After a good amount of complaining about how there was too much aggro in the format, we finally have a combo deck that is 0 % focused in the red zone and a very slow midrange deck that does nothing significant in the first two - three turns of the game, yet the complaining levels are the same. Damned if there's aggro, damned if there's not, at what point of the metagame is people going to say "wow this is the right moment to play the decks I enjoy". Probably never with the current format, and never after unbanning SFM and Preordain too.
I, for one, like when Sinergy beats goodstuff 3 - 4 color piles. Pile deckbuilding is as straightforward as it comes: 5 small pools of cards and the drill is to choose a combination of 3 of them, 4 some times. Jund for Thoughtseize/Bolt/Goyf, Grixis for Thoughtseize/Bolt/Snapcaster, Mardu for Thoughtseize/Bolt/Lingering Souls, Jeskai for Bolt/Snapcaster/Path and so on. Gets boring fast, just see Standard, and given its late popularity it's not even well received among the players as a whole. Besides, it is an incredibly fragile scenario that would needs tons of additional bans to become reality. Modern's power level is too high for single unsinergisic cards to compete no matter how powerful each one is on its own. Best path left is to unban and foment further card combination that lend themselves to longer games rather than closing them ASAP. Punishing Fire, GSZ and even Dig Through Time look like good candidates. It's sad that time issues keep Top banned but a new card or cards that do what CounterTop did would be great as well.
EDIT: On another topic: question to No Banned List experts: how busted is Mental Misstep in places where NBL is actually played regularly (meaning: no SCG tournaments)? From what I read from Legacy people, the card becomes ubiquitous enough that it the game gets as new rules "every deck starts with 4 Missteps", "everyone starting hand size is reduced by 1" and "everyone starting life total is reduced to 2 or sometimes more". That sounded plausible but then again, Legacy people is quite quirky regarding how their format should be so it's worth to hear Modern resident's opinion who also have experience with the card. If it effectively slows down the game and encourages less 1 CMC, then its unbanning should be considered seriously, even if its stupid powerful. The main worry would be it helping blue way too much thanks to Snap but given its otherwise lack of early permission it is probably deserved.
I'm looking for suggestions that meet the following:
Written entries, neither videos nor podcasts unless those are MTGO playthroughs.
No affiliation at all with store sites or any lucrative activity that could be driving what they declare.
The more Modern the better.
Man she's bland, looks like a Precon walker. Other than a matchup like UW control where they have flier finishers, artifacts and enchantments, feels like a liability that dies fast.
This is exactly what I didn't want to see on Core Set 2019: the chance for exciting reprints wasted in order to make uninspired and generic new cards for the sake of being new cards.
How big was the Eldrazi portion of the field? Given that all that was needed was to add 4 Eye of Ugin to the deck it wouldn't be surprising if it placed a lot if it was a lot of the field to start up with.
With 4 Eye and 4 Temple, how often can the deck drop a turn 2 Thought-Knot Seer? Other than that opening combo shouldn't have much to worry about the Eldrazis.
Still can't believe that on a field of flying 20 / 20 indestructibles, turn three 10 unblockable infect damage or fully powered Storm the breakout performance was done by an aggro deck even less disruptive than Humans...
Are there any big Standard events coming anyway? If not, everyone will call it wrap and just wait until all the power red cards rotate out. Theoretically this is the point where Standard loses playerbase but honestly it hasn't had much people to begin with.
That said, I feel that BR = Jund and Teferi = Jace the Mind Sculptor.
I shudder to imagine history repeating itself after Jund rotates out...
I wouldn't say Chainwhirler is the defining or most powerful card of those decks even if they all feature 4 of it. It's merely the middle of the curve where both Monored aggro and BR Midrange converge. Unless other decks have 1 toughness creatures it is one of the least threatening cards in the deck. It can finish a Teferi or Chandra that used their -3 immediately maybe but other than that dies to any kind of removal and doesn't hit for much. It seems another attempt at inflating Dominaria hype but other than that Red has far better cards out there. Bomat, Hazoret, Phoenix, Glorybringer and even Chandra are better than it and of those only Phoenix, Hazoret and Glorybringer look ridiculously OP. Banning Ramunap ruins and Rampaging Ferocidon was a lame attempt at dancing around the real offenders IMO.
