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I am writing an article on control in Modern from my last few months of playing U Tron, UWR Flash, UW Control.

 

But I feel that right now is a good time for affinity and a relatively weaker moment for Control as there is no proper way to close out the game.

 

So here is my list.

 

4 Arcbound Ravager

4 Vault Skirge

4 Signal Pest

4 Ornithopter

3 Steel Overseer

3 Master of Etherium

2 Memnite

1 Etched Champion

 

4 Mox Opal

4 Cranial Plating

3 Galvanic Blast

3 Springleaf Drum

2 Thoughtcast

1 Stubborn Denial

1 Welding Jar

 

4 Glimmervoid

4 Blinkmoth Nexus

4 Inkmoth Nexus

4 Darksteel Citadel

1 Island

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This is pretty much your bread and butter affinity list. Not much to say since a lot of Modern in general comes down to the side board. For the main deck itself the only real flex slots I'd say you have are the 1 Welding Jar, a Galvanic Blast, the mix of Champion/Master, and the Thoughtcasts.

I personally play a Ghostfire Blade, a 4th Drum, a 2/2 split, and Ensoul Artifacts. I'm also trying to be clever an am playing a Moorland Haunt over the 4 Glimmervoid, but no idea how good that is. Over all wouldn't recommend making the changes though since a lot is based on personal preference/expected meta.

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I think you have the wrong expectation of Modern, as it doesn't come down to the sideboard except for the linear combo decks, and those are still warranted by how you play the game. The reflection of the sideboard isn't much different from Legacy or Standard, and the answers aren't as specific as people believe them to be. Galvanic Blast and thought cast are more important in this meta for how much we can be two-for-one in fair match ups thanks to the inclusion of Kolaghan's Command in Grixis Delver and Jund. We need ways to combat back and to gain tempo back. This is why the deck is strong, because of the different angles the cards provide in different means of the game and metagame.

 

Ghostfire Blade is good when the format is faster. Ensoul Artifact has become a card to sideboard out more than anything come these turns as it is going to be easier to deal with. While I don't think my list is perfect or that I have come to the perfect 75, I definitely think that I am going in the right direction with it. Etched Champion doesn't race well, and Jund is still an easier match up with Welding Jar and Master, so I didn't think too much of Etched Champion except for when I really need it, which is why I run 1 in sideboard.

 

I have never heard of using Moorland Haunt, but Lingering Souls is still pretty relevant with UWrb splashing for it and Crackling Doom. I don't think the card provides more game, so I am really not a fan of it. 

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I think you have the wrong expectation of Modern, as it doesn't come down to the sideboard except for the linear combo decks, and those are still warranted by how you play the game. The reflection of the sideboard isn't much different from Legacy or Standard, and the answers aren't as specific as people believe them to be. Galvanic Blast and thought cast are more important in this meta for how much we can be two-for-one in fair match ups thanks to the inclusion of Kolaghan's Command in Grixis Delver and Jund. We need ways to combat back and to gain tempo back. This is why the deck is strong, because of the different angles the cards provide in different means of the game and metagame.
 
Ghostfire Blade is good when the format is faster. Ensoul Artifact has become a card to sideboard out more than anything come these turns as it is going to be easier to deal with. While I don't think my list is perfect or that I have come to the perfect 75, I definitely think that I am going in the right direction with it. Etched Champion doesn't race well, and Jund is still an easier match up with Welding Jar and Master, so I didn't think too much of Etched Champion except for when I really need it, which is why I run 1 in sideboard.
 
I have never heard of using Moorland Haunt, but Lingering Souls is still pretty relevant with UWrb splashing for it and Crackling Doom. I don't think the card provides more game, so I am really not a fan of it.


Fair. I can only go off what I've heard others say, and I'd heard the sideboard is very important.

Ensoul is certainly the card in my list I'm most willing to cut. I was honestly just going over options. Affinity is a highly streamlined deck so its hard to comment on what changes you could make.

