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  • We Buy

Anything Is Possible: Modern In (Rogue) Review

Dan Barrett
4/24/12
#Modern 
  •  

Think of a card any card.

A Magic card I mean. Not the Queen of Hearts or Team Rocket's Charizard.

That was printed in the last eight years to be precise.

And most importantly—that you absolutely loved playing in Constructed. Every time you cast it was like waking up on Christmas day as a small child and seeing a huge sack of presents at the end of your bed.

Got one?

Write it down along with a couple of close runners up.

Now post this on the Facebook wall of your five best friends scroll down...

...

…

…

So here's the deal: Wizards of the Coast have given us a format called Modern. And while it might at first glance appear to be largely filled with Jund Tron Affinity Melira Pod and Twin Combo decks...

... It's also the place where you can play those cards you just wrote down.

The cards that you love.

I'm not joking!

Modern is quite possibly the most wonderfully diverse format I've played since I started with tournament Magic way back in mid-2007. No deck takes up more than about 10% of the meta and during the Swiss portion of a PTQ it's likely you'll play against X-1 different archetypes where X is the number of Swiss rounds.

There's more to it than just this diversity though; often in Standard you'll play against a range of different decks at an event but some of them while cute and fun for the pilot are just bad and will never win anything. This isn't necessarily the case in Modern. While there's a strong argument that you should just always do the most powerful (and usually linear) thing you can do given the card pool if this season's results are anything to go by this is not strictly necessary if you want to succeed at both earning match points and having fun in your next event.

Thus we move on to the decklists. The following all earned themselves a "place" finish in a Modern tournament of note mostly PTQs in the last four months. Some of them even won blue envelopes. All are a fair way "off the radar" and certainly wouldn't have been in your Modern gauntlet if you take the whole "testing" thing seriously.

They probably aren't quite as good in a vacuum as your Junds Trons and Affinities but they will offer the element of surprise and your opponent may not have a good plan or sideboard cards for you. Besides if you were attracted to read this article by the words "rogue" and "decklists" you're probably well-versed in taking such risks right?

Most importantly though they offer the chance to play with some of your favorite cards from yesteryear without having to play a deck that has no chance to win. Now is an especially good time to do so as while PTQ season might be over Modern events are still being run in stores and alongside GPs (case in point: 300 Euro Modern championship on Sunday at GP Manchester) which may be a slightly less-intense environment to try something a little different.

The decks have been sorted into very broad and hand-wavy archetypes so you can skip straight to the section that suits your play style/type of pet card best. Some of the classifications you may not completely agree with (or are just plain wrong) but if that's going to cause problems I invite you to wade through over 800 decklists to find the diamonds in the rough yourself! ;)

Control

Decks that usually kill/stop/trade with lots of things and take ages to win.

Grixis Control

For lovers of: Cruel Ultimatum Cryptic Command Sorin Markov

Grixis Control
Zaiem Beg
3rd Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 2/26/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (8)

  • 4 Snapcaster Mage
  • 1 Trinket Mage
  • 3 Vendilion Clique

Planeswalkers (1)

  • 1 Sorin Markov

Lands (26)

  • 2 Island
  • 1 Mountain
  • 1 Swamp
  • 1 Blood Crypt
  • 2 Cascade Bluffs
  • 2 Creeping Tar Pit
  • 2 Darkslick Shores
  • 2 Misty Rainforest
  • 1 Reflecting Pool
  • 4 Scalding Tarn
  • 2 Steam Vents
  • 1 Sunken Ruins
  • 2 Verdant Catacombs
  • 3 Watery Grave

Spells (25)

  • 2 Coalition Relic
  • 1 Engineered Explosives
  • 1 Pithing Needle
  • 1 Relic of Progenitus
  • 4 Cryptic Command
  • 2 Electrolyze
  • 1 Jace's Ingenuity
  • 1 Lightning Bolt
  • 1 Repeal
  • 2 Spell Snare
  • 2 Terminate
  • 2 Volcanic Fallout
  • 2 Cruel Ultimatum
  • 3 Inquisition of Kozilek

    Sideboard

  • 2 Grafdigger's Cage
  • 1 Wurmcoil Engine
  • 3 Goblin Ruinblaster
  • 3 Extirpate
  • 1 Mindbreak Trap
  • 1 Damnation
  • 2 Shatterstorm
  • 2 Thoughtseize
 
 


Who would've thought Jace's Ingenuity was Modern playable? Zaiem Beg wasn't afraid to give it a go; his deck also featured a singleton Sorin Markov miniature Trinket Mage suite and the two Cruel Ultimatum to finish. A more ambitious (Vivid Land!) mana base could allow this deck to stretch into white for Esper Charm and alternative removal options.

U/B Teachings

For lovers of: Mystical Teachings Skinrender Creeping Tar Pit

Mystical Teachings
suzume
26th Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 2/26/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (9)

  • 1 Grave Titan
  • 2 Skinrender
  • 4 Snapcaster Mage
  • 2 Vendilion Clique

Lands (26)

  • 2 Island
  • 4 Swamp
  • 4 Creeping Tar Pit
  • 4 Darkslick Shores
  • 2 Misty Rainforest
  • 1 Mutavault
  • 1 Reflecting Pool
  • 2 Sunken Ruins
  • 3 Tectonic Edge
  • 1 Verdant Catacombs
  • 2 Watery Grave

Spells (25)

  • 1 Consume the Meek
  • 3 Cryptic Command
  • 2 Disfigure
  • 1 Doom Blade
  • 1 Geth's Verdict
  • 1 Go for the Throat
  • 2 Mana Leak
  • 3 Mystical Teachings
  • 1 Pact of Negation
  • 2 Remand
  • 1 Smother
  • 2 Spell Snare
  • 1 Tribute to Hunger
  • 1 Black Sun's Zenith
  • 2 Inquisition of Kozilek
  • 1 Thoughtseize

    Sideboard

  • 1 Wurmcoil Engine
  • 2 Bloodline Keeper
  • 2 Curse of Death's Hold
  • 1 Disfigure
  • 1 Into the Roil
  • 1 Negate
  • 1 Surgical Extraction
  • 1 Vendilion Clique
  • 1 Duress
  • 2 Inquisition of Kozilek
  • 2 Thoughtseize
 
 


When Modern was announced many people were excited to play Mystical Teachings again (usually in Esper colors) but it quickly fell out of favor. Suzume revives the archetype in a straight two-color deck with some interesting card choices including a pair of Skinrender and a split of Mana Leak and Remand where most players would opt for the full set of Leaks. I'd be tempted to squeeze a Teferi Mage of Zhalfir in somewhere and add an Academy Ruins to the mana base to recur sideboard options such as Engineered Explosives and Wurmcoil Engine.

U/W Control

For lovers of: Wall of Omens Wrath of God Sun Titan

U/W Control
JB2002
9th Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 2/5/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (14)

  • 4 Kitchen Finks
  • 3 Sun Titan
  • 4 Wall of Omens
  • 3 Vendilion Clique

Planeswalkers (1)

  • 1 Jace Beleren

Lands (26)

  • 4 Island
  • 4 Plains
  • 4 Celestial Colonnade
  • 4 Glacial Fortress
  • 4 Mystic Gate
  • 2 Seachrome Coast
  • 4 Tectonic Edge

Spells (19)

  • 3 Oblivion Ring
  • 4 Cryptic Command
  • 3 Mana Leak
  • 4 Path to Exile
  • 2 Spell Snare
  • 3 Wrath of God

    Sideboard

  • 1 Damping Matrix
  • 2 Ratchet Bomb
  • 3 Threads of Disloyalty
  • 1 Celestial Purge
  • 2 Disenchant
  • 1 Dismember
  • 2 Mindbreak Trap
  • 1 Surgical Extraction
  • 1 Linvala, Keeper of Silence
  • 1 Jace Beleren
 
 


A classic control deck from JB2002 who chooses Wall of Omens and Sun Titan over the Squadron Hawk plus Swords plan the more prevalent Caw-Blade decks have been using. Threads of Disloyalty and Ratchet Bomb from the sideboard in combination with the Sun Titan's maindeck seem like this deck would be nigh unbeatable against aggro. Where's the Baneslayer though? :(

Next Level Blue

For lovers of: Engineered Explosives for four Ajani Vengeant Desperate Ravings

Next Level Blue
Sam Turner-Lynch
4th Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 1/15/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (13)

  • 3 Kitchen Finks
  • 4 Snapcaster Mage
  • 4 Tarmogoyf
  • 2 Thrun, the Last Troll

Planeswalkers (2)

  • 2 Ajani Vengeant

Lands (25)

  • 2 Forest
  • 3 Island
  • 1 Mountain
  • 2 Breeding Pool
  • 1 Flooded Grove
  • 2 Hallowed Fountain
  • 2 Hinterland Harbor
  • 4 Misty Rainforest
  • 4 Scalding Tarn
  • 1 Steam Vents
  • 1 Stomping Ground
  • 1 Treetop Village
  • 1 Academy Ruins

Spells (20)

  • 2 Engineered Explosives
  • 4 Cryptic Command
  • 4 Desperate Ravings
  • 4 Lightning Bolt
  • 2 Path to Exile
  • 4 Spell Snare

    Sideboard

  • 2 Obstinate Baloth
  • 4 Ancient Grudge
  • 2 Nature's Claim
  • 2 Spell Pierce
  • 2 Volcanic Fallout
  • 3 Vendilion Clique
 
 


A spicy one here from Sam Turner-Lynch; I did not expect to see Desperate Ravings outside of a (quite unusual) Storm deck in Modern! Going the full four colors does prevent you from using any manlands though; it may be possible to trim it back down to just RUG and have a Raging Ravine or two in there. Possibly a great home for Huntmaster of the Fells too.

Demigod Control

For lovers of: Demigod of Revenge Forbidden Alchemy Rune Snag

Demigod Control
Truckis
32nd Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 1/22/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (8)

  • 4 Demigod of Revenge
  • 4 Snapcaster Mage

Planeswalkers (4)

  • 4 Liliana of the Veil

Lands (26)

  • 2 Island
  • 2 Swamp
  • 4 Creeping Tar Pit
  • 4 Darkslick Shores
  • 4 Drowned Catacomb
  • 4 River of Tears
  • 4 Sunken Ruins
  • 2 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

Spells (22)

  • 4 Cryptic Command
  • 4 Forbidden Alchemy
  • 4 Rune Snag
  • 4 Spell Snare
  • 2 Damnation
  • 4 Inquisition of Kozilek

    Sideboard

  • 2 Batterskull
  • 2 Nihil Spellbomb
  • 2 Disfigure
  • 2 Doom Blade
  • 2 Negate
  • 2 Surgical Extraction
  • 2 Vendilion Clique
  • 1 Damnation
 
 


Truckis barely squeaked onto the decklist page for this Magic Online PTQ with something vaguely reminiscent of Nick Spagnolo's U/R Demigod deck from pre-Modern Extended. Forbidden Alchemy serves double duty here both drawing cards and getting Demigods in the bin to return later. Winning a game after getting Surgical Extraction cast against you must be pretty rough though.