The fair and unfair motifs have come to the point they can only enact utter disdain. Thrown out there expecting them to make the whole argument for people. What you can substitute when someone starts using them:
"Hey I'm paper, please nerf scissors because I'm fair, neither sharp edges nor hard surfaces here. Rock and scissors are unfair, it doesn't matter if the meta becomes 100 % me because I'm fair, I'm entitled to it".
The more these two comes in vogue the more reason to ignore them and use metagame percentages, matchups and win rates as the sole measure to judge whether a deck deserve banning or not. Care for balance, and the rest will follow.
I suppose all she could have known is that there had been a broker for the contract, but she couldn't have known who he was, that's why the "I'm boned" face after realizing it was Nicol Bolas himself.
Anyway, now we totally need a Slave of Bolas card with Liliana being the (not) innocent victim depicted. It makes even more sense since apparently she can't planeswalk anymore so she's a mere creature again. It would also be a fitting end for her relentless pursue of power.
Well, Humans is a top tier deck and there's always the caveat that they can beat anything with the proper draw. However, on average, the following pile up:
Humans' anti-creature setup is near useless against Bogles. Reflector Mage only bounces Spiritdancer and Phantasmal Image doesn't have anything of value to copy from the Bogles' side.
Bogles is very redundant and little reliant on single cards, thus Humans' disrupting package also loses a lot of power: Freebooter taking any one Aura is easily to shrug off and the best Meddling Mage can do is to name Daybreak Coronet and expect you to have multiples in hand, so path to exile can be reserved for that.
Usually a Bogle grows and hits faster than what Humans can deploy to the table, so eventually they're forced to block, which is futile against a big creature that has both first strike and trample.
The average way Bogle wins is by having a 8 / 8 or bigger creature with trample, first strike, vigilance and lifelink and Humans having at best a 5 / 5 Champions and Liutenants which can't even be used to block en masse since that merely exchanges with an Umbra.
Humans can pull wins if they catch Daybreak Coronet with Meddling Mage, or by having a busted, multiple Champion opening backed by a Thalia which slows down the aura deployment. But on average Bogles is favored.
Sick of getting my Elves killed by removal all day long, I bought this deck from a friend and entered a small tournament. Removal spells, here I go!
Match 1
Game 1: I know the guy and he plays a sort of GW Taxes / Value deck. I keep a hand with Slipery Bogle and Auras on the play. Drop Bogle, turn two enchant double rangcor and then... FUUUU who the hell plays maindeck Ratchet Bomb!!? The bogle goes to the graveyard and I didn't draw another creature.
Side in three Stony Silence.
Game 2: Hand of Bogle and auras again. He didn't have a turn 2 bomb so the bogle goes to town. Later he played a Spellskite which along some creatures makes stop my offense. Luckily I drew a Stony Silence and without outs he dies to the bogle.
Game 3: A double vial start and all gas manages to stop me, I tested the waters and indeed he had a instant Spellskite to take a Rancor for me. At some moment he only has the spellskite to block at 5 live and I Path it and put some Rancors, but the vials do a number with Saffi and Reclamation sage. There's simply too much EtB shenanigans and I didn't recover.
Never drew a Spiritdancer this match. Too bad, was looking forward to play her.
Match 2
Game 1. This player has been piloting Elves as of late so I think this could be fun but then ARGH HE SWITCHED TO LANTERN!! Ensnaring Bridge is out and I have no outs. Side in 4 Leylines, 3 Stony Silence, 3 Seal of Primordium.
Game 2 I keep a hand of Leyline, three Spiritdancers, two auras and a land, confident on using the draws to offset his mill rocks. Five turns later I still don't draw my 2nd land. By the time I did he already has several bridges and a Pixis to avoid the Leyline. He manages to mill my Seals and I concede since I have less disenchant effects than the number of Bridges in play.
