I'll be playing this at GP Tampa. I remember there being a sideboard guide posted here, is there an updated version of the guide? and any advice on beating Death shadow.
That's a very interesting list @123shumpy. It's cool to see people having success with non-Todd lists.
I noticed you have Sword of Feast and Famine in the board. I was thinking about trying Sword of Light and Shadow, may pick one up soon. I want it for my Commander deck anyway, so it wouldn't be a waste if I don't end up liking it in the deck.
The sword intrigued me as well and got me wondering; @123shumpy how has the sword been coming out of the SB?
Its been decent overall, you can put it on the battlefield off a matter reshaper trigger it stops goyfs and death shadows and is hand disruption. The issue is that it can be slow and dies to K comand and abrupt decay but its definitely worth testing.
I was the guy with the foil eldrazi tron deck and the "A" hat in case some of you saw me.
I talked with you extensively both day 1 and day 2 about your list. After some more grinding, I'm seeing more and more that Kolaghan's Command being a huge part of the format hurts the poor angel, but the number of games it just completely wins more than justifies it in my opinion.
I agree, K command does hurt but angel wins so many games.
So I played in Charlotte open and went 6-3 losing my win and in in the last round to storm.
RD 1: Vs. Bant spirits (L)
Game 1 He had enough flying pressure to race me and won. Game 2 I beat him with Reality smasher and
TKS. Game 3 he was able to flash in Mausoleum Wanderer and counter my All is dust.
RD 2: Vs. Bring to light scapeshift (L)
Game 1 I was able to counter his scapeshift with warping wail and kill him the turn after he cast it. In games 2 and 3 He cast scapeshift and I wasn't able to counter it.
RD 4: Vs. vizier coco (W)
We only played 1 game because it took so long. Basically he gained 4 billion life and said "I don't think you can deal this much damage" I told him that I didn't have to, I killed all of his Vizier of Remedies/card] so he was unable to shoot me to death with walking ballista and then I castulamog, the ceasless hunger and milled him, he was very salty.
RD 5: Vs. Storm (W)
Game 1 My opponent goes off on turn 3 and makes 11 tokens and grapeshots me for 4 the following turn I cast all is dust with natural tron. After that he plays a Baral and I proceed to beat him with reality smasher. Game 2 I play a chalice of the void on 1 and he was unable to overcome it.
RD 6: Vs. GR madcap experiment / land destruction (W)
Game 1 He crushed me with turn 2 and 3 stone rain and then played a stormbreath dragon. Games 2 and 3 were close but I was able to stabilize with batterskull and wurmcoil engine.
RD 8: Vs. Abzan (W)
This was probably the easiest match, very straightforward.
RD 9: VS. Storm (L)
I face someone who plays at my local, I was able to counter his first past in flmaes with warping wail and still died the following turn. Game 2 I cast chalice of the void on 1. The following turn he cast shatterstorm and goes off.
I added nephalia academy specially for this tournament and it was decent overall. I still main deck hangarback walker it is consistently great. Im still playing conduit of ruin in conjunction with ulamog, the ceaseless hunger and platinum angel. I recently went up to a 2nd copy of all is dust in the main in place of Ulamog which has been great. Platinum angel
is still great and im glad that theres a copy of it in Greg Gentiles' list who came in 5th. I've been playing westvale abbey for months now and it's great. Its one of the best lands we have access to, it allows you to make a creature every turn and you don't need hangarback walker
for it to be good the 1/1s will block for days and can even be aggressive. I think people are to focused on flipping it and making ormendahl instead of using its first ability and making a army of 1/1s which is huge, also there will be times where you will crack your expedition map on end step for westvale abbey and kill them the following turn with your flying 9/7 hasty demon. tomb of the spirit dragon is still very good in a variety of situations and has saved me many times. I was the guy with the foil eldrazi tron deck and the "A" hat in case some of you saw me.
As for SB, check out what many are posting up and then decide what is best for your meta. You will want some combo of Pithing Needle, Ratchet Bombs, Surgical Extraction and Relics, everything else is "flavor to taste".
