I think being able to cast Eledamri's call at instant speed to get re-active creatures like spell queller for only 2 mana seems pretty powerful. Plus not needing a ton of mana like you do for chord means in the early turns when you need a specific answer like Gaddock Teeg or Thalia, guardian of thraben you can cast it on your opponents end phase and cast the creature during your turn. I also think it makes Giver of runes really appealing being able to fetch it and cast it turn 2 off of a dork. Something Green Sun's Zenith cant even do. Maybe their's a maverick-like build in bant colors now.
What's everyones thoughts on Eledamri's call ? I think it could really excel in a deck like this.
>2 mana
>instant speed
>gets silver bullets in the main or Sideboard
>gives you virtural extra copies of creatures
I think especially with creatures like Spell queller that you can get at instant speed then flash in on your opponents turn. It also works really well with vivian. Allowing you to flash in threats and anwsers that you tutor for. Thoughts?
So Ive been trying to make Ice-Fang Coatl work and and I thought of a midrange bant eldrazi shell. I ended up dropping white to get the snow count right. Heres my rough draft.
Boreal Druid allows you to cast your 3 drops ahead of curve while also letting you play Coatl on curve as a baleful strix with flash as long as you have 2 snow lands. Smasher and Thought knot are pretty standard. Skyspawner is an evasive threat that also helps ramp. Reshaper and drowner of hope are great at grinding. Stubborn denial has preformed pretty well with 11 targets. The prismatic vistas are needed to fetch snow lands but also snag the singleton wastes. Thoughts and input are much appreciated thanks!
So I totally agree with peoples concerns about the story not feeling like it has enough consequence. The Invasion/apocalypse story killed whole swaths of characters. Urza, gerrard, yawgmoth, hannah, takara, barrin, rayne, daria, kristin, tevesh tzat, darrigaz, dromar, treva, taysir, crovax, ertai, eladamri, lin sivvi, commodore guff, bo levar, lord windgrace. Along with billions of dominarians. They also destroyed all or parts of urborg,llanowar,benalia,tolaria. And an entire plane in Phyrexia. They also phased out shiv(temporarily) zhalfir(permanently). War killed gideon arguably one of the most important members of the gatewatch, Domri rade an ancillary character at best with only minor importance to the plot and Dack Fayden a character who's first appearance in a mainline story was dying in the WAR trailer. Along with a handful of nameless red shirt planewalkers that die offscreen.
They didnt even have the stones to kill bolas. They just de-powered him and locked him away. They destroyed yawgmoth with a planes worth of white mana. Using a weapon urza had cultured for centuries made from a living airship, the bones of a dragon, a time travelling golem made of pure silver, 2 ancient thran power stones, a living heir to years of genetic engineering as well as a swath of magical items. I like war's story alot but saying "Oh well 3 walkers died that's as many as we've killed up until now!" is a serious cop out. You cant sell this as the end all beat all giant war throwdown with "major story consequences" and "Things will never be the same" when by comparison more people died just on tolaria when barrin cast obliterate.
What's everyones thoughts on a fixed mother of runes? Something like:
Fixed mom
Not a human
1/tap;another target you control gets protection from the color of your choosing until end of turn.
1/1
Excuse the poor formating. Is this good enough i guess is my question? Idk. Mom is super powerful, especially being a human so i highly doubt they would ever even consider it for MH1.
I think Daze would be fine if it wasn't for Deaths shadow. I doubt the hardcore control decks would even play it. There really isnt a bunch of tempo decks in modern to utilize it. Maybe delver or something might be better with it. But w/o wasteland to play mana denial I dont think it would be as effective as it is in legacy. Death's shadow would be see a significant upgrade with daze though. Countering a piece of removal plus bouncing a shockland to replay it would be pretty strong.
So there was a pretty interesting article on CFB about reprinting Force of will into horizons. For the record i dont think wotc is going to put fow into horizons (i could be wrong). That be being said i think force would be fine in modern. Modern is a format dominated by fast linear decks. The kind of decks force has the tendency to be good against. If force can help slow those decks down i think it would be a better alternative to just banning cards like faithless looting.
