Ten Cheap Unplayed Cards In Modern

The gameplay was getting intense. Two Deceiver Exarchs on either side of the board means it was essentially a draining battle of the blue mages waiting for each other to tap out, or to simply just hold out for draw steps to fill the hand with more counter magic.

With six free lands at his disposal, it is easy to presume that a Splinter Twin can be protected with a cheap two-cost counterspell. He had just cast a Vendilion Clique to tuck my Splinter Twin under the library and knew I had nothing else but a Spell Snare, an unimaginative Manamorphose and three spare lands. He was quietly confident I suppose, even if he didn’t get his way with me he could just beat me down with his existing flyer.

“Splinter Twin.” He places it hesitantly on the table, edging it close to his Deceiver Exarch.

In response, I whipped out my Manamorphose, floated a color each, and topdecked a Swerve.

I slapped the Swerve down excitedly and spoke with new-found strength, “I will change the target of your Splinter Twin to MY Deceiver.”

These were some of the epic plays that I have experienced with some of the uncompetitive cards that most players think nothing of.  I know because I have often been dissuaded against giving these cards a slot in my deck. These cards, are not considered strong or useful enough to warrant play time by the more competitive players but I play these cards because it’s much cheaper than a pair of Cryptic Commands. 

In this article, I will discuss on ten of the cards in Modern that are often under-estimated and left on the sidelines but portrays immense potential to disrupt gameplay and perhaps, gives your deck a surprise element over the netdecks.

I may not be the most qualified player to comment on card plays because I was never on the Pro Tour. Yes I admit I’m not that good.

But then, I also had a couple of other players telling me that I was wasting my time hoarding Spellskites and Leyline of Sanctities two years ago because no one was playing these cards.  So let’s move on!

10. Manamorphose - $3.35 mid TCG

With either red or green to cast, it is versatile enough to be played in most deck setups for Modern. Manamorphose interestingly floats two mana of your choice when you are seeking solutions in response and tweaks your mana when you are in need of the right colors to play your spells.

9. Swerve - $0.37 mid TCG

It does what Spellskite can’t -  Shoot your opponent’s Thoughtseize or Lightning Bolt right back at his or her face. It can also be a sideboard option when you need to redirect counterspells or get your opponents to Path to Exile their own Tarmogoyfs.

8. Extirpate - $3.13 mid TCG

Split Second. As long as you are the first to play it, it becomes a combo wrecker and allows you to browse the library of your opponent with a single mana. Surgical Extraction would have done the job, but Extirpate gets the thumbs up because it is more likely to go through a pile of counterspells with its Split Second ability. The best thing that I love about this card is that it can exile copies of non-basic lands (read: shocklands and fetches) and helps to thin your opponent’s deck.

7. Ghost Quarter - $0.18 mid TCG

And that brings me to this card. Destroys almost every land in sight that Extirpate can possibly exile. Crucible of Worlds allows it to see repeated play. Wasteland is not playable in Modern. Tectonic Edge only works for fourth land or more. Helps tweak mana sources when required, either on your own land or a Darksteel Citadel.

6. Repeal - $0.25 mid TCG

Almost superb in any low cost deck and even against. Bounce an attacking cranial-plated ornithopter with one blue and draw a card, or get your Snapcaster Mage back with three at the end of turn. It can hold out for some disruptive plays, almost similar to the Time Walk feature that Remand offers. 

5. Familiar Ruse - $0.46 mid TCG

This is a cheap way of reusing creatures with Enter-The-Battlefield effects. Although situational, the raw idea of bouncing a Snapcaster Mage or a Spellstutter Faerie for triggered counter magic is interesting for the blue players.

4. Silence - $0.93 mid TCG

Half of an Orim’s Chant and playable in Modern, the card oracle doesn’t target any players and goes beyond the Leyline of Sanctity. Cast usually during the upkeep phase, it can keep your opponents quiet during their turns, and works best when you are gearing up to take the game on your turn.

3. Telling Time - $0.91 mid TCG

End-of-turn plays on this card gives you a two-card advantage in hand and put an unwanted card at the bottom. While Serum Vision and Sleight of Hand are at Sorcery speed, this is one of the few draw spells in instant mode that helps to meddle with your topdeck, stimulating a fraction of what Brainstorm does in Legacy and can be fired off in response to spells like Thought Scour. Also a telling time for Miracles.

2. Noxious Revival - $0.83 mid TCG

This is the reason why I still see Miracle decks realistically having a chance in Modern. Versatile because you can also give your opponent a dead draw for the next turn.

1. Ojutai’s Command - $2.40 mid TCG

This card could be as powerful as the decks playing it. I’ll be particularly impressed with the first choice if I’m playing Bant and up against a red deck. It might also find a place in Blue-White Faeries.  There are quite a number of pesky two-mana-or-less threats we would all like to port back to the battlefield. But it would interesting to see how far it’ll go within the next six months after Magic Origins kicks in.

Have fun decking.