Introduction: Hi, I'm ThePonyShow. I've been playing magic competitively in Standard, EDH, Modern and Legacy since the release of Return to Ravnica. Most recently I was lucky enough to have a new LGS open just 5 minutes away from where I live, and I now take my magic career very seriously, and plan to better myself as player and become more recognized in the magic community by participating and prizing at events of higher levels of play, beyond FNMs.
Deck Explanation:
RUG Tempo Traverse was a deck first brought to me by a highschool friend. We had previously played magic together casually but it was in the past year that we started testing together on online platforms, where financial restrictions did not exist. I previously played Tempo Twin to some reasonable success and although I wasn't left hopeless because of the Ban, I was left deckless.
It didn't take long for me to fall in love with the idea of the RUG Traverse deck. After all, I already owned all of the U/R Pieces and I had been planning on investing in Goyfs eventually because Green is my favourite colour in magic. Being able to tutor Goyfs sounded sweet.
After a couple weeks of testing online I bought the Goyfs and entered into my first Modern GPT at my new LGS. You can read about my exquisite experience further down in this description.
I've rambled long enough, lets talk about deck choices.
Hooting Mandrills The monkey is probably one of the most powerful creatures in the deck, if not the most. I don't really understand how this card continues to seem to be overlooked in Modern play, but I can personally assure you playing a 1 mana 4/4 Trample is nothing to laugh about. Lets compare Mandrills to Goyf, cause I think most people would immediately think the 4/5 is better. In straight up combat a 4/5 beats a 4/4, but Mandrills does quite a few interesting things. Firstly, Mandrills is 6 Mana instead of 2. This is actually very relevant, it allows Mandrills to dodge things like Fatal Push, Spell Snare, and Chalice of the Void. Secondly, although he can't grow, he has Trample. I've been impressed with the amount of people who seem to forget he has Trample during combat. Sometimes Traversing for Mandrills will win you the game over Goyf because of this. Additionally, I've had Mandrills "defeat" enemy Goyfs. By delving correctly I was able to turn my opponents Goyf into a 2/3 allowing me to bolt it. And obviously Mandrills fits a very good criteria of creatures that don't die to bolt and Trigger Ferocious for Stubborn Denial.
18 Lands Maybe in your experience this is too little, but through hours and hours of testing I've never experienced a problem with this mana base. Even vs. decks like Ponza and Skred I've managed to bypass their relentless efforts to mess with lands because of the sheer power of Fetch Lands and Traverse the Ulvenwald. It never feels bad to cast Traverse just to get a basic and in some cases its arguable this deck is much more like a 22 land deck, so it really isn't as bad as some people may think it is. Having such an aggressive manabase, really feels goods. I always find I'm able to find lands when I need them and otherwise I always can rely on drawing gas. I've never had the unfortunate feeling of flooding with this deck, while simultaneously never feel starved.
Record
In the future I'll update this with more detailed descriptions but here is my records at FNMs and GPTs.
