dknight27

Not sure why this deck isn't coming up modern legal.

I would hesitate to run cryptic command at all in this deck as you are only running 20 lands. A 4 drop counterspell with such difficult casting conditions will positively leave you vulnerable in the opening and middle game and realistically won't come available until its too late. The 3 blue casting cost just makes it a pain, and the 4 cost overall hurts the opening which is critical for a deck like this that will fold if it lets opponent get a fast creature or two swinging for damage very turn. You would be much better off running something like remand or mana leak (remand is basically never a dead draw as it replaces itself and at least slows opponent down even if they have the ability to recast the countered spell in the same turn), both of which are easy to cast, grant control of the opening, and remain decent in the middle game.

I have a similar problem running 4 snapcasters in that they don't help you in the opening at all and are conditioned on having something applicable in the grave to be worth the cast, so I never run more than 3 to up the chances of not getting it in the opening hand.

Mindstab seems too conditional and slow for me here. If you don't cast it turn 1 it won't hit the field in time to do real damage, and the big problem is that opponent has time to prepare for it. They can either dump their hand or just keep excess lands or unnecessary cards to basically counter or, or even worse just hold onto a counterspell and not bother with it at all. I personally prefer more tangible control effects like spell snare and terminate as they aren't really conditional or slow and can be snapped back without having to pay 6 for the snap.

I would also consider running 21 lands in here because of the need to have 1 land open on turn 1 and you have 3 lands that wont allow that with 20 being a decently low level in the first place, so kicking it up to 21 will help the consistency. Plus, with 9 search lands the dead draws in the middle and late game shouldn't really be a problem.

Just some thoughts.

Believe it or not thermo-alchemist devastates in a deck like this. If they don't remove it he is good for at least 5-8 damage on his own. So far I havn't had a problem finishing out games even without major agro sources or other damage options.

I'm not running the 2 mana burn spells for direct damage only, or I would switch it over to the direct burn for 1. This is almost exclusively a control deck that burns to negate creature presence and deals damage with direct spells as a backup. Most of the time I get a few damage off with the delver, some consistent and basically free damage from electrolyze, most of the damage from alchemist, and the finishing blow with a direct burn spell. The rest of the time I'm just controlling the field and keeping mana open. If the opponent isn't running a creature heavy deck then the burn spells go straight to his face and all is well. If he is, I keep em handy to snipe away the threats and/or hoard them up for the finishing blow.

So far I've had great success with the build. It does well against creature base decks which it stalls out and then burns over the top of, and non-creature builds that it can just directly burn away without fear of needing the ammo to snipe an annoying creature.

Obviously the sideboard needs to reflect some other ways to deal with things, but as blue is in here and I can run counter-tastic stuff I'm not overly worried about it.

I definitely respect decks that go for the fast damage with swiftspear and stormchaser, I've made quite a few of them, but for this one I was going for a more control build that occasionally gets lucky with a turn 1 delver but overall relies on control to win the game.

I hate to say it, but this deck is sort of all over the place. You only run 8 creatures, but you have 4 aruas that are worthless without a creature, and none of your 8 creatures are for attacking anyway. If you're running it just for hexproof then you are wasting a lot of time and card advantage protecting a 3 drop creature that isn't a win condition anyway. Same thing with swiftfoot boots, its just not worth running 6 things that hexproof when you only have 4 creatures you want to hexproof.

Elixir of immortality doesn't really have a place in here. 5 life won't save you and there really isn't a reason to shuffle cards back in other than to refill the burn ratio, and on top of that it conflicts with pyromancer ascension, so I wouldn't bother running it at all.

I would put serious thought into rethinking what's going on in this deck. I know you want to keep the staticaster, but since its not a win condition and is only conditionally good, I would consider swapping it out for thermo-alchemist, which in my opinion is one of the best additions to burn/control decks ever. It's a win condition and if necessary an early game blocker, and if they manage to remove it then they used removal on a 2 drop, which isn't the end of the world.

