Encase in Ice
Tightening Coils
Singing Bell Strike
For tokens:
Displacement Wave
Profaner of the Dead
Virulent Plague (If you want to splash black for around 12-13 sources.)
To beat Atarka, it is going to be a matter of weathering the first 2 or 3 turns. There are two spells that can beat you late game, Temur Battlerage and Become Immense. So you need to be mindful of that after you thwart their first couple of turns.
BTW, I wouldn't say this deck is flying under the radar. It is almost an exact copy / paste from Wizards own website and there is another thread devoted to it in this very forum. The reason it seems like the deck is "flying under the radar" is because it is vulnerable to fast decks, it is not playing any of the cards people expect to be powerhouses, and it has no draw engine with eidolon and Courser leaving.
Took this into FNM today and went a respectable 3-1, only losing to the winner (some douchebag white enchantment...). Went with the suggestions above for it.
My first game against Mono-Black Devotion was interesting. He also had Whip out, and with Squelching Leeches and Gary he had over 40 life at some point. Palace Siege was being annoying. A lot of my stuff was taken by Brain Maggots and I was on five life. Then it changed... Grave Strength on Den Protector, some good Whips and I took it. Game 2 was similar, just as we got into turns I smashed through with the Graveblades.
It just works quite nicely together. The Wayfinders feed the Grave Strengths, Graveblades and Sidisi. Sidisi feeds the Strength and Graveblades. The Dens bring everything back and hits through thanks to the Strengths. So yeah, it works. Thanks for the input (see, contrary to the wife's opinion, I do listen).
I'd like to take a version of this to Gameday against a meta that is almost entirely going to be midrange with a few aggro decks mixed in. I am having a hard time finding a recent list in this thread that focuses on the combo, can someone point me to one? I am not interested in doing things like playing assault formation etc. I just want to assemble the combo as fast as possible against a field that will be light on removal.
I could see how Master of Waves was a dud in this deck because Collected Company doesn't hit it. In the mono blue shell I have been running, Master is the top dog along with Shorecrasher. Sooo many tokens!
Good point. Although, I did have him in hand often enough, but the deck is quick enough it reminded me of playing him in modern merfolk... you look at him and you're like "Oh cool, here is Master of Waves, but I can make these two guys unblockable and just win the game this turn". I did cast him once against the mill opponent, just because.
I'm going to leave him in the mainboard for sure because Kiora's Follower into Master of waves for 2 tokens on turn 3 just looks too powerful to pass up! So, he'll get another week to prove his worth. He was such a beast for me last standard it is hard to let him go.
I saw a similar deck posted on Reddit/spikes and then several days later by Saito in his Dragons brew session. Both those decks were different from one another and mine is slightly different than theirs, using polluted delta, both icefeather and kiora's follower, and a sideboard adjusted for my meta.
Most of the creatures are evasive and have some sort of utility making Bident of Thassa useful. I have 27 targets for Collected Company which I think is a good number to have a high percentage chance of hitting two per casting.
The land base gives me a 90% chance of hitting an untapped blue source on turn one for Hypnotic Siren and a green source on turn 2 for Kiora's Follower and Icefeather Aven. Lucky Kiora's Follower starting hands will hopefully lead to playing one of the ten 4 CMC cards on turn 3 (Bident, Master of Waves, Collected Company).
The sideboard takes advantage of Collected Company with Reclamation Sage and Hornet nest, which are for enchantment removal and ground aggro respectively. The rest of the sideboard is geared towards various match ups, Kiora for heroic and/or control, counters for control/midrange, mirror mockery for abzhan and midrange, quickling for spot removal decks and reality shift for midrange.
I did well with my deck at FNM. Went 3-1 and then split top 4.
I won against U/W heroic, U/B mill (yeah I know), Jeskai burn/aggro. I lost to Abzhan Midrange in a very close match.
Allstars:
Silumgar Sorcerer
Thassa
Shorecrasher Elemental
Collected Company
Hornet Nest
Duds:
Hypnotic Siren
Master of Waves (Crazy, I know)
Almost all of my sideboard except Hornet Nest and Disdainful Stroke
I'm going to overhaul my sideboard for next FNM, but I'll probably give my same main deck another go. If anyone is on the fence about trying Collected Company, do yourself a favor and go for it! Putting things onto the battlefield at instant speed before blocks or at end of their turn is a very powerful effect!
