Power level: test

Approximate number of test games played: 1-10

Original deckbuilder: ertai

Original list: https://tilde.town/~ertai/mtg/decklists/modern/netdeckslayer/

Last updated: 2026-07-22

Deckbuilding notes

The idea is to abuse the fact that we already have high information on the opponent's decks (because of high netdecking percentage in modern) by focusing on removing our opponent's wincons and ways of breaking our lock. I really mean to punish netdeckers and lock them in an endless game where my wincon is litteraly fetching Memnarch from the sideboard with Karn, stealing all permanents then waiting to draw 7 cards so I can attack through Ensnaring Bridge. Thus, cards like Nevermore mainboard. Since modern is a fast format, we have to prevent our opponent from throwing their hand at us on turn 2/3. We need to slow them down so we have time to play our lock pieces. This is what High Noon is for, as well as counterspells. High Noon also works really well with Isochron Scepter on a Counterspell / Remand.

For instance, take a look at this list: Esper Goryo's. If we name Prismatic Ending on a Nevermore, our opponent only has one way out of Ensnaring Bridge: a single copy of March of Otherworldy Light. Grab a Vexing Bauble with Urza's Saga to make sure Bridge resolves through Force of Negation, and chill with a counterspell up whilst waiting for your opponent to draw the 1x March of Otherworldy Light. That's the really fun part in my opinion. Your opponent playing through the 20 turns of doing nothing as there is a tiny chance they draw the right card to get out of the prison, as you are actively working to tightly seal its walls.

Test of Talents is such a sleeper card!! It's soooo good. Watch the salt pour out from your opponent's eyes as you remove every copy of their sideboard hate (like Wear // Tear or Meltdown or Wrath of the Skies) AND get to look at their deck to get perfect information about other potential menaces.

Play patterns

Warning: this deck is very hard to play. In order to play this correctly, you would have to memorize at least every wincon and cards that can break the lock in every deck of the meta, including sideboard (this is very important as opponent will bring hate cards to break the lock post sideboard and you have to be ready for those) and you would need to have prepared a plan for all those decks, because you have to know which cards to counter and which cards do not constitute a menace in each situation. In order to play the deck perfectly, you would actually have to know the names of each card of all meta decks, and possible variations. To give you an example, if you have your opponent completely locked but you forget to grab a Pithing Needle for Boseiju, Who Endures, opponent will break your Ensnaring Bridge and swing for lethal and you will be very sad. You constantly have to think about what your opponent could draw, and it adds up to the mental stack. It's very rewarding however when you do lock the opponent.

With that said, it's sometimes really funny when you get free wins game 1 due to the mainboard hate. Like dropping a High Noon T2 against a storm deck. Or naming Goblin Charbelcher with Nevermore followed by dropping an Ensnaring Bridge against Mono-red Charbelcher.