If you heard what Ian Duke just said about the Abzan deck and its combo matchups, I believe wizards views BGx as the modern format police man.
Who doesn't?
People can hate the deck as much as they want. There is no other deck that can take that role.
I agree. Just pointing it out for the non believers.
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Level 2 in progress...
UUU Merfolk UUU "Above the waves you may be mighty indeed, but down here you belong to me."
-Empress Galina
UBR Cruel Control UBR "The essence of every world, every spell, and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
-Nicol Bolas
Well there will always be people who won't be happy with the metagame no matter what it looks like but I like it and imo it doesn't look as bad as some people think. You can never make everyone happy. This is fact.
That's not a fact, it's silly rethoric to keep people happy with crop.
Facts are hard data. 30 percent of the field is Abzan good stuff midrange. Control doesn't exist (Twin, Scapeshift aren't control, UWR is bad) and yet the metagame is somehow diverse? That's denying facts.
And really, I love Modern. I play it since the beginning. But its current state is just sad. A good metagame has equal or near equal portions of all archetypes, not 50% or more of midrange and noninteractive combo (amulet, Affinity, Burn).
UUU Merfolk UUU "Above the waves you may be mighty indeed, but down here you belong to me."
-Empress Galina
UBR Cruel Control UBR "The essence of every world, every spell, and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
-Nicol Bolas
Did Jesse not test this matchup? I know I'm being an armchair pro here by second guessing him, but that seemed like a GLARING misplay on his part with that TS/IoK turn.
Apparently he was hoping the deck would brick? Or that if he took the combo his hand wouldn't be able to deal with the really slow hand? I have no idea what Jesse was thinking. Still, good for the summer bloom, my fave deck.
Out of the top decklists, I saw one UW control deck, 1 uwr control, 1 uwr geist aggro, 4 tron, an interesting smallpox deck, 3 merfolk, a couple living end, 1 dredgevine, 1 pyro ascension.
Then a ton of GB\X, infect, burn, and infect.
No clue why Hampton would take the larger later game cards and neither of the cards that allow the amulet player to go off early...
Apparently he was hoping the deck would brick? Or that if he took the combo his hand wouldn't be able to deal with the really slow hand? I have no idea what Jesse was thinking. Still, good for the summer bloom, my fave deck.
That was an unjustifiable decision. Who cares if Goyf or Aven gets hit with Pact? Jesse had other threats to close it out and plenty of control. He just needed to prevent a super explosive comeback by Justin and that would have been game. He had the discard to prevent that explosive play and just played it poorly. Again, armchair pro secondguessing is always easier than playing under the lights, but this was a pretty terrible misplay.
Apparently he was hoping the deck would brick? Or that if he took the combo his hand wouldn't be able to deal with the really slow hand? I have no idea what Jesse was thinking. Still, good for the summer bloom, my fave deck.
I really don't get it.
He even had a Fulminator Mage in hand to set him back should he begin drawing lands and if Justin would have gone and used Slaughter Pact on Tarmogoyf he could have used the Fulminator to color screw Justin and just win the game.
This turn 4 rule in modern is very simple. If any deck breaks that rule because it's regularly capable of winning before turn 4 should be hit by the banhammer if Wizars have at least some credit.
"Before Pro Tour Philadelphia, the DCI's stated guideline for the Modern format was to avoid having decks that consistently win the game on turn three. With the results of the Pro Tour in, we are tweaking that goal to not having top-tier decks that consistently win on turn three (or earlier). We also have the goal of maintaining a diverse format." -Erik Lauer
Emphasis original.
Okey then but that means that in modern explosive decks which can consistently win on turn 3 or earlier are allowed as long as they are not top tier. This seems a little bit unfair to me but I accept it. It only means you can't interact with those decks if you don't have very fast start too which most decks in modern aren't capable. There's nothing you can do if they turn 3 Hive Mind/Pact you or very little if turn 2 Titan hits the table.
If it consistently kills turn 3 it is VERY VERY likely a tier 1 deck. That's kinda how it's handled.
Sorry, I wasn't paying attention for a bit. What was the discard misplay people are talking about?
He played T2: IoK + Thoughtseize. Justin revelaed something like Hornet Queen, Prime Time, Amulet, Slaughter Pact, Summer Bloom and 2 lands. Instead of taking Bloom and Amulet, he took Slaughter Pact and a fatty and died to a T2 Prime Time
Did Jesse not test this matchup? I know I'm being an armchair pro here by second guessing him, but that seemed like a GLARING misplay on his part with that TS/IoK turn.