I agree that 5 green spells is far too many and playing star/ sphere is not good. Im also not a fan of World breaker. In my experience 3 ancient stirrings is the sweet spot. My draws may just be really good but stirrings has been really good for me. Its literally the best cantrip in the entire format and continues to work.
Don't worry, I'm not going to run that list I posted. I wish I could just flat swap Breaker for Deceiver of Form and call it a day. A 7 cmc Eldrazi is VERY relevant in a list that runs Conduit of Ruin as you cannot always just rip Ulamog and cast it. Again I feel a lot of people are missing the boat on Conduit into Ulamog. Ulamog finishes games. Turn 3 Conduit into turn 4 Ulamog is backbreaking. And yes I've done it several games. Conduit into Deceiver of Form isn't that great, but just acceptable due to its Scry 1 effect. Conduit into Breaker killing a land or artifact, with reach can be far more punitive and protective than Deceiver. I'm just about to switch over to Platinum Angel or Sundering Titan in place of Deceiver. Guess I need to test them.
I agree, that a lot of people are definitely missing out by not playing Conduit of ruin. Conduit into Ulamog is usually a game ender and getting Platinum Angel wins you games that you wouldn't otherwise win. Angel is solid and requires an answer. It's extremely satisfying to play it against burn or elves or zoo, the look on people's face when you cast it is worth it alone lol. Also I still suggest tomb of the Spirit Dragon as a means of life gain, It gives you more options in combat and helps offset the life loss from dismember.
G splash may need to be addressed in another thread, especially if it gets into RG splash. I wish we had a G splash sub thread to this one to discuss just those builds.
My concerns are what have already been stated. How can you splash 4 or 5 G spells with only 4 sources of G in the deck (maybe 6 total sources with Chromatic Sphere)? There are going to be hands where you are sitting on a World Breaker and a Stirrings and a hand full of Tron Lands or <> lands. That is bad news.
I have been dying to use World Breaker with Conduit of Ruin in my list. 1 Ulamog and 1 Breaker with 2 Conduits seems good for my list. I would want 3 or 4 Stirrings then. At 4 or 5 spells with a requirement of G mana I am going to have to heavily rework my mana base or pull all 4 Chalice for 4 Spheres. Reliably casting Stirrings is going to take a major revamp of the Colorless EldraziTron mana base or alter it with a bunch of Eggs. I say if you want to do it fine. I just think we need a sub-thread for it.
If I were to go G splash I think my list would change to this…
I agree that 5 green spells is far too many and playing star/ sphere is not good. Im also not a fan of World breaker. In my experience 3 ancient stirrings is the sweet spot. My draws may just be really good but stirrings has been really good for me. Its literally the best cantrip in the entire format and continues to work.
My list also plays 3 ancient stirrings, Having access to the best cantrip in modern is awesome although I think 4 is too many. I don't play any chromatic sphere because we want to stay aggressive and those 4 slots should be used for more gas. I play 3 karplusan forest and 1 basic forest. karplusan forest allows us to play kozilek's return which hoses affinity and elves which helps a lot in addition to walking ballista. Also I dont think we wanna be on world breaker. Karn is just better.
How do you reliably cast Ancient Stirrings with only 4 sources of green in your entire deck?
Between 4 expedition mapand ghost quarter + people using path to exile on our creatures I cast it reliably. Now that being said I only play 3 and its not like my game plan is to durdle which is why I don't like chromatic sphere / star. Playing more than 3 green cards in this deck is not good. I agree that playing star / sphere in this deck is wrong but if people want to experiment let them. People should feel free to innovate.
Been following this forum, thanks for all the ideas i get from all.
Again this talk, but is anyone still testing a light green splash?
I'm still only managed to test few games online, but the ability for ancient stirrings to fetch any threat is amazing. switched the chalices for 4 spheres, they're better late game and the mana fixing is easy. In some games there's no need for the green, so all works like regular Eldra Tron, in other games the splash grants victory out of nowhere.
