I did test the list last night and Maximize Velocity is very interesting. Having the bedlam feels great, they act like Gurmags stapled with Ancestral Recall and they also boost the Adepts. I must admit that the manabase and the sideboard both look like a train wreck though. I did lost a game or two because of the Copperline Gorges.
I've played RUG Scapeshift in 2012-2013 and managed to qualify for PT Dragonmaze (in an epic 1h30 mirror match final where I mull to 5 on g3) and then I kinda of abandon the deck for other archetypes because infect was going rampant (I was already arguing with people that Sleight of Hand was the optimal cantrip hehe), only going back to it from time to time. Now is the time for me to get back to my weapon of choice! I've scrolled the last few pages and I still have some questions concerning your (excellent) build, that I'm playtesting for few days already. I'm myself a huge fan of Prismatic Omen.
First of all, what is the logic of doing a 3/1 split between Titans and HoP? Why not just play 4 Titans?
Is Pyroclasm's still a consideration for the maindeck since you play no Lightning Bolt nor Izzet charm for early interaction to fight against a quick Devoted Druid (super popular in my area)? Spell Queller comes to mind as a game changer I guess...
I've tried 4 Opt in the Sleight slots and it's been awsome so far. Being able to keep a counter up (at least bluff) is crucial and gave me the one more land drop I needed on many occasions.
As for the SB, you seem to be convinced about the 2x Counterflux slot. I'm not sure why since it's not the best counterspell to protect a Scapeshift or Titan (they can just counter again) and keeping a Counterflux and a Remand back up is kinda pricey. Why not play Negate instead? Is there a match up where you want to side in Counterflux for creatures other than Titanshift? Even UR Storm can win on turn 3.
This will sound like a stupid question but do you side out the Opts/Sleights when you side in Chalices?
Hi to all! Long time reader on the burn topic but first time poster. Yesterday I went to a side event at GP Montréal, it was a modern tournament with 119 players where the prizes were great! Last year, we split the prize at the top 8 and everybody end up with a booster case (yes, 6 booster boxes). I did acomplish that with nacatl burn. This year, I've sleeved up this list:
Sideboard (15):
4 Destructive Revelery
4 Path to Exile
3 Volcanic Fallout
2 Deflecting Palm
2 Relic of Progenitus
It was an 8 rounds tournament. I did not get very lucky with my match ups but burn is such a ruthless deck that some of my opponent struggle to establish a fast clock and gave me just enought time to burn them to a crisp.
On round 1, I've got paired up against Bogles. I won the dice roll and it is precisely the reason why I won that game. I skullcrack his 3rd turn lifelinker and won on my 4th turn. I gave him 4 lands out of my Goblin Guide. On game two, I was very lucky to open a double Deflecting Palm hand. I won by casting two spells this game.
On round 2, I was pired against mono white enchantment control. Yes, he plays 4 Leylines of Sanctity maindeck. He did mull to 5 on game 1 and game two I Destructive Revelery his leyline before pushing a playset of Lightning Bolt to his face!
On round 3, I was paired against Affinity. He won game 1 in like 5 minutes. Double Vault Skirge with Cranial Plating is such a beating when you only have a Rift Bolt. On game 2, a timely Volcanic Fallout destroys 2 Signal Pest, 1 Ornithopter, 1 Master of Etherium and he lost 2 Glimmervoid, leaving him with only 1 Blinkmoth Nexus. On game 3, a timely Volcanic Fallout messed up with his Arcbound Ravager, that I later Path to Exile. I won g2 and g3 with 0 creature in the deck (I've sided out all 12).
On round 4 I was finally paired against a good match up: Infect. G1 and g2 were proccessed as followed: I burn his 2 threats and he's left with a hand of pump spells and dies.
At 4-0 I feel pretty good since on the higher tables, there is a lot of good match ups (DS, grixis control, etc).
On round 5 I was paired against Abzan Company, another tough match up. He Kitchen Finks turn 2 and Collected Company turn 3 both games. The first game was close never the less but the 2nd game he had 3 Kitchen Finks on turn 5...
On round 6 I was paired against another Bogles! He won on turn 4 both games with lifelink. The games were not even close. I did agressive mulligan on game two to see my sideboard cards with no success.
