Bloodthrone Vampire works if you don't have a Blasting Station, or Flesh-Eater Imp if you're worried about blockers. Adding Bloodthrone and replacing Rendclaw Trow with Safehold Elite then adding some Birds of Paradise means you can run Chord of Calling to get Melira, Sylvok Outcast much more reliably. Obviously this takes out the budget mentality, but still, food for thought. Birds of Paradise also speeds up your win to turn 3:

1: Birds of Paradise

2: Blasting Station

3: Melira, Sylvok Outcast + Safehold Elite

I would also take out Etched Monstrosity in general, this is a fast combo deck that wants to win out of nowhere, similar to Splinter Twin. Etched Monstrosity doesn't really accomplish that.

Check out this link: http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/modern/modern-archives/222276-modern-combo-persist

for more ideas. I especially think the Glittering Wish sideboard idea is good. Also, I would replace Abzan Ascendency with Quillspike, since he can act as a semi-suitable replacement for Melira. Rancor is also only good if you have Bloodthrone Vampire or Quillspike out. If you don't add those, I wouldn't keep it.

Other ideas! (told you I was bored) Substitute Altar of Dementia for Blasting Station if for some reason damage won't kill them properly. Nature's Claim is also a great sideboard option since you don't care about their life. Time of Need is a great way to get Melira if you don't want to add Quillspike.

Additionally with Time of Need, you can include a singleton Varolz, the Scar-Striped to act as a sacrifice outlet.

IN CONCLUSION: Make any changes I suggested that seem good, then consider things like Maelstrom Pulse or Dismember for some control until you combo out.

Actually now that I think about it, I kind of love Abzan Charm. So keep white if you intend to use Glittering Wish, otherwise you should probably take it out. Glittering wish cards to sideboard include:Gaddock Teeg, Murderous Redcap, Qasali Pridemage, Vexing Shusher, Tidehollow Sculler, Maelstrom Pulse, Cartel Aristocrat

For me it feeles a bit tricky, plaing Collected Company in a deck with "only" 21 creatues. I think the is a high chanse, that you only hit 1 creatue per spell. You coud think about adding 2 Blood Artist, by cutting maybe 1 Time of Need and 1 Altar of the Brood.

You would higher your chanse to hit 2 creatues with Collected Company and a slight higher chanse to find a gameender via Collected Company

I actually really like Blood Artist in this deck, it seems to really fit well. You could even run Dark Confidant if you find yourself running out of steam too quickly.(i know they're not even remotely similar, but they remind me of eachother.) I don't really like Altar of the Brood, I think Altar of Dementia is hands down better since it also acts as a sacrifice outlet.

Also, Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit and Collected Company are in the database now, so you don't need placeholders.

I agree that Blood Artist would be great. And I just added Collected Company and Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit to see how it played, but I got distracted while updating the deck and never got around to actually modifying it too much. I am considering not playing Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit though, because her cost does not work well with some of the other combo pieces early game.

Again, Altar of Dementia is not Modern legal. Otherwise it would definitely be in here. I absolutely love the card. I will probably pull Altar of the Brood in the end. I just wanted to see how it would work in here.

Don't "again" me sassy, how should I remember that if its not in the comments? Geez, so ungrateful...

Lolz. Anyways I think you need to find a way to keep Anafenza in, having multiple combo pieces is just too necessary, you can't rely on getting a Melira out and keeping her alive every game. Even twin runs Pestermite and Deceiver Exarch both, and it has access to blue.

I would take out Oran-Rief, the Vastwood in favor of 2 Godless Shrine. Since you want this deck to perform as quickly as possible, Oran-Rief doesn't really fit. I don't think people are going to be trying to kill your persist creatures anyway, and this will help you cast Anafenza more reliably.

This is awesome. I knew when I saw Collected Company that it would be dumb or at least powerful in Modern.

You can't splash for Goblin Bombardment, since that card isn't legal in Modern.

kengiczar: Thanks! Collected Company has definitely proven itself to be quite incredible in playtests. I can definitely see it becoming a staple in quite a few Modern decks.

OliviaOnCrack: Thank you for pointing that out! I just had the card laying around and hadn't even checked; I just assumed that is was. Solves that issue. Haha

wait +1 +1 counters eliminate -1 -1 counters?

Oh yeah I'm looking at your description and see that they do.

Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit is better than Melira, Sylvok Outcast for this deck because its' not a dead drop on its own and still does the same thing that Melira does for your combo. Small change, but I'd swap the numbers on those two cards, 4/3 instead of 3/4. Also, Murderous Redcap is much better than Safehold Elite due to its etb effect basically winning you the game once you go infinite.

Saljen, the only issue with Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit is the to cast. Given that its one of the only white cards in the deck (meaning you can't just add more plains to help with this) it has the potential to disrupt the deck. Murderous Redcap is better, but 2 more mana and cannot be placed with Collected Company.

Saljen: as JLenzen stated, Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit's cost is just not as reliable and as easy to cast with the Persist creatures early game. I do agree that she is more "powerful" than Melira, Sylvok Outcast in the cases where I am missing a piece of the combo. It is a small thing, but Melira simply being easier to cast is the reason I'm running 4 of her over Anafenza. I have also tried Murderous Redcap and while it's innate damage does combine two of the combo pieces, it's 4 manna cost is just too slow. Safehold Elite can very easily be dropped on Turn 2 or 3 along with an additional combo piece (usually a Sac outlet) while Redcap is almost always going to have to be cast alone on turn 3 at the earliest. I am trying to get the combo out as fast as possible, so that my opponents only have at most 3 turns try to stop it. Thanks for the input! I will try Redcap again with some new card distribution and see how it goes.

I love this abzan build ! +1 from me, be sure to check my build out , bitter souls

I would think you'd want 4x Mana Confluence - since your combo requires a spray of colors and you don't care about your life total.

Murderous Redcap and i am SO glad someone made a new pod list. +1

oooh, yeah, Maelstrom Pulse

Love the deck, but hate the idea for turn 3-4 win, however, being competitive is understandable. Again nice for you to share.

Just so you know, hexproof doesn't stop Drown in Sorrow, as it technically doesn't "target" anything for the purposes of hexproof.