Just wanted to bring up Renounce the Guilds from DMZ for discussion.
Possibly as a SB answer in some decks for Bogle and Geist that don't have access to Lilly or would run Supreme Verdict. But the list for Multicolor cards that are hard to answer in Modern are short and most of the decks that would run Renounce the Guilds would run Supreme Verdict or Lilly anyways.
If it becomes an issue, there are ways we can adapt around it. Such as running a number of Favor of the Overbeing or bringing in Gaddock Teeg from the SB.
Quote from WyldHeartXIII »
The mana has been fine for me. As long as you can produce the double white and have access to red and green you're fine (temple and foundry solves this). Keen sense, canopy, and fetch lands ensure this.
I'm running eight creatures because this deck is meant to mulligan aggressively and I found that whenever I drew the ledgewalker or the spirit dancer they sat in my hand while bogle or scout did all the work. I feel that 11 creatures will give you a dead draw instead of another enchantment (or in my build) boros charm that wins you the game. You can't be afraid to go down to a four card hand, the deck can handle it.
Interesting, however I fail to see how warping the mana base in a 20 land deck wouldn't change consistency any. Boros Charm won't win the game any faster because the best line of play is still: T1 Bogle, T2 Enchant, Enchant, T3 Coronet/Spirit Mantle. Sure you could draw nut and go: T1 Stomping Ground - Bogle, T2 Mesa fetch Foundry - Rancor - Ethereal Armor swing 5, T3 - Rancor/Ethereal Armor - Boros Charm win. But if you're mulling to 4 on a regular basis due to mana and creature issues, you will need to pull top decks to get that line of play on a mull to 4 or 5. It's worth mentioning Charm is only good with Rancor or Spirit Mantle as the deck can already give First Strike fairly easy and a suited up Bogle is rarely out matched in power and toughness.
Also, with only 2 green fetches you'll rarely be able to pull a Dryad Arbor in the face of an edict and with 3 lands that don't tap for green on turn 1 you're looking to mull more often. Not to mention you lose all hope of recovering from a turn 4 Supreme Verdict on the draw with only 8/9 creatures in the deck. Or even worse, a turn 2 Lilly on the draw....
It just seems to add more problems than it solves...
Added Deglamer and Seal of Primordium to SB choices.
Quote from VitaminC »
I've been having a rough time against infect. My creatures are usually too small to block early, or they've got evasion. I have 1 spellskite in my sb, but I feel this is my worse mu, any suggestions? (I keep all my removal, but can't find room in the sb for more spellskites).
As for the infect match up, I've got little experience against it but understand that they've got a faster clock and can win the game in an average of two swings as where we average 3. I'd think Spellskite is the way to go as it's less narrow than Melria and you can actually use it in other match ups.
And as for helping you make room, we really need to see your SB. How much Infect do you expect to face?
Quote from HerCuleS »
plz let me know how the 4 hierarchs are working out for you.
and are u always satisfied with spirit dancer?
i don't think wasting mana for it is worth it (early game)
I will, but I won't be playing Modern for a bit since it's Standard PTQ season.
Spiritdancers been alright for me, she's my least favorite of the creatures I have. However, I do enjoy her draw power. I usually don't play her until I can cast a aura immediately after, know my opponent's deck doesn't contain a lot of targeted removal, or have to start drawing into answers. Spiritdancers are not a cornerstone of the deck, that's why I didn't include them in the core, Bogle can run fine without them.
It's very effective when dealing with Liliana. If she sees a lot of play in your meta I would highly suggest two, maybe even three. However if you aren't seeing her played too often those slots could be used for other enchantments.
Wait... What am I missing? How does Seal of Primordium help deal with Lily?
Seal has been brought up a lot. The only advantages to running it over Nature's Claim is that it doesn't gain the opponent life and it gives a buff to your Ethereal Armor. I feel the 1 CMC and Instant speed on Claim make it a better SB choice than the Seal.
just went 4-1 today, endin' up 1st place gettin' a french tarmogoyf....
...never rly needed the claims, maybe dropping them for crypts or rest in peace (preferably crypt, i don't like tapping out for rip, even with it being an enchantment)
i also think i dont need those spirit links, maybe replacing those or the needles with 3rd silence and 3rd suppression field.
i would not make any changes in the maindeck so far.
only thing i have in mind is dropping the spiritdancers for 4th hierarch and X ... don't know, but the dancers didn't worked out for me...never.
maybe playin fists of ironwood to better the edict-matchup
Congrats on the finish!
Regarding the Nature's Claim, if you feel Blood Moon isn't going to see a lot of SB play then by all means cut it for more room, but at the moment it's our only out if it comes down too early.
Rest in Peace I like because it gives decks like DregeVine another target to aim their Abrupt Decays at (rather than Coronets or Mantles) and it's harder for the Goryo's Vengeance decks to handle/play around.
I feel 'our' version with the Hierarchs is resilient enough to edicts (aside from the dreaded turn 2 Lily) since we're willing to drop Nobles on the table early in the game. I'm definitely going to 4 Nobles for the next major Modern tourny. If you're going to drop the Spiritdancers, Keen Sense might be the direction to look at.
(G/W)G / W - A u r a s(G/W) Also known as that damn Bogle deck...
