Affinity 2-0
It was fairly easy to manage. Thank God I am running 3 Fatal Pushes again. Landed Bitterblossom in each game and they literally won me the game, the card is nuts. Game 2 was the same. I saw none of my SB. After that, I played like 3-4 more games against the guy, for fun (he is a really good player) and won all of them but 1.
UB Tezzerator 1-1-1
Game 1 he assembled the combo and one just can't keep up with so many tokens. Game 2 I saw Stony Silence and kept a Disenchant in hand to deal with his Ensnaring Bridge for the last hit. The third game I went Inquisition of Kozilek for the Thopter Foundry into Surgical Extraction. Also considered saving this effect for the Ensnaring Bridge, because I had a Disenchant in hand, which I ended playing very nicely on his Wurmcoil Engine (that got me w/o removal after board) in response to a Ratchet Bomb activation that ended up killing his tokens as well. I believe he missed the kill in his penultimate turn when he could have ult Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas and played another one. Tied, nice games.
Death's Shadow Jund 2-0
Before starting the match the guy was bragging about how he had won every game of every match, so it was especially sweet to crush him 2-0. The match is unfairly favourable to us. Game 1 I had a nice hand, but game 2 I kept a 5 lander and was still able to pull the win of a resolved Lingering Souls. Luckily, he never saw a Temur battle rage.
I had real fun and was very happy with the results and the design of the deck. I won't be changing it anymore until I get the playset of Marsh Flats and Liliana of the Veil that I will play for a Duress or a Spectral Procession. 3 Bitterblossoms is just crazy powerful in our deck and I could see arguments for the 4th but I will stick to 3 now. Also, agreed with comments on Fatal Push. We needed something like that. I could also see the 4th one, but I feel 3 is okay with 2 Collective Brutality.
If you have any feedback on the SB tech or the deck, please do so!! Thanks!!
Why are you running wrath of god over dusk // dawn? Do you think that it's better to secure the board wipe against them or do you think creatures would slip under it to easily? I quite like you're list I run something quite similar although a little lighter on the discard in the mainboard. Also how has start // finish been? I've considered trying 1 of for testing I believe I'm running a 4th bitterblossom and a Gideon, Ally of Zendikar over them. Congrats on the finish!
I've been playing Blue Moon for a couple months now running a list based off what a mate of mine has been running for a while with a bit of success, I've been tweaking the list for awhile to suit how I think the meta is shaping up. However the store I play at casually has a very mixed meta, and a very slow one, I think the most represented archetype is either Mono Blue Tron or BW Tokens, but most people have a second deck or so and switch it up. My local store ran a larger tournament on a weekend recently and I managed to take it down with the following list.
The deck preformed really well and I got a lot of lucky top decks throughout the tournament. Here is the decks I played
UW Control (2-1)
-3 Burst lightning
-2 Blood Moon
-1 Electrolzye
+1 Vendillion Clique
+2 Negate
+2 Dispel
+1 Goblin Dark-Dwellers
8 Whack (2-0)
-4 Blood Moon
-2 Remand
+1 Engineered Explosives
+1 Izzet Staticaster
+2 Anger of the Gods
+2 Roast
Cheerios (2-0)
-3 Blood Moon
-2 Remand
+1 Vendilion Clique
+1 Anger of the Gods
+1 Engineered Explosives
+2 Dispel
Affinity (2-0)
- 2 Blood Moon
- 3 Remand
+1 Izzet Staticaster
+2 Anger of the Gods
+1 Ceremonious Rejection
+1 Engineered Explosives
Then cut to top 4
UB Mill -(2-1)
(Note this deck is more real than ever, Freying Sanity did work throughout this match up, Also I boarded incorrectly in this match up in hind sight and should of kept in more blood moons because there big 8 mill spells are UB and it's hard for them to get all those colours so even just remanding to stall for time worked out incredibly)
-3 Burst Lightning
-1 Ancestral
-3 Blood Moon
+1 Vendilion Clique
+2 Dispel
+2 Negate
+2 Spreading Seas
Affinity (2-1)
- 2 Blood Moon
- 3 Remand
+1 Izzet Staticaster
+2 Anger of the Gods
+1 Ceremonious Rejection
+1 Engineered Explosives
Sorry I can't give more analysis on the mach ups but my memory isn't great, the main take away is that Blood Moon is an incredible card to hide behind and I will continue to do so throughout the PPTQ Season, I'll try post any results I get. Also Mill is very scary if we can't get a clock down quick enough or don't draw counters we can just straight up lose.
