I just reread the bulk of this thread -- I'm laid up and dying of the flu while we're on vacation -- and I just wanted to say that while I've been playing a straight BG Rock deck for a while now, I miss Death Cloud and I'll always love it for getting me into Modern. I hauled it out for a fun night with some friends not long ago; it smashed KnightFall pretty hard but, as usual, was a little soft to combo and control. One guy switched back and forth between his RW Blood Moon prison deck and his pet Esper Goryo's Obzedat deck, and I was just beating my head against a wall all night. If we don't have a clock and don't draw a Cloud, we're just durdling. That's what got me off the deck in the first place. (That and finally acquiring a set of Goyfs.)
I still play two Kalitas in my Rock deck. Check out Steve Hatto's deck from GP Birmingham for an idea of where I'm at -- my SB is different and I play a maindeck Sword of Light and Shadow, but you get the idea.
MAINDECK: -1 Vent and -1 Rhino for +1 Hissing Quagmire and +1 Tireless Tracker, respectively. (It's become trendy to cut Tracker, which I think is a big mistake. We want games to go long enough for Tracker to be fantastic, and that usually happens.) If I had my druthers you'd cut both Rhino, but that's often a pet card and it seems good enough in your local meta.
SIDEBOARD: -2 Finks for +2 Feed the Clan. This is an overlooked gem for us -- it often counterfeits entire game plans when it resolves (and can't be Pathed or fall to your own Tendrils like Finks). I've had two in my board since I got tired of losing close games to Burn and I've never looked back.
I'm skeptical about the Blood Baron -- it's a fine card but doesn't scream "necessity" in your list. Given the way you described your meta, I'd recommend -1 Baron and -1 Stony Silence for +2 Fulminator Mage (or Ghost Quarter if those are unavailable). You seem unable to punish greedy mana bases. Even blowing up a land against Burn can make a huge difference. Grinding against fast decks can be too slow and grinding against decks like TitanShift can be meaningless if you can't disrupt them in the right way.
Lili the Last Hope is a meta dependent slot. I have plenty of CoCo nonsense to deal with, so I maindeck her to kill dorks efficiently. Your mileage may vary. She's not a great -2 prospect right off the bat -- Eternal Witness is a better candidate if you need that effect (because Lili will probably die at 1 loyalty anyway). I've fallen in and out of love with EWit but currently wouldn't leave home without her. She's great to rebuy discard or land destruction when that's what you need, which Lili the Last Hope can't always do.
As someone who's gone back and forth between abzan Traverse and Malka's list (plus-minus just a few cards), I can confidently say at least one Flayer is good even in straight Rock. Go for it. If you want to hedge, get two now and see how you like it. The top deck fixing is great with Bob no matter what else is happening.
This is a very intriguing take on BG Cloud. I can't see myself playing the mono-black versions that are getting trendy right now, for aesthetic reasons as much as anything else. I like the idea of keeping low to the ground that you've got here, and I like Necroplasm -- I have one that's been burning a hole in my collection forever, so I like the idea of using it in a deck I actually play. Hopefully you can say more about. . .
1) What are your matchups like against Nahiri decks?
2) How often is the efficiency enough to beat a vomit-your-hand-and-attack deck like Merfolk or Affinity? This deck doesn't look equipped to go over the top very often (vs. a Thragtusk-and-Grave Titan version, for instance). How often have you gotten overwhelmed?
3) How have you liked the Geralf's Messenger and Strangleroot Geist so far? I have a playset of the Zombie and one random Geist, so I'd like to make use of them, but I've been playing a more classic Sakura-Tribe Elder/Scooze/Courser/Finks/Kalitas/Thragtusk/Grave Titan creature list for a while now and I've gotten to the point where I really like it. I recently added a single Birds of Paradise; I wrote about this a few posts ago.
4) I don't see any sweepers in the 75. Have you played against Bant Eldrazi? Seems rough if you don't have a Necroplasm.
5) Speaking of which, one reason I've liked my creature package is its ability to win with or without casting a Cloud. If you don't napalm the board, have you found your deck able to win fairly consistently?
Well, my kid's almost seven months old now, so in honor of my Ali-like return to the ring, here's my latest list and results. I'll discuss the choices -- several of which are admittedly odd on paper -- very shortly.
Birds of Paradise: The longer I played the deck, the more I started to feel that a lot of games I lost came down to being a bit too slow. Sure, sometimes you just draw the wrong cards, etc., but the competitive games that ended with me thinking I could have won were often about not being able to play the right stuff fast enough. A faster Garruk, a faster Cloud (for more mana), a faster Kalitas, whatever . . . and I could have swung it. What to do? I could add a one-of ramp spell, but that seems like a terrible topdeck -- one of the reasons I never played them to begin with -- and then it struck me that if I could make room for a single Birds, I might be able to catch up and have a blocker if I needed one, especially for something like an Inkmoth. I tested it, more or less for fun, and I've really liked it since then. I've even won games where I drew it late and just needed it to chump for a turn. I mean, if it eats removal, the joke is profoundly on the other guy, so whatever. If you stick it early, you'll never be sorry -- it can even mislead them as to what you're on. Until I see a good reason to cut it, this stays in.
Stupor: This is probably a "pet card" thing more than a genius meta call on my part, but it's actually been good. Hitting their lands in hand -- especially on turn two with my Birds! -- has been solid, and honestly hitting cards at random is rarely bad if they have more than two in hand. I could probably make this a Wrench Mind and see similar(ish) results, but it's such a throwback and so unexpected that I'm going to keep jamming it for now. I very intentionally use all Mirage basics anyway, and I'm playing a Mirage Stupor (instead of the Time Spiral version that makes it Modern-legal), so it just feels right. I have the one maindeck Inquisition and two Thoughtseize to go along with it, plus another Inquisition in the board (more on that shortly too), so I'm happy with the discard package. Every time I think that's what needs an increase, I try it for a bit and decide I prefer to keep whatever I cut.
Wolfbriar Elemental: This might actually be a genius meta call on my part. It's like a Grave Titan that scales up or down depending on the situation and your available mana. Being able to cast it for four (which I had) instead of six (which I didn't) already won me a game, and I haven't even been playing this version very long. If you have a ton of mana, thanks to a Garruk or being in the late game, you can get a bucketful of wolves, and often more than the two Zombies you initially get from a Grave Titan. If you don't, just cast a 4/4 beater (or get one extra wolf) and go from there. I've been really happy with it. I know there are a few people new to this thread, but anyone who remembers me ranting earlier this year about the midrange-versus-combo choice knows I'm midrange all the way. This card is great for versatility and provides another clock that some builds just lack. Sure, this could be a Goyf, but Goyfs die. One bunch of wolves will win you the game unless something terrible has happened.
