I'm still preferring the Vizier version, myself. Shalai adds another layer of protection, as well as another Win-Con for the Vizier combo, and I don't worry about Sphere out of the Board due to winning before my opponent's mana/combo becomes an issue a large portion of the time.
Have a list? I've been tweaking and toying with just the GW Version lately with Vizier/Druid + Knight/Tracker. Haven't gotten a chance to dive into Bant yet with Shalai.
Anyone know list Kelvin Chew is playing these days?
This is what he sent me after GP Sydney where his personal record was 6-1-1 but I believe his team failed to Day 2. He'd also mentioned he'd gone 6-2 in Kyoto prior but not sure if this is the exact same list.
Any of you guys also play value town? I go back and forth between these decks and it feels tough to know which to go with. I understand value town is a looking to grind and draw the game out, and knightfall is more of a tempo deck in some ways but they play mostly along the same axis. Anybody have any insight as to whats better in the meta these days? (I've been playing a lot more legacy lately...Maverick is super fun)
I've had both in the rotation lately. As you stated, GW VT has a far more impressive late game and if I had to choose a deck to combat a more midrange dominated meta it would likely be my first choice in terms of Company decks. Bant, especially with the Retreat combo is far better suited vs. decks not looking to interact with the exception of Tron (Bant has still been pretty decent for me vs. Tron). If I had to choose one knowing I'd be playing a 50/50 field of both interactive control/midrange and non-interactive combo (Storm, Vizier Company, KCI, Etc..) I'd likely side with Bant featuring Retreat.
You'd still be at 25 Company hits post board. I've had success bringing in Eidolon of Rhetoric on the play as well, between Snaps and the deck being densely packed with cantrips it can seriously slow them down.
Every deck nowadays is running 4 bolt effects mainboard. Valakut decks, Affinity (Galv blast), RB Hollow One, Burn, Ponza, GR Eldrazi etc. It makes the devoted Druid combo plan hard to pull off (in my experience on mtgo over the past two days).
It's still sort of all-in on the infinite mana combo plan, but you can recharge pretty easily with Trackers, as well as have large Knights. I would look at add an eternal witness or two in there though. Maybe +2 Eternal Witness +1 Duskwatch, -1 Vizier -2 Courser.
I like the way it is set up, although that manabase looks rough. kessig Wolf run and a stomping ground should be in there as a combo piece.
This list is really similar if not identical to the list that won Hareruya's last God of Modern event (300+ people).
Did you run into any issues with RIP non-bo'ing with Voice, Witness, Reveillark? Or was in just lights out in the MUs where you really needed it so the non-bo just didn't matter?
To be honest, I just wanted to play with Nimble Obstructionist for fun but uncounterable Stifle cycle turned out to be pretty sweet. Having more plays at instant speed and more threats in the air was great as well. Haven't gotten to Stifle Ulamog, Karn, Ugin or Storm yet but maybe one day I'll live the dream. Don't run out and buy Obstructionists.. But if you wanna have some fun and get some people, have at it.
I posted my deck to another bant thread and was suggested to ask help here. I very much enjoy the midrange-style, and have settled to traverse version of knightfall. The list is by no means ready or smooth but the general idea is there. I'm still considering renegade rallier to replace ojutai's command as value two-for-one. Rallier c'd also get back GQ's and tormod's crypts in game one. (Cryptic is a no go with my manabase and is not a good fit here.) Some choises came from the fact that my local fnm is riddled with burn and tron.
Any feedback w'd be appreciated!![/deck]
I put a fair amount of time and testing into something similar prior to Opt becoming Modern legal. I was never able to get it to function smoothly, it was too weak to GY hate and just typically felt a turn slower than I'd generally want to be in Modern. Here's the MD 60 I'd last saved:
It seems like a weird mix of an all-in devoted druid deck that just runs some synergy / midrange cards for value. Finks, but no viscera seer. Jace, because you're in blue anyway? Can't help but think Selfless Spirit would work better if you're trying to combo off.
2 cool Jace lists both went 7-2 in the Modern Classic at SCG Worcester this weekend. Both playing 2 Copies of Jace, 1 still playing 2x Retreat and 1 without.
Kiki Chord Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/199307817160140/
Modern Toolbox Deck Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/creaturetoolbox/
Have a list? I've been tweaking and toying with just the GW Version lately with Vizier/Druid + Knight/Tracker. Haven't gotten a chance to dive into Bant yet with Shalai.
This is what he sent me after GP Sydney where his personal record was 6-1-1 but I believe his team failed to Day 2. He'd also mentioned he'd gone 6-2 in Kyoto prior but not sure if this is the exact same list.
1x Botanical Sanctum
1x Breeding Pool
1x Field of Ruin
2x Flooded Strand
2x Forest
1x Gavony Township
1x Ghost Quarter
1x Hallowed Fountain
1x Horizon Canopy
1x Island
4x Misty Rainforest
1x Plains
1x Temple Garden
4x Windswept Heath
4x Birds of Paradise
2x Eternal Witness
4x Knight of the Reliquary
2x Meddling Mage
4x Noble Hierarch
2x Reflector Mage
2x Scavenging Ooze
4x Spell Queller
2x Tireless Tracker
3x Voice of Resurgence
Planeswalker (1)
1x Jace, the Mind Sculptor
Instant (8)
4x Collected Company
4x Path to Exile
2x Blessed Alliance
1x Bojuka Bog
2x Negate
1x Reflector Mage
2x Stony Silence
3x Unified Will
1x Vendilion Clique
1x Voice of Resurgence
2x Worship
I've had both in the rotation lately. As you stated, GW VT has a far more impressive late game and if I had to choose a deck to combat a more midrange dominated meta it would likely be my first choice in terms of Company decks. Bant, especially with the Retreat combo is far better suited vs. decks not looking to interact with the exception of Tron (Bant has still been pretty decent for me vs. Tron). If I had to choose one knowing I'd be playing a 50/50 field of both interactive control/midrange and non-interactive combo (Storm, Vizier Company, KCI, Etc..) I'd likely side with Bant featuring Retreat.
