Wizards of the Coast upended the Modern format on Monday with the banning of both Hogaak and Faithless Looting, as well as the unbanning of Stoneforge Mystic. What will Team Nova bring to the first Modern SCG after the massive Banned and Restricted update?
Chad Harney
Modern Mono-Green Tron
| Creatures (8) 2 Walking Ballista 3 Wurmcoil Engine 1 World Breaker 2 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger Planeswalkers (6) 4 Karn Liberated 2 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon Spells (9) 4 Ancient Stirrings 4 Sylvan Scrying 1 Dismember Artifacts (18) 4 Chromatic Sphere 4 Chromatic Star 4 Expedition Map 2 Relic of Progenitus 4 Oblivion Stone | Lands (19) 1 Blast Zone 4 Forest 1 Ghost Quarter 1 Sanctum of Ugin 4 Urza’s Mine 4 Urza’s Power Plant 4 Urza’s Tower Sideboard (15) 3 Nature’s Claim 3 Veil of Summer 1 Spatial Contortion 1 Weather the Storm 3 Thought-Knot Seer 3 Thragtusk 1 Emrakul, the Promised End |
Rather than trying to have fun with Stoneforge Mystic this weekend, I’d rather be trying to ruin everyone else’s fun. If you’ve been around Modern long enough then you know that nothing says “no” to fun better than a Turn 3 Karn Liberated. As if that wasn’t enough, Tron picked one of its best cards in years in Veil of Summer from Core Set 2020—a one-mana Dismiss against Blue decks, or a way to save your lands from that pesky Fulminator Mage.
I’ve decided to forgo the Karn, the Great Creator build for a couple reasons. One, Tron is a really awkward shell for the Great Creator. In order for Mycosynth Lattice to be at its best, you need to be able to protect your Karn. If you’ve already wiped the board, slammed a Wurmcoil, or resolved an Ugin, then the Mycosynth Lattice lock is just a win-more. Second, I hate what it does to your sideboard. I imagine the meta this weekend is going to be a little all over the place. I want access to all 15 cards in my sideboard without a four-mana paywall up front to access them. I want clean, stock as you can get, Mono-Green Tron this weekend.
Aaron Barich
Modern Boros Burn
| Creatures (12) 4 Eidolon of the Great Revel 4 Monastery Swiftspear 4 Goblin Guide Spells (28) 4 Boros Charm 4 Lava Spike 4 Lightning Bolt 4 Skewer the Critics 4 Rift Bolt 4 Searing Blaze 4 Lightning Helix | Lands (20) 2 Bloodstained Mire 4 Sacred Foundry 4 Inspiring Vantage 1 Arid Mesa 1 Wooded Foothills 3 Mountain 4 Sunbaked Canyon 1 Scalding Tarn Sideboard (15) 1 Tocatli Honor Guard 3 Path to Exile 4 Skullcrack 3 Kor Firewalker 4 Smash to Smithereens |
Look, I’ll be honest and say that I’m pretty lost. Modern is probably my weakest format as deck choice is my weakest quality as a competitive player. I’m stuck between three main choices, two of which are in my wheelhouse and one that is a little outside.
Infect is my go to but Urza combo, a la Harlan Firer’s deck choice below, is a deck outside my normal range that feels very powerful. I’m unsure I trust myself to play it well enough on such a small amount of games played, but I could see myself playing it anyway.
But Burn is my current leader for the weekend as a deck with reasonable game against nearly everything. A decrease in Dredge is good for the deck as Creeping Chill was a real problem. My list is pretty stock with most decisions coming in the sideboard. It’s possible I don’t want to run any copies of Kor Firewalker this weekend as its really only good in the mirror and I don’t know how much of that I will end up playing. I could see a few Searing Bloods or more Tocatli Honor Guard in that slot.
Stoneforge into Batterskull is a scary thing, but I feel like the Burn deck is fairly happy at the opponent’s Turn 2 just being a 1/2, as its often easy to kill and ends up playing into your hand by giving you a target for a Searing spell.
I’m still completely up in the air and will probably have all three Modern decks on my person when I get to Dallas. Thankfully for me they unbanned Rampaging Ferocidon for the Standard Classic!
Harlan Firer
Modern Five-Color Urza Thopter Sword
| Creatures (7) 3 Goblin Engineer 4 Urza, Lord High Artificer Planeswalkers (2) 2 Teferi, Time Raveler Spells (4) 2 Galvanic Blast 2 Whir of Invention Artifacts (27) 4 Mishra’s Bauble 4 Mox Opal 1 Welding Jar 4 Arcum’s Astrolabe 2 Chromatic Star 1 Nihil Spellbomb 2 Pithing Needle 1 Pyrite Spellbomb 1 Ichor Wellspring 2 Sword of the Meek 4 Thopter Foundry 1 Ensnaring Bridge | Lands (20) 1 Breeding Pool 1 Hallowed Fountain 1 Inventors’ Fair 4 Polluted Delta 4 Scalding Tarn 4 Snow-Covered Island 1 Snow-Covered Mountain 1 Snow-Covered Swamp 1 Spire of Industry 1 Steam Vents 1 Watery Grave Sideboard (15) 3 Ceremonious Rejection 2 Fatal Push 2 Thoughtseize 3 Assassin’s Trophy 2 Collective Brutality 1 Damping Sphere 2 Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas |
Another Modern tournament, another Urza, Lord High Artificer decklist. Being as live as I am for the Players’ Championship in December I’m breaking my usual no-flying-to-Opens rule in search of more SCG points.
