@sibin thanks, you're right. I like running 12 Island. Maybe I start playing 2 Cavern of Souls, but I like to be able to have extra protection to name Wizards for the Clique mostly. 2 Caverns 1 Minamo and 1 Oboro should be the best config.
Lantern Control (1-0): An opener Echoing Truth saves my day, when he hits Ensnaring Bridge I just assemble lethal to bounce and win. Second game I got crushed by 2 Collective Brutality to get rid of my answers. Third match was a win thanks to Hurkyl's Recall. 2-1.
Naya Wish (2-0): A rogue deck. I wasn't really sure what I was playing against until I saw Glittering Wish on game 2. I just sticked to the plan of beating on both games to win. 2-0.
8-Rack (3-0): First game was a race, I was on the play so I barely made it on time. Second game he got another annoying Ensnaring Bridge that I couldn't answer. Third match I think he didn't draw anything of his sideboard so it went kinda like the first game. 2-1.
Merfolk (3-1): Never played against the mirror before, so it was kinda awkward. His list had Vapor Snag instead of Echoing Truth and Dismember. Both cards I had didn't feel so good against it I must say. First game I got Vial and raced him. Both other games he got Pearl Trident and I got Lord of Atlantis (yikes), so he totally outraced me with them and some tempo moves. 1-2.
Eggs (4-1): First game I got him to 2 lives, but he assemble the combo. Second game two Rejections and a top-deck Lord allowed me to make it on time. Third game was a rough one, but a Hurkyl's after both Lotus Bloom resolved helped me to win some time to make a decent board. He did played his Emrakul but it wasn't enough as I sack'd my lands and some fish, but killed him on the backswing. 2-1.
Ad Nauseam (5-1): He was on the play so I got Turn 4 combo on first game. On the second game he had a slow start and 2 Cursecatcher on board slowed him down so I could get there on time. Third game it was a long game, as I kept a hand with counters but few creatures. Thankfully he didn't find the combo quickly enough so I started pinging slowly. Saved my asnwers for the combo pieces, survived a Damnation and took the win on third game. 2-1.
I'm liking this configuration a lot. 1-of Kopala, Kira and Clique may not give me consistency, but it helps me having odds on game one against almost any deck. Kopala definitely is getting a room on the deck, I'm enjoying him.
Awesome review! What are your thoughts on running a 1-1 copies between Kopala and Kira? I also thought that running Kopala might as well let us add Vendilion Clique in main, as I've read before (and confirmed myself) that we can only run a maximum of 2 non-merfolk creatures in the deck. Also Kopala can protect Phantasmal Image like some said before. Might be worth testing. I'll post some results later if I have the chance to test it before you guys.
I really don't understand Wizards' R&D. I mean, they didn't care at all that they would break the format when making such overpowered Eldrazis that had obvious synergy with the previous Eldrazi expansion, same with artifact expansions besides Kaladesh, but it feels like they are designing all the merfolks in the tangent line of the deck to be unable to add a SINGLE ONE (beside Toppaka so far) to the deck, when this expansion is strongly merfolk-themed. It's really too early to speak, but seen the spoilers it feels like it.
First of all, I'm going to introduce myself for further comments/questions in this thread. I'm mostly modern player. I love control decks, but I love blue color more. That being said, Merfolks ain't my pet deck but I play it from time to time, so I know a few things about it. I hope we can generate discussion, as I love theorycrafting in this game
About the splash, I think rothgar and Dreimer stated some fair points, and I think it's the best feedback you can get in this thread. Like everything in life, if you wanna try to change something stablished, you gotta bring results to the skeptical people. Try the cards, test them and post your results. They are encouraging you to do so.
Dispel: What instant spells are you keen to counter from the control deck? Path? Bolt? Cryptic command to tap-bounce? That we can beat with sheer threat density. Not to mention we have vial to play around anger already. Bridge and Liliana are example of cards that pierce hits and dispel does not. There are a multitude of other cards (discard spells, planeswalkers in general, sorcery-based removal such as dreadbore, damnation, etc. etc. etc.). The argument here is pierce has more available targets and versatility than dispel, hence why I choose pierce.
Negate: your suggestion of measuring the pace of our threats against anger seems particularly bad. Of both decks, the one that has the advantage late game is always the control deck, we do not. Trying to sandbag cards can only be done effectively in particular situations, so I don't 'measure' my threats, I dump them and ask to the opponent 'do you have a way to deal with that? Else, you die'. Pierce is useful here because if you have it it is guaranteed extra-protection and security for a cheaper cost. Trying to brawl on the late game with control decks is not a desirable scenario. Not to mention many U/W/x control decks just play supreme verdict, which laughs at the face of the negate we're holding up at a higher tempo-cost.
What I can give you insight is from counter magic, as an experienced blue color user. What you are stating falls in the eternal struggle of hard vs soft counters. As a creature-based deck, you can't run situational answers in your SIDEBOARD, because what you are expecting is to bring a card that will solve you an specific problem at ANY moment of the game. Control decks can afford to run Mana Leak and Spell Pierce because their game plan allows them to choose how to interact most of the time. Yes we would dream to have Stubborn Denial like Grixis Death's Shadow, because is a cheap hard counter almost all the time, but we don't have it.
