Modal Madness! 📝 Deck Tech 📝

Modal Madness! 100 cards 1 Cromat 💫 Apocalypse Commander 2 Plains 1 Island 2 Swamp 1 Mountain 2 Forest 1 Vivid Crag 1 Vivid Creek 1 Vivid Grove 1 Vivid Marsh 1 Vivid Meadow 1 Temple of Abandon 1 Temple of Deceit 1 Temple of Enlightenment 1 Temple of Epiphany 1 Temple of Malady 1 Temple of Malice 1 Temple of Mystery 1 Temple of Plenty 1 Temple of Silence 1 Temple of Triumph 1 Arcane Sanctum 1 Crumbling Necropolis 1 Jungle Shrine 1 Savage Lands 1 Seaside Citadel 1 Frontier Bivouac 1 Mystic Monastery 1 Nomad Outpost 1 Opulent Palace 1 Sandsteppe Citadel 1 City of Brass 1 Command Tower 1 Exotic Orchard 1 Mana Confluence 1 Reflecting Pool 38 lands 1 Ætherling 1 Angelic Skirmisher 1 Azorius Guildmage 1 Deathrite Shaman 1 Dimir Guildmage 1 Eight-and-a-Half-Tails 1 Entomber Exarch 1 Fatespinner 1 Jaya Ballard, Task Mage 💫 Premium Deck Series: Fire & Lightning 1 Magister of Worth 💫 Conspiracy Launch Weekend Promo 1 Nivix Guildmage 1 Olivia Voldaren 1 Phelddagrif 1 Questing Phelddagrif 1 Rhys the Redeemed 1 Savage Knuckleblade 1 Skinshifter 1 Sunhome Guildmage 1 Thornling 1 Torchling 1 Ulasht, the Hate Seed 1 Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage 22 Creatures 1 Abzan Charm 1 Bant Charm 1 Bite of the Black Rose 1 Boros Charm 1 Clan Defiance 1 Consult the Necrosages 1 Council's Judgment 1 Crosis's Charm 1 Do or Die 1 Esper Charm 1 Far // Away 1 Grab the Reins 1 Hull Breach 1 Jeskai Charm 1 Journey of Discovery 1 Life // Death 1 Mardu Charm 1 Merciless Eviction 1 Mortify 1 Plea for Power 1 Pure // Simple 1 Putrefy 1 Rakdos Charm 1 Selesnya Charm 1 Split Decision 1 Sultai Charm 💫 2014 Holiday Gift Box 1 Turn // Burn 1 Tyrant's Choice 1 Wear // Tear 30 Instants/Sorceries 1 Amulet of Vigor 1 Chromatic Lantern 1 Coalition Relic 1 Darksteel Ingot 1 Etherwrought Page 1 Obelisk of Alara 💫 Conflux Launch Weekend Promo 1 Sol Ring 7 Artifacts 1 Bow of Nylea 1 Prismatic Omen 2 Enchantments   💫 Denotes Foil ✒️ Denotes Signed 🎨 Denotes Altered 📝 Deck Tech ⚠️ Updates and Revisions Storage: KMC Perfect Fits, Player's Choice (Gold). Ultra Pro Satin Tower (Purple)

This is my attempt to build a deck made entirely of options and answers

Load & View in Deck Builder (Beta)

Cromat
This deck started out as just an experimental idea I had about playing to the perceived format advantages of Commander and Magic the Gathering in general. The game is founded and thrives on answers, recursion, and tutors. So I said "What if I literally put every answer into 1 deck?". The original list was just Guildmages jammed with modal spells, no real attention paid to playability. As I began to near the finish line on foiling out my Oloro Stax deck, I turned my attention to building a new EDH deck. I figured I could probably turn this one out in a relatively short amount of time and very little money. As with most decks I build, it started to get out of hand. The mana base is painfully slow, and it was pretty much going to be no matter what. So I jammed the Scry Lands to help me dig for answers. I couldn't afford ABU Lands, Shocklands are an option but no preferred. Its nice as a little break from the usual synergistic, battlecruiser decks that Commander is known for. This deck is right at home among other "fun" archetypes. If you're planning a silly night. Group Hug, Madness, Donate and introducing "Modal"

So in this decktech I'm going to skip over all of the card details and just put them in groups by what they do, and give them a 1-5 star rating based on how useful it actually is. Since this deck will be in constant flux, I don't really feel like writing a million sentences everytime something comes along that is modal and powerful.


