When Grixis Death’s Shadow dominated, and basically warped, the format, players, including LSV, were calling for a ban. Now it’s not being talked about nearly as much, even though it’s trending hot. With Terminus being the sweeper of choice, GDS has taken advantage of the moment. When Spreading Seas, Gideon of the Trials, Runed Halo, and Supreme Verdict were the popular tools for UW Control, players found the tools to beat the deck and adapted.

The truth is, GDS never stopped being good. There’s just more decks now that have player’s attention. One of those decks is so hot right now that it’s reaching Twin-like meta share percentages.


Similarly to GDS, players are struggling vs Phoenix and are calling for a ban of Faithless Looting, its primary enabler.

But also like GDS, If you want to beat Phoenix, you need to be able to adapt by changing your perspective and approach.

While graveyard disruption is generally fine, Phoenix can be resilient against it by attacking from multiple axis. For instance, Monastery Swiftspear, Young Pyromancer (being considered and tested over Pyromancer’s Ascension), and Thing in the Ice don’t care about the graveyard. The deck can also be so explosive that you’ll likely be staring down multiple Phoenix before you can land a Rest in Peace. In fact, when I consulted Ross Merriam on Twitter about the best approach vs Phoenix, particularly post-board, he answered:

“Don’t bring in Rest in Peace. It only works when cast preemptively and, at that point, they don’t play into it. Having access to your Paths in graveyard is more important.”

Note: Settle the Wreckage is very good vs UR, but it only fuels Bedlam vs mono R, which is a real setback. Keep this in mind when playing vs each version.

If Rest in Peace isn’t the best way to take down Phoenix, then what is?

Two Words: Runed Halo

I’ve been an outspoken advocate for Runed Halo since Modern’s inception and consider it a format staple hate card that can disrupt, and even shut down, various linear strategies from multiple axes.

Halo is arguably the best answer vs Phoenix. I’m currently running a poll on Twitter asking Phoenix players which card is best vs them and Runed Halo is leading over Rest in Peace and Surgical Extraction by a significant margin.

I’ve vouched for it since Phoenix started trending after H0lydiva introduced the deck. Comparatively, it’s also great vs GDS and other decks revolved around one-two main threats that are difficult to deal or interact with either because of efficiency, Haste, protection, disruption, or recursion. Often times, it’s a proactive four-for-one. I.e. Infect, Bogles, etc.

It also makes your removals better and more flexible vs their other threats.

Tip: Name Awoken Horror, not Thing in the Ice, with Runed Halo.

I recently wrote an article that briefly covered its relevance.

As you can see from the bullet points above, spells and lands aren’t the only uses for Runed Halo. In fact, it’s versatile and relevant enough to play in the main as at least a one-of, as I’ve been doing in UW Midrange, which I’ll get to by the end of this article. I recently came across a 5-0 Jeskai Control list that played one main, one side. This is essentially similar to that UW Miracles has been doing by playing main deck Rest in Peace.

Runed Halo Tips

• It protects you post-sweeper (i.e. Inkmoth Nexus and other manlands, Thought-Knot Seer, Reality Smasher, etc.) and against resilient/recursive threats that are difficult to interact with, such as Arclight Phoenix, Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle, Grapeshot, or creatures that have, or are granted, protection (i.e. Slippery Bogle).
• It improves the impact and quality of your removal as you can save it for other threats without depending on multiple removal spells or sweeper. This is especially valuable vs Aggro decks that blitz with 0-2 cmc creature redundancy (i.e. Goblin Guide, Monastery Swiftspear, Tarmogoyf, Bloodghast, etc.).
• It forces opponent to overextend, which plays into your sweepers for better payoff.
• It allows you to stabilize, mitigate pressure, and continue executing your game plan. This is especially valuable in a Midrange deck where you want to turn the corner instead of using your creatures as defense/removal.
• It can shut down manlands without depending on blockers (allows a creature like Restoration Angel to be offensive where it would otherwise be required to be defensive), removal, and/or Field of Ruin/Ghost Quarter/Tectonic Edge.
• It can immobilize decks with linear strategies, especially Combo, minimal threats, and decks without dedicated enchantment removal.
• Runed Halo is to Surgical Extraction what Path to Exile/Fatal Push is to Inquisition of Kozilek/Thoughtseize. They have a similar role vs similar decks, but Surgical Extraction proactively alleviates threats from the deck, while Runed Halo proactively does that from the hand and field. Knowledge via hand disruption, or Vendilion Clique, also improves the way Runed Halo is utilized vs different match-ups.
  
