This is my modern version of Conley Woods Worlds 2009 Deck also named Magical Christmas Land.
It was originally a Jund land destruction deck back in Zendikar/Shards standard that focused on ramp into
Goblin Ruinblaster
, Acidic Slime, Mold shamblers and then ultimately
Violent Ultimatum
to punish the formats shaky mana bases.
His deck can be seen on Channel Fireball in a good discussion
Here
And on YouTube HereThere were some problems with the deck that I have tried to address they were:
1) First was a shaky manabase that had three colors and 23 lands with a high mana curve often times mana screwing you and with enough ways to cast your spells
2) Land Destruction. Well not bad but in modern its not really viable and in this deck it starts as early turn 3 which just isnt fast enough.
Now lets go through my card choices based on its role in the deck.
Manabase
24 lands is plenty
You want enough for spells to go off early but your ramp is going to do quite a bit of work so playing anything more is extraneous but playing anything less is dangerous. I have a lot more basics then I do nonbasics because I want our landfallers to go off and search them up. Sometimes though I do need colored mana so why not make it fetchable? Thats where the one ofs of the relevant shocklands came from so things like Scalding Tarn can search for all three colors and not just red mana.
Now for the card choices beyond the lands.
Ramp
The ramp is highly unconventional and unstable. Its consistent enough to go off and turn four
Violent Ultimatum
but is more explosive than it is consistent.
Lotus Cobra
: This is one of the most important cards of the deck and we rely on it quite a bit. But the key to a deck with lotus cobra is that you need something that can function without it but insane with it rather than on the polar sides of using too much but not using it enough. The reason being is that sometimes I just dont have it in my opening hand or because of its fragility, easy to kill so thats where the second card comes in.
Khalni Heart Expedition
This is the second cobra as it basically does the same thing, but a turn slower. Its also harder to kill being an enchantment.
Harrow
/Fetchlands: The reason I categorize these in the same place is they do largely the same thing. They are two lands coming in a turn and they are the fuel to be chewed up by
Lotus Cobra
and
Khalni Heart Expedition
. The difference between the two is that Harrow is a spell and can be cast as early as turn three but the fetchlands can be used to find the needed colors for some of my support spells.
Support
This has gone from land death to more potent disruption for the modern metagame. However right now its not perfect and needs scrubbing.
Terminate: Simple spot removal no explanation is really needed.
Inquisition of Kozilek: These are very important for almost all decks in modern. Its disruption on turn one to take away those pesky counterspells or removal spells to protect the ramp. It can take away the pieces of combo decks or at the very least, a threat. Very important.
Jund Charm
: This is for aggro decks which can be a little hard in game one. I have these as a 3 of maindeck where we want an early sweeper.
Mizzium Mortars: This is a very cool card in this deck. It compliments much of what we want to do. Relevant early for its weak but still effective use as a spot removal spell, but still relevant late game for its overload capabilities.
Violent Ultimatum
: Ok this may be a very silly spell but its actually very relevant. A turn 4 or 5 ultimatum something of which I can get consistently on turn 4-5 is absolutely backbreaking . Three Vindicates is very cool. Against creature decks, a board wipe. Against control decks it takes away planeswalkers and is often a triple
Stone Rain
.
The Finishers
These finishers combo with the sheer number of land searches so late game
Harrow
s and
Khalni Heart Expedition
s are not dead cards.
Rampaging Baloths: A very potent finisher and something to be feared. A lot of people discount this but in this deck he goes insane and powers out 4-5 tokens very fast.
Ob Nixilis, the Fallen
: Another potent landfaller this one not as good as the baloths because he cant stack on multiple copies being legendary. Plus he needs a constant flow of lands which the deck doesnt always have and the baloths can still function without so thats why I went from a 3-3 split with baloths to a 4-2 split. He is the worst card in this deck but he has his place. He does however get past decks I cant always breakthrough right away which is defiantly helpful.
and for some shennanigans: Scapeshift
The Sideboard
The problem with a rouge deck like this is creating a good and functioning sideboard that covers most things. So far this is the list I have come with for the most success. Suggestions needed/wanted.
Islands: Lets go blue!
Cruel Ultimatum: Probably the most important card of the deck. It does so many ridiculous things and is basically what the deck runs on when I board them in. I go silly against control decks and do a 3-3 split or a 2-3 split with Violent. I can choose to switch up our ultimatums in game 2 or just bring it in to throw some people way far off what they saw the deck do in game 1. It also covers the holes Violent doesnt get.
Wurmcoil Engine: Another card that can be important. Also something we bring against Mono-red, but it also helps for aggressive decks. Comes out turn 3-4 to start some shenanigans. It slowly eats their guys while gaining boatloads of life. And then eats them. Combine that with a boardwipe or an ultimatum and its game.
Mizzium Mortars, Terminate,
Slagstorm
, and Inquisition of Kozilek. All those extra one ofs for the deck I bring in and take out other cards that dont fit like the extra discard versus Control. Extra board wipes and spot removal for aggressive decks.
Rakdos Charm: Staying for now, this fills the gap against Splinter Twin and conveniently, pod. Seeing 14-15 creatures come out of splinter twin only to do 14 to them is hilarious and can easily win I games.
The overall Objective of the deck is ramp into ultimatums as they are absolutely backbreaking spells and then back them up with efficient threats that are explosive. Games go one of three ways.
1) I have a Cobra that survives and makes for an unbeatable start
2) I have an Expedition that takes the place of the cobra.
3) I have neither and start with some hand disruption to spot removal and then board wipe. I cast a threat and then end somewhere with
Violent Ultimatum
Problems.
1) Consistency: This deck has hands that crush all other decks but hands that do nothing so its a tossup as to what you get. Most of the time the hands are fine though.
2) Speed: Sometimes the deck is just not fast enough for the modern meta. This isn't really viable but it is LOTS of fun.
Lastly the deck name explained. It originated from the release of Zendikar when people said it could power out a turn three
Violent Ultimatum
and some people told them to stop living in a Magical Christmas Land.
Suggestions, comments and constructive criticism appreciated! Thank You in advance.
