Sovereigning Trap is a MUCH more viable version of an old idea I had years ago that attempted top combine Summoning Trap and Elvish Piper to try and cheat out fatties, which I then affectionately referred to as ‘Piper Trap.’ And it was right around the time when I had to concede that, while worthy of exploration, Elvish Piper just wasn’t nearly good enough, that the Sovereigns of Lost Alara (SoLA) + Eldrazi Conscription combo was discovered.
Those two cards not only function as a suitable replacement for Modern, but make the entire concept actually work (and how!). GW Sovereigning Trap was born. I had taken a long break from Magic since "Piper Trap," but upon my return I'm finding this reimagined deck is performing incredibly for me in Modern. Admittedly I haven't pitted it against a true gauntlet representative of the entire format, or even close really, but it's been much more than holding its own in long sets against decks like stock-Jund and Affinity/Robots, and a few games against a UWR control-ish player. Not a huge sample size, obviously, but I'm posting this primer half to recommend the deck and explain how to play it, and half to run it by the community and request feedback (as will be evident throughout the below).
The basic idea is to ramp to 6 mana, which can easily be done by turn 3, and almost certainly by turns 4 or 5 if not met with targeted hate. The reward for reaching 6 is a hard casted Summoning Trap or SoLA. Yes, a Summoning Trap CAN whiff, but the deck has (as it’s currently configured) 9 targets, 12 if you include the Baneslayers (and I do), with 2 more in the board. The beauty is that if a Trap hits a SoLA, it can be just as good or better than hitting, say, an Emrakul, so the deck isn’t completely diluted with cards that are dead in hand. Likewise, hitting 6 mana and just casting Sovereigns can (and usually will) be just as decisive as hitting on a Summoning Trap.
I’m extremely open to guidance here, especially with the sideboard (to the point where I’m basically asking for it). I recognize the regular posters here are much more knowledgeable than I, and am eagerly anticipating constructive feedback.
Why play GW Sovereigning Trap?
This deck has serious raw power, and a LOT more consistency than one might imagine at first glance. It can work as both a mega-fast combo deck, and a relatively strong 'Zoo' style aggro deck. It has several angles of attack (and perhaps even more after checking out the Sideboard section below). This deck can explode out of seemingly nowhere, even in those games where it seems to have fallen behind. Any deck that threatens to stick an Emrakul on turn 3, without having to expend every slot and resource to assure that it does so, demands some degree of attention. The deck may or may not be Tier 1 as it's currently laid out, but I can't fathom it not having the potential to be, or at least something close, with your (the more experienced mages') input.
Most importantly to some, and least importantly to others: this deck is FUN AS HELL TO PLAY!! That's the one part I can guarantee. This may not be the sort of deck, like Jund, that could win tournament after tournament after tournament and become a main-stay archetype (thought I'd love to be proven wrong abouty this. lol) But I definitely DO think it's the sort of deck, at the very least, that could sneak up on an unsuspecting meta, crush a single event when the timing is right, and then ride off into the sunset leaving the townsfolk wondering just who WAS that mysterious stranger??
Maindeck:
note: There are a few numbers decisions I’m still mulling over, which I’ll explain more when I get into the individual card descriptions, so please note that, like with the sideboard, I’m very much open to input and advice. An immediate example is the 4 Heirachs + 2 Birds vs 3 Heirarchs + 3 Birds pickle. I'll explain below why both ways make sense and have merit for this strategy.
Noble Heirarch and Birds of Paradise:
I’m putting these two together because their functions are quite similar: mana dork, Conscripion bearer. It’s why I’m struggling to decide on their split: 4-2 or 3-3. Basically, when it’s Conscription time (oh, and it will be!), sometimes that extra Exalted trigger is the tell-tale, and sometimes it’s the flight that crashes us through. Conscription granting Trample has me leaning back toward 4-2 for the Noble one, but it’s still quite difficult to choose. Either way, these guys are the key 1-drops, and a total of 6 seems juuuust right.
Lotus Cobra:
Between all the fetches and the Knights, these guys are what make the deck so explosive. Turn 1 Heirarch/Bird, Turn 2 Cobra, Turn 3 Emrakul happens WAY more often than you’d think. Remember, we just need to reach 6 mana.
Knight of the Reliquary (KotR):
A great GW creature in general, she maintains the curve, she powers out tremendous landfall-age to help reach 6, and even gets a little bit of a toolbox in Sejiri Steppe and Tectonic Edge for some defense (though if anyone reading finds that to be an unnecessary distraction from the strategy at hand, I’m open to such a constructive crit).
Baneslayer Angel:
Boy, you sure don’t hear about this lovely lady much any more, do you? But she seemed back then and still seems now like an excellent fit here. And when SHE gets to carry the Conscription, that lifelink generates some frickin’ incredible swings, let me tell you. Especially on the back of her having that sweret sweet flight. Another great thing about Madam Banesy is, when a Summoning Trap plops her on the board, even though we’ve technically “whiffed,” spending 6 for a 5 cmc, her power level and usefulness really makes it hard to feel like we truly whiffed. And this, like with SoLA, makes her yet another Trap target that’s not at all dead in the hand. I did, though, drop her from 4-of to 3-of since the deck’s original conception.
Sovereigns of Lost Alara:
This guy.. gal? club? Whatever, this CARD is what makes this deck truly work. Without Sovereigns-Conscription, we’d need too many dead-in-hand fatties to make Summoning Traps reliably hit. But by costing 6 itself, in effect, it's like we get 8 Summoning Traps, 4 of which will always hit!! AND 4 additional Trap targets that are A-OK in the hand! This deck, and this strategy, WORKS, and the SoLA+Conscription combo is the reason why. Hell, I always saw it as Plan B to Summoning Trap, but it’s very possible Sov’rington is our Plan A! What’s especially crazy is once it’s in play, and therefore once Conscription is in play (hey look, card advantage to boot! lol), there’s no wait! No summoning sickness, no waiting till we can cast our next combo piece, nuthin’! As long as SoLA doesn't drop onto an empty board (and that is quite rare indeed), our 'combo' is complete!! (Not to mention, the additional Exalted trigger is a non-zero thing as well)
Emrakulasacucumber:
I think Spikes, Johnnys, and Timmys alike can agree this guy is just bad ass. And a deck that can reliably call him forth is a neat thing, in any format. But a MODERN deck... that can do it on the 3rd turn... well, that's the reason you’re still reading (God I hope someone is still reading). Given the rest of the fatty package, I THINK 3 is the right number, but am of course open to input. Every now and again, one WILL be stuck in your hand, but that’s Magic for ya'. But then again, with the prevalence of Liliana and her pesky +1, some opponents just may solve our problem for us.
