Game 1:
Opponent mulled to 4 game one. They went stomping grounds search for tomorrow. I didn't have quick tron so I cast a turn 6 Wurmcoil Engine. I shouldn't have done this. Giant punt. They drew the 7th land and played Scapeshift with me at 17 from Sakura-Tribe Elder beats.
Game 2: I kept a natural tron, island, TKS and remand hand. I played a turn 5 TKS with remand back up and the game didn't really have much after that. I followed it up with another TKS and the opponent scooped them up.
Game 3:
My opening hand had quick tron with a map, 2 tron lands and a TKS. Unfortunately it didn't have any counter magic, in retrospect I should have mulliganed more aggressively to have counter magic and a clock. Once again my opponent hit me with Steve beats for 3 turns. On turn 5 they draw step Vendilion Cliqued me and took my only counterspell. I drew thirst for knowledge off of it. They had the negate to counter it when I cast it in response to their scapeshift on 7 lands.
Round 2: Hardened Scales 2-1
This matchup, as well as regular affinity seem to be one of our best. Walking Ballista and Repeal are unfair cards in this matchup.
Game 1:
My opponent had a relative fast start with a turn 1 hardened scales. I had quick tron, island, repeal and walking ballista. they played turn 2 hangarback walker and I repealed it. I eventually dismember a Inkmoth Nexus as they try to go all in on it with a 9/9 Arcbound Ravager. I played another walking ballista and they make me kill them.
Game 3: I mulliganed to 6 keeping 2 Spatial Contortion, Island, Tronland, expedition map and repeal. I lead with Tronland map. They played an arcbound worker and I spatialed it. They then played hangarback and i repealed that. The game went on for 10 minutes of me answering everything they had. They eventually tried to go all in again on an inkmoth but on the activation I overloaded a cyclonic rift, and then dismembered the inkmoth. I played a wurmcoil on my next turn. I hit them from 24 to 0 with that wurmcoil.
Round 3: Mono Green Control? 2-1
I think this is the Corbin Hosler brew that he recently played on the tcgplayer youtube channel. plow under, mwonvuli acid-moss with dumb green finishers.
Game 1:
I played a turn 4 wurmcoil after countering a trinisphere (just to deny them a play for a turn). I hit them with it and then cast a 2nd one on turn 6.
Game 2:
They led with land arbor elf. I played land map, the played land utopia sprawl, into Mwonvuli Acid-Moss. I never got to 3 lands. I conceded when they put my second land on top and tutored acidic slime with primal command.
I should have re-sideboarded after this game but I was tilted and forgot to.
Game 3:
My opener had tons of hate for them and I played a turn 3 Thought-knot seer. They were stuck on 2 lands and I took a Lignify. They drew the third one and beast withined it. I played another tks and the game was pretty much over.
Round 4: WB Tokens 2-0
There was a repair during the round otherwise I would have been paired against RB Burn. Very happy there was a repair.
Game 1:
Kept a relative controlling hand with repeal, and 2 condescend. The only threat my opponent landed was an Auriok Champion and I let them have 2 Intangible Virtue. I played ugin on turn 4 and -2ed, killing their entire board. They asked me if there was anyway they might get out of it.. I responded "No, not with what I think could be in your deck."
Game 2: I had a quick tron again, island and counterspells. They played 3 Intangible Virtues, and 1 Auriok Champion. They played a bitterblossom and I let it deal them 1 damage. I played ugin again, they conceded.
Was a fun night despite punting really hard against Bring to Light Scapeshift. I think next week with this meta I'll try my thought-knots in the main board rather than the side. There is hardly and aggressive decks where dismember is good. There is a lot of midrange but I have plenty of things I can side in. There is tons of token based decks at my lgs too, so I figured playing the EE in the main was a fine decision.
Congrats on the 4-0! Supreme Will and Emrakul, the Aeons Torn you'll have a hard time finding matchups to side in because they aren't really side board cards. I'm playing 1 Supreme Will, and its a fine card in the main. Its a card I often find myself boarding out, I'm tempted to just drop it completely. Emrakul, the Aeons Torn is a card that doesn't really belong in this deck casting a 15 mana card is a tall order. She is pretty much only in decks that can cheat her out. To also go along with most people, cyclonic rift is a main deck card.
Ghost Quarter along with the crucible of worlds would have been fine to bring in against rock since they are playing some number of creature lands.
