I think a utility land is only possible as a 24th land and with 5 or 6 dorks. I played 23 with gavony for a while and it is a little too inconsistent.
The only bant eldrazi list to show up in rptqs had relics and eternal scourge. Very interesting and I think it is particularly well built against Jeskai but I personally don't like relic in the main deck at all.
I think main deck relic is for decks with somewhat limited turn 1 plays. With my list I have 6 dorks and 4 stirrings - so I think that is enough. My take on Eternal Scourge is that its good against Moon and heavy removal decks - I haven't tested it but I agree it is quite interesting - looks like ill order some and start testing. I doubt I could find room for more then 2 and im reluctant to cut any skyspawners - so not sure how its going to fit at this stage.
Having said that my current list uses a Boreal Druid, and sb batterskull to try and allievate some of the issues that Bant faces in the current meta.
The manabase is way too inconsistent to be messing around with utility lands - I guess if you run 24 lands but a 23 land build with a utility land is begging for terrible hands and being stuck on colours.
I've been thinking about how poorly positioned E-Tron is starting to look and feel and momentarily started putting the missing pieces of Bant Eldrazi into a shopping cart...until I thought about the Storm matchup
Isn't Bant Eldrazi a dog to Storm though? It's kind of what kept me from wanting to try the deck out
EE looks fantastic right now, Tropical Fish is a thing, along with Humans reported to be everywhere on mtgo
Ive heard ppl say that the 'stock' sb is bad against Storm and it appears to me that that is a fair comment.
I bring in 3x Chalice, 2x RIP, 1x Relic, 1x Rec Sage and 1x Settle the Wreckage. Usually I have an answer to Goblin tokens and if I can get a lock with chalice or gy hate I win. Storm can get you with blood moon - but Ido have rec sage and 3x EE as outs - or sometimes you dont need an out if you have a threat on the board already
EE is fantastic right now - im not sure why you would think it isnt - I play 3x MD and wouldnt play any less. Id cut dismember. Id add Settle the Wreckage somewhere in that list and maybe 2x
How is settle the wreckage mediocre against Affinity? Card is amazing - wipes manlands the whole bloody army. Anyway - as good as EE is - Settle the Wreckage is pretty key to beating a lot of go wide strategies - last night I beat BW tokens entirely off the back of Settle the Wreckage. As mentioned previously, individually decks like Elves, Merfolk, Tokens, Affinity dont necessarily take up a huge metashare (although Affinity does) - but you will likely face some sort of go wide deck in larger tournaments and have a difficult time without Settle the Wreckage.
Id also suggest that Stony is important and necessary against Ad Naus, Lantern and Gx Tron - in the absence of magical christmasland you dont always draw chalice (most ppl dont even play Chalice - although I personally consider it a must) and have it unanswered - sb cards like Stony provide redundancy to defeat those strategies..
Yeah - good point with EE and spyglass. I guess it depends on what you choose with spyglass - hopefully you blow up whatever you named (presumably most of the time its 2cmc as well - like plating or ravager etc - I guess they could be sandbagging extra copies though).
I think Stony is questionable for affinity given all the other good cards we have (im also playing settle the wreckage) - in all honesty its kind of just a bonus against affinity - I kind of really need it for Tron, Lantern and Ad Naus - combined with other sb cards I find these matchup to be pretty ok with Stony as an additional answer..
Spyglass is the most interesting - Ive cut Stonies before and played needles as the Stonies can get in the way of EE (although arguably you are winning anyway if Stony is down against Affinity - although not always). Needles can also provide more flexibility. So what do you think about Spyglass (also seems to play well with Chalice)..
The thing is theory crafting about whos the beatdown is nice and everything - but it doesn't play out in every game that way - you can often get on the backfoot - especially on the draw. There are numerous matchups that Eldrazi struggles with - most of them are go wide decks - Elves, Merfolk, CoCo, Dredge and many more (Bogles for example)..
Sure - ppl can play around it - but that can only help you if they do - gives you more time to get in with your creatures..
Settle the wreckage boys/girls - this card is super legit in Bant. WW isnt ideal but Ive been crushing hard matchups with it - Merfolk, Elves, CoCo, Affinity - its even decent against E-Tron and GDS and Geist - get on it!
In regards to Chalice. I keep finding myself losing to combo decks and I think Chalice is an effective solution. It can obviously interfere with your own 1 cmc spells - but its usually worth it. As others have said - one of the reasons E-Tron is so successful is that it can beat decks it shouldn't be able to beat because of Chalice (well that and Ballista). I played 4x Chalice during the infect era for months and months - was fantastic - then infect died and I felt I couldnt justify it - but Ive brought it back over the last few weeks and i wouldnt take it out again - its my security blanket for the collective percentage of weird decks that ppl play in addition to be very good against tiered decks like
Storm - 2 cmc is best - but 1 cmc is ok depending on what is necessary at the time
Burn - 1 or 2 cmc depending on the game state - 2 cmc is often better in game 3 as you can bet 4x D-Rev is coming in..