Iona, Shield of Emeria:
Iona was my originally conceived co-fatty, with 2 Sphinx of the Steel Wind in the board for relevant matchups. BUT, in the time between inventing ‘Piper Trap’ and today, a new fatty named Blightsteel Colossus was born. I happily replaced Iona with Blightsteel, and Sphinx with Iona, but have since changed my mind (at least in the main). There’s certainly something enticing about winning the game in a single swing, but with no evasion (trample is nice, but risky when dealing in poison), I’m back to thinking Iona’s color hosing could be much more relevant. Once again, I’m hoping to get some input, but definitely need another 2-of high-costed, game-warping fatty to back Emrakulada. So for purposes of this Primer, I’m goin’ with Iona figuring she’s ultimately the correct choice, but technically I have Blightsteel currently sleeved up for testing purposes. Back in the day, I have DEFINITELY won many games on the back of Iona’s color denial. I hope this doesn’t sound racist, but Grieselbrand could be pretty sweet here if he wasn’t black.
Instants:
Summoning Trap:
I imagine any haters out there, or even the kind-hearted constructive skeptics, will have the biggest problem with this card right here. And it does add a bit of variance to what should otherwise sound like a slam dunk of a strategy. But I implore you, give it a shot before shooting it down. Yes, it does fail now and again, but almost every combo deck can once in a while. And this deck has game beyond the Trap. As mentioned above, this deck has 12 Trap targets, 9 if you’re not willing to count the Baneslayers (you should be). I’m certainly not willing (read: able) to do all the relevant math in this primer, but pulling a random 7 cards out of 50 or fewer (60, minus opening hand, minus 3 draw steps) should yield pretty good odds of hitting 1 in 7 (this 7 is: the 9 targets, and a pessimistic assumption that the opener plus 3 draws included and therefore eliminated 2 of our targets, AND this is again not counting BSA as a hit, which you should!). Point is, your Summoning Traps should be hitting way more often than whiffing. (psst!: also, once in a while, even a KotR or Lotus Cobra can be a situationally hit. But don't tell anyone I said so! Shhh!)
BONUS HIT: In a game 1 situation, an overzealous control player who doesn't know what you're up to may decide to counter your casting of a creature! Buuut.. we probably shouldn’t really be counting on that. And certainly not on their doing it twice.
Path to Exile:
Gives us a little defense pre-board, with the added benefit that, when absolutely necessary, we can also pop our own guy for an extra land.
Lands:
9 fetches for landfall, 8 basics, 3 shock-duals, 2 manlands, and Sejiri Steppe and Tectonic Edge both grabbable by KoTR. This is another area where I’m very open to ideas (in particular if the manlands and ‘toolbox’ lands are worth the slots). The reason for the Island and Hallowed Fountain are one-and-a-half fold: The half is just because a hard-casted SoLA involves blue, however with all our ramp creatures, it’s extremely rare we can’t manage a single blue mana. The full reason is for the 4 Negates I currently have in the sideboard. As has been alluded, I’m very much hoping the friendly posters here will offer some guidance on the sideboard in general, but I very much like the idea of being able to side in some counters for those matchups in which the opponents may very well be looking to counter our Summoning Traps (so maybe Dispel is better than Negate?) or may be removal-happy on our mana dorks.
Also, I'm not quite sure the Stirring Wildwoods are worth it. It seems to be a question of if they distract from the task at hand and are therefore a weakness, OR if they're helping to provide yet another angle of attack and are therefore a strength. I'm leaning toward the former, but can't ignore the possibility of the latter.
Sideboard discussion-opener:
Rather than listing out a set 15, I’m just going to mention some cards i think could work well in this deck’s board, assume you guys will have better ideas, and hope you post responses with said better ideas. So I’m thinkin...
4 Negates, maybe 2 Dispels for the reasons listed above in the Lands section. 3 or so O-Rings for problematic permanents, maybe the 4th Path to Exile. I also think it’d be a good idea to have 2 more fatties as Trap targets that might accomplish different matchup-specific things. For example, years ago when the original deck idea was conceived, I had 2 Sphinx of the Steel Wind for this purpose. Now it’s possible the Iona’s could fill this role, with Blightsteels in the main. I won’t waste more time and space here, since upon returning to the game, and trying to catch up on Modern, I’m just not especially certain what the perfect 75 would be. I very much believe in the 60, but other than counters, removal, and a pair of additional utility fatties, I’m hoping you guys will have some ideas.
Edit: Gunford had a great recommendation for the deck of Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite. And while I considered it as a maindeck replacement for the 3rd Emrakul (and still am considering it), its vulnerability to simple removal has me thinking it could be a fantastic sideboard fatty for aggro matchups, where the -2/-2 effect can practically be a Wrath. lol Thanks, Gunford, great thinkin'!
Parting words...
Anyway, for anyone who has made it this far and is still reading and/or interested, I would love to know what you think. I give you guys, and the community as a whole, an enormous amount of respect. Which is why I've tried not to be too declarative about anything (aside from the fun factor, of that point I am quite certain ), and am so open to your collective opinions. That said, MUCH thought has gone into this deck, and many wins have been produced with this deck. So it is most definitely not a pile. To anyone who has read this, and to anyone who posts a comment or two, thank you very much in advance!!
And with that, I submit it for the approval of the midnight society......
Formerly JacobsCabin, thank god the new site let me change it.
Also very much into fighting games (mostly UMvC3) and chess, feel free to hit me up about either!
Modern: GWGW Sovereigning Trap (my own design, feedback welcome!) WG RGB Aggro Loam (does a more fun deck exist?) BGR R Robots with burn R
Hmmm, that's not a bad idea, Elesh Norn! Since I have 3 Emrakuls, maybe we could swap one for Elesh Norn, since both the +2+2 and -2-2 effects greatly assist a GW creature strategy in general (and, as you also pointed out, with all the ramp, he has some hard-cast potential).
The main question becomes: if we cast Summoning Trap, and we hit, are there many situations where we wouldn't just rather stick an Emrakul? The answer very well could be yes, especially if we find ourselves behind on the board. The problem, though, if there is one, is that if Trap for Elesh Norn is our early explosive play, then the result of our successful "combo" is a lot more fragile to removal. It would suck to have our strategy work like a charm, then essentially get 2-for-1'd by a Doom Blade. Lol
I really do like the idea, though. Maybe in the board where the Sphinxes used to be? So hard to say no to Norny's adorable face.
Edit: Added Elesh Norn to the sideboard discussion section. Thanks, Gunford! I really should just add a 'board to the list itself, I just don't want it to be dumb or uninformed and then deter from what I believe is otherwise a really strong main.
Formerly JacobsCabin, thank god the new site let me change it.
Also very much into fighting games (mostly UMvC3) and chess, feel free to hit me up about either!
Modern: GWGW Sovereigning Trap (my own design, feedback welcome!) WG RGB Aggro Loam (does a more fun deck exist?) BGR R Robots with burn R
While normally I play standard, I have been looking into interesting Modern ideas and this is the first time I've seen Sovereign/Conscription mentioned in quite awhile. It is a very nice Summoning Trap pull though. Just throwing ideas out there, but maybe sideboard a few Progenitus just in case?
