How does Burn stop the early Sundering Titan that #-Post can put out?
You burn out your opponent. Destroying one land is almost irrelevant to burn, especially if it is turn 3-4 (the normal turn for a Titan). That is burn's normal kill turn.
I believe burn is almost required to consider Blood Moon in this format with decks like 12-Post running Glimmerposts.
One creature I sorta like is Mudbrawler Cohort. If you go Turn 1 Goblin Guide, you can go turn 2 Cohort and swing for 4. Turn three you go Hellspark Elemental. Turn 4 you win.
Cohort seems like a vastly inferior Guide. It's also dependent on having a red creature, thus making it a bad topdeck. Again outclassed by Hellspark.
It's already been said, but I'll say it again: Barring Goblin Guide, our cards need to rip at least 3 damage off the top to be worthwhile. 4-damage-for-3-mana cards are also not worth it. My list would probably look like:
I realize perfectly well that Manamorphose is suboptimal and not used in Legacy, but here we do not really have any viable alternatives that use mana effectively, so a cantrip will do in a pinch.
Got it: forget manamorphose, let's just use Volcanic Hammer. Honestly, I'm expecting something like a turn 4.8 kill with this sort of deck. And Timothy, I think Ram-Gang is a little too expensive for Burn, but feel free to give it a test.
I can only assume that means TL;DR? Given that it flies in the face of everything I was talking about. Figure might belong in RDW, but this is not RDW, and a mana sink that is an atrocious top deck will never replace the most consistent creature in the deck.
If he is good enough for legacy burn decks (like this one), he is good enough for modern. Especially since Mental Misstep is banned.
Except that isn't a typical Legacy Burn deck. In fact it pretty much flies against all conventions of Legacy Burn. I'll admit it placed well, but I get the feeling that's more a matter of deck to metagame than individual card choices. Notice the deck isn't even called Burn?
I'm not here to tell people what to run, if you want to then go for it. But the goals of the archetype are, as always, to minimize dead draws, and focus on immediacy, effectiveness, and virtual card advantage. And neither Lavamancer nor Figure conform to those ideals.
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Currently Running Legacy: Burn; Various Stompy's; Food Chain Goblins; FC Elves Standard: Junk Super Friends, Elf-Wave Elder Dragon Highlander: Animar, Skithiryx, Bosh, Konda, Wort, Ezuri, Patron of the Moon
I can only see Figure of Destiny as a plan B, this decks runs about 18-20 lands and you mostly wants to cast a bolt or another burn spell than pump a creature that any deck have a answer for it. The big problem is the lack of Fireblast, Price of Progress and Sulfuric Vortex, these cards make burn competitive, but since we have a huge banlist I can see this archetype worth running.
Burn should almost without question run either/both Blood Moon and/or Magus of the Moon in its maindeck. These cards give a serious and unanswerable pounding to Zoo, Jund, Teachings, Twelvepost, Bant, and a huge range of other tier 1 and 2 decks. It is also a really strong turn 3 play, because it effectively slows the game down to the burn player's speed. A turn 1 Guide followed by a turn 2 Rift Bolt/Lava Spike can often leave the burn player down a lot of resources in their hand. Blood Moon locks down the game so the opponent, who probably has a relatively full hand, cannot play their threats or responses at the same rate that Burn can win. It is just so nice to have a virtual game 1 win in so many matchups.
As to the creatures, it is a big mistake to not run Hellspark Elemental. Burn always has trouble with cards, and Hellspark increases the chances that you will have something to do with your mana on your turn. He hits hard, he hits twice, and he curves well. The same goes for Spark Elemental, but for a different reason. Legacy Burn had a core of 16 one CMC burn spells: Rift Bolt, Lightning Bolt, Lava Spike, Chain Lightning. We sadly lose the awesome Chain Lightning, but against the vast majority of decks in Modern, Spark Elemental is just as good, albeit not as versatile. I think that Teetering Peaks + Sparky might be a little too gimmicky, and it opens you up to some Lightning Bolt/removal blowouts if the opponent leaves mana untapped. But Sparky alone is a solid beater who is almost a guaranteed Lava Spike on turn 1 and 2.
Big take home point: Blood Moon and Magus of the Moon are NUTS in this metagame. Burn is the perfect deck to abuse their potential asymmetrical effect, AND to abuse their lockdown, slow-the-game-to-a-crawl effect.
Also don't forget that Flames of the Blood Hand can potentially stop life gain, which is probably the last thing that this deck wants to see. I imagine that Kitchen Finks will see at least a little play. And even if cards like Martyr of Sands don't see play, all it takes is one to completely destroy the matchup. Not having an answer for it somewhere in your 75 seems like you're asking for trouble.
@saintskeith: I think the decision between Flame Javelin and Flames of the Blood Hand will depend of your meta...
And leyline of sanctity silent this deck unfortunately...
I can only remember of Ratchet Bomb as a reply against the leyline. Or you can splash green or white.
Magus of the Moon seems too fragile because of all of the Punishing Fire in the format. Blood Moon on the other hand seems like a great choice. If you can burn out their creatures for the first two turns and then drop Blood Moon on turn 3, you'll be in very good shape.