Creature Removal
• Magister of Worth ⭐⭐⭐
— If condemnation gets more votes or the vote is tied, destroy all creatures other than Magister of Worth.

• Ulasht, the Hate Seed ⭐⭐
— Ulasht deals 1 damage to target creature.

• Abzan Charm ⭐⭐⭐
— Exile target creature with power 3 or greater.

• Bant Charm ⭐⭐⭐⭐
— Put target creature on the bottom of its owner's library.

• Bite of the Black Rose ⭐⭐
— If sickness gets more votes, creatures your opponents control get -2/-2 until end of turn.

• Clan Defiance ⭐⭐
— Clan Defiance deals X damage to target creature with flying.
— Clan Defiance deals X damage to target creature without flying.

• Crosis's Charm ⭐⭐
— Destroy target nonblack creature. It can't be regenerated.

• Do or Die ⭐⭐
— Separate all creatures target player controls into two piles. Destroy all creatures in the pile of that player's choice. They can't be regenerated.

• Far // Away ⭐⭐⭐
— Return target creature to its owner's hand.
— Target player sacrifices a creature

• Grab the Reins ⭐⭐
— Sacrifice a creature. Grab the Reins deals damage equal to that creature's power to target creature or player.

• Jeskai Charm ⭐⭐⭐⭐
— Put target creature on top of its owner's library.

• Jund Charm ⭐⭐
— Jund Charm deals 2 damage to each creature.

•  Mardu Charm ⭐⭐
— Mardu Charm deals 4 damage to target creature.

• Merciless Eviction ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
— Exile all creatures.

• Mortify ⭐⭐⭐
— Destroy target creature or enchantment.

• Putrefy ⭐⭐⭐
— Destroy target artifact or creature. It can't be regenerated.

• Selesnya Charm ⭐⭐⭐
— Exile target creature with power 5 or greater.

• Sultai Charm ⭐⭐
— Destroy target monocolored creature.

• Turn // Burn ⭐⭐⭐⭐
— Until end of turn, target creature loses all abilities and becomes a red Weird with base power and toughness 0/1.
— Burn deals 2 damage to target creature or player.

• Tyrant's Choice ⭐⭐⭐⭐
— If death gets more votes, each opponent sacrifices a creature.

• Obelisk of Alara ⭐
— Target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn.

• Bow of Nylea ⭐
— Bow of Nylea deals 2 damage to target creature with flying.


Artifact Removal
• Bant Charm ⭐⭐
— Destroy target artifact.

• Crosis's Charm ⭐⭐
— Destroy target artifact.

• Hull Breach ⭐⭐⭐⭐
— Destroy target artifact.
— Destroy target artifact and target enchantment.

• Merciless Eviction ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
— Exile all artifacts.

• Putrefy ⭐⭐⭐
— Destroy target artifact or creature. It can't be regenerated.

• Rakdos Charm ⭐⭐⭐
— Destroy target artifact.

• Sultai Charm ⭐⭐⭐
— Destroy target artifact or enchantment.

• Wear // Tear (Wear) ⭐⭐⭐
— Destroy target artifact.


Enchantment Removal
• Esper Charm ⭐⭐⭐
— Destroy target enchantment.

• Hull Breach ⭐⭐⭐⭐
— Destroy target enchantment.
— Destroy target artifact and target enchantment.

• Merciless Eviction ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
— Exile all enchantments.

• Mortify ⭐⭐⭐
— [/b]Destroy target[/b] creature or enchantment.

• Sultai Charm ⭐⭐⭐
— Destroy target artifact or enchantment.

• Wear // Tear (Tear) ⭐⭐⭐
— Destroy target enchantment.