Hey thanks, Tritiac! Speaking of things that haven't been mentioned in a while, Progenitus itself is quite a relic too. lol (Get it?? Relic of Progenitus? I kill me)
Anyway, Progzy wouldn't be such a bad idea, except Emrakul is basically a Progenitus and a half (15/15), that also tends to break things when he goes into stores. 6 things at a time, and he DOESN'T BUY 'EM. lol
It should be noted for anyone new to the deck and/or unaware, that an Emrakul brought about via Summoning Trap does NOT get the extra turn, since he technically wasn't "cast." Despite that, he still somehow remains the baddest mutha on the block, and the go-to cheat-out.
H.P. Lovecraft would definitely have played this deck. lol Unless he was more of a Legacy guy, in which case I assume he was partial to the Madness mechanic.
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Formerly JacobsCabin, thank god the new site let me change it.
Also very much into fighting games (mostly UMvC3) and chess, feel free to hit me up about either!
Modern: GWGW Sovereigning Trap (my own design, feedback welcome!) WG RGB Aggro Loam (does a more fun deck exist?) BGR R Robots with burn R
What benefit do you see with the sovereigns + Summoning trap pair? It seems like your deck would be dramatically more focused if you instead picked one of the two directions and just stuck with that.
Summoning Trap + Into the Breach + Emrakul and other Eldrazi
or
Bant Sovereigns and Eldrazi Conscription
The two don't really contribute much to each other, it would seem. Hitting Sovereigns off your trap doesn't save any mana and it forces you to load up on eldrazi conscriptions which are dead to trap. I guess I'm interested in some justification/thoughts
What benefit do you see with the sovereigns + Summoning trap pair? It seems like your deck would be dramatically more focused if you instead picked one of the two directions and just stuck with that.
Summoning Trap + Into the Breach + Emrakul and other Eldrazi
or
Bant Sovereigns and Eldrazi Conscription
The two don't really contribute much to each other, it would seem. Hitting Sovereigns off your trap doesn't save any mana and it forces you to load up on eldrazi conscriptions which are dead to trap. I guess I'm interested in some justification/thoughts
Hey, Frowny!
Think of it this way: Our deck's primary goal is to ramp to 6 mana. It can do so by turn 3 with a good draw, or turn 4 or 5 with relative consistency. (note: our nut draw also occurs more often than most decks' nut draws, but that's just icing). Our reward for ramping to 6 is getting to play a card that can either flat out win, or put us decisively ahead. Not only that, but this card doesn't even require us to have anything else in hand, nor pay any additional mana! It's a combo deck finish that only has one piece, and all we have to do is cast it for 6 (though this is also why I think it's important to have some number of Negate, Dispel, Remand, or something better in the sideboard, to be ready for those who would try to counter our 6-mana 'I win' card).
Now here's the best part: we get to play 8 copies of this card! So the idea isn't to save mana on Sovereigns(SoLA) via Summoning Trap(ST), which as you pointed out, it doesn't. The idea is either of those two cards resolving is essentially the win of the game (or the gain of a serious advantage, lest my phrasing distract from my explanation)!
And since SoLA and ST both have the exact same requirement: a ramp to 6, and since the method by which we do so (quickly and explosively, I might add) automatically providies the SoLA half of the game plan exactly what it needs: a dork to carry a Conscription, they both synergize just perfectly. So perfectly that, if the Trap's hit IS a SoLA, nothing at all is lost! We've still achieved our goal! Plan A's success manifests itself in the form of the success of Plan B. And either way, we've succeeded! In fact, the very fact that ST CAN hit a SoLA is one of the most important synergies, and practically justifies combining the strategies in and of itself: it's 4 additional cards in the deck that ST can flip and consider a big hit. SoLA, in and of itself, as far as the deck's strategy is concerned is essentially as good as 4 additional Emrakuls/Ionas/etc. Which makes Summoning Trap roulette MUCH smoother, MUCH more consistent, and even makes 4 of our "fatties" hard-castable. Hopefully I'm being clear on this point, as it is absolutely cruicial.
Also note: The cards flipped by ST that we don't choose... they go on the bottom of the library, so ST doesn't compromise our Eldrazi Conscriptions in the slightest. I have 2 in the deck just in case one is drawn or something.
I've got to run at the moment, hopefully that justified some of the rationale behind the combination (of ST and SoLA). And in all of the other fun synergies, such as Conscription attaching to fliers, KotR assisting in ramp or defense, etc etc. And I'm exceedingly happy to discuss this more, I'm just being screamed at to come to the dinner table. lol PS. I've never seen Through the Breach before. Very interesting, indeed!!
Formerly JacobsCabin, thank god the new site let me change it.
Also very much into fighting games (mostly UMvC3) and chess, feel free to hit me up about either!
Modern: GWGW Sovereigning Trap (my own design, feedback welcome!) WG RGB Aggro Loam (does a more fun deck exist?) BGR R Robots with burn R
This looks like a really fun deck! However, there are only 59 cards in that mainboard. What would you suggest as the 60th? Another birds would be a good choice, no? I haven't tested it out yet so I'm not sure what parts of the deck would need reinforcing.
This looks like a really fun deck! However, there are only 59 cards in that mainboard. What would you suggest as the 60th? Another birds would be a good choice, no? I haven't tested it out yet so I'm not sure what parts of the deck would need reinforcing.
Oh crap, you're right. Good catch! I made some changes and left a card out. Yeah in that case probably another Birds, or an Oblivion Ring. Thanks!
Formerly JacobsCabin, thank god the new site let me change it.
Also very much into fighting games (mostly UMvC3) and chess, feel free to hit me up about either!
Modern: GWGW Sovereigning Trap (my own design, feedback welcome!) WG RGB Aggro Loam (does a more fun deck exist?) BGR R Robots with burn R
Windbrisk Heights is an incredibly powerful card for this deck, since you can hide Trap or any fatty under it, and hitting Emrakul and activating gives you an additional turn. Unfortunately it conflicts directly with Sovereigns because its activation condition is mutually exclusive to Sovereigns. However, Knight fetches it handsomely, as does Primeval Titan if you want to go that route. If you include it, the deck requires a significant overhaul (probably Primeval Titans rather than Sovereigns and Conscriptions, and you'd probably want to work in Lingering Souls, Mutavaults, and a Dryad Arbor to make it easier to activate Heights). It's worth considering at least. The first time you get an extra turn off casting Emrakul turn 3 you might not want to go back.
I tried toying with sovereign (or old standard bant in general) in modern and got really frustrated with the results. Casting a 6 mana creature and still have to attack with it to have effect... and even still don't win right off... It's just a lot of work for little hope of result.
Summoning Trap, though, along with Windbrisk Heights (onewheelwizzard just mentioned it) are great cards (or Mosswort Bridge, for the matter) are great trump cards for insane fattie action. As you intend to use creatures to make mana for trap, they could easily attack for windbrisk.
