Do you think maybe splashing white for displacer could be useful? Getting mull drifter or shriekmaw in on the cheap then blinking them so they stay around would allow you to emerge on the cheap from them in your opponents upkeep, or continue to blink them for value? Could also play training grounds for extra cute value. Could the mana base be stretched to Esper do you think? Could also allow for some solid sideboard options.
I put together a Kind of boros toolbox list featuring sigarda's aid, slayers late and lone rider and open the armory. The main problem I endountered in testing is the prevalence of removal and there being no way to give your creatures Hexproof. Sigarda's aid kind of makes your deck in instant speed boggle deck where you can use equipment at great value but if they board wipe or hit your creature with a murder or ruinous path. I thought maybe about building a Bant version with void grafter and Tierless tracker to refill? Can anyone else think of possible solutions to this problem?
Is this a legal way to stack? My understanding is that paying for the Elder Deep-fiend by sacrificing the matter reshaper with Kozilek's return in the grave yard means the tap down cast trigger of EDF, death trigger (as part of payment for casting EDF) of MR, and the on cast ability trigger of KR all happen simultaneously and I therefore can stack them how ever I want. Is that correct or am I missing something?
Also if I am incorrect, could someone explain what the stacking possibilities are from this combination of events? My aim is of course to resolve the Kozilek's return GY tigger before the matter reshaper death trigger so I can deal 5 to the board before revealing the top card of my library in case is a 3 drop creature as I don't want to kill that 3 drop creature with my own board wipe.
Looks like a fun list to play. Have you considered adding hedron crawler as a 2 drop/ramper? T3 thought-knot into t4 smasher could be a good backup in case the emerge plan is delayed. Also, what are your thoughts on wretched gryff?
R1 - Skred Red 2-0
R2 - Jund 2-0
R3 - Big Zoo 0-2 - Game 1 mull to 5 looking for acceleration. Game 2 didn't draw Languish, possibly should have mulliganed aggressively to find it?
I'm finding this deck to be very powerful but consistently showing weakness in creature heavy matchups. Anyone have any thoughts on how to make the deck more resilient to this?
From what I can gather from my testing the deck is weak to creature heavy matchups unless achieving a nut draw. Therefore I decided to continue testing with another update to the sideboard. The following 75 is what I'll test tomorrow:
My intention is to board out 2 Relic and 2 Thought-knot for 4 Languish in game 2 vs creature matchups. Languish I think is a better choice than Damnation as I can cast Deep fiend or Mindbender, languish the next turn and still have a 5 power creature on board. Will report.
Thanks @warmachineprime for the suggestions, I've tried ratchet bomb in previous decks and found it to sometimes be a little too slow against Merfolk unless you draw it in your opening hand? Have you found this too? Something else I picked up from your eldrazi Tron thread was the use of basilisk collar to try and gain enough life to stay alive while applying preasure with big creatures. Therefore I've adapted the sideboard to include Vampiric Link. The following list is what I will test next tournament (hopefully Friday). Will post follow up report.
This was the list I tested tonight. I moved the third Relic and two TKS to the side in order to make room for three more Matter reshaper. After I played a few games against Jund the other night I realized the importance of having removal resistant 3 drops to emerge off at 4 mana. Therefore Reshaper is perfect due to now having an improved mass of 3 drops totaling of 12. So if they remove a reshaper it either ramps ensuring an early Smasher or replaces itself with at best another 3 drop or at worst another card. With the higher amount of 3 drops it is suitable to go down a Relic as not as much recursion is required with Scourge. Moving the two TKS to the side was a tough choice, still not sure it's right, but with the 8 Emerge creatures essentially filling the 4 drop slot TKS nearly always ended up stuck in my hand diminishing in value over time. It's a great backup if the emerge plan goes wrong and you need a 4 drop though, and curving reshaper, into TKS into Smasher with acceleration is pretty sweet.
Tonight played in a Modern event at my local games store. Was on the draw every time. Results were interesting:
R1- Jund - 2-0 - not being able to remove my 3 drops at a profit allowed me to curve dead reshaper into revealed temple into smasher. Otherwise hand disruption and beat down worked great.
R2 - Merfolk - 0-2 - got thrashed by their nut draw game 1, game 2 mull to five.
