Magic the Gathering XIX: Heroic- Bump this thread.

[Somensjev]

shenanigans
is
easy
in
modern

[raymundo]

why.. why does this thing exist?

Because it's fun (to some number of Magic players, I guess).

The plus-abilities are quite good. Both of them do relevant stuff, and against creature decks you probably won't need to block and can safely swing with your dudes - that are either pretty big by now, or of which you have drawn a decent amount. Pretty good card overall, and reasonably costed.

Imho unplayable in Modern and Legacy, though. EDH fans will play anything big and splashy, so it's an instant favorite I guess.

I don't know how playable he necessarily is, but I do like the new Ajani.

I'm 99% certain there will be a lot of GWx decks with him. Big Naya with him and Domri could be swell, though he doesn't exactly give a lot of love to your Stormbreath Dragons.. except for finding it. Making lategame mana dorks into 4/4s is kinda relevant for these kind of decks. I'm pretty excited about losing to him soon!

[Sith_Happens]

why.. why does this thing exist?

Because the +1's are both good and if you can actually activate his ultimate then you've almost certainly won (then again, that's true of most ultimates)?

Does nothing.

This Ajani is a midrange card, and any midrange deck that lets the game last long enough to lose 100 life is doing it wrong.

[Loreweaver15]

I would go with Isochron Scepter, ways to copy Isochron Scepter and ways to search it up.
Flashback and Retrace might help.

The cycles of Auras that bring themselves back from the graveyard could help too. Rancor and such.

The whole thing might end up looking much like a Storm EDH by the end, with a serious focus on targeting spells. But that's purely conjecture on my part.

---------------------

By the by, I have a question.
I've been playing more and more Modern and was wondering. Say I already had a mono B deck dedicated to making my opponent sacrifice as many creatures/permanents as possible which was using Blood Artist and it's flying cousin to nickel-and-dime the opponent to death.

If I wanted to up the threat rating of such a deck without going into other colors are there better choices than Blood Artist and Falkenrath Noble?
Rarest cards the deck has now are Damnation and Phyrexian Obliterator if that helps.

You should not be running Falkenrath Noble. Can I see the deck? Because I have another version.

[unseenmage]

You should not be running Falkenrath Noble. Can I see the deck? Because I have another version.

Here it is.

Those Bitterblossoms are sweet. I don't care for Grave Pact for my version though. But I might if I had the blossoms.

[Loreweaver15]

Here it is.

Those Bitterblossoms are sweet. I don't care for Grave Pact for my version though. But I might if I had the blossoms.

For reference, I'm poor as hell; most of my builds are hypothetical and not in my actual possession, except for my Legacy RDW and that beautiful, beautiful Azusa deck. :D

[unseenmage]

For reference, I'm poor as hell; most of my builds are hypothetical and not in my actual possession, except for my Legacy RDW and that beautiful, beautiful Azusa deck. :D

Ah. I too suffer from the poorness. Imagine my surprise when, the day before I first took this deck to a Modern event, I find two of the Damnations squirreled away in a random junk deck. Turns out I'd packed them back in the day and forgot about them.
Managed to top 4 the FNM that weekend. Even managed to take down the Emrakul Gifts deck that had been winning every week.
That was the weekend that made me want to upgrade this deck.

But yeah, if I post a deck, it's because those are my actual cards.

[Loreweaver15]

Ah. I too suffer from the poorness. Imagine my surprise when, the day before I first took this deck to a Modern event, I find two of the Damnations squirreled away in a random junk deck. Turns out I'd packed them back in the day and forgot about them.
Managed to top 4 the FNM that weekend. Even managed to take down the Emrakul Gifts deck that had been winning every week.
That was the weekend that made me want to upgrade this deck.

But yeah, if I post a deck, it's because those are my actual cards.

i find it more interesting/helpful to craft the ultimate forms of the decks, so we can figure out what to shoot for.

[unseenmage]

i find it more interesting/helpful to craft the ultimate forms of the decks, so we can figure out what to shoot for.

Which is fine. I don't do much theoretical optimization with MtG. Which is why I probably ask for help from folks like you more often than I might.

I am a casual at heart. Variant play, useless combos, and making the best of what cards I have handy are my strengths.

