Considering that outside of double Simian Spirit Guide, the deck is physically incapable of winning before the combat step on its own fourth turn, this "defense" is highly dubious.
That's being deliberately obtuse. The game may have ended on Turn 4, but the game was won at the end of Turn 3. The same argument was used against Bloom Titan, and it is used here. The turn the game ends is not the turn that gets counted for the Turn 4 Rule. It is the turn the game was put out of reach.
If you're open to suggestions, stop interacting with him. He even failed to address any of the other points I brought up in addition to misunderstanding (perhaps deliberately) my argument. The best defense against the "Twin Defense Force" is to not engage with them.
</blockquote>On mobile, difficult to address things one by one. Short version is I highly disagree with your original article and much more agree with both of Sheridan's.
And if those concerns you listed in your response were actually a problem for Wizards, then they should have mentioned them in the ban announcement.
It would force Eldrazi Tron to play more Dismember or Warping Wail in the mainboard.
It would cause dredge to sacrifice some of its speed in order to interact with the combo.
Even affinity would need to run more removal, even if that means maxing out on Galvanic Blasts.
So basically, every deck would end up playing more interaction which is a great thing IMO
First off cards like Dismember essentially always sucked against Twin which runs peek and MD dispel to combat/play around any removal that isn't Abrupt Decay.
Second I don't think that the race to your death type decks like Affinty or Dredge would be inclined to play anymore interaction, more likely it would favor attempting to run the fastest possible MD configuration and hope to race the combo game one. When Pod was banned and Twin was still legal both Burn and Infect rose to T1 simply because they could easily race the combo and the actual deck that policed them was gone.
Twin wasn't a real police deck it was a instant win button for a deck that otherwise isn't able to actually compete, it was far better against other fair decks and simply provided means for beating non-interactive decks with the possibility of T4 instant win. When you play against decks that are looking to mindlessly race the best plan was to dig for the combo and kill them before they kill you, Remand, Cryptic and crew are just as bad now as they had been then in those types of match ups.
Well thought out post. I think what Twin sympathizers will argue with is that interaction (discard and creature removal) being necessary in the meta (or autolose/outrace Twin) are a positive. I remember when Burn ran 3 Dismember mainboard. Yes, those were the Twin days. Affinity did not need to bend its deck list. They ran 4 Galvanic Blast, which Frank Karsten at the Vegas GP told my friend is correct right now, like has been the usual "best" way for Affinity to run.
They will also say that the meta had become very noninteractive until the recent Shadow lists forced some interaction. I wish it could be somewhere in the middle personally, but it's certainly fine to me right now. I wish there could be some unbans, Blue countermagic got a bit better, along with some other Legacy legal cards to be ported to Modern (like Fact or Fiction).
Honestly I looked around and couldn't find any burn lists or primers running dismember, Path sure but that has been the go to SB answer for road blocking fatties like Gofy, Tas, Angler, and now DS since essentially forever. For Burn the Twin match up was always about do they have the combo on 4 or not? If yes then you likely lose if no then you odds of winning sky rocket.
Certainly a interesting article and pretty much echo's a lot of the criticisms of the "all blue needs is counterspell for control to be good" arguments; I happen to agree with the article that while counterspell would be nice the other needed elements don't exist either. I think the biggest crime that counterspell ever committed was making mid-range creature decks bad, that is the origins of the "feels bad to have your spell countered" thing came from , WotC wanted to let your 3-6 mana creature who looks so cool actually be playable and counters did a lot of work in making sure that they generally sucked.
Do people really think modern is the healthiest it's ever been. I'm not saying it's terrible but at least to me it seems like it's just GDS vs big mana and linear aggro/combo. Maybe that's what people like and I'm out of touch, but I'm not exactly thrilled with what the top decks are at the moment
Do people really think modern is the healthiest it's ever been. I'm not saying it's terrible but at least to me it seems like it's just GDS vs big mana and linear aggro/combo. Maybe that's what people like and I'm out of touch, but I'm not exactly thrilled with what the top decks are at the moment
My feeling is that internally WotC is actually delighted with the current state of Modern and also the popularity of the format.
Based on?
Event attendance - Huge events are selling out and turning people away.
Deck diversity - Argue "interactiveness" all you want, there are a ton of different decks seeing play at all levels of competition. You literally never know what you are going to face at the LGS, big open events or a MTGO league.
No bans on the horizon - people talk, they will always talk, but the format is remarkably healthy.
The thing I don't know is how well MM17 is selling.
