My SB is very diverse because in most matchups we don’t want to SB too heavily to maintain the core of the deck, and thus I felt compelled to pinpoint very specialized cards to help in difficult matchups.
The better cards in the Humans SB are the ones that have multiple MUs to shine. And you want them to be proactive. That's why Spyglass is suspicious (and almost nobody plays it). Dismember was a first exception because we didn't have Deputy, I think this removal is now almost obsolete in the SB, and I would never play more than 1, while in the past some players liked 2. Grafdigger's Cage is another exception, its effect is not on a creature yet, it costs only 1, but the effect is unique. Damping Sphere is the last exception I can think of. But Phoenix decks may be dead now, only Tron remains.
Once you start to invest 2-3 mana for a noncreature card, and on top of it helps in a MU where you have other options available to help, it becomes hard to sell.
About the Burn matchup... please correct me if I’m wrong, but Meddling Mage and Freebooter should be used to aggressively block Burn’s attackers
Yeah, their creatures can deal way more than their spells. They shouldn't make the mistake to attack with Med mage being able to trade though. Swiftspear is their best creature, they can bluff all day long.
Kambal isn’t as good as I though he could have been. Rather than punishing Control (a role Burn takes against Humans) with Kambal, we’re probably better fighting attrition with card advantage (thanks to Militia Bugler).
Kambal is bad unless you're in a very specific / narrow metagame. Card is a trap many players want to add because it checks all the conditions I mentionned above, but in the end it's a bad card in many MUs where you think it's gonna pull weight.
One big mistake Humans players do is to forget that being aggro is the best way to win with the deck, even post-SB. They dilute their aggro gameplan for fancy interactive cards instead. Kambal is super passive on top of it, it doesn't do anything and gives the opponent flexibility with their plays.
Mulliganing aggressively to Auriok Champion is probably the way to go.
No matter what some say, Burn is one unfavorable MU for Humans, so don't be too disappointed. Auriok is good along with Knight of Autumn in the SB. That Dryad is gonna be mandatory now SFM is back and artifact decks in a very good spot. I'd suggest to add 2 Knights along with 2 Aurioks.
Should we start thinking about Tajic as a main deck solution in our few flex spots?
I think he's good VS Anger of the Gods & the like, and when there's no creature facing it, and that's pretty much it. He's not proactive enough for me, in the same vein as Kambal. Your opponent can kill Tajic, then kill your other creatures. Only good in a narrow meta.
Other than that, I can see that we’ll probably have to swap Freebooters for Unsettled Mariners, except that this gives more room for Combo to thrive.
Mariners have not shown to be good yet. I already explained why FreeB is usually better than Mariner imo a few posts ago. Where do you see the card be good ?
Your main deck relies on having Vial or mana sources a bit more in the MUs where you want to land Big Thalia. Just be aware of this when you look at your opening hand. I don't think she's better than Crusader or Mantis VS Hogaak though.
Big Thalia is good vs Tron, but often gets bounced by Titi or bolted before Phoenixes come back, so her power is very relative. It's a gamble that may pay off in your favour !
Your SB is very diverse, and this is usually something you do either because you don't know the power of the cards and you want to test, or because you know exactly what you're doing after analysing the expected meta. If I were you I would narrow down a little. I'd probably play 2 Crusaders and cut Icon of Ancestry. This card is a 3-cmc noncreature spell. In my book it's a big no (only 19 sources to cast it). The max I wanna pay is 2 mana for a noncreature spell. Now you have a reason to play this card. Will it be stronger than a proactive Crusader ? Idk !
Spyglass is suspicious too. It's a card that prevents from losing, but doesn't help you win. You already have a million cards vs Urza, and I bet a 2nd Cage over the 2nd Crypt would help more VS Copycat and Vizier if you really expect them. The more reactive cards you play, the longer the games will last, and that's how some combo decks take over Humans usually. Don't give those decks time, aim for the godlfish aggro start.
These are just general suggestions, I may be a bit off about the power of certain fancy cards I haven't tested myself.
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Pioneer - A bunch of stuff Modern - Humans Legacy - Grixis Phoenix / Death & Taxes
Crusader looks like a very good idea right now ! As you mentionned, Hogvine and Jund are popular, so there's that. Various Shadow decks are on the rise too, it's usually a decent MU for Humans but maybe the Mardu version is different. All in all, Crusader is a yes for me. Food for thought, Chameleon Colossus is also a Human and has been great in Elves VS BGx decks in the past. Prolly good VS Hogaak.