You are also running zero blue control, which would go a long way in this deck. 4 remands will help you tremendously as they buy you time early game and are basically never a dead draw as they replace themselves. at least 3 electrolyze as they can burn off early/small creatures or be thrown directly at the life during your opponent's turn, and always replaces itself. It combo's wonderfully with thermo-alchemist as well, as you will get 4 damage and another card when the two hit at the same time.

It would be good to run 4 sleight of hands as they will help the tactical consistency of this deck and ups the turn 1 plays this deck can make, which is always good.

I know they are kind of pricy, but running the search lands will help this deck a ton as well as it only needs 1-2 mana to function and only a max of 4 to play anything, so the fetch lands will thin out the deck of lands so middle and late game you wont top deck a land every other turn.

I have a few decks built like my suggestions if you want to take a look at them, just let me know.

Again, I'm not trying to diss your deck or you, but there seems to me to be a lot of work that needs to be done here. Just my thoughts.

What are you willing to pay to make this one? A few improvements could be made here, but some of them are decently costly

Also, you have some of the best color combinations for sideboard options, so if you want suggestions on that let me know.

I see a few potential problems in this deck.

26 lands is way too high for what you need going on in here. I know you want to run the collonades as your win conditions, but 26 lands is good enough to choke you out in the opening and keep you drawing dead lands in the middle and endgame, even with the 8 fetch lands. I would trim out 1 ghost quarter and at least 1 colonnade.

As your deck stands, the early game control balance is close to nonexistent. You have blessed alliance, spell snare, and path to exile, all of which are conditional responses (though not bad at all), and just aren't enough to ensure that you can stop the opponent's development or fast agro, both of which should be able to shut you down once he gets up and running.

Logic knot is a conditional mana leak that wont help you in your opening hand basically at all, and this deck will absolutely flounder if it doesn't have something to do turn 2. I would suggest 4 mana leaks as they dominate the opening and aren't complete dead draws in late game competitive as good players run fetch lands and have decks that get by on 3-4 mana. Remand is another spell that would work well in that spot as its never a dead draw and buys you an extra turn if you drop it in the first few turns.

Cryptic command has never worked for me in bulk in tri-colored modern decks. It's super hard to get the 3 blue you need in time for the card to help you in the opening or middle game, and having it sit in your hand as a brick just isn't worth the lategame gain. I never run more than 1, because you don't want it in your opening hand or really to draw it at all until you have 4 available lands. Also, in order to make it work quickly, the balance of your hand is just terrible. You will have it available turn 4, and if you play first, that means of the 10 cards you have available at that point (7 off the start and 3 draws for turns 2, 3, and 4), 4 of them are lands and 1 of them is command, which leaves only 5 for other control in the opening. And that's if you get the lands that give you 3 blue and don't have to mulligan.

Think twice has never really worked for me either as it doesn't generate you advantage until the middle/late game, so in terms of control its a dead draw. Running 4 means you have a good chance of pulling it in the opening hand which just kills your control of the early game which is essential.

Sphinx's revelation has a similar themed problem as above as its a dead draw in the opening and isn't really worth the effort until you get at least 6ish mana, so it will be a brick in your hand until the late middle/end game. I never run more than 1, but running 1 is a great idea.

4 esper charm seems a bit much as it gives you conditional advantage and many decks in modern don't care about the enchantment destruction and will already have enough on the field turn 3 to not be destroyed by the discard outlet. I would run 2 tops, which gives you more spots for fast control elements like remand or some 1 drop discard options like inquisition of kozilek/thoughtseize.

Mainboarding leyline of sanctity is a risky move in modern. Sure it stalls out burn, mill, and a few combo builds, but it does nothing against the rest of the tier 1 and borderline nothing against tier 2, the odd custom job, or anti-meta. Running 2 in the sideboard is a fantastic idea, but putting them in game 1 is just too risky. I would even consider a third in the side as they do devastate the decks it designed to work against. You would get more advantage out of cards that work on every deck.

