If you ban the Titans people are still never going to play either of those other two cards because no one will live to see turn 7. Aggro has to have a plan to deal with a turn 6, or 5 or 4, Inferno Titan or they just lose. Same with Sun Titan into Phantasmal Image. Control decks would be dead without Titans. Ramp decks would be dead without Titans. You're not expanding the format, you are constricting it to only aggro.
I may be missing something but what combo deck would benefit from chrome mox that is currently being played? The only one I can think of is splinter twin. None of the storm combos are good enough to compete since there is no ponder/preordain.
My pet deck is dragon stompy and I can see where chrome mox would be a problem since it makes a turn 1/2 blood moon/magus of the moon GG. But that's more control than combo.
Storm is still a playable deck, and if you give them Chrome Mox they become a very good deck. They still have plenty of ways to dig for their combo pieces. Also the Ad Nauseum and Splinter Twin decks would become nearly unstoppable because of their speed and consistency.
I've done such retarded things as turn 2 on the play Ajani Vengeant with Chrome Mox , it's not fun for your opponent. Turn 1 Dark Confidant is pretty scary against most decks as well.
To me there is only one solution to save modern: unban chrome mox
It will give decks the speed to deal with zoo. Nacatl won't be a problem if someone has a leak ready for them. Also I think the added speed would not hurt this format at all. And we know zoo won't run chrome mox because every card in their hand is vital.
Honestly, If more card are banned in modern I think I would just give up on the format. There are a lot of decks( some good, some terrible) that I would like to play but have been completely nerfed by all of the bannings. I don't think this format could survive with so many cards being put into the bin.
Honestly unbanning Chrome Mox would make the whole format a turn 2-3 combo format again.
How would banning any of those open up a format that has about 10 viable decks that can already be played from week to week?
People would have to have a different fatty of choice for their finisher it would kill Wolf Run Ramp as it is now, and actually allow for more diversity in decks. The reason most of the decks that are seeing play are seeing play currently is because of the Titans/Wurmcoil.
We have 2 cycles of fatties from Scars block that will never see play only because the titans exist, plus many other great creatures that will never see the light of day.
I think Grim Lavamancer and Punishing Groves assume a weenie meta too much. Do you think your "bunch of random jank" will include a lot of weenie decks? If not, I recommend ditching the Lavamancer or throwing him in the sideboard.
By random jank that is what I mean. There may be a random bad control deck or two.
Vendilion Clique loves screwing with everyone's hands, so it should be good against everyone. I recommend replacing the Lavamancer with the group of Faeries if you do ditch old Grim.
Grim will be in until I test it out, I may move to Clique for the next tournament.
Kitchen Finks looks like it will help against Zoo and Burn, though. Surgical Extraction should be okay against Melira Pod, but watch out for their Plan B of beating you up with whatever creatures they get. If they Pod into Sun Titan, you're probably doomed.
I can take pod in a creature battle, even if it means nuking a Titan. Lavamancer is very good for that extra little damage on creatures.
I am trying something similar but RUW instead of RUG due to not owning Goyf. I'm finding it doesn't put quite as much pressure but deals with creatures better by gaining Path and Lightning Helix.
I plan on switching the sprites for cliques as soon as I can get them and the mana base needs tweaking but any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.
You definitely need a backup plan besides your creatures, the creatures you have are all killable by punishing fire. Something with at least 3 toughness is a must or you're just going to lose to just about everything. Maybe some planeswalkers instead of Cryptic Command.
Maindeck Flame Slash and Threads...man, he's really preparing for an aggro meta, isn't he?
If you can't beat aggro pre-board then you shouldn't be playing the deck in the format. And aggro will be more than 50% of the meta, so putting most of your anti aggro cards main makes sense.
