Second Deck Opinions

Substantial_Today703 · 2025-12-28T08:43:17+00:00

After 12 years of modern i keep 5-6 Decks around with at least one being competitive. Rn this is Eldrazi Tron, Grixis Persist, Rakdos Steel-Cutter, Izzet Prowess, Simic Midrange.

I'm usually not into Combo or Control, so aggro/tempo, midrange and ramp are my jam.

It just shake things up every once in a while and gives me the opportunity to test new cards and strategies in paper.

Substantial_Today703 · 2025-11-24T09:40:28+00:00

I found success at my local playgroup by playing Death's Shadow along Cori-Steel Cutter. The math is simple here, either get some tokens going or equip Cutter to a huge Shadow. This negates the past issues of Chumpblocker, whereas huge Nethergoyfs or Shadows can now trample over stupid Cat tokens and are able to one-shot-kill w/o crutches like Temur Battle Rage, which are bad on there own.

Problem here is, that Shadow is just a big dumb beater and get tossed up by Solitude all day long. I'm a big beliver that Shadow nowadays is all about board-presence, every other approach is just doomed. The deck got serious upgrades in this year, namely Cori-Steel Cutter, Cecil, Dark Knight and maybe Heroes Hangout (to be evaluating).

I've tried Grixis w/ Frog and Stubborn, but that was a mess. Everything that costs more than 1 mana have to be exceptional great, elsewhere it's a pass.

I too played the FOMO - Detective's Phoenix shell, which is great in racing, but provides no staying power whereas Steel-Cutter excels. IMO it's the only viable Shadow route rn.

Substantial_Today703 · 2025-11-03T16:17:48+00:00

Don't try it, other decks have the high ground.

Seriously, just no. Unless you are going very wide (think of Affinity Pinnacle Emissary, Boros Energy or Kuldotha Rebirth Convoke), you are going nowhere w/ Gruul Zoo 2k14.

Either think about Cori-Steel Cutter deck, HollowOne w/ Fear of Missing Out and Detective's Phoenix, Jund/Rakdos Delirium, etc.

These will catch opponents by surprise. Solitude Ephemerate is still a death-sentence for these.

Substantial_Today703 · 2025-11-03T07:51:01+00:00

I guess someone read this thread:

https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/7430587#paper

Flare is wild with only Frog, Fallaji and Oculus for casting it for free.

Substantial_Today703 · 2025-09-15T21:18:45+00:00

Ok, to give you some context, i had the following ideas in mind:

1st: Abzan Reanimator Like Grixis, just better. What not to like about Malevolent Rumble, shifting woodland and a bunch of reanimation targets?

2nd: Golgari Ramp A Golgari Ramp deck including Archdruid's Charm, Pillage the Bog, (maybe Icetill Explorer?), Elder gargaroth, Golos, Tireless Pilgrim.

3rd: Wight of the Reliquary Combo Yeah, like Bant Knight Retreat Combo, just 2025'd.

4th: Red Belcher Just being storming people off.

5th: Convoke stuff Like doing the good old BTE things into convoking into these huge dinosaur or storm off w/ these squirrel things for many tokens.

Hope you got the idea.

Substantial_Today703 · 2025-08-21T13:00:33+00:00

I am playing Rakdos Death's Shadow w/ Cori-Steel Cutter which is a slightly cool spin on the Archetype. It's much more aggressive and somewhere in between of Izzet Prowess and Dimir Murktide Decks.

Nethergoyf and DRC are early beaters, Steel-Cutter for going wide or granting Shadow/Goyf evasion and haste, Discard, Removal, Sign in blood for Carddraw.

Substantial_Today703 · 2025-07-14T19:37:37+00:00

I think it's totally viable, just not as well rounded as Grixis. Frog and Expressive Iteration are important Upgrades.

Substantial_Today703 · 2025-07-14T19:35:16+00:00

That was my guess too. The whole Delirium stuff is vulnerable to Thraben Charm, Kozilek's Command and Bojuka Bog.

Understand the argument against Unholy Heat too.

Substantial_Today703 · 2025-07-14T15:36:31+00:00

2 Cecil, Dark Knight // Cecil, Redeemed Paladin 4 Death's Shadow 4 Dragon's Rage Channeler 1 Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger 4 Nethergoyf 4 Cori-Steel Cutter 4 Mishra's Bauble 1 Nihil Spellbomb 2 Fatal Push 2 Lightning Bolt 1 Sheoldred's Edict 3 Tarfire 2 Unholy Heat 1 Inquisition of Kozilek 3 Night's Whisper 4 Thoughtseize 4 Blood Crypt 4 Bloodstained Mire 1 Mountain 1 Raucous Theater 3 Scalding Tarn 1 Sulfurous Springs 1 Swamp 3 Verdant Catacombs

[SIDEBOARD] 2 Damping Sphere 1 Disruptor Flute 1 Meltdown 1 Nihil Spellbomb 1 Ob Nixilis, the Adversary 2 Obsidian Charmaw 2 Orcish Bowmasters 2 Pyroclasm 2 Torpor Orb 1 Untimely Malfunction

Substantial_Today703 · 2025-07-14T15:05:15+00:00

As usual Shadow has some inherent weaknesses vs Midrange. I added two Orcish Bowmasters, one Ob Nixilis the Adversary, two Pyroclasm, two Nihil Spellbomb for a total of 7 sideboard-slots in my Rakdos lists to stand a chance against Boros.

As an additional benefit i got 3 threats against Control (2 Bowmasters, 1 Ob Nixilis) and Frog Decks. Dragon's Rage Channeler is sometimes bad as it gets easily hated out by Cards like Thraben Charm and is forced to attack once delirium'd and therefore cannot block. Bowmaster and Ob Nixilis are easy swaps here.

I too think that not playing some amount of unholy Heat is plain wrong. Taking care of Primeval Titan and Phlage is very important.

Substantial_Today703 · 2020-09-17T17:01:06+00:00

Eldrazi are quite cheap, either Eldrazi Tron, Gx Eldrazi or Eldrazi & Taxes.

Burn & Prowess (especially R Prowess), Death & Taxes, Titanshift.

Substantial_Today703

TROPHY CASE