Round 1 vs Infect, 2-0:
Game 1:Played a Spellskite turn 2 to shut down pump spells and block creatures. Was able to land Ensnaring Bridge and keep my hand a 0 cards. Under the Bridge I used Academy Ruins to recur Executioner's Capsule and Spellskite. Eventually, resolved a Thopter Foundry and made tokens on my opponents turn. Kept one card in hand to attack with tokens, then played the card when passing the turn. Opponent had no answers.
Game 2: Opponent had an Inkmoth Nexus and had me at 8 poison turn 2. I was able to finally resolve a trinket mage, searching for Pithing Needle..then cast it naming Inkmoth Nexus. Eventually won after a Damnation and and attacking several times with Creeping Tar Pit and Trinket Mage.
Round 2 vs WB Tokens, 2-0:
Game 1: Opponent cast 2x Honor of the Pure and Lingering Souls...I took some initial damage but was able to resolve and hide under Ensnaring Bridge. Then resolved Tezz and cast artifact after artifact, finally had enough to deal 14 damage to my opponent, getting them to 1 life; I decided to pop Tezz early because I wasn't sure if he was running Hero's Downfall main...I was able to eventually win with an Aetherling...using his -1/+1 ability to bring him to 1 power so I could attack through Ensnaring Bridge.
Game 2: Opponent was mana screwed and couldn't catch up after I cast Tezz and started making my mana rocks into 5/5s.
Round 3 vs Kiki-Pod, 0-2:
Game 1: I treated this match up too much like Melira Pod, not realizing my opponent could win on the same turn after resolving a Birthing Pod. Opponent on turn 4 I think, played Pod, sac'd a two drop and got Deceiver Exarch..which allowed him to untap Pod...then he sac'd a Glen Elendra Archmage, which he cast the turn before, to get Restoration Angel, targeting Deceiver Exarch, then using the Exach's ETB ability once again to untap the Birthing Pod, then used the Pod to sac Restoration Angel and find a Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker...used the Kiki to target Exarch for infinite tokens with haste....
Game 2: Basically the same chain as game one...I had an Abrupt Decay in hand but foolishly tapped out to resolve a tezz...I thought he was going to go the beat down route since Melira Pod usually does after sideboard.
Round 4 vs Infect 2-0:
Beat it with Disfigures and Executioner's Capsule...was able to Pithing Needle their Inkmoth and board wipe turn 3...Then beat down with Tezz 5/5s as the opponent could not find more creatures in time.
Same thing game 2...this Infect deck was similar to the one I played against round 1.
All in all felt the deck worked well...Ensnaring Bridge is a must...really don't know how I played without it in my earlier builds.
Really would like to test the match up against Jund and Fairies...
Hey, guys, a while ago I started working a Tezz build that splashed red for Wildfire. I shelved it for a while but dusted it off the other day. I'd love some feedback. SUPER rough sketch right now with limited testing, but here's a list:
I would probably stick to two colors and run 4x Smallpox instead of wildfire. Also would run dimir keyrune...with maybe a few damnation and rain of tears, 3x Liliana of the Veil...if your trying to build a post destruction type tezz deck...between mana rocks and creatures that duck sweepers...it could work..
Yeah, speaking of the mana rocks, i'm getting real tired of drawing them. Most of the time they just sit there and do nothing, and then i end up saccing them to foundry or cycling them with intuition.
My deck doesn't feature any wurmcoils or batterskull, my curve tops at 4 with tezz and playing him a turn sooner just needlessly expose him to combat damage. I'm cutting the rocks except for mox opal because they are free, fetchable and give any color for explosives. I'm adding back sunken ruins for more colored lands. My new list:
adding 24th land and welding jar, you'd be surprised by the amount of matchups i end up siding them in.
I know how you feel about the rocks, but the ramp is necessary...your opals aren't going to turn on fast enough... Also, I see that you don't run thirst for knowledge..which is a definite 2 of minimum.
I think you can take out 2 trinket mage and put 2 thirst for knowledge.