I do understand your straight-foward gameplan, with all its trade offs, but even with that your gameplan can't run situational answers. Turn 5 isn't that late game, but you can Negate in response of a cascading Living End and probably win, or Spell Pierce, fail and lose the game. You can Dispel a top-deck Lava Spike when you are at 3 life, buy some time and win, or Spell Pierce, he taps for 3 of mana and lose. Titanshift needs 6-7 lands to combo you off, Scapeshift costs 4, so he will probably going to pay your Spell Pierce, but he won't be able to answer your hard Negate. Yes, you can cite me scenarios where Spell Pierce is a better card than Dispel and Negate combo, because of that this struggle still exists in Magic. What I'm trying to point out is that even if your deck gets worse as turns pass by, it doesn't mean you can't win in the mid-game or late-game. I'm sure you will be more happy to top deck an useful hard counter (that's why you know how to board it in, to hit a potential threat of your opponet), rather than a sometimes useful, sometimes useless soft counter (even in your opening hand, trust me).
Now that I brought all these points to newer pages, this is why I believe Unified Will is better than Thassa's Rebuff on this deck. Both needs creatures to counter obviously, and Thassa's Rebuff has the advantage that it uses Spreading Seas devotion, but the fact that even with a deployed board it could still fail, makes it a worse counter.
See, I'm a spike too. I play competitive commander, mainly. The difference is that my attitude towards new cards that I can use is of excitement and desire to experiment. I understand it might not work. That doesn't mean I will act as if I know it won't. Regarding the prove me wrong stuff, read my answer to driemer above.
As a not-at-all-serious comment, there is not such thing as Competitive Commander haha. Commander here it's kinda like what Mcgregor tried to do challenging Mayweather in boxing
Hello everybody. I've been playing Magic for some time now, mostly Modern. My pet deck used to be U/W Tron, but the meta for Tron players other than Eldrazi is a little bit discouraging. I decided to try Blue Moon with Madcap Experiment for my local PPTQ Bilbao 2018 this sunday. Here is the deck list I used:
Game 1: I start on the draw. I keep a hand with Lightning Bolt, Serum Visions, Blood Moon and Spell Snare. I remember I found a Snapcaster Mage to flashback Spell Snare, and Madcap on the way. Killed/countered his threats, until I cast Blood Moon to stop his lands and next turn a lock with Madcap/Emperion.
Game 2: I board in artifact/colorless hate and Anger of the Gods. I keep a hand with Shatterstorm, Anger, Madcap, Serum Visions but only one island. He goes turn one Thoughtsieze to take away my Serum Visions. Fortunately I draw 2 consecutive lands to cast Anger of the Gods. He gets his champion to get all Ravager counters and I take some damage from the champion until I drew another land to cast Shatterstorm. I stall the game to have the moment I can lock the game with Emperion and being able to protect it. (2-0)
Considering I was on the draw both games, I was extremely lucky to draw those lands to be able to stall on Game 2. I take those wins also.
(1-0)
Round 2: Grixis Death Shadow
Game 1: Not much to say about this game. With a turn one Thoughtsieze he knows he gotta fetch a Swamp to avoid my Moon. I get to Madcap, he has Kholagan's Command in main. I was dead pretty fast though.
Game 2: I get in some more removal. I Roast one DS, then went Harvest Pyre on another one but I don't see he has fetch land so I fail miserably to kill the second one. Huge mistake that probably cost me the game, probably not. (2-2).
This match didn't even feel close though. I probably made a mistake by sub estimating the power of this deck. I think I didn't have appropriate answers in sideboad (even though U/R don't have too many against it) for this kind of match ups.
(1-1)
Round 3: Lantern Control
Game 1: I kept a hand with Moon/Madcap. I thought I was in good shape until I saw what I was facing. Later I didn't draw any action so I got controlled-milled. I scooped to have time to try to win the other two games.
Game 2: Out Madcap/Emperion, in artifact hate. I play turn one Ancestral Visions. By turn 4 he has Lantern and Codex up, he milled my Shatterstorm and tried to Surgical, but I Dispel. With Visions I drew a Snapcaster Mage and with flashback-Shatterstorm I get to clean most of his board. Chandra/Snapcaster did the rest.
Game 3: He had a slow start, with two consecutive Ancient Stirrings. He found a Bridge first and then a Pithing Needle. Chandra was the target of the Needle. Keranos was MVP on that game, allowing me to draw some useful spells and hitting him ocasionally. I saw he found a second Snaring Bridge, I get it down thanks to Clique, and I get to attack once by bouncing his Snaring Bridge to finish the game. (4-3).
Artifact hate is always good to have. It's an annoying match up but I think the deck has enough angles to be able to resolve it.
(2-1)
Round 4: Merfolks
Game 1: Half of the best cards we have are useless against this deck. Had a Moon that wasn't going to get me anywhere. He had two Vials so counters weren't helpful either. I get an Emperion down but I made the horrible mistake of attacking with it (yes, I forgot he had the tapped-bouncer Merfolk).
Game 2: Anger of the Gods. What an amazing card. Cleaned most of his board except for Master of the Waves, but without his Elementals he is not a problem for us. Got a kill with Stormbreath Dragon fairly quick after that.