Draw Cards
• Dimir Guildmage ⭐
— Target player draws a card. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.

• Nivix Guildmage ⭐
— Draw a card, then discard a card.

• Abzan Charm ⭐⭐
— You draw two cards and you lose 2 life.

• Consult the Necrosages ⭐⭐⭐
— Target player draws two cards.

• Esper Charm ⭐⭐⭐
— Draw two cards.

• Plea for Power ⭐⭐⭐
— If knowledge gets more votes or the vote is tied, draw three cards.

• Sultai Charm ⭐⭐
— Draw two cards, then discard a card.

• Obelisk of Alara ⭐
— Draw a card, then discard a card.


Discard
• Dimir Guildmage ⭐
— Target player discards a card. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.

• Entomber Exarch ⭐⭐
— Target opponent reveals his or her hand, you choose a noncreature card from it, then that player discards that card.

• Bite of the Black Rose ⭐⭐
— If psychosis gets more votes or the vote is tied, each opponent discards two cards.

• Consult the Necrosages ⭐⭐
— Target player discards two cards.

• Esper Charm ⭐⭐
— Target player discards two cards.

•  Mardu Charm ⭐⭐
— Target opponent reveals his or her hand. You choose a noncreature, nonland card from it. That player discards that card.


Token Generators
• Rhys the Redeemed ⭐⭐⭐
— Put a 1/1 green and white Elf Warrior creature token onto the battlefield.
— For each creature token you control, put a token that's a copy of that creature onto the battlefield.

• Sunhome Guildmage ⭐⭐
— Put a 1/1 red and white Soldier creature token with haste onto the battlefield.

• Ulasht, the Hate Seed ⭐⭐⭐
— Put a 1/1 green Saproling creature token onto the battlefield.

• Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage ⭐
— Put a 3/3 green Centaur creature token onto the battlefield.
— Populate.

•  Mardu Charm ⭐⭐⭐
— Put two 1/1 white Warrior creature tokens onto the battlefield. They gain first strike until end of turn.

• Selesnya Charm ⭐⭐⭐
— Put a 2/2 white Knight creature token with vigilance onto the battlefield.


Graveyard
• Entomber Exarch ⭐⭐
— Return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.

• Magister of Worth ⭐
— If grace gets more votes, each player returns each creature card from his or her graveyard to the battlefield.

• Jund Charm ⭐⭐
— Exile all cards from target player's graveyard.

• Life // Death (Death) ⭐⭐⭐
— Return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. You lose life equal to its converted mana cost.

• Rakdos Charm ⭐⭐
— Exile all cards from target player's graveyard.

• Bow of Nylea ⭐
— Put up to four target cards from your graveyard on the bottom of your library in any order.


Control Cards
• Azorius Guildmage ⭐⭐
— Tap target creature.
— Counter target activated ability.

• Deathrite Shaman ⭐⭐⭐⭐
— Exile target land card from a graveyard. Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
— Tap: Exile target instant or sorcery card from a graveyard. Each opponent loses 2 life.
— Exile target creature card from a graveyard. You gain 2 life.

• Eight-and-a-Half-Tails ⭐⭐⭐⭐
— Target permanent you control gains protection from white until end of turn.
— Target spell or permanent becomes white until end of turn.

• Jaya Ballard, Task Mage ⭐⭐⭐
— Destroy target blue permanent.
— Jaya Ballard, Task Mage deals 3 damage to target creature or player. A creature dealt damage this way can't be regenerated this turn.
— Jaya Ballard deals 6 damage to each creature and each player.

• Olivia Voldaren ⭐⭐⭐⭐
— Olivia Voldaren deals 1 damage to another target creature. That creature becomes a Vampire in addition to its other types. Put a +1/+1 counter on Olivia Voldaren.
— Gain control of target Vampire for as long as you control Olivia Voldaren.

• Bant Charm ⭐⭐
— Counter target instant spell.

• Council's Judgment ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
— Exile each permanent with the most votes or tied for most votes.

• Crosis's Charm ⭐⭐⭐
— Return target permanent to its owner's hand.