I saw a similar deck posted on Reddit/spikes and then several days later by Saito in his Dragons brew session. Both those decks were different from one another and mine is slightly different than theirs, using polluted delta, both icefeather and kiora's follower, and a sideboard adjusted for my meta.
Most of the creatures are evasive and have some sort of utility making Bident of Thassa useful. I have 27 targets for Collected Company which I think is a good number to have a high percentage chance of hitting two per casting.
The land base gives me a 90% chance of hitting an untapped blue source on turn one for Hypnotic Siren and a green source on turn 2 for Kiora's Follower and Icefeather Aven. Lucky Kiora's Follower starting hands will hopefully lead to playing one of the ten 4 CMC cards on turn 3 (Bident, Master of Waves, Collected Company).
The sideboard takes advantage of Collected Company with Reclamation Sage and Hornet nest, which are for enchantment removal and ground aggro respectively. The rest of the sideboard is geared towards various match ups, Kiora for heroic and/or control, counters for control/midrange, mirror mockery for abzhan and midrange, quickling for spot removal decks and reality shift for midrange.
Against control we have an amazing match up. We just have so many cheap threats that we out aggro them. In one game I had a morphed Lurker and Hypnotic Siren swinging for 5 turns until he finally board cleared, in which I dropped more dudes. A good play is to either Cloudform and hope for a Dancer or play one morphed on turn three. Save your Master of Waves until turn 5 so you have 5 mana open. Drop your Master and if they counter or kill spell it, counter it with your dancer.
Side note: Singing Bellstrike is VERY powerful and echoes Tidebinder mage without the devotion or 2 power.
I don't understand a few things about what you are saying.
Can you explain how casting Master of Waves on turn 5 leaves enough mana open to flip Stratus Dancer? I think you mean turn 6, but I may be missing something.
Also, in your control scenario, didn't you just do 7 damage in 5 turns before they wiped? That's not exactly amazing against control. Every aggro deck in the format puts out damage faster than that. I've been primarily playing U/B control for the past two months and I would love for someone to swing with 2 1/1s at me for 5 turns. I agree that blue aggro can have a strong match up against control, especially after sideboarding, but I think the strength is bringing in counterspells, extra draw etc.
First, Shorecrasher's blink ability does not protect him from sweepers. I'm only mentioning this because it was suggested that it does a few times in the thread when the card was being compared against Cloudform.
Secondly, there is a cute little interaction with Mirror Mockery and Bident of Thassa if you are playing against siege rhino. You can force their siege rhino to attack every turn, gaining you a rhino blocker and the ETB effect every turn until they can deal with the mirror mockery/bident or they find a way to get rid of their own rhino.
I wonder if anyone has considered a more controlly midrange shell? I've not been satisfied in my play testing of an aggro build, but I got to thinking about a U/W list that did okay at an SCG open last year (Chase Cagle played this http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/deck.asp?deck_id=1184778):
I think a strategy like the above may have legs, or at least as good a chance as a straight up blue devotion aggro deck considering the current card pool. Time will tell!
Have you guys considered Ethereal Ambush? I ended up on Sultai at prerelease and simic during draft last FNM with multiples of Ethereal Ambush both times. The card has been beyond amazing every time I cast it. So much so, I am thinking of trying it in constructed.
Any advice is appreciated. It is for FNM meta and I'd like to refine it rather than go all out merfolk. I think there are are some merfolk that make good substitutes for pieces of the combo deck to allow for the crossover. Dakra Mystic, Cold-Eyed Selkie and Sygg and possibly silvergill/spreading seas are good Howling Mine effects while cursecatchers lend to a control plan. There is going to be so much burn/delver I think I can jam 4 chalices into a bear tribal and win at FNM, but it would be nice to build towards something that is competitive as possible while still keeping the crossover aspects of the two decks.
I had a great time playing the deck. Highlights included going off on turn 5 with 2 life left against b/w tokens and a much improved matchup against blue tron. I can see the appeal of the attack versions of the deck now after playing this list. Particularly, it is nice to win the game in a timely manner and you are not completely dependent on the combo.
If I were to refine the deck more, I'd drop one cold-eyed selkie for a sygg, river cutthroat. I intended to play it like that anyway, but could not find my sygg in time.
I'd take your advice on the time warp effects, but I really liked the selkies and mystics for card draw instead of mine/dictate. Granted, I didn't play against any delver/burn, which are usually the most common decks at the shop.
