I am of the opinion that while mechanics can return I would hedge my bet towards draftable mechanics.
Unearth is a great mechanic in a draft environment so it is a possibility.
One reason I do not think we would get flusterstorm as a card is due to the fact that storm as a mechanic is not a mechanic wizards likes to print and its really bad in draft.
Only point I have on this is that the newer players can spike events especially in the case of combo decks by narrowing their vision on just executing their plan.
This is why they can see some success whereas an established player may overthink plays and hedge against certain risks that may not be present.
It may be you beating yourself by not going for it in very tight spots and committing all in. Since you have a great wealth of knowledge on the format it may be that you are biased in your plays.
It may also be your own desire to succeed that hinders your success as strange as that can be.
Personally I have found myself doing this in arena or in paper because I am playing against myself by crediting my opponent too much.
Either way, I think you can bounce back from the state of things and you can make it back to success.
Lets try this:
I am somewaht unsatisfied with my current decks (UW Control, Wildernes Reclamation, Mono white Pillowfort, Bogles), so help me finding a new one. I really prefere non-meta decks, but also no budget decks.
Oh and I never cast a lightning bolt and I do not indent to do so.
Cards you already own: I own almost every card that sees at least some play and modern and is not red.
Colors you like to play: I like Bant and Esper, everything containg blue and no red.
Style you like to play : I really like rogue decks, control and combo
Level you want to play at, or aim to build up to: FNM level
Thanks for your help
Whir prison with thopter sword combo can be a great way to enjoy an esper list without committing to full control.
There are controlling elements of the deck and you can get an engine online with sword of the meek and thopter foundry few decks can fight effectively once you have all your prison pieces.
If you want to be grindy control that is great against midrange or control strategies straight esper control can scratch that itch. There is also a good thread in established control with varying builds.
Really it depends on your meta and how much you care about winning in that meta vs just playing for the aspects of play that certain decks will allow you to experience.
One thing to note is that phoenix decks can also transform into a pyromancer's ascension deck which can lock up games against fair decks without graveyard hate in the main. Additionally, having access to crackling drake makes this into a game of cat and mouse where the phoenix deck can ignore the graveyard hate you HAVE to put in against ascension.
This transformative nature of the deck and angle of attack that pyromancer's ascension gives the deck is pretty powerful as well.
An example of this is the Dylan Donnegan match where he was able to cycle through his entire deck at one life and kill his opponent from 21 life in a very storm-esque fashion.
The xerox nature of the deck is why it can transform into ascension so easily. Multiple people pointed out this as a very big possibility post KCI ban and it seems they were correct that those decks would pick up the metashare.
Hopefully, MH and WAR come with some tools that fair decks need again to fight this. As I've stated, I do not think that control decks are far off and don't need insane answers printed but we do need some additional tools to win games.
As a control player, I think we are pretty close to good enough to consistently hitting top 8's of tournaments if we get a few more tools. One thing is that while counterspell is balanced out by the fact that cavern of souls and aether vial exists, it would still be a boon in the right matchups.
Sometimes having negate or logic knot at the wrong times can lead to losses. If I get counterspell this will help my decks with some consistency and as much as it will homogenize my counters and it also affords me some ability to put in one-offs since I have a consistent turn 2 counter. I've used one counterflux in jeskai builds or one to two disallow before however, these do not pair well with conditional counterspells because it may force you to use this for the wrong situation instead of holding it for what you actually have it in the deck for.
Also, for the arguments that I need some sort of hammer to win games consistently, I am pretty sure jace or teferi can definitely fill this role, especially when backed by counterspell. I am missing why I need some magical I win button. I play control to grind my opponent methodically and play the matchup as best I can.
This is why I don't play combo. If you're wanting a magical T4 I win button, and you're asking for certain things to be back because you think that's control. It's not. It's tempo combo which is completely different.
Stop asking for combos back under the guise of it being for control reasons.
I'm more of the opinion at this point that War of the sparks spoilers and Modern Horizon spoilers can't come fast enough. It's very comparable to childlike anticipation of Christmas.
I agree. I need to rub it in the faces of my friends if Counterspell is back. Many others online are saying that it's a shoo-in, so I hope they are not letting me down.
