Every ban that comes out my area loses anywhere from 1-3 players from the format.
We started with a solid 30+ we're down to the loyal 15 or so now that show to local events.
The ban list has turned away alot of our players. Some people foil out their whole decks or get damn close just to have a key part banned and the deck made unplayable... really leaves a mark on the format.
Preordain is fine. BB is fine. GGT has been fine. As of right now I really do not see anything else worthy of coming off. DRS should most definitely be at the front of the line for the guillotine at this point. I dont think theres really much to be said in the cards defense at all and everything against is has been reposted a million times in here. Agree or disagree, its most likely gone. If not this next banlist then the one that follows.
If DRS got the axe, then 50% of the meta in my area would likely quit. It's sad, but with each banning more and more people in my area quit modern. Rather then axe whatever is the "top dog" at the given time, why doesn't WotC unleash a few rival cards from the banlist.
Ancestral Visons
Bitterblossom
Golgari Grave-Troll
Jace, the Mind Sculptor
Preordain
Seething Song
Sword of the Meek
Wild Nacatl
All need to come off the list. Would add in much more diversity to the format and give decks like Junk/Jund a run for their money.
(could probably unban the artifact lands too, but affinity has a strong showing as it is, it may not be necessary)
More then anything I wish they'd just extend modern out to include Invasion/Odyssey/Onslaught blocks. Any further back then there would be introducing some broken cards. Aside from Entomb I don't think there would be any cards bannable from those three blocks.
A bud and myself got modern popular for players by showing them minor changes/additions they could make to their standard decks a more competative modern deck. Once people started to realize their shock lands were the staple lands for modern, the popularity grew. Our LGS has a few boxes of modern masters available and they use them strictly for prize support for our Tuesday modern tournaments.
I really like those suggestions, The meekstone will be hard for me to get but the other two I probably will be able to get my hands on.
Ya I thought about the Reveillark and Karmic Guide. They both would be great additions to the deck, My problem with the both of them is the high cmc.
But I do like the Ensnaring Bridge/Recycle combo
I don't have a full decklist written up for my Doran deck, but outside of the main cards I mentioned, I run at least 10-12 Mana dorks. Walls that produce mana, or just cheep elfy creatures. It helps accelerate these large things out and most of them have a decent sized butt. I try to avoid toughness 1 because I run heartless summoning, but I still do run a few critters that would eat it if I don't have a way to +0/+1 them.
Rolling Stones - If you go this path you basically have a ton of walls then drop this bad boy and swing for victory!
Palisade Giant - Has saved me from lethal or saved a key critter from burn countless of times. Also he swings for 7 which is awesome, and his power of 2 goes hand in hand with alot of the other cards I mentioned.
Heartless Summoning - Reducing the cost of your creatures by 2, lowering their power by 1 which pushes any 3 power dude into meekstone/ensnaring range!!! The -1 to toughness is really moot when you consider your average toughness in this deck is absurdly high. It does however kill off utility 1 toughness creatures such as Viscera Seer
General's Regalia - If you have the mana available you can redirect alot of damage to your fatty creatures.
Magus of the Disk - Sometimes things just gotta go boom, and this guy is very synergistic with the rest of the cards I've mentioned if you don't include blowing up all your artifacts!
I've been working on a Sir Mixalot EDH deck for a bit.
Meekstone - Your stuff untaps, theirs doesn't. It wont hit every creature in your deck but it hits enough to push the odds in your favor.
Ensnaring Bridge - You can hold a smaller hand and just capitalize on being able to attack with your guys.
Recycle - Draw tons of cards, keeps your hand size the perfect amount to support the Ensnaring Bridge/Meekstone strategy.
Reveillark - If you tool your deck around 2 power, then this guy can get insane real fast.
Karmic Guide - See above... in tandem with Reveillark and a sacrifice engine you can reanimate every 2 power creature in your graveyard on a whim. (Sac Karmic Guide, Sac Reveillark, Rev trigger: Reanimate any 2 power + Karmic Guide, Karmic Guide trigger: Reanimate Reveillark) Also makes infinate draw/all basic lands tutored and put on battlefield with Solemn Simulacrum
Viscera Seer - My favorite sac outlet because it doesn't require any mana, and is repetable. Also being Junk colors (GBW) the ability to scry is top notch. Also if you have Recycle out then you you can help prevent drawing into those dreaded land cards.
Oracle of Mul Daya - Helps keep lands out of your hand. In conjunction with Recycle you can draw up more cards in hand than 2 so you can attack with larger things to bypass Ensnaring Bridge.
Thats off the top of my head, if I think of more Ill post em
My LGS does MSRP on everything they get from initial shipments. Even stuff like Modern Masters. However they'll put a limit on how many you can buy so that there is no hoarding going on. They try to get the product out to as many players at the store as they can.
Imposing sovergn doesn't stop twin ex arch combo. They do not need to remove it. Its the same work around that blind obediance has: they just make infinate tokens at the end step of your turn. Untap them then swing for win on their turn. The tokens have "sacrifice at the beginning of the next end step" clause which renders etb tapped effects rather pointless.
