I've always loved the idea of control deck filled with ping creatures like this. It is a very responsive play-style, utilizing exclusively creatures that can deal direct damage, equipping Basilisk Collar to give them deathtouch and lifelink for added utility. Combined with a lot of card draw and control, the idea is to draw the game out by allowing your opponents to play whatever creatures they want (as long as they don't have shroud or hexproof of course), then killing them with your ping creatures and burn spells, while saving your counterspells for anything you cannot eventually remove or stop (e.g. Past in Flames or other non-creature based win conditions).
This deck should fair well against many of the top decks due to the highly flexible and reactive play style combined with the ability to handle just about anything. The manabase can also easily be replaced with a more budget-friendly manabase (
Izzet Guildgate
and Swiftwater Cliffs can be swapped in instead of Scalding Tarn and Steam Vents to reduce the overall price of this deck by about $250, though know that this will also slow down the deck early on), making this a solid choice for players looking to get into the Modern format for less money.
Pre-Testing Notes
-I think I may have too much colorless mana in the deck, and not enough basic lands. Quicksand will be the first to go if this is the case, though I am hesitant, as I have in the past used it to get out of many sticky situations from early game aggro decks. Additionally, while I do like
Halimar Depths
, the fact that it it comes in tapped may slow the deck down too much if drawn too early. Will have to see how it plays out.
-Decks that utilize
Forked Bolt
and Electrolyze will be difficult for this deck to handle. I may need to swap some of the 0/1 and 1/1 ping creatures out for some with a higher toughness (and consequently higher CMC). Too bad
Blue Elemental Blast
and Mental Misstep are both illegal (though Guttural Response could potentially prove useful, including stopping Electrolyze). Maybe something to give them hexproof (
Glaring Spotlight
?)...
Counterbore
could also be a solid (though high cmc) solution.
Testing Notes
- This seems to have been a fluke. I haven't had a game where the colorless mana messed me up in quite some time now.
-The the deck struggles against decks that utilize discard effects/spells. Additionally, decks with ample creature kill are difficult. Part of this, I believe, is because I have only one card draw spell that isn't linked to another effect. I can't seem to get another creature after 2-3 have been killed, and when any of my card draw spells are forced to be discarded, I find myself struggling to make things happen.
- Adding
Chandra's Phoenix
has really helped this deck speed up it's game, and added more consistency to certain match-ups, especially burn-based match-ups.
-I have yet to play against a deck where Skullcrack was a strong option to sideboard in. I'm considering swapping them out for Vapor Snag to help deal with creatures with protection from red.
-
Cinder Pyromancer
puts out some nice damage, but it is often quite frustrating not being able to target creatures. Considering swapping in
Vithian Stinger
and seeing if I like it, given that its' unearth could be quite helpful.
Match-ups
RW or Red Deck Wins Aggro
This is an easy, easy match-up. With cards like Electrolyze and
Forked Bolt
in your mainboard, combined with all of your ping creatures, their deck pretty much just folds. Use your burn spells to take all of their early creatures off the board, saving Quicksand for cards that regenerate or have protection from red (such as
Knight of the Holy Nimbus
or Kor Firewalker), drop a few ping creatures (expect your first 2 or so to be removed, but you only really need one to stick), and keep their board cleared while slowly ticking away at their health when they have no creatures left.
Sideboard Suggestions
-2 Negate, +2
Psychic Barrier
-1
Firewing Phoenix
, +1
Shard Phoenix
-1 Basilisk Collar / -2
Cinder Pyromancer
, +3 Izzet Staticaster
Splinter Twin/Past in Flames Combo Decks
This deck goes fairly even with other RU control decks. Pre-sideboard is actually more "even" than post sideboard; after sideboarding the game tends to turn much more in my favor. Against both decks, play re-actively rather than pro-actively. Don't push your luck and tap out to drop your ping creatures; instead, wait it out, draw your card, drop your land, pass the turn. It's a mind game playing versus a combo deck; you want them to believe that you have a response to their combo (and in most cases, you will have a response to their combo). Try to ruin their manabase with
Tectonic Edge
and Ghost Quarter, save counterspells for when they're most needed (don't waste them trying to save your ping creatures or stop a Lightning Bolt to the face; save them to stop their combo), and when you've got enough mana to drop your ping creatures and still be able to counter things, do so. These games are often pretty grueling, but if you play it right, you should be able to come out on top with relative ease.