R3 - Merfolk - 1-2 - game 1 I kept too slow a hand, they had a reasonable start and beat down, had to play a watery grave early and tried to race, but they were simply too fast and unblockable with island walk. Game 2 they had a slow start and I got to strip their hand and apply beats. Game 3 they pumped out three mutavaults,multiple Merfolk and a Kira, not being able to tap, block or remove their creatures with the sided in removal meant again I couldn't race.
R4 - Grixis Delver - 2-0 - comprehensive win game 1 deploying uncounterable threats and time walking/double thoughtsiezing. Game 2 ran out of gas after extending into removal and getting him down to 2. We both started top decking. The top decks in this deck are also pretty sweet.
These initial results suggest some things to me. That the deck seems strong against midrange fair decks. But an apparent weakness to low to the ground creature decks with evasion. It will be interesting to hopefully test against infect, affinity and burn. The Chalice in the side has as yet been unused. The poor matchup against Merfolk has me wondering about putting the Engineered Explosives back in the side and maybe even running a second, it can after all also be cast for three if a Gemstone Caverns is active.
Sideboard changes for a good defense against the agro creature matchup could be simply more removal; Dismember or Spatial Contortion?
Interesting build, ulamog's nullifier is awesome if you can reliably cast it on curve. Don't think there is enough processor synergies in my list to play it thoug. Maybe sideboard?
Cathodian looks interesting as well but my aim with the build isn't really around replacing the mana from emerging at the time, just emerge for value and tempo and overrun with powerful creatures.
Anyway, I'm hopefully going to get a chance to test at FNM tonight (in Australia). Have tested against some friends and it has been very impressive. Will update with a tournament report.
T1: Land + Serum Visions
T2: Eldrazi Temple + 3 drop creature
T3: Land + attack with 3 drop then Emerge (in second main phase if Distended Mindbender or in opponents upkeep if Elder-Deep Fiend tapping down their lands creating essentially a Time Walk)
T4: Land + Reality Smasher and attack for 10
T5: Setup for next emerge (ideally play relic, exile Eternal Scourge and cast) + attack
T6: Attack then Emerge etc.
An interesting thing to note is that being on the draw switches on your Gemstone Caverns allowing you to exile Eternal Scourge or a second copy of Gemstone Caverns to pay for it's cost. This may be a strong enough advantage to warrant choosing to go second if you win the die roll; if you get the gemstones in your opening hand you have mana acceleration as if you had gone first and you deny them a card while drawing one of your own. This is highly advantageous in a deck that plays 10 hand disruption spells (plus the potential of two cards discarded per Distended Mindbender) and allows you to dig an extra card helping your chances of hitting an early Eldrazi Temple. On top of this you have access to a land producing any color of mana that gives you sudo mana acceleration as if you had played a temple T1 on the draw. If you don't get Gemstone Caverns in your opening hand you still get an extra card, and I suspect the deck is fast enough to compete on the draw perfectly well.
Sideboard Guide:
Main deck Relic against graveyard decks, snapcaster and Jund.
Main deck Discard and Chalice in the side to fight fast decks like Infect, Burn and Zoo.
Chalice and stubborn denial to break up combo.
Hurkyl's recall against affinity.
Spreading seas against Tron and Eldrazi.
Engineered Explosives against Merfolk, Elves and Tokens.
Warping Wail is a good multi purpose tool against combo and small creatures, can also ramp you if needed.
Went 4-0 with the following list last night at LGS.
Round 1 vs Infect : 2-1 - lost to blighted agent and pump spells hitting me for 12 poison all at once. Won with chalice for 1 in one game and mapping for GQ to deal with ink moth in the other.
Round 2 vs Delver : 2-0 - Spot removal and then beat down got me through both games. Didn't side in chalice in either game but probably will next time.
Round 3 vs Burn : 2-0 - Not a conventional burn build, lots of elemental's that hit for 3 and then get sacrificed at end of turn, also playing Bloodchief Ascension. Used spot removal on his swift spears and block/beat down with reshaper/smasher. Game 2 chalice for 1.
Round 4 vs U/w/r control : 2-1 Game loss cos I got too greedy and swung with smasher to force lethal the next turn, forgot about fumarole, dead on the crack back. Both wins were from reasonably long games, which was good for me. World breaker blocks restoration angle and kills colenade very well and dropping Ulamogs with chalice on 1 to shut down path is a fun play
Looking forward to testing with Emrakul, the promised end. Thinking she might be good as an alternative threat when playing against a deck running path. turn 1 map, turn 2 crack map. Turn 3 achieve Tron - play all is dust. Turn 4 play second tower and drop Emrekul for 10. Not Sure if that's better than just dropping Ulamog t4 though?
