So, I recently went back to playing Magic after nearly 10 years and started playing local Modern tournaments with Cradle of Warhammers, a Mono-White, Lifegain deck I built. This is its improved version, embracing the Soul-Sisters-White-Weenie-thing with an infinite life combo and a splash of Blue to make things fun.
The Combo
An infinite life combo. Oh well, it doesn't always flat-out end games like Splinter Twin. But it does do it most of the times. And if my opponent didn't embrace defeat after seeing Phyrexian Metamorph hit the battlefield as a copy of Leonin Relic-Warder and come in and out a gazillion times while I gain life off
Soul Warden
or Soul's Attendant, well... it's pretty much a matter of time before I win (unless against some very specific decks like the previously cited Twin).
Beaters and Tokens
Now, a three-creature combo is not such an easy task against remotion/counter-heavy decks, especially once my opponent realizes what's in stash for him. Fortunately, this deck doesn't only operate relying on these cards. It also counts on
Serra Ascendant
and
Ajani's Pridemate
to beat the opponent out of his misery.
A late addition, that both improves my beatdown capability and makes me gain even more incremental life (see: Skullcrack) with the Sisters, is a small army of tokens.
Spectral Procession
provides me with some very useful fliers, and Secure the Wastes can populate the board at instant-speed.
Ajani, Caller of the Pride
was also here, but it wasn't really working well. I intend on replacing it with Elspeth, Knight-Errant in the near future, but only for Sideboard purposes against slower decks.
Just a Splash
So, why Blue? Well, my original idea was to make things faster for the combo with cards like
Telling Time
and Temple of Enlightenment. But as I got to play more with this deck, I began to realize that the combo had to be an asset, not the centerpiece of the strategy. As noted before, it can be really hard to pull off against some decks, and I had too many games where it just wouldn't come up and I would stand around harmlessly waiting to get killed. Not cool.
So now Blue is basically in the Main Deck for
Ojutai's Command
, a great card that can reanimate a key creature AND give me the life I need to pump a
Serra Ascendant
at instant-speed. Oh, it also has the versatility to counter a nasty creature if the time is right or accelerate things in the midst of a mana flood.
The Sideboard
The current version of the Sideboard is all composed of cards I have right now, but I intend on making a couple of changes. Leonin Arbiter, for instance, is merely a stopgap to Aven Mindcensor, as is
Kor Firewalker
to Auriok Champion. Swapping Aura of Silence for Stony Silence,
Kataki, War's Wage
for Fracturing Gust and opening up a little room for Elspeth, Knight-Errant are the other changes currently under consideration.
How am I doin'?
A version of this deck very close to the current one (only with Ajani in Command's place and other small alterations in the Sideboard) went 3-1 for 3rd place and then 2-2 in its first two FNMs.
Before those tournaments, a prototype version which included counterspells, cantrips and a strategy built much more around the combo went 2-3 on one FNM, then second place in a casual tournament with friends and finally 1-3 at another FNM.
There are still some possible changes to come to the Main Deck too, namely switching
Hallowed Fountain
for
Prairie Stream
, BFZ's new UW dual.
It remains to be seen how the deck will fare out in the long run. Only two ways to find out: playing the hell out of it; and with a little help from my friends around here. Feedback is very appreciated.
