- Mallwan
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Member for 6 years, 2 months, and 9 days
Last active Mon, Jun, 24 2019 03:40:30
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ryu9nokaze posted a message on Force of VigorYou cannot pay alternate cost while Mycosynth Lattice is on the battlefield since all cards in hand are colorless.Posted in: Force of Vigor -
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Stille_Nacht posted a message on Hardened ScalesPosted in: Aggro & TempoQuote from Mallwan »Can someone explain this to me: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/tournament/grand-prix-los-angeles-2019#paper
There was only 1 burn deck in the top 32? How is that possible? and look at the top cards played right now...
Looks like the Steel overseer has "won" over Mimic and Llanowar Reborn is "better" than Ruins of Oran-Rief which I still don't understand
edit: How can WOTC not reprint Surgical Extraction and Manamorphose in some stupid from the vault: Spells set? These ******* prices...
Yeah, and overseer is honestly nearly as fast as mimic in many cases, especially if there is no HS resolved. In games where you are rushing down, it's just way better in general.
The reason that Llanowar Reborn is better than Ruins of Oran-Rief is threefold:
1. Green - this is actually really important. We're cutting so much green for Darksteels and Inkmoths that those last few land slots are relatively precious.
2. Mana Efficient - You don't have to pay for the graft counter, which is actually kind of huge because of how Modern be right now (Top Deck Phoenix, 2nd Deck Dredge). Oran Rief is something that isn't likely to contribute more than llanowar did to the board state by turn 4-5, which is honestly around when games are usually decided.
EX: turn 3 llanowar -> grafted ballista (4/4) -> turn 4 casting 2, 2drops -> turn 5 casting something
turn 3 ruins -> non-grafted ballista (2/2) -> turn 4 casting 2, 2 drops -> turn 5 using oran rief for the first time
3. Redundancy - The time when Oran Rief is really good is when you're in top deck mode. However, the problem here is that the deck does either remarkably well in equivalent topdeck wars with decks like GB or even Grixis now, and remarkably terribly in topdeck wars against decks like UW or Prison. So it ends up being redundant or not useful where it's supposed to be great. -
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thotseize posted a message on Hardened ScalesMan discussion on HSA is pretty dead...really tempting to think it's a flash in the pan when suddenly two copies popped up in a GP top 8. Maybe not a lot of pros push it? The results don't really pair up well with the talk about the deck in any case.Posted in: Aggro & Tempo
Anyway, can argue that overseer is better than mimic, the grindy pace of the deck doesn't match well with the velocity mimic provides and although it can have some nut plays in theory...overseer can grind out better since it can buff manlands and is a better clock.
Been testing with llanowar reborn recently to see it's about. I used to be a doubter but it's a free counter that can set up busted plays and can really grind out with animation module and throne for recurring board presence.
The problem with oran-rief is that it can't make mana when you need the counter and vice-versa. Honestly hate having to see this too early or too late. It's really just a card choice from the pase when HSA was too early to have a good stock list and could really be dropped moving forward... -
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jokerstyle00 posted a message on Modern SpiritsI have both decks and originally started out as a Death & Taxes player, so I'll try and do a little blurb on both. Also read the primers for both decks, the two threads have excellent writers, and make sure to watch some YouTube gameplay of both.Posted in: Aggro & Tempo
Bant Spirits
Pros
+Is easier to pilot than BW Eldrazi Taxes.
+Almost all of the creatures have flying; the natural evasion is VERY difficult for many decks to deal with.
+Manabase is more stable thanks to the ability to fetch all 3 colors and having no colorless mana restrictions.
+With Noble Hierarchs/Birds of Paradise (budget), you can pull off some nutty plays like a turn 2 Geist of Saint Traft or a turn 3 Collected Company.
+The deck plays at instant speed, through Aether Vial, creatures with flash, and Collected Company, making removal and counters much more difficult for your opponent, also lets you bluff or fake out an opponent just by leaving lands/mana up.