Coalition Control

For lovers of: Lauren Lee Mulldrifter Coalition Relic Gifts Ungiven for value

Coalition Control
Doug Linn
8th Place at Miscellaneous on 1/15/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (11)

  • 1 Wurmcoil Engine
  • 2 Mulldrifter
  • 2 Shriekmaw
  • 3 Snapcaster Mage
  • 1 Withered Wretch
  • 1 Godo, Bandit Warlord
  • 1 Vendilion Clique

Lands (25)

  • 1 Forest
  • 1 Swamp
  • 2 Blood Crypt
  • 1 Breeding Pool
  • 1 City of Brass
  • 1 Darkslick Shores
  • 1 Dragonskull Summit
  • 2 Flooded Grove
  • 1 Graven Cairns
  • 1 Rakdos Carnarium
  • 3 Reflecting Pool
  • 2 Sunken Ruins
  • 1 Twilight Mire
  • 1 Urza's Factory
  • 4 Verdant Catacombs
  • 2 Watery Grave

Spells (22)

  • 1 Batterskull
  • 4 Coalition Relic
  • 1 Doom Blade
  • 3 Gifts Ungiven
  • 4 Lightning Bolt
  • 3 Mana Leak
  • 1 Cruel Ultimatum
  • 1 Damnation
  • 1 Firespout
  • 1 Life from the Loam
  • 1 Maelstrom Pulse
  • 1 Raven's Crime

    Sideboard

  • 1 Nihil Spellbomb
  • 1 Venser's Journal
  • 1 Obstinate Baloth
  • 4 Tarmogoyf
  • 1 Seal of Primordium
  • 1 Ancient Grudge
  • 1 Flashfreeze
  • 1 Nature's Claim
  • 1 Negate
  • 1 Slay
  • 1 Creeping Corrosion
  • 1 Firespout
 
 


Doug Linn made Top 8 at a $500 "Modern Warfare" tournament with this U/B/R/g control deck held together by the mana fixing and acceleration provided by a full set of Coalition Relic. The Venser's Journal and four Tarmogoyf in the sideboard are beautiful though with a decent creature count I'd be quite tempted to try a Soul Manipulation somewhere. I'm a total sucker for that card by the way.

Four-Color Bloodbraid Control

For lovers of: Bant Charm Glen Elendra Archmage non-aggro non-combo Bloodbraid Elf

Four-Color Bloodbraid Control
Henry Romero
8th Place at Miscellaneous on 1/8/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (18)

  • 4 Bloodbraid Elf
  • 2 Glen Elendra Archmage
  • 4 Kitchen Finks
  • 4 Lotus Cobra
  • 4 Noble Hierarch

Planeswalkers (8)

  • 3 Ajani Vengeant
  • 2 Garruk Wildspeaker
  • 3 Jace Beleren

Lands (23)

  • 1 Forest
  • 1 Island
  • 1 Plains
  • 2 Arid Mesa
  • 2 Breeding Pool
  • 2 Hallowed Fountain
  • 1 Hinterland Harbor
  • 4 Misty Rainforest
  • 1 Raging Ravine
  • 2 Sacred Foundry
  • 2 Scalding Tarn
  • 1 Steam Vents
  • 1 Stomping Ground
  • 1 Temple Garden
  • 1 Verdant Catacombs

Spells (11)

  • 3 Bant Charm
  • 4 Lightning Bolt
  • 4 Lightning Helix

    Sideboard

  • 1 Obstinate Baloth
  • 3 Qasali Pridemage
  • 2 Threads of Disloyalty
  • 1 Ancient Grudge
  • 4 Mindbreak Trap
  • 2 Vendilion Clique
 
 


Henry Romero offers this fun planeswalker-filled and more green than black take on the old "Four-Color Blood" decks less the Cryptic Commands. Bloodbraid Elf into Jace Beleren is more value than you can shake a stick at and is even possible on turn 3! These days though I don't think the full complement of Mindbreak Trap is necessary in the sideboard as Storm isn't as big as it was earlier in the year.

Super Friends

For lovers of: Elspeth Knight Errant Gideon Jura Plumeveil

Super Friends
Daniel Levy
16th Place at Miscellaneous on 8/14/2011
Modern
 

Creatures (6)

  • 2 Plumeveil
  • 4 Wall of Omens

Planeswalkers (13)

  • 2 Ajani Vengeant
  • 3 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
  • 2 Gideon Jura
  • 4 Jace Beleren
  • 1 Karn Liberated
  • 1 Venser, the Sojourner

Lands (25)

  • 4 Island
  • 2 Mountain
  • 4 Plains
  • 1 Adarkar Wastes
  • 2 Arid Mesa
  • 1 Battlefield Forge
  • 3 Celestial Colonnade
  • 2 Glacial Fortress
  • 1 Hallowed Fountain
  • 2 Nimbus Maze
  • 2 Scalding Tarn
  • 1 Steam Vents

Spells (16)

  • 4 Mana Leak
  • 4 Path to Exile
  • 2 Day of Judgment
  • 2 Ponder
  • 4 Preordain

    Sideboard

  • 3 Spellskite
  • 1 Plumeveil
  • 2 Oblivion Ring
  • 2 Cryptic Command
  • 2 Disenchant
  • 3 Flashfreeze
  • 1 Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
  • 1 Day of Judgment
 
 


Obviously Daniel Levy's deck needs some changes (this list has some cards that are now banned in it) but I find it hard not to love this kind of deck (I qualified for Nationals with it when it was Standard legal didn't you know?). Any time you have more than one planeswalker on the board at the beginning of your turn you feel invincible though the combo matchups are probably quite rough.

Aggro

Turn all your creatures sideways…

YOU'RE IN THE RED ZONE!

YEAAAAAH!

*guitar solo*

*fireworks*

*F18 Squadron flyby*

Worth noting here: many of these decks would be significantly less viable if Wild Nacatl was still legal and traditional Zoo was the clearly best aggressive deck. Great banning IMO.

Four-Color Infect

For lovers of: Blighted Agent Plague Stinger Might of Old Krosa

Infect
Black_Generation
10th Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 3/25/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (16)

  • 4 Blighted Agent
  • 4 Glistener Elf
  • 4 Plague Stinger
  • 4 Simian Spirit Guide

Lands (18)

  • 2 Breeding Pool
  • 4 City of Brass
  • 3 Gemstone Mine
  • 3 Inkmoth Nexus
  • 1 Overgrown Tomb
  • 3 Verdant Catacombs
  • 2 Pendelhaven

Spells (26)

  • 1 Apostle's Blessing
  • 3 Dismember
  • 4 Groundswell
  • 4 Might of Old Krosa
  • 4 Mutagenic Growth
  • 3 Vines of Vastwood
  • 4 Assault Strobe
  • 3 Sleight of Hand

    Sideboard

  • 4 Phyrexian Crusader
  • 2 Darkblast
  • 1 Doom Blade
  • 4 Nature's Claim
  • 3 Spell Pierce
  • 1 Swamp
 
 


Black_Generation's Infect is almost a combo deck with the combo being an unblocked attacker a couple of cheap pump spells and praying your opponent doesn't have a removal spell. Simian Spirit Guide can speed you up by a turn though I'm not sure if Serum Visions is better than Sleight of Hand in the digging/card-filtering slots. Remember the Swamp whenever you bring in Phyrexian Crusader.

Bant Aggro

For lovers of: Noble Hierarch Knight of the Reliquary Geist of Saint Traft

Bant Aggro
Jeff_Stewart
14th Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 3/18/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (27)

  • 4 Birds of Paradise
  • 2 Kitchen Finks
  • 4 Knight of the Reliquary
  • 4 Noble Hierarch
  • 4 Qasali Pridemage
  • 3 Strangleroot Geist
  • 1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
  • 4 Geist of Saint Traft
  • 1 Iona, Shield of Emeria

Lands (24)

  • 3 Forest
  • 1 Island
  • 1 Plains
  • 1 Bojuka Bog
  • 1 Breeding Pool
  • 1 Celestial Colonnade
  • 4 Misty Rainforest
  • 1 Overgrown Tomb
  • 1 Sejiri Steppe
  • 1 Stirring Wildwood
  • 1 Stomping Ground
  • 1 Tectonic Edge
  • 2 Temple Garden
  • 1 Vault of the Archangel
  • 4 Verdant Catacombs

Spells (9)

  • 4 Gifts Ungiven
  • 3 Path to Exile
  • 2 Unburial Rites

    Sideboard

  • 1 Grafdigger's Cage
  • 1 Thorn of Amethyst
  • 1 Torpor Orb
  • 1 Ethersworn Canonist
  • 1 Wurmcoil Engine
  • 1 Aven Mindcensor
  • 1 Mirran Crusader
  • 1 Realm Razer
  • 1 Leyline of Sanctity
  • 1 Rule of Law
  • 4 Ancient Grudge
  • 1 Ray of Revelation
 
 


Jeff_Stewart made a Top 16 online with this list which has the full four Geist of Saint Traft (a deadly proposition cast turn 2 off a Noble Hierarch) and devotes eight slots to a Gifts/Rites package with Iona and Elesh Norn. It's a change from the Sovereigns of Lost Alara / Eldrazi Conscription these decks usually play I guess and it must be a beating against Tron thanks to Realm Razer in the board.

Mono-White Puresteel

For lovers of: Puresteel Paladin Mortarpod Flickerwisp

White Weenie
jrk264
25th Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 3/18/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (18)

  • 4 Aven Mindcensor
  • 4 Flickerwisp
  • 4 Leonin Arbiter
  • 4 Puresteel Paladin
  • 2 Mangara of Corondor

Lands (23)

  • 13 Plains
  • 4 Ghost Quarter
  • 4 Horizon Canopy
  • 2 Tectonic Edge

Spells (15)

  • 4 Flayer Husk
  • 1 Mask of Memory
  • 4 Mortarpod
  • 1 Specter's Shroud
  • 4 Path to Exile
  • 1 Steelshaper's Gift

    Sideboard

  • 2 Relic of Progenitus
  • 1 Sword of Fire and Ice
  • 1 Sword of Light and Shadow
  • 1 Sylvok Lifestaff
  • 4 Ethersworn Canonist
  • 4 Jotun Grunt
  • 2 Disenchant
 
 


Mask of Memory?! Specter's Shroud?! I'm not going to lie; I'd never seen those cards before I came upon jrk264's list. This looks fun though when you get the Paladin going and the rest of the deck is very Death and Taxes like with Mangara / Flickerwisp and Ghost Quarter / Tectonic Edge in combination with Aven Mindcensor and Leonin Arbiter to constrain your opponent's mana. Ignoring the two Swords in the board it's also extremely budget friendly.

