It really depends on what you want to do if you run both. I am running 6 fill your hand cards, because they act like a mini-Elf Storm. You can chain them with the Elves or Creatures you get to restock after boardwipes or attrition based control strategies like Jund/Grixis. Essentially, they can allow you to reset the game. Alongside horizon canopies for GW and Elvish Visionary, you attempt to dig for answers like what Blue players do either for more Elves or your win-con Ezuri, Chameleon Colossus, Elvish Archdruid, Mirror Entity, Shaman of the Pack or even your hate Creature cards. By going Lead and Messenger, you are saying that a Swarm Strategy is the heart of your deck with some fancy Ezuri based win-conditions. IT is much more resiliant to spot removal if not as consistent in finding your win condition or creature hate card.
Chord Decks don't have a lot of ways to restock after a board wipe or enough spot removal save for Collected Company which might not be enough. I do.
Also, keep in mind, that the Lead/Messenger deck is simpler with less decision making and less toolkit approach. You are going to do your thing with less thought of what your opponent is going to do. Your sideboard is going to be more generalized with multiples of whatever card your choosing to handle the threats you see. Fringe-threats aren't going to be really considered for example. My sideboard currently looks like 3x Kataki, 3x Spellskite, 2x Burrenton Forge-Tender, 2x Essence Warden, 1x Dismember, 2x Chameleon Colossus, 2x Relic of Progenitus. I am waiting to get Horizon Canopy so I can put Rest in Peace back into myside board as a probably 3 of as graveyard strategies really do kill us. I may forgo the Essence Warden entirely for 3x Burrenton Forge-Tenders or 2x of them and a Dwynen just to handle the Burn matchup which isn't bad, but isn't great either.
With a GB list, it might be prudent to have Leyline of the Void in your sideboard. It will be fantastic against decks like Grixis, Jund, Bubblehulk, Living End, Goryo's Vengence Decks, decks that can use Baby Jace/Graveyard shenanigans/Koligans Command/Grim Lavamancer/:ingering Souls, Knightfall for Knight-counters, Azban Company
I am happy with the GW Lead/Messenger deck. It is very resiliant to removal, more so then any other version. We sacrifice some instant win conditions like Shaman of the Pack and Chord for a little bit more redundancy and Card Advantage.
I found a couple things to be true. Despite the fact that we generate can generate a lot of mana, a lot of that is contingent on having the correct board state with Archdruid/Nykthos because Heritage Druid at least from what I have experienced is really good at getting you 3 mana, but isn't so great at generating large amounts of mana at one time which can be important for Ezuri or chaining Sylvan Messengers/Lead the Stampede/Collected Company. This was particular relevant that I run 18 Lands and they had removal for creatures. I could be stuck with Leads/Messengers/Company/Ezuri/Archdruid in my hands with not a lot of ways to get it on the field when I want to race. I do think 2 Nykthos is correct. I think anymore then 2 will see a sharp rise of drawing both.
I do think that once we get the engine going, we are very difficult to over come or stop as we can just keep digging for the pieces we need to win. We can be stopped and that engine slowed enough for Combo to win. We need in our hands enough 1 or 2 turn plays to keep casting elves to put pressure. You may need to mulligan if you don't have a lot of reduncy in your opening plays. I kept some shady hands with Messenger/Company that maybe I shouldn't have because I could have curved out well without removal.
I feel though that I need more white sources to run the better hate cards. Rest in Peace would be so good against certain decks that I feel that I need to run as white and deliberating on fetches for a Temple Garden, but ultimately seeing burn in action. I wouldn't risk it on the whole. We need to not kill ourselves against them and Horizon Canopy/Razorverge Thicket should be enough white sources for Rest in Peace against Goryo's Vengence and other Gravehard decks like Grixis, Knightfall (to some extent), and others.
Against Burn, I don't fear Grim Lavamancer as much as I used to. It is a really really good against us, but isn't unbeatable. We have more creature and gas, so we should be able to just beat it. I fear Eidolon of the Great Revel far more on Turn 2 then a Grim Lavamancer on Turn 1. We can go off far faster than Grim Lavamancer can deal with us.
