Magic the Gathering XX: KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANS!!!

[sonofzeal]

Oh, okay. So I guess keywords to look for there are "may" and "up to", huh?

[Sith_Happens]

Oh, okay. So I guess keywords to look for there are "may" and "up to", huh?

If you need a cost incurred and nothing else, then yes.

[sonofzeal]

kk. The goal, I should probably mention, was to sacrifice my own creatures in order to trigger Grave Pact.
Recurring Nightmare was a great way to do that because it's a nice effect, fit the "black non-aura enchantment" theme, and is reliably repeatable. Only problem is that it's actually kind of hard to get any creatures into my graveyard with that deck - not normally the problem you expect to have, but that's life for you.


One other clarification, btw - based on the order presented, I take it you could sacrifice a creature and then return that same creature to your hand, since you pay the cost before selecting the target?

[Narkis]

I seem to have messed up the order. First you pick a target, and then you pay the costs. Sorry about that.

Attrition and Mind Slash are a couple cards that should go well with your deck.

[sonofzeal]

Thanks for the advice, I tried Attrition out and it was excellent! I may have to find space in my Zombie deck for that, too - any Black deck that makes token creatures should enjoy it. Recurring Nightmare, too, but Attrition's definitely better for my Black Enchantment deck.


Unrelated stack question:

When do card texts become active? Can Lys Alana Huntmaster? I notice many cards caveat such things with "other than [card name]", but Huntmaster doesn't.

[houlio]

When do card texts become active? Can Lys Alana Huntmaster? I notice many cards caveat such things with "other than [card name]", but Huntmaster doesn't.

I might be wrong, but I believe that since it says play, and that now equals cast, it won't trigger itself. It might be different if it said whenever a non-token elf creature enters the battlefield under your control, it might trigger itself.

So, I've been tinkering around with a modern deck deck. Any advice on it so far? My local meta has a decent number of tier 1 and 2 decks, with a large number of Pod and Scapeshift players. Lately, UR Delver has gotten bigger, and there's always some Ad Nauseam, Infect, Tron, Affinity, Junk/Jund, and BW tokens around. There's also a lot of brewing always going on, so some it can really change week to week.

Spoiler: Rat-Blade

Show

Lands
3 Polluted Delta
3 Flooded Strand
2 Marsh Flats
2 Godless Shrine
2 Hallowed Fountain
1 Watery Grave
2 Mutavault
2 Island
2 Swamp
2 Plains

Creatures
4 Pack Rat
2 Snapcaster Mage
2 Geist of Saint Traft

Artifacts
1 Sword of War and Peace
1 Sword of Fire and Ice

Instants/Sorceries
2 Esper Charm
2 Treasure Cruise
4 Path to Exile
2 Smother
3 Lingering Souls
1 Slaughter Pact
2 Thoughtseize
2 Inquisition of Kozilek
1 Disfigure
3 Remand
4 Countersquall

Planeswalkers
3 Liliana of the Veil

Sideboard
4 Runed Halo
2 Pithing Needle
3 Timely Reinforcements
2 Thoughtseize
2 Tectonic Edge
2 Stony Silence

Some notes:
I need to find my second watery grave to put in. Some choices are at my current collection's limits, like Snapcaster, Lili, and Geist. I really want to try out Countersquall in this deck, but it might be better with Delver instead of Pack Rat or something. It feels to me like it's pushing in too many directions right now, I might just go back to my Deadguy list or more into an Esper control build depending on how I feel.

[Zombimode]

When do card texts become active? Can Lys Alana Huntmaster? I notice many cards caveat such things with "other than [card name]", but Huntmaster doesn't.

It is not needed in this case. The Huntmaster is only a 3/3 green Elf Warrior creature permanent with an ability while it is on the battlefield. On the stack it is a green Elf Warrior creature spell with CMC 4 and everywhere else it is a green Elf Warrior creature card with CMC 4.

If static abilities would already be active while the card is on the stack, the game would break open spilling out eldrazi-shaped madness

[Lady Serpentine]

Precisely. And if it did have that, I'm fairly sure that it wouldn't trigger on other Huntmasters entering too, yes?

[Mystic Muse]

I'm working on a janky, for fun Modern deck that I need some help with.

It's mono green tron, where the idea is just to get Tooth and Nail, and cheat out Progenitus, along with something that synergizes really well with him. I'm kind of at a loss as to what would be a really good second creature to pull out with him.

[Tychris1]

Something that gives him haste? Or buffs him in general? Knight of New Alara comes to mind, makes your Progenitus a 15/15. Ogre Battlemaster is also nice as well.

I'll try and come back with more ideas when I have sleep.

[Mystic Muse]

Something that gives him haste? Or buffs him in general? Knight of New Alara comes to mind, makes your Progenitus a 15/15. Ogre Battlemaster is also nice as well.

