Magic The Gathering Thread XXIII: Modern is Dead, Long Live Modern

[Androgeus]

its easier to target it with removal then Birthing Pod.

Yhea, but Brithing Pod can’t be your commander.

[Emmerlaus]

Yhea, but Brithing Pod can’t be your commander.

As your commander, the best deck need a focus around it. You cant be original with that kind of commander, you need to follow the pattern to untap it to use it to its full potential. Birthing Pod can go in a LOT more deck without having to be the sole focus. So Birthing Pod is more useful as whole.

And I like the decks I have right now. Im not making a new commander deck simply because its a new commander.

[LansXero]

If you for once would not isolate the issue to only Magic cards and look at other entertainment, they are.

Most kid entertainment is way more expensive and lasts for nothing though. Kid's courses, camps or classes are ruinous, more so than building them an EDH deck.

Not as terrible as before (I assume) but 13 dollars for a paper card used to play a game of which you need at least 60 is ludicrous. Yes I know lands, and there are a lot of cheaper cards building a back bone for decks.

Its an ETERNAL format. This is supposed to mean 'once and done', not 'bring your alt-itis with you and brew often so you have to keep chasing cards and complaining about prices'.

But if I say lands, and think of Ravnica, I am just getting angry again at shock lands being rare. So you want an actual good and fun mana base instead of being screwed with your tapped lands and/or guild gates? Guess you have to buy 4 or 8 dual lands for ten different color combos.

Do you have to though? I've done well with mono-black infect with skythrix as my commander. Its not a pro deck or anything, but there are no shocks in it. And I think the Zurgo decks that made the meta very toxic a couple of years ago didnt either. And for all the janky, wacky, 'competitive in my kitchen table meta' decks out there gates and similar should be enough.

[darkdragoon]

Shocklands are a poor example as they are useful in practically every format they are available.

[tgva8889]

If you want to play the very best Modern decks and you don't already have the cards it's going to cost you a lot of money. Prices range from $400 to $1700 depending on which deck you want to play, and honestly I'm not sure how good all those decks even are. I've played Storm and I don't know how much I'd want to spend $400 on that deck.

If you want to play a lower tier Modern deck, though, there are some reasonable options for less dollars. On the above link, the budget decks are actually decks that I know of and have considered playing at Modern tournaments. You could do much worse than Combo Elves or Merfolk or Martyr Proc or 12 Bolt at the low price of $100.

[Dhavaer]

I had an awesome draft tonight. Opened a Hydroid Krasis and Seraph of the Scales, and won every game with Esper skies. Felt so good.

[thorgrim29]

Did you dip into green or did you go without the 3 in 1 good simic boy?

[Ivor_The_Mad]

I had an awesome draft tonight. Opened a Hydroid Krasis and Seraph of the Scales, and won every game with Esper skies. Felt so good.

Nice. Two really good (and valuable) cards. Esper was such a strong combo for prerelease. I assume its still holding strong? One of my friends pulled a Hydroid Krasis and a Foil Hydroid Krasis in the SAME pack! I mean what are the chances. How did your draft go?

[Emmerlaus]

I dont go on draft like this, too costly and end up with useless cards. But that's just me.

I say that but I moved the countryside, where their is no card game store and nobody who play it sigh...

[Dhavaer]

Did you dip into green or did you go without the 3 in 1 good simic boy?

I tried drafting 5c Gates to play both mythics but it didn't work out. I was amazed I ended up with a solid WuB pool in the end.

[thorgrim29]

Nice. Two really good (and valuable) cards. Esper was such a strong combo for prerelease. I assume its still holding strong? One of my friends pulled a Hydroid Krasis and a Foil Hydroid Krasis in the SAME pack! I mean what are the chances. How did your draft go?

Wow that's a hell of a pack. I saw a guy on youtube pull masterpiece Domri and regular Domri out of a mythic edition pack.

[Zhentarim]

How is Grixis Philosophy different from mono-black?

[LansXero]

How is Grixis Philosophy different from mono-black?

The color pie, clans, shards, etc. are merely shallow justifications for mechanics at play, so looking too deep into it will break things. The concepts asociated with each are merely guidelines for feel, flavor and art, not something to be so thorughly analized because it wont hold up.

[Eurus]

How is Grixis Philosophy different from mono-black?

The color pie, clans, shards, etc. are merely shallow justifications for mechanics at play, so looking too deep into it will break things. The concepts asociated with each are merely guidelines for feel, flavor and art, not something to be so thorughly analized because it wont hold up.

I dunno if I'd call them completely shallow, but I think the one-color and two-color combinations have the clearest identities. Ally shards like Alara tend to be, as you'd expect, centralized around their "middle" color. Three-color combinations can also sometimes be more clearly understood in terms of what they lack.

