Another week, another augury into Modern. I’ve actually been testing the format a fair amount, getting together semi-regularly with recent Pro Tour Qualifier winner Kyle Duncan. We haven’t broken the format yet or anything, as I’ve largely been focusing on getting myself familiar with the more popular decks. Besides, the format is largely explored already. I’ve been figuring out how certain matchups play out, what the important cards are, and what each deck’s strengths and weaknesses are. As we come closer to Grand Prix Detroit, I’ll have a better idea of what I’ll be playing. At this point, I’m leaning toward Splinter Twin combo, though it’s for completely irrational reasons. Last Modern season, I lost first round to the same R/G Tron player in two consecutive Pro Tour Qualifiers and made a vow that I would stop playing decks that lose to Tron. I swear to Erebos, if I miss Day 2 in Detroit because of a R/G Tron deck, I’m going to flip the table.

I’ve compiled what the Magic Online metagame looks like using Daily Events and Premier Events dated August 23 to August 30. Take a look:

As I said last week, due to the fact that there are far fewer Modern events than Standard events, I’m forced to use Daily Event data. There’s only one Modern Premier Event per week, and one observation is nowhere near enough.

Comparing with last week, Affinity has gained a bit in popularity, taking the number-one spot in the metagame. Also becoming more popular are blue-based control decks, which I consider to be both R/W/U control as well as a couple copies of Cruel Ultimatum control decks that did decently well. There was a major drop in popularity in Deathrite Shaman midrange decks—its percentage in the metagame dropping to less than half of what it was before. I’m not sure what the cause of this is, but I’m willing to bet that the waning frequency of turn-two Liliana of the Veil is a factor in the success of blue control decks.

Speaking of which, let’s take a look at a couple examples of blue control.

"R/W/U Control by Wartico1"

• Creatures (3)
• 3 Snapcaster Mage

• Planeswalkers (1)
• 1 Ajani Vengeant

• Spells (30)
• 1 Shadow of Doubt
• 2 Lightning Helix
• 2 Spell Snare
• 2 Sphinx's Revelation
• 2 Think Twice
• 3 Electrolyze
• 3 Path to Exile
• 4 Cryptic Command
• 4 Lightning Bolt
• 4 Mana Leak
• 2 Hallowed Burial
• 1 Batterskull

• Lands (26)
• 1 Mountain
• 2 Plains
• 3 Island
• 1 Mystic Gate
• 1 Sacred Foundry
• 1 Sulfur Falls
• 2 Arid Mesa
• 2 Hallowed Fountain
• 2 Steam Vents
• 3 Tectonic Edge
• 4 Celestial Colonnade
• 4 Scalding Tarn

• Sideboard (15)
• 2 Celestial Purge
• 2 Counterflux
• 1 Crucible of Worlds
• 1 Engineered Explosives
• 3 Relic of Progenitus
• 1 Shadow of Doubt
• 1 Sowing Salt
• 1 Supreme Verdict
• 1 Tectonic Edge
• 1 Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
• 1 Wear // Tear

Buy This Deck

"Cruel Control by ShaSha"

• Creatures (4)
• 3 Snapcaster Mage
• 1 Vendilion Clique

• Spells (30)
• 1 Consume the Meek
• 1 Dismember
• 1 Magma Spray
• 1 Shadow of Doubt
• 1 Terminate
• 2 Mystical Teachings
• 2 Spell Snare
• 2 Think Twice
• 3 Electrolyze
• 3 Mana Leak
• 4 Cryptic Command
• 4 Lightning Bolt
• 1 Damnation
• 1 Pyroclasm
• 2 Cruel Ultimatum
• 1 Batterskull

• Lands (26)
• 1 Mountain
• 2 Island
• 1 Blood Crypt
• 1 Darkslick Shores
• 2 Blackcleave Cliffs
• 2 Misty Rainforest
• 2 Steam Vents
• 2 Sulfur Falls
• 2 Sunken Ruins
• 2 Watery Grave
• 4 Creeping Tar Pit
• 4 Scalding Tarn
• 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

• Sideboard (15)
• 1 Batterskull
• 2 Counterflux
• 1 Damnation
• 1 Devour Flesh
• 1 Dispel
• 1 Engineered Explosives
• 1 Rakdos Charm
• 2 Sowing Salt
• 1 Spellskite
• 2 Thoughtseize
• 2 Vendilion Clique

Buy This Deck

As much as I love Cruel Ultimatum, the deck playing Sphinx's Revelation is probably better. I’ve played a bunch of games with R/W/U control already, and I can’t say I’m a fan. It’s very good against Pod decks and other forms of combo, but man does it ever suck against Liliana of the Veil. Tron is no picnic either, even with Tectonic Edge. Still, if you’re dead-set on playing control, you at least have a couple options.

A blue deck I can get behind is one featuring Delver of Secrets. I have a fair bit of experience with the card in Modern, as I played it at Grand Prix Columbus and even Top 8’d a PTQ a while back. The deck has been slowly growing in popularity lately, and some versions have decided to incorporate Young Pyromancer, which is something I’m looking forward to trying out. The two main versions are straight U/R and R/U/G Delver, the latter of which splashes green for Tarmogoyf among other cards. Let’s take a peek:

"U/R Delver by qUaBaTcHiE "

• Creatures (15)
• 4 Delver of Secrets
• 4 Snapcaster Mage
• 4 Spellstutter Sprite
• 3 Vendilion Clique

• Spells (23)
• 2 Burst Lightning
• 2 Electrolyze
• 3 Spell Snare
• 4 Lightning Bolt
• 4 Magma Jet
• 4 Mana Leak
• 4 Remand