Please don't take this feedback the wrong way. I'm not trying to put you down or insult your deck. These are just honest thoughts about control builds in modern and the advantage you can get from maximizing what you can do in the early game and going into the middle game with a good position. If you let the opponent win the development state when you're playing a control build, the game is pretty much over.

24 lands seems mighty high in a build like this, even with the search lands. I would personally take it down to 23. Maybe trim a colonnade as you don't really want one in your opening hand as it slows your development. With only 2 you will more likely grab it in the middle game when you want one.

I almost never run more than 1 cryptic command in a modern tri-color as its so hard to get that 3 blue with modern lands in time to make the card usable. 3 copies just ups the chances of it being in the opening hand and being a brick till about turn 7 or 8 at best. It's my opinion that a cheaper control element would be better to keep the opening turns under your game plan even though they don't give you the card advantage like command. Running 2 more spell snares for example would give you excellent early game play and aren't really ever dead draws.

I am also almost always in favor of running at least 3 electrolyzes when possible as they snipe so perfectly and are an excellent target to snap back.

I haven't tried out spell queller in a build like this. How does she handle?

24 lands is way too high for a deck like this. Your curve operates fine at 2 mana and hits full playability at 3 mana, so I wouldn't run more than 22 lands tops. 21 would be better as you will almost always get your third land by turn 3 and will be up and running.

Harness the storm doesn't give you enough advantage in here and is conditional. I would swap it out for 4x electrolyze, which is basically the best edition to a burn/control deck ever as it can snipe off creatures or hit strait to life and always replaces itself.

Blistercoil weird doesn't do much for you either. Its a turn 1 drop that keeps juicing itself, but that's not really how decks like this win games. You will get 2-3 damage off it if you drop one turn 1, but after about turn 3 they don't matter anymore. I would add in some more instants/sorceries as you are only running 16 now, which is low for a deck like this. Some counterspells like mana leak or remand would help much more as they retain card advantage and trigger your creatures.

I would also give serious thought to running thermo-alchemist, who is basically the best win condition in a deck like this, plus he doubles as a blocker in the early game if you need him.

I'm not sure why this is coming up as not modern legal.

The potential problem I see in here is that it relies on aether vial for speed for the 3 drops, which overall should slow the deck down quite a bit. if you get a vial turn 1, you still wait 3 more turns till you drop a 3 drop, so its turn 4 before it works out for you. If you don't have a vial, you wait till you snag the third land, which at best puts this deck in full swing by turn 3.

I would work on cutting down on the 3 drops in favor of more 2 drop control creatures, that way you can hard cast them on turn 2 and vial them in on turn 3 for free when you hard cast a 3 drop anyway, giving you a sick turn 4 and beyond.

Right now I only see 9 targets for the flicker effect, and thought-knot is limited for flickering due to the draw opponent gets off of it, which is imbalanced with the 8 flicker casters. As it stands, you are just as likely to get a flicker caster without a target as to get one. I would personally prefer a 10 target to 7 flicker or even 11 target to 6 flicker, but that's me.

Other than that this deck looks solid. The thalia twins are a devastating pair. turn 2 and 3 thalia should be a scoop unless they have non basics and a removal spell in hand already.

I love decks like this. However, I think a few tweaks could be made that would really help things along.

I almost never run 22 lands in a control deck that has 1 and 2 drop control elements as that's all you need to survive the first 3 turns and by then you will be into your third land and won't really need many more.

Cryptic command just isn't viable in a tri-color deck from my experience. that 3 blue cost is a killer until the late game in modern, and having a command in your opening hand is like playing a card down. Even if you have 4 of the lands that allow you to play it early, you can't do it in a turn you would burn something off or counter something else, so its even harder to use. I know its a sick counter with card advantage built in, but if your deck gets behind early the game is over, so I would consider running something that keeps you afloat in the early turns like mana leak or remand, both of which hit turn 2 and stay relevant for most of the game. If you feel like you can't go without command, at least consider dropping it down to 1 copy, as it will almost never hit in your opening hand and sit there until turn 10 before its useful.