How did I make room for all this? Among other heresies, I cut Primal CommandandDark Petition. No denying they're good cards, but I wasn't casting Dark Petition much lately anyway, and while it's won me a few games I think it contributed to my one-turn-too-slow worries. I have no argument with those who still run it and/or Primal Command. I will say I like the speed at which my deck plays a little better now, but that may change again. Who knows.
My sideboard: Devotees of this thread will recall that my friend Goofus T. Manchild has been playing Dredge since waaaaay before it became cool. This no doubt contributed to my sideboard featuring more graveyard hate than usual. As it is, I actually really like the diverse possibilities I've got. I can bring in Relic against Jund (to shut down Goyf -- I've done it, and it's great) but leave the Leylines in the board as too irrelevant. I can bring in Pithing Needle and Grafdigger's Cage for Nahiri matchups without worrying so much about the other stuff. I can bring in a lot of good stuff against Dredge, not all of which is hit by Ray of Revelation (which he plays). I just recently traded for a second Choke, which I'd like to make room for. I already feel very good about most Ux matchups -- I don't know about y'all, but I've been feasting on Ascension and Blue Moon lately -- but a little insurance doesn't hurt. My one-of Unravel the Æther has come and gone and come and gone, and it'll probably be what I cut for the Choke. It feels useful but has very rarely proven decisive. Just not the right meta right now.
On the one Inquisition in the board: I cut my one-of Disfigure from my 75 a little while back and immediately lost a close 2-1 match to Infect. So the Disfigure went back in, but how to make room? I basically just grabbed an Inquisition, gritted my teeth, put it in the sideboard and hoped for the best. No complaints so far.
None of this is mathematically optimized in any way. There are several one-ofs that I'm sure the pros would laugh at. You know why I don't care? Last Thursday I beat Bogles, then Naya Burn, then Jund (2-0, baby), then intentionally split the prizes with another 3-0 guy who top 8'd Grand Prix Charlotte earlier this year (who also plays Jund). I'm going to keep riding this train until it breaks down.
A few notes on my earlier tests. . .
Some of you may recall my adventures with Phyrexian Obliterator in this deck. Ultimately I don't think it worked, although it was fun to try and won me a few games (it's hilarious against Merfolk). I started to think, "Why SHOULD I just worry about what happens after a Cloud? What if I don't draw a Cloud? Don't I need other ways to win?" That's not insane, but Obliterator is not the answer to that question, at least in this deck. Testing it out made me want to build a deck where it does work. But don't mistake playing black for a reason to play weird black creatures in any given deck.
I've taken my Creeping Corrosion out of the sideboard. I haven't seen Lantern Control in many moons, and Affinity doesn't seem like a strong enough contender around here to justify the sideboard slots. (Also, it's winnable without a magic bullet.)
I ran a one-of Profane Command in my ill-fated "experimental" version a while back. I hated it. I truly hope others can give it a good home. It's one of my favorite cards that I consider impossible to find room for in this deck.
Anyone going to any big tournaments soon? My playing has been greatly curtailed, but I've still been brewing and playing when I can. This deck has been good to me and I'm going to keep giving it some love. My next project for a while was going to be Zombies, and I think I'll get around to it, but I've switched my focus to a homebrew land destruction deck that probably won't look exactly like Ponza. I traded for a few Mwonvuli Acid-Moss the other night to round out my package. I'm undecided on the colors, believe it or not -- Goofus tells me I have to play RG or I'm crazy, but I actually find the idea of a Jund-colors version really attractive. So much land destruction to go around. I do have three Xenagos, the Reveler that I haven't made use of, so it'll probably be RG anyway, but then you lose Rain of Tears, Smallpox . . . I even like Desecrated Earth, but that's definitely just me.
Short answer: probably a bad idea. They don't survive a Cloud and they're only strong if you happen to draw one post-Cloud/with a full yard. It's worth testing, but I wouldn't suggest you jam it too hard. The post-Cloud beatdown is covered by Garruk beasts and Treetop Village. Having Finks in the deck means we don't lose outright to Burn, Zoo, Death's Shadow Aggro and the like. That's a more important asset than having a one-off beater.
A lot of these kinds of questions are answered very differently when we're talking about a deck without Death Cloud. Something like Obliterator Rock wants Goyf. Our deck wants Finks because of the speed at which we play and because it works well with our payoff card.
Very sorry for the wait. My computer charger cord disappeared, o all things, and I haven't been able to use my laptop in days. Here goes with the phone.
Game one saw me biff a complicated situation late in a game I was losing but didn't have to lose right away. He had a Merrow Reejerey, a Master of Waves with six Elemental dorks and a Master of the Pearl Trident, plus a Spreading Seas on my Overgrown Tomb. I had a Kalitas and a Scavenging Ooze at 3/3. He played a second Master of Waves, getting a bunch more dorks and turning the ready-to-attack Elementals into 3/2s. He swung with everything he could, thinking he had the win. Before blockers, I hit Master of the Pearl Trident with Abrupt Decay, eliminating his Islandwalk but missing the Kalitas trigger. Had I remembered to give myself the extra blocker, I would have survived the attack thanks to the extra block plus Kalitas' lifelink. If I topdeck a Damnation there, the game resets in my favor (he had no cards in hand). Oops!
I win game two thanks to a lovely Cloud settling his hash. Game three opens with me casting Inquisition to see Cursecatcher, Merrow Reejerey, Lord of Atlantis, Kira, Great Glass-Spinner and a few lands. I have my Flaying Tendrils in hand from the sideboard and hope I can two-for-one him if he plays Kira into Lord or something along those lines, so I take Cursecatcher. He proceeds to get down Reejerey plus Lord on the same turn, putting both out of reach and giving him a quick win. Not sure how I should have played that, but Reejerey seems like the better pick in retrospect.
He brought in Relic of Progenitus from the sideboard after game one, probably thinking I was Jund or Abzan after seeing the maindeck Scooze. Didn't do him a ton of good, but reasonable given that his deck is nothing but Scooze food, I suppose.
Round Two - Grixis Thing in the Ice
This seems like a great matchup for us, and I wasn't seriously pressured in game one. Three maindeck Abrupt Decay are exactly what you need for this kind of opponent. I didn't Cloud because I didn't need to - I usually try not to give that information away if I can help it. Game two he went off very quickly by playing turn two TiTi, turn three TiTi and then going nuts on cheap spells. If you see someone playing Manamorphose and you don't know why, it's probably a Thing deck these days. Game three was a free win: he missed his third land drop, I landed a turn three Choke and he conceded. Choke just wins games. I wish I'd started playing it in the board sooner.
Anyway, with a decent removal package plus three or four Death Cloud, these decks should not scare us.
