Twin Vs Junk/Abzan
Modern forum
Posted on March 12, 2015, 9:51 p.m. by JRaynor
So I just started to play Twin. I have a pretty standard set up to get started. My best friend however, plays Junk. He tends to go off the beaten path a lot more than I do but he still runs all the staples.
My problem is I lose all the time. like 5/6 games we play I loose. I keep playing because Twin is a seriously fun deck! but I'd still like the ability to win more often. I just dropped like $500 on this deck, so what can I do to play better? Sideboard better? Fight Junk specifically, better? Tarmotwin is not really an option for me. I want to acquire them but 800 bucks is more than my entire deck is worth at this point.
Also are there any primers out there that you folks might recommend? I started out in modern playing Boggles and dropped that to move from tier 1.5 to tier 1.
GlistenerAgent says... #3
Abzan is your worst matchup. It's not close to winnable G1.
Postboard you want to bring in alternate plans. Take out every combo piece in sight and bring in Batterskulls, Keranos, God of Storms, Sower of Temptation, Jace, Architect of Thought, Blood Moon. Desolate Lighthouse lets you find better cards than them, and the others let you turn into a UR Blood Moon control deck rather than a fragile combo deck.
March 12, 2015 9:55 p.m.
slovakattack last time I posted in modern and linked my decklist I got yelled at by epok. I'm trying to play by the rules since I'm more interested in more general strategies and how to play Twin.
Cost is no object, except when it comes to buying a playset of 200 dollar cards. I have purchased 3 BloodMoon, 3 Cryptic Command, and playsets of Snapcaster Mage, Serum Visions, Remand, etc for the deck.
The only $ card I don't have is Vendilion Clique I could grab one or even two but it didn't seem like a must buy when I was putting the base of the deck together. I also don't have Scalding Tarn but I have 4 of all the new fetches and one Arid Mesa.
So GlistenerAgent, What do you do with Batterskulls, Keranos, God of Storms, and your other suggestions. Specifically Jace, Architect of Thought Never seen him in sideboard for a winning deck during my research in building this deck.
Also, if I'm filling my entire sideboard up with transformative elements, how do I side in against specific decks?
And yeah, I'm hoping there are better matchups than Abzan out there.
March 12, 2015 10:43 p.m.
GlistenerAgent says... #5
Check out Seth Manfield's report from the recent SCG Baltimore, which can be found in TCGplayer.com.
Jace was in the PT winning sideboard as well as the sideboards of multiple Top-16ers at SCG Baltimore. It either blanks Lingering Souls or draws cards. Really powerful.
As for the other cards, they let you play a midrange game. B-Skull gives you time to setup your engines by gaining life, and can't really be killed, Keranos is unkillable, and Sower stealing something in the lategame is really huge and can outright win the game while avoiding Decay.
March 12, 2015 10:52 p.m.
notamardybum says... #6
you're putting in more efficient threats that are harder to kill rather than relying on winning with the combo which is very weak to abzan.
March 12, 2015 11 p.m.
bijschjdbcd says... #7
Would comment but GAgent is correct with his analysis.
March 13, 2015 12:30 a.m.
As someone mentioned it's hardly an ideal match-up, but something is certainly wrong if you're loosing 5 out of 6 games though. It's bad since their well equipped for both of the decks plans, but you should be winning more than 16% of the time. Are those all pre-sideboard games only?
March 13, 2015 12:31 a.m.
Thanks GlistenerAgent I'll go read it now.
That makes since notamardybum I hadn't considered that's what they had in common, but then I've never played either Batterskull or Keranos, God of Storms.
March 13, 2015 12:33 a.m.
Slycne Yes these are pre-side board. I don't have a lot of experience with sideboards and what I have put together currently doesn't seem to help against Abzan at all.
March 13, 2015 12:39 a.m.
You want to beat Azban? Should've build RG Tron my friend!
March 13, 2015 1:01 a.m.
bijschjdbcd says... #12
Rg tron looses to Twin, Which is just as popular as Junk.
Play the matchup more, you will only get better.
March 13, 2015 1:03 a.m.
Well yeah. It's a triangle trade with those 3. But he didn't say he was having trouble beating Twin, he said he was having trouble beating Junk, hence why RG Tron is a good option for him.
March 13, 2015 1:04 a.m.
bijschjdbcd says... #14
But he has just invested money into the deck and probably doesnt eant to invest it anywhere else.
March 13, 2015 1:06 a.m.
When I picked out which deck I was going to buy I made the choice based on what I wanted to play, not what would beat my friend.
Honestly, Abzan has always appealed to me, but my friend picked it before I did so it wasn't really an option since we play against one another more than anyone else so far. I've always been something of a 
/
player so this is a big departure from that style but I'm really enjoying it. Plus we'll swap decks and I'll get to play Abzan too so it works for the moment.
Anyway, read the article and his advice seems to be a more thorough explanation of what you was suggested above. That's really interesting.
Any other good primers or articles to check out?
slovakattack says... #2
See, it's difficult for anyone to recommend anything when we don't have a decklist to work from.
March 12, 2015 9:54 p.m.