Updates to the RG Tron deck and sideboard

As you may know, my deck of choice in Modern is RG Tron. In fact, I like the deck so much that I wrote a 36-part series on the deck on this blog. For a full list of the chapters of The Modern Bible: http://mtgolibrary.blogspot.se/2015/02/the-modern-bible-of-rg-tron-part-1.html

The reasons to change the RG Tron deck list
As of January 27th, Splinter Twin and Summer Bloom are banned in Modern. That changes everything. It is a major boost for RG Tron.

Two major combo decks are gone. RG Tron does not like combo. RG Tron happy now! RG Tron smash! Oh... excuse me. Back to writing.

Something else has changed as well - Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger has proved to be extremely good at taking down another combo enemy of ours - Scapeshift.

This means that we can move out of the Slaughter Games package and get some free slots in the sideboard.

For reference this is my latest RG Tron build that I was using before the bannings:

1 Tendo Ice Bridge
1 Eye of Ugin
1 Forest
1 Ghost Quarter
4 Grove of the Burnwillows
4 Urza's Mine
4 Urza's Powerplant
4 Urza's Tower

1 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
3 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Spellskite
1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn

4 Oblivion Stone
4 Karn Liberated
1 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon

4 Chromatic Sphere
4 Chromatic Star
4 Expedition Map
4 Sylvan Scrying
4 Ancient Stirrings
2 Relic of Progenitus
3 Pyroclasm

Sideboard
4 Nature's Claim
3 Slaughter Games
1 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Relic of Progenitus
2 Spellskite
1 Boil
1 Pyroclasm
1 Rending Volley
1 Thragtusk

The changes
Removing the Slaughter Games package means that we no longer need to play Tendo Ice Bridge in the main deck. Thus we get a free land slot. This land slot should be used for Ghost Quarter or a Forest. As the 2nd Ghost Quarter is much less useful than the first (as has been proved by one of the geniuses on the mtgsalvation forums) and Newlamog is pathable I feel that the Forest is more useful.

+1 Forest, -1 Tendo Ice Bridge (MD)

I see no reason to make any other main deck change. I have seen builds with multiple Newlamogs but I feel very reluctant to add more bombs to the deck and I am not cutting Emrakul anytime soon. The single Ugin could possibly be replaced by a Newlamog if you feel like doing that.

I think there is sufficient reason to keep two Spellskites in the SB. They are still very efficient in a lot of matchups even if Twin is gone.

I do not think Rending Volley deserves a spot in the SB now. It does work against Celestial Colonnade and Merfolk but we still win easily against Control decks and Merfolk does not show up enough to merit a slot IMHO.

-3 Slaughter Games, -1 Rending Volley (SB)

My two biggest problem matchups right now are Burn (still trying out Thragtusk) and Affinity. I would like to add something against them. I was thinking of a second Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger might in the sideboard against Scapeshift but Scapeshift does not seem big enough right now in the online metagame. That might change if the Twin players decide to go for Scapeshift instead.

I am going to add one card for Burn and one for Affinity. My choice will be Feed the Clan (or a second Thragtusk) and Ancient Grudge. I will also put in another mass removal spell (probably the new one from Oath). My last candidate for the sideboard is the 4th Relic or the 2nd Boil. For now, the Relic seems like the safe choice.

+1 Ancient Grudge, +1 Feed the Clan, +1 mass removal, +1 Relic

The new deck list post Jan 27 2016
1 Eye of Ugin
1 Forest
1 Ghost Quarter
4 Grove of the Burnwillows
4 Urza's Mine
4 Urza's Powerplant
4 Urza's Tower

1 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
3 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Spellskite
1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn

4 Oblivion Stone
4 Karn Liberated
1 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon

4 Chromatic Sphere
4 Chromatic Star
4 Expedition Map
4 Sylvan Scrying
4 Ancient Stirrings
2 Relic of Progenitus
3 Pyroclasm

Sideboard
4 Nature's Claim

1 Ancient Grudge

1 Feed the Clan

1 mass removal spell

1 Wurmcoil Engine
2 Relic of Progenitus
2 Spellskite
1 Boil
1 Pyroclasm

1 Thragtusk

Now I will start to work on updating the sideboard plan. 

I am very happy to discuss these changes and I am sure the Pro Tour will prove that I got some of this wrong. Please add your thoughts in the comments below.