Round Three - RG Tron (lost 0-2)
As far as I can tell, this matchup is stone unwinnable. I put the two Rain of Tears and the Witchbane Orb in my board SPECIFICALLY for Tron (not great, but in the neighborhood of being useful), and the Choke is obviously good against U Tron (which a guy at this shop plays). Anyway, game one was a rout, and then game two saw me hit him with TWO Thoughtseize and a Rain of Tears and get my Orb down -- and I still lost. If anyone anywhere has any idea how we beat Tron, please tell me. Karn exiled my Orb and then started shredding my hand, including exiling the Thrun I'd tutored up with Primal Command. (Sort of a dumb desperation move on my part; I should have kept a second card in hand so I could get Thrun down shortly after. Two cards means Karn doesn't nab him!)
Didn't learn much from these games other than mild frustration. Tron was purpose-built to beat BGx midrange decks. This remains a problem.
Round Four - UR Thing in the Ice
This was pretty similar to round two. I was hardly expecting two Thing decks in four rounds, but this shop has more wacky brewers than my other spot (where people tend to play aggro decks and try to run everyone over).
Game one came down to the wire. He got a turn two Thing, then a turn three Thing (which I hit with Abrupt Decay). I had Maelstrom Pulse in hand but no third land; I could have gambled on drawing a land and getting the two-for-one, but his deck was full of cantrips and missing my land seemed dangerous. Anyway, he flipped his remaining Thing the next turn and swung to get me down to 12 (I'd cracked a fetch). I had no play the next turn, so he got me down to five before I took over with Liliana minus to kill his Thing, then Finks to up my life total, then Thragtusk to go to 14 and put the game out of reach.
Interestingly, after seeing some removal in round one he either boarded out the Things or boarded in a transformational sideboard; either way, it became a Pyromancer Ascension combo burn deck. He got a Past in Flames kill and I had visions of going 1-3.
Game three saw me get down a turn three Choke (again, crucial). He tried to play through it for a few turns, but it shut off two Steam Vents when it came down and all he had was a basic Island for a few turns. Eventually I just killed him with damage.
Choke, my friends, is a hell of a card. We're lucky we play green.
Anyway, I'm considering going a little more black-heavy and trying a second Phyrexian Obliterator. Let's see Merfolk get out of that one. The trouble this deck is having lately is due to lacking counter-pressure in the midgame. (The early game should be about Sakura-Tribe Elder and Courser, and those are - ahem - not "pressure.") Instead of going full Cloud-or-bust combo, I'd like to try a hybrid Obliterator Rock/Cloud-Garruk package. This may necessitate a little brewing, but that's fine. I'm not in love with the Reid Duke stock list any more; the meta has changed too much.
As always, please share ideas! Anyone else have a spin on the Death Cloud shell? Since I got third in the IQ a few months ago I've hardly been able to play - me daughter is still only a few months old, and I work full time - so Modern testing is at a real premium. Any insights into recent meta changes and how we can adapt are like gold falling out of a magic rainbow right now.
Tuesday at the LGS turned into a chaos draft night instead of Modern - tons of fun, but whatever for our purposes. I did, however, play at the other LGS tonight. I just got home (very late), so I'll post a list and all the matchups and Hot Analysis tomorrow. I have the day off!
Woot! The Death Cloud thread is still going strong. Take that, other decks.
I'm headed to a Modern tournament on Tuesday, so I'll (finally) have an updated list and some results to share soon. I missed posting about one frustrating outing from a few weeks ago: beat Merfolk in three, lost to Jund in two after having to make some tough play calls, DREW in three against Bant KnightFall (my friend got tired of Naya Burn and brewed this up - now it's his main Modern deck) and beat a goofy Boros aggro deck in two. (Cerodon Yearling in Modern? I ask you.) Going to time against a beatable deck like KnightFall was instructive. Threats are important!
More soon. Keep brewing the deck, everyone. The meta is always changing.
If you have access to more Abrupt Decay, it's basically an uncounterable Terminate, so I'd highly recommend upping the count, especially against creature decks. (It's also good against Storm if they have Pyromancer Ascension, in addition to being good against smaller Planeswalkers and pretty much everything else too.) As far as Maelstrom Pulse, I have three maindeck and am absolutely never sorry. The meta demands being able to answer threats, from tokens to Nahiri to whatever, and Pulse is the most versatile way to do it.
I've been trying a few changes, both to the maindeck and sideboard, in an attempt to shore up the worst matchups I've encountered (Tron and Scapeshift). I don't want to water everything down just to improve against those two, so I've tried to make relevant choices against the whole field that also happen to be better than usual against those two. I like where I've landed right now and will report the next time I have some results (probably next week). If we can find a way to be good or at least even against those two, I think we're really cracking into Tier 1.5 status, which is -- realistically -- good enough for now. Spoiler alert: I've added a single Phyrexian Obliterator. One more threat that doubles as threatened mass removal has proven to be a difference-maker. It doesn't pass the "leaves something after a Cloud" test, but the results speak for themselves so far. Once it comes down it's Path or bust for the other guy.
My main concern right now, other than the hated Tron, is whether I want to play a third Liliana of the Veil. I now have four because of my Legacy deck, and I've always liked her -- it feels like the midrange version of Death Cloud is embracing the control role more than usual, and the ability to churn through peoples' hands is very tempting. I've kept her at two for a very long time, in part because I'm not running any recursion to get my own stuff back, but I'm open to trying three Lili with Pulse of Murasa and/or Eternal Witness just to see how I like it.
Goofus and I went to the LGS for four rounds last night. Thanks to my gypsy curse, I ran into Mono-U Tron and Scapeshift, so I lost those. I beat Jeskai Nahiri -- I'm increasingly confident about that matchup for us, by the way -- and GW Company Humans. I took Sadistic Sacrament out of my sideboard and man, I wish I'd left it in. Tron with fewer targets and Scapeshift with no Scapeshift . . . those are very winnable. I actually got the Scapeshift guy down to 2 life in game one while I was at 20, but he played Electrolyze at the end of my turn and then Scape for 18 to crush the dream.
Boseiju, Who Shelters All is fast becoming my favorite sideboard card. Control matchups are soooooo much more manageable these days. Just don't use it when you don't have to, because it does cost life.
I packed my deck in a hurry on my way out the door, and somehow my maindeck ended up with a second Disfigure that I absolutely didn't put in there. I suspect someone -- probably Goofus -- played my deck at some point casually either at my place or wherever and made a few changes and I'd forgotten about it. Anyway, it wasn't the best but it did come in handy on occasion, once against U Tron (I had to double Disfigure a Thought-Knot Seer, which was not card disadvantage!) and again against GW Humans with some buffing triggers on the stack. I'm taking it back out, probably for a discard spell. Breaking through a suspected wall of countermagic for one mana is a very good feeling.
Anyone see anything in Eldritch Moon they like for Death Cloud? I haven't paid close attention to the spoilers.
@StranglerootsyCollins: I didn't mean it in a scenario where we compare Dark Confidant vs Courser of Kruphix because they each have their roles in different matchups. Bob is a bit out of place in a deck full of high cmc cards, but Phyrexian Arena is a fine substitute. Sure, Courser shines in the aggro matchup, but we're already favored in those matchups, not necessarily because of him. Also, Courser isn't doing much against BW tokens in your scenario. However, I fully agree with your analysis of the differing versions of Cloud and the mindset required in each of the respective build's game plan.