I'm not a big fan of thought scour in here, but that's just me. I don't see it giving you enough advantage to justify its spot over a control element, even though it gives you targets for tasigur and snap. Plus it eats a spot of a 1 drop control card that can counter the opponent's turn 1 and 2 action, which is essential. maybe another kozilek, 2 spell snares, and a terminate instead?

This is just my opinion, but I almost never run 4 snaps in favor of only 3. I know they are wondrous cards, but having one in the opening hand is annoying to me as its a dead card until you get at least 3 lands out and even then you need the right target in the grave to be useful. having only 3 ups your chances of pulling it in the middle game but not the opening, which is exactly how the card is designed to work. Plus you can always pull a copy back with kolaghan, so you are conditionally running quite a few more of them anyway.


As an alternate way to win with this deck, I would consider checking out thermo-alchemist, which is a card that I absolutely adore. I'm not quite sure why the magic community hasn't jumped on board that train yet, but that sucker drains life like no other in a deck like this, and can even sub in as a turn 2 blocker against fast agro decks. And, if they want to use a removal spell on it, it costs 2 mana. Let em.

As for the sideboard,

Slaughter games dismantles combo decks like no other and in modern you can almost always make it to 4 mana, especially with the other control elements you have going in here.

Mindbreak trap handles stuff that can't be countered and infinite combos and you can always hard cast it as a counterspell if necessary, making it borderline essential.

Cruel edict handles hexproof/indestructible/shroud stuff like emrakul combos, thrun, etc. and can always be used as an extra kill spell against creature heavy decks anyway.

I like running at least 3 dragon's claws in here as the deck burns itself quite a bit with the lands which just helps burn out like no other. Plus half your deck will trigger the claw anyway, so a turn 2 claw should be enough to win you the game if they can't remove it.

Just some thoughts.

well shit, it's been so long since ive used it I didn't bother to check. just assumed it was still legal

Only running 4 answers to the early game against burn is borderline suicidal in competitive play. 4/60 cards, in a deck that runs lands that hurt you, against an entire 60 card build who's singular purpose is to drop your life to 0 before you get your mechanic rolling is terrifying. In reality, without the finks lifegain or the big sorcery/instants in the late game, this deck's starting life total is more like 16 because of the lands, which makes a burn player smile all day long. I would much rather have 7/60 answers than 4/60 answers against a deck that is predatory to mine, especially since outside of burn and wickedly fast combo decks that get lucky this deck has a good chance of taking game 1 and siding in the ability to win either game 2 or 3.

As to viridian emissary vs sakura, I may be the only player out there to think so, but this is an easy answer from my perspective. It's basically my contention that viridian emissary is one of the most undervalued cards in modern. If your opponent is running fast agro, it chump blocks, costs opponent material and a tempo, and speeds you up. If they run creatureless, its a turn 2 cards that starts a 10 turn clock, and if your opponent expends resources to deal with it, you retain card advantage and are sped up. If it's something in between, it gives you board presence on turn 2, can trade off for their turn 1 or 2 presence, and again gives you speed and card advantage.

Basically, its one of the best ways to play a turn 2 for anything that runs green and is cognizant of what opponent is doing (i.e. everything but burn and RDW).

Sakura doesn't have the agro power, so it can't be used as a win condition realistically, and its delicious to drop a win condition turn 2 against a control deck that will have to waste something to take out a 2 drop that gives me mana.

Plus, this deck doesn't necessarily need to worry about the instant mana search sakura offers, as it runs 22 lands and 4 noble hierarch, so mana diversity or presence isn't really an issue that needs the immediate 2 drop sac off that sakura offers.

