(Editor’s Note: this article was written before Grand Prix Ghent.)
Introduction
Hello everyone! Today, I am going to write stuff about Modern.
Since I had to practice for Grand Prix Ghent in team Modern, I decide to focus on my teammates decks because I will be the middle player of the team.
I start my testing with Boros Burn and I have to say the deck was very good. So good that I decide to play the Magic Online Mythic Championship Qualifier (MCQ) with it. I did pretty well with a top 8 over 411 players. I didn’t play PTQ/MCQ since 8 years but the new system is what it is. The field during the MCQ was very high and I had to beat players like Yuuki Ichikawa and recent Modern Grand Prix champion Simon Nielsen on my way.
Burn is a deck that exists since Modern was born but 3 major things make the deck a very good one right now.
For all of these reasons, Burn has become a very powerful deck which solved its 2 biggest problems. Now the deck has a great stability from the turn 1 to the moment you need to draw a spell in late game.
Decklist and Result of the MCQ
Decklist
Here is the list I played at the MCQ:
2 《Sacred Foundry》
4 《Arid Mesa》
1 《Bloodstained Mire》
4 《Inspiring Vantage》
4 《Sunbaked Canyon》
2 《Fiery Islet》
-Land (20)- 4 《Goblin Guide》
4 《Monastery Swiftspear》
4 《Eidolon of the Great Revel》
-Creature (12)-
4 《Lightning Bolt》
4 《Boros Charm》
4 《Searing Blaze》
2 《Lightning Helix》
2 《Skullcrack》
4 《Rift Bolt》
4 《Skewer the Critics》
-Spell (28)-
3 《Smash to Smithereens》
2 《Kor Firewalker》
2 《Deflecting Palm》
2 《Molten Rain》
2 《Wear/Tear》
1 《Grafdigger’s Cage》
-Sideboard (15)-
The Result of MCQ
Here is my result at the MCQ:
Round | Deck | Result |
---|---|---|
Round 1 | Storm | 2-0 |
Round 2 | Tron | 2-1 |
Round 3 | Titanshift | 2-0 |
Round 4 | Burn | 2-0 |
Round 5 | Neoform | 2-1 |
Round 6 | Whirza | 2-1 |
Round 7 | Whirza | 0-2 |
Round 8 | Bant Stoneblade | 0-2 |
Round 9 | Whirza | 2-1 |
Round 10 | Jund | 2-0 |
Round | Deck | Result |
---|---|---|
Quarterfinals | UW Stoneblade | 1-2 |
Here is the list I played at the MCQ
— Jérémy Dezani (@JDezani) September 9, 2019
Lost vs UW blade, Bant Blade and Whirza
Win vs 2 x Whirza, Tron, Valakut, Burn, Jund, Storm and griselcombo. pic.twitter.com/2abydqMIgS
New Sideboard and Sideboard Guide with it
The popularity and the power of Whirza deck right now make me think that I should change the sideboard a little bit. Here is the list I would play:
New Sideboard
2 《Kor Firewalker》
2 《Shattering Spree》
2 《Deflecting Palm》
2 《Smash to Smithereens》
2 《Molten Rain》
1 《Wear/Tear》
1 《Alpine Moon》
Here are some sideboard plan and tips about each most important match-ups.
Whirza
The match up is tricky, you have to put pressure and interact with them in the same time. 《Eidolon of the Great Revel》 is super good against them, but a one drop and some way to destroy artifact do the job too.
They basically board in 《Collective Brutality》 and that’s all, so I like to keep 《Skullcrack》 even if the card doesn’t stop the combo. I like 《Path to Exile》 for 《Urza, Lord High Artificer》. 《Shattering Spree》 is not instant speed but you can use it to destroy 《Mox Opal》 and other mana artifact. Opponent generally plays them as soon as possible since they will take extra damages if we cast Eidolon.
Against Whirza
Burn Mirror
《Eidolon of the Great Revel》 is by far the worst card in the mirror. 《Kor Firewalker》 is obviously the MVP and you need 《Path to Exile》 to deal with it. Some people run 《Kozilek’s Return》 too but it sounds expensive and is not very versatile. If you think that your opponent is playing 4 《Lightning Helix》 you might want to keep 《Skullcrack》 but otherwise it’s just an expensive 《Lava Spike》. You can keep some Opening hands with no creatures and play the control game but you need burn spell that deals with creatures in this case.
