Merfolk player is good friend of mine and he is splashing collective comppany in his fish dunno if gutshots would have done any difference there since I blew his board with Ratchet Bomb but he still played triple lord into harbinger. I think I just should have mulliganed more aggressively to find more blazing start because if fish doesn't get screwed (flood or mana screw) I can't win without an unfair start.
Played another four round modern yesterday with the same list as before.
First round vs Eldrazi Tron 1-2
This matchup feels quite miserable since Chalice and Ghost Quarter won't do so much and if I can't draw douple temple nuts it is pretty much GG. First game I ghost Quartered couple of times but he played multiple Reshapers and Smasher and I conceded. Second game I had the nuts for Mimic into Seer into Smasher. Third game he has the double temple nuts and I had five with one temple. I lost the third game after he played turn two and three Seers into natural tron and Batterskull.
Round two vs cheeri0s 2-0
Not much to say about this: Chalice for zero and beatdown.
Round three vs RWB Restore Balance 2-1
I had all the time one creature and one manland with GQ, Temple and Serum Powder. Opponemt kept himself at three lands thanks to this. He pmayed couple of planeswalkers but Scourge and Reshaper are just too hard to deal with. Game two I lost since he suspended turn one Gargadon and threatened me by turn two Cascade into Balance, can't revover from that. Game three I played Chalice for zero and raced him with Seer, Smasher and little dudes.
Round four vs Merfolk 0-2
Didn't draw nuts and lost to multiple Harbingers and lords. Game one and two were very similar: I didnt have super aggro starts and he played only harbingers and silvergrils into triple lord alpha strikes. Not much I can do
I would call that Eldrazi Tron is not favorable matchup unless we draw the nuts. If we even play mimic into turn two Seer with Spirit Guide but have no real follow-up, we will just lose to their consistency. The main problem here is in my opinipn that GQ and Chalice does nothing against them.
Restore Balance: -4 Dismember, +2 Needles, +2 Relics (I saw an Emrakul shuffling his GY back couple of times.. Dunno what I was thinking)
Merfolk: -4 Chalice -4 Scourges -1 Spirit Guide (tapper merfolk and harbinger exiled two times my two Scourges) -1 Spirit Guide, +3 Bombs, +4 Spatials, +2 Needles (for vials.. Did nothing since my opponent played only tempe creatures)
The four you kept in Round 4 is pretty dreamy actually. All-landers are fine once you get to five cards and lower so long as you have a Temple, and you even had a nice mix of utility lands too.
You should bring in the full sideboard against Junk. Needle on Lili is awesome and a second copy can even hit Ooze or Wildwood or something so it's not totally dead (or just replace a Needle they Decay). Cut the Copters if you expect Stony Silence. Other than that your plans are on point but remember to scout for Ensnaring Bridge vs. Burn; if you see it, bring in a pair of Bombs for Game 3.
Ensnaring Bridge out from burn was a good catch, didn't think it at all. Also that Junk matchup since they are more or less going to remove all early threats we deploy the Pithing Needle makes sense instead of Eldrazi Mimic.
I actually didn't mean to type "bad four of Ghost Quarter, Eldrazi Temple, Wreckage and Gemstone Caverns", there was another sentence before and I changed it when I remembered my starting hand correctly. That four hand definitely had chances with one top decked heavy threat, getting maybe some cards via Wreckage and hope that one Ghost Quarter buys enough time. Well you can't always get there if your opponent still plays perfect game even when you try to distract them
Didn't play copters but totally missed them against Junk (Mimic is so underwhelming when the game goes long). Copter is also good against Lingering souls those can wall Blinkmoths quite effectively.
Played this deck first time yesterday at four round modern and went 3-1. Little report about matchups and game feelings coming a bit later
Rounds were 1st vs Tron (2-0), 2nd vs Junk (1-2), 3rd vs Burn (2-0) and 4th vs Tron (2-1).
