So while I was bored at work with nothing to do I decided to brainstorm a slightly different way to play infect. I wanted to build a list that plays as much protection magic as possible while still being able to kill quickly enough for modern. I came up with a list for mono green and GU shown below.
The idea behind these lists is to make up for the loss of info from probe and the addition of fatal push to opponents arsenal by overloading on protection spells and always keeping your shields up. That does mean sacrificing some speed by not jamming creatures on curve, but I think it is necessary. From there you sort of bide your time, getting in for damage when you can but always erring on the side of caution. Both lists can go for the big win without tapping out. Mono green with trample effects and GU with wild defiance. A major issue with this game plan is that infect still is very non-disruptive. Going slower lets you opponent advance their plan for a few extra turns which is not good, but I am hoping these infect lists show enough resiliency and inevitability to still close out a game with a win. In other words, slow(er) and steady wins the race.
Seems like maybe--with the Eldrazi/Sorin/BW theme we are working with here--Eldritch Moon might be huge for our deck. I definitely expect to see Emrakul show up again, considering the SOI card art and the clues left around for our perusal. And Sorin is an Innstrad native, of course. We could be positioned right in the sweet spot for a bunch of new themed cards... or at least I won't be too surprised if that's how it turns out. Food for thought.
I found a list on MTGGoldfish that I like and it runs one eldrazi displacer which I am going to try. I also decided to swap to a split of 3 blight herder and 4 reality smasher to reduce the demand for process fuel and to improve the value of my 5 drops. I will stick with 25 lands as I want to be sure that I find enough for said 5 drops on curve and to pay into displacer.
I have noticed that recent lists are running 24 lands as opposed to the previous 25. Given what I have I am considering tweaking my mana base with the following changes:
-2 GQ
-1 marsh flats
-1 urborg
+1 reality smasher
+1 godless shrine
+1 Wastes
+1 westvale abby
A little slow but instant and exile, so maybe playable in BW vesion .
I think it could contest oblivion ring as a one of.
Pros
-Hits all the same targets as ORing
-Instant speed
-No risk of them getting the exiled target back.
Cons
-More color heavy
-Life cost
Worth a chance, but I would never run more than one.
4x inkmoth nexus
4x Cathedral of War
12x Forest
2x pendelhaven
4x Apostle's Blessing
4x Blossoming Defense
4x vines of vastwood
creatures
4x Glistener Elf
4x Ichorclaw Myr
4x necropede
2x Larger Than Life
4x Might of Old Krosa
4x Mutagenic Growth
4x Rancor
4x windswept heath
4x wooded foothills
1x verdant catacombs
3x breeding pool
3x forest
4x inkmoth nexus
2x pendelhaven
4x noble heirarch
4x glistener elf
4x blighted agent
1x birds of paradise
pump
4x might of old krosa
4x mutagenic growth
2x groundswell
2x distortion strike
4x vines of vastwood
4x blossoming defense
2x apostle's blessing
2x wild defiance
2x spell pierce
The idea behind these lists is to make up for the loss of info from probe and the addition of fatal push to opponents arsenal by overloading on protection spells and always keeping your shields up. That does mean sacrificing some speed by not jamming creatures on curve, but I think it is necessary. From there you sort of bide your time, getting in for damage when you can but always erring on the side of caution. Both lists can go for the big win without tapping out. Mono green with trample effects and GU with wild defiance. A major issue with this game plan is that infect still is very non-disruptive. Going slower lets you opponent advance their plan for a few extra turns which is not good, but I am hoping these infect lists show enough resiliency and inevitability to still close out a game with a win. In other words, slow(er) and steady wins the race.
A card's CMC is always what is in the top right corner. Like kicker, escalate is an additional cost, not it's CMC.
Reprint vindicate? We can dream.
-2 GQ
-1 marsh flats
-1 urborg
+1 reality smasher
+1 godless shrine
+1 Wastes
+1 westvale abby
4 caves of koilos
4 eldrazi temple
4 ghost quarter
1 godless shrine
4 marsh flats
2 plains
2 shambling vent
2 swamp
1 urborg, tomb of yawgmoth
1 vault of the archangel
4 blight herder
3 reality smasher
4 thought-knot seer
3 wasteland strangler
Spells 21
1 oblivion ring
4 relic of progenitus
3 inquisition of kozilek
2 thoughtseize
4 lingering souls
1 sorin, solemn visitor
I think it could contest oblivion ring as a one of.
Pros
-Hits all the same targets as ORing
-Instant speed
-No risk of them getting the exiled target back.
Cons
-More color heavy
-Life cost
Worth a chance, but I would never run more than one.