I bought a playset of Counterspell from Jace's spellbook. To add to that I also bought a playset of Baleful Strix and Shardless Agents. My body is ready.
I have foil playset of mercadian masques and FNM counterspell that I picked up recently.
I am also going to buy some baleful strix because I love that card. If we get those and swords to plowshares that's all I want personally.
I'm more of the opinion at this point that War of the sparks spoilers and Modern Horizon spoilers can't come fast enough. It's very comparable to childlike anticipation of Christmas.
The back end of Looting then comes down to deck building and what the deck is trying to do, which doesn't have to do with color. a 3 mana draw two discard two is not an unbalanced card.
No one is debating that it's weaker casting looting with flashback. However, having flashback is relevant especially on turns where you have nothing else to do. That's the point. It's able to be used multiple times. Of course, deckbuilding comes into no one even stated that it didn't. The point may be that the extra consistency of being able to be used on its own due to naturally having flashback may be making the decks that build around it too consistent.
I do not think we should be banning it, however, there is a difference and careful study would be a nerfed version if they wanted to hit the decks that abuse it without annihilating the decks.
The backend of faithless looting is relevant. There are times when that deck needs more velocity and being able to do a second looting with excess mana does push this further. Which is why a page back I suggested if you're wanting careful study reprinted into modern, when there was already a strong looting effect you could ban faithless and have a "nerfed" faithless looting.
I'd be extremely surprised if people predicting careful study getting a reprint into modern is possible considering the state of faithless looting. However, one big point which cannot be undersold is that careful study does not have flashback.
This would mean that even though it's extremely similar to faithless looting, it's much more of a nerf to something like dredge because it is a dead card if dredged into your graveyard. It's also one time use unless given flashback so this also a nerf in general to that type of card effect. It may very well be that a ban of looting into a reprint of careful study into modern would give similar serum visions/preordain feel.
It may be the mechanics themselves not the cantrip that is to blame or a printing of something like containment priest may help cool things down. Time will tell.
I think though it wouldn't be as hard as you'd think to get this into arena. Assuming the coding/ruling system is as robust as WOTC has claimed it is really all that would be needed is a set akin to Masters Edition used to reprint vintage/legacy staples into MTGO.
The real question is, depending on what the new product is for Modern that they were supposed to announce. If this was a modern reprint set with some new cards, they could just port this over to arena. Honestly, if you thought you weren't going to have to buy your way into modern again with arena, then I don't know what you are expecting.
Not surprise midrange is doing poorly with how the meta is right now. I hope that KCI either eats a ban or they print better hate and unban certain cards. No not twin. Not really ever wanting that card back, I'd rather have a 5 cost enchantment first
I don't remember saying anything about a two color deck with plenty of basics being punked by BM. One of the reasons I play miracles in modern is the ease in which I don't care about BM, and have a good shot against creature based decks which are in greater numbers these days. Also, I've found my way out of more than a few BM soft locks and always craft my decks with a plan for BM, just like I plan for other things as well.
This all comes down to design and how someone chooses to build their deck and how they mulligan. As you've stated people should be including basics in their deck for BM which forces them to stay more honest.
Also, if someone loses their first game to BM, they know what they're getting into, and it's time to plan accordingly. Obviously, that is not fool proof and people will lose some matches where even with the best sideboard plans and the draws just don't line up.
This situation of losing to something that you planned very well for and the draws don't line up isn't just a BM problem. There are plenty of format warping cards and I think we've established that modern is diverse; which means sometimes there will be a game warping effect you tried your best to plan for but still lost to.
I think at the end of the day I'd rather see that card exist to punish strategies that BM punishes even if there is some games I lose even planning for it. That's just my two cents.
Unearth is a great mechanic in a draft environment so it is a possibility.
One reason I do not think we would get flusterstorm as a card is due to the fact that storm as a mechanic is not a mechanic wizards likes to print and its really bad in draft.
This is why they can see some success whereas an established player may overthink plays and hedge against certain risks that may not be present.
It may be you beating yourself by not going for it in very tight spots and committing all in. Since you have a great wealth of knowledge on the format it may be that you are biased in your plays.
It may also be your own desire to succeed that hinders your success as strange as that can be.
