Can a Modern Mill deck work in modern
Modern forum
Posted on Dec. 19, 2013, 2:31 p.m. by TheBolas
I've always enjoyed mill up until Theros and then got thinking. I am just curious if mill is quick enough for modern and if it can work? If so, what are the must have cards to use in order to successfully mill an opponent down quickly while still having big threats out?
Thanks!
I love playing mill but it's doubtful that it'll ever become worth playing competitively. There's tons of cool stuff out there and you could make a really fun deck for little cash. Modern's got tons of combo decks that just hurt bad and hurt fast. If you're not looking to compete with these monstrosities, by all means, go for it.
Stupid Splinter Twin ...
December 19, 2013 3:04 p.m.
lord_of_the_snakes says... #4
if you want mill combo go Traumatize + Keening Stone
December 19, 2013 3:24 p.m.
HarbingerJK says... #5
I'd argue that the best tools for mill are in modern
December 19, 2013 3:38 p.m.
HarbingerJK I'd counter-argue that Legacy's Painter's Servant + Grindstone pretty much beats everything that modern has.
December 19, 2013 3:57 p.m.
you would want to run Leyline of the Void mainboard, Living End says fu, as you mill them. but you need to replace it as soon as they get rid of it.
December 19, 2013 4:02 p.m.
APPLE01DOJ says... #9
December 19, 2013 6:48 p.m.
megawurmple says... #10
You talk about whether or not mill is quick enough, but the way I see it that's not a factor. Mill shouldn't just slap your opponent with mill spells; after all, it's not burn. In my opinion, mill should be put in a control shell with just a few reusable mill win cons such as Nephalia Drownyard , which is possibly the best mill card in Modern, and stuff like Jace, Memory Adept , Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver and the like. The rest should be stuffed with counter spells, kill spells and other control-y cards. A few Wrath of God -type effects would help as well.
The main problem a deck like that will face (in addition to decks control struggles against anyway) is stuff like Emrakul, the Aeons Torn and Living End combos, so you have to devote space in either your main or sideboard to Leyline of the Void , which takes up valuable card slots. 230 card Battle of Wits decks like this one may also pose some problems for you if you want mill to perform well in the higher tiers.
December 19, 2013 6:58 p.m.
Wizard of the Damned says... #11
Mill can definitely play in modern. You can mill your opponent for crazy amount quickly. The key Is to build the deck correctly with a sideboard to take care of any spells like Leyline of Sanctity . Graveyard shuffling creatures can be a problem with with cards such as Surgical Extraction or Extirpate those can be taken care of. With proper tuning and tweaking I say it can be done, and anyone who hasn't faced a properly built one doesn't know what power it can really have so I never take other opinions on if it can be competitive. I believe 100% it can be done
December 19, 2013 7:08 p.m.
APPLE01DOJ says... #12
I run Haunting Echoes in 8RACK. Card is out of line good.
December 19, 2013 7:21 p.m.
ive top 8 with my mill deck before. Archive trap gets them every time. Best ive ever had was I kept a 4 archive trap hand they cracked an arid mesa I laid down 4 archive trap they scooped and dropped. Mill works if you can play it right and be able to sideboard against the meta of your shop. Glimpse the Unthinkable Mesmeric Orb Archive Trap Hedron Crab are all basic cards needed, again its being able to keep yourself alive long enough to get them dead
December 19, 2013 7:56 p.m.
Here's a BUG Mill posted over at Daily MTG. It went 4-0 in a Modern Daily event, and you can see why once you look at the list. It's basically a BUG Control deck with mill win conditions. It can also abuse interactions like Visions of Beyond and Archive Trap with Ghost Quarter , meaning it never runs low on gas.
December 20, 2013 6:42 a.m.
Wizard of the Damned says... #15
I've seen BUG, U/B, and Esper mill on mtgtop8.com. The BUG had some if the stronger elements (IMO) due to having the extra versatility of Deathrite Shaman (another reason I use deathrite in my SB) since it can eat away at life total, give that extra boost of mana for a counter or mill spell, or that little but of life to keep you in the game. This is where it starts getting more and more expensive though. Competitively, you HAVE to have fetches (for Hedron Crab to be at his best), Glimpse the Unthinkable , Archive Trap (since it's almost always free), Ghost Quarter (first cheap card!) if you want the extra possibility with Archive Trap , Mind Funeral because it's almost as good as glimpse, and last Visions of Beyond because it can basically become an Ancestral Recall . Fitting in Deathrite Shaman could be something you want MB, but I chose SB just for matches where it would serve me better than the turbo mill strategy I like to use in my Mill of the Damned
Slycne says... #2
Depends on how you define working. There's certainly enough mill cards to make a passable deck, but it's doubtful to ever be a tier 1 competitive strategy. It's just not possible to mill some of the modern decks before they kill you and/or the other decks run enough disruptive elements to take your good mill cards away or stop them. Let alone considering the few modern deck that want you to mill them, Living End combo says thanks.
Cards you consider running though Hedron Crab , Archive Trap - often paired with Path to Exile , Breaking / Entering , Glimpse the Unthinkable , Visions of Beyond , Mind Funeral , Mesmeric Orb .
December 19, 2013 2:41 p.m.