Reading through recent posts I can clearly tell that we are hitting desperation levels that should not be possible! Luckily on my local meta even with (maybe due to) phoenixes and dredges I get to win quite often. I did some notable anti-aggro changes but I wouldn't really say that jund is having it bad right now.
Anyway, since spoil of Dreadhorde Arcanist I am toying with with idea of trying him in jund alongside Noble Hierarch + some additional changes. I see similarity between him and confidant. This being quite good against aggro matchups where you are in dire need of your 1 drops + he can occasionally block unlike confidant and most importantly can provide card advantage while not costing you any life.
Also I was thinking of Davriel being a good sideboard card against control matchups. Compared to liliana he doesn't hit our own hand and provides a relevant clock.
Went 3:0 twice in a row at local FNM with record of clear 6 wins.
Overall I played against: UR Storm, BridgeVine, UR Wizards, BTL Scapeshift, Skred, Grixis Death's shadow.
Went 3:1 at our local "MTG fightclub" which consists of people that are the most interested in modern from our city.
There I played against: Dredge, UB Control, Taking Turns and Infect (lost this one to the blighted agent).
I was able to test a lot agains Jund Death's shadow and UW and in both cases I won nearly each game I call 9/10 or so. In any case it wasn't even close for them.
I wasn't able to test against humans/tron/bant_spirits yet.
I find this deck utterly weak to any kind of combo (storm/devoted druid/ad nauseam etc.) as it lacks interaction but other than that I was able to race successfully even the storm when I was on play and/or he didn't have T2/T3 kill since with mediocre hand you simply kill them on T3 and T4.
Overall I have no ideas for improvement atm. but I am open to suggestions. Also I find this deck super fun to play and surprisingly competitive so I am going to continue playing it for now albeit they seem like weaker humans, their clock in comparison is much superior to them.
Hi! Yesterday I went to the local store for MCM Trial (no idea what MCM means). Rewards were MM17 Boosters so you can imagine the store was cracking up.
At my last tournament I tried to break through with Abzan (Hierarch/Flayer version) and went 1:3 drop with:
T1 titanshift (loss)
T2 GB Tron (loss)
T3 Grixis Death's Shadow (win)
T4 Titanshift AGAIN! (loss) -> drop.
This time around I decided to take Jund and try my chances as the matchups with titanshift and tron are, in my opinion, a bit better. Decklist I used below, alongside with sideboard choices and tournament reprise.
To my surprise it went much better with this list.
Game 1: Grixis Death's Shadow (2:1)
1st: I was simply able to win first game due to better topdecks.
2nd: Went in the hands of my opponent as he was able to have all the necessary answers, even to protect his threats, also no sideboard card made an appearance.
3rd: I went full retard with this one, leaveing discard in my deck, in case I get my sideboard, proved useful as i was able to get rid of opponent's discard and locked him with choke on turn 3 which left him with 3 tapped lands an one creature on board (tasigur) that was quickly dismissed afterwards and the lockdown was strong enough to give me inevitable board presence.
Not sure if my sideboard choices were correct:
- Chandra, Glorybringer, Collective Brutality, M. Pulse.
+ 2x Blood Moon, Choke, Thrun
Chandra and Bringer seems not all that good as they don't kill neither of tasigur, fish or Death's shadow in most cases.
Brutality lacks power in my opinion as the removal part hits basically nothing.
Moon and Choke seemed to me as a preferable choice as I often hear people talking about how unstable Grix Death's shadows manabase is. Thrun seemed like efficient blocker which can't be put down by shadow in any means.
Game 2: Dredge (2:1)
1st: Wast a bust! I was trying to outrace my opponent with T2 goyf and ravine swings but left him at 4 life while he ended the game with one simple swing for 16 (I was at 16 :'( ) by unearthing devil and running all over my face. Also I think I had way too much dead cards - Liliana, discards that lead to nowhere.
2nd: Wow, now that was something. My first discard threw away reunion, then I followed by goyf. On t3 I had nothing relevant, but by the turn 4 the game was almost done, I swiped the board with NoSB killing 3 ghasts a 2 moebas and downgrading amalgan, rendering my opponent unable to attack due to my goyf. On turn 5 I topdecked Kalitas and played him which by the sights of my opponent stripped him of will to play and after few turns we went for another.
