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

[Dhavaer]

Edit: I just realized there are dual lands in Standard due to bicycles. So cabal stronghold could be used with a splash.

It can't, it only checks basic swamps.

The exile clause from Contempt is at least as important as being an instant; maybe try Settle the Score?

[Tvtyrant]

I'll give it a try and save up for Vraskas.

What do people think about a single Lich's Mastery? The deck tends to fill about 15 cards in the grave over a game, and I use a lot of lifegain for arguel anyway.

[Svata]

Yeah, but ANY time you lose life you have to exile stuff. Including paying into the Blood Fast.

[Tvtyrant]

That's fair. Well the torments over chupathingies will help.

A lot of people playing Cabal Stronghold decks seem to be going for Mastermind's acquisition, but it seems ludicrously expensive mana-wise even for this deck. There aren't particularly specific answers in black right now so you would be wishing for one of a few cards anyway, which you could run 4 ofs.

Edit: I have gotten a lot of games in recently, and some changes have been made. Chupacabra is out, replaced by Torment of Venom as a 2 for 1 instant removal spell. Chupacabra's body is too small to matter in most matchups.

I"m also switching out Golden Demise, currently trying expertise but might end up on Bontu. Too many aggro decks are made of 2/3s or 3/3s these days.

Torment is great, adding a third to the main over a Josu.

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[Dhavaer]

I haven't had a chance to run my Esper Control deck yet (FNM didn't fire) but I'm already thinking about how to shift into midrange. Heroes and Villians. I'm still thinking about the sideboard, how to split Thopter Arrest and Ixalan's Binding, what the best mix of five-drops is, and whether Gideon is any good, but I think the core is pretty solid and I like how the mana curve worked out.

Sideboard: Definitely Duress and Authority of the Consuls. Lost Legacy seems like an easy add as well. Probably Nezahal for the control matchup.
Arrest vs Binding: Arrest curves out from Knight of Malice. Binding hits more and stops extra copies. Maybe change from 3/2 to 2/3.
5-drops: Reversing the number of Lyra and Teferi might be a good idea. Definitely not buying another Scrabbles so close to rotation.
Gideon: Curving out from KoM is good. Being a 4/4 beater is good. +1 and emblem could be useful. Maybe I should just get more removal, though?

Any thoughts?

[Tvtyrant]

I haven't had a chance to run my Esper Control deck yet (FNM didn't fire) but I'm already thinking about how to shift into midrange. Heroes and Villians. I'm still thinking about the sideboard, how to split Thopter Arrest and Ixalan's Binding, what the best mix of five-drops is, and whether Gideon is any good, but I think the core is pretty solid and I like how the mana curve worked out.

Sideboard: Definitely Duress and Authority of the Consuls. Lost Legacy seems like an easy add as well. Probably Nezahal for the control matchup.
Arrest vs Binding: Arrest curves out from Knight of Malice. Binding hits more and stops extra copies. Maybe change from 3/2 to 2/3.
5-drops: Reversing the number of Lyra and Teferi might be a good idea. Definitely not buying another Scrabbles so close to rotation.
Gideon: Curving out from KoM is good. Being a 4/4 beater is good. +1 and emblem could be useful. Maybe I should just get more removal, though?

Any thoughts?

I only play the one deck, so I don't know what it feels like from the perspective of other decks.

But Teferi is just about the most irritating thing a player can cast. It ticks up for card and mana advantage, ticks down as a real removal spell that also gains you card advantage, and ultimates as an actual win con.

Chart seems weak in a control shell, you aren't looking to play 19 lands so you can afford to play better card advantage. Chart is a tempo and aggro card (it seems to me).

I have a hunch scarab god is better then demonlord, but since white is running a million exile effects that might not be true.

[Dhavaer]

Chart seems weak in a control shell, you aren't looking to play 19 lands so you can afford to play better card advantage. Chart is a tempo and aggro card (it seems to me).

This is midrange, not control. I am playing better card advantage (Karn, Teferi, sometimes Belzenlok) but Heiroglyphic and Glimmer aren't what I'm looking for - I don't care much about playing at instant speed and I have some small creatures to attack with, so paying 2 mana for 2 cards is a better deal than 4 for 2, even with a scry stacked on.

I do think I could use some more enablers, though, as I don't think Gideon is reliable enough. Knight of Grace is a possibility, but my only small enabler is Knight of Malice.

[Tvtyrant]

This is midrange, not control. I am playing better card advantage (Karn, Teferi, sometimes Belzenlok) but Heiroglyphic and Glimmer aren't what I'm looking for - I don't care much about playing at instant speed and I have some small creatures to attack with, so paying 2 mana for 2 cards is a better deal than 4 for 2, even with a scry stacked on.