With the banning of Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis and Faithless Looting, Urza may just be the best deck in the format.
With the absence of a clearly good graveyard based deck, I have cut Grafdigger’s Cage from the deck entirely and am leaning on the combination of Nihil Spellbomb and Goblin Engineer to stop any Shenanigans.
You’ll notice my sideboard is loaded with removal spells in anticipation of seeing a lot of Stony Silence, Collector Ouphe, and Karn, the Great Creator this weekend. I’ve also changed my grindy sideboard threat from Mystic Forge to Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas because of its ability to single-handedly win a game through any of these problematic permanents.
Matt Dilks
Modern Amulet Titan
I won’t be in Dallas; instead, I will be battling Modern closer to home. I think there is so much to process in one week that it may be too hard to find the best Stoneforge Mystic deck. I would prefer to play something tried and true this weekend—Amulet Titan.
I cut all the additional graveyard cards as you can beat everything with just Bojuka Bog again other then maybe Storm. Veil of Summer still counters Gifts Ungiven out of Storm and is much better against the discard and counter magic then your own counters.
I’m a little concerned about Tron and fringe combo decks so these slots can pretty easily be Spell Pierce or Negate. Path to Exile is still the best removal spell but I could see going -4 Path -1 EE +3 Abrade +2 Firespout if you really think you need the sweeper. I’m not as into the overlap for artifacts with two Force of Vigor.
Dom Harvey
Modern Titanshift
| Creatures (9) 1 Obstinate Baloth 4 Primeval Titan 4 Sakura-Tribe Elder Spells (22) 4 Search for Tomorrow 4 Explore 2 Farseek 1 Mwonvuli Acid-Moss 3 Summoner's Pact 4 Scapeshift 4 Lightning Bolt Enchantments (1) 1 Khalni Heart Expedition | Lands (28) 4 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle 1 Field of the Dead 4 Wooded Foothills 1 Windswept Heath 1 Misty Rainforest 1 Verdant Catacombs 4 Stomping Ground 2 Cinder Glade 2 Sheltered Thicket 1 Forest 1 Snow-Covered Forest 3 Mountain 3 Snow-Covered Mountain Sideboard (15) 3 Damping Sphere 4 Veil of Summer 3 Obstinate Baloth 2 Flame Slash 1 Collector Ouphe 1 Reclamation Sage 1 Mwonvuli Acid-Moss |
All the cool kids are talking about Stoneforge Mystic. Everyone else is talking about it too. Even in this article you’re reading, I expect to see Stoneforge Mystic in a few wildly different shells.
The UW Stoneblade lists that are a natural home for the card were already decent against big mana strategies on the back of Field of Ruin, countermagic, and now Force of Negation. Stoneforge Mystic offers a missing ingredient: the early clock that forces the opponent to have what they need and run it into your interactive cards.
However, this pressure isn’t all that substantial. Turn 2 Mystic into Turn 3 activate to finally attack on Turn 4 is uninspiring if you’re already facing down Primeval Titan. Titan may be the best threat against these decks, getting around Force of Negation and demanding an answer which will still leave an insurmountable board behind. Titanshift is strong against other big mana strategies and is much harder to hate out effectively than Amulet or Tron, making it my pick for the weekend.
I try Titanshift every few months, and every time I get burned. That may happen again—literally, given the temperature recently and Texas’ love for Red decks of all stripes. Despite that, I’d be taking a swing on Titan if I was heading to Dallas this weekend.
Ally Warfield
Modern GW Eldrazi
| Creatures (20) 4 Eldrazi Displacer 4 Noble Hierarch 4 Reality Smasher 4 Stoneforge Mystic 4 Thought-Knot Seer Spells (8) 4 Path to Exile 4 Ancient Stirrings Artifacts (6) 1 Batterskull 1 Sword of Feast and Famine 1 Sword of Fire and Ice 3 Talisman of Unity Planeswalkers (4) 4 Karn, the Great Creator | Lands (22) 2 Forest 2 Plains 1 Wastes 4 Brushland 4 Cavern of Souls 4 Eldrazi Temple 1 Horizon Canopy 4 Prismatic Vista Sideboard (15) 1 Batterskull 3 Damping Sphere 1 Ensnaring Bridge 2 Grafdigger’s Cage 1 Liquimetal Coating 1 Mycosynth Lattice 1 Sorcerous Spyglass 1 Tormod’s Crypt 1 Witchbane Orb 1 Walking Ballista 2 Dismember |
I am likely going to be playing Ryan Overturf’s GW Eldrazi deck at SCG Dallas. Everyone is wondering how to incorporate Stoneforge Mystic into their favorite decks after her recent unbanning on Monday. While many are trying to throw her in a more control or midrange shell, I am opting to put her in a slightly more aggressive deck.