G/W Aggro

For lovers of: Vengevine and Squadron Hawk in the same deck Fauna Shaman

G/W Aggro
Brad Ruxton
8th Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 3/11/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (28)

  • 4 Fauna Shaman
  • 4 Kitchen Finks
  • 4 Knight of the Reliquary
  • 4 Noble Hierarch
  • 1 Qasali Pridemage
  • 4 Squadron Hawk
  • 4 Vengevine
  • 1 Gaddock Teeg
  • 1 Linvala, Keeper of Silence
  • 1 Thrun, the Last Troll

Lands (24)

  • 4 Forest
  • 2 Plains
  • 1 Ghost Quarter
  • 1 Horizon Canopy
  • 1 Marsh Flats
  • 3 Misty Rainforest
  • 1 Sejiri Steppe
  • 2 Sunpetal Grove
  • 3 Tectonic Edge
  • 4 Temple Garden
  • 2 Treetop Village

Spells (8)

  • 1 Mortarpod
  • 1 Sword of Feast and Famine
  • 1 Sword of War and Peace
  • 4 Path to Exile
  • 1 Steelshaper's Gift

    Sideboard

  • 2 Obstinate Baloth
  • 1 Qasali Pridemage
  • 2 Disenchant
  • 2 Surgical Extraction
  • 2 Gaddock Teeg
  • 3 Kataki, War's Wage
  • 2 Linvala, Keeper of Silence
  • 1 Ghost Quarter
 
 


No nonsense here from Brad Ruxton just some solid aggressive creatures a small and sensible set of bullets to Tutor for with Fauna Shaman and a Steelshaper's Gift to effectively give two copies of the three equipment. I'm not sure if the second (highly unexpected) Sejiri Steppe or an Arena in the sideboard would be too greedy but that's the kind of thing I'd do. Where's Thalia by the way?

Doran

For lovers of: Treefolk Harbinger for Doran the Siege Tower

Doran
Tyke Pope
2nd Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 3/4/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (23)

  • 1 Kitchen Finks
  • 4 Knight of the Reliquary
  • 4 Noble Hierarch
  • 4 Qasali Pridemage
  • 4 Tarmogoyf
  • 3 Treefolk Harbinger
  • 3 Doran, the Siege Tower

Planeswalkers (1)

  • 1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant

Lands (23)

  • 2 Forest
  • 1 Plains
  • 1 Swamp
  • 1 Godless Shrine
  • 2 Horizon Canopy
  • 4 Marsh Flats
  • 2 Murmuring Bosk
  • 2 Overgrown Tomb
  • 1 Stirring Wildwood
  • 1 Temple Garden
  • 2 Treetop Village
  • 4 Verdant Catacombs

Spells (13)

  • 3 Path to Exile
  • 1 Slaughter Pact
  • 2 Zealous Persecution
  • 3 Inquisition of Kozilek
  • 2 Maelstrom Pulse
  • 1 Thoughtseize
  • 1 Nameless Inversion

    Sideboard

  • 2 Nihil Spellbomb
  • 3 Kitchen Finks
  • 1 Reveillark
  • 2 Rule of Law
  • 1 Slaughter Pact
  • 1 Zealous Persecution
  • 2 Creeping Corrosion
  • 2 Thoughtseize
  • 1 Bojuka Bog
 
 


A loss in the finals for Tyke Pope with this list quite possibly inspired by Kibler and friends' Treehouse deck from PT Amsterdam. I'd be interested to know why he chose only three Doran and Harbinger though as it seems like you'd want the full four of the cards that enable your best draws.

Boros

For lovers of: Plated Geopede Steppe Lynx Figure of Destiny

Boros
Scott Hoppe
4th Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 2/26/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (22)

  • 3 Figure of Destiny
  • 1 Goblin Bushwhacker
  • 4 Goblin Guide
  • 4 Grim Lavamancer
  • 4 Plated Geopede
  • 2 Ranger of Eos
  • 4 Steppe Lynx

Planeswalkers (2)

  • 2 Elspeth, Knight-Errant

Lands (23)

  • 4 Mountain
  • 2 Plains
  • 4 Arid Mesa
  • 2 Boros Garrison
  • 4 Marsh Flats
  • 3 Sacred Foundry
  • 4 Scalding Tarn

Spells (13)

  • 1 Oblivion Ring
  • 4 Lightning Bolt
  • 4 Lightning Helix
  • 4 Path to Exile

    Sideboard

  • 2 Relic of Progenitus
  • 3 Shrine of Burning Rage
  • 4 Blood Moon
  • 3 Disenchant
  • 3 Volcanic Fallout
 
 


Brozek-style Boros from Scott Hoppe who uses Boros Garrison to provide repeated landfall rather than the more all-in Flagstones of Trokair / Ghost Quarter mana base we've seen in the past. Figure of Destiny Grim Lavamancer and Elspeth Knight-Errant give long game potential.

R/W/B Aggro

RWB Aggro
Steven Bruce
8th Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 2/26/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (12)

  • 4 Tidehollow Sculler
  • 4 Dark Confidant
  • 4 Kitchen Finks

Planeswalkers (3)

  • 3 Liliana of the Veil

Lands (23)

  • 3 Plains
  • 2 Swamp
  • 3 Arid Mesa
  • 2 Blackcleave Cliffs
  • 1 Blood Crypt
  • 2 Fetid Heath
  • 2 Godless Shrine
  • 4 Lavaclaw Reaches
  • 2 Marsh Flats
  • 1 Sacred Foundry
  • 1 Kher Keep

Spells (22)

  • 2 Engineered Explosives
  • 3 Relic of Progenitus
  • 2 Phyrexian Arena
  • 3 Darkblast
  • 4 Lightning Helix
  • 4 Path to Exile
  • 4 Inquisition of Kozilek

    Sideboard

  • 4
  • 1 Batterskull
  • 1 Grafdigger's Cage
  • 2 Relic of Progenitus
  • 2 Runed Halo
  • 2 Sudden Death
  • 1 Memoricide
  • 2 Thought Hemorrhage
 
 


For lovers of: Tidehollow Sculler Phyrexian Arena Lightning Helix

A nice non-Jund use of Bob Maher here from Steven Bruce which illustrates something I like about Modern—cards that were never in Standard together being used in a new archetype. Between the discard extraction effects and four Hide / Seek I imagine this deck has a superb matchup against Tron.

G/B Aggro

For lovers of: Strangleroot Geist Profane Command Garruk Wildspeaker

G/B Aggro
Jun.I
6th Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 2/26/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (20)

  • 4 Dark Confidant
  • 4 Kitchen Finks
  • 4 Noble Hierarch
  • 4 Strangleroot Geist
  • 4 Tarmogoyf

Planeswalkers (2)

  • 2 Garruk Wildspeaker

Lands (24)

  • 3 Forest
  • 1 Swamp
  • 4 Overgrown Tomb
  • 4 Tectonic Edge
  • 4 Treetop Village
  • 4 Verdant Catacombs
  • 4 Woodland Cemetery

Spells (14)

  • 1 Sword of Feast and Famine
  • 1 Sword of Fire and Ice
  • 3 Smother
  • 2 Inquisition of Kozilek
  • 2 Maelstrom Pulse
  • 2 Profane Command
  • 3 Thoughtseize

    Sideboard

  • 2 Grafdigger's Cage
  • 3 Nature's Claim
  • 2 Slaughter Pact
  • 1 Smother
  • 3 Surgical Extraction
  • 2 Duress
  • 1 Maelstrom Pulse
  • 1 Thoughtseize
 
 


Jun.I offers five discard spells some removal and some guys including Tarmogoyf and Dark Confidant. It's kind of a non-Jund Jund deck minus Bloodbraid Elf but with more manlands.

Big Zoo

For lovers of: Bloodbraid Elf cascading into Boom / Bust choosing Bust

Big Zoo
Sascha_S
15th Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 2/5/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (23)

  • 4 Bloodbraid Elf
  • 3 Grim Lavamancer
  • 4 Knight of the Reliquary
  • 4 Noble Hierarch
  • 4 Qasali Pridemage
  • 4 Tarmogoyf

Lands (22)

  • 2 Forest
  • 1 Mountain
  • 1 Plains
  • 4 Arid Mesa
  • 2 Marsh Flats
  • 2 Misty Rainforest
  • 2 Sacred Foundry
  • 2 Stomping Ground
  • 2 Temple Garden
  • 1 Treetop Village
  • 3 Verdant Catacombs

Spells (15)

  • 4
  • 2 Blood Moon
  • 4 Lightning Bolt
  • 2 Lightning Helix
  • 3 Path to Exile

    Sideboard

  • 4 Torpor Orb
  • 1 Grim Lavamancer
  • 2 Blood Moon
  • 4 Ancient Grudge
  • 2 Lightning Helix
  • 1 Path to Exile
  • 1 Bojuka Bog
 
 


Very similar to the Boom / Bust Zoo decks played in pre-Modern Extended; going a little bigger has more appeal now Wild Nacatl is banned. Sascha_S has a very streamlined list here. I like it!

Kithkin –

For Cedric Phillips and other lovers of Knight of Meadowgrain and Wizened Cenn

Kithkin
CoreySMann
13th Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 1/29/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (23)

  • 3 Burrenton Forge-Tender
  • 4 Cloudgoat Ranger
  • 4 Figure of Destiny
  • 1 Goldmeadow Stalwart
  • 4 Knight of Meadowgrain
  • 3 Ranger of Eos
  • 4 Wizened Cenn

Lands (25)

  • 9 Plains
  • 4 Arid Mesa
  • 4 Marsh Flats
  • 2 Rustic Clachan
  • 2 Sacred Foundry
  • 4 Windbrisk Heights

Spells (12)

  • 4 Honor of the Pure
  • 4 Path to Exile
  • 4 Spectral Procession

    Sideboard

  • 4 Ethersworn Canonist
  • 4 Blood Moon
  • 4 Combust
  • 3 Kataki, War's Wage
 
 


CoreySMann's Top 16 finish online with this deck was actually the inspiration for this article. In a time when other people are doing totally bonkers things he made what is almost a Block deck work for him. Respect. No Mirrorweave shenanigans here though the two red sources maindeck do allow for Blood Moon out of the sideboard which must have stolen many a game.

