One possible card in the sideboard is old school teferi.
Can be found with tutor. More importantly he can be cast eot forcing a counter. When they tap out (or if they let him resolve) use the window to play wildernes reclamation.
I do not think elder deep fiend is good. The reason we can support high mcm costs is because WR nets us mana. Elder deep fiend has to be cast in their turn. The sqme with draining whelk, time stop etc.
You are idealy looking for cards uo to 4 that you can cast of a tutor, or the turn you play WR. Or a big instant you can float mana to cast. Jin-Gitaxis comes to mind.
Blue pact could also be good to sett up a play, as paying 5 does not nesaseraly ruin us.
I understand that one of them gets boarded out quite often. That being said, the card is the most broken in the deck and what allows all the nonsense, so you wanna draw it. Playing rec t3 or t4 really puts you ahead and brings you into the realm of the unfair. Yet it’s true that you need gas to take advantage of it, so I guess 3 is just the sweet spot.
Remember that playing teachings was never good in modern: it’s the mana from reclamation that makes it good.
I've noticed that Turn 3-4 Wilderness Reclamation doesn't feel anywhere near as advantageous as you say it does--I often feel like I'm casting the first WR just because I can, not because it will do anything useful. Indeed, I generally find that I get enough of an edge getting WR in the late game, and playing my first WR when I have 7 or more lands has often been good enough.
In match-ups like Humans, I am increasingly Teachings for Cryptic Command with no WR on the board. Especially given that the WR-tutoring instant Clutch of the Undercity is an option in my build, that's a sign to me that WR is more lame than broken. That Cryptic is a mana hog only adds to this sign.
Heck, I tutor for Mystical Teachings instead of WR about half the time with Clutch of the Undercity. (I generally do this if I have WR out already, and then I make that Teachings tutor for Nexus of Fate and kick off or extend the game-winning chain.)
I agree that Teachings is too slow and lame (to base your deck on) without WR, though. An effective 6-mana removal spell or counterspell feels pretty darn slow.
Jumping from 4 mana to 8 or 10 with land drop is sick. Rec is basically a 0 mana card that in your next turn will let you teachings for the cryptic and cast it. Teachings for cryptic on turn 4 without rec means you lost a turn doing nothing, as does transmuting for teachings, that’s seven mana for null tempo advantage. You can’t afford that unless you are very ahead or have a rec out imo
I understand that one of them gets boarded out quite often. That being said, the card is the most broken in the deck and what allows all the nonsense, so you wanna draw it. Playing rec t3 or t4 really puts you ahead and brings you into the realm of the unfair. Yet it’s true that you need gas to take advantage of it, so I guess 3 is just the sweet spot.
Remember that playing teachings was never good in modern: it’s the mana from reclamation that makes it good.
First and foremost, what I found out after a dozen or so games was, that WR does nothing more often than not, Growth Spiral is the real linch-pin in the deck. Getting ahead on mana as a control deck without needing to cast clunky spells (aka Sorcery Ramp) is just bonkers. WR is only really necessary if you do not draw Growth Spiral basically.
Furthermore, the deck draws so many cards (basically every card cantrips in some fashion but the removal spells, the lands and WR which is ~25+ cards), that it plays like a Xerox Control deck. If you need something, you will most likely find it even without tutors rather soonish. That is the reason why I'm thinking of even cutting a WR from the MD (so down to 2), since I always tend to find it, when I need it (in the BUG shell, no idea about how many WR you would want in other shells).
And yeah, Teachings is bad, but makes the deck somewhat workable. Next time I gonna play with the deck I will try a Firemind's Foresight shell (but with 3 WR, otherwise I cannot support that card), where that tutor actually wins you the game. I noticed, that more often than not Teachings didn't win me the game but just stalled it just enough to be able to BSZ myself for a bunch of cards, which in return had to be enough. As a matter of fact, more often than not I still lost, since I just didn't drew enough cards which actually do stuff (to many cantrips/lands/dead cards).
So yeah, weird problem.
Greetings,
Kathal
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What I play or have:
Modern/Legacy
either funpolice (Delver, Deathcloud, UW Control) or the fun decks (especially those ft. Griselbrand)
Ideal you WR, turn 3 or 4, untap and spend your mana like normal.
Next turn you either tempoby having two untapp phases of interaction. Or you go tutor/card draw + interaction.
Firminds forsight is 7 mana. You could go FF and bolt eot with 4 lands. Or FF and remand for 5 lands. But it is more of a card that asumes you are already doing well before you cast it.
