Got into Minneapolis late and had time to do one last chance qualifier, and decided to get some extra practice in.
First round: B/R Goblins (2-0). Game one he kept a hand of 2 vials, lands, a Skirk Prospector, and a Goblin Matron. I Inquisition the Matron and he never draws more gas. Game 2 He mulligans twice and it wasn't a match.
Second round: Eldrazi Tron (2-1) Game one I get a good opening hand with early pressure via Looting, discarding Seasoned Pyromancer, and then Unearthing it 2nd turn. Key Thoughtseize's got rid of All is dust, and burn finished him off. Game two he rolls me with turn 2 Shaper, turn 3 Thoughtknot Seer, turn 4 Thoughtknot Seer, but he took so long that game 2 went to time. Game 3 was sudden death, and he conceded as he didn't want to watch me mulligan to Bolt.
Third round: Urza Thopter (2-0) Game one I had all the hand removal, and landed early threats to finish him off. Don't remember too much of game two, but think it was more of the same.
Fourth round: Naya Burn (2-1) Game one I mulligan to 5 and get rolled over. Game two a clutch Smiting Helix top deck saved me the game. Game 3 he kept a 4 lander with a Rest in Peace, Boros Charm, and Searing Blaze and drew into more land.
Got to sleep in with my 2 round bye, and decided to show up a little early to scout Game 2 around the room. There was way more Hogaak then I was suspecting to see.
Round 3: Eldrazi Tron (0-2) Neither game was particularly close, and I'm hoping to get better matchups, as I don't find Pyromancer to be positioned well against Tron.
Round 4: Tron (2-1) Game one is almost an auto lose, but games 2 and 3, I am able to Fulminator / Unearth enough to keep him off of Tron, and take the match.
Round 5: Humans (2-0) Opponent snap keeps with a hand with an aether vial, and 3 Champion of the Parish. I manage to kill 2 of them with removal, before they get out of hand, and cast Seasoned Pyromancer, and chump with it and unearth it twice. Game 2 he doesn't have Vial, and his hand is way to slow to put up a threat, and he eventually gets blown out by an Engineered Explosive.
Round 6: Can't remember, but do know that I won.
Round 7: Hogaak (2-0) I luckily win the die roll, and turn 3 Seasoned Pyromancer, finding Worship, while my opponent has a slow start and puts a million power on the board on turn 3. Turn 4 I play Worship, and he doesn't have any answers for it as Spirit tokens eventually kill him. Game 2 we both Leyline of the Void each other, and neither of us has an answer for them, and I kill him with Spirit Tokens and burn.
Round 8: Mono Red Phoenix (1-2) Mull to 5 in game one, win game 2 on the back of a Worship, and lose a close game 3.
Round 9: Hogaak (0-2) Never drew a Worship in game one and get run over. Game two mulligan into oblivion, and lose never seeing a Leyline.
Will talk about day 2 later. If you have any questions about deck choices, or side boarding, let me know.
Edit: Day 2 I went 2-4 with wins against Blister Burn, and R/G Ponza, and loses to Tron, Scapeshift, Urza, and something else.
Thanks for the report. What’s your take on how we can improve the E tron match up? I have a meta where one of the regulars play E Tron, so I want to have some idea of what to do against it.
I don't think that the E-Tron matchup is ever going to be a good one. I would say that the games in which i was able to win was on the back of Monastery Mentor + hand disruption to be able to put out enough threats to swarm them. Don't be afraid of All is Dust, and try to kill them as quickly as possible. If they have it you were probably going to lose anyways.
Got top 8 at a local 1k. Smallish tournament with around 34 people. Wins against Storm, U/R Phoenix, and Esper Death Shadow, in rounds one through 3. Round 4 lost to Dredge, and it wasn't close. Round 5 split into the top 8 against Hogaak; if he knew what I was on he would have played me. In top 8 I lost in the first round to Mono Red Phoenix that won out of nowhere with a top deck Finale in game one, and had the perfect hand game 2.
Maybe, but two mana and having to discard first makes them clunky for this deck in my opinion.