Round 1 vs GR Tron 2-0
I won the dice and went first, kept a hand of turn one Chalice for fun (with one counter) and two Ghost Quarters. Quarters bought me enough time to deploy some light threats and attack my opponent to zero. I played like one Mimic, Reshaper and Mutavault.
Second game I kept a hand of Spirit Guide, Smasher, Seer, Quarter, Wreckage, Temple. Keep Temple on top with scry, my opponents Quarters my turn one Temple but I still play turn one two Seer into Reality Smasher into Ghost Quarter and my opponent was unable to recover fast enough. Ghost Quarters are not effective against this deck because of the ramp it gives you anyway.
SB: -2 Dismembers, +2 Pithing Needle
Round 2 vs Junk 1-2
Game one I was on the draw and mulligan to five, my opponent has turn two Confidant and three Paths, I got him down to three but there was just too much removal. I had my Chalice for one but he Decayed it.
Game two was interesting, I think I kept my seven and we both started to deploy threats. I had two Reshapers and my opponent was unwilling to attack into them with his Goyfs, we were both in top deck mode but he had Liliana at six counters. Liliana didn't matter too much since I was helbent with something like 8 mana available and a Blinkmoth that kept Liliana at refreshing five all time. Things got a little harder when my opponent top decked a Lingering Souls and Liliana was ticked up to six again but I was lucky enough to draw my first sideboard card; Ratchet Bomb and was available to tick Liliana back to five. Then was my time to top deck and it was a Reality Smasher that ended the game instantly since I had two Mimics. I even missed a lethal combat damage in this once when I counted my opponent was at six when he actually was at five and I was able to force five damage through.
Game three was pretty same as the game two but my opponent got early Goyf + Path beats and when I finally found my Relic he top decked two Lingering Souls a row and I died. Very interesting game(s) anyway. One Smasher or an Endless one would have ended this game very fast but you can't have all.
Matchup ain't so hard or lopsided since both decks have very good midgame.
SB: -4 Chalice of the Void, -4 Serum Powder, -4 Simian Spirit Guide, -1 Eldrazi Mimic, +4 Spatial Contortion, +4 Relic of Progenitus, +3 Ratchet Bomb, +2 Gut Shot
Round 3 vs Burn 2-0
In game one I was on the draw and he deployed a turn one Grim Lavamancer. I played an Eldrazi Temple and passed. He summons a Goblin Guide and attacks with both, I Dismember the Guide and play Seer next turn taking his Boros Charm. He attacks once more, I play Matter Reshaper into Reality Smasher and he concedes.
Game two was very bad for him since he started with a hand of Swiftspear, two Rift Bolts and one other spell which I don't remember. Anyhow he played Swiftspear and attacked for one, I played Mimic. He suspended double Rift Bolt and attacked again for one. I Contortioned his Swiftspear and attacked for two with Mimic. He sent one of the Rift Bolts to my Mimic and one to my face. I'm not sure if he played a Goblin Guide or something but I dropped a Thought-Knot Seer and he concedes revealing four lands. So not gg since opponent got flooded.
SB: -4 Dismembers, +4 Spatial Contortion
Round 4 vs GR Tron 2-1
Game one I mulliganed to bad four of Ghost Quarter, Eldrazi Temple, Wreckage and Gemstone Caverns and scry a temple away but I drew very well Mimic into Thought-Knot Seer. He had two Tron pieces out turn three and non in hand when I checked it with Seer (there was Wurmcoil, two Ulamogs, World Breaker, Karn and Ugin). I misplayed and took Karn and he top decks the final Tron piece and plays Wurmcoil and I concede two turns later when he puts Ulamog on the stack.
Game two I kept a hand with a Ghost Quarter and turn one Chalice. I deploy some light threats Scourge, Reshaper and Mutavault and start the beat down. Game ended three turns later and he reveals hand full of Expedition Maps and Stars/Spheres.
Game three I kept a six with Eldrazi Mimic, Mutavault, Blinkmoth Nexus and three Ghost Quarters. I play turn two Mimic with Spirit Guide and Quarter him during his draw. He deployed Tron pieces every turn and I use all my Quarters and on the same turn he ran out of lands. He attacked three times with Mutavault, Nexus and Mimic and it was a game.