Maybe also combo with Ugin's Nexus and sanctum of Ugin to chain New Emrekuls for constant mindslaver?
Interested to see if there will be other toys for us coming over the next week.
This is the list I'm going to try next week. Tried a GW Eldrazi build this week but prefer the colorless drive.
Not sure about the number of Ratchet bombs mainboard.
Thinking of changing:
Had some conjecture about this last night wondering if someone could please help to clarify.
If Kozilek's return is in the graveyard and I cast an elder deep-fiend emerging it by sacrificing a matter reshaper am I able to stack the following triggers like this:
elder deep-fiend tap four permanents cast tigger resolves
Kozilek's return ability trigger resolves wiping the board
Then the matter reshaper death trigger resolves and reveals a 3 drop creature which etb
Then Elder Deep-fiend etb
Is this a legal way to stack? My understanding is that paying for the Elder Deep-fiend by sacrificing the matter reshaper with Kozilek's return in the grave yard means the tap down cast trigger of EDF, death trigger (as part of payment for casting EDF) of MR, and the on cast ability trigger of KR all happen simultaneously and I therefore can stack them how ever I want. Is that correct or am I missing something?
Also if I am incorrect, could someone explain what the stacking possibilities are from this combination of events? My aim is of course to resolve the Kozilek's return GY tigger before the matter reshaper death trigger so I can deal 5 to the board before revealing the top card of my library in case is a 3 drop creature as I don't want to kill that 3 drop creature with my own board wipe.
Thanks greatly.
Couldn't test early last week but got to test at FNM last night. Only six people for modern as today is game day so only played 3 rounds.
I made some small adjustments to the sideboard again before the tournament:
3 Chalice of the void
2 Hurkyl's recall
2 Spellskite
2 Stubborn Denial
1 Negate
1 Relic of Progenitus
Results - 2-1
R1 - Skred Red 2-0
R2 - Jund 2-0
R3 - Big Zoo 0-2 - Game 1 mull to 5 looking for acceleration. Game 2 didn't draw Languish, possibly should have mulliganed aggressively to find it?
I'm finding this deck to be very powerful but consistently showing weakness in creature heavy matchups. Anyone have any thoughts on how to make the deck more resilient to this?
Cheers
3-1 overall
R1 - Jund 2-0
R2 - UW Controll 2-1
R3 - RUG Delver 2-1
R3 - Big Zoo 0-2
From what I can gather from my testing the deck is weak to creature heavy matchups unless achieving a nut draw. Therefore I decided to continue testing with another update to the sideboard. The following 75 is what I'll test tomorrow:
4 Eldrazi Skyspawner
4 Eternal Scourge
4 Matter Reshaper
2 Thought-Knot Seer
4 Reality Smasher
4 Distended Mindbender
4 Elder Deep-Fiend
Instant/Sorcery (8)
4 Serum Visions
2 Dismember
2 Collective Brutality
2 Relic of Progenitus
Lands (24)
4 Gemstone Caverns
4 Cavern of Souls
4 Eldrazi Temple
4 Underground River
4 Watery Grave
2 Polluted Delta
1 Island
1 Swamp
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Languish
3 Hurkyl's Recall
3 Stubborn Denial
1 Relic of Progenitus
My intention is to board out 2 Relic and 2 Thought-knot for 4 Languish in game 2 vs creature matchups. Languish I think is a better choice than Damnation as I can cast Deep fiend or Mindbender, languish the next turn and still have a 5 power creature on board. Will report.