I've been playing against the RG matchup a bit, the match up is really hard to win, you need a turn 1 or 2 threat and then you gotta draw a lot of counters. I think you need to keep in some number of terminate for the match up because that can save you up to 18 damage in the late game, it doesn't always feel great but it still flips delver of top!
Hey Guys, I've been looking at running a list similar to the Grixis Spell list that ChannelFireball put up some what recently. It only plays blue for Thing in the Ice and sideboard cards (such as Fevered Visions, I'm unsure if it's going to be maindeck worthy with the talk of aggro decks running around). Here's the list.
So the maindeck is pretty basic, and I'm unsure what I want in the board (although I think some number of Radiant flames and some number of Fevered Visions are highly likely) it is quite nice, Ideally you're playing a 2 drop creature then playing a 2cmc spell that has a discard attached and getting value out of madness. you can win quite quick if your creature goes unanswered, however if they do and you don't draw into a second it can be a little rough (althought you do have 8 ways to draw 2+ cards).
I don't think you're 100% correct on the infect comment there. What lands is infect removing for Fastlands? Infect is deliberatly going upto 9-10 fetches so you can better fuel delve and make your draws more relevant. They only have 4 fetchable targets(5 if you play Dryad Arbor). I don't think infect is going to be able to play anymore than 1-2 if at all.
When is the best time to buy Scalding Tarns? I'm want to play Grixis Delver in the upcoming modern season and it's the only card I'm missing. I'm currently playing 2 Bloodstained and 2 Flooded Strand in it's place.
Could this deck become Grixis Madness Control with the release of the upcoming set? Already we have Jace, Lightning Axe, Tormenting Voice as outlets, we have the 4/4 for Madness 3, we have Fiery Temper, we could run Curious Homuncullus as a cheap beater and allows us to play everything cheaper. Is this a new direction for the deck potentially or is it too gimmicky?
I think a big advantage of Clique is just having a flash threat that doesn't feel like we're wasting it's potential which is what it can feel if we're forced to flash in Snappy.
Land
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Polluted Delta
2 Watery Grave
2 Steam Vents
2 Sulfur Falls
1 Blood Crypt
3 Island
1 Mountain
1 Swamp
2 Creeping Tar Pit
Sideboard:
1 Negate
2 Dispel
2 Anger of the Gods
3 Fulminator Mage
1 Slaughter Games
1 Crypt Incursion
1 Izzet Staticaster
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Sun Droplet
2 Spellskite
I guess you have seen the list that made top 8 at grand prix los angeles, if you didn't, now you do.
I have abbandoned grixis before eldrazi time because i thought the meta was too linear-oriented for this deck to win, while modern is still linear-oriented, know we got ancestral vision, eldrazi is gone so he has a lot less bad match ups. Tron (you won't agree) is still annoying and burn is a nightmare but as you noticed they don't have such an high metagame percentage.
So my choices are, stick to grishoalbrand, the deck that I'm playing right now (i still think playing linear/non-interactive decks is the way to win modern) or jump back to grixis, what suggested me I could do so?
First, I love and hate mana leak, everyone expect it and it sucks when you can't cast it (to aggressive) or when you face ramp decks, this deck plays 0 mana leaks. It plays one remand, good against 2> mana cards, snapcaster, visions (they are a few but it's worth saying they exist) and delve cards (became immense above all). The mono negate is there as an answer to PW, i guess, but not only: i really like it because without leaks ad nauseam became much stronger. The mono dreadbore, somebody saw it coming and he was right, it's good: when you are cutting your counters for removal and visions you need an answer to PW. If you leave liliana from BGx the match up became much easier, same is true for jeskay and tron (tron I think is still annoying but you can bounce an early wurmcoil while racing with tasigur).