Yeah, I don't think we have a serious disagreement here. I actually traded for a Phyrexian Arena not long ago with the intention of testing it in Death Cloud. More cards is always a nice leg up. With that pleasantry out of the way, to reiterate for those new to the deck or the thread or who just like hearing me talk. . .
I don't want to overestimate Courser's importance too much, but I'd argue that running Courser in any Death Cloud list -- midrange, ramp, whatever -- will make us more favored in a blind meta than running Bob. Don't get me wrong -- I run four Bobs in my Legacy deck (more on that shortly) and it's an all-star. The difference is the role the card plays in each deck. Because we have a fair number of high-CMC cards, Bob in this deck isn't just "Free draws!" Even the ramp-heavy versions of Death Cloud need expensive spells and finishers to get the job done (Grave Titan, Thragtusk, Primal Command, etc.), and hitting those with a Bob will just wreck you. Remember, our payoff spell costs us life and resources. The idea is that we're building the deck to make the effect asymmetrical; with Bob we pretty much lose that asymmetry and just go back to symmetry. We're trading life -- sometimes a lot of life -- for a few more cards, and in most versions of Death Cloud that can actually be a bad trade. We need life more than card advantage because Death Cloud is supposed to be all the card advantage we need. I guess I'm just arguing theory here (I haven't tested Bob in my deck), but I don't see the argument for him other than "Sometimes you get lucky and draw some free lands." Over the long haul, I don't think it's a good two-drop when we straight-up need Sakura-Tribe Elder and arguably need/want Scavenging Ooze almost as badly.
Think of it like this: Bob is best when he draws to a combo piece, because then the life loss doesn't matter and you just win. What are we hoping to draw with Bob that makes a big difference? If you're in the GBx neighborhood and you're looking to draw a genuine silver bullet (other than Death Cloud), you made a wrong turn somewhere. This isn't Ad Nauseam. I actually think the prevalence of Bobs in Jund is a bit of a mistake and a potential reason it hasn't put up huge results lately. There are better two-drops that could make a Jund shell a lot more aggressive (no one seems to play Young Pyromancer, for instance). It's the same conundrum with every black deck: why don't they all play Bob if it's the perfect card? The reason is that it's not a perfect card. It's greedy, and you need to be able to justify that greed beyond thinking best-case scenario.
So, best case scenario, your Finks and your Thragtusk and your Primal Command and your Scooze make up for the life loss and you win at 20, but this deck isn't really looking to play that game. When you pick up this deck, you embrace the idea of messy wins, close wins and more than a few near-death experiences. Thrag, Finks, Primal Command . . . these cards exist because they leave something behind after a Death Cloud, not because they let you get greedy and play Bob. I'd have to see some results to make me change my mind about this. Every Bob you play is a slot you're not playing something else, and I don't think he's necessary to make the deck work.
To stay on Modern for a minute, a general note on Infect: I know this advice is kind of useless sometimes, but "if you expect to face it," put Slaughter Pact in your sideboard and watch the free wins roll in. If you can't beat them after surprisingly removing their main threat -- play this after pumps, not before -- you either drew very poorly or just need practice. I may have just been lucky, but of all my Infect matchups, I can only think of one match I lost. The rest have been pretty manageable. Between our edict effects with Lili, our board wipes with Damnation and Death Cloud, and our ability to block and sac with stuff like Sakura-Tribe Elder, we're well set up. We definitely can lose, but trust me, it's a favorable matchup. Just know what the deck can do and try to play around it without jumping at shadows. Could they land a Pendelhaven and kill you? Does Pendelhaven come into play tapped? (A ha! You weren't sure, were you?) Look over the stock UG Infect list, watch a few matches and assess your build's strengths against it.
One other general note: For those who asked or who are curious to know more, the question of "ramp Cloud" vs. "midrange Cloud" has been covered a few times at various points in this thread. I've posted on various aspects of that dynamic here, here and here. Others have weighed in; I'll let the curious find their own conclusions.
Also, here's me on why this isn't just a GB midrange creature deck. Required reading, I dare say.
Not to get too off tangent, but Legacy Rock sounds like a lot of fun. Are you running an Aggro Rock build (hopefully with Cabal Therapies) or more of a Nic Fit style? I've been a long time Goblins player and have dabbled in some wonky stuff, Affinity, Jund, and Miracles before settling back into Goblins again. The little green men are so much fun to play!
I actually picked up a list from a guy named Alexander Luke (I don't know him) who top 8'd the Milwaukee SCG Legacy Classic on May 1. I have a few differences: I turned his Sword of Light and Shadow into a Sword of War and Peace, my mana base is a little different (the Woodland Cemetery are now Twilight Mire), and I'm playing an Umezawa's Jitte in place of the fourth Abrupt Decay. I really like it so far; I'm considering shaving here and there to add two Phyrexian Obliterator, which I've worked hard to acquire, but I haven't done it yet.
My Miracles matchup is good -- a friend plays Miracles exclusively and I was clocking him the last time we threw down. I have lots of discard to hit combo, plenty of ways to get damage in, and enough removal to keep most decks in check. So far my main problem is just beating myself thanks to unfamiliarity with the format. (What's a good Abrupt Decay target? I don't know!) I'm getting there slowly. Making time to play Legacy and keeping up my Modern habit is asking a lot when I've got a baby daughter. Still, as we all know, Magic is fun.
I'm not so sure Courser just wins us games we would have won anyway. Courser is better than Dark Confidant vs. Burn, 8Whack, Zoo, Death's Shadow, BW tokens (where he probably can't even block), Allies, frequently Merfolk . . . These are all matchups where Bob can be actively bad for us. I wrote several pages ago about experimenting with a Courser-less deck; that story ended with me vowing, lower lip a-tremble, that I would NEVER do it again. All I can say, folks, is learn from my mistakes.
This is for the midrange build of the deck. The ramp version running multiple Utopia Sprawl is playing a slightly different game with different requirements. I'd just caution everyone to pick a style and understand its needs before mixing and matching cards we put in our lists.
I've been playing my GB Legacy deck a lot lately, just because it's so new and fun, so I haven't had a lot of Modern to write up. I won my EMA draft 3-0 with UW fliers/tempo -- hardly a suitable deck for a Death Cloud wizard, but I made do. If anyone gets into that format, pick Man-O'-War and make everyone else sorry. I ended up with four because the rest of the table though it would be more fun to durdle and try to reanimate Inkwell Leviathan. Well, I showed them.
My creature package is 3 Sakura-Tribe Elder, 2 Scavenging Ooze, 3 Kitchen Finks, 2 Courser, 2 Kalitas, 1 Thragtusk and 1 Grave Titan. No room for Witness and lately no need. Three Death Cloud, 1 Disfigure, 2 Doom Blade and some discard plus 2 Lili means I'm pretty resilient to aggro. The latest list I posted is still current.
