Bant in Modern
Deck Help forum
Posted on April 20, 2015, 5:24 p.m. by 2gherkins
Bant (from ForestBearStudios) Playtest
Modern*
SCORE: 0 | 0 COMMENTS | 5 VIEWSHi. I watched the gameplay of this against Death and taxes at the forest bear studios youtube channel, and loved the deck. The Professor at tolarian community college talked about this deck as well, so I looked into it.
I also want to fit in a few Congregation at Dawns, but I don't know what to take out. If anyone knows any creatures that can tutor on a stick, please tell me. I'd much rather have that.
Maybe we could look into 3cmc or less creatures that give me token(s) when they enter the battlefield. That could be a neat trick. Also, what should I take out to add in some Gitaxian Probes?
Feel free to ask me what certain cards are really in the deck for - the deck is, after all, super new.
Thanks
Femme_Fatale says... #3
Congregation at Dawn has a weird thing going on in that all it does is fix your next few turns. It is very weak to shuffling, as you would have anywhere from 6-9 fetches in your average deck. The problem with it is that it doesn't provide any real advantage, and your opponents get a very clear advantage in being able to prep for your next few turns. It would be better off in a more hatebears ish build, where you are getting the key cards that push against the deck you are facing. Specifically, EOT Congregation getting 3 Mirran Crusaders against a Abzan deck. Your deck quite frankly, doesn't have this, and should be left out.
Further going into detail, Quirion Dryad and Phantasmal Image are really weak in todays meta of bolts, paths and Abrupt Decays. They just won't survive.
Sun Titan, while definitely a really strong beater, takes quite a bit of effort to play when the only ramp you've got is 4 Noble Hierarchs, and against abzan, they can just token block you and then over-run you with their 10 forms of goyfs plus more besides. Sure they have recursion, but you don't have enough removal to deal with Abzan. You like, definitely need 4 Path to Exiles and more creatures to be able to surpass them.
The minimum amount of targets one should be using to make Collected Company worth it is 22. You have 18. 2 of which require an additional investment to cast something from your grave and the other 2 requires a board presence already. In other words, 14-16 cards. That's definitely not enough.
Your lifegain batch is decent. It will help you a bit against RDW, but your affinity and twin match ups are horrible, which is where the extra path and additional sideboarding comes in.
List of Modern Sideboard Staples Playtest
Modern*
SCORE: 19 | 9 COMMENTS | 7161 VIEWSBant is actually pretty expensive. Tarmogoyf, Snapcaster Mage, Vendilion Clique, Noble Hierarch and Voice of Resurgence all raise that price up a fair amount, which is something to consider when you go competitive.
I've done about 3 Bant builds so far, one of them is complete and the other two are undergoing testing before I start spreading them out through the public. But I'll post them here so you can get a general idea of the things I've found with Bant.
Don't Blink. Blink and You Are Dead. Playtest
Modern
SCORE: 53 | 8 COMMENTS | 5758 VIEWSBant Control test Playtest
Modern*
SCORE: 0 | 8 COMMENTS | 99 VIEWS
Collected bear test Playtest
Modern*
SCORE: 0 | 0 COMMENTS | 1 VIEWSApril 20, 2015 6:15 p.m.
Thanks for everything! Wow. Thats a lot. Congregation at Dawn is not really a tutor spell as much as it is a combo with Collected Company. Quirion Dryad will probably be removed eventually, but for now it is good whenever I have a multicolored card in my hand, as that will usually get it our=t of bolt range real fast.
I agree that Congregation at Dawn dies to fetches. However, it is a good combo piece and does nicely with Dryad Arbor. However, I disagree with Phantasmal Image - that is the best utility card in the deck.
I really want help on how to bring the card-count down.
April 20, 2015 6:31 p.m.
Femme_Fatale says... #5
Quirion Dryad does not apply multiple counters when you cast a multicoloured card.
The thing with Congregation at Dawn, is that you actually want to cast it after a Collected Company. Because this way you can get the remainder of what you need after they respond to the stuff you've dropped down on the board. While sure, being able to drop the congregated stuff at instant speed for 4 mana can definitely be useful, your deck isn't really designed for that, as that would most likely be useful to be in response to them casting a spell or declaring attackers.
April 20, 2015 6:52 p.m.
Femme_Fatale says... #6
So you need to take out 5 cards? Detention Sphere. That thing's only good against tokens. Supreme Verdict. Bant relies on too many creatures for wraths to be worth the while.