Oh Bolts and Pushs, where art thou?
Match 3. Amulet Bloom. First game he had a slow start and my Kor Spiritdancer gets massive a Titan gets tiny. I don't really have cards against him, decided to bring 2 Runed Halo to name Titan and a Worship to buy time.
Game 2. This goes long. He has a decent start of Titan and Ruric Thar by turn 4 and I have two paths for both of them. I proceed to make Spiritdancer big with Daybreak Coronet. Although he has double Reclamation Sage to take it out, I have another one at the ready with auras to pair it. Titan can't push through a 9 / 7 lifelink first strike vigilance creature and he succumbs. Later he shows me Cyclonic Rift, Back to Nature and Fracturing Gust in the deck.
I'm disappointed, all the control and midrange removal decks where gone since last time I entered. On another point, I fell in love with Kor Spiritdancer despite not having hexproof herself. Doesn't take too much to grow her to sizes that can't be dealt at all with combat and that feeling of play card - draw card is always heartwarming.
On another point, people HATE losing to decks like this and dedicates a disproportionate part of the SB to beat it. I guess I'll have to bring another deck next time to make them pay for that SB Back to Natures.
oh yeah and dont forget ravnica is a multicolored block with a crap ton of humans. the color requirements should keep them from being too good in a humans tribal deck right? /s
Well although there are humans on Ravnica it has this kind of Star Wars vibe where there also has to be other anthropomorphic races and the occasional oddballs to give its cosmopolitan vibe. With Elves, Goblins, Elephants, Dryads, Spirits, Devils, Minotaurs, Flamekin, etc. luckily someone in the development crew has the foresight to procure the playable creatures get nonhuman types, just as they did their best to spread beatdowns creatures across most types possible to avoid getting any value of Cavern of Souls last time [/salty].
Eh I cannot imagine a Ravnica Arc where Jace gets no card. Sure they said they downplay Gatewatch at least on cards but I am Jace hater and even I think he should get a card for this arc. Plus there is a chance they break the normal rules for Walker Numbers in this set.
A playable Bolas would be nice.
As fellow Jace hater I feel no remorse for wanting no Jace at all in RtRtR. They could have easily put them all to rest right after Hour of Devastation but couldn't help not bringing him back immediately in Ixalan. There went his last chance he had to be a protagonist. Tamiyo would have been a worthy blue walker if only they didn't turned her into Bant so let's see if there's another female to take the blue walker role (Narset could drop the white, already dropped the red).
The core set could be a great chance to have the Gatewatch as a planeswalker cycle of reprints. They don't steal anyone's spotlight in the story of future sets yet they still hang around in the Standard tables.
Ideal M19 planeswalker cycle:
Jace, Architect of Thought
Chandra, Torch of Defiance
Gideon of the Trials
Liliana of the Veil
Nissa, Worldwaker or Nissa, Vital Force
Was that tweet before of after made a Lantern primer himself?
Yeah I suspect Lantern's skill level if a bit overrated. Getting to the control position does require some maneuvering but once the Bridge is set it gives me the impression the only thing you care are cards that blow Bridge or win through a Bridge, which are a very small subset of cards for most decks. The deck really needs a way to close the game fast though, an opponent used Jace for good effect here.
We truly need a team trio of closest-to-Stasis - Lantern - No win condition UW. Stream would be epic.
I have PSTD from facing these deck before... the opponent used Thran Temporal Gateway as his engine. since the ability costs 4, it is possible to chain several Sagageddons in a row and keep the opponent from reaching above two mana. The Eldest reborn allowed him to use my precious Jaya against me...
Hope you guys get into something solid, more people need to have their lands destroyed.