I play 3 talismans of dominance and a mox opal for 4 rocks in total.
I see them as mana dorks with haste...turn 2 ramp with talisman and still have mana open to cast, thoughtseize, IOK or a 1cmc artifact is extremely powerful. You are progressing your board state while disrupting your opponent.
If you put in the draw, in the form of thirst, you might find that you are drawing less rocks....or be able to toss one and keep 2 other useful cards.
I even threw in a 2nd Nihil Spellbomb, because if anything its 1B draw a card.
Take a look at my list on page 7. If you get to play against those decks, you still have 3-4 Discard outlet in the board against combo, 2-3 defense grid im gonna test in the board against everything that plays counterspells. I wouldnt be too hesitated to play a few handdisruption spells main also, they might be better at least than counterspells.
I was trying a list with counterspells. I mean, in the mid/lategame they are "ok" most of the time, but mana leak falls of pretty quick and remand can sometimes be a 2 mana draw 1 card. Too often I had bad "top 5" cards with Tezz´s +1 so that i boarded them out. I could also see to test 1-2 Cliques main alongside some Discard to handle opponents hand but thats just some idea.
Still, have to test more, but all i can do is suggest you to do the same and test my counterspell-less list on page 7 and see how it works.
So I'm considering taking out 2 Mana Leaks from my main and putting in 2 Duress....so that would leave me with 2 Thoughtseize and 2 Duress for disruption...I feel Duress is better for us because our deck is built to deal with the creature based decks...for example I run, 2x Damnation, Executioner's Capsule, Liliana, 2x Disfigures and of course the 2x Ensnaring Bridge.
The things we really want to deal with are sorceries, instants, planeswalkers, artifacts and enchantments.
Inquisition hits these as well, but with limitation. Of course it can get a creature, but we can already deal with creatures. I want to be able to take Karn, Scapeshift, Splinter Twin, Cryptic Command...
Idk, maybe Inquisition is just better in this format...
My suggestion would be, try to cut all counterspells. I dont want to repeat myself in this thread too often, but i think they are very bad in this kind of deck since its a tap out variant of a control deck. I think the 3rd Lili would be definitely worth it, too.
Has anybody testet Defense Grid as a Sideboard card actually? It looks very powerful on paper and would match in my current list.
Edit: But if you are ok with counters, I would at least play remand since its effectively most of the time a timewalk and cantrip.
Thanks for your suggestions...what would you advise instead of the counterspells? How do we beat Scapeshift, UWR, Tron and fringe decks like Howling Mine Game 1? Our deck is not that fast...by turn three Scapeshift has almost double our mana...we can't kill them fast enough. UWR counters everything we attempt, Tron is hard but lets say you dont wanna mull to 4 just to get that one Ghost Quarter, then you have a chance of hitting a Mana Leak to foil thier turn 3 Wurmcoil or Karn....and just for the fringe decks you might just have to counter a Runeflare Snag (it was my only out in that match up Game 1.)
The only alternatives I see to the Mana Leaks would have to be more disruption like Inquisition/Duress...would have to think about that...
Round 1 vs Affinity: 1-2
Game 1: Kept a really slow, one land hand because I thought my opponent was playing Kiki-Pod, since they usually do. Lost to Arcbound Ravanger and Cranial.
Game 2: Was able to land a Liliana and Tezz to control the board. Damnation then beatdown with 5/5s from Tezz.
Game 3: He had the nuts draw and I failed to find a disfigure in time.
Round 2 vs Owling Mine: 0-2
Game 1: I never played against this deck, nor knew how it worked. Opponent was able to lock me out with Exhaustion, Vapor Snag and Boomerang my threats and won via Ebony Owl Netsuke and Runeflare Trap. Mana leaks kept me alive for awhile...but eventually got overwhelmed with cards in hand and no way to cast spells fast enough.