4 Eldrazi Skyspawner
4 Eternal Scourge
4 Matter Reshaper
2 Thought-Knot Seer
4 Reality Smasher
4 Distended Mindbender
4 Elder Deep-Fiend
Instant/Sorcery (8)
4 Serum Visions
2 Dismember
2 Collective Brutality
2 Relic of Progenitus
Lands (24)
4 Gemstone Caverns
4 Cavern of Souls
4 Eldrazi Temple
4 Underground River
4 Watery Grave
2 Polluted Delta
1 Island
1 Swamp
3 Chalice of the Void
3 Hurkyl's Recall
3 Vampiric Link
2 Stubborn Denial
2 Warping Wail
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Relic of Progenitus
4 Eldrazi Skyspawner
4 Eternal Scourge
4 Matter Reshaper
2 Thought-Knot Seer
4 Reality Smasher
4 Distended Mindbender
4 Elder Deep-Fiend
Instant/Sorcery (8)
4 Serum Visions
2 Dismember
2 Collective Brutality
2 Relic of Progenitus
Lands (24)
4 Gemstone Caverns
4 Cavern of Souls
4 Eldrazi Temple
4 Underground River
4 Watery Grave
2 Polluted Delta
1 Island
1 Swamp
4 Chalice of the Void
3 Stubborn Denial
3 Hurkyl's Recall
2 Thought-Knot Seer
2 Warping Wail
1 Relic of Progenitus
This was the list I tested tonight. I moved the third Relic and two TKS to the side in order to make room for three more Matter reshaper. After I played a few games against Jund the other night I realized the importance of having removal resistant 3 drops to emerge off at 4 mana. Therefore Reshaper is perfect due to now having an improved mass of 3 drops totaling of 12. So if they remove a reshaper it either ramps ensuring an early Smasher or replaces itself with at best another 3 drop or at worst another card. With the higher amount of 3 drops it is suitable to go down a Relic as not as much recursion is required with Scourge. Moving the two TKS to the side was a tough choice, still not sure it's right, but with the 8 Emerge creatures essentially filling the 4 drop slot TKS nearly always ended up stuck in my hand diminishing in value over time. It's a great backup if the emerge plan goes wrong and you need a 4 drop though, and curving reshaper, into TKS into Smasher with acceleration is pretty sweet.
Tonight played in a Modern event at my local games store. Was on the draw every time. Results were interesting:
R1- Jund - 2-0 - not being able to remove my 3 drops at a profit allowed me to curve dead reshaper into revealed temple into smasher. Otherwise hand disruption and beat down worked great.
R2 - Merfolk - 0-2 - got thrashed by their nut draw game 1, game 2 mull to five.
R3 - Merfolk - 1-2 - game 1 I kept too slow a hand, they had a reasonable start and beat down, had to play a watery grave early and tried to race, but they were simply too fast and unblockable with island walk. Game 2 they had a slow start and I got to strip their hand and apply beats. Game 3 they pumped out three mutavaults,multiple Merfolk and a Kira, not being able to tap, block or remove their creatures with the sided in removal meant again I couldn't race.
R4 - Grixis Delver - 2-0 - comprehensive win game 1 deploying uncounterable threats and time walking/double thoughtsiezing. Game 2 ran out of gas after extending into removal and getting him down to 2. We both started top decking. The top decks in this deck are also pretty sweet.
These initial results suggest some things to me. That the deck seems strong against midrange fair decks. But an apparent weakness to low to the ground creature decks with evasion. It will be interesting to hopefully test against infect, affinity and burn. The Chalice in the side has as yet been unused. The poor matchup against Merfolk has me wondering about putting the Engineered Explosives back in the side and maybe even running a second, it can after all also be cast for three if a Gemstone Caverns is active.
Sideboard changes for a good defense against the agro creature matchup could be simply more removal; Dismember or Spatial Contortion?
Feedback welcome.
Cathodian looks interesting as well but my aim with the build isn't really around replacing the mana from emerging at the time, just emerge for value and tempo and overrun with powerful creatures.
Anyway, I'm hopefully going to get a chance to test at FNM tonight (in Australia). Have tested against some friends and it has been very impressive. Will update with a tournament report.
4 Eldrazi Skyspawner
4 Eternal Scourge
1 Matter Reshaper
4 Thought-Knot Seer
4 Reality Smasher
4 Distended Mindbender
4 Elder Deep-Fiend
Instant/Sorcery (8)
4 Serum Visions
2 Dismember
2 Collective Brutality
3 Relic of Progenitus
Lands (24)
4 Gemstone Caverns
4 Cavern of Souls
4 Eldrazi Temple
4 Underground River
4 Watery Grave
2 Polluted Delta
1 Island
1 Swamp
4 Chalice of the Void
3 Stubborn Denial
3 Hurkyl's Recall
2 Spreading Seas
2 Warping Wail
1 Engineered Explosives
With the release of Eldritch moon came some very powerful new Eldrazi. This deck combines three of these; two Eldrazi with emerge (Elder Deep-Fiend and Distended Mindbender) and Eternal Scourge that when combined with Relic of Progenitus can act as a kind of unconditional Nether Spirit for 3 generic mana.