It's just a matter of switching sovereign with more competitive big creatures
Oh, almost forgot. Nest Invader can fit somewhere in the mix
Sweet looking deck. I've been playing G/W/x Trap on and off for a year now. This is quite different but I might try it out.
I'm not convinced that resolving a Sovereign is better than resolving a Primeval Titan though. In my experience resolving Titan fetching 2x hideaway lands menas an Emmy is going to hit the board next turn the majority of the time. The opponent having removal doesn't even make any difference. Sovereign leaves you vulnerable to a huge tempo loss in case the opponent paths it or whatnot.
This is all theorycrafting of course and I have to play the deck to find out how it flows.
Though I can say with some sort of certainty that the deck would benefit from putting in x numbers of Windbrisk Heights as others also have suggested. Especially since you're running Knights.
Holy crap, didn't realize there had been activity here (about which I'm thrilled! lol) Apologies for delayed response!
Looking at Windbrisk Heights, my main issue, and def tell me if I'm missing something: Having something we want in our top 7 (Trap) is already a tough enough sell. One I believe in very much, but definitely a big reason Summoning Trap isn't all over the place. So with Windbrisk, making that number 4 seems a bit iffy. Definitely worth a shot, and if anyone's tried it I'd love to hear how it went, but I definitely didn't look at the card and think, "OMG this needs to be in here!!"
Primeval Titan, however, is a pretty sweet idea in general. As for the Sovereigns, I must admit when I orginally conceived the deck years ago, Sovzy wasn't part of the original plan. BUT, when I learned of the combo with Conscription it just feel like a great fit. Especially since the deck's main goal is to put 6 mana into the pool. I do see the fragility though, to removal, no doubt. but that's kind of always a thing with this strategy.
In my OP above, I hadn't yet defined the sideboard (and still haven't entirely, but it's close) but two things that are definitely in there are Negates and Dispels (hence the built-in access to Blue. testing would dictate the split, but I imagine it'll be 4/2, 3/3, or 2/4). The idea, really, was to board in versus control-ish decks that might want to counter Summoning Trap. BUT, since Modern is very mid-rangish, maybe having some or all of those counters maindeck could alleviate some of the concerns. Not sure.
I could see cutting the Sovereign combo if need be, but it really does work like Traps 5-8. The removal concern is more severe to me than the insufficency, since Annihilator 2 is pretty nuts if the play is relatively early. If we do decide to cut Soverington, maybe Trapmakers Snare could be a smooth replacement too?
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Formerly JacobsCabin, thank god the new site let me change it.
Also very much into fighting games (mostly UMvC3) and chess, feel free to hit me up about either!
Modern: GWGW Sovereigning Trap (my own design, feedback welcome!) WG RGB Aggro Loam (does a more fun deck exist?) BGR R Robots with burn R
Windbrisk is a hit or miss most of the time. And it demands a special deck design to be turned on consistently.. But it becomes out of control fast when you start chaining them with Knight/Titan. Ramping up to 6 with mana dorks is hard in some removal heavy matchups so it's nice to be able to function with less mana. Besides if you run like 4 Titans, 4 Emrakuls and 3 Traps (like I do) you will hit something relevant the majority of the time.
Another thing is that once you have 3 small dorks out and a Windbrisk the opponent have to start using his removal on your "worthless" critters. You might have something unexciting underneath but whenever Windbrisk hits the battlefield you are threatening to kill the opponent next turn which he has to take seriously.
Trapmakers Snare is a bad idea imo. I have found Summoner's Trap to be underwhelming in a lot of matchups and usually the first thing I board out.
Yeah I was just thinkin out loud on the trapmaker's Snare. lol Since, as mentioned, I've always felt like Sovereigns was kind of like Summoners Trap 5-8, it was the first replacement that popped into my head.
BUT, since when I refer to "Traps 5 - 8," by Traps I'm talking about cards that threaten to steal the game for 6 mana, Primeval Titan could be a strong replacement. If indeed we're deciding the Sovereigns should be replaced, which I'm not completely sold on, but my ears and mind are wide open.
One question is what else a resolved Titan can threaten aside from 2 Windbrisks, unless that's really all that would be needed. Titan is just as vulnerable to removal as Sovereigns. Though I could see one major benefit to Titan being that, if removed, value is gained from the initial enters-the-battlefield land grab card advantage. BUT, the benefit to Sovereigns is that if NOT removed, the bonus of +10/+10+Trample+Annihilator 2, on a flier in particular, is way better than the simple addition of a new 6/6 body.
Playing devil's advocate, though, I can cede that if we were to say, "SoLA is better vs no removal and Titan is better vs removal," it does seem much more likely that we'll be facing decks with removal at the ready (insightful, right!? lol). Is that enough to warrant making that switch in the core?
Maybe. VERY maybe. lol
And just when I'm ready to say I don't think Windbrisk is nearly good enough to prompt such a major directional change to the deck, I remember that Primmy-T allows us to tutor em two at a time. Wow, that is really fun to say out loud: "tutor em two at a time." Try it! *Ahem* Where was I? Oh right, being unsure if The Sovereigns/Conscription package should be replaced by a Titan/Windbrisk package. No doubt such a change would have a bit of a ripple effect though, where some other cards would come in, go out, change their -of number, etc.
Strongly considering this now, will have to dream up a list. As always, input is welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated. Thanks so much to everyone!
Edit: The more I think about this, the more I like it and think I'm gonna make the change. Definitely would need 4 Windbrisks, though, between Titans and Knights (exactly as you said, Badabing). Almost to the point where I half jokingly wonder if we wouldn't want Cruicible of Worlds. lol Badabing (and/or anyone else who's toyed w/ this idea), would you mind sharing your Trap list too?
In theory I could remove the 'Sovereign' part of the thread name and make this a reference for the Summoning Trap archetype. <shrug> And could include your list as one potential angle. Obviously, only if you'd want me to, and obviously would credit you if I did. I'm just, as I tend to say too often, thinking out loud.
Formerly JacobsCabin, thank god the new site let me change it.
Also very much into fighting games (mostly UMvC3) and chess, feel free to hit me up about either!
Modern: GWGW Sovereigning Trap (my own design, feedback welcome!) WG RGB Aggro Loam (does a more fun deck exist?) BGR R Robots with burn R
Hehe the thing is Titan can fetch two lands when it ETB, if it's hideaway lands you will catch something spicy almost all the time and it doesn't have to be Hideaway lands. If you cast Titan and have already something spicy hidden underneath a land you can get Treetop Village + Mutavault or something and give yourself some Wrath insurrance. It's rare that resolving a Titan doesn't win you the game. BUT I like the Sovereign direction and don't think you should shy away from it yet. The reason I like it is because it's faster. The opponent has a window between your first main phase and your attack step to remove wichever creature you're attacking with before you annihilate him. With Titan you have to wait a turn before you get an Emmy etc. into play.
