Faeries was a dominating deck during its time in Standard. There was no better play than turn one Thoughtseize into turn two Bitterblossom back then. While Faeries did see play in the now-retired Extended format, it never really caught on in Modern. Of course, Bitterblossom was banned during Modern's first few years of existence, but given that the card has been legal for a year now, I would have expected to see a lot more of it.

 

 

 

I loved Faeries back in Lorwyn-era Standard. I played it in practically every tournament and I even enjoyed playing the mirror match. I always tried finding the best sideboard tech in order to gain an edge against my opponent's Bitterblossoms.

 

Seeing this archetype in the Top 8 of the StarCityGames Premier IQ in Providence last weekend definitely put a smile on my face. Anthony Huynh's list is your typical Faeries deck and all of the main components are there. Three Thoughtseizes and three Inquisition of Kozileks are your most important cards. They clear the way for your Bitterblossom to come down on turn two. They can stop early aggression by stripping your opponent's hand of burn spells or early creatures.

 

Some would argue that Bitterblossom is a scary card to play. Most life loss from this deck is caused by your own sources. The self-inflicted damage from Polluted Delta, Watery Grave, and Thoughtseize really adds up. Anthony does a nice job of counteracting that with Batterskull, Wurmcoil Engine, and Sword of Light and Shadow out of the sideboard. Regardless, playing Bitterblossom against a Mono-Red Burn opponent is pretty scary.

 

 

 

Spellstutter Sprite is a great choice for Modern right now. The most played cards in the format are arguably Thoughtseize, Inquisition of Kozilek, and Lightning Bolt; and the Sprite counters them without requiring another Faerie. It wields a Sword pretty well too.

 

It's always refreshing to see something different in Modern, so props to Anthony for his fantastic deck choice.

Anthony Huynh's UB Faeries

Download Arena Decklist
Decklist Stats Sample Hand
Creature (12)
2 Snapcaster Mage 3 Vendilion Clique 4 Spellstutter Sprite 2 Mistbind Clique 1 Scion of Oona
Sorcery (6)
3 Inquisition of Kozilek 3 Thoughtseize
Instant (12)
1 Murderous Cut 1 Dismember 2 Go for the Throat 3 Cryptic Command 1 Slaughter Pact 2 Spell Snare 2 Mana Leak
Artifact (1)
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
Enchantment (4)
4 Bitterblossom
Land (25)
2 Tectonic Edge 3 Creeping Tar Pit 1 Drowned Catacomb 4 Mutavault 3 Watery Grave 4 Polluted Delta 1 Swamp 7 Island
60 Cards
Sideboard (15)
1 Go for the Throat 1 Slaughter Pact 1 Batterskull 1 Wurmcoil Engine 1 Dispel 1 Disfigure 2 Sower of Temptation 1 Sword of Light and Shadow 2 Duress 2 Countersquall 2 Hurkyl's Recall
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