On the 4-Thalia topic: as long as phoenix is one of the best decks (if not the best) in modern you want 4 thalia, I think thats a no brainer.
And there's quite a load of noncreature decks too, like that new Urza thing, and our usual predators Tron and UW control. Those 3 MUs look way worse than Phoenix decks tbh.
I think we can beat Hogaak without playing to much gravehate
I agree, there's always a way to play proactive and win with Humans. Noncreature spells are always horrendous in the SB, the fewer the better. I never played more than 1 Dismember and 1 Cage for example, because the 2nd copy is always so much worse. We have enough creatures at our disposal to adapt to MH1 imho.
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1- Yeah Humans want a good quantity of permanents on the board, so a pitch card like Force is very hard to sell. It's a card that will see play in a narrow metagame where noncreature combo decks are utterly dominant. It happens only in FNMs and ProTours though.
2- I wouldn't see say 4 is the right number of Thalias. It changes from event ot event, and in the end it's not all that important. I'm a bit off with the meta right now, but I'd say you decide whether you wanna play the 4th copy the same way you analyse the meta you're gonna face when you build your SB. Most of the time 3 Thalias is the right number, so you need a very good reason to add the 4th.
Mariner looks great in a meta full of interactive decks, not so much against proactive decks. The format is pretty much split with the 2 approaches, so it's hard to figure out how good it can be. Now what makes interactive creatures good in the main is the fact they have a relevant body on top of their ability. Thalia has FS, Freeb has flying, and we all know how bad Med Mage is in combat, in fact it's rarely involved. Mariner has those same underwhelming stats, and I don't think I want 6-8 vanilla 2/2s in the main.
3- I agree with Cage, I think it should be a 1-of in every Humans SB, no questions asked. However, it's like Force, extreme measures can be taken in a narrow meta, where you know what you gonna face. Leyline and Surgical are not good cards in a wide meta (big event or online) though.
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Pioneer - A bunch of stuff Modern - Humans Legacy - Grixis Phoenix / Death & Taxes
Humans usually beat graveyard strategies outside of Living End. A key SB card is Auriok Champion, which gains life as the opponent recurs creatures from his yard. Reflector Mage is super key in the main.
Our bad MUs are decks with sweepers (Tron, UW control, Living End, Anger of the Gods decks), and this new boy doesn't help in that department.
Now on its own, Apostle has pro black, which is inefficient VS Phoenix, Hogaak or Vengevine. It's already hard to handle a GY with Scooze, so paying twice the amount while we play Ziggurats seems awkward af.
All in all it's a bad SB card for the deck imo, but it might see play for a very narrow metagame. Until proven wrong the card doesn't quite fit the metagame. Even then, a card like Remorseful Cleric might be better suited.
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I'm not sold on the idea to cut Thalias. Many decks don't target us but we want to prevent them from casting spells anyway. Infect, Storm, Phoenix, Tron, UW Control, etc...
This dude is just here to stop removal spells, while our deck is designed to overcome 1 for 1s on our creatures (we play 36, how many targeted interaction do they have ?). The cards that beat us are sweepers + prisons and big dumb threats. In those tricky spots, Thalia helps but the changeling does almost nothing.
My guess is that they've been cautious not to push Humans and they managed to design cards that are not good enough for the deck.
I have no doubts players will test those cards, and the changeling might be great in a Burn metagame, but I think it has better applications in other archetypes.
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1- Humans want evasion on good bodies, not just good bodies. There's a reason why Anafenza, the Foremost isn't played : big grounders suck in the format, unless they're 7/8 Awoken Horrors or 8/8 Death's Shadows. Even Tarmogoyf is kinda obsolete nowadays.
2- It has to sac itself to protect the board, that's bad. It's gonna eat a spot removal anyway. So what we have here is a worse Selfless Spirit, because it has no evasion, costs more mana and prevents only sorcery speed interaction.
3- You mention Thraben Inspector but this card isn't played in Humans. Overall, what it tutors is what we don't want to topdeck : Champ and Noble. He's worse than Militia Bugler.
Don't let the mythic rarity nor the art on the card seduce you, it's probably garbage for Humans.