+Since most lists runs about 10 or less non-creature spells, Bant Spirits is largely resistant to decks that focus on punishing non-creature spells, and will not necessarily lose if you're unable to play Vial or Company, or one of them gets Surgically Extracted.
+Creatures have powerful abilities that allow for interaction with the opponent or protecting your board state, such as Spell Queller, Mausoleum Wanderer, Rattlechains, and Selfless Spirit, while acting as additional threats in the meanwhile.
+The primary lord, Drogskol Captain, is capable of creating a "soft lock" where playing two will give all your spirits Hexproof, making them immune to everything except bigger creatures, sacrifice effects, or boardwipes.
+Playing Green, Blue, and White gives us access to some of the best sideboard cards in the game, such as Rest in Peace, Stony Silence, Knight of Autumn, and counterspells such as Ceremonious Rejection, Unified Will, and Disdainful Stroke.
Cons
-Limited interaction with your opponent outside of creatures. Pre-board, there aren't many options for dealing with non-instant/sorcery spells outside of Spell Queller or Deputy of Detention. Furthermore, many of your creatures' interactions occur only once upon ETB, such as Spell Queller or Deputy of Detention, or require sacrifices to be used, such as Mausoleum Wanderer or Selfless Spirit. This can make matchups against big mana decks such as Tron or Amulet Titan, or combo decks like Storm, into races.
-As a creature-based tempo deck, boardwipes can cripple us if we dump everything onto the field or have no means of interacting with them through a Queller.
-In addition to the above point, the strength of the deck is manifested in our board state; if we're unable to maintain a good number of creatures, our deck loses out on power.
-Manabase is three color, therefore you will be pinging yourself through shocks and fetches. Sometimes you might also have a hand you can't play due to color restrictions, and depending on the boardstate/lands we have, a Blood Moon can be crippling.
-$$$$$$$$ - Many of the most important cards in the deck are expensive, such as Noble Hierarch, Aether Vial, Collected Company, and the manabase.
BW Eldrazi and Taxes
Pros
+Has access to some incredibly powerful creatures main deck, such as Thalia, Guardian of Thraben, Thought-Knot Seer, Dark Confidant and Tidehollow Sculler. Furthermore, your white creatures serve as taxes that cannot be dodged until said creatures are killed or otherwise dealt with, as opposed to Spirits where their creatures usually only trigger their interaction with the opponent once.
+A lot of the creatures are incredibly synergistic. Tidehollow Sculler can steal a card from your opponent/Flickerwisp can remove a card for a turn, allowing you to process the removed card with Wasteland Strangler. Not only does the exiled card go into the opponent's graveyard, but you've also killed one of their creatures! Using Leonin Arbiter, Path to Exile becomes arguably the best removal spell ever printed in Magic, and Ghost Quarter becomes a better Wasteland.
+Since the deck runs a fair bit of hand disruption, you usually have an idea of what your opponent has in hand; perfect information is one of the most powerful assets in Magic.
+Through Aether Vial allowing instant speed, uncounterable creatures, the deck is able to cripple opponents for making common Modern plays. Flashing in a Leonin Arbiter when they fetch usually means an opponent has time-walked themselves on mana and lost a life to boot. You can also flash in Tidehollow Skuller after they've drawn for the turn and steal their newest card. Another trick is one of the most complicated interactions in the deck, but flickering a Tidehollow Sculler with a vialed in Flickerwisp or through a Restoration Angel allows you to permanently remove one of your opponent's cards and steal another one.
+Has more powerful finishers through Eldrazi than regular Death and Taxes, as Thought-Knot Seer is a 4/4 that can come down on turn 3 or even turn 2 depending on how many Eldrazi Temples you have online. Eldrazi Displacer also allows you to continuously recycle your own ETB effects, which can be incredibly powerful depending on the build you play.
+White has some of the best sideboard cards in Magic, while black offers removal and hand disruption through cards like Fatal Push, Inquisition of Kozilek, and Thoughtseize. Kambal, Consul of Allocation is also an excellent card that punishes a wide range of decks for playing non-creature spells.
