Been a while since I posted and I see we're in a new thread. I wanted to share my updates post-WAR. I 4-1'd with the deck in a comp league on MTGO as well as collab'd with Janh, the guy that trophies a lot on MTGO with Saheeli. We're still tuning, but here's where I'm at and I'm really enjoying this list. I won't be posting regular updates here, just when I think I've found something important, so if you wanna keep up with my progress on the deck you can follow me on twitter.
1) Teferi, Time Raveler is the real deal. Protects the combo from interaction and has natural synergy with our ETB creatures. I can't stress enough how good this card is for us.
2) 4 Lightning Bolt / 0 Lightning Helix is purely a meta call for the MTGO meta. If you expect burn and assorted aggro, make some sort of split (3/2 worked well for me in the past).
3) 3 Remand is a response to the uptick Humans where we really can't leverage them. Cryptic Command takes the 4th Remand slot as it is a versatile spell that gives you outs to random hosers which are more common these days due to Whir Prison and new Karn.
4) Ashiok, Dream Render is absolutely amazing. Cross performs against Tron, Storm, Amulet, Dredge and many more. Card has been outstanding. Note that you can reset it with Felidar Guardian when its down to 1 counter.
5) Narset, Parter of Veils, in conjunction with new Teferi, allows us to attack control from an angle we couldn't previously. This card, while strong, hasn't been as great as I expected it to be, and I may cut down to 1 copy in the board moving forward. Narset may benefit more in the presence of more hard counters.
Happy to answer any questions. WAR brings us a lot of new toys, such as the 3cmc walkers and even Dovin's Veto, which I'm very excited to continue brewing and tuning with.
Thank you so much for your work with this deck. It is not easy to improve Copycat with a meta that is always shifting. It is interesting how controlling the table you can buy a lot of turns in modern. Wall of omens, Seas, Detention Sphere, paths, bolts, ... This means that metagame is agro (in a high %), so why don´t you use anger/verdict/wrath in omens slots for example? Maindecking Anger of the Gods, you could clean the table even with fieldar there, using paths to exile bodies with a huge defense.
Thanks!
Unless I have a perfect grasp of the meta, which is rare with Modern, I like my maindeck cards to be flexible. Wall of Omens cantrips to find your combo. Lightning Bolt and Path to Exile are the most hyper-efficient removal spells available to Jeskai. Detention Sphere is a catch-all removal spell. Spreading Seas hates out Tron and cantrips to find your combo.
The idea is that all of our cards in the maindeck are either hyper-efficient, very broadly applicable, or replace themselves. In general, I also prefer my more narrow cards, like Anger of the Gods, to be proactive rather than reactive if they're in my maindeck. This means I'd go towards a maindeck Pia and Kiran Nalaar to boost my aggro match-up because it at least applies pressure in a lot of match-ups where Anger would be a dead card.
Essentially, I want the least amount of dead cards in my deck game 1. Game 2/3 you can use your sideboard to patch your weaknesses or attack parts of the meta, but I don't think a tempo-based combo deck can afford to dilute the mainboard configuration very much. If you want to dedicate your few flex slots for sweepers like Anger of the Gods or Supreme Verdict, go for it. But there's some inherent risks you're taking there that I feel are unnecessary in Modern's wide meta.
This deck is really cool. It's definitely more Bant splash Red than Jeskai splash Green, but I think Teferi, Time Raveler is very powerful as a 2-drop. Oath of Nissa is an amazing Felidar target as well. Not a big fan of the maindeck Narset considering the deck has 16 creatures, but this version is definitely more explosive than straight Jeskai.
Been a while since I posted and I see we're in a new thread. I wanted to share my updates post-WAR. I 4-1'd with the deck in a comp league on MTGO as well as collab'd with Janh, the guy that trophies a lot on MTGO with Saheeli. We're still tuning, but here's where I'm at and I'm really enjoying this list. I won't be posting regular updates here, just when I think I've found something important, so if you wanna keep up with my progress on the deck you can follow me on twitter.
1) Teferi, Time Raveler is the real deal. Protects the combo from interaction and has natural synergy with our ETB creatures. I can't stress enough how good this card is for us.
2) 4 Lightning Bolt / 0 Lightning Helix is purely a meta call for the MTGO meta. If you expect burn and assorted aggro, make some sort of split (3/2 worked well for me in the past).
