Hello, my name is Mickey Humphries and I am a member of Team Solitary Pro. I have been playing Devoted Druid decks since the archetype became a contender in Modern and have played Collected Company/Melira combo decks for even longer. Recently, I posted an 11th place finish at the SCG Open in Dallas with “GW DruidBlade”, a new version of the Druid Combo deck that includes a Stoneforge Mystic package.
Mickey’s GW Valueblade [11th at SCG Dallas 8/2019]
After a considerable amount of testing with the deck (roughly 200 leagues) and 15 rounds of swiss at the SCG Open, my attitude towards the GW DruidBlade deck is that it is absurdly powerful and likely should be addressed at some point in Modern’s future. The deck, from my experience, has around a 33% win rate on turn three. The win rate on turn four is much higher. DruidBlade has the benefit of packing a speedy combo that ends games immediately AND an incredible ability to grind against the Jund decks of the format. Stoneforge Mystic has added an exponential amount of resiliency and consistency to the archetype.
While the ability to grind with Stoneforge Mystic is quite real, it also fits in nicely with the combo plan as tutoring up a Viridian Longbow provides an alternative win condition when you’ve assembled Devoted Druid and Vizier of Remedies. Regardless of the infinite mana, the ability to tap and untap Druid endlessly allows for infinite activations of Longbow. When not being used as part of the combo, the Longbow functions similarly to Walking Ballista as creature removal, giving decks like Infect a major headache.
Lightning Greaves provides a unique function in the equipment package to allow for Druid activations on the turn it is cast and protection from removal if your opponent doesn’t have an instant-speed spell ready when you attempt to equip. Shalai can make good use of the Greaves, setting a up a soft lock from opposing removal spells and win conditions that target players (ie. Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle, Grapeshot).In general, this archetype, which can often find itself with excess mana, can do a great job of utilizing equipment spells that are often too costly for other Stoneforge builds to hard cast and equip without causing too much of an interruption to their game plan. Beyond that, the card advantage and lifegain that is tacked on to tools like Batterskull, Sword of Fire and Ice, or Sword of Light and Shadow provide some very appealing options for a creature deck that traditionally struggles in long games vs. Control and Jund or games against burn where maintaining your life total can hinder your combo or value set-ups.
After making a few recent changes, I’ve resulted in the following 75. This is what I would play this weekend if I were sleeving up Druidblade for an event:
Mickey’s GW DruidBlade Update [9/2019]
Two changes I want to highlight are the inclusion of Vesperlark and the switch to Sword of Light and Shadow.
Vesperlark has been included in the new version to function as a fifth Druid that allows some interesting interactions when it isn’t being a strict combo piece. Being able to get Mystic, Giver, Druid, and Fiend Hunter means that Vesperlark provides a great deal of utility.
I didn’t have a ton of time to test the deck prior to the Open (only like 20-30 leagues) so I just went with my gut. My gut was wrong. Sword of Fire and Ice is not appropriate for the deck for many reasons. Comboing is always plan A and SoFI doesn’t offer any real way of helping that plan. Beyond that, the colors of protection it grants aren’t nearly as effective as Light and Shadow. In addition, Light and Shadow gives us some major game vs. Control and Jund strategies by looping Reveillark and Vesperlark.
Sideboarding
Whirza
Game one is all about making sure we have the combo and remembering that their primary game plan is to cast Whir of Invention to find Pithing Needle. Make sure you are prepared to beat it with your Knight of Autumn. If they assemble Needle plus Welding Jar too early, the game likely ends. Post-board, the games get considerably slower. They have multiple ways of interacting with our combo through removal spells so be prepared for a grind.
In
- 1 Phyrexian Revoker
- 1 Collector Ouphe
- 1 Reveillark
- 3 Path to Exile
- 1 Veil of Summer
- 1 Knight of Autumn
Out
- 1 Batterskull,
- 3 Stoneforge Mystic
- 1 Sword of Light and Shadow
- 2 Finale of Devastation
- 1 Viridian Longbow
Burn
These games involve presenting your win conditions and finding out if they have the removal spells available to kill them before you take over. If they do you have to keeping jamming must-kill creatures as to divert some of their resources that would normally be pointed at your face. Find a way to put together the Lightning Greaves/Shalai combo and you’re golden. Post-board they will have access to Smash to Smithereens so you may not want to lean as heavily on the equipment spells.
