Unsettled Mariner also taxes spells that targets you. So, in Storm that means Gifts costing 1 more to play, Grapeshot needing 1 mana for each copy, discard spells from random decks costing 1 more, Liiana's -2 costing 1 mana to use, Grim Lavamancer activations, Settle the Wreckage and Cryptic to tap the team, Valakut triggers from Scapeshift, Tron can't land a T3 Karn to take out a creature nor a card from our hand with this on the table...
The fact that it taxes spells and abilities targeted on our creatures AND on ourselves is what makes it good. I think we can go down to 3 Thalias and use the 2 flex slots to have at least 3 copies of it in the main. Maybe go down 1 Phantasmal Image to have the 4th one?
It's not like Humans is low on ways to stop opposing removal. They have Thalia, Freebooter and Meddling Mage, do they really need a fourth? Especially one that does nothing against combo decks, unlike their first three?
It does slow down some combos. Storm has to pay 1 more for Gifts and 1 for each copy of Grapeshot, Scapeshift has to pay mana for each Valakut trigger. Taxes temoval and burn spells, discard spells and it scales up with more copies, unlike Thalia that is Legendary.
I was reading BBD's protour report and, when he's talking about testing with Humans for the PT with the team, at one point he had a build that took off the Freebooters for Mayors. He says that looked promising for the testing he'd done with it and I'm willing to try it out sometimes.
I know there are those times that Freebooter snaps the only removal from the opponent's hand, but most of the time when playing interactive decks he just takes one removal to eat another. Mayor will usually do that (eat a removal) but he also pumps your team if they don't have the mana right away for it and, if unchecked, can win games by itself.
It will probably be very meta dependant, but who knows... Maybe there's something there.
Todd Stevens 5-0'd yesterday with a Naya Traverse list that's very Zoo-like.
He even went undefeated (10-0) on the league, playing against Bridgevine, Bant Spirits, Tron, Abzan Midrange and Storm.
Deck seems really nice.
Amulet of Safekeeping is not good.
It let Storm go off and they'll just bounce it and kill you once they find their pieces. It's also not good against Mardu, since the deck runs 3 KCommand and will just kill all your stuff and keep you off anything until they can KCommand the Amulet away and kill you.
It seems like a good card but it does absolutely nothing to stop those two decks of doing what they want to be doing.
I really like Teeg out of the board against UW Control.
I won a game that I had turn 2 MM on Path into turn 3 Teeg locking out sweepers and Cryptic. That gave me time to find Image/MM to lock out Detention Sphere and left him without options to kill my hatebears.
I played Big Thalia last week and really liked the deck with her. Won against BG Midrange (Thalia was good), Tron (Thalia was insane) and Hollow One (Thalia was really good), lost to Jeskai some close games.
They probably would not like to mess with more than 1 format right before a Pro Tour. Legacy alone will already be a big mess after these bannings, making changes in Modern would be too much for ppl who are already preparing and finding decks to play.
Maybe SFM will be unbanned after the PT, on the next list.
Has anyone ever toyed with Corageous Outrider?
If it's effect were the same as Ringleader, it would probably be a core creature in the deck, but only giving you one creature...
Even then, it still replaces itself with a little selection. Makes Image/Resto search for an effect you don't already have on the field and he has a 3/4 body.
The thing with Tribal Flames is that is also really good as a removal spell (the 5 damage being really relevant to kill all the Gurmag/Tasigur/Smasher/Goyf running around)... So perhaps you'd like to throw a couple Path to Exile into the mix. Running 4x Rabblemaster you probably need extra ways to remove blockers.
Also for the 1 drops you are considering I have to say I REALLY like Narnam Renegade. It's deceptively good.
But the list looks super fun, I really want to try it myself!
Yep, Flames acting as removal happens really often on that deck. I'm on the hopes that Ghor-Clan can act as pseudo-removal if needed (even better with Narnam's DT). I could run 2 Paths on the main, but I'll give it a spin with that maindeck (maybe try to fit 1 Smuggler's Copter) and then make some changes as needed. I'll probably run 3 Paths on the sideboard, tho.
Hey guys. I was thinking about building up a Naya list based on that Tribal list that showed up with BBE. Instead of 4 Flames + 2 Boros Charm, I'd use 4 Charm + 2 Ghor-Clan and Rabblemaster instead of Mantis Rider. It won't be that much less explosive than Tribal and it will have a better mana base. I had a lot of fun playing that 5c list and playing Rabble + BBE and Rabble + Ghor-Clan seems nice. Also living the dream of Ghor-Clan + Boros Charm on a Goyf.
I still have not decided what to play on my LGS next week, but if I play this, I'll write up my thoughts.
Sounds good. I also think that Tribal Flames is probably not worth the awkward mana base, and the extra modes on Boros Charm will probably make up for the 1 dmg difference. Will you run Noble Hierarch? And a playset of Lightning Helix?
I'd like to see the list you come up with!
