Sultai Death's Shadow (Modern MTG Deck)

This card is powerful removal of most early-game attacks, but can get fairly useless later. It works well against Affinity matchups, but doesn't always work well.

Grisly Salvage

Grisly Salvage, although helpful when searching, will usually waste a turn trying to dig up something.

Mana Leak disrupts many strategies excellently, and won't always be expected. At the time that it's used, it will usually just act as a hard counter, and if they can pay for their spell regardless, it will usually tap them out.

Remand

Remand is a card that can stave off a powerful or annoying card for a turn and gets card draw, but because the opponent can just cast it again the next turn, if they're careful, Remand won't always be the best option for you.

Sorceries

Maelstrom Pulse

Maelstrom Pulse is a great card that works against almost any matchup. However, it can hurt you as well if you are fighting a mirror match - but it still works spectacularly in this deck because you, more than anyone else, want Death's Shadow in your graveyard - and not many people play Varolz, the Scar-Striped.

Thoughtseize

Thoughtseize is a powerful card that acts as amazing disruption for decks that try to combo out. It helps to get rid of powerful threats that could mess up the deck's strategy early in the game and easily. The two life is annoying, but completely worth it.

Creatures

Death's Shadow

Death's Shadow is the entire basis for this deck. It can simultaneously be scavenged with Varolz for 13 +1 counters, but it can also be used for attack when your life gets low.

Fauna Shaman

Fauna Shaman is a powerful card, but it won't always be necessary. It acts as a discard and a search - probably for Varolz by discarding Death's Shadow - but it might take too long to activate.

Lotleth Troll

Lotleth Troll is an good discard engine, and can act as a GREAT target for scavenge - but it can be fairly weak to removal, too.

Spellskite

Spellskite borders on red, because it acts as an amazing way to stop removal against your creatures. It can also act as a good blocker because of its high toughness - and it also locks out most ways the opponent could buff his/her/their creatures.

Tarmogoyf

In most other decks, Tarmogoyf would probably be marked as "red". However, in this one it is solidly a "blue". It's a pretty good second turn play, and it retains its power in the graveyard for scavenge, but it's weak to Fatal Push and other removal, while also not having incredible power to back up its lackluster starting stats. It works while Death's Shadow is in the graveyard, but after that it can be removed easily and won't do a whole lot of damage.

Varolz, the Scar-Striped

The backbone of this deck, Varolz gives all creatures in my graveyard Scavenge - meaning that I can scavenge Death's Shadow for one mana to give a creature +13/+13 - and with Lotleth Troll, trample too.

Planeswalkers

Liliana of the Veil

Lily is a powerful planeswalker that can force a discard or a sacrifice the turn she comes into play - and if left unchecked, her ultimate is incredible.

Sideboard

Bitterblossom

Bitterblossom is incredible, but the constant life loss is harmful. It creates great blockers (e.g. for Inkmoth Nexus in Affinity), and then also manages to create good attackers with flying that can become a threat.

Damping Matrix

Damping Matrix is like a much worse Stony Silence. It helps against affinity, but it is a high point on the mana curve in this deck and doesn't make up for it with extreme power. However, it can be used well against Affinity decks, and usually allows for an easier win.

Plaxmanta

Plaxmanta isn't a card you usually see in sideboards. Still, it is a welcome addition to this deck if Spellskite isn't stopping the removal effectively enough. However, a different card would be welcome.

Shadow of Doubt

Shadow of Doubt is good against fetch lands, and can also stop searches easily. However, it isn't always the greatest card, because the more aggro decks you'd use it against don't always search to get cards.

Silent Gravestone

Silent Gravestone may help against some decks, but it SHUTS DOWN OUR OWN STRATEGY. Please recommend something better. *Note - this may be replaced with Engineered Explosives.

Surgical Extraction

Surgical Extraction will crush decks that rely on a single card. Combined with Thoughtseize, this makes for a powerful first-turn play that can ruin your opponent's deck.

Spell Pierce

Spell Pierce is a card that helps against combo decks that utilize storm and other mechanics to win the game. It also helps early game to diffuse strategies like affinity (with Springleaf Drum, Mox Opal, etc.) by countering their artifacts.

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Date added	5 years
Last updated	5 years
Legality	This deck is Modern legal.
Rarity (main - side)	6 - 2 Mythic Rares 36 - 9 Rares 3 - 2 Uncommons 5 - 2 Commons
Cards	60
Avg. CMC	2.05
Tokens	Faerie Rogue 1/1 B
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