Team Unified Modern
30th Mar 2018
Games Haven Paya Lebar
Matthew (Lightning Bolt) Yee
The last time the shop was that crowded, it was the very last GPT Singapore ever. Just like that GPT, we even had to open up the office for the Team Modern event that enjoyed an attendance of a whopping 28 teams (84 players). As this writer remarked during the player meeting, it felt like a miniature GP Singapore right in the store. Whether it was to prepare for GP Sydney, to try out a new experience of playing Team Unified, or just chilling out with Modern kakis, it seemed like everyone had a good time, and we’re all happy that you did.
Some of the more famous names in Magic have remarked about Team Unified team composition – “Find the greedy deck, then find the Lightning Bolt (or the card closest to it) deck, then find the mono-coloured deck.” Words of wisdom indeed, as the axiom was a strong starting point for many of our 28 teams. The large card pool of Modern made the task a bit easier than one might expect, as it is pretty easy to find decks without any overlapping cards.
Perhaps the biggest trouble came with aligning mana bases and sideboard cards, which was another key guiding principle for team composition. Colourless decks were a mainstay for teams, mainly Tron and Affinity builds, because their self-contained nature meant that overlapping with their decklists was not likely to happen. However, some colourless players decided to go the meme route and bring along Lantern Control and Krark-Clan Ironworks combo, as decks with minimal main deck and mana base clash possibilities.
Tribal decks were also a popular choice, for the same reason. Once you decide what tribe you want to go with your Aether Vial, the only land that might clash with another deck’s might be Cavern of Souls.
To fit into the Team Unified structure, control decks were largely trimmed down to 2 colours to put less stress on the team’s choices, although there was the odd 3-or-more colours control deck here and there. As expected, Jace the Mind Sculptor and Bloodbraid Elf turned up as expected, but hardly ever outside of their established build. Experimental builds are harder to pull off within the constraints of the Team Unified rules, after all. Jund was pretty much the greediest deck that most teams were willing to get away with, their members having to make significant concessions to make the team composition work.
Special mention goes to Team Chau Chiu (Left) consisting of Koh Kai Che, Maxwell Li and Jonathan Yow, who evidently put a lot of effort into their team composition. Not only did their team produce a lineup that did not have a single blue or black card among all 3 decks, they even had 2 RG decks together in the same team! Registering RG Titanshift, RG Eldrazi and Bogles, they truly showcased the vast card pool of Modern while still sticking to decks that they clearly enjoyed playing.
At the end of the day, it was Team NUS who prevailed, showcasing Modern chops and impressive teamwork to reach the very top and win a box of Masters 25! We hope that all 28 teams enjoyed the Team Unified Modern experience, and we also hope that all of you who are going for GP Sydney found this to be good practice! Our May $1K Monthly Series event will also be Team Unified Modern, so here’s hoping that you make it into one of the limited 28 team slots!
And now our Top 4 (secretly Top 12 – perks of the team structure) decklists!
Team NUS (comprising Muhammad Shahir Adha, Aik Kian Cheong and Lian Ping)
1st Place
Deck #1 – UW Control piloted by Muhammad Shahir Adha
Main Deck
3x Plains
6x Island
3x Celestial Colonnade
2x Glacial Fortress
4x Flooded Strand
4x Field of Ruin
1x Hallowed Fountain
1x Irrigated Farmland
1x Nimble Obstructionist
