I definitely think Risk Factor has a place in current Modern Burn. It feels like a grind card and the thing that makes it good is the fact that it can be cast twice. When you are casting it late game you are doing late games things such as a boros charm level of damage, or a draw effect that gets you to the end. There aren't any great places to put it so you have to leverage sacrificing some part of the burn deck to increase it's late game effectiveness. Here is my own personal idea for the deck.
Notes: creature based decks are rampant at my place so I have 2 grims and 4 searing blaze main.
I'm not sold on the Lavarunner. At the earliest you can play it after you cast something on turn 2. Burn wants to play their goblin guide and monastery swiftspear on turn one and then follow with burn spells. I have a feeling this guy will be late to the game.
Burn's turn 1 is crucial to winning, especially when leading with a creature. If you mulligan and you only have fetchlands in hand while on the play, still go through the motions of a scry, especially if your opponent doesn't know what deck you are on. Make your decision how you normally would as if you were to draw the card and then proceed to fetch away the card regardless.
There was only one time I can ever remember since the change to Vancouver from the Paris Mulligan I have played Modern Burn that I intentionally did not fetch away my top card. I had gone down to five and decided to keep. I was against goblins and on top of my library was a Kor Firewalker. The card was crucial to me winning the game so I kept it on top, played 2 fetchlands and cracked for 6 fetching 2 sacred foundry to play on turn 2, and proceeded to win the game.
Red is only kind of in there as a placeholder. Bonfire of the Damned could easily be switched with Search for Azcanta or other things which would make the deck fall into WU unless sideboard options keeps red in there.
Ive thought about Westvale Abbey. Just to make a blocker at instant speed if needed. Is there ever a case where you would sacrifice your Eldrazi along with the Clerics to flip it? I'm guessing if you ever have a ground stand off (why I recommended Rogue's Passage) then its nice to get it through the air.
So what are the thoughts on playing a singleton of Rogue's Passage and perhaps a Mage-Ring Network in the deck? Good tutor targets for expedition map when its not in the cards to go the tron route. Mage Ring lets you store mana to possibly get a turn earlier to some of the heavier stuff, and Rogue's Passage gets passed an aggro standoff, and possibly lets you finish with an unblocked Ulamog.
Gut Shot was a meta call for the pro tour. It's a great answer for Young Pyromancer and taking care of a Liliana that forced a creature sacrifice.
I have the Kytheon coming in the mail for this Friday FNM. From the pro tour those that played it on turn one usually had it flipped near the end of the game and it was instrumental for the finish.
Pro tip: flipped Kytheon gives you two activations a turn for Izzet Staticaster. Kill Pyromancer AND his tokens. 😁
So more than ever as Lantern takes a prominent place in the meta our Horizon Canopy is our best weapon in our deck. It can't be removed from the hand and one or two on board can help us draw our answer to the setup of a lock.
So I'm going to go with this and see how it does for me. I think I'm going to push Kessig Malcontents to the side as a one of in favor of having a little bit more explosive action with Kytheon, Hero of Akros. Playing a Vial turn 1 I can still flip him on turn 3 if I cast a mantis rider. It makes the deck a little more low to the ground and he is great late game as the planeswalker 4/4 Human. I have a feeling I might end up going down to 1 and 1 in the MB with him and Kessig but I want to try him as a two of for FNM this upcoming week and see how he does.
Dire Fleet Daredevil did not work out for me at all this week. I sided it in against Burn and a couple other matches, however even when I saw it in my hand I had other priorities that needed to be addressed so I'm going to stick in in my binder for now.
As a random aside, it's such a delight casting meddling mage naming their suspended rift bolt.
Kytheon looks like the next break out 1 drop from the Pro Tour as a 1 or 2 if. There were some decks that used Experiment One as a 4 of.
Both of the top 8 decks are aether vial based as well.
Horizon Canopy is absolutely essential, especially since we use aether vial and in longer games no longer require Mana to play creatures. It can literally be the difference between losing and winning.
On a further note I'm absolutely loving kessig malcontents in what was my Bob slot. Instead of drawing extra cards while losing life I simply play him for the win (or play then copy and win). He often hits for 5, 6, 7 damage.
So speaking about enchantments. Is rec sage the best we can do for them?
How has dire fleet been treating people now that the dust had settled? I have two in sideboard but haven't pulled them yet (though I wished I had). I figure the dream is to aether in targeting something snap targets and cast it yourself. The ultimate zinger.
So I'm actually going to step away from Merrow and try Phantasmal Image in it's spot for a week and see how it does. I know it's not the same as having all sixteen Lords but I want to see what kind of explosive interactions I can have with it hopefully copying Lords I've already played.
4 Goblin Guide
4 Eidolon of the Great revel
1 Grim Lavamancer
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Lava Spike
4 Bump in the Night
4 Rift Bolt
4 Skewer the Critics
4 Lightning Helix
4 Boros Charm
2 Sacred Foundry
3 Inspiring Vantage
2 Mountain
4 Bloodstained Mire
1 Scalding Tarn
3 Arid Mesa
2 Wooded Foothills
Notes: creature based decks are rampant at my place so I have 2 grims and 4 searing blaze main.
