dknight27

ya, that's absolutely necessary now, which I don't really like. swinging with a 5/5 turn 2 in modern is pretty much a bunch of bullshit, but I guess there's nothing I can do with it but roll. The deck would look totally different with ensoul artifact, but that's the best way to do it. something like 66% of your games would have active damage beastly monsters in play on turn 2 or 3, which is a nightmare

I've never been a fan of think twice. In here, you would get a similar advantage by running remand, which has the potential to buy you a whole extra turn in the early game and at least has the chance at slowing down a turn late game.

I would personally feel more comfortable with 1 wrath of god and 1 detention sphere over timely reinforcements. Yes the life is nice, but I don't think the 3 tokens give you the stopping power to justify it when you could run something that is a permanent/semi-permanent answer to your problem for the same or 1 more mana. I would consider it as a sideboard option against blitz decks, which I could see it being effective against.

Do you find you need 25 lands? I know you have 4 fetch lands, but that still seems quite high to me. I would think you would be ok with running 23-24 with maybe a few more fetch lands to thin out the deck once you hit the essential 3-4. That still lets you run a few of your non-blue/white lands and still have a good mana base without choking yourself.

There are a couple sideboard staples I'm surprised not to see, but perhaps your meta doesn't offer them many targets.

celestial flare for pesky indestructible/hexproof/protection guys.

mindbreak trap for combo decks/can't be countered spells.

leyline of sanctity over witchbane orb (unless your meta is curse heavy).

rest in peace over tormod's crypt.

revoke existence.


Just some ideas. I love a good control deck. glad to see them being made.

ah, makes more sense

I'm not a big fan of mainboarding darkness in here unless you are in a meta that goes heavy on fast damage. I would go with 4 serum visions instead as this deck would benefit from some card accel and early game scrying. I would also consider swapping in robe of mirrors for some safety. illusionist's bracers seems redundant as once you have an active zur you have field control and double searches don't benefit you enough to justify having it as a dead draw. I run story circle in my version of this deck which is devastating to aggro builds. I would also consider wall of omens to give you early game protection and card accel. basically never a dead draw.

I'm always hesitant about running sphinx's revelation because it eats up the turn you play it which leaves you vulnerable. On top of that, you have to play it late game to get anything out of it which means if you draw it opening hand or middle game its basically a dead draw. Keeping that reasoning in mind, I would limit it to 1 copy per deck to basically ensure that you won't be getting it opening hand very much. Personally, I would rather run tidings as a draw source as it will be cheaper for better card advantage and can be played in the middle game instead of sitting in your hand as a brick until the end game. With revelation, you will have to spend 7 mana to draw 4 cards, and you will only gain an extra 4 life, which really doesn't help that much when compared with the extra mana you have to spend.

I'm also concerned about running 4 snapcasters as you don't really have that many targets for them which makes them dead draws until the end game. You wont be casting them for revelation, so you only have 7 instants and the supreme verdicts as targets, so I think running 4 snapcasters is a bad idea. It would be better to trim it down to 3 and run another instant control element to up the chances of the mage hitting and hitting hard.

Spreading seas doesn't really fit in here as you are only running a 2 color deck and aren't looking for any islandwalk damage, so I can only assume you are using it for acceleration and slightly better mana base. Serum vision would be a much better bet as it can be played turn 1, gives better card advantage, and as a last resort can be an outlet for snapcaster when you have nothing else at your disposal.

I would also consider knocking the lands down to 22 with the above mentioned changes as you will have a pretty low curve and have no need for excess mana which will help the deck be more consistent and not get bogged down late game with top decked useless lands.

Just some thoughts.

running 26 creatures in this deck is unnecessary, especially since you are partially going for the exalted mechanic. Running 4 copies of serum visions would remarkably speed this deck up as it would give you something to play turn 1 that is a wonderful tactical solution in modern and can help you accelerate the point of the deck. For the same reasons, I would consider running 4 noble hierarchs. Turn 1 exalted mana producer is pretty much exactly what this deck needs.

