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Main » Articles » Modern and Standard Medley

Modern and Standard Medley

Kyle Boggemes
Posted on December 1, 2016
 Reddit

I’ve been busy playing all sorts of Magic lately. Today I want to share my updated Delirium list as well as some thoughts on the other reasonable decks to play in Standard. There are also some sweet Modern decks I want to discuss.

Let’s start with Delirium because I finished in the top 4 of an SCG IQ at Game On in Midland, Michigan last week. There were 49 players which meant six rounds. I went 4-0 and then two intentional draws into the top 8. Heading into the top 8 I was in 4th place which meant the option to go first was mine. I voted to split the top 8 for $125, but others declined. It worked in my favor because I managed to win and then the 4 remaining players opted for a split of $200.

I learned a lot from the event because my first four rounds were against two mirrors, U/W Flash, and Mardu Vehicles. If you want to prepare for a large Standard event it doesn’t get any better than that gauntlet.

This is my current list:

B/G Delirium ? Kaladesh Standard | Kyle Boggemes

2 Ruinous Path

Ruinous Path

Ruinous Path proved to be important in many matchups. Against the mirror it can kill Emrakul, the Promised End and Liliana, the Last Hope. Some games come down to the Liliana ultimate so I can trick my opponent into ticking it up and play more defensively only to Ruinous Path her when she’s on seven loyalty.

The rest of the tier one decks have White. When I play Delirium, “trouble” is spelled G-I-D-E-O-N. If this Planeswalker didn’t exist B/G would be too powerful and he keeps me in my place. If U/W Flash starts out with a Reflector Mage or Spell Queller on turn three followed by Gideon on the play the game will be over quickly. Vehicles is also aware that it needs to go big enough to grind through Ishkanah, Grafwidow and now plays Gideon, Ally of Zendikar and Always Watching to keep up.

I only have 6 sorceries so Ruinous Path also means my deck functions better when I cast it. This is a metagame call, but I don’t see Gideon going away before there’s a big rotation.

3 Vessel of Nascency, 2 Mindwrack Demon, and 2 Grapple with the Past

Vessel of Nascency
Mindwrack Demon
Grapple with the Past

After playing this event I was happy with this split of delirium enablers. Vessel is slow, but makes it highly likely your deck can function after it’s activated. Grapple isn’t my ideal 2-drop and I don’t want to draw it early. It’s nice to leave up removal and cast it at the end of turn. Some of my flex spots are creatures to make it more likely to return a spell. Mindwrack Demon was great for me, but I don’t want to play three. It’s awkward when the game goes long and there is a real threat of being decked.

3 Tireless Tracker

Tireless Tracker

I added a 24th land — Evolving Wilds — to make Tireless Tracker better. This package made the two grapples more powerful by getting an additional target. I really like tracker because it can pressure Gideon on turn four. If you have Grasp of Darkness the 2/2 Knight Ally token can be killed, crack a clue, and hit Gideon for four damage. It also helps me get on board with a powerful creature ahead of turn four. I basically cut Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet from the main deck because it was too embarrassing against Reflector Mage, Spell Queller, Unlicensed Disintegration, and Grasp of Darkness and Tracker fits nicely in his place.

Nissa

Nissa, Vital Force

I was previously championing Nissa, Voice of Zendikar. The reason I moved away from it was mainly due to Gideon needing a ton of answers. Ruinous Path performs a similar function because I add extra cards with obscure card types. Since I cut the main deck Nissas there was room to sideboard a Nissa, Vital Force which did a lot of work in the mirror. It allows you to effectively race opposing Emrakul plans. I don’t want more 5-drops in the sideboard because they are all fine in the mirror so I’m wasting a space making a minor upgrade.

Gonti, Lord of Luxury

Gonti, Lord of Luxury

I have never cast this card before the IQ in Standard and it was awesome. Vehicles has a plan of transforming into a midrange deck after board which means I need to stem early beats, but also be able to grind. Gonti is great at throwing a wrench into early aggro plans because it trades off so easily. It’s also likely I’m able to get a removal spell or Planeswalker off of the exile effect. Gonti doesn’t need to be in play to cast the spell it exiles which allows it to be a 2-for-1 almost every time since you can’t play lands. It’s still worth exiling something as a bluff in case the top 4 cards are lands. Gonti is also great in the mirror because there are so many haymakers. It also stops opposing Grim Flayers from dealing too much damage. There’s the potential to exile the top cards the opponent leaves on top after stacking the deck with Grim Flayer as well.

Quick Sideboard Guide

MIrror

It’s not reasonable to have Grim Flayer, delirium enablers, discard, and removal in the deck at the same time. This means there are less card types that end up in the graveyard. Many games come down to a grind if the early aggro plan flails so I want an additional spell. I found the Grim Flayer aggro draws to be the best because the opponent typically sides out some removal which means you can run away with the game more often. Liliana is an answer to Grim Flayer and Gonti. I also add yet another removal spell for Planeswalkers in To the Slaughter.

