Just thought I'd post up a results thread from my last night's Monday Modern. I've been playing Nathan Jones' 75 since the GP Boston lists have come out and before the last two weeks, I've been muddling through that 2-2 to 3-1 type bracket landing me just out of contention for prize support. Last Monday and this Monday, I won both events though (3-1 on breakers and 3-0-1, draw coming to a good 5 color tribal zoo). Last night, in addition to that match, I played against G/W Hate Bears (this one was rough), Merfolk, and Burn. The burn player wasn't too experienced just yet and was burning my face when I had active Signal Pests on the board that ended up going lethal with Ornithopters. Against the 5 color tribal zoo, I misplayed at one point in the mid point of game 3 where I should have kept my Ravager alive instead of trading with his Wild Nacatl (I attacked into it, thinking i'd move the counters onto my etched champion and have lethal eventually). At the end of the game, he was left at 2 at the end of the 5 extra turns so that extra 3 or 4 damage done by the unblockable Etched Champion might have mattered (kinda hard to explain without seeing the board state). I had the GW matchup won until he resolved a Restoration Angel that I couldn't deal with so that match up was really, really close..I just barely eeked it out on damage. The Merfolk matchup was basically me attacking with flyers and hoping he didn't see Hurkyll's Recall..which, luckily he didn't this time. I don't foresee myself changing the list any time soon. That being said, it's a ridiculously hard deck when it comes to mulligans.
I've maintained the same MD 60 every since I placed with it. I continually tinker with the SB based on what I think the meta will look like.
ensoul is very bad in the mirror match and it is the first card i side out.
in the change thought cast -> ensoul the mirror match is one of the match ups which loses more from it.
Ensoul is fine in the mirror. First thing sided out should be etched champion. It has won me many games against the mirror. I run 4 blast 3 ensoul...if im worried about too many colored spells i cut 1 and 1 for ancient grudge.
I also side out Ensoul in the Mirror.
-2 Etched Champion
-3 Ensoul Artifact
-2 Memnite
+2 Ancient Grudge
+2 Spellskite
+1 Wear/Tear
+1 Master of Etherium
+1 Dismember
Been playing Affinity for about four weeks nogw and I am loving it, did not touch my Gruul Zoo since I started with Affinity.
I love my list and I am winning quite some games but there is one question that came up just now.
I know we play the island for path but why do we not play Steam Vents? It is an Island Mountain so we can search it up and it gives us blue and red mana.
Is there something I am missing? Sorry if this is already explained but I cant find it.
I don't get why the UB control deck isn't grixis. You have 8 fetchlands and 12 scrylands for it. Seems to lack some sweepers and such since perilous vault is kind of slow in comparison to anger of the gods. Good spot removal too with magma jet, magma spray, lightning strike, etc. etc.
It's more difficult to have UU or BB untapped on turn 3 if they're playing Grixis.
1) In a meta with a lot of blue based decks and a few BGx decks, the best option is Thoughtcast or Ensoul Artifact ??
2) Should I side out Ensoul Artifact against burn, in order to avoid 2x1 while casting them, or just keep them to possibly make a 5/5 Vault Skirge and win the race?
You can avoid 2 for 1 most of the time if you just Enchant a non-creature Artifact.
That is of course unless they have Smash to Smithereens, which would 2 for 1 you regardless.
My updated list, seeing Dyne's success with it I have moved to 4 Galvanic Blast over 2/2 with Thoughtcast, and I also have a similar sideboard but obviously i tweaked it a bit
i think i will give a try to stain the mind and swan song, what do you think? i think i am a little uncovered for urw, scapeshift, and tron. what would you play?
+ 1 ancient
+ 1 wear
+ 1 dismsmber
+ 1 stain the mind
+ 1 spellskite
Personally, I am not a fan of Swan Song in this deck. Especially because you side it in against Jund. The toekn is actually quite good at blocking us because it has flying. If you've tried it and it works, all the power to you.
I am definitely not a fan of Stain the Mind though. That card just seems so bad.
