Why is it that no one complains about Mox Opal until something broken comes up or affinity does well. People have not stopped playing affinity and hardened scales and i dont hear anyone complaining. These decks still show up now and then and its totally fine with everyone. Its not until something like KCI comes up or affinity top 8s that people start complaining. This shows me that Mox Opal isnt the culprit its the cards that allow for broken things to happen as well as ppl only complain when they lose to a deck containing the card.
Ancient stirrings also isnt "broken" or OP. The main issue I see that people have with it is that green has too much power across many game mechanics, in this case cantripping being the one. I dont think ancient stirrings is too strong but I dont think its fair that blue gets all of its good cantripping spells banned while green can keep this powerful one even if it is one you have to build around. Most cantrips have to be built around anyways or youd see serum and opt in any deck that runs blue and thats not the case.
whats odd is theres a deck that uses both cards right now and no one has said a word about it.
I think the bannings were fair but leaning more towards the side of heavy handedness which isnt necessarily a bad thing. I just wish they were heavy handed in unbannings too not just with bannings.
Lastly, I think ppl already asking for ancient stirrings and mox opal bannings are simply whining at this point. Those two cards havent done anything and it remains to be seen what will come of the decks that run them. We just got some serious changes and asking for more right away is so typical of the community to never be satisfied with what is happening. I remember when people wanted death's shadow and bauble banned when the deck started making an appearance and thank God wotc ignored those pleas. I think everyone needs to chill out, enjoy the new meta and reevaluate their deck choice if they fear a tron meta.
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- ernest_theweedwhackerguy
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Aug 29, 2019
2
ccc1522 posted a message on The State of Modern Thread (B&R 26/08/2019)Posted in: Modern Archives -
Jun 22, 20191
Tomslipknot posted a message on [Deck] BR VampiresPosted in: Deck Creation (Modern)
Those are some fair points and i would agree if you got your opponent to a low enough life total then Tracker/Conquistador will be better. I use Viscera Seer in combination with Bloodghast which works very nicely with [card]Cordial Vampire[/card} but that's the great thing about Vampires in general, there's multiple ways you can build them.Quote from ernest_theweedwhackerguy »I forgot about conquistador.
You play viscera seer. It's not as good at dealing damage as tracker/conquistador. Sure, you can sac a creature that's being targeted to get to scry, but that's not worth taking up 4 cards in the main 60. Late game after a board wipe, you draw Seer. I, personally, would much rather have a creature that has potential to finish closing out the game in a couple turns rather than have a creature that, at best, is a chump block->Sac->Scry after a couple turns.
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Jun 17, 20192
Taleran posted a message on [M20] Core Set Magic 2020 Previews: Modern DiscussionThe other gobbo is herePosted in: Modern
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May 29, 20194
tronix posted a message on End of an Erayeah this definitely disappointing, though im grateful for years of service from everyone in the background supporting this site through thick and thin.Posted in: Modern Archives
something being in the works to carry on the soul of mtgsalv is heartening, and i would definitely join when and if it ever comes to fruition. as others mentioned a base of a traditionally styled forum would be great, and it doesnt need to be fancy or anything out the gates (im assuming some content-management-system is planned to be used). i dont think any social media integration is warranted (id personally prefer none). card linking functionality is needed of course.
it may also be helpful to establish continuity of the content from here, even with something as simple as linking the end of threads to new ones established at the new site. no reason not to leverage ongoing user generated content to set the tone of the new location as an information hub (mtgsalv is still going to dominate search algorithms for years to come). i havent looked too much into what discord offers in terms of integration plugins, but i think itd be neat to have a balance of 'chat' functionality and more comprehensive forum threads at some future point after things are established.
also dont forget (or feel bad about) asking for donations, and having links set up to take them. im not averse to chipping in what little i can from time to time, and optional crowdfunding can be a powerful tool.