3) 3 Remand is a response to the uptick Humans where we really can't leverage them. Cryptic Command takes the 4th Remand slot as it is a versatile spell that gives you outs to random hosers which are more common these days due to Whir Prison and new Karn.
4) Ashiok, Dream Render is absolutely amazing. Cross performs against Tron, Storm, Amulet, Dredge and many more. Card has been outstanding. Note that you can reset it with Felidar Guardian when its down to 1 counter.
5) Narset, Parter of Veils, in conjunction with new Teferi, allows us to attack control from an angle we couldn't previously. This card, while strong, hasn't been as great as I expected it to be, and I may cut down to 1 copy in the board moving forward. Narset may benefit more in the presence of more hard counters.
Happy to answer any questions. WAR brings us a lot of new toys, such as the 3cmc walkers and even Dovin's Veto, which I'm very excited to continue brewing and tuning with.
Congratulations again jbar2! 6-2 is a great record, especially for (I assume) one of your first tournaments with this deck.
I agree on the mana efficiency point. You have such a huge density of 1-2 mana spells that no matter the configuration of your opener, you can usually play a game of Magic, which means you get screwed out of way fewer games than other decks that need multiple lands and combinations of cards to win. All of our cards are individually powerful and don't require synergy. At the same time, we have flood insurance in the form of Snaps + Tasigur + LtLH.
Don't get too caught up on the mistakes. Use them to learn, not to beat yourself up. Really happy to see your positive results and I wish you the best of luck moving forward!
I like this kind of deck, but I got some questions about card choices.
Mainly is the temur battle rage, is it really necessary?
And what is your opinion on increasing the number os Fatal push and maybe adding a terminate or a cast down, reducing the number of bolt and making the deck less red dependent.
I can't say that Temur Battle Rage is 100% necessary, but I like it as an out against creature-based decks that tend to go wide (GWx combo/value decks, Hardened Scales Affinity) and also against combo (Storm, Ad Naus, KCI) as a quick kill. I like having 1 somewhere in the 75, but I don't think it is absolutely necessary in the maindeck.
Terminate wouldn't reduce your dependency on red, but I think it is a fine magic card. I prefer Dismember, though, simply because without Street Wraith in the deck, Dismember allows you to have more explosive or consistent draws that include early Death's Shadows. More Fatal Push is certainly a consideration depending on the meta, but I like that Lightning Bolt can always go face (even yourself to fuel Death's Shadow), whereas Fatal Push can be dead more often.
I would not consider Cast Down over any other potential options. Card seems very mediocre, although admittedly it is nice against Hollow One compared to what we currently play.
I spoke to Ryan Overturf (SCG commentator and one of the first few to develop these types of lists) and he recommended the 2nd Kolaghan's Command and the 4th Snapcaster Mage. He didn't say what exactly should be changed, but I think these are reasonable changes to make down the road.
Another quick update: been grinding some Grixis Delver in Magic Online competitive leagues. I started this morning with a UB Delver/Shadow build similar to the Legacy version but kept going 3-2. Tonight, I decided to add the red for a playset of Bolt, 1x Battle Rage, 1x K-Command and a few sideboard cards. I'm happy to share that I got the 5-0 Hopefully it gets posted!
Match-Ups:
R1: Ad Nauseam (2-1)
R2: Infect (2-1)
R3: Storm (2-0)
R4: Bant Spirits (2-0)
R5: Blue Moon (2-0)
If you have any questions about card choices, sideboarding, anything at all, just let me know! Really happy with the results of that league and the current configuration. I will provide updates on any future developments.
I was greatly intrigued by this list and can never pass up the opportunity to play Geist of Saint Traft in a proven build!
I recorded with the deck for my One & Done series where I do a deck tech and single match. I'm heavily considering doing a full league with it sometime in the future as it was a blast to play. I never thought of Figure of Destiny as a tempo card, but the ability to hold up interaction or level it up gives it a lot of flexibility and you never really get blown out if you time your level ups right. Sweet, sweet card! You can find the link to my video series below:
I did another one of my video series with Grixis Delver today with my preferred list. Deck was sweet as always. Link below! Trimmed the hand disruption. I don't like it very much in an aggressive meta and Inquisition of Kozilek, the preferred disruption to maindeck, doesn't even hit the key cards in Jeskai/UW. Instead I have 2 Thoughtseize in the SB to bring in accordingly.