I do think I could use some more enablers, though, as I don't think Gideon is reliable enough. Knight of Grace is a possibility, but my only small enabler is Knight of Malice.

I actually meant just add more teferis, he adds mana for removal, draws cards and wins games. I hate that guy...

[9mm]

Started re-evaluating my modern seasons past deck:

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Creatures:
4x Tireless Tracker
1x Nissa, Vastwood seer
1x twilight profit
1x Emrakul, The promised end

Planeswalkers
2x Lilliana the last hope

Spells
1x Dark Salvation
4x fatal push
2x Inquisition of Kozelik
2x Ultimate price
2x grasp of darkness
1x Lost legacy
4x Bontu's last reckoning
4x Hero's Downfall
3x Read The Bones
1x Vraska's Contempt
4x Dark Petition
1x Nissa's Renual
1x Seasons Past

Lands
4 Evolving wilds
2 Feild of ruin
10x swamps
6x forest

Sideboard
1x Nissa Vital force
2x Dead Weight
2x Infinite Obliteration
2x Inquisition of kozilek
3x Naturalise
4x ???? (currently 1x Torment of Scarabs, flaying tendrils, Gonti, Lord of Luxury, Hour of Glory)

what's ya'll thoughts on Cast Down (or other removal spell) over Grasp of Darkness? Also I have 4-5 pretty open Sideboard slots that I'm sure I'm not using efficiently and could use some advice on.

[The_Admiral]

https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/20-0...z-deck/update/

Behold a Brawl deck I've been working on. Opinions?

[Techwarrior]

Grasp vs Cast Down comes down to two questions. Is BB hard on your mana base? Is 5+ toughness more common than indestructible? Occasionally the non-legend clause comes up too.

With evolving wilds and field as your fixing, BB is probably difficult to cast early. I personally don't have too frequent of an issue with indestructible, but YMMV. I would say that cast is generally better, but a split is also easily doable and helps with testing.

[9mm]

Grasp vs Cast Down comes down to two questions. Is BB hard on your mana base? Is 5+ toughness more common than indestructible? Occasionally the non-legend clause comes up too.

With evolving wilds and field as your fixing, BB is probably difficult to cast early. I personally don't have too frequent of an issue with indestructible, but YMMV. I would say that cast is generally better, but a split is also easily doable and helps with testing.

BB is super easy, the deck was built when Grasp was taking the fatal push slot. Yes the actual removal package should be metagamed before an event, but since I haven't played modern in forever, I have no idea what the common threats are anymore.

[Techwarrior]

Arcbound Ravager, Knight of the Reliquary, Gurmag Angler (occasional Tasigur), Wurmcoil Engine, Meddling Mage, Hollow One, and Tarmogoyf were the most relevant creatures from each deck I played against at ThNM last week. -X/-X in modern generally is only relevant against regenerate (Ezuri, Welding Jar). Cast Down doesn't hit Tasigur or Ezuri. No other commonly played legendary creatures relevant in modern spring to my mind (other than Geist obviously).

Test both cards in the slot. What kind of budget are you on? Good cards are expensive and all that. Suggesting things like Thoughtseize, Maelstrum Pulse, or Collective Brutality don't help if they are beyond what you are willing and want to spend.

[Svata]

Other common legends in Modern? Thallia and Thallia, mainly.

[Dhavaer]

Baral in Storm.

[Shadow of the Sun]

Tasigur is on a down-swing, but he's also reasonably common in black decks. Ezuri is pretty key in elf decks, and people still play Kiki Jiki every now and then, too.

[tgva8889]

I mean, Griselbrand is also a combo piece people play that you can't kill with Cast Down. Can't kill it with Grasp either, though, so it doesn't really make a difference? Same with Tasigur, if you're choosing between Cast Down and Grasp you can't touch either. Midrange sometimes plays Kalitas, though not often, so it might matter to you there. Jace, Vryn's Prodigy is also a card some people play that you might want to be able to handle with most of your removal.

At the same time, Grasp of Darkness doesn't kill Siege Rhino and can sometimes not be able to kill Tireless Tracker, Tarmogoyf, or Scavenging Ooze. It may also not kill Gurmag Angler or Death's Shadow, or Master of Etherium if Affinity chooses to play that.

[Dhavaer]

Has anyone tried building around The Antiquities War? I'm thinking of trying out something like this, although I don't like some of the card choices. I think I'd drop the compasses, boards and a few lands for renegade's map, another battle, and probably Karns and filigree familiars.

