[Modern]Bitterblossom, the harsh mistress

[Lyonsbane]

Since my starting in MtG, I have been fascinated with the Faerie tribe.
I brewed with them a lot of different builds/decks, ranging from full aggro to tempo/control, however I never found a truly competitive formula to make them work in the Modern environment.

After more than 6 months of betatesting, I finally brewed a working formula under the guise of a pure control/removal deck.
It gave me good result vs almost all matchup in my FNM/local tournaments, so here we go:

http://deck.tk/7LLA3pKm

The deck is a little tricky to play, since Bitterblossom sets both the players on a clock: it depletes our life, but depletes the enemy's much faster.
It's our path to victory, yet we can't afford to put it on the field until we are sure that nothing will harm it (aka "I'm in control").

Here the card list with explanation:
4 x Bitterblossom: our engine. It spawns a 1/1 flying token for 1 life.
Multiple istances of it can speed the game clock toward the end (even ours).
We've got 4 copies of it, so if it's destroyed, we can always replace it.

1 x Collective Brutality: the little swiss knife.
It can kill small creatures, discard cards from the opponent hand, or refuel a little or primary resource: life.

1 x Cryptic Command: the BIG swiss knife.
Useful in almost every situation, ranging from countering spells, tapping out enemy's creatures, buying tempo, this card does it.
The only downside: it's mana expensive.

1 x Dimir Charm: similar to Collective Brutality in its use.
It can mess with our opponent's plan pretty bad for only 2 mana.
Even when topdecked as a dead card, you can always use it to adjust your next draw.
Also, it kills things! (the small ones...)

2 x Dismember: one of the big spot removal in the deck.
You can use it as an emergency removal for 1 mana and 4 life (care Bitterblossom clock), or just pay a partial BB/2 life, or even the entire cost since we run a lot of black in the deck.

4 x Fatal Push: new entry for Kaladesh, this card gave new fuel to the previous build.
Use it in conjunction with fecthes or blinking effect (Quickling/Mistbind Clique) to remove bigger creatures, or plain use it to remove smaller threats,

1 x Glen Elendra Archmage: play only when in control to keep the control.
We don't want to go tapped out when the enemy has some resources in hand, do we?
Anyway, it's a 2x flying counter.

1 x Go for the Throat: another small spot removal.
Doesn't work with artifacts, but kills pretty much everything else.

4 x Inquisiton of Kozilek: swappable for Thoughtseize.
It removes threats from the hand at turn 1 with some luck.
Works well with Surgical Extraction.

4 x Surgical Extraction: swappable for Extirpate.
It literally rapes our opponent deck, hand, and graveyard, while giving us insight on opponent's plan and strategies.

I don't recommend playing 4 x Thoughtseize and 4 x Surgical Extraction, too much toll on our life.
Either 4 x Toughtseize and  4 x Extirpate OR 4 x Inquisition of Kozilek and 4 x Surgical Extraction.
These cards go in combo, so keep them both, or none.

2 x Mistbind Clique: a 4/4 flying, who can "blink" things, save us from Bitterblossom and tap out the opponent (giving us a free quasi-Time Walk in the process).
Goes well in combo with Spellstutter Sprite and Quickling (especially the Quickling, you can do some nasty things with both).

2 x Quickling: a 2/2 flying for 2 mana, who can give us back the opportunity to play Spellstutter Sprite or Mistbind Clique again.
Don't play it as a creature to bash the opponent, unless it's for the win.
Ever.

1 x Remand: it cicles itself and give us time.
Use it to counter big spells.

4 x Spellstutter Sprite: a little 1/1 flying who likes to counter things.
Goes well in combo with Mutavault, Bitterblossom and tokens.

Vendilion Clique: a 3/1 flying with flash who can remove threats from opponent hand.
1 x Sword of War and Peace/Sword of Feast and Famine: one sword for sustain, one sword for keeping the mana open.
Play them when you're in control.
Sometimes you won't even need them (or you won't actually see them).

1 x Baral's Expertise: another new entry from Kaladesh, swappable for Yahenni's Expertise if you're more into destroying things.
It's a pretty nasty card, even if expensive.
The only real downside it's that it's a sorcery.
It can bounce back Spellstutter Sprite/Mistbind Clique/Vendilion Clique so we can use them again, or just bounce opponent things out of the battlefield.
Also, free sword, bitterblossom, or cryptic command.

Lands wise:

1 x Creeping Tar Pit: it's a nice land, unblockable and animable for a real cheap cost, but enter the battlefield tapped.
An alternative finisher if things go awry.