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Pioneer - A bunch of stuff Modern - Humans Legacy - Grixis Phoenix / Death & Taxes
It's not a common issue, you just experienced bad luck there. Your Ziggurat is still high priority to let you cast FreeB into Mantis, for example.
I've never seen people cut Zigs in the past, but nowadays it might be a way to support, like you said, many more noncreature spells from the SB.
Humans should mostly play creatures in the SB though, the very few other spells should be very cheap, preferably colorless. Even a 2-cmc artifact happens to be stuck in our hand because of Ziggurat, but that's a tiny sacrifice we've always made and it hasn't prevented Humans from being the best deck in the format.
3-cmc noncreature spells are a big NO in this deck. Do you have a link to that list that cut a Zig ?
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Pioneer - A bunch of stuff Modern - Humans Legacy - Grixis Phoenix / Death & Taxes
I think Meddling Mage does the job, and Phantasmal Image can trade, FreeB can take a Pact or a Scapeshift. They're more flexible cards than Path effects. Once a Primetime is on the board it's too late for a Fiend Hunter to save the day, because the Titan either attacks right away or searches for mountains and decimate your board.
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Damping Sphere becomes a good card for you then, you can run 2 copies in your SB. Lavinia could be a suggestion, but those decks run sweepers post-SB, which is a problem. Sphere still dies to Explosives and O-Stone.
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Pioneer - A bunch of stuff Modern - Humans Legacy - Grixis Phoenix / Death & Taxes
In Boros colors, I'd say a couple of Mirran Crusaders can easily steal games, stabilize well VS Dredge and Bogles. Since BGx can be challenging post-SB, Crusader makes a nice Deus ex-Machina.
I'd play 4 Paths in the 75, and back to the main, maybe Tithe Taker is worth investigating. It's designed for aggro decks after all !
Back to the 5C vs 4C conversation, I feel that without KCI in the mix and the rise of phoenix decks we want to go back to running freebooter and don't need the sideboard threats from white as much. What does everyone else think? Thalia is also likely to remain an all star.
I wouldn't change much in my own list. I am a big fan of 3 Sin Collectors in the SB personally, and I already play Buglers in the main.
I also like 2 Whirler Rogues, they chump UR Phoenix & Spirits, which are top tier decks, Rogues are CA VS control and midrange, they may be better than ever if fair and aggro decks overcome combo decks.
On the other hand, I hate to play 2 copies of redundant cards (like Damping Sphere, Stony Silence, etc...). Humans win with small advantages and attack on different angles. I was never a fan of noncreature spells in the 75, and it won't change.
Honestly, the death of KCI only changes how Humans will perform, but I don't think it forces us to change anything in the 75, unless you used to play dedicated cards for KCI that didn't play a role in other MUs, which I doubt. In general we have multi-purpose cards in the SB.
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Pioneer - A bunch of stuff Modern - Humans Legacy - Grixis Phoenix / Death & Taxes
Brave only works in a heavy white list. I'd drop them entirely if I were you.
I'd love to see a blue splash for Mantis Rider, because it's the best 3-drop without a doubt. Or a green splash for Burning-Tree Emissary so you can get those explosive starts. In black you have a ton of funsies to try too (Fireblade Artist and Judith being the latest additions).
But if you wanna stick to Boros (I don't understand why since you already invested in the Caverns), I'd suggest you to find a way to get evasion. Options are thin and underwhelming, but it may be a necessary evil. Also Thraben Inspector and Tajic, Legion's Edge may be worth testing.
I'll be honest, at this point you're playing a worse Zoo deck. We miss a synergistic way to make either Celebrant or Garrison devastating. I've tried both these cards (Boros and Naya variants) and it was more explosive but was too easy to disrupt or to block. Maybe in the future, a card will help those red 3-drops be even stronger !
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Pioneer - A bunch of stuff Modern - Humans Legacy - Grixis Phoenix / Death & Taxes
The better cards in the Humans SB are the ones that have multiple MUs to shine. And you want them to be proactive. That's why Spyglass is suspicious (and almost nobody plays it).
Dismember was a first exception because we didn't have Deputy, I think this removal is now almost obsolete in the SB, and I would never play more than 1, while in the past some players liked 2.
Grafdigger's Cage is another exception, its effect is not on a creature yet, it costs only 1, but the effect is unique.