-2 Birds
-2 Pridemage
-2 Clique
-2 Queller
+2 Finks
+3 Reflector Mage
+2 Blessed Alliance
+1 Gideon
You'd still be at 25 Company hits post board. I've had success bringing in Eidolon of Rhetoric on the play as well, between Snaps and the deck being densely packed with cantrips it can seriously slow them down.
This list is really similar if not identical to the list that won Hareruya's last God of Modern event (300+ people).
Did you run into any issues with RIP non-bo'ing with Voice, Witness, Reveillark? Or was in just lights out in the MUs where you really needed it so the non-bo just didn't matter?
The deck that just top 8'd a GP Played a 3/3 Split with 4 Druid....
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Noble Hierarch
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Selfless Spirit
3 Voice of Resurgence
4 Knight of the Reliquary
4 Nimble Obstructionist
4 Spell Queller
2 Tireless Tracker
Spells (8)
4 Path to Exile
4 Collected Company
2 Retreat to Coralhelm
Lands (22)
1 Breeding Pool
2 Flooded Strand
3 Forest
1 Gavony Township
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Hallowed Fountain
2 Horizon Canopy
1 Island
4 Misty Rainforest
1 Plains
1 Temple Garden
4 Windswept Heath
2 Blessed Alliance
1 Scavenging Ooze
2 Stony Silence
4 Unified Will
2 Kitchen Finks
1 Reclamation Sage
2 Reflector Mage
1 Worship
To be honest, I just wanted to play with Nimble Obstructionist for fun but uncounterable Stifle cycle turned out to be pretty sweet. Having more plays at instant speed and more threats in the air was great as well. Haven't gotten to Stifle Ulamog, Karn, Ugin or Storm yet but maybe one day I'll live the dream. Don't run out and buy Obstructionists.. But if you wanna have some fun and get some people, have at it.
3/2 (40+ Person):
Grixis Kiki - 2-0
Devoted Elves - 2-0
Burn - 2-1
Titanbreach - 2-0
ID
ID
QF: BUG Midrange - 1-2
3/9 (30+ Person):
RUG BBE/Jace - 2-1
Burn - 2-0
Devoted Elves - 2-0
Jund - 2-1
ID
ID Top 8
I put a fair amount of time and testing into something similar prior to Opt becoming Modern legal. I was never able to get it to function smoothly, it was too weak to GY hate and just typically felt a turn slower than I'd generally want to be in Modern. Here's the MD 60 I'd last saved:
2x Breeding Pool
4x Flooded Strand
1x Forest
1x Ghost Quarter
1x Hallowed Fountain
1x Horizon Canopy
1x Island
4x Misty Rainforest
1x Plains
1x Temple Garden
4x Windswept Heath
4x Knight of the Reliquary
1x Scavenging Ooze
3x Snapcaster Mage
4x Tarmogoyf
Enchantment (4)
2x Cast Out
2x Retreat to Coralhelm
Instant (11)
4x Path to Exile
4x Remand
3x Stubborn Denial
4x Serum Visions
4x Traverse the Ulvenwald
Artifact (4)
4x Mishra's Bauble
Pretty sure this is Kyle Boggemes's list (or someone from RIW) - He had a short piece of an article on it here: http://www.gatheringmagic.com/kyleboggemes-02222018-jace-in-modern/
Adam Gouveia -
3 Birds of Paradise
4 Knight of the Reliquary
4 Noble Hierarch
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Scavenging Ooze
3 Selfless Spirit
4 Spell Queller
2 Tireless Tracker
3 Voice of Resurgence
2 Vendilion Clique
Planeswalkers (2)
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
Lands (22)
3 Forest
1 Island
1 Plains
2 Breeding Pool
4 Flooded Strand
1 Gavony Township
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Sejiri Steppe
1 Temple Garden
4 Windswept Heath
2 Retreat to Coralhelm
4 Collected Company
3 Path to Exile
3 Reflector Mage
1 Scavenging Ooze
2 Stony Silence
2 Worship
3 Blessed Alliance
3 Unified Will
1 Bojuka Bog
Kevin Jones (Grixis/UWx aficionado) -
3 Birds of Paradise
4 Knight of the Reliquary
4 Noble Hierarch
1 Qasali Pridemage
2 Reflector Mage
3 Scavenging Ooze
4 Spell Queller
2 Tireless Tracker
4 Voice of Resurgence
1 Vendilion Clique
Planeswalkers (2)
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
Lands (22)
2 Forest
1 Island
1 Plains
2 Botanical Sanctum
1 Breeding Pool
1 Flooded Strand
1 Gavony Township
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Horizon Canopy
4 Misty Rainforest
2 Temple Garden
4 Windswept Heath
4 Collected Company
4 Path to Exile
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Reflector Mage
2 Stony Silence
1 Worship
1 Courser of Kruphix
3 Blessed Alliance
3 Unified Will
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
1 Bojuka Bog