To sum up my approach to the mirror, I take an aggressive angle after board. They can attack my hand while I beat down and draw cards with Tireless Tracker. Verdurous Gearhulk and Nissa can turn the aggro plan into hyperdrive in the mid game. I don’t like the extra Emrakul in the board for this reason.

U/W Flash

The entire matchup hinges around turn five and trying to resolve Ishkanah. This means I can resolve things that aren’t Ishkanah because they hold counters for the pesky spider.

Transgress the Mind takes Gideon as well as 3-mana counters such as Scatter to the Winds and Spell Shrivel. Keep Gideon off of the board and resolve Ishkanah is what the matchup is all about.

Keep in mind Flash will be boarding out Selfless Spirit because it’s embarrassing against Liliana, the Last Hope. This means there isn’t room to cut Stasis Snare and Smuggler's Copter. Natural State does exactly what I want to do: interact at instant-speed. The more I trade 1-for-1 the less a tempo plan will work and Emrakul takes the game. I considered Plummet, but some games are won by exclusively Gideon and Jace so it’s a dangerous sideboard card since it’s so narrow.

Vehicles

This matchup is fairly straightforward: keep hands with early interaction and grind them out with Gonti and Tireless Tracker. Eventually Ishkanah will come down to stabilize, but it doesn’t typically get it done by herself thanks to Vehicles transitioning into a midrange deck.

Delirium Isn’t for Me. Now What?

At this point in Standard there have been players piloting Delirium for months which means they will have the edge against you just picking it up for the first time. Everyone in the room knows how to beat you so there’s a downside to bandwagoning the best deck. What to do?

R/W Vehicles ? Kaladesh Standard| Reid Duke

This is Reid Duke’s list from the SCG Classic in Baltimore where he took first place. Always Watching and Gideon gives you enough ways to kick it into 4 wheel drive against Ishkanah. It’s also easy to put the pedal to the metal with the 1-drops against any strategy. There’s typically a high floor on the strength of an aggressive strategy. Smuggler's Copter is at its best in this archetype and it lets you not run out of gas. Even if you’re not a car person it’s a great choice.

Modern

Enough Standard, what about the other great constructed format? As you all know Jeskai Flash is my favorite deck so I’ll quickly provide an update:

Jeskai Flash ? Modern | Kyle Boggemes

I haven’t found a need to change the main deck. Notice my sideboard has 16 cards; you can cut the Spell Pierce, Izzet Staticaster, Rest in Peace, or Runed Halo. It’s a really hard choice because they are all very powerful options. Some quick scouting ahead of time can let you see if the third Rest in Peace is needed as I would only bring it in against Dredge.

After watching the World Magic Cup I think Jeskai Flash is an excellent choice to be one of your three team Modern decks. Since linear decks play many narrow cards there’s little overlap which means you get to play against many good matchups.

Most teams will have:

  1. Inkmoth Nexus deck: Affinity or Infect

  2. Dredge

  3. A fair deck

The only card you will have to give away is the Spell Pierce because Affinity and Infect would like to play it. Jeskai Flash preys on linear aggro decks and creature combo which seems to litter the team Modern metagame.

I have an RPTQ coming up this Sunday and I’m excited to give this deck another spin. It feels nice to lock in a deck several weeks before a tournament.

Abzan Midrange

Something interesting I found over the last couple of weeks is the move for Abzan decks to play Dark Confidant. Decks I’ve built over the years feature a couple Bobs because revealing a second one is very weak. There are so many other great 2-drops that you can afford to play less than four. I haven’t tried this yet, but I’m hopeful.

Abzan Midrange ? Modern | Kyle Boggemes

This is an interesting Modern deck I’m looking to try in the future. The goal is to midrange harder than the other midrange decks so I expect to beat Jund. Thanks to Blossoming Marsh Abzan gets a smoother mana base than before.

Rest in Peace isn’t something you want in play unless it does serious work. This means I only have it in the board as a dedicated Dredge hate card. If you don’t like it there’s also Ravenous Trap and Leyline of the Void. I have been underwhelmed by Grafdigger's Cage against Dredge so that one won’t make the cut. Dredge is very good at eventually killing hate cards and the cage lets them set up while it’s in play. Rest in Peace and Leyline of the Void prevents them from building up a graveyard in the meantime.

Lost Legacy can name Primeval Titan or Ad Nauseum. It’s not an amazing card, but I want to give it a try against glass cannon decks. Remember you can target yourself if things get dicey and cannot name artifacts or lands.

That’s all I have this week. Standard is a 2-deck format, but Vehicles can strike from left field. I will be playing Delirium until there’s a new set release. Jeskai is great in Modern, but I’ll be trying some Abzan decks in the near future.

Thanks for reading!

— Kyle

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TAGS articles, standard, strategy, metagame, constructed, deck list, modern, kyle boggemes

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