I do leave the Collars in the side when I'm playing Chalice main, but you do just have to accept that you might brick one of your Maps. It's not very likely given it's only 4/60 cards. Presumably you're blanking much more on your opponent's side.
In this case do you mulligan hoping to get a Map on turn 1 to drop before Chalice? I just hate dead draws ... I think I'd really be inclined to take out the Maps if I was fixing to drop 1 counter Chalice.
Well, in regards to going long, against decks that have an inevitable combo into big damage, of which there are many nowadays, a Platinum can draw that game out long enough for us to hopefully get Ulamog/Karn/Ugin out and break their board or mill them. Of course that won't help if they combo on turn 3 or 4, but they won't always do that, and we can't win in that case anyway.
@Memory Lapse is correct, I think. Discard seems to be the most popular form of control in Modern right now, and it's darn annoying to play against. I HATE playing against discard, so that probably is a good clue that it's effective.
Counterpells can also be effective though, and Mana Leak and Remand see a good bit of play. The advantage of counterspells over discard is that you make your opponent tap out their mana for no effect. Yeah, you got to 5 mana, time to make your big play .... and Mana Leak.
Prison strategies are mostly using Chalice of the Void and/or Blood Moon. Fun times for the caster, not so much the opponent. The downside is if you don't draw into these cards early, your prison deck is DOA.
I recently sold a bunch of cards and ordered most of the cards typically used in these builds plus a number of sideboard options, should have them all by today or tomorrow. This deck has attracted me for a while- I think it's gonna bring out my inner Timmy again.
I'm thinking about running it at the SCG Modern Open in Baltimore on the 28th, but I have a few options.
The thing that concerns me is the Chalice of the Void (which is the only card I don't own yet) conflicting with the Expedition Map and Basilisk Collar when set on 1. Sideboarding Basilisk Collar seems obvious, but losing Expedition Map is a pretty big hit for this deck. Is there a two-mana replacement? Don't think so, but thought I'd ask.
Here is a list I might consider running, which does not currently include Chalice... Gotta decide if I want to shell out another ~$250.
Spells/Artifacts
----------------
2 Basilisk Collar
4 Expedition Map
4 Mind Stone
3 Dismember
1 All Is Dust
--
15
Sideboard
---------
1 Crucible of Worlds
2 Cavern of Souls
2 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Pithing Needle
4 Ratchet Bomb
2 Relic of Progenitus
2 Torpor Orb
--
15
Some standard cards my list is missing, need to think about maybe moving things around and make room:
Chalice of the Void - don't own
Batterskull - don't own this yet either
Warping Wail - own 4
Sea Gate Wreckage - own 1
Here are some non-standard cards I think could potentially be interesting in the sideboard, but I don't see anyone running them:
Platinum Angel - could force a long game (which we want) in some matchups where we would otherwise lose to combo
Platinum Emperion - same as above, but with a big body
Quicksilver Amulet - cheat bigger threats in earlier, plus get around Blood Moon and the need for colorless mana
Lightning Greaves - spot removal protection, plus haste is never bad
Witchbane Orb - hexproof
In this case do you mulligan hoping to get a Map on turn 1 to drop before Chalice? I just hate dead draws ... I think I'd really be inclined to take out the Maps if I was fixing to drop 1 counter Chalice.
@Memory Lapse is correct, I think. Discard seems to be the most popular form of control in Modern right now, and it's darn annoying to play against. I HATE playing against discard, so that probably is a good clue that it's effective.
Counterpells can also be effective though, and Mana Leak and Remand see a good bit of play. The advantage of counterspells over discard is that you make your opponent tap out their mana for no effect. Yeah, you got to 5 mana, time to make your big play .... and Mana Leak.
Prison strategies are mostly using Chalice of the Void and/or Blood Moon. Fun times for the caster, not so much the opponent. The downside is if you don't draw into these cards early, your prison deck is DOA.
I'm thinking about running it at the SCG Modern Open in Baltimore on the 28th, but I have a few options.
The thing that concerns me is the Chalice of the Void (which is the only card I don't own yet) conflicting with the Expedition Map and Basilisk Collar when set on 1. Sideboarding Basilisk Collar seems obvious, but losing Expedition Map is a pretty big hit for this deck. Is there a two-mana replacement? Don't think so, but thought I'd ask.
Here is a list I might consider running, which does not currently include Chalice... Gotta decide if I want to shell out another ~$250.
Lands
-----
4 Wastes
4 Eldrazi Temple
4 Ghost Quarter
4 Urza's Mine
4 Urza's Power Plant
4 Urza's Tower
--
24
Creatures
---------
4 Walking Ballista
2 Endbringer
4 Matter Reshaper
4 Reality Smasher
4 Thought-Knot Seer
1 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
--
19
Planeswalkers
-------------
1 Karn Liberated
1 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
--
2
Spells/Artifacts
----------------
2 Basilisk Collar
4 Expedition Map
4 Mind Stone
3 Dismember
1 All Is Dust
--
15
Sideboard
---------
1 Crucible of Worlds
2 Cavern of Souls
2 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Pithing Needle
4 Ratchet Bomb
2 Relic of Progenitus
2 Torpor Orb
--
15
Some standard cards my list is missing, need to think about maybe moving things around and make room:
Chalice of the Void - don't own
Batterskull - don't own this yet either
Warping Wail - own 4
Sea Gate Wreckage - own 1
Here are some non-standard cards I think could potentially be interesting in the sideboard, but I don't see anyone running them:
Platinum Angel - could force a long game (which we want) in some matchups where we would otherwise lose to combo
Platinum Emperion - same as above, but with a big body
Quicksilver Amulet - cheat bigger threats in earlier, plus get around Blood Moon and the need for colorless mana
Lightning Greaves - spot removal protection, plus haste is never bad
Witchbane Orb - hexproof
Appreciate any thoughts you might have.