Game 2: Used Cranial Extraction to get rid of all his Runeflare Traps...(by this time I had 2 Darksteel Citadels in play and 2 other lands)...in response he cast Hurkyl's Recall..bouncing my 2 Darksteel Citadels. I passed turn and he Boomeranged my Watery Grave...I couldn't catch up, he cast 3 Howling Mine, then finally killed me off with 3 Ebony Owl Netsuke.
Round 3 vs B/G/w: 1-1-1
Game 1: This guy plays a midrange type BG deck running Deathrite Shamans, Phyrexian Obliterator, Scavenging Ooze, Eternal Witness, Abrupt Decay and wait for it.....Sadistic Sacrament. I was able to deal with his deathrite and Ooze...he Sadistic Scaramented me and took out my Batterskull, Wurmcoil and Tezzeret..but I had 2 in hand. This game went quick as I animated an Inkmoth Moth and swung for 10 infect in two turns. He couldn't top deck his Maelstrom Pulse to deal with Tezz...still I had another in hand anyway.
Game 2: Can't really remember this Game, think he won with the Obliterator beatdown.
Game 3: I was able to cast the Bridge and lock him for awhile..then he decayed the Bridge...I cast a Wurmcoil and passed after he attacked. Didn't want to block the Obliterator since I'd have to sac permanents...figured I'd just gain the life back with Wurmcoil on the back swing. He cast another Obliterator and a Deathrite then passed... I attacked with Wurmcoil, he blocked with his Obliterator...I sac'd some lands and artifacts due to the Obliterator taking damage from my Wurmcoil...but ended up killing one of his and getting 2 tokens off of Wurmcoil. I figure I gain six life and still have blockers and 5 land. He attacked again, I took the damage and he passed turn. Yes! I draw a Buried Ruin, and attacked with the tokens, he doesn't block with his deathrite...I gain 3 life. After combat I played the Buried Ruin, had enough mana to pay 2 and sac it to get back my Ensnaring Bridge he destroyed earlier and cast it. Game ended up going to turns and was a draw....I realized that I could've used Extirpate early on to get rid of an Obliterator in his hand...but I failed to before he cast it...probably would won this game and match if I did.
Round 4 vs Merfolk: 1-1-0
Game 1: Was able to lock him out for awhile with Bridge, then cleared the board with Engineered Explosives for 2...but took too much damage before stabilizing. I made a foolish play and didn't playout all my spells to empty my hand...he also used Vapor Snag on my trinket mage to up my card count so he could attack. I couldn't counter anything with mana leak since he was using Aether Vial to bring in his creatures...so the card sat in my hand and I finally lost to Mutavault beatdown.
Game 2: I ended up getting a Bridge lock very early and Pithing Needled Aether Vial. I cast all 3 Damnation this game just in case he had a way to deal with bridge and to get it out of my hand. Sat at zero cards for most of the game...finally after casting and resolving the third Tezz I was able to assemble 10 artifacts on my last turn (we went to turns after timing out)...and ultimated Tezz for 20...since he was still at 20 life lol. Game took forever but I won.
All in all I felt this was just more research...the deck is resilient, but it can cause a lot of draw matches...I wonder if a mill approach would work as a sideboarded in win con...too bad Grindstone isn't in this format :-/.
Anyway let's see what next week brings as the ban/unban announcement revigorates modern...well hopefully lol.
For those of you trying to with through ensnaring bridge, I know a guy at my shop that runs Pyrite Spellbomb. He locks you with bridge and recurrs the bomb with academy ruins.....
Just added Prophetic Prism in place of an island...adds to the artifact count, fixes mana and replaces itself...figure it could support the many colorless mana producers I have, another mana fixer for Engineered Explosives and Abrupt Decay.
Will try it out as the fifth mana rock...debating between it and Dimir Signet...
Why don't you guys run a one of Buried Ruin?
Sometimes you just want the card in your hand, rather than as your draw...
I'd run it along with the Academy Ruins.
Wellsprings do not provide ramp, they do provide cards in hand as you said...I wish the Mycosynth brought lands onto the field.