I actually think the printing of Assassin's Trophy may make this deck better positioned. I would love to play midrange MUs all day if I was at a tournament with Mardu. An increase in GBx is definitely the type of meta we thrive in.
Finished up another stream this morning doing a full comp league with Mardu Pyromancer, similar build to the recent GP but not exactly the same. I wanted to try out the basic Plains tech to see what the hype was about. I'm still unsure of its necessity, but it didn't hinder me in any match and was always an option if I needed it for any reason. Not convinced, but I don't hate it.
Gonna just insert myself here and say that if you want to catch my streams live, please consider following me on Twitch at twitch.tv/olagziel.
Second, if you didn't catch the stream, consider watching the VOD on my YouTube channel (and subscribe if you like the content and want more). You can find the link to this morning's VOD here: Mardu Pyromancer Full Modern Competitive League.
Recorded a single match on MTGO today and uploaded it to YouTube. Haven't found the time to record or stream another full league, but I'm hoping to get something like that uploaded by the end of next week. Until then, enjoy my latest video: [MODERN] One & Done - Mardu Pyromancer vs. UB Mill.
For those interested in my card choices as compared to my previous videos, I have cut Manamorphose because of Thalia, Guardian of Thraben and Humans isn't going anywhere. It feels like a liability to me. Second, I have trimmed Hazoret the Fervent from the SB in favor of 2 Goblin Rabblemaster. I know many people have said they really like Rabblemaster as a clock and that 3cmc > 4cmc, so I'm giving it a try. This was my first match with it, but I will say that I liked it when I drew it.
If you wanna see more Mardu Pyro videos, look around the videos on my channel. I've got plenty more, just haven't had the time to record a lot recently (because university). Thanks!
It's been a while since my last video series/stream, but this morning I streamed a full competitive league with Mardu Pyromancer. I've uploaded the stream VOD to YouTube. The forums are acting up a bit, so I'll post the raw link below:
A subscribe on YouTube and/or a follow on Twitch (at twitch.tv/olagziel) would help a lot if you enjoyed the videos! I've been rocking about the same 75 for the past month or so and it never fails me. This league had a lot of matches against Bant Spirits (three of the five), so if you want to get a bit of understanding on that match-up, I highly recommend watching. Anyways, enjoy and let me know if you have any thoughts.
Hey folks, I featured RW Sun & Moon on my stream this morning. I just uploaded the VOD to YouTube for those who would like to catch the content, but didn't see it live. The stream starts around 2 minutes in, the first two minutes is me setting up. You can also use the description to jump between parts of the video (deck tech, matches, closing comments).
Thanks everyone. Hope you enjoy the videos. Deck was awesome. We didn't hit the MUs I was hoping to, but we pulled out with a positive record in the end.
Hey folks, just featured Skred Red on my YouTube channel. It was the old school build with Eternal Scourge and Relic of Progenitus. I felt like cheap red removal and maindeck graveyard hate seems to be reasonably well positioned right now with Humans on the uptick and the new Bridgevine decks running all over MTGO.
Cleansing Nova is very interesting and may be worth it over the 3rd Stony Silence or the 1st Settle the Wreckage. Our sweepers having utility is very useful. I may try it out next league.
I just finished up another competitive league on MTGO (off camera, sorry!). Deck performed as I expected it to. I went 3-2, losing to KCI (0-2) and Storm (0-2), while beating Living End (2-0), UW Miracles (2-1), and Humans (2-0). I used the same list as in my latest video.
Some noteworthy things that I picked up along the way:
1) Mulligan into your hate cards for KCI and Storm. I would keep a hand with just countermagic vs. Storm, but I would not keep a hand with just countermagic (no Stony Silence or Damping Sphere) against KCI. I kept a 7, on the play, with double counterspell and still lost. We need to play our hate cards and protect them with counters, imo.
2) Diverse sweepers were great against Humans. My opponent blind named Supreme Verdict with Meddling Mage, only to get hit by Wrath of God the following turn. Humans definitely feels like a good match-up when you avoid a heavy Kitesail Freebooter draw. I 2-0'd them this time around.