I really really dislike Goryo's Vengence Decks. I maybe a bit salty, but screw that combo. You should be able to get Emrakaul on Turn 3 when he had the play. It is just too much. No, just no. However, it could be that I didn't play Rest in Peace, but I don't think there is much we can do against this other then play rest in peace then not go explosive until we can deal with Anger of the Gods and other board wipes.
I just forgot. I think I was so excited on the whole. I am still new, so I am chalking it up to like a rookie mistake. It didn't happen the rest of the tournement.
I went to a Starcity IQ with 23 people. This is the same deck that I said earlier I would use.
Match 1 - Nactle Burn - 0-1
Game 1 0-1 - I wasn't fast enough and he just did the beat down and burn plan. I didn't get enough going fast enough to beat him. I got him low, but not low enough and I think I didn't have a lot of lands to play things.
Game 2 0-2 - I wasn't fast enough again, then I did a misplay, by not showing my results from a Sylvan Messenger. All 3 cards that I had gotten, including a heritage druid and an Ezuri went to the bottom. It might not have been enough as I died the next turn to 2 grim lavamancer activations.
Summary - He was faster and had removal. I didn't have enough blockers or I wasn't enough and I think I kept slower hands as I seemed to always have Sylvan Messenger and Company in my hands. I don't think he mulliganed once, so I was hesitant to keep mulliganning for fast hands. My sideboard decisions were + 2 Essence Warden, + 2 Burrenton Forge-Tender, -1 Lead, -1 Slyvan, -2 Visionary. I think there was a game where I was stuck with a lot of expensive 3/4 cmc cards with not enough mana (was screwed) to cast them.
Match 2 - Naya Burn - 1-1
Game 1 - Elf-Explosion past his removal and his dudes caused me to win Game 1. It was fast and I stuck an Ezuri after an explosion of Elves
Game 2 - This was a slog. The most distinct match up is that I think I could have beaten him through his skullcracks as I CoCoed into 2 Burrenton Forge-Tenders, but it was a misplay and he skullcracked me then did another burn spell and I couldn't stop the second. I should have sacrificed to stop an Atarka's Command earlier. I needed one more turn to win. Oh well.
Game 3 - I mulled to 4. I MULLED TO 4 and he kept a seven-card hand. I had hands with no lands. I had 2 forest, 1 Nettle Sentienl, 1 Heritage Druid. I played a forest and Nettle Sentinel and he played one tapped land. I think he was going slow and not killing himself because he thought he didn't have to. I pinged him 2 turns with a Nettle Sentinel and a 1 Heritage Druid while he lava axed me to the face and maybe a Boros Charm. I got more land and I think a Dwynen's Elite and another Nettle Sentinel at one point. I then drew and immediately played an Elvish Visionary, drew a Sylvan Messenger which I played with Heritage Druid mana and a land (I had a green floating as well in there). It had a Llanowar Elf, Dwynen's Elite, Archdruid, and Ezuri. I played them all out using Heritage Mana. He lost next turn. I beat burn after mulling to 4 to save my tournement. It was quite awesome.
Summary - + 2 Burrenton Forge-Tenders, + 2 Essence Wardens, I don't remember what I removed, but probably a combination of Visionaries, Leads, Messengers. This one went a little better. We need to have an early game and getting stuck with more expensive cards doesn't help us at all.
Match 3 - Abzan Midrange - 2-1
Game 1 - He a turn 2 goyf and a seige rhino. I really Elf Exploded and Ezuri overran him. I think I had at one point 2 Heritage Druids on the field with Leads and Messengers and just get kept going.
Game 2 - He had a turn 4 rhino which I dismembered to keep weenieing him down, he rhinoed again, but at that point, I had enough gas cards and board presence to explode a again this time even harder and got like 3 archruids on the field. At the End of the turn, I had 3 Archdruids and 12 total elfs with 2 coco's in hand and a nykthos. I was stuck on 1 land for most of the game until I Sylvaned Messengered into 2 visionaries that eventually got me a Nykthos where I had a lot more mana as I had to use a heritage druid activation to get 3 mana to activate nykthos and that is how I exploded with even more Sylvan Messengers and Leads etc. I haven't played Legacy Elves, but this is what I imagine it was like.
Game 1 - He had a really slow hand. I also had a relatively slow hand, but I got there through Gas Spells and an Elf Explosion power.
