I could see Spirits running Lavinia, too. She prevents your opponents from getting their spells back when Spell Queller leaves the battlefield. Throw in some flicker like Eldrazi Displacer, and you've got a soft lock.
Spectacle is an alternative casting cost for which we have 12 out of 19 sources of mana we can use to pay it. It's a grindy card.
On another note. Lavinia, Azorius Renegade takes care of a lot of problem cards like: Karn, Ugin, all is Dust, Ostone, Conflagrate. Chord of Calling and more.
When i think of it, it's everything i use Gaddock Teeg for, on a human
Actually, two cards have been spoiled today which potentially could fit the Humans deck.
The azorius one hoses a lot of strategies, the rakdos one can loot and has an alternative casting cost we CAN actually use to refill the hand to potentially net 2 cards + body. Good times up ahead.
Atraxa is the most supported commander on EDHREC because she supports an awful lot of different strategies.
I'm obviously biassed, but i run a pretty focussed "fair" battlecruiser deck based on Atraxa which can absolutely use an alternate wincon. Simic Ascendancy looks to be that card. So i'm excited
I get how people feel Atraxa can be unfun though! I'm actively trying not to build my deck like that.
There's certainly quite a few fair decks out there still locally. In Philly I'd like to think I play at a fairly competitive store. I went to an IQ yesterday up in Jersey and went a quick 1-2 before dropping. I made the mistake of thinking the meta was like MTGO and leaned heavily into preparing for combo and tribal decks (I was not familiar with the store). My first pairing was GB Rock and it felt hopeless with me being on 4C Shadow.
We definitely all do get wrapped up on MTGO's results and the GP/SCG results sometimes. Nearly everywhere I go it looks super diverse. Between modern being expensive, and people just loving their decks, it's not as if most people always chase the meta deck.
.....
Truth right there.
We all get consumed by online stats and flavor of the month decks on (free) online platforms. IRL the paper magic scene is just way more diverse and fun.
growth spiral seems cool and that mortify art looks really nice. it's interesting to see an ascendancy in this set but not Guilds. Unless not all are getting one or it's story specific
edit: I was already tempted to rebuild my old vorel of the hull clade edh but the ascendancy really makes me want to now
Too bad Vorel doesn't interact with it directly.
I'll give it a try in Atraxa, Praetors' Voice +1/+1.
Both simic cards look like they have a place in my deck ideas for standard and EDH.
You don't count knight of autumn, because 10% other decks use it now too? Strange reason.
The original statement was that the deck didn't get any human tribal staples in the 2018 sets besides Militia Bugler but that every set has the possibility to do so, even when slots are tight.
1: Knight of Autumn is no Human.
2: It basically is a drop-in replacement for every deck willing to run Reclamation Sage that has access to green and white.
Put it in this context and you'll understand why i didn't count it.
Do you guys think Sprits is really here to stay? The thing that makes me think Humans may be the better tribal deck is the fact that Humans is in EVERY set, right? I feel as though the deck has the chance of being a lesser stagnant tribal deck than, well, any tribal deck.
I do know one thing, I was wrong about humans being a flash in the pan and I thought Arclight was just a fun, bad card in these Mono Red Runaway decks. Seeing Izzet Phoenix play with Merriam Ross in the finals definitely had me doing a 180.
I agree with everything @Renegade Rallier replied on the topic of Humand vs. Spirits as a deck. There is one thing i'd like to add though.
Spirits have better evasion and built in protection. As a Humans player i feel slightly unfavored vs Spirits.
My guess is that Spirits have a better "fair" matchup whereas Humans do better against "unfair" strategies for their disruptive power.
It is however, very easy to try new things with the humans tribe and support is, and will always be plenty. As stated before, of last year, only Militia Bugler has made the cut, and even that card can be a little slow sometimes. Not really counting Knight of Autumn as it basically replaces Reclamation Sage (also a non human) in every GWx deck around.
Since this is my first reply in this topic, i'd like to add that i'm pretty fine with modern in my meta. I play modern magic with friends and at FNM level, and i always encounter various decks and play various decks myself. Never feel really overpowered by others. and have a lot of fun regularly.
For reference, My friends play Dredge and Hollow One, amonst the more degenerate stuff. But also Mardu Pyro, Jeskai Tempo, GBx, Ponza, UR thing and more. What i have experienced is that Dredge and Hollow one but also the "stirrings" decks KCI/Tron are beatable, but make for pretty exciting games.
I have a feeling most pro Twin users are, judging by their signature, highly invested in the UR colors and would love to play those very expensive cards at the top level. Which is totally understandable, and thus they preach for a Twin Unban with reasonably fair arguments. But the financial investment alone would cloud objective perspectives to some degree.
