Blue Sun's Zenith is better than emrakul in this deck. Drift of Phantasms can fetch it and it can be used prior to the combo going off in a last ditch effort to grab your combo.

Emrakul is gotten by Staff. Also allows all creatures to have haste.

alrighty that makes sense.

I'm not going to give up on my blue sun's zenith fetish though 8-) Why consecrated sphinx over blue sun?

Actually its a split of the difference between running a fourth Drift of Phantasms and a fourth Primeval Titan. I get a flying beater that can help me get my combo pieces. It also draws removal away from the combo pieces.

Also the drawback with Blue Sun's Zenith is that with Bloom Tender infinite mana, it makes it very difficult to cast. I would prefer that all wincons would be able to be utilized with both forms of the combo.

I feel like Assault Formation should be Apostle's Blessing. It gives you another way to protect Axebane and Bloom tender from removal for a full turn which is all you should need. Assault formation is too slow and doesnt protect you creatures from spot removal like Path to Exile, Terminate, Abrupt Decay or Lightning Bolt

Also Tal-Rand it's generally considered good etiquette around here that if you're gonna copy someone's deck you give them credit.

I dont use the site very often, my bad. I updated the deck i posted referencing you.

Having said that; i've playtested the deck a lot and i feel that Assault Formation doesn't really fit. It interacts badly with Kessig Wolf Run if it's your only mana dump, its too slow for Lightning Bolt; doesnt help against Path to Exile/Abrupt Decay/Terminate/Murderous Cut ect..

On the other hand, Apostle's Blessing protects your creature OR Staff of Domination for a full turn and you only need 1 mana up to cast it. Its a virtual Spellskite in addition to the 3 pacts you already run.

In my experience at FNM's, people always target the dorks first and when they see the deck falls apart after that, the game is cake. I've found that by adding Apostle's Blessing in place of Assault Formation, its helped me survive that extra turn or 2 to get the combo off and win.

Just my experience though, it's definitely worth a try!

No problem.

Don't disagree that the running of Apostle's Blessing would make the combo more resilient. The issue is that's not the objective. The running of Assault Formation makes the deck itself more resilient if the combo is interrupted. If an opponent goes after my dorks...almost every creature is a dork so that's just wasted removal as far as I'm concerned.

The reality is, once the opponent knows what this deck is trying to do, they want to 2 for 1 me by removing the combo piece when I go to enchant it with Freed from the Real. If they're doing that, I'm comfortable with having as many as 7 answers at 0-1 mana as answers to that threat.

You want to waste you removal on Birds of Paradise and Overgrown Battlement, I'm happy with that trade, because its a removal spell that isn't being used on a Primeval Titan or Axebane Guardian and if you're saving it for those pieces, I can beat you down with any of the walls, Prime Time, or anything else. It's the versatility of the deck, its ability to win via multiple different strategies that also all work together regardless of which strategy you are choosing is what makes it so devastating.

I own this deck IRL and I can assure you, Assault Formation just flat out wins games. It makes Drift of Phantasms an exceptional beater, and draws removal toward things like Wall of Omens that I would much rather lose.

Also..not sure what you mean about Kessig Wolf Run interacting badly with Assault Formation... If you are mana dumping you simply mana dump into Assault Formation rather than Kessig. That's the point. It's a wincon with the combo, in addition to being backup beatdown if you don't have the combo. It removes some of the drawback of running a Defender shell, while giving you an additional wincon for infinite mana.

Long story short I already have 7 answers to spot removal in the deck...I'd rather have the additional wincon and backup strategy than another two answers for spot removal.

Wow, the folders alone are worth the upvote. Not to mention the awesomeness of the deck. +1 all the way.

Thanks SirFowler!

If you're like me, you've explored these options already, but just in case, I have a very similar casual deck and have some possibilities for you.Jeskai Barricade makes nice protection and combos with Wall of Omens, Emrakul, the Aeons Torn, Primeval Titan and Pithing Needle.To Arms! resets the dorks and draws a card.Vent Sentinel and Doorkeeper work great with our Staff of Dominations, with Doorkeeper's wincon getting around a few tricky modern meta lockdowns.Sylvan Caryatid is a 2-cost BoP defender, though I like Birds of Paradise here better...

Biggest of all for my setup, also in my elvish infinity deck with Priest of Titania and Elvish Archdruid, is Genesis Wave and Thousand-Year Elixir. 1000yr juice is great on it's own with big dorks, and Wave of Cheating sets up all your wincons, tapping this turn with 1000yr's ability haste. Genesis Wave can also be tutored with your Drift of Phantasms.You've got a sweet balance in your decklist, but maybe some of these could give you some extra polish. Who knows?

After goldfishing several times today I was always sad to see an Assault Formation in my hand. The deck ran smoother without it. More cantrips or control are preferable I think. Something like Spell Pierce is great against Terminate while something like Scout's Warning is helpful in response to a T3 tapped out opponent and it cantrips.

Hah! Modern... I've been drinking, go about your business, nothing to see here...

Thanks for the feedback kronos539! Jeskai Barricade is actually something I hadn't considered...I'm gonna play around with that one for a little bit.

kengiczar Not sure why you would ever be sad to see Assault Formation in your hand. It's a two drop that makes every creature in the deck better, is a wincon for the infinite mana combo, as well as neutralizes the drawback of a Defender shell and turns it into an advantage. It essentially serves as both a hedge for not having the combo, as well as a wincon for when we do. That is great versatility to have in a combo deck.

We already run Dispel in the sideboard as well as two Spellskite to go with the 3x Pact of Negation in the main so we have plenty of additional low to no cost answers to spot removal to disrupt the combo.

This. Is. THE. BEST!!!

You have inspired me and my Allies to upgrade my modern deck to playability. Thank you.

Happy to inspire a fellow Brewer and Brooklynite Maringam!

This deck is just wallin'

Helix Pinnacle ...

Would want the Wincon to be tutorable with Drift like Staff. Unfortunately Helix Pinnacle doesn't fit the bill. Also don't want to wait another turn to win.

Firstly, this is an amazing deck, I love the concept, the execution is great and quite reliable. I have a couple questions about your land, though. I get the Stomping Ground to make Blood Moon possible, but why Hallowed Fountain? Why not more Breeding Pool and Temple Garden? Generally, blue mana seems less important than white, and both far less than green. Also, I'd replace the Flooded Strand with a Misty Rainforest.

Hi rdean14 Well, first off I can't really have more than 4x Breeding Pool so I already am full on that. As for the ..I only have 1 card for 2U and thats Drift of Phantasms for transmute. Since I am often using it to tutor for Staff of Domination once I go infinite for the win. In these cases sometimes I need as much as two open after going off...(With Freed on Bloom Tender for example.) This is why is so important. Thanks for the feedback!

Also 6 counterspells in the side when up against Control. :)