I'm also curious as to you siding out all 4 remand in every matchup. I think it's probably right against phoenix and eldrazi taxes, but I'm not sure about it against rock and bogles.
You could try to put some number of spatial contortion in your side to help shore up creature matchups or put in some number of negate to help with control or noncreature combo.
I haven't been on a shok list in a while but solemn and karn are still solid cards. If you are cutting one, I'd personally cut solemn.
Your sideboard seems solid, I agree with cutting the Titan. You just go up to the full 4 spatial contortion or the third spreading seas.
I know a lot of people are high on gemstone caverns but "stealing the play" at cost of a card is kinda meh to me. A crucible of worlds or another land destruction land could also hedge against Tron too. spell snare is also a really fun card to have against storm too.
That meta isn't actually too bad for U tron. Dredge being an awful matchup, same with goblins (if they have a good start, and you don't have turn 2 chalice on the play). Since the meta is so aggressive you could and probably should only play 1 mindslaver.
Storm is probably one of our best matchups so I agree you just weren't playing it right. Most of the time I find myself playing very hard control. Just counter all the key stuff, gifts ungiven, and creatures. They have a hard time winning after that. One thing I found really helpful to learn how to play against storm, is to play ~50 games of storm to learn how it really operates. You'll learn when they are bluffing or ritual spamming to try and just get there. Do this with proxies or your free online platform of choice (I use xmage). However with this hard control you just can't try to counter everything. A 2/2 ballista or even just treasure/trinket/snapcaster mage beats has won me games against storm. You just need to learn when you can go shields down (even just partially) to get a threat in and start actually winning the game.
If you want more game versus elves, I'd suggest going up to 3 walking ballista in the main. The card is nuts versus any creature deck. Even just 2 of them along with your EE will suffice. I'm currently playing 3 dismember in the mainboard and Never find they are bad. If you can slip in one into your main I would highly recommend it.
With 2 dredge, phoenix and storm, I don't know how your sideboard looks but if you wanted to play a Tormod's Crypt or Relic of Progenitus in the main it wouldn't hurt you. With that much graveyard recursion it might actually just be right to try that. Maybe even 2 relics, they are less dead versus the non graveyard decks because they draw cards if you can't pitch them to thirst.
I'm a huge fan of thought-knot seer and play 3 in my board. Its amazing versus Tron and Storm in that meta.
You could always try Mardu Pyromancer. It's a solid mid-range deck that grinds people into dust. It is not a fast deck, expect games to go long or die quickly.
Another thing that might be slightly lower power level is Assault Loam. I personally haven't played it but it looks like a blast and probably suffers the same speed problems as Mardu.
Another solid option that is probably the strongest but most expensive of the three I'm listing is just Jund/ GB rock. The epitome of the modern mid-range deck.
I definitely agree with the reasoning on Hieroglyphic Illumination being nice at instant speed on both sides. Especially over opt and most lists playing some number of chalice of the voids. The card would be insane if it was 1U cycle and do a sleight of hand or opt effect.
Most Games I tend to play have at least 2 blue sources at the end win or lose. I don't think we are necessarily losing if we don't have fast tron, but it certainly helps. If we wanted fast tron, I would just play mono green. This card is definitely insane in the long game, drawing two cards instant speed is nice. I always find myself wanting more interaction in early turns, maybe just playing relic of progenitus. The relic cantrips early which is a definite plus, and having some form of graveyard hate (although minuscule) in the main gives us some amount of percentage points. There is a ton of graveyard based decks running rampant, as well as some that just use it as value. This would still not change my sideboard full of graveyard hate, this would bring my GY hate up to 5 cards through out the 75 which could just be right (3 surgical extraction and 1 Tormod's Crypt in the side currently).
I'm already playing 3 dismember in the main, to give me turn 1 interaction on the draw. To offset that I'm on 3 wurmcoil engine and tempted to go to a fourth, with Burn and Mono-red Phoenix coming up in popularity.
I'm going to give one Hieroglyphic Illumination a try though. I don't think more than one would be correct because it is definitely clunky at 4 mana and not the easiest to cycle early in the game.
Hi guys, I write because I need some advice and explanation of some card.
Can someone of you answer why MYR battlesphere is not played in Utron?
And what do you think about supreme will?
Last but not least, nimble obstructionist is really needed?
