For the BW list, could probably do 3 path 3 push split instead, I doubt we'll face many creatures that don't stay dead for the time being. Would recommend 1-2 Stony Silence in the sideboard as well, 3 Kambal may be too much.
For the Mardu list, I think some number of collective brutalities in the main to bin souls and helix in addition to Spyro doing that job might be worth it. Could chuck either of the swords to the side to swap in or add as needed. Might also need up the land count by 1 or so to make sure you can hit 3 lands without looting around. I think Mardu pyro / midrange based decks will likely be adapting a SFM package from now on, giving it a potential clock it didn't have previously. The other direction might be a more aggro-ish unearth version with skelementals.
I think these are pretty good steps however. Curious to see how the meta shapes out.
Hi guys, first time poster here. Been playing Deadguy Ale since the last modern season after making the switch from Tokens. Played this at GP Sydney's main event (our team went 3-3 and dropped)however I beat Jund, went decently against Humans (one of players being Tomoharu Saito, punted hard g2 and 3), got stuck on 2 land both games vs Hollow One (turns out they eventually won the whole event), and UW control.
After seeing Gifted Aetherborn being used here, I tried it out as a 2 of on Friday (3-1) and Tuesday (2-2). Seemed good enough at those numbers without overcommiting to black.
On an iteration I want to try this week, I'm going a bit more hand attack with Tidehollow Scullers.
Following changes -
+ 2 x Tidehollow Sculler
+ 1 x Concealed Courtyard
+ 1 x Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
- 1 x Collective Brutality
- 1 x Fetid Heath
- 1 x Field of Ruin
Sideboard:
+ 1 x Collective Brutality
- 1 x Timely Reinforcements
The Kalitas was a last minute addition (i've tinkered around with it before). But I'm worried dropping down to 23 lands might mean 3 4 drops a bit much. Just prepping this for the upcoming modern season.
Hi guys, thanks for the responses. I've anticipated some of the mainboard advice already, so just a few things I would like to explain or address.
Dropping off the 6th 1 drop discard spell and 4th intangible virtue was pretty recent. I've been running 3/3 split and a playset of virtues for about 2-3 years now. I always had collective brutality in the side, but I've found at least one mainboard helped me speed up the deck if I was stuck on two land for a bit (usually a brutality into souls, then start beating with souls while waiting for land drops). For the PPTQ I was going against conventional wisdom and trying to improve my flexibility / topdecks with two brutalities main. I was tempted to ditch a one of the 2 mana token makers (e.g. bitterblossom) but I cut a 4th virtue instead. On occasion I would find myself with 2-3 virtues out but a lack of token makers, or siding out the 4th virtue for a control / lock piece except for midrange or aggressive matchups anyway.
Although this is a synergestic deck, I've always found Brimaz to be a big ass on his own instead of pure chump material. There are a number of decks that if they can't remove him are reluctant to run into him, as well as being resilient to damage sweepers. He's been pretty staple for me over the past few years, and found him more versatile than the 3rd and 4th Spectral Processions.
In regards to taplands, I've kept just two vents for long time and recently trying out the windbrisk heights as the 3rd tapland. For a good card advantage deck, tokens basically has zero dig so I thought this would be worth trying out again.
I used to run a red splash with about 7-8 fetches, but I've started going straight BW for the current modern season. I saw 2-3 shocklands max with 6-8 fetches in a few builds. I don't mind running more fetches, but I think nagging concern is running more fetches than actual fetchables. I've also run 4 basics as a staple (3 plains, and 1 swamp) but I'm guessing not as needed much thanks to courtyard?
I would love to try out start // finish, but souls is unmovable, Brimaz I'm likely keeping based on prior reasons and experience, and am loathe to cut more spectrals to be honest.
Record wise I've ended up 5-4 at GP Melb last year (Eldrazi winter, ugh) and 8-7 at GP Bris earlier this year (7-2 day 1, 1 win and tanked the rest of day 2) so I'm not a stranger to the deck, but there aren't that many tokens players where I live to talk about the deck in detail.
I would like to fit maybe 1-2 lost legacy and / or pithing needle in the SB somewhere.
Matchups R1
2-1 vs Storm:
- On the draw, kept a reasonable hand, an early discard revealed he wasn't on Ad Nauseum this time (I've played him before). He lands a Baral where I decide on my turn to play out spectral instead of getting rid of. He comboes off by t4. Oops.
Take out 2 x Auriok Champion, Anguished Unmaking, Zealous Persecution and 2 x Gideon for RiP, Leyline, Rule of Law, and 2 x Surgical and Runed Halo.
- 2nd game I mull to 5, but land a opening leyline and RiP by turn 2. It took me about 8-10 turns to draw a threat (spectral) but I do draw some removal for his various barals/electromancer. I eventually beat him to death
- Game 3 I keep a hand without discard, but a RiP by turn 2 again. I eventually land some guys, virtue and Sorin and end up at 35 life or so. He manages to storm off with 14 goblins and Sorin but not enough before I clock him
R2
2-1 vs Jund:
- Opponent was a regular who recently got into the deck a few months ago, was previously an ad naseum player. Game gets rather grindy I believe with most of his stuff cleared but a raging ravine and 4 fliers on my side (bitterblossom got decayed I believe). There was a Kologhan's Command forcing me to discard the path I hand, was tempted to use it on a faerie (didn't have any targets on his side from memory, real threat was the raging ravine). Luckily I didn't as I topdeck a Gideon after double checking he was on 5, emblem it and swing for 6
Out / In: 3 x Iok, 2 x TS, 1 x ZP for 2 x RiP, Runed Halo, Fatal Push, Leyline of Sanctity and a Disenchant I believe (Night of Souls hedge)
- Game 2: I manage to keep a removal heavy hand, pushing a Bob and pathing a finks. However there ends up being a tireless tracker I couldn't answer apart from a Runed Halo I was saving for a goyf. Eventually I land it before it gets abrupt decayed
I side out Runed Halo and disenchant (I believe) back for 2 x TS.
- Game 3: Thoughtseize has me see 2 scooze's, bolt, abrupt decay, and some land. I nab the decay. His topdeck thoughtseize nabs my bitterblossom. I collective brutality binning a souls to discard his bolt and life. He lands the scooze, but not before I flashback my souls and getting beats in. I manage to keep him off any creatures to eat in both our bins, keeping his scoozes as 2/2s while my fliers beat overhead with intangible virtue. A brimaz secures the ground for me which he manages to get rid of, but not before adding some cat soldiers to the mix. I eventually take the game
R3
2-0 vs BW Eldrazi:
- He seems to get a coloured screwed start, just have mutavaults and a plains for most of the game while I beat him up with tokens. His first few turns involved playing and cracking relics, and eventually he activates a mutavault to path it to fix his colours. But not enough before I clock him.
Out / In: 2 x Auriok Champions for Fatal Push and Runed Halo
- Game 2 I manage to fire off early discard seeing strangler, fulminator mage, relic, wasteland strangler and relic. I believe I pick off the tidehollow to land an uninterrupted bitterblossom. Hard to remember what else happened in the game but I manage to get a pretty fast clock. Thanks to intangible virtue.
R4
0-2 vs GR Tron:
- I've played this guy before, so we basically know what each other is on. Unfortunately it's a pair down for me, since he was a 2-1 record compared to my 3-0 while on Table 3. The first game wasn't too remarkable, Tron doing Tron things. He eventually lands a Ugin which I keep playing afterwards for an Anguished Unmaking. I manage to remove most of his things with paths but I concede once I find my remaining paths exiled form Ulamog swings.
Out / In: 2 x Auriok Champion, 2 x Fatal Push, 1 x Zealous Persecution for 2 x Stony Silence, 2 x Surgical and Disenchant.
- Game 2 I manage an early TS, seeing 2 x mine, Plant, Grove, Wurm, Nature's Claim and tower (I think). I take a nature's claim before landing stony silence. I path his wurmcoil when he attacks, while there was an o-stone on board. I land a 2nd stony silence after sitting on it for a few turns, but then his Ulamog nuked both my silences. I eventually get beaten to death.
R5
2-0 vs Abzan Vizier:
- This opponent was another store regular, funnily enough I bashed a few games with him a few days prior for preparation for the event since he believed he wouldn't be playing anyway. Heh. Anyway, the first game I maange some early discard, seeing chord, spike feeder, bird and renegade. I take his chord. Regular advice against company / chord decks I've been given (whether Abzan or Elves) was to take their toolbox elements when you can. I start pecking him with Faeries and Lingering Souls tokens. I manage to keep his combo pieces clear before killing him.
Out / In: 2 x Auriok Champion, 2 x Gideon for 2 x Rip, 1 x Fatal Push, 1 x Zealous Persecution. (I believe I may have put in 1-2 surgicals, but cant remember what I swapped out).
- Game 2 he mulls to 6 I believe, landing an early viscera seer and vizier. I manage to Zealous Persecution after accepting some damage from them end of his turn to wipe them. A CoCo about turn 5-6 lands him 2 tidehollow scullers to take a path and lingering souls. Brimaz bashes in while I have a virtue out, which he double blocks with a sculler holding the Path and Finks. I decide to assign the damage tidehollow sculler, and keeping back a surgical in hand (which I think he saw with the scullers). I end up clocking him with the rest of the tokens I had.
Alright, standings shown before the last round, I'm on 7th seed at 12 points, 8th seed also on 12 points, and everyone else below on 9 points or lower. An ID from everyone would be a lock.
Anyway, I get paired up with the player on 8th seed, and he decides reluctantly bash (I was happy to ID).
Not knowing what he was on, I keep a hand with a tapland, some other land, collective brutality, auriok champ and a threat I believe. His turn 1 ends up being a Urza's Mine. Oh boy
R6
0-2 vs GR Tron:
- So once he lands that mine, I end up casting collective brutality discard the Auriok to drain him and duress him. Unfortunately he had no instants or sorceries in hand, but I see wurmcoil, Ugin, power plant, tower, star, relic and something else I couldn't remember. Anyway the game ends up over pretty fast.
Out / In: 2 x Auriok Champion, 2 x Fatal Push, 1 x Zealous Persecution for 2 x Stony Silence, 2 x Surgical and Disenchant, basically the same as R4.
- Early discard has me see a star, sphee, map, mine, groove and stirrings. I take the map before I surgical it. I felt I did that a bit fast as I drew a ghost quarter next turn, unfortunately it was a hand that didn't really have any threats from memory.We both end up bricking on threats, so I eventually get in some beats with shambling vent. I believe I manage a lingering souls before an O-Stone came in, so I hold off on the flashback while I swing in with eventually two shambling vents and 2 spirits. Soon he is down to 6 before a wurmcoil gets landed. Eventually he manages to crack O-Stone with a fate counter on wurmcoil while I end up getting beaten to death. Don't think I saw a path in that entire game.
Anyway, final standings get released. By round 6 my R5 opponent got paired with my R4 opponent and managed to win that match to land a spot in Top 8. He eventually ends up losing to an eternal command deck in the quarter-finals. The top 8 from what I remember ended up being 2 x Grixis Death's Shadow, Abzan Company, Eternal Command, Fish, Affinity, Dredge and GR tron. My R6 GR Tron opponent managed to win the whole thing, beating GDS in the semis and Fish in the finals.
Somewhat bummered, but had a decent run I feel.
Got a few PPTQs over the weekend, but I want to see if I can get some SB advice, perhaps something a bit more against Tron like Lost Legacy or Pithing Needle. Tempted on dropping the Zealous Persecution and Surgical Extraction in the side. To be honest the surgicals against tron don't seem that great without more ghost quarters or fulminator mage, more like a fringe possibility.
For the Mardu list, I think some number of collective brutalities in the main to bin souls and helix in addition to Spyro doing that job might be worth it. Could chuck either of the swords to the side to swap in or add as needed. Might also need up the land count by 1 or so to make sure you can hit 3 lands without looting around. I think Mardu pyro / midrange based decks will likely be adapting a SFM package from now on, giving it a potential clock it didn't have previously. The other direction might be a more aggro-ish unearth version with skelementals.
I think these are pretty good steps however. Curious to see how the meta shapes out.
After seeing Gifted Aetherborn being used here, I tried it out as a 2 of on Friday (3-1) and Tuesday (2-2). Seemed good enough at those numbers without overcommiting to black.
1 Arid Mesa
3 Concealed Courtyard
1 Fetid Heath
1 Field of Ruin
2 Ghost Quarter
2 Godless Shrine
4 Marsh Flats
3 Plains
1 Polluted Delta
2 Shambling Vent
2 Swamp
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Vault of the Archangel
Removal (16):
1 Anguished Unmaking
1 Cast Down
2 Collective Brutality
2 Fatal Push
4 Path to Exile
2 Thoughtseize
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
1 Zealous Persecution
1 Brimaz, King of Oreskos
4 Dark Confidant
2 Gifted Aetherborn
2 Jotun Grunt
Other Threats (11):
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1 Gideon of the Trials
1 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
2 Liliana of the Veil
1 Liliana, the Last Hope
4 Lingering Souls
1 Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
1 Damnation
1 Damping Sphere
1 Disenchant
1 Duress
1 Rest in Peace
1 Runed Halo
2 Stony Silence
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
1 Timely Reinforcements
1 Wrath of God
1 Zealous Persecution
On an iteration I want to try this week, I'm going a bit more hand attack with Tidehollow Scullers.
Following changes -
+ 2 x Tidehollow Sculler
+ 1 x Concealed Courtyard
+ 1 x Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
- 1 x Collective Brutality
- 1 x Fetid Heath
- 1 x Field of Ruin
Sideboard:
+ 1 x Collective Brutality
- 1 x Timely Reinforcements
The Kalitas was a last minute addition (i've tinkered around with it before). But I'm worried dropping down to 23 lands might mean 3 4 drops a bit much. Just prepping this for the upcoming modern season.
Dropping off the 6th 1 drop discard spell and 4th intangible virtue was pretty recent. I've been running 3/3 split and a playset of virtues for about 2-3 years now. I always had collective brutality in the side, but I've found at least one mainboard helped me speed up the deck if I was stuck on two land for a bit (usually a brutality into souls, then start beating with souls while waiting for land drops). For the PPTQ I was going against conventional wisdom and trying to improve my flexibility / topdecks with two brutalities main. I was tempted to ditch a one of the 2 mana token makers (e.g. bitterblossom) but I cut a 4th virtue instead. On occasion I would find myself with 2-3 virtues out but a lack of token makers, or siding out the 4th virtue for a control / lock piece except for midrange or aggressive matchups anyway.
Although this is a synergestic deck, I've always found Brimaz to be a big ass on his own instead of pure chump material. There are a number of decks that if they can't remove him are reluctant to run into him, as well as being resilient to damage sweepers. He's been pretty staple for me over the past few years, and found him more versatile than the 3rd and 4th Spectral Processions.
In regards to taplands, I've kept just two vents for long time and recently trying out the windbrisk heights as the 3rd tapland. For a good card advantage deck, tokens basically has zero dig so I thought this would be worth trying out again.
I used to run a red splash with about 7-8 fetches, but I've started going straight BW for the current modern season. I saw 2-3 shocklands max with 6-8 fetches in a few builds. I don't mind running more fetches, but I think nagging concern is running more fetches than actual fetchables. I've also run 4 basics as a staple (3 plains, and 1 swamp) but I'm guessing not as needed much thanks to courtyard?
I would love to try out start // finish, but souls is unmovable, Brimaz I'm likely keeping based on prior reasons and experience, and am loathe to cut more spectrals to be honest.
Record wise I've ended up 5-4 at GP Melb last year (Eldrazi winter, ugh) and 8-7 at GP Bris earlier this year (7-2 day 1, 1 win and tanked the rest of day 2) so I'm not a stranger to the deck, but there aren't that many tokens players where I live to talk about the deck in detail.
I would like to fit maybe 1-2 lost legacy and / or pithing needle in the SB somewhere.
I came 10th with a 4-2 record last Saturday, being basically locked for top 8 before R6 opponent wanted to bash.
