Don't Blink. Blink and You Are Dead. (Modern MTG Deck)

Don't Blink. Blink and You Are Dead.

Modern* Combo Competitive Control GWU (Bant) Theme/Gimmick

Femme_Fatale

Land (23)

Instant (17)

Planeswalker (2)

2x Jace, the Mind Sculptor

Creature (14)

Sorcery (4)

4x Ancestral Vision

Sideboard

Creature (9)

Artifact (3)

Instant (1)

1x Fracturing Gust

Enchantment (2)

2x Stony Silence

Maybeboard

Creature (1)

1x Master of Waves

Don't Turn Your Back. Don't Look Away. And Don't Blink.

This deck is a Bant Blink Combo Control deck. This deck wins by over-valuing my opponent with the Eternal Witness + Ghostly Flicker combo, and then pelting them in the face with low power, synergistic creatures till they die.

>Let's Look at the Card Choices<

>Begone Long Description<

The combo of Eternal Witness + Ghostly Flicker is a simple, but effective two card combo that just prolongs games till I win. It prevents the opponent from doing anything and just gets better with the more land I have. While it isn't truly a 2 card combo, it effectively works like one because it synergizes with any other creature in my deck; and 2 card combos and/or synergistic combos are what make up the modern combo archetype.

The combo works by using Ghostly Flicker to target Eternal Witness, triggering the Witness' etb ability, and targeting the Ghostly Flicker that was just placed into the graveyard when it resolved. Yes, you can do this with any blink spell, but we aren't making a 3 card combo that relies on another card to provide global etb advantages, so we are making the deck more resilient and consistent instead of explosiveness and in turn making this deck more competitive. Instead, we use Ghostly Flicker, because it is the only blink spell that can target multiple creatures and still provide instant speed responses. Ghostway, does not allow you to blink a Mystic Snake in response to a spell to counter that spell.

In addition to constantly provide me value, the Eternal Witness plus a blink spell allows me to forever block one creature and prevent it from doing any damage. Unless it has trample, then I'm screwed. So I can effectively stall someone out by Cloudshifting or Momentary Blinking my Eternal Witness after the declare blockers step before the combat damage is applied to stop their Gurmag Angler from turning me into fish food.

Most of the rest of this deck is pretty self explanatory. Restoration Angel is an obvious powerhouse when it comes to blinking and is a excellent win condition in and of herself, and Mystic Snake is the abuseable Cryptic Command on a bear. Should have been called "Cryptic Bear". Would have been instantly more playable. The removal and counterspells of Path to Exile, Remand, Spell Snare and Mana Leak are all well known and included whenever possible. There are 3 cards that aren't really well known (in control) that I'll describe, but it is really the lack of certain cards that people will be most concerned about.

Bant Charm is the only noncreature in this deck that needs explaining. Its removal ability is practically the same as Path to Exile, and being able to destroy Aether Vial, Torpor Orb and affinity pieces is always nice. Finally, its an excellent counterspell against control decks as I gain extra insurance against whatever they are trying to do against me.

Mulldrifter is here as a 2 of because during the late game when I have expended all of my resources, I need a way to come back really quickly, and Mulldrifter is a way to do that. Evoking it and casting a blink effect on it means for 4-7 mana (depending on the blink spell used) I draw 4 cards and get a 2/2 flyer that can't be Abrupt Decayed. That sort of cost is a reason why it is only as a 2 of, but the other is because I can derive a tonne of value from one other interaction, the Eternal Witness + Ghostly Flicker combo, plus another Eternal Witness or a Restoration Angel. In this, I'm returning 2 cards from my graveyard to hand every single time I cast Ghostly Flicker, with one of them being Ghostly Flicker itself. This is a nice EOT effect to use, as it means I'm always having a full hand of removal, counterspells and blink effects to fend the opponent off.

Venser, Shaper Savant as a one of can seriously hurt the progression of any deck, especially tron. Being able to consistently return a land to their hand each turn can deal some serious shenanigans. It is also excellent in stopping anything that is on the field to prepare a counter for it. Ensnaring Bridge is an excellent example.

Wurmcoil Engine is the final card of the 4 I'll be discussing the inclusion of today, though there isn't much else to say besides the fact that it wins games all on its own. Unless I'm facing a control deck, I don't need to protect it, as the amount of removal that actually hits Wurmcoil Engine is far and few between, and most of the time the opponent is spending 3-4 removal spells trying to kill it. Most players don't have that many removal spells, so by the time I get to play it, Wurmcoil Engine has free reign over the board and can wipe my opponent out in mere seconds.