The thing with Summoning Trap is that it costs 6. That's a lot and it doesn't even gaurentee you to hit the Sovereign. When there's an off chance that you'll hit Emmy then paying 6 is decent (though not spetacular). I'd focus more on the Windbrisk mechanic. But you probably need at least 8 high end spells (and probably more) to truly get value off of your Windbrisks. That might turn out to be a problem.
You could even go midrange beatdown and add stuff like Geist of Saint Traft and Hero of Bladehole to the mix. They are both pretty good at turning on Windbrisk.
With this amount of mana fixing dorks, we could even get to 5 colors with little effort on the mana base. Which gives us access to pretty much ANY creature in modern. A quick list:
- Primaveral Titan, as already mentioned. But instead of brisks, the good ol' combination of Inkmoth Nexus and Kessig Wolf Run (the later is particularly relevant), plus a possible convenient land set, like Bojuka Bog, Tectonic Edge, Urza's Factory and so on.
- Grave Titan, this guy alone triggers windbrisk. And not rarely puts opponents in a "wrath or lose" situation.
- Inferno Titan, good against creature aggro.
- Sun Titan, add Eternal Witness to the mix, and Qasali Pridemage and we're off to win long grindy games.
- Sigarda, Host of Herons Hexproof, disables liliana
- Wurmcoil, I-win against aggro, awesome against control. Sadly path to exile still gets rid of it.
- Thundermaw Hellkite yeah, bitterblossom is back
- Baneslayer Angel, why not?
The whole point of the deck would be to try to put pressure as early as possible with heavy creatures that need to be answered right off and/or that can't be answered quickly. I can even think of Cavern of Souls getting some SB slots.
EDIT: Badabingbadabum, would you mind not giving +1/+1 to a creature when you're about to flip emrakul face-up on the table?
"Edit: The more I think about this, the more I like it and think I'm gonna make the change. Definitely would need 4 Windbrisks, though, between Titans and Knights (exactly as you said, Badabing). Almost to the point where I half jokingly wonder if we wouldn't want Cruicible of Worlds. lol Badabing (and/or anyone else who's toyed w/ this idea), would you mind sharing your Trap list too?"
Sorry didn't see that part of the post.
My list (it's on MTGO and I'm logged off right now so I don't remember the SB or the exact lands)
The old lists ran Raise the Alarm and Nest Invader over Souls and Garruk. I just found that approach to be too all in for the format pre-bannings. Jund and UWR had a lot of removal and could stop a early Windbrisk activation and later on those cards became terrible top decks. I don't know which direction is the right one to take right now.
It seems like this deck died off a bit, but I was thinking that See Beyond, might be a decent card for the deck. It helps find what we need, and put the fatties/conscript back in the deck.
What Is GW Sovereigning Trap?
If you're not familiar with that interaction, check out Sovereigns of Lost Alara and Eldrazi Conscription and you'll see what all the hubbub is about, bub.
Those two cards not only function as a suitable replacement for Modern, but make the entire concept actually work (and how!). GW Sovereigning Trap was born. I had taken a long break from Magic since "Piper Trap," but upon my return I'm finding this reimagined deck is performing incredibly for me in Modern. Admittedly I haven't pitted it against a true gauntlet representative of the entire format, or even close really, but it's been much more than holding its own in long sets against decks like stock-Jund and Affinity/Robots, and a few games against a UWR control-ish player. Not a huge sample size, obviously, but I'm posting this primer half to recommend the deck and explain how to play it, and half to run it by the community and request feedback (as will be evident throughout the below).
The basic idea is to ramp to 6 mana, which can easily be done by turn 3, and almost certainly by turns 4 or 5 if not met with targeted hate. The reward for reaching 6 is a hard casted Summoning Trap or SoLA. Yes, a Summoning Trap CAN whiff, but the deck has (as it’s currently configured) 9 targets, 12 if you include the Baneslayers (and I do), with 2 more in the board. The beauty is that if a Trap hits a SoLA, it can be just as good or better than hitting, say, an Emrakul, so the deck isn’t completely diluted with cards that are dead in hand. Likewise, hitting 6 mana and just casting Sovereigns can (and usually will) be just as decisive as hitting on a Summoning Trap.
I’m extremely open to guidance here, especially with the sideboard (to the point where I’m basically asking for it). I recognize the regular posters here are much more knowledgeable than I, and am eagerly anticipating constructive feedback.
Why play GW Sovereigning Trap?
Most importantly to some, and least importantly to others: this deck is FUN AS HELL TO PLAY!! That's the one part I can guarantee. This may not be the sort of deck, like Jund, that could win tournament after tournament after tournament and become a main-stay archetype (thought I'd love to be proven wrong abouty this. lol) But I definitely DO think it's the sort of deck, at the very least, that could sneak up on an unsuspecting meta, crush a single event when the timing is right, and then ride off into the sunset leaving the townsfolk wondering just who WAS that mysterious stranger??
Maindeck:
note: There are a few numbers decisions I’m still mulling over, which I’ll explain more when I get into the individual card descriptions, so please note that, like with the sideboard, I’m very much open to input and advice. An immediate example is the 4 Heirachs + 2 Birds vs 3 Heirarchs + 3 Birds pickle. I'll explain below why both ways make sense and have merit for this strategy.
4 Noble Heirarch
2 Birds of Paradise
4 Lotus Cobra
4 Knight of The Reliquary
3 Baneslayer Angel
4 Sovereigns of Lost Alara
3 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
2 Iona, Shield of Emeria
2 Eldrazi Conscription
Instants:
4 Summoning Trap
3 Path to Exile
Lands:
4 Forest
3 Plains
1 Island
3 Verdant Catacombs
3 Misty Rainforest
3 Arid Mesa
2 Temple Garden
1 Hallowed Fountain
2 Stirring Wildwood
1 Tectonic Edge
1 Sejiri Steppe
Creatures:
I’m putting these two together because their functions are quite similar: mana dork, Conscripion bearer. It’s why I’m struggling to decide on their split: 4-2 or 3-3. Basically, when it’s Conscription time (oh, and it will be!), sometimes that extra Exalted trigger is the tell-tale, and sometimes it’s the flight that crashes us through. Conscription granting Trample has me leaning back toward 4-2 for the Noble one, but it’s still quite difficult to choose. Either way, these guys are the key 1-drops, and a total of 6 seems juuuust right.
Lotus Cobra:
Between all the fetches and the Knights, these guys are what make the deck so explosive. Turn 1 Heirarch/Bird, Turn 2 Cobra, Turn 3 Emrakul happens WAY more often than you’d think. Remember, we just need to reach 6 mana.
Knight of the Reliquary (KotR):
A great GW creature in general, she maintains the curve, she powers out tremendous landfall-age to help reach 6, and even gets a little bit of a toolbox in Sejiri Steppe and Tectonic Edge for some defense (though if anyone reading finds that to be an unnecessary distraction from the strategy at hand, I’m open to such a constructive crit).