I've never been a huge fan of battle ball but I could see why it could be played and useful in some matchups. It making multiple bodies is definitely no joke.
I've been in love with supreme will in the shell of U Tron I play, I just went back down to a singular copy of it to put back in the fourth expedition map. A lot of people never play around supreme will, the expect you to have up remand or thirst. The random counter mode on this is great. The impulse mode is something I find my self doing a lot
side note, perhaps we need another card draw card? I was thinking about playing with a singleton copy of hieroglyphic illumination, it gives us another turn one play as well as something powerful in the late game. This could be a wrong choice but its just a thought.
Nimble Obstructionist is a card I used to play with and liked but never loved. Sure the Stifle mode of it feels good but rarely wins the game. (Only have had this happen once, stifling a fetch land of my GDS opponent. Leaving them with zero lands) The Flash creature mode is probably the stronger of the half and even then I'd rather just play another big threat. 3 mana is the tough spot for this deck because we are either casting a wurmcoil engine with 3 lands or thirst for knowledge.
TLDR: I agree with what Barrin_master_wizard basically said
Walking Ballista is definitely great to have in the deck. I'm playing the full 4 in the deck and don't regret it. I've never been a fan of fabricate, if I'm going to play a tutor, I'd rather it be one the mages (Trinket/treasure).They block for a turn or can represent a clock that most control decks just let sit there for couple turns.
If you are worried about burn you can play more wurmcoils or more chalice in the maindeck. Wurmcoil is also good against humans, same with walking ballista.
I don't know if pithing needle is needed in the board, the things with activated abilities we are really worried about we normally can answer pretty easily (e.g. Teferi), they are spending 5 and we'll probably win that counter war with them down 5 mana.
I used to play batterskull and Sundering titan. They were fun when they got people but I've that wurmcoil engine is just way better. It comes in the same turn as batterskull if we have fast tron, or a turn faster than titan. I think titan is a win more rather than a win condition.
When you spreading seas them it looks like you might have Ceremonious Rejection and maybe a remand? I think that in the current turn and your knowledge of their hand, you might have made the right play. But I think conservatively you could have held up the ceremonious for the karn/ulamog. and still had a land left. Played your island and try to survive from there. The opps hand was so full of gas it was unlikely for you to win anyway but this line might have given you a turn or two more to get out of it.
I'm curious at no tolaria west in that list, especially with 4 chalice and 3 ballista in it. I'm also wondering about the two crucible in the list. I think we have enough game against control that even one is sometimes not needed. A great turn one play against more of the meta is dismember, a good card against burn (at least the creatures) is spatial contortion.
If you can afford surgical extraction I highly recommend them.the card is insane vs a lot modern. Just remember it only comes in against graveyard combo decks (and Tron if you are blowing up their lands). Not vs everything like a lot of people like to do.
I've never had an issue with it but my sample size it quite small. I'm currently 3-0(6-0) vs it. A well timed counter spell and making sure they never really get off the ground is vital. Early pressure from a snapcaster or small ballista is enough if you have the right amount of tempo and counters.
Finally got to play again after being busy with finishing up school the last couple weeks. Went 4-0 at my home town store after not playing there for over a year.
Game One:
I didn't know what they were playing but they announced they were playing something spicy for everyone to hear. So I assumed it was some kind of combo deck and kept a hand with a few counterspells. They managed to get a blasting station into play but I kept them off the Enduring Renewal. I landed the mindslaver lock on turn 8.
Game Two:
Kept a kind of risky hand with surgical extraction in it. I didn't have any dismembers or repeals. Their turn one they play an ornithopter. i play land pass and then turn two, they played Ensoul Artifact. I didn't draw any removal.
Game Three:
I kept a hand with 4 lands, Thought-Knot Seer, Remand, and a Supreme Will. I managed to counter their turn three ensoul artifact. I play Thought-knot and taking blasting station when they have 3 renewals in hand and only 2 lands. I hit them a couple times and play a second one, taking Teferi. I attack for 8 with them at 11 and me having 7 lands. They don't block and I play a 3/3 Ballista for the kill.
Round 2: Abzan Tokens 2-1
Game 1:
I mulled to 5 and kept 3 lands, dismember and remand. I didn't see a third land till they have 4 2/2 vigilance tokens in play.
Sideboard:
In: 2 Negate, 1 spell snare, 1 EE
Out: 3 Dismember, 1 Field of Ruin.
Game 2:
I went tronland map. A different tron land turn 2. On the end of their turn 2 I cracked map and the assassin's trophied my land and then surgicaled it. I thought the game was over. But I managed to hold onto the game with a few strong repeals and an insane value overloaded cylconic rift. I end up playing a turn 9 Ugin off of 8 lands. and then followed up with a wurmcoil engine.
Sideboard:
I realized my mistake and wanted some thought-knots
In: 3 Thought-knot Seer
out: 1 map, 2 remand (I think)
Game 3:
I start off with a really medium hand. It had tron, mindslaver and 3 counter spells. I kept regardless and ended playing mindslaver turn 4 and cracking turn 5. I did this two turns in a row just as time walks until I drew a blue source. I eventually did and had another insane cyclonic rift. Then I chained thirsts into Thought-knots. I did some fancy repeal things to evade their Voice of Resurgence tokens and managed to take the game after drawing Ugin.
Round 3: Storm 2-0
I was on the draw and kept an okay hand but It had 2 dismember and a counter spell. I hit both of their first two dorks with those dismember. They try a mini go off to kill my 4/4 walking ballista and fizzle with my well timed remand. I get the ballista up to a 7/7 with them being stuck on two lands.
Sideboard:
IN; everything but the spatial contortions
Out: 3 wurmcoil engine, 2 Field of ruin, 2 Map, 1 Ugin, 1 oblivion stone, 1 Supreme Will, (unsure about the last card)
Game 2:
My opening hand has 3 lands, spell snare, negate, remand, dismember. They go off and I managed to play around them being able to flashback Past in Flames and cast things in their graveyard and stop the storm counter at 15. I then hit them for 7 turns in a row with snapcaster mage. I draw basically all of my countermagic and the tormod's crypt. It was just enough to get there.
Round 3: 2-1 Living End
Game 1: They play a turn 2 fulminator mage, hit me with it then next turn and cast Demonic dread second main saccing it in response. I didn't have the counter spell.
SideBoard:
IN: 3 Surgical Extraction, 1 Tormod's Crypt 2 Negate, 3 Thought-Knot Seer
OUT: 2 Walking Ballista, 2 Field of Ruin, 1 Map, 1 Mindslaver, 3 Dismember
I opted not to have dismember because their threats are basically all recursive If my opponent gets to do their thing, and if they aren't i'm probably winning
Game 2:
I keep an okay hand that has a ton of counter magic. They casted a turn 2 fulminator again and hit my academy ruins. I didn't want to do it the hard way but we did. I played a turn 5 Mindslaver and cracked it basically annihilating their hand. I managed to play runner thought-knots. and they scoop it up. I fetched and got to see their deck and didn't see Ricochet Trap so I knew my counterspells had the all clear.
Game 3:
I mull to 6 and keep a great hand with tron, island, negate and surigical. they hit me a fulminator 5 turns in a row and conceal my academy ruins. I play a wurmcoil and they Violent Outburst with it on the stack. I surgical the 3 Monstrous Carabid and 2 Fulminator Mage in their yard, with it on the stack leaving them with only 2 Horror of the Broken Lands and an Ingot Chewer that gets my oblivion stone. we go back and forth with me casting wurmcoil engine every other turn. I eventually get enough lands to play Ugin for all 8 mana. I minus 5 him and still continue to wurmcoil engine chain.
MVP: Academy Ruins and Thought-Knot Seer
I love TKS to bring in against basically everything but midrange. No one expects the thoughtseize and sizable blocker games 2 and 3. Winning FNM felt great after being unable to play modern 3 weeks in a row.
Hello everyone! I'm just about finished up picking up this deck and I've been thinking about what you normally board out. (I.E. what are the easy board outs based on any matchup). I've been having issues deciding what to actually board out, especially against control.