• Grab the Reins ⭐⭐⭐
— Until end of turn, you gain control of target creature and it gains haste.

• Merciless Eviction ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
— Exile all planeswalkers.
.
• Pure // Simple ⭐⭐⭐
— Destroy target multicolored permanent.
— Destroy all Auras and Equipment.

• Split Decision ⭐⭐
— If denial gets more votes, counter the spell.


Beaters
• Cromat ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
— Destroy target creature blocking or blocked by Cromat.
— Cromat gains flying until end of turn.
— Regenerate Cromat.
— Cromat gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
— Put Cromat on top of its owner's library.

• Ætherling ⭐⭐
— Exile Ætherling. Return it to the battlefield under its owner's control at the beginning of the next end step.
— Ætherling can't be blocked this turn.
— Ætherling gets +1/-1 until end of turn.
— Ætherling gets -1/+1 until end of turn.

• Angelic Skirmisher ⭐⭐
— At the beginning of each combat, choose first strike, vigilance, or lifelink. Creatures you control gain that ability until end of turn.

• Savage Knuckleblade ⭐⭐⭐
— Savage Knuckleblade gets +2/+2 until end of turn. Activate this ability only once each turn.
— Return Savage Knuckleblade to its owner's hand.
— Savage Knuckleblade gains haste until end of turn.

• Skinshifter ⭐⭐⭐
— Skinshifter becomes a Rhino with base power and toughness 4/4 and gains trample. Activate this ability only once each turn.
— Skinshifter becomes a Bird with base power and toughness 2/2 and gains flying. Activate this ability only once each turn.
— Skinshifter becomes a Plant with base power and toughness 0/8. Activate this ability only once each turn.

• Thornling ⭐⭐⭐⭐
— Thornling gains haste until end of turn.
— Thornling gains trample until end of turn.
— Thornling gains indestructible until end of turn.
— Thornling gets +1/-1 until end of turn.
— Thornling gets -1/+1 until end of turn.

• Torchling ⭐⭐⭐
— Untap Torchling.
— Target creature blocks Torchling this turn if able.
— Change the target of target spell that targets only Torchling.
— Torchling gets +1/-1 until end of turn.
— Torchling gets -1/+1 until end of turn.

• Life // Death (Life) ⭐⭐
— All lands you control become 1/1 creatures until end of turn. They're still lands.


Good Stuff
• Fatespinner ⭐⭐⭐⭐
— At the beginning of each opponent's upkeep, that player chooses draw step, main phase, or combat phase. The player skips each instance of the chosen step or phase this turn.

• Nivix Guildmage ⭐⭐
— Copy target instant or sorcery spell you control. You may choose new targets for the copy.

• Phelddagrif ⭐⭐⭐
— Phelddagrif gains trample until end of turn. Target opponent puts a 1/1 green Hippo creature token onto the battlefield.
— Phelddagrif gains flying until end of turn. Target opponent gains 2 life.
— Return Phelddagrif to its owner's hand. Target opponent may draw a card.

• Questing Phelddagrif ⭐⭐⭐
— Questing Phelddagrif gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Target opponent puts a 1/1 green Hippo creature token onto the battlefield.
— Questing Phelddagrif gains protection from black and from red until end of turn. Target opponent gains 2 life.
— Questing Phelddagrif gains flying until end of turn. Target opponent may draw a card.

• Abzan Charm ⭐
— Distribute two +1/+1 counters among one or two target creatures.

• Boros Charm ⭐⭐⭐
— Boros Charm deals 4 damage to target player.
— Permanents you control gain indestructible until end of turn.
— Target creature gains double strike until end of turn.

• Clan Defiance ⭐
— Clan Defiance deals X damage to target player

• Jeskai Charm ⭐⭐
— Jeskai Charm deals 4 damage to target opponent.
— Creatures you control get +1/+1 and gain lifelink until end of turn.

• Journey of Discovery ⭐⭐
— Search your library for up to two basic land cards, reveal them, put them into your hand, then shuffle your library.
— You may play up to two additional lands this turn.

• Plea for Power ⭐⭐⭐
— If time gets more votes, take an extra turn after this one.