In
- 1 Knight of Autumn
- 1 Path
- 2 Burrenton Forge-Tender
Out
- 2 Finale
- 1 Longbow
- 1 Eternal Witness
Jund
These games are quite grindy. Keep in mind that we have Dryad Arbor in the deck and it is often correct to fetch it in response to Liliana’s -2 to protect your other creatures. Don’t jam your threats mindlessly. Have a plan to abuse your Sword of Light Shadow but always get Batterskull/Lightning Greaves first with SFM. Allowing them to use their first Assassin’s Trophy/Abrupt Decay on the Sword will result in a game we likely lose. Greaves/Shalai is quite valuable in this match-up.
In
- 3 Veil of Summer
- 3 Path to Exile
- 1 Reveillark
- 1 Phyrexian Revoker
Out
- 2 Noble Hierarch
- 1 Knight of Autumn
- 2 Vizier of Remedies
- 2 Finale of Devastation
- 1 Longbow
Tron
This match-up is pretty simple. Play either your hate cards on turn two or a Devoted Druid. If your hand cannot do this then mulligan. They are more consistent at “winning” on turn three so you have to mulligan aggressively in this match-up.
In
- 3 Damping Sphere
- 1 Collector Ouphe
- 1 Phryexian Revoker
- 1 Knight of Autumn
Out
- 1 Batterskull
- 1 Sword of Light and Shadow
- 1 Stoneforge Mystic
- 1 Giver of Runes
- 1 Fiend Hunter
- 1 Vesperlark
Humans
This is a good match-up for us as they have very little in the way of interaction even post-board. We win many of these games with a combo. Your main focus is not dying to Mantis Rider and try to avoid being locked out of combo pieces by Meddling Mage. Always make sure you are prepared for a Reflector Mage/Deputy of Detention in game one.
In
- 3 Path to Exile
- 1 Veil of Summer
- 1 Knight of Autumn
Out
- 1 Finale of Devastation
- 1 Eladamri’s Call
- 1 Eternal Witness
- 1 Lightning Greaves
- 1 Noble Hierarch
UW Stoneblade
These decks are strange and boarding against them varies based on the different versions that you may see. Overall, this match-up is closer than most would imagine. The games last forever though, and so playing at a brisk pace will be vital to avoid a draw. Dryad Arbor shines here as it can come down after a Jace, the Mind Sculptor -1 to kill it, assuming you have a Noble Hierarch for the Exalted trigger. Fetch your non basics aggressively.
In
- 3 Veil of Summer
- 2 Path to Exile
- 1 Reveillark
- 1 Phyrexian Revoker
Out
- 2 Finale of Devastation
- 2 Eladamri’s Call
- 1 Fiend Hunter
- 1 Knight of Autumn
- 1 Birds of Paradise
Death’s Shadow Variants
Most of the variants of this deck will be Grixis or Mardu. Grixis is very very bad for us. in fact, it is likely our worst match-up. Mardu. on the other hand, is quite good. This version is quite a bit slower and we can abuse that. Sword of Light and Shadow wins the game every time against Mardu. The key to winning these match-ups is play smart and topdeck well. Not lying, you literally just want to draw better than your Grixis opponents. Good luck!!
In
- 3 Path to Exile
- 3 Veil of Summer
- 1 Reveillark
Out
- 2 Finale of Devastation
- 1 Knight of Autumn
- 1 Viridian Longbow
- 2 Vizier of Remedies
- 1 Eladamri’s Call
Dredge
You are faster than Dredge and besides some stray one or two-of removal spells in their main they only have Conflagurate as interaction. Make sure that the combo is what you are focused on. You even have the ability to set up by fetching out a Giver of Runes to protect your Druid. Turn four is often good enough in this match-up.
In
Out
- 1 Knight of Autumn
- 1 Vesperlark
- 1 Sword of Light and Shadow
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