4 Urza's Mine
4 Urza's Power Plant
4 Urza's Tower
6 Island
1 Tolaria West
2 Field of Ruin
1 Academy Ruins
3 River Of Tears
Creatures (8)
4 Walking Ballista
1 Snapcaster Mage
3 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
Spells (19)
4 Condescend
3 Repeal
3 Remand
3 Dismember
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Engineered Explosives
4 Thirst For Knowledge
Artifacts(7)
4 Expedition Map
1 Oblivion Stone
2 Mindslaver
1 Tormod's Crypt
3 Surgical Extraction
2 Spell Snare
2 Negate
4 Spatial Contortion
3 Thought-Knot Seer
Round 1: Bring to Light Scapeshift 1-2
Game 1:
Opponent mulled to 4 game one. They went stomping grounds search for tomorrow. I didn't have quick tron so I cast a turn 6 Wurmcoil Engine. I shouldn't have done this. Giant punt. They drew the 7th land and played Scapeshift with me at 17 from Sakura-Tribe Elder beats.
SB:
IN: 3 Thought-knot Seer, 2 Negate, 3Surgical Extraction
Out: 2 Dismember, 1Wurmcoil Engine, 1 Engineered Explosives, 3 repeal, 1 Oblivion Stone, 1 Ugin, The Spirit Dragon
Game 2: I kept a natural tron, island, TKS and remand hand. I played a turn 5 TKS with remand back up and the game didn't really have much after that. I followed it up with another TKS and the opponent scooped them up.
SB: I saw that the opponent was playing Peer Through Depths and Search for Azcanta and saw zero creatures other than Steve.
IN: 2 Spell Snare
OUT: 1 Dismember, 1 Expedition Map
Game 3:
My opening hand had quick tron with a map, 2 tron lands and a TKS. Unfortunately it didn't have any counter magic, in retrospect I should have mulliganed more aggressively to have counter magic and a clock. Once again my opponent hit me with Steve beats for 3 turns. On turn 5 they draw step Vendilion Cliqued me and took my only counterspell. I drew thirst for knowledge off of it. They had the negate to counter it when I cast it in response to their scapeshift on 7 lands.
Round 2: Hardened Scales 2-1
This matchup, as well as regular affinity seem to be one of our best. Walking Ballista and Repeal are unfair cards in this matchup.
Game 1:
My opponent had a relative fast start with a turn 1 hardened scales. I had quick tron, island, repeal and walking ballista. they played turn 2 hangarback walker and I repealed it. I eventually dismember a Inkmoth Nexus as they try to go all in on it with a 9/9 Arcbound Ravager. I played another walking ballista and they make me kill them.
SB:
IN: 4 Spatial Contortion, 3 Thought-Knot Seer,
OUT: 1 Mindslaver, 1 Ugin, The Spirit Dragon, 3 Remand, 1 Expedition Map, 1 condescend
Game 2: They had again with turn 1 Hardened Scales, into hangarback walker. Then into Arcbound Ravager and 2Arcbound Worker. I couldn't come back from this drawing zero of my sideboard cards.
Game 3: I mulliganed to 6 keeping 2 Spatial Contortion, Island, Tronland, expedition map and repeal. I lead with Tronland map. They played an arcbound worker and I spatialed it. They then played hangarback and i repealed that. The game went on for 10 minutes of me answering everything they had. They eventually tried to go all in again on an inkmoth but on the activation I overloaded a cyclonic rift, and then dismembered the inkmoth. I played a wurmcoil on my next turn. I hit them from 24 to 0 with that wurmcoil.
Round 3: Mono Green Control? 2-1
I think this is the Corbin Hosler brew that he recently played on the tcgplayer youtube channel. plow under, mwonvuli acid-moss with dumb green finishers.
Game 1:
I played a turn 4 wurmcoil after countering a trinisphere (just to deny them a play for a turn). I hit them with it and then cast a 2nd one on turn 6.
SB: I thought this might have been a weird mono green stompy or ponza because all I really saw was Utopian Sprawl, Arbor Elf, Trinisphere, and 2 forests.
In: 4 Spatial Contortion, 3Thought-Knot Seer
Out: 3 Remand, 1 Mindslaver, 1Field of Ruin, 2 Condescend
Game 2:
They led with land arbor elf. I played land map, the played land utopia sprawl, into Mwonvuli Acid-Moss. I never got to 3 lands. I conceded when they put my second land on top and tutored acidic slime with primal command.
I should have re-sideboarded after this game but I was tilted and forgot to.
Game 3:
My opener had tons of hate for them and I played a turn 3 Thought-knot seer. They were stuck on 2 lands and I took a Lignify. They drew the third one and beast withined it. I played another tks and the game was pretty much over.
Round 4: WB Tokens 2-0
There was a repair during the round otherwise I would have been paired against RB Burn. Very happy there was a repair.
Game 1:
Kept a relative controlling hand with repeal, and 2 condescend. The only threat my opponent landed was an Auriok Champion and I let them have 2 Intangible Virtue. I played ugin on turn 4 and -2ed, killing their entire board. They asked me if there was anyway they might get out of it.. I responded "No, not with what I think could be in your deck."
SB:
IN: 2 Spell Snare, 2 Negate, 2Thought-Knot Seer
OUT: 3Dismember, 1Expedition Map, 1 Field of Ruin, 1 Wurmcoil Engine
Game 2: I had a quick tron again, island and counterspells. They played 3 Intangible Virtues, and 1 Auriok Champion. They played a bitterblossom and I let it deal them 1 damage. I played ugin again, they conceded.
Was a fun night despite punting really hard against Bring to Light Scapeshift. I think next week with this meta I'll try my thought-knots in the main board rather than the side. There is hardly and aggressive decks where dismember is good. There is a lot of midrange but I have plenty of things I can side in. There is tons of token based decks at my lgs too, so I figured playing the EE in the main was a fine decision.
Ghost Quarter along with the crucible of worlds would have been fine to bring in against rock since they are playing some number of creature lands.
I'm also curious as to you siding out all 4 remand in every matchup. I think it's probably right against phoenix and eldrazi taxes, but I'm not sure about it against rock and bogles.
You could try to put some number of spatial contortion in your side to help shore up creature matchups or put in some number of negate to help with control or noncreature combo.
Your sideboard seems solid, I agree with cutting the Titan. You just go up to the full 4 spatial contortion or the third spreading seas.
I know a lot of people are high on gemstone caverns but "stealing the play" at cost of a card is kinda meh to me. A crucible of worlds or another land destruction land could also hedge against Tron too.
spell snare is also a really fun card to have against storm too.
Storm is probably one of our best matchups so I agree you just weren't playing it right. Most of the time I find myself playing very hard control. Just counter all the key stuff, gifts ungiven, and creatures. They have a hard time winning after that. One thing I found really helpful to learn how to play against storm, is to play ~50 games of storm to learn how it really operates. You'll learn when they are bluffing or ritual spamming to try and just get there. Do this with proxies or your free online platform of choice (I use xmage). However with this hard control you just can't try to counter everything. A 2/2 ballista or even just treasure/trinket/snapcaster mage beats has won me games against storm. You just need to learn when you can go shields down (even just partially) to get a threat in and start actually winning the game.
If you want more game versus elves, I'd suggest going up to 3 walking ballista in the main. The card is nuts versus any creature deck. Even just 2 of them along with your EE will suffice. I'm currently playing 3 dismember in the mainboard and Never find they are bad. If you can slip in one into your main I would highly recommend it.
With 2 dredge, phoenix and storm, I don't know how your sideboard looks but if you wanted to play a Tormod's Crypt or Relic of Progenitus in the main it wouldn't hurt you. With that much graveyard recursion it might actually just be right to try that. Maybe even 2 relics, they are less dead versus the non graveyard decks because they draw cards if you can't pitch them to thirst.
I'm a huge fan of thought-knot seer and play 3 in my board. Its amazing versus Tron and Storm in that meta.
Another thing that might be slightly lower power level is Assault Loam. I personally haven't played it but it looks like a blast and probably suffers the same speed problems as Mardu.
Another solid option that is probably the strongest but most expensive of the three I'm listing is just Jund/ GB rock. The epitome of the modern mid-range deck.
Most Games I tend to play have at least 2 blue sources at the end win or lose. I don't think we are necessarily losing if we don't have fast tron, but it certainly helps. If we wanted fast tron, I would just play mono green. This card is definitely insane in the long game, drawing two cards instant speed is nice. I always find myself wanting more interaction in early turns, maybe just playing relic of progenitus. The relic cantrips early which is a definite plus, and having some form of graveyard hate (although minuscule) in the main gives us some amount of percentage points. There is a ton of graveyard based decks running rampant, as well as some that just use it as value. This would still not change my sideboard full of graveyard hate, this would bring my GY hate up to 5 cards through out the 75 which could just be right (3 surgical extraction and 1 Tormod's Crypt in the side currently).
