Slivers from Dominaria to Shandalr

Modern TauralCW

SCORE: 7 | 13 COMMENTS | 2614 VIEWS | IN 7 FOLDERS

Dice & Decks - Modern week (2-0-1) —March 25, 2016

Another chance to test the deck out and a very similar story to last time. As usual we only get chance for 3 rounds and 8 in the pool, but 8 different decks so plenty of variation.

Round 1 - Green and Lumpy (2-0)

Game 1 - Great starting hand with 2 land, 3 lords, Striking Sliver, and Collected Company. Simply too quick for the opposition who only managed to play an Elvish Mystic before the game ended.

Game 2 - Didn't bother to sideboard as I felt the main build was sufficient to win. Kept a risky opening hand with only 1 land, but did have Aether Vial to fall back on. Didn't see another land until turn 3, which did slow me down (although still had Striking Sliver and Sinew Sliver in play) and allowed the opponent to play. They ramped into Surrak, the Hunt Caller and started to drop my life total as I chipped at his. Finding a third land and a Manaweft Sliver allowed me to drop Collected Company and find 2 Sedge Slivers. They stuck Bear Umbra onto Surrak and strangely attacked. The first striking slivers took him down (or at least got rid of the Umbra), and I swung back on the next turn (after drawing another lord) for the win.

Round 2 - Kiki/Bounding Krasis Combo (2-1)

Game 1 - Great starting hand and opponent dropping down to 5 cards meant this was a very one sided game that ended at turn 4. It was so quick that I didn't really know at this stage what I was playing against making side-boarding choices difficult. Fearing the addition of some removal I dropped the Homing Slivers for the Frenetic Slivers.

Game 2 - Very close game with both of us jostling for position, I found plenty of lords and Manaweft Slivers, but no evasion so he kept me at bay quite well. The longer the game went on the more chance it was that he found the combo pieces and ultimately Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker appeared and the next turn Bounding Krasis was flashed in, with no answer it was game. Annoyingly a Collected Company put both Dismembers to the bottom of the library, which would have come in handy.

Game 3 - At least I knew what to try side-boarding, Torpor Orb comes it. Another very close game with Kitchen Finks and Restoration Angel featuring heavily on his side. Early drops of Galerider Sliver and 2x Aether Vial kept my board healthy and we kept chipping away at each other. Ultimately it would be Two-Headed Sliver and Mutavault that would prove the difference allowing just enough damage to get through for the win.

Round 3 - Eggs (1-2)

I hate Eggs. At least in terms of turns the round didn't last very long with no game going past turn 5.

Game 1 - Decent start, chipping away at the life total getting the opponent down to about 8 health at turn 4. With lethal damage certain next turn he tried his luck at the combo and several cycles of Faith's Reward and Bring to Light (not to mention about 10 minutes) he eventually found a Pyrite Spellbomb and dealt me enough damage to win.

Game 2 - Side-boarded in everything I could think of to deal with artifacts (2 of Harmonic Sliver, Rest in Peace and Kataki, War's Wage) and just went for it. Turn 1 Aether Vial helped immensely and turn 3 I swung in for 10 (Blur Sliver, Sinew Sliver and Predatory Sliver) forcing at attempt at the combo. It fizzled leaving me to swing back for lethal.

Game 3 - I kept a stupid opening hand. 1 land and some of the higher costed slivers plus Collected Company. The reason I kept it was it had Rest in Peace. I didn't find a second land, but to be honest the combo was hit on turn 3 and eventually (another 10 minutes at least) Grapeshot had enough to kill me.

Overall - (2-0-1)

In the end it was another second place as third went to the Kiki/Bounding Krasis Combo deck. I think it's the best I could have expected to get as the Eggs deck had me beat in the third game even if I had taken a mulligan down to 6 (or worse).

I was impressed in a couple of games how the deck managed to function off very few lands, but I don't think there is much I would change. Perhaps cutting Kataki, War's Wage in the sideboard in favour of Stoney Silence. Kataki works well off Collected Company, but Stony Silence would just shut down the Eggs deck (or similar). I think on balance Stony Silence makes the cut.