This is a twist on the traditional classic modern staple: UR Twin. Overall, UR Twin has had the most success of the twin variants, fielding the best advantages of tempo-based control and the 2 card infinite combo. However, over my experience playing the deck, I have found that there are 2 weaknesses of the deck, which push people to play a third color. Unfortunately, many will use more than a splash of that color, thus altering the original UR build too much and taking away from its strengths while adding different ones. As mentioned earlier, I feel that UR's major weaknesses are:
1) The lack of a catch-all creature removal spell.
2) Limitations on sideboard arsenal.
I fee that the UR gameplan is the best of the twin variants, and mildly splashing a color to attune to these weaknesses by only modifying the flex cards rather than altering the gameplan too much. Meanwhile, the sideboard always has flexible slots for cards, so naturally the third color can fill in gaps where a 2 color decks otherwise can't. So, what color is the best splash?
Black adds removal and resilience in a grindy fashion, and allows for discard to interrupt combo decks. While the extra reach helps against GBx decks, the discard for combo already adds to a matchup where UR twin is already favored. This also makes the aggro matchups worse, due to a slightly harsher manabase without supplemental lifegain that is significant enough to play in a sideboard.
Green adds Goyf, the King of efficient beats, and allows for some enchantment removal, lifegain, and resilient creatures in Thragtusk and Huntmaster of the Fells. Once again, this improves the grindier matchups, but adding this many cards can warp the deck too much, and it doesn't provide an answer tot he lack of an efficient answer.
Well, since black and green do not satisfy both of these without taking too much from the original UR shell, white actually serves as the perfect compromise. I shall explain:
Path to Exile is the single most efficient creature removal in modern. Despite giving the opponent a land, path is too broad of an answer to ignore, and is worth it. This dramatically improves game against beatdown decks and any decks with efficient beaters (I'm looking at you Goyf and Tasigur). Without adding any other cards to the mainboard of a UR twin list, path significantly improves Twin's ability to continue to keep tempo game 1, and also help against many otherwise resilient or critical threats (Voice of Resurgence, Wurmcoil Engine, Primeval Titan).
Secondly, white, in my opinion, is the best support color, due to the monstrous sideboard cards the color provides. Stony silence is reason eough to play the color, but also getting cards like Timely Reinforcements and Wear//Tear add more support for splashing. White also provides a slew of new threats, such as Gideon Jura, Elspeth Sun's Champion, and my pet card, Dragonlord Ojutai. Having access to such versatility improves win percentages against the field in games 2/3, especially when you can afford to be less reliant on the combo due to the hate opponents are expected to bring in.
So, why not run more white to get Resto Angel and Celestial Colonnade? These cards are great, but they distort the deck too much. Jeskai twin is more of the UWR control shell making room for the twin combo than UR twin splashing white, and it makes for an entirely different gameplan. While this increases games against the fair decks, it actually makes the unfair combo matchups worse.
When applying my theory to paper, I came up with this list. I won't spend time on every card, but I will speak about specific cards that I feel make the deck worth playing:
Pia and Kiran Nalaar - let me just say, this card is bonkers. The card is versatile, since it is hard to answer, provides a decent clock, provides blockers/answers against infect, affinity, lingering souls, etc., and actually serves as a pretty decent splinter twin target in a pinch. This is just the flexibility on the surface. Playing it main in a flex spot, it provides reach in a deck that typically lacks it game 1, especially against GBx decks.
Path to Exile - See above
Stony Silence - Hoses affinity, can also stop Tron in its tracks, as well as other decks reliant upon activating artifacts. It can also have some reach to beat up on AEther vial decks, but use with caution.
Celestial Purge - Situational removal spell that hits a wide range of decks in modern. Is especially good against permanents that are otherwise very difficult to remove for twin decks, such as Keranos, Liliana of the Veil, and other red/black permanents.
Wear // Tear - Straight-forward card to provide enchantment and artifact removal.
Timely Reinforcements - Great sideboard card against burn/aggro, but also can serve some purpose in the GBx matchup. Against burn, always play around Skullcrack type effects, or at least have countermagic handy to ensure to get the lifegain. Being able to negate 2 burn cards and flood the board with blockers just once will often flip the tables into your favor. Flashing it back to do it a 2nd time will put your opponent on tilt.
Dragonlord Ojutai - I saved the best for last. My pet card that has been great in testing. Ojutai provides a very hard to answer threat that will often be a 2-3 turn clock, will provide card advantage, can serve as a wall to opposing V Cliques and Resto Angels, and also has a hilarious combo with Exarch/Pestermite.
Scenario: You attack with Ojutai, and once tapped, opponent casts Terminate/Path/etc. In response, casting either creature and using their ETB effect to untap Ojutai gives him hexproof again and effectively counters the removal spell. Add the other slew of counters that can be used to protect him, and he is a force to be reckoned.
Many players have opted to play planeswalkers in this slot, such as Jace, AoT, Gideon Jura, or Elspeth, Sun's Champion. My reasoning for using Ojutai is that he is harder to have an immediate answer for due to his hexproof. Unlike planeswalkers, burn and or creature damage can't be directed at Ojutai until he attacks. Also, 6 mana and WW can be difficult to consistently have. My bias may carry my justifications, but in my experience, if you have a means to protect Ojutai, or your opponent has no way to prevent the first attack from Ojutai, the game is usually over from the combination of pressure and card advantage. Not many other cards available to this deck play offensive and/or defense so well when one or the other is preferred.
I hope others enjoy the list. Whether you give it a shot, or it inspires you to try a new take on Modern's premier combo deck, just make sure to have fun. I will be happy to hear any comments or suggestions for the deck. Thanks for reading!
The White Falcon
