For those still following along, I think the meta has swung back to a place where this deck is very well positioned. Little control, lots of creature decks, and we can grind well enough against the midrange out there. In my last three leagues I'm 5-0, 3-2, and 5-0. Makes me regret trying to make Sultai decks work for the last week rather than just jamming Hardened Scales.
[*]Match-ups with a much worse win rate (bad): Mardu Reveler, Jeskai/UW/UR/Grixis Control, Living End, Valuetown
[/list]
.
you must not be playing chalice of the voids if you have bad match ups against what you've mentioned. chalice is pretty much a wrap against all of those decks
Funny to come back to this comment, because no version I've seen plays Chalice. So yes, fair to say I'm not playing it!
List tags are malformed.
Bumping this for anyone still following. In the last week I've gone 3-2 once, 4-1 three times, and 5-0 twice. Roughly an 83% win rate. Very well positioned at the moment.
Have anyone toyed with Venerated Loxodon ? The Babar is appealing with all the counters, and many of the creatures don't attack right away so it's not an issue to tap them (especially the tokens made off Module). We get a tough butt unaffected by artifact/ graveyard hate too.
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Pioneer - A bunch of stuff Modern - Humans Legacy - Grixis Phoenix / Death & Taxes
Looks like a fun card to brew with, but it's not going to be efficient enough in Scales. You're unlikely to have more than 2-3 creatures in play at once and then it's still an expensive spell that makes you take your foot off the gas. Part of the beauty of this deck is how mana efficient it can be, and how able to grind out value.
I just wanted to give my two cents after picking the deck back up. I went 2-1 with it and the game I lost too was a polymorph deck lol. The deck never really went off but I will say I enjoyed having one inventor's fair in the deck for the minor life gain and the search ability for an artifact.
I just wanted to give my two cents after picking the deck back up. I went 2-1 with it and the game I lost too was a polymorph deck lol. The deck never really went off but I will say I enjoyed having one inventor's fair in the deck for the minor life gain and the search ability for an artifact.
I was laughing when I realized I actually own every single card needed to build the deck except for one: Phyrexia's Core. Does that card really help in some matches? It's just a one of so I'm kind of curious. I've been pondering if it is worth it to just add a second Inkmoth nexus.
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1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
The deck needs more sac outlets than just ravager so it's something people are trying out. And there's a lot of do nothing cards, so an extra land that does something is good too.
I find it funny that this deck is called scaled affinity but the decklists being posted literally no longer have any cards with the actual keyword affinity.
I guess it's just for historical purposes but I feel like "scaled modular" would be more accurate. Doesn't have the same ring though.
I just wanted to give my two cents after picking the deck back up. I went 2-1 with it and the game I lost too was a polymorph deck lol. The deck never really went off but I will say I enjoyed having one inventor's fair in the deck for the minor life gain and the search ability for an artifact.
I was laughing when I realized I actually own every single card needed to build the deck except for one: Phyrexia's Core. Does that card really help in some matches? It's just a one of so I'm kind of curious. I've been pondering if it is worth it to just add a second Inkmoth nexus.
Phyrexia's Core is about as optional as it gets. Inkmoth Nexus is probably the more conventional choice at this point.
I find it funny that this deck is called scaled affinity but the decklists being posted literally no longer have any cards with the actual keyword affinity.
I guess it's just for historical purposes but I feel like "scaled modular" would be more accurate. Doesn't have the same ring though.
I agree and I'd also add that "Scaled Affinity" seems to imply that this deck would be similar to the classical affinity deck while it actually is very different.
Affinity uses cheap artifact creatures with great synergies while this deck's central themes are :
1. Creatures with +1/+1 counter
2. Creatures which aren't completely lost when they die (transfer counters, create counters or deal damage)
So "Scaled Modular" or "Hardened Modular" would make a lot more sense.
So you think the new card Simic Ascendancy could be a fun win con for a Scaled Affinty Shell? I just fell like a Arcbound Ravenger is a great card for this.
1. When you don't need it to win the game, it's pretty much a dead card. Adding one counter for 1GGUU is pretty aweful compared to your other cards even with Hardened Scales.
2. Your opponent gets at least one turn to figure out how to destroy, exile or bounce it before you can win.
3. You need blue mana which isn't impossible at all but will need to re-think the whole deck. Ravnica Allegiance may yet bring some other great simic card for Hardened Modular but until then I doubt adding blue for Simic Ascendancy alone would be worth it.
I am kind of new to this deck, but already deeply in love. So many different possibilities, so many angles - wow. I played it for around 1 week on xmage / Proxy and it really keeps me coming back. I have some questions concerning the mana base:
The choice between LLanowar Reborn and Ruins of Oran-Rief really is stuck in my head. I like to have more green mana, but the effect on Ruins of Oran-Rief seems much better. And how important is the 1 Phyrexia's Core ?
