...I'd be interested in any ideas about adding more interaction or taxes though. I've seen some lists in the thread with Ensnaring Bridge, but I don't think that card fits well with the aggressive gameplan that seems to have had the most traction here. Also, how has Dismember treated you? Is it worth the 4 life and (sometimes) 2 mana very often?
Yea, Bridge works against the aggressive line...if you you really want to "tax" you opponents attackers yet stay on theme, Norn's Annex might be your best bet. Dismember has served well when needing to kill creatures involved in combo-ish decks like Coco, Infect, Elves and Kiki-Jiki shenanigans. It can also help against Merfolk and Affinity. I run a Watery Grave, so sometimes I get away with just paying 2 life for the phyrexian cost. Its worth it when it stops you from losing on the spot to those decks mentioned above...
...On another note, for those of you who have been playing with the deck, what do you think about match-ups? What decks seem to easy to overcome and which seem to be more of a struggle, or even impossible.
Tron can be a difficult matchup, but I see you run 4x Ghost Quarter and Phyrexian Revoker. Like Ace mentioned, Affinity because of the evasion and speed...they also don't care about Lodestone Golem.
The better matchups are midrange decks that don't run Path to Exile. Against decks like Jund and Grixis, Wurmcoil Engine and Hangarback Walker really shine. We have "inevitability".
Against decks like Chord, Infect and Merfolk I like 2x Dismember. Its one of the few removal options we have that's not too expensive in the face of Lodestone and can be paid with phyrexian mana. Against Infect the life loss doesn't even matter...Vedalken Shackles works aswell but comes down alot later.
Think Ace pretty much summed up control and combo. I think I have a slight advantage over control because I run Æther Vial. But then again it makes me more susceptible to Stony Silence game two...
Sidenote: I'm interested in the mainboard Phyrexian Revoker tech...how has it served you?
Here's a list I've been playing around with. It goes heavier on tax effects and has a stronger focus on curving out. Any thoughts on relegating the revokers to the sideboard and replacing them with signal pests mainboard? On another note, why is there so much love for Hangarback Walker? Is it solely the resiliency?
Hangarback Walker is nice for the curve since you can cast it at 2,4,6 etc (Grand Architect produces mana in "twos"). Its resiliency and ability to grow is also very valuable. Its also a nice mana dump. Best artifact to be printed in a long time imo...
You list looks solid, I'd keep probably keep the Phyrexian Revoker but remove both Thorn of Amethyst. I started with Thorn in the main and found it to be fairly situational...alot of modern decks are creature based so the tax is seldom felt. It also makes Shackles, Swords, Batterskull unnecessarily more expensive...
Also, Sword of Light and Shadow is better than Fire and Ice for this deck imho...it provides a way to recur creatures and its protection is relevant against most removal. The +2/+2 boost inherently gives protection from red spells like bolt etc.
@Ace1, yea I've been running a one of Batterskull in the list since the beginning:
Batterskull:
-Comes down a turn before Wurmcoil Engine or Triskelion.
-Is good against control when they wrath or play Path to Exile.
-Is another source of life gain for the grindy/burn matchups.
-Can equipt and turn any of our creatures into serious threats.
Not sure what your current list looks like, but I'd just do a 1:1 split with Batterskull and Phyrexian Metamorph. Metamorph can sometimes just "become another Batterskull" if necessary.
Yea, personally I like Æther Vial in the deck and think of it as Heartless Summoning. Its provides the redundancy in playing Myr Superion and acts as an extra "mana source".
Giving pseudo flash to my creatures is also nice...
I just realized Thopter/Sword + Architect would allow for infinite tokens/life if it wasn't for Architects lord effect. Guess there's always Illness in the Ranks and Heartless Summoning lol...
Twitch: gamerchamp
Modern: UGrand Architect, UBTezzeret Control, UBWRG Bridge From Below (Dredge)
Legacy: UWGTrue-Name Bant
Still wondering about the vechiles:
Fleetwheel Cruiser: Really like the fact that it comes into play as a creature and has haste, trample.
Skysovereign, Consul Flagship: Seems like a decent control sideboard.
Ovalchase Dragster: More for aggro builds.
Sure theres still some more awesome cards to come for us, thoughts on the above?
