Hey guys, thanks for all your input/advice thus far. Went 2-2 at my first modern event last night. I was missing 2 IoK and most of my sideboard but it was $25 to play modern+prerelease so I YOLO'd
Round 1: UW Control/Mill: 2-0
This guy was pretty new to modern but a nice guy. I don't think I took a single point of combat damage from this guy. G1 I didn't see a single token generator until a T10 or so Sorin, who sped up my two Shambling Vents. G2 I sided in Dreadbore and
Duress for his Jaces.
Round 2: Bogles: 1-2
I played my friend round 2 so I knew exactly what to expect. I have beaten him handily with proxies before but I didn't have access to the cards I needed. Round 1 he won the roll but I still managed to beat him with discard>Virtue>Souls>Sorin before he got enough momentum. Round 2 I got 2 discards to open but he had 2 Daybreak Coronet and 2 Umbras. I almost stabilized at 1 life but I needed a land to activate my Vault and I drew a fetch. Round 3 he had Leyline to start and I was pretty screwed.
Round 3: Boros Allies 2-0
This was pretty easy as he had no way to deal with fliers aside from targeted removal. I got 2 Virtues both games so even his sided-in Pyroclasm wasn't enough.
Round 4: Grixis Control 0-2
This was the most enjoyable matchup of the night but also the one where I felt most crippled by lack of cards, particularly RiP. Game 1 he took most of my threats with discard. I eventually died to my own Bitterblossom while he kept my stuff from sticking. Had I hit Painful Truths for 2 instead of 3 I might have turned it around as I had a Vault. Game 2 he hit all the sideboard cards he needed. He got a timely Pyroclasm and snapped it back later on, then had an Izzet Staticaster to nuke me.
All in all it was a great night and I got a Shadows Jace in one of my prize packs and played a sweet GW humans deck with Thalia, Heretic Cathar at the prerelease. I think new Thalia might start showing up in Modern as many decks lack basic lands. She's even pretty good against the ones with basics like Merfolk and Elves. Things I took away:
-Lingering Souls is the real MVP
-Bitterblossom is great even in a nontoken build as long as you can put on enough pressure before it kills you. 1 life a turn to chump beaters is worth it.
-Flashing in token blockers is handy, I traded with numerous x/1s including Snapcaster and even got Kalitas/Gurmag Angler with the assistance of Virtue/Burn. Mardu Charm might be something to look at.
-I rarely needed to use Path and often had enough removal that I could save it. It was useless against Bogles and against the UW control deck I preferred not to hit his guys with it as he had trouble getting past 4 lands both games. I think I played it 4 or 5 times, twice in the same turn against the Boros deck. I think 3 might be enough with my removal suite especially after I add in 2 more IoK but will playtest more and see how I feel.
-Strong sideboard is crucial
Once I improve my list/sideboard I expect to be able to consistently go 3-1/4-0. Another guy there was playing Mardu midrange/control. My Bogles friend beat him and said he used Confidant/Finks/Lili/Ajani. I think the guy went either 2-2 or 1-3. Cheers lads
I haven't seen much discussion about the new cards on here. I was wondering what the forum thought of Bedlam Reveler. I play the Nahiri version of the deck and am very creature lite. I'm not likely playing Bedlam sooner than t5 on average but the late game card draw, especially after a few Lilliana activations feels like it would be a great way to refuel while also putting some pressure on the board. Thoughts?
Seems like he would be pretty good in a creature-lite Lili build. Not sure if he's reliable enough but I guess it depends on your T2 and T4 plays. Looks fun to cheat him in with a few Lingering Souls in the GY then flashback to pump him the next turn
I've strongly been considering this card. I think it is certainly worth a shot, especially if you are light on 2 drops. Being able to T1 hand disruption->t2 disruption/hold up bolt/path + hold up tithe is a strong play. I wouldn't sacrifice the T3 Liliana play though. The only thing I can think of is that recently I can remember my opponent's, particularly blue-based Jeskai/Grixis, not completely tapping out to play threats like Taz, Elspeth or Angler. But the card is worth a shot. Test it if you can and let us know!
Will do! I currently use a non-Nahiri token-oriented build with pyro though and look to hit T3 souls or disruption/path/bolt/alarm. How has Lily been working for you?
She's absolutely fantastic and IMO a must for midrangey-control builds running black. In Nahiri builds (like I have been running) it is the reason to go black over blue in Jeskai. The only problem I have been running into with her is the lack of pressure to back her up coupled with the fact that you usually have to pitch your removal if you want to keep ticking her up. As a Jund/Junk player, that isn't usually a problem as you just play your threats and are ok being hell-bent. As such, I needed to change my deck to 1 terminate 1dreadbore and keep the rest as bolts/helixes that can go to the face if I need to discard. I've found lingering souls is great with liliana but just isn't enough to keep up pressure. On Friday I ulted her against a Jeskai player, kept ticking her up and still lost to resto angel and colonnade beats. Currently trying out a few options in the 2-drop spot to help serve that purpose. Bob would be great but I'm running the Emrakul version...
