INTRODUCTION

I started playing the Modern format and was really interested in Lantern Control. So I built a deck and brought it to the Modern competitions at my local game store. Although I usually was able to win Game 1, I typically lost to sideboard hate in Game 2. So I decided I had to change some things around.

While trying to prepare against my poor matchups, I started thinking about Tron and I realized, it doesn't hurt my deck to play Tron lands, given that nearly all of my important spells are colorless anyway. I enjoy the idea of dropping Ugin, the Spirit Dragon on my opponent as well and decided, "Why not combine the two?"

Thus, Lantern-Tron Control was born.

THE GAMEPLAN

Don't be fooled by the tron lands, this deck's primary playstyle and win-con follows Lantern Control. The idea is to play Lantern of Insight to give ourselves information about both player's draws, and then use a combination of Codex Shredder, Ghoulcaller's Bell, and Pyxis of Pandemonium to manipulate the top deck in our favor, either milling/exiling threats on top of our opponent's library (given them dead draws) or milling/exiling dead draws from our own library. Eventually we grab Ensnaring Bridge and empty our hand to bring our opponent's creatures to a grinding halt and protect ourselves until we can mill them out.

Unlike other Lantern Decks however, we have a secondary win-con. Using Urza's Power Plant, Urza's Mine, and Urza's Tower, we have the ability to cast Ugin, the Spirit Dragon rather quickly. We use our planeswalker to board clear when we are too slow getting our Ensnaring Bridge, or we face other colored threats our other cards cannot deal with. If we are having trouble with our mill game, we can plus our Ugin, the Spirit Dragon to victory!

CARD CHOICES

Lantern of Insight, Codex Shredder, Ghoulcaller's Bell, Pyxis of Pandemonium - Our main "win cons", which allow us to manipulate the top decks of both player's libraries to control the flow of the game and create card advantage/disadvantage.

Ensnaring Bridge - Soft lock to protect ourselves from attacking creatures, since we able to dump our hand rather quickly.

Urza's Mine, Urza's Power Plant, and Urza's Tower - Mana base to provide lots of colorless mana very quickly. As most of our cards are colorless, it does not affect our mana base much if we are unable to complete the combination. Otherwise, it allows us to dump our hand very quickly.

Ugin, the Spirit Dragon - Secondary "win con". Allows us to control our opponent with repeatable board wipes (which affect none of our permanents) and repeatable Lightning Bolts to win through damage. Although we use the ultimate ability rarely, it typically ends up with multiple mill pieces on board to hasten the primary win con. Can be cast as soon as Turn 3, with a combination of Mox Opal and our Tron Lands.

Ancient Stirrings - Allows us to cycle through our deck for nearly all of our cards, including our soft lock pieces, Ugin, and our lands. A must have.

Chromatic Star / Chromatic Sphere - Allows us to create colored mana if need be and gives card draw to cycle into the threats we are looking for. Can be tutored with multiple cards in the deck, and recurred using Academy Ruins for consistency.

Infernal Tutor - Since we are playing our hand very quickly it is nearly always a free tutor for anything in the deck. Highly valuable to find missing pieces of our plan.

Spellskite - Our only creatures in the deck, they are not wiped out by Ugin's minus. They allow us to redirect targeted artifact destruction to protect our soft lock, as well as redirect burn spells that would otherwise bypass our lock. Can be recurred with Academy Ruins, and tutored by all our main tutor/dig abilities.

Surgical Extraction - Is there a card that you are afraid of in your opponent's deck? There is nothing more satisfying then exiling all of your opponent's primary win cons after milling them to your soft lock combo.

Thoughtseize - The extra hand disruption is nice to slow down your opponent, rid them of threats to your combo, and set up Surgical Extraction targets in the grave.

Pithing Needle - Hits many key cards in various decks throughout the format, including (but not limited to) Karn Liberated, Liliana of the Veil, Oblivion Stone, and Eldrazi Displacer. Its also satisfying to Needle your opponent's sac lands when there are no obvious targets to mess up their mana base. Protects against lands like Ghost Quarter as well, that may look to disrupt our ability to get Tron. Love running Needle main board, sideboarding it out as needed per matchup.

SIDEBOARD

Coming Soon

If you like the deck and/or have any comments and/or suggestions please let me know! Thanks everyone!

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Date added 7 years
Last updated 4 years
Legality

This deck is not Modern legal.

Rarity (main - side)

10 - 0 Mythic Rares

20 - 0 Rares

8 - 0 Uncommons

21 - 0 Commons

Cards 60
Avg. CMC 1.52
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