grapplingfarang brewed an OK version of UG Combo Elves not too long ago. It'll get turbocharged with Beck//Call. Current hunch from a little testing is that Beck is a little too close to Glimpse and will get banned from Modern.
Yikes. Beck is nuts.
It's Glimpse, but for just one more mana. And it counts tokens too? Elves is still probably going to be a turn 4 combo deck (which is theoretically within the acceptable range for Modern), but that's still a huge card.
I'm hoping that internal R&D testing at least considered this card in Modern.
I now shudder to think of Combo Elves in Legacy when Beck//Call gets released. Elves may find a reason to squeeze in Tropical Islands and play almost like the Vintage Glimpse-Clamp Elves.
I now shudder to think of Combo Elves in Legacy when Beck//Call gets released. Elves may find a reason to squeeze in Tropical Islands and play almost like the Vintage Glimpse-Clamp Elves.
So, hmm...Mixed feelings on the new cards for my favorite engine combo decks.
Beck for Elves: On one hand it's Glimpse at 2 mana (yay), on the other, it requires a blue splash (boo). I feel that white has better post-board options than blue.
I've noticed that Beck triggers on ETB, unlike Glimpse, which merely asks for the creature to be cast (the creature can be countered and you still get a card).
Melek for Storm: It's a Future Sight/Pyromancer Ascension hybrid. Good enough? Unfortunately, at 6 mana, no. You have to expend a lot of resources to get him on the board. It's unlikely that you can keep going once he's down.
If I were to include him in a Storm deck, Past in Flames has to go - there simply isn't enough room for so many high-mana spells. Unfortunately, there aren't enough low-mana rituals to pad out the deck, which is one of the reasons why Storm sucked after the bannings anyway. I don't see Storm getting any better.
Ral Zarek reminds me a lot of Ajani Vengeant. +1 ability should slow the opponent down a lot (and with the added bonus of maybe getting extra value out of your own tap abilities), -2 should kill most of the relevant creatures in the format, and the ultimate may as well be game over when it hits. My guess is it will see play in most decks that want to go to the late game within his colors, and might be off-color splashable like Ajani if the deck can abuse tap abilities.
Ral Jund anyone? DRS activation, tap a blocker with Ral's +1 and untap DRS for a second activation, swing in with a goyf unblocked....sounds pretty strong to me!
It doesn't slow down the opponent because he can untap the permanent in his untap step which is not the case for Ajani and Tamiyo.
That's why it looks really strong for Geist of Saint Win, I mean technically you could make Ral "cost 3 mana" by tapping the guy intended to block Geist, untap your land (so you aren't tapped out or whatever) and swing with Traft. The lightning bolt seems awesome too.
I want to like Ral Zarek, but Ajani Vengeant is just better, no? Not sure why they'd make his -2 strictly worse. I guess his +1 can do some interesting things, but it doesn't seem as useful as Ajani's.
Ajani is still better. A lot of UR decks also play white. The exceptions are Twin and Scapeshift, and I don't think I'd want to play a planeswalker in a combo deck with few creatures to protect it.
My current testing with Ral Zarek so far in Geist of Saint Win against Jund (and RG Artifact Tron) seems to say he's marginally worse than Ajani Vengeant (strictly worse -2, +1 can clear away Traft blockers and make Ral playable on 5 lands with counterspell backup but makes him more vulnerable to attackers than Ajani V's +1, ult is probably better--and he ults sooner--but has around a 20% chance of churning out a Time Walk or worse).
However, I suspect Ral Zarek is significantly better against combo than Ajani V is for these reasons:
Boo Ajani V
Ajani V faces only untapped lands way too often, and his +1 can be easily played around
Ral Zarek can help win close races by shoving the previously mentioned Spellskite/etc. out of the way
Ral's +1 hamstrings Exarch Twin's mana (have fun casting Deceiver Exarch with Dispel backup at EOT)
Ral's +1 also hamstrings Scapeshift's mana (if they've only left up just enough mana for Remand or Cryptic Command, you can cast stuff through either spell on your 2nd main phase after draining mana pools between phases, and Cryptic timing gets awkward)
Ral is castable (but risky) on 5 lands with counter backup
I'm doubtful of wear and tear. At best you looking at a 1WR kill enchantment and artifact. I cant think of any deck, sans a combo deck that uses that, and even then very few come to mind.
tear is a Demystify, and wear is shatter. Id say this card is strictly better than those two, but as side cards, they are less powerful than Nature's Claim, Naturalize, Back to Nature, Disenchant, (Hull Breach in legacy mind you.) Leave No Trace, Qasali Pridemage, Seal of Primordium, Sundering Growth, Oxidize, Shattering Spree, Smelt, Vandalblast, Ancient Grudge, Echoing Ruin, Rakdos Charm, Smash to Smithereens, Tin Street Hooligan.
I mean its playable, but I would only ever use it if I knew I needed to hit an artifact AND an enchantment that would be key to the other deck. otherwise, the other options I listed are better against the decks in todays meta.
