[Modern] Splinter Twin Not Infinite 1 of 2

Someone issued me a deck building challenge: to build a Splinter Twin deck with two Pestermites and no Deceiver Exarchs. I upped the ante to "nothing like the infinite combo." I have come out unsuccessful, yet I learned a lot about mostly blue cards that can tap or untap a creature (but not both and that is why only two cards work in the current infinite combo); artifacts that can tap or untap a creature; and planeswalkers that do the same. I roamed far and wide, and here is a summary of my roaming.

I am not giving you a deck list because the conclusion from this deck challenge is that to use Splinter Twin on a creature once per turn just does not work right now. The mana and time spent creating a token Wurmcoil Engine is far better spent casting two Wurmcoil Engines. I did not try Blade Splicer and the other Golem token generators from New Phyrexia because as a casual player I am willing to wait for this card to cost a lot less down the road. It is possible to use either Ral Zarek or Tezzeret the Seeker to get additional token Wurmcoil Engines, but that is such a far-fetched late game combo. In a five turn format like Modern that super combo just will not happen. A combo in your hand is better than one hundred combos flying, and the super combo of Splinter Twin on Wurmcoil Engine done three times with Ral Zarek and Tezzeret the Seeker is definitely a combo flying.

Today's competitive standard is largely ruled by the money combo of Tarmogoyf, Liliana of the Veil, and often Dark Confidant; decks with Delver of Secrets and Snapcaster Mage; decks with an infinite combo that is still Modern-legal such as Splinter Twin; and decks casting an Emrakul, the Aeons Torn. Any other deck outside those is either a small percentage of the meta, the flavor of the month in popularity, or not tier 1 competitive.

Enough babbling, let's go through all those dead ends.

1. I took my devotion to red deck and added Splinter Twin to it. It made it much slower and a steady loser. No matter how annoying a Red Deck Wins match-up is, if you cannot beat RDW, you don't have a deck. Period. 

Here is a loss against a hexproof build. Notice that I am not casting ANY Splinter Twins, and that's the whole point of this exercise.

2. I add Splinter Twin to my Tezzeret build I just spent a glorious winning time with, and BAM, I can cast it on a Wurmcoil Engine and it is cool.

Except that Modern is just too fast for that!

I did have a fun loss against a Krenko deck. Krenko is so much fun!

A zillion Goblins.

Voracious Dragon eats them all into a 40/40 critter... ouch.

Click here for the last part of this challenge.

[Modern] Tezzeret the Seeker deck Part 4 of 4

Link to previous wins installment

Here I complete describing my wins with this deck to date.

6. I love playing against Kamigawa flip cards because I think they are cool, even if never tournament quality (never say never, though, maybe some day!).

I used my Etched Champion with protection from all colors for the win.

7. Here is an interesting game against a control deck. I got wiped early.

I landed a Wurmcoil Engine but my opponent had an enchanted hexproof angel (Sigarda, Host of Herons). Rewind worked really well late game against me!

Here is another Rewind (ouch!).

But once I landed two critters, and let my Wurmcoil die to give me a total of three critters, I had the upper hand.

More removal later I swing for the win with Etched Champion. It really helps to have a play set of Wurmcoil Engines.

8. Here is an interesting White Green deck. Having an early flyer can make a huge difference.

And even though my opponent had a good array of critters, including my all-time favorite Wolfish Silverheart, it wasn't enough. I won with a Tezzeret the Seeker ultimate.

[Modern] Tezzeret the Seeker deck Part 3 of 4

Link to previous wins installment

Here I continue describing my wins with this deck to date.

3. Here is a Tezzeret the Seeker ultimate against an Innistrad Werewolf deck.

4. This artifact deck was very interesting. My opponent kept tapping my two Wurmcoil Engines.

But my opponent did not have any flyers!

5. Here is an example of how explosive the early game can be with this deck. This is a turn three Chronomatron hitting for 6.

Link to final wins installment

[Modern] Tezzeret the Seeker deck Part 2 of 4

Link to previous installment (deck and a few losses)

Now for the good news: three posts full of wins, including Tezzeret the Seeker ultimates.

1. In this game my opponent had some control cards that could have stalled me to a loss, such as Supreme Verdict.

Remand is a great stall tactic and the reason why a loss can be turned into a win for games when all you need is one additional turn over your opponent.

2. This deck uses an artifact that gives each player a draw after a critter dies (Fecundity).

My opponent loses their Steel Hellkite to stay in the game. I am willing to lose one of my Ornithopters.

They play a second Stell Hellkite and another Porcelain Crawler.

Nice low CMC Myr.

I am willing to lose yet another Ornithopter and not have to deal with a Steel Hellkite. In this early version of the deck I am playing a critter I take out later.

I have more critters coming and can afford to have one for one critter losses.

Eventually my opponent gives up.

Link to additional wins (Part 3)

[Modern] Tezzeret the Seeker deck Part 1 of 4

I had so much fun with this deck that it will take me four posts to show all the fun games. I played in Just for Fun and the deck has some weaknesses. It is definitely not a competitive deck, but in Just for Fun it is a ton of fun.

Bad news first, here are some losses. Here my opponent uses the Graveborn ability of Bitter Ordeal as a combo with an artifact that hits me for one every time my deck is searched.

Here a Living End destroys all my creatures and reanimates my opponent's cycling creatures.

In this game I miscalculated and my opponent used a battle trick to win the game.

Trample!

Here is the end of the game.

I learned the hard way how Raven's crime works. Retrace means my opponent can discard a land and play it a second time from the graveyard. Talk about CA (card advantage)! I also made the mistake of discarding two lands to it and left myself mana screwed for several turns.

If only I had not discarded the lands. I should have discarded other cards.

Here I get locked out by white enchantments that ask for mana to let me atack.

Follow this link to part 2 where I begin to recount wins with this deck.

[Standard] Warriors (again)

I lost against a deck using Gift of Immortality on Merciless Executioner and I had to try this combo. Here it is.

I played against another warrior deck (even though my opponent chatted that they had more than a warrior deck, every critter I faced was a warrior LOL).

Here I reduce the number of critters on both sides.

I lose a Hordehief after I hit with it.

And I lose a second Hordechief yet I hit with its ability.

When I attack with a Bloodsoaked Champion I am able to dig two more out of the graveyard onto the battlefield.

In this game I lost three of my critters to Banishing Light yet I was still able to swing for the win.