Game 3: Didn't do much. Bolted some of this threats but drew both Emperions (what are the odds). Dead by turn 5. (5-5).
The match is winnable thanks to Emperion now. Most aggro decks doesn't have a way to deal with it on game 1. Gotta be careful with it, that's all.
(2-2)
Round 5: Eldrazi Tron
Game 1: I know what I'm up to so I mulligan aggressively to find a Moon. Of course I thought Moon would be better in this match but he just needed to get a second map, tutor a Wastes and he is good to go. I had to play Snapcaster-Serum Visions, I drew a card and I saw on top the Madcap Experiment the turn before I was dead. What a painful way to die.
Game 2: Time to find out if Hour of Devastation is that good. Mulligan to find Madcap Experiment. Got it. Drew a lot of action but no lands. I get a Moon to stop him a little bit but he Ghost Quarter himself to find a Wastes. Get Emperion but on the turn I played it he gets a Basillisk Collar down (I was tapped so couldn't answer). Ouch. The turn I was about to die I drew the land I needed to play Hour of Devastation. Felt sooo good to clean the board. He hitted me with Ballista so I was down to one life. By Force his Collar and played my second Emperion. I thought I was rescuing that game, I just had to handle the collars. He played his first collar, I get to counter it. Plays a chalice of two, and I need to counter that because of Negate and Snapcaster Mage. Then he plays his third Collar of the game (yes, he found the third one) and that was game for him. So close of getting that game around. (5-7).
This matchup and some other could use Spreading Seas to shut the game down when they get to find their only basic land to be able to play with Blood Moon around. Hour of Devastation is a good card, but I don't think it's the solution against big-damage aggro decks. It's maybe the best card we got for it at least.
Record of 2-3 so no Top 8 for me. Blood Moon and Madcap on curve are a really fun strategy to play with. The deck just needs some better removal as Lightning Bolts are really bad against Eldrazis and Death Shadows. Unfortunately U/R aren't colors that are going to offer us many solutions for those creatures. But I think I can start tweaking and petting this deck a little bit more, so I'll see you around here
Hey burninggiraffe! First of all, congrats on your performance in Las Vegas. The list you played looks interesting, mostly because you took the Scepter package to change the angle of the deck, and I've been insisting on playing the it on my local for a while now :p. How do you felt it?
Noxious Revival seems like a pretty good idea to 4-card-gift for specific removal (and drawing it to get a counter or removal to the hand it's not so bad either). Gonna try it out, seems like a good addition.
Would you say Blessed Alliance could do a better work instead of Timely Reinforcements when playing the Scepter on sideboard? Also because I've been struggling when I find Death Shadow deck (is very popular now), and the point that you could kill DS while making your opponent gain life, sacrifice it or even both (also because it can be escalated on the Scepter) makes me wonder! You think it could perform as well as Timely against another aggro decks?
I think Pull from Tomorrow might be pretty solid for Mono U Tron. The normal lists have signets to help you out cast Sphinx. The white source might be significant but the life gain also is. A card worth testing at least imo.
Now Irrigated Farmland is a card I'm excited to test. It can be fetched, cycled and the tapped source is not really relevant, as I have found that I usually get end-of-turn fetch with Hallowed Fountain or dropping it tapped against aggro decks to avoid the life loss. It can also be brought back for the ones that play Crucible of Worlds. I'm for sure will be testing Fetid Pools instead of Watery Grave. This land cards are coming strong for our deck.
I haven't been posting my records for Tuesday's Modern night lately but here they go again. Yesterday was not my day for sure, but the list have seen better days in the past weeks I tell ya.
First match R/W Burn. I'm on the play. He starts pushing forward but I deal with some board menaces and get a third turn gift and reanimate Iona. I was left with 5 lives but Iona was a lock. Second game I start with Leyline, he deals with it but I drop a Scepter-Blessed Alliance and it was too much for him to handle. I win 2-0.
Record 1-0.
Second match was against a Naya burn. He really doesn't start really that aggresive, but the turn I was about to play gift to reanimate my threat I drew Unburial Rites (that luck tho!). Nothing to do and he finish me off. Second game I start with Tron/Wurmcoil, I tutor Academy Ruins to get back the Wurmcoil everytime he dealt with it. It was too much for him at that point. The last game I mulligan to 5, get a leyline and Tron but I drew only crap. I lost 2-1.
Record 1-1.
Third match was Living End. I was not aware of what I was playing so I was playing with caution. He had a lot of Land hate on main so he kept dealing with my mana, and that really penalizes me. Cascade and Living End, game for him. On the second match I wasn't so sure of what to sideboard, but he got inside some more Land hate and it was even worse than the first game. I Remand his Living End but then he got another one. 2-0 for him.
Record 1-2.
The next match was against Bant Eldrazi. The first game I get Scepter-Silence and it was basically game. Got my Tron and casted my threats. The second match I overcame a 2-Engineered Explosives and Rest in Peace. I get Tron online, tutor Academy Ruins and did the Slaver lock (it's like the second or third time I've managed to pull it off to win a match!). 2-0 for me.
Record 2-2.
