Congrats for the great info you provided. I am planing to use a tezz + whir deck in modern. And I have some thoughts to share...
1) I think we must play at least with 3-2 pieces of the combo. I know we have whir to search for but assemble the combo naturaly also is good;
2) I think we must play with 4 inquisition 4 push and 3 brutality (at minimum). Why? Because we must slow our opponents on t1 and 2;
3) Finally, Why not play with the full set of river of tears and sunken ruins? We must improve our chances to UUU.
This is the list that I'll start my tests...
4 tezzeret, agent of bolas
4 whir of invention
4 inquisition of kozilek
4 pentad prism
4 mishra's bauble
4 fatal push
3 thopter foundry
3 collective brutality
2 sword of the meek
2 ensnaring bridge
1 pithing needle
1 welding jar
1 nihil spellbomb
1 spellskite
4 darslick shores
4 sunken ruins
4 river of tears
4 polluted delta
2 watery grave
1 island
1 swamp
1 academy ruins
1 urborg, tomb of yawgmoth
Hi Guys! o/ to all the Tezzeret fans around the world!
In my opinion, after the bans, the modern metagame will change a little bit. I expect more midrange decks as Jund, Junk and the new Sultai (with fatal push). As a metagame call against these decks, the big mana decks as Tron and Valakut will rise again. This is a bad new for us! So, you must be prepared it! My newest list follow below:
I do not like to build around Ensnaring Bridge. After the sideboard, your opponent bring a lot of (minimum of 2)answers against artifact, so the "lock" using bridge is dangerous! Remember, the format is defined by some decks as affinity. Therefore, they always have 2 answers in the sideboard against artifact. Against the midranges and other decks that use Stony Silence as Sun & Moon, Bant Eldrazi and Jeskai Control, I do prefer to cut off frequently some combo pieces and two/or-four damnation (not against Eldrazi!)Then I bring all the planeswalkers and Thopter Spy Network. Against the big mana decks the plan is simple, ghost quarter something important + surgical, then star to clock with Tezz minus ability. It is the best thing we can do. Against aggro we have Damnation and the newest toy Fatal Push. My sideboard is build thinking about: Primary - Jund/Junk Midrange, Burn, Bant Eldrazi, Tron, Valakut and Sun & Moon; Secondly - Affinity, Infect, Dredge/Living End, Fish and Elves.
@headminerve we have different philosophy about this deck! If I wanna play with card advantage (2-in-1), I would play Grixis. Tezzeret is about nasty start as mana > disruption > mana > signet > mana > tezz or combo. It isn't a tier 1 deck, so again, in my opinion, we must do very strong plays until turn 3 or we gonna lose the midgame. I can see the value of the blue bird (this is obvious), but again, I think we must maximize the chance to get a mana rock on turn 2 (this is why I choose to play 7 seven pieces between talisman and signet). Another thing is: I NEVER KEEP A HAND WITHOUT A PAYOFF SPELL. The definition of payoff spell is: Tezzeret, Thrist for Knowledge or at least one piece of the combo. Hands without one of those cards = mulligan.
I see your point @Akalah and I agree with some. However,
I said I want to play discard OR removal on turn 1. What creatures to kill? Any drop 1 like nacatl, poison elf, mana dork. Then on turn 2 speed your game with mana rock or play spellskite to be a wall. I agreed with you about the fatal push policy. I believe the midrange decks get better. Maybe the linear aggro or combo creatures (infect and death shadow) is puting away by the new spell. So, bant eldrazi and tron are good calls to the next step of the metagame. This is why I decided to play with dismember, the full set of ghost quarter and thrist for knowledge. Having a bunch of mana rocks and spellskites, reshape is great! Basically is to assemble the combo (as you said) but we can work on a toolbox with ratchet bomb, i.e. I love EE but not in this deck. Almost of the time EE is for x=1, because x=2 is bad for us too (symmetrica/glogal effect). I still working on it. Maybe, after the B&R we get something special. Best Regards!
My list is much more consistent than lists with crane. To use mox opals you must use cheap artifacts like needle, nihil, capsule or etc. I don't like this move. I will never leave the room without thirst or dimir signets. The deck want to interact first turn with spells like discard or removal, play a mana rock on turn 2 and than tezz turn 3/or assemble the combo. Also, Spellskite is very important in this list because can interact with the most pleyable combo decks in modern right now(infect and death shadow). The worst cenarium spellskite is a blocker (that is not so bad for a control deck or a "slow deck"). Having reshape in the list smoth the combo until turn 4, using guess what? Signet and talisman as resorces. Best Regards,
Congrats for the great info you provided. I am planing to use a tezz + whir deck in modern. And I have some thoughts to share...
