Creature (15)
Land (20)
Instant (7)
Sorcery (8)
Sideboard
Sorcery (2)
Maybeboard
Instant (2)
Sorcery (1)
Do you enjoy playing modern but you do not wish to spend hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on your modern deck? Do you like combo decks? Then this deck might be the right choice for you!
If you are at least somehow familiar with modern decks, then you definitely are aware of the Splinter Twin combo that is currently very popular and can often be seen on the TOP positions of various tournaments. Yet one has to pay quite a lot of money for a deck like this and not exactly everyone might like that fact.
This deck is meant for us who enjoy playing at a kitchen table where we are playing mainly for fun.
This deck utilizes the Midnight Guard + Presence of Gond combo. This combo is the main win condition of this deck and therefore it is more than needed to search for and protect that combo.
Explanation of card choices:
Heliod's Pilgrim - this human has the ability to tutor the Presence of Gond if we happen to miss that combo piece. It can as well tutor a Pacifism if we happen to miss the Midnight Guard and we need to delay the game a little bit.
Commune with Nature - it helps with finding the Midnight Guard , but it can as well find Heliod's Pilgrim who can later tutor the Presence of Gond.
Commune with the Gods - digging even deeper into the library, this card can grab any of the combo pieces missing.
Ranger's Guile - hexproof helps against any targeted removal, the +1/+1 part can save the Midnight Guard from things such as Anger of the Gods.
Rebuff the Wicked - it has the ability to protect both halves of the combo - both the Guard and the Gond, which is great. Thanks pryoplasm for this suggestion. I would include more, but I want to keep the budget around $20 and therefore more copies cannot be included.
Apostle's Blessing - though something like Gods Willing can be used at its spot, most of the deck happens to be green and as the mana fixing is not perfect, I believe it is good to have the possibility to use mana of any color to protect a combo piece rather than giving it up.
Both of the combo pieces are quite mana intense and if any of them is missing, the delay in executing the combo might cost us the victory. Therefore there are eight mana dorks included - four copies of both Elvish Mystic and Avacyn's Pilgrim.
Every single deck should be capable of at least some interaction with the opponent's side of the board, therefore Journey to Nowhere and Pacifism are included. Even though Journey to Nowhere is almost always better, Pacifism can be tutored by Heliod's Pilgrim which might be crucial in some stage of the game. However, both of these enchantments can be tutored by Commune with the Gods.
Even if the combo has been executed and there are thousands of 1/1 elves, it might not be enough to secure the victory. As these elves are only 1/1, something as simple as Illness in the Ranks might ruin the whole combo and this deck would not be able to win. Therefore, Altar of the Brood has been included. Every single token that enters the battlefield will trigger it and no matter how many opponents are sitting at the table, all of them will find their whole library in the graveyard.
Possible color additions:
You may decide to add another color to this deck. I chose to not to as that addition would require better mana fixation and therefore the price of the deck would rise. But in case you don't mind investing more money into this deck, here are some choices you have.
Blue can offer the Trinket Mage. The Mage can be tutored by Commune with the Gods and Commune with Nature and the Mage himself can later tutor the missing Altar of the Brood, which is the only part of the combo that cannot be tutored in the version.
Adding some counterspells is definitely a way to go, but that would mean you are devoting yourself to blue quite a lot and it might be worth considering switching to the Splinter Twin combo as it fits better to a combo-control deck.
Black does not solve the problem with tutoring the Altar of the Brood, however, it can make the deck much more competitive. Its main advantage is the access to discard spells such as Thoughtseize, Inquisition of Kozilek and Duress as all of them are capable of removing problematic cards from your opponent's hand. You can either remove a threat to your own combo or a part of their combo.
Adding a playset of Duresses will keep the deck low-budget and it would help it win in more competitive meta.
Red is offering an alternative card to Altar of the Brood in form of Impact Tremors - it is an enchantment and therefore it can be tutored by Commune with the Gods. The deck would, therefore, perform better against decks containing Ulamog/Kozilek/Emrakul, however, it would struggle against Soul Sisters decks.
Another card to think of if you decide to add red is Lightning Bolt as it would help with controlling the board in the early game.
Non-budget additions:
If you like this deck and you wouldn't mind investing more money into it, then below are some cards that you might want to consider for your build.
This is probably the most problematic part of the budget build as the deck is not quite consistent. You may want to add lands like Razorverge Thicket, Temple Garden and Windswept Heath. Another land to consider is Horizon Canopy which would help in top-deck mode situations.
If you have the possibility, then consider adding Path to Exile. Removing a creature entirely is much better than just making it unable to attack/block as Pacifism do.
You may also consider adding Qasali Pridemage. Even though it is a creature, I believe it falls under the removal category. Having the possibility to remove an enchantment/artifact in the main deck might be crucial.
Sideboard depends on your meta, but one swap with mine can be done on the spot. Thragtusk would serve as better secondary win-con than Cliffrunner Behemoth . Even though their stats are the same, Thragtusk has impact on the game the turn it comes down and when it leaves the play, it still leaves another body behind.
Some other sideboard techniques to think of are Rest in Peace, Stony Silence, Gaddock Teeg, Relic of Progenitus, Kor Firewalker or Leyline of Sanctity.
Competitive version of this deck (currently being under construction):
Collectible "Twin"
Modern*
SCORE: 8 | 7 COMMENTS | 933 VIEWS | IN 3 FOLDERS
Some other, great decks I made:
Queen's Mighty Servants (Superfriends, primer)
Commander / EDH
SCORE: 15 | 16 COMMENTS | 4552 VIEWS | IN 12 FOLDERS
Let's Play Hide and Seek!
Modern
SCORE: 27 | 37 COMMENTS | 5486 VIEWS | IN 14 FOLDERS
If you guys have any idea how to improve this deck, definitely let me know, just keep in mind that the overall price should not go above $20 by much. I am open to any constructive criticism and suggestions. If you like this deck, do not forget to give it +1! Thanks in advance!
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| Top Ranked |
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| Date added | 8 years |
| Last updated | 6 years |
| Legality | This deck is Modern legal. |
| Rarity (main - side) | 3 - 5 Rares 8 - 2 Uncommons 29 - 8 Commons |
| Cards | 60 |
| Avg. CMC | 1.77 |
| Tokens | Elf Warrior 1/1 G |
| Folders | modern decks for jake, Modern, Great Builds, play test these, Personal, Legal, Budget, budget , Interesant, budget decks I like |
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