The last match was Modern Abzan. To be honest we were both aware that we couldn't win something that night so we played a bit lazy (slow but serious). The first match somehow a desperate Scepter-Path was really annoying for him and turned the game into my favor. I casted (yes, casted) Iona and Ulamog and won the game. The second game, of course, he got all the hate and made a difficult match. I didn't feel the game was far but details turned it up to him (Lingering Souls is a difficult card to deal with!). We didn't have time to finish the match so it ended 1-1.
Final record 2-2-1. Not the best exhibition but I'm satisfied that the match ups I had weren't easy and Naya Burn didn't feel that far from winning. I'll try luck next week and post a better record in the coming weeks! Any suggestion is always welcome, thanks for reading.
Hi guys, the crazy guy from U/W scepter Tron is back. After some testing, I've found a list I'm really comfortable with. Posting it now and reasoning my picks:
As darksteel correctly stated before, my deck has worse average cards, but those cards empower the Isochron Scepter. On Game 1 against many decks, Scepter-Remand or Scepter-Silence becomes a lock that allows me to take the game to the state that gives me advantage. Even though, a second turn Silence alone usually gives me the chance to get to turn 3-4 Gift and reanimate my win-cond. Playing 12 artifacts, Thirst for Knowledge becomes a good drawing card. My sideboard might need some fixing but what I can tell is that Blessed Alliance alone or with scepter (and escalate too!) is really an amazing card, worth testing for sure in your sideboards.
Pro's I've found after testing a while this list are that on a good average, I win a lot the first game (even for matches like RG Tron, Bant Eldrazi, aggro decks in general which are on paper bad match-ups for us). A notable con is that with sideboard, almost all decks become really good against me, as a lot of people has Land/Artifact/Graveyard hate (even the three of them!), which really hurts me. I need to work on taking a different strategy for follow-ups matches, but I haven't really figured it out well.
This list kinda can be considered as rouge, but it's fun for sure. Some wtf faces on your opponents really are worth the shot when they don't know what the hell is that you are playing and what you are planning to do
I would never have guessed that Rule of Law was for control decks. You're favoured in those matchups and in fact, your late game win condition is often casting multiple Gifts in a single turn. Rule of Law is really awkward to play with because neither person can do anything for fear of a single counter wrecking them. Like even if you manage to cast Gifts and find a win condition, you just get that win condition countered. It would be much better with Emrakul since it can't be countered, thereby giving you a way out of the deadlock situation. I think you lose in the long run because they have better Colonnade answers than you do.
As I have been testing Rule of Law, I've been finding out is a double-edge sword. I was suggesting that Rule of Law is a bad card against Control decks. It's easier for him to control me as his Remand are as effective as mine and his Cryptic Commands becomes a 2 for 1 turns. The Silence suggestion is pretty good. I will give it a go next week.
As far as drawing goes, I imagine it's because you're new to the deck. Winning 1-0 vs 8-Rack but drawing 1-1 against Jeskai Nahiri strikes me as odd. I've finished all my 8-Rack games, and I've played a fair share of them. This isn't to knock you or make you feel bad, but you probably need to be a little quicker with your decisions.
Yeah, basically the problem I have is I'm not familiar with the meta. I have never ever seen 8-rack deck before, so I was playing very safe. It took me a while to finish him. Jeskai Nahiri was really mistakes I did. On the 3 games we played, I was in some point in a position of advantage. The second game I lost it because of bad decisions and the third game I wasn't able to finish him quick enough. I gotta practice and learn to make better and faster decisions. With time I'll get familiar with the deck and the decks around.
First match RG Tron. I'm on the play. I get Tron online on third turn and drop Rule of Law and Scepter-Remand with signet. I control the match until I bring threats with portal. His Newlamog comes up too late and I end wining. Second game he smashes me with a third turn Karn, which I counter, but it comes down on next turn. Third match he mulligans to 5, takes up to turn 4 or 5 to get Tron online. We end up drawing 1-1.
Second match was Mono Black 8 rack. I manage to resolve a Rule of Law and later Scepter-Into the Roil. That way I control his Liliana and Racks, and I start kicking and drawing to avoid damage until I get Tron online. Ugin comes down to win the game. First game took too long we had 3 mins for second match. I win 1-0.
Third match was Jeskai Nahiri. First match I rush Tron and a Gift for threats. I end overwhelming him later with portal drop, and Iona comes to lock the game. Second match he draws all the hate, I try to answer but he ended up kiling me with Colonnade hits. Third match was up to my favor, as I resolve a Sundering Titan, he destroys it but ends getting behind. I don't have time then to finish him and we end up drawing 1-1.
The last match was Madcap Titanshift. First match I gift for Iona Green, then he resolves a Madcap Experiment, but I path his Platinum Emperior. The second match I ger Leyline miracle, but he finish me with Avenger of Zendikar. The last match I get Scepter-Wail, control him until he destroys it. By that moment I had too much power on board, and I ended up winning the game.
2 wins and 2 draws. But then again, not matchs against aggro decks.
Hey, thanks for replying. I like the Silence idea. It's really cool thinking that it could be used with Scepter, and it is even way more effective against control decks, rather than Rule of Law, which it gives my opponent advantage. I was also thinking reducing the portal to one. At this moment I have like 7-8 cards that would need Tron online to be played in the early/mid-game. What do you think of the poor-man's Remand Unsubstantiate? I have my doubts thinking it doesn't give you card advantage, but it can even interact with uncounterable spells, and deals with board menaces. Gonna give your suggestions a go for next Tuesday's Modern night and see how it performs.