Now after I finished to point what I like from the list let's say what I'd modify and test. I don't like the 4 cryptic. It's still a time walk against aggro and it bounces wurmcoils but I feel like 3 of them is where I want to be. I'd probably add 1 vendilion because I always loved having one copy MD in almost every single match up. Then I'm not sure if I want to go 2 tasigur-1 frog instead of 3 tasigur: the main point here is that he wants to be able to cast tasigur t2 consistently when you are facing a deck you need to race: tron/burn/combo and so on, you can't just counter their spells because they have inevitability. I'll probably test it with 3 tasigur, if one is living you are probably already in a good shape.
Now let's take a look at the SB, i know i know, we have to build it thinking about our own meta or the meta we expect at the gp, but right now I don't have much time to play so I'll just build one generic SB and modify it with the card I own if I feel like the local meta is shifting.
1 Negate
2 Dispel
2 Anger of the Gods
3 Fulminator Mage
1 Slaughter Games
1 Crypt Incursion
1 Izzet Staticaster
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Sun Droplet
2 Spellskite
it's not very different from the SD I had before, what I don't like? Sun Droplet, I really don't. I don't think you have the time to take advantage of it's upsides compared to dragon's claw, I'd play the claw or the 3rd dispel. Slaughter games is a good card but I don't know in how many match would I side it in, but I am ready to change my mind: in which match ups would you play it? Cryptic Incursion, the card is not that bad, actually I changed my mind while I was writing, still, one question for you guys: when would you side it in? I don't think that burn has enough creatures, it would be a nice answer to kitchen finks, maybe affinity? In all this match ups I'd prefer to have a bolt/terminate to prevent the dmg instead of healing while staying behind on tempo...I am still confused about the card.
I'd like to discuss with you how to side in/out the T1 match ups in detail after I'll have tested it.
Thanks very much for every answer/opinion, the deck has the potential to do well, let's refine it together.
I tested a lot recently and I realzied what slaughter games is for, ad nauseam (obv) and scapeshift, 2 not really good match ups, I wouldn't side it it against tron so I need to test if I can beat tron without thoughtseize (which replaced slaughter games in my list).
What do you think?
Land
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Polluted Delta
2 Watery Grave
2 Steam Vents
2 Sulfur Falls
1 Blood Crypt
3 Island
1 Mountain
1 Swamp
2 Creeping Tar Pit
Sideboard:
1 Negate
2 Dispel
2 Anger of the Gods
3 Fulminator Mage
1 Slaughter Games
1 Crypt Incursion
1 Izzet Staticaster
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Sun Droplet
2 Spellskite
I guess you have seen the list that made top 8 at grand prix los angeles, if you didn't, now you do.
I have abbandoned grixis before eldrazi time because i thought the meta was too linear-oriented for this deck to win, while modern is still linear-oriented, know we got ancestral vision, eldrazi is gone so he has a lot less bad match ups. Tron (you won't agree) is still annoying and burn is a nightmare but as you noticed they don't have such an high metagame percentage.
So my choices are, stick to grishoalbrand, the deck that I'm playing right now (i still think playing linear/non-interactive decks is the way to win modern) or jump back to grixis, what suggested me I could do so?
First, I love and hate mana leak, everyone expect it and it sucks when you can't cast it (to aggressive) or when you face ramp decks, this deck plays 0 mana leaks. It plays one remand, good against 2> mana cards, snapcaster, visions (they are a few but it's worth saying they exist) and delve cards (became immense above all). The mono negate is there as an answer to PW, i guess, but not only: i really like it because without leaks ad nauseam became much stronger. The mono dreadbore, somebody saw it coming and he was right, it's good: when you are cutting your counters for removal and visions you need an answer to PW. If you leave liliana from BGx the match up became much easier, same is true for jeskay and tron (tron I think is still annoying but you can bounce an early wurmcoil while racing with tasigur).
Now after I finished to point what I like from the list let's say what I'd modify and test. I don't like the 4 cryptic. It's still a time walk against aggro and it bounces wurmcoils but I feel like 3 of them is where I want to be. I'd probably add 1 vendilion because I always loved having one copy MD in almost every single match up. Then I'm not sure if I want to go 2 tasigur-1 frog instead of 3 tasigur: the main point here is that he wants to be able to cast tasigur t2 consistently when you are facing a deck you need to race: tron/burn/combo and so on, you can't just counter their spells because they have inevitability. I'll probably test it with 3 tasigur, if one is living you are probably already in a good shape.
