This week I’m going to be taking a look at some Modern decks that aren’t exactly brews, but have kind of struggled to compete with the Tier One decks of the format. Over the last few months, many different versions of these archetypes have shown up and done well, so with a little bit of ingenuity perhaps it’s worth revisiting them.
The first list takes a no-nonsense approach to casting Primeval Titan and killing your opponent. The thing I wanted to stress is that maindeck Relic of Progenitus is incredibly good right now. With Snapcaster Mage and Tarmgoyf as the defining cards of the format, you really want some way to interact with them. Relic of Progenitus plus any burn spell is going to kill a Tarmgoyf, so it’s a great place to be.
The second list uses Generator Servant to combo kill with Primeval Titan, but it also features Through the Breach. We’ve seen what Through the Breach plus Emrakul, the Aeons Torn can do, but Through the Breach alongside Primeval Titan is powerful as well. If your opponent doesn’t die immediately, they will definitely die on your next turn. This list doesn’t contain Scapeshift, but it doesn’t necessarily have to.
Finally, there’s my favorite list. It’s a more normal take on the splicing of Through the Breach into Scapeshift, although this time with only one Scapeshift. I think that number could and should be increased, but I understand the reasons for not making it your focal point. With how the format is shaping up, I do like having Simian Spirit Guide and Chalice of the Void in my deck. Cavern of Souls and Summoning Trap are also fantastic cards to have.
If you wanted to try Scapeshift in the current metagame, I recommend giving some of these ideas a try. It’s pretty clear that the same ole Temur Scapeshift deck isn’t getting it done. We need to try new things, and these decks have some good ideas.
Creatures (8)
Lands (27)
Spells (25)
- 4 Lightning Bolt
- 3 Magma Jet
- 2 Farseek
- 4 Search for Tomorrow
- 4 Scapeshift
- 4 Relic of Progenitus
- 4 Khalni Heart Expedition
Sideboard
Creatures (25)
- 4 Sakura-Tribe Elder
- 1 Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
- 2 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
- 4 Obstinate Baloth
- 4 Primeval Titan
- 1 Wurmcoil Engine
- 2 Spellskite
- 2 Huntmaster of the Fells
- 1 Ruric Thar, the Unbowed
- 4 Generator Servant
Lands (23)
Spells (12)
Creatures (16)
Lands (27)
Spells (17)