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Lord_Europa

I'll play around with the transparency, thank you for the feedback.

I'm happy to see people still love combos. Have you considered Mindbreak Trap on the sideboard for Storm and Ravenous Trap for graveyard decks. And possibly sideboarding Solemnity , people would never expect Phyrexian Unlife + Solemnity combos G2 against Ad Nauseam . Don't know if it would be worth it, but it wouldn't be expected and chances are they will not add in enchantment hate and if you pull it off you definitely buy yourself a ton of time.

hellhole3927:

Thanks for the comment and suggestions. So, while all the cards you name are good cards, they are not right for this deck, and really I think you give me a good chance to highlight the difference between a good sideboard card in general, and a good sideboard card in Ad Nauseam specifically. Mindbreak Trap I will agree is a great card for storm, however it is very surplus to requirements in this deck. I feel people have this misconception about storm as being this turn 3 combo deck when that really isn't the case, ideally storm will be going off on turn 5 or 6 if they can get there, by this time they should have crafted a bulletproof hand, to go off turn 3 is a high risk play unless they have it and you aren't going to beat storm when it has it anyway to be honest, we are very effective at forcing them to try, likely when they aren't 100% comfortable; going earlier increases the chance of fizzling dramatically. Additionally, storm is already a good matchup, I would say that its probably about 70-30 for us, meaning that to hedge for storm is generally incorrect (though it must be said storm is one of those decks where the best storm pilots are always going to be difficult to beat). The main reason for this line of thinking is Angel's Grace and to a lesser degree Phyrexian Unlife ; essentially the storm player needs to be able to set up a turn where they can both Grapeshot and Empty the Warrens to realistically expect to win and fight through our ability to stay alive. In other words, while a good card, considering the matchup is a good one it is largely unnecessary (though probably a consideration if your meta is all storm).

To this end, the other card you suggest Ravenous Trap suffers from the same problem. It is a great card, however the matchups it is best against, Dredge and Phoenix, are both favorable (I personally have a winning record against Phoenix however it still hasn't been around long enough for me to make a formal decision on how good the matchup is for us) already. This is a case scenario where, although the card is great, there is no real reason to play it in the deck as it attacks decks that we should beat anyway. In other words, to play the card is to use a slot for a good matchup, something that I can't get behind unless the card has implications for bad to even matchups (say if Jund Vengevine were a bit more popular and playing more discard effects). All in all, like Mindbreak Trap it's a great card but not needed here as it doesn't attack mathcups we really need to fear.

As for Solemnity , every once in a while you actually do see an Ad Nauseam player running it whether in the side or even the main, exploiting the lack of enchantment removal currently seeing play, the only real cards seeing some play being Nature's Claim and Assassin's Trophy .It isn't awful, but... it's just too gimicky for my tastes. The big question with it is, what do you cut? What card in the deck is significantly worse than Solemnity and in what matchup will you ever actually get it down where it matters: Storm, 8-whack, zoo, humans, infect, affinity, and spirits are all too fast; then that leaves the relevant matchups of Phoenix, Dredge, Hollow One, and Merfolk really. All of which, bar Hollow One game one, are already good matchups and, building on that, Dredge and Hollow One, where it is perhaps most useful, have hate for it, Dredge always siding in some number of Nature's Claim against us, and Hollow One sometimes dipping into green for Assassin's Trophy . To me the combo there doesn't play enough and quite frankly feels like a bit of a wasted slot. So while fun, and don't get me wrong it would be really fun to get someone with it, I don't think that it is the best thing you can be doing, I would rather have that slot be something better against a bad matchup, or something more flexible that doesn't require me to draw exactly those two cards.

Thank you for the comments, I'll definitely add Solemnity to my Sideboard Options List for people's reference, though I don't see myself playing it. I hope I have explained myself adequately.

Oloro_Magic Actually I have found Pheonix to be an amazing matchup. They often can't beat you when you Angel's Grace or Phyrexian Unlife , the advantage of either is insane against them.

I haven't been down a game against them, despite having like 6 matches with Phoenix.

SynergyBuild:

Yeah, I have played 23 matches against Phoenix variants (including mono-red here) and so far I am 20-3. I like the matchup, they don't really attack us in any meaningful way, but I don't quite want to make a definitive conclusion on the matchup as the sample size is small, and its the hot new thing so people are still learning it. I do agree though, it feels like a great matchup, my loses coming to bad hands and a weird mono-red build I didn't expect.

