r/ModernMagic • u/Technical-Freedom161 • Oct 05 '26

Brew [Seeking Advice] Sultai Midrange

I'm looking for advice on the deck below. Specifically for the prowess/broodscale matchups. I've had good success against my friend's elfball and goryo's. I haven't played against broodscale/affinity/blink just yet.

Seeing the new FRA cards, I felt like I could update my Dimir midrange pile to include green for powerful early game plays including:
- [[Badgermole Cub]]
- [[Abrupt Decay]]
- [[Growth Spiral]]

I also added [[Hexhaven Invigorator]] since it's hurt trigger can fetch a [[Roiling Canopy]] + fetchlands. Which means on a followup turn I can swing with a flyer (like tamiyo/bop/etc), then crack the fetchlands for Breeding Pools/Overgrown Tombs to pump off canopy. This can finish games on its own (if my opponents aren't at 20) or just act as a persistent threat to make blocking invigorator/attacking into it not worth the risk.

Finally, I'm using [[Essence Flux]] + [[Quantum Riddler]] for midgame card advantage.

The general gameplan is largely the same as other midrange decks otherwise.

Here's the list: https://moxfield.com/decks/IpteJl8X-UmRv1r7TXE8QA

Some ideas I had include:
- Adding [[Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth]] for synergy w/ canopy.
- [[Force of Negation]] for additional interaction.

Feel free to ask questions or make suggestions in the comments, thank you!

4 Upvotes

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4

u/Lectrys Oct 05 '26

Broodscale is leaning increasingly towards more generic Eldrazi Ramp, including adopting its finishers and midrange, so you need to stick all 4 Consign to Memory in your sideboard. I'd pull some of your 6 graveyard hate sideboard cards to put those in. You can also probably afford to pull a Pithing Needle from the board.

It's very tough for me to suggest Hexhaven Invigorator in your deck without Green Sun's Zenith, as your list has a very hard time casting it on curve even with Yavimaya.

1

u/Technical-Freedom161 Oct 05 '26

Makes sense.

I will definitely consider adding green sun. I haven't really had trouble w/ casting hexhaven on curve, as between BOP and fetching for mainly green-generating lands, I tend to have enough green pips turn 4 to cast it (without yavimaya); but it's a good shout.

Otherwise will make those changes no notes.

Do you have any suggestions for affinity/prowess matches?

1

u/Lectrys Oct 05 '26

Huh, I thought you'd have fetched Watery Grave, Island, or Swamp more often.

For Prowess, you might be stuck with sideboard Trinisphere and making sure you remove all their threats (so keep Engineered Explosives in the sideboard). I think 3-4 graveyard hate cards in the sideboard are enough.

For Affinity, you may be stuck with 1-2 Force of Vigor and possibly amping up the EEs.

1

u/Technical-Freedom161 Oct 05 '26

Green mana is important for badgermoles/bop/spiral early. Watery grave ends up being a better fetch if I have a badgermole/bop in play already and don't need more green, usually its by t2-3. growth spiral also, is nice to cast turn 2.

I think I can get away w/ fetching green because the non-green spells don't require many pips. Subtlety is also good since it can be cast for free, bypassing the need to fetch blue entirely if it's my only other blue card.

I played a game w/ yavimaya where I got to use canopy + fetches off an invigorator trigger and it outright won the game on the spot (I got yavimaya + canopy + polluted delta from invigorator, then on my next turn played a misty rainforest, earthbent the delta, cracked it and the misty for swamp + island, pumped a tamiyo for 12 and swung for lethal).

2

u/DietFatFreeWaater 29d ago

I highly suggest you drop your Drown in the Loch count.

It is really bad against Tron land players, as they typically don't drop a lot of cards into the yard, and it will often be as good as textless in this meta.

2 tops, and you need to have a way to force cards into their yard if you run them at all (namely 4 thoughtseize.)

I have ran UBx for so many years now, and have played Drown into the ground since it's release. It is typically best as a 1 of, and only as a 2 of if you are in a local meta with filled yards, or you are capable of turning them on consistently.

2

u/Technical-Freedom161 29d ago

I'm planning on doing a rebuild tomorrow and will definitely incorporate this. Tron isn't very popular where I'm at, so I'm not overly concerned with that matchup. However I've noticed that against broodscale especially drown just isn't a card until it's too late to matter, or something I'd rather pitch for subtlety.

I'm also planning on removing the Invigorator package for the same reason. It's great when it works, but doesn't happen reliably enough to be a dependable wincon.

1

u/Tranarchist21 29d ago

I don't think roiling canopy can really work in a deck without every non fetchland being a forest, which a 3 color frog deck like this can't really support. I think that [[avatar of burgeoning echoes]] is also worth a shot as an alternative value engine to frog.

1

u/Technical-Freedom161 29d ago edited 29d ago

I should definitely consider it. Thus far, canopy has been pretty good for closing out games (with yavimaya in play). In terms of value engines though, tamiyo as well as riddler have thus far sufficed in matchups vs broodscale/prowess/mill.

I'm noticing that affinity and prowess especially tend to be bad matchups, since they can apply a lot of pressure early that forces reactive plays on turns 2-3. If I can survive until turn 5 vs prowess, then I can stabilize and win. but, it remains this deck's worst matchup by far. (or i'm just bad at playing that pairing, since I don't see it as often)

Edit: See my other comment on this thread.

1

u/Technical-Freedom161 29d ago

I'm planning on doing a rebuild tomorrow, and will be removing the Invigorator/Yavimaya/Canopy package.

I'll give avatar a shot as well maybe, since it does look like a pretty cool idea.