I'm doubtful of wear and tear. At best you looking at a 1WR kill enchantment and artifact. I cant think of any deck, sans a combo deck that uses that, and even then very few come to mind.
tear is a Demystify, and wear is shatter. Id say this card is strictly better than those two, but as side cards, they are less powerful than Nature's Claim, Naturalize, Back to Nature, Disenchant, (Hull Breach in legacy mind you.) Leave No Trace, Qasali Pridemage, Seal of Primordium, Sundering Growth, Oxidize, Shattering Spree, Smelt, Vandalblast, Ancient Grudge, Echoing Ruin, Rakdos Charm, Smash to Smithereens, Tin Street Hooligan.
I mean its playable, but I would only ever use it if I knew I needed to hit an artifact AND an enchantment that would be key to the other deck. otherwise, the other options I listed are better against the decks in todays meta.
I fail to see how it's worse than disenchant (which sees sideboard play already) - it just is plainly better as long as you reasonably have access to both colors. It's the same mana to kill an artifact, less mana to kill an enchantment, and has the option of killing two things in the rare situation that you'd need to.
EDIT: For example, consider playing against twin. This can kill a splinter twin for one less mana, and can't be redirected to spellskite, or it can for 3 mana kill both the twin and the spellskite.
I fail to see how it's worse than disenchant (which sees sideboard play already) - it just is plainly better as long as you reasonably have access to both colors. It's the same mana to kill an artifact, less mana to kill an enchantment, and has the option of killing two things in the rare situation that you'd need to.
EDIT: For example, consider playing against twin. This can kill a splinter twin for one less mana, and can't be redirected to spellskite, or it can for 3 mana kill both the twin and the spellskite.
This is my thinking as well. You can kill an enchantment for a discount at 1, kill an artifact for the regular 2, OR entwine them and get both.
Versatile hate card in my opinion.
Deputy of Aquittals might have some nominal uses in modern as well. Maybe in Bant or something?
I want to like Ral Zarek, but Ajani Vengeant is just better, no? Not sure why they'd make his -2 strictly worse. I guess his +1 can do some interesting things, but it doesn't seem as useful as Ajani's.
Its hard to say without playtesting but I think even though Ral seems week compared to him he may serve a better spotlight. The ability to tap down enemy lands on your turn can hinder someone from paying a counter, burn or any instant speen effect.
This is the hit, it could potentially be part of a tier 1 deck. I've been brewing hard already on this card, and I think it's got a lot of legs in modern, either in elf or a dedicated cloudstone build.
Cloudstone Curio in play, any of the three above creatures in play, cast beck, cast another of the three creatures, you win the game. Alternatively, instead of beck you can go for grapeshot, if you want more win conditions. Summoner's pact helps too if you want more ornithopters/memnites.
It's hard to judge exactly how powerful this will be since it requires 1 creature, 1 artifact in play, and to successfully cast a creature and spell. Luckily you can probably play a lot of disruption or pact of negations.
Beck gets a 10/10 for modern possibilities. I'm still brewing an actual fully fleshed out deck, but I love this card being added, at least something to replace glimpse.
Vorel of the Hull Clade is notable for being a Human Merfolk with a possibly Gruul origin (from his flavour text), but he's basically the second coming of Gilder Bairn who isn't hybrid but doesn't die to Bolt...next.
Advent of the Wurm makes a 5/5 green Wurm creature token with trample at instant speed for 1GGW. Is a 4-cmc 5/5 with Flash, Trample, and almost "When this creature leaves the battlefield, exile it" any good in Modern, or is it too dumb?
Master of Cruelties looks intriguing. It's a 1/4 for 3BR, but it's got the infamous First Strike-Deathtouch combo, it always reduces life totals to 1 (notably never 0) when it isn't blocked, and it has to attack alone. Does it have potential as an unusual clock, or will it forever die to removal?
Sin Collector, a 2/1 for 1WB who exiles only one instant/sorcery card from a hand, seems like a worse Tidehollow Sculler. Big maybe for Melira Pod, and I can't think of it in anything else...
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Yikes. Beck is nuts.
It's Glimpse, but for just one more mana. And it counts tokens too? Elves is still probably going to be a turn 4 combo deck (which is theoretically within the acceptable range for Modern), but that's still a huge card.
I'm hoping that internal R&D testing at least considered this card in Modern.
...Except not every Fish deck and its dog plays Stony Silence or Null Rod. Party on. They get Quirion Ranger, too, and with Deathrite Shaman, that's a lot of blue mana sources.
And yeah, glimpse of nature 2, I wonder how quickly it will sell out.
I think with that you just can't fuse as long as it isn't from your hand.
Splintertwin (?)
Affinity can't reasonably expect to cast this before they vomit their hand out.
I'm also concerned with Beck, way too close to glimpse in power and may go the way of Glimpse too...
Modern: Twin URW Wilted Abzan WBG
Legacy: Stax WWW Maverick WBG
Cockatrice ID: Voltigasm
Beck for Elves: On one hand it's Glimpse at 2 mana (yay), on the other, it requires a blue splash (boo). I feel that white has better post-board options than blue.
I've noticed that Beck triggers on ETB, unlike Glimpse, which merely asks for the creature to be cast (the creature can be countered and you still get a card).