Hello guys. I'm a returning player to Magic. I built a UW Gift Tron with a list a saw a few years back. I never read this thread until now, and if I repost something already discusses in the 105 pages before, my bad :). I did some changes to my list adapting to the new meta that I have around and to try some new things. First of all, I'm playing 2 copies of Planar Bridge, as an alternative of Gifts Ungiven. Also, I removed Snapcaster Mage to introduce Isochron Scepter, as this card helps me cast my spells when I don't have color fix; also letting me cast color spells with one Tron land (like Sol Ring) when I have Tron online and is a good companion for Rule of Law, which I also have in my main board. I also have Warping Wail in the mainboard, as it's a removal for some key creatures in the meta, counter for decks like Titanshift or Crumble to Dust, and lets me cast Scions to ramp when attached with Scepter. Into the Roil is a card that helps me interact with Planeswalkers, and it can be kicked to draw a card when casted from Scepter. My list basically relies on resolving Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite to deal with the aggro decks, as it doesn't have any wraths.
After tested, my deck has real issues with mirror match with RG Tron, have good match with control decks like Jeskai Nahiri and combo decks (excluding Melira Company, which I haven't tested). With aggro decks can't really give a veredict, as I haven't faced many on my LGS. Any comments or suggestions let me know!
12 Island
4 Mutavault
3 Cavern of Souls
1 Oboro, Palace in the Clouds
Creatures
4 Cursecatcher
4 Silvergill Adept
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Master of the Pearl Trident
4 Harbinger of the Tides
4 Merrow Reejerey
3 Master of Waves
1 Kopala, Warden of Waves
1 Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
1 Vendilion Clique
4 Aether Vial
4 Spreading Seas
1 Echoing Truth
1 Dismember
1 Pithing Needle
2 Relic of Progenitus
1 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Hurkyl's Recall
3 Ceremonious Rejection
2 Negate
2 Dispel
1 Dismember
1 Echoing Truth
Lantern Control (1-0): An opener Echoing Truth saves my day, when he hits Ensnaring Bridge I just assemble lethal to bounce and win. Second game I got crushed by 2 Collective Brutality to get rid of my answers. Third match was a win thanks to Hurkyl's Recall. 2-1.
Naya Wish (2-0): A rogue deck. I wasn't really sure what I was playing against until I saw Glittering Wish on game 2. I just sticked to the plan of beating on both games to win. 2-0.
8-Rack (3-0): First game was a race, I was on the play so I barely made it on time. Second game he got another annoying Ensnaring Bridge that I couldn't answer. Third match I think he didn't draw anything of his sideboard so it went kinda like the first game. 2-1.
Merfolk (3-1): Never played against the mirror before, so it was kinda awkward. His list had Vapor Snag instead of Echoing Truth and Dismember. Both cards I had didn't feel so good against it I must say. First game I got Vial and raced him. Both other games he got Pearl Trident and I got Lord of Atlantis (yikes), so he totally outraced me with them and some tempo moves. 1-2.
Eggs (4-1): First game I got him to 2 lives, but he assemble the combo. Second game two Rejections and a top-deck Lord allowed me to make it on time. Third game was a rough one, but a Hurkyl's after both Lotus Bloom resolved helped me to win some time to make a decent board. He did played his Emrakul but it wasn't enough as I sack'd my lands and some fish, but killed him on the backswing. 2-1.
Ad Nauseam (5-1): He was on the play so I got Turn 4 combo on first game. On the second game he had a slow start and 2 Cursecatcher on board slowed him down so I could get there on time. Third game it was a long game, as I kept a hand with counters but few creatures. Thankfully he didn't find the combo quickly enough so I started pinging slowly. Saved my asnwers for the combo pieces, survived a Damnation and took the win on third game. 2-1.
I'm liking this configuration a lot. 1-of Kopala, Kira and Clique may not give me consistency, but it helps me having odds on game one against almost any deck. Kopala definitely is getting a room on the deck, I'm enjoying him.
About the splash, I think rothgar and Dreimer stated some fair points, and I think it's the best feedback you can get in this thread. Like everything in life, if you wanna try to change something stablished, you gotta bring results to the skeptical people. Try the cards, test them and post your results. They are encouraging you to do so.
What I can give you insight is from counter magic, as an experienced blue color user. What you are stating falls in the eternal struggle of hard vs soft counters. As a creature-based deck, you can't run situational answers in your SIDEBOARD, because what you are expecting is to bring a card that will solve you an specific problem at ANY moment of the game. Control decks can afford to run Mana Leak and Spell Pierce because their game plan allows them to choose how to interact most of the time. Yes we would dream to have Stubborn Denial like Grixis Death's Shadow, because is a cheap hard counter almost all the time, but we don't have it.