On that same note others would love to add current bannted stuff to their decks. Fair creature toolbox players would love GSZ and so would i. Same goes for SFM, which i'd love to try in abzan or even Humans :). The fact that i play those decks makes me slightly biased.
I'm curious what wizards is going to do in 2019, but i wouldn't be let down if they changed nothing.
Thanks for the reply! The deck was fun enough to play to warant tweaking further!
On the topic of Unsubstantiate like effects, the card is very good and i have been considering and Into the Roil and Blink of an Eye to keep on theme. At one time i had Venser, Shaper Savant in the deck as it functions so well with the wizards toolbox side of my deck as repeatable interaction. In the end it got cut for something more straightforward and cheaper.
As to your last comment about shatter effects.
I had my eyes on Molten Frame and Smash as they both serve double purpose in the deck.
I'd still like to know how you feel about the looting effects. Are they really worth it? I've had hands where i wanted the draw, but really didn't want to discard
As Xantcha, Sleeper Agent enters the battlefield, an opponent of your choice gains control of it.
Xantcha attacks each combat if able and can't attack its owner or planeswalkers its owner controls.
You confuse ownership of a creature with control of a creature.
I don't think it's possible to equip Xantcha when it's under control of an opponent as per rule 502.33a.
Equip is an activated ability of artifact Equipment cards. The phrase "Equip [cost]" means "[cost]: Move this Equipment onto target creature you control. Play this ability only any time you could play a sorcery.
I had initially built an UR (non infitie combo) spellslinger deck with Niv Mizzet, Parun as my commander, but After reading this topic i decided to drop in Jori En, Ruin Diver i had laying around as the number one for yesterdays games. In the same effort i dropped the mana curve while maintaining my land count a little high to Ensure my wincon's come online in an ordinary fashion.
I have to say, thank you for the idea! Jori En, Ruin Diver provides so much value over the course of the game, drawing me tons of cards all while staying under the radar long enough for the table to realize it's too late, slinging multiple spells and a turn and refueling every time.
Besides this, i can still swap my commander for either Niv Mizzet, Parun or The Locust, making this a deck of many faces.
I really didn't like the looting effects in this deck (or in EDH/Commander in general). What is your oppinion on Faithless Looting and Frantic Search. Discarding feels bad most of the time unless i'm sure i can reuse the spell i ditch.
That interaction is just bonkers!
On another note. Lavinia, Azorius Renegade takes care of a lot of problem cards like: Karn, Ugin, all is Dust, Ostone, Conflagrate. Chord of Calling and more.
When i think of it, it's everything i use Gaddock Teeg for, on a human
The azorius one hoses a lot of strategies, the rakdos one can loot and has an alternative casting cost we CAN actually use to refill the hand to potentially net 2 cards + body. Good times up ahead.
Dont forget convoke, so elves and vizier company too.
Pretty nice box of text which takes some time to appreciate.
I'm obviously biassed, but i run a pretty focussed "fair" battlecruiser deck based on Atraxa which can absolutely use an alternate wincon.
Simic Ascendancy looks to be that card. So i'm excited
I get how people feel Atraxa can be unfun though! I'm actively trying not to build my deck like that.
Truth right there.
We all get consumed by online stats and flavor of the month decks on (free) online platforms. IRL the paper magic scene is just way more diverse and fun.
The dimir creature is actually very good! Anyone who has faced it in limited will know. There just isn't a home for it in constructed yet.
Too bad Vorel doesn't interact with it directly.
I'll give it a try in Atraxa, Praetors' Voice +1/+1.
Both simic cards look like they have a place in my deck ideas for standard and EDH.
The original statement was that the deck didn't get any human tribal staples in the 2018 sets besides Militia Bugler but that every set has the possibility to do so, even when slots are tight.
1: Knight of Autumn is no Human.
2: It basically is a drop-in replacement for every deck willing to run Reclamation Sage that has access to green and white.
Put it in this context and you'll understand why i didn't count it.
I agree with everything @Renegade Rallier replied on the topic of Humand vs. Spirits as a deck. There is one thing i'd like to add though.
Spirits have better evasion and built in protection. As a Humans player i feel slightly unfavored vs Spirits.
My guess is that Spirits have a better "fair" matchup whereas Humans do better against "unfair" strategies for their disruptive power.
It is however, very easy to try new things with the humans tribe and support is, and will always be plenty. As stated before, of last year, only Militia Bugler has made the cut, and even that card can be a little slow sometimes.
Not really counting Knight of Autumn as it basically replaces Reclamation Sage (also a non human) in every GWx deck around.
Since this is my first reply in this topic, i'd like to add that i'm pretty fine with modern in my meta. I play modern magic with friends and at FNM level, and i always encounter various decks and play various decks myself. Never feel really overpowered by others. and have a lot of fun regularly.
