The only thing I don't like about worship here is that sometimes infect damage just gets you, but if you can hold off the inkmoths worship is basically unbeatable
Ive only run across Amulet Bloom once with Kightfall and although it was a victory it definitely didn't feel favoured to me. I turn 3'd him one game, he turn 2'd me the next and then game three was very long and grindy. And while i do like Dromoka's and think it should be included regardless. a good titan player won't play the Hive mind until they also have the pact in hand in which case removal of the enchantment doesn't stop the pact triggers from happening (as far as i know)
What do you guys think we could put in the 75 to improve the Jund, Tribal, Burn, and Tron matches?
First of all thanks for the report and SB analysis. A really good card that helps both the burn and jund matchups is Fitchen Finks. Both the life gain and double body is valuable in those matches. Another card ive found very usfull, and was put in specifically for the burn, junk, jund, grixis and twin decks is hindering light. It blanks burn spells and discard spells, and stops 1-for-1 removal in its tracks. And those jund matches are trying to outvalue you so getting to draw after blanking one of their cards is huge tempo. Its basically a 2 mana cryptic command for targeted spells.
You mention you found negate underwhelming. Maybe try unified will. I think this is a rare deck that can pull it off and would help the tron matches. Against tron you should have more creatures and unlike negate it counters everything, and unlike mana leak is never dead late game. Dont really have any suggestions for Merfolk righht now though outside of wraths which obviously hurt us just as much.
But does it stop anything outside linear combo? ad nasuem, living end... ok i can accept those, great gotcha card. But Tron? ok i can't play Karn? heres pyroclasm or Ugin or oblivion stone, ohh now i can play Karn, cool. Junk/jund? do you name removal? they play a very diverse set of removal, shut down abrupt decay, and terminate or path or bolt are all going to destroy your bear. name a threat and said removal will unlock it again. And it doesn't shut off a 4-of, it might shut off a card that they have 4-of in the deck but don't confuse that with shutting out 4 cards in their hand. They have to be holding it and not have a way remove the mage. And it is not the same great screw card like Blood Moon is or ensnaring bridge, its a bear with a potential upside. I just don't get why you wouldn't want to dedicate a SB slot to something thats guaranteed to be stronger. especially since theres no way to protect the mage to keep them locked out. its going to be an annoyance, not an answer
It's a two drop. It's not your entire deck. GR Tron is pretty much the only deck that mainboards Pyroclasm. You can name Pyroclasm to stop them wiping out your mana creatures long enough to use them. You can stop them dropping a turn 3 Wurmcoil Engine on your face. You can even just name Expedition Map if you get the play to stop them fixing their Tron lands. Like use your imagination a bit dude.
I never said it shuts out 4 cards in their hand, I said 4 of in their deck, that's per mage unless they remove it. Any time you've got a 2 drop that is attracting removal spells is a good thing because you don't want them removing the Knight of the Reliquary. It gives them a potential roadblock the same as any good disruption that they need to invest a card into removing. If they don't have creatures down it also deals a bit of damage.
This deck turn 3 kills sometimes and beats down in 5 or 6 turns easily. That annoyance can be all you need to block a potential sweeper or stop their combo going off first. It's not a potential upside, it is an upside, if you're not seeing any you're not playing it right.
