Introduction

Im super happy about how this season ends, the perfect way to probe that you are the player of the year is this one, 1 vs 1 battle. Hope everyone enjoy this as much I will do. Thanks for all the support and good vibes.1F4AA #hareruyalatin #hareruyapros #poy2018

— Luis Salvatto (@LuisSalvatto) 2018年9月16日

Hello everyone, as many of you know, I’m actually tie in the first place of Player of the Year 2017-2018, and my last accomplishment from this season was made by such a beautiful deck, UW Control.

At this moment everyone knows that this is one of the best decks or at least tier 1 deck in Modern. White is the best color to deal with all permanents and blue is the best color to control your opponent and gain card advantage, “Azorius” is getting better again for this format.

I will explain my decklist choice, tips for gameplay, and Sideboard Guide today.

My Decklist and Current Results

This was my list for GP Stockholm 2018:

I ended up the swiss portion 12-2-1, losing a UW mirror, against UR Storm (both made top 8) and draw with the 9th player in a mirror.

My previous tournament was GP Detroit 2018, Trios Modern, when I play a similar version with a few small changes. We ended up 10-4, and my personal score was 11-3 (in two matches my teammates already finish but we kept playing just for fun).

And at the Pro Tour 25th Anniversary I ended up with:

General Things

Which is better? 4 《Opt》 + 4 《Terminus》 or 4 《Serum Visions》 and split sweepers?

I thinks it is really close, both versions try to clean the table in different ways but with similar efficiency, I prefer to play 《Opt》 + 《Terminus》 since I like to play the cantrips on my opponent turn to decide better and don’t tap on my turn, also the chance of 《Opt》 + 《Terminus》 is really high if you play 4 of each, and in some matches 《Terminus》 is better than 4 mana sweepers (《Spell Queller》, 《Selfless Spirit》, 《Vengevine》, 《Bloodghast》, 《Kitchen Finks》, 《Eternal Witness》 decks, 《Hangarback Walker》 etc).

《Terminus》 or 4 mana sweepers makes a real difference in the way to approach the games, but your plan is the same in both versions, try to keep the battlefield clean and win, thanks to your Planeswalkers and 《Celestial Colonnade》.

Is 《Hieroglyphic Illumination》 an insane new technology?

I disagree, the card is better than I expect, and maybe you can run two copies, since it is very versatile having the option of “Cycle” or 《Divination》 at instant speed, but I think the correct number of 《Hieroglyphic Illumination》 is not 4 at least in UW, maybe Jeskai can play 4 since it has a lot of cheap interactions and more ways to find spots to spend 4 mana and gain extra cards.

Why 《Crucible of Worlds》?

I love this card which is extremely good against all non aggro decks (half of the Modern field I guess), and even against aggro decks, you can make a good use in game 1 when you have troubles to find your lands.

It is the best friend of 《Field of Ruin》 or 《Ghost Quarter》, and also allows you to gain an insane amount of card advantage when you have 《Jace, the Mind Sculptor》 in play, since you can 《Brainstorm》 and fetch (or 《Field of Ruin》) from graveyard and you don’t have to keep extra lands in your hand. Also a lot of decks have few basic lands, so attacking their manabase is very easy, and it makes your 《Path to Exile》 much better.

《Crucible of Worlds》 is also the best answer to 《Liliana of the Veil》 on turn 3, since you can discard your lands and don’t lose actual card count, while your opponent discard their hand.

It gives you free games against Urza Tron, sometimes 《Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle》, and control mirrors.

Singleton Card Selections

《Timely Reinforcements》

You really need to stop aggro decks before find a sweeper, and sometimes you need to gain life against 《Lightning Bolt》 decks, this is a card that I will play always in my maindeck.

Counterspells

I like the diversity, sometimes 2 copies of any of them (except 《Logic Knot》) can be rough, before making this list, I was playing 1 《Spell Snare》, 1 《Negate》, 1 《Mana Leak》 and 2 《Logic Knot》, but I cut the 2nd 《Logic Knot》 because sometimes the 2nd copy was a bit awkward in the midgame when you don’t draw fetchlands, and also with 《Rest in Peace》 in the sideboard is worst.

《Vendilion Clique》

Usually a sideboard card but I wanted to make a room for my sideboard so I run 1 《Vendilion Clique》 in the main deck. Sometimes his ability is really good, especially against combo deck or control mirror. You can target yourself to try to find a 《Terminus》 (or after putting it on the top with 《Jace, the Mind Sculptor》 but you don’t have other cantrip), before taking lethal damage in a combat.

《Oust》

This is a 5th one mana removal, fantastic in early turns, and another solution to 《Gaddock Teeg》 when you are locked by 《Meddling Mage》 on 《Path to Exile》.

《Detention Sphere》

Expensive but it can catch all permanent. I think you need at least 1 answer which can treat artifacts, enchantments or Planeswalkers besides 《Teferi, Hero of Dominaria》.

《Hieroglyphic Illumination》

I cut 2nd 《Search for Azcanta》 for the 《Hieroglyphic Illumination》 since drawing two 《Search for Azcanta》 is really bad. In addition, 《Search for Azcanta》 is getting worse post-board games because you usually don’t have bad cards and its ability isn’t impressive. Therefore, I really like 2nd 《Search for Azcanta》 pre-board, but 《Hieroglyphic Illumination》 is a better card for post-board games.