Porting directly from the 5c list, that's what I'd run at first to check how it would perform:
Hey guys. I was thinking about building up a Naya list based on that Tribal list that showed up with BBE. Instead of 4 Flames + 2 Boros Charm, I'd use 4 Charm + 2 Ghor-Clan and Rabblemaster instead of Mantis Rider. It won't be that much less explosive than Tribal and it will have a better mana base. I had a lot of fun playing that 5c list and playing Rabble + BBE and Rabble + Ghor-Clan seems nice. Also living the dream of Ghor-Clan + Boros Charm on a Goyf.
I still have not decided what to play on my LGS next week, but if I play this, I'll write up my thoughts.
My thoughts on Resto vs Deputy:
If you bounce a 1drop, you're spending 3 mana vs 4 with Resto. 2drop is at parity and only bouncing a 3drop is more costly. Deputy also triggers your creatures and can be used earlier if you don't need to replay the creature right away.
He's easier to cast, even though we have some white sources. Also, vial on 4 is awkward.
Resto is popular because some pros used it. If a pro appears with Deputy on his list, it will probably be played as much by other ppl.
Do you bring in artifact hate (Vithians)? I don't think it's worth it.
Right now I have 1 Pithing Needle, 1 Gaddock Teeg and 2 Xathrid Necromancer that I can see myself siding in. Needle should be Damping Sphere, but mine are still on their way
The fact that it taxes spells and abilities targeted on our creatures AND on ourselves is what makes it good. I think we can go down to 3 Thalias and use the 2 flex slots to have at least 3 copies of it in the main. Maybe go down 1 Phantasmal Image to have the 4th one?
It does slow down some combos. Storm has to pay 1 more for Gifts and 1 for each copy of Grapeshot, Scapeshift has to pay mana for each Valakut trigger. Taxes temoval and burn spells, discard spells and it scales up with more copies, unlike Thalia that is Legendary.
I know there are those times that Freebooter snaps the only removal from the opponent's hand, but most of the time when playing interactive decks he just takes one removal to eat another. Mayor will usually do that (eat a removal) but he also pumps your team if they don't have the mana right away for it and, if unchecked, can win games by itself.
It will probably be very meta dependant, but who knows... Maybe there's something there.
He even went undefeated (10-0) on the league, playing against Bridgevine, Bant Spirits, Tron, Abzan Midrange and Storm.
Deck seems really nice.
It let Storm go off and they'll just bounce it and kill you once they find their pieces. It's also not good against Mardu, since the deck runs 3 KCommand and will just kill all your stuff and keep you off anything until they can KCommand the Amulet away and kill you.
It seems like a good card but it does absolutely nothing to stop those two decks of doing what they want to be doing.
I won a game that I had turn 2 MM on Path into turn 3 Teeg locking out sweepers and Cryptic. That gave me time to find Image/MM to lock out Detention Sphere and left him without options to kill my hatebears.
I played Big Thalia last week and really liked the deck with her. Won against BG Midrange (Thalia was good), Tron (Thalia was insane) and Hollow One (Thalia was really good), lost to Jeskai some close games.
Maybe SFM will be unbanned after the PT, on the next list.
https://twitter.com/ElaineChase/status/1009093876743692288
If it's effect were the same as Ringleader, it would probably be a core creature in the deck, but only giving you one creature...
Even then, it still replaces itself with a little selection. Makes Image/Resto search for an effect you don't already have on the field and he has a 3/4 body.
Maybe it's something that can be tested.
Yep, Flames acting as removal happens really often on that deck. I'm on the hopes that Ghor-Clan can act as pseudo-removal if needed (even better with Narnam's DT). I could run 2 Paths on the main, but I'll give it a spin with that maindeck (maybe try to fit 1 Smuggler's Copter) and then make some changes as needed. I'll probably run 3 Paths on the sideboard, tho.
Porting directly from the 5c list, that's what I'd run at first to check how it would perform:
4 Arid Mesa
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills
2 Temple Garden
2 Stomping Ground
1 Sacred Foundry
2 Forest
1 Mountain
2 Horizon Canopy
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Lightning Helix
4 Boros Charm
Creatures (26)
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Wild Nacatl
4 1 drop of choice (Steppe Lynx, Narnam Renegade, Kird Ape/Loam Lion)
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Goblin Rabblemaster
4 Bloodbraid Elf
2 Ghor-Clan Rampager
I still have not decided what to play on my LGS next week, but if I play this, I'll write up my thoughts.
If you bounce a 1drop, you're spending 3 mana vs 4 with Resto. 2drop is at parity and only bouncing a 3drop is more costly. Deputy also triggers your creatures and can be used earlier if you don't need to replay the creature right away.
He's easier to cast, even though we have some white sources. Also, vial on 4 is awkward.
Resto is popular because some pros used it. If a pro appears with Deputy on his list, it will probably be played as much by other ppl.
Right now I have 1 Pithing Needle, 1 Gaddock Teeg and 2 Xathrid Necromancer that I can see myself siding in. Needle should be Damping Sphere, but mine are still on their way