Modern- Mulligans

Aside from typical Magic the Gathering Mulligan advice, Death and Taxes, unlike the average deck, can operate under few lands. In fact, keeping one land hands can be done often in the deck despite it lacking card selection/cantrips like blue. The deck's ability to keep these land light hands is thanks to Aether Vial, which by itself makes one land hands very keepable (and powerful). Be aware- your opponent can play a turn one Thoughtseize/Inquisition of Kozilek to take your Aether Vial, so it is generally advised to mulligan these one land hands with Aether Vial if you are on the draw against a blind opponent or are on the draw vs. a deck with heavy one mana discard. Otherwise, a one/two lander with Aether Vial is a very safe keep. Also worth noting, there are very few counterspells that can counter a turn one Aether Vial, spell pierce being the only relevant one (which is not very common right now in Modern), and artifact hate is mostly limited to Kolaghan's Command before sideboards.

The Mulligan Game!

Since it is very difficult to write an extensive guide for when to keep/mulligan a hand, instead this site will present ten different random hands each month, with voting and discussions available (and encouraged!). At the end of the month, I will present my own opinion and reasoning. Below will be an example of the hands.

Sample Mulligan Game:

Hand #1:

On the draw vs. unknown opponent

Mull...Why?

While one land hands with Aether Vial tend to be appealing, there are many issues with this particular one. For starters, being on the draw is significantly worse than on the play. Modern is dominated by many decks that play turn one Thoughtseize or Inquisition of Kozilek, which would ruin this hand. In addition, the hand is mediocore assuming the Aether Vial is not discarded (or countered with Spell Pierce).

Hand #2:

On the play vs. unknown opponent

Keep...Why?

Very similar to the above hand, except we're on the play. While missing a land drop would significantly slow down the hand, Aether Vial more than makes up for that risk. In addition, the hand has a diverse mana cost of creatures, maximizing the value of Aether Vial.

Hand #3:

On the draw vs. storm

Mull...Why?

This hand, regardless of the turn order, would typically be a snap keep. However, when against storm, a deck that can easily win on turn three if left alone, the hand is simply too slow. None of the cards interact with the opponent or help stop their gameplan (except Ghost Quarter if Leonin Arbiter is drawn). In fact, Thraben Inspector is typically too slow to help dig for a Thalia, Guardian of Thraben, Leonin Arbiter, Path to Exile or specific hate like Damping Sphere/Eidolon of Rhetoric. While it is not necessary to assume that the opponent will win on turn 3, that is no excuse for keeping an uninteractive hand versus a combo deck.

Archieve of old Mulligan Games:

Notice: Due to the lack of demand, Mulligan Games will be temporarily terminated. A new game will be added sometime in July. For now, you may participate in April's Mulligan Game below:

Decklist Changes: