When Ikoria was released, I had Shark Typhoon as one of my "hates" (overrated cards) in my early evaluation of the set.

Whoopsie!

While I do still think the card is a bit overrated, there's no doubt that the uncounterable flying token maker has made waves across multiple formats. So much so, that fellow streamer and content creator Aspiringspike (Moughon Evart) has been tearing it up for the last few weeks by working it into a Azorius Stoneforge Mystic shell in Modern.

It makes a lot of sense, as the flying shark token serves a very similar purpose to what Squadron Hawk used to do in the old Standard deck. It flies, it wears a Sword of Whatever great, and it provides card advantage as well. If you thought flying sharks were unbelievable, wait until you see one holding a sword that's half on fire, half made of ice!

Shark Blade | Modern | aspiringspike

• Creatures (4)
• 4 Stoneforge Mystic

• Planeswalkers (5)
• 2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
• 3 Teferi, Time Raveler

• Instants (13)
• 2 Cryptic Command
• 2 Spell Snare
• 3 Force of Negation
• 3 Path to Exile
• 3 Remand

• Enchantments (11)
• 1 Detention Sphere
• 2 On Thin Ice
• 4 Shark Typhoon
• 4 Spreading Seas

• Artifacts (3)
• 1 Batterskull
• 1 Sword of Feast and Famine
• 1 Sword of Fire and Ice

• Lands (24)
• 2 Snow-Covered Plains
• 5 Snow-Covered Island
• 1 Hallowed Fountain
• 1 Mystic Gate
• 2 Castle Ardenvale
• 2 Field of Ruin
• 2 Glacial Fortress
• 2 Seachrome Coast
• 3 Prismatic Vista
• 4 Flooded Strand

• Sideboard (15)
• 4 Aether Gust
• 1 Celestial Purge
• 3 Ceremonious Rejection
• 2 Dovin's Veto
• 2 Narset, Parter of Veils
• 2 Rest in Peace
• 1 Teferi, Hero of Dominaria

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While it was overall a pretty decent run, I had a few concerns.

There was a bit of a clunk factor, as if we stumbled at all or missed any land drops, Shark Typhoon and Cryptic Command started to look really awkward. I think two or three copies of Shark Typhoon could easily serve our purposes, as you don't need to draw that many unless you're playing a hardcore control matchup. Cryptic Command can be a bit slow as well, especially without its usual partner in crime Mystic Sanctuary.

In fact, the mana base as a whole feels like it could use a little work as well, as we had multiple games where Castle Ardenvale or Glacial Fortress was gated by Seachrome Coast or Mystic Gate. A mana base with more fetches and a focus on basic lands, Hallowed Fountain, Prairie Stream, and one or two Mystic Sanctuaries would probably alleviate this.

Still, the deck was sweet and right in my wheelhouse. If you love Stoneforge Mystic and playing fair, this is a great place to start!