I think that Shadow of Mortality is a good addition alongside Death's Shadow on Suicide decks.
Basically at 7 life points, Shadow of Mortality is a 7/7 vanilla for BB, whereas Death's Shadow is a 6/6 for vanilla B.
==> not broken, but still valuable considering that the higher CMC can be useful to avoid spell such as Enginered Explosives or similar.
What makes this card really nice is that 3 toughness, which let's it survive from Pyroclasm-like cards.
It is still killed by Lightning Boltesque removals, but toughness 3 is still something nice to have.
Tasha's Hideous Laughter is a strong mill spell in Modern, but a lot less powerful in Legacy where there are a lot of cards with alternative casting cost such as Force of Will/Dredge cards et similia.
What makes this card really powerful is that lands have CC = 0.
Courser Kruphix has limits in the "card advantage" it does because it basically allows you to play lands on the top of your library while gaining some useful hp towards Aggro, but it has a good trait: constitution = 4, a number out of Lightning Bolt-like removals.
By the way, my list should be changed because the loss of SSG is terrible becuase I can't play a 3 CMC lock on turn 2 (such as Blood Moon) anymore.
Basically a good enchantment deck should have these MUs:
* High chances to win towards Aggro.
* 50-50% chances towards Control.
* Hard times towards Combo, at least pre side.
I think that Abundant Growth is nice as mana fixer and cantip, but I don't really think that we have troubles with the mana base at all considering (at least in my list) the deck is GW with a R splash.
I think that Sythis, Harvest's Hand is not that strong here because one of the advantage of playing this deck is the ability to force the opponent to draw a lot of useless cards towards us (removals for creatures). Otherwise, Courser Kruphix would be a must-include.
4xSolitary Confinement is a big NO in my opinion. It is indeed a strong card, but it locks your hand preventing you from drawing UNLESS you have multiple ways to refill your hand.
===> 2x yes, 4x no in my opnion.
Simian Spirit Guide: the dex of this forum isn't updated, so sorry: it is my fault. Still, this deck need a non-creature way to have 3 mana on turn 2.
Keep in mind that Abundant Growth is quite useless here (aside from the cantrip attached to a CMC 1 enchantment) because it doesn't allow to ramp faster!
I think that this revamped 2017 list may add some good points to the discussion:
23 lands are not too much, but not too few either in order to see 4 in the first 4 turns.
No creatures in order to make useless the removal towards creatures.
Other spells 37 Accelerators 8:
4x Utopia's Sprawl
4x Simian Spirit Guide these two cards are our Llanowar Elves-Fhyndorn Elves and are mandatory to reach 3 mana on turn 2. The first one is better because it is an enchantement and because it is not volatile. With 3 mana we are able to begin casting our lock pieces.
Lock pieces 11:
4x Ghostly Prison
1x Sphere of Safety towards aggro-based decks, these enchantements are strong. The 2nd one is better from the mid-game afterwards.
4x Blood Moon the main lock of the maindeck.
2x Rest in Piece one of the (few) ways to interact directly with the opponent.
Drawers and tutors 8: these slots are the very last changes since 2017.
4x Sterling Grove good because it is a protection to the other enchantements while being a (slow) tutor for specific enchantements pre & post side.
4x Enchantress's Presence easy to cast on turn 2 (idk if it makes sense to play it that early, but you can do) and makes a huge card advantage if we are able to have the 2nd copy on the battlefield.
Closers 5: CMC 5 is the highest CMC acceptable in my opinion.
3-2x Assemble the Legion
2-3x Sigil of the Empty Throne I really like to have two different ways to win with different answers to them.
Resurgent Relief: strong card for a Modern and Legacy Enchantress deck, but there are still tons of graveyard-hating cards at instant speed that makes this new spell useless.
Basically, it is a good card in deck Fog-like that wish to win 1-0 because not only prevents the combat damage, but shuffles your graveyard back into the library or, alternatively, it works as a hate card for the opponent's graveyard.
The problem of this Edict is the fact that force the opponent to sacrifice A CREATURE, not necessarily the attacking one. This makes this card a lot less powerful.
This card is another hate creature towards red and black: they are basically a walking Tormod's Crypt + Leyline of the Void for R&B.
I'm really suprised that this card isn't legendary.
It is a very strong addition to Mono W Aggro-Control (Unspoiler).
Really strong towards:
(1) Burn spell that targets you
(2) Discard spells
(3) Other effects that targets you
What makes this card good is the fact that you can play it twice.