Moorland Haunt came from me wanting the 17th land but not caring if it was another colored source since otherwise it would have been a 4th Glimmervoid. Given Amulet Bloom decks I probably should play Ghost Quarters since that can delay them a turn of abusing bounce lands.
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Fair. I can only go off what I've heard others say, and I'd heard the sideboard is very important.

Ensoul is certainly the card in my list I'm most willing to cut. I was honestly just going over options. Affinity is a highly streamlined deck so its hard to comment on what changes you could make.

Moorland Haunt came from me wanting the 17th land but not caring if it was another colored source since otherwise it would have been a 4th Glimmervoid. Given Amulet Bloom decks I probably should play Ghost Quarters since that can delay them a turn of abusing bounce lands.

Sideboard is important, but the format changes a lot and have become a lot more coined to tier 2 decks, which answers have become a little bit more generic at the time.

 

Affinity has become more streamlined, but it is mostly trying to go with what the top decks are. And some cards are essential to get value when you can.

 

Ghost Quarter is a fantastic card against Tron as well, so go for it. I was thinking of it, but I couldn't find mine when I put this list together.

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Sideboard is important, but the format changes a lot and have become a lot more coined to tier 2 decks, which answers have become a little bit more generic at the time.

 

Affinity has become more streamlined, but it is mostly trying to go with what the top decks are. And some cards are essential to get value when you can.

 

Ghost Quarter is a fantastic card against Tron as well, so go for it. I was thinking of it, but I couldn't find mine when I put this list together.

 

Interesting. Honestly, the one thing I'm not 100% on is the sideboard. 

 

Yea, I made the switch. What put it over the top for me is that Command is so good against the deck that getting extra cards seems better.

 

Yea, I saw that Tron was also big right now and made the switch. Not sure what to cut from your list for it. Cutting the Glimmervoid like I did is a lot riskier since you don't have the 4th Drum and you can only go so low on colored sources. 

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I would just drop the Island from my main deck to play the Ghost Quarter.

 

Kolaghan's Command is as much of a beater as Electrolyze, but can hit harder. Thoughtcast can give us leverage, which i am happy about. The Stubborn Denial seems like a nice 1-of in my opinion against the combo decks, though, which I look forward to attempting.

 

This is the sideboard I started on:

2 Thoughtseize

2 Ancient Grudge

2 Spellskite

1 Blood Moon

1 Spell Pierce

1 Grafdigger's Cage

1 Whipflare

1 Relic of Progenitus

1 Etched Champion

1 Illness in the Ranks

1 Etched Champion

 

I might try to play 3 wear//tear for Amulet Bloom and Tron match ups, and I think that Illness in the Ranks isn't worth it to run as much, so that might become another Relic or a Stubborn Denial.

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I would just drop the Island from my main deck to play the Ghost Quarter.
 
Kolaghan's Command is as much of a beater as Electrolyze, but can hit harder. Thoughtcast can give us leverage, which i am happy about. The Stubborn Denial seems like a nice 1-of in my opinion against the combo decks, though, which I look forward to attempting.
 
This is the sideboard I started on:
2 Thoughtseize
2 Ancient Grudge
2 Spellskite
1 Blood Moon
1 Spell Pierce
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Whipflare
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Etched Champion
1 Illness in the Ranks
1 Etched Champion
 
I might try to play 3 wear//tear for Amulet Bloom and Tron match ups, and I think that Illness in the Ranks isn't worth it to run as much, so that might become another Relic or a Stubborn Denial.

 

Thats actually pretty similar the the sideboard I was figuring of going with. Sadly, I don't own the Bloodmoon so thats going to be fun to buy/replace.
 
The main draw of Illness is vs. Twin and the BW tokens deck. From my experience BW tokens is a miserable matchup even with some sideboard cards so giving up on it for more catch alls like the counter doesn't seem bad.
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Tokens can get around illness with Intagible virtue, but it does prevent twin from comboing off.


Thats the main reason its pretty medium vs. them. Like, if you have it in your board for the twin match I'd still bring it in since it does slow them down a fair bit, but the first Virtue makes their 1/1s live and thats all they really need against you.
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