Melek for Storm: It's a Future Sight/Pyromancer Ascension hybrid. Good enough? Unfortunately, at 6 mana, no. You have to expend a lot of resources to get him on the board. It's unlikely that you can keep going once he's down.
If I were to include him in a Storm deck, Past in Flames has to go - there simply isn't enough room for so many high-mana spells. Unfortunately, there aren't enough low-mana rituals to pad out the deck, which is one of the reasons why Storm sucked after the bannings anyway. I don't see Storm getting any better.
| Ad Nauseam
| Infect
Big Johnny.
| Ad Nauseam
| Infect
Big Johnny.
Ral Jund anyone? DRS activation, tap a blocker with Ral's +1 and untap DRS for a second activation, swing in with a goyf unblocked....sounds pretty strong to me!
Speculate less. Test more.
That's why it looks really strong for Geist of Saint Win, I mean technically you could make Ral "cost 3 mana" by tapping the guy intended to block Geist, untap your land (so you aren't tapped out or whatever) and swing with Traft. The lightning bolt seems awesome too.
Needs testing though, ofc
CG
Ajani is still better. A lot of UR decks also play white. The exceptions are Twin and Scapeshift, and I don't think I'd want to play a planeswalker in a combo deck with few creatures to protect it.
| Ad Nauseam
| Infect
Big Johnny.
How about the Wear // Tear? THAT card seem really playable.
However, I suspect Ral Zarek is significantly better against combo than Ajani V is for these reasons:
Boo Ajani V
Yay Ral Zarek
Time to test Ral Zarek against Exarch Twin and see if he's not "MVP if he ults or blank" like Ajani V is against that deck.
tear is a Demystify, and wear is shatter. Id say this card is strictly better than those two, but as side cards, they are less powerful than Nature's Claim, Naturalize, Back to Nature, Disenchant, (Hull Breach in legacy mind you.) Leave No Trace, Qasali Pridemage, Seal of Primordium, Sundering Growth, Oxidize, Shattering Spree, Smelt, Vandalblast, Ancient Grudge, Echoing Ruin, Rakdos Charm, Smash to Smithereens, Tin Street Hooligan.
I mean its playable, but I would only ever use it if I knew I needed to hit an artifact AND an enchantment that would be key to the other deck. otherwise, the other options I listed are better against the decks in todays meta.
I fail to see how it's worse than disenchant (which sees sideboard play already) - it just is plainly better as long as you reasonably have access to both colors. It's the same mana to kill an artifact, less mana to kill an enchantment, and has the option of killing two things in the rare situation that you'd need to.
EDIT: For example, consider playing against twin. This can kill a splinter twin for one less mana, and can't be redirected to spellskite, or it can for 3 mana kill both the twin and the spellskite.
My decks:
-Modern UWR gifts control
-Modern Mono-G aggro elves
-Azami, Lady of Scrolls EDH
-Glissa the Traitor EDH
-Modern UWR Counterbalance Control
-Modern UW enchantment control: primer, on tapped out
-Modern regular UWR control
This is my thinking as well. You can kill an enchantment for a discount at 1, kill an artifact for the regular 2, OR entwine them and get both.
Versatile hate card in my opinion.
Deputy of Aquittals might have some nominal uses in modern as well. Maybe in Bant or something?
Its hard to say without playtesting but I think even though Ral seems week compared to him he may serve a better spotlight. The ability to tap down enemy lands on your turn can hinder someone from paying a counter, burn or any instant speen effect.
This is the hit, it could potentially be part of a tier 1 deck. I've been brewing hard already on this card, and I think it's got a lot of legs in modern, either in elf or a dedicated cloudstone build.
Beck
Cloudstone Curio
Cloudstone Curio in play, any of the three above creatures in play, cast beck, cast another of the three creatures, you win the game. Alternatively, instead of beck you can go for grapeshot, if you want more win conditions. Summoner's pact helps too if you want more ornithopters/memnites.
It's hard to judge exactly how powerful this will be since it requires 1 creature, 1 artifact in play, and to successfully cast a creature and spell. Luckily you can probably play a lot of disruption or pact of negations.
Beck gets a 10/10 for modern possibilities. I'm still brewing an actual fully fleshed out deck, but I love this card being added, at least something to replace glimpse.
You don't need Beck if you have Grapeshot. Looping the two creatures gives you infinite storm.
| Ad Nauseam
| Infect
Big Johnny.
Advent of the Wurm makes a 5/5 green Wurm creature token with trample at instant speed for 1GGW. Is a 4-cmc 5/5 with Flash, Trample, and almost "When this creature leaves the battlefield, exile it" any good in Modern, or is it too dumb?
Master of Cruelties looks intriguing. It's a 1/4 for 3BR, but it's got the infamous First Strike-Deathtouch combo, it always reduces life totals to 1 (notably never 0) when it isn't blocked, and it has to attack alone. Does it have potential as an unusual clock, or will it forever die to removal?
Sin Collector, a 2/1 for 1WB who exiles only one instant/sorcery card from a hand, seems like a worse Tidehollow Sculler. Big maybe for Melira Pod, and I can't think of it in anything else...