Another attempt at Jund Shadow!!
So this version is trying to use the new combo of Pelt Collector and Vexing Devil. This combo is sweet. Zoo decks are exploiting it pretty well, but here I am trying to go one step further by trying to rebuy vexing devil with Claim / Fame for more value goodness. In addition to vexing devil, the deck is running some of the best 1 and 2 drops in modern, Death's Shadow, Tarmogoyf and Grim Flayer. All of these creatures can be brought back with claim, meaning that this deck is a little more resilient to removal. That in essence is the game plan, play very efficient creatures and attack. Now on to the individual cards.
Pelt Collector, this dude is so cool! Such a small investment for a game winning card. There are a few lines of play to keep in mind when playing with Pelty. First, the decks main game plan enables him. Playing big creatures. So in that respect all you need to invest is the initial , after that its just sequencing. If Pelty is drawn later than turn one its a bit of a downer, however, the dies trigger is this cards saving grace. Just put him out precombat and swing, if any of our creatures die Pelty will grow. Reestablishing board presence, and once the "real" threats have been killed we can easily bring one back with Claim / Fame trigger Pelty once more and swing again. This combo is particularly potent with vexing devil.
Vexing Devil, this card has always been on the cusp of playable. I really hope to found a home for it here. The combo with Pelt collector is already being explored in zoo variants but the combo of collector/devil/claim is a thing of beauty. Being able to make Pelty a 3/3 while dealing 4 damage on T2 is pretty absurd, however if that doesn't happen you instead get a 2/2 and a 4/3 on T2 and the 2/2 will grow. The devil also enables the delirium aspect of the deck, by potentially being a creature in the yard T1. Otherwise, its just an oversized cheap creature which fits this deck perfectly.
Grim Flayer, this creature is the most suspect inclusion in the deck. The floor on it isn't great, however it is not hard to enable given the amount of cantrips, fetches and very cheap spells in the deck. Having said this, once it is a 4/4 its what the deck wants. Oversized cheap body, relevant text, and can be brought back with claim. On the claim note, having a flayer die early before it turns on isn't that bad since any flayer returned with claim is almost guaranteed to be a 4/4.
Tarmogoyf, it's one of the biggest boys for 2 mana in magic. Fits perfectly with the gameplan, everything I've listed with the other creatures applies here.
Death's Shadow, the reasons for shadow are exactly the same as goyf. Albeit you need to slightly skew you deck building to accommodate it but the pay off is real.
Street Wraith, everyone is aware of how good it is. Having 4 wraith basically means you are playing with 56 cards in your deck. There are nice lines of play involving how you sequence fetches and Mishra's Bauble. These lines allow for really nice deck manipulation. Also, if you run Shadow running 4 wraith is basically a must.
Mishra's Bauble, part of the death's shadow core. A free cantrip that allows you to get info on either players deck is always good. Sure, having to wait on the draw can be a pain (anyone who plays it has missed the draw) but its still free and mana efficiency is key in modern. Also playing a permanent before lands is really cool :p
Traverse the Ulvenwald, 1 mana tutors are amazing. The delirium clause really isn't too hard to hit, meaning you should be able to fix any mana needs you have or find the creature best suited to the situation.
Lightning Bolt, I tried to use other cards in this slot, cards that would enable delirium more but I always came back to bolt being the better option. Its never a dead card thanks to its versatility, in conjunction with the Vexing Devil ability the game can be closed very quickly.
Fatal Push, alongside bolt and path it's one of the most efficient removal spells in modern. With the amount of fetches in the deck, revolt isn't hard to enable. It should be noted that if vexing devil is sacked revolt will trigger.
Assassin's Trophy, the new hottness. Being able to hit any problematic permanent is amazing for this deck. It just gives an out that otherwise wasn't there. Its very possible there should be more than 2 copies.
Driven / Despair, so much spice! It breaks board stalls, and I'm not above firing it off just to draw a couple cards. The back half isn't dead either as it should allow for lethal swings, or tear apart a more controlling players hand. As a one of I've not been disappointed by it.
The mana base is pretty self explanatory, the fetch/shock base to support shadow and ensure the deck can play its spells on time. Given there is only 17 slots the shocklands are a necessity. The copy of each basic is a concession to both Path to Exile and Assassin's Trophy.
The sideboard currently angled at a broad meta, as I haven't figured out exactly what I need to include. Any suggestions for that would be very much appreciated. Also any comments in general are always welcomed!
Thanks Valuebear.