Introduction:
The Bogle deck is a non-interactive, explosive aggro deck that's based around playing a turn 1 hexproof creature (Slippery Bogle or Gladecover Scout) and suiting it up with cheap, effective enchantments. In a couple turns you'll be swinging for massive damage, most times it will be with First Strike and Trample or straight up unblockable. This allows for quick wins with turn 4 being the earliest. The deck is an all or nothing deck, meaning if your opponent manages to handle your sole threat the deck is often unable to stabilize and regain board position.
The benefits of the deck are: fast clock, non-interactive, fairly easy to pilot, hard to disrupt, and a VERY low curve. The pitfalls of the deck are: susceptible to narrow hate, hard time bouncing back, moderate consistency issues, and major lack of late game stamina. The deck can also be built on a moderate budget with only fetchlands and Daybreak Coronet consisting of the money cards.
Link to the old disscussion thread can be found here: Link
Building the Bogle
Deck Core:
The deck's core consists of 8 one mana hexproof creatures, 2 to 4 Kor Spiritdancer and 14-16 auras:
The number of Spirit Mantle and Kor Spiritdancer are the flexible point in the core. A majority of the current builds run 2 Spirit Mantle and average 3 Kor Spiritdancer main deck. Rancor and Ethereal Armor are key auras as they allow massive damage for very little mana and provide both reach (trample) and protection (first strike) for the Bogle. Daybreak Coronet is a cornerstone of the deck and make an already scary Bogle into a down right nightmare for your opponent while Spirit Mantle closes the game faster than any other aura.
Kor Spiritdancer works great in the deck as a draw source and an occasional beatstick against decks that don't run Path to Exile. At worst she'll replace herself when you cast the follow up aura but more often than not she'll be a serious source of major card advantage!
Flex Slots:
With a package of 2 Spirit Mantle and 3 Kor Spiritdancer there is room for 15 more cards. The average Bogle deck runs 12 to 15 creatures, 22 to 25 auras, and up to 3 Path to Exile. Path to Exile clears blockers, removes threats to buy time, gives an out to maindeck Spellskite and gives us answers to creature based combo decks. The creature count varies by build as having only 8 one drops makes the deck highly inconsistent. So you'll have the following to work with to increase the threat density of the deck:
The only hexproof creature on that list is Silhana Ledgewalker and needs little explanation as to why she's on that list.
Noble Hierarch gains consideration as she offers a boost to your attacking Bogle and can help you crank out more auras in fewer turns. She also gives the deck another 1 drop to work with and makes for fewer hands that need to be shipped away. She does have a downside however: she turns on your opponents targeted removal.
Spellskite main deck is a great solution if your meta is saturated with decks like Infect, Twin, and the mirror. In a pinch it can be suited up with auras as it's already out of bolt range, just make sure you're not playing into a Path to Exile.
Auras greatly outnumber creatures because the premise of the deck is to overload one Bogle to push damage through, so you generally only need one creature in your opener but need to draw auras to put on it. Here's a list of auras to fill up the remaining slots:
Every Bogle deck wants 4 to 8 Umbras in the event a board wipe resolves. Sweepers, such as Engineered Explosives at 1, are problematic because the Umbra will still save the creature but all/most auras on it will be destroyed and you'll be left with a wimpy weenie. Hyena Umbra is the better of the two since it gives the deck more access to first strike so load up on those before filling in with Spider Umbra.
Keen Sense is a great draw source for the deck and if you are thinking of not running the maximum number of Kor Spiritdancer two of these are almost a must. The only disadvantages to Keen Sense are they don't provide a power/toughness boost on their own and the card you draw comes after the attack step so you don't get to utilize any auras you may draw into until the following attack step.
Spirit Link is great to have if your Meta is heavy aggro and burn. The card works different than Lifelink since it uses the stack and must resolve. However, that's not really a downside as it stacks with lifelink to gain you even more life. You can even put it on one of your opponents creatures to essentially nullify it (just be careful to not take lethal as you'll still die before Spirit Link's trigger resolves!).
Unflinching Courage is a brutal aura that does everything a Bogle deck wants. By the time it comes down, the Bogle most likely has 3 to 4 auras on it so Unflinching Courage just adds even more raw power to the deck. I wouldn't recommend running more than 2 since the 3 CMC can be a burden, but there have been decks that run 3 successfully. So flavor to taste!
The Mana:
Essentially, Bogle is a 19 land deck. The 20th land used is a Dryad Arbor and is mainly in the deck for a sacrificial role in the event you have to work around an edict effect like Liliana of the Veil. Horizon Canopy is a great tool in the mana base, it offers turn 1 mana and can become a card if need be. The rest is pretty straight forward, but you want to make sure you can cast a Bogle on turn 1 and Daybreak Coronet on turn 3 with no hiccups. Include one basic Forest to fetch if there's a Blood Moon on the stack or in the event you can't afford to fetch for an untapped Temple Garden.
Sideboard Choices:
Modern has a deep and diverse Metagame, but luckily Bogle has access to some broad answers and since most are enchantments, they wont devalue Ethereal Armor. Leyline of Sanctity: Mainly answers IoK and Thoughtseize as turn 1 discard on the draw can be game over for Bogle. It's also a great answer to Burn as most, if not all, of their cards target you for damage. If you run these in your sideboard you have to run all 4 as having it in the opener is the easiest way for Bogle to cast it since 4 mana might as well be a million...