Obviously im not, but you go turn 2 meddling mage and name pyroclasm, theres no gaurentee they even have that pyroclasm in their hand in which case yove spent turn 2 in modern playing a bear. Thats not the kind of tempo the format respects. Theres no way to pair mages ability up with knowledge of the other persons hand in this deck so your going to be guessing literally 100% of the time and hoping you brick something. Also of youre dedicating more than 1-2 meddling mages to those 15 SB slots youre cutting into valuable room for better things. If it truely is a crucial peice of their puzzle, they will get out from under the mage. You might be slowing them down while they find an answer for it but your slowing yourself down as well to even play the mage. And i dont think the number of times you slow them down more is going to be greater than the number of times you just played a 2/2 naming a card not in their hand. If you can provide a list of the matches you would bring Meddling Mage in for and what you would name, maybe i can get a better picture of why its a good card for the SB
But does it stop anything outside linear combo? ad nasuem, living end... ok i can accept those, great gotcha card. But Tron? ok i can't play Karn? heres pyroclasm or Ugin or oblivion stone, ohh now i can play Karn, cool. Junk/jund? do you name removal? they play a very diverse set of removal, shut down abrupt decay, and terminate or path or bolt are all going to destroy your bear. name a threat and said removal will unlock it again. And it doesn't shut off a 4-of, it might shut off a card that they have 4-of in the deck but don't confuse that with shutting out 4 cards in their hand. They have to be holding it and not have a way remove the mage. And it is not the same great screw card like Blood Moon is or ensnaring bridge, its a bear with a potential upside. I just don't get why you wouldn't want to dedicate a SB slot to something thats guaranteed to be stronger. especially since theres no way to protect the mage to keep them locked out. its going to be an annoyance, not an answer
How have you guys been playing with Meddling Mage? i keep looking at it and thinking, modern is way to diverse to really stop a deck. like, what is it stonewalling? linear combo decks? i can see it being nice in ad nauseum. and thats it? don't decks just remove it and carry on with business as usual? Its not like you can even see the opponents hand either, so your basically playing a bear and hoping they have what you've named in hand.
Thanks pokken, I agree, the goyfs have proven themselves to be juuuust ok enough that at 2 I like them. I've been focusing on testing the spell suite, so once I feel that's solid I'll go back to testing and adjusting the creatures. In a goyf-less version right now I would say a 4th voice and another interactive spell, being a 1-of valorous stance, remand, simic charm, scooze or pridemage could take those slots
This is what im currently on (its always in a state of flux at this point) i have a list of about 40-50 cards in the Bant spectrum that im trying to get through with testing. And its a slow process to try new things without totally changing the deck. I really like it at this point, im pretty dead set right now that i want to be with the interactive midrange deck. I like the increased number of heavy hitting flyers while finks, voice and even KotR play defense at home. The SB is where most of the changes are happening but the single Vendillion clique and cryptic command are what im currently testing in the main.
Still working on the Gauntlet of teir decks with friends, so far im through GR and U tron, i can do match write-ups soon hopefully and i think ill get to test against affinity and jund this weekend. I think we can really experiment with some wild stuff in the SB most noticably hindering light and unified will i think are total bombs that catch people off gaurd. Like really who plays hindering light? But it works so well against so many things right now. And against certain decks unified will is straight up an easier to cast counterspell, the card every control deck dreams of.
I've always been okay with them bolting the bird. disregarding 2-for-1 cards like electrolyze and K-Command, when they both the bird its a 1-for-1 trade that keeps parity in the mana spent. 1cmc for bird, 1cmc for bolt and 1 card a piece and this means that is 3 less going to face or picking off a more valuable target.
The biggest issue of why bolting the bird becomes such a big deal is when it throws the tempo of the deck off. If your only play was turn 1 bird, turn 2 geist... well now its turn 2 nothing, turn 3 geist. and by then you're now staring down a goyf or something so a turn 3 geist is much less impressive. Thats why its important, especially in this deck which plays such a heavy 3 drop slot, to still have adequate and impactful spells in the 2 slot. I love when i go turn 1 bird, they bolt it and then i follow up with a turn 2 Voice. Makes them look pretty bad for wasting it on a 1/1 now.
if you can go bird on T1 and a three drop on T2, awesome you're ahead of the game. But you need to have follow up plays like voice, goyf, or counter magic, something, so that you don't have to take a turn 2 doing nothing if you've lost the bird.
An interesting article about Nightfall by Trevor Holmes over at Modern Nexus. Worth a read and discussion i think. An interesting little piece he has in his deck that i haven't seen brought up is Oboro, palace in the clouds comes in untapped and can be used as a repeatable land drop. i might try it over the basic island since neither can be cycled with KotR. It does make any Tango lands in the deck slightly more restricted though.
Jordan Boisvert (aka ashton kutcher around here, i think) advocated it for a while, maybe still, in his counter-cat deck. its a really good tempo card where you want a 2 drop thats very flexible. it helps push through last bits of damage, surprise pump in combat, temporarily removes threats, which is mean tempo when your coming in with geist, and can blank removal if needed. i understand the appeal of it. I tried it early on and found it ok-ish in knightfall. its not bad but a little broad and doesn't effect the board much from a behind position, at best fogging and making them recast a threat.