Knowing what the current meta is like for tourney play, which cards are the current chase rares, and how to up the threat rating of a given fun deck I happen to pilot to top 4 in a random FNM? Not so much.

[Tvtyrant]

All right, I'll build you a three-color Modern Godsire deck. Should be fun!

Thanks! I appreciate the help.

[9mm]

I don't know how playable he necessarily is, but I do like the new Ajani.

just put it in a Junk deck with Sanguine Bond.

[Duck999]

The new Ajani seems too good for 5 mana. 2 plus 1 abilities, and a minus 8, starting at 4. The minus 8 gives a huge bonus to your life.

Also, the thread should have the card prefix.

[RaggedAngel]

The new Ajani seems too good for 5 mana. 2 plus 1 abilities, and a minus 8, starting at 4. The minus 8 gives a huge bonus to your life.

Also, the thread should have the card prefix.

On the contrary, he's probably too weak to see serious play.

1. By turn five most games have been decided in standard; all that's left is clean-up. He does not help you stabilize.

2. His first +1 does nothing if you don't already have creatures out, but is otherwise decent.

3. His second +1 can whiff, and even if it hits you've spend five mana to draw one card.

4. His Ultimate doesn't affect the board at all and doesn't actually help you win.

To clarify, I like the card and think it's pretty solid. But say that it's overpowered is crazy.

[Mystic Muse]

Ajani is probably too weak to see play in anything except Standard and EDH.

[raymundo]

On the contrary, he's probably too weak to see serious play.

1. By turn five most games have been decided in standard; all that's left is clean-up. He does not help you stabilize.

2. His first +1 does nothing if you don't already have creatures out, but is otherwise decent.

3. His second +1 can whiff, and even if it hits you've spend five mana to draw one card.

4. His Ultimate doesn't affect the board at all and doesn't actually help you win.

To clarify, I like the card and think it's pretty solid. But say that it's overpowered is crazy.

I've been playing a decent amount of Standard, and your first point is quite wrong. MonoU devotion and 1-drop heavy aggro decks can end games quickly, but most games go well beyond fifth turn without being decided. Both his plus abilities will give you the edge in grindy games. The first ability is especially nifty, since it will pump looooots of mana dorks - one of the weaknesses of midrange-y decks with mana acceleration is how bad a mana dude on turn 4+ is.

But you are very right that he is nowhere near overpowered, just a decent card. The ultimate is just bonus, if gaining 100 life will win you a game (by not losing it in the next few turns), so be it. Just don't use it if you don't need it.
The prospect of suddenly being at 110 life, instead of 10 life? That's a pretty big effect on the board, since you won't need to block for quite some time. If your opponent is already so much ahead that you'll die anyway, you probably already lost that game some turns ago.

Ajani is probably too weak to see play in anything except Standard and EDH.

I agree, and like to add Block. I foresee a Bant-ish ramp list with loads of Ajanis and Elspeths becoming rather decent.

[Somensjev]

i quite like kruphix, i mean, they probably could've done much better, but he works

not sure if he'll see much play in standard, since i don't follow the metagame, and i rarely play that format

what are other's thoughts on him?

[RaggedAngel]

i quite like kruphix, i mean, they probably could've done much better, but he works

not sure if he'll see much play in standard, since i don't follow the metagame, and i rarely play that format

what are other's thoughts on him?

He's not like an uber-powerful unstoppable engine or anything, but I like him. He works quite well with the "______ of Kruphix" cards that have been in previous parts of the set, which is more than can be said for some of the other gods. He has a fairly low cost, and if left unchecked can give you quite the advantage assuming your deck is control-ish or at least generates a lot of mana.

[9mm]

In honor of the new Ajani

Spoiler: Junk Prison

Show

4 Stab Wound
4 Pacifism
4 Nylea's Presence
4 Sphere of Safety
4 Arrest
3 Sanguine Bond
3 One Thousand Lashes
3 Verdant Haven

4 Ajani, Mentor of Heroes

4 Scholar of Athreos
3 Servant of Tymaret

4 Temple of Plenty
4 Temple Garden
4 Temple of Silence
4 Overgrown Tomb
4 Temple of Malady

so far, the results are silly.