>Detailed Analysis of Certain Cards I Won't Use<

>Convinced?<

The list of cards people are probably commonly surprised about are as follows:

Akroma, Angel of Fury

There's one thing I do want to note before I go any further, there are 3 cards in this deck that can be removed relatively harmlessly for any of the above: They are Bant Charm and Venser, Shaper Savant. These two sets of cards are honestly the weakest links , and you shouldn't feel any weakness to the deck by replacing them.

Akroma, Angel of Fury: She's quite fragile. Terminate is in quite the abundance right now so she isn't really worth it. Of course, you still have her weakness in that people can respond to targeting her with a blink spell by destroying her with any possible removal spell in modern.

Cryptic Command: I've already mentioned before that Mystic Snake takes up my slots for Cryptic Command. Venser, Shaper Savant does to and I just don't have the room for them.

Serum Visions: Blink effects take up my slots that would normally be spent on other value spells and creatures. So, the blink effects are essentially my draw effects. Like Crpytic Command, there's just no room for them because other spells that are necessary for this deck to function in its archetype are needed.

Snapcaster Mage: I mentioned why not this card in the deck description: Snapcaster Mage directly counters what the combo of Eternal Witness + Ghostly Flicker wants to do: And that is reuse the same spell numerous times in a row.

Tarmogoyf/Voice of Resurgence: Reasoning is simple: They don't have etb abilities. Thus they don't synergize effectively with the deck. I can just as easily as control their board and beat them to a pulp with 2 power creatures than need anything stronger. Another thing is that this deck has only 3 types in the mainboard (sideboard is another matter, but we'll ignore that because it's, you know, the sideboard). Land, instant and creature. So Tarmogoyf is significantly weaker than normal.

Thragtusk ... I never hear the end of this one. No I will not run Thragtusk. Why? Because he's a 5 mana for a 3 toughness creature. If I want a win con, I want something that has resiliency. Wurmcoil Engine is my go-to win con if I don't know what to run. 6 mana, 6 toughness, generates value when attacking and dying. More than Thragtusk ever will. I shouldn't have to spend mana to protect my win cons, regardless of how much synergy they have with the deck. Let's put it like this. Thragtusk dies to one removal spell and generates a useless 3/3 vanilla token that honestly does nothing in a format full of Bolts, x/5's and creature heavy board states. Wurmcoil Engine requires 2-4 pieces of removal (I'm including the tokens) and its two tokens are definitely viable, generating me more life and can trade with something much larger. The best thing about Wurmcoil Engine is that it doesn't require anything else to generate the value it needs. Late game, I don't have any blink effects left over, they all get spent in the early game on Eternal Witness and Mystic Snake, thusly I don't have anything to abuse Thragtusk's etb ability. In this, I'm always guaranteed the value I want out of Wurmcoil Engine, and more with Eternal Witness.

Vendilion Clique, another card you would think I should run, but here's the thing: Vendilion Clique doesn't actually help the more times you use its ability. For each time you use its ability, you can make a judgement error call that you shouldn't waste that ability. This more often than not will end up you tucking something in their hand that just gets replaced by something better. As a one of effect in something like Twin or Control that doesn't win through ETB abilities, its astounding. For a control deck that wins through abusing its ETB abilities, it is less than stellar.

>oooo, Sideboard Description<

>Hide Dat Sideboard!<

The sideboard probably got the largest revamp since the change in meta, while most of the rest of this deck just went back to its early days.

Engineered Explosives: I know what you're saying: Why not mainboard a wrath over Bant Charm? Well, the thing is is that I play my blink creatures as soon as turn 3 with Eternal Witness, and will almost always play one turn 4 with Mystic Snake. I want those creatures to stay on the field with blink effects, so wrathing them away isn't the ideal game plan, as that destroys the purpose of me running those cards in the first place. But, not too worry, as the decks that I need a wrath against also fall to Engineered Explosives. Merfolk, Elves, RDW, Affinity, Boggles, Tokens ... all die to it. The best part is is that I don't lose anything with an Engineered Explosives of 0, 1 or 2, and hardly lose anything at it as a 3. So it is a perfect card to use.

Fracturing Gust: I needed something to guarantee a win against both Boggles and Affinity if I end up going into the late game. Fracturing Gust does just that.

Ghost Quarter is here specifically for the Tron match-up, though it does wonders against the manlands of Jund and Junk if I need them, and can be useful against Scapeshift.

Kitchen Finks: Now this is an abuseable powerhouse. Excellent against aggo and RDW, I can blink this thing all day long as I don't have to worry if it gets bolted or anything. It comes back regardless! An excellent trader for aggro creatures and with blink effects, an excellent lifegain engine, this card is a must have sideboarder.