《Search for Azcanta》

A way to make your draws better, and also a way to find Planeswalkers if you draw only white cards to hold the game.

《Ancestral Vision》

A card that is nuts on turn 1, sometimes fine in the midgame. It is usually bad against aggro decks which is the main reason not to play more than 1, since you can’t afford draw 2. Though, it is really good against non aggro/non combo decks in any stage of the early-middle game.

《Supreme Verdict》

Playing 4 《Terminus》 means that sometimes 1 or 2 《Terminus》 are stucked in your hand and you need a sweeper on turn 4 to live. It is good against some blue aggro decks like 《Death's Shadow》 and UR Delver, but it is not great against Spirits deck since it is exiled by 《Spell Queller》 and countered by 《Selfless Spirit》.

The Core of the Deck

5 Planeswalkers

3

I really love having 3 《Jace, the Mind Sculptor》, since sometimes you just play the first one as 4 mana 《Brainstorm》 to set up 《Terminus》 and let him die. After that, I want a second copy and having 3 allows me to draw multiple and I don’t have to protect the first one.

2

It is an answer for all permanent, gives you a lot of advantage in terms of card, mana and life because opponent doesn’t want him to live. But with 5 Loyalty and the ability of untap 2 lands allow you to play at least 1 《Path to Exile》 and those factors make really hard to kill him.

3 《Cryptic Command》

3

One of the best blue cards in Modern, the only reason not to play 4 is that sometimes having too many in the early game is not good. Thanks to one of the another best blue card in Modern: 《Snapcaster Mage》, you can play more copies in the lategame, dealing with annoying permanent, preventing combat and draw card, or just the most historical mode, counter and draw.

Manabase

6

3

2

4

4

1

4

1

Nothing special about the manabase, some people like to play the 5th fetchland instead of 《Ghost Quarter》, it is obviously mistake if you play 《Crucible of Worlds》 though. Some people play more or less basic lands, but I like having 6 《Island》 and 3 《Plains》 since minimum non-basic for me is 4 fetch, 4 《Celestial Colonnade》, 5 《Wasteland》, 3 duallands (2 《Hallowed Fountain》 and 1 《Glacial Fortress》).

Sideboard Guide

5C Humans

You can switch 《Search for Azcanta》 for 《Stony Silence》 because sometimes 《Aether Vial》 is really problemastic especially you don’t have enough lands.

Trying to clean the table pre-board as fast as possible, and post-board play around 《Gaddock Teeg》 since it is really hard to beat sometimes, best way to stop the combat is playing an angel, nowadays 5C Humans players are more prepared so be careful against 《Dismember》.

《Krark-Clan Ironworks》 (KCI)

Before releasing 《Sai, Master Thopterist》, sideboarding was easy because you didn’t need the sweepers, but nowadays, KCI players try to grind us out with it and things seem more complicated.

They also board out a lot of 2 drops, so 《Spell Snare》 is bad. I like to have at least 3 sweepers and 2 《Path to Exile》 to stop their creatures, and the rest of the hate cards to control their combo.

Hollow One

Spirits

Be careful when 3 counters on 《Aether Vial》, because they can give Hexproof to the guys with the 《Drogskol Captain》 at instant speed.

3

Mardu Pyromancer

Tron

UW Mirror

UR Storm

Post-board, UR Storm usually tries to put 6-8 Goblin Tokens on turn 2 or 3, so I like to have 3 ways to deal with them (you can stop this with 《Dispel》 even if they try to do on turn 2).

They should do this because you have more efficient ways to stop the graveyard combo, even though they can rebuild their hand thanks to 《Pieces of the Puzzle》. In Game 1 it is super important to kill all the 《Goblin Electromancer》 and 《Baral, Chief of Compliance》.

Midrange BGx decks

Here we only switch a few counterspells for versatile cards because they are bad after discarding spells.

Playing basic lands on the early turns is important because 《Dark Confidant》 or 《Tarmogoyf》 into 《Fulminator Mage》 is crucial. 《Timely Reinforcements》 and 《Vendilion Clique》 are your best answer to 《Liliana of the Veil》.

Depending on your opponent deck, you can keep 《Mana Leak》, or even board in a 《Baneslayer Angel》. Usually you will win with any of active Planeswalkers.

《Noble Hierarch》/《Collected Company》 Decks

Bridgevine

Conclusion

I strongly recommend to adapt this Sideboard Guide with your thought about the matchups. I think my sideboarding is fine but sometimes you can improve it and when you don’t have enough time for game 2 or 3 you should bring in 2 Angels to finish the games on time.

I’m able to answer particular questions about the deck or the sideboard, feel free to contact me. Hope you enjoy this article, now is time to play some Standard and Limited for Worlds 2018 and Team Series Finals, and after that, a PotY Playoff!

Wish me luck, thanks for reading 🙂

(Editor’s Note: It was written before Magic: The Gathering Wolrd Championship 2018 and Team Series Finals.)

Luis Salvatto