1) I think we must play at least with 3-2 pieces of the combo. I know we have whir to search for but assemble the combo naturaly also is good;
2) I think we must play with 4 inquisition 4 push and 3 brutality (at minimum). Why? Because we must slow our opponents on t1 and 2;
3) Finally, Why not play with the full set of river of tears and sunken ruins? We must improve our chances to UUU.
This is the list that I'll start my tests...
4 tezzeret, agent of bolas
4 whir of invention
4 inquisition of kozilek
4 pentad prism
4 mishra's bauble
4 fatal push
3 thopter foundry
3 collective brutality
2 sword of the meek
2 ensnaring bridge
1 pithing needle
1 welding jar
1 nihil spellbomb
1 spellskite
4 darslick shores
4 sunken ruins
4 river of tears
4 polluted delta
2 watery grave
1 island
1 swamp
1 academy ruins
1 urborg, tomb of yawgmoth
In my opinion, after the bans, the modern metagame will change a little bit. I expect more midrange decks as Jund, Junk and the new Sultai (with fatal push). As a metagame call against these decks, the big mana decks as Tron and Valakut will rise again. This is a bad new for us! So, you must be prepared it! My newest list follow below:
MAIN DECK
4xTezzeret, Agent of Bolas
4xThirst for Knowledge
4xThopter Foundry
4xDimir Signet
4xDamnation
4xInquisition of Kozilek
3xTalisman of Progress
3xLiliana of the Veil
3xFatal Push
3xSword of the Meek
1xTezzeret the Seeker
1xSpellskite
4xDarksteel Citadel
4xDarkslick Shores
4xRiver of Tears
4xGhost Quarter
4xSunken Ruins
1xAcademy Ruins
1xUrborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
SIDEBOARD
3xSurgical Extraction
2xJace, Architect of Thought
2xAshiok, Nightmare Weaver
2xDuress
2xNegate
2xFlashfreeze
1xDarkblast (not sure yet!)
1xThopter Spy Network
I do not like to build around Ensnaring Bridge. After the sideboard, your opponent bring a lot of (minimum of 2)answers against artifact, so the "lock" using bridge is dangerous! Remember, the format is defined by some decks as affinity. Therefore, they always have 2 answers in the sideboard against artifact. Against the midranges and other decks that use Stony Silence as Sun & Moon, Bant Eldrazi and Jeskai Control, I do prefer to cut off frequently some combo pieces and two/or-four damnation (not against Eldrazi!)Then I bring all the planeswalkers and Thopter Spy Network. Against the big mana decks the plan is simple, ghost quarter something important + surgical, then star to clock with Tezz minus ability. It is the best thing we can do. Against aggro we have Damnation and the newest toy Fatal Push. My sideboard is build thinking about: Primary - Jund/Junk Midrange, Burn, Bant Eldrazi, Tron, Valakut and Sun & Moon; Secondly - Affinity, Infect, Dredge/Living End, Fish and Elves.
Best Regards!
I said I want to play discard OR removal on turn 1. What creatures to kill? Any drop 1 like nacatl, poison elf, mana dork. Then on turn 2 speed your game with mana rock or play spellskite to be a wall. I agreed with you about the fatal push policy. I believe the midrange decks get better. Maybe the linear aggro or combo creatures (infect and death shadow) is puting away by the new spell. So, bant eldrazi and tron are good calls to the next step of the metagame. This is why I decided to play with dismember, the full set of ghost quarter and thrist for knowledge. Having a bunch of mana rocks and spellskites, reshape is great! Basically is to assemble the combo (as you said) but we can work on a toolbox with ratchet bomb, i.e. I love EE but not in this deck. Almost of the time EE is for x=1, because x=2 is bad for us too (symmetrica/glogal effect). I still working on it. Maybe, after the B&R we get something special. Best Regards!
UB Tezzerator
4 tezzeret, agent of bolas
4 thopter foundry
4 thirst for knowledge
4 dimir signet
4 inquisition of kozilek
4 spellskite
4 dismember
3 reshape
3 talisman of dominance
3 sword of the meek
4 sunken ruins
4 river of tears
4 darksteel citadel
4 darkslick shores
4 ghost quarter
2 academy ruins
1 urborg, tomb of yawgmoth