Edit: RIght now I really like the Metallic Mimic in the deck, naming constructs and sometimes Thopter, what is your point on that?
"Affinity is like the Christian religion. You got the old testament and the new. The old one was full of real affinity cards and then the new testament Metalcraft came along. Now with Hardened Scales the new Church of Affinity split up in two, just like the Catholics and Protestants." BRG Living End BRG G Hardened Scales Affinity G
I hope I did not write this for nothing and it can help some people:
Play and Sideboard guide against Living End
In this matchup you (the Hardened Scales player) can get the win but you have to keep many things in mind. The matchup can be played very differently depending on the opponent's sideboard and what cards are drawn.
General strategy
Game 1: Don't commit too hard on the board with creatures unless you have an Arcbound Ravager. This is the best card (in this matchup) to draw. When Living End goes on the stack, sacrifice your creatures to Ravager and if you want to get an advantage put all those counters on a Hangarback Walker which is generally the second best card in the matchup.
You dont't loose much and get many Thopters and your Ravager and other non XX mana creatures are back on the field.
Example boards against Living End:
Top: Ravager, Hangarback, Arcbound Worker, Hardened Scales.
Don't worry about Living End at this point.
Good: Ballista, Metallic Mimic, Hangarback walker. Hardened Scales
Shot down the Metallic Mimic and if you can in any way put more counters on Hangarback walker. When Living End resolves Hangarbacks ability will go on the stack but first Mimic will enter the battlefield, you name Thopter. Hangarbacks ablity will resolve last and create X thopters all 3/3 flying.
Decent: Every board where you get some thopters or can kill your non XX creatures. OR a board without any creatures because Demonic Dread need a target and if the opponent got the violent outburst you don't lose creatures and hopefully don't get run over. No creature in the Living End deck has trample and because their Archfiends cost 2 to cycle you normally don't see a board full of flyers. Animation Module is good here as it creates chump blockers and gives you much time.
Bad: A board full of your value creatures like Steel Overseer or Metallic Mimic starting without the option to sacrifice anything.
What you should expect and fear of the Living End player:
3-4 Ingot Chewers
Best answer to all Artifacts ever, does not get hit by chalice / Inquisition of Kozilek can be devistating because its a 2 for 1 if Living End resolves. The opponent will most likely hit hatecards like Relic of Progenitus with it. But if you don't watch out your Arcbound Ravager is also going to die to it.
3-4 Faerie Macabre
One of the reasons this matchup feels bad for many Hardened Scales players. If you play well and sacrifice your creatures this prohibits them from comming back. I personally never play Living End without at least 3 of them and you have to expect them in the main board in this meta.
Leyline of the Void
Some lists run it in the sideboard. It is really bad because it is Faerie Macabre in far worse for the Hardened Scales Player. It makes our main interaction with the combo useless, and exiles Hangarback Walker which is really bad.
What you should side in:
all Relic of Progenitus that you have in the side board. Slows down the game enormously which helps the Hardened Scales player a lot.
2 Dismember can be great against the Archfiends of Ifnir who otherwise can kill yor chump blockers/ thopters by putting -1/-1 counters on them.
2-4 Nature's Claim. It depends if you now your opponent plays leyline or not. If you are unsure play 3 because it is another good way to kill our creatures so they come back with living end. then if you now, switch up to 2 or 4.
What NOT to side in:
Gravediggers Cage - it does not work so don't use it.
Chalice of the Void - you could play it on 0 but with all the cheep artifact hate that Living End has, it is not worth it, as it has no effect on the graveyard itself and the opponent can just cycle normally until he/she finds an answer.
Damping Sphere - It will the opponent only cost 1 mana more to play Living End and because it has to be on the battlefield the opponent can easily play around it.
"Affinity is like the Christian religion. You got the old testament and the new. The old one was full of real affinity cards and then the new testament Metalcraft came along. Now with Hardened Scales the new Church of Affinity split up in two, just like the Catholics and Protestants." BRG Living End BRG G Hardened Scales Affinity G
Hey all, how are you playing against Amulet Titan? It's all over my store right now, and I'm trying to think of something to put in to go with the Damping Spheres lol.
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Modern UWUW ControlUW UGWSpiritsUGW GHardened ScalesG WGRUKiki PodWGRU [RIP]
Soooo how's this deck doing? Just recently got into it again after not playing for a couple of months, hope it's not a flash in the pan lol.It isn't dead but there's not much discussion for the new stock lists in the current meta.
What's the consensus on new stock lists and the some oddball stuff on the recent top 8 lists like:
Llanowar reborn
Gemstone Caverns
Mimic vs Overseer
Llanowar reborn is such a headscratcher because new lists run 2-3 and it's seems awfully slow but a lot of people swear by it, how good is G: graft 1 really?