I do understand your straight-foward gameplan, with all its trade offs, but even with that your gameplan can't run situational answers. Turn 5 isn't that late game, but you can Negate in response of a cascading Living End and probably win, or Spell Pierce, fail and lose the game. You can Dispel a top-deck Lava Spike when you are at 3 life, buy some time and win, or Spell Pierce, he taps for 3 of mana and lose. Titanshift needs 6-7 lands to combo you off, Scapeshift costs 4, so he will probably going to pay your Spell Pierce, but he won't be able to answer your hard Negate. Yes, you can cite me scenarios where Spell Pierce is a better card than Dispel and Negate combo, because of that this struggle still exists in Magic. What I'm trying to point out is that even if your deck gets worse as turns pass by, it doesn't mean you can't win in the mid-game or late-game. I'm sure you will be more happy to top deck an useful hard counter (that's why you know how to board it in, to hit a potential threat of your opponet), rather than a sometimes useful, sometimes useless soft counter (even in your opening hand, trust me).
Now that I brought all these points to newer pages, this is why I believe Unified Will is better than Thassa's Rebuff on this deck. Both needs creatures to counter obviously, and Thassa's Rebuff has the advantage that it uses Spreading Seas devotion, but the fact that even with a deployed board it could still fail, makes it a worse counter.
As a not-at-all-serious comment, there is not such thing as Competitive Commander haha. Commander here it's kinda like what Mcgregor tried to do challenging Mayweather in boxing
8 Island
2 Mountain
3 Scalding Tarn
4 Flooded Strand
2 Steam Vents
2 Sulfur Falls
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Desolate Lighthouse
Enchantment
4 Blood Moon
Planeswalker
2 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
Creature
4 Snapcaster Mage
2 Platinum Emperion
1 Vendilion Clique
4 Cryptic Command
4 Serum Visions
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Madcap Experiment
2 Mana Leak
2 Remand
2 Spell Snare
2 Ancestral Vision
1 Harvest Pyre
1 Keranos, God of Storms
1 Vendilion Clique
2 Stormbreath Dragon
1 Shatterstorm
1 By Force
2 Ceremonious Rejection
1 Negate
1 Dispel
2 Anger of the Gods
1 Hour of Devastation
2 Roast
Round 1: Affinity
Game 1: I start on the draw. I keep a hand with Lightning Bolt, Serum Visions, Blood Moon and Spell Snare. I remember I found a Snapcaster Mage to flashback Spell Snare, and Madcap on the way. Killed/countered his threats, until I cast Blood Moon to stop his lands and next turn a lock with Madcap/Emperion.
Game 2: I board in artifact/colorless hate and Anger of the Gods. I keep a hand with Shatterstorm, Anger, Madcap, Serum Visions but only one island. He goes turn one Thoughtsieze to take away my Serum Visions. Fortunately I draw 2 consecutive lands to cast Anger of the Gods. He gets his champion to get all Ravager counters and I take some damage from the champion until I drew another land to cast Shatterstorm. I stall the game to have the moment I can lock the game with Emperion and being able to protect it. (2-0)
Considering I was on the draw both games, I was extremely lucky to draw those lands to be able to stall on Game 2. I take those wins also.
(1-0)
Round 2: Grixis Death Shadow
Game 1: Not much to say about this game. With a turn one Thoughtsieze he knows he gotta fetch a Swamp to avoid my Moon. I get to Madcap, he has Kholagan's Command in main. I was dead pretty fast though.
Game 2: I get in some more removal. I Roast one DS, then went Harvest Pyre on another one but I don't see he has fetch land so I fail miserably to kill the second one. Huge mistake that probably cost me the game, probably not. (2-2).
This match didn't even feel close though. I probably made a mistake by sub estimating the power of this deck. I think I didn't have appropriate answers in sideboad (even though U/R don't have too many against it) for this kind of match ups.
(1-1)
Round 3: Lantern Control
Game 1: I kept a hand with Moon/Madcap. I thought I was in good shape until I saw what I was facing. Later I didn't draw any action so I got controlled-milled. I scooped to have time to try to win the other two games.
Game 2: Out Madcap/Emperion, in artifact hate. I play turn one Ancestral Visions. By turn 4 he has Lantern and Codex up, he milled my Shatterstorm and tried to Surgical, but I Dispel. With Visions I drew a Snapcaster Mage and with flashback-Shatterstorm I get to clean most of his board. Chandra/Snapcaster did the rest.
Game 3: He had a slow start, with two consecutive Ancient Stirrings. He found a Bridge first and then a Pithing Needle. Chandra was the target of the Needle. Keranos was MVP on that game, allowing me to draw some useful spells and hitting him ocasionally. I saw he found a second Snaring Bridge, I get it down thanks to Clique, and I get to attack once by bouncing his Snaring Bridge to finish the game. (4-3).
Artifact hate is always good to have. It's an annoying match up but I think the deck has enough angles to be able to resolve it.
(2-1)
Round 4: Merfolks
Game 1: Half of the best cards we have are useless against this deck. Had a Moon that wasn't going to get me anywhere. He had two Vials so counters weren't helpful either. I get an Emperion down but I made the horrible mistake of attacking with it (yes, I forgot he had the tapped-bouncer Merfolk).
Game 2: Anger of the Gods. What an amazing card. Cleaned most of his board except for Master of the Waves, but without his Elementals he is not a problem for us. Got a kill with Stormbreath Dragon fairly quick after that.
Game 3: Didn't do much. Bolted some of this threats but drew both Emperions (what are the odds). Dead by turn 5. (5-5).