4 Goblin Guide
4 Monastery Swiftspear
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Lava Spike
4 Rift Bolt
4 Searing Blaze
4 Boros Charm
2 Lightning Helix
2 SkullCrack
2 Risk Factor
1 stomping ground
2 sacred foundry
4 Inspiring Vantage
3 mountain
4 Dryad Militant
4 Strangleroot Geist
4 Avatar of the Resolute
2 Scavenging Ooze
4 Steel Leaf Champion
4 Rancor
4 Aspect of Hydra
4 Vines of Vastwood
2 Treetop Village
It really feels like Steel Leaf Champion is the replacement for Kalonian Tusker I've been searching for.
There was only one time I can ever remember since the change to Vancouver from the Paris Mulligan I have played Modern Burn that I intentionally did not fetch away my top card. I had gone down to five and decided to keep. I was against goblins and on top of my library was a Kor Firewalker. The card was crucial to me winning the game so I kept it on top, played 2 fetchlands and cracked for 6 fetching 2 sacred foundry to play on turn 2, and proceeded to win the game.
Here is my vision for the deck so far. Post what you think should be used below!
// 4 Creature
4 Snapcaster Mage
// 12 Instant
4 Path to Exile
4 Remand
4 Opt
// 22 Land
4 Celestial Colonnade
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Flooded Strand
2 Hallowed Fountain
2 Steam Vents
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Mountain
1 Plains
2 Island
1 Sulfur Falls
4 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
// 18 Sorcery
4 Serum Visions
4 Terminus
4 Entreat the Angels
4 Temporal Mastery
2 Bonfire of the Damned
Entreat the Angels and Celestial Colonnade are your primary win conditions. Path to Exile / Remand take care of the early opposition along with snap following up. Opt / Serum Visions set up early miracles such as Temporal Mastery, Terminus.
Jace, the Mind Sculptor puts miracles back on top of the deck as you need them and sets you up for your win conditions.
Red is only kind of in there as a placeholder. Bonfire of the Damned could easily be switched with Search for Azcanta or other things which would make the deck fall into WU unless sideboard options keeps red in there.
I have the Kytheon coming in the mail for this Friday FNM. From the pro tour those that played it on turn one usually had it flipped near the end of the game and it was instrumental for the finish.
Pro tip: flipped Kytheon gives you two activations a turn for Izzet Staticaster. Kill Pyromancer AND his tokens. 😁
So more than ever as Lantern takes a prominent place in the meta our Horizon Canopy is our best weapon in our deck. It can't be removed from the hand and one or two on board can help us draw our answer to the setup of a lock.
Not that I've seen sadly.
So I'm going to go with this and see how it does for me. I think I'm going to push Kessig Malcontents to the side as a one of in favor of having a little bit more explosive action with Kytheon, Hero of Akros. Playing a Vial turn 1 I can still flip him on turn 3 if I cast a mantis rider. It makes the deck a little more low to the ground and he is great late game as the planeswalker 4/4 Human. I have a feeling I might end up going down to 1 and 1 in the MB with him and Kessig but I want to try him as a two of for FNM this upcoming week and see how he does.
Dire Fleet Daredevil did not work out for me at all this week. I sided it in against Burn and a couple other matches, however even when I saw it in my hand I had other priorities that needed to be addressed so I'm going to stick in in my binder for now.
As a random aside, it's such a delight casting meddling mage naming their suspended rift bolt.
4 Aether Vial
// 37 Creature
2 Kytheon, Hero of Akros
4 Meddling Mage
4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
4 Thalia's Lieutenant
4 Champion of the Parish
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Phantasmal Image
4 Kitesail Freebooter
4 Mantis Rider
3 Reflector Mage
4 Unclaimed Territory
4 Cavern of Souls
4 Ancient Ziggurat
1 Plains
4 Horizon Canopy
2 Seachrome Coast
2 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Sin Collector
2 Mirran Crusader
2 Auriok Champion
2 Vithian Renegades
2 Izzet Staticaster
1 Xathrid Necromancer
1 Kessig Malcontents
1 War Priest of Thune
With aggro in general on the rise with Humans, Affinity, etc its looking like it might be great utility again for us to use.
Both of the top 8 decks are aether vial based as well.
On a further note I'm absolutely loving kessig malcontents in what was my Bob slot. Instead of drawing extra cards while losing life I simply play him for the win (or play then copy and win). He often hits for 5, 6, 7 damage.
So speaking about enchantments. Is rec sage the best we can do for them?
How has dire fleet been treating people now that the dust had settled? I have two in sideboard but haven't pulled them yet (though I wished I had). I figure the dream is to aether in targeting something snap targets and cast it yourself. The ultimate zinger.