I'm seriously considering picking up the cards to run this deck and get into modern. It's got everything I love (except Islands hehe) but I'm really worried about Mox Opal being banned and Wizards saying they're still keeping their eye on it even after the KCI ban.
Would suck spending so much money on some Mox Opals and Arcbound Ravagers only to have Mox Opal be banned soon after hehe.
What do you guys think about the chances of Mox Opal being banned? Do you think it's high or are people too focused on Faithless Looting? (Not to mention Ancient Stirrings too hehe)
It looks like it's got a hard matchup against Izzet Phoenix.
I'm kinda in the process of picking which deck to go with in Modern. It'll most likely be between this, regular affinity, colourless eldrazi (because I have almost everything) or The Rock/Sultai midrange style deck.
Funny to come back to this comment, because no version I've seen plays Chalice. So yes, fair to say I'm not playing it!
List tags are malformed.
2 Animation Module
1 Mishra's Bauble
4 Mox Opal
1 Throne of Geth
3 Welding Jar
Artifact Creature (20)
4 Arcbound Ravager
4 Arcbound Worker
4 Hangarback Walker
4 Steel Overseer
4 Walking Ballista
1 Evolutionary Leap
4 Hardened Scales
Sorcery (4)
4 Ancient Stirrings
Land (20)
1 Blinkmoth Nexus
4 Darksteel Citadel
6 Forest
2 Horizon Canopy
4 Inkmoth Nexus
1 Inventors' Fair
1 Pendelhaven
1 Phyrexia's Core
3 Damping Sphere
2 Dismember
1 Grafdigger's Cage
4 Nature's Claim
1 Spellskite
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Tormod's Crypt
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StaffMTGO/MTGA: Tyclone
My Primers ~ GWx Vizier Company ~ Knightfall ~ RG Eldrazi ~ Green's Sun's Zenith
More Brews ~ Modern Four Horsemen ~ Gitrog Dredge
I was laughing when I realized I actually own every single card needed to build the deck except for one: Phyrexia's Core. Does that card really help in some matches? It's just a one of so I'm kind of curious. I've been pondering if it is worth it to just add a second Inkmoth nexus.
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
I guess it's just for historical purposes but I feel like "scaled modular" would be more accurate. Doesn't have the same ring though.
360 card powered Chicago cube:
https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/e7r
2020 Numerical Power Rankings:
https://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/the-cube-forum/cube-card-and-archetype/817969-2020-numerical-cube-power-rankings
2018 CubeTutor Power Rankings:
https://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/the-cube-forum/cube-card-and-archetype/803301-cubetutor-power-rankings-2018-by-color-and-cmc
Phyrexia's Core is about as optional as it gets. Inkmoth Nexus is probably the more conventional choice at this point.
I agree and I'd also add that "Scaled Affinity" seems to imply that this deck would be similar to the classical affinity deck while it actually is very different.
Affinity uses cheap artifact creatures with great synergies while this deck's central themes are :
1. Creatures with +1/+1 counter
2. Creatures which aren't completely lost when they die (transfer counters, create counters or deal damage)
So "Scaled Modular" or "Hardened Modular" would make a lot more sense.
1. When you don't need it to win the game, it's pretty much a dead card. Adding one counter for 1GGUU is pretty aweful compared to your other cards even with Hardened Scales.
2. Your opponent gets at least one turn to figure out how to destroy, exile or bounce it before you can win.
3. You need blue mana which isn't impossible at all but will need to re-think the whole deck. Ravnica Allegiance may yet bring some other great simic card for Hardened Modular but until then I doubt adding blue for Simic Ascendancy alone would be worth it.
I am kind of new to this deck, but already deeply in love. So many different possibilities, so many angles - wow. I played it for around 1 week on xmage / Proxy and it really keeps me coming back. I have some questions concerning the mana base:
The choice between LLanowar Reborn and Ruins of Oran-Rief really is stuck in my head. I like to have more green mana, but the effect on Ruins of Oran-Rief seems much better. And how important is the 1 Phyrexia's Core ?
Edit: RIght now I really like the Metallic Mimic in the deck, naming constructs and sometimes Thopter, what is your point on that?
4 Hardened Scales
1 Evolutionary Leap
Land
1 Pendelhaven
2 Horizon Canopy
2 Llanowar Reborn
1 Forest
1 Forest
1 Forest
1 Forest
4 Inkmoth Nexus
1 Forest
1 Forest
1 Forest
3 Welding Jar
4 Darksteel Citadel
1 Throne of Geth
4 Mox Opal
3 Animation Module
4 Arcbound Ravager
4 Arcbound Worker
4 Hangarback Walker
4 Walking Ballista
1 Steel Overseer
3 Metallic Mimic
Sorcery
4 Ancient Stirrings
1 Shapers' Sanctuary
2 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Pithing Needle
1 Tormod's Crypt
3 Damping Sphere
1 Spellskite
4 Nature's Claim
2 Dismember
BRG Living End BRG
G Hardened Scales Affinity G
UWUW ControlUW
UGWSpiritsUGW
GHardened ScalesG
WGRUKiki PodWGRU [RIP]
Play and Sideboard guide against Living End
In this matchup you (the Hardened Scales player) can get the win but you have to keep many things in mind. The matchup can be played very differently depending on the opponent's sideboard and what cards are drawn.
