MTG Salvation

I feel like Anafenza is pretty bad against Hollow One and Bridgevine... leaves many threats untouched in both decks, and is super slow. She's not bad against Dredge, and the 4 butt is relevant against Bolt/Helix, but I'm not looking to make any space for her in my 75.

Assertion: Worship is bad in UW Spirits.

Reasoning:

• You have to draw it, first, and running only one is pretty unreliable.
• Getting to four lands, especially on-curve, is very tough in a 21-land list, without card draw or filtering, which few UW lists run in any reliable quantities.

The matches you want Worship for tend to be against aggro decks, unless I misunderstand. I don't know how many games I've lost in the past while holding Damnation in hand, but not having the mana to cast it--in a 24-land list.

Thoughts?

I think introducing new cards to the Modern card pool seems like it could be a pretty cool idea if they can find a way to to quality playtesting before releasing the new cards, or even before releasing existing cards that are not currently legal. I am definitely concerned about the potential for power creep in the format.

EDIT: I thought MMA and MM3 were both pretty amazingly good sets. They did great, right? That model for reprinting existing cards seems pretty well-pitched to me, as long as the set is draftable also. At one point I was concerned that WoTC would use up their reprint equity by doing so many Masters releases, but the prices in the format suggest that they have a way to go before that really becomes a concern.

I went 6-1 in the Swiss of a 101-player PPTQ last week, but lost to the mirror in the first round of top 8. I play three Thalias, three Buglers, three Images, and four Reflectors. I dig Gaddock Teeg a lot, and run one. I don't think I saw it mentioned here yet that it shuts down both KCI and EE, in addition to its obvious merits against Tron and its unbelievable utility vs. UW Control. Teeg also hits Gifts, PiF, and Empty, from Storm. I also play, and seem in practice to be able to cast without trouble, two copies of Qasali Pridemage. I prefer it to Rec Sage.


Thanks to patbou for posting relevant content links, helped me feel like I could get caught up, after being off the grid for a week.


In terms of tips and tricks for new players, like Aazadan I would also suggest focusing on learning how to use Vial correctly. Using Vial well can be kind of non-obvious, at least to me.

Make a habit of NOT playing out a creature until you've asked the opponent for a response to the Vial activation. (This is most important with Vial on 2, but it's just a good habit all-round.) Several of our creatures (Meddling, Thalia, sometimes Image, Teeg if you play it) have powerful un-triggered static effects that can potentially lead to a blowout.

False tap at opportune moments to keep opponents on their toes--playing a creature is a "may" ability.

If like me you run the card, plan ahead to play Dire Fleet Daredevil on a key turn of the game, whether in response to a Snapcaster target or on the opponent's draw step to nab a sorcery-speed threat.

In general, pay attention to how your "leave at two" vs. "go to three" decisions play out--for me this can be a tough call, but I get better with practice. It's a very context-dependent call.

Yeah, that is a fair look at Bugler. On the other hand, card advantage and selection is just good on its face. A few pages back I calculated the odds of hitting with a Bugler at 93% in unfavorable conditions, so a 95% hit rate overall in practice is a pretty good ballpark. I have yet to whiff off of it, personally. I play three, two in the flex slots and the third in place of Phantasmal Image #4.

The selection piece is a big deal, but it must be pointed out that oftentimes we want a Bugler target early, and Bugler does not get targets early--in the timeframe that this deck is operating on, that is. If you're digging for Rec Sage or Kataki on T3 against Affinity, it's already too late, unless maybe you were on the play and landed a T1 Vial. So the dig has to be evaluated somewhat critically.

Xathrid Necromancer is good against sweepers and targeted removal of course, but it can also be very good against aggro, where you can use it lategame for chump blocks, only to then Vial Necromancer in before damage and subsequently crack back with a bunch of 2/2s out of nowhere. I'd really like to run one in the side, but right now I don't feel I have room.

I am new to this archetype, and to playing U and instant-speed in general, so I have a lot to learn. I was an early adopter of Humans and have played it for a few months now. But I think I'll try the following list on Friday:

I tried to include some utility lands, while still maximizing the odds of running out Kira, or Runed Halo or Settle the Wreckage from the side, on-curve. Actually I think Settle is probably too greedy in a 20 land deck, and probably should be something else. I feel the same way about Worship--four mana seems a pretty steep ask, here.