I think the next time we do modern for FNM, I am going to play more of a merfolk list with time warp.
FNM is standard tonight at my LGS, but a lot of us play modern between rounds. Here is something a little different I am going to try tonight for funsies just to see what works and what doesn't. I'll try to refine the list for Modern FNM later on.
Encase in Ice
Tightening Coils
Singing Bell Strike
For tokens:
Displacement Wave
Profaner of the Dead
Virulent Plague (If you want to splash black for around 12-13 sources.)
To beat Atarka, it is going to be a matter of weathering the first 2 or 3 turns. There are two spells that can beat you late game, Temur Battlerage and Become Immense. So you need to be mindful of that after you thwart their first couple of turns.
BTW, I wouldn't say this deck is flying under the radar. It is almost an exact copy / paste from Wizards own website and there is another thread devoted to it in this very forum. The reason it seems like the deck is "flying under the radar" is because it is vulnerable to fast decks, it is not playing any of the cards people expect to be powerhouses, and it has no draw engine with eidolon and Courser leaving.
I'd start by cutting 4 Graveblade Marauders. Maybe running some number of Reclamation Sage in the side to deal with enchantments?
Thanks!
Good point. Although, I did have him in hand often enough, but the deck is quick enough it reminded me of playing him in modern merfolk... you look at him and you're like "Oh cool, here is Master of Waves, but I can make these two guys unblockable and just win the game this turn". I did cast him once against the mill opponent, just because.
I'm going to leave him in the mainboard for sure because Kiora's Follower into Master of waves for 2 tokens on turn 3 just looks too powerful to pass up! So, he'll get another week to prove his worth. He was such a beast for me last standard it is hard to let him go.
I did well with my deck at FNM. Went 3-1 and then split top 4.
I won against U/W heroic, U/B mill (yeah I know), Jeskai burn/aggro. I lost to Abzhan Midrange in a very close match.
Allstars:
Silumgar Sorcerer
Thassa
Shorecrasher Elemental
Collected Company
Hornet Nest
Duds:
Hypnotic Siren
Master of Waves (Crazy, I know)
Almost all of my sideboard except Hornet Nest and Disdainful Stroke
I'm going to overhaul my sideboard for next FNM, but I'll probably give my same main deck another go. If anyone is on the fence about trying Collected Company, do yourself a favor and go for it! Putting things onto the battlefield at instant speed before blocks or at end of their turn is a very powerful effect!
4 Hypnotic Siren
4 Icefeather Aven
4 Kiora's Follower
4 Stratus Dancer
4 Shorecrasher Elemental
4 Silumgar Sorcerer
3 Thassa, God of the Sea
4 Master of Waves
2 Bident of Thassa
4 Collected Company
Lands:23
1 Forest
8 Island
2 Polluted Delta
4 Temple of Mystery
4 Thornwood Falls
4 Yavimaya Coast
2 Disdainful Stroke
2 Mirror Mockery
1 Negate
1 Quickling
2 Reality Shift
3 Hornet Nest
2 Reclamation Sage
2 Kiora, the Crashing Wave
I saw a similar deck posted on Reddit/spikes and then several days later by Saito in his Dragons brew session. Both those decks were different from one another and mine is slightly different than theirs, using polluted delta, both icefeather and kiora's follower, and a sideboard adjusted for my meta.
Most of the creatures are evasive and have some sort of utility making Bident of Thassa useful. I have 27 targets for Collected Company which I think is a good number to have a high percentage chance of hitting two per casting.
The land base gives me a 90% chance of hitting an untapped blue source on turn one for Hypnotic Siren and a green source on turn 2 for Kiora's Follower and Icefeather Aven. Lucky Kiora's Follower starting hands will hopefully lead to playing one of the ten 4 CMC cards on turn 3 (Bident, Master of Waves, Collected Company).
The sideboard takes advantage of Collected Company with Reclamation Sage and Hornet nest, which are for enchantment removal and ground aggro respectively. The rest of the sideboard is geared towards various match ups, Kiora for heroic and/or control, counters for control/midrange, mirror mockery for abzhan and midrange, quickling for spot removal decks and reality shift for midrange.
I don't understand a few things about what you are saying.
Can you explain how casting Master of Waves on turn 5 leaves enough mana open to flip Stratus Dancer? I think you mean turn 6, but I may be missing something.
