“If you’re going to play Infect, it is indefensible to not play four Become Immense.”

Patrick Chapin and Michael J Flores originally intended to talk about the various decks fielded by Patrick’s team — and the greatest team on Earth — the Pantheon at Pro Tour Fate Reforged.

But…

They end up recording some not-originally-intended-for-public-consumption chatter about Mike’s struggles in some recent PPTQs, disillusion with the Abzan clan, and general inability to win that results in a spontaneous brewer’s delight!

In a kind of prequel to the main episode, you can listen as Patrick and Michael assemble a B/U Control deck for Standard designed to combat a format of largely Abzan decks, and how two of Magic’s most decorated deck designers approach metagaming, card selection, and sideboarding… While the microphones are “supposed” to be off.

The result?

B/U Control by Top Level Podcast

2 Perilous Vault
2 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon

1 Thoughtseize
4 Bile Blight
2 Crux of Fate
4 Hero’s Downfall
2 Murderous Cut

4 Dig Through Time
2 Disdainful Stroke
4 Dissolve
2 Divination
3 Jace’s Ingenuity
1 Pearl Lake Ancient

4 Dismal Backwater
3 Opulent Palace
4 Island
4 Polluted Delta
4 Radiant Fountain
3 Swamp
4 Temple of Deceit
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

Sideboard
3 Drown in Sorrow
2 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
3 Thoughtseize
2 Aetherspouts
2 Disdainful Stroke
1 Treasure Cruise
2 Silumgar, the Drifting Death

Some notes from our hosts:

• You don’t need more finishers – Ugin finishes everybody
• You can side in Tasigur against “all opponents”
• Some cool ways to gain percentage in how you pick your lands
• Why you play Drown in Sorrow when it isn’t really the best in very many situations
• How Silumgar, the Drifting Death beats up Elspeth, Sun’s Champion and Abzan in general
• “Boring is fine as long as you’re winning”

Patrick and Michael move on to Modern and talk about some of the successful decks of the Pantheon. Hall of Famer Jelger Wiegersma cracked Top 8 with a “stock” U/R Splinter Twin deck, and Jon Finkel finished out of the Top 8 on tiebreakers. Lots of in-depth discussion of these Modern archetypes — plus how to play with Amulet of Vigor — in the Modern middle section!

Including this observation:
“If you’re going to play Infect, it is indefensible to not play four Become Immense.”

Finally, Patrick didn’t do well in the Modern portion of Pro Tour Fate Reforged himself… But he still loves his deck.

“I’ve never gone 0-5 and been super happy with a deck before.”

Have you seen his Modern deck?

Just try to listen to “Become Immense and Gurmag Angler” without falling in love with it!

Esper Delve by Patrick Chapin

4 Mishra’s Bauble

4 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
4 Gurmag Angler
2 Inquisition of Kozilek
3 Liliana of the Veil
2 Thoughtseize

4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Serum Visions
4 Stubborn Denial
4 Thoughtscour

2 Lingering Souls
4 Path to Exile

4 Darkslick Shores
2 Flooded Strand
1 Godless Shrine
1 Hallowed Fountain
2 Island
2 Marsh Flats
4 Polluted Delta
1 Swamp
2 Watery Grave

Sideboard
3 Fulminator Mage
3 Engineered Explosives
2 Timely Reinforcements
2 Kataki War’s Wage
1 Deathmark
1 Lingering Souls
1 Plains
1 Spellskite
1 Meddling Mage

All this and more in “Become Immense and Gurmag Angler”

Direct Download

Patrick’s book Next Level Deckbuilding will be out in paperback by Friday this week. Do yourself a favor and check out Next Level Deckbuilding at Star City Games!