The regular tutor fits better after a WR.
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I have dyslexia, no I am not going to spell check for you, yes you have to live with the horrors of it.
Ideal you WR, turn 3 or 4, untap and spend your mana like normal.
Next turn you either tempoby having two untapp phases of interaction. Or you go tutor/card draw + interaction.
Firminds forsight is 7 mana. You could go FF and bolt eot with 4 lands. Or FF and remand for 5 lands. But it is more of a card that asumes you are already doing well before you cast it.
The regular tutor fits better after a WR.
Firemind's Foresight can find me (in the pure RUG version):
1: Cantrip, Bolt, Magma Spry, Fall of the Titans, Surgical (yes, one Surgical MD)
2: Growth Spiral, Remand, Logic Knot
3: BSZ, Pulse of Murasa, K- Return
Basically it will always find three cards, which always does at least somthing. Playing against Control? Grab that counter, cantrip and BSZ package. Playing against Aggro? Sweeper + Removal/Surgical + tempo counter/cantrip. Combo? Win Con (Fall of the Titans), Counter and goody (most likely BSZ).
I kinda want to play a 3CMC counter too (instead of one Cryptic) to be able to grab double counter pre board.
Also, I'm still playing 2 Teachings and 2 Foresights, not all 4 Foresights (which would be extremely clunky). It is just a thought I had a while ago and I need to test it if it is actually good, or if the Bant/BUG version isn't just better.
Also, I thought of playing one Foresight in the BUG list (with a single Steam Vents), since going Teachings into Foresight is a guranteed +3 cards you want instead of maybe getting something you want (BSZ).
Concerning Wilderness Reclamation: Part of the core of the deck, in my opinion. Yes, you could try building a deck without it, but it's this card that allows for Mystical Teachings to be good, along with Blue Sun's Zenith, makes Creeping Tar Pit better, etc. Sure, the turn we cast Reclamation it doesn't normally do a whole lot, but it allows us to keep up counter mana that same turn and then doubles out mana every turn after that. I don't want or need four copies, because I want to see at least one but definitely don't get value out of two if I don't get a payoff spell (so it has diminishing returns if we don't have some use for all that mana).
Concerning Mystical Teachings: This card isn't great without Reclamation, but is still good, allowing us to fetch out whatever card we need to get to the point where we turn the corner. I've found that if I resolve a Reclamation and a Teachings, a win is probably inevitable. As with Reclamation, there are diminishing returns with this card. I want to see at one, but there are diminishing returns with this card if we haven't stabilized the board with the first one or the other cards we've drawn.
Opt: I truly feel that three Opt is incorrect. This card is necessary for us to dig to hit our land drops, removal, counters, etc. Drawing a random card doesn't get us there nearly as well. I've gone up to four copies, and haven't regretted it.
Fatal Push: The weakness I've found with this deck is how it struggles against aggressive decks. Why not shore up this weakness with one of the best removal spells in our colors? Adding a third Push allows us to dig to one quickly when we need it, but not get stuck with too many copies in matchups where we don't. Snapcaster allows us to get double-use out of these, so if we need them, we actually have six copies.
Devour Flesh: Isn't nearly as good as Push in most matchups, and is really a "magical-christmasland" card in the Grixis Shadow matchup. Sure, it's useful against Bogles, too, but tapping down their team with Cryptic/Snap/Cryptic is often enough to turn the corner versus them, and they can play around it easily with fetching for Dryad Arbor.
Now, for cards that I've been personally testing:
Supreme Will: I've tested with some number of these, and currently run one. This card has proven useful every single time. It allows me to have a decent counter in the early-to-midgame, but also have dig for the late game. Unlike Remand, it's more of a hard-counter, and unlike Cryptic, it costs less and isn't as demanding on the manabase. I'm still running a full playset of both Remand and Cryptic, and just using this one-of as a supplemental card.
Whispers of the Muse: I'm running one of these instead of Hieroglyphic Illumination. I was on the fence about this, and just testing it, until I got into situations mentioned in previous posts by others, where we end up having tons of mana and nothing to do with it all. With Hiero, we draw two cards at best and hope they're good. With Whispers, we just keep drawing and drawing. I'm very impressed with how well this card's performed for me.