Damping Sphere is the last exception I can think of. But Phoenix decks may be dead now, only Tron remains.
Once you start to invest 2-3 mana for a noncreature card, and on top of it helps in a MU where you have other options available to help, it becomes hard to sell.
Yeah, their creatures can deal way more than their spells. They shouldn't make the mistake to attack with Med mage being able to trade though. Swiftspear is their best creature, they can bluff all day long.
Kambal is bad unless you're in a very specific / narrow metagame. Card is a trap many players want to add because it checks all the conditions I mentionned above, but in the end it's a bad card in many MUs where you think it's gonna pull weight.
One big mistake Humans players do is to forget that being aggro is the best way to win with the deck, even post-SB. They dilute their aggro gameplan for fancy interactive cards instead. Kambal is super passive on top of it, it doesn't do anything and gives the opponent flexibility with their plays.
No matter what some say, Burn is one unfavorable MU for Humans, so don't be too disappointed. Auriok is good along with Knight of Autumn in the SB. That Dryad is gonna be mandatory now SFM is back and artifact decks in a very good spot. I'd suggest to add 2 Knights along with 2 Aurioks.
I think he's good VS Anger of the Gods & the like, and when there's no creature facing it, and that's pretty much it. He's not proactive enough for me, in the same vein as Kambal. Your opponent can kill Tajic, then kill your other creatures. Only good in a narrow meta.
Mariners have not shown to be good yet. I already explained why FreeB is usually better than Mariner imo a few posts ago. Where do you see the card be good ?
Big Thalia is good vs Tron, but often gets bounced by Titi or bolted before Phoenixes come back, so her power is very relative. It's a gamble that may pay off in your favour !
Your SB is very diverse, and this is usually something you do either because you don't know the power of the cards and you want to test, or because you know exactly what you're doing after analysing the expected meta. If I were you I would narrow down a little. I'd probably play 2 Crusaders and cut Icon of Ancestry. This card is a 3-cmc noncreature spell. In my book it's a big no (only 19 sources to cast it). The max I wanna pay is 2 mana for a noncreature spell. Now you have a reason to play this card. Will it be stronger than a proactive Crusader ? Idk !
Spyglass is suspicious too. It's a card that prevents from losing, but doesn't help you win. You already have a million cards vs Urza, and I bet a 2nd Cage over the 2nd Crypt would help more VS Copycat and Vizier if you really expect them. The more reactive cards you play, the longer the games will last, and that's how some combo decks take over Humans usually. Don't give those decks time, aim for the godlfish aggro start.
These are just general suggestions, I may be a bit off about the power of certain fancy cards I haven't tested myself.
And there's quite a load of noncreature decks too, like that new Urza thing, and our usual predators Tron and UW control. Those 3 MUs look way worse than Phoenix decks tbh.
I agree, there's always a way to play proactive and win with Humans. Noncreature spells are always horrendous in the SB, the fewer the better. I never played more than 1 Dismember and 1 Cage for example, because the 2nd copy is always so much worse. We have enough creatures at our disposal to adapt to MH1 imho.
2- I wouldn't see say 4 is the right number of Thalias. It changes from event ot event, and in the end it's not all that important. I'm a bit off with the meta right now, but I'd say you decide whether you wanna play the 4th copy the same way you analyse the meta you're gonna face when you build your SB. Most of the time 3 Thalias is the right number, so you need a very good reason to add the 4th.
Mariner looks great in a meta full of interactive decks, not so much against proactive decks. The format is pretty much split with the 2 approaches, so it's hard to figure out how good it can be. Now what makes interactive creatures good in the main is the fact they have a relevant body on top of their ability. Thalia has FS, Freeb has flying, and we all know how bad Med Mage is in combat, in fact it's rarely involved. Mariner has those same underwhelming stats, and I don't think I want 6-8 vanilla 2/2s in the main.
3- I agree with Cage, I think it should be a 1-of in every Humans SB, no questions asked. However, it's like Force, extreme measures can be taken in a narrow meta, where you know what you gonna face. Leyline and Surgical are not good cards in a wide meta (big event or online) though.
Our bad MUs are decks with sweepers (Tron, UW control, Living End, Anger of the Gods decks), and this new boy doesn't help in that department.