I, for one, like when Sinergy beats goodstuff 3 - 4 color piles. Pile deckbuilding is as straightforward as it comes: 5 small pools of cards and the drill is to choose a combination of 3 of them, 4 some times. Jund for Thoughtseize/Bolt/Goyf, Grixis for Thoughtseize/Bolt/Snapcaster, Mardu for Thoughtseize/Bolt/Lingering Souls, Jeskai for Bolt/Snapcaster/Path and so on. Gets boring fast, just see Standard, and given its late popularity it's not even well received among the players as a whole. Besides, it is an incredibly fragile scenario that would needs tons of additional bans to become reality. Modern's power level is too high for single unsinergisic cards to compete no matter how powerful each one is on its own. Best path left is to unban and foment further card combination that lend themselves to longer games rather than closing them ASAP. Punishing Fire, GSZ and even Dig Through Time look like good candidates. It's sad that time issues keep Top banned but a new card or cards that do what CounterTop did would be great as well.
EDIT: On another topic: question to No Banned List experts: how busted is Mental Misstep in places where NBL is actually played regularly (meaning: no SCG tournaments)? From what I read from Legacy people, the card becomes ubiquitous enough that it the game gets as new rules "every deck starts with 4 Missteps", "everyone starting hand size is reduced by 1" and "everyone starting life total is reduced to 2 or sometimes more". That sounded plausible but then again, Legacy people is quite quirky regarding how their format should be so it's worth to hear Modern resident's opinion who also have experience with the card. If it effectively slows down the game and encourages less 1 CMC, then its unbanning should be considered seriously, even if its stupid powerful. The main worry would be it helping blue way too much thanks to Snap but given its otherwise lack of early permission it is probably deserved.
Written entries, neither videos nor podcasts unless those are MTGO playthroughs.
No affiliation at all with store sites or any lucrative activity that could be driving what they declare.
The more Modern the better.
This is exactly what I didn't want to see on Core Set 2019: the chance for exciting reprints wasted in order to make uninspired and generic new cards for the sake of being new cards.
With 4 Eye and 4 Temple, how often can the deck drop a turn 2 Thought-Knot Seer? Other than that opening combo shouldn't have much to worry about the Eldrazis.
Still can't believe that on a field of flying 20 / 20 indestructibles, turn three 10 unblockable infect damage or fully powered Storm the breakout performance was done by an aggro deck even less disruptive than Humans...
That said, I feel that BR = Jund and Teferi = Jace the Mind Sculptor.
I shudder to imagine history repeating itself after Jund rotates out...
"Hey I'm paper, please nerf scissors because I'm fair, neither sharp edges nor hard surfaces here. Rock and scissors are unfair, it doesn't matter if the meta becomes 100 % me because I'm fair, I'm entitled to it".
The more these two comes in vogue the more reason to ignore them and use metagame percentages, matchups and win rates as the sole measure to judge whether a deck deserve banning or not. Care for balance, and the rest will follow.
Anyway, now we totally need a Slave of Bolas card with Liliana being the (not) innocent victim depicted. It makes even more sense since apparently she can't planeswalk anymore so she's a mere creature again. It would also be a fitting end for her relentless pursue of power.
The average way Bogle wins is by having a 8 / 8 or bigger creature with trample, first strike, vigilance and lifelink and Humans having at best a 5 / 5 Champions and Liutenants which can't even be used to block en masse since that merely exchanges with an Umbra.
Humans can pull wins if they catch Daybreak Coronet with Meddling Mage, or by having a busted, multiple Champion opening backed by a Thalia which slows down the aura deployment. But on average Bogles is favored.
Match 1
Game 1: I know the guy and he plays a sort of GW Taxes / Value deck. I keep a hand with Slipery Bogle and Auras on the play. Drop Bogle, turn two enchant double rangcor and then... FUUUU who the hell plays maindeck Ratchet Bomb!!?
Side in three Stony Silence.
Game 2: Hand of Bogle and auras again. He didn't have a turn 2 bomb so the bogle goes to town. Later he played a Spellskite which along some creatures makes stop my offense. Luckily I drew a Stony Silence and without outs he dies to the bogle.