Torrential Gearhulk: I've gone back and forth on this card, and I'm now back with running one main. In numerous games I've found that this card increases our clock greatly. Trying to rely off of Snapcaster and Tar Pit beats isn't always great, with how small and easily removed they are with Bolt (which is currently the most common removal spell in the format) or Field of Ruin (which is apparently everywhere). It usually takes three hits with this card and the opponent is just dead, making it so we don't need to worry about chaining too many turns or going infinite to win. It also blocks like a pro, takes out most planeswalkers in one swing, and can even shuffle a Blue Sun's Zenith back into our deck if the Zenith was countered or discarded earlier on.
I've made some changes to my sideboard and manabase as well, but need to cut this short to go do stuffs. But with all this said, my current list is below. I've been collecting gameplay data on the deck, and still want a few hundred more games of data to make the data more reliable, but the spreadsheet can be found here for anyone interested in how it's looking so far.
I think I will try Gifts Ungiven in my further testings to look if it is a better game closer than the stuff that we have.
I wondered why this card hasn't come up yet.
The problem I see atm is: What payoff cards can you grab with it? The best one is atm Unburial Rites, which is kinda clunky tbh (and also adds more dead cards to the deck ). I have been playing in a lots of different decks and just doing value stuff doesn't really cut it nowadays :/
Kathal, If you're looking for decent 3CMC counters, you also might want to consider Voidslime
Disallow is strictly better and does the same, sadly . I really love the artwork on Voidslime but there is no reason at all to play that card above Disallow.
@thnkr, I'm down to 23 lands MD in my version and run 4+2 cantrips (4 Opts, 1 Whispers, 1 Serum Visions). Try Echoing Decay instead of Devour Flesh, that card is really good (especially against Phoenix).
Greetings,
Kathal
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What I play or have:
Modern/Legacy
either funpolice (Delver, Deathcloud, UW Control) or the fun decks (especially those ft. Griselbrand)
Slowly starting the build the deck (curse you mistys). I love the tool boxy-ness of the deck.
I was wondering how does one get around surgicals? Do you just hold up counters just in case? I can imagine surgicals can definitely put a damper in the win-cons of the deck.
Slowly starting the build the deck (curse you mistys). I love the tool boxy-ness of the deck.
I was wondering how does one get around surgicals? Do you just hold up counters just in case? I can imagine surgicals can definitely put a damper in the win-cons of the deck.
Surgical cannot really remove Nexus of Fate (cause it is a replacement effect and not a trigger) and BSZ shuffels itself back into the Library, so again no time to target it with Surgical.
Only paired up with Discard or Counters it can be problematic and even than, against those decks Teachings is the correct Surgical target and not Nexus (which you should board out in those match-ups). However, you can play around the Surgical Problem with Teachings by leaving flashback mana open and flashback it in response to the Surgical (surgical fizzles) or just recast it immediately. Sure, in some situations it is not really possible (when you need to grab X and cast it immediately), but it is doable.
I'm more annoyed by things like Stone Rain or Relic than Surgical.
Greetings,
Kathal
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What I play or have:
Modern/Legacy
either funpolice (Delver, Deathcloud, UW Control) or the fun decks (especially those ft. Griselbrand)
I'm trying to make a four-color build with the idea of playing white for Settle + Rev as stabilizing pieces that deal with many threats at once. I have only tuned a budget maindeck (with a fetchless manabase that works reasonably well and no Trophy) whose plan is to accelerate into turn 3-4 stability.
Card choices:
Revival is to get back BSZ exactly against control, Secure can close out games fastly - something which I felt was lacking from the archetype - and Azorius Chancery is essentially a way to get even more mana with Reclamation as well as guarantee land drops while playing less lands.
Memorial may be too cute with the number of taplands I included, but it's lifesaving when flooding.
I did the tornament and finished at 3-3 just because i need more experience with the deck. I miss top 8 by bad décisions.
First round vs Goryo 2-1
G1 : locked at 3 lands, it's difficult
G2 et G3 with reclamation i always had enough mana to counter all spells.
Second round vs toolbox 2-1
G1 : My opponent keep a hand with one land, i detroyed the mana creature and he conceded.
G2 : I had to be more patient because turn 6 i cast teaching end of turn and in my opponent cast compagny to make infinit mana and cast a second one.
G3 : I destroyed all creatures, i was at 2 life then teaching to find pulse and i come back in the game to kill my opponent with 2 creeping.
Third round vs Tron 0-2
G1 : I never find the enchant, then it is difficult to do Something when he had a lot of mana
G2 : I did the first missplay, i played teaching end of turn to fin extraction. In my turn i did trophy + extraction. My opponent played wurmcoil and he attacked me. I saw he had a second one then i cryptique but i did the bad choice (Counter Draw and i had to counter bounce the other, because 2 cryptique left in my hand). There coils did the game.