3) Teferi, Hero of Dominaria was a beating out of UW Miracles, winning them game 1. They actually resolved it in both game 2 and game 3, but I played such a heavy mana denial game that they never had more than 1 white mana available. This allowed me to go wide and not be afraid of sweepers while I built a decent board filled with Flickerwisp, Court Hussar and Gideon of the Trials which allowed me to pressure Teferi, Hero of Dominaria and eventually clear it. Detention Sphere was the clearer answer in g3, but it's nice to know the deck can go wide as necessary when you don't have the clean answer. The 3 Negate and 2 Disdainful Stroke were also insane, allowing me to fight over Cryptic Command and more Teferi, Hero of Dominaria with success.
4) Living End was a surprisingly decent match-up. The fact that we naturally have lots of sweepers and also have creatures in the graveyard regularly meant I was never just dead. There are times when they can get you with an instant speed wrath, no doubt, but my opponent wasn't sure on my exact 75 and played around countermagic. This allowed me to consistently sweep up the board and build towards Sun Titan and Emeria, the Sky Ruin. I won this 2-0 as well.
Things that are always on my mind but I haven't pulled the trigger yet:
1) The 3rd Detention Sphere somewhere in the 75.
2) Experimenting with Cleansing Nova.
Otherwise, the deck felt very smooth and it is able to beat the decks it is designed to beat and still has game post-board against the more troublesome match-ups.
I agree that we are good against Affinity and sometimes your draws don't line up. Their top end threats definitely made the match-up more difficult. I think, if you watch my match vs. Affinity, you'll notice I could have played things differently and misread the board state a few times. Looking back on it, I definitely could have played better. Karn was annoying and that's the best way I can describe it. It keeps the gas flowing and produces really big creatures. We have answers for all of that, but we don't always have enough time to answer each of them without taking a bunch of damage elsewhere.
On MTGO, there have been a few Affinity builds that have been maindecking 2 Karn, Scion of Urza, and most of the ones I've seen with 5-0s at least have 1-2 in the SB. Definitely a card we should be prepared for, but not much we can do about it aside from Detention Sphere or pressuring it with our creatures. I think it can be a challenging card to beat if we don't have a card advantage engine lined up like Sun Titan.
Diversifying sweepers is incredibly important right now. MTGGoldfish doesn't state Humans as being the #1 deck anymore but those stats aren't always accurate regarding meta percentage. It is still one of the top decks in the format (if not the top). I haven't had the chance to test it against Humans, but in theory, I think this is good deckbuilding practice for UWx decks right now.
Unless I have a perfect grasp of the meta, which is rare with Modern, I like my maindeck cards to be flexible. Wall of Omens cantrips to find your combo. Lightning Bolt and Path to Exile are the most hyper-efficient removal spells available to Jeskai. Detention Sphere is a catch-all removal spell. Spreading Seas hates out Tron and cantrips to find your combo.
The idea is that all of our cards in the maindeck are either hyper-efficient, very broadly applicable, or replace themselves. In general, I also prefer my more narrow cards, like Anger of the Gods, to be proactive rather than reactive if they're in my maindeck. This means I'd go towards a maindeck Pia and Kiran Nalaar to boost my aggro match-up because it at least applies pressure in a lot of match-ups where Anger would be a dead card.
Essentially, I want the least amount of dead cards in my deck game 1. Game 2/3 you can use your sideboard to patch your weaknesses or attack parts of the meta, but I don't think a tempo-based combo deck can afford to dilute the mainboard configuration very much. If you want to dedicate your few flex slots for sweepers like Anger of the Gods or Supreme Verdict, go for it. But there's some inherent risks you're taking there that I feel are unnecessary in Modern's wide meta.
This deck is really cool. It's definitely more Bant splash Red than Jeskai splash Green, but I think Teferi, Time Raveler is very powerful as a 2-drop. Oath of Nissa is an amazing Felidar target as well. Not a big fan of the maindeck Narset considering the deck has 16 creatures, but this version is definitely more explosive than straight Jeskai.
