A total of 300 Modern decklists were submitted for Pro Tour Edge of Eternities, but some stand out more than others. The spiciest ones push the boundaries with innovative card combinations, twist established archetypes, or shatter expectations with unanticipated strategies. In this article, we’ll explore eight of the most intriguing Modern decks that caught my attention.
2 Flooded Strand
4 Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd
4 Witch Enchanter
2 Arid Mesa
1 Sanctifier en-Vec
4 Flagstones of Trokair
4 Ephemerate
1 Mockingbird
3 Hallowed Fountain
4 Guide of Souls
1 Consign to Memory
4 White Orchid Phantom
3 Meticulous Archive
4 Ocelot Pride
2 Prismatic Ending
3 Starfield Shepherd
3 Plains
4 Solitude
1 Rest in Peace
2 Marsh Flats
4 Quantum Riddler
2 Stony Silence
2 Sanctifier en-Vec
1 Gemstone Caverns
1 Teferi, Time Raveler
3 Consign to Memory
1 Orim’s Chant
1 Mistcaller
2 Wrath of the Skies
1 Spider-Sense
1 Celestial Purge
The trio of Solitude, Quantum Riddler, and Ephemerate definies 26% of the field, and most of that group (22% of the field) is comprised of Esper Goryo’s and Esper Blink. Yet from among the remaining 4% of decks running this new Modern-defining core, several innovative shells have emerged. Chief among them is the Azorius Blink list that Gabriel Nassif—regarded one of the “top 5 Magic players of all time”—registered alongside his teammates: Reid Duke, Ma Noah, Theodore Jung, and Luna Eason.
Guide of Souls
White Orchid Phantom
Starfield Shepherd
Though Azorius Blink shares many cards with its Esper counterpart, its a more aggressive take on the deck. Instead of relying on one-mana black disruption spells like Thoughtseize or Fatal Push, this versions applies pressure with Guide of Souls and Ocelot Pride, giving it a more proactive game plan. As experienced Modern players will know, those two one-drops mesh beautifully. The life gained from Guide of Souls triggers Ocelot Pride,which creates a token. That token triggers Guide of Souls, providing lifegain and energy. To help assemble this synergy, Starfield Shepherd is essential, as it fills a card-advantage role similar to Overlord of the Balemurk.
Another advantage of sticking to Azorius is a cleaner mana base, which makes room for Flagstones of Trokair. In this shell, Flagstones of Trokair turns White Orchid Phantom into a Farseek with a sizable creature attached—a strong way to start a game. Even without access to black’s efficient removal, main deck Rest in Peace and Sanctifier en-Vec can prove devastating in a metagame dominated by Goryo’s Vengeance. In short, while this deck may appear at first glance to be just another Solitude-, Ephemerate-, and Quantum Riddler-centric build, Team TCGplayer’s Azorius Blink list brings a number of unique innovations to the table.
1 Elegant Parlor
1 Thundering Falls
4 Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd
4 Flooded Strand
4 Arid Mesa
4 Ephemerate
3 Scalding Tarn
2 Hallowed Fountain
2 Arena of Glory
2 Lightning Bolt
1 Mountain
4 Consign to Memory
4 Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
2 Spell Snare
2 Sacred Foundry
1 Meticulous Archive
2 Prismatic Ending
4 Phlage, Titan of Fire’s Fury
4 Solitude
2 Plains
2 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker
1 Steam Vents
4 Quantum Riddler
1 Stony Silence
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Mystical Dispute
1 Teferi, Time Raveler
4 White Orchid Phantom
3 Wrath of the Skies
1 Lavinia, Azorius Renegade
1 Celestial Purge
To ensure Quantum Riddler sticks around on the battlefield, many decks pair it with blink effects like Ephemerate and Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd, while Consign to Memory can counter warp’s exile trigger at end of turn. These synergies appear in many Pro Tour decklists, but Grand Prix Baltimore 2012 champion Matt Costa is the only competitor to go all-in on the strategy, running twelve copies of these effects.