2 x Drowned Catacomb: it will enter always untapped, we've got the ways to do it.

2 x Ghost Quarter: we don't like those pesky Inkmoth Nexus, do we?
No, we don't.

2 x Mutavault: can swing for 2 damage during dead turn 2 draws.
You can replace Ghost Quarters for a full set if you feel into aggro mood.

4 x Polluted Delta: a lot of people don't like fetches into Faeries decks.
I like them, however, since they can adjust the mana for a single life point.

2 x Watery Grave: a mana fixer, but I don't recommend to abuse them.
The deck is already life expensive as it is.


Final note: I didn't include Scion of Oona because... I really don't like that card.
I tried to fit it into every single build of my faerie deck, and it always sorted out to be a dead card.
It's one of the cards that people try to cram into every faerie build, but it does few things apart from protecting your creatures from a spot removal (and if you play bitterblossom, you don't care about spot removals at all).
The +1/+1 is nice, but then Favorable Winds does the same, while being an enchantment (more difficult to remove).
Sure, it can protect Bitterblossom, maybe even Vendilion/Mistbind, but Spellstutter can do that too.
I think it's better to have a nice spot removal/counter set instead of Scion.
If the cost were to be a 1U or even UU, I would have included it.

Any thoughts?

[KouriNick]

Hey Lyonsbane,

I'm super happy to see somebody else playing Faeries. Its by far my favorite tribe and one that I've been playing off and on pretty consistently for the past 2 years. I love the deck and it looks like you have a super solid control version.

I have a few suggestions as things to think about, as I've tried them all at one time or another and liked them all depending on what I'm trying to do.

Famililiar's ruse: hard counter that can bounce a spellstutter, Clique or mistbind for value. Best in control versions since you expect the game to go long

Batterskull: great in long games as a finisher that replenishes the life lost from bitterblossom. Fairie tokens also wield it really nicely.

Tasigur, the Golden Fang: nice as a 1 of. Gives you something to do with your graveyard and rewards playing lots of spells.

Ancestral Vision: more awkward than you'd think since it competes with discard spells on T1, and is only really good when on T1... i did run a version for a while with 4 visions and 4 Serum Visions, but with no thoughtseize or inquisition (except in the sideboard). It actually works quite well, as the card advantage can really close out games, but it does leave you weaker to really explosive, fast decks.

Snapcaster mage: sort of an honorary Faerie. Plays nice with quickling, but you really only want 1 or 2 copies tops. Particularly good in tempo builds without Ancestral vision. As a sidenote, snapcaster for discard spell is an interaction modern doesn't see enough of...

Smuggler's Copter: recently replaced my swords for looter scooters and im not going back. It's like Copter was built for Faeries! Crewing Copter with the summoning sick token off biter blossom is amazing, and the loot let's us dig for whatever tools we need, and the extra pressure goes a long way. I've actually found myself playing T2 Copter over T2 bitterblossom lately, as it poses such a fast clock.

Secluded glen: you're in Faerie's, so the tribal Faerie land is a nice addition.

Hope these suggestions give you something to think about! Good luck and let me know what you think, id be more than happy to chat about any particular card.

[Lyonsbane]

Thanks, it's always nice to see another faerie's buddy!
When I was working on the build I tought about those cards, and some CAN find place in the build.
I just sorted out the best one for my environment! 

-Batterskull can replace Sword of war and peace.
It does not carry the burn effect with it, but the life recovery effect is much more solid and constant than the sword's one.
Also, it's handy cause it's already in full use when casted.

Tasigur, the golden fang can take back some spells from the graveyard and can be a pretty solid beater for a cheap cost later on, sure!
Glen elendra archmage can be swapped for it, I guess, but I tried to stay true to the "Faerie" archetype, so it's just a personal "flavour" no.
The card is still valid, tho.

I tried a deck with 4 Serum Vision at the beginning, but they were just... not that useful, especially later on.
I guess that Ancestral Vision is not different, apart from being a 4 turn delay draw.
If you keep your removal for the real threats, you should not be worried about drawing that many cards.

Snapcaster Mage, I'm fully aware of his use, still not a faerie! 
Go for the Throat, Dimir Charm and maybe a copy of Dismember could be cut off to make some room.

For Smuggler's Copter, I'm aware too of that card brokeness, I'm actually using a couple into my monowhite Death&Taxes and it's working great.
Same spot as snapcaster, I guess.
Visions of faeries with goggles and aviation jackets blasting my opponent from the copter are pretty fun, too.