[2017] pyromancer ascension r/u mp control comet storm (Modern)

this Modern deck combines Blue control and low-cost cards on a creatureless deck while also using Red mana acceleration to cast powerful burn spells and copy them with pyromancer ascension.

this is a powerful and fun casual deck or a weak local tournament deck. don't bother to play this against anyone with tarmogoyf, they spent more money than you so they win. unlike many burn decks, it usually works in multiplayer, too.

-

a bunch of cards keep your cards safe. (in multiplayer this is more important than one would expect in a duel.)

a bunch of cards give you card advantage, either through tutor, scry, or draw.

a bunch of your cards provide creature hate.

there aren't any important cards in this deck that must be played for more than 3 mana, except sideboard cards (although you'll often play comet storm and clockspinning for more). it's a low-mana deck and can skimp on land a bit, filling holes with braid of fire and manamorphose, using a plethora of instants instead so as to be able to use the mana from braid of fire.

the only cards muddle the mixture can't tutor are non-core cards (lightning bolt, serum visions, electrolyze, cryptic command).

-

special card notes:

manamorphose, when pyromancer ascension forks it, nets positive mana.

scry effects are less useful when duplicated if you don't throw anything to the bottom of your deck - but note that you can respond to a good scry by using an instant draw (electrolyze, izzet charm, manamorphose) before your scrying continues!

you can't cast braid of fire, pyromancer ascension, or serum visions using mana from braid of fire. it goes away before your main phase. everything else, however, is instant speed.

think of muddle the mixture primarily as a tutor. 7 of the card names in your deck have CMC 2.

cryptic command and comet storm you will probably play only once each. sometimes you don't need comet storm if you ping them down enough, but otherwise a scry or a tutor will get it for you. cryptic command is an optional draw.

-

sideboard options, depending on your meta:

side disallow and seismic spike in against casual players who are being rude in casual.

side twisted image in against players that love to play high-power, low-toughness creatures (or if you want to take out an important low-power high-toughness creature using twisted image and your direct damage - or by state-based for e.g. birds of paradise). it's a cheap way to make that 6/1 Ball Lightning into a CMC 3 half-a-shock (and it even cantrips!). remember to keep an eye on pyromancer ascension while doing this - forking twisted image is great since it becomes draw 2, but you don't want to double swap p/t on a single creature, because then it'd go back to normal. i'd probably side out reality acid against aggro unless i had a great faith in the heart of the cards (i don't).

side leyline of punishment in against white. i've played against felidar sovereign and i've played against an auriok replica and i've played against burrenton forge-tender and i've played against gideon jura and i've played against hallow. they all make you really sad. and this makes you not sad! although it makes white sad, but we're playing U/R, we don't care about white.

if you're buying these cards on a budget, note that cryptic command is the expensive card of the sideboard. the rest can be had for $0.20 (twisted image) to $2 (sowing salt).

-

future considerations:

leyline of punishment or everlasting torment?

quash or counterbore might be nice against decks with low win condition options. but it's very rude.

is clockspinning worth sideboarding for use against any particular deck type? (can put 2 counters on pyromancer ascension at once with one in graveyard - does not need to target a permanent which already has counter - and can finish it even without such a card in graveyard.)

side sowing salt in against urzatron, dark depths, and the like - it's a hard counter to both if you can get it out.