Our ramping is done via playing mana rocks or something that actually puts an additional land/mana source in play.
The Cranial Plating insta attach is BRILLIANT, can easily attach to an inkmoth nexus lol, or onto a goat token for those that play Trading Post.
I tried the Wellspring package and at first it was cool, but I feel like for this deck to really compete it needs to be ub control with tezzeret, not "ub tezzeret". You need countermagic, disruption and card draw...hence the thirst, mana leaks and thoughtseize/inquisitions.
I find that you really need those things game one against scapeshift and decks like UWR.
I added another nihil spellbomb, figure if anything its a 1B cantrip...needed to up my count to 16 artifacts...I pray top, sword of the meek, chrome mox or even one of the other artifact lands get unbanned so I can up the count.
Fact is, you cant allow yourself to run too few artifacts main since tezzerets+1 will become useless. I don't see the point why I want 8 tezzeret + 1 effects and risk it to see nothing while doing so.
Edit: If I see Terrarion and the Wellsprings i definitely have to cry and I don't think this is what the deck tries to do. Rather I want to play a good! mana rock or spellskite on t2 in order to block the goyf or cast damnation on turn 3 etc. and I think this would be the first step to survive the early game. You just have to remember that your opponent isn't a goldfish.
I agree, the turn one plays of my deck are thoughtseize/inquisition, disfigure or any 1 or less cmc artifact. Turn 2, I want to be casting a talisman...which allows me to still have 1 mana of U or B open to run a thoughtseize if I didn't already or even cast a disfigure or spell pierce for those that run it(I do sideboard). To me this is a very efficient turn 2...it allows me to ramp and still have mana open to react to something...I can cast the talisman, tap it then disfigure a deathrite shaman or some other mana dork....I can have a pierce open for someone trying to cast a T2 birthing pod.
Turn 3, (considering I have another land, which I should I run 25 lol), I should have 4 mana available to cast a tezz, lili, damnation or trinket mage...I can even cast the artifact I fetch with the mage....or I can lay down an ensnaring bridge and still have a mana up to play something.
Or I can cast another talisman and leave mana open for a mana leak or thirst for knowledge at the end of my opponent's turn.
Turn 3 is a very pivotal turn in modern and I need to either be advancing my board state or disrupting my opponent's.
Elixir is good when you run no fetchlands...that way you're not reshuffling them..
I also run academy ruins, crucible and a buried ruin, anti synergy with elixir....otherwise its op with trinket mages lol.
If I ran thopter foundry, Id try to abuse darksteel citadel...tap it for a colorless, use that to activate foundry then sac and return darksteel citadel with crucible out...then repeat...not infinite..but an idea.
I haven't tested the bridges yet...in play testing at home I've seen that I can destroy it with abrupt decay after building an army...I can also wait to get aetherling, wurmcoil, or batterskull out...then animate the bridge with tezz then either damnation or destroy it with executioner's capsule...or even lili edict myself lol. If you run thopter foundry or phyrexias core that's another way to get rid of it. I basically see the bridge as temporary stall since it comes out turn 3 or even 2 with the nut draw.....darksteel citadel, mox opal and some 1 cmc artifact. I run 2 damnation...so figure I'd wipe their field when I'm ready to attack after animating the bridge.
Ghost quarters are amazing against tron and man lands, also works against some versions of scapeshift...I'd run 3....
I only run to thoughtsieze...too much damage already from fetches and talismans to run a full set...esp again aggro.
Either way all 3 of tezz's abilities are relevant...I've been watching oarsman (Joe Losset...plays miracles) play the legacy iteration on mtgo..he puts in 2 tezz the seekers..I've dabble with the thought.. but don't think it fits in the modern format...and is too slow.
Played today 3 rounds with my Ub Tezzerator. Went 0-2-1 and faced Mono U faeries, Esper Superfriends and Hatebears.
