FNM Series: Mardu Midrange
Mardu Midrange
| Creatures (9) 4 Dark Confidant 4 Young Pyromancer 1 Grim Lavamancer Spells (22) 3 Fatal Push 1 Collective Brutality 4 Lightning Bolt 2 Path to Exile 3 Inquisition of Kozilek 4 Lingering Souls 3 Thoughtseize 2 Kolaghan’s Command Planeswalkers (5) 4 Liliana of the Veil 1 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar Artifacts (1) 1 Smuggler’s Copter | Lands (23) 1 Arid Mesa 3 Blackcleave Cliffs 2 Blood Crypt 4 Bloodstained Mire 2 Godless Shrine 4 Marsh Flats 1 Mountain 1 Plains 1 Sacred Foundry 2 Shambling Vent 2 Swamp Sideboard (15) 3 Blood Moon 1 Rakdos Charm 1 Wear // Tear 1 Zealous Persecution 2 Nihil Spellbomb 1 Anger of the Gods 1 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet 1 Pithing Needle 1 Collective Brutality 1 Burrenton Forge-Tender 1 Engineered Explosives 1 Spellskite |
UR Swans 1st Place PPTQ Report
Hello Internet,
This is my first PPTQ win and first tournament write up so I apologize if it’s a bit long winded. I played UR Swans at a 68 man PPTQ in Concord, CA last Sunday. It’s basically a Blue Moon deck with Swans of Bryn Argoll as the win condition. Playing tons of basics goes hand in hand with a Blood Moon strategy and you get to play snow basics together with Skred to either kill creatures much larger than a typical UR deck could handle, or draw tons of cards by pointing it at your Swan. You also get to play Stubborn Denial to counter early spells and protect your Swans from removal or enemy burn spells. Here’s the list:
UR Swans
| Creatures (9) 4 Swans of Bryn Argoll 4 Snapcaster Mage 1 Kefnet the Mindful Enchantments (1) 1 Blood Moon Spells (27) 4 Opt 1 Anticipate 3 Stubborn Denial 2 Spell Snare 2 Mana Leak 2 Remand 2 Cryptic Command 1 Disrupting Shoal 4 Skred 4 Lightning Bolt 2 Anger of the Gods | Lands (23) 4 Scalding Tarn 2 Polluted Delta 1 Arid Mesa 1 Scrying Sheets 9 Snow-Covered Island 4 Snow-Covered Mountain 2 Steam Vents Sideboard (15) 2 Blood Moon 1 Anger of the Gods 1 Batterskull 1 Counterflux 1 Dispel 1 Echoing Truth 1 Harvest Pyre 1 Kefnet the Mindful 1 Keranos, God of Storms 1 Pithing Needle 1 Shatterstorm 1 Spellskite 1 Vendilion Clique 1 Wurmcoil Engine |
FNM Series: Jeskai Tempo (#2)
Jeskai Tempo
| Creatures (11) 4 Snapcaster Mage 4 Spell Queller 3 Geist of Saint Traft Spells (25) 3 Cryptic Command 2 Electrolyze 4 Lightning Bolt 2 Lightning Helix 3 Logic Knot 4 Path to Exile 2 Spell Snare 2 Serum Visions 3 Opt | Lands (24) 3 Island 1 Mountain 1 Plains 4 Celestial Colonnade 4 Flooded Strand 2 Hallowed Fountain 1 Sacred Foundry 4 Scalding Tarn 2 Steam Vents 2 Sulfur Falls Sideboard (15) 1 Engineered Explosives 2 Relic of Progenitus 1 Izzet Staticaster 1 Celestial Purge 2 Disdainful Stroke 2 Dispel 1 Negate 1 Wear // Tear 2 Pia and Kiran Nalaar 1 Vendilion Clique 1 Supreme Verdict |
FNM Series: Jeskai Tempo
Jeskai Tempo
| Creatures (11) 4 Snapcaster Mage 4 Spell Queller 3 Geist of Saint Traft Spells (25) 3 Cryptic Command 2 Electrolyze 4 Lightning Bolt 3 Lightning Helix 3 Logic Knot 4 Path to Exile 2 Spell Snare 4 Serum Visions | Lands (24) 3 Island 1 Mountain 1 Plains 4 Celestial Colonnade 4 Flooded Strand 2 Hallowed Fountain 1 Sacred Foundry 4 Scalding Tarn 2 Steam Vents 2 Sulfur Falls Sideboard (15) 1 Engineered Explosives 2 Relic of Progenitus 1 Izzet Staticaster 1 Celestial Purge 2 Disdainful Stroke 2 Dispel 1 Negate 1 Wear // Tear 2 Pia and Kiran Nalaar 1 Vendilion Clique 1 Supreme Verdict |
Fire is the Universal Language: Tribal Flayer in Modern
Sometimes things just don’t work out. Towards the beginning of last year’s Modern PPTQ season, friend and now MTG Conflux team member, Zach Smith, brewed up an intriguing deck. It started out as a leaner Jund that evolved into a 5-color Tribal Flames list that played the cheapest and most efficient cards at its disposal. His “Tribal Flayer” deck took him to a 5-0 finish in a MTGO league that prompted articles on StarCityGames and Modern Nexus, as well as catching the eye of one Caleb Durward, prompting a video series and praise before the deck unceremoniously disappeared into the void.
