You should be a good match up game 1 but poor game 2 and 3 coz I play both affinity and ponza. You need etched champion and thoughtseize or spell pierce to be board in. The pierce and thoughtseize are for sweeper. Aside from that, just go faster. As a ponza player, I will board out my land destruction spells and board in sweeper and removal. Based on this knowledge, board accordingly. Welding jar is good in this match up.
Thanks for the advice I think I'm going to go up an Etched Champion, down the Chalices and then jam Welding Jar and a Spell Pierce into my sideboard. Maybe add another piece of removal too.
Postboard RG Ponza seems pretty annoying for Affinity given the fact how many good sb cards they have. Just being as fast as possible and hope they don't draw too much sb hate is the best thing to win the game.
It's like most Affinity matchups anyway-win game 1 which you should against most decks and then hope to steal one of postboard games.
The matches I've had have been very annoying. The players I've dealt with seem to run 10+ boardwipes mainboard + Blood Moon. Which is enough to deal with us. And then they still board in Creeping Corrosion! Inferno Titan is horrible...
I am often bringing in both etched champions as well, this doesn’t seem to leave much room for any targeted hate of my own, so basically do I have too much anti hate in the board, could some be removed to free up more useful cards?
The Meta is nominally pretty varied with most of the Tier 1and 2 decks showing up in some numbers, GW Tron, Traditional and Death Shadow Jund, Elves, Burn and BW Tokens seeming particularly popular, there are always a couple of Abzan decks and a Hate Bears player too
I have been thinking about Pithing Needle (naming expedition map) and Dispatch specifically against Tron, but both with other uses. Seal of Primordium as an antistony silence option – though you’d need to get it down first of course, and its dead if they don’t have or don’t draw Stoney Silence
Many Thanks
I've noticed an early chalice of the void is surprisingly back-breaking against the RG and BG Tron players at my LGS. Whipflare and Oblivion Stone are problem cards though.
It would be a huge mistake to swap Goblin Guide for Bomat Courier. If I were on a budget, I'd play Hellspark Elemental, Spark Elemental, or Keldon Marauders before Bomat Courier. Bomat Courier is just a Raging Goblin with a largely irrelevant ability stapled to it. Goblin Guide is extremely powerful, and the other ability on it isn't even a downside because it gives you valuable information.
It's also not a good idea to play Death's Shadow in Burn. Burn wants to just come out of the gates guns blazing rather than jump through some hoops to play a 5/5 on turn 5.
Makes sense I guess we'd also be encouraged to do things like keeping mana up for the bomat ability (sounds bad now that I think about it...) and it's not like we dump our hand as quickly as something like affinity. Plus it pretty much dies to everything and does less damage. I was blinded by the potential card draw
Hi Guys, need some deck-building advice. I've been playing an older Mardu variant on and off for the past year at a few LGS. I've noticed that I deal considerable damage to myself with my shock-heavy manabase and the eidolon so I'm thinking of swapping bump in the night for Death's Shadow. I've also been considering swapping Goblin Guide for Bomat Courier ... Are these bad ideas?
If you're sticking to Mardu, you can target your Eidolon with spirit link / vampiric link. You can also target an opponent's Eidolon if you're playing against the mirror.
Haha, that's actually pretty awesome tech! Thanks, I think I'll try it out
Hi Guys, need some deck-building advice. I've been playing an older Mardu variant on and off for the past year at a few LGS. I've noticed that I deal considerable damage to myself with my shock-heavy manabase and the eidolon so I'm thinking of swapping bump in the night for Death's Shadow. I've also been considering swapping Goblin Guide for Bomat Courier ... Are these bad ideas?
Hi guys, what is our prognosis against Ponza? I've played against it twice now and absolutely hate the deck. Any advice on how to play against them would be greatly appreciated Thanks in advance!
For reference, this is the list I'm running at the moment:
This deck looks fantastic! I'm thinking of trying out something similar to the Eldrazi version redbaron posted and I was wondering if this deck can cope with stony silence?
Does anyone have any tips for dealing with Jeskai Control?
As it's one of my favorite to play, I can say the best way to win is patience. Jeskai wants you to get into topdeck mode and kill you with Collonade, Elspeth, or Gideon.