Deck:
2 Arid Mesa
3 Concealed Courtyard
1 Fetid Heath
1 Flagstones of Trokair
2 Ghost Quarter
3 Godless Shrine
4 Marsh Flats
3 Plains
2 Shambling Vent
1 Swamp
1 Vault of the Archangel
1 Windbrisk Heights
Removal / Discard:
2 Fatal Push
4 Path to Exile
1 Anguished Unmaking
2 Thoughtseize
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
2 Collective Brutality
2 Auriok Champion
2 Brimaz, King of Oreskos
Token Makers:
1 Gather the Townsfolk
3 Bitterblossom
4 Lingering Souls
2 Spectral Procession
Anthems:
3 Intangible Virtue
1 Zealous Persecution
Planeswalkers:
2 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
2 Sorin, Solemn Visitor
1 Disenchant
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Fatal Push
1 Leyline of Sanctity
2 Rest in Peace
1 Rule of Law
1 Runed Halo
2 Stony Silence
2 Surgical Extraction
1 Timely Reinforcements
1 Wrath of God
1 Zealous Persecution
Matchups
R1
2-1 vs Storm:
- On the draw, kept a reasonable hand, an early discard revealed he wasn't on Ad Nauseum this time (I've played him before). He lands a Baral where I decide on my turn to play out spectral instead of getting rid of. He comboes off by t4. Oops.
Take out 2 x Auriok Champion, Anguished Unmaking, Zealous Persecution and 2 x Gideon for RiP, Leyline, Rule of Law, and 2 x Surgical and Runed Halo.
- 2nd game I mull to 5, but land a opening leyline and RiP by turn 2. It took me about 8-10 turns to draw a threat (spectral) but I do draw some removal for his various barals/electromancer. I eventually beat him to death
- Game 3 I keep a hand without discard, but a RiP by turn 2 again. I eventually land some guys, virtue and Sorin and end up at 35 life or so. He manages to storm off with 14 goblins and Sorin but not enough before I clock him
R2
2-1 vs Jund:
- Opponent was a regular who recently got into the deck a few months ago, was previously an ad naseum player. Game gets rather grindy I believe with most of his stuff cleared but a raging ravine and 4 fliers on my side (bitterblossom got decayed I believe). There was a Kologhan's Command forcing me to discard the path I hand, was tempted to use it on a faerie (didn't have any targets on his side from memory, real threat was the raging ravine). Luckily I didn't as I topdeck a Gideon after double checking he was on 5, emblem it and swing for 6
Out / In: 3 x Iok, 2 x TS, 1 x ZP for 2 x RiP, Runed Halo, Fatal Push, Leyline of Sanctity and a Disenchant I believe (Night of Souls hedge)
- Game 2: I manage to keep a removal heavy hand, pushing a Bob and pathing a finks. However there ends up being a tireless tracker I couldn't answer apart from a Runed Halo I was saving for a goyf. Eventually I land it before it gets abrupt decayed
I side out Runed Halo and disenchant (I believe) back for 2 x TS.
- Game 3: Thoughtseize has me see 2 scooze's, bolt, abrupt decay, and some land. I nab the decay. His topdeck thoughtseize nabs my bitterblossom. I collective brutality binning a souls to discard his bolt and life. He lands the scooze, but not before I flashback my souls and getting beats in. I manage to keep him off any creatures to eat in both our bins, keeping his scoozes as 2/2s while my fliers beat overhead with intangible virtue. A brimaz secures the ground for me which he manages to get rid of, but not before adding some cat soldiers to the mix. I eventually take the game
R3
2-0 vs BW Eldrazi:
- He seems to get a coloured screwed start, just have mutavaults and a plains for most of the game while I beat him up with tokens. His first few turns involved playing and cracking relics, and eventually he activates a mutavault to path it to fix his colours. But not enough before I clock him.
Out / In: 2 x Auriok Champions for Fatal Push and Runed Halo
- Game 2 I manage to fire off early discard seeing strangler, fulminator mage, relic, wasteland strangler and relic. I believe I pick off the tidehollow to land an uninterrupted bitterblossom. Hard to remember what else happened in the game but I manage to get a pretty fast clock. Thanks to intangible virtue.
R4
0-2 vs GR Tron:
- I've played this guy before, so we basically know what each other is on. Unfortunately it's a pair down for me, since he was a 2-1 record compared to my 3-0 while on Table 3. The first game wasn't too remarkable, Tron doing Tron things. He eventually lands a Ugin which I keep playing afterwards for an Anguished Unmaking. I manage to remove most of his things with paths but I concede once I find my remaining paths exiled form Ulamog swings.
