Firstly, great thread. Thanks for all the work and updates. I've been following since Feather, the Redeemed was spoiled.
Secondly, I don't know if anyone is still on the fence about Soul's Fire but the card is a house. Very versatile, easy creature removal, planeswalker removal or burning down players. Burning players may not seem important but you can rack up a ridiculous amount of damage when you have Zada, Hedron Grinder / Mirrorwing Dragon + token producers like Monastery Mentor and friends. Plus any pump spell, even small stuff, like Defiant Strike or Ajani's Presence start really ticking things up. I've domed people for > 40 for 5 mana and that's before attacking. Not to mention you can do it again and again. It also serves as one-sided board wipes if you're feeling particularly malicious. The beauty is it doesn't ask for any specific package (I'm looking at you Sunforger et. al), just the normal cards you'll be running in any Feather, the Redeemed deck. Highly recommended!!
Hey guys, new to thread. Just made the deck yesterday, I can't wait to give it a spin.
I know we've been hunting for a card advantage/filtering engine that the deck sorely lacks. Has anyone considered Smuggler's Copter. It might seem a bit strange but between the Lingering Souls , Gideon, Ally of Zendikar, Sorin, Solemn Visitor, and Westvale Abbey (if you're running it) there shouldn't be much of an issue crewing it. It survives our Wrath effects and crucially fits into the weakest slot on our curve; 2 mana. I haven't play tested the deck yet but I think it's at least worth considering.
This suggestion is definitely more of a stretch than Smuggler's Copter but has anyone tried out Demonic Rising? I doubt anyone even knows it exists but in conjunction with our planeswalkers turning to creatures or Shambling Vent it become a ridiculously resilient threat generator. I realize the problem is that it may be a dead draw but its essentially a 5/5 or two 5/5 fliers which can be continuously regenerated with almost no effort. We would just play the way we normally do.
Chandra, the Firebrand won't allow you to copy a spell you cast on the next turn. Her -2 ability specifically states "When you cast your next instant or sorcery spell THIS TURN" (Sneaky Wizards!). So, unless your're casting her with 7-8 mana on the field the double land destruction shenanigans will have to wait a turn.
Sorry, its been a while. Real life had me distracted. The more I think about casting an Obliterate the more I love it. Very few board states in Modern that can handle it once its resolved.
I think Cast Out may be useful but there are very few times you can't find a use for Oblivion Ring. It's this deck's premier catch all answer, so I don't know if the increased mana cost is actually worth the cycling ability. As for the no-bo interaction with Suppression Field it shouldn't stop you from considering it. Generally if you're cycling it it'll be when you have the board under control and likely have expendable mana.
I'm undecided about how relevant the flash is. Nothing else in this deck operates at instant speed so I find it tough to believe we'll be leaving mana open just for the sake of casting it on their turn.
I do think the cycling lands are certainly a huge boon to this deck. A shame that the W/R isn't a thing but if someone did go W/G I cant picture not playing them.
It's certainly is a shame Wizards hasn't really printed any solid 1 drop enchantments; at least not in the way they have artifacts.
It does hurt to lose a card like Porphyry Nodes. When it's good it's back breaking but there's also an overly redundant portion to it. Once our prison is set it generally becomes a dead draw. It play nicely with Heliod, God of the Sun but not so much with his tokens; nor Assemble the Legion for that matter (a minor inconvenience). I do have to say I love the idea of Obliterate. Red helps against Tron but it seems to me like one of those matches that's so heavily skewed in their favor that sideboarding won't make much of a difference. Sure we can take them off Tron with a lucky Crumble to Dust but they can and will build mana faster that we can find our finishers using Red. Chandra, Torch of Defiance is certainly an option, plus she'll ramp post Obliterate, provide spot removal, and at least some sense of a "clock"
While Ajani Unyielding is expensive he can be a serious card advantage engine (and repeatable Swords to Plowshares). Granted, walkers aren't as protected in Pillow Fort builds as they are in Stax builds with Ensnaring Bridge but Sphere of Safety covers them nicely. It doesn't seem inconceivable that you can lock opponents out of creatures by alternating his +2 and -2 abilities. In Magical Christmas Land casting him against Death's Shadow would be an absolute slap in the face and that may just be worth the price of admission. Green is susceptible to counters no doubt about it. For whatever its worth Boseiju, Who Shelters All forces through Genesis Wave.
