I just got back from my first ever Modern tournament. It was a three round event, with 1 pack per win over at CFB. I don't have much time to actually play, so I've been following this thread to keep up. Let me just say that I love the Orzhov color pair. For some reason, I just can't get behind any other color pairs/shard/wedges. That's one of the main reasons I chose BW tokens.
Match 1:
I played against a Red Burn deck that had green and white splashes for sideboard hate. I took the 1st round fairly easily, but lost in the 2nd round. Round 3 was pretty close, but I was able to get a win with 7 life remaining. I definitely benefitted from siding in Duress and Burrenton Forge-Tender. Getting rid of my opponent's Destructive Revelry was pretty critical to my win in the 3rd round. At some point, my Tidehollow Sculler exiled a Lightning Bolt, only to be bolted. I figured this was better than taking 3 to the face.
(Matches 1-0, Rounds 2-1)
Match 2:
I played against a RUG deck (color-pie battle!). I couldn't figure out the exact gameplan, but when I duressed, I saw Lightning Bolt, Remand, Snapcaster Mage, Tarmogoyf, and Serum Visions. I had enough early discard, and mid-game anthems/tokens to take the 1st round pretty easily. For the 2nd round, I sided in my Duresses Rest in Peaces and Relic of Progenitus. My opponent had to mull to 5, and didn't want to mull to 4. Luckily, I drew my graveyard hate and discard spells in my opening hand. He was able to get a Deceiver Exarch out, but 2/2 spirit tokens were too much.
(Matches 2-0, Rounds 4-1)
Match 3:
Ended up at Table 1 for the final match. My opponent was playing American Midrange/Control. The first couple turns, he had answers for all of my tokens and smacked me with Vendilion Clique a couple times. Luckily, I drew into Timely Reinforcements, Vault of the Archangel, and Sorin, Solemn Visitor to get me back up in life and board state. After stalling for a while, I was able to resolve Secure the Wastes for 7 tokens! That basically closed out the round. The 2nd round was pretty similar, half of my tokens were burned out, but the remaining tokens were enough to finish the job.
(Matches 3-0, Rounds 6-1)
I ended up placing 1st out of 51 people. Obviously, that might have played out differently if it went to more matches, but I never felt like any of the games were out of reach. Some general notes:
1) Secure the Wastes seemed like a good 1-of, as a flexible finisher/combat trick. Most of the time I was happier to have Raise the Alarm, but having StW late game was never bad.
2) Sorin, Solemn Visitor's +1 was really good. Once I had him online, I never really worried about falling behind.
3) I was always happy to see my opponents' fetch lands and shock lands. The massive life loss they take from just setting up lands makes it way easier to close out games.
4) I don't have Auriok Champion, but I can see her value in the red match-ups.
5) Ghost Quarter never mattered, but I would imagine it'd be valuable against Tron decks.
Thanks everyone that's contributed to this thread. All of your comments made it really easy to play this deck, and to know how to sideboard properly.
uploaded this list yesterday, went 4-0 online, was pretty sweet!
Congrats on the 4-0. Did you play on MTGO? Could you give us a report on your match-ups, and what you felt were the strong/weak parts of the deck?
I just got back from my first ever Modern tournament. It was a three round event, with 1 pack per win over at CFB. I don't have much time to actually play, so I've been following this thread to keep up. Let me just say that I love the Orzhov color pair. For some reason, I just can't get behind any other color pairs/shard/wedges. That's one of the main reasons I chose BW tokens.
Match 1:
I played against a Red Burn deck that had green and white splashes for sideboard hate. I took the 1st round fairly easily, but lost in the 2nd round. Round 3 was pretty close, but I was able to get a win with 7 life remaining. I definitely benefitted from siding in Duress and Burrenton Forge-Tender. Getting rid of my opponent's Destructive Revelry was pretty critical to my win in the 3rd round. At some point, my Tidehollow Sculler exiled a Lightning Bolt, only to be bolted. I figured this was better than taking 3 to the face.
(Matches 1-0, Rounds 2-1)
Match 2:
I played against a RUG deck (color-pie battle!). I couldn't figure out the exact gameplan, but when I duressed, I saw Lightning Bolt, Remand, Snapcaster Mage, Tarmogoyf, and Serum Visions. I had enough early discard, and mid-game anthems/tokens to take the 1st round pretty easily. For the 2nd round, I sided in my Duresses Rest in Peaces and Relic of Progenitus. My opponent had to mull to 5, and didn't want to mull to 4. Luckily, I drew my graveyard hate and discard spells in my opening hand. He was able to get a Deceiver Exarch out, but 2/2 spirit tokens were too much.