I welcome comments on the list and my reasoning. Thanks to the forum for the engaging discussion.

Bugler is right in this deck, I am certain. It is a tremendous consistency tool and I personally think that the fact that it gets its value once and then is free for combat duty--unlike, say, Meddling, Thalia, Freebooter, or more relevantly, Dark Confidant--is a huge part of its useful application. I haven't whiffed with it yet and it has proved decisive on several occasions.

I'm playing three in a standard list, except I have only three Phantasmal Image. I was 4-0-1 Friday (ID last round) and 3-1 (losing only the mirror) last night at my large and competitive LGS with this list.

For sideboarding, I often run into the problem of knowing what looks good to bring in, but not knowing what I want to take out. In these situations I usually side out a mix of single copies of cards that may be useful but are not key players in the matchup.

Sea Gate Wreckage is terrible.

I get the Bugler is an inferior draw engine compared to Dark Confidant argument. But I think a better analogy would be to Silvergill Adept, since both get value once on ETB, reveal a card from hand, draw a card (well 95%)... and both can then swing freely (cough vigilance) or block without sacrificing some kind of value beyond the body. Many of our guys can't say the same.

Can't wait to try it out on Friday, going to run it as a three-of.

Quote from Grim_Flayer »

On paper, KCI looks vulnerable to the hate offered by a wide variety of Modern staples, but in practice the only true hoser that it struggles to easily answer is Stony Silence

It's not as good as Stony, but Gaddock Teeg shuts down both KCI and EE. It's a good choice for a GW creature toolbox deck or Humans.

Confused about Round 4, there, FCG; didn't his EE take out his own Torpor Orb?

Big Thalia is old tech that's coming around again. My sense is that this kind of phenomenon is likely for Humans for the foreseeable future--the main game plan is very strong, but can benefit from being tweaked and reinforced by swaps among a few slots. Right now, Tron is very good, and big Thalia is excellent against Tron, so she makes sense if you are planning for that matchup.

As far as making more room for Bugler, I am not so sure that is a correct idea, but if it were then I think the third (and possibly fourth) slots in the main might have to come from an Image, a Reflector Mage, or a Freebooter. All are not great against Jeskai, which is a weak matchup for us, while Bugler seems likely to be excellent in that match. A side benefit is that Bugler can dig for any of these cards, slightly counteracting the pain of cutting one copy (but also slowing down its deployment, it should be said). For instance, I have run only three Reflector Mage before, and it occupies the same spot on the curve as Bugler does, which is relevant.

[EDIT] The more I think about it, the more I like cutting one Image for Bugler #3. An opener with multiple Images can be pretty weak.

In terms of sideboard options to maximize Bugler's effectiveness, the standard answers all seem fine to me. Bugler does make some of the more marginal options worse--stuff like Heron's Grace Champion, Notion Thief, and the mostly-abandoned Vithian Renegades.

I have seen Torpor Orb played against me twice in the past couple of weeks. It has me reconsidering Qasali Pridemage. Also, I'm thinking Gaddock Teeg is looking good as spicy tech against lots of decks--namely Tron, KCI, and Elves, but he also helps against the sweepers, Cryptic Command, and planeswalkers out of UWx builds.

I have been mulling over Militia Bugler and I think I have a conclusion. Looking for verification that my framing of this probability problem, and my reasoning, are correct: I think Bugler fills the flex slots going forward, no question, as soon as it's legal. Maybe even as more than a two-of.

Here's an explanation of my thought process. I used an online hypergeometric calculator to do the math for me. My assumptions:

• The sample size is four;
• The population is the number of cards remaining in the library (N);
• The number of successes are (N) - ((remaining Mantis Riders [max. 4]) + (remaining lands [max. 18]) + (remaining Vials [max 3]) + (non-Mantis Rider creatures drawn so far [varies]));
• We want one or more hits;
• We play a standard Vial build with Bugler as the two flex spots.