Going from 4-0 to 4-2 is kind of devastating since only 1 or 2 x-2 is going to make the top 8. Thanks god, my tiebreakers are solids.
On round seven I was paired against Grixis Death Shadow. Game 1 was very close but I ended up with an alpha strike with 3 ambushed 3/4 Monastery Swiftspear. On game 2, a Collective Brutality tightened things up but my double Goblin Guide, double Monastery Swiftspear was just enought to racked up some damages before chump blocking 9/9s and finish my burning job.
On the last round, after taking a picture of the standings and studing it, my opponent and me (who were playing on table 5) understood that we were playing for the 8th place and the words were already spreaded about the top 8 split for a booster case. We were playing for 5 booster boxes since top 16 was awared with a booster box. Let's just say that the ambiance was very tense! I win the die roll. On game 1, he mull to 6 and I have triple Goblin Guide! He played a Flooded Strand and fetch for a tapped Watery Grave. I see 4 lands with the Guides, 1 Flooded Strand, 2 Polluted Deltas and 1 Island. On his 2nd turn he Inquisition of Kozilek myself showing a Swiftspear and a full grip of burn spells. He scoop without even playing his 2nd land! He did that so I have no clue of what he was palying, and it worked since I put him on some sort of esper. He was on Grixis Death Shadow. I did sided in the Path to Exiles thought. On game 2, he manage to double Death Shadow with double Stubborn Denial back up for the win. The game 3 was easier for me, he Thought Scour himself milling 2 Collective Brutalities for a Gurmag Angler that I Path to Exile. I'm flooding the board with two Eidolons and that was it.
I ended up in 8th place!
Later this week I can elaborate on the sideboarding but now time is running low so have a great day!
Fast intro of myself: I've played merfolk in legacy when Wakethrasher was thing so I believe it was right after Lorwin was out! I'm a modern player since it's inception and I just moved to Merfolks since I think it's very strong right now. Doing my mtg homeworks, I went throught the primer and wow Rothgar13 is doing an unbelievable job there. I only found a small mistake concerning Nikachu's march 2017's decklist: It contains only 58 cards in the maindeck. Is it possible to clear that up since I'm looking foward his most recent decklist.
The problem I've always been experiencing versus Ad Nauseam is that once they combo out, they've got Patrician's Scorn/Disenchant/echoing truth/tear with triple Pact of Negation (and probably a duress or 2) back-up. For that reason, I don't see the point of adding anything to combat post combo shenanigans.
In my opinion, our best bet is to max out on counterspells and discards while somehow put a fast clock: Vendilion Clique is the best of both world in that matter. Esper charming their hand is also great since they will tend to land drop as much as possible for an eventual counter war. Stony Silence is also great at slowing them down.
I probably don't even need to mention that Surgical Extraction on Ad Nauseam is lights out for them!
I don't know about you guys, but I've put mtgstocks as my default home page 2 years ago and I keep a close eye on my stuff on a daily basis. Today is historical, slot #1 and #2 are Esper Charm and Rune Halo respectively. The recent top 9 from our friend Ryan is without a doubt behind all this but still, I'm glad that this day has happenned. Recent ban and the printing of Fatal Push made our beloved esper control a thing. I personnaly didn't embark the push train, preferring a UWb (Amalek0 style) approach with Blessed Alliance.
I went to a 2,6K modern tournament last sunday with the 75 from Amalek0 (-1 Fountain, +1 Mystic Gate) and lost to RG Ponza (on game 3, I counter his blood moon and he topdecked a 2nd one right after I verdict his arbor elf and freshly drew birds and thoughtseized his only castable card since he was on 3 lands the turn before, right before I reached 5 lands for Baneslayer Angel) and WG Tron (again in 3 games, the last game I mulled to 5 in a desperate mode to hit some counterspells/sideboard cards but he Karn on turn 3 with a natural tron and I had no counters...). I won against Jeskai Nahiri in an epic 1-0 match where I started the game with a Leyline and he tried to deck me out until he realized White Sun's Zenith was recurring. I casted the first copy for 1 cat, then casted it 2 more times for lethal. I had to wait until the very end since 3 of my charms were in the last like 5 cards of my deck and I wanted to empty his hand before I start pitching the Zenith. I also won against UW control 2-0, Grixis Control 2-0 and eldrazi tron 2-0 (he casted Ulamog both game but I drew so many cards that it didn't matter at all).
