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Bringing Niv-Mizzet to the Light

Modern Competitive Control Five Color Value Engine

Evanbob007

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Land (23)

Creature (8)

Sorcery (7)

Instant (10)

Planeswalker (8)

Artifact (4)

Sideboard

Instant (5)

Planeswalker (1)

Creature (5)

Sorcery (2)

Artifact (2)

Maybeboard

Creature (1)

This is my favorite deck I have ever played in modern, hence why I am working on foiling it out. It has utility, power, and just great fun to be upticking multiple planeswalkers a turn. The deck thrives the best against LGS where the meta revolves around grindy decks such as U/W control, Jund, and Soulherder. The deck also does well against aggro decks having many spells to gain life. The deck does have difficulty against big mana decks such as Amulet Titan and Tron. However, this deck does have the ability to be more devoted to fighting these decks by increasing what cards are played such as Fulminator Mage. Overall, this deck is super flexible and can adjust to many decks because it has access to a wide variety of cards. It is quite common to be able to sideboard in 6+ cards in match ups because of the variety of cards in the board. This wide variety gives a powerful advantage regardless of the opponent because there are no auto-loses that I have found. This deck has a chance against every deck and that depends on how the game naturally progresses instead of did you/your opponent get the unanswerable hate card.

I have gone many weeks in a row at my LGS (Local Game Store) undefeated playing against a wide variety of decks from Storm to Boggles to Amulet. This deck requires some learning due to the five colored variety of the deck and wide assortment of cards. But, I'd highly recommend this deck if you like grindy deck like Jund or toolbox decks like Sultai Wilderness Reclamation.

Card Choice Break Down

My take on Niv to Light, found Birds of Paradise are too fragile and Gilded Goose forces you to have a green source to start the game which makes for a higher number of mulligans so went the snow direction. Also since this deck is a grindy deck, I did not like the dead top decks of a bird; likewise, I am not a fan of the birds because it lowers the redraw power of Niv-Mizzet Reborn.

Since the deck's other namesake card is Bring to Light, I felt comfortable playing singleton cards because with Teferi, Time Raveler it can be turned into any card you need even if it's a counterspell.

I also had to add more creatures than I was originally playing because I had trouble pressuring opponent walkers off the table.

Arcum's Astrolabe: Amazing turn 1 play that helps mana fix and redraws. Also can be an easy Teferi, Time Raveler target for a double draw.

Ice-Fang Coatl: The ability is pretty easy to turn on with astrolabe and the 7 snow-covered lands, basically acts as a removal spell with a redraw. The ability to fly also can be turned into an aggressive manner to take out enemy walkers.

Voice of Resurgence: Pretty sticky Selesnya creature that also punishes interaction on your turn. Decided this over Kitchen Finks because it was one mana cheaper and gives better creature against control decks.

Fulminator Mage: Rakdos creature that also can be turned into a Stone Rain to take out many troublesome lands.

Knight of Autumn: Versatile Selesnya creature that can be used in many different manners, chose of Kitchen Finks due to versatility versus stickiness.

Huntmaster of the Fells  : Can get many uses out of the creature since many of the cards played in the deck can be cast on opponent's turn with Teferi, Time Raveler. The ability to use Bring to Light to flip with one card is a reminder for its flipping back from werewolf.

Niv-Mizzet Reborn: Namesake card of the deck that is arguably the most value generating creature. It is not uncommon for his ETB trigger to draw you 6 cards, oh and then he's a 6/6 with flying for 5 mana. I cut a copy out of the deck in order to keep lower costing creatures in because otherwise found had to keep removing 1+ copies of him against aggro or combo decks.

Assassin's Trophy: two mana destroy anything seems good, especially helps against big mana decks as it can take out a threat or a land.

Dovin's Veto - Uncounterable counterspell is very powerful against just about every deck.

Izzet Charm: Mainly in the deck as a 2 mana counter spell, also trying out a higher count in order to prepare the deck for Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath. This card has also works well with Wrenn and Six as extra lands in hand can be turned into something better.

Lightning Helix: Anti-aggro removal spell that can also be used on the offensive against combo decks.

Kaya's Guile: One of the most underused and undervalued cards in Modern, it's anti-aggro, removes indestructible and hexproof singleton creatures found in Boggles & Infect, clears graveyards, and can create a blocker/flying attacker all at instant speed. I have increased my count by adding 1 in the board because I rarely find that this is a dead card in hand.

Dreadbore: Can remove most threats at only 2 mana and with Teferi, Time Raveler it becomes a more versatile Terminate.