3rd: I was simply rude with this one, T1 discard for my opponent's abrupt. He tried to start dredging quite soon, but his first narcomoeba trigger opened me space for -2 life amalgan hit with my extraction. After that I played t2 Scavenging ooze and simply overpowered my opponent through the whole game from this point.
Sideboard choices:
- 3x Liliana of the veil, Thoughtseize, Dark Confidant.
+ 2x Surgical Extraction, Anger of the gods, Night of Souls' Betrayal, Rakdos Charm.
Guess no explanation needed here.
Game 3: Bant Eldrazi (2:1)
1st: Opponent mulliganed once, but went T2 knot seer with double eldrazi temple. I basically started with hand full of active removal and was able to deal with all his threats (2 knots and smasher), then securing my goyf with discard that took away his path. From that point I just stomped.
2nd: Opponent mulliganed once again! But again he started T2 knot seer as he had again both temples (dang, lol) this time he just went full on curve and I was not able to stop him no matter what. Also no sideboard card came around.
3rd: manadork push, Goyf, Blood moon, GG.
1st: Discard, Goyf, Liliana - after some fight I stripped him of half his by Lil's ultimate and Oozed him dead.
2nd: Discard, Confidant (got pathed), Chandra and I opponent basically basically tried to counter kill anything from this point on but Chandra was just way too much of a Card advantage.
I think that opponent actually screwed by pathing my confidant and giving me 4 lands by turn 3 (dunno, I wouldn't do it at this point of game). Also I am never sure about the surgical extraction sideboardig and I think Thrun is a lot weaker with alliance around but they seem to work. Other option I was considering was boarding in 2 Baloths instead of extraction just so I have more creatures in deck.
Game 5: Dunno,.. (Draw)
TOP 8
Game 6: Naya Burn (2:0)
1st: Went full careful, double chump blocked with Dark confidant though and t4 kalitas just made the game for me.
2nd: with early removals in hand and both kalitas and ooze I kept it. Ooze blocked and got buzzed dead. I played t4 tarmogoyf over kalitas because I had that feeling about opponent having a path, well he had, so afterward as he saw kalitas in turn 5 he scooped.
In both games I got literally on the verge of death - 4 life against topdecking Burn. Also I am not sure at all about the extraction/thoughtseize side while I think that Thoughtseize may strip you of 2 life and take away potentialy up to 4 dmg or so. Having extraction hitting atarka's command or Boros charm for safety purposes with no life loss seems just better.
Game 7: Bant Eldrazi (2:0) (different guy)
1st: Opponent mulliganed to 4 (damn), then dropped non-temple land and mana dork that got pushed, after that he dropped 2 more lands, until he scooped to my board presence (goyf, lil).
2nd: Double mana dork and rest in peace from my opponent. I dismissed the rest in peace by pulse after dropping two goyfs. Opponent had pretty much nothing to get through goyfs (his TKS way way too small after I hit his hierarch). We somehow got into topdecking phase with him having TKS seer stripping me of my last card (damnation). I thought everything was over but *BAM* Mighty Glorybringer from the topdeck shot his knot seer dead bringing me Liliana in process. In next 2 turns game was over.
Although I saw Bringer exactly once during whole tournament. This memory leaves smirk on my face even as I write. This felt just simply epic.
Game 8: UR Storm (0:2)
1st: I kept kinda risky hand with no green but Ooze and discard which led to my quick demise as I missed green even on t3 and droping anything at t4 against storm is futile effort.
2nd: I had everything, discard, ooze, more discard. Killed opponent Goblins with brutality and discard (hitting gifts). Only for him to topdeck another one and starting to combo me out easily.
(If you would lick me at this point, I'd be pure salt. Leaving my opponent to combo out whole way again, and pressing his hand a bit harder than I normally would).
There is literally nothing I can say about this game. Except I might've mulliganed to 5 at first game just to get green and die anyway (idk). 2nd game I felt like there is literally nothing that could stop me. Well Opponent had everything covered with that gifts draw while only one turn further I would be Oozing his grave and probably handling the situation.
So to speak. I went home with second place, overall score 6:1:1 and 8 MM17 boosters which left me with Cavern of souls and foil Blood moon in my hands. I am not sure if all my plays were always good or sideboarding best but I tried and it worked out somehow.
