The only reason fast combo is a problem in Modern is because anything that could be an answer to them is either banned or doesn't exist in the format. I realize they have a certain vision for Modern, but I feel like the format is becoming less appealing not more. It feels like a format with a lot of powerful cards and few answers. Rather than allowing more types of decks they seem to want to reduce diversity. Combo is an important part of a healthy metagame. It keeps aggro in check.
The only reason fast combo is a problem in Modern is because anything that could be an answer to them is either banned or doesn't exist in the format. I realize they have a certain vision for Modern, but I feel like the format is becoming less appealing not more. It feels like a format with a lot of powerful cards and few answers. Rather than allowing more types of decks they seem to want to reduce diversity. Combo is an important part of a healthy metagame. It keeps aggro in check.
What aggro? I don't know whether this is enough to make non-affinity aggro viable, but getting rid of consistent turn-3 kills makes it possible at least.
I didn't see Seething Song coming, but I'm very happy it's there. Noninteractive decks are just not fun for anyone. I can't even imagine they're fun for the people who play them...they play them to win, not because they enjoy not playing Magic. Even Splinter Twin has gone in a very interactive direction. I don't think this kills Storm, but it might make the Storm player at least acknowledge that his opponent exists and have to do something to prevent him from winning the game before Storm goes off.
Not only that, this doesn't kill off combo by any means. Scapeshift and Twin are still there, winning a turn or two slower than Storm. We'll have to see, but maybe it makes combo more a part of the game, because I think one of the pieces that has prevented some of the slower combo decks from getting used is the fact that if they can't pull off a turn-3 win or prevent Storm from doing it, they're just not going to win. Maybe some Through the Breach decks or something like that have a chance now.
It really leaves Eggs as the only non-interactive deck left, but it's hardly a big part of the metagame. I guess some decks are too boring even for Storm players.
They'd already crippled blue storm with the Frantic Search banning ages ago (though it still exists in a much easier-to-beat state), but red storm was just banned completely out of existence despite it being easily hated out and not being in the top three decks right now (which are probably Mono Blue, UR Post, and Mono-Green Stompy). I think there may be a lot of people at Wizards on the "we wish we never printed Storm" bandwagon and the Modern bannings may partially reflect that as well.
I did not see the song ban coming, then again I dont mind it either.
The ban did completely kill storm though, so I do not understand their statement of 'While there are other options for fast mana, none appear as efficient and reliable on turn three as Seething Song'.
There really arent any, unless you count lotus bloom?
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I did not see the song ban coming, then again I dont mind it either.
The ban did completely kill storm though, so I do not understand their statement of 'While there are other options for fast mana, none appear as efficient and reliable on turn three as Seething Song'.
There really arent any, unless you count lotus bloom?
I don't know. The more I look at it, the more I agree with you that Storm is just dead as a deck.
There are potential replacements, I suppose. Lotus Bloom, like you mention. Simian Spirit Guide? The problem is that this deck has been built to be more and more reliant on instants, and those aren't instants.
If it can't produce as much mana, then it has to lower the cost of its spells, which probably means Goblin Electromancer. With so much removal in the format though and nothing else in the deck to direct it at, that's really hard. It means the Storm deck will have to protect its creature, and is there room in a Storm list for actual interactive cards while maintaining enough gas to (eventually) go off?
I think Storm remains a deck only in that you could put 60 cards together and say it's a Storm deck. I don't think it will win. The deck's premise has long been that if it needed to, it could go off even without the pieces and just draw into them. Now the four best cards it could draw into are gone, and that makes life really hard without a complete re-tooling of the deck. Even then I doubt it could be made workable in a reasonable time.
RGoblinsR
RWerewolf StompyR
URU/R DelverRU
RGBelcherGR
BThe GateB
GBLoam PoxBG
WGBNic FitBGW
UHigh TideU
UMerfolkU
UFaerieNinjaStillU
WBUAffinityUBW
GSquirrelsG
UWGSliversGWU
If that was the case, they could have done the ban at the DGM banlist update.
What aggro? I don't know whether this is enough to make non-affinity aggro viable, but getting rid of consistent turn-3 kills makes it possible at least.
I didn't see Seething Song coming, but I'm very happy it's there. Noninteractive decks are just not fun for anyone. I can't even imagine they're fun for the people who play them...they play them to win, not because they enjoy not playing Magic. Even Splinter Twin has gone in a very interactive direction. I don't think this kills Storm, but it might make the Storm player at least acknowledge that his opponent exists and have to do something to prevent him from winning the game before Storm goes off.
Not only that, this doesn't kill off combo by any means. Scapeshift and Twin are still there, winning a turn or two slower than Storm. We'll have to see, but maybe it makes combo more a part of the game, because I think one of the pieces that has prevented some of the slower combo decks from getting used is the fact that if they can't pull off a turn-3 win or prevent Storm from doing it, they're just not going to win. Maybe some Through the Breach decks or something like that have a chance now.
It really leaves Eggs as the only non-interactive deck left, but it's hardly a big part of the metagame. I guess some decks are too boring even for Storm players.
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Heh, yeah. You may be right on that one.
Though obviously it's the Modern banned list that is going to be discussed here, there were other bans, and I think they might be instructive.
They'd already crippled blue storm with the Frantic Search banning ages ago (though it still exists in a much easier-to-beat state), but red storm was just banned completely out of existence despite it being easily hated out and not being in the top three decks right now (which are probably Mono Blue, UR Post, and Mono-Green Stompy). I think there may be a lot of people at Wizards on the "we wish we never printed Storm" bandwagon and the Modern bannings may partially reflect that as well.
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The ban did completely kill storm though, so I do not understand their statement of 'While there are other options for fast mana, none appear as efficient and reliable on turn three as Seething Song'.
There really arent any, unless you count lotus bloom?
Give irony and sarcasm, when ignorance and stupidity is found.
The whip is kept for special occasions
I don't know. The more I look at it, the more I agree with you that Storm is just dead as a deck.
There are potential replacements, I suppose. Lotus Bloom, like you mention. Simian Spirit Guide? The problem is that this deck has been built to be more and more reliant on instants, and those aren't instants.
They can't be found by Epic Experiment. They can't be recurred through Past in Flames. They can't trigger a Pyromancer Ascension. Simian Spirit Guide doesn't add to the Storm count. Lotus Bloom is a completely blank card except in an opening hand...imagine cantripping into one with Manamorphose, for instance, while going off. Oops, that's not Seething Song.
If it can't produce as much mana, then it has to lower the cost of its spells, which probably means Goblin Electromancer. With so much removal in the format though and nothing else in the deck to direct it at, that's really hard. It means the Storm deck will have to protect its creature, and is there room in a Storm list for actual interactive cards while maintaining enough gas to (eventually) go off?
I think Storm remains a deck only in that you could put 60 cards together and say it's a Storm deck. I don't think it will win. The deck's premise has long been that if it needed to, it could go off even without the pieces and just draw into them. Now the four best cards it could draw into are gone, and that makes life really hard without a complete re-tooling of the deck. Even then I doubt it could be made workable in a reasonable time.
Now can we unban Preordain?
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