What is this pile of unplayable garbage I'm looking at?
This is a Modern combo deck looking to attack the opponent with a large annihilating creature.
And how exactly do you plan on doing that?
The combo involves casting Collected Company and revealing an Academy Researchers and Heliod's Pilgrim. You can stack the triggers such that the Pilgrim tutors your deck for an Eldrazi Conscription and then you can immediately attach it to the Researchers, untap, and swing in.
Sounds loose. How fast does the deck go off?
The deck can end of turn CC on turn 3 with any mana dork (Noble Hierarch, Birds of Paradise, or Wall of Roots). Additionally, with a good draw you can just make a turn 2 12/12 by casting the Researchers with any 1-mana dork and having the Conscription in hand.
What happens if you don't hit both Pilgrim and Researchers at the same time?
You only need to have a Conscription in hand when the Researchers comes down. You don't have to hit them both in the same collected company (although its pretty sick when you do). Additionally, using Chord of Calling to find the missing piece, or a protection creature like Spellskite, Meddling Mage, or Vendilion Clique can be pretty strong.
Doesn't your combo just get disrupted by Lightning Bolt?
True. However, because the way the Researcher's trigger works, they have to bolt it with the trigger on the stack, meaning you don't get the usual blowout of losing your Aura too. And having copies of Eternal Witness in your deck naturally gives you some needed resiliency.
But you are still effectively getting 2-for-1'd because now you have an uncastable 8-mana aura in your hand.
Yes, but 8 mana isn't that difficult to obtain in a deck full of mana creatures. This deck will frequently just cast the aura when games get grindy.
How about Path to Exile?
This one is worse for us because we can't Witness our creature back and the Aura ends up in the graveyard. However, it does ramp us so that future Conscriptions are easier to hardcast.
Isn't this deck just worse than the Melira, Sylvok Outcast/Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit combo version?
Probably. Kitchen Finks is a strong card to have in your deck, and better when you can randomly gain infinite life with it. However, this deck does have some advantages. For example, it doesn't get disrupted by graveyard hate, and you can play some of your own in the sideboard (being careful about not leaving in all your Witnesses). Additionally, Conscription is a strong trump card in the late game when you have a lot of mana but few relevant creatures. Also, some decks just can't beat the turn 2 12/12 you can make in this deck.
Why aren't you playing Card X/Y?
This deck probably needs some tuning. Think of it as a proof-of-concept. Maybe that concept isn't good enough. I'll leave that up to you to decide. However, if you have any suggestions, please comment below!
Your deck sucks.
If you think so, why are you still reading this?
