Wacky Wednesdays: Modern Prison

Greetings! Since the recent Pro Tour, the Modern format has had a spike in its already growing popularity.  This month, I'd like to bring you a wacky deck that caught my eye and got me thinking as soon as I saw it.

Witness, The Modern Prison:

The Modern Prison

Deck by: David McElhaugh
7th in GPT at Atlantic City

Enchantments x4 Runed Halo x4 Suppression Field x4 Leyline of Sanctity x4 Ghostly Prison x2 Sphere of Safety x2 Porphyry Nodes x1 Greater Auramancy x1 Form of the Dragon x1 Oblivion Ring x1 Peace of Mind x1 Phyrexian Unlife x1 Privileged Position x1 Dovescape	Other Spells x4 Enduring Ideal x3 Ensnaring Bridge Land x3 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx x3 Mistveil Plains x3 Saltcrusted Steppe x1 Boseiju, Who Shelters All x16 Plains
Sideboard x2 Porphyry Nodes x1 Oblivion Ring x1 Aura of Silence x1 Eidolon of Rhetoric x1 Luminarch Ascension x4 Stony Silence x4 Silence x1 Nevermore

    

As you can see, David's deck is quite unusual.  The general strategy of this deck is to use enchantments to deny ones foes any and every way to win the game.  For example, Leyline of Sanctity shuts down burn decks, parts of Scapeshift decks, mill, and any other deck that must target you in order to acquire victory.  Ghostly Prison and Sphere of Safety, Ensnaring Bridge, and Porphyry Nodes take care of aggro strategies.  Greater Auramancy and Privileged Position protect all enchantments in play.  It even has Runed Halo for any odd or wacky cards that don't fall into the above categories. *cough* Battle of Wits *cough*

    

  

Building a pillow fort is only half the plan though.  Once this deck has ensured its opponent cannot win, it has to go find a win condition of its own.  In this case, that win condition is either Form of the Dragon or Dovescape.  It's harder to get more wacky than that.

  

Once Dovescape has been cast, all future enchantments turn into birds.  Sure, the opponent gets birds too, but that hardly helps them if they have to pay 5+ mana per attacking bird.

This deck has to jump through a few hoops to play Form of the Dragon.  First, it needs to reach 7 mana, either normally or through ramping with Nykthos or Saltcrusted Steppe.  Next, it needs to cast Enduring Ideal.  At this point it can search up a Leyline of Sanctity, unless it began the game with one in play, and finally Form of the Dragon.  From here, all that's left is to blast the opponent for 5 each turn.

    

There are a few weird cards that all have their uses,  Peace of Mind allows the pilot of this deck to discard Form of the Dragon or excess Enduring Ideals should they be drawn.  It can also be used to buy an extra turn or two against burn in a pinch.  Since the deck only runs two win conditions, it also runs Mistveil Plains to ensure it is never left without a way to win the game.  Lastly, Phyrexian Unlife is essentially 10 extra life in an emergency.

    

Well that is all for this month. Thanks for reading and be sure to let me know what you thought of this article in the comments below.