Bob and Lily do seem like good pals. Maybe you could try Ajani Vengeant? Although he wouldn't do much against
colonnade unless he ulted. Bitterblossom is pretty good for making chumps
Hey guys! I'm looking to pick this deck up. http://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/406254#online
It seems pretty radical and hilarious, I like the idea of the control aspect and I have a hard on for monastery mentor and Bob so I'd want to play a token strategy over the Nahiri brew. Do you guys think this would be a good place to start? Also what kind of changes would you make in the build?
Thanks guys!
IMO your token strategy is a bit weak because it's heavily creature-based. Not sure how good pyro is with 9 other creatures bc I haven't tested it. I think you should find a way to run 4x Lingering Souls, which is especially dank to play with pyro/mentor on board.
I've strongly been considering this card. I think it is certainly worth a shot, especially if you are light on 2 drops. Being able to T1 hand disruption->t2 disruption/hold up bolt/path + hold up tithe is a strong play. I wouldn't sacrifice the T3 Liliana play though. The only thing I can think of is that recently I can remember my opponent's, particularly blue-based Jeskai/Grixis, not completely tapping out to play threats like Taz, Elspeth or Angler. But the card is worth a shot. Test it if you can and let us know!
Will do! I currently use a non-Nahiri token-oriented build with pyro though and look to hit T3 souls or disruption/path/bolt/alarm. How has Lily been working for you?
What do you guys think about Mana Tithe? It's pretty strong turns 1-4 (especially on the play) when opponents frequently want to tap out. With our colors they're probably thinking "It's probably path or bolt." Can also be boarded out but they may set themselves back and play around it game 2. Or is discard good enough?
Hey guys, Love the thread. Went from wanting to build BW Tokens to Mardu Tokens but have currently settled on a Mardu Midrange Tokens build. Haven't tested this version at all (except goldfish); feedback is appreciated! (Sideboard sloppily put together and Polluted Delta=budget subs for Zendikar Fetches)
Your sideboard seems very midrange-hate, but this deck is already quite decent against midrange decks. I see a lot of possible substitutions here:
Disenchant --> wear/tear and hide\\seek are better
Crackling Doom --> Liliana of the Veil is more versatile
Ajani & Sorin --> what match-ups would you bring this in against? I'm assuming you take out the Butchers for these but I don't know any match-up where the change would make a substantial difference. I would replace these for more aggro or combo hate.
As for the main board, well everyone here knows I am totally against the whole Butcher + Pyromancer + Pack Rat strategies. You just need too many pieces at the right time for this combo to work, and when it does work, it's not guaranteed you will win the game despite the hard endeavor. Personally, I favor running more anthems and more token producers like BW Tokens. It's the only midrange build I can advocate because it is a much more resilient and consistent combo with just as much potential power.
Thanks for the input. I actually ran a similar Mardu Tokens build to the one you posted a while back with a few slight differences, and Ajani instead of Gideon. Admittedly, I only played it against Bogles and BW Tokens. Bogles was pretty easy unless he got the nut draw but Tokens felt like a race to who could get IV first (a race I often lost, though I didn't have much of a sideboard). I see the argument for going creatureless, and few things are more satisfying than having BB+IV+Sorin out at the same time. I was thinking of using the tokens in my build more defensively as chump blockers and food for Butcher (block, sac>lifelink). I figured T1 discard>T2 BB/Pyro/Alarm>T3 Souls/Alarm+discard/Path/Bolt> T4 Butcher is a solid sequence, but it is pretty weak to Wraths/Path and meh if you don't have the Butcher now that I think about it. Pack Rat was there to eat *****ty topdecks lategame. Are you still running the same version that you posted? If so, how has it been doing?
Hey guys, Love the thread. Went from wanting to build BW Tokens to Mardu Tokens but have currently settled on a Mardu Midrange Tokens build. Haven't tested this version at all (except goldfish); feedback is appreciated! (Sideboard sloppily put together and Polluted Delta=budget subs for Zendikar Fetches)
Deck:
Land: 23
4x Bloodstained Mire
2x Polluted Delta
3x Godless Shrine
2x Blood Crypt
2x Sacred Foundry
3x Shambling Vent
1x Clifftop Retreat
1x Dragonskull Summit
1x Battlefield Forge
1x Plains
1x Mountain
1x Swamp
1x Vault of the Archangel
Removal/Discard: 16
2x Thoughtseize
2x Inquisition of Kozilek
4x Path to Exile
4x Lightning Bolt
3x Lightning Helix
1x Dismember
Tokens/Buffs: 20
3x Bitterblossom
3x Raise the alarm
3x Midnight Haunting
4x Lingering Souls
3x Sorin, Solemn Visitor
4x Intangible Virtue
Draw: 1
1x Painful Truths
Round 1: UW Control/Mill: 2-0
This guy was pretty new to modern but a nice guy. I don't think I took a single point of combat damage from this guy. G1 I didn't see a single token generator until a T10 or so Sorin, who sped up my two Shambling Vents. G2 I sided in Dreadbore and
Duress for his Jaces.