Game 2 - He mulled to 5 and got two pieces of hand disruption that took my 2 gas spells, but I had other elves and he didn't play a single token card and ketp getting Intangible Virtue. I evnetually drew a gas spell and won.
Summary - We seemed to be much faster and capable of flooding out our board much faster. I think we are extraordinaryly favored in this match up.
Match 5 - ID into TOP 8 - 4-1-1
TOP 8 - This is my first top 8 event ever! I was very excited and happy and nervous. It seemed that most of the top eight was Burn, Tron, Twin, Goryo's Vengence, and a Grixis Control. I was the sixth seed vs. 3rd seed.
Quarterfinals - Goryo's Vengence Deck B/R/U - Lost 0-2
Game 1 - Turn 3 - Emrakaul - No hope.
Game 2 - Turn 3 - Anger of the Gods. I landed and kept a Relic of Progenitus on the field, but I misplayed it. Even if I didn't misplay it, I don't think I could have one at this point. He then landed an additional Emrakaul. He ran blue for what looks like Baby Jace. Just more looting affects and probably more consistancy. He said he didn't play Shaol, but with Baby Jace, board wipes, and Goryo's Vengence.
If the last game wasn't so frustrating, I would have enjoyed myself more. I love the GW Lead/Messenger deck as it provides so much resiliancy and power with all the dig and draw benefits. I definitely need to get the last 3 Canopies so I can run Rest in Peace. I need Rest in Peace as my only hope against that Goryo's Vengence. All told, I am happy with the performance, but outside Burn. I am unfortunetly not going to GP Pittsburgh although it is within 4 hours of me. I just didn't get into Magic and Modern fast enough and have a good deck before it was too late to plan to go.
My girlfriend has friends and family in near Detroit and Indianapolis next year, so I may try there.
I was looking at SCG lists and I saw a weird sideboard card. I think it was against burn/zoo decks, but it might be better in lead/messenger style decks.
I think he was just using this against burn matchups, because I can't see it being brought it in save for maybe Jeskai Geist decks or decks with Linvala to block and potentially kill with more Archdruids in play. It would get around that pesky eidolon. I could see playing a one of in the sideboard instead of an Essence Warden/Kitchen Finks/Burrenton Forge Tender. I think it maybe too slow, but getting it out on Turn 3 wouldn't be bad as a big ass blocker requiring two spells or a creature sacrfice and a spell to get it done.
I am tempted to take out the Dismember for a Scooze or take out the Relics for Scooze, but in general where I want scooze, I think relic would be better as well as providing gas although it has the same problem as Rest in Peace in that Lead/Company doesn't find it.
I was stalled, but if every 1/1 or 2/2 that I had would become an additional 1 to get even one more damage in, it would have been worth it. If I could have 2 elves attacking per turn, instead of 1 elf attacking per turn which was the case a lot of the time, that match would have one.
I don't think another lead/messenger would do the trick against Grixis Control as much as Prowess of the Fair if it comes down early. There isn't a lot of creatures in Grixis control that wouldn't die to 1/1. Ever removal spell just brings an elf on the game and you can out value that person. I think it would make it so much more grindy for them, but it does have a better chance to win then another lead/messenger. It can help, but if they have a set up grim lavamancer or their graveyard is full of fun things to get back, which is what they are going for then for GB decks, Prowess negates that inherent advantage and will help you achieve Plan B which is chipping away at their life total aggro attack.
Generally speaking for these decks, Rest in Peace is still probably the better card, but for GB decks that don't have access to Rest in Peace, Prowess of the Fair can act in this so they don't get as much value on their bolts, snap bolts/k-command/terminates/etc., grim lavamancer,
Prowess of the Fair would probably be in Jeskai, Grixis, Jund decks for hte most part. They run a metric ton of kill spells that aren't board wipes. I don't think it would be great against Junk personally, but it could still have some value for chump blocking.
I went 1-2 in a FNM against Grixis Control and Merfolk, and beat a not-optimized baby junk deck. If I went black, I would have sided prowess in and I would have won those games if I had drawn it and wasn't countered or discarded through their Rise card which is what happened to Scavenging Ooze and Chameleon Colossus. The games went on for far longer then necessary because he had to keep killing my things with Grim Lavamancer. If I could just out value his out valueing my immense card advantage stuff (went GW Lead/Messenger), it would have eventually turned in my favor as I could outgrind him.