So this thread has been quite for a long time, which is a shame. I was wondering if anyone has tested out Genesis Wave in a G/W build. The biggest problem I have found is the lack of card draw/finding a closer in time. It seems like Genesis Wave and Eidolon of Blossoms may be able to help. The deck doesn't have difficulty generating a lot of mana via Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx. I realize Eidolon of Blossoms may be weak in Modern but with Greater Auramancy in play (which i cant understand why you wouldn't run it) it definitely adds some protection to our card advantage engine. Though a legitimate problem is running Eidolon of Blossoms along side Porphyry Nodes. I'm just batting around some ideas because my W/R version struggles to close out a game.
I can see the allure of Gemstone Caverns but in reality it will more often than not be a colorless land. It has a very specific set of criteria needed to allow it to generate colored mana when in reality the deck only needs B and W. The reward doesn't seem greater than the risk. We could just as easily play another B/W dual land.
Some other cards to consider for the deck are: Ghostly prison: Alleviates some of the pressure to kill every creature when only one or none can attack Runed Halo: Relic of Progenitus: This allows us to play Lingering Souls. Also drawing multiple aren't dead because you can just cycle them. Though I don't think the GY hate is as strong with this card as Rest in Peace. Its very possible that this is the correct choice given the strength of Lingering Souls Leyline of Sanctity: Classic white sideboard
Hey guys, I've been thinking about tinkering with a B/W control deck in modern. The idea sprung about from seeing Eternal Scourge. This in conjunction with Rest In Peace creates a very recursive engine. It also has the upside of naturally hosing many strategies or synergies in Modern (Dredge, Living End, Delve shenanigans, Snapcaster Mage, etc). But it is worth noting that a recursive 3/3 isn't going to help end games in a timely fashion so I need a way to slow the game for me to grind them out. Here's a concept deck list and I'll go through the card choices. I haven't tested it yet but any feed back would be great because i'll be assembling the deck over the next week or two to test it out.
Alright, so there are some cards in here that no Modern player would ever dream of playing (I'm looking at you Angelic Accord and Demonic Rising). Let's go through them.
Eternal Scourge: A key player in the deck. A colorless recursive blocker that is extremely difficult to deal with.
Sorin, Solemn Visitor: A versatile plansewalker here. He allows us to gain life with his plus one from the recursive creatures we have. Incidentaly his +1 allows us to gain 4 life with Eternal Scourge which triggers Angelic Accord. He can also make 2/2 vampires which can allow the triggering of Demonic Rising
Rest In Piece: One of the most powerful and widely used sideboard cards is actually a mainstay of the deck. This allows Eternal Scourge to reliably become "eternal" while simultaneously hosing other decks.
Angelic Accord: A pet card I'll admit but I think it actually serves a very useful purpose here. It generates very real pressure from gaining life, which is something we have to do in an attempt to stay alive. 4 is the magic number for life gain and there are many cards that can trigger it. I don't know which ones to use and what the right combo is here, but there is definitely potential. The real question is if its worth it to run a package or is it better left out of the deck completely.
Demonic Rising Make no mistake this card will generate pressure and there are no shortages of methods to trigger this card. There are tons of synergies in this deck to play with this card. Fun tid-bit Bubbling Cauldron can allow you to get two 5/5 demons if you just sac the initial creature used trigger the first Demon.
Phyrexian Arena: This deck aims to draw out the game, as such it needs access to cards. Difficult to interact with, reliable with minimal draw back. The life loss is easily countered with the various other life gain in the deck.
Trading Post: Another strange card. No, I don't utilize all of its functions. I want it because it discards dead draws (late game lands and discard) to gain life and fuel Angelic Accord with minimal effort. The goat token can also trigger Demonic Rising.