(Matches 2-0, Rounds 4-1)
Match 3:
Ended up at Table 1 for the final match. My opponent was playing American Midrange/Control. The first couple turns, he had answers for all of my tokens and smacked me with Vendilion Clique a couple times. Luckily, I drew into Timely Reinforcements, Vault of the Archangel, and Sorin, Solemn Visitor to get me back up in life and board state. After stalling for a while, I was able to resolve Secure the Wastes for 7 tokens! That basically closed out the round. The 2nd round was pretty similar, half of my tokens were burned out, but the remaining tokens were enough to finish the job.
(Matches 3-0, Rounds 6-1)
I ended up placing 1st out of 51 people. Obviously, that might have played out differently if it went to more matches, but I never felt like any of the games were out of reach. Some general notes:
1) Secure the Wastes seemed like a good 1-of, as a flexible finisher/combat trick. Most of the time I was happier to have Raise the Alarm, but having StW late game was never bad.
2) Sorin, Solemn Visitor's +1 was really good. Once I had him online, I never really worried about falling behind.
3) I was always happy to see my opponents' fetch lands and shock lands. The massive life loss they take from just setting up lands makes it way easier to close out games.
4) I don't have Auriok Champion, but I can see her value in the red match-ups.
5) Ghost Quarter never mattered, but I would imagine it'd be valuable against Tron decks.
Thanks everyone that's contributed to this thread. All of your comments made it really easy to play this deck, and to know how to sideboard properly.
Hi everyone, quick question. What does the duel decks release schedule look like in relation to a block? For instance, do the faction decks come before a block as a preview and the planeswalker duel decks are released at the end of a block?
I'm asking because I want to buy Sorin, Solemn Visitor, but can deal with waiting for the chance he may be released in a duel deck at the end of the Khans block. Also, if you think Sorin will be dropping in value after rotation, I'd like your opinion too.
i wasn't only using guild-symbol cards, that's what I'd choose in those colours. It's a midrange deck, grindy and can play a long game with extort and underworld connections (you quoted my list before I remembered and edit-ed in connections!)
Sorry my mistake. I just assumed you were making an effort to use mostly watermarked cards. Thanks for your input, I'll see if there's anything interesting I can brew using your advice.
What if you weren't restricted to guild aligned cards, but just black and white cards in block. Do you think you'd try for aggro, midrange, control, or something else in between?
pure-guild decks in block are pretty easy to build. there's not enough cards worth considering to really make for tough decisions. Your creature base would probably be keyword bingo:
4 thrull parasite
4 Tithe drinker
4 syndic of tithes
4 kingpin's pet
3 sin collector
3 crypt ghast
4 blood baron (or obzedat, not sure which is better - obzedat probably, but you might conceivably get above 30 life for baron which makes it attractive)
Then some removal:
4 orzhov charm
4 devour flesh
2 grisly salvage
and 24 lands.
i don't think that's a real deck (it's hideously and unavoidably weak to wrath, extort relies on a critical mass of creatures), but something like that if you really want to build orzhov. Blind obedience is also worth thinking about, to develop your board without creatures. Perhaps instead of thrull parasite. I'd stay away from pontiff of blight - it's just too expensive and you have an over abundance of good options at 5. I'd much rather run more baron/obzedat's than a 6 drop.
It's literally impossible to build a pure orzhov deck thanks to the afore-mentioned blood baron. Check out the first vid here for an idea of just how depressing that card is if you're entire deck is black and white:
I featured a grixis deck as a rogue deck, but it seems like it was more of a leading indicator based on what's happening since I wrote it.
Nice articles.
Have you considered an article on the orzhov guild? It seems like they have two great build-around cards in blood baron and obzedat, but the guild itself isn't able to stand much on its own.
I'd really be interested to see what you could brew.
I would love to see your take on an orzhov extort deck that could do well in a standard environment. It doesn't seem like pure orzhov decks are getting much play in block, let alone standard. (I'm talking about orzhov style decks, not the b/w zombies that pop up from time to time).
Dark Confidant is advising an Orzhov Patriarch. Nullstone Gargoyle is probably sitting on an Orzhov church, but it's pretty tenuous. That said, I'm fairly sure Gargoyles are an Orzhov thing. Desecration Demon is desecrating an Orzhov Crypt, judging by the symbol what seems to be a sarcophagus. Again, tenuous.
I'm trying to collect all of the Orzhov cards from the original Ravnica block and the new Return to Ravnica block. I know that there are watermarked cards, so those are easy to identify. I need help finding cards that are Orzhov by flavor text, art, or otherwise. Here are the cards I found so far:
Congrats on the 4-0. Did you play on MTGO? Could you give us a report on your match-ups, and what you felt were the strong/weak parts of the deck?
Here's my report and decklist.