2x Snapcaster Mage
2x Opt
3x Serum Visions
1x Condemn
3x Cryptic Command
2x Supreme Verdict
2x Terminus
4x Path to Exile
1x Negate
1x Mana Leak
1x Timely Reinforcements
1x Remand
1x Logic Knot
1x Repeal
2x Gideon of the Trials
1x Gideon Jura
2x Jace, the Mind Sculptor
4x Spreading Seas
1x Detention Sphere
Sideboard
1x Surgical Extraction
1x Settle the Wreckage
2x Ceremonious Rejection
1x Negate
2x Relic of Progenitus
1x Jace, Architect of Thought
2x Dispel
1x Celestial Purge
1x Timely Reinforcements
2x Disdainful Stroke
1x Blessed Alliance
Deck #2 – BG Elfball piloted by Aik Kian Cheong
Main Deck
4x Blooming Marsh
4x Gilt-Leaf Palace
4x Cavern of Souls
1x Verdant Catacombs
1x Overgrown Tomb
2x Westvale Abbey//Ormendahl, Profane Prince
2x Forest
4x Elvish Mystic
4x Llanowar Elves
4x Heritage Druid
2x Nettle Sentinel
4x Dwynen’s Elite
4x Devoted Druid
1x Vizier of Remedies
4x Elvish Archdruid
3x Ezuri, Renegade Leader
4x Shaman of the Pack
4x Chord of Calling
4x Collected Company
Sideboard
4x Thoughtseize
2x Dismember
3x Nissa, Voice of Zendikar
1x Reclamation Sage
3x Kitchen Finks
2x Fracturing Gust
Deck #3 – Affinity piloted by Lian Ping
Main Deck
4x Darksteel Citadel
4x Blinkmoth Nexus
4x Inkmoth Nexus
3x Glimmervoid
1x Spire of Industry
1x Island
4x Ornithopter
2x Memnite
4x Vault Skirge
4x Signal Pest
3x Steel Overseer
4x Arcbound Ravager
2x Etched Champion
4x Master of Etherium
4x Galvanic Blast
1x Dispatch
4x Cranial Plating
4x Mox Opal
3x Springleaf Drum
Sideboard
1x Rule of Law
1x Rest in Peace
2x Stubborn Denial
2x Ancient Grudge
1x Grafdigger’s Cage
1x Dispatch
2x Ghirapur Aether Grid
2x Etched Champion
2x Spell Pierce
1x Spellskite
Team Chau Chiu Centre (comprising Darren Lee, Matthew Lee and Ng Yang Theng)
2nd Place
Deck #1 – UR Breach piloted by Darren Lee
Main Deck
1x Field of Ruin
1x Desolate Lighthouse
2x Flooded Strand
8x Island
1x Mountain
4x Scalding Tarn
3x Steam Vents
2x Sulfur Falls
3x Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
4x Snapcaster Mage
1x Vendilion Clique
4x Burst Lightning
3x Cryptic Command
2x Delay
2x Izzet Charm
4x Opt
2x Remand
2x Serum Visions
2x Spell Snare
4x Through the Breach
2x Blood Moon
1x Search for Azcanta//Azcanta, the Sunken Ruin
2x Jace, the Mind Sculptor
Sideboard
2x Anger of the Gods
2x Ceremonious Rejection
2x Dispel
2x Engineered Explosives
1x Keranos, God of Storms
2x Roast
1x Shatterstorm
3x Young Pyromancer
Deck #2 – Naya Burn piloted by Ng Yang Theng
Main Deck
3x Mountain
2x Arid Mesa
4x Bloodstained Mire
4x Inspiring Vantage
2x Sacred Foundry
4x Wooded Foothills
1x Stomping Ground
4x Goblin Guide
4x Monastery Swiftspear
4x Eidolon of the Great Revel
2x Grim Lavamancer
4x Boros Charm
4x Lightning Bolt
4x Lightning Helix
4x Searing Blaze
2x Skullcrack
4x Lava Spike
4x Rift Bolt
Sideboard
2x Kor Firewalker
3x Destructive Revelry
2x Path to Exile
2x Searing Blood
2x Skullcrack
2x Exquisite Firecraft
1x Deflecting Palm
1x Shattering Spree
Deck #3 – BG Tron piloted by Matthew Lee
Main Deck
4x Urza’s Tower
4x Urza’s Mine
4x Urza’s Power Plant
3x Llanowar Wastes
1x Forest
1x Swamp
1x Sanctum of Ugin
1x Ghost Quarter
3x Wurmcoil Engine
1x Emrakul, the Promised End
1x World Breaker
1x Walking Ballista
1x Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
4x Ancient Stirrings
4x Sylvan Scrying
3x Fatal Push
4x Karn Liberated
2x Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
4x Chromatic Sphere
4x Chromatic Star
4x Expedition Map
2x Relic of Progenitus
3x Oblivion Stone
Sideboard
1x Surgical Extraction
3x Thoughtseize
4x Collective Brutality
2x Warping Wail
1x Seal of Primordium
2x Nature’s Claim
2x Thragtusk
Team DaGeDa n Bois (comprising Goh Guo Wei, Foo Pee Chun and Lim Zhong Yi)
Top 4
Deck #1 – Affinity piloted by Goh Guo Wei
