Hello Everyone, and welcome to another edition of Making It In Modern! I want to apologize for the delay in regularly scheduled content, I have been having some real issues with my computer, but I believe those issues are now behind me. In my last article, I went over the Spirit tribe, and what I thought it could bring to the table with the printing of a new lord in M19. As I’ve stated before, I believe Spirits definitely received a bump in power level with Supreme Phantom. In the last couple of weeks, I have been testing a couple different configurations of Spirit decks and have committed to taking a Spirit deck to the next Star City Games Invitational Qualifer I attend in August.

There were two different configurations that I have been testing in U/W Spirits and Esper Spirits. The only draw to Black that I found for Spirits was to incorporate Lingering Souls in the deck. Having access to four 1/1 flying Spirits for five mana seems pretty good when you take into account the eight lords that buff them up to deal some massive combat damage. Having some large Spirit tokens is a pretty powerful thing, however I was having issues with little to no card advantage in Esper and couldn’t seem to get a sufficient amount of card draw in the deck without severely undermining the power level and synergy of the rest of the deck. Ultimately, I found that the U/W list I have been toying with, although not totally revolutionary and new, has the best game plan for what I am trying to do.

U/W Spirits

Creatures

4x Mausoleum Wanderer

2x Kami of False Hope

4x Supreme Phantom

4x Rattlechains

4x Selfless Spirit

2x Phantasmal Image

4x Drogskol Captain

4x Spell Queller

Spells

4x Aether Vial

3x Path to Exile

4x Curious Obsession

Lands

4x Flooded Strand

4x Hallowed Fountain

4x Seachrome Coast

2x Moorland Haunt

2x Ghost Quarter

3x Island

2x Plains

Sideboard

2x Ceremonious Rejection

1x Path to Exile

1x Negate

1x Blessed Alliance

1x Kataki, War’s Wage

1x Remorseful Cleric

2x Rest In Peace

2x Stony Silence

1x Eidolon of Rhetoric

2x Settle the Wreckage

1x Worship

This list is pretty similar compared to the U/W Taxes list that I wrote about in my last article, the difference being no taxes, introduction of fetch lands and shock lands, and the integration of Supreme Phantom in the synergistic creature bunch. The best thing you can do on turn one in this deck is of course, deploy an Aether Vial to start ticking it up for flash shenanigans and the ability to play more creatures with the light mana count. Aether Vial is definitely necessary in this deck for it to be competitive.

One Drop Creatures

This list runs six total one drop creatures between two creatures, which is a little more than most lists. The obvious creature in this slot is Mausoleum Wanderer. The Wanderer is a perennial Spirit all star and gives you early pressure and protection for instants and sorceries if need be. The buff that Mausoleum Wanderer gets from Spirits entering until end can add up a decent chunk of damage as you are able to put multiple Spirits on the battlefield by casting them and vialing them in. The second one drop in this list is a strange on in Kami of False Hope. Although its not menacing in combat, its still an early attacker and will get boosts from future lords. In this more combat step matters meta though, Kami of False Hope’s ability can turn into blowout wins for you. Being able to flash it in with Rattlechains’ ability or less likely to happen, put it on the battlefield with Vial at instant speed, you can prevent a late game alpha strike attack to save your creatures and potentially win the game on the crack back. I don’t think Kami is deserving of a playset spot in the deck, but it sure has been effective for me so far.

Two Drop Creatures

The two drop spot in this list hosts the majority of the Spirits. Supreme Phantom is the newbie here, being a 1/3 flyer that gives all other Spirits +1/+1. Cheap lords are always great in Modern and being able to put it on the battlefield at instant speed can be excellent at any given time. Rattlechains, as mentioned before, is very good when on the battlefield and also can be flashed in itself to protect another Spirit by giving it hexproof when Rattlechains enters. Selfless Spirit gives you a way to protect your whole team by making all your creatures indestructible when you sacrifice it. It is a sweet Sweeper defense as U/W and Jeskai Control decks are beginning to see more play. The last two drop in the list is Phantasmal Image. The utility that it provides by being able to be any creature on the battlefield is a paramount ability. These can be lord copies nine and ten or any other creature you or your opponent controls to serve whatever you may need it to.

Three Drop Creatures

The curve here tops out at three with another lord and the sweetest Spirit around. Drogskol Captain is the three drop lord that had already existed in these decks. The +1/+1 to all Spirits is, of course great, but the captain giving all other Spirits hexproof is the best part of this card. Having two Captains on the battlefield virtually makes any Spirit you control untouchable. The last creature in the deck is my favorite Spirit, Spell Queller. Being the perfect tempo play Spirit, you can exile a spell with CMC four or less when you flash it onto the battlefield to fizzle removal spells or any other undesirable spell your opponent can cast. Spell Queller has been a staple in Standard and Modern since its release, and there’s definitely a good reason for it.

Noteworthy Cards and Aspects

The biggest reason as to why I like the U/W list over Esper, is that this deck can still run Curious Obsession. I wouldn’t run too many noncreature spells in an Aether Vial deck, so i cut the Obsessions for Lingering Souls in Esper. Curious Obsession is just a great value card in this list with the vast majority of the creatures in the deck having flying, you are almost certainly drawing cards when you attack. the +1/+1 that it gives, as well, is huge, Path to Exile is a necessary card to clear out threats that may give you a hard time and I have been shuffling back and forth between three and four copies in the main, but I am sticking with three for now. There are no Geist of Saint Traft in this 75 list and some of you may be confused why. The Geist is usually always being blocked in my testing, and although the four damage from the Angel Token is nice, a three mana Boros Charm is not where this deck wants to be. I am on the fence with it being in the sideboard, but as of now, I am not giving it a spot in the deck at all. The sideboard is set up to combat specific matchups, but I’d like to point out Settle The Wreckage. I feel like any White Midrange/Tempo deck right now should have Settle in the sideboard, as it is very good against both Humans and Hollow One.

Wrap Up

Well that is all that I have for you today. What do you think? Do you think this deck could do some winning on large stages? Do you have any other suggestions or ideas? Let me know by commenting below or following me on Twitter @T2TKS. Also, don’t forget to follow @MTGDecktechs and give us a Like on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MTGDeckTechs/. Thank you all for giving this a read, and will talk to you all next time!

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