Putrefy is probably better off as Doom Blade or Go For the Throat. There are a few corner cases where you're willing to spend the extra mana, but over the course of the deck's career, having 2 CMC removal will probably win you more games.
I've had trouble with Ashiok as well -- it was the finisher of choice for the Grixis Midrange player who ultimately bested me in one of the funner matches I've ever played. It's almost enough to make one play Hero's Downfall, but . . . I don't think that's necessary. We're just not going to face a lot of Ashiok.
I'm still skeptical of Dark Confidant in Death Cloud. As good as the card is, we just don't want to lose any more life than we have to -- and we have a lot of expensive cards that can wreck us (Thragtusk not netting us life when we cast it is a fairly major swing against us, for instance, not to mention the risk of just dying). I wouldn't force Confidant. Consider those two cards a flex spot for now.
I did a 180 on Eternal Witness and now don't play it, but I still have a soft spot in my heart for it -- and it sounds like it got you some needed value. I'll be curious to hear how you like it going forward.
Did you build your sideboard in response to the local meta, or was it sort of in a vacuum?
I still play two Kalitas in my Rock deck. Check out Steve Hatto's deck from GP Birmingham for an idea of where I'm at -- my SB is different and I play a maindeck Sword of Light and Shadow, but you get the idea.
Excelsior!
MAINDECK: -1 Vent and -1 Rhino for +1 Hissing Quagmire and +1 Tireless Tracker, respectively. (It's become trendy to cut Tracker, which I think is a big mistake. We want games to go long enough for Tracker to be fantastic, and that usually happens.) If I had my druthers you'd cut both Rhino, but that's often a pet card and it seems good enough in your local meta.
SIDEBOARD: -2 Finks for +2 Feed the Clan. This is an overlooked gem for us -- it often counterfeits entire game plans when it resolves (and can't be Pathed or fall to your own Tendrils like Finks). I've had two in my board since I got tired of losing close games to Burn and I've never looked back.
I'm skeptical about the Blood Baron -- it's a fine card but doesn't scream "necessity" in your list. Given the way you described your meta, I'd recommend -1 Baron and -1 Stony Silence for +2 Fulminator Mage (or Ghost Quarter if those are unavailable). You seem unable to punish greedy mana bases. Even blowing up a land against Burn can make a huge difference. Grinding against fast decks can be too slow and grinding against decks like TitanShift can be meaningless if you can't disrupt them in the right way.
Lili the Last Hope is a meta dependent slot. I have plenty of CoCo nonsense to deal with, so I maindeck her to kill dorks efficiently. Your mileage may vary. She's not a great -2 prospect right off the bat -- Eternal Witness is a better candidate if you need that effect (because Lili will probably die at 1 loyalty anyway). I've fallen in and out of love with EWit but currently wouldn't leave home without her. She's great to rebuy discard or land destruction when that's what you need, which Lili the Last Hope can't always do.
1) What are your matchups like against Nahiri decks?
2) How often is the efficiency enough to beat a vomit-your-hand-and-attack deck like Merfolk or Affinity? This deck doesn't look equipped to go over the top very often (vs. a Thragtusk-and-Grave Titan version, for instance). How often have you gotten overwhelmed?
3) How have you liked the Geralf's Messenger and Strangleroot Geist so far? I have a playset of the Zombie and one random Geist, so I'd like to make use of them, but I've been playing a more classic Sakura-Tribe Elder/Scooze/Courser/Finks/Kalitas/Thragtusk/Grave Titan creature list for a while now and I've gotten to the point where I really like it. I recently added a single Birds of Paradise; I wrote about this a few posts ago.
4) I don't see any sweepers in the 75. Have you played against Bant Eldrazi? Seems rough if you don't have a Necroplasm.
5) Speaking of which, one reason I've liked my creature package is its ability to win with or without casting a Cloud. If you don't napalm the board, have you found your deck able to win fairly consistently?
3 Forest
4 Swamp
4 Verdant Catacombs
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Windswept Heath
2 Twilight Mire
3 Overgrown Tomb
1 Golgari Rot Farm
1 Ghost Quarter
3 Treetop Village
CREATURES (16)
1 Birds of Paradise
2 Scavenging Ooze
3 Sakura-Tribe Elder
2 Courser of Kruphix
3 Kitchen Finks
2 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
1 Wolfbriar Elemental
1 Thragtusk
1 Grave Titan
1 Disfigure
1 Inquisition of Kozilek
2 Thoughtseize
2 Doom Blade
3 Abrupt Decay
1 Stupor
2 Maelstrom Pulse
3 Death Cloud
1 Damnation
PLANESWALKER (5)
2 Liliana of the Veil
3 Garruk Wildspeaker
1 Boseiju, Who Shelters All
1 Slaughter Pact
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Inquisition of Kozilek
1 Pithing Needle
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Unravel the Æther
1 Choke
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
1 Languish
1 Damnation
2 Night of Souls' Betrayal
2 Leyline of the Void
A few explanations are in order.
Birds of Paradise: The longer I played the deck, the more I started to feel that a lot of games I lost came down to being a bit too slow. Sure, sometimes you just draw the wrong cards, etc., but the competitive games that ended with me thinking I could have won were often about not being able to play the right stuff fast enough. A faster Garruk, a faster Cloud (for more mana), a faster Kalitas, whatever . . . and I could have swung it. What to do? I could add a one-of ramp spell, but that seems like a terrible topdeck -- one of the reasons I never played them to begin with -- and then it struck me that if I could make room for a single Birds, I might be able to catch up and have a blocker if I needed one, especially for something like an Inkmoth. I tested it, more or less for fun, and I've really liked it since then. I've even won games where I drew it late and just needed it to chump for a turn. I mean, if it eats removal, the joke is profoundly on the other guy, so whatever. If you stick it early, you'll never be sorry -- it can even mislead them as to what you're on. Until I see a good reason to cut it, this stays in.
Stupor: This is probably a "pet card" thing more than a genius meta call on my part, but it's actually been good. Hitting their lands in hand -- especially on turn two with my Birds! -- has been solid, and honestly hitting cards at random is rarely bad if they have more than two in hand. I could probably make this a Wrench Mind and see similar(ish) results, but it's such a throwback and so unexpected that I'm going to keep jamming it for now. I very intentionally use all Mirage basics anyway, and I'm playing a Mirage Stupor (instead of the Time Spiral version that makes it Modern-legal), so it just feels right. I have the one maindeck Inquisition and two Thoughtseize to go along with it, plus another Inquisition in the board (more on that shortly too), so I'm happy with the discard package. Every time I think that's what needs an increase, I try it for a bit and decide I prefer to keep whatever I cut.