Game 3: A double vial start and all gas manages to stop me, I tested the waters and indeed he had a instant Spellskite to take a Rancor for me. At some moment he only has the spellskite to block at 5 live and I Path it and put some Rancors, but the vials do a number with Saffi and Reclamation sage. There's simply too much EtB shenanigans and I didn't recover.
Never drew a Spiritdancer this match. Too bad, was looking forward to play her.
Match 2
Game 1. This player has been piloting Elves as of late so I think this could be fun but then ARGH HE SWITCHED TO LANTERN!! Ensnaring Bridge is out and I have no outs. Side in 4 Leylines, 3 Stony Silence, 3 Seal of Primordium.
Game 2 I keep a hand of Leyline, three Spiritdancers, two auras and a land, confident on using the draws to offset his mill rocks. Five turns later I still don't draw my 2nd land. By the time I did he already has several bridges and a Pixis to avoid the Leyline. He manages to mill my Seals and I concede since I have less disenchant effects than the number of Bridges in play.
Oh Bolts and Pushs, where art thou?
Match 3. Amulet Bloom. First game he had a slow start and my Kor Spiritdancer gets massive a Titan gets tiny. I don't really have cards against him, decided to bring 2 Runed Halo to name Titan and a Worship to buy time.
Game 2. This goes long. He has a decent start of Titan and Ruric Thar by turn 4 and I have two paths for both of them. I proceed to make Spiritdancer big with Daybreak Coronet. Although he has double Reclamation Sage to take it out, I have another one at the ready with auras to pair it. Titan can't push through a 9 / 7 lifelink first strike vigilance creature and he succumbs. Later he shows me Cyclonic Rift, Back to Nature and Fracturing Gust in the deck.
I'm disappointed, all the control and midrange removal decks where gone since last time I entered. On another point, I fell in love with Kor Spiritdancer despite not having hexproof herself. Doesn't take too much to grow her to sizes that can't be dealt at all with combat and that feeling of play card - draw card is always heartwarming.
On another point, people HATE losing to decks like this and dedicates a disproportionate part of the SB to beat it. I guess I'll have to bring another deck next time to make them pay for that SB Back to Natures.
Well although there are humans on Ravnica it has this kind of Star Wars vibe where there also has to be other anthropomorphic races and the occasional oddballs to give its cosmopolitan vibe. With Elves, Goblins, Elephants, Dryads, Spirits, Devils, Minotaurs, Flamekin, etc. luckily someone in the development crew has the foresight to procure the playable creatures get nonhuman types, just as they did their best to spread beatdowns creatures across most types possible to avoid getting any value of Cavern of Souls last time [/salty].
As fellow Jace hater I feel no remorse for wanting no Jace at all in RtRtR. They could have easily put them all to rest right after Hour of Devastation but couldn't help not bringing him back immediately in Ixalan. There went his last chance he had to be a protagonist. Tamiyo would have been a worthy blue walker if only they didn't turned her into Bant so let's see if there's another female to take the blue walker role (Narset could drop the white, already dropped the red).
The core set could be a great chance to have the Gatewatch as a planeswalker cycle of reprints. They don't steal anyone's spotlight in the story of future sets yet they still hang around in the Standard tables.
Ideal M19 planeswalker cycle:
Jace, Architect of Thought
Chandra, Torch of Defiance
Gideon of the Trials
Liliana of the Veil
Nissa, Worldwaker or Nissa, Vital Force
What is Eldrazi taxes anyway?
Yeah I suspect Lantern's skill level if a bit overrated. Getting to the control position does require some maneuvering but once the Bridge is set it gives me the impression the only thing you care are cards that blow Bridge or win through a Bridge, which are a very small subset of cards for most decks. The deck really needs a way to close the game fast though, an opponent used Jace for good effect here.
We truly need a team trio of closest-to-Stasis - Lantern - No win condition UW. Stream would be epic.
Hope you guys get into something solid, more people need to have their lands destroyed.