Suppression Field: A great answer to a lot of headaches. It pretty much stifles Celestial Colonnade, hurts 3 color decks when they need to use fetchlands, cripples Splinter Twin, and of course makes Spellskite a little less scary. Just remember that it effects your fetchlands and Horizon Canopy so crack them before slamming Field on the table.
Stony Silence: A great answer to Affinity and other artifact-centric decks.
Nature's Claim: Our sole out to Blood Moon as a resolved one cripples the deck. It's also a great answer to Spellskite and other problematic enchantments and artifacts.
Rest in Peace: Great against any deck that might have graveyard shenanigans such as Living End. Some side it in to neuter opposing Tarmogoyf but if your deck is built right, Goyf shouldn't be a threat anyway.
Pithing Needle: The classic sideboard answer. It's great for Skite, Lilly, and just about any other activated ability that can stop the Bogle or win your opponent the game.
Retether: A nice card to have if you expect the match to grind out. It's a shame they won't return Coronets to a naked Bogle though. Don't run too many though as the 4 CMC make it a pain to cast.
Fog: A great answer to Infect decks as they usually try to kill in one shot.
The deck performs the exact same function but at a more consistent rate when it's only G/W. Mainly it's in the fact that the mana can produce turn 1 Green, turn two any combination of Green and White, and turn 3 double White. That allows the deck to get more explosive hands and curve out the nuts on a consistent basis. With blue in the deck, it makes it harder to resolve a Coronet if you are playing with Breeding Pools instead of Razorverge Thickets and harder to drop a turn one Bogle/Scout if you got a pair of Hallowed Fountains in your opener.
It's also been well proven that the deck can run off of 12-14 creatures and comparison between Silhana Ledgewalker and Invisible Stalker is close enough to discount any argument that Stalker should be included. Also, unblockablility can be obtained through Spirit Mantle and Trample is huge in the format considering the creatures with the fattest bottoms are Tarmogoyf and Restoration Angel.
Geist is a three drop and that immediately discounts any use since the average Bogle deck caps at 2 CMC on the curve. The Blue auras are overshadowed by current aura package and Curiosity is easily replaced by the shifted Keen Sense.
Basic Play Concepts:
Before I move on to match ups, I'd like to cover some basic plays for anyone interested in playing the deck that never has. If you're familiar with the deck, no need to read the basics below.
The key to playing Bogle is knowing how to mull aggressively. You can not keep a hand filled with great auras and a couple lands in hopes of peeling a Bogle off the top... It just doesn't happen with only 10-14 creatures in the deck. Same goes for no landers, the odds to pull lands are a bit better but just don't count on the topdeck... Bogle is notorious for bad topdecks, it's just the nature of the deck. You want a hand with a turn 1 Bogle and a follow up enchantment turn 2. Mulls to 6 and 5 are common place and mulling to 4 still can win you the game. Try not to keep hands with Coronets and no other auras, if you have to it's OK, but again I stress that sometimes you won't peel that first aura til is a bit too late.
Once you get that Bogle to stick, just pile him up with all the enchantments you can. Very rarely will you have two creatures on the field with auras on each. After playing the deck a bit you'll get the feel for which auras you want to resolve first.
Bear in mind Daybreak Coronets restriction. If you have a Bogle with Coronet and one other aura and that aura gets destroyed, Coronet is going to the grave as well. It's not all downside with the restriction though. If you have an enchanted Bogle and your opponent has an unenchanted Spellskite out, you can still cast a Coronet safely without worrying about the Spellskite snagging it.
Bogle is one of the only decks that I'd advocate deck thinning. The math has shown deck thinning to have only a minor impact on drawing. However, with the decks curve topping out at 2, topdecking land when you already have 2 or 3 on the field is not good. Between the fetchlands and Horizon Canopy, you have access to some good thinning which will hopefully lead to drawing more auras off the top. So fetch as much as you can.
Sometimes it's better to resolve your auras after combat. This is especially true if you're facing Cryptic Command decks. You'll get them to tap and draw rather than counter and tap. There will be times when you won't want them to draw (they have sided in Supreme Verdict for example and are digging for it), in that case just throw out a lesser aura to bait the counter magic. Most blue decks will counter Ethereal Armor on the spot, so that's usually the best bait to get Coronet or Spirit Mantel on the Bogle.
A turn 2 Liliana of the Veil can be a scary occurrence. Just try to keep an uncracked fetch on the field if your opponent drops a turn 1 Deathrite Shaman. If Lily does come down, you'll at least be able to fetch for Dryad Arbor in response. Bear in mind that can only happen if you're on the play and most decks will hold off until they have enough mana to remove the Arbor with the ability on the stack. Sometimes there's just nothing you can do and they have you by the nuts.
Sideboarding is fairly easy with Bogle. Always expect your opponent to board in Spellskite as it fits easily into just about every sideboard out there. If you're not facing a deck with access to edict effects, you can side out Dryad Arbor to free up a slot. Don't worry, siding out Dryad Arbor has almost no effect on the mana base.
Match Up Analysis:
Under construction. I will have the Jund/Junk, U/W/r Control, Pod, and Scapeshift match ups done by 3/25/13. Currently looking for assistance with the Tron and Infect match ups. PM me if you have any insight to those particular match ups.