G/B Smallpox

For lovers of: Smallpox Kitchen Finks Victim of Night

G/B Smallpox
Plat
16th Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 3/25/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (15)

  • 4 Dark Confidant
  • 2 Eternal Witness
  • 1 Gatekeeper of Malakir
  • 4 Kitchen Finks
  • 4 Tarmogoyf

Planeswalkers (4)

  • 4 Liliana of the Veil

Lands (24)

  • 2 Forest
  • 4 Swamp
  • 2 Mutavault
  • 3 Overgrown Tomb
  • 3 Treetop Village
  • 3 Twilight Mire
  • 4 Verdant Catacombs
  • 3 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

Spells (17)

  • 2 Darkblast
  • 3 Victim of Night
  • 4 Inquisition of Kozilek
  • 2 Maelstrom Pulse
  • 4 Smallpox
  • 2 Thoughtseize

    Sideboard

  • 3 Nihil Spellbomb
  • 2 Obstinate Baloth
  • 3 Disfigure
  • 3 Nature's Claim
  • 1 Thrun, the Last Troll
  • 1 Duress
  • 1 Maelstrom Pulse
  • 1 Wrench Mind
 
 


Plat is more controlling and discard-heavy than the other G/B deck above with six B discard spells four Smallpox and four Liliana of the Veil. I like the choice of removal spell in Victim of Night as what that is seeing play in Modern right now does this not kill?

W/B Tokens

For lovers of: Spectral Procession Zealous Persecution Tidehollow Sculler

W/B Tokens
Grupper
11th Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 3/25/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (5)

  • 4 Tidehollow Sculler
  • 1 Hero of Bladehold

Planeswalkers (4)

  • 1 Elspeth Tirel
  • 3 Liliana of the Veil

Lands (23)

  • 1 Plains
  • 2 Swamp
  • 1 Arid Mesa
  • 3 Ghost Quarter
  • 3 Godless Shrine
  • 4 Isolated Chapel
  • 4 Marsh Flats
  • 1 Verdant Catacombs
  • 4 Windbrisk Heights

Spells (28)

  • 4 Honor of the Pure
  • 2 Midnight Haunting
  • 3 Path to Exile
  • 4 Raise the Alarm
  • 4 Zealous Persecution
  • 4 Inquisition of Kozilek
  • 4 Lingering Souls
  • 2 Spectral Procession
  • 1 Thoughtseize

    Sideboard

  • 2 Grafdigger's Cage
  • 3 Ethersworn Canonist
  • 1 Ghostly Prison
  • 1 Disenchant
  • 1 Extirpate
  • 2 Slaughter Pact
  • 2 Surgical Extraction
  • 3 Timely Reinforcements
 
 


Grupper's deck is more controlling than other Tokens builds with plenty of discard and Liliana of the Veil as the main planeswalker over the more commonly played Ajani Goldmane or Sorin Lord of Innistrad.

W/G Tokens

For lovers of: Intangible Virtue Spectral Procession Raise the Alarm

W/G Tokens
Bobby Oleksy
1st Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 2/26/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (8)

  • 4 Ethersworn Canonist
  • 4 Soul Warden

Lands (24)

  • 9 Plains
  • 3 Gavony Township
  • 3 Horizon Canopy
  • 4 Razorverge Thicket
  • 2 Sunpetal Grove
  • 3 Windbrisk Heights

Spells (28)

  • 2 Shrine of Loyal Legions
  • 2 Honor of the Pure
  • 4 Intangible Virtue
  • 1 Oblivion Ring
  • 2 Worship
  • 2 Beckon Apparition
  • 4 Midnight Haunting
  • 4 Path to Exile
  • 3 Raise the Alarm
  • 4 Spectral Procession

    Sideboard

  • 2 Damping Matrix
  • 3 Relic of Progenitus
  • 2 Ghostly Prison
  • 2 Rule of Law
  • 2 Disenchant
  • 2 Gaddock Teeg
  • 2 Kataki, War's Wage
 
 


Bobby Oleksy qualified himself for Barcelona with this deck which is mono-white save the Gavony Township activation cost and two Gaddock Teeg in the sideboard chock full of pinpoint hate cards. The total lack of planeswalkers (and only two Honor of the Pure) seems unusual but it clearly worked well for him.

Aggro Elves

For lovers of: Imperious Perfect Joraga Warcaller Lead the Stampede

Aggro Elves
Santangelo Francesco
8th Place at Grand Prix Trial on 1/15/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (39)

  • 2 Arbor Elf
  • 4 Bramblewood Paragon
  • 4 Elvish Archdruid
  • 2 Elvish Champion
  • 4 Heritage Druid
  • 4 Imperious Perfect
  • 4 Joraga Warcaller
  • 4 Llanowar Elves
  • 4 Nettle Sentinel
  • 1 Regal Force
  • 4 Wren's Run Vanquisher
  • 2 Ezuri, Renegade Leader

Lands (18)

  • 16 Forest
  • 1 Ghost Quarter
  • 1 Pendelhaven

Spells (3)

  • 3 Lead the Stampede

    Sideboard

  • 1 Tormod's Crypt
  • 4 Dismember
  • 3 Fresh Meat
  • 2 Surgical Extraction
  • 3 Creeping Corrosion
  • 2 Ghost Quarter
 
 


This deck from Santangelo Francesco "only" made Top 8 of a GPT but still shows some promise in the archetype—just look at how many Lords he's playing! The deck is obviously quite weak to sweepers though hence the inclusion of Fresh Meat in the sideboard allowing him to overextend into Wrath of God with impunity.

Goblins

For lovers of: Mogg Fanatic Mogg War Marshal

Goblins
James Million
8th Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 3/18/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (23)

  • 2 Goblin Arsonist
  • 4 Goblin Bushwhacker
  • 2 Goblin Chieftain
  • 4 Goblin Guide
  • 2 Keldon Marauders
  • 4 Mogg Fanatic
  • 4 Mogg War Marshal
  • 1 Spikeshot Elder

Lands (19)

  • 4 Mountain
  • 4 Arid Mesa
  • 1 Mutavault
  • 4 Sacred Foundry
  • 4 Scalding Tarn
  • 2 Teetering Peaks

Spells (18)

  • 4 Lightning Bolt
  • 4 Lightning Helix
  • 2 Magma Jet
  • 4 Path to Exile
  • 4 Goblin Grenade

    Sideboard

  • 2 Vexing Shusher
  • 2 Blood Moon
  • 4 Combust
  • 2 Disenchant
  • 2 Mindbreak Trap
  • 3 Shattering Spree
 
 


Another tribal deck this time little red men which allowed James Million to best a hundred other players in a PTQ Top 8. I was expecting it to be R/B rather than R/W for some of the Lorwyn Goblins which it actually only has two of. The Mogg Fanatic / Goblin Arsonist split seems wrong at first given that Fanatic can no longer trade with an X/2 however killing Delvers Vendilion Clique etc. on command is probably more important.

Mythic Conscription

For lovers of: Lotus Cobra Sovereigns of Lost Alara into Eldrazi Conscription

Mythic Conscription
Jake Miller
2nd Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 3/4/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (25)

  • 4 Birds of Paradise
  • 4 Knight of the Reliquary
  • 4 Lotus Cobra
  • 4 Mirran Crusader
  • 4 Noble Hierarch
  • 4 Sovereigns of Lost Alara
  • 1 Vendilion Clique

Lands (25)

  • 3 Forest
  • 1 Island
  • 1 Plains
  • 1 Breeding Pool
  • 1 Celestial Colonnade
  • 1 Hallowed Fountain
  • 1 Inkmoth Nexus
  • 4 Misty Rainforest
  • 1 Mystic Gate
  • 4 Razorverge Thicket
  • 1 Sejiri Steppe
  • 1 Stirring Wildwood
  • 1 Tectonic Edge
  • 1 Temple Garden
  • 3 Verdant Catacombs

Spells (10)

  • 4 Bant Charm
  • 4 Path to Exile
  • 2 Eldrazi Conscription

    Sideboard

  • 3 Spellskite
  • 2 Baneslayer Angel
  • 3 Threads of Disloyalty
  • 1 Dispel
  • 2 Gut Shot
  • 3 Negate
  • 1 Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
 
 


Jake Miller took this old Standard favorite to a PTQ finals appearance—the maindeck is largely the same as it was back then though with vastly superior mana and Mirran Crusader and Inkmoth Nexus enabling true one-hit kills.

White Weenie

For Evan Erwin and other lovers of Serra Avenger and Isamaru Hound of Konda

White Weenie
Jason Simard
2nd Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 3/18/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (26)

  • 3 Aven Mindcensor
  • 4 Blade Splicer
  • 3 Flickerwisp
  • 3 Kitchen Finks
  • 4 Leonin Arbiter
  • 3 Serra Avenger
  • 1 Stonecloaker
  • 2 Isamaru, Hound of Konda
  • 3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben

Lands (23)

  • 9 Plains
  • 4 Ghost Quarter
  • 4 Mutavault
  • 4 Windbrisk Heights
  • 1 Eiganjo Castle
  • 1 Flagstones of Trokair

Spells (7)

  • 1 Sword of Light and Shadow
  • 2 Harm's Way
  • 4 Path to Exile

    Sideboard

  • 1 Grafdigger's Cage
  • 2 Relic of Progenitus
  • 2 Thorn of Amethyst
  • 3 Jotun Grunt
  • 1 Kitchen Finks
  • 3 Ghostly Prison
  • 3 Disenchant
 
 


Jason Simard here with another budget-friendly deck featuring the mono-white land-restriction package (as in the Puresteel deck above) only with a slightly different set of beaters. I was surprised to see no Aether Vial present but the Harm's Way seems like a fun way of catching your opponent out. I wonder whether there's a similar deck that also uses taxing counters (Mana Tithe or splashing for Mana Leak).

R/B Vampires

For lovers of: Bloodghast Gatekeeper of Malakir Stromkirk Noble

R/B Vampires
2nd Place at Miscellaneous on 3/4/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (24)

  • 4 Bloodghast
  • 4 Dark Confidant
  • 3 Gatekeeper of Malakir
  • 2 Grim Lavamancer
  • 4 Stromkirk Noble
  • 3 Torch Fiend
  • 4 Vampire Lacerator

Lands (22)

  • 2 Mountain
  • 2 Swamp
  • 4 Blackcleave Cliffs
  • 4 Blood Crypt
  • 1 Bojuka Bog
  • 2 Lavaclaw Reaches
  • 2 Scalding Tarn
  • 3 Tectonic Edge
  • 2 Verdant Catacombs

Spells (14)

  • 3 Lightning Bolt
  • 4 Terminate
  • 3 Blightning
  • 4 Thoughtseize

    Sideboard

  • 4 Vampire Nighthawk
  • 4 Tragic Slip
  • 4 Inquisition of Kozilek
  • 3 Shattering Spree
 
 


Another tribal deck though this one is using more recent cards. Zendikar was never in Standard alongside Innistrad but Citon's ML Trial deck shows promise when Vampires from these respective sets are combined.