Baneslayer Angel:
Boy, you sure don’t hear about this lovely lady much any more, do you? But she seemed back then and still seems now like an excellent fit here. And when SHE gets to carry the Conscription, that lifelink generates some frickin’ incredible swings, let me tell you. Especially on the back of her having that sweret sweet flight. Another great thing about Madam Banesy is, when a Summoning Trap plops her on the board, even though we’ve technically “whiffed,” spending 6 for a 5 cmc, her power level and usefulness really makes it hard to feel like we truly whiffed. And this, like with SoLA, makes her yet another Trap target that’s not at all dead in the hand. I did, though, drop her from 4-of to 3-of since the deck’s original conception.
Sovereigns of Lost Alara:
This guy.. gal? club? Whatever, this CARD is what makes this deck truly work. Without Sovereigns-Conscription, we’d need too many dead-in-hand fatties to make Summoning Traps reliably hit. But by costing 6 itself, in effect, it's like we get 8 Summoning Traps, 4 of which will always hit!! AND 4 additional Trap targets that are A-OK in the hand! This deck, and this strategy, WORKS, and the SoLA+Conscription combo is the reason why. Hell, I always saw it as Plan B to Summoning Trap, but it’s very possible Sov’rington is our Plan A! What’s especially crazy is once it’s in play, and therefore once Conscription is in play (hey look, card advantage to boot! lol), there’s no wait! No summoning sickness, no waiting till we can cast our next combo piece, nuthin’! As long as SoLA doesn't drop onto an empty board (and that is quite rare indeed), our 'combo' is complete!! (Not to mention, the additional Exalted trigger is a non-zero thing as well)
Emrakulasacucumber:
I think Spikes, Johnnys, and Timmys alike can agree this guy is just bad ass. And a deck that can reliably call him forth is a neat thing, in any format. But a MODERN deck... that can do it on the 3rd turn... well, that's the reason you’re still reading (God I hope someone is still reading). Given the rest of the fatty package, I THINK 3 is the right number, but am of course open to input. Every now and again, one WILL be stuck in your hand, but that’s Magic for ya'. But then again, with the prevalence of Liliana and her pesky +1, some opponents just may solve our problem for us.
Iona, Shield of Emeria:
Iona was my originally conceived co-fatty, with 2 Sphinx of the Steel Wind in the board for relevant matchups. BUT, in the time between inventing ‘Piper Trap’ and today, a new fatty named Blightsteel Colossus was born. I happily replaced Iona with Blightsteel, and Sphinx with Iona, but have since changed my mind (at least in the main). There’s certainly something enticing about winning the game in a single swing, but with no evasion (trample is nice, but risky when dealing in poison), I’m back to thinking Iona’s color hosing could be much more relevant. Once again, I’m hoping to get some input, but definitely need another 2-of high-costed, game-warping fatty to back Emrakulada. So for purposes of this Primer, I’m goin’ with Iona figuring she’s ultimately the correct choice, but technically I have Blightsteel currently sleeved up for testing purposes. Back in the day, I have DEFINITELY won many games on the back of Iona’s color denial. I hope this doesn’t sound racist, but Grieselbrand could be pretty sweet here if he wasn’t black.
Instants:
I imagine any haters out there, or even the kind-hearted constructive skeptics, will have the biggest problem with this card right here. And it does add a bit of variance to what should otherwise sound like a slam dunk of a strategy. But I implore you, give it a shot before shooting it down. Yes, it does fail now and again, but almost every combo deck can once in a while. And this deck has game beyond the Trap. As mentioned above, this deck has 12 Trap targets, 9 if you’re not willing to count the Baneslayers (you should be). I’m certainly not willing (read: able) to do all the relevant math in this primer, but pulling a random 7 cards out of 50 or fewer (60, minus opening hand, minus 3 draw steps) should yield pretty good odds of hitting 1 in 7 (this 7 is: the 9 targets, and a pessimistic assumption that the opener plus 3 draws included and therefore eliminated 2 of our targets, AND this is again not counting BSA as a hit, which you should!). Point is, your Summoning Traps should be hitting way more often than whiffing. (psst!: also, once in a while, even a KotR or Lotus Cobra can be a situationally hit. But don't tell anyone I said so! Shhh!)
BONUS HIT: In a game 1 situation, an overzealous control player who doesn't know what you're up to may decide to counter your casting of a creature! Buuut.. we probably shouldn’t really be counting on that. And certainly not on their doing it twice.
Path to Exile:
Gives us a little defense pre-board, with the added benefit that, when absolutely necessary, we can also pop our own guy for an extra land.
Lands:
Also, I'm not quite sure the Stirring Wildwoods are worth it. It seems to be a question of if they distract from the task at hand and are therefore a weakness, OR if they're helping to provide yet another angle of attack and are therefore a strength. I'm leaning toward the former, but can't ignore the possibility of the latter.
Sideboard discussion-opener:
4 Negates, maybe 2 Dispels for the reasons listed above in the Lands section. 3 or so O-Rings for problematic permanents, maybe the 4th Path to Exile. I also think it’d be a good idea to have 2 more fatties as Trap targets that might accomplish different matchup-specific things. For example, years ago when the original deck idea was conceived, I had 2 Sphinx of the Steel Wind for this purpose. Now it’s possible the Iona’s could fill this role, with Blightsteels in the main. I won’t waste more time and space here, since upon returning to the game, and trying to catch up on Modern, I’m just not especially certain what the perfect 75 would be. I very much believe in the 60, but other than counters, removal, and a pair of additional utility fatties, I’m hoping you guys will have some ideas.
Edit: Gunford had a great recommendation for the deck of Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite. And while I considered it as a maindeck replacement for the 3rd Emrakul (and still am considering it), its vulnerability to simple removal has me thinking it could be a fantastic sideboard fatty for aggro matchups, where the -2/-2 effect can practically be a Wrath. lol Thanks, Gunford, great thinkin'!
Parting words...
And with that, I submit it for the approval of the midnight society......
Also very much into fighting games (mostly UMvC3) and chess, feel free to hit me up about either!
Modern:
GW GW Sovereigning Trap (my own design, feedback welcome!) WG
RGB Aggro Loam (does a more fun deck exist?) BGR
R Robots with burn R
The main question becomes: if we cast Summoning Trap, and we hit, are there many situations where we wouldn't just rather stick an Emrakul? The answer very well could be yes, especially if we find ourselves behind on the board. The problem, though, if there is one, is that if Trap for Elesh Norn is our early explosive play, then the result of our successful "combo" is a lot more fragile to removal. It would suck to have our strategy work like a charm, then essentially get 2-for-1'd by a Doom Blade. Lol
I really do like the idea, though. Maybe in the board where the Sphinxes used to be? So hard to say no to Norny's adorable face.