3 Wall of Omens
4 Snapcaster Mage
4 Felidar Guardian
Planeswalkers (6):
2 Teferi, Time Raveler
4 Saheeli Rai
Enchantments (5):
4 Spreading Seas
1 Detention Sphere
Instants/Sorceries (16):
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Path to Exile
4 Serum Visions
3 Remand
1 Cryptic Command
2 Celestial Colonnade
4 Flooded Strand
4 Scalding Tarn
1 Arid Mesa
2 Steam Vents
2 Hallowed Fountain
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Glacial Fortress
1 Sulfur Falls
2 Island
1 Plains
1 Mountain
2 Stony Silence
1 Rest in Peace
1 Anger of the Gods
2 Narset, Parter of Veils
2 Ashiok, Dream Render
1 Dispel
1 Dovin's Veto
1 Detention Sphere
1 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
1 Engineered Explosives
2 Vendilion Clique
1) Teferi, Time Raveler is the real deal. Protects the combo from interaction and has natural synergy with our ETB creatures. I can't stress enough how good this card is for us.
2) 4 Lightning Bolt / 0 Lightning Helix is purely a meta call for the MTGO meta. If you expect burn and assorted aggro, make some sort of split (3/2 worked well for me in the past).
3) 3 Remand is a response to the uptick Humans where we really can't leverage them. Cryptic Command takes the 4th Remand slot as it is a versatile spell that gives you outs to random hosers which are more common these days due to Whir Prison and new Karn.
4) Ashiok, Dream Render is absolutely amazing. Cross performs against Tron, Storm, Amulet, Dredge and many more. Card has been outstanding. Note that you can reset it with Felidar Guardian when its down to 1 counter.
5) Narset, Parter of Veils, in conjunction with new Teferi, allows us to attack control from an angle we couldn't previously. This card, while strong, hasn't been as great as I expected it to be, and I may cut down to 1 copy in the board moving forward. Narset may benefit more in the presence of more hard counters.
Happy to answer any questions. WAR brings us a lot of new toys, such as the 3cmc walkers and even Dovin's Veto, which I'm very excited to continue brewing and tuning with.
I agree on the mana efficiency point. You have such a huge density of 1-2 mana spells that no matter the configuration of your opener, you can usually play a game of Magic, which means you get screwed out of way fewer games than other decks that need multiple lands and combinations of cards to win. All of our cards are individually powerful and don't require synergy. At the same time, we have flood insurance in the form of Snaps + Tasigur + LtLH.
Don't get too caught up on the mistakes. Use them to learn, not to beat yourself up. Really happy to see your positive results and I wish you the best of luck moving forward!
I can't say that Temur Battle Rage is 100% necessary, but I like it as an out against creature-based decks that tend to go wide (GWx combo/value decks, Hardened Scales Affinity) and also against combo (Storm, Ad Naus, KCI) as a quick kill. I like having 1 somewhere in the 75, but I don't think it is absolutely necessary in the maindeck.
Terminate wouldn't reduce your dependency on red, but I think it is a fine magic card. I prefer Dismember, though, simply because without Street Wraith in the deck, Dismember allows you to have more explosive or consistent draws that include early Death's Shadows. More Fatal Push is certainly a consideration depending on the meta, but I like that Lightning Bolt can always go face (even yourself to fuel Death's Shadow), whereas Fatal Push can be dead more often.
I would not consider Cast Down over any other potential options. Card seems very mediocre, although admittedly it is nice against Hollow One compared to what we currently play.
I spoke to Ryan Overturf (SCG commentator and one of the first few to develop these types of lists) and he recommended the 2nd Kolaghan's Command and the 4th Snapcaster Mage. He didn't say what exactly should be changed, but I think these are reasonable changes to make down the road.
Another quick update: been grinding some Grixis Delver in Magic Online competitive leagues. I started this morning with a UB Delver/Shadow build similar to the Legacy version but kept going 3-2. Tonight, I decided to add the red for a playset of Bolt, 1x Battle Rage, 1x K-Command and a few sideboard cards. I'm happy to share that I got the 5-0 Hopefully it gets posted!