Try to get them to spend removal on your weaker stuff like ornithopter, and like the other guys said land etched champion and plating if they tap out. You want to get the Path to Exiles out of their hand with pest/ornithopter/memnite early, so later you can commit to saving things from bolt/helix with ravager.
Your 2 ways to close out Ws are either inkmoth or etched champion. Lightning helix and commonly an ajani vengeant will put them outside of easy/fast kill range, so be very, very protective of your inkmoths and platings. If they stick a planeswalker, ignore it. You don't have the luxury of 1 for 1 trades, you got to go for the dome if possible.
Spell pierce or thoughtseize can be just enough to clear the way for your gameplan from the sideboard. They never seem to expect affinity to counter their spell or pick at their hand, so they usually keep greedy ones.
Does anyone have any tips for dealing with Jeskai Control?
Etched Champion and Aether Grid are solid, especially once they drop stony silence.
How many Aether Grids would you recommend running in the sideboard? I run 1 and I've only ever managed to get it out once against Grixis Control but they killed me before it could make much of an impact.
Does anyone have any tips for dealing with Jeskai Control?
Whats your deck and sideboard look like?
Signal Pest and Etched Champion are mvps here
I'm currently playing a pretty standard-looking list. Although, I feel like something may be wrong with it. Blessed Alliance is pretty rough toward Etched Champion.
I feel like they mainly win out of raw card advantage while picking off our threats. There's a heavy control presence at my meta so I'm thinking of playing this in an attempt to get more steam:
What do you think? I also want to test out Bomat Courier, the haste seems pretty relevant when we come up against decks that kill our creatures on sight.
I'm reciting those lists from memory and it seems like I've missed a few cards. Can't think of them offhand. Shall check my deck again and update them tonight [Fixed]
How does Tomb of the Spirit Dragon shape up for Lifegain; are we missing the critical mass of colourless creatures needed for it to be considered an effective option?
Artificer Brethren! Has anyone thought about using mishra's bauble in their build yet?
Also, does anyone have any advice on going up against ad nauseum and infect?
Spellskite is great against infect, but they can answer it with dismember or twisted image. Chalice on 1 wrecks them, since they can't nature's claim it. Kill blighted agent on site (one of the many reasons I run galvanic blast over thoughtcast) as it is hard to race if they untap with one.
Thank you for your response I like the chalice tech! I used to run 2 spellskite in the main, one in the board and 3 chalice, 1 Aether Grid and 2 Dismember in my board almost purely to try and deal with infect. But I haven't been in a situation where aether grid is useful and I've been finding myself in an awkward control position against them. Is it even worth trying to run spellskite mainboard anymore? I've basically been viewing the infect g1 as an auto-loss. Not sure if I've been making the correct assumption though... are we still in a position to race them?
Thank you for your response I like the chalice tech! I used to run 2 spellskite in the main, one in the board and 3 chalice, 1 Aether Grid and 2 Dismember in my board almost purely to try and deal with infect. But I haven't been in a situation where aether grid is useful and I've been finding myself in an awkward control position against them. Is it even worth trying to run spellskite mainboard anymore? I've basically been viewing the infect g1 as an auto-loss. Not sure if I've been making the correct assumption though... are we still in a position to race them?
I wouldn't view it as an auto-loss, but it isn't easy. It depends a lot on how many evasive guys they can get down, and how many blockers you are able to keep back. Thopters and skirges do a great job of blocking inkmoth nexus unless they have the rebound unblockable spell (forgot the name), or blighted agent. Not sure I'd run spellskite mainboard unless your meta really calls for it. I definitely advocate for running galvanic blast; the thoughtcast versions do a horrible job against infect.
Thank you for your response I like the chalice tech! I used to run 2 spellskite in the main, one in the board and 3 chalice, 1 Aether Grid and 2 Dismember in my board almost purely to try and deal with infect. But I haven't been in a situation where aether grid is useful and I've been finding myself in an awkward control position against them. Is it even worth trying to run spellskite mainboard anymore? I've basically been viewing the infect g1 as an auto-loss. Not sure if I've been making the correct assumption though... are we still in a position to race them?