Inquisition of Kozilek: A discard and control stable. Hits early threats and versatile. Allows us to deal with combo decks on game one. Can be pitched to Trading Post when its a dead draw.
Fatal Push: A solid versitile removal. Granted, I don't use fetches so revolt will be more difficult to trigger but certainly not undoable. Even unrevolted it hits a ton of problematic creatures.
Other cards to consider: Gideon Jura: A great control planeswalker, can become a win con and a source of removal.
Tutors: Beseech the Queen, Dark Petition (if RIP isn't being used). Tutors may be needed because I'm not sure if the threat density in the deck is high enough or possibly too scattered and needs to be more focused on a specific strategy.
So there we have it. This list is far from optimal but I think it definitely has some potential. Plus, it's super janky but there are tons of synergies between the cards. I would love to use Lingering Souls but its a no bo with Rest in Peace. Also, I wish I could find maindeck room for Timely Reinforcements. Its perfect for this deck, especially with Angelic Accord. Speaking of Angelic Accord, if it proves to be useful then there may be a use for Sanguine Bond but its probably too cute. Anyway, feedback is always welcome
Alphagprime, I love your list. Super simple, and outrageously cheap. I see you've forgone the more aggro aspects and focused more on the combo. It's been working out well for you?
The deck: The concept is to apply pressure on the board while simultaneously bleeding opponents with cards like Geralf's Messenger and Siege Rhino. Athreos, God of Passage makes a guest appearance. The supporting cast of creatures helps to facilitate more life loss either through blinking, hand disruption, or ramp. The spell suite is a mix of discard, removal, and tutors giving us a versatile arsenal of answers.
Birds of Paradise: The color requirements of this deck are steep. We need this to help smooth it out. Tidehollow Sculler: Early hand disruption. Thoughtseize on a stick with the added bonus of being renewable with Athreos, God of Passage. Flickerwisp: Allows another blink, a flying body, or just to remove a blocker etc. Athreos, God of Passage: One of my favorite cards. Adds resiliency to our creatures, directly furthers our plan of bleeding. The "choice" given to opponents is generally stripped due to many of our creatures causing direct life loss. Also due to the heavy mana requirements of the deck it's likely that this will help to apply early pressure. Geralf's Messenger: One of our key "bleeders". Built in resiliency due to Undying. Not a terrible body for the cost and endlessly annoying with blink effects and Athreos, God of Passage. Tough mana requirements though Siege Rhino: The other key "bleeder". Solid body, affordable cost, life gain, plus trample! Vicious with blinks and recursion Restoration Angel: Whats to be said? She does everything we want in a support creature.
Path to Exile: No real justification needed. Its one of the best removal spells in Modern Maelstrom Pulse: Versatility and has the ability to hit multiple targets at once. It is possible that Abrupt Decay is the better choice here I just don't have any at the moment. Chord of Calling: The deck relies heavily on creatures so this gives access to them. Although I really wish Birthing Pod was here instead but this is what Modern has to work with now. Thoughtseize: Black's best disruption card.
Meta dependent. The sideboard options for Junk are endless and these are a very small portion of cards that are useful. Leyline of Sanctity: To hell with you Burn decks... Coincidentally it's pretty useful against us as well. Eidolon of Rhetoric: Possibly useful against combo decks Duress/Memoricide/Cranial Extraction/Stain the Mind: Combo hosers Stony Silence: Affinity, Tron, and a host of other artifact dependent decks Ghostly Prison: useful against Twin and Blitz decks
The deck above is only 59 cards. That leaves room for 1-2 flex spots (It's not uncommon for me to play with 61 cards). I'm unsure of what the other card should be at the moment. Another 2 two drops may be useful for earlier defense like Knight of Meadowgrain but it's unclear.
