Eric Chan's Modern cube (405)
- Thread starter Eric Chan
- Start date
Chris Taylor
Contributor
Okay I'm super late here, but I run triple volcanic hammer and only incinerate in the instant speed versions of it (because that art is so damn sexy)
Sorcery speed removal is super insteresting
Sorcery speed removal is super insteresting
Preach it!
I mostly like sorcery speed spells because they force the player to commit. No holding up mana until the best possible moment - either put your money down now, or wait an entire turn before you get another chance. For the same reason, I love the level up mechanic and the interesting tension it creates. Not everything is better when it's instant speed (even if it may be more powerful).
Some removal needs to remain instant speed, because otherwise Mutavault and Creeping Tar Pit can be too annoying. But a good mix of spells at different speeds makes for the best environment, I find.
I mostly like sorcery speed spells because they force the player to commit. No holding up mana until the best possible moment - either put your money down now, or wait an entire turn before you get another chance. For the same reason, I love the level up mechanic and the interesting tension it creates. Not everything is better when it's instant speed (even if it may be more powerful).
Some removal needs to remain instant speed, because otherwise Mutavault and Creeping Tar Pit can be too annoying. But a good mix of spells at different speeds makes for the best environment, I find.
Chris Taylor
Contributor
Well or molten rain as removal 
For a variety of reasons, no 3-0 deck emerged last night. But I thought I'd still post my list cause even though it wasn't good by any definition of the word, it was fun!
My favourite play of the night:
On turn one, my BUG opponent runs out his Deathrite Shaman on the play, conveniently dodging my Inquisition, Thoughtseize, and Eyeblight's Ending (!), all of which are in my opener. As the game goes on, I stare helplessly at it as my hand fills up with fatties which I can't bin. When he hits five mana, he taps out for a green four drop, leaving only Watery Grave up. Seeing a narrow opportunity, I use my Merfolk Looter, toss out a Massacre Wurm, and immediately Dread Return it to wipe away his annoying elf.
The rest of the game is then spent discarding and reanimating seven mana creatures.
Shenanigan City (it's next to Value Town)
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My favourite play of the night:
On turn one, my BUG opponent runs out his Deathrite Shaman on the play, conveniently dodging my Inquisition, Thoughtseize, and Eyeblight's Ending (!), all of which are in my opener. As the game goes on, I stare helplessly at it as my hand fills up with fatties which I can't bin. When he hits five mana, he taps out for a green four drop, leaving only Watery Grave up. Seeing a narrow opportunity, I use my Merfolk Looter, toss out a Massacre Wurm, and immediately Dread Return it to wipe away his annoying elf.
The rest of the game is then spent discarding and reanimating seven mana creatures.
Is that not too many finishers?
I'm.. not sure. I've run this style of BUG reanimator deck with six finishers before, and that was probably a hair too many. I think the ideal mixture would be four reanimation spells and around five fatties. In this case, since all of my finishers were hardcastable, I could at least reasonably switch to the Plan B of being a mediocre ramp deck.
With no ramp?
There's totally a Sylvan Caryatid in there.
(That I didn't draw once all night, but that's beside the point.)
(That I didn't draw once all night, but that's beside the point.)
Plan B is hard-casting 7-drops on Turn 9? I hope I'm never in need of a morning-after pill.
Then you don't even want to hear about my Plan C: Wait eleven turns until I hit eight mana, cast Profane Command targeting Massacre Wurm.
My opponent shows me the Delay.
I show him one specific finger on each hand.
My opponent shows me the Delay.
I show him one specific finger on each hand.
I've updated the first post in this thread to keep a running tally of the winning decklists here, week in week out. Part of it is to preserve them for posterity and bragging rights, so the winners can look back on the draft they crushed. The other motive is to let newcomers to my draft group get a sense of what's generally playable in my cube. (No, RDW is not the best deck, and blue control is not automatically going to be overpowered).
My Shenanigan City deck was way zanier and more full of barely combos! This is it's Russian sister city at best!
FlowerSunRain
Contributor
Cool idea. I'd do it to but I never remember to record these things. Ever.
So basically, play Black in your cube?
Control can't seem to buy a win in my cube, so I think it's time. I need to break the glass, because we have a bona fide emergency.
Some more removal...
A staple control finisher...
And planeswalkers. Allll the planeswalkers.
I'm up to eighteen in my 380 now, which is nearly a full 5% of my cube (!). But like I said, this is a state of emergency - I have to use some blunt instruments, even if it'll leave a mess behind.
I dunno. Anyone have suggestions for a subtler approach?
Some more removal...
A staple control finisher...
And planeswalkers. Allll the planeswalkers.
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I'm up to eighteen in my 380 now, which is nearly a full 5% of my cube (!). But like I said, this is a state of emergency - I have to use some blunt instruments, even if it'll leave a mess behind.
I dunno. Anyone have suggestions for a subtler approach?
Chris Taylor
Contributor
Thats all well and good mate, but...
doom blade? give it a try?
doom blade? give it a try?
Elspeth, Knight Errant, Vedalken Shackles, Batterskull, and Wurmcoil should be enough to make aggro close to unplayable. Timely Reinforcements if you really want to go HAM.
Is Ultimate Price really that much worse? My multicolour section is pretty small as it is, and I'd wager a guess that they miss roughly the same number of targets.
Deathrite Shaman dodges both, anyways.
Go for the Throat?
Elspeth is super playable in aggro. There's a reason they play it in Modern Tribal Flames.
You could run some of the Modern-frame Brainstorms...
Elspeth is super playable in aggro. There's a reason they play it in Modern Tribal Flames.
You could run some of the Modern-frame Brainstorms...
Perhaps give blue some more 'walls' in the 2 slot?
ludevic's test subject
Omen speaker
But you probably do need some more cheaper removal. oust
Journey to nowhere
Faith's fetters
ludevic's test subject
Omen speaker
But you probably do need some more cheaper removal. oust
Journey to nowhere
Faith's fetters
Chris Taylor
Contributor
I was more saying over eyeblight's ending
Also I've never realy found Oona that great (except the one game where he also had mirari's wake, but that description alone makes it kind of a wash.
Keep us posted on how she does