Hello everyone, this is my Abzan deck that I am actually playing in modern events. I chose to play it at first becouse when I returned to play magic after ten years without buying even a single card Khans of Tarkir was just released, and I wanted to enjoy some friday nights, then I bought my first booster in ten years, and my first rare was Siege Rhino! I thought it was absolutely amazing!I built my standard abzan deck and I really enjoyed playing with it, but then I started to experience something that I reallly disliked... Rotation... Here in Brazil cards are ridiculously expensive and I was tired of waste 500 bucks every month to update my deck, so I jumped out from standard and started do build a modern deck based on my standard Abzan.I found modern a lot more expensive than standard but, since it doesn't rotates, I was able to build my deck slowly, buying 2-4 cards per month, and afte one year, here it is! it is done!!!
But why is this deck so fantastic, well, I really like it becouse it's fast and kinda control, wich allows me to keep my opponents field clean, disrupt his hand, being able to atack with cheap and strong creatures like Tarmogoyf, and now Grim Flayer, along with Siege Rhino, who adds greath value to the board!
The first land in my land base is Blooming Marsh, wich allows me to play Inquisition of Kozilek and Thoughtseize in my first turn to peek in my opponents hand and discard a card. It is also important becouse gives me access to green mana in the second turn to play Grim Flayer, Scavenging Ooze, Tarmogoyf or Abrupt Decay. It is greath ate the first turns since its drawback is only active after de second turn.Ghost Quarter is moderns wasteland. It is pretty good in some ocasions, but I don't like to play more than one of it since the deck runs three collors.Shambling Vent is awesome and very necessary because of its lifelink, since my Schocklands, Fetchlands and Thoughtseize takes some good lifepoints to cast.And speaking of them, I run five shocklands. Although they cost some lifepoints, they are necessary to give me fast access to all of my mana colors. Fetchlands, in the other hand, serve me to dig for the necessary mana, and also helps to filter the deck, taking out two lands for each fetchland I use.Since the key point of the deck is to be agressive, I took out Gavony Township and Vault of the Archangel. They were very good in the past, but modern is a fast format, their abilities costs a lot of mana, and they only add colorless mana.
My creature base has changed a lot since I started playing Abzan. The most notable difference is that I took out Tasigur, wich was greath, but doesn't have anymore space in the agressive strategy I use. After that, I took out Birds of Paradise and Noble Hierarch, since they used to be good when te deck was heavy, right now they only waste me 3 spots in the deck. Anafenza, the foremost is a greath card that I am thinking about bringing back, mainly becouse of Dredge.The latest addition my creature base had is Grim Flayer. I think there is no need of explanation about it... It is a ridiculous powerfull creature... Two mana for a 2/2 with trample who filters my top deck and serves me like a "cantrip". This ability helps me to discard cards that wont be usefull, buffing my graveyard, giving power to Grim Flayer himself and Tarmogoyf.Scavenging Ooze is awesome! I used to play only two of them, but his ability to control my opponents graveyard is very strong against Dredge, Storm, and even Delver decks. It also helps me to recover life I've lost from lands.Siege Rhino may be the heaviest card in the deck, but his power makes it a big deal. Four mana for a 4/5 creature with trample that recovers the live I've lost from lands, taking three lifepoints form my opponents the moment it steps on the battlefield is brutal. I use three of them, maybe you say me it is too much... Some other players use to run 2, or even doesn't run anyone, but I strongly like this card. My favourite creature of all time, along with Delver of Secrets and Tarmogoyf.And then I have Tarmogoyf! Four of them! Why? Becouse it is Tramogoyf, do I need to explain? Two mana for a creature that is almost every time a 4/5-5/6, sometimes even 6/7 is fantastic! Love this card.
As planeswalkers I run 3 Liliana of the Veil. Buffing my cemitery to enables Delirium and giving my tarmogoyf more power, forcing my opponent to discard his hand and sacrifice creatures is the main reason I use it! Her ultimate sometimes is usefull, but I almost never use it, since it takes too long for it. Discard and creature sacrifice are the mais reason. The perfect turn three. Why don't I use four of her, just becouse there is no space in the deck for it.
My sorcery base is made at first of discard spells, to take out any threat from my opponent hands in my first turns and to peek on my opponent hand, giving me valorous information.Maelstrom Pulse is for permanent destruction, I don't really like to use it on creatures, but sometimes it's necessary. It is greath against enchantment and artifact based decks.Lingering Souls is a powerhouse. Five mana for four flying creatures to block and attack. Its Flashback is greath since I can discard it to my Liliana of the veil and cast it back for less mana. You wont know why it is so powerfull until you see it in play. Love this card.Collective Brutality is a very versatile card, awesome against burn, control, and Many others!
Abrupt Decay, Path to Exile and Murderous Cut are my creature destruction spells. Abrupt decay is awesome aggains control decks, since it can't be countered. Modern is made of cheap creatures, and so Abrupt Decay is fantastic aggainst 80% of the field. The rest I cant deal with Path to Exile, wich is cheap, can remove big creatures, and even indestructible ones. And The I have Murderous Cut, wich can be played at instant speed for free most of times, destrying big threats.
At least I have Nihil Spellbomb, useful against dredge, snapcaster mage, storm... I also helps me to buff Tarmogoyf and achieve Dellirium for Grim Flayer.
For my sideboard I chose at first Zealous Persecution, wich is good to deal with tokens and other little creatures, also giving +1/+1 to my creatures.Damnation is my emergency mass destruction weapon, saving me of boards full of creatures.Engineered Explosives is greath aggains Affinity, Boggles an some other fast decks.Kitchen Finks is really greath for aggro and burn.Leyline of Sanctity, for storm and burn.Leyline of the Void for dredge and snapcaster mage decks as Nahiri Control and Grixis Control.An additional Maelstrom Pulse is necessary for permanent destruction like enchantments and.Linvala, Keeper of Silence Fantastic against Melira Company.Stony Silence for affinity and lantern control at most.Lost Legacy for storm, combo and control decks.Timely Reinforcements for burn.
Thats is, maybe the deck isn't perfect, maybe I could change something, but I really think it is consistent the whay it is right now!
Suggestions are always welcome!Sorry obout my poor english!Thank you guys! :D