Change Log:
3/28/13: Added Seal of Primordium and Deglamer to SB choices
8/4/13: Added Reid Duke's Worlds 2013 list
8/11/13: Added reasoning for no Blue in the deck
5/14/15: Major Update
Why the miser Plains? Why didn't you play Keen Sense?
The Plains is strange to me, and Keen Sense has been pretty good to me.
The Plains was there to fetch if a Noble or Spiritdancer got Path to Exiled. I expected the field to be U/W/r control heavy (which it was). Out of the ENTIRE weekend I only had the awkward 'one Plains/awesome rest' hand and of course it had to be in the finals of the GPT. I ended up winning that game after a quick mull to six.
I don't like Keen Sense because I've felt like it needs Rancor or Spirit Mantle to be good. I'd rather have Spider Umbra for the buff, totem, and occasional reach to block an Angel in dire need.
I've played both the Noble and Nobleless decks and have to say that Nobles give the deck way more than any other creature or enchantment you can put in that slot. She makes the mana much more reliable, provides a pump to your Bogle, and gives you another Green one drop to work with. I've even stolen games by suiting one up against the right deck (such as Pod or anything non Red and White heavy).
Sideboard wise, Suppression Field at 3 is the correct call. I've sided them in all but one match up at the PTQ (vs. Scapeshift) and almost every match at the GPT. They help when you're not sure if Skite is coming in or not.
At the PTQ I lost to Melria Pod round 2 (mainly bad topdecks), U/R/w Splinter Twin in the 7th round (worst misplay of my career: scooping too early) and U/W control in the final round of swiss (t3 Geist with castle back up game 1 and 3). All loses were winnable matches so I believe that this deck does have a place in the Modern metagame.
I've also got the Mod 'go-a-head' to make a Primer for this deck. I should have it up by Friday based on my current work load. So if you have any match up analysis, any insight you might like to share, or if you want your list on the main post just shoot me a PM and I'll be sure to include it in the Primer. I used to be a featured writer for Blackborder.com and I'll make a real nice Primer for the deck
Thanks all, I look forward to improving this deck with you!
There's only a few reasons I'd ever scoop:
1.) There is absolutely no way I could possibly win and I feel that I've seen enough of the opponents deck. Infinite life is not impossible to overcome.
2.) Game 1 or 2 isn't looking too good and I'd rather have more time to finish the round.
3.) Game 1 isn't looking too good and I don't want to show my opponent any more of my deck than i have too.
I've learned not to scoop too early as I've found ways of overcoming bad situations that normal players would overlook.
John Avon. Certain artwork only.
Namely:
Plains from M10
Islands and Forests from Invasions
Swamps from Urza's Saga
and Mountains from Mirage (the dark one with tons of red that popped up in 8th Edition)
And I scour trade binders for foils as they are the only basics I'll ever play.
I understand your confusion, spells on the stack should be like a death grenade in Halo that goes off after you die. However that's on the case and the rules state that all spells, permanents, effects and cards leave the game as soon as the owner loses.
It's just a case of 'that's the rule' and it doesn't matter how you look at it from a flavor standpoint.
As for your last question, targets are chosen when when you cast the spell.
No. The Batterskull and token needs to be on the battlefield before you declare blockers. The latest it can enter the battlefield and block is in the Declare Attackers step after attacks have been declared. If you wait to block with the Stoneforge Mystic and activate the ability, it will be too late to block with the Batterskull and token.
Possibly as a SB answer in some decks for Bogle and Geist that don't have access to Lilly or would run Supreme Verdict. But the list for Multicolor cards that are hard to answer in Modern are short and most of the decks that would run Renounce the Guilds would run Supreme Verdict or Lilly anyways.
If it becomes an issue, there are ways we can adapt around it. Such as running a number of Favor of the Overbeing or bringing in Gaddock Teeg from the SB.
Interesting, however I fail to see how warping the mana base in a 20 land deck wouldn't change consistency any. Boros Charm won't win the game any faster because the best line of play is still: T1 Bogle, T2 Enchant, Enchant, T3 Coronet/Spirit Mantle. Sure you could draw nut and go: T1 Stomping Ground - Bogle, T2 Mesa fetch Foundry - Rancor - Ethereal Armor swing 5, T3 - Rancor/Ethereal Armor - Boros Charm win. But if you're mulling to 4 on a regular basis due to mana and creature issues, you will need to pull top decks to get that line of play on a mull to 4 or 5. It's worth mentioning Charm is only good with Rancor or Spirit Mantle as the deck can already give First Strike fairly easy and a suited up Bogle is rarely out matched in power and toughness.
Also, with only 2 green fetches you'll rarely be able to pull a Dryad Arbor in the face of an edict and with 3 lands that don't tap for green on turn 1 you're looking to mull more often. Not to mention you lose all hope of recovering from a turn 4 Supreme Verdict on the draw with only 8/9 creatures in the deck. Or even worse, a turn 2 Lilly on the draw....
It just seems to add more problems than it solves...
Sideboarding vs. Twin:
3 Suppression Field
1 Natures Claim
1 PtE / Dismember
I feel Skite is only good vs. Infect, the mirror, and to a small degree Scapeshift (turns 21 points of damage into 14).