Ephemerate
Consign to Memory
Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd
This Jeskai Blink list demonstrates just how versatile Consign to Memory can be. At a base level, it works as efficient interaction by answering Goblin Charbelcher or countering Devourer of Destiny and its cast trigger. But it also lets you keep a warped Quantum Riddler or evoked Solitude by countering the triggers that would remove them. That opens the door for a similar trick with Phlage, Titan of Fire’s Fury. Splashing red gives you access to Phlage, and with Consign to Memory, you can counter its “sacrifice it unless it escaped” trigger, leaving behind a 6/6 threat without ever needing to escape it.
There’s also a nasty interaction with Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd. When Phelia exiles an opposing creature, a delayed “return to the battlefield” trigger goes on the stack at end of turn. If you counter that trigger with Consign to Memory, the creature stays exiled permanently, turning Consign into a one-mana Murder. Overall, Costa’s Jeskai Blink deck, more than any other in the tournament, pushes these synergies to their maximum potential.
4 Ugin, Eye of the Storms
4 Ugin’s Labyrinth
4 Portent of Calamity
3 Disruptor Flute
4 Urza’s Mine
1 All Is Dust
1 Abstergo Entertainment
4 Dismember
3 Eldrazi Temple
2 Island
1 Talisman of Curiosity
4 Karn, the Great Creator
3 Devourer of Destiny
4 Kozilek’s Command
4 Talisman of Dominance
4 Expedition Map
4 Urza’s Tower
2 Emrakul, the Promised End
4 Urza’s Power Plant
1 Oblivion Stone
1 The Stone Brain
1 Ensnaring Bridge
1 Cityscape Leveler
1 Disruptor Flute
1 Pithing Needle
1 Torpor Orb
1 Trinisphere
1 The Endstone
1 Grafdigger’s Cage
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Golos, Tireless Pilgrim
1 Tormod’s Crypt
1 Walking Ballista
1 Extinguisher Battleship
Out of the five players who registered Portent of Calamity at Pro Tour Edge of Eternities, three are former Pro Tour champions, and another reached the finals of the previous Pro Tour. When players of that caliber converge on the same card, it’s worth taking notice. Samuele Estratti built a unique Eldrazi Ramp list around four copies of Portent of Calamity, while Cosmos Heavy Play’s Javier Dominguez, Luis Salvatto, Ian Robb, and Jacob Milchman chose to incorporate it into Eldrazi Tron, casting it with the help of Talisman of Dominance (which simultaneously makes you less vulnerable to Void Mirror).
Portent of Calamity
Dismember
Emrakul, the Promised End
Unlike traditional Eldrazi Tron lists that bridge the mid-game with Glaring Fleshraker and Thought-Knot Seer, this build leaves those creatures behind and uses a flatter distribution of card types. It shores up the early game with extra copies of Dismember and Disruptor Flute as interaction, while Portent of Calamity provides card draw. On turns two or three, it can effectively act like Divination (for X=2) or Concentrate (for X=3), but the benefits scale up as X increases.
My multivariate hypergeometric calculations for this decklist reveal the probability of finding four different card types. Your chances sit at 24.7% when looking at the top X = 4 cards, 48.0% for X = 5, 65.5% for X = 6, 77.7% for X = 7, 85.9% for X = 8, and 91.2% for X = 9, and 94.6% for X = 10. In practice, this means that if you can generate enough mana, then you’re overwhelmingly likely to cast a free spell. And when you hit Ugin, Eye of the Storms; Devourer of Destiny; or Emrakul, the Promised End, their powerful cast triggers can easily secure victory. While Emrakul, the Promised End is an unusual inclusion in this archetype, it can often decide the game on the spot when you hit it with Portent of Calamity, giving rise to exciting, memorable plays.