It is nice to hear that others are having success in the matchup however, makes me more confident to actually call it like how it has felt. :) Thank you for the additional data.

I haven't been against any mono-red.

Also how has your matchup against Azorius control been?

SynergyBuild:

U/W Control is favorable, the problem that deck has specifically is that we have inevitability over them. The control deck can't realistically expect to win if they never play a threat, and if they mis-time playing that threat they can lose on the spot. It really is a matter of patience and not getting too jumpy with going off. Their best plan is to try to stick a Jace, the Mind Sculptor at a point where we can't feasibly combo and fate seal to victory. That's the dream for them; for us its to get to at least 6 mana as quick as possible and play conservatively, they are at an onus to not counter anything but Ad Nauseam , anything else is risky and can be the game. For us then, its about crafting a hand that has at least 2 Pact of Negation in it, that is usually pretty hard for them to beat, especially if they try to tap for anything to progress towards winning the game; our goal is to present a scenario where we can win if they ever try to commit, they need to play very very smart, the onus is really on them to pick their moments, we just have to observe. Mystical Teachings also is often great in this matchup, I've had control players stare down a Mystical Teachings at end step, knowing it is getting a Pact of Negation , put in a lose-lose situation as, if it resolves, they don't have the mana to beat 2 Pact of Negation , and if they counter it they can't beat 1.

I've had a few players express how much they dislike the matchup, but to me it's really just a matter of being patient, sometimes keeping a below average hand with just acceleration, dig, and Pact of Negation , simply because a smart control player is not going to try and win quickly and play as though you always have it.

After sideboard, because I never leave home with at least 1 Grand Abolisher type effect and if control was feeling worse I would probably also have a Swan Song , while it gets a bit more complicated because of Dispel changing the math, overall we are still favored; the one exception perhaps being Esper Control just because they have access to Thoughtseize + Surgical Extraction .

Overall my record against U/W (+Esper since I began recording a couple months ago I have lumped those two together as they play out similarly) is 33-3-13, so about 67%, the majority of the loses coming to decks with the black splash. Its a hard matchup if you don't know what you are doing, but we have the advantage as long as you are smart (keep in mind though that there is a point of no return with a deck like control, like we aren't going to win if they have 20 lands out and 7 counters in hand but if it ever gets to that point the game probably should have ended ages ago). :P

What were the three draws? Time-outs?

Also, similar experience, I have slightly worse percentages than you, however their roughly similar.

SynergyBuild:

Yeah, I don't scoop ever, they have to earn the win; though I believe one was a draw to top 8, though not a match I played I still recorded it as a draw as that is essentially what it is just to be thorough. I also think the percentage we should aim at for U/W is between 55-65% so anything in there I would say is average for the deck. I also have the advantage of my primary testing partner playing U/W so I've literally played hundreds of pure sideboard games to get a feel for the matchup(unfortunately I don't have a percentage for those though :( as I have never thought to record them until after).

Thanks for the quick response, all the points you made make sense now that I think about it. I'm just happy someone else out there likes to play combo/alternate wincon decks also, people in my playgroup just hate my decks for it.

BTW, if you don't mind could you take a look at my Modern Protean Hulk deck and let me know what you think of it. You can find it by the name of: The Mistake WotC Made By Unbanning Protean Hulk. (I'm still working on the sideboard for it also.)

Can I ask how you got that world map on here?

Daedalus19876:

Pretty cool isn't it? If you hover over the map you can click on it and it will take you to the site that provides it, you basically customize what you want; either a map or list of countries by visitors, and then it gives you the html tags to put in your description. From there you just have to insert the proper placement tags to get it to look how you want :)

Here is the link to their home page: http://s05.flagcounter.com/index.html

I was wondering what you think could be removed or replaced to create a more budget friendly version of this deck. I really would like to be able to play an Ad Nauseam combo deck, but I do not have the budget to spend on a high tier version of the deck at the moment. I know some piece are more crucial than others, so I am looking for things that might be able to slide in a less competitive environment or can easily be replacements until I can acquire their competitive counterparts.

RedPandaMaster:

What exactly is your budget, if you don't mind my asking? Ad Nauseam is already one of the more budget friendly decks one can play in modern; my list doesn't accurately represent this of course on account of the foils (and this is a deck where foiling is exponentially higher) but the actual stock list I have in the description without any foils is roughly $450-$500 last I checked.

