Lots of things are going in constructed Modern. A new mechanic called ‚Companion‚ is shaking up what we understood by Modern for years. Lurrus of the Dream-Den
is the man (or the cat) of the day and Yorion, Sky Nomad
is just one little step behind waiting in ambush. Companions offer new opportunities for brewing. Yet, Lurrus and Mishra's Bauble
seem to be the perfect couple since the release of Ikoria.
However, Lurrus does not only open up possibilities for ongoing brew efforts but also gives older, well know Modern shells a significant kick in the a**. One of these decks seems to be good ol‘ Grixis Delver, piloted by Discord user and „Magic Mage Masters“ (Link to Discord community) competitor KevinKurac. Congratulations on your third place!
Actually, I was suprised to see this deck back in Modern – or Grixis at all. I remember the times when I faced Grixis Delver pilots with my Jund Midrange. These were good times. Real Magic for real people. Based on intense interactions and tied results. Midrange vs. tempo. Love it! Cosequently, I liked the deck before it was „unplayable“ and I am glad to see this All-Star back in the game. Nevertheless, next to Lurrus, there are some spicy novelties due to the release of Ikoria. Let‘s have a closer look to the decklist:
What’s the big deal? First of all, the amount of cheap spells immediately caught my eyes. This is not e new thing for Grixis Delver but I love to see this kind of „I draw more than only the first quarter of my cards“-deck. The deck is pure action from the start of the game. Discard spells (such as Thoughtseize
, Inquisition of Kozilek
), cantrips (such as Serum Visions
, Opt
), countermagic (such as Mana Leak
, Force of Negation
, Drown in the Loch
) or even removals (such as Fatal Push
, Lightning Bolt
, Kolaghan's Command
, Drown in the Loch) are checking and slamming the battlefield. They make sure that the deck‘s pilot is never out of gas and can increase the pressure on the opponent turn by turn. But also in between, as the deck is an arsenal of Instants (18 in numbers). However, let‘s focus on some spicy novelties in this Grixis Delver shell:
Hello kitty cat. By the way, did you also spot the baby Lurrus next to the big one? Anyway, Lurrus is the big star of Ikoria. And after bannings in Legacy and Vintage, the cat shines bringhter than ever in the ‚Modern‘ Sky. Bringing back, of course, Mishra's Bauble is a big deal and keeps the engine running. Beyond that, there is also the possibilty to bring back another new addition from Ikoria: Sprite Dragon
! Let‘s take a closer look at the faerie dragon:
A faerie dragon? To be honest, this sounds a little bit crazy. But we are in crazy times in a crazy Magic universe. It is not a joke, Wizards printed flying sharks (Shark Typhoon
). It is what it is. Hence, faerie dragons seem OK. Anyway, I really like this small boy. Hitting the battlefield on turn two to create some furor and then immediately start attacking due to haste. This seems to be legit. In the best case with the support of crossformat All-Star Delver of Secrets // Insectile Aberration
. In the next turns, one can continue with cheap cantrips, discard spells, removals or even ‚baubling‘ around (with Mishra's Bauble) while simultaneaously pumping Sprite Dragon. It is really a big deal, especially in this built around deck such as Grixis Delver. If the faerie dragon‘s fairytale doesn‘t get handled, he will close the game in just two or three hits. Smack down at it‘s best! However, another card in the decklist also raised my attention. I had to rub my eyes first but I like this wacky idea:
I could not believe my eyes, when I saw Cling to Dust
in the first 61 cards. I know this card from Theros Beyond Death Limited. And it was crap! Anyway, escape can be a big deal, as many of the cheap cantrips are rotting away at the cementery. This can be really useful, if one is facing some Dredge strategies and other graveyard decks. But this is not the only upside. The card is like a (very) small version of a Swiss army knive by also providing some lifegain if needed. Just in case one is paired against some Burn strategies, which basically happens during every tournament – sooner or later.
To sum up, I like this deck. Well, I am not a big fan of these new things called ‚Companions‘ for constructed play. Nevertheless, such a spicy tempo playstile, as seen in this article, makes me wanna give it a try as soon as possible. I like the early pressure with Delver of Secrets // Insectile Aberration and Sprite Dragon topped with effective cheap Instants and Sorceries, which clear out the way for the flyers and their companion Lurrus of the Dream-Den.
I hope you had an interesting read with this short deck presentation. Many thanks and congratulations to „Magic Mage Masters“ competitor KevinKurac. All the best with this deck during the next matches at the „Magic Mage Masters“. See you next time and if you want to join some Modern action , don‘t forget to register to the „Magic Mage Masters“ tournaments and the Discord channel. Best wishes and see you soon, Magic Nuss
Magic Nuss ist passionierter Modern und Limited Spieler. Mit seinen Beiträgen versorgt er die Schweizer Magic Community mit den aktuellsten Themen und Geschehnissen rund um unser heiss geliebtes Sammelkartenspiel. Wenn die Magic Nuss gerade nicht in die Tasten haut, dann trifft man den Jund-Fanatiker auch hie und da in den Berner Ligen oder an internationalen Grand Prix. Magic Nuss legt grossen Wert auf Fairness im Spiel und in der Magic Community.
Very insightful and interesting blogpost! Many thanks for creating such quality content even related to „Magic Mage Masters“, this is highly appreciated! I personally like the Grixis colors and such deck types / archetypes. New cards like „Sprite Dragon“ and „Lurrus of the Dream-Den“ have finally pushed Grixis Delver back into Modern. Let’s see what WOTC will change regarding the Companion mechanics in the follow-up B&R announcement next Monday.
Hi Dave! Thank you very much for your reaction. This is amazing to red and keeps me motivated! I am glad to join „Magic Mage Masters“ as a blogger and I am looking forward to more contributions. I think Lurrus is definitely the ‚King‘ in this deck. Nevertheless, I think it should also be playable with Lurrus as non-companion; in the main 60. But let’s see what will happen on monday :-).