Do people really think modern is the healthiest it's ever been. I'm not saying it's terrible but at least to me it seems like it's just GDS vs big mana and linear aggro/combo. Maybe that's what people like and I'm out of touch, but I'm not exactly thrilled with what the top decks are at the moment
I don't think it's the healthiest it's ever been. I do think it's better than it's been in a while though.
My opinion is not a popular one, but I personally feel that Modern was healthiest right at the beginning. Maybe this was because I was only playing Modern at Regular REL, but it was very fun and unexplored. Affinity ruled the early metas where I played at, but it got hated out brutally after around 3-4 months of dominating. I enjoyed people's desire to hate out decks and change the metagame. It seems more like whining and cries for bans nowadays, at least online.
But on the opposite side, there will be people that only saw Rite of Flame Storm during that time, so they HATED it. I think Modern was super interesting during Birthing Pod, from its rise to being banned. I actually think the only really terrible time was during Eldrazi Winter. Eye of Ugin is the first card that I will admit needed a ban 100%. I personally didn't mind Cruise/Pod dominating, but I can see how others would hate it. I saw decks like Bloom, Affinity, and RG BReach do super well during that meta. Even Scapeshift did solidly...RUG. But that probably was not a healthy meta either. Everything else was in my honest opinion.
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Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
My feeling is that internally WotC is actually delighted with the current state of Modern and also the popularity of the format.
Based on?
Event attendance - Huge events are selling out and turning people away.
Deck diversity - Argue "interactiveness" all you want, there are a ton of different decks seeing play at all levels of competition. You literally never know what you are going to face at the LGS, big open events or a MTGO league.
No bans on the horizon - people talk, they will always talk, but the format is remarkably healthy.
The thing I don't know is how well MM17 is selling.
Those are all indicators that Modern is doing well, not that Wizards is happy about anything.
I agree, everything about Modern is great, I just wish they would unban cards that do not deserve to be banned.
Do people really think modern is the healthiest it's ever been. I'm not saying it's terrible but at least to me it seems like it's just GDS vs big mana and linear aggro/combo. Maybe that's what people like and I'm out of touch, but I'm not exactly thrilled with what the top decks are at the moment
I think it depends, if you liked the previously combo dominated Modern in which Pod/Twin combos defined the format then you probably very much dislike it. If you prefer a wider window for more fair decks to be competitive than you probably prefer it now. IMO both formats have issues and I tend to prefer the post Pod/Twin meta-game overall.
When a meta has midrange, combo, control, ramp, aggro, and tempo, it's hard to complain about, but I do think that unbanning BBE and adding Jund to the mix would be good. The deck would still struggle against Eldrazi Tron going over the top, and Grixis having more value, not to mention affinity going too wide. Jund would also lose game 1 against burn and UW control most of the time.
I'll be really disappointed if they don't unban BBE. It's such a fun card that costs 80 cents, would fit into a tier 3 deck, and is less powerful than Collected Company.
With that being said, I'll continue playing with BW tokens, which kind of plays like a Jund deck and has been doing well for me. I'm kind of surprised the deck hasn't made it to tier 2 yet. It has a good matchup with DS and doesn't really have any terrible matchups.
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Modern
JundBGR
RW Blood MoonRW
Pauper
Delver U
Elves G
Control B
Commander
Edgar Markov BRW
Captain Sisay GW
Niv-Mizzet, Parun UR
Tymna and Ravos WB
Do people really think modern is the healthiest it's ever been. I'm not saying it's terrible but at least to me it seems like it's just GDS vs big mana and linear aggro/combo. Maybe that's what people like and I'm out of touch, but I'm not exactly thrilled with what the top decks are at the moment
I think it depends, if you liked the previously combo dominated Modern in which Pod/Twin combos defined the format then you probably very much dislike it. If you prefer a wider window for more fair decks to be competitive than you probably prefer it now. IMO both formats have issues and I tend to prefer the post Pod/Twin meta-game overall.