As for the infect match up, I've got little experience against it but understand that they've got a faster clock and can win the game in an average of two swings as where we average 3. I'd think Spellskite is the way to go as it's less narrow than Melria and you can actually use it in other match ups.
And as for helping you make room, we really need to see your SB. How much Infect do you expect to face?
I will, but I won't be playing Modern for a bit since it's Standard PTQ season.
Spiritdancers been alright for me, she's my least favorite of the creatures I have. However, I do enjoy her draw power. I usually don't play her until I can cast a aura immediately after, know my opponent's deck doesn't contain a lot of targeted removal, or have to start drawing into answers. Spiritdancers are not a cornerstone of the deck, that's why I didn't include them in the core, Bogle can run fine without them.
Wait... What am I missing? How does Seal of Primordium help deal with Lily?
Seal has been brought up a lot. The only advantages to running it over Nature's Claim is that it doesn't gain the opponent life and it gives a buff to your Ethereal Armor. I feel the 1 CMC and Instant speed on Claim make it a better SB choice than the Seal.
Congrats on the finish!
Regarding the Nature's Claim, if you feel Blood Moon isn't going to see a lot of SB play then by all means cut it for more room, but at the moment it's our only out if it comes down too early.
Rest in Peace I like because it gives decks like DregeVine another target to aim their Abrupt Decays at (rather than Coronets or Mantles) and it's harder for the Goryo's Vengeance decks to handle/play around.
I feel 'our' version with the Hierarchs is resilient enough to edicts (aside from the dreaded turn 2 Lily) since we're willing to drop Nobles on the table early in the game. I'm definitely going to 4 Nobles for the next major Modern tourny. If you're going to drop the Spiritdancers, Keen Sense might be the direction to look at.
Also, wanted to get it up today instead of waiting until Monday for some match up analysis to be completed.
Also known as that damn Bogle deck...
Introduction:
The Bogle deck is a non-interactive, explosive aggro deck that's based around playing a turn 1 hexproof creature (Slippery Bogle or Gladecover Scout) and suiting it up with cheap, effective enchantments. In a couple turns you'll be swinging for massive damage, most times it will be with First Strike and Trample or straight up unblockable. This allows for quick wins with turn 4 being the earliest. The deck is an all or nothing deck, meaning if your opponent manages to handle your sole threat the deck is often unable to stabilize and regain board position.
The benefits of the deck are: fast clock, non-interactive, fairly easy to pilot, hard to disrupt, and a VERY low curve. The pitfalls of the deck are: susceptible to narrow hate, hard time bouncing back, moderate consistency issues, and major lack of late game stamina. The deck can also be built on a moderate budget with only fetchlands and Daybreak Coronet consisting of the money cards.
Link to the old disscussion thread can be found here: Link
Deck Core:
The deck's core consists of 8 one mana hexproof creatures, 2 to 4 Kor Spiritdancer and 14-16 auras:
4 Gladecover Scout
3 Kor Spiritdancer
4 Ethereal Armor
4 Daybreak Coronet
2 Spirit Mantle
Kor Spiritdancer works great in the deck as a draw source and an occasional beatstick against decks that don't run Path to Exile. At worst she'll replace herself when you cast the follow up aura but more often than not she'll be a serious source of major card advantage!
Flex Slots:
With a package of 2 Spirit Mantle and 3 Kor Spiritdancer there is room for 15 more cards. The average Bogle deck runs 12 to 15 creatures, 22 to 25 auras, and up to 3 Path to Exile. Path to Exile clears blockers, removes threats to buy time, gives an out to maindeck Spellskite and gives us answers to creature based combo decks. The creature count varies by build as having only 8 one drops makes the deck highly inconsistent. So you'll have the following to work with to increase the threat density of the deck:
1 Silhana Ledgewalker
1 Noble Hierarch
Noble Hierarch gains consideration as she offers a boost to your attacking Bogle and can help you crank out more auras in fewer turns. She also gives the deck another 1 drop to work with and makes for fewer hands that need to be shipped away. She does have a downside however: she turns on your opponents targeted removal.
Spellskite main deck is a great solution if your meta is saturated with decks like Infect, Twin, and the mirror. In a pinch it can be suited up with auras as it's already out of bolt range, just make sure you're not playing into a Path to Exile.
Auras greatly outnumber creatures because the premise of the deck is to overload one Bogle to push damage through, so you generally only need one creature in your opener but need to draw auras to put on it. Here's a list of auras to fill up the remaining slots:
1 Keen Sense
1 Spider Umbra
1 Spirit Link
1 Unflinching Courage
Keen Sense is a great draw source for the deck and if you are thinking of not running the maximum number of Kor Spiritdancer two of these are almost a must. The only disadvantages to Keen Sense are they don't provide a power/toughness boost on their own and the card you draw comes after the attack step so you don't get to utilize any auras you may draw into until the following attack step.
Spirit Link is great to have if your Meta is heavy aggro and burn. The card works different than Lifelink since it uses the stack and must resolve. However, that's not really a downside as it stacks with lifelink to gain you even more life. You can even put it on one of your opponents creatures to essentially nullify it (just be careful to not take lethal as you'll still die before Spirit Link's trigger resolves!).