I immediately thought about Insolent Neonate, but you still have the issues of discarding before drawing...then there is always Burning Inquiry but I don't think we want to randomly throw things back.
Well.. Burning inquiry might be the best bet. If we build a lingering soul's/unearth list we could probably use burning inquiry really effectively bc its extremely disruptive to our opponents and if we build accordingly we can minimize its impact on us and even use it to our advantage. A list made of a playset of smiting helix, unearth, and lingering souls would not be a bad thing. Add in some collective brutalities bring back bedlam revelers, lightning skelemental, monastery mentor and young pyromancer and i think we can work with something and maybe even make THE grindiest list.
i dont think mardu is for sure dead but this is a huge blow.
I predict a fixed faithless looting will come in the future one that does the same but with no flash back and possibly asking to dump 3 cards instead of 2.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Modern RUAffinityUR GMono Green StompyG CEldrazi TronC URWJeskai GeistWRU WRBoros BurnRW BRWMardu PyromancerWRB
A color shifted Careful Study would be nice, but the announcement made it clear they want a shift from graveyard decks to fair "battlefield and hand" decks.
On my run this morning, I was considering a build adding Stoneforge Mystic similar to old Legacy Deadguy Ale decks. A package of Sword of Fire and Ice and Batterskull could give us better closing power and the inclusion of Sword of Feast and Famine or Liliana allows for continued disruption into the mid game. Gideon is another possible grindy walker to include.
Many decks have already shifted away from Blood Moon to support Smiting Helix, maybe leaning more into that is a way forward? Maybe we will find a new deck next weekend at SCG Dallas?
Modern has had a deadguy ale list for years. I've played it with some moderate success and I always felt it was one of those decks that is better than the % would lead you to believe. Unbanning of SFM was something I'm absolutely ecstatic for.
3 Rix Maadi Reveler
4 Seasoned Pyromancer
4 Monastery Mentor
Spells: 28
4 Faithless Looting
3 Unearth
2 Fatal Push
3 Thoughtseize
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
3 Lightning Bolt
3 Lingering Souls
3 Smiting Helix
2 Collective Brutality
2 Worship
4 Blackcleave Cliffs
1 Inspiring Vantage
2 Blood Crypt
2 Sacred Foundry
4 Bloodstained Mire
4 Marsh Flats
1 Mountain
2 Swamp
1 Plains
4 Leyline of the Void
4 Fulminator Mage
1 Collective Brutality
2 Engineered Explosives
2 Kambal, Consul of Allocation
2 Anguished Unmaking
Got into Minneapolis late and had time to do one last chance qualifier, and decided to get some extra practice in.
First round: B/R Goblins (2-0). Game one he kept a hand of 2 vials, lands, a Skirk Prospector, and a Goblin Matron. I Inquisition the Matron and he never draws more gas. Game 2 He mulligans twice and it wasn't a match.
Second round: Eldrazi Tron (2-1) Game one I get a good opening hand with early pressure via Looting, discarding Seasoned Pyromancer, and then Unearthing it 2nd turn. Key Thoughtseize's got rid of All is dust, and burn finished him off. Game two he rolls me with turn 2 Shaper, turn 3 Thoughtknot Seer, turn 4 Thoughtknot Seer, but he took so long that game 2 went to time. Game 3 was sudden death, and he conceded as he didn't want to watch me mulligan to Bolt.
Third round: Urza Thopter (2-0) Game one I had all the hand removal, and landed early threats to finish him off. Don't remember too much of game two, but think it was more of the same.
Fourth round: Naya Burn (2-1) Game one I mulligan to 5 and get rolled over. Game two a clutch Smiting Helix top deck saved me the game. Game 3 he kept a 4 lander with a Rest in Peace, Boros Charm, and Searing Blaze and drew into more land.
Got to sleep in with my 2 round bye, and decided to show up a little early to scout Game 2 around the room. There was way more Hogaak then I was suspecting to see.
Round 3: Eldrazi Tron (0-2) Neither game was particularly close, and I'm hoping to get better matchups, as I don't find Pyromancer to be positioned well against Tron.