While I love the concept of the deck, I think your land base could use a little work. 18 lands, even for your curve, is low. The chances of you having to ditch a card to a mulligan are super high which would negate the card advantage you are looking for. This problem can be corrected by using fetch lands like flooded strand which allow you to have the chance at lands in the opening hand but thin out the deck's lands in the middle and late game so you are effectively running fewer after the game starts. I would kick the lands up to 20 at minimum (I would personally go with 21), and run 4 flooded strands which will help you with opening hand efficiency but keep the deck saturated with spells as you play them.

In terms of removal, I think pacifism is probably your best bet for this low of a curve.

I don't see a point of akroma's memorial. All your creatures are bosses already and giving them more is sort of redundant. I wouldn't bother with rogue's passage at all for similar reasons, and you want to save the land search for fetching the urza lands so you can actually cast your stuff. Running 9 forests instead would help a lot with the early game consistency.

You have missed out on some of the best black options, which ironically happen to be 4 drops which you seem to enjoy. Phyrexian obliterator and desecration demon.

Also, 24 swamps is a ton with no search lands to thin them out for the middle and end game. I know this probably wont be something you want to hear, but right now you have a very slow deck that will be less consistent than its competitors because of its slow start and overabundance of lands. You would have more consistency to drop down the curve of creatures dramatically and use desecration demon and phyrexian obliterator as your muscle, both of which can hit the board on turn 4 if necessary.

I would run 22 lands, around 16 of which would be swamps and 6 would be search lands like bloodstained mire to thin out the deck so you don't draw unnecessary lands for the middle and end game.

Also, while memoricide is an excellent sideboard choice, it won't do you much good the majority of the time unless you know exactly what the meta you are playing against is and that meta happens to be heavily reliant on combo pieces or singular win conditions. In almost every case, you are better off running a solution to a more probable problem and stick the memoricide's in the sideboard to save for the right matchup.

Just some thoughts. Not trying to be rude or anything like that, just been around the block for a while and am heavily familiar with the type of deck you are going for.

I would personally feel more comfortable with leyline of sanctity in the sideboard, but that's just me. is your meta heavy on burn?

I don't want any of what I say to be taken as an insult, I'm just trying to help you with your deck.

There are a lot of problems here that are pretty typical for new players. One of the big mistakes is the mana production you have in here that basically doesn't do anything for you. Your mana curve is pretty low and basically doesn't require any more sources of mana other than the 22 lands you are already running. Once you get out 3 lands, which is easy with 22 in the deck, you will be able to play 80% of the deck and will be fine. Those mana producers are taking up space you need for elf swarm effects which are essential for an elf tribal deck.

Also, you are missing some essential heavy hitters that are basically the reason people play elves. Take a look at this deck, its how I would build the deck you were trying to make. fecundity is the best friend of elf decks as your chimp blockers will be easily replaced and if they nuke the field everything will catch back up for you quickly.

http://www.mtgvault.com/dknight27/decks/modern-elf-tribal/

Best friend of mill decks is ensnaring bridge hands down

ive made several deck running that combo, and im not overly fond of it. I would run a copy or two in the side for some insurance, but this isn't supposed to be a combo deck. Just a control deck that uses the scepter for either a win condition or a nasty control element depending on the circumstance. The silence combo makes the deck more rigid and brings down its flexible play a lot as it requires combo pieces to be effective. I hate having a copy of silence and having to decide when to use it vs when to hold onto it to wait for the scepter to make the combo. Because you cant use silence like a counterspell, deciding which turn to drop it on the opponent in order to slow him down is basically a shot in the dark. I would rather have a flexible control deck that can spend its resources while it has them and feel safe in the knowledge that when I draw a scepter I will have something to imprint on it.