This is what Prowess of the Fair does. It allows you to continue to grind against decks that try to out grind you through value 2-1s whether through baby jace/piaNkalaar/snap caster/grim lavamancer/k-command. It was a slog and I would use it in a GB deck at least as a one of instead of a multiple Chameleon Colossos.
I wasn't thinking of just the mirror, but I was thinking of things like another type of Delaying for some problematic decks like Affinity, Tron, Ad Nausauem, Fetchland reliant decks, Knightfall, etc. I was just wondering if it affected Heritage Druid, because if it did, then it is useless to us. However, if it didn't, then it opens another angle of attack for us to brought in during turn 2 for GW variations.
like Root Wall. There might be better options, but I am continuing to think of options that might not be normal like the Chalice of the Void suggestion.
In what maybe a threadjack, a card that I think wouldn't be so powerful, but would give Modern Elves more consistancy and another tool to use would be Birchlore Rangers. I would play a number of them just because of getting non-green mana for our sideboard or Shaman cards as well as a further way to explode if we don't have heritage or 3 elves. I think it could rocket us to Tier 1 without being so overpowered like unbanning Green Sun's Zenith or Glimpse of Nature although Beck/Call plans maybe back in vogue.
I have an odd question. Is Heritage Druid's ability affected by Suppression Field? If not, Suppression Field would be a decent sideboard card wouldn't it? I know the 5 mana mana for Ezuri to Seven mana would be a pain, but it would hose a lot of decks especially coming down turn 2 to delay them enough where seven mana would be less of a problem?
Have you tried the GW Lead/Stampede version? You mention Chord and you mention Pack, but I wonder if you have tried the version Andrew Sollano played in OKC. It doesn't have the toolkit approach, but it is fast and resiliant. We, generally, just try to explode as much as possible and may resemble. With Lead, it is possible with all that elfy goodness to cast it on turn 2 to refill your hand that you laid down. Between Horizon Canopies, Elvish Visionaries, Lead the Stampede, Sylvan Messengers, and Collected Company, we can go through and find most pieces that we need to win. This version more then any other wins by flooding the board with Elves, restocking to cast more elves sometimes on the same turn for Ezuri overruns or Elf weenie aggro through Archrduid.
It really depends on what you want to do if you run both. I am running 6 fill your hand cards, because they act like a mini-Elf Storm. You can chain them with the Elves or Creatures you get to restock after boardwipes or attrition based control strategies like Jund/Grixis. Essentially, they can allow you to reset the game. Alongside horizon canopies for GW and Elvish Visionary, you attempt to dig for answers like what Blue players do either for more Elves or your win-con Ezuri, Chameleon Colossus, Elvish Archdruid, Mirror Entity, Shaman of the Pack or even your hate Creature cards. By going Lead and Messenger, you are saying that a Swarm Strategy is the heart of your deck with some fancy Ezuri based win-conditions. IT is much more resiliant to spot removal if not as consistent in finding your win condition or creature hate card.
Chord Decks don't have a lot of ways to restock after a board wipe or enough spot removal save for Collected Company which might not be enough. I do.
Also, keep in mind, that the Lead/Messenger deck is simpler with less decision making and less toolkit approach. You are going to do your thing with less thought of what your opponent is going to do. Your sideboard is going to be more generalized with multiples of whatever card your choosing to handle the threats you see. Fringe-threats aren't going to be really considered for example. My sideboard currently looks like 3x Kataki, 3x Spellskite, 2x Burrenton Forge-Tender, 2x Essence Warden, 1x Dismember, 2x Chameleon Colossus, 2x Relic of Progenitus. I am waiting to get Horizon Canopy so I can put Rest in Peace back into myside board as a probably 3 of as graveyard strategies really do kill us. I may forgo the Essence Warden entirely for 3x Burrenton Forge-Tenders or 2x of them and a Dwynen just to handle the Burn matchup which isn't bad, but isn't great either.