- Glorybringer is probably nowhere best in his spot but the one time I played him it was great.
- Sideboarding against tron and titanshift with ultimate card choices didn't show anything as I did not meet them.
- Where the heck are all the affinities? O.o
TL;DR, I did Jund-everyone-out except for storm which I think I should but somehow was not able to
Rot Harvest reminds me of Squandered Resources. Probably just nice since this costs quite a lot.
Yogg is decent. He survives Pyroclasm, although not Savanah Lion, so this is pretty good. Of course, Candlejack's idea of going Mismeadow Skulk for the wording can work too. The name of the cards seems to scream legendary... but whatever
This is a pretty complicated card, so bear with me for a while.
Think or DareXR
Instant
Reveal the top card of your library. Then if the total converted mana cost of all cards revealed this way is greater than X, put those cards on top of your library in any order then draw a card. Otherwise you may either put them into your hand or repeat the entire process.
You cast this with X=3
The first card you reveal happens to be a mountain. Since mountain has CMC 0, and you have revealed only one card so far, you can either put that mountain in your hand or reveal the next card.
Second card is Raging Goblin.Two cards, total CMC 1, you can put those two cards in hand or reveal the next card.
Third card is another Raging Goblin. Total CMC = 2, which is not above 3 yet, so you can either put those three cards into hand or reveal the fourth card.
The fourth card is a Warren Instigator. ow total cmc is 4, which is more than 3, so you don't get any card and instead have to put those 4 cards on top of your library in any order.
Another scenario:
You choose X=12
First card you revealed is a Raging Goblin, cmc 1. You choose to take it and move to the next card.
Second card you revealed is Greater Gargadon. Total CMC now is 11.
You don't feel lucky, so you just stop and take that Goblin and Gargadon into your hand instead of risking to lose both.
I hope those scenarios help explain how this card works. Anyway, there are a few things which I am still considering about this card:
1) I planned to make the limit of total cmc higher, like "twice of X" or "X plus 1", since I have the feeling this card is too weak otherwise.
2) If you managed to stack up multiple land cards on top of library, this can become a rather massively powerful draw engine, not to mention potentially off-color as well.
3) I was thinking of giving it cantrip, either as a bonus effect for the entire card or a compensation should you go over X. Not sure if that's too good, though, but I think cantrip as compensation seems good for now.
Very interesting card... maybe that it should be hybrid. Can be really cool in burns when you run out of cards.
My creation, also with an image
Anyway, since spoil of Dreadhorde Arcanist I am toying with with idea of trying him in jund alongside Noble Hierarch + some additional changes. I see similarity between him and confidant. This being quite good against aggro matchups where you are in dire need of your 1 drops + he can occasionally block unlike confidant and most importantly can provide card advantage while not costing you any life.
Also I was thinking of Davriel being a good sideboard card against control matchups. Compared to liliana he doesn't hit our own hand and provides a relevant clock.
What do you guys think?
4 Akoum Battlesinger
2 Expedition Envoy
4 Hada Freeblade
4 Jwari Shapeshifter
3 Kabira Evangel
4 Kalastria Healer
4 Kazandu Blademaster
4 Noble Hierarch
2 Reckless Bushwhacker
Other (8)
4 Aether Vial
4 Collected Company
4 Cavern of souls
4 Ally encampment
2 Unclaimed Territory
3 Horizon Canopy
1 Temple Garden
1 Sacred Foundry
4 Windswept Heath
1 Forest
1 Plains
4 Path to exile
3 Rest in peace
2 Stony silence
2 Eidolon of Rhetorics
2 Selfless spirit
2 Ondu Cleric
Cards I toyed with, through out the testing and find out to be somewhat useable
Results
Went 3:0 twice in a row at local FNM with record of clear 6 wins.
Overall I played against: UR Storm, BridgeVine, UR Wizards, BTL Scapeshift, Skred, Grixis Death's shadow.
Went 3:1 at our local "MTG fightclub" which consists of people that are the most interested in modern from our city.
There I played against: Dredge, UB Control, Taking Turns and Infect (lost this one to the blighted agent).
I was able to test a lot agains Jund Death's shadow and UW and in both cases I won nearly each game I call 9/10 or so. In any case it wasn't even close for them.
