MTG Salvation

So a bit of a control deck with a combo finish. I've played gifting for Kiki-Jiki and Exarch which is faster and the combo package is smaller. Blightsteel is a bit more resilient but far more durdely. I'm tutorign for a tutor. Also, there's no real source of card advantage meaning I'll fall behind against a dedicated control deck if the combo is answered. Thoughts?

Why Blightsteel Colossus over Griselbrand? Master Transmuter doesn't have haste, so you have to wait a turn, protect it, then cheat out Blightsteel which also doesn't have haste (or have any ETB ability) so you may have to wait another turn. Why no Unburial Rites? This deck seems like it would really struggle if Master Transmuter gets killed, or hit by something like Castigate.

The Griselbrand Unburial Rites package is in another color. I think Grixis is well suited against Burn and other Combo decks (read Scapeshift) due to it's interactive nature. The Esper gifts deck gives up Lightning Bolts and Counterfluxes for Paths and sideboard hate cards which is admittedly fine (maybe better), but once Griselbrand is out he's not nearly as resilient as Blightsteel. The indestructible is everything. The lifelink and flying on Griselbrand make him better at stabilizing but without trample there are games he'll have trouble closing out.

Yes, there's a considerable amount of protecting that needs to be done but that isn't uncommon to creature based combo decks. Another advantage is casting Transmuter off a Cavern. Unburial Rites is vulnerable to Countermagic, but I guess your point is that the Transmuter is just as vulnerable to removal. Cavern set to Human to capture Snapcaster as well seems good though. One of the reasons I like Duress is the ability to check if the coast is clear. All I care about hitting is removal and counters. 4 Spellskites is a good start and should help ensure I last the time needed to pull off all the moving parts of the combo.

Finally, it's not all in Combo. Losing Blightsteel (AKA Transmuter) pre-board admittedly is a risk but not a game ender. There are outs like a value Gifts or Disentomb for a Snapcaster. There's always Wurmcoil.... Travis Woo had Blightsteel Blitz using the Urza Tron lands and Master Transmuter but it was definitely of the all in variety:
http://www.channelfireball.com/videos/channel-twoo-modern-blightsteel-blitz/

Why no serum visions to make finding your pieces easier?

Blightsteel folds to Path To Exile which is the second most common removal spell in the format. It also folds to Oblivion Ring. Griselbrand also folds to Path to Exile, but at least you can activate the ability and draw 7 cards in response. Griselbrand never has trouble closing out. If he successfully attacks once, you basically win the game, because you can probably afford to draw 14 cards. If you can't win after drawing 7 cards in Modern, your deck is terrible, or you were incredibly far behind. Blightsteel comes into play, and it doesn't do anything until our next upkeep. It usually doesn't even win in one swing. And because it's infect, if it swings for 8 damage, and then gets hit by Path To Exile, it has effectively done nothing. There's a reason almost no decks in Modern play that card.

I play Esper Gifts also, but my primary win condition is Griselbrand renaimation (Unbural Rites) I don't even run Iona, my alternate win condition is Sphinx of Steel Wind along with Lingering Souls and Celestial Colonnade.

So Blightsteel out and Kiki-Jiki in:

Quote from Grisly_Bear »

Why no serum visions to make finding your pieces easier?

What would you cut to make room?

did you consider quicksilver amulet? as means to get blightsteel into the field?

I did. The issue is finding it. You either tutor it up or put 4 in with a ton of cycling/card draw. Once you do that it seems more of an "all in" combo deck rather than a control deck with an "opps, I win" combo finish.

I hate to be so blunt, but just add a white shock and run unburial rites if you're going to bother giftings. Everything else is just too cute and too dependent on your draws.

With what you have, you're better off uwr gifts with 4 angels and 2 kiki, with digs and digs, and STILL splashing a singlton blood crypt for unburial. The deck goes by patriot gifts most commonly and does put up results, despite not seeing much play.

No worries. I wouldn't be posting here if I didn't want the tough love! I'm obviously just exploring what Gifts can do, which seems like every serious Modern player needs to do at some point? Honestly I think the best part about the Blightsteel combo is that it can come down to 2 colors. Not sure how much of an advantage that is, though. Whatever, I'll play around with it a bit but set my expectations in light of what everyone is saying.

I think the only viable Gifts deck that doesn't rely on Unburial Rites is Bant Gifts, which is a control deck that plays off of value instead of combo, and benefits greatly from the use of Revillark, Eternal Witness, Sun Titan and Phantasmal Image.