Need Help With Splinter Twin List

Kp94mtg · Joined: 08 Apr 2012 Posts: 4

So i play Splinter Twin in the Modern format and was wondering what would be the best route to go with twin.
Here is my list so far, i am open to any changes and suggestions, with the only exceptions being shocklands, because i am still in the process of looking for them.

23 Lands:
4x Misty Rainforest
4x Scalding Tarn
1x Cascade Bluff
1x Hinterland Harbor
3x Sulfur falls
1x Forest
3x Mountain
6x Island

12 Creatures:
4x Deceiver Exarch
3x Pestermite
3x Spellskite
2x Kiki-Jiki, Mirror-Breaker

25 Other:
4x Splinter Twin
1x Echoing Truth
4x Sleight of Hand
4x Serum Visions
3x Dispel
4x Remand
2x Flameslash

+3 Open slots

Sideboard:
2x Firespout
3x Bloodmoon
3x Ancient Grudge/ Shattering Spree (undecided)
2x Flameslash
1x Hurkyl's Recall

+4 Open slots

I have considered filling the spots in the mainboard with Spellpierce, Delver of Secrets, Spellstutter Sprite, and Grim Lavamancers

GreenBear · Joined: 27 Jul 2010 Posts: 492

I've been thinking a bit about twin, one card that could potentially be very good in the list is commune with nature, if you can fit in green as well and more kiki's it fetches all parts of the combo and spellskite and is more powerful a spell than either impulse or preordain in this situation, which is huge. How ever if you dont have shocks prob not going to be able to do it.

magicman85 · Joined: 22 Aug 2009 Posts: 549

I don't really play Modern what are you expecting the meta to look like?

Kp94mtg · Joined: 08 Apr 2012 Posts: 4

The tourney is a small town with an estimate of 40-60 people like the last couple have been, usually there is only 1-2 of each main deck like Jund, Twin, Soul Sisters, Loam, and Tron......and about 15 or so being affinity. The rest are homebrew decks, for example Rakdos things from Ravnica or a Leviathin deck.

EMA · Joined: 15 Feb 2007 Posts: 189

Well, I'd definitely play at least 3 firespouts maindeck in that meta, plus I'd also play lightning bolt over flame slash, vs affinity it's so much better to have the option of killing the creature they put plating on.
More echoing truths in the sb since it's the only card that answers every piece of hate, and basicly u side it in in every matchup when you don't know what kind of hate they are packing.
So the list i would run is -2 flame slash +2 lighting bolt, +3 firespouts.

If the meta is that affinity heavy, I'd consider having some hate in the maindeck, like an ancient grudge instead of the singleton echoing truth. I like grudge over spree, I think it's just better than spree, the only downside being it needs G, but having acces to green mana also lets you pack vines of vastwood in the sb which is very good vs decks packing a ton of instant speed removal. Vendilion clique is another card I'd like to have in the sb.

GreenBear · Joined: 27 Jul 2010 Posts: 492

This is how i would do twin

4 commune with nature
4 birds of paradise
4 Dispell
3 spellskite
4 Fauna Shaman
4 Deceiver Exarch
3 Pestermite
4 Splinter Twin
4 Kiki-jiki mirror breaker
1 Venser shaper savant
1 Glen Eladra Archmage

4 Breeding pool
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Steam Vents
4 Cascade bluffs
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Forest
1 island
1 mountain

sb
1 ratchet bomb
3 vulshock sorcerer
3 Firespout
2 spell pierce
2 ancient grudge
1 glen eladra arch mage
2 Fulmiate mage
2 Viridian Shaman

Advantages

i can kill a turn faster

i get to play commune with nature which is more powerful a 1 mana library manipulation spell than any of the other available

i get to play fauna shaman which acts as another must kill creature as it can fetch both parts of the combo by itself, as well as whatever silver bullets the meta dictates, if my opponent does not kill fauna i fetch the combo, if he does it draws out a removal spell that could otherwise be spent disrupting the combo, when i may have the combo already.

Cons

The mana is slightly less consistent

Its harder to sculpt hands when your manipulation/search effects are all creature centric.

Kp94mtg · Joined: 08 Apr 2012 Posts: 4

Thank you for the advice EMA i think i will try it and see how it goes.

And Manfred i like the build you have and i think is worth a shot, i will play test if extensively and report back. I think with the current meta (Affinity.......everywhere) that the URg Version will be a bit more consistent against affinity relying less on the creatures a bit more. But hey i could be wrong.

In addition i think with G as a main color now maybe instead of dispel Vines of Vastwood would probably be better because it stops things like combust aswell.

Another route that would be interesting to try would be GWr using Congregation at Dawn to search for creatures, and instead of Pestermite and Exarch using Midnight Guard and Village Bell Ringer, whilst simultaneously being able to use Path to Exile and Vengvine Via Fauna Shaman.

GreenBear · Joined: 27 Jul 2010 Posts: 492

Please keep me posted on what you find.

Kp94mtg · Joined: 08 Apr 2012 Posts: 4

Well tournament is over, i ended up taking 2nd out of 29
Round 1 vs Living End Win 2-1
Relic of progenitus in game 2 and 3 ftw

Round 2 vs Mono Black Control Lost 1-2
4 Duress, 4 inquisition, 4 thoughtsieze, 4 extirpate, 4 surgical extraction mainboard.......sucked bad

Round 3 vs Some Random 4Color Control Deck
game 1 he didnt know what i was playing and died on my turn 4
game 2 i turn 3 blood moon and he dropped from tourney

Round 4 vs Affinity Win 2-0
turn 4 combo both games

Round 5 vs WB control Win 2-1
game 1 died to paths and discard
games 2 and 3 were conceded because they had no way in main or side to deal with blood moon

round 6 vs Affinity Win 2-0
another turn 4 combo both games due to no colored mana

Finals:
WB control again win 2-0
conceded again

Affinity win 2-1
game 1 they won turn three
games 2-3 i had sb ftw

Top 2 match vs jund
Lose 0-2
Blightnings killed me hard.

Thanks for the help in the tourney guys.

And as of the GUr Twin list I consistently had the parts, with all the great dig, i just wasnt able to survive long enough against Affinity or Jund, and was losing to other twins because of less counterspells.
Occasionally a turn 3 win was nice, but i dont think it is worth it overall.

GreenBear · Joined: 27 Jul 2010 Posts: 492

Cool.