Mono-Green Jinxed Idol

For lovers of: Jinxed Idol Strangleroot Geist Gluttonous Slime

Mono-Green Jinxed Idol
Canabiest
4th Place at Miscellaneous on 2/5/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (26)

  • 1 Chameleon Colossus
  • 4 Eternal Witness
  • 2 Gluttonous Slime
  • 3 Great Sable Stag
  • 4 Kitchen Finks
  • 4 Noble Hierarch
  • 4 Strangleroot Geist
  • 4 Young Wolf

Planeswalkers (2)

  • 2 Garruk, Primal Hunter

Lands (22)

  • 18 Forest
  • 4 Treetop Village

Spells (10)

  • 4 Jinxed Idol
  • 2 Dismember
  • 2 Overrun
  • 2 Primal Command

    Sideboard

  • 2 Relic of Progenitus
  • 1 Acidic Slime
  • 1 Obstinate Baloth
  • 3 Choke
  • 1 Dismember
  • 3 Krosan Grip
  • 3 Vines of Vastwood
  • 1 Thrun, the Last Troll
 
 


No this deck name is not a joke! Like Vampires above this deck from Canabiest placed in only a ML trial but it wonderfully uses the interaction of Jinxed Idol and devour with undying and persist creatures. It's reasonably budget-friendly to boot. Look out for more green/splashable undying creatures in Avacyn Restored that could help this out.

Aggro-Control (Tempo)

Drew Ari and co. are probably going to hunt me down for my misclassification here but... I basically put decks here that win with smallish creatures while messing with what the opponent is trying to do in a big way. These most often feature Delver of Secrets but some are outside of the usual U/W/R color-combination most played (including by me) this season in Modern.

Mono-Blue (Flores) Delver

For lovers of: Michael J Delver of Secrets Vedalken Shackles

Mono Blue Delver
Matt Westbrook
8th Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 1/22/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (14)

  • 4 Delver of Secrets
  • 2 Mulldrifter
  • 4 Snapcaster Mage
  • 2 Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
  • 2 Vendilion Clique

Lands (25)

  • 24 Island
  • 1 Academy Ruins

Spells (21)

  • 4 Vedalken Shackles
  • 4 Cryptic Command
  • 1 Mana Leak
  • 4 Remand
  • 4 Repeal
  • 4 Spell Snare

    Sideboard

  • 1 Mindshrieker
  • 4 Dispel
  • 1 Negate
  • 4 Spell Pierce
  • 2 Vapor Snag
  • 3 Wipe Away
 
 


This deck from Matt Westbrook is clearly inspired by this one from our own Mike Flores. The sideboard lacking Ratchet Bomb may be a weakness though and I'm not sure what the Mindshrieker is for—mising Eldrazi on top against Tron?!

U/R Delver

For lovers of: Goblin Guide Magma Jet Gitaxian Probe

U/R Delver
stevenx01
13th Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 2/5/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (12)

  • 4 Delver of Secrets
  • 4 Goblin Guide
  • 4 Snapcaster Mage

Lands (19)

  • 4 Island
  • 3 Mountain
  • 2 Arid Mesa
  • 4 Scalding Tarn
  • 2 Steam Vents
  • 4 Sulfur Falls

Spells (29)

  • 2 Burst Lightning
  • 3 Incinerate
  • 4 Lightning Bolt
  • 4 Magma Jet
  • 3 Mana Leak
  • 4 Spell Pierce
  • 2 Vapor Snag
  • 4 Gitaxian Probe
  • 3 Serum Visions

    Sideboard

  • 3 Leyline of Punishment
  • 3 Dispel
  • 2 Echoing Truth
  • 1 Mana Leak
  • 2 Negate
  • 2 Smash to Smithereens
  • 2 Shattering Spree
 
 


Between Probe and Guide triggers in stevenx01's deck you should know what's in your opponent's hand at all times ideally letting you play your burn and counterspells optimally. I wonder if a Runechanter's Pike might be good here and the idea of playing Cryptic Command and Goblin Guide in the same deck tickles me even though it's probably an awful idea.

Grixis Delver

For lovers of: Blightning Sedraxis Specter Magma Jet

Grixis Delver
Daniel Sale
5th Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 3/11/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (16)

  • 4 Dark Confidant
  • 4 Delver of Secrets
  • 2 Sedraxis Specter
  • 3 Snapcaster Mage
  • 3 Vendilion Clique

Lands (23)

  • 2 Island
  • 2 Mountain
  • 1 Swamp
  • 2 Blackcleave Cliffs
  • 2 Blood Crypt
  • 4 Creeping Tar Pit
  • 4 Darkslick Shores
  • 4 Scalding Tarn
  • 1 Steam Vents
  • 1 Watery Grave

Spells (21)

  • 4 Lightning Bolt
  • 4 Magma Jet
  • 4 Rune Snag
  • 3 Terminate
  • 3 Blightning
  • 3 Inquisition of Kozilek

    Sideboard

  • 3 Nihil Spellbomb
  • 2 Fulminator Mage
  • 1 Curse of Death's Hold
  • 1 Consign to Dream
  • 3 Hurkyl's Recall
  • 2 Damnation
  • 3 Pyroclasm
 
 


Daniel Sale's deck gains card draw in Dark Confidant and a manland in Creeping Tar Pit while also swapping some counterspells for discard with the addition of black to a U/R Delver shell.

Merfolk

For lovers of: SIlvergill Adept Lord of Atlantis Aether Vial

Merfolk
Alloran
29th Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 2/19/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (26)

  • 4 Coralhelm Commander
  • 4 Cursecatcher
  • 4 Lord of Atlantis
  • 1 Merfolk Sovereign
  • 4 Merrow Reejerey
  • 2 Phantasmal Image
  • 4 Silvergill Adept
  • 2 Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
  • 1 Sygg, River Cutthroat

Lands (20)

  • 17 Island
  • 3 Mutavault

Spells (14)

  • 4 Aether Vial
  • 2 Pithing Needle
  • 4 Mana Leak
  • 4 Spell Pierce

    Sideboard

  • 3 Grafdigger's Cage
  • 1 Pithing Needle
  • 2 Torpor Orb
  • 2 Threads of Disloyalty
  • 2 Dismember
  • 3 Negate
  • 2 Vapor Snag
 
 


Initially hyped up when Modern was announced while this has all the same creatures as the Legacy version the lack of free counterspells in Modern seems to have put a lot of people off and weakened the archetype. Alloran found some success with it though and I'd consider splashing white or black for some removal which is easy given the lands available in Modern.

G/R Land Destruction

For lovers of: Molten Rain Goblin Ruinblaster Boggart Ram-Gang

G/R Land Destruction
Adam Hodge
3rd Place at StarCityGames.com Invitational Qualifier on 3/25/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (23)

  • 4 Birds of Paradise
  • 4 Bloodbraid Elf
  • 4 Boggart Ram-Gang
  • 4 Goblin Ruinblaster
  • 3 Llanowar Elves
  • 4 Strangleroot Geist

Lands (23)

  • 5 Forest
  • 1 Mountain
  • 4 Misty Rainforest
  • 4 Rootbound Crag
  • 3 Stomping Ground
  • 2 Treetop Village
  • 4 Verdant Catacombs

Spells (14)

  • 4
  • 4 Lightning Bolt
  • 2 Flame Slash
  • 4 Molten Rain

    Sideboard

  • 1 Grafdigger's Cage
  • 2 Relic of Progenitus
  • 3 Kitchen Finks
  • 2 Choke
  • 3 Ancient Grudge
  • 3 Combust
  • 1 Flame Slash
 
 


Adam Hodge's SCG IQ deck has a simple plan: play one-drop acceleration then play land destruction spells and hasty guys. Worth considering for an update of this deck: Darwin Kastle Avalanche Riders (#beexcellent) Fulminator Mage.

Mono Black

For lovers of: Bloodghast Geralf's Messenger Smallpox

Mono Black
Michael Diezel
8th Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 3/25/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (18)

  • 4 Bloodghast
  • 4 Dark Confidant
  • 4 Geralf's Messenger
  • 4 Gravecrawler
  • 1 Phyrexian Obliterator
  • 1 Tombstalker

Planeswalkers (4)

  • 4 Liliana of the Veil

Lands (23)

  • 8 Swamp
  • 3 Marsh Flats
  • 4 Mutavault
  • 2 Tectonic Edge
  • 3 Verdant Catacombs
  • 3 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

Spells (15)

  • 4 Tragic Slip
  • 4 Inquisition of Kozilek
  • 4 Smallpox
  • 3 Thoughtseize

    Sideboard

  • 2 Nihil Spellbomb
  • 1 Torpor Orb
  • 4 Vampire Nighthawk
  • 1 Phyrexian Arena
  • 2 Darkblast
  • 2 Surgical Extraction
  • 2 Infest
  • 1 Thoughtseize
 
 


A brutal amount of discard in this PTQ Top 8 deck from Michael Diezel which is also probably the best home for Phyrexian Obliterator in Modern. Worth considering when it comes to this kind of deck that I saw in some similar lists from lesser events—Phyrexian Arena as Dark Confidants five and six and Vampire Nighthawk almost always as a four-of between maindeck and sideboard.

COMBO

Typically decks that can lose to a couple of well-placed counterspells or a protected hate card but win in only a few turns otherwise using just one or two cards. Does combo even exist? Or is it just an extreme version of another archetype? I surely can't tell you that but these decks sure feel like it's real!

Hive Mind

For lovers of: Pentad Prism Seething Song Pact of the Titan

Hive Mind
tmoney846
18th Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 3/25/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (5)

  • 1 Ethereal Usher
  • 4 Simian Spirit Guide

Lands (19)

  • 6 Island
  • 2 Mountain
  • 1 Misty Rainforest
  • 4 Scalding Tarn
  • 2 Steam Vents
  • 3 Tolaria West
  • 1 Watery Grave

Spells (36)

  • 4 Pentad Prism
  • 4 Hive Mind
  • 1 Intervention Pact
  • 4 Pact of Negation
  • 4 Pact of the Titan
  • 4 Remand
  • 4 Seething Song
  • 1 Slaughter Pact
  • 2 Gitaxian Probe
  • 4 Serum Visions
  • 4 Sleight of Hand

    Sideboard

  • 3 Magus of the Moon
  • 4 Leyline of Sanctity
  • 4 Dispel
  • 4 Pyroclasm
 
 


Tmoney846's deck may not have the two-mana producing lands and free counterspells of the Legacy version but the acceleration available in Modern still enables turn 3 or 4 kills and placed him in a Magic Online PTQ.