I think the list looks great! There's a few notable cards I'd change myself, but I 100% love and can support what the deck is trying to do and where its focus is. Firstly I think the mix of creatures and interaction is awesome. 9 pieces of interaction is great. I like the midrange beaters. Although i would prefer Ojutai in the baneslayer slot, a second E Witness, and glen elendra in my first round of testing I found a little lacklustre but i don't hate it, but also think id be indifferent on its replacement with something else. Weakest part looks to be undergrowth champion, but if Mihkel Altmets comes in here and tells me the card's the stone nuts than id have to believe him as i haven't tried it myself.
But as a whole i love the list, great to see it put up a solid finish like this.
It just seems so fragile, if you don't hit your dorks or they get killed which is most of the time the deck is just going to flounder with a bunch of high cost cards. It also seems like it's trying to jam to many different and non complimentary combos and interactions in. I'd rather have a streamlined deck with a game winning combo + a beatdown plan
(this is probably my most tested match-up, its what my girlfriend plays, so i get to play it almost nightly) unfortunately its not the best matchup but Knightfall is on the stronger side of midrange decks out there against them.
Sometimes they just get turn three Karn, but sometimes you just get turn 3 combo. I think Stony Silence is generally the best option. the most effective thing I find is actually counterspells. Were not terribly worried about wurmcoil as we run 4 paths. which means the only scary things left in the deck are Karns and Ugins. and even there Karns are beatable, i don't think I've ever beat a resolved Ugin though. If we can stop those and win before emrakul shows up to the party thats the match. In the board i think after Stoney, negate is our best card. answering everything path doesn't.
If you're playing red crumble is probably good, if you're strictly Bant i think either negate, or unified will is what I'm testing now, are where you want to be. I also think Aven Mindcensor should probably earn a spot in the SB if you're looking for more Tron hate and another Tech Edge or Ghost Quarter as well.
all that said though i feel like the deck is about 50/50 pre board against GR Tron.
+ 2 fiery justice
+ 2 stoney silence
+ 1 fulminator
+ 1 reclamation sage
+ 1 ancient grudge
- 2 voice
- 2 chord
- 1 kiki
- 2 wall of omens
First of all thanks for the report and SB analysis. A really good card that helps both the burn and jund matchups is Fitchen Finks. Both the life gain and double body is valuable in those matches. Another card ive found very usfull, and was put in specifically for the burn, junk, jund, grixis and twin decks is hindering light. It blanks burn spells and discard spells, and stops 1-for-1 removal in its tracks. And those jund matches are trying to outvalue you so getting to draw after blanking one of their cards is huge tempo. Its basically a 2 mana cryptic command for targeted spells.
You mention you found negate underwhelming. Maybe try unified will. I think this is a rare deck that can pull it off and would help the tron matches. Against tron you should have more creatures and unlike negate it counters everything, and unlike mana leak is never dead late game. Dont really have any suggestions for Merfolk righht now though outside of wraths which obviously hurt us just as much.