Thought Erasure: The ability to gain hand knowledge, get some card selection, and work with 3-drop Teferi on your opponent's draw step gains this card a slot in the 75. Arguably could add another copy to the list.

Unmoored Ego: A combo deck's worst nightmare. A turn 3 on the play cast against Cat Combo, Titan, Tron, Amulet, etc.

Supreme Verdict: Most common Bring to Light target and takes care of almost all creature threats.

Bring to Light: Other namesake card, almost always gets to 5 colors on turn 5. This allows the decklist to have many singletons and be able to find the hate card you need. Remember cannot cast the 2nd card against an enemy Teferi, Time Raveler.

Wrenn and Six: This and Acrum's Astrolabe really bring the mana base together. The downtick is great for repeatable removal against Humans and Infect. Wrenn's ultimate is extremely powerful especially with so many sorceries and instants.

Teferi, Time Raveler: Helps allowing your powerful spells to resolve while also turning Bring to Light into an instant for insane reactivity. In a pinch, can bounce Astrolabe to get a double draw or Niv-Mizzet for huge card draw.

The Royal Scions: Originally in the sideboard, but I brought it to the main so that way you can pressure enemy walkers with your smaller flying creatures such as the flying token from Kaya's Guile or Ice-Fang Coatl. Against grindy matchups, it helps to sift through your hand to get to the more needed cards. The ultimate can deal serious damage as Niv-Mizzet and Wrenn keep cards in your hand.

Vraska, Golgari Queen: Subtle life gain and converts extra lands or astrolabes to other cards. The downtick kills most permanents in Modern and then stays around. Her ultimate rarely happens but paired with the fliers in the deck make her ultimate an easy way to finish off an opponent since Coatl and the Spirit token have flash.

Built around lands so that way any land can be grabbed with any fetch land. I found that the deck really needs the higher number of lands to help be able to play multiple cards per turn especially after Niv-Mizzet Reborn ETB. One could swap Ghost Quarter for another fetch. Wrenn and Six renders multiple fetches as they just rot in hand. So far, this has worked for me with little difficulty.

Breeding Pool: Usually the first land grabbed at these two colors have the highest pip count.

Ghost Quarter: This plus Wrenn and Six and easily lock out your Tron, Amulet, or Scapeshift decks as they will eventually run of lands to retrieve. I chose this over Field of Ruin because I wanted to be able to have a spell and the activation ready. If the deck played more 1-mana cost spells then it might be a better fit to the deck.

Hallowed Fountain: The only non- land; however, it can still be fetched with any of the three fetches in the deck.

Misty Rainforest: Added one of these to the deck over a third Windswept Heath because is the highest pip count. Still kept with the fetches and shocks because of the importance of playing a turn-2 Wrenn.

Overgrown Tomb/Stomping Ground/Temple Garden: Part shocks to be grabbed by any fetch.

Pillar of the Paruns: MVP land, all cards but Astrolabe can be cast by it in both the main and side -- simply put a better Mana Confluence. Highly recommended/needed to use over Mana Confluence/City of Brass as the extra damage quickly adds up.

Snow-Cover Basics: one of each except for the two highest pip count. Blood Moon is rarely an issue as your count is seven basics and have many ways to destroy it. I have considered playing Blood Moon in the side because of the high count of basics this deck plays to be able to hose big mana decks.

Windswept Heath: Could be any part fetch but I already owned these foiled and there is a need to commonly have double for any combination of Lightning Helix, Dovin's Veto, Kaya's Guile, and Teferi, Time Raveler.

Assassin's Trophy: Removes any target even lands, only playing two in the main because didn't want to accelerate an opponent's mana if not needed. This is more flexible and hurts the mana less than playing another copy of Ghost Quarter/Field of Ruin.

Damping Sphere: Anti-big mana and storm decks.

Dovin's Veto: Brought in against many match ups, Burn, Control, Tron, Scapeshift, Infect, Boggles, and other decks that rely on powerful non-creature spells. This could be swapped out for an Izzet Charm, but I didn't want to have it be a dead card against creature decks.

Lightning Helix: Cheap removal spell that also gains life to help against aggro. Bring in against Burn, Infect, Humans, Soul Herder, Zoo, and similar aggressive small creature decks.

Ashiok, Dream Render: Prevents enemy tutors and removes graveyards. This also stops enemy Field of Ruin. Bring in against U/W Control to stop Snap Caster and Field of Ruin, Tron, Amulet, Scapeshift, Dredge, and Vengevine.

Deafening Clarion: Bring in against small creature decks that go wide or have hexproof such as Humans, Infect, Boggles, Affinity, and Zoo.