(Ideal) Game Plan:
T1: Land + Serum Visions
T2: Eldrazi Temple + 3 drop creature
T3: Land + attack with 3 drop then Emerge (in second main phase if Distended Mindbender or in opponents upkeep if Elder-Deep Fiend tapping down their lands creating essentially a Time Walk)
T4: Land + Reality Smasher and attack for 10
T5: Setup for next emerge (ideally play relic, exile Eternal Scourge and cast) + attack
T6: Attack then Emerge etc.
Unwanted copies of Gemstone Caverns can be scry'd away with Serum Visions or pitched to Collective Brutality.
An interesting thing to note is that being on the draw switches on your Gemstone Caverns allowing you to exile Eternal Scourge or a second copy of Gemstone Caverns to pay for it's cost. This may be a strong enough advantage to warrant choosing to go second if you win the die roll; if you get the gemstones in your opening hand you have mana acceleration as if you had gone first and you deny them a card while drawing one of your own. This is highly advantageous in a deck that plays 10 hand disruption spells (plus the potential of two cards discarded per Distended Mindbender) and allows you to dig an extra card helping your chances of hitting an early Eldrazi Temple. On top of this you have access to a land producing any color of mana that gives you sudo mana acceleration as if you had played a temple T1 on the draw. If you don't get Gemstone Caverns in your opening hand you still get an extra card, and I suspect the deck is fast enough to compete on the draw perfectly well.
Sideboard Guide:
Main deck Relic against graveyard decks, snapcaster and Jund.
Main deck Discard and Chalice in the side to fight fast decks like Infect, Burn and Zoo.
Chalice and stubborn denial to break up combo.
Hurkyl's recall against affinity.
Spreading seas against Tron and Eldrazi.
Engineered Explosives against Merfolk, Elves and Tokens.
Warping Wail is a good multi purpose tool against combo and small creatures, can also ramp you if needed.
----------------------------------------------
Updated Lists:
Modern Challenge #11774980, (6-1) by sheastrausman (SheaMTG)
Format: Modern
Jan 19, 2019
https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1594664#paper
Round 1 vs Infect : 2-1 - lost to blighted agent and pump spells hitting me for 12 poison all at once. Won with chalice for 1 in one game and mapping for GQ to deal with ink moth in the other.
Round 2 vs Delver : 2-0 - Spot removal and then beat down got me through both games. Didn't side in chalice in either game but probably will next time.
Round 3 vs Burn : 2-0 - Not a conventional burn build, lots of elemental's that hit for 3 and then get sacrificed at end of turn, also playing Bloodchief Ascension. Used spot removal on his swift spears and block/beat down with reshaper/smasher. Game 2 chalice for 1.
Round 4 vs U/w/r control : 2-1 Game loss cos I got too greedy and swung with smasher to force lethal the next turn, forgot about fumarole, dead on the crack back. Both wins were from reasonably long games, which was good for me. World breaker blocks restoration angle and kills colenade very well and dropping Ulamogs with chalice on 1 to shut down path is a fun play
Looking forward to testing with Emrakul, the promised end. Thinking she might be good as an alternative threat when playing against a deck running path. turn 1 map, turn 2 crack map. Turn 3 achieve Tron - play all is dust. Turn 4 play second tower and drop Emrekul for 10. Not Sure if that's better than just dropping Ulamog t4 though?
Maybe also combo with Ugin's Nexus and sanctum of Ugin to chain New Emrekuls for constant mindslaver?
Interested to see if there will be other toys for us coming over the next week.
Also got 2x Ugin, the spirit dragon on the way in the mail, maybe 1 main and 1 side?
Cheers.
4 Eldrazi Temple
4 Urza's Tower
4 Urza's Mine
4 Urza's Power Plant
3 Cavern of Souls
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Sanctum of Ugin
1 Wastes
2 Forest
Creatures: 24
4 Matter Reshaper
4 Thought-Knot Seer
4 Reality Smasher
4 Endbringer
4 Endless One
2 World Breaker
2 Ulamog, the Ceasless Hunger
2 All Is Dust
2 Dismember
2 Spatial Contortion
Artifacts: 6
4 Expedition Map
2 Ratchet Bomb
4 Chalice of the Void
2 Gut Shot
3 Relic of Progenitus
3 Warping Wail
2 Pithing Needle
1 Ratchet Bomb
Went 3-1 with this list the other night.
Loss to boggles, got flooded.
Steamrolled elves which was a relief. Main deck sweepers were crucial in this.