How was the match versus the phoenix deck? I have yet to play against it and would like a little insight on your approach?
Also I've been a huge fan of walking ballista, you should definitely try more in the main deck. For the sundering titan vs platinum angel, if you are going to play one I think angel is probably more live in this current modern meta, but i've just been jamming 3 wurmcoils instead.
You can early map for academy ruins and hope. I've also found it pretty difficult when I've played it against it online. It's such a low meta percentage that I've never tried to beat it. I play the full 4 walking ballista and even just a 2/2 or ,3/3 and pumping it with your Mana everyturn might do it.
I've Found mill to be an utterly abysmal matchup. If you are playing chalice that can help, its probably not worth packing cards for imo though. Line up your counterspells right, Nimble obstructionist if you are playing it can stop field of ruins and qhost quarters from forcing you to shuffle.
Here is just my two cents. I've played the deck for three years now, I'm still learning new stuff and angles. However the skills floor of this deck is actually pretty low, if you've played control before I'm sure you can figure the deck out. But just proxy it up or play it on a free online platform (I'd suggest this when thinking about playing any deck). Blue Tron is a definitely a fun and rewarding deck when you master it.
Tldr: proxy it up. Play it proxied with friends for like two weeks. Decide after that.
You can almost never go wrong with negates for the side board. I could see in your side going up a ballista, tks or spatial/dismember in the side to help you creature matchups even more
I too am on the tormod's crypt plan, my paper meta has evolved to have a ton of dredge and the power to tutor crypt with tolaria west makes most of us have at least 4-5 virtual copies of it as well as our other graveyard hate (map tutoring tolaria west). It also having the ability to be recurred with academy ruins.
Yeah, sample size matters here. If we see something win a large percentage of its matches but its number of actual uses is tiny, data can't say a lot of about it. I.e. the law of small numbers.
I've never had a problem with life with 4 dismember but i'm on 3 wurmcoils. I think electrolyze is uncastable in this deck. Anything with it 2 Mana symbols that aren't generic will be hard to cast early.
Hello, I also play blue tron, I think some cards you probably should look at to survive getting to your late game. Walking Ballista - I play this as a 4 of in my list and its definitely gets the job down at being aggressive and defensive. You might also look into playing atleast 2 wurmcoil engines as this also keeps you alive and is a versatile threat. As far as mana base it looks fine but you could also go in the tradition of pauper tron decks and play the filter lands, I haven't tried it out but it could be fine. I would probably drop the staff of nin, fabricate and batterskull as they are slow, and we don'tneed a creature that dies to fatalpush in a tron deck. You might also want more removal, I see the 4 lightning bolt and board wipes but you still might need more single target. Dismember and Spatial Contortion are amazing for this (I've been playing 4 of both). I see the timestop in your board and I think its probably too cute even with the turns player. just play another negate or TKS.
As far as the deck idea itself I think 2 Banefire is enough as you are really just trying to get to the late game rather than power one out. I don't know if pyromancer's goggles are good enough in your blue based deck. I think some number of Abrade should be in the list as well, It is an okay removal spell for creatures in modern and will deal with problem artifacts. I think you are weaker to blood moon than other tron decks too, having only 2 bounce spells and only 5 hard counters will hurt.
Went 3-0 last night at my lgs, like normal it was kind of a small tournament but still fun regardless. My meta is very well suited for us. I played the list I posted above (its also in my signature under the modern button).
Round 1: Tezzerator (won 2-1)
I had lent cards to my opponent so they could actually play tonight, so I knew what they were on and what kind of hands to keep.
Game 1: Kept a pretty controlling hand that still had access to quick tron with counterspell backup. turn 7 I played and cracked mindslaver with the opponent tapped out. They conceded.
Game 2: This Game I thought would be easy with an opening hand with 2 surgicals, 3 lands and 2 condescend. This game went very long and everytime I tried surgically he had 2 thopterfoundry which basically made it impossible. It went back and forth but I was definitely outplayed in the long game. I did not draw any real threats and my repeals had been surgicalled early on in the game. I had done a cool play with remanding my surgical 2 times (the first remand drawing a second) but stil my opponent had enough mana and artifacts so sac. I probably could have played better in that scenario as my opponent was always leaving up 1 mana when comboing to avoid the surgical.
Game 3: This game also went extremely long but was a really good back and forth game. I played early counterspells and my opponent tapped out to play a pithing needle on oblivion stone, and play a thopter foundry. I didn't have a counterspell, but this was going to my turn 4 and I played a Thought-Knot Seer taking their last card, a Whir of Invention. My opponent then topdecks the sword I gets back up in life, evening it out. I end up drawing a surgical and they play around it. I drew the oblivion stone with tron mana and got their sword. The game was pretty much over at this point as I had academy ruins and tron.