Against Faeries he got the nuts game 1 and countered everything. Game 2 was too fast. Against super friends I couldnt get the action roling, game 2 I ulted him for 20 and game 3 got really unlucky and he 3 for 1 my pithing needles with Detention Sphere -.-'
Round 3 against hatebears: Somehow i couldnt do anything in round one. Game 2 I bridgelocked him, but he got stony silence and needle on tezzeret -.- I ulted him 2 times with lili to get rid of them and finaly was able to ult him for exactly 20.
This leads me to the fact, that abrupt decay is necessary at least in the board. Could have won more games with it.
All in all my deck felt great for a not established deck.
What cards do you guys think will make this deck over the top if it gets unbanned Feb 3?
I vote top and sword of the meek!!!!!!
Thanks for your input Muten, I tried to not have to splash green...but abrupt decay is really necessary... What are your other win cons besides tezz? Also for faeries decay would work miracles main board...also some disfigures help you to not get crushed so early.
I need to change my scalding tarns to misty rainforest and my marsh flats to verdant catacombs to fetch any dual...
Either way keep the post coming, I'll post my match analysis next week if I get to play.
I may bring this to Richmond... Hopefully they unban sensei's diving top!!!!!!
Round 1 vs Infect, 2-0:
Game 1:Played a Spellskite turn 2 to shut down pump spells and block creatures. Was able to land Ensnaring Bridge and keep my hand a 0 cards. Under the Bridge I used Academy Ruins to recur Executioner's Capsule and Spellskite. Eventually, resolved a Thopter Foundry and made tokens on my opponents turn. Kept one card in hand to attack with tokens, then played the card when passing the turn. Opponent had no answers.
Game 2: Opponent had an Inkmoth Nexus and had me at 8 poison turn 2. I was able to finally resolve a trinket mage, searching for Pithing Needle..then cast it naming Inkmoth Nexus. Eventually won after a Damnation and and attacking several times with Creeping Tar Pit and Trinket Mage.
Round 2 vs WB Tokens, 2-0:
Game 1: Opponent cast 2x Honor of the Pure and Lingering Souls...I took some initial damage but was able to resolve and hide under Ensnaring Bridge. Then resolved Tezz and cast artifact after artifact, finally had enough to deal 14 damage to my opponent, getting them to 1 life; I decided to pop Tezz early because I wasn't sure if he was running Hero's Downfall main...I was able to eventually win with an Aetherling...using his -1/+1 ability to bring him to 1 power so I could attack through Ensnaring Bridge.
Game 2: Opponent was mana screwed and couldn't catch up after I cast Tezz and started making my mana rocks into 5/5s.
Round 3 vs Kiki-Pod, 0-2:
Game 1: I treated this match up too much like Melira Pod, not realizing my opponent could win on the same turn after resolving a Birthing Pod. Opponent on turn 4 I think, played Pod, sac'd a two drop and got Deceiver Exarch..which allowed him to untap Pod...then he sac'd a Glen Elendra Archmage, which he cast the turn before, to get Restoration Angel, targeting Deceiver Exarch, then using the Exach's ETB ability once again to untap the Birthing Pod, then used the Pod to sac Restoration Angel and find a Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker...used the Kiki to target Exarch for infinite tokens with haste....
Game 2: Basically the same chain as game one...I had an Abrupt Decay in hand but foolishly tapped out to resolve a tezz...I thought he was going to go the beat down route since Melira Pod usually does after sideboard.
Round 4 vs Infect 2-0:
Beat it with Disfigures and Executioner's Capsule...was able to Pithing Needle their Inkmoth and board wipe turn 3...Then beat down with Tezz 5/5s as the opponent could not find more creatures in time.
Same thing game 2...this Infect deck was similar to the one I played against round 1.
All in all felt the deck worked well...Ensnaring Bridge is a must...really don't know how I played without it in my earlier builds.
Really would like to test the match up against Jund and Fairies...
I would probably stick to two colors and run 4x Smallpox instead of wildfire. Also would run dimir keyrune...with maybe a few damnation and rain of tears, 3x Liliana of the Veil...if your trying to build a post destruction type tezz deck...between mana rocks and creatures that duck sweepers...it could work..