Test Case: I tried to consider how to minimize live hits and maximize dead ones for this scenario. A very bad situation (worse cases could be imagined of course) for a hit off Bugler would be in the following game:

• We kept an opening seven on the draw with one land, one Vial, and all creatures. We never draw any Mantis Riders, lands or Vials.
• We cast Bugler on T4, off a T1 Vial and only one land in play.
• We cast two one-drops on T2, and another one-drop and a two-drop on T3 (or kept all these in hand, doesn't matter for this, as long as these cards are not in the library).
• The rest of our hand (on the draw, four non-Bugler cards remain in hand) is also only made up of potential hits for Bugler. Now, 18 lands, 4 Mantis Riders, and 3 Vials remain in our library.
• In this scenario, we have 24/49 hits left in our library, which leads to a 92.9% chance to get one or more targets in the top four cards.

Conclusion: Even when the library is skewed towards dead draws, Militia Bugler is still extremely likely to be a two-for-one at a decent rate.

Granted, sometimes Bugler is going to bottom a Mantis Rider and whiff; or instead, draw a late-game Champion, Hierarch, or other low-impact card. However, in other cases it will whiff, but by doing so it will bottom four consecutive dead draws.

Running out of threats is this deck's weak point. Digging for more action will make the deck more consistent, and as shown, Bugler can be expected to hit in the large majority of cases. The point about finding sideboard cards is also well said and adds to Bugler's virtues.

Note that Bugler gets worse in decks with Kessig Malcontents, Restoration Angel, Thalia, Heretic Cathar, and the like--though it is also probably in contention with those specific cards for the slots.

If my framing of the problem is useful (criticisms welcome!) then Bugler seems an auto-include, no question. Thoughts?

What about Serum Visions?

I've been fiddling around and boy ya sure can't fit in all the cards ya want, can ya? Here is my first draft after some cards arrive in the mail:

The sideboard is a very rough draft right now. Notes:

• Eight fetch lands because of Blood Moon being so common.
• Serum Visions instead of Curious Obsession (or Topplegeist) to give improved odds of having a good T1 play and to filter extra lands and Vials later in the game. Obsession is a nonbo with Phantasmal Image and could be dead in the face of a flying blocker. Serum Visions also digs early for the two-drop cards in the sideboard, which seems relevant.
• Not trying GoST or Mutavault, because there is no room for them. One Moorland Haunt only, because I strongly subscribe to Frank Karsten's ideas on building a strong mana base.
• Ample artifact hate SB, for Affinity, KCI, and Lantern.

I'd appreciate feedback from those experienced with this deck. Thanks for reading.

Hi guys, new fella here. I'll admit I have not read through the thread. I have some questions in light of the new M19 hotness headed your way:

1) Auras: With Drogskol Captain and Phantasmal Image to copy him, plus Kira and Selfless Spirit and Rattlechains (and even Geist of Saint Traft in some builds) I wonder about a miser's Curious Obsession, or even two; or one only of Steel of the Godhead. Steel in particular could help maindeck against Burn, maybe--and it seems especially good with Geist.

2) Utility Lands: Some players run Moorland Haunt. I could see running one of these, but I'd be inclined to try to find room for some number of Mutavaults in a build with a second lord, instead. Thoughts?

3: Lingering Souls: Does the second lord push the deck towards a minor B splash? Maybe play it in the side?

I assume the core of the UW/Vial deck is: That is 52 cards. Does the deck like removal (Path, Vapor Snag)? Counterspells? More tempo/disruption (Nebelgast Herald seems like it could be really important)? More hexproof (GoST, or a second Kira in the main)? My sense is that the build was not settled even before the two new hits in M19.

I asked a lot of questions, thanks for reading. Responses appreciated!

[EDIT]: My experience with Humans suggests that it is important to have a good T1 play, especially with Vial, so on T2 you can build momentum by playing two threats after a T1 Vial. Clearly, we have no Champion of the Parish-caliber opener, but have any Vial players tried Topplegeist or any of the other 1 CMC Modern-legal Spirits?

Looks to me like the deck has an excess of playable options, now. That's a good place to be!