I'm considering dropping the 3rd Falkenrath and another card for 2 copies of Drana, Liberator of Malakir to help with going wide. I'd want 22-23 lands if I'm adding more 3-drops. 21 Lands is working fine for the moment, and I'm able to drop 1-2 creatures per turn most of the time.
The Blood Artists will be replaced with Zulaport Cutthroats as soon as they are available to me. This deck is aggro in focus, as opposed to the more combo/control variants I've been seeing. I drop humans to either sac to Falkenrath, sac to deal damage with Zulaport Cutthroat, or boost Champion of the Parish. Thraben Doomsayer is a tech choice I'm personally fond of, as it can either drop a Human each turn for saccing/boosting, or it can help with a late game comeback once Fateful Hour is triggered. Grand Abolisher is in the deck because it prevents my opponent from interfering with my sac outlets before at least a turn has past, or before I've gotten at least one attack in with Falkenrath Aristocrat. He's also a Human for further synergy with the deck. I'm considering trying to find a way to jam in Nearheath Pilgrim, for lifelink that i can bond to any of my threats.
I'm pretty unsure of my side at the moment. I added in Blood Baron back when Podless Pod and other Abzan aggro decks were becoming popular, but with the rise of Grixis, I'm unsure if it's worth the slot at 5CMC. I'm also unsure as to whether I should side Kataki or Stony Silence for the Affinity matchup. I rarely side into Terminate, with 4 Paths and 4 Bolts usually doing the trick for removal of common threats. Helix is a remnant from when I was running Bobs and needed more lifegain, but I'm not sure what to switch it for.
My big issue with Ankle Shanker is indeed that it fails the bolt test. I'm currently testing Bow of Nylea, though requiring 2 green mana really hurts it for this deck. I just slotted it in for an Atarka's Command and a Mogg War Marshal. The Command moved to the SB in place of a Rending Volley for the moment.
Mainboard-wise, it's running pretty consistently. I don't get why people seem to be semi-hating on Piledriver, though. He's better in the 2-drop slot then pretty much everything out there, except maybe Warren Instigator. I treat him as more of a bonus card than something i rely on, using him to bait out bolts and removal. If he survives, it makes the plays better, if not, it's one less burn on me, or it's one removal down.
My one wish is for an effective way to give deathtouch. Ankleshanker is almost worth it to me, I just wish he had 4 toughness :/
Then what should I play as an alternative? Vexing Devil since it swings for 4 or does 4?
I have a list of around 10-15 different options, those 4 seemed the most promising. Then again, this is going to be my first modern deck, as I usually play EDH.
I was messing around with the Varolz package, and realized I only used the Death's Shadow because it was a 1-drop. Varolz never was on the field at the right time to scavenge, so I felt like I should drop it. I ended up trading in the Shadows for Death Cultist. How has he not been brought up? It's a 1-drop that lets you sac for a ping while giving you a life. It's not game breaking, but it helps brings out vengevine while letting you chump-block and ping for 1.
Here's my list at the moment:
Land (21)
2x Blackcleave Cliffs
1x Blood Crypt
2x Bloodstained Mire
2x Copperline Gorge
2x Forest
1x Mountain
3x Overgrown Tomb
1x Stomping Ground
2x Swamp
1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
3x Verdant Catacombs
1x Wooded Foothills
Creature (27)
3x Birds of Paradise
2x Bloodghast
4x Death Cultist
3x Fauna Shaman
4x Gravecrawler
4x Lotleth Troll
3x Satyr Wayfinder
4x Vengevine
Sorcery (4)
4x Faithless Looting
Instant (8)
2x Abrupt Decay
3x Grisly Salvage
3x Murderous Cut
Sideboard (14)
2x Abrupt Decay
2x Ancient Grudge
2x Darkblast
2x Golgari Charm
4x Inquisition of Kozilek
3x Surgical Extraction
And I'm thinking of dropping the 2 remaining Bloodghasts and a single Death Cultist to run 3 of one of the following:
Vexing Imp - Another 4/3 my opponent has to deal with. I also don't mind if they decide to take 4, too.
Mistcutter Hydra - I can cast for a single green to help bring out vengevine, or if i have mana to spare it gives me a hasty creature that can't be countered or vapor snag'd
Hex Parasite - Because Planeswalkers irk me.
2x Blade of the Bloodchief
Lands:
1x Arid Mesa
2x Blackcleave Cliffs
1x Blood Crypt
4x Bloodstained Mire
2x Godless Shrine
1x Isolated Chapel
1x Marsh Flats
1x Mountain
2x Plains
2x Sacred Foundry
2x Shambling Vent
1x Slayers' Stronghold
1x Swamp
4x Bloodsoaked Champion
2x Cartel Aristocrat
4x Champion of the Parish
4x Doomed Traveler
3x Falkenrath Aristocrat
2x Grand Abolisher
1x Liliana, Heretical Healer
3x Zulaport Cutthroat
2x Tymaret, the Murder King
1x Kolaghan's Command
4x Lightning Bolt
4x Path to Exile
1x Rally the Ancestors
Sorceries:
2x Lingering Souls
I'm considering dropping the 3rd Falkenrath and another card for 2 copies of Drana, Liberator of Malakir to help with going wide. I'd want 22-23 lands if I'm adding more 3-drops. 21 Lands is working fine for the moment, and I'm able to drop 1-2 creatures per turn most of the time.