[9mm]

Every time I play with Tatyova in limited I want to go try and make her work in constructed... It hurts.

[tgva8889]

Has anyone tried building around The Antiquities War? I'm thinking of trying out something like this, although I don't like some of the card choices. I think I'd drop the compasses, boards and a few lands for renegade's map, another battle, and probably Karns and filigree familiars.

I saw a deck built around it once in a video, but I don't recall the details. I haven't myself, though. It was an opponent in a recent SaffronOlive video if I recall correctly, if you're looking for inspiration. In general, I'd probably suggest playing mostly artifacts that actually do something if you can and avoiding things like Navigator's Compass, which is kind of trash. Treasure Map and Karn seem like your best cards and you should be playing 4 if you can, besides of course many copes of The Antiquities War. I believe the deck played Ornithopter and lots of ways to make Thopters and Servos, which is a decent way to go since you get more out of each card. Thopters in particular are useful since they have flying, so they ensure you get more damage through when you actually finish your Saga.

It seems like a cool deck, as The Antiquities War is itself a reasonably powerful card. Might want to play it with the Standard Storm deck that runs Paradoxical Outcome and Inspiring Statuary (which now that I think about it is probably a card you want to play anyways), or maybe try to work those shells together? It certainly seems like there's a deck here.

[Amaril]

How's this look as an upgraded version of the Hazoret Aggro challenger deck?

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Creatures (23)
4 Bomat Courier
4 Fanatical Firebrand
2 Soul-Scar Mage
3 Earthshaker Khenra
3 Ahn-Crop Crasher
3 Goblin Chainwhirler
2 Hazoret the Fervent
2 Glorybringer

Planeswalkers (1):
1 Chandra, Torch of Defiance

Spells (12):
4 Shock
2 Magma Spray
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Abrade

Lands (24):
4 Sunscorched Desert
20 Mountain

Sideboard (15):
2 Magma Spray
2 Abrade
4 Sweltering Suns
3 Kari Zev's Expertise
2 Sentinel Totem
2 Key to the City

[Bucky]

Building around Antiquities War for Standard? Consider these options...

Renegade Map/Traveler's Amulet (partly replacing land slots and partly replacing Navigator's Compass; you preserve them for the War finale if you have enough lands, and you can Board the Weatherlight into next turn's land drop)

Specific recommendations here: -4 Navigator's Compass, -4 Crypt of the Eternals, -1 Field of Ruin, +1 Plains, +1 Island, +1 Swamp, +4 Renegade Map, +2 Traveller's Amulet.

Edifice of Authority/ Deadlock Trap/ Icy Manipulator/ Pacification Array (threat and blocker mitigation; combine with sweepers for a control plan)

Glassblower's Puzzleknot (additional digging)

[Emmerlaus]

I made a EDH deck about Toothy, Imaginary Friend... and I would like some feedback.

So their it is:

Commander: BING BONG! (Toothy, Imaginary Friend)
+ Pir, Imaginary Rascal (sigh, I guess)

Creatures : (17)

1x Faerie Swarm
2x Drift of Phantasms
3x Laboratory Maniac
4x Stuffy Doll
5x Solemn Simulacrum
6x Tempest Djinn
7x Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur
8x Curious Homonculus
9x Chimeric Mass
10x Chasm Skulker
11x Vexing Sphinx
12x Blighted Agent
13x Quicksilver Gargantuan
14x Burnished Hart
15x Archetype of Imagination
16x Viral Drake
17x Gilder Bairn
18x Cyclone Sire


Enchantements : (7)

19x Inexorable Tide
20x Archmage Ascension
21x Eyes of the Watcher
22x Arcane Laboratory
23x Propaganda
24x Corrupted Conscience
25x As Foretold

Instant/Sorcery (23)

25x Words of Wisdom
26x Muddle the Mixture
27x Dream Fracture
28x Countervailing Winds
29x Brainstorm
30x Snakeform
31x Counterspell
32x See Beyond
33x Ghostly Flicker
34x Arcane Denial
35x Scatter to the Winds
36x Learn from the Past
37x Windfall
38x Echoing Truth
39x Swan Song
40x Cyclonic Rift
41x Tezzeret's Gambit
42x Fuel for the Cause
43x Stubborn Denial
44x Hyriam Recall
45x Curse of the Swine
46x Flood of Recollection
47x Bioshift


Artefacts : (11)

48x Otherworld Atlas
49x Thran Dynamo
50x Everflowing Chalice
51x Sol Ring
52x Hedron Archive
53x Grindclock
54x Library of Leng
55x Whispersilk Cloak
56x Isochron Scepter
57x Swiftfoot Boots
58x Thought Vessel
59x Cauldron of Souls

Planewalkers (1)

60 x Jace, Memory Adept

Lands: (38)

Mostly Basic Islands
1x Reliquary Tower
1x Field of Ruin
1x Myriad Landspace
1x Halimar Depths
1x Command Tower
1x Vivid Grove
1x Vivid Creek

[Androgeus]

I made a EDH deck about Toothy, Imaginary Friend... and I would like some feedback.

