Sideboard


Continued Passion for Dinosaurs!

My construction here is Temur-focused but mostly uses Simic () central mana. This deck is a variant that capitalizes on Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant, meant to use Xenagos, God of Revels to abruptly enter, infuriate the dino.. and swing for the game.

(This deck is a passion project, constructed using a very popular deck-shell known as "Neobrand Combo". If you're interested in how I've used this kind of deck before, feel free to check this out.)

My construction here is Temur-focused but mostly uses Simic () central mana. This deck is a variant that capitalizes on Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant, meant to use Xenagos, God of Revels to abruptly enter, infuriate the dino.. and swing for the game.

I've detailed some notes about the Neobrand combo below, which were borrowed from the intial deck description this deck was a variant of.

Neoform Combo

The intention is to follow events like so:

Variants

Dependent on how one chooses to play, I've seen a variety of card choices, some now outdated.

  • For example, Simian Spirit Guide at one point was a cast member. I believe this is because you would use the mana alongside the Chancellor in order to generate , and then cast Manamorphose into the Neoform chain.

  • Most of the build variance comes from personal choices for your deck count, I.e.; counterspells, creature preference, etc.

  • A lot of the One-Of inclusions I see for a list like this have things that counteract against other concepts; things like Endurance to prevent being milled out at instant speed, and Laboratory Maniac for the "oops" where you accidentally draw over your library.

  • I could imagine a spot for Birgi, God of Storytelling if you were so inclined to stick with the Manamorphose angle, but that seems very Tier 2, even for this kind of a deck.

  • I think this concept is best described as a Combo deck at best, and unfortunately a Glass Cannon at worst.

  • The concept of Neobrand combo has long-standing been used within the modern meta, but has recently been made popular again by impactful printings from Lost Caverns of Ixalan, Final Fantasy: Through the Ages, and likely more to come. The cast of big beefy bois to swing out with has never been better!

  • I needed a refresher on the mechanics involved with Modern, so I did some research online for articles regarding the shell, specifically looking for ones that used Ghalta- this was the one I most liked and did most of my work around this theology. A point of reference for my deck-building.

  • The big differences in construction between other variants is that I included Ancient Adamantoise in the deck, as an absolute bomb.

  • Other variants tend to include some white colored cards for meta-driven choices, but I'm leaning into the blue-powered spells I mainboard.

  • This deck is the first time I noticed the playability of Disciple of Freyalise as both a means to produce mana in a pinch but also make utility with a spell similar to Greater Good, Momentous Fall, etc. without too much other ulterior investment.

  • I'm the most excited about this particular variant out of the other ones I've tried! Any deck where I can try to make Ghalta the star is a great deck.

Another note that seemed important was a mechanical thing I noted while reading the article I tagged- I'll post it here:

"...If you're sacrificing into Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant and you have another Ghalta plus a Disciple of Freyalise in hand, be sure to stack the triggers carefully. Let Ghalta's ability resolve after you sacrifice it with Disciple. This way, you'll gain life and draw X cards before placing creatures onto the battlefield—giving you a better shot at maximizing Ghalta’s effect..."

...something I just needed to know and remember to make the most out of the deck. Makes it strictly better than Autochthon Wurm.

  • This particular variant came across my feed because of a youtube short, but I realized how much I loved the idea and had always had some sort of knowledge that this could happen.. I just hadn't connected the dots! So this variant is made with love and I'm currently testing it (June 2025). I love the hard-headed approach this deck provides, and also how sudden and out of pocket the win can be.

  • I am sure the win is telegraphed like "aye-chuh" but who cares. I love this concept, and I'm giving it my own shot!

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-Thanks all for checking in, and I look forward to seeing you here if a new cost creature that's crazy fits here. Cheers!

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