Backstory (skip if just wanting nuts and bolts):
I was browsing Gatherer while making a Spirit tribal deck and came across someone I'd forgotten:
Chisei, Heart of Oceans
. I immediately thought of Thing in the Ice
. The interaction between Chisei, Heart of Oceans
+
Thing in the Ice
seemed like it had some potential and the rest was developed around that. It's a fun little way to break your kraken free, but needs time and other ways to apply pressure and gain advantage.
Suspend
If the theme is to drain counters, you can't not use the suspend mechanic.
Ancestral Vision
is obviously the best and is blue. Refill hand, provide outlet for Chisei, trigger an ice counter drop. Decent turn 1 play if you don't have a Delver.
Lotus Bloom
is a nice turn 1 free play that can help cast multiple instants/sorceries in a first main phase to flip your Thing. It also allows for a slightly lower land count.
Clockspinning can help unsuspend our spells and get Thing halfway out of the ice, as it removes a counter as an instant. Buyback provides additional value. (Thanks to frusciante7)
Control
It's blue and we want to transform
Awoken Horror
while locking down the opponent to gain the few turns needed to chip-shot enough damage for an unblocked kraken swing to deal lethal damage. Usual countermagic, bounce, draw and deflect seen in Modern decks.
Remand, Cryptic Command, Spell Pierce, Cyclonic Rift. Serum Visions for draw. Spellskite to save things. Dismember for a touch of spot removal.
Support
Snapcaster Mage not only helps cast spells to flip Thing, but getting bounced by it is of no concern as we get to replay him.
Delver of Secrets
provides a way to get in some early pressure. He's also a removal-magnet that can free up
Awoken Horror
in later turns.
Hex Parasite can chip off ice counters to trade up in combat or get in some damage.
Mage-Ring Network allows you to not waste lands left untapped to use for countermagic. Even if you don't have a counterspell in hand, leaving up the mana bluffs that you do, and it's nice to have an outlet for that mana at the end of the opponents turn. In a pinch you can pull one off to satisfy Chisei.
Suggestions greatly appreciated. Let me know if you think this could be competitive and how to fine tune it. +1 if you like where my head is at...
I so wish
Dark Depths
was Modern legal.
Please let me know if you can think of any other permanents that want to have counters removed.
More to come...