The match is winnable thanks to Emperion now. Most aggro decks doesn't have a way to deal with it on game 1. Gotta be careful with it, that's all.
(2-2)
Round 5: Eldrazi Tron
Game 1: I know what I'm up to so I mulligan aggressively to find a Moon. Of course I thought Moon would be better in this match but he just needed to get a second map, tutor a Wastes and he is good to go. I had to play Snapcaster-Serum Visions, I drew a card and I saw on top the Madcap Experiment the turn before I was dead. What a painful way to die.
Game 2: Time to find out if Hour of Devastation is that good. Mulligan to find Madcap Experiment. Got it. Drew a lot of action but no lands. I get a Moon to stop him a little bit but he Ghost Quarter himself to find a Wastes. Get Emperion but on the turn I played it he gets a Basillisk Collar down (I was tapped so couldn't answer). Ouch. The turn I was about to die I drew the land I needed to play Hour of Devastation. Felt sooo good to clean the board. He hitted me with Ballista so I was down to one life. By Force his Collar and played my second Emperion. I thought I was rescuing that game, I just had to handle the collars. He played his first collar, I get to counter it. Plays a chalice of two, and I need to counter that because of Negate and Snapcaster Mage. Then he plays his third Collar of the game (yes, he found the third one) and that was game for him. So close of getting that game around. (5-7).
This matchup and some other could use Spreading Seas to shut the game down when they get to find their only basic land to be able to play with Blood Moon around. Hour of Devastation is a good card, but I don't think it's the solution against big-damage aggro decks. It's maybe the best card we got for it at least.
Record of 2-3 so no Top 8 for me. Blood Moon and Madcap on curve are a really fun strategy to play with. The deck just needs some better removal as Lightning Bolts are really bad against Eldrazis and Death Shadows. Unfortunately U/R aren't colors that are going to offer us many solutions for those creatures. But I think I can start tweaking and petting this deck a little bit more, so I'll see you around here
Noxious Revival seems like a pretty good idea to 4-card-gift for specific removal (and drawing it to get a counter or removal to the hand it's not so bad either). Gonna try it out, seems like a good addition.
Would you say Blessed Alliance could do a better work instead of Timely Reinforcements when playing the Scepter on sideboard? Also because I've been struggling when I find Death Shadow deck (is very popular now), and the point that you could kill DS while making your opponent gain life, sacrifice it or even both (also because it can be escalated on the Scepter) makes me wonder! You think it could perform as well as Timely against another aggro decks?
Cheers,
Now Irrigated Farmland is a card I'm excited to test. It can be fetched, cycled and the tapped source is not really relevant, as I have found that I usually get end-of-turn fetch with Hallowed Fountain or dropping it tapped against aggro decks to avoid the life loss. It can also be brought back for the ones that play Crucible of Worlds. I'm for sure will be testing Fetid Pools instead of Watery Grave. This land cards are coming strong for our deck.
Any thought on Cascading Cataracts?
First match R/W Burn. I'm on the play. He starts pushing forward but I deal with some board menaces and get a third turn gift and reanimate Iona. I was left with 5 lives but Iona was a lock. Second game I start with Leyline, he deals with it but I drop a Scepter-Blessed Alliance and it was too much for him to handle. I win 2-0.
Record 1-0.
Second match was against a Naya burn. He really doesn't start really that aggresive, but the turn I was about to play gift to reanimate my threat I drew Unburial Rites (that luck tho!). Nothing to do and he finish me off. Second game I start with Tron/Wurmcoil, I tutor Academy Ruins to get back the Wurmcoil everytime he dealt with it. It was too much for him at that point. The last game I mulligan to 5, get a leyline and Tron but I drew only crap. I lost 2-1.
Record 1-1.
Third match was Living End. I was not aware of what I was playing so I was playing with caution. He had a lot of Land hate on main so he kept dealing with my mana, and that really penalizes me. Cascade and Living End, game for him. On the second match I wasn't so sure of what to sideboard, but he got inside some more Land hate and it was even worse than the first game. I Remand his Living End but then he got another one. 2-0 for him.
Record 1-2.
The next match was against Bant Eldrazi. The first game I get Scepter-Silence and it was basically game. Got my Tron and casted my threats. The second match I overcame a 2-Engineered Explosives and Rest in Peace. I get Tron online, tutor Academy Ruins and did the Slaver lock (it's like the second or third time I've managed to pull it off to win a match!). 2-0 for me.
Record 2-2.
The last match was Modern Abzan. To be honest we were both aware that we couldn't win something that night so we played a bit lazy (slow but serious). The first match somehow a desperate Scepter-Path was really annoying for him and turned the game into my favor. I casted (yes, casted) Iona and Ulamog and won the game. The second game, of course, he got all the hate and made a difficult match. I didn't feel the game was far but details turned it up to him (Lingering Souls is a difficult card to deal with!). We didn't have time to finish the match so it ended 1-1.
Final record 2-2-1. Not the best exhibition but I'm satisfied that the match ups I had weren't easy and Naya Burn didn't feel that far from winning. I'll try luck next week and post a better record in the coming weeks! Any suggestion is always welcome, thanks for reading.