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Scalding Tarn
3 Steam Vents
1 Forest
6 Island
1 Mountain
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Snapcaster Mage
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Vendilion Clique
2 Burst Lightning
1 Cryptic Command
2 Deprive
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Mana Leak
2 Flame Slash
4 Serum Visions
3 Sleight of Hand
2 Vedalken Shackles
2 Engineered Explosives
1 Vedalken Shackles
1 Threads of Disloyalty
4 Ancient Grudge
4 Spell Pierce
2 Surgical Extraction
1 Academy Ruins
5 Island
1 Mountain
1 Breeding Pool
1 Flooded Grove
1 Hinterland Harbor
4 Misty Rainforest
2 Scalding Tarn
1 Steam Vents
1 Stomping Ground
3 Sulfur Falls
1 Batterskull
4 Delver of Secrets
3 Snapcaster Mage
2 Spellstutter Sprite
4 Tarmogoyf
2 Burst Lightning
2 Cryptic Command
2 Deprive
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Mana Leak
3 Vendilion Clique
2 Flame Slash
4 Serum Visions
2 Sleight of Hand
2 Relic of Progenitus
2 Kitchen Finks
2 Combust
2 Echoing Truth
2 Krosan Grip
2 Negate
3 Firespout
1 Forest
5 Island
4 Misty Rainforest
1 Mountain
3 Scalding Tarn
2 Steam Vents
3 Sulfur Falls
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Snapcaster Mage
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Vendilion Clique
2 Burst Lightning
2 Cryptic Command
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Mana Leak
4 Serum Visions
3 Sleight of Hand
2 Spell Pierce
3 Spell Snare
2 Ancient Grudge
3 Engineered Explosives
2 Pithing Needle
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Threads of Disloyalty
2 Thrun, the Last Troll
2 Trickbind
What would you have done with this pool?
1 Chapel Geist
1 Intangible Virtue
1 Purify the Grave
1 Rebuke
1 Selfless Cathar
1 Stony Silence
1 Thraban Sentry
1 Village Bell-Ringer
1 Civilized Scholar
1 Deranged Assistant
1 Dream Twist
1 Frightful Delusion
1 Grasp of Phantoms
1 Hysterical Blindness
2 Lost in the Mist
1 Skaab Ruinator
1 Snapcaster Mage
2 Stitched Drake
1 Stitcher's Apprentice
1 Undead Alchemist
1 Altar's Reap
1 Bitterheart Witch
1 Brain Weevil
2 Bump in the Night
1 Curse of Oblivion
1 Diregraf Ghoul
1 Disciple of Griselbrand
1 Ghoulraiser
1 Manor Skeleton
1 Maw of the Mire
2 Rotting Fensnake
1 Screeching Bat
1 Stromkirk Patrol
2 Tribute to Hunger
1 Vampire Interloper
2 Victim of Night
1 Brimstone Volley
1 Curse of the Stalked Prey
1 Curse of the Nightly Hunt
2 Curse of the Pierced Heart
1 Feral Ridgewolf
2 Furor of the Bitten
1 Harvest Pyre
1 Into the Maw of Hell
2 Kessig Wolf
1 Nightbird's Clutches
1 Night Revelers
1 Scourge of Geier Reach
1 Tormented Pariah
1 Avacyn's Pilgrim
1 Bramblecrush
1 Creeping Renaissance
1 Gnaw to the Bone
1 Hamlet Captain
1 Kindercatch
1 Mayor of Avabruck
1 Naturalize
1 Orchard Spirit
2 Prey Upon
1 Somberwald Spider
1 Spider Spawning
2 Travel Preparations
1 Ulvenwald Mystics
1 Butcher's Cleaver
1 Cobbled Wings
1 Inquisitor's Flail
1 Sharpened Pitchfork
2 Traveler's Amulet
1 Shimmering Grotto
Here's what I played.
1 Forest
8 Island
7 Swamp
1 Shimmering Grotto
Creatures
1 Civilized Scholar
1 Deranged Assistant
1 Diregraf Ghoul
1 Disciple of Griselbrand
1 Mayor of Avabruck
1 Screeching Bat
1 Skaab Ruinator
1 Snapcaster Mage
2 Stitched Drake
1 Stitcher;s Apprentice
1 Undead Alchemist
1 Vampire Interloper
1 Grasp of Phantoms
2 Lost in the Mist
2 Prey Upon
1 Traveler's Amulet
2 Tribute to Hunger
2 Victim of Night
You missed my earlier point then. One turn is not the issue of playability on these guys, it's the fact that you can drop a titan a turn earlier. It would kill Wolf Run Ramp as we know it, but it would still be a deck. U/W Control, I'll just run Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite or Batterskull. U/B Control, I'll play Chancellor of the Dross, Sheoldred, the Whispering One, or Batterskull. Solar Flare, I'll play Rune-Scarred Demon, Sheoldred, the Whispering One, and Phantasmal Image.