I found a couple things to be true. Despite the fact that we generate can generate a lot of mana, a lot of that is contingent on having the correct board state with Archdruid/Nykthos because Heritage Druid at least from what I have experienced is really good at getting you 3 mana, but isn't so great at generating large amounts of mana at one time which can be important for Ezuri or chaining Sylvan Messengers/Lead the Stampede/Collected Company. This was particular relevant that I run 18 Lands and they had removal for creatures. I could be stuck with Leads/Messengers/Company/Ezuri/Archdruid in my hands with not a lot of ways to get it on the field when I want to race. I do think 2 Nykthos is correct. I think anymore then 2 will see a sharp rise of drawing both.
I do think that once we get the engine going, we are very difficult to over come or stop as we can just keep digging for the pieces we need to win. We can be stopped and that engine slowed enough for Combo to win. We need in our hands enough 1 or 2 turn plays to keep casting elves to put pressure. You may need to mulligan if you don't have a lot of reduncy in your opening plays. I kept some shady hands with Messenger/Company that maybe I shouldn't have because I could have curved out well without removal.
I feel though that I need more white sources to run the better hate cards. Rest in Peace would be so good against certain decks that I feel that I need to run as white and deliberating on fetches for a Temple Garden, but ultimately seeing burn in action. I wouldn't risk it on the whole. We need to not kill ourselves against them and Horizon Canopy/Razorverge Thicket should be enough white sources for Rest in Peace against Goryo's Vengence and other Gravehard decks like Grixis, Knightfall (to some extent), and others.
Against Burn, I don't fear Grim Lavamancer as much as I used to. It is a really really good against us, but isn't unbeatable. We have more creature and gas, so we should be able to just beat it. I fear Eidolon of the Great Revel far more on Turn 2 then a Grim Lavamancer on Turn 1. We can go off far faster than Grim Lavamancer can deal with us.
I really really dislike Goryo's Vengence Decks. I maybe a bit salty, but screw that combo. You should be able to get Emrakaul on Turn 3 when he had the play. It is just too much. No, just no. However, it could be that I didn't play Rest in Peace, but I don't think there is much we can do against this other then play rest in peace then not go explosive until we can deal with Anger of the Gods and other board wipes.
Match 1 - Nactle Burn - 0-1
Game 1 0-1 - I wasn't fast enough and he just did the beat down and burn plan. I didn't get enough going fast enough to beat him. I got him low, but not low enough and I think I didn't have a lot of lands to play things.
Game 2 0-2 - I wasn't fast enough again, then I did a misplay, by not showing my results from a Sylvan Messenger. All 3 cards that I had gotten, including a heritage druid and an Ezuri went to the bottom. It might not have been enough as I died the next turn to 2 grim lavamancer activations.
Summary - He was faster and had removal. I didn't have enough blockers or I wasn't enough and I think I kept slower hands as I seemed to always have Sylvan Messenger and Company in my hands. I don't think he mulliganed once, so I was hesitant to keep mulliganning for fast hands. My sideboard decisions were + 2 Essence Warden, + 2 Burrenton Forge-Tender, -1 Lead, -1 Slyvan, -2 Visionary. I think there was a game where I was stuck with a lot of expensive 3/4 cmc cards with not enough mana (was screwed) to cast them.
Match 2 - Naya Burn - 1-1
Game 1 - Elf-Explosion past his removal and his dudes caused me to win Game 1. It was fast and I stuck an Ezuri after an explosion of Elves
Game 2 - This was a slog. The most distinct match up is that I think I could have beaten him through his skullcracks as I CoCoed into 2 Burrenton Forge-Tenders, but it was a misplay and he skullcracked me then did another burn spell and I couldn't stop the second. I should have sacrificed to stop an Atarka's Command earlier. I needed one more turn to win. Oh well.
Game 3 - I mulled to 4. I MULLED TO 4 and he kept a seven-card hand. I had hands with no lands. I had 2 forest, 1 Nettle Sentienl, 1 Heritage Druid. I played a forest and Nettle Sentinel and he played one tapped land. I think he was going slow and not killing himself because he thought he didn't have to. I pinged him 2 turns with a Nettle Sentinel and a 1 Heritage Druid while he lava axed me to the face and maybe a Boros Charm. I got more land and I think a Dwynen's Elite and another Nettle Sentinel at one point. I then drew and immediately played an Elvish Visionary, drew a Sylvan Messenger which I played with Heritage Druid mana and a land (I had a green floating as well in there). It had a Llanowar Elf, Dwynen's Elite, Archdruid, and Ezuri. I played them all out using Heritage Mana. He lost next turn. I beat burn after mulling to 4 to save my tournement. It was quite awesome.