I'm not trying to switch many cards, since i really hate playing regular GB or RG Tron, so here's my list:
My list also plays 3 ancient stirrings, Having access to the best cantrip in modern is awesome although I think 4 is too many. I don't play any chromatic sphere because we want to stay aggressive and those 4 slots should be used for more gas. I play 3 karplusan forest and 1 basic forest. karplusan forest allows us to play kozilek's return which hoses affinity and elves which helps a lot in addition to walking ballista. Also I dont think we wanna be on world breaker. Karn is just better.
This variation of Tron is becoming the most popular among those that plays Tron in my area. Colorless Eldrazi Tron is quite good in not needing another color to go forward in being able to play. Are there any color varieties of Eldrazi Tron that has been doing well lately?
Yes, I splash green/red for 3 ancient stirrings in the main and kozilek's return in the side. I consistently go 3-1 or better with my build.
"that has been doing well lately" = bigger tournaments.. Not small FNMs
After the "troll" ..
I played in a GPT today. For first time in like forever, the deck played fair all the games. It was a little wierd and a little fun to play the deck like that. I had no OP hands and no OP starts. Lost in top 8 to UW control 1-2.
What did I learn? That it is pretty hard to make a good sideboard when there are so many good decks in Modern. Every good deck in Modern were to that tournament.
I have boarded all the cards tpday, but almost never drew any of them. Only Surgical did I see in all the games that I boarded them in.
I don't even know if I like the sideboard. I like all the cards! But you never know what decks you are going to face.
I moved my 4 Chaclice from SB to main this morning, and even after I have played vs 2 Jund Death Shadow decks today, I think that they have to stay in the SB atm imo.
I just top 8 a 103 person local modern event, not just FNM. It has "done well lately" for me the person playing it
This variation of Tron is becoming the most popular among those that plays Tron in my area. Colorless Eldrazi Tron is quite good in not needing another color to go forward in being able to play. Are there any color varieties of Eldrazi Tron that has been doing well lately?
Yes, I splash green/red for 3 ancient stirrings in the main and kozilek's return in the side. I consistently go 3-1 or better with my build.
I completely agree about not needing Chalice. Trinisphere is an interesting card. Going down that path, I wonder if something like Thorn of Amethyst or Lodestone Golem would be decent against combo decks?
I've considered lodestone golem but I feel there is no room for it. I'm a fan of thorn of amethyst in a combo heavy meta but it may be awkward in conjunction with your other hate cards.
This is that I top 8 with. I still love hangarback walker because it always gives me value and for that reason i'm playing a 2-2 split between it and walking ballista. For all new players that want to play this deck I firmly believe that you don't need chalice of the voidat all. If you don't have or don't want to pay for chalice I suggest playing trinisphere its far cheaper and has a similar effect on the overall game. People can play around chalice of the void but people can't play around trinisphere. Obviously trinisphere is slower than chalice of the void unless your run simian spirit guide but it can be just as effective.
4 urza's mine
4 urza's power plant
4 eldrazi temple
2 ghost quarter
2 wastes
1 Scavenger grounds
1 Sanctum of ugin
1 westvale abbey
1 Cavern of souls
Creatures
4 walking ballista
3 matter reshaper
4 thought-knot seer
4 reality smasher
2 endbringer
1 ulamog, the ceaseless hunger
2 wurmcoil engine
2 simian spirit guide
4 chalice of the void
2 dismember
2 All is dust
1 batterskull
1 basilisk collar
2 ratchet bomb
2 warping wail
2 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Hangarback Walker
1 relic of progenitus
1 basilisk collar
1 Ugin, the spirit dragon
1 Oblivion stone
1 Trinisphere
1 Ravenous trap
1 Dismember
My current list.