Possible other additions: Eternal Witness: All around amazing, especially with blink and Athreos, God of Passage. Inquisitor Exarch: A two mana bleeder that doesn't mind early blocking, unlike Tidehollow Sculler. Sakura-Tribe Elder: A great ramper and added bonus with Athreos, God of Passage in play. Seems like a difficult inclusion due to space and the lack of basics because of our mana requirements. Blood Artist: Everyone hates seeing him across from them. If it was included then I would assume the deck would forgo the blinking, instead choosing to utilize a sacrifice package a la Aristocrats: Cartel Aristocrat , Viscera Seer , possibly even Varolz, the Scar-Striped Phyrexian Arena: The deck lacks sustainable card draw and this provides it. The concern is excessive life loss from lands and the prevalence of Burn decks. Cloudshift: Useful little tech card. I can't see running more than two of them though. I tend to shy away from cards that are only useful with a specific board state though. Wrath of God: Sometimes you just need to clear the board and can also help with overly aggressive decks since this isn't deck isn't the fastest. With Athreos, God of Passage on the board it becomes a nightmare.
I'm sure the deck needs more work but I haven't had the time to test it yet. I'll get to it this weekend when the rest of the cards come in. It seems like it could be a promising deck though. Any advice would be great. Thanks guys!
Hi guys,
As the title clearly suggests I'm looking to utilize a deck with Kessig Cagebreakers but I need a little more help in developing it. A major weakness is that you need to wait a turn before Kessig Cagebreakers gets going (as well as any graveyard hate). Though if you've ever been fortunate enough to attack with it you'll know how insanely fun it is. To circumvent it's weakness I think there is some potential with Whip of Erebos. I also like that Whip of Erebos can also double as a toolbox for creatures that get milled. That's the base of my deck.
There are two options I've been thinking about:
1- BUG shell: Running Blue give access to Chronic Flooding : a very efficient miller. Master Biomancer : Every Kessig Cagebreakers token comes in as at least a 4/4 which really packs the hurt. Also can make many other previously useless attackers a threat. Mulldrifter: Draw two + a creature in the bin. Forbidden Alchemy: Dig
Other cards I think can be useful are: Eternal Witness: Self milling is bound to throw out something you want. Lotleth Troll: Helps to discard our bombs early game as well as providing a decent early defense or aggressor. Stinkweed Imp: The pseudo deathtouch is nice but its the dredge 5 that seems best here Sakura-Tribe Elder: Seems like a logical fit. Ramp and helps fill the yard. Shadowborn Demon: The deck is pretty tight for room so this is a solid creature with a very powerful 187 ability. Shriekmaw: A little more restricted than Shadowborn Demon but same concept. Splinterfright/Boneyard Wurm/ Nighthowler : can grow huge but become seriously neutered without creatures in the yard. Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord: The sac ability is great with above guys, also comes back from the yard when milled Satyr Wayfinder: Mulch on a stick Commune with the Gods/Grisly Salvage/ Forbidden Alchemy : Helps to dig and tutor for what you need while simultaneously filling the yard. At least one of these will be used but its hard to say which one. Commune with the Gods might get the nod because it can grab Whip of Erebos or Chronic Flooding or Nighthowler Jarad's Orders: Can single-handedly assemble the combo of Kessig Cagebreakers and Master Biomancer or simply fetch two solid answers or threats that you need. Its slow so it would probably only be a 1 of but I can't think of a better deck for it to be in than this. Dread Return: Another version of Unburial Rites but can be used in the BUG Shell
The biggest issue I'm having is trimming the fat because there are so many options as well as trying to plug some of its weaknesses. I realize the inherent fragility of graveyard based decks. I don't expect to be winning anything serious but it would be cool to make a strong unique deck. Any insight, helpful tips, or options I may have missed would be great. Cheers!
Has anyone tried out this deck as of late? I've been wanting to make a burning vengeance deck for sometime and I stumbled on this list. I'd love to know how it performs in the new meta.
HA! Stealing a Gideon Jura. If I did that I would need a cigarette and a change of underwear.
Zealous Conscripts is an amazing card, and I really do think that Cloudshift is constructed worthy. Once it synergizes with the deck it goes up considerably in power. Aside from the obvious 187's its also incredible at saving key creatures.
