What's a good competitive modern deck if I want to interact with the opponent a lot? I don't like magic when it just turns into two people playing solitaire. I've played Death and Taxes and its variations for years now but I'm interested in trying something that performs better. I want to play a deck that disrupts my opponents plan a lot.
I currently own all the death and taxes and eldrazi snd taxes staples and lands minus stoneforge mystic. I'm open to getting whatever cards I need and playing any colors of the deck sounds interesting to me.
So any advice on what we should do against Vizier combo? besides just concede that is. this match-up feels brutal to me. like even if I can stop the balista with stony silence or leyline of sanctity, a 1000/1000 still kills us pretty efficiently. We do have outs beyond that, but are there any ways we can be stand more of a chance in this match-up?
Hey my D&T peeps! I've been playing this archetype for 4 years now, and today is my first PPTQ. I'm a little nervous, but here is the deck list I'm running.
I'll consider posting about my matches afterwards.
So, PPTQ happened the match-ups were:
round 1: Lantern Control
usually this is considered a good match up for us since we have a main deck answer to ensnaring bridge in the form of Flickerwisp. however, wasn't able to find them in time before my opponent milled one and then used Surgical Extraction. Funnily enough, we both learned that Aven Mindcensor doesn't care whose library is searched as long as it's an opponent doing the searching, so he only got to look at the top 4 of my library. Still, didn't matter, he eventually found the other wisps. Game 2 I brought in 8 cards, all my graveyard and artifact hate. I was able to get a Stony Silence down but they brought in Abrupt Decay and other types of enchantment and artifact removal. He was able to deal with my side board cards long enough to establish a lock and take the match.
Round 2: Jeskai Goodstuff
That might not be the most accurate description of the deck, but I honestly didn't get to see much of what he was playing beyond cards like Geist of Saint Traft, Spell Queller, and Lightning Bolt. I kept him off of his lands by denying searches and using ghost quarters, making sure to keep him off of red and double white as best I could to avoid efficient removal and wraths. Our second game went much the same and I picked up a quick 2-0.
At this point I'd like to take a moment to talk about Spell Queller. Neither my opponent or I were very impressed by it's performance. He was able to exile some of my spells with it, but I was always able to get them back through wisps or my own removal. The card just never seemed to do enough to justify its place in the deck. I've seen a few U/W D&T lists floating around and honestly I don't think it's the right card for us. it's just two easy to get the exiled spell back. If we were comboing off the next turn this discussion would be different, but as it stands I don't think this kind of tempo card is right for us. Moving on...
Round 3: Naya Burn
It's match-ups like this where thalia really shines. Even with thalia, these games were close. I took Game 1, but lost game 2 through additional damage dealt by a few Destructive Revelry. For that game I had taken my copies of Restoration Angel out thinking I needed to try to speed my deck up, but then I realized that maybe that was a mistake. I decided that in this match-up, I needed to be the control deck, not try to outpace a burn deck. I brought the angels back in, removed targets for Destructive Revelry, and won the final game.
Round 4: Bant Eerie Interlude
So this one kind of threw me off my game. I didn't really understand what I was playing against until they had established a soft lock. Basically, their deck play mana dorks and cards like Wall of Omens and Wall of Roots to hold down the board and generate card advantage and mana. Then they use Eerie Interlude to draw more cards, reset there Wall of Roots and eventually establish a soft lock with Eternal Witness to recur Eerie Interlude and Vender, Shaper Savant to bounce all of the opponents creatures and lands. This felt like a brutal match up for us. There mana dorks negate mana denial strategies and the 8 main deck walls stops combat dead. The only outs I can think of are to draw my Mirran Crusader and hope they can't remove it or try to fly over them, which can be difficult because this deck also runs 4 Restoration Angel which blanks all the flyers in our deck. Also because of all the flicker effects, trying to use Path to Exile is very tricky. Suffice it to say, I lost this match 0-2.