2 explore
4 search for tomorrow
3 lightning bolt
3 farseek
2 summoner's pact
2 scapeshift
2 chandra, torch of defiance
1 anger of the gods
1 sweltering suns
1 madcap experiment
4 simian spirit guide
4 sakura-tribe elder
4 primeval titan
2 inferno titan
1 platinum emperion
Lands
8 mountain
5 forest
4 wooded foothills
3 valakut, the molten pinnacle
2 sheltered thicket
2 stomping ground
3 obstinate baloth
2 carnage tyrant
2 damping sphere
2 by force
1 spellbreaker behemoth
1 ruric thar, the unbowed
1 hour of devastation
1 eternal witness
2 relic of progenitus
Its been decent overall, you can put it on the battlefield off a matter reshaper trigger it stops goyfs and death shadows and is hand disruption. The issue is that it can be slow and dies to K comand and abrupt decay but its definitely worth testing.
I agree, K command does hurt but angel wins so many games.
This is my list from the open. I picked up another chalice while I was there so I may play them in the main.
4 urza's tower
4 urza's mine
4 urza's power plant
4 eldrazi temple
2 ghost quarter
2 wastes
1 tomb of the spirit dragon
1 Nephalia academy
1 westvale abbey
1 Sea gate wreckage
Creatures
3 walking ballista
2 hangarback walker
4 matter reshaper
4 thought-knot seer
4 reality smasher
2 endbringer
1 ulamog, the ceaseless hunger
1 conduit of ruin
1 platinum angel
3 dismember
2 batterskull
2 warping wail
2 all is dust
1 karn liberated
1 basilisk collar
3 ratchet bomb
2 chalice of the void
2 surgical extraction
2 relic of progenitus
1 ulamog, the ceaseless hunger
1 wurmcoil engine
1 basilisk collar
1 warping wail
1 pithing needle
1 sword of feast and famine
RD 1: Vs. Bant spirits (L)
Game 1 He had enough flying pressure to race me and won. Game 2 I beat him with Reality smasher and
TKS. Game 3 he was able to flash in Mausoleum Wanderer and counter my All is dust.
RD 2: Vs. Bring to light scapeshift (L)
Game 1 I was able to counter his scapeshift with warping wail and kill him the turn after he cast it. In games 2 and 3 He cast
scapeshift and I wasn't able to counter it.
RD 3: Vs. Mono white prison [W]
Game 1 After he locked the board up with ghostly prison and Sphere of Safety I activated endbringer to draw a card and eventually found all is dust. Game 2 I cast an early ulamog, the ceaseless hunger that finished the game in short order.
RD 4: Vs. vizier coco (W)
We only played 1 game because it took so long. Basically he gained 4 billion life and said "I don't think you can deal this much damage" I told him that I didn't have to, I killed all of his Vizier of Remedies/card] so he was unable to shoot me to death with walking ballista and then I castulamog, the ceasless hunger and milled him, he was very salty.
RD 5: Vs. Storm (W)
Game 1 My opponent goes off on turn 3 and makes 11 tokens and grapeshots me for 4 the following turn I cast all is dust with natural tron. After that he plays a Baral and I proceed to beat him with reality smasher. Game 2 I play a chalice of the void on 1 and he was unable to overcome it.
RD 6: Vs. GR madcap experiment / land destruction (W)
Game 1 He crushed me with turn 2 and 3 stone rain and then played a stormbreath dragon. Games 2 and 3 were close but I was able to stabilize with batterskull and wurmcoil engine.
RD 7: Vs. Grixis shadow (W)
This match was difficult, Nephalia Academy/card] really shined by blanking all his hand disruption. batterskull
was a house being able to bounce it was huge. My maindeck hangarback walker is still great. In the last game my opponent made a mistake by taking my all is dust instead of my walking ballista I was able to ping him for the win.
RD 8: Vs. Abzan (W)
This was probably the easiest match, very straightforward.
RD 9: VS. Storm (L)
I face someone who plays at my local, I was able to counter his first past in flmaes with warping wail and still died the following turn. Game 2 I cast chalice of the void on 1. The following turn he cast shatterstorm and goes off.
