I am joining in on the party and working on something for Modern as well. It takes the same stance as the old Supreme Blue decks with powerful control elements but takes advantage of the new Splinter Twin combo as a way to simply end the game at any point.
Unless my memory fails me, I could've sworn Supreme Blue was a Bant-colored Counterbalance deck. Regardless, I'm familiar with the RUG good-stuff builds from last season.
No BBE? I understand you're playing counterspells, and Repeal, but I'm a much bigger fan of the tap-out, tempo-oriented RUG builds more than the slightly controlling ones. Plus, cascading into Ancestral Visions feels soooo good. I'd also probably run another playset of some cheap sorcery, likely preordain or ponder, to pump Goyfs more consistently. Grove of the Burnwillows/Punishing Fire combination is also something worth looking into here, in either version of the deck.
I definitely like Punishing Fire but wasn't sure if I wanted that or the Exarch combo. I also love BBE but the ability such good counterspells again was pretty tempting.
The problem in testing was Splinter Twin was just terrible to have because I only have Goofy in the deck, so I split it to a little 6 card package so instead of just trying to combo out immediately, it gave me the best possible midgame in a shell that would normally have trouble with combo decks past the threat of Mana Leak.
I do love Bloodbraid decks, I just feel like you have absolutely zero game against any type of combo deck game one unless you just try to race with BBE, Goofy, and Lotus Cobra.
I agree that playing zero non-Cryptic Command counters hurts the combo match up, but not by that much. In game ones, I think the only combo match up where having Mana Leak is better than trying to Cascade into disruption or a clock is Hypergenesis, but even there, they can EOT cascade, untap and cascade again to successfully get around Mana Leak. In a BBE version of this deck against Hypergenesis, you can bring in X Chalice of the Void, X Trinket Mage, and X enchantmentremovalspellofyourchoice and lock them out completely. Cascading into or drawing Trinket or Chalice results in a Chalice locking them out. As long as you have one bounce spell or disenchant effect (or Clique) for their O-Ring, it's GG right there.
You know it doesn't die, right? If you were referencing it "doing nothing", then try Slagstorm. That can hit PW/players in non-creature match ups anyway.
3 Deceiver Exarch
3 Splinter Twin
2 Vedalken Shackles
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
3 Spell Snare
4 Mana Leak
3 Firespout
4 Ancestral Vision
4 Cryptic Command
2 Repeal
4 Misty Rainforest
3 Breeding Pool
2 Stomping Ground
3 Steam Vents
4 Island
2 Forest
3 Copperline Gorge
3 Flashfreeze
2 Negate
2 Mental Misstep
3 Kitchen Finks
2 Obstinate Baloth
3 Krosan Grip
I am joining in on the party and working on something for Modern as well. It takes the same stance as the old Supreme Blue decks with powerful control elements but takes advantage of the new Splinter Twin combo as a way to simply end the game at any point.
Nice list bro!
▲
▲ ▲
No BBE? I understand you're playing counterspells, and Repeal, but I'm a much bigger fan of the tap-out, tempo-oriented RUG builds more than the slightly controlling ones. Plus, cascading into Ancestral Visions feels soooo good. I'd also probably run another playset of some cheap sorcery, likely preordain or ponder, to pump Goyfs more consistently. Grove of the Burnwillows/Punishing Fire combination is also something worth looking into here, in either version of the deck.
Edit: Oh, hey, Modern is a format.
▲
▲ ▲
Edit: Oh, hey, Modern is a format.
This is my Punishing Fire version:
3 Vendilion Clique
2 Vedalken Shackles
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
2 Preordain
3 Spell Snare
4 Mana Leak
3 Firespout
4 Ancestral Vision
4 Cryptic Command
4 Punishing Fire
4 Misty Rainforest
3 Breeding Pool
2 Stomping Ground
3 Steam Vents
4 Island
2 Forest
3 Grove of the Burnwillows
3 Flashfreeze
2 Negate
2 Mental Misstep
3 Kitchen Finks
2 Obstinate Baloth
3 Krosan Grip
I agree with Phyrexian Doughnought that you should focus on tempo rather than control. Bloodbraid Elf for the win in this deck without countermagic
Edit: Oh, hey, Modern is a format.
Edit: Oh, hey, Modern is a format.
Land, Visions
Land, Lotus Cobra
Fetch, Plow Under
GG
There are a lot of sick draws like that when you add Cobra to the deck. It's definitely not necessary, though.
(Edit: Plow Under is a little bit worse now that fetches are legal, but it still gives you insane nut draws.)
Edit: Oh, hey, Modern is a format.
Edit: Also, what do you think of Gifts for the Splinter Combo?