cheers~ -
May 29, 201910
idSurge posted a message on End of an EraGlad to hear it will continue somewhere else.Posted in: Modern Archives
The only thing I hope for, is this same format of forum. Not like Reddit, or other sites, but a nice traditional forum. -
Mar 28, 20194
ktkenshinx posted a message on The State of Modern Thread (B&R 11/03/2019)Posted in: Modern ArchivesQuote from edinburgerboulderer53 »Quote from Earthbound21 »Xerox decks remain the problem, despite players loving to play them. There is very little counter play in existence to them. It's no surprise Chalice, Tron, and Amulet decks are rising.
https://www.channelfireball.com/articles/decks-like-deaths-shadow-will-always-become-the-best-deck/
http://www.themanadrain.com/topic/1360/turbo-xerox-and-monastery-mentor
That channel fireball article is interesting and I'll finish it later. But I disagree with preordain being unfit for modern play.
I feel like it is the line that would ensure control decks can hit their land drops while also lowering overall land count, stopping them control decks missing their land drops so they just die.
You could say but it also allows them to dig for combo pieces but I feel like the gain for decks that beat combo/xerox would be better than for the xerox (faithless looting is probably more powerful than preordain in the current meta).
On the one hand, I agree that for the most part, non-rotating format metagames will gravitate towards cantrip-heavy Xerox decks. They provide more options and consistency, which generally makes for a stronger deck. This is doubly noticeable in high-level events with top players, who personally want to play the kind of high consistency, low variance, high selection decks enabled by cantrips. I fully expect the MC to be overrun with Phoenix due to this pro preference and the fact that IP is a clear Tier 1 deck, if not the clear best deck.
On the other hand, this gravitation doesn't fully explain IP's current dominance. GDS never came close to these numbers in the past. Indeed, peak 2017 GDS performance never really exceeded peak Tron or Humans performance in 2018, and only one of those decks (Tron) has any resemblance to a Xerox deck: Stirrings, Sphere, and Star provide a LOT of velocity and selection. Even there, however, it's clearly not true Driver-Deck Xerox. Other factors are driving IP's run aside from simple Xerox gravitation and success.
I fully believe part of that drive is an echo chamber effect that trumpets IP as a best deck, with many players seeing no reason to disagree and picking it up blindly. They aren't wrong that it's a best deck, but they also are probably overselling the degree that it's the best. Another driving factor hss got to be Arena and Standard, which have pulled many away from Modern. When they return to the format after spending hours/days in Arena land, it's easy to audible to a deck that has such proven success. Add in the deck's inherent power/resilience/consistency, and the Magic community's penchant for alarmism instead of adaptation, and you have a perfect storm of factors leading to a 20%+ deck. This makes IP a different metagame force than GDS, which did not have all these factors at play to the same extent. -
Mar 17, 20193
cfusionpm posted a message on The State of Modern Thread (B&R 11/03/2019)Posted in: Modern ArchivesQuote from metalmusic_4 »Kci instead of mox opal, BBE instead of DRS, summer bloom instead of primeval titan.
This is the idea of tailoring bans to a specific deck with out affecting the rest of the format as much as possible.
The only ban IMO that flies in the face of this idea is probe because there were a few decks using it to verify they could go for the kill that turn. If we look at the original modern ban list we find some other cards that are staying banned because so many decks would use them, GSZ and a few others. The cantrips like ponder were banned specifically to make combos less consistent, but i think they kinda fit into this too. There is a president for hitting something like faithless looting but I expect that to be WOTC's next move.
They printed a shape-shifting 2-drop Eldrazi, and suddenly Eye of Ugin was the problem.
They printed Prized Amalgam, Insolent Neonate, and Cathartic Reunion, and suddenly Golgari Grave-Troll was the problem.
They printed Become Immense, and suddenly Gitaxian Probe was the problem.
They printed Creeping Chill and Arclight Phoenix, and suddenly Faithless Looting is the problem.
Maybe they should stop printing things that get busted free or extremely cheap effects? -
Aug 17, 20181
Caligula posted a message on Pyro Prison || Goblinized Mono-Red Control : The Sideboard DeckPosted in: ControlQuote from ernest_theweedwhackerguy »
Can you suspend rift bolt with a chalice on 1 since suspend is an ability?