I know how you feel about the rocks, but the ramp is necessary...your opals aren't going to turn on fast enough... Also, I see that you don't run thirst for knowledge..which is a definite 2 of minimum.
I think you can take out 2 trinket mage and put 2 thirst for knowledge.
I play 3 talismans of dominance and a mox opal for 4 rocks in total.
I see them as mana dorks with haste...turn 2 ramp with talisman and still have mana open to cast, thoughtseize, IOK or a 1cmc artifact is extremely powerful. You are progressing your board state while disrupting your opponent.
If you put in the draw, in the form of thirst, you might find that you are drawing less rocks....or be able to toss one and keep 2 other useful cards.
I even threw in a 2nd Nihil Spellbomb, because if anything its 1B draw a card.
So I'm considering taking out 2 Mana Leaks from my main and putting in 2 Duress....so that would leave me with 2 Thoughtseize and 2 Duress for disruption...I feel Duress is better for us because our deck is built to deal with the creature based decks...for example I run, 2x Damnation, Executioner's Capsule, Liliana, 2x Disfigures and of course the 2x Ensnaring Bridge.
The things we really want to deal with are sorceries, instants, planeswalkers, artifacts and enchantments.
Inquisition hits these as well, but with limitation. Of course it can get a creature, but we can already deal with creatures. I want to be able to take Karn, Scapeshift, Splinter Twin, Cryptic Command...
Idk, maybe Inquisition is just better in this format...
Thanks for your suggestions...what would you advise instead of the counterspells? How do we beat Scapeshift, UWR, Tron and fringe decks like Howling Mine Game 1? Our deck is not that fast...by turn three Scapeshift has almost double our mana...we can't kill them fast enough. UWR counters everything we attempt, Tron is hard but lets say you dont wanna mull to 4 just to get that one Ghost Quarter, then you have a chance of hitting a Mana Leak to foil thier turn 3 Wurmcoil or Karn....and just for the fringe decks you might just have to counter a Runeflare Snag (it was my only out in that match up Game 1.)
The only alternatives I see to the Mana Leaks would have to be more disruption like Inquisition/Duress...would have to think about that...
3 Watery Grave
3 Ghost Quarter
2 Marsh Flats
2 Misty Rainforest
2 Swamp
2 Darksteel Citadel
2 Drowned Catacomb
2 Inkmoth Nexus
1 Island
1 Breeding Pool
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Creeping Tar Pit
1 Buried Ruin
1 Academy Ruins
CREATURES (4):
1 Spellskite
1 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Aetherling
1 Trinket Mage
4 Mana Leak
2 Disfigure
2 Thirst for Knowledge
2 Damnation
2 Thoughtseize
1 Abrupt Decay
ARTIFACTS (13):
3 Talisman of Dominance
2 Ensnaring Bridge
2 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Batterskull
1 Golgari Signet
1 Executioner's Capsule
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Mox Opal
1 Pithing Needle
PLANESWALKERS (6):
4 Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
2 Liliana of the Veil
3 Extirpate
2 Rain of Tears
1 Damnation
1 Negate
1 Phyrexian Arena
1 Cranial Extraction
1 Spell Pierce
1 Abrupt Decay
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Spellskite
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Torpor Orb
Round 1 vs Affinity: 1-2
Game 1: Kept a really slow, one land hand because I thought my opponent was playing Kiki-Pod, since they usually do. Lost to Arcbound Ravanger and Cranial.
Game 2: Was able to land a Liliana and Tezz to control the board. Damnation then beatdown with 5/5s from Tezz.
Game 3: He had the nuts draw and I failed to find a disfigure in time.
Round 2 vs Owling Mine: 0-2
Game 1: I never played against this deck, nor knew how it worked. Opponent was able to lock me out with Exhaustion, Vapor Snag and Boomerang my threats and won via Ebony Owl Netsuke and Runeflare Trap. Mana leaks kept me alive for awhile...but eventually got overwhelmed with cards in hand and no way to cast spells fast enough.