Unflinching Courage is a brutal aura that does everything a Bogle deck wants. By the time it comes down, the Bogle most likely has 3 to 4 auras on it so Unflinching Courage just adds even more raw power to the deck. I wouldn't recommend running more than 2 since the 3 CMC can be a burden, but there have been decks that run 3 successfully. So flavor to taste!
The Mana:
Essentially, Bogle is a 19 land deck. The 20th land used is a Dryad Arbor and is mainly in the deck for a sacrificial role in the event you have to work around an edict effect like Liliana of the Veil. Horizon Canopy is a great tool in the mana base, it offers turn 1 mana and can become a card if need be. The rest is pretty straight forward, but you want to make sure you can cast a Bogle on turn 1 and Daybreak Coronet on turn 3 with no hiccups. Include one basic Forest to fetch if there's a Blood Moon on the stack or in the event you can't afford to fetch for an untapped Temple Garden.
3-4 Temple Garden
3-4 Horizon Canopy
4 Windswept Heath
2-4 Additional Green Fetchlands (Wooded Foothills / Verdant Catacombs)
1 Dryad Arbor
1 Forest
0-1 Plains
Sideboard Choices:
Modern has a deep and diverse Metagame, but luckily Bogle has access to some broad answers and since most are enchantments, they wont devalue Ethereal Armor.
Leyline of Sanctity: Mainly answers IoK and Thoughtseize as turn 1 discard on the draw can be game over for Bogle. It's also a great answer to Burn as most, if not all, of their cards target you for damage. If you run these in your sideboard you have to run all 4 as having it in the opener is the easiest way for Bogle to cast it since 4 mana might as well be a million...
Suppression Field: A great answer to a lot of headaches. It pretty much stifles Celestial Colonnade, hurts 3 color decks when they need to use fetchlands, cripples Splinter Twin, and of course makes Spellskite a little less scary. Just remember that it effects your fetchlands and Horizon Canopy so crack them before slamming Field on the table.
Stony Silence: A great answer to Affinity and other artifact-centric decks.
Nature's Claim: Our sole out to Blood Moon as a resolved one cripples the deck. It's also a great answer to Spellskite and other problematic enchantments and artifacts.
Rest in Peace: Great against any deck that might have graveyard shenanigans such as Living End. Some side it in to neuter opposing Tarmogoyf but if your deck is built right, Goyf shouldn't be a threat anyway.
Pithing Needle: The classic sideboard answer. It's great for Skite, Lilly, and just about any other activated ability that can stop the Bogle or win your opponent the game.
Gaddock Teeg: There are a lot more 4 CMC spells in Modern than you think: Cryptic Command, Supreme Verdict, Scapeshift, Splinter Twin, every threat in Tron except Wurmcoil Engine... The Teeg stops 'em all and most of the decks side out targeted removal and you can back him up with an Umbra if need be.
Retether: A nice card to have if you expect the match to grind out. It's a shame they won't return Coronets to a naked Bogle though. Don't run too many though as the 4 CMC make it a pain to cast.
Fog: A great answer to Infect decks as they usually try to kill in one shot.
Other sideboard considerations:
Torpor Orb
Dismember
Relic of Progenitus
Grafdigger's Cage
Nevermore
Guttural Response
Spellskite
Surgical Extraction
Seal of Primordium and/or Deglamer to answer Chalice of the Void at 1
But wait!!! What about Blue?!?
The deck performs the exact same function but at a more consistent rate when it's only G/W. Mainly it's in the fact that the mana can produce turn 1 Green, turn two any combination of Green and White, and turn 3 double White. That allows the deck to get more explosive hands and curve out the nuts on a consistent basis. With blue in the deck, it makes it harder to resolve a Coronet if you are playing with Breeding Pools instead of Razorverge Thickets and harder to drop a turn one Bogle/Scout if you got a pair of Hallowed Fountains in your opener.
It's also been well proven that the deck can run off of 12-14 creatures and comparison between Silhana Ledgewalker and Invisible Stalker is close enough to discount any argument that Stalker should be included. Also, unblockablility can be obtained through Spirit Mantle and Trample is huge in the format considering the creatures with the fattest bottoms are Tarmogoyf and Restoration Angel.
Geist is a three drop and that immediately discounts any use since the average Bogle deck caps at 2 CMC on the curve. The Blue auras are overshadowed by current aura package and Curiosity is easily replaced by the shifted Keen Sense.
Decklists:
Here's the link to Reid Duke's Deck Tech from his 2nd place finish at Worlds 2013:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-xEoMEzkN4
His list:
4 Slippery Bogle
4 Gladecover Scout
4 Kor Spiritdancer
Auras:
4 Rancor
4 Ethereal Armor
4 Hyena Umbra
4 Spider Umbra
4 Keen Sense
3 Unflinching Courage
4 Daybreak Coronet
4 Razorverge Thicket
3 Misty Rainforest
3 Verdant Catacombs
4 Temple Garden
4 Horizon Canopy
1 Forest
1 Dryad Arbor
1 Wooded Bastion
4 Leyline of Sanctity
1 Suppression Field
3 Stony Silence
2 Rest in Peace
2 Path to Exile
2 Dismember
1 Grafdigger's Cage
Below are example Decklists along with some lists that placed top 8 at recent PTQs.
