The immediate slot to work with has to be Tireless Tracker. I get that it is trying to be a fatter Mulldrifter here with fetchlands, but the matchup against Lightning Bolt is so bad that I would be concerned. A big part of the Tarmogoyf and Snapcaster Mage duo is that Lightning Bolt is so bad against you. Maybe you want one Tireless Tracker-style card to get the ball rolling at times, but it doesn't feel like the card is quite there for the format. Worth noting: the Lightning Bolt point I just made also points away from Jace, Vryn's Prodigy and Bounding Krasis. Grixis gets away with this via Kolaghan's Command; Temur doesn't have the same specific two-for-one to make that trade profitable.
This echoes the concerns many have said here, with an added explanation about the different creature roles in Grixis decks (with Kolaghan's) and Temur decks (without Kolaghan's).
So im going to offer some insights.
Almost everyone here is acting like idiots because theyre too close-minded on the topic to see someone elses point.
Too blunt of an observation? Probably. But its not untrue.
Tireless Tracker.
2G for a 3/2
Landfall for a clue
When you sac a clue put a +1/+1 counter on it.
Advantages:
-early game drop can become a late game monster.
- provides card advantage for doing something you were going to do anyway, drop lands
-forces them into removal before it gives too much late game advantage.
- not initially too threatening and able to slip through as "less powerful" than some other threats
Disadvantages:
-Dies to removal (P.S. Most creatures will die to some sort of removal, so learn to accept it)
-is a bit slow for the format (P.S. a lot of great creatures are. I.E. scavenging Ooze, Voice of Resurgence, KotR, and even Kalitas, who is seeing moderate play)
- Is going to face up against removal (P.S. Any good threat will face down some sort of removal pretty quickly)
So. From an objective viewpoint. The Tracker has some pretty decent upsides. Now (she?) also sees some valid downsides as well, and while most good greatures see these downsides as well, theyre still downsides. Will she see as much play as a Tarmogoyf? No. Will she see play in decks looking for some card advantage that the opponent may overlook that can become a threat? Yes.
Tracker will see play. She will find a home, but not a tier 1 or a very minimal tier 2 home. Probably a Developing Competitive home. Definitely budget Jund.
That is basically where i see this card sitting, and i can fully accept that. Look at it more objectively, this is why there is very little true innovation in modern. You either are on one side and love the idea, or are opposite and hate it. Maybe three people said that this could work and had potential, everyone else? Its perfect, or its trash. Learn to compromise and operate more objectively. Good in legacy and standard doesnt mean good in modern, but it doesnt mean its bad either.
Objective reply over, prepares to be called idiot by both sides, probably get reported and eventually banned. Fate accepted.
i play a jeskai list, tier 2.5 or so cuz i like to be difficult on myself lol
There are many jund players here that run Tireless tracker as a 1 of in the main and that card forces me to have a path to exile immediately because it gets out of bolt range very quickly in every match. this card + raging ravine destroyed me game 1, and i had to watch out for it on g 2 and 3 for sure.
I think that people are underestimating this card for sure and what it can do during a grindy match up
I mean, this card certainly passes the, "does this card generate advantage over multiple turns a la midrange mirrorbreaker".
However, does it pass the "Infect, Death's Shadow, Tron, RG Breach, Dredge, Burn, Affinity, Ad Naus etc." test?
I think not.
The upgrades for midrange mirror each set are at the incremental margins, which is where Tracker lies. Incremental margins usually don't have enough impact to significantly effect the format.
Tracker is a good card, I'd just never bank on it being effective in a majority of matchups unlike other green midrange staples like Tarmogoyf or Abrupt Decay.
I wouldn't bank on the card doing that either i totally agree. I also think it's a meta call. there is a lot of slow grindyness in my meta, haven't seen too many aggressive decks compared to the grindy ones so that may be why its working out ok up here.
I like it with Crack the Earth. Maybe in a stone rain deck with mana dorks who can get you to 3 mana on turn 2? Use crack to force early sacs and not lose a card to do it.
It gives a LD deck gas to keep the pressure up.
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In case I didn't tell you, I don't care about your opinion I just want your facts. And not the facts that make you seem smart. I want the ones that are actual facts.
Of the most-played creatures in Modern, the three- and four-drops have a very high bar for playability. Three-drops need to either pass the Bolt/Decay test OR "cast a spell" when they enter the battlefield (i.e. have an immediate impact). Four-drops must BOTH pass the Bolt/Decay test AND cast a spell when they enter the battlefield.
Whether played as a virtual four-drop or a hard three-drop, Tracker bombs on both measures. It's always dying to Bolt and Decay, it doesn't have an immediate impact on turn three, and it only has a conditional impact on turn four if you have the fetchland to pair with it (while still dying).
Cards can see play in Modern while dying to Bolt. Unfortunately for Tracker, she misses all the other benchmarks too.
If the bolt test was all that important hatebears would not exist. Path to exile is the premiul removal spell these days. The bolt test was very important in the days of twin because even if they did not draw the combo they where much more mana efficient then the oponent.