The gain-life part makes me think about the fact that it was designed to annoy Tendrils of Agony-decks...
Basically at 7 life points, Shadow of Mortality is a 7/7 vanilla for BB, whereas Death's Shadow is a 6/6 for vanilla B.
==> not broken, but still valuable considering that the higher CMC can be useful to avoid spell such as Enginered Explosives or similar.
It is still killed by Lightning Boltesque removals, but toughness 3 is still something nice to have.
What makes this card really powerful is that lands have CC = 0.
Maybe nowadays, the B is not mandatory anymore for Glimpse the Unthinkable.
If necessary, it can also be used as a chump-blocker.
Courser Kruphix has limits in the "card advantage" it does because it basically allows you to play lands on the top of your library while gaining some useful hp towards Aggro, but it has a good trait: constitution = 4, a number out of Lightning Bolt-like removals.
I didn't knew Setessan Champion but i think that is quite good: draw engine and a chump-blocker/finisher. This makes this creature less dependant on Sterling Grove than Sythis, Harvest's Hand.
On Thin Ice vs Oblivion Ring is a choice between speed vs versatility.
By the way, my list should be changed because the loss of SSG is terrible becuase I can't play a 3 CMC lock on turn 2 (such as Blood Moon) anymore.
Basically a good enchantment deck should have these MUs:
* High chances to win towards Aggro.
* 50-50% chances towards Control.
* Hard times towards Combo, at least pre side.
I think that Sythis, Harvest's Hand is not that strong here because one of the advantage of playing this deck is the ability to force the opponent to draw a lot of useless cards towards us (removals for creatures). Otherwise, Courser Kruphix would be a must-include.
4x Solitary Confinement is a big NO in my opinion. It is indeed a strong card, but it locks your hand preventing you from drawing UNLESS you have multiple ways to refill your hand.
===> 2x yes, 4x no in my opnion.
I think that this revamped 2017 list may add some good points to the discussion:
Lands 23:
3 Arid Mesa
2 Misty Rainforest
1 Temple Garden
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Terreno Calpestabile
2 Fronde dell'Orizzonte
6 Forest
6 Plains
1 Mountain
23 lands are not too much, but not too few either in order to see 4 in the first 4 turns.
No creatures in order to make useless the removal towards creatures.
Other spells 37
Accelerators 8:
4x Utopia's Sprawl
4x Simian Spirit Guide these two cards are our Llanowar Elves-Fhyndorn Elves and are mandatory to reach 3 mana on turn 2. The first one is better because it is an enchantement and because it is not volatile. With 3 mana we are able to begin casting our lock pieces.
Lock pieces 11:
4x Ghostly Prison
1x Sphere of Safety towards aggro-based decks, these enchantements are strong. The 2nd one is better from the mid-game afterwards.
4x Blood Moon the main lock of the maindeck.
2x Rest in Piece one of the (few) ways to interact directly with the opponent.
Removals 5:
5x Oblivion Ring/Honor of the Pure basically, the same card with two different names. It is basically our Modern Vindicate.
Drawers and tutors 8: these slots are the very last changes since 2017.
4x Sterling Grove good because it is a protection to the other enchantements while being a (slow) tutor for specific enchantements pre & post side.
4x Enchantress's Presence easy to cast on turn 2 (idk if it makes sense to play it that early, but you can do) and makes a huge card advantage if we are able to have the 2nd copy on the battlefield.
Closers 5: CMC 5 is the highest CMC acceptable in my opinion.
3-2x Assemble the Legion
2-3x Sigil of the Empty Throne I really like to have two different ways to win with different answers to them.
Any thought?
Sojourner's Companion: this is Myr Oppressor with a minimal buff. Myr Oppressor has a cooler creature type, though.
Tragic Fall: trollish removal with Hellbent.
Hell Mongrel: too bad that the toughness is 3, the critical number that falls under Lightning Bolt.
(2) It affects R&G spells, not being limited to creatures
===> Empty the Warrens has a new best friend.
It is the powered-up version of Goblin Electromancer, not to mention that is is a COMMON!
==> it seems a sideboard option at most.
This card is another hate creature towards red and black: they are basically a walking Tormod's Crypt + Leyline of the Void for R&B.
I'm really suprised that this card isn't legendary.
It is a very strong addition to Mono W Aggro-Control (Unspoiler).
(1) Burn spell that targets you
(2) Discard spells
(3) Other effects that targets you
What makes this card good is the fact that you can play it twice.
The gain-life part makes me think about the fact that it was designed to annoy Tendrils of Agony-decks...