I've been playing with a deck idea for getting Progenitus into a game. So after mulling over my collection for a few hours (plus adding a few cards I don't have), this is what I've come up with. GW aggro, with some removal and a few methods of sneaking (cheating) fatties onto the battlefield. I would appreciate some feedback, just know that I'm fairly new to the game and I'm still learning the art of deck crafting. So if I showed up at an FNM event, what outcome could I expect from something like this?

http://deckbox.org/sets/683215

A friend of mine has a similar idea... I'd take a look at his build and see if you can make heads-or-tails out of it (I'm not going to claim for a second that I'm a modern player).

http://deckbox.org/sets/689934

It is a similar idea, but it looks like he's trying to muscle his fatties in by actually earning the mana. I've only got one Progy in there because I have a few different methods of searching the deck for him and then playing him from my hand without paying his actual cost. And I'm figuring too that if he were to get killed he goes right back into the deck and I should still have the mechanics in place to pull him a second time.

Not that my idea is original or anything, I've just never done it before.

Just took a super quick look and I have a few thoughts.
1) Mistcutter Hyrda and Summoning Trap are completely counter-intuitive. Hydra can't be countered to activate the trap and trapping into a Hydra gets you a 0/0 that dies immediately.
2) Ring of 3 Wishes is bad. Really really bad. 10 mana for a card in hand is way too slow.
3) Without any ramp Garruk is going to be too slow.
4) Summoning Trap only works if your opponent has counter spells and can easily whiff with only 2 fatties in the deck. Since it is one of your main ways of cheating a fatty into play and the fact that it is a dead card against many decks I would run it in the sideboard.

Overall this seems too slow and too easily disrupted to really be competitive at all. =/

That is exactly the kind of feedback I wanted! I knew there would be problems but I just couldn't see them. I'm going in for reevaluation. Thank you thank you thank you.

Kammikaze, can you make any suggestions to make this work? I've taken all your advice for getting rid of cards but those were my best ideas so any help would be appreciated if you can think of anything.

Tooth and Nail?
Summoners Egg?

Actually…that looks like it will work…Nice! Thanks!

The way I see you really have 3 options:
1) If you really like the "cheating" strategy then your most competitive option is an Instant Reanimator deck.
2) If your goal is just to get really big stuff out then Tron is even more competitive than Reanimator.
3) If you're looking for something a little more budget friendly, but less competitive, then my friend's mono-G ramp deck definitely fits the bill. It runs Arbor Elf and Overgrowth for huge early ramp into Tooth and Nail for 2 Primalcrux. You could make this more competitive by adding blue for countermagic or white for Path to Exile and such.

What's with the spear of heliod? I think I'm missing something there.

You may want to try some non-creature or more resilient ramp spells because Modern has a lot of cheap removal to take out your mana dorks. I'm not saying any is better than another, but here are some options:

Farseek
search for tomorrow
pentad prism
lotus bloom
Sakura-Tribe Elder
Rampant Growth

Timber wrote:What's with the spear of heliod? I think I'm missing something there.

You may want to try some non-creature or more resilient ramp spells because Modern has a lot of cheap removal to take out your mana dorks. I'm not saying any is better than another, but here are some options:

Farseek
search for tomorrow
pentad prism
lotus bloom
Sakura-Tribe Elder
Rampant Growth

My thinking for Spear was to include something that could pump the little guys but still act as a removal, too. In my head it made sense, lol. But the plan for this deck began as something to make Progenitus appear, not to actually earn the mana for him. Fauna Shaman to search the deck for him and then Quicksilver Amulet or Garruk, Caller of Beasts to get him into play. And I only have one copy of Progenitus because he can't be put into a graveyard--he just dies and goes back into your hand, and with Fauna Shaman you search the entire deck for him so it's not like you have to luck into him being in the top 5 cards or something. Again, though, this is what my brain is telling me and I'm obviously new to this.

I've been working on my own Modern deck designed to Cheat things out for a while now. So I will be honestly critical of your deck now that I've taken a more in depth look. I dont mean to be rude just helpful.

You have probably 1-2 too many ways to cheat out Progenitus. and a few too many ways to look for him. You can just summoning Pact for a Fauna Shaman if you really need to. But you dont have quite enough creatures right now to fund the Fauna Shaman throughout the game.

Similarly I dont particularly like Spear or Nykthos in the deck. You need to decide if you need to get up to 6 mana for Garruk or 9 Mana to Tooth and Nail.

Nor do you have much in the way of disruption. I'd drop Selesnya Charm (the charm is good but outside of Goyf theres not too much in Modern that it picks up in the removal department), pick up 2 more Path to Exile at the very least.