Secondly, I don't know if anyone is still on the fence about Soul's Fire but the card is a house. Very versatile, easy creature removal, planeswalker removal or burning down players. Burning players may not seem important but you can rack up a ridiculous amount of damage when you have Zada, Hedron Grinder / Mirrorwing Dragon + token producers like Monastery Mentor and friends. Plus any pump spell, even small stuff, like Defiant Strike or Ajani's Presence start really ticking things up. I've domed people for > 40 for 5 mana and that's before attacking. Not to mention you can do it again and again. It also serves as one-sided board wipes if you're feeling particularly malicious. The beauty is it doesn't ask for any specific package (I'm looking at you Sunforger et. al), just the normal cards you'll be running in any Feather, the Redeemed deck. Highly recommended!!
I know we've been hunting for a card advantage/filtering engine that the deck sorely lacks. Has anyone considered Smuggler's Copter. It might seem a bit strange but between the Lingering Souls , Gideon, Ally of Zendikar, Sorin, Solemn Visitor, and Westvale Abbey (if you're running it) there shouldn't be much of an issue crewing it. It survives our Wrath effects and crucially fits into the weakest slot on our curve; 2 mana. I haven't play tested the deck yet but I think it's at least worth considering.
This suggestion is definitely more of a stretch than Smuggler's Copter but has anyone tried out Demonic Rising? I doubt anyone even knows it exists but in conjunction with our planeswalkers turning to creatures or Shambling Vent it become a ridiculously resilient threat generator. I realize the problem is that it may be a dead draw but its essentially a 5/5 or two 5/5 fliers which can be continuously regenerated with almost no effort. We would just play the way we normally do.
Chandra, the Firebrand won't allow you to copy a spell you cast on the next turn. Her -2 ability specifically states "When you cast your next instant or sorcery spell THIS TURN" (Sneaky Wizards!). So, unless your're casting her with 7-8 mana on the field the double land destruction shenanigans will have to wait a turn.
I think Cast Out may be useful but there are very few times you can't find a use for Oblivion Ring. It's this deck's premier catch all answer, so I don't know if the increased mana cost is actually worth the cycling ability. As for the no-bo interaction with Suppression Field it shouldn't stop you from considering it. Generally if you're cycling it it'll be when you have the board under control and likely have expendable mana.
I'm undecided about how relevant the flash is. Nothing else in this deck operates at instant speed so I find it tough to believe we'll be leaving mana open just for the sake of casting it on their turn.
I do think the cycling lands are certainly a huge boon to this deck. A shame that the W/R isn't a thing but if someone did go W/G I cant picture not playing them.
It does hurt to lose a card like Porphyry Nodes. When it's good it's back breaking but there's also an overly redundant portion to it. Once our prison is set it generally becomes a dead draw. It play nicely with Heliod, God of the Sun but not so much with his tokens; nor Assemble the Legion for that matter (a minor inconvenience). I do have to say I love the idea of Obliterate. Red helps against Tron but it seems to me like one of those matches that's so heavily skewed in their favor that sideboarding won't make much of a difference. Sure we can take them off Tron with a lucky Crumble to Dust but they can and will build mana faster that we can find our finishers using Red. Chandra, Torch of Defiance is certainly an option, plus she'll ramp post Obliterate, provide spot removal, and at least some sense of a "clock"
While Ajani Unyielding is expensive he can be a serious card advantage engine (and repeatable Swords to Plowshares). Granted, walkers aren't as protected in Pillow Fort builds as they are in Stax builds with Ensnaring Bridge but Sphere of Safety covers them nicely. It doesn't seem inconceivable that you can lock opponents out of creatures by alternating his +2 and -2 abilities. In Magical Christmas Land casting him against Death's Shadow would be an absolute slap in the face and that may just be worth the price of admission. Green is susceptible to counters no doubt about it. For whatever its worth Boseiju, Who Shelters All forces through Genesis Wave.
I could be totally off though.