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I have dyslexia, no I am not going to spell check for you, yes you have to live with the horrors of it.
Of the most-played creatures in Modern, the three- and four-drops have a very high bar for playability. Three-drops need to either pass the Bolt/Decay test OR "cast a spell" when they enter the battlefield (i.e. have an immediate impact). Four-drops must BOTH pass the Bolt/Decay test AND cast a spell when they enter the battlefield.
Whether played as a virtual four-drop or a hard three-drop, Tracker bombs on both measures. It's always dying to Bolt and Decay, it doesn't have an immediate impact on turn three, and it only has a conditional impact on turn four if you have the fetchland to pair with it (while still dying).
Cards can see play in Modern while dying to Bolt. Unfortunately for Tracker, she misses all the other benchmarks too.
If the bolt test was all that important hatebears would not exist. Path to exile is the premiul removal spell these days. The bolt test was very important in the days of twin because even if they did not draw the combo they where much more mana efficient then the oponent.
The Bolt Test remains extremely important and all Hatebears/D&T creatures pass it with flying colors. See my article below for exactly how I define the Bolt Test and why it is very relevant. It will also indirectly explain why Tracker is not a great card in many metagames: http://modernnexus.com/eldritch-moon-thalia-bolt-test/
Of the most-played creatures in Modern, the three- and four-drops have a very high bar for playability. Three-drops need to either pass the Bolt/Decay test OR "cast a spell" when they enter the battlefield (i.e. have an immediate impact). Four-drops must BOTH pass the Bolt/Decay test AND cast a spell when they enter the battlefield.
Whether played as a virtual four-drop or a hard three-drop, Tracker bombs on both measures. It's always dying to Bolt and Decay, it doesn't have an immediate impact on turn three, and it only has a conditional impact on turn four if you have the fetchland to pair with it (while still dying).
Cards can see play in Modern while dying to Bolt. Unfortunately for Tracker, she misses all the other benchmarks too.
If the bolt test was all that important hatebears would not exist. Path to exile is the premiul removal spell these days. The bolt test was very important in the days of twin because even if they did not draw the combo they where much more mana efficient then the oponent.
The Bolt Test remains extremely important and all Hatebears/D&T creatures pass it with flying colors. See my article below for exactly how I define the Bolt Test and why it is very relevant. It will also indirectly explain why Tracker is not a great card in many metagames: http://modernnexus.com/eldritch-moon-thalia-bolt-test/
I know all the arguments, I just think we are in a paradigm shift because of a couple of reasons.
1. Pasing the bolt test was much more important when you where up against splinter twin because they played bolts so efortlessly, while you needed mana up for removal +1 land for the excharch/pestermite tap. There are fewer decks that play snapcaster and bolt, where the bolt rule is much more important.
2. A lot more creatures are popping up that do not pass the bolt test: Eldrazi Displacer joins the rank of Dark Confidant. The raw power of new thalia makes her be played in hatebears. Some jund decks play grim flayer because he makes bad matchups better. (Getting to use a senseis divining top like effect vs tron for instance.)
3. When you look at the route some of the decks in modern has taken Path to Exile is the premiere creature removal. It removes death shadow, all of the new eldrazi. It has always been good against the comes back creatures. Some people even goes as far as to say Abzan is better then jund at the moment. (This was mentioned on the Channelfireball GP converadge.)
Yes the bolt test is stil important, but it is not the absolute rule it used to be. An increase of decks like infect and deaths shadow zoo also makes spellskite a more played card. Spellskite makes bolt worse.
Back on the tracker topic he will be playable but only in fringe decks. There was a delerium delver deck that ran him as a couple of cards to tutor him up with traverse the ulvenwallen. I think he is good in knight of coralhelm midrange.
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I have dyslexia, no I am not going to spell check for you, yes you have to live with the horrors of it.
Here is a recent deck that did well with 3x maindeck Tireless Tracker.
The list looks interesting and probably not optimized
(I'm not sure about this manabase and the lack of Knight of the Reliquary, the dragonlords should probably be Stormbreath Dragon/Thundermaw Hellkite) but it can be the sort of deck where T.T can be good.
Personally I like the card as a CA engine in a "G/W Emeria Sun Titan" deck.
http://www.starcitygames.com/article/32954_The-Shadows-Over-Modern.html (Premium)
This echoes the concerns many have said here, with an added explanation about the different creature roles in Grixis decks (with Kolaghan's) and Temur decks (without Kolaghan's).
UW Ephara Hatebears [Primer], GB Gitrog Lands, BRU Inalla Combo-Control, URG Maelstrom Wanderer Landfall
Almost everyone here is acting like idiots because theyre too close-minded on the topic to see someone elses point.
Too blunt of an observation? Probably. But its not untrue.
Tireless Tracker.
2G for a 3/2
Landfall for a clue
When you sac a clue put a +1/+1 counter on it.
Advantages:
-early game drop can become a late game monster.
- provides card advantage for doing something you were going to do anyway, drop lands
-forces them into removal before it gives too much late game advantage.