1 Vault of the Archangel
2 Fetid Heath
4 Godless Shrine
4 Isolated Chapel
3 Caves of Koilos
4 Windbrisk Heights
4 Plains
2 Swamps
Creatures
3 Tidehollow Sculler
Spells
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Path to Exile
2 Zealous Persecution
3 Raise the Alarm
4 Lingering Souls
4 Spectral Procession
1 Secure the Wastes
1 Timely Reinforcements
4 Intangible Virtue
3 Honor of the Pure
1 Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
1 Sorin, Solemn Visitor
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
3 Duress
2 Burrenton Forge-Tender
2 Rest in Peace
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Kataki, War's Wage
2 Stony Silence
2 Dismember
2 Ghost Quarter
Match 1:
I played against a Red Burn deck that had green and white splashes for sideboard hate. I took the 1st round fairly easily, but lost in the 2nd round. Round 3 was pretty close, but I was able to get a win with 7 life remaining. I definitely benefitted from siding in Duress and Burrenton Forge-Tender. Getting rid of my opponent's Destructive Revelry was pretty critical to my win in the 3rd round. At some point, my Tidehollow Sculler exiled a Lightning Bolt, only to be bolted. I figured this was better than taking 3 to the face.
(Matches 1-0, Rounds 2-1)
Match 2:
I played against a RUG deck (color-pie battle!). I couldn't figure out the exact gameplan, but when I duressed, I saw Lightning Bolt, Remand, Snapcaster Mage, Tarmogoyf, and Serum Visions. I had enough early discard, and mid-game anthems/tokens to take the 1st round pretty easily. For the 2nd round, I sided in my Duresses Rest in Peaces and Relic of Progenitus. My opponent had to mull to 5, and didn't want to mull to 4. Luckily, I drew my graveyard hate and discard spells in my opening hand. He was able to get a Deceiver Exarch out, but 2/2 spirit tokens were too much.
(Matches 2-0, Rounds 4-1)
Match 3:
Ended up at Table 1 for the final match. My opponent was playing American Midrange/Control. The first couple turns, he had answers for all of my tokens and smacked me with Vendilion Clique a couple times. Luckily, I drew into Timely Reinforcements, Vault of the Archangel, and Sorin, Solemn Visitor to get me back up in life and board state. After stalling for a while, I was able to resolve Secure the Wastes for 7 tokens! That basically closed out the round. The 2nd round was pretty similar, half of my tokens were burned out, but the remaining tokens were enough to finish the job.
(Matches 3-0, Rounds 6-1)
I ended up placing 1st out of 51 people. Obviously, that might have played out differently if it went to more matches, but I never felt like any of the games were out of reach. Some general notes:
1) Secure the Wastes seemed like a good 1-of, as a flexible finisher/combat trick. Most of the time I was happier to have Raise the Alarm, but having StW late game was never bad.
2) Sorin, Solemn Visitor's +1 was really good. Once I had him online, I never really worried about falling behind.
3) I was always happy to see my opponents' fetch lands and shock lands. The massive life loss they take from just setting up lands makes it way easier to close out games.
4) I don't have Auriok Champion, but I can see her value in the red match-ups.
5) Ghost Quarter never mattered, but I would imagine it'd be valuable against Tron decks.
Thanks everyone that's contributed to this thread. All of your comments made it really easy to play this deck, and to know how to sideboard properly.
I'm asking because I want to buy Sorin, Solemn Visitor, but can deal with waiting for the chance he may be released in a duel deck at the end of the Khans block. Also, if you think Sorin will be dropping in value after rotation, I'd like your opinion too.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Sorry my mistake. I just assumed you were making an effort to use mostly watermarked cards. Thanks for your input, I'll see if there's anything interesting I can brew using your advice.
Keep up the good work on the articles
Again, thanks for your thoughts.
EDIT: How would you approach an Orzhov deck, assuming that your opponent wasn't running a blood baron?
Nice articles.
Have you considered an article on the orzhov guild? It seems like they have two great build-around cards in blood baron and obzedat, but the guild itself isn't able to stand much on its own.
I'd really be interested to see what you could brew.
No basis for this idea, just wondering if you think something like this could happen.
Thanks for the links. They are really helpful for what I need!
Thanks for the clarification. It's going to be a problem finding a Dark Confidant for cheap.
I'm trying to collect all of the Orzhov cards from the original Ravnica block and the new Return to Ravnica block. I know that there are watermarked cards, so those are easy to identify. I need help finding cards that are Orzhov by flavor text, art, or otherwise. Here are the cards I found so far:
Flavor Text
Courier Hawk
Cryptwailing
Strands of Undeath
Cyclopean Snare
Hissing Miasma?
Douse in Gloom
Cremate
Slum Reaper
Ultimate Price
Art:
Droning Bureaucrats - Would you count this one?
Spelltithe Enforcer - Not sure if this one counts
Soul Tithe - I think someone mentioned this was a Orzhov Art Fight card.
Proper Burial
Mind Rot
Are there any cards that I'm missing? Could you guys help me out with the cards you think belong to Orzhov, and explain why?
Thanks in advance.