I'll try and come back with more ideas when I have sleep.

Knight of New Alara is pretty much inferior to Gisela.

Avacyn would be good, depending on the matchup.

And yes. I'm entirely aware Iona+Painter's servant is better, but what fun is that? (Very fun, but not what I want.)

[Shadow of the Sun]

Progenitus + Xenagos, God of Revels, perhaps?

Or does that not work because Progenitus has protection from everything? Damn, it doesn't work.

Progenitus + Aurelia, the Warleader might work, but it doesn't do the 20 in one go.

[Khay]

For hilarity, look no further than Rafiq of the Many. Swinging with an 11/11 unblockable double-striker is its own reward.

Unrelatedly, this is what the Topor Orb deck looks like right now. It's... clunky, to be sure, but I kinda like it. What's nice it that it makes other decks a bit clunkier, too - no more Snapcaster Mages! - and it's pretty cheap. Thoughts? I'd love to be able to run Black for Hunted Horror and Treacherous Pit-Dweller, but the deck needs White in it and I don't know if I'd be comfortable with ditching Blue or going three-colour...

[Tychris1]

Alright, I'm back with a new idea. Maelstrom Wanderer. Gives your Progenitus Haste, has a nice 7 Power to hit with it's own haste.

[Khay]

Alright, I'm back with a new idea. Maelstrom Wanderer. Gives your Progenitus Haste, has a nice 7 Power to hit with it's own haste.

Maelstrom Wanderer isn't Modern-legal, unfortunately. There's some creatures that do give Progenitus haste, though, like Urabrask the Hidden.

[sonofzeal]

Two new decks, both W/G:


Cats - Pride and Prowess

Spoiler

Show

4 Loam Lion
2 Brimaz, King of Oreskos
3 Savannah Lions
1 Raksha Golden Cub
1 Ajani, Caller of the Pride
2 Kemba, Kha Regent
4 Leonin Den-Guard
3 Qasali Pridemage
1 Noble Panther

2 Umezawa's Jitte
2 Lightning Greaves
1 Mask of Memory
3 Behemoth Sledge

3 Oblivion Ring
1 White Sun's Zenith
3 Selesnya Charm
2 Beastmaster Ascension

10 Plains
4 Forest
4 Sunpetal Grove
4 Wooded Bastion

I don't have much experience with "equipment" cards. Can anyone recommend some favorites?



Humans - Humility and Power

Spoiler

Show

3 Champion of Lambholt
4 Champion of the Parish
1 Field Marshal
3 Mayor of Avabruck
2 Mikaeus, the Lunarch
3 Knight of the White Orchid
4 Mentor of the Meek
4 Herald of Anafenza
3 Benevolent Bodyguard

4 Gather the Townsfolk
3 Honor of the Pure
3 Light from Within

4 Sunpetal Grove
4 Wooded Bastion
11 Plains
4 Forest

Mentor of the Meek is one of my favorite cards. I'm under the impression that the various "lord" effects stop it from activating, but it's a nice contingency. Not too sure about some of the other picks though. I feel there's better Humans around, and I'm open to suggestion.

[Zombimode]

Mentor of the Meek is one of my favorite cards. I'm under the impression that the various "lord" effects stop it from activating, but it's a nice contingency.

Yes, they do.

[Ninjaman]

@sonofzeal:
I feel Fleecemane Lion should be in the cat deck. As for equipments some of the swords would be nice if you can afford them.
Bonesplitter would also be good for an agressive deck such as this.

As for humans Soldier of the Pantheon is about as good as it gets. Hamlet captain also wants to be in there.

[enderlord99]

You know what I think sounds awesome? A witch-maw^* token deck.

*That's a color combination.

[Mystic Muse]

You know what I think sounds awesome? A witch-maw^* token deck.

*That's a color combination.

Token decks in general are fun. It's why my Ghave EDH is tokens instead of combo.

Also, Witch-maw is my favorite 4 color combo.

[enderlord99]

Token decks in general are fun. It's why my Ghave EDH is tokens instead of combo.

Also, Witch-maw is my favorite 4 color combo.

Who said it wouldn't have combos?

That could also be Ink-treader, but Witch-maw is better because... Umm...

Because it is.

[Mystic Muse]

Who said it wouldn't have combos?

That could also be Ink-treader, but Witch-maw is better because... Umm...

Because it is.

Because Ghave EDH can't run blue.

[Duck999]

I once had a token deck with Essence of the Wild. I had a Feed the Pack so I could sacrifice a non token essence of the wild every turn, and get six more essence of the wilds.

[Svata]

So, my local store has a single copy of the Modern event deck for $50. How quickly should I jump all over this?