I'm already playing 3 dismember in the main, to give me turn 1 interaction on the draw. To offset that I'm on 3 wurmcoil engine and tempted to go to a fourth, with Burn and Mono-red Phoenix coming up in popularity.
I'm going to give one Hieroglyphic Illumination a try though. I don't think more than one would be correct because it is definitely clunky at 4 mana and not the easiest to cycle early in the game.
I've never been a huge fan of battle ball but I could see why it could be played and useful in some matchups. It making multiple bodies is definitely no joke.
I've been in love with supreme will in the shell of U Tron I play, I just went back down to a singular copy of it to put back in the fourth expedition map. A lot of people never play around supreme will, the expect you to have up remand or thirst. The random counter mode on this is great. The impulse mode is something I find my self doing a lot
side note, perhaps we need another card draw card? I was thinking about playing with a singleton copy of hieroglyphic illumination, it gives us another turn one play as well as something powerful in the late game. This could be a wrong choice but its just a thought.
Nimble Obstructionist is a card I used to play with and liked but never loved. Sure the Stifle mode of it feels good but rarely wins the game. (Only have had this happen once, stifling a fetch land of my GDS opponent. Leaving them with zero lands) The Flash creature mode is probably the stronger of the half and even then I'd rather just play another big threat. 3 mana is the tough spot for this deck because we are either casting a wurmcoil engine with 3 lands or thirst for knowledge.
TLDR: I agree with what Barrin_master_wizard basically said
If you are worried about burn you can play more wurmcoils or more chalice in the maindeck. Wurmcoil is also good against humans, same with walking ballista.
I don't know if pithing needle is needed in the board, the things with activated abilities we are really worried about we normally can answer pretty easily (e.g. Teferi), they are spending 5 and we'll probably win that counter war with them down 5 mana.
I used to play batterskull and Sundering titan. They were fun when they got people but I've that wurmcoil engine is just way better. It comes in the same turn as batterskull if we have fast tron, or a turn faster than titan. I think titan is a win more rather than a win condition.
spell snare is also pretty strong right now, counters phoenix's busted draws by getting manamorphose and thing in the ice.
4 Urza's Mine
4 Urza's Power Plant
4 Urza's Tower
6 Island
1 Tolaria West
2 Field of Ruin
1 Academy Ruins
3 River Of Tears
Creatures (8)
4 Walking Ballista
1 Snapcaster Mage
3 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
Spells (20)
4 Condescend
3 Repeal
3 Remand
3 Dismember
1 Cyclonic Rift
2 Supreme Will
4 Thirst For Knowledge
Artifacts(6)
3 Expedition Map
1 Oblivion Stone
2 Mindslaver
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Tormod's Crypt
3 Surgical Extraction
1 Spell Snare
2 Negate
4 Spatial Contortion
3 Thought-Knot Seer
Round 1: 2-1 vs A brew revolving around Blasting Station and Enduring Renewal
Game One:
I didn't know what they were playing but they announced they were playing something spicy for everyone to hear. So I assumed it was some kind of combo deck and kept a hand with a few counterspells. They managed to get a blasting station into play but I kept them off the Enduring Renewal. I landed the mindslaver lock on turn 8.
Sideboard:
In: 2 Surgical Extraction, 2 Negate, 3 Thought-Knot Seer
Out: 3 Wurmcoil engine, 1 Map, 1 Field of Ruin, 2 Dismember
Game Two:
Kept a kind of risky hand with surgical extraction in it. I didn't have any dismembers or repeals. Their turn one they play an ornithopter. i play land pass and then turn two, they played Ensoul Artifact. I didn't draw any removal.
Game Three:
I kept a hand with 4 lands, Thought-Knot Seer, Remand, and a Supreme Will. I managed to counter their turn three ensoul artifact. I play Thought-knot and taking blasting station when they have 3 renewals in hand and only 2 lands. I hit them a couple times and play a second one, taking Teferi. I attack for 8 with them at 11 and me having 7 lands. They don't block and I play a 3/3 Ballista for the kill.
Round 2: Abzan Tokens 2-1
Game 1:
I mulled to 5 and kept 3 lands, dismember and remand. I didn't see a third land till they have 4 2/2 vigilance tokens in play.
Sideboard:
In: 2 Negate, 1 spell snare, 1 EE
Out: 3 Dismember, 1 Field of Ruin.