...is not found in any winning lists, besides Valakut. WEIRD
lol I went to fact check this, and, of the three decks that run SSG, Valakut has more meta% than Griselbrand and Ad Nauseam combined. ITS ALMOST LIKE YOURE USING BANMANIA TO PUSH YOUR AGENDA BUT YOU WOULD NEVER...
Do you consider or find Scapeshift decks too oppressive? I don't think so outside of Breach lists - and monkey is there the biggest offender. If player is able to tap out and draw his whole library he will have 3-4 free mana thanks to that ape and Manamorphose and that is broken if something.
I was talking about the Jace build. I have trouble vs BG decks.
Ah, I understand - without seeing your list I think one of the problem cards is mr Jace himself. Lightning Bolt and Abrupt Decay are pretty much useless against Grixis but Jace gives nice little purpose for those cards.
Sounds like you're back to doing a more mid-range build. Kalitas is still a great card. He's amazing against many fair decks and any graveyard strategies. If you're seeing a lot of tribal or Company decks in our meta, bust him out. It's insane how quickly he can turn around a race and take over a board when backed by a few removal spells.
I think the reason that people have pushed away form the mid-range versions of the deck is that the format is very fast right now in the abstract. Dredge, Infect, Burn and Death's Shadow all require responding immediately to threats. That takes away the luxury of casting sorcery-speed spells.
Of course, that's only true if that's truly your metagame. If your local area is a bit slower then I think going for some value threats like Liliana, Jace, Goblin Dark-Dwellers and Young Pyromancer is great.
Of course, if you're going with YP and Gitaxian Probe then you're basically playing Grixis delver, which is a similar, but different style of deck.
I wanted to love Titi, but it's just a bit more of a temp card and doesn't fit too well in a control deck, I've observed. Also huge anti-synergy with delve creatures which are really strong.
What are you talking about? Grixis midrange FEASTS on creature based decks like infect, affinity, merfolk, elves and death's shadow. Grixis midrange loses to grindier decks/combo. That's what I'm working to improve on.
What deck actually can grind succesfully vs Grixis? Kolaghan's Command + Snapcaster Mage + Cryptic Command are just too devastating.
Hello everyone, I wonder if there's any way I can deal with Eldrazi decks if I'm running RUG scapeshift (no bring to light)
I feel all my kill spell are for toughness 3 or less....Any suggestion? Thanks
All brutal they can do is pretty much turn two Thought-Knot Seer. Outside of that you just Remand Cryptic tempo them out and slam Scapeshift. You can board out Bolts for Roasts + Baloths, Roasting Reality Smasher with Baloth in hand is quite sweet. Roasts are also good against Tasigurs and Anglers.
But overall the matchup should be in your favor because they don't interact with stack or hand too hard.
So this is an easy one:
First round vs Eldrazi Tron 1-2
This matchup feels quite miserable since Chalice and Ghost Quarter won't do so much and if I can't draw douple temple nuts it is pretty much GG. First game I ghost Quartered couple of times but he played multiple Reshapers and Smasher and I conceded. Second game I had the nuts for Mimic into Seer into Smasher. Third game he has the double temple nuts and I had five with one temple. I lost the third game after he played turn two and three Seers into natural tron and Batterskull.
Round two vs cheeri0s 2-0
Not much to say about this: Chalice for zero and beatdown.
Round three vs RWB Restore Balance 2-1
I had all the time one creature and one manland with GQ, Temple and Serum Powder. Opponemt kept himself at three lands thanks to this. He pmayed couple of planeswalkers but Scourge and Reshaper are just too hard to deal with. Game two I lost since he suspended turn one Gargadon and threatened me by turn two Cascade into Balance, can't revover from that. Game three I played Chalice for zero and raced him with Seer, Smasher and little dudes.