MTGGoldfish decklist link: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1349403#online
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Death's Shadow
3 Snapcaster Mage
1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
2 Gurmag Angler
Planeswalkers (2):
2 Liliana, the Last Hope
Instants/Sorceries (26):
4 Opt
4 Thought Scour
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Fatal Push
2 Spell Pierce
2 Stubborn Denial
4 Thoughtseize
1 Temur Battle Rage
1 Kolaghan's Command
2 Dismember
4 Polluted Delta
4 Scalding Tarn
3 Bloodstained Mire
2 Steam Vents
2 Watery Grave
1 Blood Crypt
1 Swamp
1 Island
3 Ceremonious Rejection
2 Stubborn Denial
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Collective Brutality
1 Grim Lavamancer
1 Abrade
2 Countersquall
1 Izzet Staticaster
1 Engineered Explosives
Match-Ups:
R1: Ad Nauseam (2-1)
R2: Infect (2-1)
R3: Storm (2-0)
R4: Bant Spirits (2-0)
R5: Blue Moon (2-0)
If you have any questions about card choices, sideboarding, anything at all, just let me know! Really happy with the results of that league and the current configuration. I will provide updates on any future developments.
I was greatly intrigued by this list and can never pass up the opportunity to play Geist of Saint Traft in a proven build!
I recorded with the deck for my One & Done series where I do a deck tech and single match. I'm heavily considering doing a full league with it sometime in the future as it was a blast to play. I never thought of Figure of Destiny as a tempo card, but the ability to hold up interaction or level it up gives it a lot of flexibility and you never really get blown out if you time your level ups right. Sweet, sweet card! You can find the link to my video series below:
One & Done - Shota Takao's Jeskai Tempo vs. UW Miracles
Under the Microscope with Grixis Delver (Deck Tech + 3 Matches)
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Snapcaster Mage
2 Young Pyromancer
2 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
2 Gurmag Angler
Instants/Sorceries (27):
4 Serum Visions
4 Thought Scour
2 Opt
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Fatal Push
2 Spell Snare
3 Mana Leak
1 Collective Brutality
2 Terminate
2 Kolaghan's Command
1 Electrolyze
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Polluted Delta
1 Bloodstained Mire
2 Island
1 Swamp
1 Mountain
2 Steam Vents
1 Watery Grave
1 Blood Crypt
1 Darkslick Shores
1 Spirebluff Canal
2 Ceremonious Rejection
2 Surgical Extraction
1 Izzet Staticaster
1 Engineered Explosives
2 Dispel
2 Countersquall
1 Liliana, the Last Hope
2 Collective Brutality
2 Thoughtseize
Gonna just insert myself here and say that if you want to catch my streams live, please consider following me on Twitch at twitch.tv/olagziel.
Second, if you didn't catch the stream, consider watching the VOD on my YouTube channel (and subscribe if you like the content and want more). You can find the link to this morning's VOD here: Mardu Pyromancer Full Modern Competitive League.
For those interested in my card choices as compared to my previous videos, I have cut Manamorphose because of Thalia, Guardian of Thraben and Humans isn't going anywhere. It feels like a liability to me. Second, I have trimmed Hazoret the Fervent from the SB in favor of 2 Goblin Rabblemaster. I know many people have said they really like Rabblemaster as a clock and that 3cmc > 4cmc, so I'm giving it a try. This was my first match with it, but I will say that I liked it when I drew it.
If you wanna see more Mardu Pyro videos, look around the videos on my channel. I've got plenty more, just haven't had the time to record a lot recently (because university). Thanks!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbHEo6ollBw
A subscribe on YouTube and/or a follow on Twitch (at twitch.tv/olagziel) would help a lot if you enjoyed the videos! I've been rocking about the same 75 for the past month or so and it never fails me. This league had a lot of matches against Bant Spirits (three of the five), so if you want to get a bit of understanding on that match-up, I highly recommend watching. Anyways, enjoy and let me know if you have any thoughts.
RW Sun & Moon Competitive League Stream VOD
The decklist I used is shown below:
4 Simian Spirit Guide
1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
Planeswalkers (10):
4 Nahiri, the Harbinger
2 Gideon of the Trials
2 Gideon Jura
2 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
Enchantments (6):
4 Blood Moon
2 Cast Out
Artifacts (4):
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Lightning Helix
2 Blessed Alliance
3 Anger of the Gods
2 Wrath of God
Lands (24):
4 Temple of Triumph
2 Clifftop Retreat
4 Arid Mesa
2 Marsh Flats
4 Sacred Foundry
8 Plains
4 Rest in Peace
3 Stony Silence
1 Anger of the Gods
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Blessed Alliance
1 Settle the Wreckage
1 Baneslayer Angel
1 Lyra, Dawnbringer
2 Sorcerous Spyglass
Thanks everyone. Hope you enjoy the videos. Deck was awesome. We didn't hit the MUs I was hoping to, but we pulled out with a positive record in the end.