Control decks - hit all their 1 cmc removal and cantrips; 2 cmc if required (snaps, other removal and counters); 0 cmc if they still play AV
Affinity on the play - if you get turn 1 chalice on zero you will win 90+% of games; its also not a terrible strategy in the later game to land it for 2 cmc
Gx Tron - on the play only - too slow otherwise - hits so many of their cards plus sb nature's claim to keep your stony on the board
Other decks
Ad Nauseum - you can now confidently beat this deck - 1 cmc or 0 cmc are fantastic
Lantern - chalice really hoses them on 1 cmc - they do have answers - so landing a second Chalice on 2 cmc is advisable (after you land Stony)
8-Rack - hits their win conditions as well as pretty much all their spells - usually you will lose it to IoK or thoughtseize though
Elves - only on the play and if you sense they have 4x Cavern of Souls its prob not worth it.
Amulet Titan - good on 1 cmc and zero for pacts
Living End - zero cmc - back breaking for them
Infect - absolute house - best card to beat them - but your matchup is generally good regardless
Hollow Vine - these lists vary a lot but usually have ~16 1 cmc spells - I only bring it in on the play..
Restore Balance - zero cmc and restore balance doesnt work anymore
Bogles - you will rely on EE and Chalice to beat this deck
Matyr - great card - they have tons of 1 drops
what is your effective strategy against BW eldrazi taxes?
Ive never really had a problem with this deck - sure sometimes that can land screw you an win.. It's important to be aware of vial on 2 for Leonin land screw blowouts, vial on 3 for flickerwisp combat blowouts - once you get used to the matchup it isn't that bad. Explosives is really good against them.
Id say that cutting Drowners vs Valakut should be avoided - keep all 4 of them in - they are vital to tapping down Titan. path is still ok - just remember to Path Titan in response to the ETB trigger - cutting some may be ok..
I really dont like PWs in Bant Eldrazi. If for some reason you have a really grindy meta - then perhaps - but I think id still go for more Reshapers. For me the biggest issue is deck going under us - like and combo - id rather sure up those areas before worrying about grinding ppl out..
My thing at the moment is goin back to playing Chalice in the SB - it helps with so many difficult matchups and can also help against decks with heavy amounts of removal - chalice on 1 - stop paths, pushes, bolts etc..
Yes - Chalice can lock out our own cards - but so can RIP with Matter Reshaper or E-Witness.
Chalice is still a very useful card and I had 4x in the SB when Infect was a tier 1 deck. Often you side out Path when you play chalice and you can get Hierarchs on to the field through Cavern - playing around Chalice is not as hard as you might think. Further to this you can often play hierarch turn 1 and cast another 1 cmc spell turn 2 and then play chalice. E-Tron players have been playing around Chalice, so do merfolk players in Legacy - its a known issue and when you become proficient with the interaction you can minimize the downside.
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Modern
Bant Eldrazi
UW Control
U Merfolk
Legacy
Merfolk
UR Delver
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I think main deck relic is for decks with somewhat limited turn 1 plays. With my list I have 6 dorks and 4 stirrings - so I think that is enough. My take on Eternal Scourge is that its good against Moon and heavy removal decks - I haven't tested it but I agree it is quite interesting - looks like ill order some and start testing. I doubt I could find room for more then 2 and im reluctant to cut any skyspawners - so not sure how its going to fit at this stage.
Having said that my current list uses a Boreal Druid, and sb batterskull to try and allievate some of the issues that Bant faces in the current meta.
Current List
//Lands
4 Cavern of Souls
4 Eldrazi Temple
4 Windswept Heath
1 Temple Garden
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Breeding Pool
1 Horizon Canopy
2 Brushland
2 Yavimaya Coast
2 Forest
1 Plains
//Creatures
4 Thought-Knot Seer
4 Reality Smasher
4 Eldrazi Displacer
4 Drowner of Hope
4 Eldrazi Skyspawner
1 Rhonas the indomitable (Shave 1x skyspawner and 1x Rhonas for 2x eternal scourge)
//Dorks
4 Noble Hierarch
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Boreal Druid
//Other
4 Ancient Stirrings
4 Path to Exile
2 Engineered Explosives
//Sideboard
SB: 3 Chalice of the Void
SB: 3 Relic of Progenitus
SB: 2 Negate
SB: 2 Reclamation Sage
SB: 2 Worship
SB: 1 Batterskull
SB: 1 Settle the Wreckage
SB: 1 Engineered Explosives
Bant Eldrazi
UW Control
U Merfolk
Legacy
Merfolk
UR Delver
Bant Eldrazi
UW Control
U Merfolk
Legacy
Merfolk
UR Delver
Ive heard ppl say that the 'stock' sb is bad against Storm and it appears to me that that is a fair comment.
