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Thread: Gift Shift

  1. #1

    Gift Shift

    So after alot of tinkering with Gifts Ungiven and Scapeshift brews in Modern I have found a deck that I think packs a fairly decent punch and I was hoping to get feed back.

    4 Sakura-Tribe Elder
    3 Snapcaster Mage

    2 Cryptic Comand
    2 Gifts Ungiven
    4 Remand
    2 Electroylze
    1 Repeal
    1 Noxious Revival
    2 Izzet Charm
    1 Gigadrowse
    1 Telling Time

    1 Farseek
    4 Search for Tomorrows
    3 Scapeshift
    4 Sleight of Hand

    4 Stomping Ground
    4 Steam Vents
    1 Mountain
    1 Snow-Covered Mountain
    1 Snow-Covered Forest
    1 Snow Covered Island
    2 Forest
    2 Island
    2 Breeding Pool
    1 Flooded Grove
    1 Cascade Bluffs
    2 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
    3 Misty Rainforest

    SIDEBOARD
    1 Batterskull
    1 Gigadrowse
    1 Dispell
    1 Engineered Explosives
    1 Echoing Truth
    1 Anger of the Gods
    1 Firespout
    1 Combust
    1 Shatterstorm
    1 Creeping Corrosion
    1 Sowing Salt
    1 Counterflux
    2 Obstinate Baloth
    1 Destructive Revelery
    1 Krosan Grip


    Alot of attention was paid to maximizing the Gifts Package above all else. The only think I dislike is the second destructive revelery in the board. I really want to swap it for a Nature's Claim to dodge Spell Snare and to allow it to also be tutored for off of a Gifts pile; the issue with that is I dislike the idea of giving my opponent 4 life on the chance it puts them over 18 which in turn requires an 8th land to kill. The other option I thought of was play a K-Grip and forgoing the free 2 damage.

    EDIT---- UPDATED LIST ---- as of 11/22/14
    Repeal has been cut for Into the Roil and a Snapcaster Mage has been swaped for a Pact of Negation

    4 Sakura-Tribe Elder
    2 Snapcaster Mage

    2 Cryptic Comand
    3 Gifts Ungiven
    4 Remand
    2 Electroylze
    1 Repeal
    1 Noxious Revival
    2 Izzet Charm
    1 Gigadrowse
    1 Telling Time
    1 Pact of Negation

    1 Farseek
    4 Search for Tomorrows
    2 Scapeshift
    4 Sleight of Hand

    4 Stomping Ground
    4 Steam Vents
    1 Mountain
    1 Snow-Covered Mountain
    1 Snow-Covered Forest
    1 Snow Covered Island
    1 Forest
    2 Island
    3 Breeding Pool
    1 Flooded Grove
    1 Cascade Bluffs
    2 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
    3 Misty Rainforest

    SIDEBOARD
    1 Batterskull
    1 Gigadrowse
    1 Dispell
    1 Engineered Explosives
    1 Echoing Truth
    1 Anger of the Gods
    1 Firespout
    1 Combust
    1 Shatterstorm
    1 Creeping Corrosion
    1 Sowing Salt
    1 Counterflux
    2 Obstinate Baloth
    2 Destructive Revelery
    Last edited by nodahero; 11-22-2014 at 10:21 AM.

  2. #2
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    Re: Gift Shift

    I like playing the 3rd gifts over the 3rd Scapeshift. The reason is that scapeshift isn't useful until 7 mana, so you might as well just cast a gifts in one of the turns before that since it gives you more flexibility. I also really like a pact of negation, since it improves your gifts piles considerably (snapcaster + scapeshift + pact + noxious revival) against blue decks, and given the mana ramp this deck creates you can make it active a full 1-2 turns sooner than you might be able to get otherwise.

    That's about the only comment I have. I like shift-gifts a lot better than just regular scapeshift since I think gifts helps a lot (but I don't play it, so I'm not qualified to comment really).
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  3. #3
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    Re: Gift Shift

    Quote Originally Posted by Valtrix View Post
    I like playing the 3rd gifts over the 3rd Scapeshift. The reason is that scapeshift isn't useful until 7 mana, so you might as well just cast a gifts in one of the turns before that since it gives you more flexibility. I also really like a pact of negation, since it improves your gifts piles considerably (snapcaster + scapeshift + pact + noxious revival) against blue decks, and given the mana ramp this deck creates you can make it active a full 1-2 turns sooner than you might be able to get otherwise.

    That's about the only comment I have. I like shift-gifts a lot better than just regular scapeshift since I think gifts helps a lot (but I don't play it, so I'm not qualified to comment really).
    I also really like a single PoN, it was the first adjustment I made when I saw this deck in some dailies. I'm playing 3 Gifts/3 Scape, but haven't tested a whole lot yet.
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  4. #4

    Re: Gift Shift

    Any suggestions on what cards to cut/trim from the list?

    One card that has been insane as a 1 of for me is Gigadrowse. That card has over performed every time it gets cast. I tried moving it to 2 however there was fair bit of diminishing returns to that card I noted--- it really clogs the hand in the early game similar to Cryptic Command.

  5. #5

    Re: Gift Shift

    Hey guys

    So I took my previous list to a 4 round swiss event and went 4-0 8-1 in games using the changes of 3 gifts and 2 Scapeshift (great change by the way!!).

    The next thing I want is to find a way to squeeze in 1 reclaim. alot of the time I was actually short of being able to get back the scapeshift, cast it and protect it in one turn. I think adding a Reclaim to the package would help due to the 1 cost and the added tutor utility.