• Be sure to include some pressure alongside Runed Halo to capitalize on its disruption. The longer it stays on the field, it’s more susceptible to being removed, unless it’s being played vs a B/R deck. Disruption should generally be followed up with pressure.

Rules Reminder: It no longer protects Planeswalkers from creature attacks or burn damage.

Tip: It can be reset with Cryptic Command to name a different threat.

If you want to effectively utilize and master Runed Halo, look no further than my Runed Halo guide.

A Different Approach: Bring the Fight to Phoenix

“The best defense is a good offense.”

It is also known as the strategic offensive principle of war. Generally, the idea is that proactivity (a strong offensive action) instead of a passive attitude will preoccupy the opposition and ultimately hinder its ability to mount an opposing counterattack, leading to a strategic advantage. (Wiki)

This philosophy couldn’t be any more true in Modern.

Besides Runed Halo, there’s another reasonable way to approach Phoenix. Similarly to GDS, it’s better to play more to the board vs Phoenix. If you’re playing UWx, Ross also recommends boarding in Geist of Saint Traft, or playing any creatures that are good vs Red removal, like Dragonlord Ojutai, Baneslayer Angel, and/or Lyra Dawnbringer. The idea is to pivot vs them and turn the corner when the opportunity presents itself.

Bring the fight to Phoenix.

Conveniently, Geist is also good vs Burn and GDS, but overlaps vs Tron, Combo, and Control, too. This is why you’ve probably noticed several sideboards playing one to two.

If Phoenix turns to more ground threats like they recently did with Monastery Swiftspear, Kitchen Finks would be a fine option, too. With Phoenix, GDS, and Burn making up the top three decks of Day 2 at SCGWOR, Kitchen Finks may actually be well-positioned in a deck like UW Midrange if this trend continues.

Here’s a UW Midrange list with four Kitchen Finks by Holy_85 that went 6-2 in a recent Modern Premier. Finks shines vs the resurgence of Lightning Bolt, the presence of Burn & GDS, & rise of Phoenix, but it’s better vs the mono R version.

Holy_85’s UW Midrange

That said, Kitchen Finks isn’t required in this archetype, especially if you’re playing a more Flash-based version like mine. If I was to play any, it would likely be no more than two-three, but the presence of KCI and Spirits currently makes Finks a tough sell. Ultimately, Finks is a viable meta call.

Bias aside, I think UW Midrange is better suited vs Phoenix than Control. Restoration Angel lines up very well against Arclight Phoenix and the deck can stave off damage from the ground with creatures like Wall of Omens and Kitchen Finks. It also commonly plays one-two Spell Snare to keep them off Thing in the Ice and Manamorphose, as well as Pyromancer’s Ascension and/or Young Pyromancer.

It’s also better vs Burn and GDS, which is worth considering if these decks continue to trend at the top of the metagame. After showing Brandon Dollaway my updated UW Midrange list, this was his response coming from the GDS side:

Neo’s UW Midrange

After testing and discussing the deck with several seasoned players, this is my optimized update.

General feedback from players in my community has been that this is the most consistent, efficient, interactive, and versatile version to date.

While I appreciate that, I also owe it to MTGO’s Curryvore for moving away from the more tap-out version with Spreading Seas and presenting this variation of the deck (more flexible, versatile, and adaptable), and to Galan Falakfarsa (Galanator on MTGO), who took Curryvore’s version a step further by incorporating Teferi, Hero of Dominaria in the main.

If you love interactive fair decks with efficiency, value, and versatility, and are looking for a clean and consistent 75 with an adaptive 50/50+ game across the Modern field (Amulet Titan is currently its most difficult match-up, but can be improved by adding some number of Damping Sphere and Disdainful Stroke), my list is a great place to be.

This underrated, but historically viable archetype is indicative that UW Miracles isn’t the only competitive way to play UW.

Relevant Reading

The Ultimate UW Midrange Primer by Francesco Neo Amati

Throughout my experience in this format since 2011, I’ve learned that 5 of the most important design principles to abide by in Modern are:

1. Efficiency
2. Value
3. Versatility
4. Interactivity
5. Proactivity

The best decks in the format have utilized each of these to some capacity in their own ways.

For us to keep up with the best, we need to emphasize those qualities to the best of our ability, too.

As always,

Assess & Adapt