Ad Nauseam

For lovers of: Ad Nauseam Simian Spirit Guide Conflagrate

Ad Nauseam
Larry Wellington
7th Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 2/19/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (3)

  • 3 Simian Spirit Guide

Lands (23)

  • 3 Island
  • 1 Plains
  • 2 Darkslick Shores
  • 2 Gemstone Mine
  • 1 Hallowed Fountain
  • 3 Marsh Flats
  • 1 Misty Rainforest
  • 2 Scalding Tarn
  • 3 Seachrome Coast
  • 1 Tolaria West
  • 2 Watery Grave
  • 1 Boseiju, Who Shelters All
  • 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

Spells (34)

  • 4 Lotus Bloom
  • 4 Pentad Prism
  • 2 Phyrexian Unlife
  • 4 Ad Nauseam
  • 4 Angel's Grace
  • 1 Lightning Storm
  • 2 Mystical Teachings
  • 3 Pact of Negation
  • 1 Peer Through Depths
  • 1 Pyretic Ritual
  • 1 Slaughter Pact
  • 1 Conflagrate
  • 4 Serum Visions
  • 2 Sleight of Hand

    Sideboard

  • 1 Pentad Prism
  • 3 Torpor Orb
  • 1 Phyrexian Unlife
  • 1 Echoing Truth
  • 1 Gigadrowse
  • 1 Hurkyl's Recall
  • 1 Path to Exile
  • 1 Silence
  • 1 Slaughter Pact
  • 1 Surgical Extraction
  • 1 Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
  • 1 Duress
  • 1 Thoughtseize
 
 


Similar to one of the "hot" decks from PT Amsterdam Extended Larry Wellington's deck uses Angel's Grace or new addition Phyrexian Unlife to allow Ad Nauseam to draw your entire deck before killing with Conflagrate or Lightning Storm. Mystical Teachings allows you to Tutor for a missing combo piece or one of the many one-of sideboard cards.

U/W/R Pyromancer Ascension

For lovers of: Pyromancer Ascension Isochron Scepter Desperate Ravings

UWR Pyromancer Ascension
MaksymG
28th Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 1/29/2012
Modern
 

Lands (19)

  • 4 Island
  • 1 Mountain
  • 1 Plains
  • 3 Arid Mesa
  • 1 Hallowed Fountain
  • 1 Misty Rainforest
  • 1 Sacred Foundry
  • 4 Scalding Tarn
  • 2 Steam Vents
  • 1 Sulfur Falls

Spells (41)

  • 3 Isochron Scepter
  • 4 Pyromancer Ascension
  • 2 Deprive
  • 2 Desperate Ravings
  • 4 Lightning Bolt
  • 4 Lightning Helix
  • 4 Manamorphose
  • 3 Path to Exile
  • 3 Remand
  • 4 Gitaxian Probe
  • 4 Serum Visions
  • 4 Sleight of Hand

    Sideboard

  • 2 Combust
  • 2 Desperate Ravings
  • 2 Disenchant
  • 1 Echoing Truth
  • 3 Negate
  • 1 Noxious Revival
  • 1 Path to Exile
  • 3 Volcanic Fallout
 
 


A different color combination and approach to the usual Storm based Ascension decks here from MaksymG—no Storm cards but a much more "grindy" plan. I wonder if Silence was a consideration at all for the combo with Scepter?

Mono-Red Storm

For lovers of: Goblin Lore Burning Inquiry Grapeshot

Mono Red Storm
Dan Gushen
3rd Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 1/22/2012
Modern
 

Lands (17)

  • 17 Snow-Covered Mountain

Spells (43)

  • 1 Pyromancer's Swath
  • 4 Desperate Ritual
  • 3 Lightning Bolt
  • 4 Manamorphose
  • 4 Pyretic Ritual
  • 3 Reverberate
  • 4 Seething Song
  • 4 Burning Inquiry
  • 4 Gitaxian Probe
  • 4 Goblin Lore
  • 4 Grapeshot
  • 4 Past in Flames

    Sideboard

  • 4 Defense Grid
  • 3 Leyline of Sanctity
  • 2 Guttural Response
  • 4 Empty the Warrens
  • 2 Shattering Spree
 
 


Again a different approach to a known archetype this one from Dan Gushen. He eschews the blue card draw/filtering for the graveyard-filling red equivalents and then maxes out on Rituals Past in Flames and Grapeshot. If you're going to run the Snow mana base though can you not sneak in a Scrying Sheets and/or Mouth of Ronom?

U/W/R Tokens

For lovers of: casually Polymorphing Spectral Procession tokens into Emrakul

UWR Tokens
Manabogged
11th Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 1/29/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (4)

  • 4 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn

Lands (22)

  • 1 Island
  • 1 Mountain
  • 2 Plains
  • 4 Arid Mesa
  • 2 Hallowed Fountain
  • 3 Marsh Flats
  • 2 Sacred Foundry
  • 1 Steam Vents
  • 2 Temple Garden
  • 4 Windbrisk Heights

Spells (34)

  • 4 Pentad Prism
  • 4 Lightning Helix
  • 3 Path to Exile
  • 3 Spell Snare
  • 4 Through the Breach
  • 4 Gitaxian Probe
  • 4 Serum Visions
  • 4 Spectral Procession
  • 4 Timely Reinforcements

    Sideboard

  • 2 Thorn of Amethyst
  • 4 Leyline of Sanctity
  • 2 Rule of Law
  • 3 Autumn's Veil
  • 2 Kataki, War's Wage
  • 2 Shattering Spree
 
 


I really like this one from Manabogged; creating three tokens with Spectral Procession or Timely Reinforcements allows you to turn on Windbrisk Heights to cast Emrakul or Polymorph into it but failing that you can just Through the Breach them too! Pentad Prism allows you to Breach a couple turns faster while Serum Visions finds any missing pieces.

Tooth and Nail

For lovers of: Tron lands Primeval Titan Oracle of Mul Daya

Tooth and Nail
Curtis Wind
6th Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 3/4/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (18)

  • 1 Wurmcoil Engine
  • 1 Flame-Kin Zealot
  • 2 Oracle of Mul Daya
  • 4 Overgrown Battlement
  • 4 Primeval Titan
  • 4 Wall of Roots
  • 1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
  • 1 Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre

Lands (27)

  • 11 Forest
  • 1 Khalni Garden
  • 2 Tectonic Edge
  • 4 Urza's Mine
  • 4 Urza's Power Plant
  • 4 Urza's Tower
  • 1 Eye of Ugin

Spells (15)

  • 4 Expedition Map
  • 3 Beast Within
  • 4 Explore
  • 4 Tooth and Nail

    Sideboard

  • 1 Damping Matrix
  • 3 Relic of Progenitus
  • 3 Obstinate Baloth
  • 2 Seal of Primordium
  • 1 Dismember
  • 1 Karn Liberated
  • 3 Creeping Corrosion
  • 1 Forest
 
 


This list by Curtis Wind comes pre-Charles Gindy's G/R Tron deck which seems much better. However if you really love casting Tooth and Nail that much this is the one for you. Emrakul / Flame-Kin Zealot is the kill of choice in case you mulligan to one and your opponent Duresses you; they might think you are on Dredge (you can actually cast Emrakul if necessary and it's less fragile than Kiki/Exarch).

Dredgevine

For lovers of: Hedron Crab Vengevine Stinkweed Imp

Dredgevine
Matej Zatlkaj
2nd Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 3/11/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (30)

  • 4 Birds of Paradise
  • 4 Gravecrawler
  • 4 Hedron Crab
  • 4 Magus of the Bazaar
  • 2 Shambling Shell
  • 2 Skaab Ruinator
  • 4 Stinkweed Imp
  • 4 Vengevine
  • 1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
  • 1 Iona, Shield of Emeria

Lands (22)

  • 1 Forest
  • 1 Island
  • 1 Swamp
  • 1 Blood Crypt
  • 1 Breeding Pool
  • 1 Hallowed Fountain
  • 4 Misty Rainforest
  • 1 Overgrown Tomb
  • 3 Scalding Tarn
  • 1 Steam Vents
  • 1 Stomping Ground
  • 1 Temple Garden
  • 4 Verdant Catacombs
  • 1 Watery Grave

Spells (8)

  • 4 Faithless Looting
  • 2 Life from the Loam
  • 2 Unburial Rites

    Sideboard

  • 1 Angel of Despair
  • 4 Ancient Grudge
  • 2 Darkblast
  • 2 Gnaw to the Bone
  • 1 Ray of Revelation
  • 4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
  • 1 Unburial Rites
 
 


This is the rare aggro-combo deck I guess? Still filed under combo as that's where everything that dies to Relic of Progenitus lives isn't it? Matej Zatlkaj (one of my favorite pros when I started playing) took this as far as a PTQ finals with the best Gnaw to the Bones (not even close) you'll ever see in Constructed.

Combo Elves

For lovers of: Nettle Sentinel Heritage Druid Summoner's Pact

Combo Elves
pankill
4th Place at Miscellaneous on 1/8/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (32)

  • 2 Arbor Elf
  • 4 Elvish Archdruid
  • 4 Elvish Visionary
  • 4 Heritage Druid
  • 4 Llanowar Elves
  • 2 Mentor of the Meek
  • 4 Nettle Sentinel
  • 1 Regal Force
  • 1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
  • 1 Ezuri, Renegade Leader
  • 4 Boreal Druid
  • 1 Dryad Arbor

Lands (17)

  • 4 Forest
  • 3 Horizon Canopy
  • 4 Misty Rainforest
  • 1 Temple Garden
  • 4 Verdant Catacombs
  • 1 Pendelhaven

Spells (11)

  • 4 Cloudstone Curio
  • 3 Chord of Calling
  • 4 Summoner's Pact

    Sideboard

  • 4 Burrenton Forge-Tender
  • 1 Loaming Shaman
  • 4 Ranger of Eos
  • 4 Viridian Shaman
  • 2 Gaddock Teeg
 
 


A non-agro Elves deck this time from pankill who placed in a ML Trial with it. The deck uses Cloudstone Curio to set up loops to generate infinite mana or draw your entire deck (Mentor of the Meek subbing in for the banned Glimpse of Nature) before casting Emrakul for the win. Burrenton Forge-Tender sideboard is essential to prevent the deck rolling over and dying to Pyroclasm effects.