Cons
-The manabase. In my opinion, BW Eldrazi & Taxes has one of the worst, if not THE worst manabases in all of Modern. This is compounded by the fact that a good number of your creatures require colorless mana to be played or to activate their effects, and you cannot run fetches due to the nature of Leonin Arbiter. While Aether Vial can alleviate some of this, it also means that losing a Vial can be crippling or even game-ending depending on your mana situation, compared to Spirits or Merfolk where losing a Vial is annoying but not a serious loss. Essentially, you're playing a three color deck with no fetches, mana dorks, or other means of fixing your mana. I've lost games due to not having mana when I've needed it, or drawing it too late. Hitting my own lands with Ghost Quarter to fix mana is not an uncommon situation. Also, Blood Moon can be virtually game-ending, and Merfolk can be considered a poor matchup due to their ability to turn your lands into Islands through Sea's Claim and Spreading Seas, while also becoming unblockable.
-Playing any Taxes style deck requires knowledge about the current metagame, popular decks, and common creatures/spells. The more you make an effort to learn the meta and how Taxes interacts with them, the better you will do. However, the reverse is also true. This is a deck that demands smart decision-making, sequencing, knowledge of triggers and the stack, and match-up knowledge. If you lack any of the aforementioned, matches will be that much more difficult for you.
-Like Bant Spirits, the majority of your interaction and game plan comes from having creatures on the battlefield. This deck shares the same weakness of Spirits, Merfolk, and other creature-based decks to sweepers and mass removal.
-Unlike Spirits or Merfolk, almost none of your creatures have flying or similar means of evasion, and your main win con is still beating your opponent down with creatures. This can lead to stalemates or even losses if your opponent has something like Ensnaring Bridge or an equal number of creatures. Furthermore, your taxes are creature-based, which means chump blocks can significantly hurt you if you use an Arbiter or Thalia to block your opponent's Death's Shadow or Awoken Horror.
-Your creatures also cannot get nearly as huge as Spirits or Merfolk as you possess no lords, which requires smarter decisions about combat.
Hope this helped inform you about the decks! Post in both threads if you need more advice or commentary, and have fun!
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tiasian posted a message on Salvation's SCCT/OCaaT - Single Card Ideas By YOU!First: Undergrowth counts just Creature cards. Anyway, nice idea, reasonable cost, but I must say that I’d want to see a multi-Guild card be between two Guilds that share a color.Posted in: Custom Card Contests and Games
Mages’ Proving Grounds
Land
: Add C. Put a charge counter on Mages’ Proving Grounds.
, remove a charge counter from Mages’ Proving Grounds: Add R. If this mana is used to cast a red spell that deals damage to a single target, it deals that much damage plus one to that target. -
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Huviam posted a message on Living EndI just 4-0 in Modern night at my LGS with this deck:Posted in: Combo
DeckMagic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards Maindeck
Creatures 28
4 Horror of the Broken Lands
2 Simian Spirit Guide
4 Street Wraith
4 Desert Cerodon
4 Faerie Macabre
4 Archfiend of Ifnir
4 Fulminator Mage
2 Monstrous Carabid
Instant and Sorceries
3 Demonic Dread
3 Living End
4 Violent Outburst
2 Beast WithinLands 20
4 Blackcleave Cliffs
1 Blood Crypt
2 Forest
3 Grove of the Burnwillows
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Stomping Ground
2 Swamp
4 Verdant Catacombs
1 Blooming Marsh
1 Copperline GorgeSideboard 15
2 Brindle Boar
3 Shriekmaw
3 Ingot Chewer
1 Avalanche riders
2 Ricochet Trap
1 Jund Charm
2 Anger of the Gods
1 Lost Legacy
The 20 lands make the whole deck so much better know it's incredible. I get it that we like to cycle, but many times the deck just folds to lack of curve. At least in my case, i want to be casting my fatties by turn 5 consistently. Also my kolaghan's command are due to come next week, so i'll add them to the SB, but for now this is the 75. Anyway here's the matchup recount:
4-0 Tuesday
Round 1:2-0 Green - red devotion