• Split Decision ⭐⭐⭐
— If duplication gets more votes or the vote is tied, copy the spell. You may choose new targets for the copy.

• Tyrant's Choice ⭐⭐⭐
— If torture gets more votes or the vote is tied, each opponent loses 4 life.

• Etherwrought Page ⭐⭐
— You gain 2 life.
— Look at the top card of your library. You may put that card into your graveyard.
— Each opponent loses 1 life.

• Obelisk of Alara ⭐⭐
— You gain 5 life.
— Obelisk of Alara deals 3 damage to target player.
— Target creature gets +4/+4 until end of turn.

• Bow of Nylea ⭐⭐
— Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.
— You gain 3 life.


Mana Fixing
 Amulet of Vigor, Chromatic Lantern, Coalition Relic, Darksteel Ingot, Sol Ring, Prismatic Omen

Top 5
5. Prismatic Omen
4. Bant Charm/Sultai Charm
3. Amulet of Vigor
2. Merciless Eviction
1. Cromat

Updates and Revisions

9/2/14
➖ Simic Charm
➖ Dimir Charm
➖ Izzet Charm
➖ Stand // Deliver
➖ Rix Maadi Guildmage
➖ Beck // Call
➖ Island
➖ Mountain
➕ Frontier Bivouac
➕ Mystic Monastery
➕ Nomad Outpost
➕ Opulent Palace
➕ Sandsteppe Citadel
➕ Savage Knuckleblade
➕ Abzen Charm
➕ Jeskai Charm
➕ Mardu Charm
➕ Sultai Charm

Have you guys seen the Modal Cube? I hear it is the most skill intensive game of Magic you will ever play, it also might have some cool stuff you can use. I'll try to find it.

Edit: found it: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/85

I will comb through it later, thank you Agrus. I am thinking of dumping the Commands,  while cool (and expensive) are a bit mana intensive.

I'm also going with the slowest mana base possible. I figure while I'm doing that, why not run Scry lands? They'll at least help me find cards I can play. I can't afford 10 ABU lands, and 10 shocks would be just as slow IMO.

I'd keep Austere, but red and green commands are both pretty underwhelming in EDH, especially red. Black depends on the deck (could be fine here) and blue is great if you have a copy, but as you know, it's expensive as hell.

Is Fury Charm good enough for your deck? It's mostly just "destroy target artifact" with the option of giving trample if you need it for some odd reason. Fits the theme, at least.

Wow, I bury my head in Magic cards for a few hours, I look up and see I'm almost finished! Just need some creatures with various activated abilities and some more suggestions, maybe some obvious combos I'm missing. Feeling weak to Planeswalkers.

ISO: 2 Red, 2 Green and 1 Simic spell.

Wow, I bury my head in Magic cards for a few hours, I look up and see I'm almost finished! Just need some creatures with various activated abilities and some more suggestions, maybe some obvious combos I'm missing. Feeling weak to Planeswalkers.

ISO: 2 Red, 2 Green and 1 Simic spell.

For simic, Give/Take? Not too much utility though.

For simic, how about  Edric, Spymaster of Trest? Whenever an opponent takes combat damage, you draw a card...
For green, I've always liked  Natural Selection

For simic, how about  Edric, Spymaster of Trest? Whenever an opponent takes combat damage, you draw a card...
For green, I've always liked  Natural Selection

Neither of those cards offer modes. I will look harder, but so far I can't find too many cards with different options for Simic.

Maybe prophet of kruphix? Keep your mana at the ready?

Maybe prophet of kruphix? Keep your mana at the ready?

It is nice, not modal

Zameck Guildmage maybe? Seems kinda bad...maybe if I go with a +1/+1 counters matter theme? Gonna take a lot of reworking.

1 White Creature
1 Simic card

Trying to convert some less useful spells into Creatures.

1 White Creature
1 Simic card

Trying to convert some less useful spells into Creatures.

White creature could be Eight and a Half tails

Home stretch. 80% of these cards are in my possession. I need 2 more to finalize this deal. Then a lengthy deck tech will ensue