For whom the bell tolls...
Modern Deck Help forum
Posted on June 13, 2015, 8:48 p.m. by 2gherkins
This is a combo deck that utilizes the RTR card Sphinx of the Chimes. You use discard any dredge card (preferably Golgari Brownscale for infinite life) with Fauna Shaman and find a copy of that card. Next turn return the dredge card too your hand, or just use Infernal Tutor instead. Discard both of the same dredge card with Sphinx of the Chimes, then instead of drawing your the first two cards return your dredge dudes to your hand, rinse and repeat.
Your win con for this infinite-draw scheme is Laboratory Maniac, which you run one of. If you dredge it, eventually return it to your hand by discarding a pair of Call to the Netherworld instead of your dredge creature.
What else should I use? I'm really trying to make this a competitive Johnny-type deck, and how can it get there?
Kingofsouls says... #3
Decklist is a must. Another thing to remember is that since your primary way to win is with Labratory Maniac, you must be able to consistently get your combo online. To do that, you need the following:
- A way to get to six mana to cast the Sphinx.
- A way to not die until you do get the six mana.
- Protection to make sure your combo pieces are not taken from you before you are ready to combo off. Counterspells and the like.
June 13, 2015 9:01 p.m.
I've been working on it, but I really need help. Something along these lines maybe?
The rest would be a small control package (4-5 cards? An additional Drown in Sorrow)? Then some lands?
June 13, 2015 9:02 p.m.
Now that I think about it, cut those Golgari Thug and add more control!
June 13, 2015 9:03 p.m.
Sorry for the terribly written comment. I meant do you have a decklist. Sorry for the miscommunication lol
June 13, 2015 9:03 p.m.
Kingofsouls says... #8
Hmm....so for colors you are going Black/Blue/Green?
Sultai colors it is. The big issue I see is that your big win conidition is six mana. You may need to be able to play it to get the combo going. How do you plan on doing that? Acceleration or just playing one land a turn and stalling until you can get your tutors?
June 13, 2015 9:08 p.m.
TheDuggernaught says... #9
Doesn't Call to the Netherworld only return black creatures to your hand? Or am I missing something? I don't see how you are getting Laboratory Maniac back if you dredge him.
June 13, 2015 9:10 p.m.
Coinman1863 says... #10
Before I ruin on your party, Call to the Netherworld only works on black creatures. So, it doesn't work how you think it does.
June 13, 2015 9:10 p.m.
Oh dear, this is true! Bump that up to a plates of Laboratory Maniacs?, add in more Golgari Thug.
June 13, 2015 9:13 p.m.
I am equally as confused as TheDuggernaught. Call to the Netherworld won't be able to get you your Laboratory Maniac back because it's blue.
June 13, 2015 9:14 p.m.
throw in Birds of Paradise or Noble Hierarch to help with the ramp
June 13, 2015 9:28 p.m.
Is everyone just ignoring the elephant in the room or do people just not know about Relentless Rats or Shadowborn Apostle??
If you are a johnny player and want to utilize this deck well then use these guys.
June 13, 2015 10 p.m.
FAMOUSWATERMELON says... #16
I love random standard cards made into Modern. So much awesomeness XD
June 13, 2015 10:10 p.m. Edited.
Shadowborn Apostle sounds like a fabulous way to abuse Sphinx of the Chimes. You could even throw in a little Demon package, namely Shadowborn Demon against midrange and Desecration Demon versus aggro.
Just thinking out loud, don't know if that sounds good or not.
June 13, 2015 10:46 p.m.
Kingofsouls says... #18
If I can play Devil's Advocate people honestly might expect that. You'd also need to stuff your entire deck with a lot of the rats and apostles, and once you go off you want to continue as long as you can so your opponent can't stop you. With the rat/apostle plan, what if you do not have enough rats or apostles once you draw four and not have enough to discard? With the dredge plan, you can keep going off as long as you can dredge.
I would say put in some recursion in case you mill the maniac, like Noxious Revival since you can cast it with life instead of mana.
June 13, 2015 11:01 p.m.
If you run enough Apostles, you should be able to get at least 2 out of the 4 cards (there are always bad moments).