Obviously im not, but you go turn 2 meddling mage and name pyroclasm, theres no gaurentee they even have that pyroclasm in their hand in which case yove spent turn 2 in modern playing a bear. Thats not the kind of tempo the format respects. Theres no way to pair mages ability up with knowledge of the other persons hand in this deck so your going to be guessing literally 100% of the time and hoping you brick something. Also of youre dedicating more than 1-2 meddling mages to those 15 SB slots youre cutting into valuable room for better things. If it truely is a crucial peice of their puzzle, they will get out from under the mage. You might be slowing them down while they find an answer for it but your slowing yourself down as well to even play the mage. And i dont think the number of times you slow them down more is going to be greater than the number of times you just played a 2/2 naming a card not in their hand. If you can provide a list of the matches you would bring Meddling Mage in for and what you would name, maybe i can get a better picture of why its a good card for the SB
4 Noble Hierarch
2 Tarmogoyf
3 Voice of Resurgence
1 Vendilion Clique
2 Eternal Witness
3 Kitchen Finks
4 Knight of the Reliquary
3 Restoration Angel
1 Dragonlord Ojutai
Spell
4 Path to Exile
2 Dromoka's Command
3 Mana Leak
4 Retreat to Coralhelm
1 Cryptic Command
1 Canopy Vista
1 Gavony Township
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Island
1 Plains
1 Prairie Stream
2 Breeding Pool
2 Misty Rainforest
2 Temple Garden
3 Flooded Strand
3 Forest
4 Windswept Heath
1 Dispel
1 Disenchant
1 Spellskite
1 Valorous Stance
2 Hindering Light
2 Scavenging Ooze
2 Stony Silence
2 Unified Will
1 Aven Mindcensor
1 Detention Sphere
1 Obstinate Baloth
This is what im currently on (its always in a state of flux at this point) i have a list of about 40-50 cards in the Bant spectrum that im trying to get through with testing. And its a slow process to try new things without totally changing the deck. I really like it at this point, im pretty dead set right now that i want to be with the interactive midrange deck. I like the increased number of heavy hitting flyers while finks, voice and even KotR play defense at home. The SB is where most of the changes are happening but the single Vendillion clique and cryptic command are what im currently testing in the main.
Still working on the Gauntlet of teir decks with friends, so far im through GR and U tron, i can do match write-ups soon hopefully and i think ill get to test against affinity and jund this weekend. I think we can really experiment with some wild stuff in the SB most noticably hindering light and unified will i think are total bombs that catch people off gaurd. Like really who plays hindering light? But it works so well against so many things right now. And against certain decks unified will is straight up an easier to cast counterspell, the card every control deck dreams of.
The biggest issue of why bolting the bird becomes such a big deal is when it throws the tempo of the deck off. If your only play was turn 1 bird, turn 2 geist... well now its turn 2 nothing, turn 3 geist. and by then you're now staring down a goyf or something so a turn 3 geist is much less impressive. Thats why its important, especially in this deck which plays such a heavy 3 drop slot, to still have adequate and impactful spells in the 2 slot. I love when i go turn 1 bird, they bolt it and then i follow up with a turn 2 Voice. Makes them look pretty bad for wasting it on a 1/1 now.
if you can go bird on T1 and a three drop on T2, awesome you're ahead of the game. But you need to have follow up plays like voice, goyf, or counter magic, something, so that you don't have to take a turn 2 doing nothing if you've lost the bird.
An interesting article about Nightfall by Trevor Holmes over at Modern Nexus. Worth a read and discussion i think. An interesting little piece he has in his deck that i haven't seen brought up is Oboro, palace in the clouds comes in untapped and can be used as a repeatable land drop. i might try it over the basic island since neither can be cycled with KotR. It does make any Tango lands in the deck slightly more restricted though.
edit: oops got ninja'd by Oddalicios
I think the list looks great! There's a few notable cards I'd change myself, but I 100% love and can support what the deck is trying to do and where its focus is. Firstly I think the mix of creatures and interaction is awesome. 9 pieces of interaction is great. I like the midrange beaters. Although i would prefer Ojutai in the baneslayer slot, a second E Witness, and glen elendra in my first round of testing I found a little lacklustre but i don't hate it, but also think id be indifferent on its replacement with something else. Weakest part looks to be undergrowth champion, but if Mihkel Altmets comes in here and tells me the card's the stone nuts than id have to believe him as i haven't tried it myself.
But as a whole i love the list, great to see it put up a solid finish like this.
Sometimes they just get turn three Karn, but sometimes you just get turn 3 combo. I think Stony Silence is generally the best option. the most effective thing I find is actually counterspells. Were not terribly worried about wurmcoil as we run 4 paths. which means the only scary things left in the deck are Karns and Ugins. and even there Karns are beatable, i don't think I've ever beat a resolved Ugin though. If we can stop those and win before emrakul shows up to the party thats the match. In the board i think after Stoney, negate is our best card. answering everything path doesn't.
If you're playing red crumble is probably good, if you're strictly Bant i think either negate, or unified will is what I'm testing now, are where you want to be. I also think Aven Mindcensor should probably earn a spot in the SB if you're looking for more Tron hate and another Tech Edge or Ghost Quarter as well.
all that said though i feel like the deck is about 50/50 pre board against GR Tron.