Fourth round vs phénix 1-2
G1 : I was locked at 3 mana, it is not enough to win
G2 : I had lot of teaching and mana, the opponent concede
G3 : Keep a hand with 3 land and Decay + extraction + Crypt but i never find the 4 lands to cast the enchant + teaching.
Fifth round vs burn 1-2
G1 : Turn 3 i died dunno my opponent played, i kept a correct hand but not fast
G2 : I won more than 10 life, it is enough to take the game.
G3 : I took Guide + guide + eidolon and swift, i had a hand to put the enchant but i think i had to Mulligan to find push or Something to win some life.
Sixth round vs hardened scaled 2-1
G1 : i was locked at 3 mana
G2 : i was locked at 3 mana then i find the fourth land turn 7 and i cast teaching for consume i was at 7 then i cast consume, with the ravager he put all counter on his creature make topter token. Then in my turn i cast snap + consume. We were on the draw and my first card was blue sun's zenith i draw seven, my opponent concede.
G3 : I did fast Fracturing gost and my opponent concede because no card left in his hand.
I really love the deck, i had to train to make a better decision. I am preparing the MKM event in one month.
If someone had a side table i really want her.
I am playing a BUG version with one off Gearhulk.
How about an eternal command lock? Some number of eternal witnesses that you draw naturally and one Familiar's Ruse that you can tutor for to soft lock some one? Doing the ernal command lock. Wilderness Reclamation takes the form of aether vial.
Something like this? I based it on Tnkr's list further up. Mayby trade out 1 remand for 1 more eternal witness. The problem is the withness are bad if you have not played Wildernes Reclamation. By that time you probably are winning anyway?
Edit: The more I think about it eternal witness sounds like a very bad idea. I can to often imagine a hand where you do not want to tap out sorcery speed. Snapcaster even cost's one less mana. But I can see situations Where getting Familiar's Ruse can be very good. Counter a spell and return a snapcaster to the hand is not bad.
A one off Witness is great, the Eternal Command Lock is very real, and if you run something like 25 lands originally, you can easily drop a land for the witness, which I do believe is correct(it can even bring back a fetch in a pinch)
With Pulse of murassa, you can also create a Witness loop which is very strong too
Having tried to make all kinds of eternal command decks work for years, one of the first things I tried with this list was trying to fit eternal witness in. It just seems so sweet!! I played 3 witness at first, then 2, then dropped them altogether. Tapping out sorcery speed is just not what this deck wants. Plus it's quite an easily disrupted combo in the current meta: bolt or push on your witness and your command fizzles, giving your opponent the opportunity to remove your 3-mana spell + 4-mana spell with just one 1-mana spell. In a tempo deck like ours, that's a tempo loss that's very hard to overcome. Maybe in a different meta heavily skewed towards decks without cheap removal like tron and dredge eternal command would work.
Another week, another MTGO Modern Challenge, another Top 32 appearance for us! Now the big mystery is why we can't seem to Top 32 a paper tournament...
The 4 Hieroglyphic Illumination tech has returned (a possible continued trend for this deck?), and this list has the most sorcery-speed cards by far! The maindeck hates on aggro decks more than usual and has fewer counterspells than usual, and it even has maindeck graveyard hate.
Can be found with tutor. More importantly he can be cast eot forcing a counter. When they tap out (or if they let him resolve) use the window to play wildernes reclamation.
I do not think elder deep fiend is good. The reason we can support high mcm costs is because WR nets us mana. Elder deep fiend has to be cast in their turn. The sqme with draining whelk, time stop etc.
You are idealy looking for cards uo to 4 that you can cast of a tutor, or the turn you play WR. Or a big instant you can float mana to cast. Jin-Gitaxis comes to mind.
Blue pact could also be good to sett up a play, as paying 5 does not nesaseraly ruin us.
I've noticed that Turn 3-4 Wilderness Reclamation doesn't feel anywhere near as advantageous as you say it does--I often feel like I'm casting the first WR just because I can, not because it will do anything useful. Indeed, I generally find that I get enough of an edge getting WR in the late game, and playing my first WR when I have 7 or more lands has often been good enough.
