SCD - Wasteland Strangler

[Cire]

General Discussion regarding:

Wasteland Strangler

There are a variety of ways to meet the strangler's condition, not even including the opponent's own delves. The Strangler is a 3/2 beater for 3 that can kill an opponents creature pretty often. I do not think it is auto-include, as a deck will need to have a certain amount of exile cards to make it work.

Just from goldfishing, my rule in deck construction has been 11 "exile" cards for 3 Strangler (So 15 "exile cards for 4 strangler, but I do not think you want to run 4 stanglers).

Anyway which cards work well with it? (Below are cards with a converted mana-cost of 3 [Except Leyline] or less that may have good applications with the Strangler, some are better than others obviously.

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Extirpate
Faerie Macabre
Surgical Extraction
Leyline of the Void

Reality Shift
Delay

Path To Exile
Flickerwisp
Banishing Light
Journey to Nowhere
Oblivion Ring
Rest in Peace

Scavenging Ooze

Tidehollow Sculler
Castigate
Hide/Seek
Unmake

Chained to the Rocks

Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver

Detention Sphere

Abzan Charm

Jester's Scepter
Tormod's Crypt
Relic of Progentius

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So from the above list a couple deck ideas become apparent:


A monoblack deck running a lot of discard and creature kill and Extirpate+Surgical Extraction.
A White/Black death and taxes list
A White/Black death and taxes with a splash for red (for Chained to the Rocks, Bolts and the BR command)
A Rock Deck (BGW) running Path to Exile, Sculler, Ooze, Abzan and maybe even collected company and goyf.
An Esper Deck (BWU) running Path to Exile, Sculler, Delay and Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver, and a set of blue control cards.


I believe the mono-black deck is probably a poor direction, but the other four directions are completely valid. The core of the deck no matter what will probably be:

3 Wasteland Strangler
4 Path To Exile
4 Tidehollow Sculler
3 "Exile Cards"

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This thread is for any Modern decklist using Wasteland Strangler.

[Timber]

I like the idea of a BWx deck that can curve Brain Maggot or Tidehollow Sculler into the Strangler. You can also Thoughtseize, Inquisition, or Liliana +1 and follow it up with a Surgical Extraction to exile it.

[Cire]

From personal experience (and that's all we are going to get til we see tournament results) if you are running 3 Stranglers 11+ exile effects of 2CMC or below is enough to reliably cast this when you draw into it. (This of course means that in my testing while the flickerwisp interaction is awesome, you shouldn't rely on it, at least for the 11+ exile recommendation). When I ran 4 Stranglers, I found that you need to run 15+ exile effects of 2CMC or below. When I ran 2 Stranglers, my testing showed you only need 8+ exile effects of 2CMC or below.

Thus from the above for a Death and taxes deck running only 4 PTE, 4 Sculler and 4 Flickerwisp, I would only recommend 2 Stranglers as a base.

For esper I would recommend 4 PTE, 4 Sculler, 3 Delay and 3 Stranglers as a starting base (feel free to add in Flickerwisp if you can find room).

For abzan, since you are playing green and I personally believe that Collected Company is a must if you're in that color in Modern - I suggest 4 PTE, 4 Sculler, 4 Stranglers, 4 Flickerwisp, 4 Collected Company, 4 Scavenging Ooze, 4 Dryad Militant as a starting base.

[CaptainTwiddle]

I've been brewing a bit with Wasteland Strangler and I feel like the card will gain traction as time goes on. I've been playing a B/w Aether Vial deck (Death and Taxes-esque, but heavy on discard/hand disruption) and Strangler has been great. One card that it has synergy with that wasn't in the list above and I think is under represented in Modern in general is Stonecloaker. SC exiles a card from your opponent's graveyard and can be used to pick up your Strangler for a replay.

[Barook]

Apperently there's a new "flavor of the month" deck that is budget and puts up results: Bx Eldrazi Ramp

Since it's dirt cheap, I used some tix to build the Monoblack (http://www.mtggoldfish.com/archetype/modern-mono-black-eldrazi#online) version online, but didn't really like it since it's too durdly.

There are also several splash versions going 5-0, although I like the white one (http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/modern/deck-creation-modern/651774-bx-eldrazi-processors?comment=174) the most so far.

[MGB]

Apperently there's a new "flavor of the month" deck that is budget and puts up results: Bx Eldrazi Ramp

Since it's dirt cheap, I used some tix to build the Monoblack (http://www.mtggoldfish.com/archetype/modern-mono-black-eldrazi#online) version online, but didn't really like it since it's too durdly.

There are also several splash versions going 5-0, although I like the white one (http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/modern/deck-creation-modern/651774-bx-eldrazi-processors?comment=174) the most so far.

I've been testing the mono black version online a bit and it feels very powerful. Few decks can fight fair vs. fast Eldrazis, and the fact that the deck plays copious grave hate MD and ghost quarters MD gives it quite a bit of game against some of the unfair stuff in the format.

[Mr. Safety]

I like the idea of a BWx deck that can curve Brain Maggot or Tidehollow Sculler into the Strangler. You can also Thoughtseize, Inquisition, or Liliana +1 and follow it up with a Surgical Extraction to exile it.

Agreed, curving sculler into strangler is hawt.

I think a utility build including Sin Collctor and Sculler would be fun. It allows dudes to double as disruption. Seems deadguy-ish and I love me some deadguy.

Edit: aether vial seems no-brainer to me. Sin Collector, strangler, and flickerwhisp are all 3 drops. Sculler, brain maggot, dark confidant are all 2 drops. One drops in modern are meh, discard and vials are the best options I think.

[CaptainTwiddle]

I've posted a separate thread (http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/showthread.php?30236-Rats-(Aether-Vial-disruption-B-w-DNT)&p=922652#post922652) about the Rat deck that I've been testing which makes use of Wasteland Strangler, for anyone who is interested.