Protean Hulk Combo

For lovers of: Through the Breaching things other than Eldrazi

Protean Hulk Combo
DPS
2nd Place at Magic Online Daily Event on 8/28/2011
Modern
 

Creatures (13)

  • 2 Body Double
  • 1 Mogg Fanatic
  • 2 Protean Hulk
  • 2 Reveillark
  • 4 Simian Spirit Guide
  • 2 Viscera Seer

Lands (18)

  • 5 Island
  • 1 Mountain
  • 1 Dreadship Reef
  • 3 Misty Rainforest
  • 4 Scalding Tarn
  • 1 Shivan Reef
  • 2 Steam Vents
  • 1 Watery Grave

Spells (29)

  • 3 Pentad Prism
  • 1 Gigadrowse
  • 2 Pact of Negation
  • 3 Peer Through Depths
  • 4 Seething Song
  • 4 Summoner's Pact
  • 4 Through the Breach
  • 4 Ponder
  • 4 Preordain

    Sideboard

  • 3 Hive Mind
  • 2 Leyline of Sanctity
  • 1 Echoing Truth
  • 2 Gigadrowse
  • 1 Pact of Negation
  • 1 Slaughter Pact
  • 2 Duress
  • 2 Firespout
  • 1 Dreadship Reef
 
 


Eight now-banned cards here in DPS's list so swap them for Sleight of Hand and Serum Visions for starters. This deck uses the kill of: Protean Hulk fetching Body Double (copy Hulk) and Viscera Seer sac Doubled Hulk to Seer get Reveillark and Mogg Fanatic which is then infinitely recurred for the win. As a more bulky alternative you could also fetch four Dryad Arbor four Hedron Crab and two Sakura Tribe Elder for a mill victory. However Hulk is soft to commonly played Path to Exile which is annoying. Given the deck already packs several Pacts card filtering and acceleration I wonder if it could board into Hive Mind?

Reanimator

For lovers of: Instant speed turn 3 Jin-Gitaxias with Dispel backup

Reanimator
Jordan Mattox
16th Place at Miscellaneous on 1/15/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (12)

  • 3 Oona's Prowler
  • 3 Snapcaster Mage
  • 4 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
  • 2 Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur

Planeswalkers (3)

  • 3 Liliana of the Veil

Lands (20)

  • 5 Island
  • 3 Swamp
  • 4 Darkslick Shores
  • 3 Scalding Tarn
  • 3 Verdant Catacombs
  • 2 Watery Grave

Spells (23)

  • 3 Zombie Infestation
  • 4 Dispel
  • 4 Goryo's Vengeance
  • 2 Duress
  • 3 Inquisition of Kozilek
  • 4 Serum Visions
  • 3 Sleight of Hand

    Sideboard

  • 3 Nihil Spellbomb
  • 3 Doom Blade
  • 3 Hurkyl's Recall
  • 3 Into the Roil
  • 2 Snapback
  • 1 Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur
 
 


A couple cards missing from Jordan Mattox's Modern Warfare deck possibly Makeshift Mannequins as extra instant speed reanimation? This is much a Modern version of the once-popular Legacy deck—make your opponent discard their counterspells discard a huge creature yourself then Reanimate it on the cheap. This deck only includes two targets to return but it could quite easily play a range and potentially splash Time of Need to Tutor them out.

Cascade Swans

For lovers of: Captured Sunlight Treasure Hunt Swans of Bryn Argoll

Cascade Swans
Antonio Vega
8th Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 3/4/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (9)

  • 4 Bloodbraid Elf
  • 4 Swans of Bryn Argoll
  • 1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn

Lands (40)

  • 4 Cascade Bluffs
  • 4 City of Brass
  • 2 Dakmor Salvage
  • 2 Fire-Lit Thicket
  • 2 Gemstone Mine
  • 3 Karplusan Forest
  • 4 Raging Ravine
  • 4 Reflecting Pool
  • 1 Stomping Ground
  • 3 Tectonic Edge
  • 3 Tendo Ice Bridge
  • 4 Vivid Crag
  • 3 Vivid Creek
  • 1 Vivid Grove

Spells (12)

  • 4 Seismic Assault
  • 4 Captured Sunlight
  • 4 Treasure Hunt
 
 


Pretty much the old Standard deck here from Antonio Vega—cascade/hunt into a Seismic Assault and a Swans and then proceed to draw cards by shooting Swans with Dakmor Salvage into you have enough lands in hand to kill them. Emrakul lets you go through your whole deck multiple times if necessary. Zero card sideboard what a hero!

U/W/B Polymorph

For lovers of: Raise the Alarm Promise of Bunrei Polymorph

U/W/B Polymorph
Gabe Guenley
8th Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 2/19/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (2)

  • 2 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn

Lands (23)

  • 1 Island
  • 8 Plains
  • 1 Swamp
  • 1 Drowned Catacomb
  • 2 Glacial Fortress
  • 2 Isolated Chapel
  • 2 Marsh Flats
  • 4 Seachrome Coast
  • 2 Windbrisk Heights

Spells (35)

  • 4 Flayer Husk
  • 4 Intangible Virtue
  • 3 Leyline of the Meek
  • 2 Promise of Bunrei
  • 2 Beckon Apparition
  • 4 Path to Exile
  • 4 Raise the Alarm
  • 4 Lingering Souls
  • 4 Polymorph
  • 4 Spectral Procession

    Sideboard

  • 2 Tormod's Crypt
  • 3 Torpor Orb
  • 1 Ghostly Prison
  • 3 Leyline of Sanctity
  • 2 Oblivion Ring
  • 4 Disenchant
 
 


Standard superstar Lingering Souls finds a great home in Gabe Guenley's deck which has seven Anthem effects to buff his many sources of tokens which can be cashed in at any time for an Emrakul via Polymorph. A good deck in my mind because it has a very realistic way of winning the game if its combo card is not found.

Sunny Side Up (Eggs)

For Dan Royde and other lovers of: Second Sunrise boring your opponent to death

Eggs
Fredrico Bastos
8th Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 2/19/2012
Modern
 

Lands (18)

  • 3 Darksteel Citadel
  • 9 Island
  • 4 Ghost Quarter
  • 2 Horizon Canopy

Spells (42)

  • 4 Chromatic Sphere
  • 4 Chromatic Star
  • 4 Conjurer's Bauble
  • 3 Elsewhere Flask
  • 4 Lotus Bloom
  • 1 Nihil Spellbomb
  • 1 Pyrite Spellbomb
  • 4 Noxious Revival
  • 3 Peer Through Depths
  • 1 Quicken
  • 2 Remand
  • 4 Second Sunrise
  • 1 Mox Opal
  • 1 Grapeshot
  • 1 Open the Vaults
  • 4 Reshape

    Sideboard

  • 3 Aether Spellbomb
  • 2 Defense Grid
  • 1 Dispeller's Capsule
  • 1 Grafdigger's Cage
  • 3 Nihil Spellbomb
  • 1 Pithing Needle
  • 1 Ratchet Bomb
  • 3 Echoing Truth
 
 


Eggs is a very difficult deck to pilot and if you intend on playing it you need to practice with it a lot beforehand. That being said if you have it can perform very well such as it did for Frederico Bastos. The deck is explained quite thoroughly by Ari Lax here but in summary: it offers potential turn 3 or 4 kills can be completely dead to extraction effects and takes a fair number of game actions to kill on your winning turn—but you have to be able to do it (and in a reasonable time frame) if your opponent doesn't just scoop.

Mill / Sanity Grinding

An honorable mention here for a deck I really wanted to see someone make work. You'd have thought with eight Boomerangs (thanks to Eye of Nowhere often one of the best cards in the Standard Sanity Grinding deck) and both Snapcaster Mage and Twincast to get you extra Grindings (or Archive Trap / Glimpse the Unthinkable) plus Nephalia Drownyard being easily splashable there would be a mill deck somewhere. Alas this was not the case and the metagame is extremely hostile towards this right now with a lot of Tron decks playing multiple Eldrazi you simply can't beat. Maybe one day if this is not the case though it may have a chance...

Finally: Three Decks My Friends Have Played

Having shown you a range of rogue decks from all archetypes that have done well in the hands of people I don't know I wanted to finish a little closer to home by showing off three of the successful rogue decks my friends have played this season.

"Creatures Are The New Spells"

For lovers of: Reveillark Sages of the Anima Shriekmaw

G/W/U/B Aggro
Paul Richardson
8th Place at Miscellaneous on 3/4/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (39)

  • 1 Spellskite
  • 1 Acidic Slime
  • 1 Baneslayer Angel
  • 4 Birds of Paradise
  • 4 Fauna Shaman
  • 1 Glen Elendra Archmage
  • 3 Kitchen Finks
  • 3 Mulldrifter
  • 4 Noble Hierarch
  • 3 Qasali Pridemage
  • 3 Reveillark
  • 1 Sages of the Anima
  • 3 Shriekmaw
  • 1 Sower of Temptation
  • 1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
  • 1 Gaddock Teeg
  • 3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
  • 1 Vendilion Clique

Lands (21)

  • 2 Forest
  • 1 Island
  • 4 Ancient Ziggurat
  • 1 Breeding Pool
  • 4 City of Brass
  • 2 Misty Rainforest
  • 4 Reflecting Pool
  • 1 Temple Garden
  • 2 Treetop Village

    Sideboard

  • 1 Spellskite
  • 1 Baneslayer Angel
  • 2 Faerie Macabre
  • 1 Glen Elendra Archmage
  • 2 Obstinate Baloth
  • 1 Phyrexian Crusader
  • 1 Plated Pegasus
  • 1 Qasali Pridemage
  • 1 Sower of Temptation
  • 1 Gaddock Teeg
  • 2 Thrun, the Last Troll
  • 1 Vendilion Clique
 
 


Cameron Simmonds alerted me to this number played by noted survivor-of-Australia Paul Richardson to a Top 8 finish at a 100+ player side event during the GP Lille weekend. It's a Modern version of an old Standard deck he used to play several years back—which thanks to containing only creatures and lands lets him use Ancient Ziggurat as a restriction-free five-color land punish only his opponents with Thalia and play combinations of mana costs most decks wouldn't be able to pay consistently. Reveillark allows him to quickly recover from any mass removal while all the one-of bullets are Tutorable with Fauna Shaman. The sideboard is also the first time I've ever seen Plated Pegasus; who knew that card existed?!