Some other cards to consider for the deck are:
Ghostly prison: Alleviates some of the pressure to kill every creature when only one or none can attack
Runed Halo:
Relic of Progenitus: This allows us to play Lingering Souls. Also drawing multiple aren't dead because you can just cycle them. Though I don't think the GY hate is as strong with this card as Rest in Peace. Its very possible that this is the correct choice given the strength of Lingering Souls
Leyline of Sanctity: Classic white sideboard
2 Sorin, Solemn Visitor
2 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
3 Rest In Peace
2 Angelic Accord
1 Demonic Rising
3 Phyrexian Arena
2 Trading Post
1 Bubbling Cauldron
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
2 Thoughtseize
3 Wrath of God
3 Fatal Push
4 Godless Shrine
4 Isolated Chapel
3 Concealed Courtyard
2 Shambling Vent
1 Vault of the Archangel
4 Ghost Quarter
1 Tectonic Edge
2 Plains
3 Swamp
3 Timely Reinforcements
4 Disenchant
2 Duress
3 Blessed Alliance
3 Stony Silence
Alright, so there are some cards in here that no Modern player would ever dream of playing (I'm looking at you Angelic Accord and Demonic Rising). Let's go through them.
Eternal Scourge: A key player in the deck. A colorless recursive blocker that is extremely difficult to deal with.
Sorin, Solemn Visitor: A versatile plansewalker here. He allows us to gain life with his plus one from the recursive creatures we have. Incidentaly his +1 allows us to gain 4 life with Eternal Scourge which triggers Angelic Accord. He can also make 2/2 vampires which can allow the triggering of Demonic Rising
Elspeth, Knight-Errant: Known for quite some time as one of the best planeswalkers in Modern. Her token can also trigger Demonic Rising, her other +1 helps to start closing out games (boosted Shambling Vent will also trigger Angelic Accord)
Rest In Piece: One of the most powerful and widely used sideboard cards is actually a mainstay of the deck. This allows Eternal Scourge to reliably become "eternal" while simultaneously hosing other decks.
Angelic Accord: A pet card I'll admit but I think it actually serves a very useful purpose here. It generates very real pressure from gaining life, which is something we have to do in an attempt to stay alive. 4 is the magic number for life gain and there are many cards that can trigger it. I don't know which ones to use and what the right combo is here, but there is definitely potential. The real question is if its worth it to run a package or is it better left out of the deck completely.
Demonic Rising Make no mistake this card will generate pressure and there are no shortages of methods to trigger this card. There are tons of synergies in this deck to play with this card. Fun tid-bit Bubbling Cauldron can allow you to get two 5/5 demons if you just sac the initial creature used trigger the first Demon.
Phyrexian Arena: This deck aims to draw out the game, as such it needs access to cards. Difficult to interact with, reliable with minimal draw back. The life loss is easily countered with the various other life gain in the deck.
Trading Post: Another strange card. No, I don't utilize all of its functions. I want it because it discards dead draws (late game lands and discard) to gain life and fuel Angelic Accord with minimal effort. The goat token can also trigger Demonic Rising.
Bubbling Cauldron: Recurrent life gain but requires you to sac creatures. Luckily it triggers Angelic Accord and can be abused with Eternal Scourge and chump blockers.
Inquisition of Kozilek: A discard and control stable. Hits early threats and versatile. Allows us to deal with combo decks on game one. Can be pitched to Trading Post when its a dead draw.
Thoughtseize: Same as Inquisition of Kozilek but allows a larger range of targets. I play two because of the life loss and usually Inquisition of Kozilek can grab the early threats.
Wrath of God: Sometimes you just need to clean the board.
Path to Exile: No explanation needed
Fatal Push: A solid versitile removal. Granted, I don't use fetches so revolt will be more difficult to trigger but certainly not undoable. Even unrevolted it hits a ton of problematic creatures.
Shambling Vent Very useful, and when boosted with Elspeth, Knight-Errant can trigger Angelic Accord, not to mention race, and race well.
Vault of the Archangel: Just makes our smaller creatures a larger threat.
Ghost Quarter: Tron will be a problem. This helps but I doubt it is enough, can also help trigger revolt for Fatal Push
Tectonic Edge: Another Ghost Quarter
Other cards to consider:
Gideon Jura: A great control planeswalker, can become a win con and a source of removal.