He actually may not have. Titan Bloom is usually thought of as a tier 2 at best deck.
I think it's odd he didn't know what the deck was capable of doing with its combo pieces, though.
Either way, in a high stress situation against a deck you didn't put in any reps against, i suppose it's understandable he made a mistake.
Who doesn't?
People can hate the deck as much as they want. There is no other deck that can take that role.
I agree. Just pointing it out for the non believers.
Level 2 in progress...
UUU Merfolk UUU
"Above the waves you may be mighty indeed, but down here you belong to me."
-Empress Galina
UBR Cruel Control UBR
"The essence of every world, every spell, and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
-Nicol Bolas
EDIT: Also, the 18+ points breakdown
1. Junk (21.6%)
2. Burn (14.7%)
3. Infect (12.9%)
4. Affinity (6.9%)
5. UR Twin (4.3%)
6. Amulet of Vigor (4.3%)
7. Scapeshift (3.4%)
8. RG Tron (3.4%)
9. Living End (2.6%)
10. GWb Aggro (2.6%)
11. Merfolk (2.6%)
12. Grixis Twin (1.7%)
13. BG Rock (1.7%)
14. Unknown (1.7%)
15. Doran (1.7%)
16. BW Tokens (1.7%)
17. Gruul Zoo (1.7%)
18. Domain Zoo (0.9%)
19. Soul Sisters (0.9%)
20. UW Control (0.9%)
21. Jund (0.9%)
22. Assault Loam (0.9%)
23. Podless Pod (0.9%)
24. UWR Control (0.9%)
25. UWR Midrange (0.9%)
26. RUG Twin (0.9%)
27. Dredgevine (0.9%)
28. Storm (0.9%)
29. GW Hatebears (0.9%)
That's not a fact, it's silly rethoric to keep people happy with crop.
Facts are hard data. 30 percent of the field is Abzan good stuff midrange. Control doesn't exist (Twin, Scapeshift aren't control, UWR is bad) and yet the metagame is somehow diverse? That's denying facts.
And really, I love Modern. I play it since the beginning. But its current state is just sad. A good metagame has equal or near equal portions of all archetypes, not 50% or more of midrange and noninteractive combo (amulet, Affinity, Burn).
I'm not trolling you, I'm worried.
Yep, Justin has no chance =(
.... Unless Jesse gets manascrewed
Yeah he just said it himself
I just don't understand. Jesse dropping the ball.
Storm Crow is strictly worse than Seacoast Drake.
RBGW Suicide Zoo
Legacy
RUG Canadian Threshold
Level 2 in progress...
UUU Merfolk UUU
"Above the waves you may be mighty indeed, but down here you belong to me."
-Empress Galina
UBR Cruel Control UBR
"The essence of every world, every spell, and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
-Nicol Bolas
-Jesse Hampton, vs Amulet Bloom
Then a ton of GB\X, infect, burn, and infect.
No clue why Hampton would take the larger later game cards and neither of the cards that allow the amulet player to go off early...
Grand Arbiter
Omnath
Skittles
That was an unjustifiable decision. Who cares if Goyf or Aven gets hit with Pact? Jesse had other threats to close it out and plenty of control. He just needed to prevent a super explosive comeback by Justin and that would have been game. He had the discard to prevent that explosive play and just played it poorly. Again, armchair pro secondguessing is always easier than playing under the lights, but this was a pretty terrible misplay.
I really don't get it.
He even had a Fulminator Mage in hand to set him back should he begin drawing lands and if Justin would have gone and used Slaughter Pact on Tarmogoyf he could have used the Fulminator to color screw Justin and just win the game.
RBGW Suicide Zoo
Legacy
RUG Canadian Threshold
If it consistently kills turn 3 it is VERY VERY likely a tier 1 deck. That's kinda how it's handled.
He played T2: IoK + Thoughtseize. Justin revelaed something like Hornet Queen, Prime Time, Amulet, Slaughter Pact, Summer Bloom and 2 lands. Instead of taking Bloom and Amulet, he took Slaughter Pact and a fatty and died to a T2 Prime Time
He actually may not have. Titan Bloom is usually thought of as a tier 2 at best deck.
I think it's odd he didn't know what the deck was capable of doing with its combo pieces, though.
Either way, in a high stress situation against a deck you didn't put in any reps against, i suppose it's understandable he made a mistake.
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