1 Lush Portico
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Yawgmoth, Thran Physician
2 Marionette Apprentice
4 Windswept Heath
1 Forest
1 Dryad Arbor
1 Underground Mortuary
2 Temple Garden
2 Viscera Seer
2 Overgrown Tomb
1 Sylvan Safekeeper
1 Orcish Bowmasters
1 Silk, Web Weaver
4 Birthing Ritual
2 Delighted Halfling
1 Grist, the Hunger Tide
1 Nurturing Peatland
4 Verdant Catacombs
1 Wooded Foothills
2 Arachne, Psionic Weaver
4 Cauldron Familiar
2 Carrion Feeder
1 Haywire Mite
1 Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER
4 Gilded Goose
2 Boseiju, Who Endures
4 Chord of Calling
1 Godless Shrine
1 Endurance
4 Samwise Gamgee
1 Endurance
2 Fatal Push
1 Collector Ouphe
1 Crystal Barricade
1 Scavenging Ooze
2 Force of Vigor
1 Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines
1 Path to Exile
2 Veil of Summer
1 Abrupt Decay
2 Thoughtseize
Only two players brought Samwise Gamgee to the Pro Tour, aiming to combine him with Viscera Seer and Cauldron Familiar for an infinite drain loop. But both Thomas Munk and Paul Tsao spiced things up by experimenting with new cards from Magic: The Gathering® | Marvel’s Spider-Man. Munk’s build included a single copy of Spider-Ham, Peter Porker, which, alongside Samwise Gamgee and Viscera Seer, turns excess Food tokens into repeatable source of scrying. Tsao’s list, shown here, went even further, incorporating the highest number of cards from the new set in the entire tournament.
Gilded Goose
Arachne, Psionic Weaver
Silk, Web Weaver
Arachne, Psionic Weaver and Silk, Web Weaver showcase the new web-slinging mechanic. The Heroes’ alternate casting costs can even become an advantage when bouncing creatures with useful enters triggers. Arachne, for example, can disrupt combo opponents as early as turn two, and if you return Gilded Goose or Cauldron Familiar, you can develop your board without missing a beat. With a mana value of 3, Arachne also enables a new dream sequence: turn-one Gilded Goose into turn-two Arachne plus Birthing Ritual, which sets up a potential four-drop at the end of turn two.
Silk, Web Weaver, can quickly turn a scrappy creature draw into a lethal battlefield. Consider this sequence: turn-one Gilded Goose, turn-two Silk, then on turn three, deploy the Goose, Cauldron Familiar, and Viscera Seer for three extra tokens. On turn four, Silk’s activated ability grants +2/+2 to the entire squad, which can deliver a lethal swing. Because Silk is a historic card, it can be returned with Samwise Gamgee‘s activated ability in long, grindy games, unlocking yet another strategic dimension. These fresh additions might allow Tsao, who qualified at Magic Spotlight: FINAL FANTASY, to swing into the top tables at his first Pro Tour this weekend.
4 Suppression Ray
4 Sea Gate Restoration
2 Counterspell
4 Whir of Invention
4 Disrupting Shoal
2 Preordain
4 Force of Negation
2 Spell Snare
2 Into the Flood Maw
2 Unable to Scream
4 Lotus Bloom
4 Jwari Disruption
2 Beyeen Veil
2 Stock Up
4 Goblin Charbelcher
2 Waterlogged Teachings
4 Hydroelectric Specimen
4 Sink into Stupor
4 Tameshi, Reality Architect
2 Ceremonious Rejection
1 Stern Scolding
2 Mystical Dispute
2 Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student
1 Mountain
2 Flusterstorm
4 Consign to Memory
1 Stock Up
Across the 45 Tameshi Belcher decks registered for this tournament, 41 are relying on Thundertrap Trainer and Fallaji Archaeologist to dig for Goblin Charbelcher, with Flare of Denial providing free protection by sacrificing those creatures. Yet the other four players—Anthony Lee, Quinn Tonole, Aidan Mirabelli, and Liam Kane from Cosmos Heavy Play—eschewed that synergistic trio of cards entirely.