Fulminator Mage: Worsens mana bases and can stop big mana decks. This creature is also good against Burn and Mid-Range/Control decks to unstable three color decks such as Jund, can hamstring Burn, remove man lands, and in top deck mode it can be sacrificed in response to combat damage or removal spell.

Geist of Saint Traft: Hexproof creature that is used to put pressure on life early, bring in against grindy matchups and potentially big mana decks such as Tron to get a clock going while disrupting their mana and countering their spells.

Kaya's Guile: All modes are relevant in most match ups, even can be used to remove Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger in a pinch (but there are better cards to bring in against Tron). Aggro Decks, Boggles, Burn, Infect, and Graveyard Themed Decks are the most common reason to bring in.

Kaya, Orzhov Usurper: Can remove many 1-mana permanents such as Aether Vial, Ethereal Armor, Glistener Elf, and Champion of the Parish. The uptick also is helpful against aggro decks and graveyard decks. The ultimate can be brought in against grindy match ups as it can act as another win condition especially with three copies of Kaya's Guile in the 75.

Kitchen Finks: A sticky and life gaining threat to help clog up the board against aggro decks. It also is helpful against grindy match ups as it dies twice.

Kolaghan's Command: Originally I had one in the main and one in the side but I found that often I had too many two drops and now that Mox Opal is banned it isn't as powerful. I traded it out for a Fulminator Mage to help against big mana decks since this deck has a better chance against decks where Command is better than against the big mana decks. This might be wrong for a larger field of play or for your LGS.

Unmoored Ego: Often is moved from the main against aggro decks but it is a huge blow to combo decks so added an extra one to the side.

Keranos, God of Storms: A difficult to remove value engine to bring in against grindy match ups. I will likely swap with the new Klothys, God of Destiny because it ramps, provides a clock, and can be brought in against more match ups than Keranos such as aggro and graveyard decks. This also could be a third Niv-Mizzet Reborn but I wanted to try out a card that I could grab with an ETB trigger from Niv for even more value.

Maybe Board & Acquire Board

This is the list of cards that could easily fit into the deck but for one reason or another I have chosen to not play a copy. This also helps me think through other card ideas. Let me know if you have any that you think would be a good fit.

1-2x Reborn Hope: Kinda a multi-colored Snapcaster Mage, but sorcery and need card in graveyard

1x Tolsimir, Friend to Wolves: Versatile threat that works with Huntmaster of the Fells  , but deck already has a higher CMC and found usually have to cut high CMC against aggro decks.

4x Birds of Paradise: speeds up mana production at any color at the cost of reducing the power of Niv ETB trigger, requiring on turn 1, and being a terrible top deck.

4x Gilded Goose: similar to Birds except at least can gain life but less mana since Oko is banned.

2x Thief of Sanity: decent flying threat that generates card advantage, but is a weak body with no immediate impact.

1x Hydroid Krasis: one of the more reasonable cards, haven't tried it out yet. It would replace an Ice-Fang Coatl.

1x Teferi, Hero of Dominaria: Another reasonable card as there are many 2-drop instants but there are already plenty of Azorious cards so had to choose and I chose a lower CMC curve.

3x Spell Queller: Limited protection in the deck so make's it worse on that side of thing than Dovin's Veto, but reasonable.

1x Anguished Unmaking: Might replace Maelstrom Pulse with this card as it is an instant.

4x Manamorphose: Fixes mana and replaces self, but this isn't a storm deck.

1x Abrupt Decay: Very easy to include, Vraska, Golgari Queen would be the replacement.

1x Grim Flayer: Could replace Voice of Resurgence but I liked the multiple creatures over the card advantage.

1x Deputy of Detention: Another possible replacement for Maelstrom Pulse, diversity is the main reason I went with Pulse plus the card stays gone with Pulse.

1x Detention Sphere: Same as Deputy though can't be Bring to Light.

1x Faeburrow Elder: Okay, but CMC too high for a ramp spell.

1x Narset Transcendent: Can't protect self, but a reasonable choice to try out.

1x Nahiri, the Harbinger: Could try this over a Teferi, Time Raveler.

1x Drown in the Loch: Found it doesn't play well with Kaya's Guile and this deck doesn't mill/discard the opponent abundantly enough to be a consistent card.

1x Kambal, Consul of Allocation: I did have one in here, but I replaced it with a Detention Sphere to help against big mana decks. I might put it back in.

1x Cindervines: Same as Kambal.

1x Despark: Limited targets that Trophy or Pulse can't take care of with less downsides.

1x Sigarda, Host of Herons: Currently not playing because Liliana of the Veil decks usually lose to this deck any way. Plus I could only play so many high CMC cards.