Wolfbriar Elemental: This might actually be a genius meta call on my part. It's like a Grave Titan that scales up or down depending on the situation and your available mana. Being able to cast it for four (which I had) instead of six (which I didn't) already won me a game, and I haven't even been playing this version very long. If you have a ton of mana, thanks to a Garruk or being in the late game, you can get a bucketful of wolves, and often more than the two Zombies you initially get from a Grave Titan. If you don't, just cast a 4/4 beater (or get one extra wolf) and go from there. I've been really happy with it. I know there are a few people new to this thread, but anyone who remembers me ranting earlier this year about the midrange-versus-combo choice knows I'm midrange all the way. This card is great for versatility and provides another clock that some builds just lack. Sure, this could be a Goyf, but Goyfs die. One bunch of wolves will win you the game unless something terrible has happened.
How did I make room for all this? Among other heresies, I cut Primal Command and Dark Petition. No denying they're good cards, but I wasn't casting Dark Petition much lately anyway, and while it's won me a few games I think it contributed to my one-turn-too-slow worries. I have no argument with those who still run it and/or Primal Command. I will say I like the speed at which my deck plays a little better now, but that may change again. Who knows.
My sideboard: Devotees of this thread will recall that my friend Goofus T. Manchild has been playing Dredge since waaaaay before it became cool. This no doubt contributed to my sideboard featuring more graveyard hate than usual. As it is, I actually really like the diverse possibilities I've got. I can bring in Relic against Jund (to shut down Goyf -- I've done it, and it's great) but leave the Leylines in the board as too irrelevant. I can bring in Pithing Needle and Grafdigger's Cage for Nahiri matchups without worrying so much about the other stuff. I can bring in a lot of good stuff against Dredge, not all of which is hit by Ray of Revelation (which he plays). I just recently traded for a second Choke, which I'd like to make room for. I already feel very good about most Ux matchups -- I don't know about y'all, but I've been feasting on Ascension and Blue Moon lately -- but a little insurance doesn't hurt. My one-of Unravel the Æther has come and gone and come and gone, and it'll probably be what I cut for the Choke. It feels useful but has very rarely proven decisive. Just not the right meta right now.
On the one Inquisition in the board: I cut my one-of Disfigure from my 75 a little while back and immediately lost a close 2-1 match to Infect. So the Disfigure went back in, but how to make room? I basically just grabbed an Inquisition, gritted my teeth, put it in the sideboard and hoped for the best. No complaints so far.
None of this is mathematically optimized in any way. There are several one-ofs that I'm sure the pros would laugh at. You know why I don't care? Last Thursday I beat Bogles, then Naya Burn, then Jund (2-0, baby), then intentionally split the prizes with another 3-0 guy who top 8'd Grand Prix Charlotte earlier this year (who also plays Jund). I'm going to keep riding this train until it breaks down.
A few notes on my earlier tests. . .
Some of you may recall my adventures with Phyrexian Obliterator in this deck. Ultimately I don't think it worked, although it was fun to try and won me a few games (it's hilarious against Merfolk). I started to think, "Why SHOULD I just worry about what happens after a Cloud? What if I don't draw a Cloud? Don't I need other ways to win?" That's not insane, but Obliterator is not the answer to that question, at least in this deck. Testing it out made me want to build a deck where it does work. But don't mistake playing black for a reason to play weird black creatures in any given deck.
I've taken my Creeping Corrosion out of the sideboard. I haven't seen Lantern Control in many moons, and Affinity doesn't seem like a strong enough contender around here to justify the sideboard slots. (Also, it's winnable without a magic bullet.)
I ran a one-of Profane Command in my ill-fated "experimental" version a while back. I hated it. I truly hope others can give it a good home. It's one of my favorite cards that I consider impossible to find room for in this deck.
Anyone going to any big tournaments soon? My playing has been greatly curtailed, but I've still been brewing and playing when I can. This deck has been good to me and I'm going to keep giving it some love. My next project for a while was going to be Zombies, and I think I'll get around to it, but I've switched my focus to a homebrew land destruction deck that probably won't look exactly like Ponza. I traded for a few Mwonvuli Acid-Moss the other night to round out my package. I'm undecided on the colors, believe it or not -- Goofus tells me I have to play RG or I'm crazy, but I actually find the idea of a Jund-colors version really attractive. So much land destruction to go around. I do have three Xenagos, the Reveler that I haven't made use of, so it'll probably be RG anyway, but then you lose Rain of Tears, Smallpox . . . I even like Desecrated Earth, but that's definitely just me.
Short answer: probably a bad idea. They don't survive a Cloud and they're only strong if you happen to draw one post-Cloud/with a full yard. It's worth testing, but I wouldn't suggest you jam it too hard. The post-Cloud beatdown is covered by Garruk beasts and Treetop Village. Having Finks in the deck means we don't lose outright to Burn, Zoo, Death's Shadow Aggro and the like. That's a more important asset than having a one-off beater.
A lot of these kinds of questions are answered very differently when we're talking about a deck without Death Cloud. Something like Obliterator Rock wants Goyf. Our deck wants Finks because of the speed at which we play and because it works well with our payoff card.
4 Verdant Catacombs
1 Windswept Heath
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Golgari Rot Farm
3 Twilight Mire
2 Overgrown Tomb
4 Swamp
3 Forest
3 Treetop Village
1 Tectonic Edge
CREATURES (15)
2 Scavenging Ooze
3 Sakura-Tribe Elder
2 Courser of Kruphix
3 Kitchen Finks
2 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
1 Phyrexian Obliterator
1 Thragtusk
1 Grave Titan
1 Disfigure
2 Thoughtseize
2 Inquisition of Kozilek
1 Doom Blade
3 Abrupt Decay
2 Maelstrom Pulse
3 Death Cloud
1 Damnation
1 Dark Petition
1 Primal Command
PLANESWALKERS (5)
2 Liliana of the Veil
3 Garruk Wildspeaker
1 Boseiju, Who Shelters All
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Flaying Tendrils
1 Choke
2 Rain of Tears
1 Damnation
1 Creeping Corrosion
1 Witchbane Orb
2 Leyline of the Void
1 Night of Souls' Betrayal
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
2 Obstinate Baloth
Round One - Merfolk (lost 1-2)
Game one saw me biff a complicated situation late in a game I was losing but didn't have to lose right away. He had a Merrow Reejerey, a Master of Waves with six Elemental dorks and a Master of the Pearl Trident, plus a Spreading Seas on my Overgrown Tomb. I had a Kalitas and a Scavenging Ooze at 3/3. He played a second Master of Waves, getting a bunch more dorks and turning the ready-to-attack Elementals into 3/2s. He swung with everything he could, thinking he had the win. Before blockers, I hit Master of the Pearl Trident with Abrupt Decay, eliminating his Islandwalk but missing the Kalitas trigger. Had I remembered to give myself the extra blocker, I would have survived the attack thanks to the extra block plus Kalitas' lifelink. If I topdeck a Damnation there, the game resets in my favor (he had no cards in hand). Oops!
