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mcfarland
08-25-2011, 03:59 PM
I'm a sucker for BW control. Maralen of the Mornsong + Aven Mindcensor is something I've been toying with casually for a long time, and being that Aven is actually a pretty decent control element in Modern, I thought I'd attempt a viable build.


// Lands
2 [DIS] Ghost Quarter
4 [ZEN] Marsh Flats
4 [GP] Godless Shrine
5 [HOP] Plains (3)
5 [US] Swamp (2)
1 [ZEN] Arid Mesa
1 [ZEN] Verdant Catacombs

// Creatures
4 [RAV] Dark Confidant
4 [FUT] Aven Mindcensor
3 [MOR] Maralen of the Mornsong
1 [FUT] Tombstalker
2 [AT] Icatian Javelineers
3 [TSP] Serra Avenger

// Spells
4 [DS] AEther Vial
4 [ARC] Path to Exile
1 [M10] Pithing Needle
1 [M12] Oblivion Ring
3 [LRW] Thoughtseize
3 [ROE] Inquisition of Kozilek
2 [DDF] Elspeth, Knight-Errant
2 [NPH] Dismember
1 [MBS] Sword of Feast and Famine

// Sideboard
SB: 2 [DIS] Ghost Quarter
SB: 1 [ALA] Ethersworn Canonist
SB: 3 [CHK] Ghostly Prison
SB: 1 [M12] Grand Abolisher
SB: 3 [PLC] Extirpate
SB: 3 [TSB] Tormod's Crypt
SB: 2 [PLC] Damnation


Icatian Javelineers is there for lack of a better one-drop. He does snipe Bobs and Cliques though, which seems pretty good.

Some of the MD choices will be switched out with testing, I'm sure. The sideboard is mostly just crap thrown together, as I have no real idea what'll be out there at this point.

-Mike

Bignasty197
08-25-2011, 05:23 PM
It looks fun, but painful.

Fetches, Shocks, Bob, Maralen, Thoughtseize, Dismember. This is alot of lifeloss without any way to gain some back. Kitchen Finks should be in here somewhere.

mcfarland
08-25-2011, 05:26 PM
Agreed. With Jitte out of the picture, I tend to underestimate how bad lifeloss can be. I wonder if Gerrard's Verdict could be good enough... it can net me 6 life in the midgame, but it seems pretty underwhelming next to the targetted one-drops...

Hmm.

Bignasty197
08-25-2011, 05:27 PM
Verdict isn't legal in Modern.

mcfarland
08-25-2011, 06:05 PM
So it... isn't. :)

sporenfrosch1411
08-25-2011, 07:17 PM
Am i missing something?

For me this reads:
During your upkeep, Demonic Tutor - for 3 Life. During your opponents upkeep, he can choose the most suitable card among his top 4 cards of his library - for 3 life.
Whats the point? Why would you want to do this Oo ? Even for a 2-card synergy, this seems awfully weak.

mcfarland
08-25-2011, 07:35 PM
I haven't tested it more than a dozen times, so I'm not saying that it's crazy good. What I have noticed, though, is that once they're assembled, games tend to end quickly and in your favor.

First, Malaren provides a pretty fast clock that works in favor of whoever is ahead on the board. Next, they allow you to tutor up the best card in your deck each turn and your opponent can grab one of four. One draw step allows you to find whatever you need to set up a better board, and once that's established, it's really difficult for your opponent to answer you in time. They can't search for answers effectively, and they can't hope to find them using traditional card draw.

I don't think this is a great shell, and I'll be working on it. But once you've stripped away their current answers with discard and vialed in, you've usually won, and I think it's worth exploring.

Phoenix Ignition
08-25-2011, 08:07 PM
I'm confused, do you need to:

1. Make them discard all relevant removal
2. Drop Aven Mindcensor
3. Drop Maralen

...?

If you grab Maralen without step 1 (and with step 2) you essentially pray they don't have a removal.
If you grab Maralen without step 2 (and with step 1) they just tutor up a removal spell and kill it.
If you have just step 1 and step 2 without Maralen, not much has happened in your favor.

What are you even going for here?

MGC_player
08-26-2011, 06:26 AM
Instead of Aven Mindcensor, Leonin Arbiter would probably be the better fit since it can stop the search unless they can pay mana.

In addition, I think Bob, Colfenor's plans, and perhaps some other cards that put cards in your hand could be used to get around the non drawing clause of Maralen.