Tutors: Beseech the Queen, Dark Petition (if RIP isn't being used). Tutors may be needed because I'm not sure if the threat density in the deck is high enough or possibly too scattered and needs to be more focused on a specific strategy.
So there we have it. This list is far from optimal but I think it definitely has some potential. Plus, it's super janky but there are tons of synergies between the cards. I would love to use Lingering Souls but its a no bo with Rest in Peace. Also, I wish I could find maindeck room for Timely Reinforcements. Its perfect for this deck, especially with Angelic Accord. Speaking of Angelic Accord, if it proves to be useful then there may be a use for Sanguine Bond but its probably too cute. Anyway, feedback is always welcome
Also, just on the Blood Artist vs Zulaport Cutthroat debate: Remember that Leyline of Sanctity is a very real card and shuts Blood Artist down completely. Zulaport Cutthroat circumvents the entire issue without dedicating sideboard hate because he doesn't target. That being said I feel like some number of Kami of Ancient law et al. is worth considering for enchantment heavy metas.
Tidehollow Sculler: Early hand disruption. Thoughtseize on a stick with the added bonus of being renewable with Athreos, God of Passage.
Flickerwisp: Allows another blink, a flying body, or just to remove a blocker etc.
Athreos, God of Passage: One of my favorite cards. Adds resiliency to our creatures, directly furthers our plan of bleeding. The "choice" given to opponents is generally stripped due to many of our creatures causing direct life loss. Also due to the heavy mana requirements of the deck it's likely that this will help to apply early pressure.
Geralf's Messenger: One of our key "bleeders". Built in resiliency due to Undying. Not a terrible body for the cost and endlessly annoying with blink effects and Athreos, God of Passage. Tough mana requirements though
Siege Rhino: The other key "bleeder". Solid body, affordable cost, life gain, plus trample! Vicious with blinks and recursion
Restoration Angel: Whats to be said? She does everything we want in a support creature.
Maelstrom Pulse: Versatility and has the ability to hit multiple targets at once. It is possible that Abrupt Decay is the better choice here I just don't have any at the moment.
Chord of Calling: The deck relies heavily on creatures so this gives access to them. Although I really wish Birthing Pod was here instead but this is what Modern has to work with now.
Thoughtseize: Black's best disruption card.
Leyline of Sanctity: To hell with you Burn decks... Coincidentally it's pretty useful against us as well.
Eidolon of Rhetoric: Possibly useful against combo decks
Duress/Memoricide/Cranial Extraction/Stain the Mind: Combo hosers
Stony Silence: Affinity, Tron, and a host of other artifact dependent decks
Ghostly Prison: useful against Twin and Blitz decks
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Tidehollow Sculler
2 Flickerwisp
3 Athreos, God of Passage
4 Geralf's Messenger
4 Restoration Angel
4 Siege Rhino
Instants/Sorceries: 10
3 Path to Exile
2 Maelstrom Pulse
3 Chord of Calling
2 Thoughtseize
3 Godless Shrine
3 Isolated Chapel
2 Overgrown Tomb
4 Woodland Cemetery
2 Temple Garden
1 Sunpetal Grove
1 Verdant Catacombs
3 Windswept Heath
1 Wooded Bastion
1 Swamp
1 Forest
1 Plains
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
The deck above is only 59 cards. That leaves room for 1-2 flex spots (It's not uncommon for me to play with 61 cards). I'm unsure of what the other card should be at the moment. Another 2 two drops may be useful for earlier defense like Knight of Meadowgrain but it's unclear.
Possible other additions:
Eternal Witness: All around amazing, especially with blink and Athreos, God of Passage.
Inquisitor Exarch: A two mana bleeder that doesn't mind early blocking, unlike Tidehollow Sculler.
Sakura-Tribe Elder: A great ramper and added bonus with Athreos, God of Passage in play. Seems like a difficult inclusion due to space and the lack of basics because of our mana requirements.