If this is still too much the easiest replacement, although it must be stressed you will want to upgrade as soon as possible as these replacements are more placeholders than anything as combo decks like Ad Nauseam really need to be streamlined effectively, would be to cut the Gemstone Mine and replace them with most likely 1x Plains and 1x Dreadship Reef . This is by no means ideal but it is manageable if you really can't afford Gemstone Mine right now. Other than that there is not much unfortunately, instead of Darkness and Keranos, God of Storms you can just run the stock 3x Bontu's Last Reckoning but the card that is probably the biggest stretch for someone trying to pick up the deck, Leyline of Sanctity , is unfortunately really mandatory for the deck. There are just too many matchups in modern where you need Leyline to even hope to win. If that is the one card keeping you from playing Ad Nauseam then you can try for a time without it and pick some cards based on your meta from my comprehensive sideboard options list in the primer, but you will find some matchups will feel worse than they are and you will want to get your leylines as quick as possible. Essentially, playing Ad Nauseam without Leyline of Sanctity is like playing Infect without Noble Hierarch or Tron without Karn Liberated or Burn without Goblin Guide . In all cases its possible and has been done, but it is far from optimal.

Let me know if there are any specific cards you are looking for replacements for as they pose too much of a financial hardship, I am more than happy to make suggestions for what can be played instead; it can be hard to think of options without a specific card in mind to swap. I hope you build the deck!

Oloro_Magic:

Thanks for some fo the recondmendations so far. I am aiming for around the $250 dollar mark. I currently have all of the cantrips, a single Pact of Negation , and a set City of Brass but that is it so far. I think that cards that seem most expensive in the deck, without being the most crucial, would be the lands(specifically the fast lands). Since Leyline of Sanctity will cost around 100, and most of the other crucial parts( Angel's Grace , Lotus Petal , Ad Nauseam , and Phyrexian Unlife ) Will probably be around 100. Where should I invest my remaining $50+, since a set of only 4 fast lands would really take most of that budget.?

RedPandaMaster:

I would argue the lands are the most crucial as at the end of the day you do need to make your colors for this deck very effectively, and you need the duals for helping your Pentad Prism math. With your remaining starting budget I would get all your scry lands, the artifacts (or else you will never win quick enough without them), Simian Spirit Guide , and the actual wincons. Anything left over after that should go to cantrips and Spoils of the Vault , unless of course it is enough to buy a few of the other lands. As for the 2 remaining Pact of Negation , for the time being you can get away with running 1 Echoing Truth and 1 Desperate Ritual in those spots, that should save you some money until you can upgrade them and if control isn't a problem where you live this should be decent for now. You can also throw a Solemnity into the deck for the time being seeing how your ability to stall will be hampered by your lands.

Keep me updated on your progress I am always willing to help out as well!

P.S. Lotus Bloom not petal (I wish) make sure you don't accidentally buy the wrong card ;)

Oloro_Magic:

Thanks, I will start with those things. I will probably have more questions once I have gotten some time with the deck, so thanks in advance!

Hi there, I've been playing Ad Naues myself in my local meta, but wanna take it to bigger events. What do you bring in Keranos for? control matchups or? And how do you like slaughter pact? I always keep taking it out in favor of a 2nd fatal push. Oloro_Magic

Heretic_Dragoon:

Yes Keranos, God of Storms comes in against control matchups as well as most midrange type decks. The reason for this is that so-many decks are running Surgical Extraction (though the meta is shifting a little bit) so a plan B option in the sideboard felt like a necessary development (not being prepared for the multitude of Thoughtseize decks can be bad especially if you expect them to be out in force). Of the possible plan B's (most of which are listed in the primer above) Keranos, God of Storms is my personal favorite hence why he is included; this does not mean that he is the best option, that would probably be either Godhead of Awe or Dragonlord Dromoka right now looking at recent meta data, Crovax, Ascendant Hero may also have an outside chance if you are looking to play a plan B in the side. Honestly I'm thinking of making that slot a Boseiju, Who Shelters All as Dovin's Veto is a bit scary but I don't have enough data to gage how often I need to worry about that card. Otherwise the slot can be used for an extra Fatal Push / Path to Exile or as a flex spot.

