Help with a -1/-1 counters deck
Modern Deck Help forum
Posted on March 5, 2020, 3:11 p.m. by wallisface
Looking for advise on how to improve this modern brew: http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/scarabs-2/
Game plan is to basically grind the board out, making a ton of scarabs or snakes on the way.
Not sure if some of the creature choices are too “cute” to be viable. I feel like the deck can lose to itself a decent amount of the time to sub-par draws. Looking for any and all advise.
Thanks in advance!
wallisface says... #3
Yeah I get that. I guess maybe i’m trying to force this archetype a little too much, and such a deck isn’t modern viable.
Generally speaking, at the moment, this deck can fair fairly well against creature decks, and can combo off with Nest+BSZ. But obviously there are a bunch of non-optimal cards in here, and as such I can often get screwed by my own hands just not being strong enough.
So, this’ll probably never be tier one, but i’m looking for advise on making it more competitive than it is currently.
March 8, 2020 3:54 p.m.
SliverJedi
That is simply untrue.
There are plenty of decks that are not a pile a goodstuff, whose cards are garbage in vacuum. Grixis Death's Shadow, 5c Humans, hell even burn's cards are terrible without a critical mass.
That is why you won't see eidolon of the great revel or goblin guide running all over the format, same about lava spike.
(and i am pretty sure burn ain't a combo deck)
Ragarding the deck in question, it needs a LOT of work if you want to have success with it.
While Necroskitter is cute, it is simply too vulnerable to everything to win the late game, and is too slow to win fast. And it does diddle at all if the opponent's deck is light on creatures.
You plan to win shouldnt require your opponent to play a specific deck, ideally it needs to work regardless, realistically its acceptable to give up a FEW matcups.
The deck only working in some matchups is not acceptable - if you want to win.
On the other hand nest of scarabs is a pretty fine win condition, with a lot of support cards.
Also, i would like to point out that Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons doesn't work the same as Nest of Scarabs in conjunction with Black Sun's Zenith - the former always creates a single snake for each creature affected (which is great on defense thanks to the deathtouch), however its very far from the absurd power that the nest offers, as it creates a token for EACH counter, even for creatures that have less toughnes than the number of counters they get.
(yes, this includes casting Black Sun's Zenith on your own scarab tokens to multiply them drastically)
I have a similar deck in pioneer to this one, however in modern you need to have really good interaction OR win the game fast.
This deck requires the opponent to play a creature deck, and its not a given that you will face such a deck.
Regardless of what you plan, i would advise running card draw engines (or cantrips), to help you find what you need.
To start i would take a look at Plunge into Darkness as it does many thing you likely want to do, at a very affordable mana cost.
March 10, 2020 7:29 a.m.
wallisface says... #5
Xica thanks for the feedback. Yeah i was already aware Hapatra generates less tokens from Black-Suns than Nest would.
I’ve made some changes to the deck, namely ditching almost all of the creatures. In their place, more disruption, Mishra's Bauble to help draw through the deck, and, as it’s increasingly likely i’ll be able to stall out decks, a few Wurmcoil Engine. The deck looks now to play out more of a slow grind where i can hopefully force a late-game where i can draw into a more advantageous position.
I don’t have any Plunge into Darkness on hand, but it seems like a decent addition so i’ll try hunt down a playset.
SliverJedi says... #2
the payoffs for the counters aren't really worth it and can be done in more efficient ways that don't require the counters. modern is a format where unless you're a combo deck, each card really needs to be good on its own.
March 6, 2020 11:29 p.m.