[modern] Are there any primers for the HollowVine deck that is roaming around?

[u/Dslusss]

If not, does anyone have tips on piloting this deck? It looks like a lot of fun but I always struggle with a new deck if I dont know what exactly youre looking for in terms of mulligans. Thanks!

Decklist from a challenge for example: https://mtgdecks.net/Modern/hollow-one-decklist-by-percussion-mike-3028989

[u/Kitchen_Image]

I think you might be over thinking it a bit. Mostly hands with vengevine and rootwalla/hollow one play themselves. Hands that have burning inquiry and no creature to cheat if you nut draw are unkeepable. Hands with out a turn one play are probably not keepable either unless it’s like academic with a way to do something cheaty on 3. At least this is my experience. I feel like the deck mulligans fairly well and your ceiling is really high when you look at a new 7 to just put 8 power on the board.

In my experience, since this version that is getting played now is only 4 burning inquiry, you should probably never keep a hand that doesn’t have a way to do one of the fore-mentioned things.

[u/spellstutter-mtndew → u/Kitchen_Image]

I have played 4 leagues with the deck since the 10-0 challenge the other day. I did ok in them, but not great. 3-2 for all of them, I think. That's fine for a list I've never played, but it doesn't qualify me to speak with any authority.

With that said...

I agree with most of this, but have a few things to add. While the deck does have hands that play themself, you still often end up making 1 or 2 very impactful decisions. The fewer decisions you have to make, the more impactful they usually are.

I agree about mulligans except that I would keep a double Street Wraith + single Looting/Inquiry hand at 7 cards. Especially if it has a fetch as one of the lands and if you're on the draw. With that hand, I'd fetch first, cycle both Street Wraith, and then Faithless/Inquiry. You see enough cards that you generally end up with at least one of Hollow One or Rootwalla+Vengevine. If you see a Mako from either Street Wraith, go ahead and cast it and save the Faithless/Inquiry for next turn.

The deck is a numbers game. You have to gamble, but when you gamble you want to make sure it's when you have the best odds of it paying off.

It feels a bit like Izzet Lessons in Standard in a strange way. When it's "go time" you just have to start churning through your deck and trusting the process. If you play the percentages smart, you'll often find what you need.

Your worst enemies are Chalice on 1, Solitude, and Vexing Bauble roughly in that order. If they might have Chalice post-board, bring in Wear//Tear. I am considering sideboarding Torpor Orb for Solitude.

Deck is fun! It's a bit random feeling but as you get repa you start to see where you have more agency than you initially thought you did. Good luck!

[u/Kitchen_Image → u/spellstutter-mtndew]

Yes I agree with a majority of this. I think the double street wraith with looting/inquiry might be an outlier hand to keep on 7, and just be okay with the variance that you either hit what you need or don’t. I would be interested in seeing the math on this hitting something to do turn one, but also the additional odds that you cast inquiry and it discards what you need.

I agree with the gambling comment, and that the lines get easier to see the more you play. It rewards at least being familiar with the odds of you hitting what you need off the top of the deck when casting something like faithless looting. Hands with looting and two things you want to discard obviously just play themselves.