Edit: Added Elesh Norn to the sideboard discussion section. Thanks, Gunford! I really should just add a 'board to the list itself, I just don't want it to be dumb or uninformed and then deter from what I believe is otherwise a really strong main.
Also very much into fighting games (mostly UMvC3) and chess, feel free to hit me up about either!
Modern:
GW GW Sovereigning Trap (my own design, feedback welcome!) WG
RGB Aggro Loam (does a more fun deck exist?) BGR
R Robots with burn R
Anyway, Progzy wouldn't be such a bad idea, except Emrakul is basically a Progenitus and a half (15/15), that also tends to break things when he goes into stores. 6 things at a time, and he DOESN'T BUY 'EM. lol
It should be noted for anyone new to the deck and/or unaware, that an Emrakul brought about via Summoning Trap does NOT get the extra turn, since he technically wasn't "cast." Despite that, he still somehow remains the baddest mutha on the block, and the go-to cheat-out.
H.P. Lovecraft would definitely have played this deck. lol Unless he was more of a Legacy guy, in which case I assume he was partial to the Madness mechanic.
Also very much into fighting games (mostly UMvC3) and chess, feel free to hit me up about either!
Modern:
GW GW Sovereigning Trap (my own design, feedback welcome!) WG
RGB Aggro Loam (does a more fun deck exist?) BGR
R Robots with burn R
Summoning Trap + Into the Breach + Emrakul and other Eldrazi
or
Bant Sovereigns and Eldrazi Conscription
The two don't really contribute much to each other, it would seem. Hitting Sovereigns off your trap doesn't save any mana and it forces you to load up on eldrazi conscriptions which are dead to trap. I guess I'm interested in some justification/thoughts
Hey, Frowny!
Think of it this way: Our deck's primary goal is to ramp to 6 mana. It can do so by turn 3 with a good draw, or turn 4 or 5 with relative consistency. (note: our nut draw also occurs more often than most decks' nut draws, but that's just icing). Our reward for ramping to 6 is getting to play a card that can either flat out win, or put us decisively ahead. Not only that, but this card doesn't even require us to have anything else in hand, nor pay any additional mana! It's a combo deck finish that only has one piece, and all we have to do is cast it for 6 (though this is also why I think it's important to have some number of Negate, Dispel, Remand, or something better in the sideboard, to be ready for those who would try to counter our 6-mana 'I win' card).
Now here's the best part: we get to play 8 copies of this card! So the idea isn't to save mana on Sovereigns(SoLA) via Summoning Trap(ST), which as you pointed out, it doesn't. The idea is either of those two cards resolving is essentially the win of the game (or the gain of a serious advantage, lest my phrasing distract from my explanation)!
And since SoLA and ST both have the exact same requirement: a ramp to 6, and since the method by which we do so (quickly and explosively, I might add) automatically providies the SoLA half of the game plan exactly what it needs: a dork to carry a Conscription, they both synergize just perfectly. So perfectly that, if the Trap's hit IS a SoLA, nothing at all is lost! We've still achieved our goal! Plan A's success manifests itself in the form of the success of Plan B. And either way, we've succeeded! In fact, the very fact that ST CAN hit a SoLA is one of the most important synergies, and practically justifies combining the strategies in and of itself: it's 4 additional cards in the deck that ST can flip and consider a big hit. SoLA, in and of itself, as far as the deck's strategy is concerned is essentially as good as 4 additional Emrakuls/Ionas/etc. Which makes Summoning Trap roulette MUCH smoother, MUCH more consistent, and even makes 4 of our "fatties" hard-castable. Hopefully I'm being clear on this point, as it is absolutely cruicial.
Also note: The cards flipped by ST that we don't choose... they go on the bottom of the library, so ST doesn't compromise our Eldrazi Conscriptions in the slightest. I have 2 in the deck just in case one is drawn or something.
I've got to run at the moment, hopefully that justified some of the rationale behind the combination (of ST and SoLA). And in all of the other fun synergies, such as Conscription attaching to fliers, KotR assisting in ramp or defense, etc etc. And I'm exceedingly happy to discuss this more, I'm just being screamed at to come to the dinner table. lol PS. I've never seen Through the Breach before. Very interesting, indeed!!
Also very much into fighting games (mostly UMvC3) and chess, feel free to hit me up about either!
Modern:
GW GW Sovereigning Trap (my own design, feedback welcome!) WG
RGB Aggro Loam (does a more fun deck exist?) BGR
R Robots with burn R
Oh crap, you're right. Good catch! I made some changes and left a card out. Yeah in that case probably another Birds, or an Oblivion Ring. Thanks!
Also very much into fighting games (mostly UMvC3) and chess, feel free to hit me up about either!
Modern:
GW GW Sovereigning Trap (my own design, feedback welcome!) WG
RGB Aggro Loam (does a more fun deck exist?) BGR
R Robots with burn R
Thanks to Gabgabdevo for the awesome sig image!
I'm always looking for foil Madcap Skills and Ghitu Fire-Eater, [trade thread link forthcoming]
Summoning Trap, though, along with Windbrisk Heights (onewheelwizzard just mentioned it) are great cards (or Mosswort Bridge, for the matter) are great trump cards for insane fattie action. As you intend to use creatures to make mana for trap, they could easily attack for windbrisk.
It's just a matter of switching sovereign with more competitive big creatures
Oh, almost forgot. Nest Invader can fit somewhere in the mix
I'm not convinced that resolving a Sovereign is better than resolving a Primeval Titan though. In my experience resolving Titan fetching 2x hideaway lands menas an Emmy is going to hit the board next turn the majority of the time. The opponent having removal doesn't even make any difference. Sovereign leaves you vulnerable to a huge tempo loss in case the opponent paths it or whatnot.
This is all theorycrafting of course and I have to play the deck to find out how it flows.
Though I can say with some sort of certainty that the deck would benefit from putting in x numbers of Windbrisk Heights as others also have suggested. Especially since you're running Knights.
Looking at Windbrisk Heights, my main issue, and def tell me if I'm missing something: Having something we want in our top 7 (Trap) is already a tough enough sell. One I believe in very much, but definitely a big reason Summoning Trap isn't all over the place. So with Windbrisk, making that number 4 seems a bit iffy. Definitely worth a shot, and if anyone's tried it I'd love to hear how it went, but I definitely didn't look at the card and think, "OMG this needs to be in here!!"
Primeval Titan, however, is a pretty sweet idea in general. As for the Sovereigns, I must admit when I orginally conceived the deck years ago, Sovzy wasn't part of the original plan. BUT, when I learned of the combo with Conscription it just feel like a great fit. Especially since the deck's main goal is to put 6 mana into the pool. I do see the fragility though, to removal, no doubt. but that's kind of always a thing with this strategy.