R/W Planeswalker Control

For lovers of: Ajani Vengeant Wrath of God Faith's Fetters

R/W Planeswalker Control
Crispin Bateman
0th Place at Test deck on 4/22/2012
Modern
 

Planeswalkers (10)

  • 3 Ajani Vengeant
  • 3 Elspeth Tirel
  • 3 Gideon Jura
  • 1 Karn Liberated

Lands (22)

  • 5 Mountain
  • 9 Plains
  • 4 Arid Mesa
  • 4 Sacred Foundry

Spells (28)

  • 4 Boros Signet
  • 3 Blood Moon
  • 2 Faith's Fetters
  • 3 Oblivion Ring
  • 4 Lightning Bolt
  • 3 Lightning Helix
  • 4 Path to Exile
  • 2 Day of Judgment
  • 3 Wrath of God

    Sideboard

  • 2
  • 2 Grafdigger's Cage
  • 2 Ratchet Bomb
  • 4 Torpor Orb
  • 1 Blood Moon
  • 1 Faith's Fetters
  • 3 Purify the Grave
 
 


I've known Crispin Bateman to be a staunchly against "net decking" for years now; he always plays something of his own design and often to great success—from ~40 lands in Time Spiral-Lorwyn Standard to "Angry Avatar" in Legacy (a R/B/W deck featuring plays such as turn 1: Dark Ritual into Avatar of Discord discarding Anger). This Modern season has been no exception as he's been working on this R/W Planeswalker Control deck.

Crispin says: "The deck wrecks aggro decks for obvious reasons and does pretty well against most of the field due to maindeck Blood Moon. Torpor Orb shuts down Splinter Twin and Melira decks the latter of which becomes just aggro against me (which I win). Counterspells are the biggest problem as it's hard to play around them when you are trying to play five-to-seven mana cards.

I tend to lose against dedicated counter decks (or force a long slow draw) unless I get lucky. I beat the burn decks mainly due to my maindeck lifegain but there's a bit of luck involved. I lost to one last tournament because I stretched out a Wrath rather than dropping Ajani and gaining three life. Ooops. Play errors kill me more often than the deck!

I came second in our Modern league with it losing really only to the counterspell decks which I got much better against once I maindecked Blood Moon. And it's SO FUN to play."

In reference to the counterspell problem I suggested Luminarch Ascension—but unfortunately there just wouldn't be any room for it in the current sideboard!

R/G Snow Ramp

For lovers of: Skred Primal Command Wall of Roots

Finally my favorite of these last three decks from Jason Welsh who lost two PTQ win-and-ins and one a GPT with this list. It's an update of the Time Spiral-era Snow Ramp deck you may remember the original SCG grinder Chris Woltereck a more aggressive version. I learned to play it under Jason's tutelage:

R/G Snow Ramp
Jason Welsh
2nd Place at Pro Tour Qualifier on 4/22/2012
Modern
 

Creatures (22)

  • 1 Phyrexian Metamorph
  • 1 Wurmcoil Engine
  • 1 Burning-Tree Shaman
  • 1 Cloudthresher
  • 3 Eternal Witness
  • 1 Inferno Titan
  • 4 Obstinate Baloth
  • 1 Primeval Titan
  • 4 Sakura-Tribe Elder
  • 4 Wall of Roots
  • 1 Thrun, the Last Troll

Lands (23)

  • 13 Snow-Covered Forest
  • 4 Snow-Covered Mountain
  • 1 Gruul Turf
  • 1 Inkmoth Nexus
  • 1 Kessig Wolf Run
  • 1 Urza's Factory
  • 2 Highland Weald

Spells (15)

  • 3 Beast Within
  • 4 Skred
  • 4 Firespout
  • 4 Primal Command

    Sideboard

  • 1 Lodestone Golem
  • 1 Cloudthresher
  • 4 Faerie Macabre
  • 3 Ancient Grudge
  • 2 Combust
  • 1 Fracturing Gust
  • 3 Grab the Reins
 
 


Back then the plan was to use Sulfurous Blast and Skred to control the board until you Tutored up your game-winning creature for the particular matchup with Primal Command and then won easily (Bogardan Hellkite against Elves / Kithkin Akroma Angel of Fury against blue based control Cloudthresher against Fae Detritivore against 5CC etc.). Now in Modern the plan is much the same—I'll let Jason explain the intricacies of the deck a little more though:

"We were expecting lots of small creatures particularly from the Delver decks but couldn't expect to hit double red on turn 3 so Firespout was the sweeper of choice. Eternal Witness was the real breakthrough in the deck filling a very similar role to Snapcaster Mage in blue-based decks with the added bonus of getting back toolbox creatures. Burning-Tree Shaman is in there for Splinter Twin and also trades with Liliana of the Veil from Jund decks which can be huge.

I've also been asked a lot about Beast Within and how bad the downside can be. For this deck it's often not a problem at all as we play Wall of Roots Firespout and Obstinate Baloth to deal with the token one way or another.

We were surprised how many times we managed to steal wins with eight mana and a Primal Command after a board-clearing Firespout. You Command to search out Witness and put a land on top of their library then play Witness to get Command back. They draw the land you do the same again basically take four extra turns and make another Witness each time. By the time they draw a new card you've done them eighteen damage with Witness attacks and played Inferno Titan for 21 damage. It doesn't happen too often but it's a fine way to win when they're in top deck mode.

Creature/burn matchups tend to be very easy. They make guys you make a bigger guy and kill them. Often gaining seven life and searching for Wurmcoil Engine or Inferno Titan is enough to seal the deal.

Storm is awful if they are killing with Grapeshot rather than Empty the Warrens. The only real way to beat them is hope they're a little slow then EOT Beast Within a land untap and Primal Command another land and search for Lodestone Golem. This should buy you the turn you need to play Golem but it's hardly reliable.

U/W Tron is hard to beat if they've got Remand as an early one sets us back a lot. That said Grab the Reins in the board does mean they can't safely tap out for a Wurmcoil or Ulamog unless they do so very quickly. G/R Tron is a lot simpler as we have Beast Within for their Karns and Grab the Reins for their Wurmcoils but it's still in their favor. We basically die to Emrakul!

I think the deck has a future as long as people continue to play lots of little creatures but I honestly think you need a very good reason to not play Gifts Ungiven and Unburial Rites alongside a powerful linear strategy. If Gifts gets banned before the next PTQ season I may well update this deck again; if not I'll be playing it myself."

I hope you've all enjoyed this tour of Modern's sights less seen and are inspired to try something a little different next time you play the format. And who knows? Maybe there's a card or two in Avacyn Restored that you can bring into one of the above fringe decks up to tier 1 with…

Dan Barrett

@dangerawesome

danskate [AT] gmail

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About Dan Barrett

Dan Barrett is a Magic player of 3.5 years, from London, England. His questionable tournament “successes” include finishing 77/166 and 170/172 at GB Nationals, a PTQ 9th place, winning a 23 player Game Day, getting match wins in one of the three vintage tournaments he has played in, and conceding the finals of a drinking competition. While he clearly won’t be your go-to guy for deep strategy and hot tech, he more than makes up for this with strong opinions on all aspects of the game

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6 DANNY JESSUP 147
7 ZAN SYED 143
8 DYLAN DONEGAN 141
9 COLLINS MULLEN 130
10 PIETER TUBERGEN 125
11 BRENNAN M DECANDIO 118
12 ANDREW JESSUP 105
13 KEVIN JONES 102
14 JODY M KEITH 97
15 KAZU NEGRI 96
16 JULIAN JOHN 95
DECKLISTS
  • STANDARD
  • MODERN
  • LEGACY
  • 4/07 Invi Qualifier Durham, US
  • 4/07 Grand Prix Seattle, US
  • 3/25 SCG Classic Cincinnati, US
  • 3/24 Grand Prix Kyoto, JP
  • 3/24 SCG Team Open Cincinnati, US
  • 3/10 Grand Prix Madrid, ES
  • 3/10 SCG Classic Dallas, US
  • 2/24 Grand Prix Memphis, US
  • 2/18 Invi Qualifier Medford, US
  • 2/18 SCG Classic Indianapolis, US
  • 2/10 Invi Qualifier Glassboro, US
  • 2/03 Preliminary PTQ Roanoke, US
  • 1/28 SCG Classic Philadelphia, US
  • 1/27 SCG Team Open Philadelphia, US
  • 1/21 SCG Classic Dallas, US
  • 1/20 SCG Team Open Dallas, US
  • 1/06 Grand Prix Santa Clara, US
  • 12/17 Invi Qualifier Clarksville, US
  • 12/16 Invi Qualifier Port Charlotte, US
  • 12/03 SCG Classic Roanoke, US
View More Standard Decks - Search Decklists
  • 4/15 Invi Qualifier Cary, US
  • 4/15 Invi Qualifier Niles, US
  • 4/14 Invi Qualifier Moore, US
  • 4/14 Invi Qualifier Columbia, US
  • 4/14 Invi Qualifier Roanoke, US
  • 4/14 Grand Prix Hartford, US
  • 4/14 Invi Qualifier Columbia, US
  • 4/14 Grand Prix Sydney, AU
  • 4/08 Invi Qualifier Bernardsville, US
  • 4/08 Invi Qualifier Falls Church, US
  • 4/08 SCG Classic Milwaukee, US
  • 4/07 Invi Qualifier Denton, US
  • 4/07 Invi Qualifier Lexington, US
  • 4/07 Invi Qualifier Kingsport, US
  • 4/07 Invi Qualifier Toronto, US
  • 4/07 Invi Qualifier Glassboro, US
  • 4/07 SCG Modern Open Milwaukee, US
  • 3/31 Invi Qualifier Bernardsville, US
  • 3/25 Invi Qualifier Middletown, US
  • 3/25 Invi Qualifier Falls Church, US
View More Modern Decks - Search Decklists
  • 4/08 SCG Classic Milwaukee, US
  • 4/06 Grand Prix Seattle, US
  • 3/25 SCG Classic Cincinnati, US
  • 3/24 Grand Prix Kyoto, JP
  • 3/24 SCG Team Open Cincinnati, US
  • 3/10 Grand Prix Madrid, ES
  • 3/04 SCG Classic Worcester, US
  • 3/03 SCG Open Worcester, US
  • 1/28 SCG Classic Philadelphia, US
  • 1/27 Invi Qualifier Columbia, US
  • 1/27 SCG Team Open Philadelphia, US
  • 1/21 SCG Classic Dallas, US
  • 1/20 SCG Team Open Dallas, US
  • 1/07 SCG Classic Columbus, US
  • 1/06 Grand Prix Santa Clara, US
  • 11/19 SCG Classic Baltimore, US
  • 11/18 SCG Team Open Baltimore, US
  • 10/29 SCG Classic Washington, US
  • 10/28 SCG Open Washington, US
  • 10/22 Invi Qualifier Bristol, US
View More Legacy Decks - Search Decklists

 

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