I wasn't able to test against humans/tron/bant_spirits yet.
I find this deck utterly weak to any kind of combo (storm/devoted druid/ad nauseam etc.) as it lacks interaction but other than that I was able to race successfully even the storm when I was on play and/or he didn't have T2/T3 kill since with mediocre hand you simply kill them on T3 and T4.
Overall I have no ideas for improvement atm. but I am open to suggestions. Also I find this deck super fun to play and surprisingly competitive so I am going to continue playing it for now albeit they seem like weaker humans, their clock in comparison is much superior to them.
At my last tournament I tried to break through with Abzan (Hierarch/Flayer version) and went 1:3 drop with:
T1 titanshift (loss)
T2 GB Tron (loss)
T3 Grixis Death's Shadow (win)
T4 Titanshift AGAIN! (loss) -> drop.
This time around I decided to take Jund and try my chances as the matchups with titanshift and tron are, in my opinion, a bit better. Decklist I used below, alongside with sideboard choices and tournament reprise.
4x Dark Confidant
4x Tarmogoyf
3x Scavenging Ooze
2x Kalitas, traitor of Ghet
1x Glorybringer
Planeswalkers: (4)
3x Liliana of the Veil
1x Chandra, torch of defiance
Spells: (18)
4x Inquisition of Kozilek
2x Thougtseize
3x Fatal Push
3x Terminate
2x Abrupt Decay
2x Kolaghan's Command
1x Maelstrom Pulse
1x Collective Brutality
4x Verdant Catacombs
2x Wooded Foothills
2x Bloodstained Mire
3x Raging Ravine
2x Overgrown Tomb
1x Stomping Ground
1x Blood Crypt
1x Twilight Mire
3x Blackcleave Cliffs
1x Blooming Marsh
2x Swamp
2x Forest
1x Thrun, the Last Troll
1x Night of Souls' Betrayal
1x Damnation
1x Anger of the Gods
1x Rakdos Charm
1x Choke
1x Collective Brutality
2x Obstinate Baloth
2x Crumble to Dust
2x Blood Moon
2x Surgical Extraction
To my surprise it went much better with this list.
Game 1: Grixis Death's Shadow (2:1)
2nd: Went in the hands of my opponent as he was able to have all the necessary answers, even to protect his threats, also no sideboard card made an appearance.
3rd: I went full retard with this one, leaveing discard in my deck, in case I get my sideboard, proved useful as i was able to get rid of opponent's discard and locked him with choke on turn 3 which left him with 3 tapped lands an one creature on board (tasigur) that was quickly dismissed afterwards and the lockdown was strong enough to give me inevitable board presence.
Not sure if my sideboard choices were correct:
- Chandra, Glorybringer, Collective Brutality, M. Pulse.
+ 2x Blood Moon, Choke, Thrun
Chandra and Bringer seems not all that good as they don't kill neither of tasigur, fish or Death's shadow in most cases.
Brutality lacks power in my opinion as the removal part hits basically nothing.
Moon and Choke seemed to me as a preferable choice as I often hear people talking about how unstable Grix Death's shadows manabase is. Thrun seemed like efficient blocker which can't be put down by shadow in any means.
2nd: Wow, now that was something. My first discard threw away reunion, then I followed by goyf. On t3 I had nothing relevant, but by the turn 4 the game was almost done, I swiped the board with NoSB killing 3 ghasts a 2 moebas and downgrading amalgan, rendering my opponent unable to attack due to my goyf. On turn 5 I topdecked Kalitas and played him which by the sights of my opponent stripped him of will to play and after few turns we went for another.
3rd: I was simply rude with this one, T1 discard for my opponent's abrupt. He tried to start dredging quite soon, but his first narcomoeba trigger opened me space for -2 life amalgan hit with my extraction. After that I played t2 Scavenging ooze and simply overpowered my opponent through the whole game from this point.
Sideboard choices:
- 3x Liliana of the veil, Thoughtseize, Dark Confidant.
+ 2x Surgical Extraction, Anger of the gods, Night of Souls' Betrayal, Rakdos Charm.
Guess no explanation needed here.