4 Flooded Strand
3 Hallowed Fountain
1 Watery Grave
2 Island
1 Plains
1 Academy Ruins
4 Urza's Tower
4 Urza's Mine
4 Urza's Power Plant
Creatures
1 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
1 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Sundering Titan
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
1 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
1 Karn Liberated
Artifacts
3 Azorius Signet
1 Talisman of Progress
2 Isochron Scepter
3 Expedition Map
1 Mindslaver
Spells
4 Gifts Ungiven
1 Unburial Rites
3 Path to Exile
2 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Unsubstantiate
4 Remand
2 Into the Roil
2 Silence
2 Blessed Alliance
1 Rule of Law
1 Warping Wail
3 Leyline of Sanctity
2 Celestial Purge
2 Pithing Needle
2 Ghostly Prison
2 Disenchant
As darksteel correctly stated before, my deck has worse average cards, but those cards empower the Isochron Scepter. On Game 1 against many decks, Scepter-Remand or Scepter-Silence becomes a lock that allows me to take the game to the state that gives me advantage. Even though, a second turn Silence alone usually gives me the chance to get to turn 3-4 Gift and reanimate my win-cond. Playing 12 artifacts, Thirst for Knowledge becomes a good drawing card. My sideboard might need some fixing but what I can tell is that Blessed Alliance alone or with scepter (and escalate too!) is really an amazing card, worth testing for sure in your sideboards.
Pro's I've found after testing a while this list are that on a good average, I win a lot the first game (even for matches like RG Tron, Bant Eldrazi, aggro decks in general which are on paper bad match-ups for us). A notable con is that with sideboard, almost all decks become really good against me, as a lot of people has Land/Artifact/Graveyard hate (even the three of them!), which really hurts me. I need to work on taking a different strategy for follow-ups matches, but I haven't really figured it out well.
This list kinda can be considered as rouge, but it's fun for sure. Some wtf faces on your opponents really are worth the shot when they don't know what the hell is that you are playing and what you are planning to do
As I have been testing Rule of Law, I've been finding out is a double-edge sword. I was suggesting that Rule of Law is a bad card against Control decks. It's easier for him to control me as his Remand are as effective as mine and his Cryptic Commands becomes a 2 for 1 turns. The Silence suggestion is pretty good. I will give it a go next week.
Yeah, basically the problem I have is I'm not familiar with the meta. I have never ever seen 8-rack deck before, so I was playing very safe. It took me a while to finish him. Jeskai Nahiri was really mistakes I did. On the 3 games we played, I was in some point in a position of advantage. The second game I lost it because of bad decisions and the third game I wasn't able to finish him quick enough. I gotta practice and learn to make better and faster decisions. With time I'll get familiar with the deck and the decks around.
First match RG Tron. I'm on the play. I get Tron online on third turn and drop Rule of Law and Scepter-Remand with signet. I control the match until I bring threats with portal. His Newlamog comes up too late and I end wining. Second game he smashes me with a third turn Karn, which I counter, but it comes down on next turn. Third match he mulligans to 5, takes up to turn 4 or 5 to get Tron online. We end up drawing 1-1.
Second match was Mono Black 8 rack. I manage to resolve a Rule of Law and later Scepter-Into the Roil. That way I control his Liliana and Racks, and I start kicking and drawing to avoid damage until I get Tron online. Ugin comes down to win the game. First game took too long we had 3 mins for second match. I win 1-0.
Third match was Jeskai Nahiri. First match I rush Tron and a Gift for threats. I end overwhelming him later with portal drop, and Iona comes to lock the game. Second match he draws all the hate, I try to answer but he ended up kiling me with Colonnade hits. Third match was up to my favor, as I resolve a Sundering Titan, he destroys it but ends getting behind. I don't have time then to finish him and we end up drawing 1-1.
The last match was Madcap Titanshift. First match I gift for Iona Green, then he resolves a Madcap Experiment, but I path his Platinum Emperior. The second match I ger Leyline miracle, but he finish me with Avenger of Zendikar. The last match I get Scepter-Wail, control him until he destroys it. By that moment I had too much power on board, and I ended up winning the game.
2 wins and 2 draws. But then again, not matchs against aggro decks.
Here is my list:
4 Flooded Strand
3 Hallowed Fountain
1 Watery Grave
2 Island
1 Plains
1 Academy Ruins
4 Urza's Tower
4 Urza's Mine
4 Urza's Power Plant
Creatures
1 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
1 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
Planeswalkers
1 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
1 Karn Liberated
3 Azorius Signet
1 Talisman of Progress
2 Planar Bridge
2 Isochron Scepter
3 Expedition Map
1 Mindslaver
Spells
4 Gifts Ungiven
1 Unburial Rites
3 Path to Exile
2 Warping Wail
4 Remand
2 Into the Roil
2 Rule of Law
1 Sundering Titan
1 Platinum Angel
3 Leyline of Sanctity
2 Celestial Purge
2 Pithing Needle
2 Ghostly Prison
2 Candles' Glow
2 Disenchant
After tested, my deck has real issues with mirror match with RG Tron, have good match with control decks like Jeskai Nahiri and combo decks (excluding Melira Company, which I haven't tested). With aggro decks can't really give a veredict, as I haven't faced many on my LGS. Any comments or suggestions let me know!
Cheers,