Cathedral sanctifier is in here for basically the same reason as it's text basically reads "prevent 3 damage and force opponent to lose 1 card and a tempo."

wall of blossoms isn't modern, but you could always run wall of omens which is exactly the same thing.

However, the point of steel wall is for a turn 1 drop that I can play with any mana that will save me from super fast agro decks. While this deck isn't really slow, as it's a control deck it has a weakness against rush agro, so steel wall buys me a couple turns to setup the control necessary to win. Because it has 4 life it can't be burned away with the small burn spells (lightning bolt etc) unless they attack in the same turn, which is basically what I want as it will make them waste material and let me stay alive. If they don't use a burn spell after attack damage, the wall will block one of their weenies every turn, buying me at least 3 more turns which this deck desperately needs.

Wall of Omens and wall of roots are 2 drops so they won't be able to handle the turn 1 goblin guide or monastery swiftspear that are staples in rush/burn decks.

It's all good. I know it looks stupid at first, but the wheel just keeps on spinning.

It has no answer to force of will, but statistically that puts you ahead. If opponent isn't running 4 copies, and doesn't get lucky enough to have material to sack off to it, you run right over him. Even if he does kill off a piece early in your wheel, he just lost 2 cards and most likely won't have enough material or mana base to stop the second time your wheel starts on the next turn, so it becomes a race to see who starts first on the second time.

Again, not fullproof, but if you go first you are almost certainly going to win.

There are also a few tactical combos that really help putting this deck over the top.

Demonic tutor into a black lotus if you don't need it to search for a wheel piece, which spends 2 mana to get you 3, so it guarantees you enough mana to play any piece of the wheel either this cycle or after you draw 7.

Black lotus for 3 black then demonic tutor for contract from below and use the black from lotus to wheel yourself a new hand.

Well, the point of this deck is to basically never give your opponent the chance to play anything. Because of the way the artifacts work as mana sources, contract from below and timetwister basically act like "draw 7 new cards and take another turn", which gives this deck 12 consistent and cheap cards that give you extra turns. Couple that with ancestral recall and demonic tutor and you are almost guaranteed to start the "wheel" mechanic turning, which continually draws more cards and gains more mana producers so you have enough to burn for 3 each cycle and then reset the whole thing.

The math plays out like this. Each time you draw 7, you have 29/60 possible mana sources, 23 of which can be played on the same turn. So, of the 7 cards you draw, give or take 3-4 of them will be mana producers you can drop which nets you extra mana to keep the combo rolling. The other 3-4 cards statistically work out to be something that propagates the wheel (twister, contract, time walk, recall, demonic tutor) which is a 20/60 chance so you get 2/7 cards to possibly keep going, and 10/60 or 1/7 burn cards to hit for 3 damage before you wheel away your hand and replenish it.

Because of the way the deck continuously replenishes card advantage, on average 3-4 times easily per turn (for a total of either 21 or 28 cards drawn), you will hit a time walk/time warp which untaps your mana producers and draws you a card, so you can cash out all the burn you have for that turn and then continue drawing next turn. This works extremely well with bump in the night once you have milled through about half your deck.

And, possibly most devastatingly, timetwister resets your grave, so the more you mill through with draw 7 cards, the more saturated your deck is with ways to continue the combo, making the last 9ish damage hit on 1 draw cycle.

Try the draw sample hand feature a few times and see what I mean. It doesn't work 100% of the time, but a good 80% it gets an FTK.

fulminator mage would be better especially with the potential mana problem in here, but I wouldn't run it unless your meta calls for it. As its a 3 drop you probably wont be using it to actually slow down the opponent too much with only a sided option, so the only reason to run it is to counter something specific.

they are different for each color, but ya like bloodmoon, snapcaster mage etc. unfortunately competitive magic is basically about who is willing to spend more, which is very annoying, especially since everyone net decks instead of trying to build something original or adapt a deck type yourself.