In my OP above, I hadn't yet defined the sideboard (and still haven't entirely, but it's close) but two things that are definitely in there are Negates and Dispels (hence the built-in access to Blue. testing would dictate the split, but I imagine it'll be 4/2, 3/3, or 2/4). The idea, really, was to board in versus control-ish decks that might want to counter Summoning Trap. BUT, since Modern is very mid-rangish, maybe having some or all of those counters maindeck could alleviate some of the concerns. Not sure.
I could see cutting the Sovereign combo if need be, but it really does work like Traps 5-8. The removal concern is more severe to me than the insufficency, since Annihilator 2 is pretty nuts if the play is relatively early. If we do decide to cut Soverington, maybe Trapmakers Snare could be a smooth replacement too?
Also very much into fighting games (mostly UMvC3) and chess, feel free to hit me up about either!
Modern:
GW GW Sovereigning Trap (my own design, feedback welcome!) WG
RGB Aggro Loam (does a more fun deck exist?) BGR
R Robots with burn R
Another thing is that once you have 3 small dorks out and a Windbrisk the opponent have to start using his removal on your "worthless" critters. You might have something unexciting underneath but whenever Windbrisk hits the battlefield you are threatening to kill the opponent next turn which he has to take seriously.
Trapmakers Snare is a bad idea imo. I have found Summoner's Trap to be underwhelming in a lot of matchups and usually the first thing I board out.
BUT, since when I refer to "Traps 5 - 8," by Traps I'm talking about cards that threaten to steal the game for 6 mana, Primeval Titan could be a strong replacement. If indeed we're deciding the Sovereigns should be replaced, which I'm not completely sold on, but my ears and mind are wide open.
One question is what else a resolved Titan can threaten aside from 2 Windbrisks, unless that's really all that would be needed. Titan is just as vulnerable to removal as Sovereigns. Though I could see one major benefit to Titan being that, if removed, value is gained from the initial enters-the-battlefield land grab card advantage. BUT, the benefit to Sovereigns is that if NOT removed, the bonus of +10/+10+Trample+Annihilator 2, on a flier in particular, is way better than the simple addition of a new 6/6 body.
Playing devil's advocate, though, I can cede that if we were to say, "SoLA is better vs no removal and Titan is better vs removal," it does seem much more likely that we'll be facing decks with removal at the ready (insightful, right!? lol). Is that enough to warrant making that switch in the core?
Maybe. VERY maybe. lol
And just when I'm ready to say I don't think Windbrisk is nearly good enough to prompt such a major directional change to the deck, I remember that Primmy-T allows us to tutor em two at a time. Wow, that is really fun to say out loud: "tutor em two at a time." Try it! *Ahem* Where was I? Oh right, being unsure if The Sovereigns/Conscription package should be replaced by a Titan/Windbrisk package. No doubt such a change would have a bit of a ripple effect though, where some other cards would come in, go out, change their -of number, etc.
Strongly considering this now, will have to dream up a list. As always, input is welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated. Thanks so much to everyone!
Edit: The more I think about this, the more I like it and think I'm gonna make the change. Definitely would need 4 Windbrisks, though, between Titans and Knights (exactly as you said, Badabing). Almost to the point where I half jokingly wonder if we wouldn't want Cruicible of Worlds. lol Badabing (and/or anyone else who's toyed w/ this idea), would you mind sharing your Trap list too?
In theory I could remove the 'Sovereign' part of the thread name and make this a reference for the Summoning Trap archetype. <shrug> And could include your list as one potential angle. Obviously, only if you'd want me to, and obviously would credit you if I did. I'm just, as I tend to say too often, thinking out loud.
Also very much into fighting games (mostly UMvC3) and chess, feel free to hit me up about either!
Modern:
GW GW Sovereigning Trap (my own design, feedback welcome!) WG
RGB Aggro Loam (does a more fun deck exist?) BGR
R Robots with burn R
The thing with Summoning Trap is that it costs 6. That's a lot and it doesn't even gaurentee you to hit the Sovereign. When there's an off chance that you'll hit Emmy then paying 6 is decent (though not spetacular). I'd focus more on the Windbrisk mechanic. But you probably need at least 8 high end spells (and probably more) to truly get value off of your Windbrisks. That might turn out to be a problem.
You could even go midrange beatdown and add stuff like Geist of Saint Traft and Hero of Bladehole to the mix. They are both pretty good at turning on Windbrisk.
Something like this maybe:
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Lotus Cobra
4 Knight of the Reliquary
4 New cat dude
4 Hero of Bladehold
4 Sovereigns of Lost Alara
4 Primeval Titan
4 Windbrisk Heights
2 Mossworth Bridge
1 Dryad Arbor
1 Mutavualt
1 Treetop Village
17 other lands
4 Birds of Paradise
(and maybe) 4 Noble Hierarch
With this amount of mana fixing dorks, we could even get to 5 colors with little effort on the mana base. Which gives us access to pretty much ANY creature in modern. A quick list:
- Primaveral Titan, as already mentioned. But instead of brisks, the good ol' combination of Inkmoth Nexus and Kessig Wolf Run (the later is particularly relevant), plus a possible convenient land set, like Bojuka Bog, Tectonic Edge, Urza's Factory and so on.
- Grave Titan, this guy alone triggers windbrisk. And not rarely puts opponents in a "wrath or lose" situation.
- Inferno Titan, good against creature aggro.
- Sun Titan, add Eternal Witness to the mix, and Qasali Pridemage and we're off to win long grindy games.
- Sigarda, Host of Herons Hexproof, disables liliana
- Wurmcoil, I-win against aggro, awesome against control. Sadly path to exile still gets rid of it.
- Thundermaw Hellkite yeah, bitterblossom is back
- Baneslayer Angel, why not?
And by packing 4 brisks, 4 Traps (and maybe even Through the Breach and Dramatic Entrance, bigger monsters becomes viable, like Emrakul itself, Iona, Shield of Emeria, Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite, Griselbrand...
The whole point of the deck would be to try to put pressure as early as possible with heavy creatures that need to be answered right off and/or that can't be answered quickly. I can even think of Cavern of Souls getting some SB slots.
EDIT: Badabingbadabum, would you mind not giving +1/+1 to a creature when you're about to flip emrakul face-up on the table?
Sorry didn't see that part of the post.
My list (it's on MTGO and I'm logged off right now so I don't remember the SB or the exact lands)
4 Noble Hierach
4 Lotus Cobra
4 Knight of the Reliquary
4 Primeval Titan
4 Emrakul
4 Garruk Wildspeeker
3 Summoning Trap
4 Windbrisk Heights
2 Mossworth Bridge
1 Mutavault
1 Treetop Village
1 Dryad Arbor
16 fetches, shocks and basics
The old lists ran Raise the Alarm and Nest Invader over Souls and Garruk. I just found that approach to be too all in for the format pre-bannings. Jund and UWR had a lot of removal and could stop a early Windbrisk activation and later on those cards became terrible top decks. I don't know which direction is the right one to take right now.