This is predominantly a / list with a splash of for Abrupt Decay (and Noxious Revival, but that's essentially a free spell). Because Abrupt Decay is arguably the best removal spell in the format, and certainly worth splashing in my opinion.
Unfortunately, Liliana of the Veil is not going in here because she costs way too damn much and I wouldn't be able to afford her. There's no questioning the work she would do in here, but she's just too expensive. Deal with it.
Lantern of Insight
allows us to see everything our opponents and ourselves are going to draw. Even with a multiple-draw spell like Sphinx's Revelation, our opponent has to flip the top of their library before every draw, thus letting us know exactly what's going into their hands. It also acts as an emergency shuffler if we don't like what our opponent's about to draw but can't mill it away. We want to see this card as many times as possible, so it gets 4x slots.
Codex Shredder and Ghoulcaller's Bell double as our mill win conditions and the way to control our opponent's draws. Don't like what they're going to draw? Mill it away for something more to your liking! Codex Shredder, while being shut down by Leyline of Sanctity, is the better miller since it only mills one player, so it gets 4x slots to see it as often as possible. Ghoulcaller's Bell is a tad weaker due to it milling both players, but gets around the Leyline. It gets 2x spots because it is slightly inferior to Codex Shredder, and also to free up a bit of space for other cards.
Ensnaring Bridge is the most vital part of the entire win condition, because it keeps creatures off our backs so you can actually last in games. With a very low average converted mana cost, it's relatively easy to use our entire hand within the first few turns. It is essentially the only card keeping us in the games, otherwise we'd likely be overrun by creatures. This means it's going to be a prime target for removal, which means we want to see extra copies as soon as possible. However, holding an extra copy in hand just waiting to be used is generally a bad idea, since it lets pesky 1-power creatures slip through. Be aware that even with no cards in our hand 0-power creatures like Ornithopter,
Signal Pest
, and Noble Hierarch will still be able to attack. So we have 3x slots to maximize the amount of times we see it, but to minimize the amount of times it just sits in our hand.
THE HAND DISRUPTION
We have the standard suite of discard spells being run here: full playsets of Inquisition of Kozilek and Thoughtseize. These cards take care of some of our early problem cards, such as Abrupt Decay, counterspells like Spell Pierce, and opposing Thoughtseize and Inquisition of Kozilek. These cards easily disrupt some of our key cards and generally make life miserable for us until we can grind to our next copy. If our opponent has a turn 1 Thoughtseize and we have an Ensnaring Bridge in our hand.... gulp. Inquisition and 'Seize are almost the same card, but Thoughtseize can hit more things like Splinter Twin and Karn Liberated, but isn't an ideal turn 1 fetch -> shock -> Thoughtseize play. Inquisition his most of the needed cards, and doesn't Shock us.
THE "REMOVAL"
Our removal incorporates counterspells, Abrupt Decay, and Engineered Explosives. Counterspells are a double-edged sword here, as they are low-costing and fantastic in the early game, but are generally not so great late game when we're in topdeck and Ensnaring Bridge mode.
Abrupt Decay is one of the best removal spells in the format, hitting almost all of the threats in Modern. In this deck, it'll often be hitting less of the powerful creatures like Tarmogoyf and more often be hitting pesky permanents. Permanents like Blood Moon, Cranial Plating, Stony Silence, Liliana of the Veil, and Deceiver Exarch that could cause a lot of damage to the deck and its function. Creatures can mostly be left alone because they'll be unable to attack the majority of the time. 3 slots mean we'll see it often but won't be flooded.
Engineered Explosives is great against token decks and deck that have low converted mana cost creatures. Most of the time it'll be blowing up for X = 0 or X = 1 to remove those cheap permanents that we can't immediately protect against with Ensnaring Bridge. Obviously at X = 1 we're removing quite a bit of our own stuff, but sometimes it's better to blow everything up and restart again than just let ourselves be overrun because we like our boardstate.
Mana Leak is a great counterspell early game, and is more effective at hitting things than Spell Pierce and better at permanently getting rid of things than Remand. However, it gets worse as the game goes on (as we feed our opponent land and they build up mana) and is outclassed by Remand's draw. It gets 2 slots because it's useful, but not always needed.