Game 2:
I went tronland map. A different tron land turn 2. On the end of their turn 2 I cracked map and the assassin's trophied my land and then surgicaled it. I thought the game was over. But I managed to hold onto the game with a few strong repeals and an insane value overloaded cylconic rift. I end up playing a turn 9 Ugin off of 8 lands. and then followed up with a wurmcoil engine.
Sideboard:
I realized my mistake and wanted some thought-knots
In: 3 Thought-knot Seer
out: 1 map, 2 remand (I think)
Game 3:
I start off with a really medium hand. It had tron, mindslaver and 3 counter spells. I kept regardless and ended playing mindslaver turn 4 and cracking turn 5. I did this two turns in a row just as time walks until I drew a blue source. I eventually did and had another insane cyclonic rift. Then I chained thirsts into Thought-knots. I did some fancy repeal things to evade their Voice of Resurgence tokens and managed to take the game after drawing Ugin.
Round 3: Storm 2-0
I was on the draw and kept an okay hand but It had 2 dismember and a counter spell. I hit both of their first two dorks with those dismember. They try a mini go off to kill my 4/4 walking ballista and fizzle with my well timed remand. I get the ballista up to a 7/7 with them being stuck on two lands.
Sideboard:
IN; everything but the spatial contortions
Out: 3 wurmcoil engine, 2 Field of ruin, 2 Map, 1 Ugin, 1 oblivion stone, 1 Supreme Will, (unsure about the last card)
Game 2:
My opening hand has 3 lands, spell snare, negate, remand, dismember. They go off and I managed to play around them being able to flashback Past in Flames and cast things in their graveyard and stop the storm counter at 15. I then hit them for 7 turns in a row with snapcaster mage. I draw basically all of my countermagic and the tormod's crypt. It was just enough to get there.
Round 3: 2-1 Living End
Game 1: They play a turn 2 fulminator mage, hit me with it then next turn and cast Demonic dread second main saccing it in response. I didn't have the counter spell.
SideBoard:
IN: 3 Surgical Extraction, 1 Tormod's Crypt 2 Negate, 3 Thought-Knot Seer
OUT: 2 Walking Ballista, 2 Field of Ruin, 1 Map, 1 Mindslaver, 3 Dismember
I opted not to have dismember because their threats are basically all recursive If my opponent gets to do their thing, and if they aren't i'm probably winning
Game 2:
I keep an okay hand that has a ton of counter magic. They casted a turn 2 fulminator again and hit my academy ruins. I didn't want to do it the hard way but we did. I played a turn 5 Mindslaver and cracked it basically annihilating their hand. I managed to play runner thought-knots. and they scoop it up. I fetched and got to see their deck and didn't see Ricochet Trap so I knew my counterspells had the all clear.
Game 3:
I mull to 6 and keep a great hand with tron, island, negate and surigical. they hit me a fulminator 5 turns in a row and conceal my academy ruins. I play a wurmcoil and they Violent Outburst with it on the stack. I surgical the 3 Monstrous Carabid and 2 Fulminator Mage in their yard, with it on the stack leaving them with only 2 Horror of the Broken Lands and an Ingot Chewer that gets my oblivion stone. we go back and forth with me casting wurmcoil engine every other turn. I eventually get enough lands to play Ugin for all 8 mana. I minus 5 him and still continue to wurmcoil engine chain.
MVP: Academy Ruins and Thought-Knot Seer
I love TKS to bring in against basically everything but midrange. No one expects the thoughtseize and sizable blocker games 2 and 3. Winning FNM felt great after being unable to play modern 3 weeks in a row.
6 Forest
4 Gilt-Leaf Palace
4 Blooming Marsh
2 Cavern of Souls
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Pendelhaven
Creatures (35)
4 Llanowar Elves
4 Elvish Mystic
4 Heritage Druid
4 Nettle Sentinel
4 Dwynen's Elite
4 Elvish Clancaller
4 Elvish Archdruid
3 Ezuri, Renegade Leader
4 Shaman of the Pact
4 Collected Company
3 Lead the Stampede
2 Shapers' Sanctuary
2 Thoughtseize
3 Assassin's Trophy
2 Damping Sphere
2 Scavenging Ooze
2 Reclamation Sage
2 Stain the Mind
I've been considering just dropping stain the mind for a 3rd damping sphere and potentially a surgical extraction or the 4th Lead the Stampede.