Thoughtcast guy here. The infect matchup G1 for me indeed is auto-lose, coz we pack no interaction G1. Post board I sideboard Chalice, Aether Grids, Dismembers, Whipflare and Spellskites; I take out the thoughtcasts and overseers. I figure in this matchup we are not the aggressor, so I turn into a control deck.
Galvanic Blast guy here. I've never had much trouble with Infect. Usually, one removal spell is all I need to out-race them. I've got Ghirapur Æther Grid, Whipflare, and Dismember from the 'board for extra lovin'.
Tried a list in a small pptq event today with 2 Dark Confidant, 3 Mishra's Bauble and 16 lands (Mainboard). And 3 Chalice of the Void, 3 Spellskite, 1 Ghirapur Aether Grid and 1 Dismember (Sideboard). The deck ran pretty smoothly: Mishra's Bauble helped turn on Mox Opal, provided gas and thinned the deck. I only saw confidant in the one game, but I liked it. Went 3-2 which I was happy with. Beat an Ad Nauseum deck for the first time (turns out Chalice does a lot of work in that match-up). And feel like I got very lucky against an infect player somehow winning game 1 and 2, because I suspect the pilot may have been inexperienced. Lost to some weird RG ramp/ creature-control/ land destruction deck and Griselbrand Reanimator. At least for now, I'm going to continue testing the Baubles, Confidants and playing the control game against Ad Nauseum and Infect post sideboard. Thanks guys! I appreciated the feedback! :D!
I don't play affinity, so I'm hoping you guys can give me some insight on a potential speculation.
Could the new Kaladesh card Animation Module work as a 1 or 2 of in Affinity?
My thinking is that against control decks you could bring these in, leaning more on to the creatures with modular and Steel Overseer, then create extra 1/1 artifact creature tokens that could allow you to keep things on the board, and they would still work well with Cranial Plating to deal big damage.
Nah those cards are too slow for Modern. You really don't want to be durdling around with something that may or may not even do anything, as it's a good way to lose the game. It could probably make for a fun casual deck also featuring more of the Arcbound creatures and Hardened Scales. Honestly, nothing has been spoiled in Kaladesh yet that would be good in Affinity. The closest thing would probably be Morbid Curiosity in a build that played Frogmites and Myr Enforcers to draw 4 or 7 cards. But even that is meh at best.
Animation Module most definitely belongs in Affinity or any other deck that utilizes Arcbound Ravager.
It might have a place in a more grindy RG variant with Hangarback Walker, Arcbound Ravager, Steel Overseer, Hardened Scales, Shrapnel Blast and Ghirapur Aether Grid mainboard?
Hi Guys. Love what you're brewing up here! Thinking of sleeving up the following mainboard. Please let me know if you have any criticisms and suggestions on the list.
Thanks for the advice
The matches I've had have been very annoying. The players I've dealt with seem to run 10+ boardwipes mainboard + Blood Moon. Which is enough to deal with us. And then they still board in Creeping Corrosion! Inferno Titan is horrible...
I've noticed an early chalice of the void is surprisingly back-breaking against the RG and BG Tron players at my LGS. Whipflare and Oblivion Stone are problem cards though.
Makes sense
Thanks for the advice!
Haha, that's actually pretty awesome tech! Thanks, I think I'll try it out
For reference, this is the list I've been using:
4 Blood Crypt
4 Sacred Foundry
1 Bloodstained Mire
3 Wooded Foothills
4 Arid Mesa
3 Mountain
Creatures:
4 Monastery Swiftspear
4 Goblin Guide
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Riftbolt
4 Lava Spike
4 Bump in the Night
4 Searing Blaze
3 Skullcrack
4 Boros Charm
2 Lightning Helix
3 Deflecting Palm
1 Skullcrack
3 Self-inflicted wound
2 Volcanic Fallout
3 Rain of Gore
2 Wear//tear
1 Rakdos Charm
For reference, this is the list I'm running at the moment:
4 Darksteel Citadel
4 Inkmoth Nexus
4 Blinkmoth Nexus
3 Glimmervoid
1 Mountain
Creatures:
4 Ornithopter
3 Memnite
4 Signal Pest
3 Bomat Courier
4 Vault Skirge
4 Steel Overseer
4 Arcbound Ravager
3 Etched Champion
4 Mox Opal
3 Mishra's Bauble
4 Springleaf Drum
4 Cranial Plating
2 Ghirapur Aether Grid
3 Thoughtseize
1 Whipflare
3 Spellskite
2 Ancient Grudge
3 Chalice of the Void
1 Dismember
This is fantastic, thank you!