Eldrazi are some of my favorite creatures and I’m happy to report that Stoneforge Mystic slots surprising well into this shell. I have had a lot of my success in testing this week. I also enjoy having the Karn, the Great Creator package at my disposal. Along with all of the powerful artifacts you get to grab out of your sideboard, the Great Creator tends to shut down artifact decks on his own—namely Whirza, which will be one of the best decks going into this weekend.
I was heavily considering Tron for this weekend, however the scary rumor about the popularity of Red aggro in Texas got to me, so I will be registering this deck instead, which has been giving me lots of wins against those decks.
Drake Sasser
Modern Titanshift
| Creatures (8) 4 Primeval Titan 4 Sakura-Tribe Elder Spells (21) 3 Lightning Bolt 3 Summoner’s Pact 4 Search for Tomorrow 4 Explore 1 Farseek 4 Scapeshift 1 Sweltering Suns 1 Mwonvuli Acid-Moss Enchantments (2) 2 Khalni Heart Expedition Artifacts (1) 1 Prismatic Omen | Lands (28) 3 Mountain 1 Forest 3 Cinder Glade 1 Misty Rainforest 4 Stomping Ground 4 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle 1 Verdant Catacombs 1 Windswept Heath 4 Wooded Foothills 1 Snow-Covered Forest 3 Snow-Covered Mountain 1 Field of the Dead 1 Sheltered Thicket Sideboard (15) 3 Damping Sphere 1 Caustic Caterpillar 3 Obstinate Baloth 1 Collector Ouphe 2 Force of Vigor 1 Anger of the Gods 2 Veil of Summer 2 Relic of Progenitus |
It’s so good to be back. Titanshift is a deck that if you asked me if I was going to play it in Dallas two weeks ago I would have laughed. Modern has certainly been flipped on its head and there is a lot to like about Titanshift now.
I think like big mana decks are in a good position in the format due to the amount of fair Stoneforge Mystic decks people are playing. Since Titanshift has a good matchup against Tron, you are well-positioned to not only beat the fair decks in Modern, but also the most popular big mana deck that preys on midrange decks in Modern as well. My teammate Harlan Firer informed me that the Grixis Urza matchup is also very favorable, and since I think Urza is the default deck to beat this weekend, having a good matchup there is attractive.
Combine all this with the sizeable upgrades Titanshift got in Field of the Dead, Veil of Summer, and Force of Vigor, and I think it is safe to say Titanshift is a good choice in Modern again and I believe it is the best deck for the weekend.
Jess Estephan
Modern Mono-Green Tron
| Creatures (9) 2 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger 2 Walking Ballista 2 World Breaker 3 Wurmcoil Engine Spells (10) 4 Ancient Stirrings 2 Dismember 4 Sylvan Scrying Artifacts (16) 4 Chromatic Sphere 4 Chromatic Star 4 Expedition Map 4 Oblivion Stone Planeswalkers (6) 4 Karn Liberated 2 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon | Lands (19) 4 Forest 1 Ghost Quarter 1 Sanctum of Ugin 4 Urza's Mine 4 Urza's Power Plant 4 Urza's Tower 1 Blast Zone Sideboard (15) 3 Veil of Summer 3 Thragtusk 3 Nature’s Claim 2 Relic of Progenitus 1 Emrakul, the Promised End 2 Thought Knot Seer 1 Spatial Contortion |
A lot of the testing for Dallas this weekend started based on a theory of what people think this weekend would look like. My read on the weekend is this:
– People will be trying to put Stoneforge Mystic in places it does not belong
– Even the best Stoneforge Mystic lists will likely be misbuilt
If people are trying wild new things, one of the best ways to attack it is through a strong, streamlined game plan that doesn’t necessarily care about what its’ opponent is doing. When I determined that Tron would be one of the better decks to fill this role, I had to think about what the best lists would look like. And ultimately, what role Karn, the Great Creator would play in the deck, if any.
When I first sent a list over for someone to review I asked them to roast me. My instincts told me that Karn’s role in Tron had shifted, but while it might be better overall, it would likely not be in my deck this weekend. The thing is, it’s really really hard to build a “wishboard” if you don’t know what to put in it outside of your game locking pieces.
The list became more refined when the Modern Super League lists were released (Thanks Brothers who Bash!) and my suspicions were at least a little confirmed, regarding Karn and mainboard Relic of Progenitus.