The deck felt like a real metagame contender that never gained traction, having tools to beat decks that went both tall and wide while having a gratuitous amount of reach. Zach was unable to play the PPTQ season and secure the success the deck deserved, leaving it to gather dust as the format changed and evolved.
Affinity Primer 2017
Google “Affinity Primer” and you’ll get a handful of helpful articles and forum posts from the past few years. Digging a little deeper, Frank Karsten over at Channel Fireball did an update to his Affinity primers after Aether Revolt, but didn’t offer a real in-depth analysis as he normally does. There is definitely a bit of a gap in recent Affinity articles and this is my attempt at filling it.
I’ve been playing Affinity from Modern’s beginnings, and I’ve been obsessed with “robots” ever since I laid eyes on the beautiful card that is Etched Champion. I’ve always enjoyed using cards that are just a little off the beaten path in the deck too. Today, even though I have a multitude of decks to choose from, I always find myself gravitating toward this explosive and synergistic deck.
In this article I’ll be going over how I’d approach any competitive style tournament with Affinity. I’ll also be taking a look at different deck lists and sideboarding options.Continue reading
FNM Series: Sultai Delirium
Sultai Delirium
| Creatures (16) 4 Tarmogoyf 3 Jace, Vryn’s Prodigy 1 Courser of Kruphix 1 Tireless Tracker 1 The Scarab God 1 Eternal Witness 1 Glen Elendra Archmage 1 Architects of Will 1 Shriekmaw 1 Scavenging Ooze 1 Thragtusk Artifacts (3) 3 Mishra’s Bauble Spells (18) 4 Fatal Push 4 Traverse the Ulvenwald 2 Abrupt Decay 3 Thoughtseize 3 Inquisition of Kozilek 1 Maelstrom Pulse 1 Dismember Planeswalkers (1) 1 Liliana, the Last Hope | Lands (22) 2 Overgrown Tomb 1 Watery Grave 1 Breeding Pool 1 Forest 1 Swamp 1 Island 1 Misty Rainforest 3 Polluted Delta 1 River of Tears 4 Verdant Catacombs 4 Blooming Marsh 1 Creeping Tar Pit 1 Ghost Quarter Sideboard (15) 1 Snapcaster Mage 2 Dispel 1 Bojuka Bog 1 Disdainful Stroke 2 Countersquall 1 Phyrexian Revoker 1 Spellskite 1 Vengeful Rebel 1 Fulminator Mage 1 Big Game Hunter 1 Reclamation Sage 1 Ishkanah, Grafwidow 1 Emrakul, the Promised End |
FNM Series: Tribal Flayer (#2)
Tribal Flayer
| Creatures (14) 4 Grim Flayer 2 Snapcaster Mage 4 Tarmogoyf 4 Wild Nacatl Artifacts (2) 2 Mishra’s Bauble Spells (22) 3 Fatal Push 4 Inquisition of Kozilek 1 Kolaghan’s Command 3 Lightning Bolt 3 Lingering Souls 2 Path to Exile 2 Thoughtseize 4 Tribal Flames | Lands (22) 1 Blood Crypt 4 Bloodstained Mire 1 Breeding Pool 1 Forest 1 Godless Shrine 1 Overgrown Tomb 1 Sacred Foundry 1 Stomping Ground 1 Swamp 1 Temple Garden 4 Verdant Catacombs 1 Watery Grave 4 Windswept Heath Sideboard (15) 1 Abrupt Decay 2 Ceremonious Rejection 2 Collective Brutality 1 Disdainful Stroke 1 Duress 1 Engineered Explosives 1 Geist of Saint Traft 2 Kitchen Finks 1 Kolaghan’s Command 1 Liliana, the Last Hope 1 Lingering Souls 1 Zealous Persecution |
FNM Series: Tribal Flayer (#1)
Tribal Flayer
| Creatures (14) 4 Grim Flayer 2 Snapcaster Mage 4 Tarmogoyf 4 Wild Nacatl Artifacts (2) 2 Mishra’s Bauble Spells (22) 3 Fatal Push 4 Inquisition of Kozilek 1 Kolaghan’s Command 3 Lightning Bolt 3 Lingering Souls 2 Path to Exile 2 Thoughtseize 4 Tribal Flames | Lands (22) 1 Blood Crypt 4 Bloodstained Mire 1 Breeding Pool 1 Forest 1 Godless Shrine 1 Overgrown Tomb 1 Sacred Foundry 1 Stomping Ground 1 Swamp 1 Temple Garden 4 Verdant Catacombs 1 Watery Grave 4 Windswept Heath Sideboard (15) 1 Abrupt Decay 2 Ceremonious Rejection 2 Collective Brutality 1 Disdainful Stroke 1 Duress 1 Engineered Explosives 1 Geist of Saint Traft 2 Kitchen Finks 1 Kolaghan’s Command 1 Liliana, the Last Hope 1 Lingering Souls 1 Zealous Persecution |