In match-ups like Humans, I am increasingly Teachings for Cryptic Command with no WR on the board. Especially given that the WR-tutoring instant Clutch of the Undercity is an option in my build, that's a sign to me that WR is more lame than broken. That Cryptic is a mana hog only adds to this sign.
Heck, I tutor for Mystical Teachings instead of WR about half the time with Clutch of the Undercity. (I generally do this if I have WR out already, and then I make that Teachings tutor for Nexus of Fate and kick off or extend the game-winning chain.)
I agree that Teachings is too slow and lame (to base your deck on) without WR, though. An effective 6-mana removal spell or counterspell feels pretty darn slow.
First and foremost, what I found out after a dozen or so games was, that WR does nothing more often than not, Growth Spiral is the real linch-pin in the deck. Getting ahead on mana as a control deck without needing to cast clunky spells (aka Sorcery Ramp) is just bonkers. WR is only really necessary if you do not draw Growth Spiral basically.
Furthermore, the deck draws so many cards (basically every card cantrips in some fashion but the removal spells, the lands and WR which is ~25+ cards), that it plays like a Xerox Control deck. If you need something, you will most likely find it even without tutors rather soonish. That is the reason why I'm thinking of even cutting a WR from the MD (so down to 2), since I always tend to find it, when I need it (in the BUG shell, no idea about how many WR you would want in other shells).
And yeah, Teachings is bad, but makes the deck somewhat workable. Next time I gonna play with the deck I will try a Firemind's Foresight shell (but with 3 WR, otherwise I cannot support that card), where that tutor actually wins you the game. I noticed, that more often than not Teachings didn't win me the game but just stalled it just enough to be able to BSZ myself for a bunch of cards, which in return had to be enough. As a matter of fact, more often than not I still lost, since I just didn't drew enough cards which actually do stuff (to many cantrips/lands/dead cards).
So yeah, weird problem.
Greetings,
Kathal
Modern/Legacy
either funpolice (Delver, Deathcloud, UW Control) or the fun decks (especially those ft. Griselbrand)
If you are not running WR you might as well just play UW. If Growth Spiral is the bees knees just play Bant controll where you tap out for Teferi.
Ideal you WR, turn 3 or 4, untap and spend your mana like normal.
Next turn you either tempoby having two untapp phases of interaction. Or you go tutor/card draw + interaction.
Firminds forsight is 7 mana. You could go FF and bolt eot with 4 lands. Or FF and remand for 5 lands. But it is more of a card that asumes you are already doing well before you cast it.
The regular tutor fits better after a WR.
Wondering if Faithless Looting could be employed in a RUG version, though.
I need to find the time for it, I just have a very rough draft so far and I really need to test it first, before I share it.
Firemind's Foresight can find me (in the pure RUG version):
1: Cantrip, Bolt, Magma Spry, Fall of the Titans, Surgical (yes, one Surgical MD)
2: Growth Spiral, Remand, Logic Knot
3: BSZ, Pulse of Murasa, K- Return
Basically it will always find three cards, which always does at least somthing. Playing against Control? Grab that counter, cantrip and BSZ package. Playing against Aggro? Sweeper + Removal/Surgical + tempo counter/cantrip. Combo? Win Con (Fall of the Titans), Counter and goody (most likely BSZ).
I kinda want to play a 3CMC counter too (instead of one Cryptic) to be able to grab double counter pre board.
Also, I'm still playing 2 Teachings and 2 Foresights, not all 4 Foresights (which would be extremely clunky). It is just a thought I had a while ago and I need to test it if it is actually good, or if the Bant/BUG version isn't just better.
Also, I thought of playing one Foresight in the BUG list (with a single Steam Vents), since going Teachings into Foresight is a guranteed +3 cards you want instead of maybe getting something you want (BSZ).
Edit says: "Decent" CMC 3 Counters: Supreme Will, Counterflux, Disallow, Void Shatter
Greetings,
Kathal
Modern/Legacy
either funpolice (Delver, Deathcloud, UW Control) or the fun decks (especially those ft. Griselbrand)
I wondered why this card hasn't come up yet.