Sidenote: Verdurous Gearhulk: should've been blue
Twitch: gamerchamp
Modern: UGrand Architect, UBTezzeret Control, UBWRG Bridge From Below (Dredge)
Legacy: UWGTrue-Name Bant
Think this can be a one of...wish it was an Artifact Land so it could activated using Grand Architect...
Maybe we will get some useful Artifact Lands in this set.
Twitch: gamerchamp
Modern: UGrand Architect, UBTezzeret Control, UBWRG Bridge From Below (Dredge)
Legacy: UWGTrue-Name Bant
Twitch: gamerchamp
Modern: UGrand Architect, UBTezzeret Control, UBWRG Bridge From Below (Dredge)
Legacy: UWGTrue-Name Bant
Mausoleum Wanderer
Twitch: gamerchamp
Modern: UGrand Architect, UBTezzeret Control, UBWRG Bridge From Below (Dredge)
Legacy: UWGTrue-Name Bant
Twitch: gamerchamp
Modern: UGrand Architect, UBTezzeret Control, UBWRG Bridge From Below (Dredge)
Legacy: UWGTrue-Name Bant
Twitch: gamerchamp
Modern: UGrand Architect, UBTezzeret Control, UBWRG Bridge From Below (Dredge)
Legacy: UWGTrue-Name Bant
Twitch: gamerchamp
Modern: UGrand Architect, UBTezzeret Control, UBWRG Bridge From Below (Dredge)
Legacy: UWGTrue-Name Bant
The better matchups are midrange decks that don't run Path to Exile. Against decks like Jund and Grixis, Wurmcoil Engine and Hangarback Walker really shine. We have "inevitability".
Against decks like Chord, Infect and Merfolk I like 2x Dismember. Its one of the few removal options we have that's not too expensive in the face of Lodestone and can be paid with phyrexian mana. Against Infect the life loss doesn't even matter...Vedalken Shackles works aswell but comes down alot later.
Think Ace pretty much summed up control and combo. I think I have a slight advantage over control because I run Æther Vial. But then again it makes me more susceptible to Stony Silence game two...
Sidenote: I'm interested in the mainboard Phyrexian Revoker tech...how has it served you?
Twitch: gamerchamp
Modern: UGrand Architect, UBTezzeret Control, UBWRG Bridge From Below (Dredge)
Legacy: UWGTrue-Name Bant
You list looks solid, I'd keep probably keep the Phyrexian Revoker but remove both Thorn of Amethyst. I started with Thorn in the main and found it to be fairly situational...alot of modern decks are creature based so the tax is seldom felt. It also makes Shackles, Swords, Batterskull unnecessarily more expensive...
Also, Sword of Light and Shadow is better than Fire and Ice for this deck imho...it provides a way to recur creatures and its protection is relevant against most removal. The +2/+2 boost inherently gives protection from red spells like bolt etc.
Twitch: gamerchamp
Modern: UGrand Architect, UBTezzeret Control, UBWRG Bridge From Below (Dredge)
Legacy: UWGTrue-Name Bant
Batterskull:
-Comes down a turn before Wurmcoil Engine or Triskelion.
-Is good against control when they wrath or play Path to Exile.
-Is another source of life gain for the grindy/burn matchups.
-Can equipt and turn any of our creatures into serious threats.
Not sure what your current list looks like, but I'd just do a 1:1 split with Batterskull and Phyrexian Metamorph. Metamorph can sometimes just "become another Batterskull" if necessary.
Twitch: gamerchamp
Modern: UGrand Architect, UBTezzeret Control, UBWRG Bridge From Below (Dredge)
Legacy: UWGTrue-Name Bant
But I think Trading Post can be great against non Stony Silence type control decks.
Twitch: gamerchamp
Modern: UGrand Architect, UBTezzeret Control, UBWRG Bridge From Below (Dredge)
Legacy: UWGTrue-Name Bant
Giving pseudo flash to my creatures is also nice...
Twitch: gamerchamp
Modern: UGrand Architect, UBTezzeret Control, UBWRG Bridge From Below (Dredge)
Legacy: UWGTrue-Name Bant
Twitch: gamerchamp
Modern: UGrand Architect, UBTezzeret Control, UBWRG Bridge From Below (Dredge)
Legacy: UWGTrue-Name Bant
Twitch: gamerchamp
Modern: UGrand Architect, UBTezzeret Control, UBWRG Bridge From Below (Dredge)
Legacy: UWGTrue-Name Bant