Weird deck but fast, played Strangleroot geist, birds of paradise. It was a heavy creature vanilla deck that got no chance against Living end to be honest, the fact that he didn't knew what living end was made this feel much more nasty. both games i got him easily on turn 5. I was pretty lucky to get this deck on the first round
Round 2: 2-1 Tron
First game my opponent won because he maindecked relics: he just got me locked down and i couldn't replenish my graveyard fast enough to mitigate the relic. Second game he mull to 6 and missed a landrop, while i turn 2 a fulminator and Beast within another land. I also used my ingot chewers against his eggs and maps, he promptly scooped after missing another land drop. Third game was more interactive and close but in the end i living ended 4 fatties with 2 fulminators in hand. It's pretty good to have 20 lands and consistently combo on turn 3
Round 3: 2-0 Sultai midrange
First game i won easily comboing on turn with 4 creatures on bin. he wasn't faster than the clock and his tarmogoyf weren't big enough. Second game he starts with leyline, then Inquisition away my Beast within.. On second turn he drops a Bob and starts having value. On turn 3 he uses Unmoored Ego and exiles my Living end. At this point i'm in a bad spot because on turn 4 he drops a tarmogoyf and starts swinging. The key to my salvation was to cycle my ***** and get enough lands to cast an Archfiend, that sweet sweet cards send down by the gods for us On turn 5 i cast Archfiend of Ifnir and cycle a street wraith and faerie macabre on the same turn to sweep the board. At last i get some relief, and he didn't got much removal because he sided it out for damnations, counterspells, and leylines. I finish the game with a lone Archfiend swinginf for 3 turns at his face while i sweep all his board every time. I ended the game with 1 life lol
Round 4: 2-1 Merfolk
First game he gets me good. He counters my Living end and then swings for lethal with a Master of waves. Second game i use an anger of the gods and a ricochet trap to clear his board when he splurged it all out on the table. Then i was able to cycle freely and then cast an archfiend and then an archfiend. He then proceeded to sweep every other threat on the board. Game 3 i destroy his Aether vial, kill one of his lords with a shriekmaw and blew up a Mutavault. He still had the pressure but i had the interaction. Seeing his mana base destroyed he taped out on turn 5 and i comboed in his turn, ricochet a Spell pierce and then had lethal in my next attack phase.
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void_nothing posted a message on Card Idea. Evoke dependent on color of mana cast for it. Too good?Simic Elemental is, bluntly, absurd. Man-O'-War would still be one of the best Limited cards in a set if reprinted today. It might even see Constructed play if a blue tempo deck were supported. That, but for 1GU and as a 3/4, would easily be the best creature in a set. That but more flexible still by allowing you to put the counter on any creature is just icing on the cake made entirely of icing. That and it has two useful modes for one mana would make it just unholy.Posted in: Custom Card Creation
Selesnya Elemental is fine; the full mode, without building around, is 2GW for a 3/3 and two 1/1s, which is fair at rare for Limited and might not even make a Constructed splash. If you're going to use a one-off populate without keywording it, I guess this is the place to use it. -
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Cantripmancer posted a message on Salvation's SCCT/OCaaT - Single Card Ideas By YOU!This feels fine, for the most part, very utilitarian, solid concept. It *might* even be able to be a 3/5 for that cost. You know what would be a nifty twist?Posted in: Custom Card Contests and Games
Golgari Elemental 3
Creature - Elemental
When Golgari Elemental enters the battlefield, target creature gets -1/-1 for each spent to cast ~.
When Golgari Elemental enters the battlefield, you gain 2 life for each spent to cast ~.
2/4
So the evoke is severely curtailed (maybe up the evoke cost to ?), but the creature itself is a 2/4 that gives you up to 10 life and/or a creature gets up to -5/-5. That would be some pretty fancy Spike/Johnny candy. Heh, what's really cool (well, maybe "interesting" is a better word) is that you could make the Evoke cost (or in my alternate version) and it would be just as effective as (or ).
Glimpse of Desolation BB
Enchantment
Flash
Creatures controlled by opponents get -1/-1.
