Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle has been featured in many varying configurations throughout the history of Modern. These decks have all featured Scapeshift and/or Primeval Titan, and most pilots have shifted towards using Through the Breach to power out a titan as of late. The most recent innovation has been to speed up the Breaches with Simian Spirit Guide, with two such lists making the Top 8 of the Modern Classic in Knoxville last weekend, including a finals appearance in the hands of Clayton Vogelgesang.

This is just another deck in the long line of decks utilizing Simian Spirit Guide to cheat on mana. Using the Guide to power a Through the Breach when you only control four lands will put you up to six lands with your first Primeval Titan trigger, and then when you attack as long as none of your lands are basic Forest you can get lands seven and eight, which is the threshold to control two Valakut, the Molten Pinnacles and six Mountains. With two Mountain[/cards] entering the battlefield at the same time you will get two triggers on both of your Valakuts, which is good for twelve damage. Combine this with your Titan attacking for 12 and this will often be lethal, and in a pinch you can use those triggers to kill some creatures. If you do have basic [card]Forest, then you'll have to settle for at most one Valakut trigger- on turn three most likely- and be content that most of your topdecks from this point on are worth at least one Lightning Bolt.

While Simian Spirit Guide can be utilized for turn three kills with this deck, that's not where its utility stops. Exiling SSG to cast a Lightning Bolt is sort of the Modern equivalent of Force of Will if you're worried about being run over by Glistener Elf. This innovation is looking to be stock, and I expect it to continue to be so long as Simian Spirit Guide remains Modern legal.