Competetive: Lantern Control, MonoR Phoenix, Dredge
Meta-Dependant: Modern Cheeri0s, Esper Spirits, Wilderness Teachings , Modern Elves, All-in Death's Shadow, Aristocrats, BW Death&Taxes
Fun own projects: Spireside Industries, UB Scrapyard, Thundercat Worship, Dirty Kitten, RB Rock, Eternal Toolbox
There's a 4 color gifts deck, though not playing reclamation
https://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/modern/established-modern/combo/220010-4c-gifts?page=160
Concerning Wilderness Reclamation: Part of the core of the deck, in my opinion. Yes, you could try building a deck without it, but it's this card that allows for Mystical Teachings to be good, along with Blue Sun's Zenith, makes Creeping Tar Pit better, etc. Sure, the turn we cast Reclamation it doesn't normally do a whole lot, but it allows us to keep up counter mana that same turn and then doubles out mana every turn after that. I don't want or need four copies, because I want to see at least one but definitely don't get value out of two if I don't get a payoff spell (so it has diminishing returns if we don't have some use for all that mana).
Concerning Mystical Teachings: This card isn't great without Reclamation, but is still good, allowing us to fetch out whatever card we need to get to the point where we turn the corner. I've found that if I resolve a Reclamation and a Teachings, a win is probably inevitable. As with Reclamation, there are diminishing returns with this card. I want to see at one, but there are diminishing returns with this card if we haven't stabilized the board with the first one or the other cards we've drawn.
Opt: I truly feel that three Opt is incorrect. This card is necessary for us to dig to hit our land drops, removal, counters, etc. Drawing a random card doesn't get us there nearly as well. I've gone up to four copies, and haven't regretted it.
Fatal Push: The weakness I've found with this deck is how it struggles against aggressive decks. Why not shore up this weakness with one of the best removal spells in our colors? Adding a third Push allows us to dig to one quickly when we need it, but not get stuck with too many copies in matchups where we don't. Snapcaster allows us to get double-use out of these, so if we need them, we actually have six copies.
Devour Flesh: Isn't nearly as good as Push in most matchups, and is really a "magical-christmasland" card in the Grixis Shadow matchup. Sure, it's useful against Bogles, too, but tapping down their team with Cryptic/Snap/Cryptic is often enough to turn the corner versus them, and they can play around it easily with fetching for Dryad Arbor.
Now, for cards that I've been personally testing:
Supreme Will: I've tested with some number of these, and currently run one. This card has proven useful every single time. It allows me to have a decent counter in the early-to-midgame, but also have dig for the late game. Unlike Remand, it's more of a hard-counter, and unlike Cryptic, it costs less and isn't as demanding on the manabase. I'm still running a full playset of both Remand and Cryptic, and just using this one-of as a supplemental card.
Whispers of the Muse: I'm running one of these instead of Hieroglyphic Illumination. I was on the fence about this, and just testing it, until I got into situations mentioned in previous posts by others, where we end up having tons of mana and nothing to do with it all. With Hiero, we draw two cards at best and hope they're good. With Whispers, we just keep drawing and drawing. I'm very impressed with how well this card's performed for me.
Torrential Gearhulk: I've gone back and forth on this card, and I'm now back with running one main. In numerous games I've found that this card increases our clock greatly. Trying to rely off of Snapcaster and Tar Pit beats isn't always great, with how small and easily removed they are with Bolt (which is currently the most common removal spell in the format) or Field of Ruin (which is apparently everywhere). It usually takes three hits with this card and the opponent is just dead, making it so we don't need to worry about chaining too many turns or going infinite to win. It also blocks like a pro, takes out most planeswalkers in one swing, and can even shuffle a Blue Sun's Zenith back into our deck if the Zenith was countered or discarded earlier on.
I've made some changes to my sideboard and manabase as well, but need to cut this short to go do stuffs. But with all this said, my current list is below. I've been collecting gameplay data on the deck, and still want a few hundred more games of data to make the data more reliable, but the spreadsheet can be found here for anyone interested in how it's looking so far.
3 Snapcaster Mage
1 Torrential Gearhulk
// 3 Enchantment
3 Wilderness Reclamation
// 29 Instant
3 Fatal Push
4 Opt
4 Growth Spiral
4 Remand
1 Blue Sun's Zenith
1 Pulse of Murasa
4 Cryptic Command
3 Mystical Teachings
1 Nexus of Fate
1 Abrupt Decay
1 Assassin's Trophy
1 Supreme Will
1 Whispers of the Muse
2 Breeding Pool
2 Creeping Tar Pit
1 Drowned Catacomb
1 Field of Ruin
1 Flooded Grove
1 Forest
2 Hinterland Harbor
4 Island
3 Misty Rainforest
4 Polluted Delta
1 Swamp
2 Watery Grave
1 Nimble Obstructionist
1 Fatal Push
2 Life Goes On
1 Surgical Extraction
1 Crypt Incursion
1 Consume the Meek
1 Shadow of Doubt
1 Fracturing Gust
1 Ceremonious Rejection
1 Pulse of Murasa
2 Negate
1 Dispel
1 Echoing Truth
Lantern Control
(with videos)
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Netdecking explained
Netdecking explained, Part 2
On speculators and counterfeits
On Interaction
Every single competitive deck in existence is designed to limit the opponent's ability to interact in a meaningful way.
