isariahthegod, 8 years ago

isariahthegod, 8 years ago

A month of playtesting later...

bassitone, 8 years ago

Think I'm really closing in on something here. I love the way it plays (although I may want a few more white cards eventually) in theory, but in practice it still falls short a little.

I want to work Dig Through Time and Treasure Cruise in somehow to solve the aforementioned issues of card draw, but if anything my mana curve is a little on the high side as it is (I aim to be just under 3.00 or so). On the other hand, those cards could really help... What to cut though to fit them in?

Also I really like Stratus Dancer or maybe a fourth Elusive Spellfist, but I don't see any room for them unless I cut the single Dig and Narset. My mind says yes to this for sake of consistency, but my heart says no...

Any suggestions before I pull this deck apart again for those sick Origins cards?

Edit, since apparently I've got a disappearing update.

An interesting idea, this one, cutting the Spellfists in favor of moar spells. Also losing Ojutai's Command, because let's be honest, most of the time I use it for lifegain + draw anyway.

End Hostilities over Jace's Ingenuity as a sideboarding decision against aggro and to even out the balance between U and W.

Oh, and an added Anticipate because who doesn't like cheap draw?

Lutris, 8 years ago

Add/Drops

obtuseorangutan, 8 years ago

+1 Kodama's Reach

-1 Joraga Treespeaker

tweaks for final build, and sideboard complete

lithium142, 8 years ago

Henry2307, 8 years ago

alainvaillancourt02, 8 years ago

modern build

10leej, 8 years ago

hostileidiot, 8 years ago

ganja.rabitt, 8 years ago

some possible changes

Hawkinn2, 8 years ago

Major changes incoming!!!

thegigibeast, 8 years ago

A Massive Change

FriarTuck, 8 years ago

landpirate123, 8 years ago

Many Changes!

Duckling, 8 years ago

Major revamp

BarfQuackers, 8 years ago

Untap Testing (First 10 Games)

buildingadeck, 8 years ago

Overall Match Record (9-1); Game Record (18-6)

Game 1 Affinity (2-1)

In the first game, I won on a Platinum Angel that protected me from Inkmoth Nexus (that thing is incredibly pesky!). I had Cyclonic Rifted him just before getting to cast the Angel, so when he tried to Galvanic Blast, he didn't realize he couldn't do enough damage to kill the angel, and he forfeited because he had gone "too aggro."

I sided out a Remand and a Repeal for the second game. Game 2 started me off with a hand that had a Hurkyl's Recall, Urza's Power Plant, Urza's Tower, and Academy Ruins in hand, and I, made arrogant by my first win, made the mistake of being aggressive and keeping a hand without blue mana. This lead to a quick demise for me.

Game 3 began well for me, as I was able to Hurkyl's Recall when he had developed a decent board state, and this occurred after he had played a land (preventing him from playing his Darksteel Citadel again). He soon regained the state, however, and I had to use Oblivion Stone to clear the board. On the turn after, I played Platinum Emperion, and he held the game in lockdown for a turn or two before my opponent dropped an Inkmoth Nexus, Cranial Plating, and Steel Overseer. I nearly lost here because when I used Treasure Mage to search for Platinum Angel, I didn't play her immediately so that I could have counter mana in response to a removal spell; I hadn't thought about the Cranial Plating equip. My opponent played a few spells, and I had to Remand his Ghostfire Blade so that the Nexus wouldn't be lethal. I took 9 infect. The next turns were interesting. I swung him to 15 with Emperion. On his next turn, he used an Ancient Grudge to try to kill the Angel, but I had Condescend up. I scried into a second Condescend to counter the flashback, swung in for 14, and I used a second Hurkyl's Recall at the end of his turn to clear the path to swing in for the victory.

Game 2 UG Infect (2-1)

In the first game, he dropped a Pendelhaven and a Glistener Elf. On turn two, he used a couple of spells do a total of 7 infect. He won on turn 3. My hand would have been fine for the more midrange style deck I had been expecting.

For the second game, I sided out a Cyclonic Rift (which I now realize to be a poor decision) and a Remand for the two Dismember. His plays were almost identical, but I had a Repeal on T2, forcing him to use Apostle's Blessing on his elf. He gets in for two. On the next turn, I used Treasure Mage to search for Platinum Angel. Though his Elf was given trample by Rancor, I blocked with the Mage to take only 1 infect. Resolving the Angel with T4 active Tron essentially ended the game.