Now on its own, Apostle has pro black, which is inefficient VS Phoenix, Hogaak or Vengevine. It's already hard to handle a GY with Scooze, so paying twice the amount while we play Ziggurats seems awkward af.
All in all it's a bad SB card for the deck imo, but it might see play for a very narrow metagame. Until proven wrong the card doesn't quite fit the metagame. Even then, a card like Remorseful Cleric might be better suited.
This dude is just here to stop removal spells, while our deck is designed to overcome 1 for 1s on our creatures (we play 36, how many targeted interaction do they have ?). The cards that beat us are sweepers + prisons and big dumb threats. In those tricky spots, Thalia helps but the changeling does almost nothing.
My guess is that they've been cautious not to push Humans and they managed to design cards that are not good enough for the deck.
I have no doubts players will test those cards, and the changeling might be great in a Burn metagame, but I think it has better applications in other archetypes.
1- Humans want evasion on good bodies, not just good bodies. There's a reason why Anafenza, the Foremost isn't played : big grounders suck in the format, unless they're 7/8 Awoken Horrors or 8/8 Death's Shadows. Even Tarmogoyf is kinda obsolete nowadays.
2- It has to sac itself to protect the board, that's bad. It's gonna eat a spot removal anyway. So what we have here is a worse Selfless Spirit, because it has no evasion, costs more mana and prevents only sorcery speed interaction.
3- You mention Thraben Inspector but this card isn't played in Humans. Overall, what it tutors is what we don't want to topdeck : Champ and Noble. He's worse than Militia Bugler.
Don't let the mythic rarity nor the art on the card seduce you, it's probably garbage for Humans.
That being said this ranger has no purpose in Humans. It's a bad anti-wrath card.
I've never seen people cut Zigs in the past, but nowadays it might be a way to support, like you said, many more noncreature spells from the SB.
Humans should mostly play creatures in the SB though, the very few other spells should be very cheap, preferably colorless. Even a 2-cmc artifact happens to be stuck in our hand because of Ziggurat, but that's a tiny sacrifice we've always made and it hasn't prevented Humans from being the best deck in the format.
3-cmc noncreature spells are a big NO in this deck. Do you have a link to that list that cut a Zig ?
In Boros colors, I'd say a couple of Mirran Crusaders can easily steal games, stabilize well VS Dredge and Bogles. Since BGx can be challenging post-SB, Crusader makes a nice Deus ex-Machina.
I'd play 4 Paths in the 75, and back to the main, maybe Tithe Taker is worth investigating. It's designed for aggro decks after all !
I wouldn't change much in my own list. I am a big fan of 3 Sin Collectors in the SB personally, and I already play Buglers in the main.
I also like 2 Whirler Rogues, they chump UR Phoenix & Spirits, which are top tier decks, Rogues are CA VS control and midrange, they may be better than ever if fair and aggro decks overcome combo decks.
On the other hand, I hate to play 2 copies of redundant cards (like Damping Sphere, Stony Silence, etc...). Humans win with small advantages and attack on different angles. I was never a fan of noncreature spells in the 75, and it won't change.
Honestly, the death of KCI only changes how Humans will perform, but I don't think it forces us to change anything in the 75, unless you used to play dedicated cards for KCI that didn't play a role in other MUs, which I doubt. In general we have multi-purpose cards in the SB.
I'd love to see a blue splash for Mantis Rider, because it's the best 3-drop without a doubt. Or a green splash for Burning-Tree Emissary so you can get those explosive starts. In black you have a ton of funsies to try too (Fireblade Artist and Judith being the latest additions).
But if you wanna stick to Boros (I don't understand why since you already invested in the Caverns), I'd suggest you to find a way to get evasion. Options are thin and underwhelming, but it may be a necessary evil. Also Thraben Inspector and Tajic, Legion's Edge may be worth testing.
I'll be honest, at this point you're playing a worse Zoo deck. We miss a synergistic way to make either Celebrant or Garrison devastating. I've tried both these cards (Boros and Naya variants) and it was more explosive but was too easy to disrupt or to block. Maybe in the future, a card will help those red 3-drops be even stronger !
Venser is a card that works if it costs 3, not 4. Play Design Team will print one someday, I'm a patient guy. I'd take a Karakas variant too.
Imho, Dylan made the deck worse by trying something different. Oh well, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.