Let's talk Caw Blade in Modern
Modern forum
Posted on Aug. 27, 2019, 2:38 a.m. by jaymc1130
Now that SFM has been unbanned, Caw Blade (one of my all time favorite archetypes) is a real possibility again! So let's get down to business and start thinking about how this deck might look in the Modern format moving forward. Personally, I don't have the most experience with Modern as a format these days as I haven't played it in about a year and a half when the format started to become extremely degenerate and a lot less fun for me to compete in.
I've got some initial thoughts on what the Caw Blade archetype might want to look like in the coming months, and my initial impression of the potential deck can be found here: Modern Caw Blade. Let me know what you folks think about this kind of take as a potential possibility and hit me up with your take on what the archetype might look like at the competitive level in the coming months.
What are your thoughts on the viablity of the archetype in competitive play? What matchups do you think it will fare well against and struggle against? What are your experiences playing the deck in the remote or recent past and what do you expect for the future? What's the best bet for a dedicated Sword bearer and does the classic Squadron Hawk still seem like the go to? How many man lands and which ones? 4 colors? 3 colors? 2 colors? Jace or no Jace?
Ponder these questions and more with me!
@ Boza Do you feel like UW control shell is the only way to play a Caw Blade strategy that could be remotely competitive or are there any potential splash variations that you would consider worth trying?
What would the splashes be for?
What would be the strengths to sticking to strictly UW?
August 27, 2019 4:59 a.m.
Playing the tempo game of protecting one threat to keep attacking with it is strictly down the UW path. The deck is already overwlowing with other necessary inclusions that the Caw Blade deck of the past did not have - T3feri, t5feri, narset, Force of Negation are but a few. You cannot afford not to play those because of your splash and going less color intensive is easier on ye old life total.
August 27, 2019 5:09 a.m.
Interesting point in relation to Force of Negation and the required blue cards to effectively utilize it early in games. Certainly worth thinking about.
In the past, at the end of it's run in standard, Caw Blade was often found splashing black or red as a meta call and trump in the mirror. This might be less relevant these days but proved quite effective in the past.
August 27, 2019 5:57 a.m.
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August 27, 2019 9:31 a.m.
I think I picture a tempo/weenie build... like combining how merfolk/illusions play with some silver bullet options that white gives.... Remand / Mana Leak and Vapor Snag /Dispell with maybe Rebuff the Wicked / Brave the Elements / Emerge Unscathed ..I mainly advocate for Squadron Hawk for the decks namesake but there certainly is power with the psuedo draw/deckthinning hawks provide.
August 27, 2019 10:53 a.m.
@ Icbrgr I rather enjoy the thought of a tempo weenie Caw Blade substituting Faeries as the sword wielders with Bitterblossom and Spellstutter Sprite providing the canon fodder and assisting in the control game. I have no idea if this would actually be very competitive, but boy does it sound sweet to have a team of Tinkerbell's brandishing some cutlery.
August 27, 2019 11:08 a.m.
SeekerofSecrets says... #9
UW tempo with Spell Queller amd sfm package seems very strong
August 27, 2019 11:49 a.m.
ToolmasterOfBrainerd says... #11
Spell Queller is good if you want to play tempo and awful if you want to beat control. Translation: It's amazing against Tron (especially if you snag a Karn or Oblivion Stone ), but awful against UW Control and Jund. They can remove it easily, and when they do they get the double-whammy of the 2nd card. I figured this out a few months ago when testing a modern Esper blade deck.
Don't play Squadron Hawk . That card is a standard-caliber card. Hot garbage on a good day. There are better value cards out there.
August 27, 2019 9:33 p.m.
ToolmasterOfBrainerd says... #12
I'm toying with 4 color to play Kolaghan's Command . K-command is the best way to combat blade decks. So if you have a SFM package yourself, as well as the best way to beat Stoneblade decks, most Ancient Stirrings decks, and Jund, it might be okay. The 4 color manabase is painful and you tend to get run over by burn and mono red prowess.
This 4 color deck also looks nothing like a Stoneblade deck.
August 27, 2019 9:36 p.m. Edited.
Squadron Hawk was a staple mostly due to it's ability to be on demand board presence, any time you need a sword swinger you have one and you can keep them stored and ready in the event it gets axed. I rather doubt this will be as important in today's modern format, but as I haven't played in much in well over a year I can't really say. My guess would also be that there are better options.
K Command you say? Interesting. Both as an answer to Stoneblade decks and as a potential piece within them.
August 27, 2019 9:52 p.m.
ToolmasterOfBrainerd says... #14
Lingering Souls does all of that and is so much better.
August 27, 2019 10:05 p.m.
BrandonJamesCAC says... #15
I like Cawblade and all. But I don't think U/W needs Batterskull.
Death and Taxes, I always hate the tension between your own stuff and Thalia/Arbiter.
Martyr Proc though.... You could use SFM and just side 4 swords to throw on your Ascendant. Already running the Squawks, Paths, a few sweepers etc...
August 27, 2019 10:26 p.m.
Lingering Souls doesn't really have the interaction with Jace TMS the way Sqwuak does, you can't always have one ready when one gets taken out. I don't know if that play pattern would still be relevant in today's game however, hence asking about what the options might be. Anything cheap that flies is probably going to be fine as a sword bearer.
August 27, 2019 11:26 p.m. Edited.
Flooremoji says... #17
I like adding SFM to Devoted Druid combo decks, where you have Giver of Runes . I feel like it adds alot to your backup plan.
As for squad hawks, I thought they were just mostly a ok card but were really good with JTMS Brainstorms.
August 28, 2019 12:25 a.m.
BrandonJamesCAC says... #18
Yeah Counters Company could work.
Naya with Bloodbraid Elf and Swords.
I threw together a toolboxy Hatebear/Martyr deck where SFM is just a role player instead of "The Card"
August 28, 2019 12:34 a.m. Edited.
This might sound too “brew-ish”, but hear me out: Invisible Stalker seems like a great sword carrier. It’s hard to kill and even harder to block, and it’s even in the colors you want.
August 28, 2019 9:34 a.m.
So I've been tooling around a bit with an iteration that utilizes Mausoleum Wanderer and Spectral Sailor as the primary sword bearers and the thought has proven interesting in the 3 games I've played with it. The Wanderer does a great job of protecting the board and can hit most any spells an opponent might cast as it gets beefed up with swords and Batterskull. Meanwhile the Sailor provides some extreme grinding advantage over time as a means of repeatedly drawing lots of extra cards with all that extra mana the deck will tend to have floating around in later stages. I've actually really enjoyed the performance of this pairing and look forward to playing them some more to see how they will fare in a number of match ups.
August 29, 2019 4:17 p.m.
aaron_the_great says... #22
CAW GO RULES BUT IT BASICLY IS BLUE WHITE STONEBLADE
Boza says... #2
Caw Blade = take the 6 weakest cards out of the existing UW control deck and place 1 sword and 1 Batterskull along with 4 SFM.
Though, I think UW control without SFM is better than UW control with it.
August 27, 2019 4:53 a.m. Edited.