Blood Artist: Everyone hates seeing him across from them. If it was included then I would assume the deck would forgo the blinking, instead choosing to utilize a sacrifice package a la Aristocrats: Cartel Aristocrat , Viscera Seer , possibly even Varolz, the Scar-Striped
Phyrexian Arena: The deck lacks sustainable card draw and this provides it. The concern is excessive life loss from lands and the prevalence of Burn decks.
Cloudshift: Useful little tech card. I can't see running more than two of them though. I tend to shy away from cards that are only useful with a specific board state though.
Wrath of God: Sometimes you just need to clear the board and can also help with overly aggressive decks since this isn't deck isn't the fastest. With Athreos, God of Passage on the board it becomes a nightmare.
I'm sure the deck needs more work but I haven't had the time to test it yet. I'll get to it this weekend when the rest of the cards come in. It seems like it could be a promising deck though. Any advice would be great. Thanks guys!
As the title clearly suggests I'm looking to utilize a deck with Kessig Cagebreakers but I need a little more help in developing it. A major weakness is that you need to wait a turn before Kessig Cagebreakers gets going (as well as any graveyard hate). Though if you've ever been fortunate enough to attack with it you'll know how insanely fun it is. To circumvent it's weakness I think there is some potential with Whip of Erebos. I also like that Whip of Erebos can also double as a toolbox for creatures that get milled. That's the base of my deck.
There are two options I've been thinking about:
1- BUG shell: Running Blue give access to
Chronic Flooding : a very efficient miller.
Master Biomancer : Every Kessig Cagebreakers token comes in as at least a 4/4 which really packs the hurt. Also can make many other previously useless attackers a threat.
Mulldrifter: Draw two + a creature in the bin.
Forbidden Alchemy: Dig
2- Junk Shell: White gives access to creatures that can better abuse the enter the battlefield effects so the deck isn't as reliant upon getting a Kessig Cagebreakers active. Additionally its the best sideboard color
Angel of Serenity
Armada Wurm
Thragtusk
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
Restoration Angel
Unburial Rites: Solid assist for Whip of Erebos.
Other cards I think can be useful are:
Eternal Witness: Self milling is bound to throw out something you want.
Lotleth Troll: Helps to discard our bombs early game as well as providing a decent early defense or aggressor.
Stinkweed Imp: The pseudo deathtouch is nice but its the dredge 5 that seems best here
Sakura-Tribe Elder: Seems like a logical fit. Ramp and helps fill the yard.
Shadowborn Demon: The deck is pretty tight for room so this is a solid creature with a very powerful 187 ability.
Shriekmaw: A little more restricted than Shadowborn Demon but same concept.
Splinterfright/Boneyard Wurm/ Nighthowler : can grow huge but become seriously neutered without creatures in the yard.
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord: The sac ability is great with above guys, also comes back from the yard when milled
Satyr Wayfinder: Mulch on a stick
Commune with the Gods/Grisly Salvage/ Forbidden Alchemy : Helps to dig and tutor for what you need while simultaneously filling the yard. At least one of these will be used but its hard to say which one. Commune with the Gods might get the nod because it can grab Whip of Erebos or Chronic Flooding or Nighthowler
Jarad's Orders: Can single-handedly assemble the combo of Kessig Cagebreakers and Master Biomancer or simply fetch two solid answers or threats that you need. Its slow so it would probably only be a 1 of but I can't think of a better deck for it to be in than this.
Dread Return: Another version of Unburial Rites but can be used in the BUG Shell
The biggest issue I'm having is trimming the fat because there are so many options as well as trying to plug some of its weaknesses. I realize the inherent fragility of graveyard based decks. I don't expect to be winning anything serious but it would be cool to make a strong unique deck. Any insight, helpful tips, or options I may have missed would be great. Cheers!
Zealous Conscripts is an amazing card, and I really do think that Cloudshift is constructed worthy. Once it synergizes with the deck it goes up considerably in power. Aside from the obvious 187's its also incredible at saving key creatures.
Personally, I'm making Naya aggro with Restoration Angel, Cloudshift and Zealous Conscripts. Huntmaster of the Fells lets me gain life and the edge on other aggro decks while clogging the board and Blade Splicer for some delicious delicious icing on that cake!