Storm is still a playable deck, and if you give them Chrome Mox they become a very good deck. They still have plenty of ways to dig for their combo pieces. Also the Ad Nauseum and Splinter Twin decks would become nearly unstoppable because of their speed and consistency.
I've done such retarded things as turn 2 on the play Ajani Vengeant with Chrome Mox , it's not fun for your opponent. Turn 1 Dark Confidant is pretty scary against most decks as well.
Honestly unbanning Chrome Mox would make the whole format a turn 2-3 combo format again.
People would have to have a different fatty of choice for their finisher it would kill Wolf Run Ramp as it is now, and actually allow for more diversity in decks. The reason most of the decks that are seeing play are seeing play currently is because of the Titans/Wurmcoil.
We have 2 cycles of fatties from Scars block that will never see play only because the titans exist, plus many other great creatures that will never see the light of day.
Example: If you have Primeval Titan why would you ever play Chancellor of the Tangle, or if you have Grave Titan why would you ever play Chancellor of the Dross.
Standard- Titans and Wurmcoil Engine Banned(it really would open up the format)
Extended- No one plays Extended Ban the format
Modern- Splinter Twin, Punishing Fire Banned. Ancestral Vision Unbanned
Legacy- Brainstorm, Emtomb Banned. Black Vise, Land Tax Unbanned
Vintage- No Changes.
R1 Grixis Teachings 0-2
R2 Bye 2-0
R3 U/R Twin 2-0
Definitely need more of a plan against control decks, as I didn't stand a chance against all his removal and Cruel Ultimatum.
By random jank that is what I mean. There may be a random bad control deck or two.
Grim will be in until I test it out, I may move to Clique for the next tournament.
I can take pod in a creature battle, even if it means nuking a Titan. Lavamancer is very good for that extra little damage on creatures.
2 Breeding Pool
4 Grove of the Burnwillows
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Scalding Tarn
1 Forest
1 Island
1 Mountain
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Spell Snare
2 Repeal
4 Mana Leak
4 Punishing Fire
2 Remand
3 Magma Jet
2 Firespout
3 Grim Lavamancer
4 Snapcaster Mage
4 Tarmogoyf
2 Spell Pierce
2 Flame Slash
3 Nature's Claim
3 Surgical Extraction
2 Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
3 Kitchen Finks
2 Cascade Bluffs
1 Forest
1 Hinterland Harbor
5 Island
3 Misty Rainforest
1 Mountain
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Steam Vents
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Snapcaster Mage
2 Spellstutter Sprite
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Vendilion Clique
2 Burst Lightning
2 Cryptic Command
2 Deprive
2 Flame Slash
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Mana Leak
4 Serum Visions
2 Sleight of Hand
3 Ancient Grudge
3 Mindbreak Trap
2 Spell Pierce
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Sword of Feast and Famine
3 Threads of Disloyalty
You definitely need a backup plan besides your creatures, the creatures you have are all killable by punishing fire. Something with at least 3 toughness is a must or you're just going to lose to just about everything. Maybe some planeswalkers instead of Cryptic Command.
If you can't beat aggro pre-board then you shouldn't be playing the deck in the format. And aggro will be more than 50% of the meta, so putting most of your anti aggro cards main makes sense.
1 Flooded Grove
4 Grove of the Burnwillows
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Steam Vents
2 Tectonic Edge
1 Forest
4 Island
1 Mountain
4 Snapcaster Mage
4 Tarmogoyf
2 Vendilion Clique
2 Lightning Bolt
4 Mana Leak
4 Punishing Fire
1 Spell Pierce
4 Spell Snare
1 Threads of Disloyalty
2 Flame Slash
4 Serum Visions
3 Engineered Explosives
1 Threads of Disloyalty
4 Ancient Grudge
1 Dispel
1 Nature's Claim
1 Firespout
2 Flame Slash
1 Life from the Loam
1 Tectonic Edge