Besides, you don't get much better than lightning helix on it as both a control and win condition. 3 damage every turn plus 3 life is a wonderful way to control the game.

running 4 cryptic command with modern lands is risky in a triple colored deck. Yes its a monster counter card, but it will sit in your hand like a brick until the middle or late game because of the cost, specifically the triple blue anchor that drags it down. I would rather run 4 lightning helix for the early game field control.

I have similar thoughts about running 2 sphinx's revelation. If you have it in anything but the late middle game its a dead draw, and control can't stop fast aggro with dead draws. I usually only run 1 so there is little chance of having it in the starting hand or seeing it pop up before you have the mana to refill your hand with it around turn 10-15.

The problem with this feedback is that it is aimed at a deck that doesn't exist. This isn't a modern build, or even a deck that's aimed at any form of competition. It's meant for brand new or relatively new players to help them move past the stage when they put random cards in decks that have no relevance to the deck's strategy. The card's in here are cost efficient and all work together toward the simple aggro goal.

As to Pacifism not being aggro, perhaps we have differing definitions of the word. Aggro, from my understanding, is a generic and overarching strategy that seeks to win by dealing direct damage with creatures. The pacifism effects in this deck are simply a means of removing blockers, similar to running lightning bolts. I would say pacifism effects run hand in hand with aggro deck in general.

Viridian emissary is in here for 2 reasons. 1- ensure a turn 2 creature drop. 2- pull lands out of the deck to help the late game if it gets that far.

If they want to waste a creature early on it, you get a land to get out baneslayer. If not, it gets in some early damage and things work out.

This deck is begging to play 4 copies of overrun. 4 zombies on the field turn 5 with overrun is gg in most cases. Also, I would considering cutting back on the lands. your curve isn't high enough to justify 23, especially without any search lands to cut down the total. 22 would work fine

the rules are up on New Format: Power Draft 1. It's a playing format, not an actual deck, and since its so big I broke it up into 3 decks but they are all part of the same pool of cards.

apparently I forgot to save the description

running the invisible stalker/sword of body and mind mechanic is too inconsistent unless you build the whole deck around it. Your best bet in a deck like this is to run 4 ensnaring bridge and not worry about a combo mechanic. mesmeric orb does most of your work for you, and the other sorceries you have should be more than enough to finish the game. An alternative but reliable mill source you could use is sands of delirium.

Also, even though your curve is relatively low, running only 20 lands is dangerous, especially with the 7 search lands you have. 22 is the safe bet, and with 7 search lands it wont statistically be a problem for you. with only 20, you run the risk of consistently getting bogged down by 2-3 lands when you need enough to overpower something or drop snapcaster.

black vise is better win condition than iron maiden as its basically the same thing but costs 2 less.

You have too many win conditions in the deck as it is. test subject is too slow and vulnerable to be able to do anything, and ugin is a late game win con that you don't need and will only clog up your hand anyway. 4 black vise should be enough of a direct win condition to take care of it, and it will be bolstered by the other suggestions I have.

Right now, you have 7 cards that allow for the stasis lockdown, and that's good, but adding in chronatog ups your chances of pulling off the combo and it also provides you with a win condition as you can just deck your opponent out with it. 4 chronatogs and 4 black vises is more than enough win condition cards, and the chronatogs actually make the deck super efficient as they trigger the stasis lock and are a win condition all by itself, meaning you only need 2 cards to win.

I know they cost an arm and a leg, but 4 force of will is absolutely essential in this deck. Only way to ensure that your combo is protected under any normal condition.

I would run 4 muddle the mixture as it is PERFECT for stasis decks. It searches for every combo piece (especially chronatog version of the deck), and if you don't need it to search you can use it as a counter, which will pretty much counter everything in vintage.

I would also consider running some acceleration cards like ponder, brainstorm, and opt as this is a combo deck and you need to be able to fetch the combo more easily.

If you really want this deck to be vintage competitive, you have to run spell pierce and spell snare, or else your opponent will pull off his combo before you do (competitive vintage is nothing but fast combos)