And then they go of the next turn. I think the deck is much more resilient to hate than thought of. The problem is, that the main part of the combo is mana-ramp. This enables them to cast more expensive spells negating our hate (most common one is Slaughter Games). The inclusion of Glittering Wish enables them to have a toolbox of removal outside of their maindeck. The maindeck remains optimal for the combo (especially with all the cantrips) whereas the sideboard functions as the beforementioned toolbox.
I'm more thinking of things like Stain The Mind to disrupt them. The only question is, whether we should target it at the Ascendancy or at the Wish. Going to Madrid, there is one thing I know. I need to test against this deck, because it will be there in huge numbers.
I assume you mean Milan, but I agree.
I actually watched Ethersworn Canonist brickwall this deck quite easily. Perhaps run that in the SB?
i don't get which is the problem with caryatid since it cannot attack being a defender.
the only problem remains the grapeshot closure, which caryatid could contribute giving mana. but we can maybe be faster than that closure?
Well, Caryatid doesn't get hit by Galvanic Blast, Dismember or Whipflare.
Also, it doesn't need to attack, they play Flesh//Blood, which can be tutored by Glittering Wish.
They can go off turn 3 with Caryatid quite regularly.
More news from Toronto as storm/eggs/High Tide veteran Noah Long won the SOMS Invitational (invitation-only finale of a summer-long tournament series) with Jeskai Ascendancy. Go nuts.
As I was there, not only him, but other players with the deck had rounds go into time +20 minutes on occasion.
The deck is fast, resilient, and can add a whole lot of time to a tournament.
I don't usually jump the gun, but give it until after GP Milan, and I can guarantee something from that deck will be banned before PT Washington.
I've maintained the same MD 60 every since I placed with it. I continually tinker with the SB based on what I think the meta will look like.
I also side out Ensoul in the Mirror.
-2 Etched Champion
-3 Ensoul Artifact
-2 Memnite
+2 Ancient Grudge
+2 Spellskite
+1 Wear/Tear
+1 Master of Etherium
+1 Dismember
Path to Exile
Steam Vents
List of Basic Lands:
Mountain
Island
Forest
Plains
Swamp
Basically, anything other than those 5 land cards, are not basic lands. It's the same reason we don't search up Glimmervoid when we get Path'd
It's more difficult to have UU or BB untapped on turn 3 if they're playing Grixis.
You can avoid 2 for 1 most of the time if you just Enchant a non-creature Artifact.
That is of course unless they have Smash to Smithereens, which would 2 for 1 you regardless.
I may move it up to 2 by cutting a Wear/Tear as well.
I would prefer Ethersworn Canonist currently.
Jeskai Combo is a thing, and this card is fairly good against them.
Personally, I am not a fan of Swan Song in this deck. Especially because you side it in against Jund. The toekn is actually quite good at blocking us because it has flying. If you've tried it and it works, all the power to you.
I am definitely not a fan of Stain the Mind though. That card just seems so bad.
The good thing about they're hate, is even if they search for it, they'll never be able to cast it that turn. I'm going to test it against them.
I assume you mean Milan, but I agree.
I actually watched Ethersworn Canonist brickwall this deck quite easily. Perhaps run that in the SB?
Well, Caryatid doesn't get hit by Galvanic Blast, Dismember or Whipflare.
Also, it doesn't need to attack, they play Flesh//Blood, which can be tutored by Glittering Wish.
They can go off turn 3 with Caryatid quite regularly.
The problem is, they still play Caryatid.
I already play 4 Galvanic Blasts with Dismember and Whipflare in the SB, so Arbor Elf and Noble Hierarch weren't the issue.
The cards that make the deck run are Glittering Wish and Treasure Cruise. Without those the deck really has no legs to stand on.
As I was there, not only him, but other players with the deck had rounds go into time +20 minutes on occasion.
The deck is fast, resilient, and can add a whole lot of time to a tournament.
I don't usually jump the gun, but give it until after GP Milan, and I can guarantee something from that deck will be banned before PT Washington.
Lost the mirror in swiss due to my own stupidity, and lost to UWR Gifts in the top 8.
I beat:
Zoo
Goryo's
Junk
UWR Gifts (same person who beat me in top 8)
UW
RG Scapeshift