1-2x Glittering Wish: I tried this card but that fact that it's a sorcery really hurts this card. Plus after game one I usually would swap it with the actual card in the sideboard so it felt like a waste.

1x Shadow of Doubt: Only a 1-time Ashiok, Dream Render passive.

2-3x Growth Spiral: Already a lot of Simic cards, could be played over Ice-Fang but I feel it is worse as it can't be an attacker/kill spell.

1-2x Knight of the Reliquary: No immediate impact, but would help grab the lands you need especially since the mana base is -focused.

1-2x Qasali Pridemage: The exalted trigger is nice, but the deck is usually not the aggressor.

1-2x Dreadhorde Butcher: Get's blocked too easily for big impact, if was running a higher density of creatures then possible. The deck could be focused on good creatures and then it would possibly fit.

2-3x Once Upon a Time: Reduces Niv's ETB trigger power level and there's a low density of creatures, would instead play a Safewright Quest.

1-2x Saheeli, Sublime Artificer: Too few 1-drops to be really impactful.

1x Kess, Dissident Mage: I was player her for a time but found Niv to just be better as he has a better body and has immediate impact.

1-2x Lavinia, Azorious Renegade: Very possible card if Tron is really common in your meta, it is often found in sideboards of similar decks.

1-2x Guttural Response: 3-drop Teferi already takes care of counter magic and is more than just one turn.

1-2x Safewright Quest: I am thinking about playing it over a land; it is another turn-1 spell and can be grabbed by Niv. Now that the foil is going down in price I am more likely to try this out in the future.

1x Fracturing Gust: Urza and Affinity decks took a hit with Opal being banned. My LGS doesn't have many of these decks so I took it out of my sideboard to add another big mana hoser. Probably still a decent card to have in the side.

2-3x Discovery / Dispersal: Haven't tried it out, just with Discovery was an instant.

Thought Erasure: Hand disruption and card information, so could be useful. However, I'd rather have a removal spell so the deck can be more reactive instead of proactive.

Voice of Resurgence: Again, rather be more reactive and be able to remove a threat rather than just chump block. It could replace a Teferi, Time Raveler but is less disruptive than the Walker.

Ashiok, Dream Render: It is one of the weaker big mana deck hate cards, but is not terrible. I was running two but often had trouble making room for more than one copy.

Kolaghan's Command: Definitely not a terrible card, I was running one in the main and one in the side. I just swapped it with a Fulminator Mage to help worse match ups.

Niv-Mizzet Reborn: I was running three and if my LGS slows down any I will likely add this copy to the main. But recently I have found I am having to take one copy out in a lot of match ups since Bring to Light can just tutor for him.

I am awaiting the new Theros release to try out these new cards.

1-2x Klothys, God of Destiny - Will likely replace the copy of Keranos as explained earlier.

1-2x Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath - This card feels very similar to Oko, Thief of Crowns as it is defensive initially and then helps late game/close out the game. I will likely only play one copy due to the escape cost and the sorcery spell casting.

1x Kunoros, Hound of Athreos - Grafdigger's Cage that is also good for offense/defense plus is a pretty decent body.

Game Play

A generalized good hand has 3 lands, an Astrolabe (or one of the lands being Pillar), 2 removal spells, and a planeswalker preferably Wrenn or Teferi. Remember this deck is playing for the late game and trying to grind -- You'll win later. Use this if you don't know what you are playing against.

Against aggro decks Wrenn, Helix, and Kaya's Guile are your best friend. You do not want to have any Bring to Lights or Nivs. Most of these cards will 2 for 1 your opponent and be able to get to late game.

Control/grindy match ups want planeswalkers and Nivs to generate more value.

Tron/Amulet/Scapeshift you need to mulligan to hit Trophy or Fulminator. This match up is very difficult because this deck does not play a lot of interaction at their level game one and this deck lacks pressure. On the play, Unmoored Ego is acceptable and can win you the game, however, on the draw it is worse as Tron can Karn you before it resolves. Veto is also a pretty good card against all these decks. Minimize your late game cards because you need to interact the best you can early.

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Date added 4 years
Last updated 4 years
Legality

This deck is not Modern legal.
Rarity (main - side)

11 - 4 Mythic Rares

30 - 6 Rares

8 - 5 Uncommons

4 - 0 Commons
Cards 60
Avg. CMC 2.76
Tokens Angel 4/4 W, Elemental */* GW, Emblem Vraska, Golgari Queen, Emblem Wrenn and Six, Spirit 1/1 WB, Wolf 2/2 G
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