In terms of your mana base, Razorverge Thicket and Seachrome Coast need to go, in replace for basics. Otherwise, you die to Blood Moon. Finally, I wouldn't go anymore than 2 Congregation at Dawns.
April 20, 2015 6:57 p.m.
Man, Femme_Fatale, that is some excellent advice. I was thinking something along those lines but I'm just not knowledgeable enough about bant to give solid feedback in detail. What do you think about Restoration Angel replacing the Sun Titan here? It's got evasion, rests the Kitchen Finks, and acts as protection. It also has some cool synergies with potential cards like Vendilion Clique. Also, what do you think about running those two copies of Ojutai's Command? Personally, I'm not a huge fan.
April 20, 2015 7:07 p.m.
Femme_Fatale says... #8
Ojutai's Command isn't that bad as long as you've got 8+ 2 cmc targets, Voice of Resurgence and Tarmogoyf being among them. I wouldn't go anymore above 3 though. Remember that it still can do damage to RDW and replace itself. Ojutai's Command should always be played with Voice of Resurgence in my opinion. Because, if they kill voice, you get a token. Then you bring back voice, and they have to kill it again.
I definitely prefer Restoration Angel in a more control oriented build. Though I don't like it with Collected Company as it takes up slots that can be used to support the company. If you are running Collected Company, Kira, the Great Glass-Spinner would do you better, though I'm still debating on whether 2 or 3 is best, since you want to make sure you can get one out with Collected Company when doing it in response to a removal spell.
April 20, 2015 7:21 p.m.
Any reason for no mention of geist? or just because poor against abzan?
April 20, 2015 7:36 p.m.
Femme_Fatale says... #10
Poor against abzan. Bant lacks hefty removal as it has no bolt and no Abrupt Decay. Mangara of Corondor is the only other decent removal spell bant has if you are using Collected Company, as Reality Shift doesn't allow your geist to go through. And that isn't saying much being a 3 cmc slower-than-sorcery-speed removal spell. This also makes it poor against RDW, as any RDW creature can just block and kill the thing. Not too mention affinity, hatebears, zoo ... you get the idea.
April 20, 2015 7:58 p.m.
Femme_Fatale says... #11
The best thing bant has for it actually, is utility fliers that can be pumped by two or three exalted spells. Kinda like hatebears. Well, Bant in general has a lot of fliers in Restoration Angel, Vendilion Clique and other things.
Unfortunately, Bant dies to Lingering Souls. In fact, I've been testing my collected bear version against your abzan deck ChiefBell, and you win when you get Lingering Souls.
April 20, 2015 8:01 p.m.
This is why I play lots of lingering souls. It just gives me enough stall time to hopefully draw into the shit I need to win.
April 20, 2015 8:10 p.m.
Femme_Fatale says... #14
It's not about stall time ChiefBell. My Collected Company deck is also inherently slow. It's the fact that I can't really deal with 8 1/1 flyers pelting me in the face turn after turn.
April 20, 2015 8:17 p.m.
Oh. I tend to play it as a control deck. I never really feel truly comfortable until I have the opponent completely locked out with a loop of tasigur's activated ability, a removal spell, and scavenging to ensure I get back exactly the card I want. I love semi-control.
April 20, 2015 8:21 p.m.
Femme_Fatale says... #16
Which doesn't work against my deck ChiefBell. 4 Eternal Witness procs immediately after Collected Company, 3 Kira, Great Glass-Spinners, and mainboarding Mirran Crusader :p
April 20, 2015 9:22 p.m.
Thanks for all the advice! I play tested the heck out of this deck (I proxied it up) and found that detention sphere sure is a waste of two spots. Better on sideboard. Mangara of Corondor is neat - i'll add her in as a 1-of to see how she does. I also took out One supreme verdict and will probably take out the other as well. No rest angels- they don't work with Collected Company. You should check out the decklist- it's really evolved.
Geist just really stinks against the abzan matchup. I have thought about maybe a plates sideboard for some other matches though.
April 21, 2015 6:48 a.m.
All experts in chopping a deck down to 60 cards, I need your help. This bant deck is really just growing and I need to know what to take out.
April 21, 2015 11:51 a.m.
Femme_Fatale says... #19
Get rid of the other wrath and both Commune with Natures to put in the 4th Collected Company.
HolyFalcon says... #2
I think Femme_Fatale made a Bant modern deck. You could probably ask them for help.
April 20, 2015 5:39 p.m.