Summary - + 2 Burrenton Forge-Tenders, + 2 Essence Wardens, I don't remember what I removed, but probably a combination of Visionaries, Leads, Messengers. This one went a little better. We need to have an early game and getting stuck with more expensive cards doesn't help us at all.
Match 3 - Abzan Midrange - 2-1
Game 1 - He a turn 2 goyf and a seige rhino. I really Elf Exploded and Ezuri overran him. I think I had at one point 2 Heritage Druids on the field with Leads and Messengers and just get kept going.
Game 2 - He had a turn 4 rhino which I dismembered to keep weenieing him down, he rhinoed again, but at that point, I had enough gas cards and board presence to explode a again this time even harder and got like 3 archruids on the field. At the End of the turn, I had 3 Archdruids and 12 total elfs with 2 coco's in hand and a nykthos. I was stuck on 1 land for most of the game until I Sylvaned Messengered into 2 visionaries that eventually got me a Nykthos where I had a lot more mana as I had to use a heritage druid activation to get 3 mana to activate nykthos and that is how I exploded with even more Sylvan Messengers and Leads etc. I haven't played Legacy Elves, but this is what I imagine it was like.
Summary - + 2 Chameleon Colossus, + 1 Dismember - 2 Dwynen's Elite, -1 Reclamation Sage
Match 4 - B/W Tokens - 4-1
Game 1 - He had a really slow hand. I also had a relatively slow hand, but I got there through Gas Spells and an Elf Explosion power.
Game 2 - He mulled to 5 and got two pieces of hand disruption that took my 2 gas spells, but I had other elves and he didn't play a single token card and ketp getting Intangible Virtue. I evnetually drew a gas spell and won.
Summary - We seemed to be much faster and capable of flooding out our board much faster. I think we are extraordinaryly favored in this match up.
Match 5 - ID into TOP 8 - 4-1-1
TOP 8 - This is my first top 8 event ever! I was very excited and happy and nervous. It seemed that most of the top eight was Burn, Tron, Twin, Goryo's Vengence, and a Grixis Control. I was the sixth seed vs. 3rd seed.
Quarterfinals - Goryo's Vengence Deck B/R/U - Lost 0-2
Game 1 - Turn 3 - Emrakaul - No hope.
Game 2 - Turn 3 - Anger of the Gods. I landed and kept a Relic of Progenitus on the field, but I misplayed it. Even if I didn't misplay it, I don't think I could have one at this point. He then landed an additional Emrakaul. He ran blue for what looks like Baby Jace. Just more looting affects and probably more consistancy. He said he didn't play Shaol, but with Baby Jace, board wipes, and Goryo's Vengence.
Summary - + 2 Relics, +2 Chameleon Colossus, -3 Visionary, - Rec Sage.
If the last game wasn't so frustrating, I would have enjoyed myself more. I love the GW Lead/Messenger deck as it provides so much resiliancy and power with all the dig and draw benefits. I definitely need to get the last 3 Canopies so I can run Rest in Peace. I need Rest in Peace as my only hope against that Goryo's Vengence. All told, I am happy with the performance, but outside Burn. I am unfortunetly not going to GP Pittsburgh although it is within 4 hours of me. I just didn't get into Magic and Modern fast enough and have a good deck before it was too late to plan to go.
My girlfriend has friends and family in near Detroit and Indianapolis next year, so I may try there.
Dwynen, Gilt-Leaf Daen
I think he was just using this against burn matchups, because I can't see it being brought it in save for maybe Jeskai Geist decks or decks with Linvala to block and potentially kill with more Archdruids in play. It would get around that pesky eidolon. I could see playing a one of in the sideboard instead of an Essence Warden/Kitchen Finks/Burrenton Forge Tender. I think it maybe too slow, but getting it out on Turn 3 wouldn't be bad as a big ass blocker requiring two spells or a creature sacrfice and a spell to get it done.