Personally I have found myself doing this in arena or in paper because I am playing against myself by crediting my opponent too much.
Either way, I think you can bounce back from the state of things and you can make it back to success.
Keep your chin up foodchaingoblins.
Whir prison with thopter sword combo can be a great way to enjoy an esper list without committing to full control.
There are controlling elements of the deck and you can get an engine online with sword of the meek and thopter foundry few decks can fight effectively once you have all your prison pieces.
If you want to be grindy control that is great against midrange or control strategies straight esper control can scratch that itch. There is also a good thread in established control with varying builds.
Really it depends on your meta and how much you care about winning in that meta vs just playing for the aspects of play that certain decks will allow you to experience.
This transformative nature of the deck and angle of attack that pyromancer's ascension gives the deck is pretty powerful as well.
An example of this is the Dylan Donnegan match where he was able to cycle through his entire deck at one life and kill his opponent from 21 life in a very storm-esque fashion.
The xerox nature of the deck is why it can transform into ascension so easily. Multiple people pointed out this as a very big possibility post KCI ban and it seems they were correct that those decks would pick up the metashare.
Hopefully, MH and WAR come with some tools that fair decks need again to fight this. As I've stated, I do not think that control decks are far off and don't need insane answers printed but we do need some additional tools to win games.
Sometimes having negate or logic knot at the wrong times can lead to losses. If I get counterspell this will help my decks with some consistency and as much as it will homogenize my counters and it also affords me some ability to put in one-offs since I have a consistent turn 2 counter. I've used one counterflux in jeskai builds or one to two disallow before however, these do not pair well with conditional counterspells because it may force you to use this for the wrong situation instead of holding it for what you actually have it in the deck for.
Also, for the arguments that I need some sort of hammer to win games consistently, I am pretty sure jace or teferi can definitely fill this role, especially when backed by counterspell. I am missing why I need some magical I win button. I play control to grind my opponent methodically and play the matchup as best I can.
This is why I don't play combo. If you're wanting a magical T4 I win button, and you're asking for certain things to be back because you think that's control. It's not. It's tempo combo which is completely different.
Stop asking for combos back under the guise of it being for control reasons.
I have foil playset of mercadian masques and FNM counterspell that I picked up recently.
I am also going to buy some baleful strix because I love that card. If we get those and swords to plowshares that's all I want personally.
No one is debating that it's weaker casting looting with flashback. However, having flashback is relevant especially on turns where you have nothing else to do. That's the point. It's able to be used multiple times. Of course, deckbuilding comes into no one even stated that it didn't. The point may be that the extra consistency of being able to be used on its own due to naturally having flashback may be making the decks that build around it too consistent.
I do not think we should be banning it, however, there is a difference and careful study would be a nerfed version if they wanted to hit the decks that abuse it without annihilating the decks.
This would mean that even though it's extremely similar to faithless looting, it's much more of a nerf to something like dredge because it is a dead card if dredged into your graveyard. It's also one time use unless given flashback so this also a nerf in general to that type of card effect. It may very well be that a ban of looting into a reprint of careful study into modern would give similar serum visions/preordain feel.
It may be the mechanics themselves not the cantrip that is to blame or a printing of something like containment priest may help cool things down. Time will tell.
The real question is, depending on what the new product is for Modern that they were supposed to announce. If this was a modern reprint set with some new cards, they could just port this over to arena. Honestly, if you thought you weren't going to have to buy your way into modern again with arena, then I don't know what you are expecting.
This all comes down to design and how someone chooses to build their deck and how they mulligan. As you've stated people should be including basics in their deck for BM which forces them to stay more honest.
Also, if someone loses their first game to BM, they know what they're getting into, and it's time to plan accordingly. Obviously, that is not fool proof and people will lose some matches where even with the best sideboard plans and the draws just don't line up.
This situation of losing to something that you planned very well for and the draws don't line up isn't just a BM problem. There are plenty of format warping cards and I think we've established that modern is diverse; which means sometimes there will be a game warping effect you tried your best to plan for but still lost to.
I think at the end of the day I'd rather see that card exist to punish strategies that BM punishes even if there is some games I lose even planning for it. That's just my two cents.