The only change I will do is swap the Leylines for a pair of negates since I think it will help in the Tron match-up and most of the stuff that targets the players are non-creature anyway. Also, I though the list was a bit light on counterspell sometimes. As for the sideboard, I was quite happy with it. Unfortunatly, I think the duo of Angels are less of an impact where I play since EVERYBODY knows I play them now! I might switch them for more burn hate à la Timely or Leylines.
Hi to all. After betrayed the esper control archetype for (way) too long, from Abzan Coco to burn to bant Eldrazi and even BG Tron, I came back to my beloved control deck. Yesterday I went to my FNM (almost 30 players, yay), I ended up in 2nd place, loosing to Eldrazitron in a close 3 games match.
I won against grixis goryo (2-0), naya fuse (2-0) and Jeskai aggro (2-1). More on the fuse deck: On game one he manage to turn two Beck+Call but drew blanks and I recover with a Verdict on turn 4 and a big Revelation. On game 2 I brought all the black cards and he coudn't do anything. I drew all my 3 Thoughtseize and 2 Surgicals.
For reference, I used the complete 75 that Amalek posted 2-3 pages ago with only 1 change (-1 Hallowed Fountain, +1 Mystic Gate). I liked the list a lot and Baneslayer Angel was nutz everytime I brought her in. I even did the Blessed Alliance -> Untap the angel against Eldrazi (I won that game but lost the match).
I've been playtesting that list all week long online and suprisignly it beats tron pretty easily. They only have 12 threats in their deck and unless they get the turn 3 Karn unanswered, it is easy to recover from anything they do. The two decks I was struggling against were Eldrazi (tron or bant) and Naya Burn.
So now is my question, what would be your sideboarding plan against those two decks?
Just watched the video. At around 14 minutes, he has 4 cards in hand, Caleb 0. He supreme the board to get rid of the Selfless Spirit. With 6 mana left, he could have snap supreme the board for good, drawing a card from the Think Twice exiled with the queller. At this point he would face an empty board with 4 cards in hand and a Think Twice in the graveyard. I mean, I get the point that he wants to maximize the value of his cryptics but the opponent is playing 4 Collective Company, 4 Spell Queller and 4 Selfless Spirit thet were very relevant at this point.
I don't know where my mind was, indestructible is until end of turn hehe. (Better go sleep to get my mind straight)
The guy is 30-0 so far. Godamned. Not so much of a fan of Desert but the idea of playing my old minty Arabian Night's is enough to drop the Ghost Quarter haha. And a whole playset of Runed Halo, f*** you infect.
There is only 11 revealed sideboard cards yet though.
EdB (player's name on MTGO) did won a Modern challenge two days ago (7-0). I'm just going to put the list here:
4 Flameblade Adept
4 Hollow One
3 Bedlam Reveler
4 Burning Inquiry
4 Faithless Looting
2 Fiery Temper
4 Goblin Lore
3 Gut Shot
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Manamorphose
2 Maximize Velocity
5 Mountain
1 Ramunap Ruins
4 Copperline Gorge
2 Stomping Ground
2 Wooded Foothills
4 Arid Mesa
3 Dismember
1 Leyline of the Void
3 Shrine of Burning Rage
4 Tormod's Crypt
I did test the list last night and Maximize Velocity is very interesting. Having the bedlam feels great, they act like Gurmags stapled with Ancestral Recall and they also boost the Adepts. I must admit that the manabase and the sideboard both look like a train wreck though. I did lost a game or two because of the Copperline Gorges.
First of all, what is the logic of doing a 3/1 split between Titans and HoP? Why not just play 4 Titans?
Is Pyroclasm's still a consideration for the maindeck since you play no Lightning Bolt nor Izzet charm for early interaction to fight against a quick Devoted Druid (super popular in my area)? Spell Queller comes to mind as a game changer I guess...
I've tried 4 Opt in the Sleight slots and it's been awsome so far. Being able to keep a counter up (at least bluff) is crucial and gave me the one more land drop I needed on many occasions.
As for the SB, you seem to be convinced about the 2x Counterflux slot. I'm not sure why since it's not the best counterspell to protect a Scapeshift or Titan (they can just counter again) and keeping a Counterflux and a Remand back up is kinda pricey. Why not play Negate instead? Is there a match up where you want to side in Counterflux for creatures other than Titanshift? Even UR Storm can win on turn 3.