The best cards I can think of to counter this deck hard areHushwing Gryff and Hallowed Moonlight. I'm a little dubious of playing the gryff since it shuts down many of the tricks in our deck too, but it definetly would slow down our opponent in this case. Alternatively, moonlight has applications against reanimator strategies, chord and company decks, and a few others such that it might be a possible sideboard inclusion if I want to try to shore up my match-up here. Admittedly though, you shouldn't sideboard too heavily against niche decks. That's why I think moonlight would be decent, since it effects multiple decks.
After going 2-2, I was pushed out of making it to top 8 so I decided to drop. I had a fun time, and I'm already making plans to attend another PPTQ next weekend. Some last thoughts I have on the experience is that Smuggler's Copter is really good in this deck. We really need all the draw power we can get and in so many ways I just prefer this card to Serra Avenger. Also in glad I made the decision to main board 4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben. It was always relevant and a must-destroy target.
any thoughts from anyone? I'd love any advice on my deck list or on the matches I lost so I'll be ready next time.
Hey my D&T peeps! I've been playing this archetype for 4 years now, and today is my first PPTQ. I'm a little nervous, but here is the deck list I'm running.
How does everyone deal with scapeshift if they sideboard into more of a temur midrange deck? Pre-board we've got them, but I'm not sure how to deal with things like Obstinate Baloths and Dragon Master Outcast outside of a path to exile.
This card sounds a lot more black than red in my opinion. Either way though, I feel like the effects a little weak for what I'm use to at 1 mana. If this was bumped up to injure 2 I could see playing it in limited. I'm a little worried how you track what creatures are injured and what are not since you take all counters off the creature when it becomes a 1/1. That was part of the reason monstrosity was cool. Monstrous creatures got a counter to show their state, same with renown. I think from a board state management standpoint I'd rather the creature die normally.
Death-Rage Nephilim
BRGW
Creature Legendary Nephilim
Trample, haste
Whenever ~ attacks, you may return target creature with converted mana cost 3 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped and attacking. That creature gains +3/+3 and trample until end of turn. Exile that creature at the beginning of the next endstep.
5/5
I know it seems a bit like the non-green nephilim, but I feel like this is a very good try at making a "Definetly Not Blue" nephilim
Played at FNM tonight and went 3-1, got 4th place. The prize support was in packs and I opened a Jace, so I kinda feel like I won the night. Anyway, the wins were against Grixis Twin and Jund, and I got a bye. The lose was against a Naya Prowess brew which was like something between burn and zoo. Anyhow the night was lots of fun, and that last round against Jund was really tense. Kor firewalker from my sideboard won me the game since they couldn't find removal for it and Olivia couldn't block it. All their goyfs being 0/1's from my rest in peace also helped. Against twin, I think my mainboard spellskite was the most relevant card. I was lucky enought to draw it early both games
Kytheon put in work that night! He flipped just about every game I played him in. I honestly think he is the strongest 1-drop white creature in modern.
He already flips fairly easily in just mono-white DT. I'm sure it would be even easier with Lingering souls added
Hey D&T peeps, I got first place at my local FNM's modern night on campus. I went 3-0-1. The wins were against Zoo, Griselbrand reanimator, and a deck I've never seen before called Leylines. The draw happened 2nd round against Grixis twin when we ran out of time and turns. I had him at 1 life when the final turn happened, which felt kind of anticlimactic but at least I didn't lose. Still, it was a super fun night. I've been playing Death and Taxes for nearly 2 years now, and I hope I can try to top 8 at least a qualifier or something someday
Has anyone had... complications with leonin Arbiter at in-person tournaments before? Like people cracking a fetchland, you letting it resolve, and then as they pick up their deck you mention the leonin arbiter they forgot about? I've had that happen in casual modern games before and I'm worried how someone might react to this situation at the competitive level. Like, if I'd have to call a judge about it. Has this ever happened to anyone?
I like Dryad Militant over Judge's Familiar but I still can't see myself playing Kytheon, Hero of Akros. In modern, creatures are often measured on what they can do or what affect they have on hitting the board. Dryad Militant in some matchups is kind of worthless, and I could see why you would want Kytheon here. But other matchups, it eats a bolt because the opponent needs their graveyard, which means one less bolt for Thalia, Guardian of Thraben or even Flickerwisp.
