Modern Scapeshift based on Gerry Thompson's list that he put up on Star City a few years ago and a few other top 8 MTGO lists, but with a few personalized changes.
Explanations (Because there's a lot to explain when it comes to these numbers):
Snapcaster Mage - Makes the deck faster and more reactive. Gives the deck options. Generally, a really good card but, if I need to, I can side it out for something more relevant.
4 Cryptic Command - I don't know why this deck wouldn't want Cryptic. It's unquestionably one of the most powerful spells in modern and is a swiss army knife of use.
Dig Through Time - Was in the deck. Banned. Won games.
2 Electrolyze - Uncountered, I think it's some of the best removal in modern. It will, 99.9999% of the time, trade 2- to 3-for-1, which puts you closer to the winner's circle. Even if it just cycles, it's doing a good job.
Sakura-Tribe Elder and Search for Tomorrow - Rampant Growth is not a good card, personal opinion. Cultivate/Kodama's Reach don't get the job done in a mana-efficient way. The accelerants I chose do their job with the add-on of either being cheap or efficient. Mana-efficiency is especially important in combo, even in a combo based around having more lands than your opponent if at all possible. 8 mana accelerants lets me play a ramp game without drawing too many, so I don't play Farseek.
1 Repeal - If Repeal didn't draw a card, it would be bad. End of story. Goyf and his other big stompy friends do a great job of pressuring the deck, so Repeal is a great way to make them back off temporarily in a deck that can generate plenty of mana to regularly resolve it. This goes in and out of the deck for the fourth Serum Visions.
4 Lightning Bolt - Seems like an obvious inclusion because of the format. Some people don't. I don't know why.
Izzet Charm - Testing two right now. Seems okay so far. Very flexible card. Was suggested this by multiple people and it's holding up to the suggestions. The most relevant issue I'm having is running out of gas in this deck, and this can occasionally (I hope not to) loot.
SIDE!
Boseiju, Who Shelters All - It deflects control entirely. They can Tectonic Edge me, but that's the best way modern control decks can usually deal with a Boseiju that will otherwise put a Scapeshift down the barrel. It destroys
Counterflux
, which I feel like I'm seeing more of lately. Wouldn't take it out for the world.
Obstinate Baloth - I caught a Liliana of the Veil offguard with this thing one time and I just can't stop playing it. It is so good as a random middle-finger-raising threat that also offsets the aggro plan. Versatile, thragtusk-esque effect. I've been told this is good in the mirror. Not sure. I haven't had much of a chance to test the mirror and I've found that counterspells and boseiju do far more work.
Keranos, God of Storms and Inferno Titan - Titan's really good as a random, 2-turn clock. Keranos is in testing as a good way to bury control/midrange decks in advantage. That's not to say this deck has a bad midrange match-up, but it's nice to go even more in my favor. Keranos isn't testing well, though. I will say that. He may be replaced, but I haven't decided what with (Spellskite?). I tried Nissa, Worldwaker and a second Titan in this slot. Neither fit the bill.
Negate and Swan Song - Swans are the better of the two, but I really like having Negate as a way to cheaply deal with some threats like Liliana of the Veil that Swan Song can't. Swans, however, is a one-mana response to Ascendancy, Blood Moon, Storm and is generally a combo-killer. And I need that out of my cards. In testing, Swans is actually a cool way to win the mirror match. The more they try to play combo and win quickly, the better the card is. This deck is not aggressive in my opinion, but it does need to be reactive (hence the 10 1-CMC cards in the main board).
Anger of the Gods and Pyroclasm - Solid, cheap wraths that can take out aggressive creature decks. the 2-1 split is based in the understanding that I "like" Pyroclasm more (more mana efficient, better against certain decks), but I understand that some things just have 3 toughness/need to be exiled.
That's my list, I hope you guys enjoy. This deck is super-fun and actually pretty interactive after side!