In this game, he had to mulligan to 5, and I felt pretty good about my chances with a similar hand to my last one. He played a T1 Noble Hierarch and passed. I got a T1 Island and an Expedition Map and passed. His T2 was Blighted Agent. I drew into an Urza's Mine and played it. I then passed. He attacked for 7, if I recall correctly. I then drew into Urza's Power Plant, giving me all the Tron lands. He would have swung for lethal with a second Noble Hierarch, but I reluctantly used Spell Burst to stay alive. On the next turn, I drew none other than Platinum Angel. I played her, and swung him down to 8 before going for Mindslaver with Treasure Mage. Unfortunately, I only had mana for one turn. That was all I needed. I cracked his Windswept Heath and put him at 5 life to put it in untapped. I then pumped his Agent with 2 Vines of the Vastwood and swung to leave him open to attack. He saw what I was doing and conceded. Very lucky draws, though I had the Treasure Mage, Urza's Tower, and Expedition Map in my opening hand.

Game 3 Temur Ascendancy Combo (2-0)

In the first game, I was able to assemble the Tron lands by T4 with two Wurmcoil Engines (one was fetched by Treasure Mage) and a Platinum Angel in hand. I played the Angel since he had Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx and Temur Ascendancy out at this point. I then played Engine-Engine in the next two turns, and he conceded.

I made no sideboard changes. He had to mulligan to 6, and he kept a one-lander. I used an Expedition Map to find Academy Ruins because I didn't have any Tron lands. This allowed me to search for the final piece later. I used a Treasure Mage to search for Mindslaver after using Condescend twice to get rid of his ramp (he was stuck on three lands, and all I needed was time). I soon had enough mana to cast and return Mindslaver to my library. After a turn, he conceded. It was his first matchup against Tron.

Game 4 Four-Color Company (2-0)

The first game was tight. He had a Gavony Township and a bunch of ramp cards out, and he was able to Path to Exile my Wurmcoil Engine, cast Eternal Witness, and Path my Sundering Titan. He had me at three life, and I desperately used Thirst for Knowledge on my turn (he had Voice of Resurgence out, which is a huge pain, honestly) and found an Ugin, the Spirit Dragon. He couldn't bounce back, and that won me the game.

I, thinking he was playing some sort of Bant Ramp/Tempo deck, sided out one Remand and one Repeal for the two sideboard AEtherize. I used Condescend to keep a Geist of Saint Traft off the board (a huge relief to take care of that). I used a T3 Treasure Mage to seek out a Wurmcoil Engine, but a T4 Magus of the Moon halted my progress. He then played a Meddling Mage to name Ugin, which naming I found strange given the recent search for the Engine. On T6, I did play my Wurmcoil Engine. He let it hit him to 8 before allowing it to eat the Meddling Mage. (He needed a Forest to cast Collected Company. I swung him to two before he reluctantly blocked with the Magus, giving me full access to my Tron lands. Once the Mage was gone, I searched for Academy Ruins with an Expedition Map, having had Mindslaver in my opening hand. He played Collected Company to find only one Eternal Witness, and he brought back Meddling Mage, and he named Ugin again! I thought that by grabbing Academy Ruins I had signaled a Slaver lock, but he didn't pick up on it. Next turn, I got the lock, and he conceded.

Game 5 B/g Midrange (2-1)

The first game was incredibly long because Scavenging Ooze simply kept eating my graveyard. He had Dark Confidant and Scooze out for a while, and with his life total at 1, I decided to attack with Sundering Titan, a mistake that could've cost me the game because he blocked with Bob. His next turn was a draw that would've killed him. But I was able to resist his attacks from an 8/8 Scooze and Treetop Village via a Repeal that drew into Treasure Mage. I searched for Mindslaver, took his turn to crack a fetchland to put him at 2 life. Tapping all of his mana, Treetop Village couldn't block, so I swung in for the win.

For game 2, I sided out a Cyclonic Rift and a Repeal for the two AEtherize because I wanted to have the capability to deal with Treetop Village. I mulled out of a colorless mana hand into a hand with Urza's Power Plant and Urza's Tower along with an Expedition Map. Unfortunately, Inquisition of Kozilek kept me off blue mana for the entire game by stealing the Map, so he won because I couldn't cast anything (my entire hand was spells XD).