4 Falkenrath Aristocrat
4 Monastery Swiftspear
2 Cartel Aristocrat
1 Thraben Doomsayer
4 Bloodsoaked Champion
4 Champion of the Parish
2 Blood Artist
2 Grand Abolisher
Artifacts:
2 Blade of the Bloodchief
Instants:
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Path to Exile
1 Kolaghan's Command
4 Lingering Souls
Lands:
1 Arid Mesa
4 Bloodstained Mire
1 Marsh Flats
2 Slayers' Stronghold
1 Mountain
3 Plains
1 Swamp
3 Sacred Foundry
1 Blood Crypt
2 Godless Shrine
2 Blackcleave Cliffs
1 Isolated Chapel
2 Zealous Persecution
2 Terminate
1 Blood Baron of Vizkopa
1 Kolaghan's Command
2 Lightning Helix
2 Pithing Needle
2 Extirpate
1 Olivia Voldaren
2 Kataki, War's Wage
The Blood Artists will be replaced with Zulaport Cutthroats as soon as they are available to me. This deck is aggro in focus, as opposed to the more combo/control variants I've been seeing. I drop humans to either sac to Falkenrath, sac to deal damage with Zulaport Cutthroat, or boost Champion of the Parish. Thraben Doomsayer is a tech choice I'm personally fond of, as it can either drop a Human each turn for saccing/boosting, or it can help with a late game comeback once Fateful Hour is triggered. Grand Abolisher is in the deck because it prevents my opponent from interfering with my sac outlets before at least a turn has past, or before I've gotten at least one attack in with Falkenrath Aristocrat. He's also a Human for further synergy with the deck. I'm considering trying to find a way to jam in Nearheath Pilgrim, for lifelink that i can bond to any of my threats.
I'm pretty unsure of my side at the moment. I added in Blood Baron back when Podless Pod and other Abzan aggro decks were becoming popular, but with the rise of Grixis, I'm unsure if it's worth the slot at 5CMC. I'm also unsure as to whether I should side Kataki or Stony Silence for the Affinity matchup. I rarely side into Terminate, with 4 Paths and 4 Bolts usually doing the trick for removal of common threats. Helix is a remnant from when I was running Bobs and needed more lifegain, but I'm not sure what to switch it for.
Thoughts/advice?
4x Goblin Bushwhacker
2x Goblin Chieftain
4x Goblin Guide
4x Goblin Piledriver
4x Legion Loyalist
2x Mogg Fanatic
2x Mogg War Marshal
3x Raging Goblin
Instants
4x Atarka's Command
4x Lightning Bolt
4x Goblin Grenade
3x Krenko's Command
Lands
2x Cavern of Souls
4x Copperline Gorge
1x Forest
6x Mountain
2x Stomping Ground
3x Wooded Foothills
2x Engineered Explosives
2x Grafdigger's Cage
2x Torpor Orb
2x Goblin King
3x Blood Moon
2x Rending Volley
2x Smash to Smithereens
I'm considering changing out the Goblin Kings/Blood Moons in the side for 2 Molten Rain/2 Sowing Salt/1 Mass Hysteria.
Mainboard-wise, it's running pretty consistently. I don't get why people seem to be semi-hating on Piledriver, though. He's better in the 2-drop slot then pretty much everything out there, except maybe Warren Instigator. I treat him as more of a bonus card than something i rely on, using him to bait out bolts and removal. If he survives, it makes the plays better, if not, it's one less burn on me, or it's one removal down.
My one wish is for an effective way to give deathtouch. Ankleshanker is almost worth it to me, I just wish he had 4 toughness :/
Few things give me as much joy as throwing one down while my opponent has a non-evasive fatty and daring him to swing.
It also helps in control/white weenie matchups where my opponent has hex-proof, since I can target him with burn to try and get it through.
That's enough to keep a Vengevine from getting Bolted.
I have a list of around 10-15 different options, those 4 seemed the most promising. Then again, this is going to be my first modern deck, as I usually play EDH.
Here's my list at the moment:
Land (21)
2x Blackcleave Cliffs
1x Blood Crypt
2x Bloodstained Mire
2x Copperline Gorge
2x Forest
1x Mountain
3x Overgrown Tomb
1x Stomping Ground
2x Swamp
1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
3x Verdant Catacombs
1x Wooded Foothills
Creature (27)
3x Birds of Paradise
2x Bloodghast
4x Death Cultist
3x Fauna Shaman
4x Gravecrawler
4x Lotleth Troll
3x Satyr Wayfinder
4x Vengevine
Sorcery (4)
4x Faithless Looting
Instant (8)
2x Abrupt Decay
3x Grisly Salvage
3x Murderous Cut
Sideboard (14)
2x Abrupt Decay
2x Ancient Grudge
2x Darkblast
2x Golgari Charm
4x Inquisition of Kozilek
3x Surgical Extraction
And I'm thinking of dropping the 2 remaining Bloodghasts and a single Death Cultist to run 3 of one of the following:
Vexing Imp - Another 4/3 my opponent has to deal with. I also don't mind if they decide to take 4, too.
Mistcutter Hydra - I can cast for a single green to help bring out vengevine, or if i have mana to spare it gives me a hasty creature that can't be countered or vapor snag'd
Hex Parasite - Because Planeswalkers irk me.
Does anyone have advice for me?