At end of turn, sacrifice ~. If you do, each opponent discards a card.
A moment of insanity for a lifetime of regret. -
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void_nothing posted a message on Card Idea. Evoke dependent on color of mana cast for it. Too good?That's more than fair. The body is nothing too special and downright inefficient for the cost, the effects are both worth less than one mana at sorcery speed, and even in "maximum" mode, the card is not backbreaking for its cost. You could drop to 2(B/G)(B/G) and/or make the black effect -2/-2 if you want to push the card. Else, you could add flash.Posted in: Custom Card Creation - To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
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Play and Sideboard guide against Living End
In this matchup you (the Hardened Scales player) can get the win but you have to keep many things in mind. The matchup can be played very differently depending on the opponent's sideboard and what cards are drawn.
General strategy
Game 1: Don't commit too hard on the board with creatures unless you have an Arcbound Ravager. This is the best card (in this matchup) to draw. When Living End goes on the stack, sacrifice your creatures to Ravager and if you want to get an advantage put all those counters on a Hangarback Walker which is generally the second best card in the matchup.
You dont't loose much and get many Thopters and your Ravager and other non XX mana creatures are back on the field.
Example boards against Living End:
Top: Ravager, Hangarback, Arcbound Worker, Hardened Scales.
Don't worry about Living End at this point.
Good: Ballista, Metallic Mimic, Hangarback walker. Hardened Scales
Shot down the Metallic Mimic and if you can in any way put more counters on Hangarback walker. When Living End resolves Hangarbacks ability will go on the stack but first Mimic will enter the battlefield, you name Thopter. Hangarbacks ablity will resolve last and create X thopters all 3/3 flying.
Decent: Every board where you get some thopters or can kill your non XX creatures. OR a board without any creatures because Demonic Dread need a target and if the opponent got the violent outburst you don't lose creatures and hopefully don't get run over. No creature in the Living End deck has trample and because their Archfiends cost 2 to cycle you normally don't see a board full of flyers. Animation Module is good here as it creates chump blockers and gives you much time.
Bad: A board full of your value creatures like Steel Overseer or Metallic Mimic starting without the option to sacrifice anything.
What you should expect and fear of the Living End player:
3-4 Ingot Chewers
Best answer to all Artifacts ever, does not get hit by chalice / Inquisition of Kozilek can be devistating because its a 2 for 1 if Living End resolves. The opponent will most likely hit hatecards like Relic of Progenitus with it. But if you don't watch out your Arcbound Ravager is also going to die to it.
3-4 Faerie Macabre
One of the reasons this matchup feels bad for many Hardened Scales players. If you play well and sacrifice your creatures this prohibits them from comming back. I personally never play Living End without at least 3 of them and you have to expect them in the main board in this meta.
Leyline of the Void
Some lists run it in the sideboard. It is really bad because it is Faerie Macabre in far worse for the Hardened Scales Player. It makes our main interaction with the combo useless, and exiles Hangarback Walker which is really bad.
What you should side in:
all Relic of Progenitus that you have in the side board. Slows down the game enormously which helps the Hardened Scales player a lot.
2 Dismember can be great against the Archfiends of Ifnir who otherwise can kill yor chump blockers/ thopters by putting -1/-1 counters on them.
2-4 Nature's Claim. It depends if you now your opponent plays leyline or not. If you are unsure play 3 because it is another good way to kill our creatures so they come back with living end. then if you now, switch up to 2 or 4.
What NOT to side in:
Gravediggers Cage - it does not work so don't use it.
Chalice of the Void - you could play it on 0 but with all the cheep artifact hate that Living End has, it is not worth it, as it has no effect on the graveyard itself and the opponent can just cycle normally until he/she finds an answer.
Damping Sphere - It will the opponent only cost 1 mana more to play Living End and because it has to be on the battlefield the opponent can easily play around it.