I win game two thanks to a lovely Cloud settling his hash. Game three opens with me casting Inquisition to see Cursecatcher, Merrow Reejerey, Lord of Atlantis, Kira, Great Glass-Spinner and a few lands. I have my Flaying Tendrils in hand from the sideboard and hope I can two-for-one him if he plays Kira into Lord or something along those lines, so I take Cursecatcher. He proceeds to get down Reejerey plus Lord on the same turn, putting both out of reach and giving him a quick win. Not sure how I should have played that, but Reejerey seems like the better pick in retrospect.
He brought in Relic of Progenitus from the sideboard after game one, probably thinking I was Jund or Abzan after seeing the maindeck Scooze. Didn't do him a ton of good, but reasonable given that his deck is nothing but Scooze food, I suppose.
Round Two - Grixis Thing in the Ice
This seems like a great matchup for us, and I wasn't seriously pressured in game one. Three maindeck Abrupt Decay are exactly what you need for this kind of opponent. I didn't Cloud because I didn't need to - I usually try not to give that information away if I can help it. Game two he went off very quickly by playing turn two TiTi, turn three TiTi and then going nuts on cheap spells. If you see someone playing Manamorphose and you don't know why, it's probably a Thing deck these days. Game three was a free win: he missed his third land drop, I landed a turn three Choke and he conceded. Choke just wins games. I wish I'd started playing it in the board sooner.
Anyway, with a decent removal package plus three or four Death Cloud, these decks should not scare us.
Round Three - RG Tron (lost 0-2)
As far as I can tell, this matchup is stone unwinnable. I put the two Rain of Tears and the Witchbane Orb in my board SPECIFICALLY for Tron (not great, but in the neighborhood of being useful), and the Choke is obviously good against U Tron (which a guy at this shop plays). Anyway, game one was a rout, and then game two saw me hit him with TWO Thoughtseize and a Rain of Tears and get my Orb down -- and I still lost. If anyone anywhere has any idea how we beat Tron, please tell me. Karn exiled my Orb and then started shredding my hand, including exiling the Thrun I'd tutored up with Primal Command. (Sort of a dumb desperation move on my part; I should have kept a second card in hand so I could get Thrun down shortly after. Two cards means Karn doesn't nab him!)
Didn't learn much from these games other than mild frustration. Tron was purpose-built to beat BGx midrange decks. This remains a problem.
Round Four - UR Thing in the Ice
This was pretty similar to round two. I was hardly expecting two Thing decks in four rounds, but this shop has more wacky brewers than my other spot (where people tend to play aggro decks and try to run everyone over).
Game one came down to the wire. He got a turn two Thing, then a turn three Thing (which I hit with Abrupt Decay). I had Maelstrom Pulse in hand but no third land; I could have gambled on drawing a land and getting the two-for-one, but his deck was full of cantrips and missing my land seemed dangerous. Anyway, he flipped his remaining Thing the next turn and swung to get me down to 12 (I'd cracked a fetch). I had no play the next turn, so he got me down to five before I took over with Liliana minus to kill his Thing, then Finks to up my life total, then Thragtusk to go to 14 and put the game out of reach.
Interestingly, after seeing some removal in round one he either boarded out the Things or boarded in a transformational sideboard; either way, it became a Pyromancer Ascension combo burn deck. He got a Past in Flames kill and I had visions of going 1-3.
Game three saw me get down a turn three Choke (again, crucial). He tried to play through it for a few turns, but it shut off two Steam Vents when it came down and all he had was a basic Island for a few turns. Eventually I just killed him with damage.
Choke, my friends, is a hell of a card. We're lucky we play green.
Anyway, I'm considering going a little more black-heavy and trying a second Phyrexian Obliterator. Let's see Merfolk get out of that one. The trouble this deck is having lately is due to lacking counter-pressure in the midgame. (The early game should be about Sakura-Tribe Elder and Courser, and those are - ahem - not "pressure.") Instead of going full Cloud-or-bust combo, I'd like to try a hybrid Obliterator Rock/Cloud-Garruk package. This may necessitate a little brewing, but that's fine. I'm not in love with the Reid Duke stock list any more; the meta has changed too much.
As always, please share ideas! Anyone else have a spin on the Death Cloud shell? Since I got third in the IQ a few months ago I've hardly been able to play - me daughter is still only a few months old, and I work full time - so Modern testing is at a real premium. Any insights into recent meta changes and how we can adapt are like gold falling out of a magic rainbow right now.
I'm headed to a Modern tournament on Tuesday, so I'll (finally) have an updated list and some results to share soon. I missed posting about one frustrating outing from a few weeks ago: beat Merfolk in three, lost to Jund in two after having to make some tough play calls, DREW in three against Bant KnightFall (my friend got tired of Naya Burn and brewed this up - now it's his main Modern deck) and beat a goofy Boros aggro deck in two. (Cerodon Yearling in Modern? I ask you.) Going to time against a beatable deck like KnightFall was instructive. Threats are important!
More soon. Keep brewing the deck, everyone. The meta is always changing.
I've been trying a few changes, both to the maindeck and sideboard, in an attempt to shore up the worst matchups I've encountered (Tron and Scapeshift). I don't want to water everything down just to improve against those two, so I've tried to make relevant choices against the whole field that also happen to be better than usual against those two. I like where I've landed right now and will report the next time I have some results (probably next week). If we can find a way to be good or at least even against those two, I think we're really cracking into Tier 1.5 status, which is -- realistically -- good enough for now. Spoiler alert: I've added a single Phyrexian Obliterator. One more threat that doubles as threatened mass removal has proven to be a difference-maker. It doesn't pass the "leaves something after a Cloud" test, but the results speak for themselves so far. Once it comes down it's Path or bust for the other guy.
My main concern right now, other than the hated Tron, is whether I want to play a third Liliana of the Veil. I now have four because of my Legacy deck, and I've always liked her -- it feels like the midrange version of Death Cloud is embracing the control role more than usual, and the ability to churn through peoples' hands is very tempting. I've kept her at two for a very long time, in part because I'm not running any recursion to get my own stuff back, but I'm open to trying three Lili with Pulse of Murasa and/or Eternal Witness just to see how I like it.
Boseiju, Who Shelters All is fast becoming my favorite sideboard card. Control matchups are soooooo much more manageable these days. Just don't use it when you don't have to, because it does cost life.
I packed my deck in a hurry on my way out the door, and somehow my maindeck ended up with a second Disfigure that I absolutely didn't put in there. I suspect someone -- probably Goofus -- played my deck at some point casually either at my place or wherever and made a few changes and I'd forgotten about it. Anyway, it wasn't the best but it did come in handy on occasion, once against U Tron (I had to double Disfigure a Thought-Knot Seer, which was not card disadvantage!) and again against GW Humans with some buffing triggers on the stack. I'm taking it back out, probably for a discard spell. Breaking through a suspected wall of countermagic for one mana is a very good feeling.