Sigarda, Host of Herons. Now this is probably the largest namesake Bant control win con. Can't be removed and stops Liliana of the Veil. Excellent card, definitely a win con to destroy BG/x decks out of the water.

Spellskite, Infect, Twin, Boggles and Scapeshift! What more could be needed?

Stony Silence: This is my main sideboard card against affinity, though it definitely works against Tron too.

Thrun, the Last Troll, what better control win con than the sideboard tech to destroy all control decks? Thrun is definitely a winner here.

RDW: Mulldrifter and Remand all go for Kitchen Finks. If needed, you can run Engineered Explosives and Spellskite, however you will have to choose what to replace for those beyond Venser, Shaper Savant.

Twin: Venser, Shaper Savant and a Spell Snare can definitely be removed for Spellskite.

Grixis Control: There is a bit flexibility for this one, you can do none or all of the following: Remove Bant Charm for Thrun, the Last Troll and Sigarda, Host of Herons.

Delver: There are a lot of cards to use against delver, only Mulldrifter and Venser, Shaper Savant are guaranteed to be the best cards to go. The potential additions include Engineered Explosives, Kitchen Finks, Thrun, the Last Troll and Sigarda, Host of Herons. However it is up to you for what to remove beyond a simple Mulldrifter.

Tron: 1 Bant Charm and a Momentary Blink should go for Stony Silence. Two lands need to go to up the count of Ghost Quarter to 4.

Jund: It is really hard to say on what to remove for Jund, as there is nothing that is inherently weak to it. Bant Charm and Venser, Shaper Savant are the closest however, and things like Kitchen Finks, Thrun, the Last Troll and Sigarda, Host of Herons are all good additions.

Zoo: Kitchen Finks and Engineered Explosives come in, Mulldrifter, Remand, Venser, Shaper Savant and a Spell Snare come out.

Collected Melira: Spell Snare for Engineered Explosives.

Merfolk: Kitchen Finks and Engineered Explosives replaces Mulldrifter and Mystic Snake most likely. Late game Mystic Snake would be pointless against Cavern of Souls.

Elves: Spell Snare for Engineered Explosives. If needed, Mystic Snake can go for Kitchen Finks.

Bloom Titan/Living End: Nothing is needed here. Move along. However if your playing against Living End, Spell Snare must go. Doesn't really matter what besides that it has to go.

Scapeshift: I've saved the longest for last, however, I will say that Path to Exile must go, so you get 4 free slot choices. This one is honestly hard to say, and it really depends on how the player feels about the match-up. I'll display some benefits of each potential card and leave it up to the player. Spellskite and Kitchen Finks need to go hand in hand here. Spellskite can reduce the damage Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle deals to me by about 4-8 or so, however, natural progression of two control decks against each other means that Spellskite won't be enough. I'll need Kitchen Finks to help offset general control game life loss. Thrun, the Last Troll and Sigarda, Host of Herons are both really good win cons that can just destroy Scapeshift since they'll have a hard time dealing with it.

>Cards I Will Not Use<

>Special Thanks To ...<

Suggestions

Updates Add

You Are Not Worthy of my Worship — Oct. 2, 2015

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Mainboard Changes

Removed:

Venser, Shaper Savant

Added:

Sideboard Changes

Removed:

Worship

Added:

Ghost Quarter

This is Hard and True "Draw Go" if I Ever Saw It — Sept. 29, 2015

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Mystic Refuge — March 6, 2015

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Ghostly Drifter — March 1, 2015

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The Weeping Angels Worship the Blinking Angels — Feb. 24, 2015

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Akroma Becomes a Weeping Angel of Fury — Feb. 23, 2015

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Eternal Blinking — Feb. 22, 2015

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Revision 21 See all

(7 years ago)

+2	Aven Mindcensor	side
-2	Bant Charm	main
+1	Chalice of the Void	side
+2	Eidolon of Rhetoric	side
+2	Field of Ruin	main
-2	Ghost Quarter	main
-1	Island	main
+2	Jace, the Mind Sculptor	main
-3	Negate	side
+2	Settle the Wreckage	main

Top Ranked	Achieved #1 position overall 10 years ago
Date added	10 years
Last updated	5 years
Key combos	Eternal Witness + Ghostly Flicker
Legality	This deck is Modern legal.
Rarity (main - side)	4 - 3 Mythic Rares 31 - 5 Rares 10 - 7 Uncommons 9 - 0 Commons
Cards	60
Avg. CMC	2.91
Tokens	Wurm 3/3 C w/ Deathtouch, Wurm 3/3 C w/ Lifelink
Folders	modern competitive, Modern, Modern-Combo, Cool Decks, modern, best, 4 Alex, Cards & Ideas for similar decks, Modern, Others
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