Now let's take a look at the SB, i know i know, we have to build it thinking about our own meta or the meta we expect at the gp, but right now I don't have much time to play so I'll just build one generic SB and modify it with the card I own if I feel like the local meta is shifting.
1 Negate
2 Dispel
2 Anger of the Gods
3 Fulminator Mage
1 Slaughter Games
1 Crypt Incursion
1 Izzet Staticaster
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Sun Droplet
2 Spellskite
it's not very different from the SD I had before, what I don't like? Sun Droplet, I really don't. I don't think you have the time to take advantage of it's upsides compared to dragon's claw, I'd play the claw or the 3rd dispel. Slaughter games is a good card but I don't know in how many match would I side it in, but I am ready to change my mind: in which match ups would you play it? Cryptic Incursion, the card is not that bad, actually I changed my mind while I was writing, still, one question for you guys: when would you side it in? I don't think that burn has enough creatures, it would be a nice answer to kitchen finks, maybe affinity? In all this match ups I'd prefer to have a bolt/terminate to prevent the dmg instead of healing while staying behind on tempo...I am still confused about the card.
I'd like to discuss with you how to side in/out the T1 match ups in detail after I'll have tested it.
Thanks very much for every answer/opinion, the deck has the potential to do well, let's refine it together.
I tested a lot recently and I realzied what slaughter games is for, ad nauseam (obv) and scapeshift, 2 not really good match ups, I wouldn't side it it against tron so I need to test if I can beat tron without thoughtseize (which replaced slaughter games in my list).
What do you think?
What a polite forum, in one week not even an answer. You are discussing more a grixis midrange then control, maybe you should change the name of the post.
Sorry, I know I'm not one of the main posters by any stretch of the imagination but I lurk and should of realsied no one mentioned something. Something I've really been in between is what is better, Fulminator or Crumble to Dust? Also I love the mainboard negate and agree with you about disliking 4 cryptic mainboard, I think I wouldn't even go past 2.
I've been playing WB Tokens for over a year now, slowly upgrading the Modern Event Deck. I've got a Raise the Alarm build expecting mostly an aggro meta. As it is a semi-budget build, I've been waiting for a Marsh Flats reprint and run none. However, I've just recently acquired 2 extra Windswept Heath and these are pretty much my first major buys into fetch lands. I would appreciate any thoughtful comments on the build, specially on the manabase. Is it correct to -1 Plains and -1 Isolated Chapel for the new fetches? 2 Shambling Vent are feasible and on my radar for a next buy. Are they worth it over a couple of Windbrisk Heights? How do I make room for at least 2 Ghost Quarter?
I think you'd be best to cut 1 swamp and 1 plains for the new fetches. You don't really want to be running any more than 1 swamp because white is our base colour and we want to be able to reliably cast Spectral procession on turn 3. I see that you have Bile Blight in your maindeck though, I'd recommend changing those into either Dismembers or Doom Blades or maybe one of each then you can see which you like more. However if you're list is budget I'd recommend posing it in the Budget B/W Tokens section. Not only will people not get as grump, but you're more likely to get better advise on which cards are best to start investing in. For example, Marsh Flats aren't really necessary, notice a lot of deck lists here play a fully built deck except don't play marsh flats because searching for swamp with Marsh flats is rarely necessary as you want just 1 or 2 black sources and the rest white with a utility land here or there. Here's my list as an examples
This is also the decklist I'm likely playing tomorrow at a GPT so I'll give a report after the event. I'm still unsure on utility lands so I have 1 of each that I like, plus I have 14 Black untapped sources for turn 1 discard, 21 White sources so that I can reliably cast spectral turn 3 (which I'll admit is 1 less that what Frank Karsten recommneds here ( http://www.channelfireball.com/articles/frank-analysis-how-many-colored-mana-sources-do-you-need-to-consistently-cast-your-spells/)) I'm new to the 4 of Bitterblossom I had been running 3 and hoping someone can lend me one there, if not I'l put a secure the wastes in that slot. The Sideboard I'll admit is a mess, but I think there is a couple nice one of's that might catch people of guard, Hallowed Moonlight being good against CoCo which is a rough match up and I know there is a Griselbrand Player there so that's good against their tricks too. The Day of Judgement should be an hour of reckoning I think, but I don't have one yet. Any comments/critisms would be appreciated c:
Yeah of course sorry my message came out the wrong way, I was just saying that a lot of webstie mash decks together even if they are fairly different, but I think that your idea of midrange and control being close enough is accurate and a good idea, although put the title as Grixis Control/Midrange, just so people know that both are in there would help for clarity.