The biggest thing with force though is it forces you to play a certain density of blue spells. Without ponder,preordain and brainstorm theirs not a ton of super playable blue spells to pitch to it. Cards like opt and serum visions are good but the combo decks(outside of storm)in modern generally dont play alot of blue spells. Phoenix is a great blue deck obv but i dont think theyd play it in the mainboard. The other thing with force is that generally its pretty bad against fair decks, like jund for example. So it might give the midrange decks a boost in that matchup because youd have to side it out. Idk i think force tends o get overrated. Not to say its not a powerful card or that its not format defining. But its only because of legacys power level that force is even playable. I honestly dont even see force as a free card because its card disadvantage. Which either, doesn't matter because you're playing against a combo deck where individual cards matter more. Or its bad because youre playing against a value deck where card advantage is king.
posted this in the rumor mill thread, but i guess it's just gonna get buried there, so might as well share it here.
these are all the rare cards that i believe would be nice/interesting/fun additions to the cardpool. i'd certainly love to brew around/with them.
(idgaf about the reserved list, so i dont know if any of these are in it, but i'd guess that the large majority isn't)
Man red had so many interesting enchantments back in the day, really unique effects. Honestly there were a lot of unique enchantments earlier in magics history. Aegis of honor would be such a beating against burn.
I think riptide would be fine. You're paying 3 mana to bounce a wizard. Most of the playable wizards have 1-2 toughness so getting killed in response is a real thing with bolt/push. Plus you'd need atleast 5 mana in order to bounce stuff like spellstutter and recast it in the same turn. Even more for things like snapcaster. The kind of gameplay patterns that promotes i think would be a positive for the format. Especially if you want to slow modern down.
So Ive been brewing this deck for awhile. I started with a UB eldrazi deck that played a death and taxes style gameplan. But when Lavinia was printed I started messing around with some of the cuter interactions and more importantly 3 colors.
The deck plays a similar game to death and taxes in that it tries to lock your opponent out of the game while maintaining tempo. Feel free to make some suggestions!
On Lavinias first ability:
"Each opponent can't cast noncreature spells with converted mana cost greater than the number of lands they control"
Basicly your opponent cant cast non creature spells ahead of curve. Now the obv target in modern for this is tron but it's not nearly as good as it looks against them. Lavinia stops karn and ugin. But it doesnt stop wurmcoil, balista, and ulamog. So its usefulness will vary depending on the game. Outside of that it doesn't slow much else down. Most of the ramp decks in modern are ramping into creatures(titan, creature toolbox). Occasionally it can slow down a collected company or a chord of calling.
On Lavinias second abilty:
"Whenever an opponent casts a spell, if no mana was spent to cast it, counter that spell"
This is the bread and butter of this deck. Here are some examples of what does get countered:
Spells that have been cascaded into(bloodbraid,violent outburst etc)
Suspended spells(Delay, ancestral visions, rift bolt, the rare living end/restore balance)
Spells that are cast without mana being spent due to an ability (electrodominance, spell queller)
Feee spells(mox opal, mishra's bauble,summoners pact)
Spells cast for 0 mana due to having their costs reduced by an effect (hollow one, semblance anvil)
Phyrexian mana spells cast for their "life mode"
Its important to note that Lavinia doesn't counter things that are put into play for free but not cast (through the breach/goryos,aether vial, bloodghast)
Here are some of the key interactions:
Lavinia+Spell Queller
Spell queller exiles a spell and as long as lavinia is in play if queller dies and the spell is cast for 0 mana its countered
Lavinia+Delay
Similar to queller if the spell delay counters is cast, with lavinia on the board its countered. Delay is also a great tempo play making you're opponent have to awkwardly cast their spells when they wouldn't want to.
Wasteland strangler+Spell queller/Deputy of Detention/Detention sphere/Tidehollow Sculler/Delay
Strangler is probably one of the most important cards in the deck. Sending the card exiled by any of the above to the grave means your opponent doesnt get it back. On top of that you get a free bolt effect to boot. Strangler can target itself with the -3/-3 abilty. So if there's no legal targets you use its abilty on itself to prevent a high impact card from returning to your opponent. Also returning a cad from exile to grave is a cost so itll happen before the creature gets -3/-3. So you could target a deputy of detention with its abilty, process the card exiled by deputy to the grave, deputy would get -3/-3, die to state based actions but your opponent wouldn't get their spell back because its no longer exiled. Also whenever a card leaves a zone it becomes a new game object. This is important because if Wasteland strangler processes a card to the grave, say that was exiled by deputy of detention and it somehow gets exiled again, then the deputy dies the opponent still won't get the spell back as the game sees it as a different object.
Meddling mage+delay/spell queller
Meddling mage acts on a similar axis to Lavinia in regards to delay and queller. If your opponent is forced to cast a spell that is named by meddling mage they won't be able to and the card will remain exiled. Meddling mage won't stop cards exiled by deputy of detention/sphere as they aren't cast when they return to the battlefield.
