Mardu Tokens

[Lightning_Dolt]

Been tweaking Val's list some:

[deck] Modern Mardu Tokens[/deck]

[Valdarith]

Your sideboard needs a lot of work. I also feel like you're running one too many lands and you overvalue Lavaclaw Reaches (that card is borderline unplayable).

[Lightning_Dolt]

With Solemn visitor, I've won games I had no business winning. In what ways do you think the sideboard needs work? I consider that to be pretty stock / what we've been doing / works.

[Valdarith]

I don't know what Molten Rain is for. We're already pretty good against Tron I feel like and Molten Rain is very average against Amulet Bloom. I also feel like with access to so many flexible spells in Mardu colors that Thoughtseize out of the board is a lot worse than in other decks. I don't feel like Slaughter Games is necessary against the decks you'd bring them in for (Scapeshift, maybe Twin) and it's also really slow.

Look at my sideboard for what I mean. It's full of flexible answers that serve duty in multiple matchups.

[Jolly Roger]

Any suggestions of a replacement for Liliana?

[Valdarith]

There isn't one, but you could skew your list to more resilient threats like Pack Rat and Brimaz.

[Shadowlink]

Hello all, I originally posted this in the BBBSG thread but am also trying it here to see what people think. My version of Mardu is not token based, but I feel like the colors are very strong in the current modern meta. Anyways, here is my post from the previous thread;

Hey all, I'm really liking the new ways this deck has evolved since I first started reading this thread. I originally made my own variant of this deck as a way to fight my local meta, but since then its evolved to the point where I'm hoping it may be competitive at a PPTQ or higher level. I thought I'd post it here and see what you all think.

[deck]4x Figure of Destiny
2x Grim Lavamancer
3x Dark Confidant
2x Soulfire Grand Master
2x Brimaz, King of Oreskos
1x Olivia Voldaren

4x Lightning Bolt
4x Lightning Helix
3x Kolaghan’s Command
4x Crackling Doom
3x Terminate
4x Inquisition of Kozilek
1x Slaughter Pact

3x Plains
2x Mountain
1x Swamp
4x Arid Mesa
2x Bloodstained Mire
2x Marsh Flats
4x Sacred Foundry
2x Godless Shrine
1x Blood Crypt
2x Clifftop Retreat

Sideboard
4x Kor Firewalker
3x Fulminator Mage
2x Volcanic Fallout
2x Rest in Peace
2x Stony Silence
2x Blood Moon[/deck]

The shift from pure boros to a mardu shell was from a desire to run Crackling Doom, and so far its been incredible. The card completely hoses boggles and infect, and causes other decks a lot of problems as well. Kolaghan's Command also continues the shift from a pure agro deck into a more value oriented / semi mid-range version. The land base is still a work in progress, I would like to try a couple filter lands, but don't own any yet.

[Valdarith]

I like the direction you've taken the deck. With Kolaghan's Command being a card now, I think a more creature - based build is best. You'll basically be playing Jund except you trade Goyf and Abrupt Decay for Brimaz and Lightning Helix. Some comments:

1) Pack Rat seems like an obvious choice in a Kolaghan's Command/Dark Confidant deck. I don't know many decks that can beat Rat in the long game.

2) As much of a pet card Figure of Destiny is of mine, I think there are better creatures to be running. See #1.

3) You need to be running Liliana. She's too good not to run. Crackling Doom is a decent card but it by itself won't cut it.

4) I've found at least six turn 1 discard spells to be necessary. I like a 3/3 split of Thoughtseize and Inquisition. Thoughtseize is kinda rough against Burn but against everything else it's money.

5) You should be running 4 Blackcleave Cliffs. It helps to cast turn 1 Lavamancer or discard and saves life vs aggro. I know you're trying to cast Blood Moon out of the board, but Jund does the same thing with similar mana.

6) Consider working on your sideboard. I like having flexible cards that can come in against multiple matchups rather than narrow hate cards like Rest in Peace and Stony Silence. Look at my sideboard for what I mean. For instance, Zealous Persecution can come in against Affinity, CoCo Elves, and Lingering Souls decks. Rakdos Charm comes in against Affinity, graveyard decks, Tron, and sometimes Twin.

[Shadowlink]

1) I haven't tried pack rat yet but have considered it. If you do run rat, do you just jam 4, or would you go with less? I understand about figure, though he has proven to be very strong for me. Maybe that's just the local meta / pet decks I'm used to playing against.

3) Same question, I thought about trying Liliana. I'm thinking 2-3 would probably be good, but will obviously have to make some room.

5) You're probably right about cliffs, I just don't own any yet. I'll look into picking some up.

6) For sideboarding, Ive tried rakdos charm but it felt too slow against tron and too little impact against affinity and dedicated graveyard decks. Stony Silence seems to really work as a hoser against the R/G tron and affinity I've come up against recently. You may be right about RiP being too narrow, I'll have to try some different things.

[Shadowlink]

I think I'll try this for the next local modern and see how the changes feel. I'm planning to hit up a PPTQ or two every weekend I can starting very soon, so I'd like to get a list nailed down as soon as possible.

[deck]2x Figure of Destiny
2x Grim Lavamancer
3x Dark Confidant
2x Soulfire Grand Master
2x Pack Rat
2x Brimaz, King of Oreskos

2x Liliana of the Veil

4x Lightning Bolt
4x Lightning Helix
3x Kolaghan’s Command
3x Crackling Doom
2x Terminate
3x Inquisition of Kozilek
2x Thoughtseize
1x Slaughter Pact

2x Plains
2x Mountain
1x Swamp
4x Arid Mesa
2x Bloodstained Mire
2x Marsh Flats
2x Sacred Foundry
3x Godless Shrine
1x Blood Crypt
4x Blackcleave Cliffs

Sideboard
4x Kor Firewalker
3x Fulminator Mage
2x Volcanic Fallout
1x Olivia Voldaren
1x Rest in Peace
2x Stony Silence
2x Blood Moon[/deck]

[Valdarith]

That looks better. I'd probably move Olivia to the main deck though. I think 3 Liliana is best but I played two before and it was great.

[Shadowlink]

Any suggestions on cuts for Liliana number 3 and Olivia in the main?

[Valdarith]

I think 4 Lightning Helix is too much and you can afford to go to one Figure.

[Shadowlink]

This is looking like my final version for the PPTQ this Saturday, we'll see how it goes.

[deck]2x Figure of Destiny
2x Grim Lavamancer
3x Dark Confidant
2x Soulfire Grand Master
2x Pack Rat
1x Olivia Voldaren

3x Liliana of the Veil

3x Lingering Souls
4x Lightning Bolt
2x Lightning Helix
2x Kolaghan’s Command
3x Crackling Doom
3x Terminate
3x Inquisition of Kozilek
2x Thoughtseize

2x Plains
2x Mountain
1x Swamp
4x Arid Mesa
2x Bloodstained Mire
2x Marsh Flats
2x Sacred Foundry
3x Godless Shrine
1x Blood Crypt
4x Blackcleave Cliffs

Sideboard
3x Kor Firewalker
3x Fulminator Mage
2x Rest in Peace
2x Stony Silence
2x Blood Moon
1x Volcanic Fallout
2x Spellskite[/deck]