[Duck999]

Kruphix looks fun. The mana might be less useful when it is colorless, but it is great for higher mana cost stuff and mana cost X. Sage of Hours also looks fun to play with. It might even be useful in the right commander deck.

[Mr._Blinky]

So in honor of our newest god, I built a new deck, and it seems pretty awesome.

[Grytorm]

Don't you love that moment when you begin imagining a new deck that is likely absolutely horrible and probably won't get enough cards to make it good? And oh you will never get around to putting the deck together anyway.

[Somensjev]

i'm thinking i might try to get a kruphix, and throw him in a modern deck, with a mycosynth lattice probably gonna be a horrible deck, but it could be fun

also, i'm gonna remake a monogreen i had before, it ran 4 liquimetal coatings, and 4 splinters, and the rest of the cards were ramp, or chump blocks, and quite a bit of deathtouch, people in my casual group conceded against the deck more times than they cared to remember

[Shadow of the Sun]

Woah, we're getting a functional reprint of City of Brass!

[Mystic Muse]

So, working on the mana base for my WBG aggro deck for Modern. Right now, what it looks like is

Spoiler: Mana base

Show

4x Marsh Flats
4x Verdant Catacombs
4x Razorverge Thicket
2x Overgrown tomb
2x Swamp
1x plains
1x Forest
1x Temple Garden
1x Godless Shrine
4x Treetop village

I'm debating what should stay and what needs to go. I have 3 Tectonic edges, and 2 Stirring Wildwoods, along with a playset of ghost quarters somewhere. I'm just debating what makes the most sense to take out, if anything, or if I should just leave it like that.

Here's the deck as a whole

Spoiler: Whole deck

Show

4x Wilt Leaf-liege
4x Lingering Souls
4x Abrupt Decay
4x Path to Exile
4x Loxodon Smiter
4x Liliana of the veil
4x Birds of Paradise (May Deathrite Shaman Rest in Peace.)
4x Dark Confidant
4x Qasali Pridemage
4x Marsh Flats
4x Verdant Catacombs
4x Razorverge Thicket
2x Overgrown tomb
2x Swamp
1x plains
1x Forest
1x Temple Garden
1x Godless Shrine
4x Treetop village

Tarmogoyfs I can't get right now, and are probably never going to happen anyway. For what I'd pay for them, I could build Junk Depths in Legacy. I've considered removing things for Discard, but right now only have 3 Inquisition of Kozilek and no Thoughtseize. I have no Scavenging Oozes.

[Duck999]

First of all, now some decks cannhave the equivalent of 8 city of brass in them.
Next, the black mythic will probably be the worst because it costs 8 mana, and black has few ramp cards.

[Loreweaver15]

I dunno, dude, Mindslaver and Sorin got play.

[Mr._Blinky]

I dunno, dude, Mindslaver and Sorin got play.

Mindslaver cost colorless and could be payed for in two installments, while Sorin was significantly cheaper (the difference between 6 and 8 mana is huge) and did other powerful things. Perhaps most importantly, the fact that Worst Fears self-exiles means you can't Snapcaster it, and using recursion to get a lock out of Mindslaver is one of the main reasons that card has been effective.

[RaggedAngel]

Mindslaver cost colorless and could be payed for in two installments, while Sorin was significantly cheaper (the difference between 6 and 8 mana is huge) and did other powerful things. Perhaps most importantly, the fact that Worst Fears self-exiles means you can't Snapcaster it, and using recursion to get a lock out of Mindslaver is one of the main reasons that card has been effective.

Multiple turns of Mindslaver is dramatically stronger than one turn of it. Sorin is good because of his "go to 10" ability, mostly; his ultimate is mostly cool fluff.

[Seatbelt]

Why is City of Brass good? Aren't there other lands that do that now without the ping?

[memnarch]

Why is City of Brass good? Aren't there other lands that do that now without the ping?

Those lands either require mana to keep on the field when you play them, are limited only to creatures, are limited in uses, or some combination of undesirable effects (enters tapped).

While it'll sting a couple of times while you find the other lands you want, it'll greatly help smooth out the opening mana available for a multicolor deck.