And they're two different color decks too. The Dredge one would be Simic (Sphinx, Brownscale, Fauna Shaman), and the Apostle one would be Dimir (Sphinx, Apostle, removal).
Making a Sultai one with all the mentioned cards, minus Shadowborn Apostle and Relentless Rats of course, would be a good way to do it. Also opens up for some of the black Dredge cards for diversity.
June 13, 2015 11:06 p.m.
Kingofsouls says... #20
Right, so lets see our options
Green/Blue (Simic):
Fetch: Fauna Shaman, Commune with the Gods
Engine: Sphinx of the Chimes, Golgari Brownscale
Black/Blue (Dimir):
Recursion: Tasigur, the Golden Fang, Golgari Thug
Ramp: None. It's black.
Engine: Shadowborn Apostle/Relentless Rats
Green/Black/Blue (Sultai)* Fetch: See above
Recursion: Nyx Weaver
Ramp: See above
Engine: See above
The only real advantage of Sultai is that you get access to Nyx Weaver, at least from what I recall. So I would advice against Sultai.
June 13, 2015 11:17 p.m.
Commune with the Gods is just a worse version of Commune with Nature in this deck.
June 14, 2015 1:06 a.m.
Kingofsouls says... #22
What do you mean? CWTG sends the cards you do not choose to the graveyard. Since it is a "you may choose" effect you don't have to pick anything. CWN puts the other four on the bottom of the deck...kinda hard for you to take it from the grave.
It really depends on how much graveyard recursion the deck packs.
June 14, 2015 1:35 a.m.
If you go green then you want to get to the combo (the sphinx) and probably put some maniacs on the bottom so graveyard hate doesn't get them early game before the combo can go off. Also, CWN doesn't reveal the cards which is better.
June 14, 2015 2:25 a.m.
May I suggest going Esper/Bant for flashback on Unburial Rites and a back up win con/way to discard cards of Zombie Infestion
June 14, 2015 2:30 a.m.
If you go bant then I take back everything about Commune with the Gods. Just drop the sphinx and Unburial Rites in the grave and bring em back next turn.
June 14, 2015 2:35 a.m.
As much as I like the apostle and the rats, I like dredge more because I can always go of with dredge no matter what!
The Noxious Revival seems like the best plan for replacing the Call to the Netherworld, not Nyx Weaver.
I am sticking with sultai because it has a larger control package than simic, even including Necroplasm which is a backup dredge card.
I like the commune with nature more than commune with the gods because it lets me set lab maniacs on the bottom of my library, and it costs less manaSo the new core combo is this -
9 control spells
~~~
And here is my other version of the deck:
56 Island
June 14, 2015 7:09 a.m.
@Nomp
Unburial Rites has proved most valuable in testing - I am thus removing all Noxious Revival and adding a pair of them, adding in 2 Hallowed Fountain to be fetched. This opens up 2 additional control spells! (yeah!)
June 14, 2015 10:13 a.m.
Kingofsouls says... #28
Yea the Rites are probably better than the Revival due to Flashback. Honestly, why didn't I think of that?
June 14, 2015 5 p.m.
yeah's It's just stronger, mostly because you can always go off with them.
June 14, 2015 5:01 p.m.
no, Im typically an aggro/unique johnny player, know nothing about control
June 14, 2015 5:20 p.m.
Kingofsouls says... #32
Yea my definition of contorl is 'kill them before anything bad happens".
You have a wide selection. Counters to slow down the enemy and deny them their best spells, and removal to kill threats that sneak through. Not sure what you need though. During your testing what problems did you usually run into?
June 14, 2015 5:25 p.m.
quick spell decks, ones that can race me. I'll probably go the more counter-type route.
June 14, 2015 5:33 p.m.
Serendipitous_Hummingbird says... #34
codex shredder might have some sort of a home here. shredder control with a combo maybe?
June 14, 2015 6:38 p.m.
Kingofsouls says... #35
I would go with one codex shredder as a way to speed the mill up a turn and to recur a key card that you need if you can spare the five mana. But i wouldn't try to cram it in if there is no place for it.
RADiO says... #2
sounds really fun, make a decklist?
June 13, 2015 8:53 p.m.