Grixis is mostly Black, as that's its "primary" color. It's just splashed with Blue/Red for extra insanity. If Black is the philosophy of ambition, Grixis is the consequence of ambition without restraint. It lacks White and Green influences in a very literal sense; it's a place without order or community, where natural life is exploited and hunted. It has a lot of internal contradictions, like any shard, but it's all centered on Black. If you wanted to contrast, say, Grixis to Sultai, the main difference would be that Sultai has a theme of tradition and dynasty -- its Green influence -- that Grixis does not, where Grixis has a theme of passion and impulse that Sultai suppresses. They're both very Black, and they both have the Blue/Black theme of subverting the world for your own gain, it's just that third pillar that gives them a different vibe.

[Tvtyrant]

I would say Grixis is the color combo of reckless intellectual inquiry and personal ambition. A grixis mage isn't satisfied selling their soul to a demon for power, that power has to belong to you. The best grixis mage example in my opinion is Raistlin Majere, who would destroy the universe and trap himself in a void rather then be beneath the gods.

[enderlord99]

Look at this thingy I found on reddit!

[Androgeus]

Look at this thingy I found on reddit!

I like the discussion in the comments about Gilded Drake’s oracle text, which has since been changed to something that easier to understand.

[Douglas]

I like the discussion in the comments about Gilded Drake’s oracle text, which has since been changed to something that easier to understand.

Took a while to dig up when it happened, but that's actually something that was required by the rules changes that came with Dominaria. Specifically, the change to rule 608.2b, which reworded what happens when a spell fails to resolve because its targets became illegal. The new wording specifically does not use the word "counter", so Gilded Drake saying that the rules couldn't counter it stopped having any effect.

[RayGallade]

I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for what I could change to improve this mono red Goblin themed deck that I've been playing in Arena. Up until about 4 months ago, I hadn't tried Standard ever since I try to play on a small budget, so I'm not super familiar with the current meta.

Spoiler: Deck List

Show

3 Torch Courier (GRN)
2 Skirk Prospector (DAR)
4 Goblin Instigator (M19)
2 Sure Strike (M19)
3 Lightning Strike (M19)
2 Cavalcade of Calamity (RNA)
4 Act of Treason (M19)
1 Goblin Chainwhirler (DAR)
3 Goblin Warchief (DAR)
1 Legion Warboss (GRN)
2 Goblin Trashmaster (M19)
1 Rekindling Phoenix (RIX)
2 Siege-Gang Commander (DAR)
2 Banefire (M19)
3 Arcane Encyclopedia (M19)
1 Etali, Primal Storm (RIX)
2 Burning Sun's Avatar (XLN)
22 Mountain

3 Shock (M19)
2 Thud (M19)
4 Goblin Gathering (RNA)
2 Rummaging Goblin (XLN)
2 Cosmotronic Wave (GRN)
1 Siege-Gang Commander (DAR)
1 Mirror March (RNA)

[ImperiousLeader]

I'm not gonna lie, this excited me. Mainly because I need more Trejo and Day9 dates, but also 'cause I made a singleton deck in the last few days of the last event and had a blast. So I'm brewing away. I played an Izzet spellslinger list last time. Debating what to do now ... think 5 colour gates could work?

[Spore]

Some times I love YT comments:

Oh rat colony is your biggest concern
I think you need to see the petitioners

[Emmerlaus]

Some times I love YT comments: Oh rat colony is your biggest concern : I think you need to see the petitioners

I made a Commander decklist for such a deck, I wish I had some feedback for it... It sound like so much fun with the right deck!

Have you seing them in Commander yet? I made a decklist for it. Sidisi Brood Tyrant as the commander, SELF-MILL, Human tribal deck. The winning condition is to bash the opponent with boosted up humans/zombies or self-mill yourself to win with Laboratory Maniac. I made it because of ONE card: Bloodbond March. Imagine being able to bring them ALL back from the graveyard as long as you cast one... I wish I could try it!

Even the only green Advisor creature card, Elder of Laurels, made the deck. He is so strong in this deck too!

Spoiler: EDIT: You know what, here's the decklist:

Show

I prefer make it Sidisi Brood Tyrant deck and make it a Human Tribal Deck. I made this decklist below, they have a nice synergy with each other. Its much more efficient and fun!

IMPORTANT: Dont pick cards that doesnt allow you to choose what you put in the graveyard unless absolutely necessary OR ON BUDGET (I'll explain later). Your Practiced Practionners are already doing random milling after all and you need cards to support them. Your commander dont make that much zombie token by himself, it create ONE zombie even if three creature enter the graveyard in the same time. And dont go below 20 Persistant Petitionners for the theme and deck to work well.

