Sideboard


Maybeboard

Sorcery (2)

Creature (1)

Enchantment (1)

Land (1)

Planeswalker (1)


Fun things I've done with this deck:

Things I haven't done:

BACKGROUND

So Winding Constrictor has taken standard by storm, but I've been trying to build a modern deck around Hardened Scales ever since it was spoiled. This is probably the 6th or 7th version of this deck. I've tried selesnya, golgari, bant, abzan, simic, even sultai briefly. I've played with Undying and Retribution of the Ancients. I've built around pinatas like Hooded Hydra and Chasm Skulker. I've run Mikaeus, the Lunarch, Gavony Township, Corpsejack Menace, just about everything related to +1/+1 counters.

Then, Aether Revolt came along and suddenly it's Christmas. The main thing I was lacking was consistency. No matter what I built, it just wasn't good unless I had a Hardened Scales on turn 1 or 2. But WHAT'S THIS? I can run 8 scales now? Thanks Winding Constrictor! Oh, you thought Hangarback Walker was good? How about another one with a machine gun? In goes 4 Walking Ballistas. Need some mana to pump your ballista and move counters around with Spike Feeder? Have a Rishkar, Peema Renegade! He puts an average of 6 power on the board too, so that's nice.

UNNECESSARILY DETAILED RUNDOWN

NOTE: The sideboard is still a work in progress.

Tumor Tribal is a very resilient aggro deck that takes its name from the gross flavor behind Graft. It isn't as explosive as Zoo or Affinity, but it gets out of hand VERY quickly. Your goal is to just get as much meat on the field as possible and move counters around like a maniac. You need a Hardened Scales or Winding Constrictor on the field ASAP. I mulligan my first draw if it doesn't have one of those in it 100% of the time. Did you draw 3 scales? Go for it, the effects stack.

With a scales effect on board, your deck is now full of 1 drop 2/2s. Simic Initiate is your best friend. Graft on to a Servant of the Scale. Now it's turn 2 and you have a 4/4 that puts 5 +1/+1 counters on target creature when it dies. If you drop an Experiment One on turn 1, he'll be swinging for 3 on turn 2 and for 5 on turn 3.

The meat of this deck is Hangarback Walker and Walking Ballista. Nobody wants to Fatal Push a walker and give me thopters I can graft on to. Well they'd better do it now because he's going to be an 8/8 REAL quick. The ballistas wipe out small creatures with ease and deal a ton of damage to the dome. If the board stalls out, just keep pumping a ballista until you can shoot them in the head.

Avatar of the Resolute, with only one other creature on the field and one scales effect, is a 5/4 reach trample for . Odds are, he'll be more like an 8/7. Rishkar, Peema Renegade seems like Valuetown when virtually every creature in the deck comes in with counters on it. Drop him to provide your ballistas with more ammo. Spike Feeder does everything I've ever wanted. If they remove it, you still gain a ton of life. It can fuel your ballistas. It can make combat impossible to plan around. It can even be a mana sink by removing a counter from itself to put 2 or 3 counters ON itself. If they can't deal with it, you might not win, but you damn sure aren't going to die.

Need more fuel? Look no further than Tezzeret's Gambit. You have to pay 2 life, but that's a small price to pay for 2 cards and 2 or more counters on almost every creature you control. It can even add another counter to a Llanowar Reborn!

My newest secret tech is Animation Module. Tapping it to add counters to stuff is nice in a pinch, but more importantly you will get a TON of servos. It may as well read "Whenever you cast a spell, activate an ability, or trigger an ability, you may pay to create a 1/1 servo." Oh, do you have graft on the field? graft on to your shiny new servo to make it a 3/3 and trigger the module again. All your spare mana just became dudes.

Llanowar Reborn is straight value. I joked about how dumb it would be to run them in the past. Turns out I will gladly have a forest come in to play tapped if it puts 2 or 3 counters on whatever I want. Miren, the Moaning Well ensures we can pop a Hangarback Walker when we need to, gain lots of life, or make combat VERY difficult when we have a Servant of the Scale on board.

IN MEMORIAM

I want to say a few words in memory of my favorite card I've ever run with Hardened Scales. I'm not running white or blue anymore, which means I can't run my old friend Mirrorweave. Target any of your many 0/0 creatures to wipe your opponent's board at instant speed as a state-based effect. Cards like Wurmcoil Engine cowered in fear from Mirrorweave. Target a Walking Ballista to turn your entire board in to direct damage. Did they cast a Supreme Verdict? Target a Hangarback Walker and convert your board to thopters while they weep. NOBODY ever saw Mirrorweave coming and I shall miss it dearly.

R.I.P Mirrorweave. May other deck builders run you in lists of their own.

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Top Ranked
  • Achieved #1 position overall 7 years ago
Date added 7 years
Last updated 3 years
Exclude colors U
Legality

This deck is Modern legal.

Rarity (main - side)

31 - 9 Rares

11 - 6 Uncommons

7 - 0 Commons

Cards 60
Avg. CMC 1.45
Tokens Beast 3/3 G, Thopter 1/1 C, Zombie Army 0/0 B
Folders Modern Brews, Cool Stuff, Ideas from other people, Modern Budget, Andie, Favorites, MODERN, Modern Ideas, interests, Decks
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