I added nephalia academy specially for this tournament and it was decent overall. I still main deck hangarback walker it is consistently great. Im still playing conduit of ruin in conjunction with ulamog, the ceaseless hunger and platinum angel. I recently went up to a 2nd copy of all is dust in the main in place of Ulamog which has been great. Platinum angel
is still great and im glad that theres a copy of it in Greg Gentiles' list who came in 5th. I've been playing westvale abbey for months now and it's great. Its one of the best lands we have access to, it allows you to make a creature every turn and you don't need hangarback walker
for it to be good the 1/1s will block for days and can even be aggressive. I think people are to focused on flipping it and making ormendahl instead of using its first ability and making a army of 1/1s which is huge, also there will be times where you will crack your expedition map on end step for westvale abbey and kill them the following turn with your flying 9/7 hasty demon. tomb of the spirit dragon is still very good in a variety of situations and has saved me many times. I was the guy with the foil eldrazi tron deck and the "A" hat in case some of you saw me.
I agree, that a lot of people are definitely missing out by not playing Conduit of ruin. Conduit into Ulamog is usually a game ender and getting Platinum Angel wins you games that you wouldn't otherwise win. Angel is solid and requires an answer. It's extremely satisfying to play it against burn or elves or zoo, the look on people's face when you cast it is worth it alone lol. Also I still suggest tomb of the Spirit Dragon as a means of life gain, It gives you more options in combat and helps offset the life loss from dismember.
I agree that 5 green spells is far too many and playing star/ sphere is not good. Im also not a fan of World breaker. In my experience 3 ancient stirrings is the sweet spot. My draws may just be really good but stirrings has been really good for me. Its literally the best cantrip in the entire format and continues to work.
Between 4 expedition map and ghost quarter + people using path to exile on our creatures I cast it reliably. Now that being said I only play 3 and its not like my game plan is to durdle which is why I don't like chromatic sphere / star. Playing more than 3 green cards in this deck is not good. I agree that playing star / sphere in this deck is wrong but if people want to experiment let them. People should feel free to innovate.
My list also plays 3 ancient stirrings, Having access to the best cantrip in modern is awesome although I think 4 is too many. I don't play any chromatic sphere because we want to stay aggressive and those 4 slots should be used for more gas. I play 3 karplusan forest and 1 basic forest. karplusan forest allows us to play kozilek's return which hoses affinity and elves which helps a lot in addition to walking ballista. Also I dont think we wanna be on world breaker. Karn is just better.
I just top 8 a 103 person local modern event, not just FNM. It has "done well lately" for me the person playing it
Yes, I splash green/red for 3 ancient stirrings in the main and kozilek's return in the side. I consistently go 3-1 or better with my build.
I've considered lodestone golem but I feel there is no room for it. I'm a fan of thorn of amethyst in a combo heavy meta but it may be awkward in conjunction with your other hate cards.
Lands
4 urza's tower
4 urza's mine
4 urza's power plant
4 eldrazi temple
3 karplusan forest
2 ghost quarter
1 forest
1 wastes
1 tomb of the spirit dragon
Creatures
2 walking ballista
2 hangarback walker
4 matter reshaper
4 thought-knot seer
4 reality smasher
2 ulamog, the ceaseless hunger
2 endbringer
1 conduit of ruin
1 platinum angel
4 expedition map
3 dismember
2 batterskull
1 warping wail
1 karn liberated
1 all is dust
2 trinisphere
2 kozilek's return
2 surgical extraction
2 ratchet bomb
2 relic of progenitus
1 karn liberated
1 all is dust
1 basilisk collar
1 warping wail
1 pithing needle
This is that I top 8 with. I still love hangarback walker because it always gives me value and for that reason i'm playing a 2-2 split between it and walking ballista. For all new players that want to play this deck I firmly believe that you don't need chalice of the voidat all. If you don't have or don't want to pay for chalice I suggest playing trinisphere its far cheaper and has a similar effect on the overall game. People can play around chalice of the void but people can't play around trinisphere. Obviously trinisphere is slower than chalice of the void unless your run simian spirit guide but it can be just as effective.