Absolutely. The CMC remains what is printed on the card, not how much was paid to put it on the stack. Faitless Looting, for example, still gets countered by Chalice on 1 even if it's cast with flashback. -
Aug 6, 20181
Raystack posted a message on Pyro Prison || Goblinized Mono-Red Control : The Sideboard DeckPosted in: ControlPyro Prison -- Our Banner Unfurled and Flying High -- Pyro Prison
Hear ye, Mountainfolk. I have petitioned MTGtop8.com to differentiate our deck from Skred Red in their classification of Modern >> Control >> Mono Red Control. Below is a copy of my letter, and I will keep everyone aware of progress.
>> FORWARD >>
Hello MTGTOP8 Folks, I'm an avid fan of your site as it is the 'go-to' place for deciphering which way the wind blows across the planes. The curation of all things Magic is appreciated.
I am the creator of Pyro Prison, and I'm writing to you with a request to separate Pyro Prison/Skred Red into 2 different categories on your website. Perhaps surprisingly, there is only spell that they universally share in all decklists: Blood Moon, and Anger of the Gods in the Sideboard. A principal reason is that Pyro Prison runs (4) Chalice of the Void - so, we do no 1-drops and (4) Ensnaring Bridge - so, no big maindeck dragons. Fundamentally, very different decks.
I launched the thread in January of 2016 on Mtgsalvation.com
https://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/modern/established-modern/control/663335-pyro-prison-goblinized-mono-red-control-the
It is now 1 of 79 'established' decks in MTGsalvation with 150,000 views & 2,700 posts. Although similar to Skred Red, the contributors/pilots argue that we are a distinct archetype. Pyro Prison is named as such because it has (2) modes: Pyro = Aggro // Prison = Control. It's not uncommon for us to win a round by playing 0 prison cards - just win through goblin attack in round 1 with a transformative sideboard into full creature aggro in round 2. An opponent who lost to this would not characterize the deck as any sort of prison.
The first question that needs to be addressed is, "Are there enough wins from both archetypes to populate into 2 different categories." I've reviewed the decklists catalogued by MTGTOP8 and noted that we are a 'large green arrow' trending straight up. The numbers are there.
Secondly, "Is there a recognition in the Magic community that these 2 archetypes are distinctly different". Yes. Skred has their thread and we have ours. Similarly, we both have spells unique to our own builds. I'll list them out here, and then close out this letter. Thank you for your attention to what I personally view as an enhancement to the diversity and accuracy of your deck-type listings. Again, thanks for all that you do for the community.
Skred Red (also listed as Snow Red)
- snow-covered mountains
- ALL 1-cmc spells: lightning bolt, skred, relic of progenitus
- Large dragons: Stormbreath Dragon
- Mind Stone
- Eternal Scourge
Pyro Prison (also known as Mono Red Prison & Prison Red)
- Chalice of the Void
- Ensnaring Bridge
- 3 different Mana Ritual Cards: Desperate/Pyretic/Simian Spirit Guide
- Goblin Rabblemaster
That's the simplest guide for separation. There is some shared use of planeswalkers and removal spells, but what I've listed above are very set-in-stone differences.
Sincerely, Ray Karkman
MTGO username and MTGsalvation username: Raystack
Note: I got a Top 8 in the MTGO Classic Modern this Saturday - 8th place - Green Arrow getting Greener and Greener
https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/mtgo-standings/modern-challenge-2018-08-05
EDIT:
Also, a mountain high-five across the Atlantic to Witney, Oxfordshire: Vindicare982's report was engaging and illustrated learning progressions expertly - Control vs. Aggressor. Nobody could have seen that Fracturing Gust coming. Punishing. But, glad you to hear you love our deck. - To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
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Really?
There go a bunch of competitive and fun-to-play decks.
It's a very sad day in modern, today.
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Plus, it counts towards metalcraft.
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You play viscera seer. It's not as good at dealing damage as tracker/conquistador. Sure, you can sac a creature that's being targeted to get to scry, but that's not worth taking up 4 cards in the main 60. Late game after a board wipe, you draw Seer. I, personally, would much rather have a creature that has potential to finish closing out the game in a couple turns rather than have a creature that, at best, is a chump block->Sac->Scry after a couple turns.