So their it is:

Commander: BING BONG! (Toothy, Imaginary Friend)

Any particular reason you're not taking advantage of the Partner ability and using Pir as a co-commander? Even if you don't plan on casting him, it would give you access to green.

[Emmerlaus]

Any particular reason you're not taking advantage of the Partner ability and using Pir as a co-commander? Even if you don't plan on casting him, it would give you access to green.

The main reason is that I realized Toothy can be an awesome commander on his own with his drawing capacity. But I must admit that I fixed this deck from cards I already had. It was cheaper for me to not splash green. But I think by putting cards like Collective Restraint, Tempest Djinn, Faerie Swarm, etc., I can make this deck strong without the need to splash green.

Im considering adding Sigil of Distinction to the deck as well. Found it both useful in such deck as well as thematic to Inside Out.

[Fable Wright]

The main reason is that I realized Toothy can be an awesome commander on his own with his drawing capacity. But I must admit that I fixed this deck from cards I already had. It was cheaper for me to not splash green. But I think by putting cards like Collective Restraint, Tempest Djinn, Faerie Swarm, etc., I can make this deck strong without the need to splash green.

Im considering adding Sigil of Distinction to the deck as well. Found it both useful in such deck as well as thematic to Inside Out.

Collective Restraint, in a mono-color deck, is just a worse Propaganda.

If you can figure out a way to bounce Sigil of Distinction, so you don't wind up with a 0 charge counter version, then it's definitely a great pick. Otherwise, I'm uncertain.

[Emmerlaus]

Collective Restraint, in a mono-color deck, is just a worse Propaganda.

If you can figure out a way to bounce Sigil of Distinction, so you don't wind up with a 0 charge counter version, then it's definitely a great pick. Otherwise, I'm uncertain.

... Do you mean if its bounced? I can just recast it again then right? Beside, if they waste their bounce on that card, they are in for some surprises later on. I can just Proliferate to get some more lol

But of course, I could replace "Sigil of Disctinction" with " Unity in Purpose ". Getting two +1/+1 counter as well as allowing me to untap two creature with +1/+1 counter on them could be useful.

I could replace Collective Restraint with Crawlspace I guess? Collective Restraint is not that bad I think because no opponents would pay 4 mana to attack me but... is Crawlspace actually better?

[Mystic Muse]

... Do you mean if its bounced? I can just recast it again then right? Beside, if they waste their bounce on that card, they are in for some surprises later on. I can just Proliferate to get some more lol

But of course, I could replace "Sigil of Disctinction" with " Unity in Purpose ". Getting two +1/+1 counter as well as allowing me to untap two creature with +1/+1 counter on them could be useful.

I could replace Collective Restraint with Crawlspace I guess? Collective Restraint is not that bad I think because no opponents would pay 4 mana to attack me but... is Crawlspace actually better?

Crawlspace is better. In a mono blue deck, Collective restaint only adds 1 to the cost for attacking crwatures, because it counts basic land TYPES (Island, Mountain, Plains, Forest, swamp) not just basic lands.

[Emmerlaus]

Crawlspace is better. In a mono blue deck, Collective restaint only adds 1 to the cost for attacking crwatures, because it counts basic land TYPES (Island, Mountain, Plains, Forest, swamp) not just basic lands.

Wow, one word change everything! We being using that card wrong in my group then!

Ok, Will do that then!

EDIT: The adjusted deck:

+1 Jace, Unraveler of Secrets
+1 Jace Memory Adept
+1 Unity of Purpose
+1 Crawlspace
+1 Thought vessel

-1 Riddleform
-1 Primal Amulet
-1 Collective Restraint

For a total of 61 cards and 38 lands... Considering my deck is build for drawing cards, I figured 38 lands is not the end of the world.

I realized my math was wrong in my number of sorceries and Instant cards. It gave me room for other cards to put in there. I didnt remove the Sphinx bone wand because I could still increase the number of charge counter on it, helping me getting rid of a few threats on the field more consistantly then Lux Cannon.

It pains me but I wont put Sigil of Distinction in the deck. I just dont have the room.

[The_Admiral]

IMO, it's not that great, Mono Blue just doesn't have the density of effects needed to really abuse toothy. You need to dip into green.