Round 2: Bogles: 1-2
I played my friend round 2 so I knew exactly what to expect. I have beaten him handily with proxies before but I didn't have access to the cards I needed. Round 1 he won the roll but I still managed to beat him with discard>Virtue>Souls>Sorin before he got enough momentum. Round 2 I got 2 discards to open but he had 2 Daybreak Coronet and 2 Umbras. I almost stabilized at 1 life but I needed a land to activate my Vault and I drew a fetch. Round 3 he had Leyline to start and I was pretty screwed.
Round 3: Boros Allies 2-0
This was pretty easy as he had no way to deal with fliers aside from targeted removal. I got 2 Virtues both games so even his sided-in Pyroclasm wasn't enough.
Round 4: Grixis Control 0-2
This was the most enjoyable matchup of the night but also the one where I felt most crippled by lack of cards, particularly RiP. Game 1 he took most of my threats with discard. I eventually died to my own Bitterblossom while he kept my stuff from sticking. Had I hit Painful Truths for 2 instead of 3 I might have turned it around as I had a Vault. Game 2 he hit all the sideboard cards he needed. He got a timely Pyroclasm and snapped it back later on, then had an Izzet Staticaster to nuke me.
All in all it was a great night and I got a Shadows Jace in one of my prize packs and played a sweet GW humans deck with Thalia, Heretic Cathar at the prerelease. I think new Thalia might start showing up in Modern as many decks lack basic lands. She's even pretty good against the ones with basics like Merfolk and Elves. Things I took away:
-Lingering Souls is the real MVP
-Bitterblossom is great even in a nontoken build as long as you can put on enough pressure before it kills you. 1 life a turn to chump beaters is worth it.
-Flashing in token blockers is handy, I traded with numerous x/1s including Snapcaster and even got Kalitas/Gurmag Angler with the assistance of Virtue/Burn. Mardu Charm might be something to look at.
-I rarely needed to use Path and often had enough removal that I could save it. It was useless against Bogles and against the UW control deck I preferred not to hit his guys with it as he had trouble getting past 4 lands both games. I think I played it 4 or 5 times, twice in the same turn against the Boros deck. I think 3 might be enough with my removal suite especially after I add in 2 more IoK but will playtest more and see how I feel.
-Strong sideboard is crucial
Once I improve my list/sideboard I expect to be able to consistently go 3-1/4-0. Another guy there was playing Mardu midrange/control. My Bogles friend beat him and said he used Confidant/Finks/Lili/Ajani. I think the guy went either 2-2 or 1-3. Cheers lads
Seems like he would be pretty good in a creature-lite Lili build. Not sure if he's reliable enough but I guess it depends on your T2 and T4 plays. Looks fun to cheat him in with a few Lingering Souls in the GY then flashback to pump him the next turn
Anyone here use Resto with GDD or any good ETB creatures?
Bob and Lily do seem like good pals. Maybe you could try Ajani Vengeant? Although he wouldn't do much against
colonnade unless he ulted. Bitterblossom is pretty good for making chumps
IMO your token strategy is a bit weak because it's heavily creature-based. Not sure how good pyro is with 9 other creatures bc I haven't tested it. I think you should find a way to run 4x Lingering Souls, which is especially dank to play with pyro/mentor on board.
Will do! I currently use a non-Nahiri token-oriented build with pyro though and look to hit T3 souls or disruption/path/bolt/alarm. How has Lily been working for you?
Thanks for the input. I actually ran a similar Mardu Tokens build to the one you posted a while back with a few slight differences, and Ajani instead of Gideon. Admittedly, I only played it against Bogles and BW Tokens. Bogles was pretty easy unless he got the nut draw but Tokens felt like a race to who could get IV first (a race I often lost, though I didn't have much of a sideboard). I see the argument for going creatureless, and few things are more satisfying than having BB+IV+Sorin out at the same time. I was thinking of using the tokens in my build more defensively as chump blockers and food for Butcher (block, sac>lifelink). I figured T1 discard>T2 BB/Pyro/Alarm>T3 Souls/Alarm+discard/Path/Bolt> T4 Butcher is a solid sequence, but it is pretty weak to Wraths/Path and meh if you don't have the Butcher now that I think about it. Pack Rat was there to eat *****ty topdecks lategame. Are you still running the same version that you posted? If so, how has it been doing?
2x Young Pyromancer
2x Pack Rat
3x Butcher of the Horde
Noncreatures
3x Path to Exile
4x Lightning Bolt
3x Thoughtseize
3x Inquisition of Kozilek
3x Lightning Helix
2x Night's Whisper
2x Raise the Alarm
2x Zealous Persecution
3x Bitterblossom
4x Lingering Souls
1x Painful Truths
3x Godless Shrine
2x Blood Crypt
2x Sacred Foundry
4x Bloodstained Mire
2x Polluted Delta
2x Swamp
1x Plains
1x Mountain
1x Caves of Koilos
1x Battlefield Forge
1x Isolated Chapel
1x Clifftop Retreat
1x Dragonskull Summit
1x Vault of the Archangel
2x Ajani Vengeant
2x Sorin, Solemn Visitor
3x Stony Silence
2x Rest In Peace
2x Disenchant
1x Bitterblossom
1x Butcher of the Horde
2x Crackling Doom