Also, in your control scenario, didn't you just do 7 damage in 5 turns before they wiped? That's not exactly amazing against control. Every aggro deck in the format puts out damage faster than that. I've been primarily playing U/B control for the past two months and I would love for someone to swing with 2 1/1s at me for 5 turns. I agree that blue aggro can have a strong match up against control, especially after sideboarding, but I think the strength is bringing in counterspells, extra draw etc.
First, Shorecrasher's blink ability does not protect him from sweepers. I'm only mentioning this because it was suggested that it does a few times in the thread when the card was being compared against Cloudform.
Secondly, there is a cute little interaction with Mirror Mockery and Bident of Thassa if you are playing against siege rhino. You can force their siege rhino to attack every turn, gaining you a rhino blocker and the ETB effect every turn until they can deal with the mirror mockery/bident or they find a way to get rid of their own rhino.
I wonder if anyone has considered a more controlly midrange shell? I've not been satisfied in my play testing of an aggro build, but I got to thinking about a U/W list that did okay at an SCG open last year (Chase Cagle played this http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/deck.asp?deck_id=1184778):
4 Frostburn Weird
4 Master of Waves
4 Nightveil Specter
3 Thassa, God of the Sea
1 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
3 Jace, Architect of Thought
3 Nullify
3 Rapid Hybridization
2 Sphinx's Revelation
3 Supreme Verdict
2 Azorius Guildgate
4 Hallowed Fountain
11 Island (255)
2 Mutavault
1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1 Plains (250)
4 Temple of Enlightenment
I think a strategy like the above may have legs, or at least as good a chance as a straight up blue devotion aggro deck considering the current card pool. Time will tell!
4 Dakra Mystic
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Master of the Pearl Trident
1 Sygg, River Cutthroat
4 Cold-Eyed Selkie
Spells:19
4 Chalice of the Void
1 Remand
4 Spreading Seas
2 Cryptic Command
4 Time Warp
4 Walk the Aeons
2 Cavern of Souls
15 Island
1 Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
1 Minamo, School at Water's Edge
4 Mutavault
1 Oboro, Palace in the Clouds
2 Relic of Progenitus
1 Boomerang
2 Echoing Truth
2 Mana Leak
2 Spell Snare
4 Redirect
2 Thada Adel, Acquisitor
The meta will be u/r delver and burn with one guy likely playing u/w tron.
I had a great time playing the deck. Highlights included going off on turn 5 with 2 life left against b/w tokens and a much improved matchup against blue tron. I can see the appeal of the attack versions of the deck now after playing this list. Particularly, it is nice to win the game in a timely manner and you are not completely dependent on the combo.
If I were to refine the deck more, I'd drop one cold-eyed selkie for a sygg, river cutthroat. I intended to play it like that anyway, but could not find my sygg in time.
I'd take your advice on the time warp effects, but I really liked the selkies and mystics for card draw instead of mine/dictate. Granted, I didn't play against any delver/burn, which are usually the most common decks at the shop.
I think the next time we do modern for FNM, I am going to play more of a merfolk list with time warp.
4 Dakra Mystic
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Master of the Pearl Trident
4 Cold-Eyed Selkie
Spells:20
1 Swan Song
1 Boomerang
1 Remand
4 Spreading Seas
2 Cryptic Command
4 Time Warp
4 Walk the Aeons
3 Temporal Mastery
18 Island
1 Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
1 Minamo, School at Water's Edge
3 Mutavault
1 Oboro, Palace in the Clouds
Sideboard will be the missing pieces from the combo version, gigadrowse, exhaustion, more counters.
I beat a hyper RDW, my draws were against USA Delver and Urzatron. I lost to UR Delver. Here is what I am switching to:
1 Thassa, God of the Sea
Spells:35
1 Elixir of Immortality
4 Gigadrowse
1 Swan Song
1 Boomerang
3 Howling Mine
3 Remand
4 Dictate of Kruphix
4 Exhaustion
1 Jace Beleren
2 Cryptic Command
4 Time Warp
4 Walk the Aeons
3 Temporal Mastery
1 Faerie Conclave
18 Island
1 Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
1 Minamo, School at Water's Edge
1 Oboro, Palace in the Clouds
2 Tectonic Edge
Can anyone help me develop a sideboard for this list? I see a lot of UR Delver, Jeskai Delver, RDW, Tron where I play.