I bring in 3x Chalice, 2x RIP, 1x Relic, 1x Rec Sage and 1x Settle the Wreckage. Usually I have an answer to Goblin tokens and if I can get a lock with chalice or gy hate I win. Storm can get you with blood moon - but Ido have rec sage and 3x EE as outs - or sometimes you dont need an out if you have a threat on the board already
Bant Eldrazi
UW Control
U Merfolk
Legacy
Merfolk
UR Delver
Bant Eldrazi
UW Control
U Merfolk
Legacy
Merfolk
UR Delver
Id also suggest that Stony is important and necessary against Ad Naus, Lantern and Gx Tron - in the absence of magical christmasland you dont always draw chalice (most ppl dont even play Chalice - although I personally consider it a must) and have it unanswered - sb cards like Stony provide redundancy to defeat those strategies..
Bant Eldrazi
UW Control
U Merfolk
Legacy
Merfolk
UR Delver
I think Stony is questionable for affinity given all the other good cards we have (im also playing settle the wreckage) - in all honesty its kind of just a bonus against affinity - I kind of really need it for Tron, Lantern and Ad Naus - combined with other sb cards I find these matchup to be pretty ok with Stony as an additional answer..
Bant Eldrazi
UW Control
U Merfolk
Legacy
Merfolk
UR Delver
Bant Eldrazi
UW Control
U Merfolk
Legacy
Merfolk
UR Delver
But anyway - where did I suggest it was a maindeckable card?
Bant Eldrazi
UW Control
U Merfolk
Legacy
Merfolk
UR Delver
Sure - ppl can play around it - but that can only help you if they do - gives you more time to get in with your creatures..
Bant Eldrazi
UW Control
U Merfolk
Legacy
Merfolk
UR Delver
Bant Eldrazi
UW Control
U Merfolk
Legacy
Merfolk
UR Delver
Storm - 2 cmc is best - but 1 cmc is ok depending on what is necessary at the time
Burn - 1 or 2 cmc depending on the game state - 2 cmc is often better in game 3 as you can bet 4x D-Rev is coming in..
Control decks - hit all their 1 cmc removal and cantrips; 2 cmc if required (snaps, other removal and counters); 0 cmc if they still play AV
Affinity on the play - if you get turn 1 chalice on zero you will win 90+% of games; its also not a terrible strategy in the later game to land it for 2 cmc
Gx Tron - on the play only - too slow otherwise - hits so many of their cards plus sb nature's claim to keep your stony on the board
Other decks
Ad Nauseum - you can now confidently beat this deck - 1 cmc or 0 cmc are fantastic
Lantern - chalice really hoses them on 1 cmc - they do have answers - so landing a second Chalice on 2 cmc is advisable (after you land Stony)
8-Rack - hits their win conditions as well as pretty much all their spells - usually you will lose it to IoK or thoughtseize though
Elves - only on the play and if you sense they have 4x Cavern of Souls its prob not worth it.
Amulet Titan - good on 1 cmc and zero for pacts
Living End - zero cmc - back breaking for them
Infect - absolute house - best card to beat them - but your matchup is generally good regardless
Hollow Vine - these lists vary a lot but usually have ~16 1 cmc spells - I only bring it in on the play..
Restore Balance - zero cmc and restore balance doesnt work anymore
Bogles - you will rely on EE and Chalice to beat this deck
Matyr - great card - they have tons of 1 drops
Bant Eldrazi
UW Control
U Merfolk
Legacy
Merfolk
UR Delver
Ive never really had a problem with this deck - sure sometimes that can land screw you an win.. It's important to be aware of vial on 2 for Leonin land screw blowouts, vial on 3 for flickerwisp combat blowouts - once you get used to the matchup it isn't that bad. Explosives is really good against them.
Bant Eldrazi
UW Control
U Merfolk
Legacy
Merfolk
UR Delver
I really dont like PWs in Bant Eldrazi. If for some reason you have a really grindy meta - then perhaps - but I think id still go for more Reshapers. For me the biggest issue is deck going under us - like and combo - id rather sure up those areas before worrying about grinding ppl out..
My thing at the moment is goin back to playing Chalice in the SB - it helps with so many difficult matchups and can also help against decks with heavy amounts of removal - chalice on 1 - stop paths, pushes, bolts etc..
Bant Eldrazi
UW Control
U Merfolk
Legacy
Merfolk
UR Delver
Bant Eldrazi
UW Control
U Merfolk
Legacy
Merfolk
UR Delver
Chalice is still a very useful card and I had 4x in the SB when Infect was a tier 1 deck. Often you side out Path when you play chalice and you can get Hierarchs on to the field through Cavern - playing around Chalice is not as hard as you might think. Further to this you can often play hierarch turn 1 and cast another 1 cmc spell turn 2 and then play chalice. E-Tron players have been playing around Chalice, so do merfolk players in Legacy - its a known issue and when you become proficient with the interaction you can minimize the downside.
Bant Eldrazi
UW Control
U Merfolk
Legacy
Merfolk
UR Delver