How many Aether Grids would you recommend running in the sideboard? I run 1 and I've only ever managed to get it out once against Grixis Control but they killed me before it could make much of an impact.
I'm currently playing a pretty standard-looking list. Although, I feel like something may be wrong with it. Blessed Alliance is pretty rough toward Etched Champion.
4 Glimmervoid
4 Blinkmoth Nexus
4 Inkmoth Nexus
4 Darksteel Citadel
1 Mountain
Creatures:
3 Memnite
4 Ornithopter
4 signal Pest
4 Vault Skirge
4 Steel Overseer
4 Arcbound Ravager
2 Master of Etherium
2 Etched Champion
4 Mox Opal
4 Springleaf Drum
4 Cranial Plating
Instants and Sorceries:
4 Galvanic Blast
1 Etched Champion
1 Master of Etherium
1 Ghirapur Aether Grid
3 Chalice of the Void
2 Thoughtseize
2 Ancient Grudge
3 Spellskite
1 Dismember
1 Whipflare
I feel like they mainly win out of raw card advantage while picking off our threats. There's a heavy control presence at my meta so I'm thinking of playing this in an attempt to get more steam:
3 Glimmervoid
4 Blinkmoth Nexus
4 Inkmoth Nexus
4 Darksteel Citadel
1 Swamp
Creatures:
3 Memnite
4 Ornithopter
4 signal Pest
4 Vault Skirge
4 Steel Overseer
4 Arcbound Ravager
2 Master of Etherium
2 Etched Champion
2 Dark Confidant
4 Mox Opal
4 Springleaf Drum
4 Cranial Plating
3 Mishra's Bauble
1 Etched Champion
1 Master of Etherium
1 Ghirapur Aether Grid
3 Chalice of the Void
3 Thoughtseize
2 Ancient Grudge
2 Spellskite
1 Dismember
1 Whipflare
What do you think? I also want to test out Bomat Courier, the haste seems pretty relevant when we come up against decks that kill our creatures on sight.
I'm reciting those lists from memory and it seems like I've missed a few cards. Can't think of them offhand. Shall check my deck again and update them tonight [Fixed]
Tried a list in a small pptq event today with 2 Dark Confidant, 3 Mishra's Bauble and 16 lands (Mainboard). And 3 Chalice of the Void, 3 Spellskite, 1 Ghirapur Aether Grid and 1 Dismember (Sideboard). The deck ran pretty smoothly: Mishra's Bauble helped turn on Mox Opal, provided gas and thinned the deck. I only saw confidant in the one game, but I liked it. Went 3-2 which I was happy with. Beat an Ad Nauseum deck for the first time (turns out Chalice does a lot of work in that match-up). And feel like I got very lucky against an infect player somehow winning game 1 and 2, because I suspect the pilot may have been inexperienced. Lost to some weird RG ramp/ creature-control/ land destruction deck and Griselbrand Reanimator. At least for now, I'm going to continue testing the Baubles, Confidants and playing the control game against Ad Nauseum and Infect post sideboard. Thanks guys! I appreciated the feedback! :D!
It might have a place in a more grindy RG variant with Hangarback Walker, Arcbound Ravager, Steel Overseer, Hardened Scales, Shrapnel Blast and Ghirapur Aether Grid mainboard?
13 Island
4 Eldrazi Temple
3 Ghost Quarter
2 Sea Gate Wreckage
Creatures:
4 Tide Drifter
4 Ruination Guide
4 Eldrazi Skyspawner
4 Matter reshaper
3 Simian Spirit Guide
3 Drowner of Hope
3 Wretched Gryff
3 Elder Deep-Fiend
4 Dismember
3 Vapor Snag
Artifacts:
3 Simian Spirit Guide
I'm considering using Aetherize, cryptic command or warping wail in place of vapor snag.