In a format like Modern, where a game might only last four turns, it might seem odd to play a deck where the goal is to untap with eight land on the battlefield. Hardcast Ugin, the Spirit Dragon with no acceleration whatsoever? Yes, even in Modern.
Martyr of Sands pads your life total and turns on Serra Ascendant. Ranger of Eos can search for both pieces while Squadron Hawk keeps your hand flush with white cards. Killing creatures with Path to Exile is easy, but Ghostly Prison is the real winner. Not only does it shut down the Splinter Twin combo but it punishes any deck that tries to go wide against you.
Both of these decks have similar cores that involve Martyr of Sands, Serra Ascendant, Ranger of Eos, Squadron Hawk, Ghostly Prison, and Path to Exile, but from there, they diverge greatly. One has several sweepers in Wrath of God and Ugin, the Spirit Dragon, but the other is more creature-focused, with Knight of the Reliquary and Voice of Resurgence.
The green splash is powerful against decks like G/R Tron, as an active Knight of the Reliquary when you have a deck full of Ghost Quarters is probably game over. Voice of Resurgence insulates the deck against counterspells to some degree, plus it plays well with sweepers. Overall, a splash is relatively free.
Even without the splash, a full playset of Ghost Quarters, some Tectonic Edges, and a Crucible of Worlds give you a shot at against the big mana decks. Splash or no, these decks are getting fairly tuned, and I like the look of things.
Creatures (19)
- 1 Kami of False Hope
- 1 Weathered Wayfarer
- 4 Martyr of Sands
- 4 Ranger of Eos
- 1 Linvala, Keeper of Silence
- 4 Serra Ascendant
- 4 Squadron Hawk
Planeswalkers (2)
Lands (24)
Spells (15)
Creatures (22)
- 1 Kami of False Hope
- 4 Martyr of Sands
- 4 Ranger of Eos
- 3 Knight of the Reliquary
- 4 Serra Ascendant
- 4 Squadron Hawk
- 2 Voice of Resurgence
Lands (24)
Spells (14)