Meddling mage+Tidehollow Sculler
Taking away a key card then naming that card with meddling mage will stop your opponent from casting it until they've dealt ith both creatures. Also Sculler gives you knowledge of all the cards in your opponents hand letting you know what to name with meddling mage if you want to stop multiple cards.
Lastly there are some other role players that aren't exactly as strong as the rest of the deck.
Relic of progentitus fuels Wasteland strangler as well as being a cantrip. Its also particularly powerful against grave based strategies especially in the mainboard. Ashiok, nightmare weaver serves a similar role while also exiling cards from your opponents deck that can be cast later. Path to exile needs no explanation, as its path.
Ive contemplating testing some other more traditional d&ts cards like Thalia but I'm trying this build out before i make any major changes.
This. I love how stirrings decks can keep mediocre hands and get to play a copy on t1 and t2 and dig 10 cards deep but U decks have to play opt. God forbid you're playing a fair midrange strategy and you have literal no access to card filtering.
Karmic guide isn't modern legal. Also Resto doesn't work with Vannifar because after you blink it you cant activate its tap ability again because its summoning sick.
>2 mana
>instant speed
>gets silver bullets in the main or Sideboard
>gives you virtural extra copies of creatures
I think especially with creatures like Spell queller that you can get at instant speed then flash in on your opponents turn. It also works really well with vivian. Allowing you to flash in threats and anwsers that you tutor for. Thoughts?
Creatures 27
4xBoreal Druid
4xIce-Fang Coatl
4xMatter Reshaper
4xEldrazi Skyspawner
4xThought-Knot Seer
4xReality Smasher
3xDrowner of Hope
Spells 9
3xStubborn Denial
2xDismember
4xAncient Stirrings
Lands 24
4xMisty Rainforest
4xPrismatic Vista
4xEldrazi Temple
3xSnow-Covered Forest
3xSnow-Covered Island
4xYavimaya Coast
1xScrying Sheets
1xWastes
Boreal Druid allows you to cast your 3 drops ahead of curve while also letting you play Coatl on curve as a baleful strix with flash as long as you have 2 snow lands. Smasher and Thought knot are pretty standard. Skyspawner is an evasive threat that also helps ramp. Reshaper and drowner of hope are great at grinding. Stubborn denial has preformed pretty well with 11 targets. The prismatic vistas are needed to fetch snow lands but also snag the singleton wastes. Thoughts and input are much appreciated thanks!
They didnt even have the stones to kill bolas. They just de-powered him and locked him away. They destroyed yawgmoth with a planes worth of white mana. Using a weapon urza had cultured for centuries made from a living airship, the bones of a dragon, a time travelling golem made of pure silver, 2 ancient thran power stones, a living heir to years of genetic engineering as well as a swath of magical items. I like war's story alot but saying "Oh well 3 walkers died that's as many as we've killed up until now!" is a serious cop out. You cant sell this as the end all beat all giant war throwdown with "major story consequences" and "Things will never be the same" when by comparison more people died just on tolaria when barrin cast obliterate.
Fixed mom
Not a human
1/tap;another target you control gets protection from the color of your choosing until end of turn.
1/1
Excuse the poor formating. Is this good enough i guess is my question? Idk. Mom is super powerful, especially being a human so i highly doubt they would ever even consider it for MH1.
The biggest thing with force though is it forces you to play a certain density of blue spells. Without ponder,preordain and brainstorm theirs not a ton of super playable blue spells to pitch to it. Cards like opt and serum visions are good but the combo decks(outside of storm)in modern generally dont play alot of blue spells. Phoenix is a great blue deck obv but i dont think theyd play it in the mainboard. The other thing with force is that generally its pretty bad against fair decks, like jund for example. So it might give the midrange decks a boost in that matchup because youd have to side it out. Idk i think force tends o get overrated. Not to say its not a powerful card or that its not format defining. But its only because of legacys power level that force is even playable. I honestly dont even see force as a free card because its card disadvantage. Which either, doesn't matter because you're playing against a combo deck where individual cards matter more. Or its bad because youre playing against a value deck where card advantage is king.
Man red had so many interesting enchantments back in the day, really unique effects. Honestly there were a lot of unique enchantments earlier in magics history. Aegis of honor would be such a beating against burn.
