New Bogles (Top Four)!

Modern Player3.14

SCORE: 26 | 75 COMMENTS | 6899 VIEWS | IN 14 FOLDERS


Top Four —May 16, 2015

This tournament went very well. Note that I did it with a slightly different list. A summary is below:

Match 1: Exarch/Twin combo: 2-0
Game one, I started with a hexproof one-drop and worked through moderate numbers of counterspells to make a decent sized creature. From there, I disrupted my opponent's combo with Path to Exile and swung for the win next turn. Game 2, neither of us drew into hate cards, and game 2 was very much like the first.

Match 2: Affinity: 2-1
The first game went badly. I started with a Geist of Saint Traft as my only creature, and he's far to slow for affinity. With some sided in hate in for game 2, I got a turn two Stony Silence. Even though my other draws for lackluster, that single two-mana enchantment locked my opponent out of the game. I eventually drew into an Etherial Armor and Rancor and won that way. Game three was similar, with another turn two Stony Silence. I was quickly dropped to 8 life by a Vault Skirge with Ensoul Artifact, but I recovered with a Path to Exile. Faced with a topdecked Etched Champion and Signal Pest, I had only an unenchanted Gladecover Scout and two Kor Spiritdancers on my board, one of which had a Rancor. The next turn saw that Kor Spiritdancer become an 18/18 trample/lifelink/first strike creature. My opponent conceded the next turn.

Match 3: Infect: 1-2
After mulligaining down to five with no creatures, I kept. This was a bad idea. Game two went better; my opponent was the one who had to mulligain down to five, and I outclassed his limited resources with a Gladecover Scout enchanted with Unflinching Courage and Angelic Destiny. In game three, I drew a lackluster hand that was boarderline keepable and was out-swarmed by Ichorclaw Myrs.

Match 4: Scapeshift: Draw
After looking at the stats, my opponent and I decided that intentionally drawing would both get us into the top 8. We agreed to do so.

--------------Finals------------
Match 1: R/W Burn: 2/1
Game 1, was able to go first and kept a hand with a Kor Spiritdancer as my only creature. I waited until turn three to play it, when I gave it a Hyena Umbra. With my opponent unable to get rid of the Spiritdancer, I put an Ethereial Armor and an Unflinching Courage on it. My opponent conceded. Game 2, I kept a similar hand, but I went second and my opponent got three Monaster Swiftspears. Unspurisingly, I lost that game. In game three, I drew an Unflinching Courage, Worship, and Blind Obedience they were enough to secure a win.

Match 2: Draw
It is customery at my shop that the top four players decide to skip their next games and split all of the prize packs. I agreed to do this, so all four of us essentially tied for first place.

----------Conclusions------------
I was not impressed with Geist of Saint Traft. I plan to swap him out for some Shiliana Ledgewalkers. Angelic Destiny, however, performed well, and I plan on keeping at least two in the deck as it evolves.

Thank you for reading!

Programmer_112 says... #1

Daybreak Coronet is just a lot better than Angelic Destiny in this deck. I don't see why you're running 3 Destiny and 1 Coronet. Also, T1 Noble Hierarch into T2 Geist of Saint Traft is really, really awesome, so you should probably run Noble Hierarch

March 22, 2015 6:13 p.m.

Player3.14 says... #2

I like both of those suggestions; however, I can't practically afford them. I did stretch the budget for a single Daybreak Coronet, but getting a full playset would be much to much money. I've also found Angelic Destiny useful with its evasion and natural resistance to Abrupt Decay. Still, the Coronet would probably be the better choice. Noble Heirach is also amazing but is even more expensive at $55. I do have Birds of Paradise, but it isn't as good without the exalted bonus granted by the Heirach. I'm hoping both the Heirach and Daybreak Coronet get a reprint in Modern Masters 2, which would hopefully drop the price enough for me to afford them.

Thanks for the suggestions!

March 22, 2015 7:46 p.m.

Programmer_112 says... #3

Budget does basically make my suggestions useless. Birds of Paradise is still probably good here, especially considering that you should really be running more mana sources to be able to cast Angelic Destiny, and T2 Geist is still ridiculous.

March 22, 2015 7:50 p.m.

Player3.14 says... #4

I do have birds. I've been messing around with having 0-2 and seeing which number is best. So far, I've stuck with the number in the middle - 1. I can usually cast Angelic Destiny, weather it be by Kor Spiritdancer drawing into some lands, the birds itself, or by simply drawing into four lands. I totally agree though, that a turn 2 Geist is very, very awesome.

March 23, 2015 8:13 p.m.

Magic45 says... #5

How is this doing at FNM lately?

April 18, 2015 2:24 a.m.

Player3.14 says... #6

I've brought this to four FNMs and the results are as follows:

1st FNM 3/1

2nd FNM 1/2/1

3rd FNM 3/1

4th FNM 2/2

That means the total FNM record for this deck is 9/6/1. Games played against other "pro decks" outside of FNM gives New Bogles a total record of 20/13/1.

April 18, 2015 7:53 a.m.

Magic45 says... #7

anything you would change vs the "pro decks"? have you faced splinter twin? or blue tron? affinity?

April 19, 2015 4:23 p.m.

Player3.14 says... #8

Here's my record of all of my tournament games:

Jund Midrange 2/0

Fish 0/2

Infect 2/3

W/B Tokens 1/3/1

Affinity 0/2

Jund Dredge 2/0

Exarch Twin 1/2

Amulet Combo 2/1

W/B Midrange 2/0

Other 8/0

Total tournament results: 20/13/1

These results are from tournaments. I also have playtesting data, shown below: (Note that Tron refers to green tron; there aren't any blue tron lists I've playtested against. Also note that I have data from when Birthing Pod was leagal, which is, of course, no longer relavent.)