Should splashes be considered? Blightning is an incredibly powerful burn spell. Playsets of blood crypt and blackcleave cliffs would make the splash pretty easy.
There is also the grove of the burnwillows/punishing fire combo. Probably more suited to a RDW and not straight burn list though. Splashing green does open up outs to leyline.
Lightning Storm is a pseudo fireblast, but I am not sure it makes it. Slaggstorm is a sweeper with the option of going to the face. Looks like a pretty good call for a MD sweeper in an unknown meta. E: Never mind, I forgot volcanic fallout also goes to the face and is probably the better choice.
Is Stigma Lasher worth running to combat lifegain or is he more of a RDW choice?
You burn out your opponent. Destroying one land is almost irrelevant to burn, especially if it is turn 3-4 (the normal turn for a Titan). That is burn's normal kill turn.
I believe burn is almost required to consider Blood Moon in this format with decks like 12-Post running Glimmerposts.
Direct damage?
Cohort seems like a vastly inferior Guide. It's also dependent on having a red creature, thus making it a bad topdeck. Again outclassed by Hellspark.
It's already been said, but I'll say it again: Barring Goblin Guide, our cards need to rip at least 3 damage off the top to be worthwhile. 4-damage-for-3-mana cards are also not worth it. My list would probably look like:
4 Keldon Marauders
4 Hellspark Elemental
4 Rift Bolt
4 Lava Spike
4 Shard Volley
4 Incinerate
4 Magma Jet
4 Manamorphose
I realize perfectly well that Manamorphose is suboptimal and not used in Legacy, but here we do not really have any viable alternatives that use mana effectively, so a cantrip will do in a pinch.
EDIT: We may want to consider splashing white for Lightning Helix, and also 2-damage-for-1-mana cards such as Burst Lightning or Firebolt.
If he is good enough for legacy burn decks (like this one), he is good enough for modern. Especially since Mental Misstep is banned.
I'm not here to tell people what to run, if you want to then go for it. But the goals of the archetype are, as always, to minimize dead draws, and focus on immediacy, effectiveness, and virtual card advantage. And neither Lavamancer nor Figure conform to those ideals.
Currently Running
Legacy: Burn; Various Stompy's; Food Chain Goblins; FC Elves
Standard: Junk Super Friends, Elf-Wave
Elder Dragon Highlander: Animar, Skithiryx, Bosh, Konda, Wort, Ezuri, Patron of the Moon
20 Mountain
Creatures 8
4 Goblin Guide
4 Keldon Marauders
Spells 32
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Lava Spike
4 Rift Bolt
4 Shard Volley
4 Incinerate
4 Magma Jet
4 Needle Drop
2 Flames of the Blood Hand
2 Volcanic Fallout
In Legacy, Shard Volley is not worth because of Fireblast, 20 mountains is a good number for a 4 of.
I think that Magma Jet + Needle Drop gives a good card selection for a burn deck, and this is important since we don't have the bests big burn spells.
Flames of the Blood Hand is here because we don't have anything better who gives 4 dmg, maybe I would put one more and -1 Needle Drop.
As to the creatures, it is a big mistake to not run Hellspark Elemental. Burn always has trouble with cards, and Hellspark increases the chances that you will have something to do with your mana on your turn. He hits hard, he hits twice, and he curves well. The same goes for Spark Elemental, but for a different reason. Legacy Burn had a core of 16 one CMC burn spells: Rift Bolt, Lightning Bolt, Lava Spike, Chain Lightning. We sadly lose the awesome Chain Lightning, but against the vast majority of decks in Modern, Spark Elemental is just as good, albeit not as versatile. I think that Teetering Peaks + Sparky might be a little too gimmicky, and it opens you up to some Lightning Bolt/removal blowouts if the opponent leaves mana untapped. But Sparky alone is a solid beater who is almost a guaranteed Lava Spike on turn 1 and 2.
Big take home point: Blood Moon and Magus of the Moon are NUTS in this metagame. Burn is the perfect deck to abuse their potential asymmetrical effect, AND to abuse their lockdown, slow-the-game-to-a-crawl effect.
-ktkenshinx-
Since you already have Incinerate, why not just run Volcanic Hammer? Certainly better than Flames.
@saintskeith: I think the decision between Flame Javelin and Flames of the Blood Hand will depend of your meta...
And leyline of sanctity silent this deck unfortunately...
I can only remember of Ratchet Bomb as a reply against the leyline. Or you can splash green or white.
You can find me on MTGO. My username is gereffi.
There is also the grove of the burnwillows/punishing fire combo. Probably more suited to a RDW and not straight burn list though. Splashing green does open up outs to leyline.
Lightning Storm is a pseudo fireblast, but I am not sure it makes it.
Slaggstorm is a sweeper with the option of going to the face. Looks like a pretty good call for a MD sweeper in an unknown meta. E: Never mind, I forgot volcanic fallout also goes to the face and is probably the better choice.
Is Stigma Lasher worth running to combat lifegain or is he more of a RDW choice?
RGStandard Gruul AggroRG
http://www.starcitygames.com/magic/standard/21541_StarCityGamescom_Open_LA_Legacy_Burn_Report.html
Lost of good insight on card choices that can be applied to this format. Especially with the creatures.