Prohibit
Repulse
Dismiss
Exclude
Stifle
Pernicious deed
Vindicate
Memory lapse
Divert
The deck plays a similar game to death and taxes in that it tries to lock your opponent out of the game while maintaining tempo. Feel free to make some suggestions!
3 Deputy of Detention
3 Meddling Mage
4 Spell Queller
3 Lavinia, Azorius Renegade
4 Wasteland Strangler
Enchantment
2 Detention Sphere
2 Watery Grave
2 Godless Shrine
2 Hallowed Fountain
2 Glacial Fortress
4 Seachrome Coast
4 Flooded Strand
4 Polluted Delta
2 Plains
1 Island
4 Relic of Progenitus
4 Tidehollow Sculler
Instant
4 Delay
4 Path to Exile
Planeswalker
2 Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver
On Lavinias first ability:
"Each opponent can't cast noncreature spells with converted mana cost greater than the number of lands they control"
Basicly your opponent cant cast non creature spells ahead of curve. Now the obv target in modern for this is tron but it's not nearly as good as it looks against them. Lavinia stops karn and ugin. But it doesnt stop wurmcoil, balista, and ulamog. So its usefulness will vary depending on the game. Outside of that it doesn't slow much else down. Most of the ramp decks in modern are ramping into creatures(titan, creature toolbox). Occasionally it can slow down a collected company or a chord of calling.
On Lavinias second abilty:
"Whenever an opponent casts a spell, if no mana was spent to cast it, counter that spell"
This is the bread and butter of this deck. Here are some examples of what does get countered:
Spells that have been cascaded into(bloodbraid,violent outburst etc)
Suspended spells(Delay, ancestral visions, rift bolt, the rare living end/restore balance)
Spells that are cast without mana being spent due to an ability (electrodominance, spell queller)
Feee spells(mox opal, mishra's bauble,summoners pact)
Spells cast for 0 mana due to having their costs reduced by an effect (hollow one, semblance anvil)
Phyrexian mana spells cast for their "life mode"
Its important to note that Lavinia doesn't counter things that are put into play for free but not cast (through the breach/goryos,aether vial, bloodghast)
Here are some of the key interactions:
Lavinia+Spell Queller
Spell queller exiles a spell and as long as lavinia is in play if queller dies and the spell is cast for 0 mana its countered
Lavinia+Delay
Similar to queller if the spell delay counters is cast, with lavinia on the board its countered. Delay is also a great tempo play making you're opponent have to awkwardly cast their spells when they wouldn't want to.
Wasteland strangler+Spell queller/Deputy of Detention/Detention sphere/Tidehollow Sculler/Delay
Strangler is probably one of the most important cards in the deck. Sending the card exiled by any of the above to the grave means your opponent doesnt get it back. On top of that you get a free bolt effect to boot. Strangler can target itself with the -3/-3 abilty. So if there's no legal targets you use its abilty on itself to prevent a high impact card from returning to your opponent. Also returning a cad from exile to grave is a cost so itll happen before the creature gets -3/-3. So you could target a deputy of detention with its abilty, process the card exiled by deputy to the grave, deputy would get -3/-3, die to state based actions but your opponent wouldn't get their spell back because its no longer exiled. Also whenever a card leaves a zone it becomes a new game object. This is important because if Wasteland strangler processes a card to the grave, say that was exiled by deputy of detention and it somehow gets exiled again, then the deputy dies the opponent still won't get the spell back as the game sees it as a different object.
Meddling mage+delay/spell queller
Meddling mage acts on a similar axis to Lavinia in regards to delay and queller. If your opponent is forced to cast a spell that is named by meddling mage they won't be able to and the card will remain exiled. Meddling mage won't stop cards exiled by deputy of detention/sphere as they aren't cast when they return to the battlefield.
Meddling mage+Tidehollow Sculler
Taking away a key card then naming that card with meddling mage will stop your opponent from casting it until they've dealt ith both creatures. Also Sculler gives you knowledge of all the cards in your opponents hand letting you know what to name with meddling mage if you want to stop multiple cards.
Lastly there are some other role players that aren't exactly as strong as the rest of the deck.
Relic of progentitus fuels Wasteland strangler as well as being a cantrip. Its also particularly powerful against grave based strategies especially in the mainboard. Ashiok, nightmare weaver serves a similar role while also exiling cards from your opponents deck that can be cast later. Path to exile needs no explanation, as its path.
Ive contemplating testing some other more traditional d&ts cards like Thalia but I'm trying this build out before i make any major changes.