Record number of exclamation points on SCG homepage: 71 (6 January, 2018)
"I don't want to believe, I want to know."
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The problem I see atm is: What payoff cards can you grab with it? The best one is atm Unburial Rites, which is kinda clunky tbh (and also adds more dead cards to the deck ). I have been playing in a lots of different decks and just doing value stuff doesn't really cut it nowadays :/
Disallow is strictly better and does the same, sadly . I really love the artwork on Voidslime but there is no reason at all to play that card above Disallow.
@thnkr, I'm down to 23 lands MD in my version and run 4+2 cantrips (4 Opts, 1 Whispers, 1 Serum Visions). Try Echoing Decay instead of Devour Flesh, that card is really good (especially against Phoenix).
Greetings,
Kathal
Modern/Legacy
either funpolice (Delver, Deathcloud, UW Control) or the fun decks (especially those ft. Griselbrand)
I am going to a tornament today with the deck. A Classic list because i havent many experience with the deck.
Can some one can explaîn me why search for azcanta is not in the deck in one off? Because with WR we can find all we need.
I love the idea for gearhulk and you right for shuffle blue sun. When we take discard de Want to shuffle it.
I was wondering how does one get around surgicals? Do you just hold up counters just in case? I can imagine surgicals can definitely put a damper in the win-cons of the deck.
Search is clunky, I cannot describe it in a different way :/
Surgical cannot really remove Nexus of Fate (cause it is a replacement effect and not a trigger) and BSZ shuffels itself back into the Library, so again no time to target it with Surgical.
Only paired up with Discard or Counters it can be problematic and even than, against those decks Teachings is the correct Surgical target and not Nexus (which you should board out in those match-ups). However, you can play around the Surgical Problem with Teachings by leaving flashback mana open and flashback it in response to the Surgical (surgical fizzles) or just recast it immediately. Sure, in some situations it is not really possible (when you need to grab X and cast it immediately), but it is doable.
I'm more annoyed by things like Stone Rain or Relic than Surgical.
Greetings,
Kathal
Modern/Legacy
either funpolice (Delver, Deathcloud, UW Control) or the fun decks (especially those ft. Griselbrand)
I'm trying to make a four-color build with the idea of playing white for Settle + Rev as stabilizing pieces that deal with many threats at once. I have only tuned a budget maindeck (with a fetchless manabase that works reasonably well and no Trophy) whose plan is to accelerate into turn 3-4 stability.
4 Wilderness Reclamation
2 Cast Out
4 Growth Spiral
2 Sphinx's Revelation
3 Path to Exile
1 Secure the Wastes
3 Settle the Wreckage
4 Mystical Teachings
2 Negate
3 Mana Leak
1 Blue Sun's Zenith
1 Noxious Revival
4 Forest
3 Island
3 Azorius Chancery
3 Plains
2 Memorial to Genius
4 Botanical Sanctum
2 Stirring Wildwood
1 Swamp
4 Serum Visions
Card choices:
Revival is to get back BSZ exactly against control, Secure can close out games fastly - something which I felt was lacking from the archetype - and Azorius Chancery is essentially a way to get even more mana with Reclamation as well as guarantee land drops while playing less lands.
Memorial may be too cute with the number of taplands I included, but it's lifesaving when flooding.
GW Copycat
Jund Loam
I did the tornament and finished at 3-3 just because i need more experience with the deck. I miss top 8 by bad décisions.
First round vs Goryo 2-1
G1 : locked at 3 lands, it's difficult
G2 et G3 with reclamation i always had enough mana to counter all spells.
Second round vs toolbox 2-1
G1 : My opponent keep a hand with one land, i detroyed the mana creature and he conceded.
G2 : I had to be more patient because turn 6 i cast teaching end of turn and in my opponent cast compagny to make infinit mana and cast a second one.
G3 : I destroyed all creatures, i was at 2 life then teaching to find pulse and i come back in the game to kill my opponent with 2 creeping.
