It's a bad trick, but you can name something when you are casting the spell, knowing that with that naming, the opponent will likely respond. Then when the card resolves, you name something else. You can only change the name if they respond, so you have to first name something you're okay with taking out. You also have to be prepared for extra salt.
Knowing the strange rulings and interactions are key to a wonky deck like this. Like Reflecting Pool not caring about conditions and costs to producing colored mana.
That is correct, however, Adarkar Valkyrie has to target a creature on the field. If the artifact creature is sacrificed as a part of a cost of an effect, then the valkyrie doesn't have the opportunity to target in response.
Don't forget that with cards like Slaughter Games, Pithing Needle, and Cabal Therapy, you name the card while the spell is resolving. If you forget and name a card while you are casting it and your opponent responds, you are able to change.
Rule 608.2d is regarding naming at resolution. If your opponent asks what you are naming, then the spell is resoling.
Changing the named card is a ruling about taking shortcuts as per rule 716. You are proposing the shortcut of your opponent allowing the spell to resolve and you are naming a card. If your opponent changes the game state, then the shortcut is no longer applied.
Not sure if that would have helped against the three bolts, but it can a boon to understand for future games. These interactions are easily found revolving around Cabal Therapy, which is why I mentioned it, even though it's not in Modern.
Abzan Ascendancy and Spirit Bonds are going to have trouble triggering with few creatures. I would drop the Midnight Haunting and Beckon Apparition for more creatures such as Doomed Traveler, Geist-Honored Monk, or Teysa. Harsh Sustenance can be another big swing in life, like Devouring Greed, but you do not need to sacrifice the spirits.
The Pyxis really went well against some of his graveyard strategies. I think a Relic of Progenitus has to be included at least in the sideboard. I would really like to have something against early game hand disruption.
If you're thinking about Relic, why not Nihil Spellbomb or Tormod's Crypt instead? They only exile your opponent's graves, don't have activation costs, plus they can be recurred by Academy Ruins. Downside is that they get shut down by Leyline of Sanctity.
In other news, I haven't played this deck for a few months, as my LGS started to get more sideboard slots devoted to this. Now, the meta is affinity and infect. I miss playing the deck, but I can't find a good opening to play it.
I've been doing well with BW warriors at my FNM, top 4 since the release of DTK. Average 25 players with a healthy mixture of UB Control, UBW Control, Abzan Aggro, Jeskai Tokens, Boss Sligh, GR Midrange and a couple random decks. DTK just pushed the deck so far into competitive levels. Arashin Foremost is nuts in the deck, as it is another creature that does something when it comes out, like Chief of the Edge and Brutal Hordechief. Blood-Chin Rager gives a way to get through token/weenie strategies. Secure the Wastes gives the ability to rebuild.
Here's the list I've been working with
Diffusion Sliver is alright as a budget substitute for Crystalline Sliver. It fills similar roles with making targeted removal not cheap. Your mana curve is really low, so 24 lands seems a bit much. Also, with 4 Transguild Promenade and 4 Evolving Wilds, you have a large portion of lands that do nothing the turn they are played. I would suggest taking it down to 20, as you only need 2 lands to play anything. You can replace the land with something like Spell Pierce for protection or Sinew Sliver to jam more damage.
Is the red necessary? I could see playing just GW and using Dromoka's Command for the instant counter/removal. You could also use See the Unwritten, Inspiring Call, See the Unwritten, or Chord of Calling if you want tutors/card advantage.
Fengraf is okay if you are playing with like 3 types of creatures, rather than a creature heavy deck, for the reduced variance. There's also Skaab Ruinator for synergy with the gryphin/elemental in temur. Alternatively, there's Haakon, Stromgald Scourge if you want to go Jund. Works well with Nameless Inversion. Less of a creature based synergy, but removal is relevant.
Bolt/galvanic/pyroclasm hedge the fast creatures enough to land a bridge, and Faithless Looting is the best draw spell for the deck. Black does give discard and Abrupt Decay, but for the budget, red is going to work better. I would suggest making three color before dropping red because it just puts in so much work.
All attackers are declared at the same time, so by the time Mogis' Marauder enters the battlefield, the haste is given past the time to declare attacks. Blockers are declared in a later step, so the intimidate still can put in work.
^ ninja'd
My only issue with Tasigur's ability is that your opponent will just choose the worst card in your grave to give you back, and you mill two before they pick, so it's even harder to control. Whenever you give your opponent a choice, they will always pick the option that benefits you the least. I'm just not seeing "Tasigur's ability to manipulate the graveyard to constantly get back the Early Harvests."
Knowing the strange rulings and interactions are key to a wonky deck like this. Like Reflecting Pool not caring about conditions and costs to producing colored mana.
Rule 608.2d is regarding naming at resolution. If your opponent asks what you are naming, then the spell is resoling.
Changing the named card is a ruling about taking shortcuts as per rule 716. You are proposing the shortcut of your opponent allowing the spell to resolve and you are naming a card. If your opponent changes the game state, then the shortcut is no longer applied.
Not sure if that would have helped against the three bolts, but it can a boon to understand for future games. These interactions are easily found revolving around Cabal Therapy, which is why I mentioned it, even though it's not in Modern.
It also turns Manamorphose into a ritual.
If you're thinking about Relic, why not Nihil Spellbomb or Tormod's Crypt instead? They only exile your opponent's graves, don't have activation costs, plus they can be recurred by Academy Ruins. Downside is that they get shut down by Leyline of Sanctity.
In other news, I haven't played this deck for a few months, as my LGS started to get more sideboard slots devoted to this. Now, the meta is affinity and infect. I miss playing the deck, but I can't find a good opening to play it.
Here's the list I've been working with
3 Mardu Woe-Reaper
2 Dragon Hunter
2 Mardu Shadowspear
4 Battle Brawler
3 Blood-Chin Rager
4 Chief of the Edge
1 Chief of the Scale
3 Arashin Foremost
2 Brutal Hordechief
2 Sorin, Solemn Visitor
2 Secure the Wastes
3 Valorous Stance
2 Ultimate Price
1 Abzan Advantage
4 Temple of Silence
4 Caves of Koilos
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
6 Swamp
7 Plains
1 Dark Betrayal
2 Gods Willing
1 Erase
1 Glare of Heresy
1 Radiant Purge
3 Bile Blight
2 Chief of the Scale
2 Merciless Executioner
2 Athreos, God of Passage
^ ninja'd