[Sith_Happens]

So my cousin is entering a Modern $1K tournament in a week and plans on running the following weird homebrew thing that looks kind of like Jund if you squint a bit:

Spoiler: Deck

Show

Land (22):

x2 Verdant Catacombs
x4 Bloodstained Mire
x4 Blackcleave Cliffs
x1 Overgrown Tomb
x1 Stomping Ground
x1 Blood Crypt
x3 Treetop Village
x1 Mountain
x2 Forest
x1 Swamp
x3 Wooded Foothills

Creature (17):

x4 Monastery Swiftspear
x4 Young Pyromancer
x4 Tarmogoyf
x3 Scavenging Ooze
x2 Courser of Kruphix

Spell (21):

x3 Mutagenic Growth
x4 Thoughtseize
x1 Duress
x2 Inquisition of Kozilek
x4 Lightning Bolt
x1 Forked Bolt
x3 Abrupt Decay
x1 Slaughter Pact
x1 Maelstrom Pulse
x1 Murderous Cut

Sideboard (15):

x2 Anger of the Gods
x1 Golgari Charm
x1 Destructive Revelry
x2 Ancient Grudge
x1 Terminate
x1 Nihil Spellbomb
x2 Surgical Extraction
x1 Blightning
x2 Chandra, Pyromaster
x2 Obstinate Baloth

How much of a chance do you guys think he has? He said he's expecting heavy presences from Delver, Burn, and Ascendancy, which this looks pretty good against, but my gut's telling me that he's going to get his face kicked in by the entire rest of the meta.

[Binks]

Precisely. And if it did have that, I'm fairly sure that it wouldn't trigger on other Huntmasters entering too, yes?

Depends on the wording.
"Whenever you play an Elf spell other than Lys Alana Huntsmaster..." would still trigger on playing other Huntsmasters whereas
"Whenever you play an Elf spell not named Lys Alana Huntsmaster..." would not.

Whenever a card refers to itself by name (you could replace the name with 'this card' and it fits fine) it doesn't apply to other cards with the same name. When talking about all copies of a specific card the template used refers to cards with the same name specifically.

But, of course, that ability isn't static anyways. It's a triggered ability, and those can only go off if they are in their proper zone (battlefield unless explicitly specified on the card) at the moment the triggering event takes place. So Huntsmaster doesn't trigger off itself because it's not on the battlefield when the triggering event (itself being cast) takes place.

[Lea Plath]

So my cousin is entering a Modern $1K tournament in a week and plans on running the following weird homebrew thing that looks kind of like Jund if you squint a bit:

Spoiler: Deck

Show

Land (22):

x2 Verdant Catacombs
x4 Bloodstained Mire
x4 Blackcleave Cliffs
x1 Overgrown Tomb
x1 Stomping Ground
x1 Blood Crypt
x3 Treetop Village
x1 Mountain
x2 Forest
x1 Swamp
x3 Wooded Foothills

Creature (17):

x4 Monastery Swiftspear
x4 Young Pyromancer
x4 Tarmogoyf
x3 Scavenging Ooze
x2 Courser of Kruphix

Spell (21):

x3 Mutagenic Growth
x4 Thoughtseize
x1 Duress
x2 Inquisition of Kozilek
x4 Lightning Bolt
x1 Forked Bolt
x3 Abrupt Decay
x1 Slaughter Pact
x1 Maelstrom Pulse
x1 Murderous Cut

Sideboard (15):

x2 Anger of the Gods
x1 Golgari Charm
x1 Destructive Revelry
x2 Ancient Grudge
x1 Terminate
x1 Nihil Spellbomb
x2 Surgical Extraction
x1 Blightning
x2 Chandra, Pyromaster
x2 Obstinate Baloth

How much of a chance do you guys think he has? He said he's expecting heavy presences from Delver, Burn, and Ascendancy, which this looks pretty good against, but my gut's telling me that he's going to get his face kicked in by the entire rest of the meta.

The swiftspears seem super bad. Personally if I wanted something to be a bit more aggressive I would look at something like Grim Lavamancer cause burning for 2, and killing swiftspear/delver

[sonofzeal]

The swiftspears seem super bad. Personally if I wanted something to be a bit more aggressive I would look at something like Grim Lavamancer cause burning for 2, and killing swiftspear/delver

Not that I'm disagreeing (you probably know better than me), but can you explain why the swiftspears are bad? They've got great vanilla value, and you can pump them further at instant speed by playing spells you could have played anyway. I'm just not sure why they'd be a weak point.

[Ninjaman]

Not that I'm disagreeing (you probably know better than me), but can you explain why the swiftspears are bad? They've got great vanilla value, and you can pump them further at instant speed by playing spells you could have played anyway. I'm just not sure why they'd be a weak point.

The deck is more distruption while adding preasure, swiftspear is better in right-in-your-face decks.

[Lord Loss]

Any idea what direction to take while building an EDH deck with Jacques le Vert as the commander? I've seen a cool Beast tribal deck with an old-school vibe built with him, but I was looking for other ideas before I start brewing.

Thanks!