Game 3 was another longer one, and much of the early game was counterspells to his threats and hand disruption from him. Two Thoughtseizes and a Verdant Catacombs fetch brought him to 13 life just as I was able to land a Platinum Emperion (he destroyed my Wurmcoil Engine and Maelstrom Pulsed the tokens, so I knew the path was clear). He attempted to cast something that I Condescended to find Treasure Mage. I then used his turn to crack two fetches to put him at 9 life, and attacked with his Bob. On my next turn, I could swing for lethal, and that was game.

Game 6 UB Mill (2-0)

I rolled and got the play, which allowed me to keep him from milling me before I quickly used Treasure Mage to find Platinum Angel. We both decided that it would be silly to continue because he had no answer for it.

I boarded out a Cyclonic Rift and a Repeal for two Negate. Because he was on the play, it prevented me from really being able to counter too much, giving him an early advantage as he milled away a lot of the Tron lands, making it hard to activate for Tron. However, I Treasure Maged into Platinum Angel to essentially secure the win before drawing Ugin, the Spirit Dragon, clearing the board and swinging until I could get the Mindslaver lock.

Game 7 GR Tron (0-2)

In both games, the biggest issue was that I didn't draw into any counterspells, and once Karn hits the board, he is nearly impossible to deal with. There isn't much more to say on this matchup. I think that after that game I might add in a Pithing Needle or two to the sideboard. I also feel that I might need either a Crucible of Worlds in the side, and one or two Ghost Quarter in the main board. Thoughts? Very upsetting first loss, by the way.

Game 8 Eight Rack (2-0)

Having the ability to draw heavily and counter early allowed me to get a Wurmcoil Engine in both games, which is substantially faster in a race than The Rack. Essentially, that was all it took. A much easier matchup than I would have thought, but it was definitely a budget version.

Game 9 Jund Midrange (2-0)

Game 1 was incredibly tight. I had a Wurmcoil Engine and a Treasure Mage early on. He was at 5 life with a Scavenging Ooze and a Liliana of the Veil on the board. In my next upkeep, he Terminated my Wurm, and I mistakenly judged that the Tokens came in on my last turn when I played Repeal to swing in. Unfortunately, that mistake made a huge difference in the game, nearly costing me the game when he ulted Lili, with two Tarmogoyfs at 7/8 and a Tasigur, the Golden Fang on board. I was able to hold him off with the Sundering Titan and Platinum Emperion until I drew into a Cyclonic Rift for the game. Extremely tight one.

Siding out a Repeal and a Remand for Dismember, I went to game 2. I started with a two land hand, but it took me three or four turns to hit a third one, and that was stressful. He used Treetop Village to continually swing in turn after turn. Fortunately, I was able to Expedition Map to get Tron online, and a few turns later I Fabricated for a Wurmcoil Engine, which he immediately killed. I only had one token after the other got bolted, and I drew into Ugin, the Spirit Dragon, which I -4ed to exile his Outpost Siege. His next turn play was Liliana of the Veil, and I almost failed to counter it with Remand before realizing a -2 and swing from Treetop Village would kill Ugin. He scooped because he knew he didn't have an answer.

Game 10 Naya Burn (2-1)

Game 1 was a hard-fought match in which I used a Treasure Mage to search for Platinum Emperion and chump block a Goblin Guide. I continuously used Repeal as a way to gain card advantage and eventually got Tron up with 2 life left in order to play Platinum Emperion. He had no mainboard answers, and he conceded on the spot.

I sided in two Bottle Gnomes and two Negate for 3 Remand and a Repeal. He was on the play (though he was on the play in the first game as well; his draws must not have been stellar), and he opened with a Monastery Swiftspear. T2 he played a second Monastery Swiftspear and suspended Rift Bolt. I tried to slow him by Repealing a Swiftspear and drawing, but I could not find the Tron lands to play the Wurmcoil Engine in my hand. He also played Eidolon of the Great Revel, which punished me for trying to stay alive with spells. Ultimately, my Expedition Map cracked about two turns too late to get Engine out, and I died.

I made another sideboard substitution for the final game. It was a little risky, but I took out Platinum Angel, which is almost uncastable without Tron online against burn, and replaced it with AEtherize. My opening hand was Negate, Urza's Mine, Urza's Power Plant, Urza's Tower, Expedition Map, Thirst for Knowledge, and Platinum Emperion. I knew that if he had no answer for the T4 Emperion immediately, I could win it, so I kept. The game went as you would expect: he got me down to 8 life, and then I played Emperion. He stayed in basically a turn before I double Thirst for Knowledged, and he concluded that he would never resolve removal against it at that point and conceded.