Round 2: Grixis Death's Shadow (2-0)
Being a smaller store, every person who plays consistently knows what decks people are on.
Game 1: I kept an okay 6card hand; 2 lands, a dismember, a condescend and a Thirst For Knowledge, scrying a land to the top. My opponent landed some early hand disruption leaving me nearly threatless however both of us draw runner lands. (feels bad for both of us but my opponent especially). I then land Wurmcoil Engine the turn after they play a Gurmag Angler. we both pass, I draw a second Wurmcoil Engine and play it.
Game 2: My hand is kind of slow but has quick tron and a Wurmcoil Engine. My Opponent Fetch shocks and thoughtscours. I play land map. Turn 2 they thoughtseize my wurmcoil and play a gurmag angler. Turn 2 I play another tron land. they play 2 death shadows after cycling a Street Wraith. the next turn I play island in order to have thirst up. They temur battle rage and get me down to 2 from 15. I land tron and a topdeck a wurmcoil engine. They fail to draw an card that can deal me 2 damage. I drew a mindslaver with having another tower in hand. I then proceed slaver them and attack the gurmag into me, blocking with the wurmcoil. I drew bolt for them and killed their 3/3 Death's Shadow as well. Leaving them at 10, zero cards and 1 Death's Shadow. I attack in with the wurmcoil putting them at 4, but I drew a second wurmcoil and play it second mainphase.
Round 3: Mardu Pyromancer (2-1)
We agreed to split prizes because its better for both of us, but we decided to play it out for fun anyway.
Game 1: This is a super back and forth game where both of us answer eachother's threats. I didn't draw a wurmcoil making the game a little more difficult. I dismembered an early pyromancer but it didn't matter, I pretty much drew mono counterspells and lands. I had a slaver but all I did with it was kill another one of their own pyromancers with it. Then thoughtseized their Lotv. They drew Kolaghan's Command and both back a reveler they discarded earlier in the game to a faithless looting. that Reveler killed me.
Both Games 2 and 3 Looked fairly similar.
I had early tron in game 2 with an EE on zero to kill tokens for early aggression. Landed mindslaver to screw them up and then drew the academy ruins with 12 mana.
Game 3:
This was a little longer than game 2 with me drawing multiple walking ballista killing off early threats and drawing out removal. I drew a wurmcoil engine and blocked an attacking Young Pyromancer, after blocks they Kolaghan's Command it and buyback a reveler. I managed to have the counter for that and it Scrys me into the mindslaver lock.
My lgs meta is fairly good for us, the decks last night being; 2 Mardu Pyromancer, 1 Grixis Death's Shadow, 1 Kiki-Evolution, 1 8-Rack, 1 Storm, 1 Tezzerator and myself.
Somethings I've noticed from starting the youtube videos and taking slightly better notes, Is I tend to play a little hastily and get punished when I do. So i'll try to slowdown and play a little more conservatively. I tend to think I've turned the corner a turn earlier than I actually have.
I've been playing Unmoored ego 4x in my board on xmage (still $500 short of finishing the deck lol), everytime I cast it and it resolves, the games is basically over. I've named stony silence, tron lands, griselbrand, it has definitely been game deciding. I don't think we want assassin's trophy, its really only okay in unfair fast decks where the land doesn't matter. We by nature have to be slow to really combo off and still be safe, since our combo takes so long to actually be lethal.
I posted two videos, I don't think we are actively supposed to advertise but I'm sure you guys can find them. I had a couple good games earlier too but the video quality was super low so I couldn't upload them. I'll try to get 2-3 a week in for you.
Also I've been a huge fan of walking ballista, you should definitely try more in the main deck. For the sundering titan vs platinum angel, if you are going to play one I think angel is probably more live in this current modern meta, but i've just been jamming 3 wurmcoils instead.
Tldr: proxy it up. Play it proxied with friends for like two weeks. Decide after that.
As far as the deck idea itself I think 2 Banefire is enough as you are really just trying to get to the late game rather than power one out. I don't know if pyromancer's goggles are good enough in your blue based deck. I think some number of Abrade should be in the list as well, It is an okay removal spell for creatures in modern and will deal with problem artifacts. I think you are weaker to blood moon than other tron decks too, having only 2 bounce spells and only 5 hard counters will hurt.
Round 1: Tezzerator (won 2-1)
I had lent cards to my opponent so they could actually play tonight, so I knew what they were on and what kind of hands to keep.