I agree, there is a bit of a difference between the decks, I think most people agree it's discard vs counters, but based on the way that other websites classify the decks (MTG Top 8 once had a Grixis List with 4 Delver of Secrets put in the Grixis Control section) I think these two archetypes 50 odd other cards that are the same would allow for meaningful discussion in the same thread.
Personally I don't think I would ever take out Mutagenic Growth entirely. Without that card turn 2 kills are impossible, and we are usually trying to race our opponents.
incorrect, you can turn 2 kill with Becoming immense and +4/+4 if oyu use gitaxian probe plus fetches
Why are you running wrath of god over dusk // dawn? Do you think that it's better to secure the board wipe against them or do you think creatures would slip under it to easily? I quite like you're list I run something quite similar although a little lighter on the discard in the mainboard. Also how has start // finish been? I've considered trying 1 of for testing I believe I'm running a 4th bitterblossom and a Gideon, Ally of Zendikar over them. Congrats on the finish!
I've been playing Blue Moon for a couple months now running a list based off what a mate of mine has been running for a while with a bit of success, I've been tweaking the list for awhile to suit how I think the meta is shaping up. However the store I play at casually has a very mixed meta, and a very slow one, I think the most represented archetype is either Mono Blue Tron or BW Tokens, but most people have a second deck or so and switch it up. My local store ran a larger tournament on a weekend recently and I managed to take it down with the following list.
// 1 Artifact
1 Batterskull
// 7 Creature
4 Snapcaster Mage
3 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
// 4 Enchantment
4 Blood Moon
// 19 Instant
2 Spell Snare
2 Cryptic Command
3 Electrolyze
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Remand
3 Burst Lightning
1 Logic Knot
8 Island
1 Mountain
3 Steam Vents
4 Scalding Tarn
1 Sulfur Falls
3 Polluted Delta
1 Flooded Strand
1 Misty Rainforest
// 7 Sorcery
4 Serum Visions
3 Ancestral Vision
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Izzet Staticaster
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Goblin Dark-Dwellers
2 Spreading Seas
2 Negate
2 Dispel
1 Ceremonious Rejection
2 Anger of the Gods
2 Roast
The deck preformed really well and I got a lot of lucky top decks throughout the tournament. Here is the decks I played
UW Control (2-1)
-3 Burst lightning
-2 Blood Moon
-1 Electrolzye
+1 Vendillion Clique
+2 Negate
+2 Dispel
+1 Goblin Dark-Dwellers
8 Whack (2-0)
-4 Blood Moon
-2 Remand
+1 Engineered Explosives
+1 Izzet Staticaster
+2 Anger of the Gods
+2 Roast
Cheerios (2-0)
-3 Blood Moon
-2 Remand
+1 Vendilion Clique
+1 Anger of the Gods
+1 Engineered Explosives
+2 Dispel
Affinity (2-0)
- 2 Blood Moon
- 3 Remand
+1 Izzet Staticaster
+2 Anger of the Gods
+1 Ceremonious Rejection
+1 Engineered Explosives
Then cut to top 4
UB Mill -(2-1)
(Note this deck is more real than ever, Freying Sanity did work throughout this match up, Also I boarded incorrectly in this match up in hind sight and should of kept in more blood moons because there big 8 mill spells are UB and it's hard for them to get all those colours so even just remanding to stall for time worked out incredibly)
-3 Burst Lightning
-1 Ancestral
-3 Blood Moon
+1 Vendilion Clique
+2 Dispel
+2 Negate
+2 Spreading Seas
Affinity (2-1)
- 2 Blood Moon
- 3 Remand
+1 Izzet Staticaster
+2 Anger of the Gods
+1 Ceremonious Rejection
+1 Engineered Explosives
Sorry I can't give more analysis on the mach ups but my memory isn't great, the main take away is that Blood Moon is an incredible card to hide behind and I will continue to do so throughout the PPTQ Season, I'll try post any results I get. Also Mill is very scary if we can't get a clock down quick enough or don't draw counters we can just straight up lose.