Round four vs Merfolk 0-2
Didn't draw nuts and lost to multiple Harbingers and lords. Game one and two were very similar: I didnt have super aggro starts and he played only harbingers and silvergrils into triple lord alpha strikes. Not much I can do
I would call that Eldrazi Tron is not favorable matchup unless we draw the nuts. If we even play mimic into turn two Seer with Spirit Guide but have no real follow-up, we will just lose to their consistency. The main problem here is in my opinipn that GQ and Chalice does nothing against them.
SB were like this:
Tron: -4 Chalice, +2 Needle +2 Contortion
Cheeri0s: -3 Reshaper -4 Scourge, +4 Spatials +3 Bombs
Restore Balance: -4 Dismember, +2 Needles, +2 Relics (I saw an Emrakul shuffling his GY back couple of times.. Dunno what I was thinking)
Merfolk: -4 Chalice -4 Scourges -1 Spirit Guide (tapper merfolk and harbinger exiled two times my two Scourges) -1 Spirit Guide, +3 Bombs, +4 Spatials, +2 Needles (for vials.. Did nothing since my opponent played only tempe creatures)
Ensnaring Bridge out from burn was a good catch, didn't think it at all. Also that Junk matchup since they are more or less going to remove all early threats we deploy the Pithing Needle makes sense instead of Eldrazi Mimic.
I actually didn't mean to type "bad four of Ghost Quarter, Eldrazi Temple, Wreckage and Gemstone Caverns", there was another sentence before and I changed it when I remembered my starting hand correctly. That four hand definitely had chances with one top decked heavy threat, getting maybe some cards via Wreckage and hope that one Ghost Quarter buys enough time. Well you can't always get there if your opponent still plays perfect game even when you try to distract them
Didn't play copters but totally missed them against Junk (Mimic is so underwhelming when the game goes long). Copter is also good against Lingering souls those can wall Blinkmoths quite effectively.
. Little report about matchups and game feelings coming a bit laterRounds were 1st vs Tron (2-0), 2nd vs Junk (1-2), 3rd vs Burn (2-0) and 4th vs Tron (2-1).
Round 1 vs GR Tron 2-0
I won the dice and went first, kept a hand of turn one Chalice for fun (with one counter) and two Ghost Quarters. Quarters bought me enough time to deploy some light threats and attack my opponent to zero. I played like one Mimic, Reshaper and Mutavault.
Second game I kept a hand of Spirit Guide, Smasher, Seer, Quarter, Wreckage, Temple. Keep Temple on top with scry, my opponents Quarters my turn one Temple but I still play turn one two Seer into Reality Smasher into Ghost Quarter and my opponent was unable to recover fast enough. Ghost Quarters are not effective against this deck because of the ramp it gives you anyway.
SB: -2 Dismembers, +2 Pithing Needle
Round 2 vs Junk 1-2
Game one I was on the draw and mulligan to five, my opponent has turn two Confidant and three Paths, I got him down to three but there was just too much removal. I had my Chalice for one but he Decayed it.
Game two was interesting, I think I kept my seven and we both started to deploy threats. I had two Reshapers and my opponent was unwilling to attack into them with his Goyfs, we were both in top deck mode but he had Liliana at six counters. Liliana didn't matter too much since I was helbent with something like 8 mana available and a Blinkmoth that kept Liliana at refreshing five all time. Things got a little harder when my opponent top decked a Lingering Souls and Liliana was ticked up to six again but I was lucky enough to draw my first sideboard card; Ratchet Bomb and was available to tick Liliana back to five. Then was my time to top deck and it was a Reality Smasher that ended the game instantly since I had two Mimics. I even missed a lethal combat damage in this once when I counted my opponent was at six when he actually was at five and I was able to force five damage through.
Game three was pretty same as the game two but my opponent got early Goyf + Path beats and when I finally found my Relic he top decked two Lingering Souls a row and I died. Very interesting game(s) anyway. One Smasher or an Endless one would have ended this game very fast but you can't have all.
Matchup ain't so hard or lopsided since both decks have very good midgame.