Anyone see anything in Eldritch Moon they like for Death Cloud? I haven't paid close attention to the spoilers.
Yeah, I don't think we have a serious disagreement here. I actually traded for a Phyrexian Arena not long ago with the intention of testing it in Death Cloud. More cards is always a nice leg up. With that pleasantry out of the way, to reiterate for those new to the deck or the thread or who just like hearing me talk. . .
I don't want to overestimate Courser's importance too much, but I'd argue that running Courser in any Death Cloud list -- midrange, ramp, whatever -- will make us more favored in a blind meta than running Bob. Don't get me wrong -- I run four Bobs in my Legacy deck (more on that shortly) and it's an all-star. The difference is the role the card plays in each deck. Because we have a fair number of high-CMC cards, Bob in this deck isn't just "Free draws!" Even the ramp-heavy versions of Death Cloud need expensive spells and finishers to get the job done (Grave Titan, Thragtusk, Primal Command, etc.), and hitting those with a Bob will just wreck you. Remember, our payoff spell costs us life and resources. The idea is that we're building the deck to make the effect asymmetrical; with Bob we pretty much lose that asymmetry and just go back to symmetry. We're trading life -- sometimes a lot of life -- for a few more cards, and in most versions of Death Cloud that can actually be a bad trade. We need life more than card advantage because Death Cloud is supposed to be all the card advantage we need. I guess I'm just arguing theory here (I haven't tested Bob in my deck), but I don't see the argument for him other than "Sometimes you get lucky and draw some free lands." Over the long haul, I don't think it's a good two-drop when we straight-up need Sakura-Tribe Elder and arguably need/want Scavenging Ooze almost as badly.
Think of it like this: Bob is best when he draws to a combo piece, because then the life loss doesn't matter and you just win. What are we hoping to draw with Bob that makes a big difference? If you're in the GBx neighborhood and you're looking to draw a genuine silver bullet (other than Death Cloud), you made a wrong turn somewhere. This isn't Ad Nauseam. I actually think the prevalence of Bobs in Jund is a bit of a mistake and a potential reason it hasn't put up huge results lately. There are better two-drops that could make a Jund shell a lot more aggressive (no one seems to play Young Pyromancer, for instance). It's the same conundrum with every black deck: why don't they all play Bob if it's the perfect card? The reason is that it's not a perfect card. It's greedy, and you need to be able to justify that greed beyond thinking best-case scenario.
So, best case scenario, your Finks and your Thragtusk and your Primal Command and your Scooze make up for the life loss and you win at 20, but this deck isn't really looking to play that game. When you pick up this deck, you embrace the idea of messy wins, close wins and more than a few near-death experiences. Thrag, Finks, Primal Command . . . these cards exist because they leave something behind after a Death Cloud, not because they let you get greedy and play Bob. I'd have to see some results to make me change my mind about this. Every Bob you play is a slot you're not playing something else, and I don't think he's necessary to make the deck work.
To stay on Modern for a minute, a general note on Infect: I know this advice is kind of useless sometimes, but "if you expect to face it," put Slaughter Pact in your sideboard and watch the free wins roll in. If you can't beat them after surprisingly removing their main threat -- play this after pumps, not before -- you either drew very poorly or just need practice. I may have just been lucky, but of all my Infect matchups, I can only think of one match I lost. The rest have been pretty manageable. Between our edict effects with Lili, our board wipes with Damnation and Death Cloud, and our ability to block and sac with stuff like Sakura-Tribe Elder, we're well set up. We definitely can lose, but trust me, it's a favorable matchup. Just know what the deck can do and try to play around it without jumping at shadows. Could they land a Pendelhaven and kill you? Does Pendelhaven come into play tapped? (A ha! You weren't sure, were you?) Look over the stock UG Infect list, watch a few matches and assess your build's strengths against it.
One other general note: For those who asked or who are curious to know more, the question of "ramp Cloud" vs. "midrange Cloud" has been covered a few times at various points in this thread. I've posted on various aspects of that dynamic here, here and here. Others have weighed in; I'll let the curious find their own conclusions.
Also, here's me on why this isn't just a GB midrange creature deck. Required reading, I dare say.
I actually picked up a list from a guy named Alexander Luke (I don't know him) who top 8'd the Milwaukee SCG Legacy Classic on May 1. I have a few differences: I turned his Sword of Light and Shadow into a Sword of War and Peace, my mana base is a little different (the Woodland Cemetery are now Twilight Mire), and I'm playing an Umezawa's Jitte in place of the fourth Abrupt Decay. I really like it so far; I'm considering shaving here and there to add two Phyrexian Obliterator, which I've worked hard to acquire, but I haven't done it yet.
My Miracles matchup is good -- a friend plays Miracles exclusively and I was clocking him the last time we threw down. I have lots of discard to hit combo, plenty of ways to get damage in, and enough removal to keep most decks in check. So far my main problem is just beating myself thanks to unfamiliarity with the format. (What's a good Abrupt Decay target? I don't know!) I'm getting there slowly. Making time to play Legacy and keeping up my Modern habit is asking a lot when I've got a baby daughter. Still, as we all know, Magic is fun.
This is for the midrange build of the deck. The ramp version running multiple Utopia Sprawl is playing a slightly different game with different requirements. I'd just caution everyone to pick a style and understand its needs before mixing and matching cards we put in our lists.
I've been playing my GB Legacy deck a lot lately, just because it's so new and fun, so I haven't had a lot of Modern to write up. I won my EMA draft 3-0 with UW fliers/tempo -- hardly a suitable deck for a Death Cloud wizard, but I made do. If anyone gets into that format, pick Man-O'-War and make everyone else sorry. I ended up with four because the rest of the table though it would be more fun to durdle and try to reanimate Inkwell Leviathan. Well, I showed them.
Putrefy is probably better off as Doom Blade or Go For the Throat. There are a few corner cases where you're willing to spend the extra mana, but over the course of the deck's career, having 2 CMC removal will probably win you more games.
I've had trouble with Ashiok as well -- it was the finisher of choice for the Grixis Midrange player who ultimately bested me in one of the funner matches I've ever played. It's almost enough to make one play Hero's Downfall, but . . . I don't think that's necessary. We're just not going to face a lot of Ashiok.
I'm still skeptical of Dark Confidant in Death Cloud. As good as the card is, we just don't want to lose any more life than we have to -- and we have a lot of expensive cards that can wreck us (Thragtusk not netting us life when we cast it is a fairly major swing against us, for instance, not to mention the risk of just dying). I wouldn't force Confidant. Consider those two cards a flex spot for now.
I did a 180 on Eternal Witness and now don't play it, but I still have a soft spot in my heart for it -- and it sounds like it got you some needed value. I'll be curious to hear how you like it going forward.
Did you build your sideboard in response to the local meta, or was it sort of in a vacuum?