In a best case scenario, sure Kytheon seems great. You flip him pretty early and he ends up with some serious board presence...but right now with most top decks playing Bolt, I don't understand it.
In my experience Kytheon eats removal more frequently then Dryad Militant would. I've head people Path him early in the game. I think there is a psychological factor about planeswalkers that makes people overreact. As I said in my original post, I've often been able to get in with Kytheon just by leaving up mana to activate his ability. I feel like Kytheon has dealt more damage in games than Dryad Militant has for me.
Right now I am thoroughly convinced that Kytheon is the one-drop we've always wanted. I was never fully sold on Judge's Familiar, Dryad Militant, or Student of Warfare. I play this list in paper and on Mtgo and I've had games that just completely warp around the turn 1 or 2 Kytheon. The activated ability does seem expensive at first but turned out in my experience to be very relevant. I've often got free attacks in by simply holding up mana to use the ability.
What's the thought on Pack Rat in a deck like this? It's a low-costed threat which pairs extremely well with Dark Confidant (drawing more cards to pitch to it) and it also gives us an outlet for targeted discard spells we draw in the late game.
I think I'm just going to start playing commander less now. Tuck was the only reliable answer to the best decks in my local meta. I honestly don't think I can handle them anymore.
I currently own all the death and taxes and eldrazi snd taxes staples and lands minus stoneforge mystic. I'm open to getting whatever cards I need and playing any colors of the deck sounds interesting to me.
So, PPTQ happened the match-ups were:
round 1: Lantern Control
usually this is considered a good match up for us since we have a main deck answer to ensnaring bridge in the form of Flickerwisp. however, wasn't able to find them in time before my opponent milled one and then used Surgical Extraction. Funnily enough, we both learned that Aven Mindcensor doesn't care whose library is searched as long as it's an opponent doing the searching, so he only got to look at the top 4 of my library. Still, didn't matter, he eventually found the other wisps. Game 2 I brought in 8 cards, all my graveyard and artifact hate. I was able to get a Stony Silence down but they brought in Abrupt Decay and other types of enchantment and artifact removal. He was able to deal with my side board cards long enough to establish a lock and take the match.
Round 2: Jeskai Goodstuff
That might not be the most accurate description of the deck, but I honestly didn't get to see much of what he was playing beyond cards like Geist of Saint Traft, Spell Queller, and Lightning Bolt. I kept him off of his lands by denying searches and using ghost quarters, making sure to keep him off of red and double white as best I could to avoid efficient removal and wraths. Our second game went much the same and I picked up a quick 2-0.
At this point I'd like to take a moment to talk about Spell Queller. Neither my opponent or I were very impressed by it's performance. He was able to exile some of my spells with it, but I was always able to get them back through wisps or my own removal. The card just never seemed to do enough to justify its place in the deck. I've seen a few U/W D&T lists floating around and honestly I don't think it's the right card for us. it's just two easy to get the exiled spell back. If we were comboing off the next turn this discussion would be different, but as it stands I don't think this kind of tempo card is right for us. Moving on...
Round 3: Naya Burn
It's match-ups like this where thalia really shines. Even with thalia, these games were close. I took Game 1, but lost game 2 through additional damage dealt by a few Destructive Revelry. For that game I had taken my copies of Restoration Angel out thinking I needed to try to speed my deck up, but then I realized that maybe that was a mistake. I decided that in this match-up, I needed to be the control deck, not try to outpace a burn deck. I brought the angels back in, removed targets for Destructive Revelry, and won the final game.