    Thoughts on a cut?


    EDIT---- it occurs to me that your suggestion to add a Pact would actually fulfill the same roll essentially. any thoughts on a cut for that spell?

  6. #6
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    Re: Gift Shift

    Could you post an updated list? I'm pretty interested in the deck and would like to learn more about the different matchups it has including some sideboard plans.

  7. #7

    Re: Gift Shift

    Absolutely...

    The updated list has been added to the opening post.

    I will post my sideboard practice and my choices sometime this weekend. Is there any card you are particularly interested in?

  8. #8
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    Re: Gift Shift

    Not really, just got my eyes on modern so not that familiar yet. The powerful decks to me seemed to be this and perhaps some esper thing once the fetched get reprinted so just wanted to get some intel.

  9. #9

    Re: Gift Shift

    I have a completed sideboard guide for my build however, I can't find a good way to post it here short of taking up a million lines. Thoughts?

    Additionally, I have tested running Ioona and Unburial Rites as an alternate combo post board however this lacks a punch since the opponents always board in grave hate. I did toy with adding it into the main however I was unsure what to cut and if it was worth it since then I am turning on my opponents point removal.

  10. #10

    Re: Gift Shift

    BUMP

    Another thing I have learned while testing is that Dispell is also REALLY good on the kill turn. It may not be a Pact of Negation, but it is really close.

    Also I am considering cutting Into the Roil for Void Snare. I do lose access to the cantrip portion of Roil, but I do dodge Spell Snare which is also a non-trivial issue.

    Also does anyone have any ideas on artifact/enchanment removal for the board that doesn't cost 2? and isn't already in the list?

  11. #11
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    Re: Gift Shift

    Ingot Chewer/Wispmare?
    Quote Originally Posted by Lemnear
    (On Innistrad)
    Yeah, an insanely powerful block which put the "derp!" factor in Legacy completely over the top.

  12. #12
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    Re: Gift Shift

    Would you not just play Erase/Wear & Tear? it's Instant, and Tear has two modes.
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  13. #13

    Re: Gift Shift

    There is certainly value in playing the 1 drop enchantment removal however, I don't have access to white mana in my list. So far my best solution I have found is Back to Nature as a way of solving double Blood Moons and co. plus being excellent against Boggles. I will keep everyone posted as the deck evolves; also, I do realize it gets hit by Spell Snare but some sacrifices may be needed.

  14. #14
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    Re: Gift Shift

    Quote Originally Posted by nodahero View Post
    BUMP

    Another thing I have learned while testing is that Dispell is also REALLY good on the kill turn. It may not be a Pact of Negation, but it is really close.

    Also I am considering cutting Into the Roil for Void Snare. I do lose access to the cantrip portion of Roil, but I do dodge Spell Snare which is also a non-trivial issue.

    Also does anyone have any ideas on artifact/enchanment removal for the board that doesn't cost 2? and isn't already in the list?
    Nature's Claim...but the 4 life seems relevant.
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  15. #15

    Re: Gift Shift

    At three you have K-Grip as mentioned. Also:

    Consign to Dust, Beast Within, or Sundering Vitae, as well as a bunch of stuff that doesn't add much. Sundering Vitae's Convoke is going to be used approximately never in this list, so you can probably rule it out. Consign to Dust might, every once in a great while, get played at 6. Beast Within is probably the best choice of those three, and probably better than K-Grip, since it can handle critters and lands.

  16. #16

    Re: Gift Shift

    Currently I am looking at sloting in a Back to Nature as a solution to the double Blood Moon draws of Blue Moon and friends; though again this suffers the Spell Snare dilema.

    I do like the idea of Beast Within and Consign to Nature... No one has actually suggested either of those in any of the threads I have posted in or decks I have reviewed. I can't think of any relevant lands I am afraid of outside of the potential mirror match where I might hit a stray Valakut or (unlikely) screw up their scapeshift math occasionally. Consign to Nature does seem like it has value although my low basic forest count make me believe I will likely not have the extra green to do it multiple times in a turn.

  17. #17

    Re: Gift Shift

    Quote Originally Posted by nodahero View Post
    I do like the idea of Beast Within and Consign to Nature... No one has actually suggested either of those in any of the threads I have posted in or decks I have reviewed. I can't think of any relevant lands I am afraid of outside of the potential mirror match where I might hit a stray Valakut or (unlikely) screw up their scapeshift math occasionally.
    Well,there's Tron, and there are plenty of creatures scarier than a vanilla 3/3.

  18. #18

    Re: Gift Shift

    I always forget that Beast Within can actually hit creatures... it is a very ungreen design.

  19. #19
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    Re: Gift Shift

    Engineered Explosives is perhaps a more flexible answer to blood moon (and multiples). It does require forest + island, but that seems not super difficult. It can't be snapcastered back though, which may be problematic if you are trying to gifts for it.
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  20. #20

    Re: Gift Shift

    I have toyed with Explosives and it was okay when I ran Academy Ruins/ Life from the Loam/Ravens Crime/ Urborg however it quickly became evident that the Loam/Crime/Urborg package took up alot of space and wasn't ideal unless I was already pulling ahead. At that point the Ruins/EE package just became much worse overall. You would honestly be surprised at the number of times I don't have access to basic forest/Island; i'm sure alot of that is personal play choice however I loath the feeling of not being able to cast a Cryptic due to lacking 3 U sources. While I only play 2 CCs, I draw them like a boss.

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