This will sound like a stupid question but do you side out the Opts/Sleights when you side in Chalices?
What is you razor sharp sb looks like nowadays?
Thanks in advance,
The Exalted
Maindeck (60):
12 Fetch
3 Inspiring Vantage
2 Mountain
2 Sacred Foundry
1 Stomping Ground
4 Goblin Guide
4 Monastery Swiftspear
4 Eidolon of the Great Revels
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Lava Spike
4 Rift Bolt
4 Skull Crack
4 Searing Blaze
4 Boros Charm
4 Lightning Helix
Sideboard (15):
4 Destructive Revelery
4 Path to Exile
3 Volcanic Fallout
2 Deflecting Palm
2 Relic of Progenitus
It was an 8 rounds tournament. I did not get very lucky with my match ups but burn is such a ruthless deck that some of my opponent struggle to establish a fast clock and gave me just enought time to burn them to a crisp.
On round 1, I've got paired up against Bogles. I won the dice roll and it is precisely the reason why I won that game. I skullcrack his 3rd turn lifelinker and won on my 4th turn. I gave him 4 lands out of my Goblin Guide. On game two, I was very lucky to open a double Deflecting Palm hand. I won by casting two spells this game.
On round 2, I was pired against mono white enchantment control. Yes, he plays 4 Leylines of Sanctity maindeck. He did mull to 5 on game 1 and game two I Destructive Revelery his leyline before pushing a playset of Lightning Bolt to his face!
On round 3, I was paired against Affinity. He won game 1 in like 5 minutes. Double Vault Skirge with Cranial Plating is such a beating when you only have a Rift Bolt. On game 2, a timely Volcanic Fallout destroys 2 Signal Pest, 1 Ornithopter, 1 Master of Etherium and he lost 2 Glimmervoid, leaving him with only 1 Blinkmoth Nexus. On game 3, a timely Volcanic Fallout messed up with his Arcbound Ravager, that I later Path to Exile. I won g2 and g3 with 0 creature in the deck (I've sided out all 12).
On round 4 I was finally paired against a good match up: Infect. G1 and g2 were proccessed as followed: I burn his 2 threats and he's left with a hand of pump spells and dies.
At 4-0 I feel pretty good since on the higher tables, there is a lot of good match ups (DS, grixis control, etc).
On round 5 I was paired against Abzan Company, another tough match up. He Kitchen Finks turn 2 and Collected Company turn 3 both games. The first game was close never the less but the 2nd game he had 3 Kitchen Finks on turn 5...
On round 6 I was paired against another Bogles! He won on turn 4 both games with lifelink. The games were not even close. I did agressive mulligan on game two to see my sideboard cards with no success.
Going from 4-0 to 4-2 is kind of devastating since only 1 or 2 x-2 is going to make the top 8. Thanks god, my tiebreakers are solids.
On round seven I was paired against Grixis Death Shadow. Game 1 was very close but I ended up with an alpha strike with 3 ambushed 3/4 Monastery Swiftspear. On game 2, a Collective Brutality tightened things up but my double Goblin Guide, double Monastery Swiftspear was just enought to racked up some damages before chump blocking 9/9s and finish my burning job.
On the last round, after taking a picture of the standings and studing it, my opponent and me (who were playing on table 5) understood that we were playing for the 8th place and the words were already spreaded about the top 8 split for a booster case. We were playing for 5 booster boxes since top 16 was awared with a booster box. Let's just say that the ambiance was very tense! I win the die roll. On game 1, he mull to 6 and I have triple Goblin Guide! He played a Flooded Strand and fetch for a tapped Watery Grave. I see 4 lands with the Guides, 1 Flooded Strand, 2 Polluted Deltas and 1 Island. On his 2nd turn he Inquisition of Kozilek myself showing a Swiftspear and a full grip of burn spells. He scoop without even playing his 2nd land! He did that so I have no clue of what he was palying, and it worked since I put him on some sort of esper. He was on Grixis Death Shadow. I did sided in the Path to Exiles thought. On game 2, he manage to double Death Shadow with double Stubborn Denial back up for the win. The game 3 was easier for me, he Thought Scour himself milling 2 Collective Brutalities for a Gurmag Angler that I Path to Exile. I'm flooding the board with two Eidolons and that was it.