Unable to Scream
Stock Up
Counterspell
In place of the Thundertrap Trainer, Fallaji Archaeologist, and Flare of Denial package, this version opts for additional interaction and card selection with Into the Flood Maw, Unable to Scream, Counterspell, Beyeen Veil, Preordain, and Stock Up. This resulting list has fewer draws that produce a protected turn-four Charbelcher, but it trades that explosive power for a sturdier, more interactive game plan. This build is also less afffected by Fatal Push or Galvanic Discharge. In practice it can play out closer to a control deck.
The sideboard drives that point home, with Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student; Ceremonious Rejection; and Stern Scolding reinforcing the deck’s ability to pivot into a control role. While less combo-oriented than the stock build, this “Belcher Control” version gains a suite of answers and showcases just how many different shapes Belcher can take in Modern.
4 Thoughtcast
1 Thundering Falls
1 Lavaspur Boots
2 Scalding Tarn
1 Island
1 Pithing Needle
2 Thought Monitor
4 Kappa Cannoneer
3 Engineered Explosives
3 Memnite
4 Mox Opal
2 Springleaf Drum
1 Shadowspear
1 Aether Spellbomb
4 Mishra’s Bauble
4 Pinnacle Emissary
3 Tormod’s Crypt
4 Spirebluff Canal
1 Steam Vents
4 Sink into Stupor
3 Metallic Rebuke
2 Weapons Manufacturing
1 Claws of Gix
4 Urza’s Saga
2 Vandalblast
1 Mystical Dispute
2 Blood Moon
3 Consign to Memory
2 Force of Negation
1 Grafdigger’s Cage
2 Galvanic Blast
2 Emry, Lurker of the Loch
Since the release of Pinnacle Emissary in Edge of Eternities, Izzet Affinity has cemented itself as a major contender, with 20 competitors sleeving up Mox Opal and Kappa Cannoneer at this Pro Tour. Within that group, however, there are many different versions. Some maximize speed with Ornithopter and Springleaf Drum. Others rely on Emry, Lurker of the Loch for staying power. There’s also a spicy list by Gavin Meagher featuring Memory Guardian and a single copy of Doc Ock’s Tentacles. My favorite twist, though, came from team Moriyama Japan’s Shuhei Nakamura, Shintaro Ishimura, and Yoshihiko Ikawa.
Weapons Manufacturing
Engineered Explosives
Claws of Gix
The unique element in their list lies in the inclusion of two copies of Weapons Manufacturing. Surrounded by cheap artifacts, the card rapidly churns out a hoard of Munitions tokens. These tokens supercharge Kappa Cannoneer, discount Thought Monitor, and grow the Constructs from Urza’s Saga.
The real fireworks begin when those tokens become expendable resources. Engineered Explosives set to X=0 can clear your board of Munitions in a single burst, potentially translating into lethal damage out of nowhere. Claws of Gix (which is conveniently fetchable with Urza’s Saga) offers another sacrifice outlet, converting Munitions into life and damage at will. It’s an awesome angle that turns a familiar archetype into an explosive, combo-like engine.
1 Thundering Falls
1 Elegant Parlor
4 Flooded Strand
1 Counterspell
4 Arid Mesa
1 Monumental Henge
3 Scalding Tarn
2 Hallowed Fountain
4 Orim’s Chant
2 Isochron Scepter
2 Force of Negation
2 Consult the Star Charts
3 Teferi, Time Raveler
2 Island
2 Spell Snare
2 Galvanic Discharge
4 Narset, Parter of Veils
1 Meticulous Archive
2 Wrath of the Skies
2 Day’s Undoing
3 Prismatic Ending
4 Solitude
1 Sink into Stupor
2 Plains
1 Lórien Revealed
2 Supreme Verdict
1 Steam Vents
1 Geier Reach Sanitarium
2 Surgical Extraction
3 Mystical Dispute
1 Consult the Star Charts
3 Consign to Memory
1 Wrath of the Skies
2 Celestial Purge
2 Phlage, Titan of Fire’s Fury
1 Kaheera, the Orphanguard
Kaheera, the Orphanguard
Three members of team Sanctum of All—Jason Ye, Jennifer Wang, and Chris Botelho—registered a distinctive Jeskai build that is closer to a prison strategy than a traditional control deck.