Out / In: 2 x Auriok Champion, 2 x Fatal Push, 1 x Zealous Persecution for 2 x Stony Silence, 2 x Surgical and Disenchant.
- Game 2 I manage an early TS, seeing 2 x mine, Plant, Grove, Wurm, Nature's Claim and tower (I think). I take a nature's claim before landing stony silence. I path his wurmcoil when he attacks, while there was an o-stone on board. I land a 2nd stony silence after sitting on it for a few turns, but then his Ulamog nuked both my silences. I eventually get beaten to death.
R5
2-0 vs Abzan Vizier:
- This opponent was another store regular, funnily enough I bashed a few games with him a few days prior for preparation for the event since he believed he wouldn't be playing anyway. Heh. Anyway, the first game I maange some early discard, seeing chord, spike feeder, bird and renegade. I take his chord. Regular advice against company / chord decks I've been given (whether Abzan or Elves) was to take their toolbox elements when you can. I start pecking him with Faeries and Lingering Souls tokens. I manage to keep his combo pieces clear before killing him.
Out / In: 2 x Auriok Champion, 2 x Gideon for 2 x Rip, 1 x Fatal Push, 1 x Zealous Persecution. (I believe I may have put in 1-2 surgicals, but cant remember what I swapped out).
- Game 2 he mulls to 6 I believe, landing an early viscera seer and vizier. I manage to Zealous Persecution after accepting some damage from them end of his turn to wipe them. A CoCo about turn 5-6 lands him 2 tidehollow scullers to take a path and lingering souls. Brimaz bashes in while I have a virtue out, which he double blocks with a sculler holding the Path and Finks. I decide to assign the damage tidehollow sculler, and keeping back a surgical in hand (which I think he saw with the scullers). I end up clocking him with the rest of the tokens I had.
Alright, standings shown before the last round, I'm on 7th seed at 12 points, 8th seed also on 12 points, and everyone else below on 9 points or lower. An ID from everyone would be a lock.
Anyway, I get paired up with the player on 8th seed, and he decides reluctantly bash (I was happy to ID).
Not knowing what he was on, I keep a hand with a tapland, some other land, collective brutality, auriok champ and a threat I believe. His turn 1 ends up being a Urza's Mine. Oh boy
R6
0-2 vs GR Tron:
- So once he lands that mine, I end up casting collective brutality discard the Auriok to drain him and duress him. Unfortunately he had no instants or sorceries in hand, but I see wurmcoil, Ugin, power plant, tower, star, relic and something else I couldn't remember. Anyway the game ends up over pretty fast.
Out / In: 2 x Auriok Champion, 2 x Fatal Push, 1 x Zealous Persecution for 2 x Stony Silence, 2 x Surgical and Disenchant, basically the same as R4.
- Early discard has me see a star, sphee, map, mine, groove and stirrings. I take the map before I surgical it. I felt I did that a bit fast as I drew a ghost quarter next turn, unfortunately it was a hand that didn't really have any threats from memory.We both end up bricking on threats, so I eventually get in some beats with shambling vent. I believe I manage a lingering souls before an O-Stone came in, so I hold off on the flashback while I swing in with eventually two shambling vents and 2 spirits. Soon he is down to 6 before a wurmcoil gets landed. Eventually he manages to crack O-Stone with a fate counter on wurmcoil while I end up getting beaten to death. Don't think I saw a path in that entire game.
Anyway, final standings get released. By round 6 my R5 opponent got paired with my R4 opponent and managed to win that match to land a spot in Top 8. He eventually ends up losing to an eternal command deck in the quarter-finals. The top 8 from what I remember ended up being 2 x Grixis Death's Shadow, Abzan Company, Eternal Command, Fish, Affinity, Dredge and GR tron. My R6 GR Tron opponent managed to win the whole thing, beating GDS in the semis and Fish in the finals.
Somewhat bummered, but had a decent run I feel.
Got a few PPTQs over the weekend, but I want to see if I can get some SB advice, perhaps something a bit more against Tron like Lost Legacy or Pithing Needle. Tempted on dropping the Zealous Persecution and Surgical Extraction in the side. To be honest the surgicals against tron don't seem that great without more ghost quarters or fulminator mage, more like a fringe possibility.