I ended up in 8th place!
Later this week I can elaborate on the sideboarding but now time is running low so have a great day!
Keep up the good work!
In my opinion, our best bet is to max out on counterspells and discards while somehow put a fast clock: Vendilion Clique is the best of both world in that matter. Esper charming their hand is also great since they will tend to land drop as much as possible for an eventual counter war. Stony Silence is also great at slowing them down.
I probably don't even need to mention that Surgical Extraction on Ad Nauseam is lights out for them!
EDIT: Despite all the efforts we may put, Boseiju, who shelters all and gigadrowse are almost unbeatable for us...
I went to a 2,6K modern tournament last sunday with the 75 from Amalek0 (-1 Fountain, +1 Mystic Gate) and lost to RG Ponza (on game 3, I counter his blood moon and he topdecked a 2nd one right after I verdict his arbor elf and freshly drew birds and thoughtseized his only castable card since he was on 3 lands the turn before, right before I reached 5 lands for Baneslayer Angel) and WG Tron (again in 3 games, the last game I mulled to 5 in a desperate mode to hit some counterspells/sideboard cards but he Karn on turn 3 with a natural tron and I had no counters...). I won against Jeskai Nahiri in an epic 1-0 match where I started the game with a Leyline and he tried to deck me out until he realized White Sun's Zenith was recurring. I casted the first copy for 1 cat, then casted it 2 more times for lethal. I had to wait until the very end since 3 of my charms were in the last like 5 cards of my deck and I wanted to empty his hand before I start pitching the Zenith. I also won against UW control 2-0, Grixis Control 2-0 and eldrazi tron 2-0 (he casted Ulamog both game but I drew so many cards that it didn't matter at all).
The only change I will do is swap the Leylines for a pair of negates since I think it will help in the Tron match-up and most of the stuff that targets the players are non-creature anyway. Also, I though the list was a bit light on counterspell sometimes. As for the sideboard, I was quite happy with it. Unfortunatly, I think the duo of Angels are less of an impact where I play since EVERYBODY knows I play them now! I might switch them for more burn hate à la Timely or Leylines.
I won against grixis goryo (2-0), naya fuse (2-0) and Jeskai aggro (2-1). More on the fuse deck: On game one he manage to turn two Beck+Call but drew blanks and I recover with a Verdict on turn 4 and a big Revelation. On game 2 I brought all the black cards and he coudn't do anything. I drew all my 3 Thoughtseize and 2 Surgicals.
For reference, I used the complete 75 that Amalek posted 2-3 pages ago with only 1 change (-1 Hallowed Fountain, +1 Mystic Gate). I liked the list a lot and Baneslayer Angel was nutz everytime I brought her in. I even did the Blessed Alliance -> Untap the angel against Eldrazi (I won that game but lost the match).
I've been playtesting that list all week long online and suprisignly it beats tron pretty easily. They only have 12 threats in their deck and unless they get the turn 3 Karn unanswered, it is easy to recover from anything they do. The two decks I was struggling against were Eldrazi (tron or bant) and Naya Burn.
So now is my question, what would be your sideboarding plan against those two decks?
Creature (3)
3 Snapcaster Mage
Sorcery (11)
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Serum Visions
1 Ancestral Vision
2 Supreme Verdict
Instant (22)
4 Path to Exile
2 Lightning Helix
3 Logic Knot
1 Negate
2 Kolaghan's Command
2 Cryptic Command
1 Secure the Wastes
2 Sphinx's Revelation
4 Esper Charm
1 Think Twice
Land (25)
1 Island
1 Plains
1 Swamp
1 Watery Grave
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Godless Shrine
1 Steam Vents
2 Glacial Fortress
2 Sulfur Falls
4 Darkslick Shores
2 Celestial Colonnade
4 Flooded Strand
4 Polluted Delta
61 Cards
Sideboard (15)
2 Negate
1 Supreme Verdict
3 Condemn
2 Engineered Explosives
2 Thoughtseize
2 Slaughter Games
1 Gideon Jura
2 Izzet Staticaster
Where is Crumble to dust? 1 of Think Twice and 1 of Ancestral Vision?
I don't know where my mind was, indestructible is until end of turn hehe. (Better go sleep to get my mind straight)