Best ways to protect Lord of the Unreal
Modern forum
Posted on Jan. 17, 2013, 8:28 a.m. by Grimaldii
Hey Folks!,
I'm currently working on a modern illusion deck with some (imo) interesting alternate win conditions.I've only been playing magic since M10, so I'm probably unaware of a lot of potential cards out there, therefore any other suggestions are appreciated. Out of the cards I've so far discovered, what is most sensible/worthy of inclusion for protecting a Lord of the Unreal?
Runed Stalactite - the Lord would gain a little boost and becomes an illusion himself, thus gaining hexproof
Swiftfoot Boots / Lightning Greaves
Amoeboid Changeling - Interesting card, although it's ability to make the Lord an illusion is restricted
Wings of Velis Vel - Another interesting one, but just a one-time boost.
I'm aware of it killing off Phantasmal Bear and some others, but the main intention would be to equip them to Grand Architect s and Lord of the Unreal s.
I didn't actually think of the Lord getting +2/+2 from the stalactite, haha, it's more of a contender now, thanks!
I'm also working on an alternate strategy, tutoring for Quicksilver Amulet and then Wurmcoil Engine /Blightsteel Colossus with Treasure Mage and Fabricate for synergy with Grand Architect , but that might be a bit... 'fiddly'
I do have some counterspells to hand as well. I think Muddle the Mixture is one of the best options, as it would also allow me to tutor for Lord of the Unreal as well!
January 17, 2013 10:39 a.m.
gheridarigaaz says... #4
it helps to think of Lord of the Unreal as a temporary buff... it boosts all your illusions and makest them harder to kill, who cares if he dies when he's practically done enough damage simply by being on the table?
January 17, 2013 11:23 a.m.
Thedren_The_Inquisitor says... #5
The best thing you can do to protect him is run a good counter grid. Most modern removal is in the 1cmc-3 cmc range, so opponents may risk tapping out to hit him so a well placed counter spell will keep him alive, but even if they do get him, with draw manipulation and the general tempo nature of Illusion Aggro you are not necessarily torpedoed. I guess what I am saying is run control to disrupt your opponent and protect your high value targets, but do not devote specific enchantments or equipments just to protect a lord.
January 17, 2013 11:36 a.m.
Ohthenoises says... #6
Why not Phantasmal Image ? It can be a 2 mana kill spell for legends or if you manage to copy a Lord of the Unreal he gives himself hexproof.
January 17, 2013 12:54 p.m.
Thedren_The_Inquisitor - Yeah, I'd thought it probably wasn't worth the deck space specifically to protect him. I suppose I'll focus more on counter-spells. I was just giddy with the opportunities from older sets! It's a bit of a shift for me to straight-up aggro, I'm natively control I suppose. I already have a playset of Phantasmal Image actually. I just seem to have bad luck getting them on the field at the same time for some reason, and I usually find myself copying an opponents creature to stall. I have a lot of cards that could potentially work, just haven't posted an actual deck yet, as I'm still playtesting and theorizing..
January 17, 2013 2:05 p.m.
Xenograft ? Might be a little too costly at 5 CMC, though, compared to other options.
January 17, 2013 2:14 p.m.
Thedren_The_Inquisitor says... #9
Don't get me wrong he is one hell of a threat and worth protecting but since you have double playset of lords, potentially three sets if you use Phantasmal Image to copy them, you are gonna do fine
January 17, 2013 3 p.m.
http404error says... #10
Phantasmal Image is by FAR the best option. 4, on the dot.
gheridarigaaz says... #2
Runed Stalactite would boost him by +1/+1 twice... once by himself because of the creature-type bonus and the second for the stalactite...
if you're building an illusion deck using stuff like Phantasmal Bear you'd kill your creatures off when you target them with anything. having equipment in your hand or on the field would become a dead draw... though if you're running some other kind of illusion deck, go for it...
I'd suggest basic countermagic. simple and versatile, gets rid of potential threats as well as protects your creatures from a lot of things. Hexproof won't do too well against card:Geth's Verdict either...
January 17, 2013 9:37 a.m.