4 Slippery Bogle
4 Gladecover Scout
3 Kor Spiritdancer
2 Silhana Ledgewalker
Auras:
4 Rancor
4 Ethereal Armor
4 Hyena Umbra
3 Spider Umbra
2 Keen Sense
3 Spirit Mantle
4 Daybreak Coronet
3 Path to Exile
Land:
4 Razorverge Thicket
4 Misty Rainforest
3 Verdant Catacombs
3 Temple Garden
4 Horizon Canopy
1 Forest
1 Dryad Arbor
4 Leyline of Sanctity
3 Suppression Field
2 Stony Silence
2 Rest in Peace
2 Nature's Claim
2 Gaddock Teeg
4 Slippery Bogle
4 Gladecover Scout
3 Kor Spiritdancer
3 Noble Hierarch
Auras:
4 Rancor
4 Ethereal Armor
4 Hyena Umbra
3 Spider Umbra
4 Spirit Mantle
4 Daybreak Coronet
3 Path to Exile
Land:
4 Razorverge Thicket
4 Misty Rainforest
3 Verdant Catacombs
3 Temple Garden
3 Horizon Canopy
1 Forest
1 Plains
1 Dryad Arbor
4 Leyline of Sanctity
3 Suppression Field
2 Stony Silence
2 Rest in Peace
2 Nature's Claim
2 Gaddock Teeg
4 Slippery Bogle
4 Gladecover Scout
3 Kor Spiritdancer
2 Silhana Ledgewalker
Auras:
4 Rancor
4 Ethereal Armor
4 Hyena Umbra
4 Spider Umbra
1 Keen Sense
3 Spirit Mantle
4 Daybreak Coronet
3 Path to Exile
Land:
4 Razorverge Thicket
3 Misty Rainforest
3 Verdant Catacombs
4 Temple Garden
4 Horizon Canopy
1 Forest
1 Dryad Arbor
3 Torpor Orb
1 Path to Exile
3 Stony Silence
3 Pithing Needle
3 Nature's Claim
2 Spirit Link
4 Gladecover Scout
4 Kor Spiritdancer
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Slippery Bogle
Auras:
4 Daybreak Coronet
1 Detainment Spell
4 Ethereal Armor
1 Hyena Umbra
4 Rancor
4 Spider Umbra
4 Spirit Mantle
3 Path to Exile
Land:
1 Dryad Arbor
1 Forest
4 Horizon Canopy
3 Misty Rainforest
4 Razorverge Thicket
3 Temple Garden
3 Verdant Catacombs
1 Aven Mindcensor
1 Gaddock Teeg
2 Grand Abolisher
2 Nature's Claim
2 Spellskite
1 Spirit Loop
3 Stony Silence
2 Torpor Orb
1 Wheel of Sun and Moon
4 Gladecover Scout
4 Kor Spiritdancer
4 Slippery Bogle
Auras:
4 Daybreak Coronet
4 Ethereal Armor
2 Fists of Ironwood
3 Hyena Umbra
4 Rancor
4 Spider Umbra
4 Spirit Mantle
3 Path to Exile
2 Dryad Arbor
1 Forest
4 Horizon Canopy
3 Misty Rainforest
4 Razorverge Thicket
3 Temple Garden
3 Verdant Catacombs
4 Leyline of Sanctity
3 Nature's Claim
2 Nevermore
1 Path to Exile
2 Rest in Peace
3 Spellskite
4 Gladecover Scout
4 Silhana Ledgewalker
4 Slippery Bogle
Auras:
4 Daybreak Coronet
4 Ethereal Armor
2 Hyena Umbra
4 Keen Sense
4 Rancor
4 Spider Umbra
2 Spirit Mantle
1 Path to Exile
2 Pithing Needle
Lands:
1 Dryad Arbor
1 Forest
4 Horizon Canopy
3 Misty Rainforest
1 Plains
4 Razorverge Thicket
4 Temple Garden
3 Verdant Catacombs
4 Leyline of Sanctity
2 Path to Exile
2 Rest in Peace
2 Spirit Link
2 Stony Silence
3 Suppression Field
Basic Play Concepts:
Before I move on to match ups, I'd like to cover some basic plays for anyone interested in playing the deck that never has. If you're familiar with the deck, no need to read the basics below.
The key to playing Bogle is knowing how to mull aggressively. You can not keep a hand filled with great auras and a couple lands in hopes of peeling a Bogle off the top... It just doesn't happen with only 10-14 creatures in the deck. Same goes for no landers, the odds to pull lands are a bit better but just don't count on the topdeck... Bogle is notorious for bad topdecks, it's just the nature of the deck. You want a hand with a turn 1 Bogle and a follow up enchantment turn 2. Mulls to 6 and 5 are common place and mulling to 4 still can win you the game. Try not to keep hands with Coronets and no other auras, if you have to it's OK, but again I stress that sometimes you won't peel that first aura til is a bit too late.
Once you get that Bogle to stick, just pile him up with all the enchantments you can. Very rarely will you have two creatures on the field with auras on each. After playing the deck a bit you'll get the feel for which auras you want to resolve first.
Bear in mind Daybreak Coronets restriction. If you have a Bogle with Coronet and one other aura and that aura gets destroyed, Coronet is going to the grave as well. It's not all downside with the restriction though. If you have an enchanted Bogle and your opponent has an unenchanted Spellskite out, you can still cast a Coronet safely without worrying about the Spellskite snagging it.
