How to Beat Elves
Modern forum
Posted on July 8, 2015, 12:14 p.m. by NotaNetDeck
Elvish Company and other elf variants are stirring up Modern in a bad way! The format and I need YOUR HELP best figuring out how to beat them, preferably in a sideboard plan. Any colors can be used.
So far, I've thought of: Grafdigger's Cage/Hallowed Moonlight, good against Collected Company, Genesis Wave, and Chord of Calling; Drown in Sorrow/Pyroclasm, good against everything but 2+ Elvish Archdruids; Infinite Obliteration naming Ezuri, Renegade Leader; Torpor Orb, good against some decks and useless against others; Engineered Explosives/Punishment, good against mobs of 1-drops; Ghostly Prison, which can buy a turn or so; Linvala, Keeper of Silence, deals with almost every elf except possibly too slow to matter
Are there any options I'm missing? What is the surest way to beat elves? Let's figure it out!
GlistenerAgent says... #3
July 8, 2015 12:21 p.m. Edited.
themindxyz says... #4
Anger of the Gods saw a lot of play in modern Jund decks when it came out, and it wreaks decks like elves.
July 8, 2015 12:23 p.m.
GlistenerAgent says... #5
It still sees a lot of play, actually. Not in Jund anymore, either.
July 8, 2015 12:24 p.m.
NotaNetDeck says... #6
"Sweeper" sounds like the buzzword here. My main concern with cards like Damnation and Wrath of God, similarly Linvala, is that they may just be too slow. Elves can beat you down before you even get to 4 mana, but is there any way around that?
July 8, 2015 12:26 p.m.
GlistenerAgent says... #8
Is your deck playing any interactive spells that cost less than four mana? Good, you'll be fine.
Charm is OK, but not too consistent. There are better choices.
July 8, 2015 12:32 p.m.
alpinefroggy says... #9
just be careful of Burrenton Forge-Tender chorded. I have seen that in 90% of elves decks
July 8, 2015 12:37 p.m.
As a combo elves player, Anger of the Gods is the card we are most afraid of. The lists have been playing Burrenton Forge-Tender in the sideboard now just for that pesky card so be careful of that.
Damnation and Wrath of God are usually too slow like you said, but as GlistenerAgent said, if you have literally any disruption like a single Lightning Bolt to kill a key creature, it immediately becomes right on time.
It truly depends on the deck youre playing a lot of the time. There are some matchups where you cant really do anything about the Elven Onslaught. Like, you cant casually throw a boardwipe into a midrange style deck unless you plan on taking out a lot of creatures.
July 8, 2015 12:43 p.m.
NotaNetDeck says... #11
TheGamer, that has made the most sense to me yet. It sounds like Drown in Sorrow does lie at the sweet spot of the effect:mana cost ratio of sweepers (and can't be Forge-Tendered). Am I correct?
July 8, 2015 12:49 p.m.
GlistenerAgent says... #12
I wouldn't say that's accurate. Pyroclasm does the same thing and costs less.
July 8, 2015 12:53 p.m.
NotaNetDeck says... #13
Yet it can be Forge-Tendered... but I suggested Drown namely because of my deck's color restriction.
So, as I understand it, the best would be Whipflare if I played Affinity, the next would be Pyroclasm if I played red, and the third is Drown since I play black. Is that better?
July 8, 2015 12:57 p.m.
GlistenerAgent says... #14
Yep, that's a reasonable assessment. Though I would just play Anger of the Gods if you're in red because it also deals with Abzan CoCo and does a better job vs. Affinity.
Also consider Languish depending on what your black deck is, because sometimes you can still play your Goyf even if you plan to wrath later.
July 8, 2015 1 p.m.
NotaNetDeck says... #15
Ha I won't be playing Goyfs anytime soon GlistenerAgent but you were right assuming I was in green, too. Thanks for the help, and wish me luck in the future.
July 8, 2015 1:08 p.m.
That sounds perfect NotaNetDeck. I guess good luck with your deck? Im not too sure if I want you to be beating the Elf Combo deck or not ;)
But in all seriousness, hope it helped :)
July 8, 2015 1:12 p.m.
NotaNetDeck says... #17
Yeah man, it's a Smallpox-based deck on my profile if anyone wants to check it out. I'm looking at making a Glittering Wish package in the sideboard and more or less just decided against Golgari Charm and Zealous Persecution as Wish targets against Elves.
July 8, 2015 1:18 p.m.
KillDatBUG says... #19
Don't forget that Forked Bolt is excellent at killing little one-drops.
Aside from that, another sweet option is Rough/Tumble- It's a functional Pyroclasm that allows your Delver of Secrets Flip to live.
July 8, 2015 1:30 p.m.
It all depends on when you want to interact with the elves, and what kind of elf deck it is, but here's a few suggestions:
Chalice of the Void, Ratchet Bomb, Terminus, Crawlspace, Abzan Charm, Final Judgment, Living End, Selesnya Charm, Eidolon of the Great Revel
July 8, 2015 1:41 p.m. Edited.
A Lightning Bolt or Vapor Snag for their T1 mana dork is typically a tremendous setback in terms of tempo for an Elves deck, so that's the first thing I'd suggest. As KillDatBUG suggested, Forked Bolt is card advantage on a stick early (and Electrolyze usually gets you the ever-coveted 3-for-1), and as Virlym noted, Living End and Eidolon of the Great Revel can also mess with them.
Overall, though, my suggestion is to zap them before they get going. That means that you should suffer no Elvish Archdruid, Elvish Mystic, Heritage Druid, or Llanowar Elves to live if you can avoid it.
July 8, 2015 2:34 p.m.
NotaNetDeck says... #22
Thanks for the input, everyone! Early setbacks combined with wraths sounds like the way to go.
Unforgivn_II says... #2
Damnation. Suck it Ezuri
July 8, 2015 12:21 p.m.