Third round vs Tron 0-2
G1 : I never find the enchant, then it is difficult to do Something when he had a lot of mana
G2 : I did the first missplay, i played teaching end of turn to fin extraction. In my turn i did trophy + extraction. My opponent played wurmcoil and he attacked me. I saw he had a second one then i cryptique but i did the bad choice (Counter Draw and i had to counter bounce the other, because 2 cryptique left in my hand). There coils did the game.
Fourth round vs phénix 1-2
G1 : I was locked at 3 mana, it is not enough to win
G2 : I had lot of teaching and mana, the opponent concede
G3 : Keep a hand with 3 land and Decay + extraction + Crypt but i never find the 4 lands to cast the enchant + teaching.
Fifth round vs burn 1-2
G1 : Turn 3 i died dunno my opponent played, i kept a correct hand but not fast
G2 : I won more than 10 life, it is enough to take the game.
G3 : I took Guide + guide + eidolon and swift, i had a hand to put the enchant but i think i had to Mulligan to find push or Something to win some life.
Sixth round vs hardened scaled 2-1
G1 : i was locked at 3 mana
G2 : i was locked at 3 mana then i find the fourth land turn 7 and i cast teaching for consume i was at 7 then i cast consume, with the ravager he put all counter on his creature make topter token. Then in my turn i cast snap + consume. We were on the draw and my first card was blue sun's zenith i draw seven, my opponent concede.
G3 : I did fast Fracturing gost and my opponent concede because no card left in his hand.
I really love the deck, i had to train to make a better decision. I am preparing the MKM event in one month.
If someone had a side table i really want her.
I am playing a BUG version with one off Gearhulk.
Something like this? I based it on Tnkr's list further up. Mayby trade out 1 remand for 1 more eternal witness. The problem is the withness are bad if you have not played Wildernes Reclamation. By that time you probably are winning anyway?
2 Snapcaster Mage
2 Eternal Witness
1 Torrential Gearhulk
// 3 Enchantment
3 Wilderness Reclamation
// 28 Instant
2 Fatal Push
1 Devour Flesh
4 Opt
4 Growth Spiral
4 Remand
1 Blue Sun's Zenith
1 Pulse of Murasa
4 Cryptic Command
3 Mystical Teachings
1 Nexus of Fate
1 Abrupt Decay
1 Assassin's Trophy
1 Familiar's Ruse
2 Breeding Pool
2 Creeping Tar Pit
1 Drowned Catacomb
1 Field of Ruin
1 Flooded Grove
1 Forest
2 Hinterland Harbor
4 Island
3 Misty Rainforest
4 Polluted Delta
1 Swamp
2 Watery Grave
Edit: The more I think about it eternal witness sounds like a very bad idea. I can to often imagine a hand where you do not want to tap out sorcery speed. Snapcaster even cost's one less mana. But I can see situations Where getting Familiar's Ruse can be very good. Counter a spell and return a snapcaster to the hand is not bad.
With Pulse of murassa, you can also create a Witness loop which is very strong too
UMerfolkU
RBGLiving EndGBR
WSoul SistersW
GElvesG
WGHatebearsGW
RWGBurnGWR
Æther Vial is love, Æther Vial is lyf!
1 Field of Ruin
3 Creeping Tar Pit
2 Drowned Catacomb
2 Hinterland Harbor
3 Misty Rainforest
4 Polluted Delta
2 Breeding Pool
2 Watery Grave
4 Island
1 Forest
1 Swamp
Creatures
2 Snapcaster Mage
Spells
4 Wilderness Reclamation
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Abrupt Decay
1 Assassin's Trophy
1 Blue Sun's Zenith
1 Consume the Meek
4 Cryptic Command
3 Fatal Push
4 Growth Spiral
4 Hieroglyphic Illumination
3 Mystical Teachings
1 Negate
1 Nexus of Fate
1 Pulse of Murasa
3 Remand
1 Surgical Extraction
1 Fatal Push
1 Cast Down
1 Chalice of the Void
1 Damnation
1 Disdainful Stroke
1 Dispel
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Hero's Downfall
1 Life Goes On
1 Night of Souls' Betrayal
3 Ravenous Trap
1 Torrential Gearhulk
The 4 Hieroglyphic Illumination tech has returned (a possible continued trend for this deck?), and this list has the most sorcery-speed cards by far! The maindeck hates on aggro decks more than usual and has fewer counterspells than usual, and it even has maindeck graveyard hate.
One on SCG last Weekend and one in France (he won a 60 players tornament).
What do you think about this?