My final suggestion:
In: 3 Relic of Progenitus / Tormod's Crypt , 4 Nature's Claim ( 2 If the opponent does not play Leyline of the void. If so: 2 Dismember)
Out: 3 Welding Jar , 2 Throne of Geth , 2 Steel Overseer
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OK, here we go:
Living End is a good Deck for game 1 in particular when your opponent tries to fill the boards with many creatures very fast. (Elves / Bogles / 8Wack Goblins)
And it is much better against hand disruption than Ad Nauseam, Vizier Combo or Saheli Cat, because you need 1 Cascade spell as the payoff and thats it. I would agree that it is very easy to achieve the combo so it is in my opinion the most consistent combo deck. I like to play both cascade spells 4x but many play only 3 Demonic Dreads. But the combo does not directly win you the game and the opponent has the option to interact with it. You still need to attack with the creatures and when you Cascade for 4 creatures with Demonic Dread your opponent can play a wrath card or burn you to death. (For example Affinity sacrifices all creature Artifacts to Arcbound Ravager and they can basically keep their board if you don't have the Faerie Macabre) Which brings me to my next point: Imagine you play against a "normal deck" with black Interaction for destroying creatures, attacking the hand and so on. They will interact with you, they will Push / Bolt their own creatures on the board Or will Thoughtseize /Thoughscour themselves for that juicy Gurmag Angler Boy who hols up your 4/4s. If your opponent knows what he is doing and has a game plan against Living End, he will interact with you even in game 1, because he can. You do get some really free Game 1s with T3 Cascade and reanimate a 6/4 , two 4/4s and a 3/4 and your opponent just scoops or does not have an out, but that is not the case against most non super linear decks. On the other hand the games against Hollow One and Grixis Deaths Shadow are among the most interactive matches I ever had and I love it. Thats one reason you see Faerie Macabres and Fulminator Mages in the main board on basically all the lists. You want interaction, because it is often worth it / you need it because the opponent hits harder / is faster. (Storm / GrishoalBrand / BridgeVine)
One of the big upsides of Living End (in my opinion) is that you don't fold to hate automatically. Your main gameplan has already 2 sides: Kill everything on the board AND put everything from your GY back to the field. The opponent has a Rest in Peace and 3 creatures on the board? OK, Cascade into living End, wipe the board and start casting your stuff. Even a small living end can win you the game when you wipe the opponents board. Then you also have the Land-destruction plan which is awesome against Tron and Ux-Control Decks. They don't care about their creatures -> hit the lands.
I feel like Living End is not a usual Reanimator deck at all, at least not to me. It is much more interactive and flexible and plays super interesting cards like faerie Macabre and Ricochet Trap while being in my favorite colors black and red.
Edit: It may also be noticed, that the living end combo disrupts other combos like Saheli, Vizier or Kiki-Angel.
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My newest edition to the Guild Elementals. (I honestly want to think of a cool name for each of these, but I am just not good at it.
Golgari Elemental 3
Creature - Elemental
When Golgari Elemental enters the battlefield, target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn if B was cast to spend Golgari Elemental
When Golgari Elemental enters the battlefield, you gain 4 life if G was cast to spend Golgari Elemental
Evoke
2/4
5
Horizon Canopy G/W
Celestial Colonnade W/U
Creeping Tar Pit U/B
Blackcleave Cliffs B/R
Copperline Gorge R/G
In all these reprint sets they do stupid stuff like printing crap rares no one plays, just for completing a cycle.
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EDIT:
Gruul Elemental 2R/R/
Creature - Elemental
When Gruul Elemental enters the battlefield destroy target artifact
if R was spend to cast Gruul Elemental
When Gruul Elemental enters the battlefield destroy target encahntment
if G was spend to cast Gruul Elemental
Evoke R/
3/2
basicly when you play GRx you can destroy 1 artifact / enchantment for 1 mana or do both for 4. I am not sure if that is too powerful already but I see cards like Ingot Chewer or Fragmentize and maybe this could work as well. I am mostly unsure if 3/3 is too strong of a body I would most likely change that if I had to power it down or also rewuire the target to be CMC 4 or lower.
Also: why not evoke on other permantent types like enchantments with ETB + On going effects. What do you think about that?