2 Chameleon Colossus
3 Spellskite
2 Rest in Peace
2 Burrenton Forge-Tender
2 Kitchen Finks
1 Suppression Field
4x Cavern of Souls
4x Razorverge Thicket
1x Pendelhaven
1x Okina, Temple to the Grandfathers
2x Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1x Horizon Canopy
5x Forest
4x Heritage Druid
4x Nettle Sentinel
4x Llanowar Elf
4x Elvish Mystic
4x Elvish Visionary
4x Dwynen's Elite
4x Elvish Archdruid
3x Ezuri, Renegade Leader
1x Reclamation Sage
3x Sylvan Messenger
4x Collected Company
3x Lead the Stampede
3x Spellskite
3x Kataki's War Wage
2x Burrenton Forge-Tender
2x Essence Warden
2x Chameleon Colossus
2x Relic of Progenitus
1x Dismember
I am tempted to take out the Dismember for a Scooze or take out the Relics for Scooze, but in general where I want scooze, I think relic would be better as well as providing gas although it has the same problem as Rest in Peace in that Lead/Company doesn't find it.
I am torn.
I don't think another lead/messenger would do the trick against Grixis Control as much as Prowess of the Fair if it comes down early. There isn't a lot of creatures in Grixis control that wouldn't die to 1/1. Ever removal spell just brings an elf on the game and you can out value that person. I think it would make it so much more grindy for them, but it does have a better chance to win then another lead/messenger. It can help, but if they have a set up grim lavamancer or their graveyard is full of fun things to get back, which is what they are going for then for GB decks, Prowess negates that inherent advantage and will help you achieve Plan B which is chipping away at their life total aggro attack.
Generally speaking for these decks, Rest in Peace is still probably the better card, but for GB decks that don't have access to Rest in Peace, Prowess of the Fair can act in this so they don't get as much value on their bolts, snap bolts/k-command/terminates/etc., grim lavamancer,
I went 1-2 in a FNM against Grixis Control and Merfolk, and beat a not-optimized baby junk deck. If I went black, I would have sided prowess in and I would have won those games if I had drawn it and wasn't countered or discarded through their Rise card which is what happened to Scavenging Ooze and Chameleon Colossus. The games went on for far longer then necessary because he had to keep killing my things with Grim Lavamancer. If I could just out value his out valueing my immense card advantage stuff (went GW Lead/Messenger), it would have eventually turned in my favor as I could outgrind him.
This is what Prowess of the Fair does. It allows you to continue to grind against decks that try to out grind you through value 2-1s whether through baby jace/piaNkalaar/snap caster/grim lavamancer/k-command. It was a slog and I would use it in a GB deck at least as a one of instead of a multiple Chameleon Colossos.
For GB decks, would a singleton Urborg help?
4x Cavern of Souls
4x Razorverge Thickets
1x Horizon Canopy
1x Pendelhaven
2x Nykthos
1x Okina, Temple to the Grandfather's
5x Forest
ELFY-Goodness
4x Heritage Druid
4x Nettle Sentinel
4x Llanowar Elf
4x Elvish Mystic
4x Elvish Visionary
4x Dwynen's Elite
4x Elvish Archdruid
3x Ezuri, Renegade Leader
1x Reclamation Sage
3x Sylvan Messenger
4x Collected Company
3x Lead the Stampede
Sidebaord
3x Chord of Calling
2x Essence Warden
1x Scavenging Ooze
1x Rest in Peace
2x Spellskite
1x Kataki's War Wage
1x Burrenton Forge-Tender
2x Chameleon Colossus
1x Mark of Asylum
1x Dismember
like Root Wall. There might be better options, but I am continuing to think of options that might not be normal like the Chalice of the Void suggestion.
In what maybe a threadjack, a card that I think wouldn't be so powerful, but would give Modern Elves more consistancy and another tool to use would be Birchlore Rangers. I would play a number of them just because of getting non-green mana for our sideboard or Shaman cards as well as a further way to explode if we don't have heritage or 3 elves. I think it could rocket us to Tier 1 without being so overpowered like unbanning Green Sun's Zenith or Glimpse of Nature although Beck/Call plans maybe back in vogue.