Orim’s Chant
Isochron Scepter
Narset, Parter of Veils
At the deck’s heart is Orim’s Chant. This humble one-mana instant can blank a warped Pinnacle Emissary, stop a suspended Lotus Bloom from being cast, or simply prevent an opponent from casting spells or attacking during a pivotal turn. When imprinted on Isochron Scepter, which this list includes two copies of, Orim’s Chant can completely lock the opponent out of the game. Narset, Parter of Veils ties it all together. Narset’s loyalty ability digs towards the Scepter-Chant combo while her static ability turns Day’s Undoing and Geier Reach Sanitarium into devastating hand disruption.
Many Azorius Control lists employ a similar core, but the second copy of Isochron Scepter underscores the commitment to the strategy. Moreover, the red splash broadens the deck’s range: Galvanic Discharge offers efficient removal and another valuable imprint target for Isochron Scepter, while Phlage, Titan of Fire’s Fury out of the sideboard provides a proactive, alternate win condition.
1 Swamp
1 Yawgmoth, Thran Physician
2 Forest
4 Agatha’s Soul Cauldron
2 Blade of the Bloodchief
4 Misty Rainforest
1 Underground Mortuary
4 Basking Broodscale
4 Delighted Halfling
4 Grist, the Hunger Tide
4 Verdant Catacombs
3 Overgrown Tomb
4 Malevolent Rumble
4 Walking Ballista
1 Vexing Bauble
3 Dredger’s Insight
2 Wall of Roots
4 Young Wolf
1 Haywire Mite
2 Boseiju, Who Endures
1 Spymaster’s Vault
4 Urza’s Saga
2 Ashiok, Dream Render
3 Fatal Push
1 Pithing Needle
1 Gaea’s Blessing
2 Pick Your Poison
1 Soul-Guide Lantern
2 Fulminator Mage
3 Thoughtseize
Finally, Pro Tour Phyrexia finalist Benton Madsen presented a fresh take on Basking Broodscale, breaking from the Eldrazi-heavy norm. While every other Broodscale deck at the Pro Tour leaned on cards like Eldrazi Temple; Kozilek’s Command; Glaring Fleshraker; and Emrakul, the Promised End, Madsen charted a different path.
Basking Broodscale
Yawgmoth, Thran Physician
Young Wolf
The deck still leverages the classic infinite combo. Basking Broodscale plus Blade of the Bloodchief. Sacrificing an Eldrazi Spawn for mana triggers the Blade, which puts a +1/+1 counter on the Broodscale, creating another Spawn in return. This loop produces an infinitely large Broodscale and infinite mana, often ending the game with Walking Ballista for infinite damage. But instead of filling out the shell with Eldrazi, Madsen turned to other creature-based combo engines.
Yawgmoth, Thran Physician enables a well-known loop with two copies of Young Wolf. Sacrificing a fresh Young Wolf removes a +1/+1 counter from the other Young Wolf, creating a loop that can draw a huge number of cards. Agatha’s Soul Cauldron adds yet another dimension to the deck, as exiling Grist, the Hunger Tide grants Grist’s loyalty abilities to the counter-laden creatures. Additionally, the Cauldron can enable an infinite Ballista line. Specifically, if the Cauldron exiles Walking Ballista and puts a +1/+1 counter on Young Wolf, then you can remove the counter to shoot itself, which triggers undying, and you can repeat this for infinite Blade of the Bloodchief triggers. In short: why settle for one infinite combo when you can run two or three?
If you’re on the lookout for an exciting new Modern deck to experiment with, any of these eight innovative decks could be the perfect choice. They might just hold the key to victory at Pro Tour Edge of Eternities. Should they perform well, you can watch them in action during this weekend’s livestream!