Main Deck
4x Spire of Industry
4x Inkmoth Nexus
4x Darksteel Citadel
4x Blinkmoth Nexus
1x Mountain
4x Vault Skirge
4x Signal Pest
2x Memnite
2x Etched Champion
2x Master of Etherium
4x Steel Overseer
4x Arcbound Ravager
4x Ornithopter
4x Mox Opal
4x Springleaf Drum
4x Cranial Plating
1x Welding Jar
4x Galvanic Blast
Sideboard
2x Ghirapur Aether Grid
1x Rest in Peace
1x Dispatch
2x Etched Champion
2x Spell Pierce
2x Thoughtseize
1x Whipflare
1x Blood Moon
1x Grafdigger’s Cage
2x Mountain
Deck #2 – Amulet Titan piloted by Foo Pee Chun
Main Deck
4x Simic Growth Chamber
4x Gruul Turf
4x Gemstone Mine
3x Tolaria West
1x Boros Garrison
4x Forest
1x Bojuka Bog
1x Khalni Garden
1x Radiant Fountain
1x Kessig Wolf Run
1x Slayers’ Stronghold
1x Vesuva
1x Cavern of Souls
1x Ghost Quarter
4x Sakura-Tribe Scout
3x Azusa, Lost but Seeking
1x Wayward Swordtooth
1x Courser of Kruphix
4x Primeval Titan
1x Walking Ballista
4x Summoner’s Pact
1x Pact of Negation
4x Explore
4x Ancient Stirrings
4x Amulet of Vigor
1x Engineered Explosives
Sideboard
2x Pyroclasm
2x Relic of Progenitus
2x Dismember
2x Swan Song
3x Obstinate Baloth
1x Hornet Queen
1x Ruric Thar, the Unbowed
1x Reclamation Sage
1x Tectonic Edge
Deck #3 – 4C Traverse Shadow piloted by Lim Zhong Yi
Main Deck
4x Verdant Catacombs
4x Bloodstained Mire
2x Wooded Foothills
2x Polluted Delta
1x Breeding Pool
1x Watery Grave
1x Overgrown Tomb
1x Swamp
1x Forest
1x Blood Crypt
4x Tarmogoyf
4x Death’s Shadow
4x Street Wraith
2x Grim Flayer
4x Inquisition of Kozilek
4x Thoughtseize
2x Fatal Push
4x Traverse the Ulvenwald
2x Abrupt Decay
1x Dismember
2x Temur Battle Rage
3x Stubborn Denial
2x Liliana of the Veil
4x Mishra’s Bauble
Sideboard
2x Collective Brutality
1x Maelstrom Pulse
1x Liliana, the Last Hope
1x Kozilek’s Return
1x Temur Battle Rage
2x Ancient Grudge
2x Hostage Taker
2x Kolaghan’s Command
1x Ceremonious Rejection
1x Stubborn Denial
1x Snapcaster Mage
Team Whoamihurlin (comprising Faizal Rosmaruddin, Wilfred Lau and Joel Ong)
Top 4
Deck #1 – Hexproof Bogles piloted by Faizal Rosmaruddin
Main Deck
4x Horizon Canopy
4x Windswept Heath
2x Misty Rainforest
2x Temple Garden
4x Razorverge Thicket
2x Plains
1x Forest
1x Dryad Arbor
4x Slippery Bogle
4x Gladecover Scout
3x Kor Spiritdancer
4x Rancor
4x Ethereal Armor
4x Hyena Umbra
4x Spider Umbra
3x Gryff’s Boon
4x Daybreak Coronet
3x Spirit Mantle
3x Leyline of Sanctity
Sideboard
3x Gaddock Teeg
2x Dromoka’s Command
3x Stony Silence
3x Disenchant
3x Rest in Peace
1x Spirit Link
Deck #2 – BG Tron piloted by Wilfred Lau
Main Deck
4x Urza’s Mine
4x Urza’s Power Plant
4x Urza’s Tower
3x Forest
1x Ghost Quarter
1x Sanctum of Ugin
2x Llanowar Wastes
3x Wurmcoil Engine
1x World Breaker
2x Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
2x Walking Ballista
4x Ancient Stirrings
4x Sylvan Scrying
2x Dismember
4x Karn Liberated
2x Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
4x Chromatic Sphere
4x Chromatic Star
4x Expedition Map
4x Oblivion Stone
1x Relic of Progenitus
Sideboard
3x Thragtusk
1x Relic of Progenitus
1x Grafdigger’s Cage
1x Crucible of Worlds
3x Nature’s Claim
3x Thoughtseize
3x Collective Brutality
Deck #3 – Blue Moon piloted by Joel Ong
Main Deck
3x Sulfur Falls
3x Steam Vents
4x Scalding Tarn
2x Polluted Delta
2x Flooded Strand
7x Island
1x Mountain
1x Pia and Kiran Nalaar
4x Snapcaster Mage
2x Vendilion Clique
4x Serum Visions
3x Cryptic Command
2x Electrolyze
1x Harvest Pyre
4x Lightning Bolt
1x Logic Knot
3x Opt
4x Remand
2x Spell Snare
3x Jace, the Mind Sculptor
3x Blood Moon
1x Spreading Seas
Sideboard
2x Abrade
2x Anger of the Gods
1x Ceremonious Rejection
1x Dispel
2x Engineered Explosives
1x Grim Lavamancer
1x Keranos, God of Storms
3x Surgical Extraction
2x Roast