Round 4: Bant Eerie Interlude
So this one kind of threw me off my game. I didn't really understand what I was playing against until they had established a soft lock. Basically, their deck play mana dorks and cards like Wall of Omens and Wall of Roots to hold down the board and generate card advantage and mana. Then they use Eerie Interlude to draw more cards, reset there Wall of Roots and eventually establish a soft lock with Eternal Witness to recur Eerie Interlude and Vender, Shaper Savant to bounce all of the opponents creatures and lands. This felt like a brutal match up for us. There mana dorks negate mana denial strategies and the 8 main deck walls stops combat dead. The only outs I can think of are to draw my Mirran Crusader and hope they can't remove it or try to fly over them, which can be difficult because this deck also runs 4 Restoration Angel which blanks all the flyers in our deck. Also because of all the flicker effects, trying to use Path to Exile is very tricky. Suffice it to say, I lost this match 0-2.
The best cards I can think of to counter this deck hard areHushwing Gryff and Hallowed Moonlight. I'm a little dubious of playing the gryff since it shuts down many of the tricks in our deck too, but it definetly would slow down our opponent in this case. Alternatively, moonlight has applications against reanimator strategies, chord and company decks, and a few others such that it might be a possible sideboard inclusion if I want to try to shore up my match-up here. Admittedly though, you shouldn't sideboard too heavily against niche decks. That's why I think moonlight would be decent, since it effects multiple decks.
After going 2-2, I was pushed out of making it to top 8 so I decided to drop. I had a fun time, and I'm already making plans to attend another PPTQ next weekend. Some last thoughts I have on the experience is that Smuggler's Copter is really good in this deck. We really need all the draw power we can get and in so many ways I just prefer this card to Serra Avenger. Also in glad I made the decision to main board 4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben. It was always relevant and a must-destroy target.
any thoughts from anyone? I'd love any advice on my deck list or on the matches I lost so I'll be ready next time.
4 Thraben Inspector
4 Path to Exile
4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
4 Leonin Arbiter
2 Smuggler's Copter
4 Flickerwisp
4 Blade Splicer
2 Aven Mindcensor
3 Mirran Crusader
3 Restoration Angel
10 Plains
4 Ghost Quarter
3 Tectonic Edge
2 Mutavault
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Scavenger Grounds
1 Eiganjo Castle
2 Ethersworn Canonist
2 Kataki, War's Wage
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Blessed Alliance
1 Pithing Needle
1 Relic of Progenitus
2 Rest in Peace
2 Stony Silence
1 Sunlance
I'll consider posting about my matches afterwards.
Death-Rage Nephilim
BRGW
Creature Legendary Nephilim
Trample, haste
Whenever ~ attacks, you may return target creature with converted mana cost 3 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped and attacking. That creature gains +3/+3 and trample until end of turn. Exile that creature at the beginning of the next endstep.
5/5
I know it seems a bit like the non-green nephilim, but I feel like this is a very good try at making a "Definetly Not Blue" nephilim
He already flips fairly easily in just mono-white DT. I'm sure it would be even easier with Lingering souls added
In my experience Kytheon eats removal more frequently then Dryad Militant would. I've head people Path him early in the game. I think there is a psychological factor about planeswalkers that makes people overreact. As I said in my original post, I've often been able to get in with Kytheon just by leaving up mana to activate his ability. I feel like Kytheon has dealt more damage in games than Dryad Militant has for me.
Right now I am thoroughly convinced that Kytheon is the one-drop we've always wanted. I was never fully sold on Judge's Familiar, Dryad Militant, or Student of Warfare. I play this list in paper and on Mtgo and I've had games that just completely warp around the turn 1 or 2 Kytheon. The activated ability does seem expensive at first but turned out in my experience to be very relevant. I've often got free attacks in by simply holding up mana to use the ability.
3 Kytheon, Hero of Akros
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
4 Leonin Arbiter
1 Spellskite
4 Blade Splicer
4 Flickerwisp
3 Vryn Wingmare
2 Brimaz, King of Oreskos
3 Restoration Angel
2 Hero of Bladehold
4 Æther Vial
4 Path to Exile
Lands: 23
12 Plains
4 Ghost Quarter
1 Mutavault
3 Tectonic Edge
2 Horizon Canopy
1 Eiganjo Castle
3 Kor Firewalker
3 Kataki, War's Wage
2 Stony Silence
2 Rest in Peace
3 Hallowed Moonlight
2 Sundering Growth
So what do y'all think of the list?