For reference, My friends play Dredge and Hollow One, amonst the more degenerate stuff. But also Mardu Pyro, Jeskai Tempo, GBx, Ponza, UR thing and more. What i have experienced is that Dredge and Hollow one but also the "stirrings" decks KCI/Tron are beatable, but make for pretty exciting games.
I have a feeling most pro Twin users are, judging by their signature, highly invested in the UR colors and would love to play those very expensive cards at the top level. Which is totally understandable, and thus they preach for a Twin Unban with reasonably fair arguments. But the financial investment alone would cloud objective perspectives to some degree.
On that same note others would love to add current bannted stuff to their decks. Fair creature toolbox players would love GSZ and so would i. Same goes for SFM, which i'd love to try in abzan or even Humans :). The fact that i play those decks makes me slightly biased.
I'm curious what wizards is going to do in 2019, but i wouldn't be let down if they changed nothing.
On the topic of Unsubstantiate like effects, the card is very good and i have been considering and Into the Roil and Blink of an Eye to keep on theme. At one time i had Venser, Shaper Savant in the deck as it functions so well with the wizards toolbox side of my deck as repeatable interaction. In the end it got cut for something more straightforward and cheaper.
As to your last comment about shatter effects.
I had my eyes on Molten Frame and Smash as they both serve double purpose in the deck.
I'd still like to know how you feel about the looting effects. Are they really worth it? I've had hands where i wanted the draw, but really didn't want to discard
You confuse ownership of a creature with control of a creature.
I have to say, thank you for the idea! Jori En, Ruin Diver provides so much value over the course of the game, drawing me tons of cards all while staying under the radar long enough for the table to realize it's too late, slinging multiple spells and a turn and refueling every time.
Besides this, i can still swap my commander for either Niv Mizzet, Parun or The Locust, making this a deck of many faces.
From the 4 games we played (3 and 4 player tables) i won 3 with the following list in a meta of: Marchesa, the black rose, Edgar Markov, Kaalia of the Vast, Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder, Gisela, Blade of Goldnight, Animar, Soul of Elements and Aminatou, the Fateshifter !
1 Jori En, Ruin Diver
12 Island
7 Mountain
1 Command Tower
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Polluted Delta
1 Flooded Strand
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Arid Mesa
1 Seat of the Synod
1 Great Furnace
1 Lonely Sandbar
1 Forgotten Cave
1 Steam Vents
1 Shivan Reef
1 Cascade Bluffs
1 Sulfur Falls
1 Temple of Epiphany
1 Izzet Boilerworks
1 Riptide Laboratory
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Terrain Generator
Creatures
1 Snapcaster Mage
1 Baral, Chief of Compliance
1 Goblin Electromancer
1 Young Pyromancer
1 Firebrand Archer
1 Electrostatic Field
1 Chasm Skulker
1 Guttersnipe
1 Trinket Mage
1 Murmuring Mystic
1 Talrand, Sky Summoner
1 Docent of Perfection
1 Psychosis Crawler
1 Arjun, The Shifting Flame
1 Niv-Mizzet, The Firemind
1 Niv-Mizzet, Parun
1 The Locust God
1 Faithless Looting
1 Preordain
1 Ponder
1 Serum Visions
1 Past in Flames
1 Khorvath's Fury
1 Brass's Bounty
Instant
1 Brainstorm
1 Opt
1 Lightning Bolt
1 Lightning Strike
1 Arcane Denial
1 Radical Idea
1 Expansion // Explosion
1 Mission Briefing
1 Chaos Warp
1 Wizard's Lightning
1 Electrolyze
1 Frantic Search
1 Dream Fracture
1 Comet Storm
1 Stroke of Genius
1 Chemister's Insight
1 Fateful Showdown
1 Commit // Memory
1 Cryptic Command
1 Mystic Confluence
1 Spell Swindle
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Elixir of Immortality
1 Skullclamp
1 Expedition Map
1 Sky Diamond
1 Fire Diamond
1 Coldsteel Heart
1 Izzet Signet
1 Primal Amulet
1 Gilded Lotus
Enchantment
1 Rhystic Study
1 Propaganda
1 Ever-Watching Threshold
1 Leyline of Anticipation
1 Mindmoil
1 Thousand-Year Storm
I've had a lot of fun with it!
MVP's were Jori En, Ruin Diver herself, both Niv's, any token producer or pinger in general and the win-conditions, especially: Thousand-Year Storm, Primal Amulet, Khorvath's Fury and Expansion // Explosion. The combinations of these only multiplies their strengths. Great cards.
Honorable mention: The Locust God together with Skullclamp is just so nasty!
I really didn't like the looting effects in this deck (or in EDH/Commander in general). What is your oppinion on Faithless Looting and Frantic Search. Discarding feels bad most of the time unless i'm sure i can reuse the spell i ditch.