General strategy
Game 1: Don't commit too hard on the board with creatures unless you have an Arcbound Ravager. This is the best card (in this matchup) to draw. When Living End goes on the stack, sacrifice your creatures to Ravager and if you want to get an advantage put all those counters on a Hangarback Walker which is generally the second best card in the matchup.
You dont't loose much and get many Thopters and your Ravager and other non XX mana creatures are back on the field.
Example boards against Living End:
Top: Ravager, Hangarback, Arcbound Worker, Hardened Scales.
Don't worry about Living End at this point.
Good: Ballista, Metallic Mimic, Hangarback walker. Hardened Scales
Shot down the Metallic Mimic and if you can in any way put more counters on Hangarback walker. When Living End resolves Hangarbacks ability will go on the stack but first Mimic will enter the battlefield, you name Thopter. Hangarbacks ablity will resolve last and create X thopters all 3/3 flying.
Decent: Every board where you get some thopters or can kill your non XX creatures. OR a board without any creatures because Demonic Dread need a target and if the opponent got the violent outburst you don't lose creatures and hopefully don't get run over. No creature in the Living End deck has trample and because their Archfiends cost 2 to cycle you normally don't see a board full of flyers. Animation Module is good here as it creates chump blockers and gives you much time.
Bad: A board full of your value creatures like Steel Overseer or Metallic Mimic starting without the option to sacrifice anything.
What you should expect and fear of the Living End player:
3-4 Ingot Chewers
Best answer to all Artifacts ever, does not get hit by chalice / Inquisition of Kozilek can be devistating because its a 2 for 1 if Living End resolves. The opponent will most likely hit hatecards like Relic of Progenitus with it. But if you don't watch out your Arcbound Ravager is also going to die to it.
3-4 Faerie Macabre
One of the reasons this matchup feels bad for many Hardened Scales players. If you play well and sacrifice your creatures this prohibits them from comming back. I personally never play Living End without at least 3 of them and you have to expect them in the main board in this meta.
Leyline of the Void
Some lists run it in the sideboard. It is really bad because it is Faerie Macabre in far worse for the Hardened Scales Player. It makes our main interaction with the combo useless, and exiles Hangarback Walker which is really bad.
What you should side in:
all Relic of Progenitus that you have in the side board. Slows down the game enormously which helps the Hardened Scales player a lot.
2 Dismember can be great against the Archfiends of Ifnir who otherwise can kill yor chump blockers/ thopters by putting -1/-1 counters on them.
2-4 Nature's Claim. It depends if you now your opponent plays leyline or not. If you are unsure play 3 because it is another good way to kill our creatures so they come back with living end. then if you now, switch up to 2 or 4.
What NOT to side in:
Gravediggers Cage - it does not work so don't use it.
Chalice of the Void - you could play it on 0 but with all the cheep artifact hate that Living End has, it is not worth it, as it has no effect on the graveyard itself and the opponent can just cycle normally until he/she finds an answer.
Damping Sphere - It will the opponent only cost 1 mana more to play Living End and because it has to be on the battlefield the opponent can easily play around it.
My final suggestion:
In: 3 Relic of Progenitus / Tormod's Crypt , 4 Nature's Claim ( 2 If the opponent does not play Leyline of the void. If so: 2 Dismember)
Out: 3 Welding Jar , 2 Throne of Geth , 2 Steel Overseer
BRG Living End BRG
G Hardened Scales Affinity G
UWUW ControlUW
UGWSpiritsUGW
GHardened ScalesG
WGRUKiki PodWGRU [RIP]
What's the consensus on new stock lists and the some oddball stuff on the recent top 8 lists like:
Llanowar reborn
Gemstone Caverns
Mimic vs Overseer
Llanowar reborn is such a headscratcher because new lists run 2-3 and it's seems awfully slow but a lot of people swear by it, how good is G: graft 1 really?
Would suck spending so much money on some Mox Opals and Arcbound Ravagers only to have Mox Opal be banned soon after hehe.
What do you guys think about the chances of Mox Opal being banned? Do you think it's high or are people too focused on Faithless Looting? (Not to mention Ancient Stirrings too hehe)
It looks like it's got a hard matchup against Izzet Phoenix.
I'm kinda in the process of picking which deck to go with in Modern. It'll most likely be between this, regular affinity, colourless eldrazi (because I have almost everything) or The Rock/Sultai midrange style deck.