Game 2: Used Cranial Extraction to get rid of all his Runeflare Traps...(by this time I had 2 Darksteel Citadels in play and 2 other lands)...in response he cast Hurkyl's Recall..bouncing my 2 Darksteel Citadels. I passed turn and he Boomeranged my Watery Grave...I couldn't catch up, he cast 3 Howling Mine, then finally killed me off with 3 Ebony Owl Netsuke.
Round 3 vs B/G/w: 1-1-1
Game 1: This guy plays a midrange type BG deck running Deathrite Shamans, Phyrexian Obliterator, Scavenging Ooze, Eternal Witness, Abrupt Decay and wait for it.....Sadistic Sacrament. I was able to deal with his deathrite and Ooze...he Sadistic Scaramented me and took out my Batterskull, Wurmcoil and Tezzeret..but I had 2 in hand. This game went quick as I animated an Inkmoth Moth and swung for 10 infect in two turns. He couldn't top deck his Maelstrom Pulse to deal with Tezz...still I had another in hand anyway.
Game 2: Can't really remember this Game, think he won with the Obliterator beatdown.
Game 3: I was able to cast the Bridge and lock him for awhile..then he decayed the Bridge...I cast a Wurmcoil and passed after he attacked. Didn't want to block the Obliterator since I'd have to sac permanents...figured I'd just gain the life back with Wurmcoil on the back swing. He cast another Obliterator and a Deathrite then passed... I attacked with Wurmcoil, he blocked with his Obliterator...I sac'd some lands and artifacts due to the Obliterator taking damage from my Wurmcoil...but ended up killing one of his and getting 2 tokens off of Wurmcoil. I figure I gain six life and still have blockers and 5 land. He attacked again, I took the damage and he passed turn. Yes! I draw a Buried Ruin, and attacked with the tokens, he doesn't block with his deathrite...I gain 3 life. After combat I played the Buried Ruin, had enough mana to pay 2 and sac it to get back my Ensnaring Bridge he destroyed earlier and cast it. Game ended up going to turns and was a draw....I realized that I could've used Extirpate early on to get rid of an Obliterator in his hand...but I failed to before he cast it...probably would won this game and match if I did.
Round 4 vs Merfolk: 1-1-0
Game 1: Was able to lock him out for awhile with Bridge, then cleared the board with Engineered Explosives for 2...but took too much damage before stabilizing. I made a foolish play and didn't playout all my spells to empty my hand...he also used Vapor Snag on my trinket mage to up my card count so he could attack. I couldn't counter anything with mana leak since he was using Aether Vial to bring in his creatures...so the card sat in my hand and I finally lost to Mutavault beatdown.
Game 2: I ended up getting a Bridge lock very early and Pithing Needled Aether Vial. I cast all 3 Damnation this game just in case he had a way to deal with bridge and to get it out of my hand. Sat at zero cards for most of the game...finally after casting and resolving the third Tezz I was able to assemble 10 artifacts on my last turn (we went to turns after timing out)...and ultimated Tezz for 20...since he was still at 20 life lol. Game took forever but I won.
All in all I felt this was just more research...the deck is resilient, but it can cause a lot of draw matches...I wonder if a mill approach would work as a sideboarded in win con...too bad Grindstone isn't in this format :-/.
Anyway let's see what next week brings as the ban/unban announcement revigorates modern...well hopefully lol.
He runs Tezzeret the Seeker doe...not agent at all.
More of a U/R list....
Then when he wants to attack off the tezz the seekers ult, he sacs his bridge to Claws of Gix.
Figure a similar strategy could be used with Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas if you decide to splash red...or use a mana rock that produces it...
There's also Perilous Myr..but he requires a sac engine.
Will try it out as the fifth mana rock...debating between it and Dimir Signet...
Why don't you guys run a one of Buried Ruin?
Sometimes you just want the card in your hand, rather than as your draw...
I'd run it along with the Academy Ruins.