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I've been working on a list that uses those cards as well. I'd like to compare lists. Here's my most recent version:
4 Curator of Mysteries
4 Hollow One
4 Street Wraith
4 Desert Cerodon
Other spells(25):
3 Ancestral Vision
4 Living End
4 Faithless Looting
4 Remand
3 As Foretold
4 Electrodominance
3 Cryptic Command
2 Tolaria West
3 Gemstone Caverns
2 Cascade Bluffs
2 Sulfur Falls
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Steam Vents
2 Mountain
2 Island
No sideboard yet. I'll build it as soon as i get the main 60 where i want it.
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you're joking, right?
how does having to shell out $15-$60 or more per card for just a staple land card(and more than likely needing 2-4 of the card plus others around the same price) so you can have proper mana cheap? that's not even mentioning the fact that you'll need rares and mythics, on top of hundreds and hundreds of dollars worth of lands, just to make a semi-competitive deck. Magic is Far from, "the least expensive hobby," i can think of. here's a list of hobbies that are cheaper than a Tier 2 modern deck, and you'll Be able to continue these hobbies for the rest of your life without having to invest more money(or little money) after it's all said and done:
-Hiking
-Fishing
-biking
-weight lifting
-Dungeons & Dragons
-swimming
-basketball
-Drawing/art
i can go on and on, but i'm going to stop the list or finishing it would take me all day.
my point is that Magic is in no way, shape, or form, cheap. sure, you can make a budget deck for $50. but that doesn't mean you'll win, have fun with it, or get a lot of use out of the thing. hell, it'd be better to buy a $50 video game if you're looking to maximize the amount of time your money will keep you occupied. Even just semi-competitive Magic isn't for somebody who doesn't have much money, and trying to say otherwise is pretty ignorant.
the bottom line is this: Magic is far from a cheap hobby. it may even be one of the furthest things from a cheap hobby.
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heck, throw Typhoid Rats, Ambush Viper, Glissa, the Traitor, and other stuff into a pile and just go to town for all i care. beat their monster eldrazi with rinky dink creatures that have deathtouch.
but all this ban talk is getting old.
how is modern going to find a stable ground if all people do is complain and not try to figure out a solution?
anti-metagame decks.
i've been standing behind them for tears, and that won't stop now.
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-Lightning Bolt was a big one, but it seems like not many decks run it these days. i remember a couple years ago when i had to design decks with Bolt in mind, but notsomuch anymore.
-Path to Exile is still used in pretty much every deck that has any trace of W in it.
-Snapcaster Mage, although severely overrated in my book, seems to catch a lot of peoples fancy. but, i wouldn't claim it as a pillar.
-Remand is used in a decent amount of shells, but i wouldn't say that it's a pillar either.
-Inquisition of Kozilek and Thoughtseize are definitely pillars of modern, as a lot of shells and decks use them for their go-to form of disruption.
-Cranial Plating, hands down. i doubt there would be an affinity style deck without it.
i'm trying to think of cards that define decks, and it's hard with modern. other than IoK, Thoughtseize, and Cranial Plating, i can't think of any other actual pillars for modern format.
That's a lie. Urza's Power Plant, Urza's Mine and Urza's Tower are a pillar, as well.
Eldrazi Temple and Eye of Ugin are working their way up to pillar status, but it's still too early to tell. i know one of them has been used in tron decks, but i can't remember which one.
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i also think it's funny that a netdecker is calling out a new player for wanting to build his own decks. go back to copying other peoples decks because you lack creativity, jynxed.
now, back on topic.
i've a few questions for you:
-would you be opposed to focusing on one deck?
-if so, which deck do you have the most fun playing?
-also, what might be your budget on any of the above decks?
-the last question: are there a bunch of single cards in your decks because you don't have more of them, or did you choose to only stick one of each card in?
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Yawgmoth's Bargain- since all the effective ramp is banned(Rite of Flame & Seething Song) or not modern(Dark Ritual, Cabal Ritual, Culling the Weak, Bubbling Muck), I don't think there would be a deck featuring this card that could win on turn 1 or 2. Turn 3, maybe.