Zoo 5/2

Mirela Pod 1/1

Kiki Pod 3/0

Scapeshift. 1/2

Tron 4/2

Gifts Ungiven 1/1

Exarch Twin 0/3

Burn 6/3

Jeskai Control 3/2

Living End 1/2

Faraies 2/1

Ad Nauseum. 2/1

Aura aggro 6/2

Hatebears. 4/0

R/U Delver. 5/3

Affinity 0/3

Infect Aggro 2/4

Jund Midrange 4/3

W/B Tokens 1/4

Fish 1/2

Total 50/37

I like playtesting because it can generate a large amount of data compared to tournament results and alows for exposure to a wider range of decks.

I've been limited by budget with this deck. To optimize the main deck, take out 1 Birds of Paradise, 1 Angelic Destiny and 1 Unflinching Courage for three more Daybreak Coronet. This would allow the addition of some Rancors instead of 1-2 Unflinching Courage as well. My current sideboard is quite weak compared to what it could be. An optimal sideboard, which would cover many more of New Bogle's weakneses, is as follows:

4 Leyline of Sanctity

3 Spellskite

3 Stony Silence

1 AEtherize

1 Detention Sphere

1 Torpor Orb

1 Gaddock Teeg

1 Seal of Primordium

April 19, 2015 6:26 p.m.

Magic45 says... #9

awesome stuff man. I love the details and optimized cards that you suggested for main board / side board. I have most of the optimized main so I'll give it a try at channelfireball on modern FNM. keep the updates going!

April 20, 2015 12:05 a.m.

Magic45 says... #10

what would you change about the land if you could go up in price?

April 20, 2015 12:12 a.m.

Player3.14 says... #11

Thanks Magic45!

An optimal mana base would contain more fetchlands to work around Blood Moon and have a Dryad Arbor to get around the dreaded Liliana of the Veil sacrifice effect.

4 Razorverge Thicket

2 Seachrome Coast

4 Windswept Heath

1 Misty Rainforest

1 Forest

1 Dryad Arbor

1 Plains

1 Temple Garden

2 Hallowed Fountain

1 Breeding Pool

1 Wooded Bastion

1 Horizon Canopy

This deck can be very mana intensive between Geist of Saint Traft and Angelic Destiny, so I don't think including a full set of Horizon Canopy would be good, as most bogle decks do. You may want to check out the mana base before hand and make sure it doesn't have any flaws.

Good luck at FNM! Give me some feedback on how it does! Thanks again!

April 20, 2015 8:01 a.m.

Player3.14 says... #12

Actually, now that I think about it more, it would be better to take out a Gift of Orzhova instead of an Unflinching Courage for the last Daybreak Coronet. If you wanted to add another Rancor, it'd be better to take out the other Gift for it as well. (Further Rancors would have to come in for Unflinching Courage.)

April 20, 2015 5:35 p.m.

Saljen says... #13

Angelic Destiny is easily your weakest enchantment, followed by Gift of Orzhova. I'd consider dropping Angelic Destiny altogether for 3x additional Daybreak Coronet. Rancor should absolutely be a 4x of. Its a powerhouse and gives much needed card advantage after creature removal. Other than that, I'd say this list looks pretty solid and fun!

April 29, 2015 7:19 p.m.

Player3.14 says... #14

Thanks for commenting!

More Daybreak Coronets. That's what everybody says - and they're right. I just can't justify dropping almost 28 dollars on a piece of cardbord. Suprisingly, Angelic Destiny has been performing well in this build. I have simultameously more land and fewer fetchlands than most builds, and I even have a Birds of Paradise. Destiny has won me numberous tournament games all by itelf. After playing with it for a few tournaments, I do agree that Gift of Orzhava is rather weak; I mainly included it a first for the lifelink/evasion factor, but the +1/+1 bonus isn't enough. I'll swap them out. (Card disavantage isn't an issue, because my creatures don't die to creature removal - they can't be targeted!). I have another Rancor lying around somewhere; I'll have to get a third at some point.

Thanks again!

April 29, 2015 7:54 p.m.

nliv97 says... #15

Have you considered Swiftfoot Boots to hexproof your Kor Spiritdancers? Maybe a Gate Hound or two?

May 11, 2015 6:53 p.m.

Player3.14 says... #16

I like the ideas behind both of those suggestions, but I don't think they'd work too well.

Gate Hound is too slow and too targetable, I think. Much of this deck's strength comes from its ability to dodge removal spells (except the Kor Spiritdancers; more on those shortly), and the Hound can be killed by everything from a Lightning Bolt to a Dismember. Gate Hound is also a cmc 3 card, which can take a while to get out. While Geist of Saint Traft is also cmc 3, he does have hexproof, and his angel token can help him finish off opponents quickly. Still, even Traft is too slow sometimes, and I'm planning on swapping one of him out for a more cost-effective Invisible Stalker.

Swiftfoot Boots is an interesting suggestion. Kor Spiritdancer is immensely powerful, and getting one working against a deck without removal generally wins you the game, which is why they're included. Even if I'm enchanting a hexproof creature, the Spiritdancer acts as a draw engine. There are two reasons I'm not going to run Swiftfoot Boots:
1) Swiftfoot boots is a dead card if I don't draw a Kor Spiritdancer. Everything else (except the Birds of Paradise, which are going to come out of the deck soon) is already hexproof.
2) Swiftfoot Boots is not an enchantment. In a deck were enchantments matter, I'd rather run Canopy Cover or Alpha Authority to give my Spiritdancers hexproof.

Thanks for commenting! I appreciate it!

May 12, 2015 12:48 p.m.