JaceTheMindsculptor

Elves isn't a deck in Modern. Almost every deck in Modern is a tapout deck that wants to be using all of its mana every turn. Remand is also just quite bad against aggro or midrange decks since they can probably just recast the creature that turn.

Mana leak is just the best counterspell in Modern (except maybe an argument for cryptic command.)

I played UWR Delver a while back in Modern, and the deck was great. I played two isochron scepters as a support card, but it literally took over the game every time it came down. I also played 4 Young Pyromancers which was another insane threat. I think a deck that tries to go all-in on Isochron scepter control with Young Pyromancer as a finisher.

I would also recommend moving into white as well. White gives you Supreme Verdict in SB, path to exile, and lightning helix. (Note: Lightning Helix on Isochron Scepter is almost always a game win.)

Also, have you heard about the combo with Research/Development and Isochron scepter? Worth looking into...

I'd cut the guttersnipe and Gelectrode. Guttersnipe isn't even good enough for standard and gelectrode isn't too great either. I think a creature base of delver and pyromancer is probably good, and isochron can do a lot of heavy lifting as well.

You also definitely want fetchlands. 6 is about average for modern.

Good luck!

Esper is actually the hardest matchup, but I still think it's about 50/50. If you can play your manadorks around a supreme verdict and land a planeswalker (hopefully unanswered) things will get good for you quite quickly. In all honesty, the only thing I think that can beat a resolved garruk is an immediate detention sphere, or if it's just way too late in the game. A timely (or early) Garruk is very hard for esper to beat (although I have still beaten Esper when they found and cast 4 detention spheres and 4 verdicts). And prime speaker zegana + prophet also gets mvp in that matchup.

I sideboard like this against Esper:
+2 Ruric Thar, the Unbowed
+1 Sylvan Primordial
+2 Mistcutter Hydra
-1 Forest
-1 Cyclonic Rift
-1 Nylea, God of the Hunt
-2 Polukranos, World Eater

I like to think the sideboarding there is pretty self-explanatory, but if you need explanation let me know.

I think the mono-black devotion matchup is easier than Esper, but it's not necessarily a cakewalk (one of the tougher matchups). The big thing is that pack rat needs to be taken off the table at any costs. After that I think the deck is easy to beat. Their only real threat is Desecration Demon, which is very very conditional since we can pump out creatures to just keep it tapped down (or straight-up kill it after sideboarding). It's not uncommon to lose game 1 to monoblack just because the maindeck is kind of soft to pack rat and the loads of removal monoblack has, but games 2 and 3 are very very winnable after board.

+2 Ruric Thar, the Unbowed
+1 Sylvan Primordial
+1 Arbor Colossus
+2 Mizzium Mortars
-1 Nylea, God of the Hunt
-2 Polukranos, World Eater
-1 Prime Speaker, Zegana
-1 Garruk, Caller of Beasts
-1 Prophet of Kruphix

Ruric Thar is an absolute house against Monoblack. Not only does he demand an answer, he punishes them for doing so. He outclasses every creature in their deck (save desecration demon, which can be tapped down) and just swings in every turn. Arbor colossus kills demon obviously. Sylvan Primordial is sweet because you can either kill a mutavault or a swamp enchanted by underworld connections, in addition to getting a land on its own. It can also profitably block (and sometimes kill) Desecration Demon if they just cast it. Mortars isn't very good against them, but it's a necessary evil when facing turn 2 pack rat.

One note on sideboarding: Try not to take out all copies of a certain creature (except maybe burning-tree emissary in some matchups), because while they might not always be super effective, there are always situations where you just need one to win. Ex: If you're playing monoblack, logic says to side out Nylea, because they can just aggressively kill your creatures and keep devotion off. However, if you're staring down an 11/11 demon with an already monstrous arbor colossus, you need to find a nylea in order to keep from dying (probably).

Hopefully that helped out a bit. Honestly this just feels like a much much better version of the GR Aggro deck (because cyclonic rift is the best card in standard, no joke.)

So this deck is actually really awesome. Congrats. Only suggestion would be maybe to replace the Innocent Blood with Geth's Verdict? Just seems better.

And if you're thinking of competitive play, Gray Merchant might be good in here, though it's not really a midrangey card. Just thought I'd mention it.

Oh, and Phyrexian Obliterator is also kind of sorta good too I hear a little bit. Just to toss out there.

OH. Forget Savaging Surve. Do Common Bond instead. Forgot that card existed temporarily lol.

Definitely want less lands - like 21 or so. I would also go with 4 Phalanx and 2 Scavenging Ooze, since ooze gets substantially worse if it's drawn in multiples.

On that note, I'd consider a card like Warrior's lesson or another Theros instant/sorcery that can trigger heroic. Either that or Kalonian tuskers.

Just giving my advice. I'm 100% confident that my comment would make the deck better, and I don't consider a deck being good or bad being an issue of personal preference.

I still don't understand why it's not maindeck. You literally just win the game if you have it in your hand with Near Death Experience out. It doesn't matter what creatures are out, what spells your opponent is playing, you just win.

Also add Idyllic Tutor in place of Academy Rector and it becomes Modern legal. The deck can't compete in a format like legacy.

Here's the scenario: You have Immolating Souleater and Near-Death Experience out. "End of turn I'll activate Immolating to put my life at one"

Opponent: "Lightning bolt you in response."

You lose.

Now, if you played Angel's Grace, you would just win automatically. As a matter of fact, you can just win the game automatically if you have it in hand and Near Death Experience out. Your opponent literally cannot kill you because you just cast it and win the following turn.

4 Angel's Grace. Must include.

If you think that success on this website equates to success in Magic you're sadly mistaken.

I'm not even going to waste time pointing out the total lack of logic in that statement.

Everyone else makes their own decks too. The only difference is that they learn from others and they improve upon them (which is what some would call "Netdecking", which is ridiculous). I was working on this archetype since well before GP Louisville (where this deck took 2nd place, in case you were wondering) and have tweaked it since. So if you're gonna hate on "net-decking", understand that you can't play competitive magic without understanding the metagame.

If your deck is so good why hasn't it top 8ed a single event ever.

Lol I'm just obsessed with Gruul so forgive me for particularity.

I think Garruk is more suited in the GR Devotion build, which acts more as a Degenerate combo deck with Nykthos and Garruk generating card advantage and board presence very quickly. This kind of archetype is basically just trying to beat down with quality creatures and is probably a more fair deck. Given that the deck is more fair, it does need to interact more than the devotion build--it can't just vomit 20 creatures out and ignore what your opponents are doing, and mortars is great at filling that role.

I don't personally play the devotion build but it's a sweet deck and I can't knock anyone for trying it.

Your gruul is ramp not beatdown. They are totally different decks. And zhur-taa ancient gives your opponent a free turn of double mana which is just universally bad--especially given that pretty much every deck in the format can just about kill you in that turn.

My deck runs 4 Domri's and i am perfectly fine having 2 sitting in my hand. That means that when I ultimate the one or -2 it I can immediately follow it up with another and keep gaining card advantage. It also means that you don't have to keep creatures untapped to defend him all the time--you can just keep the pressure going and play a second when the first dies. You can even -2 a Domri, sac him, and then play another domri that turn and -2 him to kill two creatures with not even one card.

Look at literally any Gruul Midrange list online and they are all running 4 Domri, 2 Xenagos

And ancient and Borborygmos are just bad.

This has to be a joke.