You can check out the video here: Eternal Skred vs. GW Company. Hope you enjoy!
Cleansing Nova is very interesting and may be worth it over the 3rd Stony Silence or the 1st Settle the Wreckage. Our sweepers having utility is very useful. I may try it out next league.
I just finished up another competitive league on MTGO (off camera, sorry!). Deck performed as I expected it to. I went 3-2, losing to KCI (0-2) and Storm (0-2), while beating Living End (2-0), UW Miracles (2-1), and Humans (2-0). I used the same list as in my latest video.
Some noteworthy things that I picked up along the way:
1) Mulligan into your hate cards for KCI and Storm. I would keep a hand with just countermagic vs. Storm, but I would not keep a hand with just countermagic (no Stony Silence or Damping Sphere) against KCI. I kept a 7, on the play, with double counterspell and still lost. We need to play our hate cards and protect them with counters, imo.
2) Diverse sweepers were great against Humans. My opponent blind named Supreme Verdict with Meddling Mage, only to get hit by Wrath of God the following turn. Humans definitely feels like a good match-up when you avoid a heavy Kitesail Freebooter draw. I 2-0'd them this time around.
3) Teferi, Hero of Dominaria was a beating out of UW Miracles, winning them game 1. They actually resolved it in both game 2 and game 3, but I played such a heavy mana denial game that they never had more than 1 white mana available. This allowed me to go wide and not be afraid of sweepers while I built a decent board filled with Flickerwisp, Court Hussar and Gideon of the Trials which allowed me to pressure Teferi, Hero of Dominaria and eventually clear it. Detention Sphere was the clearer answer in g3, but it's nice to know the deck can go wide as necessary when you don't have the clean answer. The 3 Negate and 2 Disdainful Stroke were also insane, allowing me to fight over Cryptic Command and more Teferi, Hero of Dominaria with success.
4) Living End was a surprisingly decent match-up. The fact that we naturally have lots of sweepers and also have creatures in the graveyard regularly meant I was never just dead. There are times when they can get you with an instant speed wrath, no doubt, but my opponent wasn't sure on my exact 75 and played around countermagic. This allowed me to consistently sweep up the board and build towards Sun Titan and Emeria, the Sky Ruin. I won this 2-0 as well.
Things that are always on my mind but I haven't pulled the trigger yet:
1) The 3rd Detention Sphere somewhere in the 75.
2) Experimenting with Cleansing Nova.
Otherwise, the deck felt very smooth and it is able to beat the decks it is designed to beat and still has game post-board against the more troublesome match-ups.
Decklist for reference:
4 Wall of Omens
3 Lone Missionary
1 Phantasmal Image
4 Flickerwisp
3 Court Hussar
3 Sun Titan
Planeswalkers (2):
2 Gideon of the Trials
Enchantments (6):
4 Spreading Seas
2 Detention Sphere
Artifacts (1):
1 Crucible of Worlds
Instants/Sorceries (8):
2 Supreme Verdict
1 Wrath of God
1 Day of Judgment
4 Path to Exile
3 Emeria, the Sky Ruin
4 Flooded Strand
1 Arid Mesa
3 Hallowed Fountain
1 Irrigated Farmland
1 Prairie Stream
6 Plains
1 Island
4 Field of Ruin
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Lone Missionary
3 Stony Silence
2 Runed Halo
1 Settle the Wreckage
2 Disdainful Stroke
3 Negate
2 Damping Sphere
1 Sorcerous Spyglass
On MTGO, there have been a few Affinity builds that have been maindecking 2 Karn, Scion of Urza, and most of the ones I've seen with 5-0s at least have 1-2 in the SB. Definitely a card we should be prepared for, but not much we can do about it aside from Detention Sphere or pressuring it with our creatures. I think it can be a challenging card to beat if we don't have a card advantage engine lined up like Sun Titan.
Diversifying sweepers is incredibly important right now. MTGGoldfish doesn't state Humans as being the #1 deck anymore but those stats aren't always accurate regarding meta percentage. It is still one of the top decks in the format (if not the top). I haven't had the chance to test it against Humans, but in theory, I think this is good deckbuilding practice for UWx decks right now.