Regarding Iona... if your meta doesn't run decks that are completely dead to Iona, then sure take it out of your mainboard. Going into an unknown meta I would definitely keep the Iona though.
I think an unknown meta still means SB Iona. The amount of decks she hoses are too few to have her MD. The triple white is much harder to cast then something like sun titan or eleah norn.
Torpor orb has more flex vs other decks then the grafdiggers does, but if you are dedicating board slots just for me lira pod, then the cage is the way to go.
We started with a solid 30+ we're down to the loyal 15 or so now that show to local events.
The ban list has turned away alot of our players. Some people foil out their whole decks or get damn close just to have a key part banned and the deck made unplayable... really leaves a mark on the format.
If DRS got the axe, then 50% of the meta in my area would likely quit. It's sad, but with each banning more and more people in my area quit modern. Rather then axe whatever is the "top dog" at the given time, why doesn't WotC unleash a few rival cards from the banlist.
Ancestral Visons
Bitterblossom
Golgari Grave-Troll
Jace, the Mind Sculptor
Preordain
Seething Song
Sword of the Meek
Wild Nacatl
All need to come off the list. Would add in much more diversity to the format and give decks like Junk/Jund a run for their money.
(could probably unban the artifact lands too, but affinity has a strong showing as it is, it may not be necessary)
#2 Innocent Blood
#3 Cunning Wish
More then anything I wish they'd just extend modern out to include Invasion/Odyssey/Onslaught blocks. Any further back then there would be introducing some broken cards. Aside from Entomb I don't think there would be any cards bannable from those three blocks.
I don't have a full decklist written up for my Doran deck, but outside of the main cards I mentioned, I run at least 10-12 Mana dorks. Walls that produce mana, or just cheep elfy creatures. It helps accelerate these large things out and most of them have a decent sized butt. I try to avoid toughness 1 because I run heartless summoning, but I still do run a few critters that would eat it if I don't have a way to +0/+1 them.
Rolling Stones - If you go this path you basically have a ton of walls then drop this bad boy and swing for victory!
Palisade Giant - Has saved me from lethal or saved a key critter from burn countless of times. Also he swings for 7 which is awesome, and his power of 2 goes hand in hand with alot of the other cards I mentioned.
Heartless Summoning - Reducing the cost of your creatures by 2, lowering their power by 1 which pushes any 3 power dude into meekstone/ensnaring range!!! The -1 to toughness is really moot when you consider your average toughness in this deck is absurdly high. It does however kill off utility 1 toughness creatures such as Viscera Seer
General's Regalia - If you have the mana available you can redirect alot of damage to your fatty creatures.
Proper Burial - Self explanatory.
Preferred Selection - A not as effective Sylvan Library!
Sylvan Library - Amazing way to set up those big turns!
Magus of the Disk - Sometimes things just gotta go boom, and this guy is very synergistic with the rest of the cards I've mentioned if you don't include blowing up all your artifacts!
Tree of Redemption - Large and life saving... with Rolling Stones you could potentially swing for lethal.
Auriok Salvagers - A way to get back Meekstone as many times as your opponents destroy it...
Meekstone - Your stuff untaps, theirs doesn't. It wont hit every creature in your deck but it hits enough to push the odds in your favor.
Ensnaring Bridge - You can hold a smaller hand and just capitalize on being able to attack with your guys.
Recycle - Draw tons of cards, keeps your hand size the perfect amount to support the Ensnaring Bridge/Meekstone strategy.
Reveillark - If you tool your deck around 2 power, then this guy can get insane real fast.
Karmic Guide - See above... in tandem with Reveillark and a sacrifice engine you can reanimate every 2 power creature in your graveyard on a whim. (Sac Karmic Guide, Sac Reveillark, Rev trigger: Reanimate any 2 power + Karmic Guide, Karmic Guide trigger: Reanimate Reveillark) Also makes infinate draw/all basic lands tutored and put on battlefield with Solemn Simulacrum
Viscera Seer - My favorite sac outlet because it doesn't require any mana, and is repetable. Also being Junk colors (GBW) the ability to scry is top notch. Also if you have Recycle out then you you can help prevent drawing into those dreaded land cards.
Oracle of Mul Daya - Helps keep lands out of your hand. In conjunction with Recycle you can draw up more cards in hand than 2 so you can attack with larger things to bypass Ensnaring Bridge.
Thats off the top of my head, if I think of more Ill post em
I actually run a zombie tribal Balthor deck and it's pretty damn fun, everyone that plays against it likes it because its very Zombie theme.
Its not cheating. Its poor magic play on the opponents side
I think an unknown meta still means SB Iona. The amount of decks she hoses are too few to have her MD. The triple white is much harder to cast then something like sun titan or eleah norn.
R
Sorcery
Choose a card you own from outside the game at random. Put that card into your hand. Exile Squee's Wish.
Or
RR
Sorcery
Discard your hand. Choose a card you own from outside the game and put it into your hand. Exile Squee's Wish.