Game 1: Kept a pretty controlling hand that still had access to quick tron with counterspell backup. turn 7 I played and cracked mindslaver with the opponent tapped out. They conceded.
SideBoard:
In: 3 Surgical Extraction, 2 Negate, 3 Thought-Knot Seer
Out: 3 Wurmcoil Engine, 4 Dismember, 1 Expedition Map
Game 2: This Game I thought would be easy with an opening hand with 2 surgicals, 3 lands and 2 condescend. This game went very long and everytime I tried surgically he had 2 thopterfoundry which basically made it impossible. It went back and forth but I was definitely outplayed in the long game. I did not draw any real threats and my repeals had been surgicalled early on in the game. I had done a cool play with remanding my surgical 2 times (the first remand drawing a second) but stil my opponent had enough mana and artifacts so sac. I probably could have played better in that scenario as my opponent was always leaving up 1 mana when comboing to avoid the surgical.
Game 3: This game also went extremely long but was a really good back and forth game. I played early counterspells and my opponent tapped out to play a pithing needle on oblivion stone, and play a thopter foundry. I didn't have a counterspell, but this was going to my turn 4 and I played a Thought-Knot Seer taking their last card, a Whir of Invention. My opponent then topdecks the sword I gets back up in life, evening it out. I end up drawing a surgical and they play around it. I drew the oblivion stone with tron mana and got their sword. The game was pretty much over at this point as I had academy ruins and tron.
Round 2: Grixis Death's Shadow (2-0)
Being a smaller store, every person who plays consistently knows what decks people are on.
Game 1: I kept an okay 6card hand; 2 lands, a dismember, a condescend and a Thirst For Knowledge, scrying a land to the top. My opponent landed some early hand disruption leaving me nearly threatless however both of us draw runner lands. (feels bad for both of us but my opponent especially). I then land Wurmcoil Engine the turn after they play a Gurmag Angler. we both pass, I draw a second Wurmcoil Engine and play it.
SideBoard:
In: 1 Engineered Explosives
Out: 1 Field of Ruin
Game 2: My hand is kind of slow but has quick tron and a Wurmcoil Engine. My Opponent Fetch shocks and thoughtscours. I play land map. Turn 2 they thoughtseize my wurmcoil and play a gurmag angler. Turn 2 I play another tron land. they play 2 death shadows after cycling a Street Wraith. the next turn I play island in order to have thirst up. They temur battle rage and get me down to 2 from 15. I land tron and a topdeck a wurmcoil engine. They fail to draw an card that can deal me 2 damage. I drew a mindslaver with having another tower in hand. I then proceed slaver them and attack the gurmag into me, blocking with the wurmcoil. I drew bolt for them and killed their 3/3 Death's Shadow as well. Leaving them at 10, zero cards and 1 Death's Shadow. I attack in with the wurmcoil putting them at 4, but I drew a second wurmcoil and play it second mainphase.
Round 3: Mardu Pyromancer (2-1)
We agreed to split prizes because its better for both of us, but we decided to play it out for fun anyway.
Game 1: This is a super back and forth game where both of us answer eachother's threats. I didn't draw a wurmcoil making the game a little more difficult. I dismembered an early pyromancer but it didn't matter, I pretty much drew mono counterspells and lands. I had a slaver but all I did with it was kill another one of their own pyromancers with it. Then thoughtseized their Lotv. They drew Kolaghan's Command and both back a reveler they discarded earlier in the game to a faithless looting. that Reveler killed me.
SideBoard:
In: 1 Engineered Explosives
Out: 1 Field of Ruin
Both Games 2 and 3 Looked fairly similar.
I had early tron in game 2 with an EE on zero to kill tokens for early aggression. Landed mindslaver to screw them up and then drew the academy ruins with 12 mana.
Game 3:
This was a little longer than game 2 with me drawing multiple walking ballista killing off early threats and drawing out removal. I drew a wurmcoil engine and blocked an attacking Young Pyromancer, after blocks they Kolaghan's Command it and buyback a reveler. I managed to have the counter for that and it Scrys me into the mindslaver lock.
My lgs meta is fairly good for us, the decks last night being; 2 Mardu Pyromancer, 1 Grixis Death's Shadow, 1 Kiki-Evolution, 1 8-Rack, 1 Storm, 1 Tezzerator and myself.
Somethings I've noticed from starting the youtube videos and taking slightly better notes, Is I tend to play a little hastily and get punished when I do. So i'll try to slowdown and play a little more conservatively. I tend to think I've turned the corner a turn earlier than I actually have.