- not initially too threatening and able to slip through as "less powerful" than some other threats
Disadvantages:
-Dies to removal (P.S. Most creatures will die to some sort of removal, so learn to accept it)
-is a bit slow for the format (P.S. a lot of great creatures are. I.E. scavenging Ooze, Voice of Resurgence, KotR, and even Kalitas, who is seeing moderate play)
- Is going to face up against removal (P.S. Any good threat will face down some sort of removal pretty quickly)
So. From an objective viewpoint. The Tracker has some pretty decent upsides. Now (she?) also sees some valid downsides as well, and while most good greatures see these downsides as well, theyre still downsides. Will she see as much play as a Tarmogoyf? No. Will she see play in decks looking for some card advantage that the opponent may overlook that can become a threat? Yes.
Tracker will see play. She will find a home, but not a tier 1 or a very minimal tier 2 home. Probably a Developing Competitive home. Definitely budget Jund.
That is basically where i see this card sitting, and i can fully accept that. Look at it more objectively, this is why there is very little true innovation in modern. You either are on one side and love the idea, or are opposite and hate it. Maybe three people said that this could work and had potential, everyone else? Its perfect, or its trash. Learn to compromise and operate more objectively. Good in legacy and standard doesnt mean good in modern, but it doesnt mean its bad either.
Objective reply over, prepares to be called idiot by both sides, probably get reported and eventually banned. Fate accepted.
However if you play it and follow up with a fetchland he draws 2 cards.so he can be played if you plan on going long. Very long.
I did play him in an amulet bloom/knight of coralhelm deck. He was good there but the deck was bad.
However i did have 10/9 trackers.
There are many jund players here that run Tireless tracker as a 1 of in the main and that card forces me to have a path to exile immediately because it gets out of bolt range very quickly in every match. this card + raging ravine destroyed me game 1, and i had to watch out for it on g 2 and 3 for sure.
I think that people are underestimating this card for sure and what it can do during a grindy match up
Thanks you very much DarkNightCavalier for the Sig.
However, does it pass the "Infect, Death's Shadow, Tron, RG Breach, Dredge, Burn, Affinity, Ad Naus etc." test?
I think not.
The upgrades for midrange mirror each set are at the incremental margins, which is where Tracker lies. Incremental margins usually don't have enough impact to significantly effect the format.
Tracker is a good card, I'd just never bank on it being effective in a majority of matchups unlike other green midrange staples like Tarmogoyf or Abrupt Decay.
Thanks you very much DarkNightCavalier for the Sig.
It gives a LD deck gas to keep the pressure up.
Cockatrice username: Blackcat77
If the bolt test was all that important hatebears would not exist. Path to exile is the premiul removal spell these days. The bolt test was very important in the days of twin because even if they did not draw the combo they where much more mana efficient then the oponent.
The Bolt Test remains extremely important and all Hatebears/D&T creatures pass it with flying colors. See my article below for exactly how I define the Bolt Test and why it is very relevant. It will also indirectly explain why Tracker is not a great card in many metagames:
http://modernnexus.com/eldritch-moon-thalia-bolt-test/
Decks I'm playing in Modern right now:
URB Grixis Reveler (http://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/modern-grixis-reveler/)
UB Faeries (http://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/ub-fae-2/)
UW Azorious Control (http://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/modern-ojutai-control-2/)
I know all the arguments, I just think we are in a paradigm shift because of a couple of reasons.
1. Pasing the bolt test was much more important when you where up against splinter twin because they played bolts so efortlessly, while you needed mana up for removal +1 land for the excharch/pestermite tap. There are fewer decks that play snapcaster and bolt, where the bolt rule is much more important.
2. A lot more creatures are popping up that do not pass the bolt test: Eldrazi Displacer joins the rank of Dark Confidant. The raw power of new thalia makes her be played in hatebears. Some jund decks play grim flayer because he makes bad matchups better. (Getting to use a senseis divining top like effect vs tron for instance.)
3. When you look at the route some of the decks in modern has taken Path to Exile is the premiere creature removal. It removes death shadow, all of the new eldrazi. It has always been good against the comes back creatures. Some people even goes as far as to say Abzan is better then jund at the moment. (This was mentioned on the Channelfireball GP converadge.)
Yes the bolt test is stil important, but it is not the absolute rule it used to be. An increase of decks like infect and deaths shadow zoo also makes spellskite a more played card. Spellskite makes bolt worse.
Back on the tracker topic he will be playable but only in fringe decks. There was a delerium delver deck that ran him as a couple of cards to tutor him up with traverse the ulvenwallen. I think he is good in knight of coralhelm midrange.
https://www.mtggoldfish.com/articles/instant-deck-tech-naya-midrange-modern
https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/479154
Here is a recent deck that did well with 3x maindeck Tireless Tracker.
The list looks interesting and probably not optimized
(I'm not sure about this manabase and the lack of Knight of the Reliquary, the dragonlords should probably be Stormbreath Dragon/Thundermaw Hellkite) but it can be the sort of deck where T.T can be good.
Personally I like the card as a CA engine in a "G/W Emeria Sun Titan" deck.