I would go with 10 Island, 10 Forest and 16 special lands, a lot of them dual lands giving you dark mana. You have VERY few cards that need a black mana. This will safe you money on dual lands. I put lots of drawing power in there and cards to get back cards in graveyard to get back lands in your grave but buy Life from the Loam if you have the money for it. It boost that deck strenght a LOT!

Possible upgrade include Westvale Abbey and Intruder Alarm. Budget versions of this deck include cards that allow you to put cards from your library in your graveyard like Grisly Salvage, Grapple from the Past or... Fact or Fiction. Our creatures does that already so I avoided them but its fine for a budget version.

The goal of the deck is to mill yourself, get cards in your graveyard, put a lot of creature on the battlefield to protect you. Its similar to a token deck strategy but Parallel Lives is not needed as its not pure token strategy, its mainly self-mill and human tribal.

Spidersilk Armor and Wonder are a must against flying creatures. Assault Formation make your Persistant pititionner have more punch and may screw with your opponents strategy a lot. I wouldnt remove those. Quest for Renewal is less then 5$ but ITS A MUST in this deck. Its better then Intruder Alarm in this deck and it cost less. Obelisk of Urd is so useful as you will have zombies to convoke it or simply a lot of Persitent Petitionners.

Sidisi Brood Tyrant (Commander)
36 lands (But consider buying Buried Ruins and Svogthos, the Restless Tomb, Mortuary Mire and Dakmor Salvage at the very least!)
22x Persistent Petitioners
Wonder
Elder of Laurels
Deranged Assistant
Eternal Witness
Laboratory Maniac
Kessig Cagebreakers
Werebear
Splinterfright
Tireless Tracker
Rhystic Study
Sylvan Library
Quest for Renewal
Ulvenwald Mysteries
Assault Formation
Bloodbond March (For the awesome combo)
Jace's Erasure
Journey to Eternity // Atzal, Cave of Eternity
Spidersilk Armor
Jarad's Orders (Best used to put Wonder in graveyard and a creature you need in your hand)
Cyclonic Rift
Swan Song
Arcane Denial
Muddle the Mixture
Windfall
Brainstorm
Gnaw to the Bone
Splendid Reclamation
Sudden Reclamation
Mystic Speculation
Taigam's Scheming
Krosan Grip
Fabricate
Stoneforge Masterwork
Coat of Arms
Perpetual Timepiece
Crawlspace
Sol Ring
Obelisk of Urd
Armillary Sphere
Commander's Sphere
Bonehoard
Cauldron of Souls
Jace, Memory Adept

[Zhentarim]

What philosophy would non-green be?

[Emmerlaus]

What philosophy would non-green be?

I think you need to clarify what you mean. Each color has its own philosophy, including different philosophy with mixing manas together.

[Boci]

I think you need to clarify what you mean. Each color has its own philosophy, including different philosophy with mixing manas together.

I think they mean RWBU. In which case, civilization, and everything it represents, minus any thought spared for nature. Human community and co-operation, the greed, the passion, the knowledge such an organization allows us to gather. The onlything useless is nature. We outgrew it, left it behind. Its a source of raw materials, nothing more.

[Androgeus]

What philosophy would non-green be?

Boci's probably on the money, but it is worth pointing out that the 4 colour combinations aren't that well defined.

[Eurus]

Boci's probably on the money, but it is worth pointing out that the 4 colour combinations aren't that well defined.

Yeah, there's a lot of wiggle room with four color combinations. They haven't really been defined well because they're so broad. You can pretty much look up an explanation of Green and think "okay, the opposite of that".

[Karnitis]

I think I found the answer, but none were my exact situation so I'd love y'all's opinion.

Playing two headed giant, where my teammate had angel that gave hexproof to all his creatures. I played Hour of Revelation, which destroys non-land permanents.

Was it correctly ruled that since Hexproof is only hexproof from opponents, that I accidentally wiped his creatures too? Or would his spells been safe from HOR?

[Zhentarim]

Yeah, there's a lot of wiggle room with four color combinations. They haven't really been defined well because they're so broad. You can pretty much look up an explanation of Green and think "okay, the opposite of that".

What really puzzles me is opposite of blue! Why would anybody with any thinking capability be nonblue, philosophically speaking?

[Mystic Muse]

What really puzzles me is opposite of blue! Why would anybody with any thinking capability be nonblue, philosophically speaking?

The color pie, clans, shards, etc. are merely shallow justifications for mechanics at play, so looking too deep into it will break things. The concepts asociated with each are merely guidelines for feel, flavor and art, not something to be so thorughly analized because it wont hold up.

Basically, this.

People are also quite ably demonstrating Mark Rosewater's issue with 4 color cards, which is that's they're more defined by what they lack than what they have.

As for why they would be non-blue, colors represent the character's priorities, and there are plenty of characters for whom intelligrnce is not their priority.