Game 3: Bant Eldrazi (2:1)
2nd: Opponent mulliganed once again! But again he started T2 knot seer as he had again both temples (dang, lol) this time he just went full on curve and I was not able to stop him no matter what. Also no sideboard card came around.
3rd: manadork push, Goyf, Blood moon, GG.
Sideboard choices:
- Collective Brutality, 2x Abrupt Decay.
+ Damnation, 2x Blood Moon
Guess no explanation needed here either.
Game 4: UW Control (2:0)
2nd: Discard, Confidant (got pathed), Chandra and I opponent basically basically tried to counter kill anything from this point on but Chandra was just way too much of a Card advantage.
Sideboard choices:
- 2x Abrupt Decay, terminate, push.
+ Choke, Thrun, 2x Surgical Extraction.
I think that opponent actually screwed by pathing my confidant and giving me 4 lands by turn 3 (dunno, I wouldn't do it at this point of game). Also I am never sure about the surgical extraction sideboardig and I think Thrun is a lot weaker with alliance around but they seem to work. Other option I was considering was boarding in 2 Baloths instead of extraction just so I have more creatures in deck.
Game 5: Dunno,.. (Draw)
TOP 8
Game 6: Naya Burn (2:0)
2nd: with early removals in hand and both kalitas and ooze I kept it. Ooze blocked and got buzzed dead. I played t4 tarmogoyf over kalitas because I had that feeling about opponent having a path, well he had, so afterward as he saw kalitas in turn 5 he scooped.
Sideboard choices:
- 4x Dark Confidant, 2x Thoughtseize, Glorybringer.
+ 2x Obstinate Baloth, Collective Brutalitty, 2x surgical extraction.
In both games I got literally on the verge of death - 4 life against topdecking Burn. Also I am not sure at all about the extraction/thoughtseize side while I think that Thoughtseize may strip you of 2 life and take away potentialy up to 4 dmg or so. Having extraction hitting atarka's command or Boros charm for safety purposes with no life loss seems just better.
Game 7: Bant Eldrazi (2:0) (different guy)
2nd: Double mana dork and rest in peace from my opponent. I dismissed the rest in peace by pulse after dropping two goyfs. Opponent had pretty much nothing to get through goyfs (his TKS way way too small after I hit his hierarch). We somehow got into topdecking phase with him having TKS seer stripping me of my last card (damnation). I thought everything was over but *BAM* Mighty Glorybringer from the topdeck shot his knot seer dead bringing me Liliana in process. In next 2 turns game was over.
Sideboard choices:
- Collective Brutality, 2x Abrupt Decay.
+ Damnation, 2x Blood Moon
Although I saw Bringer exactly once during whole tournament. This memory leaves smirk on my face even as I write. This felt just simply epic.
Game 8: UR Storm (0:2)
2nd: I had everything, discard, ooze, more discard. Killed opponent Goblins with brutality and discard (hitting gifts). Only for him to topdeck another one and starting to combo me out easily.
(If you would lick me at this point, I'd be pure salt. Leaving my opponent to combo out whole way again, and pressing his hand a bit harder than I normally would).
Sideboard Choices:
- Glorybringer, Chandra, 2x Kalitas, Kolaghan's Command.
+ Collective Brutality, 2x Surgical Extraction, Choke, Rakdos Charm.
There is literally nothing I can say about this game. Except I might've mulliganed to 5 at first game just to get green and die anyway (idk). 2nd game I felt like there is literally nothing that could stop me. Well Opponent had everything covered with that gifts draw while only one turn further I would be Oozing his grave and probably handling the situation.
So to speak. I went home with second place, overall score 6:1:1 and 8 MM17 boosters which left me with Cavern of souls and foil Blood moon in my hands. I am not sure if all my plays were always good or sideboarding best but I tried and it worked out somehow.
- Glorybringer is probably nowhere best in his spot but the one time I played him it was great.
- Sideboarding against tron and titanshift with ultimate card choices didn't show anything as I did not meet them.
- Where the heck are all the affinities? O.o
TL;DR, I did Jund-everyone-out except for storm which I think I should but somehow was not able to
Artifact
Sacrifice a planeswalker: Destroy target permanent. For each permanent in play, removed
Very interesting card... maybe that it should be
My creation, also with an image
Artifact
Sacrifice a planeswalker: Destroy target