After seeing what is happening to the modern metagame and based on a new workload I'm taking on, I decided to sell out of Modern for the time being. I am selling the entire LE deck I've been piloting on ebay if you know anyone looking to jump on the deck. It's priced to sell based on ebay prices, so you're getting a solid 20%+ discount from TCG prices.
Here's Michael Hamilton's SCG Open winning 4-color control list.
1 Linvala, the Preserver
2 Dovin Baan
1 Jace, Unraveler of Secrets
1 Nahiri, the Harbinger
1 Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh
2 Island
2 Mountain
3 Plains
4 Aether Hub
1 Fetid Pools
4 Inspiring Vantage
4 Irrigated Farmland
2 Port Town
2 Spirebluff Canal
3 Wandering Fumarole
2 Abrade
1 Blessed Alliance
2 Censor
2 Essence Scatter
4 Glimmer of Genius
2 Harnessed Lightning
2 Magma Spray
2 Negate
1 Pull from Tomorrow
3 Supreme Will
2 Fumigate
1 Radiant Flames
3 Spell Queller
1 Chandra's Defeat
1 Dispel
1 Essence Scatter
1 Forsake the Worldly
1 Jace's Defeat
2 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
1 Confiscation Coup
1 Radiant Flames
I know cycling is there for the really long game when you want something besides a land, but in this Standard format, when do you really not want to have as much land as you can get, and need 7 to cast Bolas?
Is cycling that much better than a chance to play the dual lands untapped?
1 Jace, Unraveler of Secrets
2 Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh
1 Ob Nixilis Reignited
2 Island
3 Mountain
5 Swamp
2 Choked Estuary
2 Evolving Wilds
2 Foreboding Ruins
1 Smoldering Marsh
4 Spirebluff Canal
1 Sunken Hollow
4 Wandering Fumarole
2 Censor
2 Essence Scatter
2 Fatal Push
2 Magma Spray
2 Negate
2 Supreme Will
2 Oath of Liliana
2 Never
3 Painful Truths
3 Tormenting Voice
1 Transgress the Mind
Patrick Chapin's list:
2 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
2 Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh
3 Island
2 Mountain
6 Swamp
4 Aether Hub
4 Crypt of the Eternals
4 Spirebluff Canal
4 Wandering Fumarole
1 Consign
3 Disallow
4 Glimmer of Genius
4 Harnessed Lightning
4 Magma Spray
1 Negate
3 Supreme Will
2 Oath of Liliana
2 Hour of Devastation
Seth Manfield's List:
2 Torrential Gearhulk
2 Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh
1 Ob Nixilis Reignited
2 Bontu's Last Reckoning
2 Censor
2 Cut // Ribbons
1 Dark Intimations
2 Disallow
2 Essence Scatter
2 Fatal Push
4 Glimmer of Genius
2 Harnessed Lightning
2 Magma Spray
2 Negate
2 Never // Return
1 Sweltering Suns
1 Transgress the Mind
3 Canyon Slough
2 Choked Estuary
2 Evolving Wilds
2 Fetid Pools
2 Island
2 Mountain
4 Spirebluff Canal
3 Swamp
3 Wandering Fumarole
I don't understand what you mean. Consign/Oblivion has the same interaction with Gearhulk (getting the aftermath part casted for free), and it hits Planeswalkers, for two cheaper mana. This helps delay faster decks like Constrictor GB energy and zombies where you just might need another quick answer. Plus Ithink Oblivion will be extremely relevant in the mirror matches, which we'll see more of this season.
Here's what I'm testing right now:
1 The Locust God
3 Abrade
3 Censor
3 Disallow
4 Glimmer of Genius
2 Harnessed Lightning
3 Magma Spray
3 Supreme Will
1 Negate
2 Consign/Oblivion
1 Pull From Tomorrow
5 Mountain
9 Island
4 Aether Hub
1 Choked Estuary
4 Spirebluff Canal
4 Wandering Fumarole
I really like Consign//Oblivion, so I threw in an Estuary (although it might end up being a Fetid Pools instead) to help hardcast, although I will be more likely Gearhulking that during my opponents' draw step.
What do you all think of Negate and Essence Scatter numbers, now that we have more good removal and can 'let' more things resolve?
Why would I want to go with one package over another? Seems like the energy package would be best for a 3-color deck, given how good Aether Hub could be. The mana base is sort of awkward here, with lots of options for duel lands as long as you want to get black mana.
Nicol Bolas.
I see a few trends here - UB splashing red, UR splashing B, and BR splashing blue (see the recent VS video on SCG). I don't really see the ability to consistently make UU RR BB easily, so the idea of playing Never/Return in the same deck as Hour of Devastation and Disallow doesn't seem very good. I like the idea of taking what already works - red/blue control - and adding a light black splash.
I also think the new "charm" spells will be awesome (obviously Abrade with it's ability to kill vehicles/Gearhulks) - Supreme Will has entire-game value and Doomfall's exile will be relevant.
Here's the list I'll be testing with this week. Note that I really like one-ofs in a deck that can draw cards. This will also help me see what works, what doesn't, and what I would like to see more. It's definitely not a tuned list.
1 The Locust God
3 Torrential Gearhulk
Planeswalkers
2 Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh
2 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
Sorceries
2 Hour of Devastation
2 Consign//Oblivion
1 Doomfall
Instants
3 Abrade
3 Magma Spray
3 Disallow
3 Censor
1 Supreme Will
4 Glimmer of Genius
2 Harnessed Lightning
1 Pull From Tomorrow
1 Hour of Glory
4 Wandering Fumerole
4 Spirebluff Canal
4 Aether Hub
3 Swamp
4 Island
3 Mountain
2 Fetid Pools
2 Canyon Slough
http://www.ebay.com/itm/152093971502?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
It's been fun, but I'm ready to move onto something else. Thanks!