Also, here's another list I found:
http://www.mtgdecks.net/decks/view/58946
Wellsprings do not provide ramp, they do provide cards in hand as you said...I wish the Mycosynth brought lands onto the field.
Our ramping is done via playing mana rocks or something that actually puts an additional land/mana source in play.
The Cranial Plating insta attach is BRILLIANT, can easily attach to an inkmoth nexus lol, or onto a goat token for those that play Trading Post.
I tried the Wellspring package and at first it was cool, but I feel like for this deck to really compete it needs to be ub control with tezzeret, not "ub tezzeret". You need countermagic, disruption and card draw...hence the thirst, mana leaks and thoughtseize/inquisitions.
I find that you really need those things game one against scapeshift and decks like UWR.
I added another nihil spellbomb, figure if anything its a 1B cantrip...needed to up my count to 16 artifacts...I pray top, sword of the meek, chrome mox or even one of the other artifact lands get unbanned so I can up the count.
I agree, the turn one plays of my deck are thoughtseize/inquisition, disfigure or any 1 or less cmc artifact. Turn 2, I want to be casting a talisman...which allows me to still have 1 mana of U or B open to run a thoughtseize if I didn't already or even cast a disfigure or spell pierce for those that run it(I do sideboard). To me this is a very efficient turn 2...it allows me to ramp and still have mana open to react to something...I can cast the talisman, tap it then disfigure a deathrite shaman or some other mana dork....I can have a pierce open for someone trying to cast a T2 birthing pod.
Turn 3, (considering I have another land, which I should I run 25 lol), I should have 4 mana available to cast a tezz, lili, damnation or trinket mage...I can even cast the artifact I fetch with the mage....or I can lay down an ensnaring bridge and still have a mana up to play something.
Or I can cast another talisman and leave mana open for a mana leak or thirst for knowledge at the end of my opponent's turn.
Turn 3 is a very pivotal turn in modern and I need to either be advancing my board state or disrupting my opponent's.
Love the feedback guys, keep the ideas rolling!
I also run academy ruins, crucible and a buried ruin, anti synergy with elixir....otherwise its op with trinket mages lol.
If I ran thopter foundry, Id try to abuse darksteel citadel...tap it for a colorless, use that to activate foundry then sac and return darksteel citadel with crucible out...then repeat...not infinite..but an idea.
I haven't tested the bridges yet...in play testing at home I've seen that I can destroy it with abrupt decay after building an army...I can also wait to get aetherling, wurmcoil, or batterskull out...then animate the bridge with tezz then either damnation or destroy it with executioner's capsule...or even lili edict myself lol. If you run thopter foundry or phyrexias core that's another way to get rid of it. I basically see the bridge as temporary stall since it comes out turn 3 or even 2 with the nut draw.....darksteel citadel, mox opal and some 1 cmc artifact. I run 2 damnation...so figure I'd wipe their field when I'm ready to attack after animating the bridge.
Ghost quarters are amazing against tron and man lands, also works against some versions of scapeshift...I'd run 3....
I only run to thoughtsieze...too much damage already from fetches and talismans to run a full set...esp again aggro.
Either way all 3 of tezz's abilities are relevant...I've been watching oarsman (Joe Losset...plays miracles) play the legacy iteration on mtgo..he puts in 2 tezz the seekers..I've dabble with the thought.. but don't think it fits in the modern format...and is too slow.
What cards do you guys think will make this deck over the top if it gets unbanned Feb 3?
I vote top and sword of the meek!!!!!!
Thanks for your input Muten, I tried to not have to splash green...but abrupt decay is really necessary... What are your other win cons besides tezz? Also for faeries decay would work miracles main board...also some disfigures help you to not get crushed so early.
I need to change my scalding tarns to misty rainforest and my marsh flats to verdant catacombs to fetch any dual...
Either way keep the post coming, I'll post my match analysis next week if I get to play.
I may bring this to Richmond... Hopefully they unban sensei's diving top!!!!!!