Remand is a very important counterspell. It hits all spells and replaces itself. The card draw is the most important part, because it's our only source of draw in the deck. Normally card draw isn't optimal because of Ensnaring Bridge, but sometimes it's necessary when we're trying to dig for something. Even with the fact that it doesn't permanently counter something, it's a 3x because of its utility.
Spell Pierce is an exceptional counterspell early game when countering things like Cranial Plating, Lightning Bolt, and Thoughtseize, as well as when engaging in a counter war. However, like Mana Leak, it gets worse as the game drags on, so it gets 2 spots.
UTILITY CARDS
These cards make up the rest of the deck. They all have different functions according to the weaknesses of the deck and the versatility of the cards.
Infernal Tutor is essentially a Demonic Tutor once our hand is depleted. Which is often, so it's usually a Demonic Tutor. Able to find anything once Hellbent is online, search up whatever suits the situation. It's not a needed draw all the time, so it gets 2 slots.
Mox Opal, while not as effective as in Affinity, still acts as lands 19-21. Though Metalcraft may not be active until turn 3, it's not a big deal if it isn't until then. Turn 1 Mox Opal, Inquisition of Kozilek into turn 2
Lantern of Insight
, Codex Shredder, 1-drop is a great start. Unlike Affinity, it's not necessary to have a playset, but we do want to see it often. 3x is the max that allows us to see it most games and not have our hand clogged up with extra copies.
Noxious Revival is just pure value. It's essentially a free spell, just pay 2 life and it's good. This card lets us get back a card in our graveyard, like a destroyed Ensnaring Bridge. It can also be used in the offensive; if our opponent has a card on top of their library you don't want them to have and our mill cards are all tapped, we can use Noxious Revival to put a useless card from their graveyard on top of their library so they draw that instead. It's not needed every game, but it's a welcome addition when drawn. 2x for useability.
Sun Droplet is good against decks that are aggro or have a lot of burn. It'll slowly tick up your health while they rage at you from behind the line of an Ensnaring Bridge. It isn't very good against a lot of decks though, so it only gets 1 slot.
THE LANDBASE
To maximize efficiency, the deck wants to have access to , , and by turn two, with either of the latter colors on turn 1. Thankfully, this is relatively easy to pull off with fetchlands and shocklands, and the fact that none of my colored spells cost more than one of any color helps as well.
Breeding Pool is a 1-of because there doesn't need to be more than 1 with 5 fetches and 5 other sources of green.
Ghost Quarter is to defend against Tron and manlands. 2x to see fairly consistently.
Island, because Blood Moon tends to be a problem if not removed right away. 2 to be fetchable if one is drawn.
Polluted Delta is the best fetch in the deck, since it is able to get everything except the lonesome Island. It gets 3 spots because 4 is just too many in an 18 land deck.
Swamp for the basic powers. Die Blood Moon, die! 3 fills out the rest of the land.
Watery Grave is the land we'll end up fetching most often, particularly turns 1 and 2. It produces the colors we most heavily play so we can fetch it for a turn 1 Inquisition of Kozilek/Thoughtseize or Spell Pierce. Once again, 3x slots is enough with the land count and the fetches available.
THE SIDEBOARD
Right now the sideboard's a little up in the air. It needs a little more tuning, but what is what I've started with to cover some of its weaknesses.
Damnation for creature-heavy decks that like to swarm the field.
Echoing Truth
mostly for Twin, but can also be used against / tokens.
Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
is an extra win condition. Either make a bunch of 5/5 threats (that your opponent likely will not be able to immediately answer, since they boarded out their removal) or gain a bunch of life while draining your opponent. Comes in against decks where you need the surprise factor.
TOPICS ABOUT THE DECK
Which seems better, this Sultai Top Control deck or the Abzan list it spawned? Of the changes I've made in the Abzan deck, which should I also incorporate in this one?
How do some of the cards in the maybeboard look to combat some of my aggro weaknesses? Any opinions on
Scepter of Fugue
or Pack Rat mainboard?
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