Bogle is one of the only decks that I'd advocate deck thinning. The math has shown deck thinning to have only a minor impact on drawing. However, with the decks curve topping out at 2, topdecking land when you already have 2 or 3 on the field is not good. Between the fetchlands and Horizon Canopy, you have access to some good thinning which will hopefully lead to drawing more auras off the top. So fetch as much as you can.
Sometimes it's better to resolve your auras after combat. This is especially true if you're facing Cryptic Command decks. You'll get them to tap and draw rather than counter and tap. There will be times when you won't want them to draw (they have sided in Supreme Verdict for example and are digging for it), in that case just throw out a lesser aura to bait the counter magic. Most blue decks will counter Ethereal Armor on the spot, so that's usually the best bait to get Coronet or Spirit Mantel on the Bogle.
A turn 2 Liliana of the Veil can be a scary occurrence. Just try to keep an uncracked fetch on the field if your opponent drops a turn 1 Deathrite Shaman. If Lily does come down, you'll at least be able to fetch for Dryad Arbor in response. Bear in mind that can only happen if you're on the play and most decks will hold off until they have enough mana to remove the Arbor with the ability on the stack. Sometimes there's just nothing you can do and they have you by the nuts.
Sideboarding is fairly easy with Bogle. Always expect your opponent to board in Spellskite as it fits easily into just about every sideboard out there. If you're not facing a deck with access to edict effects, you can side out Dryad Arbor to free up a slot. Don't worry, siding out Dryad Arbor has almost no effect on the mana base.
Match Up Analysis:
Under construction. I will have the Jund/Junk, U/W/r Control, Pod, and Scapeshift match ups done by 3/25/13. Currently looking for assistance with the Tron and Infect match ups. PM me if you have any insight to those particular match ups.
Change Log:
8/4/13: Added Reid Duke's Worlds 2013 list
8/11/13: Added reasoning for no Blue in the deck
5/14/15: Major Update
Previous Discussion:
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=474493
The Plains was there to fetch if a Noble or Spiritdancer got Path to Exiled. I expected the field to be U/W/r control heavy (which it was). Out of the ENTIRE weekend I only had the awkward 'one Plains/awesome rest' hand and of course it had to be in the finals of the GPT. I ended up winning that game after a quick mull to six.
I don't like Keen Sense because I've felt like it needs Rancor or Spirit Mantle to be good. I'd rather have Spider Umbra for the buff, totem, and occasional reach to block an Angel in dire need.
4 Slippery Bogle
4 Gladecover Scout
3 Kor Spiritdancer
3 Noble Hierarch
Auras:
4 Rancor
4 Ethereal Armor
4 Hyena Umbra
3 Spider Umbra
4 Spirit Mantle
4 Daybreak Coronet
3 Path to Exile
Land:
4 Razorverge Thicket
4 Misty Rainforest
3 Verdant Catacombs
3 Temple Garden
3 Horizon Canopy
1 Forest
1 Plains
1 Dryad Arbor
4 Leyline of Sanctity
3 Suppression Field
2 Stony Silence
2 Rest in Peace
2 Nature's Claim
2 Gaddock Teeg
I've played both the Noble and Nobleless decks and have to say that Nobles give the deck way more than any other creature or enchantment you can put in that slot. She makes the mana much more reliable, provides a pump to your Bogle, and gives you another Green one drop to work with. I've even stolen games by suiting one up against the right deck (such as Pod or anything non Red and White heavy).
Sideboard wise, Suppression Field at 3 is the correct call. I've sided them in all but one match up at the PTQ (vs. Scapeshift) and almost every match at the GPT. They help when you're not sure if Skite is coming in or not.
At the PTQ I lost to Melria Pod round 2 (mainly bad topdecks), U/R/w Splinter Twin in the 7th round (worst misplay of my career: scooping too early) and U/W control in the final round of swiss (t3 Geist with castle back up game 1 and 3). All loses were winnable matches so I believe that this deck does have a place in the Modern metagame.
I've also got the Mod 'go-a-head' to make a Primer for this deck. I should have it up by Friday based on my current work load. So if you have any match up analysis, any insight you might like to share, or if you want your list on the main post just shoot me a PM and I'll be sure to include it in the Primer. I used to be a featured writer for Blackborder.com and I'll make a real nice Primer for the deck
Thanks all, I look forward to improving this deck with you!
1.) There is absolutely no way I could possibly win and I feel that I've seen enough of the opponents deck. Infinite life is not impossible to overcome.
2.) Game 1 or 2 isn't looking too good and I'd rather have more time to finish the round.
3.) Game 1 isn't looking too good and I don't want to show my opponent any more of my deck than i have too.
I've learned not to scoop too early as I've found ways of overcoming bad situations that normal players would overlook.
Namely:
Plains from M10
Islands and Forests from Invasions
Swamps from Urza's Saga
and Mountains from Mirage (the dark one with tons of red that popped up in 8th Edition)
And I scour trade binders for foils as they are the only basics I'll ever play.
It's just a case of 'that's the rule' and it doesn't matter how you look at it from a flavor standpoint.
As for your last question, targets are chosen when when you cast the spell.
10/1/2012 If you control Sphere of Safety, your opponents can choose not to attack with a creature with an ability that says it attacks if able.