Round 4: Tron (2-1) Game one is almost an auto lose, but games 2 and 3, I am able to Fulminator / Unearth enough to keep him off of Tron, and take the match.
Round 5: Humans (2-0) Opponent snap keeps with a hand with an aether vial, and 3 Champion of the Parish. I manage to kill 2 of them with removal, before they get out of hand, and cast Seasoned Pyromancer, and chump with it and unearth it twice. Game 2 he doesn't have Vial, and his hand is way to slow to put up a threat, and he eventually gets blown out by an Engineered Explosive.
Round 6: Can't remember, but do know that I won.
Round 7: Hogaak (2-0) I luckily win the die roll, and turn 3 Seasoned Pyromancer, finding Worship, while my opponent has a slow start and puts a million power on the board on turn 3. Turn 4 I play Worship, and he doesn't have any answers for it as Spirit tokens eventually kill him. Game 2 we both Leyline of the Void each other, and neither of us has an answer for them, and I kill him with Spirit Tokens and burn.
Round 8: Mono Red Phoenix (1-2) Mull to 5 in game one, win game 2 on the back of a Worship, and lose a close game 3.
Round 9: Hogaak (0-2) Never drew a Worship in game one and get run over. Game two mulligan into oblivion, and lose never seeing a Leyline.
Will talk about day 2 later. If you have any questions about deck choices, or side boarding, let me know.
Edit: Day 2 I went 2-4 with wins against Blister Burn, and R/G Ponza, and loses to Tron, Scapeshift, Urza, and something else.
RUAffinityUR
GMono Green StompyG
CEldrazi TronC
URWJeskai GeistWRU
WRBoros BurnRW
BRWMardu PyromancerWRB
That card cant be sub it. Is the core of the deck.
Other could be Tormenting Voice.
I immediately thought about Insolent Neonate, but you still have the issues of discarding before drawing...then there is always Burning Inquiry but I don't think we want to randomly throw things back.
Modern Dredge
Budget Dredge
Mardu Pyromancer
Belcher
i dont think mardu is for sure dead but this is a huge blow.
I predict a fixed faithless looting will come in the future one that does the same but with no flash back and possibly asking to dump 3 cards instead of 2.
RUAffinityUR
GMono Green StompyG
CEldrazi TronC
URWJeskai GeistWRU
WRBoros BurnRW
BRWMardu PyromancerWRB
RBW
Mardu PyromancerR.I.P.BG The Rock
Commander
W Nahiri, the Lithomancer
Without Looting, I can't see it being close to playable.
Now Mardu is just a bad Jund.
I'll probably just sell my cards and go for a Rock (which is also a bad Jund, but probably better than Mardu, IMO), or something else.
RBW
Mardu PyromancerR.I.P.BG The Rock
Commander
W Nahiri, the Lithomancer
On my run this morning, I was considering a build adding Stoneforge Mystic similar to old Legacy Deadguy Ale decks. A package of Sword of Fire and Ice and Batterskull could give us better closing power and the inclusion of Sword of Feast and Famine or Liliana allows for continued disruption into the mid game. Gideon is another possible grindy walker to include.
Many decks have already shifted away from Blood Moon to support Smiting Helix, maybe leaning more into that is a way forward? Maybe we will find a new deck next weekend at SCG Dallas?
Modern Dredge
Budget Dredge
Mardu Pyromancer
Belcher
RUAffinityUR
GMono Green StompyG
CEldrazi TronC
URWJeskai GeistWRU
WRBoros BurnRW
BRWMardu PyromancerWRB
Here is the primer
https://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/modern/established-modern/midrange/572973-bw-midrange-deadguy-ale?page=54
Also this list is very old and budget as hell, but at least shows the idea has some merit. It was the only large tournament I ever played with the deck, 120+ person PTQ while pod and twin were still around and I still managed top 8.
http://www.mtgmintcard.com/mtg/decks/eventdecks/khans-of-tarkir-ptq-roanoke/jason-freischlag/wb-midrange