So in short changes I'd recommend...
-Nykthos
-Spear
-Selesnya Charm
-Elvish Mystic?
-2 Summoning Pact
+Birds of Paradise
+Path to Exile
+2-3 Fatties

You want like 8-10 Total of the following:
0-4 Summoning Trap
0-4 Amulet
0-4 Garruk

Like
8-10 of the following:
0-4 Fauna Shaman
0-4 Progenitus
0-4 Worldspine Worm
0-4 Other Green Fatty (Craterhoof Behemoth???)

And then probably 0-3 of The Following
0-2 Summoning Pact
0-2 Tooth and Nail


If you'd like to see my deck the current test pattern is this.. (I havent tested this specific Configuration)
http://deckbox.org/sets/645845

xMatch wrote:My thinking for Spear was to include something that could pump the little guys but still act as a removal, too. In my head it made sense, lol.

I think this takes away from the purpose of the deck.

xMatch wrote:But the plan for this deck began as something to make Progenitus appear, not to actually earn the mana for him.

Right, but you don't have 6 turns in Modern to cast Garruk or Tooth and Nail. You need Progenitus out on turn 4 or it's probably not going to happen because your opponent is going to be too well positioned to disrupt your plan or has killed you already. You need 6-7 green mana on turn 4.

All this, everything, it's very very much appreciated. I've gotten value from every single comment in this thread so thanks to everyone. I realize this is just a little pipe dream of mine that will never be *really* competitive, but if I can throw down one of these fatties in one of my casual kitchen table games the look on my buddy's face will be priceless. And who knows, maybe I'll take this bitch up to FNM and see how fast I get slammed. So thanks.

Now, taking what I can glean, especially TRZ's well-thought out suggestions, I may have something workable. I don't have all these cards but I should be able to get them within a week or two. I added Channel of Suns because I have a playset of them, and I threw in a Wrath of God because I have a playset of them too and could wipe the board at some point if needed. Of course, I'm learning that a lot of my ideas that sound good in my head don't actually work so if I need to pull them back out I will. Here's the latest rendition.

http://deckbox.org/sets/683215

It looks like you're headed in the right direction. Personnally I would probably consider Dropping the Summoning Trap + Channel the suns and adding back in 4 Avacyn's pilgrim (or Noble Hierarch if you have Fat Stacks) That will make the deck abit more consistent and should work pretty well I think. Its worth play testing from at least!

I hope I didn't come off as too callus because that wasn't my intent. I encourage people to try new things, I just want you to know what you might expect to see in Modern. I've been to events where everyone's playing their own brews and events where everyone's playing a tier deck.

You never know what could work until you try it.

Timber wrote:I hope I didn't come off as too callus because that wasn't my intent. I encourage people to try new things, I just want you to know what you might expect to see in Modern. I've been to events where everyone's playing their own brews and events where everyone's playing a tier deck.

You never know what could work until you try it.

Not at all, I think it was great feedback. I dropped the Spear didn't I? And I'm adding more mana production! Your comment had value!!

Thanks :)

TRZ wrote:It looks like you're headed in the right direction. Personnally I would probably consider Dropping the Summoning Trap + Channel the suns and adding back in 4 Avacyn's pilgrim (or Noble Hierarch if you have Fat Stacks) That will make the deck abit more consistent and should work pretty well I think. Its worth play testing from at least!

That I can do. Now I just have to buy the cards I'm missing and play it! (BTW My stacks are potbellied but nowhere near fat enough for a playset of Noble Hierarch ;)

Just dealt a test hand with this as it stands now and this is what I pulled:

Plains
Forest
Plains
Avacyn's Pilgrim
Fauna Shaman
Channel the Suns
Quicksilver Amulet

This hand could put Progenitus on the battlefield on turn 4 I believe.

Next 5 draws would be:
Avacyn's Pilgrim
Craterhoof Behemoth
Garruk, Caller of Beasts
Plains
Forest

If I can get draws like this, this deck may work out ok.

xMatch wrote: (BTW My stacks are potbellied but nowhere near fat enough for a playset of Noble Hierarch ;)

heh I got abit lucky and picked up my hierarchs when they were like 20. Aww yeah. :D Best investment I've ever traded for. Totally surprised at how amazing they are. Keep an eye out you might be able to get a few for cheap here and there.

Well right now I'm trying to pick up 4 Wurmcoil Engine and 4 Umezawa's Jitte for two other decks I'm building. That's about the extent of my range for playsets. Maybe one day those will be worth $200 apiece lol.