Against Burn Mirror
Jund
They have some gain life cards in the maindeck like 《Scavenging Ooze》 and 《Collective Brutality》 so 《Skullcrack》 is good. Ooze is still very small and should not have a lot of thing to eat in early game so any 3 damage spell can deal with it. The real problem is 《Tarmogoyf》 which can be big very fast (don’t forget if you play an instant with no instant in the graveyards, 《Tarmogoyf》 get the bonus from it), so you need 《Path to Exile》.
I don’t like 《Deflecting Palm》 in the match for multiple reasons, they look at your hand and it’s very bad against 《Liliana of the Veil》. Against her, the best plan is to empty your hand and ignore her even if she can ultimate. Don’t forget to keep extra lands in your hand to protect burn spells from her [+1] ability. I like 《Molten Rain》, their mana base is not great and it can be good to prevent a 《Bloodbraid Elf》 or get the second black mana for Liliana or green mana for Ooze ect.
Against Jund
UW Stoneblade
This match up is though. They have access to 《Kor Firewalker》,《Leyline of Sanctity》, 《Timely Reinforcements》 and obviously 《Batterskull》. To fight 《Timely Reinforcements》, you need to burn yourself with your Fetch/Shock lands as much as possible. Getting your 《Sacred Foundry》 will also let basic in your deck and that is good against 《Path to Exile》 and 《Field of Ruin》.
《Leyline of Sanctity》 is a big problem but it is very rare to see at the moment, that being said, I like to have at least 1 card in my deck which can deal with it and 《Wear/Tear》 might do the job in addition to the answering 《Batterskull》. You have to kill 《Stoneforge Mystic》 to prevent a cheap 《Batterskull》, this has effect that you are losing a burn spell in the process and it’s very good for them. This is why you really want to keep 4 《Searing Blaze》. They also play 《Snapcaster Mage》 and sometimes 《Giver of Runes》 so it’s totally fine.
- 2019/01/14
- Controlling the Flow of the Game
- Matti Kuisma
Don’t run into counterspell if you can play in instant speed instead or keep all burn spell for the same turn when they tapout for a 《Batterskull》 or something.
Against UW Stoneblade
Tron
Against Tron
Titanshift
The match up is very good I think and you don’t need much changes. 《Searing Blaze》 can still be OK on a 《Sakura-Tribe Elder》 to prevent a block (it still deals damages to the player) but 《Molten Rain》 and 《Alpine Moon》 are of course better overall.
Against Titanshift
Mardu Shadow
In this match you have to kill every single creature they would play. They have 《Giver of Runes》 and 《Tidehollow Sculler》 so 《Searing Blaze》 is great.
Then it becomes tricky, because your opponent wants to decrease their life total to increase 《Death’s Shadow》 and your burn spells sometimes help it. How to know who is going to win when you burn your opponent?
《Death’s Shadow》 is a big problem and you should be smart when you sequence your spells, keep an eye on the life total and try to find the good timing to cast some burn spells at the end of opponent turn and finish them at your turn before they can attack you for lethal. 《Deflecting Palm》 is fine but the fact they look at your hand is not great for the card.
Against Mardu Shadow
Grixis Shadow
Grixis is not playing any good target for 《Searing Blaze》. They play Delve creatures which are way too big for your burn spell instead. I prefer to play the 2 《Deflecting Palm》 instead in case they want to race.
Against Grixis Shadow
Eldrazi Tron
They have one of the best cards against you; 《Chalice of the Void》. In the list you have many 2 and 3 mana burn spells so 《Chalice of the Void》 (X=1) is not over if it resolve. In the sideboard games you have multiple ways to deal with Chalice including 《Shattering Spree》 because the copies are not counter.
They might play aggressively since they run a lot of creatures so 《Eidolon of the Great Revel》 is not great. 《Path to Exile》 and 《Deflecting Palm》 might make the differences against 《Thought-Knot Seer》 and 《Reality Smasher》.
Against Eldrazi Tron
Amulet Titan
Same as Whirza you put pressure and interact with them in the same time by destroying 《Amulet of Vigor》, burn the small key creatures out and destroy lands. 《Alpine Moon》 might be good on a bounce land but you can just name 《Slayers’ Stronghold》 to prevent Haste 《Primeval Titan》.
Against Amulet Titan
5 Color Humans
The deck is not really populare right now but you never know. Eidolon just doesn’t do much since they can put their creatures onto the battlefield via 《Aether Vial》 and it will overall become bad for you. Having 1 《Smash to Smithereens》 for 4 《Aether Vial》 is fine I guess.
Against 5 Color Humans
Conclusion
I don’t know what I’ll play in GP Ghent yet but I am sure about something Burn has never been so good than now and it’s a very good choice for your tournament.
Thank you for reading,