As for Slaughter Pact I have always been a fan of it simply for its flexibility, it more reliably can answer certain problem cards such as Eidolon of Rhetoric than Fatal Push or it can buy a turn against decks like Amulet if things aren't going well. It also provides for some interesting scenarios with the math to win being free, most notably in the Humans matchup allowing us to beat a Thalia, Guardian of Thraben with 7 available mana, or remove something like Meddling Mage naming a combo piece for free and win at instant speed on time. Before putting in the plan B with Keranos, God of Storms I was actually on 2 Fatal Push and 1 Slaughter Pact and was happy with the results for a long time, when it came down to cutting one of those, I prioritized the Humans matchup where Slaughter Pact can be the difference, and at the same time allowing myself to have a removal spell for a quick Gurmag Angler or larger threat that push can't deal with as efficiently.

Oloro_Magic Thanks for the insight! I can see Keranos being a good plan B. I decided to put him in the side along with my Dragonlord. And you make a valid point on pact. I'll have to experiment and try it out again. What's your thoughts on Patrician's Scorn as a free enchantment removal after resolving grace? A buddy of mine put me onto the card and has helped me against certain matchups like Bogles.

Heretic_Dragoon:

First off, I would strongly recommend that you stick to only 1 plan B unless you have decided to lose to a couple decks before going to the tournament (I usually plan on losing to humans and hollow one sometimes). Sideboard slots for this deck are thin as really we only have 11 with Leyline of Sanctity being mandatory. It's possible to run 2 plan B's, heck I once ran a Gifts Ungiven package but at a larger tournament I wouldn't recommend it, in your local meta sure as presumably the pool is less diverse and you can get away with maybe not playing something like Hurkyl's Recall , but at a larger tournament that can come back to bite you, for example at a GP I once took out a card from the board as it only hit a couple matchups and I wanted some other matchups to be tighter and proceeded to play the one deck the card I took out was good against 3 times out of the first 4 rounds. At large tournaments its a hard call sometimes but generally don't make a decision that isn't necessary which will cost you games for simply making your percentage slightly higher against something else.

As for The Scorn it is a card that is actually a favorite of mine and one I commonly play (you just happen to have found my list at a time that I am not on it unfortunately) I briefly mention my thoughts on The Scorn in the primer and I'll quote myself here to save you having to look around for it:

" Patrician's Scorn : A free removal spell, Patrician's Scorn has proven to be a very flexible card out of the sideboard in the right meta (though is probably too narrow for most big tournaments). Unlike other enchantment removal, Patrician's Scorn has the ability to cause a win out of nowhere via casting it upon the resolution of Angel's Grace or in response to Phyrexian Unlife removing problem enchantments. Very meta-dependent card however."

The way the card was errata'ed? (I guess it would have to be a gerund so erratandum but it isn't really a verb in the English, this is proof taking a Latin word to English sometimes doesn't work) makes it more interesting seeing how the alternate cost can be paid upon the "casting" of another white spell not just the resolution meaning it can be cast for free in response to Phyrexian Unlife . I will reiterate what I said in the primer however, its usage is very meta dependent. If you expect to see a lot of G/W Company, Faeries (its medium in this matchup), or Bogles then it is very good, otherwise its just okay at best and at worst you will never touch it. All three of those matchups are winnable without The Scorn so unless you expect to face them a lot I would prioritize a different matchup that you are maybe less confident in or you expect to see more of.

P.S. Patrician's Scorn looks great in foil by the way.

Thank you thank you and yeah I'll just have to bite the bullet and pick 1 plan B. Though it has felt great watching opponents scoop to a T3 Dragonlord lol. And thank you for the insight on scorn!

Oloro_Magic ao why temple of orami?

Heretic_Dragoon:

Really that just happens to be the land flex slot and I liked the art. Generally that slot should be occupied by a third basic of either Plains , Island , or Swamp , however locally I have noted a decline in Blood Moon (though with tron getting popular again this may change) and as a result I have been trying out various utility lands in that slot. Tomb of Urami is just the latest of these, basically, in theory it provides the deck with another way to win or buy a turn, something that is worth investigating with the prevalence of Surgical Extraction . That is in theory however. You have actually caught me in between updates as that slot is now occupied by a Tolaria West , with a Temple of Deceit cut in favor of Boseiju, Who Shelters All ; this change being in reaction to an uptick in UW Control and with it Dovin's Veto .

I wouldn't recommend Tomb of Urami though it foils well and the looks I get easily make it worth it despite the card not being great.