Abzan Collected Company: Won 2-0
Affinity: Lost 0-2
Affinity: Lost 1-2
Affinity: Won 2-1
Affinity: Won 2-1
Bant Eldrazi: Lost 0-2
Bant Eldrazi: Lost 0-2
Bant Eldrazi: Lost 1-2
Bant Eldrazi: Lost 1-2
Bant Eldrazi: Drew 1-1
Bant Eldrazi: Won 2-0
Blue Moon: Drew 1-1
Bring to Light Scapeshift: Drew 1-1
Bring to Light Scapeshift: Won 2-1
Bring to Light Scapeshift: Won 2-1
Burn: Lost 1-2
Burn: Lost 1-2
Burn: Won 2-0
Burn: Won 2-0
Burn: Won 2-1
Burn: Won 2-1
Burn: Won 2-1
Burn: Won 2-1
Dredge: Lost 0-2
Dredge: Won 2-0
Dredge: Won 2-1
Eldrazi Tron: Won 2-0
Eldrazi Tron: Won 2-1
Eldrazi Tron: Lost 1-2
Eldrazi Tron: Lost 0-2
Elves: Won 2-1
Esper Control: Won 2-0
Esper Mill: Won 2-1
G/B The Rock: Won 2-0
G/W Hatebears: Won 2-0
G/W Tron: Won 2-0
G/W Tron: Lost 1-2
Grixis Control: Won 2-1
Grixis Control: Won 2-1
Grixis Control: Won 2-1
Grixis Tezzerator: Won 2-1
Grixis Tezzerator: Lost 1-2
Infect: Lost 1-2
Infect: Lost 1-2
Infect: Won 2-0
Infect: Won 2-0
Infect: Won 2-0
Infect: Won 2-0
Infect: Won 2-0
Infect: Won 2-1
Infect: Won 2-1
Infect: Won 2-1
Jeskai Control: Won 2-1
Jeskai Kiki: Won 2-1
Jeskai Nahiri: Won 2-1
Jund: Won 2-1
Jund: Won 2-1
Jund: Won 2-0
Junk Midrange: Lost 1-2
Junk Midrange: Lost 1-2
Junk Midrange: Lost 1-2
Junk Midrange: Won 2-0
Kiki-Evolution Chord: Won 2-0
Kiki-Evolution Chord: Won 2-1
Knightfall Combo: Lost 1-2
Lantern Control: 2-0
Lantern Control: 2-1
Mardu Nahiri: Drew 1-1
Mardu Nahiri: Won 2-1
Metalwork Colossus: Won 2-0
Merfolk: Won 2-0
Merfolk: Won 2-1
Merfolk: Lost 1-2
Mono Blue Tron: Lost 1-2
Mono Blue Tron: Lost 1-2
Mono White Humans: Won 2-1
Mono Blue Tron: Won 2-1
Naya Humans: Won 2-1
R/G Ponza: Won 2-0
R/G Ponza: Won 2-1
R/G Tron: Won 2-1
R/G Tron: Won 2-1
R/G Tron: Won 2-0
R/G Tron: Lost 1-2
R/G Breach: Lost 1-2
Scapeshift: Lost 1-2
Scapeshift: Won 2-0
Scapeshift: Won 2-1
Scapeshift: Won 2-1
Scapeshift: Won 2-1
Skred: Lost 1-2
Skred: Lost 1-2
Skred: Won 2-0
Skred: Won 2-1
Sun and Moon: Won 2-1
Sun and Moon: Won 2-1
Sun and Moon: Won 2-1
Sun and Moon: Lost 1-2
Thing in the Ice Acsension: Won 2-0
Thing in the Ice Acsension: Won 2-1
Tribal Flames Burn/Zoo: Won 2-1
U/W Spirits: Won 2-0
GPT Dallas 2016 Oct 8
Round 1 vs. Lantern Control: Won 2-0
Round 2 vs. R/G Scapeshift: Won 2-1
Round 3 vs. Infect: Won 2-0
Round 4 vs. Burn: Won 2-1
Round 5 vs. Mardu Nahiri: Drew 1-1
Undefeated made Top 8 as First.
First Round of Top 8 vs Jund: Won 2-1. Top 4 Then cut.
GPT San Jose 2017 Jan 8
Round 1 vs. Mardu Nahiri: Won 2-1
Round 2 vs. G/W Hatebears: Won 2-1
Round 3 vs. G/B The Rock: Won 2-0
Round 4. vs Bant Eldrazi: Lost 1-2
Round 5 vs. Jund: Won 2-0
Made Top 8 as eightht seat.
First Round of Top 8 vs Burn: Won 2-1
Second Round of Top 8 vs Bant Eldrazi: Lost 0-2
GPT "I Forgot" 2017 Jan 21
Round 1 vs. I got the Bye
Round 2 vs. Bring to Light Scapeshift: Won 2-1
Round 3 vs. Sun and Moon: Won 2-1
Round 4 vs. Junk Midrange: Lost 1-2
Round 5 vs. Blue Moon: Drew 1-1
Made Top 8 as third seat.
First Round Top 8 vs Infect: Won 2-1
Second Round Top 8 vs Infect: Lost 1-2
Total GPT Record
Out of 15 pre Top 8 Rounds: 11-3-1 73% Winrate
Post Top 8 2-2-1(Split)
Total: 13-5-2(One Split) 65% GPT Winrate