4 Spirebluff Canal
4 Smoldering Marsh
8 Mountain
2 Swamp
4 Thermo-Alchemist
2 Bedlam Reveler
4 Lightning Axe
4 Collective Brutality
4 Cathartic Reunion
4 Tormenting Voice
4 Alms of the Vein
4 Fiery Temper
4 Incendiary Flow
So the maindeck is pretty basic, and I'm unsure what I want in the board (although I think some number of Radiant flames and some number of Fevered Visions are highly likely) it is quite nice, Ideally you're playing a 2 drop creature then playing a 2cmc spell that has a discard attached and getting value out of madness. you can win quite quick if your creature goes unanswered, however if they do and you don't draw into a second it can be a little rough (althought you do have 8 ways to draw 2+ cards).
Sorry, I know I'm not one of the main posters by any stretch of the imagination but I lurk and should of realsied no one mentioned something. Something I've really been in between is what is better, Fulminator or Crumble to Dust? Also I love the mainboard negate and agree with you about disliking 4 cryptic mainboard, I think I wouldn't even go past 2.
I think you'd be best to cut 1 swamp and 1 plains for the new fetches. You don't really want to be running any more than 1 swamp because white is our base colour and we want to be able to reliably cast Spectral procession on turn 3. I see that you have Bile Blight in your maindeck though, I'd recommend changing those into either Dismembers or Doom Blades or maybe one of each then you can see which you like more. However if you're list is budget I'd recommend posing it in the Budget B/W Tokens section. Not only will people not get as grump, but you're more likely to get better advise on which cards are best to start investing in. For example, Marsh Flats aren't really necessary, notice a lot of deck lists here play a fully built deck except don't play marsh flats because searching for swamp with Marsh flats is rarely necessary as you want just 1 or 2 black sources and the rest white with a utility land here or there. Here's my list as an examples
3 Plains
1 Swamp
3 Marsh Flats
2 Windswept Heath
1 Vault of the Archangel
1 Shambling Vent
1 Windbrisk Heights
3 Flooded Strand
1 Westvale Abbey
3 Isolated Chapel
1 Caves of Koilos
4 Lingering Souls
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
3 Thoughtseize
2 Timely Reinforcements
1 Murderous Cut
2 Doom Blade
1 Zealous Persecution
4 Path to Exile
3 Sorin, Solemn Visitor
1 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
4 Bitterblossom
4 Intangible Virtue
2 Rest in Peace
1 Stony Silence
1 Sundering Growth
2 Duress
3 Fulminator Mage
3 Auriok Champion
1 Hallowed Moonlight
1 Day of Judgment
1 Zealous Persecution
This is also the decklist I'm likely playing tomorrow at a GPT so I'll give a report after the event. I'm still unsure on utility lands so I have 1 of each that I like, plus I have 14 Black untapped sources for turn 1 discard, 21 White sources so that I can reliably cast spectral turn 3 (which I'll admit is 1 less that what Frank Karsten recommneds here ( http://www.channelfireball.com/articles/frank-analysis-how-many-colored-mana-sources-do-you-need-to-consistently-cast-your-spells/)) I'm new to the 4 of Bitterblossom I had been running 3 and hoping someone can lend me one there, if not I'l put a secure the wastes in that slot. The Sideboard I'll admit is a mess, but I think there is a couple nice one of's that might catch people of guard, Hallowed Moonlight being good against CoCo which is a rough match up and I know there is a Griselbrand Player there so that's good against their tricks too. The Day of Judgement should be an hour of reckoning I think, but I don't have one yet. Any comments/critisms would be appreciated c:
incorrect, you can turn 2 kill with Becoming immense and +4/+4 if oyu use gitaxian probe plus fetches