• Lands (22)
• 1 Mountain
• 4 Island
• 1 Faerie Conclave
• 1 Sulfur Falls
• 3 Steam Vents
• 4 Misty Rainforest
• 4 Mutavault
• 4 Scalding Tarn

• Sideboard (15)
• 2 Blood Moon
• 1 Combust
• 1 Dismember
• 2 Dispel
• 1 Flame Slash
• 4 Molten Rain
• 2 Shatterstorm
• 2 Threads of Disloyalty

Buy This Deck

"R/U/G Delver by Butakov"

• Creatures (18)
• 2 Huntmaster of the Fells
• 2 Scavenging Ooze
• 4 Delver of Secrets
• 4 Snapcaster Mage
• 4 Tarmogoyf
• 2 Vendilion Clique

• Spells (20)
• 1 Burst Lightning
• 3 Cryptic Command
• 3 Spell Snare
• 4 Lightning Bolt
• 4 Mana Leak
• 1 Sleight of Hand
• 4 Serum Visions

• Lands (22)
• 1 Forest
• 1 Mountain
• 7 Island
• 1 Stomping Ground
• 2 Breeding Pool
• 2 Steam Vents
• 4 Misty Rainforest
• 4 Scalding Tarn

• Sideboard (15)
• 2 Ancient Grudge
• 1 Back to Nature
• 3 Blood Moon
• 1 Cryptic Command
• 2 Electrolyze
• 2 Grim Lavamancer
• 2 Huntmaster of the Fells
• 2 Spell Pierce

Buy This Deck

Despite playing a lot of similar cards, these two decks differ in character by quite a bit. The U/R version is a tempo-based aggro-control deck, whereas the R/U/G version is more midrangey with its Huntmasters and whatnot. Considering that the latter was piloted by current Magic Online champion Dmitriy Butakov, I’d be lying if I said it didn’t at least pique my interest. I’d say that it’s a Vedalken Shackles or two away from being the perfect Big Nass lure. I do like that Butakov is playing a bunch of basic lands so that he can play Blood Moon in the sideboard. It’s not a hard lock against Tron, as that deck commonly plays Nature's Claim in its sideboard, and it can can always cast its Wurmcoil Engines and Karn, Liberateds the old-fashioned way. But Blood Moon does turn your Mana Leaks back on and can often buy you enough time to smash them to goo. With the rising popularity of Affinity, I’m a big fan of decks that can play Ancient Grudge in their sideboard.

I’m not totally sold on Butakov’s deck yet—or any Delver deck for that matter—but it is near the top of my list of decks to try out.

The last deck I want to examine is what I call Vengeant Jund. It’s basically a Jund deck that splashes white for Ajani Vengeant and Lingering Souls. Carlos Alexandre, better known as _Batutinha_, has been playing it for a while now, and he consistently does well in every Magic Online Modern tournament. He’s a true MTGO ringer, and whenever he sticks with the same deck for an extended period of time, I tend to take notice. Here’s his most recent list:

"Vengeant Jund by _Batutinha_"

• Creatures (12)
• 4 Dark Confidant
• 4 Deathrite Shaman
• 4 Tarmogoyf

• Planeswalkers (8)
• 2 Ajani Vengeant
• 2 Garruk Relentless
• 4 Liliana of the Veil

• Spells (16)
• 2 Abrupt Decay
• 4 Lightning Bolt
• 2 Inquisition of Kozilek
• 2 Maelstrom Pulse
• 3 Lingering Souls
• 3 Thoughtseize

• Lands (24)
• 1 Forest
• 1 Plains
• 1 Swamp
• 1 Arid Mesa
• 1 Blood Crypt
• 1 Godless Shrine
• 1 Overgrown Tomb
• 1 Stomping Ground
• 1 Temple Garden
• 3 Blackcleave Cliffs
• 4 Marsh Flats
• 4 Raging Ravine
• 4 Verdant Catacombs

• Sideboard (15)
• 1 Abrupt Decay
• 1 Batterskull
• 3 Fulminator Mage
• 2 Grafdigger's Cage
• 2 Jund Charm
• 2 Obstinate Baloth
• 3 Stony Silence
• 1 Thoughtseize

Buy This Deck

This deck plays so many sweet cards that I don’t even know where to begin. You have a ton of spot removal against decks like Affinity, including two different planeswalkers that are capable of picking off troublesome creatures. You have amazing anti-control cards, such as Liliana of the Veil, Thoughtseize, and Dark Confidant. Against Tron, Ajani Vengeant can do some work, and you have access to both Fulminator Mage and Stony Silence in the sideboard. And last but not least, Lingering Souls gives you an edge against opposing Lilianas while being a very solid card in almost any situation. You even get to side in Obstinate Baloth to make your opponent’s Lilianas even worse.

The fact that this deck has answers for almost everything isn’t surprising given that it’s four colors. That’s both the deck’s greatest strength and its greatest weakness. Sometimes, you just won’t have the right lands in play. That weakness is mitigated a great deal by the nine fetch lands and the Deathrite Shamans, but it isn’t eliminated entirely. The deck also damages itself more than other decks playing Dark Confidant due to the higher curve and the greater reliance on shock lands. Again, Deathrite Shaman is here to save the day, gaining you life when you need it. Ajani Vengeant helps out here as well. Beginning to see a pattern? This deck leans a lot on its Deathrite Shamans, so you will sometimes lose if you keep a sketchy hand and your opponent kills your Elf right away.

Despite all of that, I can’t argue with Alexandre’s consistent results, and I can’t wait to jam a bunch of games with it for myself.

I’ll be back next week with more Modern talk, and I hope I’ll have narrowed down what I’m playing in Detroit by then.

Until next time,

Nassim Ketita

arcticninja on Magic Online

http://www.youtube.com/nketita