SB: -4 Chalice of the Void, -4 Serum Powder, -4 Simian Spirit Guide, -1 Eldrazi Mimic, +4 Spatial Contortion, +4 Relic of Progenitus, +3 Ratchet Bomb, +2 Gut Shot
Round 3 vs Burn 2-0
In game one I was on the draw and he deployed a turn one Grim Lavamancer. I played an Eldrazi Temple and passed. He summons a Goblin Guide and attacks with both, I Dismember the Guide and play Seer next turn taking his Boros Charm. He attacks once more, I play Matter Reshaper into Reality Smasher and he concedes.
Game two was very bad for him since he started with a hand of Swiftspear, two Rift Bolts and one other spell which I don't remember. Anyhow he played Swiftspear and attacked for one, I played Mimic. He suspended double Rift Bolt and attacked again for one. I Contortioned his Swiftspear and attacked for two with Mimic. He sent one of the Rift Bolts to my Mimic and one to my face. I'm not sure if he played a Goblin Guide or something but I dropped a Thought-Knot Seer and he concedes revealing four lands. So not gg since opponent got flooded.
SB: -4 Dismembers, +4 Spatial Contortion
Round 4 vs GR Tron 2-1
Game one I mulliganed to bad four of Ghost Quarter, Eldrazi Temple, Wreckage and Gemstone Caverns and scry a temple away but I drew very well Mimic into Thought-Knot Seer. He had two Tron pieces out turn three and non in hand when I checked it with Seer (there was Wurmcoil, two Ulamogs, World Breaker, Karn and Ugin). I misplayed and took Karn and he top decks the final Tron piece and plays Wurmcoil and I concede two turns later when he puts Ulamog on the stack.
Game two I kept a hand with a Ghost Quarter and turn one Chalice. I deploy some light threats Scourge, Reshaper and Mutavault and start the beat down. Game ended three turns later and he reveals hand full of Expedition Maps and Stars/Spheres.
Game three I kept a six with Eldrazi Mimic, Mutavault, Blinkmoth Nexus and three Ghost Quarters. I play turn two Mimic with Spirit Guide and Quarter him during his draw. He deployed Tron pieces every turn and I use all my Quarters and on the same turn he ran out of lands. He attacked three times with Mutavault, Nexus and Mimic and it was a game.
SB: -2 Dismembers, +2 Pithing Needle
Here is the deck I played
4 Thought-Knot Seer
4 Reality Smasher
4 Eternal Scourge
3 Matter Reshaper
2 Endless One
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Simian Spirit Guide
4 Serum Powder
4 Eldrazi Temple
4 Blinkmoth Nexus
4 Ghost Quarter
3 Gemstone Caverns
3 Sea Gate Wreckage
2 Mutavault
2 Wastes
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
4 Spatial Contortion
4 Relic of Progenitus
3 Ratchet Bomb
2 Pithing Needle
2 Gut Shot
Didn't have time to check the text quality so forgive me the grammatical errors
Do you consider or find Scapeshift decks too oppressive? I don't think so outside of Breach lists - and monkey is there the biggest offender. If player is able to tap out and draw his whole library he will have 3-4 free mana thanks to that ape and Manamorphose and that is broken if something.
Nooooooo! D--: it was still right!
Ah, I understand - without seeing your list I think one of the problem cards is mr Jace himself. Lightning Bolt and Abrupt Decay are pretty much useless against Grixis but Jace gives nice little purpose for those cards.
What deck actually can grind succesfully vs Grixis? Kolaghan's Command + Snapcaster Mage + Cryptic Command are just too devastating.
All brutal they can do is pretty much turn two Thought-Knot Seer. Outside of that you just Remand Cryptic tempo them out and slam Scapeshift. You can board out Bolts for Roasts + Baloths, Roasting Reality Smasher with Baloth in hand is quite sweet. Roasts are also good against Tasigurs and Anglers.
But overall the matchup should be in your favor because they don't interact with stack or hand too hard.