Hi Everyone – it’s 2-23-19 and I just went 5-0 in my first Magic Online Competitive Modern League with BW Tokens since going 10-4-1 with Tokens at GP Toronto two weekends ago.
You can find my GP Toronto decklist here: BWTokens
I’m “Klezmer” on MGTO and you can find the decklist here: 5-0 List
The list is a carbon copy of my GP Toronto deck with the exception of +1 Wrath of God -1 Damping Sphere in the board. It’s pasted above.
the list is a carbon copy of my GP Toronto deck with the exception of +1 Wrath of God -1 Damping Sphere in the board. It’s pasted above.
You can check out my deck guide and GP Toronto report below. If there is anything for me to add to that deck guide, it’s that Auriok Champion is lights-out in the current meta and I think BW Tokens lists should be running 4. Auriok Champion was the reason I went 5-0 in the league.
Round 1 – Bushwacker Zoo – Won 2-1
This one was rough because I stumbled on lands games 1 & 2. Burrenton and Auriok really helped and Zealous Persecution is lights-out vs. this deck. I’ll say it again – playing BW Tokens also comes with the advantage of people not knowing how to play against you. Both this opponent and my first Grixis Shadow opponent made big mistakes that aren’t completely intuitive if you don’t know Tokens well. This opponent sacrificed his Legion Loyalist early to get in a few more points of damage. Loyalist is the single most important card in this matchup that should certainly be saved for an alpha attack for lethal.
In – 1 Burrenton Forge-Tender, 1 Wrath of God, 1 EE, 1 Fatal Push, 1 Runed Halo
Out – 3 Thoughtseize, 2 Bitterblossom
A NOTE ON BITTERBLOSSOM
There’s quite a debate about the correct number of maindeck Bitterblossoms on the MTG BW Tokens facebook group, so I’m going to chime in. I stand behind what I wrote about Bitterblossom in my deck guide below. I like 2 maindeck and think 4 is too many. Regardless, they need to come out in this matchup.
There’s an argument to be made for losing 1 life a turn to chump block a bigger creature. However, Bitterblossom is SLOW. Terrifically slow. And just as importantly, the opponent’s bigger creature will remain to attack next turn while yours dies. Fast red decks such as Zoo, Burn, and Mono-Red Phoenix want to win out of the gates – they are built to kill FAST. Bitterblossom is giving those decks a free lightning bolt (notably burn). The cost of 1 life a turn versus aggro decks is just too much. Take Bitterblossom out! Trust me. Since red decks are a bigger portion of the meta currently, I am 100% convinced you cannot run 4 maindeck. Mono-Red Phoenix is new so different versions might slow down enough to want BB, but the versions that play Swiftspear and Soul-Scour Mage are bad news bears for Bitterblossom. TRUST ME. Take it out.
I’ll use my Herb Brooks analogy again since yesterday was the anniversary of the Miracle on Ice. Herb Brooks didn’t pick the best players for his USA squad – he picked the right players. The same is true of Magic deck-building. If you played the most busted BW Tokens cards in a vacuum, you’d play 4 Bitterblossom and 4 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar. However, BB and Gideon are laughable when you compare their power levels to the most busted Modern cards in a FAST, turn 4 format. You have to consider the meta. If the meta favors long, grindy matchups, then 4 BB and 4 Gideon get the green light. But you must consider who you’ll be playing and how the games will play out. There’s a very real cost to playing BB and Gideon in this format.
Round 2 – Grixis Death’s Shadow – Won 2-0
Awhile back I read someone’s GP Top 8 report with Grixis Death’s Shadow commenting that BW Tokens was the deck’s worst matchup. The deck won GP Toronto two weeks ago so it’s a good time for Tokens. Like Zoo, Auriok Champion is just busted here. The best ways for Grixis to win are if you stumble on mana, if you stumble on drawing threats/chump blockers, or if they use Temur Battle Rage. Game 1 my opponent discarded a Battle Rage to a Looting and I couldn’t have been happier to see a copy of their one win condition out of their hand.
In – 1 Burrenton Forge-Tender (for Anger of the Gods), 1 Fatal Push, 1 EE, 1 Wrath (on the draw)
Out – 2 Zealous Persecution, 1 Sorin, 1 Thoughtseize
REGARDING DISCARD SPELLS
You could take more discard out here as it helps them ramp into Gurmag Angler. I’m low on discard spells vs. midrange anyway. They’re HORRIBLE top decks and Death’s Shadow runs out of cards fast. Your best discard targets are usually Stubborn Denial or Battle Rage.
Round 3 – Mono-Red Phoenix – Won 2-1
Auriok Champion is busted again. My opponent was shrewd and found a way to win game 2 out of nowhere. Runed Halo was good because game 3 my opponent played Shrine of Burning Rage, which you really can’t kill with anything. Bringing in Disenchant is just bad. Don’t do it.
Both my Mono-Red opponents played fast, burn-heavy versions, encouraging me to use IOK and Duress. In slower versions I’d like to take the hand disruption out.
In – 2 RIP, 2 Duress (I left one out on draw), 1 EE, 1 Burrenton, 1 Push, 1 Runed Halo. Out – 2 Virtue, 1 Sorin, 3 Seize, 2 BB
Round 4 – Mono-Red Phoenix – Won 2-1
This deck is good – my opponent killed me on turn 4 game 1. But if BW Tokens draws well, we’re good in this matchup.
Round 5 – Grixis Death’s Shadow – Won 2-0
This matchup is all about fading Battle Rage and sideboard Anger of the Gods. Also, Auriok Champion is just the nuts – play 4 of them!
FINAL THOUGHTS
So for a reality check, I played against 5 incredibly favorable matchups. However, Mono-Red Phoenix and Death’s Shadow are hallmarks of the current format, and you should expect to play against them in any tournament, so the decks I played weren’t a huge surprise. BW Tokens is great against these decks and Auriok Champion is by far the best card against them.
Everything I wrote about Auriok Champion below in my deck guide I stand behind 100%. Auriok Champion is the glue that holds this deck together. Auriok takes Tokens from decent in our favorable matchups to lights-out in our favorable matchups. By not playing Auriok Champion, you are giving up percentage points in your best matchups and your bad matchups are still just as bad.
NEWS FLASH: The Modern meta is currently incredibly favorable for BW Tokens.
Also, Auriok Champion is the truth.