Sideboard Suggestions
-3
Cinder Pyromancer
, +3 Izzet Staticaster (versus Splinter Twin; equip a Basilisk Collar and watch your opponent concede)
-2 Spell Snare, +2
Psychic Barrier
(versus Splinter Twin)
-3 Basilisk Collar, +3 Tormod's Crypt (versus Past in Flames)
Delver Burn/Aggro
This match-up is a close game every time, but so far it's fallen in the favor of my opponents more often than not. Part of this comes from cards such as
Geist of Saint Traft
in the 3 color Delver decks, and Young Pyromancer, which, if not handled quickly, end up costing you the game. The match-up is not impossible, just difficult. Truth be told, the deck may need more tweaking main-board to handle this deck properly. For now, try playing similar to how you play versus Splinter Twin or Past in Flames; re-actively, not pro-actively. Save counterspells for creatures that you can't remove; let your ping creatures die if they get targeted down.
Shard Phoenix
is a great card versus this match-up.
Sideboard Suggestions
-3
Cinder Pyromancer
, +3 Izzet Staticaster
-2 Negate, +2
Psychic Barrier
-1
Firewing Phoenix
, +1
Shard Phoenix
Black Control
Black control is a deck that I still have only seen a few times, but unfortunately, my deck folds to it 0-2 every time. After they Thoughtseize and Inquisition of Kozilek and Duress away all of your control, you're left with little response to their deck for the next few turns... and my deck is all about having a response to everything thrown at it. Combine that with their removal spells as soon as you drop a ping creature, and you've got the worst match-up you can imagine. It doesn't help that I have no idea what to sideboard in versus this match-up either. Suggestions in the comments would be greatly appreciated!
Melira Pod
I have yet to play this match-up, despite it being a huge deck. Will post when I come across it.
Sideboard Options
-2
Cinder Pyromancer
, +2
Psychic Barrier
-1
Cinder Pyromancer
, +1
Shard Phoenix
-1 Negate / -1
Firewing Phoenix
/ -1
Chandra's Phoenix
, +3 Shattering Spree
Affinity
I have yet to play this match-up, despite it being a huge deck. Will post when I come across it.
Sideboard Options
-2
Forked Bolt
/ -1
Shard Phoenix
, +3 Shattering Spree
RUG/BUG
I have yet to play this match-up, despite it being a huge deck. Will post when I come across it.
Sideboard Options
-2
Cinder Pyromancer
, +2
Psychic Barrier
-1
Cinder Pyromancer
, +1
Shard Phoenix
List of Ping Creatures
1x
Blood Cultist
1x
Brimstone Mage
1x
Cinder Pyromancer
1x
Cunning Sparkmage
1x
Fledgling Mawcor
1x
Frostwielder
1x
Gelectrode
1x
Initiate of Blood
1x Izzet Staticaster
1x
Magus of the Scroll
1x
Prodigal Pyromancer
1x
Prodigal Sorcerer
1x
Rakdos Ickspitter
1x Vexing Devil
1x
Viashino Fangtail
1x
Vithian Stinger
1x
Vulshok Sorcerer
1x
Wojek Embermage
Changelog
I believe the solution to several of the problems (especially in response to discard effects, creature kill/burn, and the "slowness") could be solved with some creatures that can be returned from the graveyard, rather than relying strictly on the tap theme. I'm currently experimenting with a few phoenix cards.
Added 3
Chandra's Phoenix
Added 1
Firewing Phoenix
Added 1
Shard Phoenix
Added 1
Cunning Sparkmage
Added 2
Psychic Barrier
to sideboard
Added 1
Shard Phoenix
to sideboard
Removed 3
Vulshok Sorcerer
Removed 1
Magus of the Scroll
Removed 2
Brimstone Mage
Removed 2 Spell Snare from sideboard
Removed 1 Shattering Spree from sideboard
Removed "maybeboard" (now found in the List of Ping Creatures section above).