Here's a snapshot of the "combo dominated Modern" from May of 2015 (all decks 2% or higher on Modern Nexus):
Abzan 9.1%
UR Twin 8.5%
Burn 7.9%
Affinity 5.8%
Jund 5.4%
Grixis Delver 5.3%
Abzan Company 4.7%
RG Tron 3.8%
Infect 3.6%
Amulet Bloom 3.2%
Merfolk 3.1%
Elves 3%
Grixis Twin 2.8%
And another look from December 2015, immediately before the Twin/Bloom ban:
Affinity 8.3%
RG Tron 6.9%
Jund 6.6%
UR Twin 6.2%
Burn 6%
Abzan 5.2%
Amulet Bloom 4.2%
Grixis Twin 3.8%
Infect 3.7%
Merfolk 3.6%
Scapeshift 3.1%
Abzan Company 2.5%
Naya Company 2.3%
Living End 2.2%
Grixis Midrange 2.0%
Wow. Modern was in such an awful place. How could anyone consider that healthy? I mean, Twin was an unbeatable, unstoppable machine, destroying the format and oppressing everyth-- oh, wait. No, it wasn't and it didn't.
It doesnt matter man, the narratives have been set. We are unreasonable 'Team Twin' and since Wizards banned the card, it doesnt matter what numbers or arguments can be made.
Our side is wrong, and Twin DID rule the format, otherwise why would Wizards have banned it? Just to shake up a Pro Tour? Come now.
Do people really think modern is the healthiest it's ever been. I'm not saying it's terrible but at least to me it seems like it's just GDS vs big mana and linear aggro/combo. Maybe that's what people like and I'm out of touch, but I'm not exactly thrilled with what the top decks are at the moment
I think it depends, if you liked the previously combo dominated Modern in which Pod/Twin combos defined the format then you probably very much dislike it. If you prefer a wider window for more fair decks to be competitive than you probably prefer it now. IMO both formats have issues and I tend to prefer the post Pod/Twin meta-game overall.
Here's a snapshot of the "combo dominated Modern" from May of 2015 (all decks 2% or higher on Modern Nexus):
Abzan 9.1%
UR Twin 8.5%
Burn 7.9%
Affinity 5.8%
Jund 5.4%
Grixis Delver 5.3%
Abzan Company 4.7%
RG Tron 3.8%
Infect 3.6%
Amulet Bloom 3.2%
Merfolk 3.1%
Elves 3%
Grixis Twin 2.8%
And another look from December 2015, immediately before the Twin/Bloom ban:
Affinity 8.3%
RG Tron 6.9%
Jund 6.6%
UR Twin 6.2%
Burn 6%
Abzan 5.2%
Amulet Bloom 4.2%
Grixis Twin 3.8%
Infect 3.7%
Merfolk 3.6%
Scapeshift 3.1%
Abzan Company 2.5%
Naya Company 2.3%
Living End 2.2%
Grixis Midrange 2.0%
Wow. Modern was in such an awful place. How could anyone consider that healthy? I mean, Twin was an unbeatable, unstoppable machine, destroying the format and oppressing everyth-- oh, wait. No, it wasn't and it didn't.
Kind of unfair to characterize what I said to mean a very narrow period in the post Pod pre-Twin banning. But that does showcase that linear strategies like Burn, Infect, and such saw increases in the post Pod meta and that Twin didn't really do much to stifle that. the Dec #'s you posted have about 20% of the meta being combo decks of one type or another. Mid-range actually didn't look to be doing as good as combo or linear aggro.
The point I was making was that during the majority of Moderns history as a format it was dominated simultaneously dominated by Pod/Twin which for years had the lofty title of "pillars" of the format.
Do people really think modern is the healthiest it's ever been. I'm not saying it's terrible but at least to me it seems like it's just GDS vs big mana and linear aggro/combo. Maybe that's what people like and I'm out of touch, but I'm not exactly thrilled with what the top decks are at the moment
I think it depends, if you liked the previously combo dominated Modern in which Pod/Twin combos defined the format then you probably very much dislike it. If you prefer a wider window for more fair decks to be competitive than you probably prefer it now. IMO both formats have issues and I tend to prefer the post Pod/Twin meta-game overall.
I liked the pod and twin metas because there were more fair decks than compared to now. But I guess this all depends on your definition of fair
Do people really think modern is the healthiest it's ever been. I'm not saying it's terrible but at least to me it seems like it's just GDS vs big mana and linear aggro/combo. Maybe that's what people like and I'm out of touch, but I'm not exactly thrilled with what the top decks are at the moment
I think it depends, if you liked the previously combo dominated Modern in which Pod/Twin combos defined the format then you probably very much dislike it. If you prefer a wider window for more fair decks to be competitive than you probably prefer it now. IMO both formats have issues and I tend to prefer the post Pod/Twin meta-game overall.
I liked the pod and twin metas because there were more fair decks than compared to now. But I guess this all depends on your definition of fair
absolutely. a meta where the top decks are twin jund and pod are wayyyyyyyyy better than the current pillars in eldra tron, death shadow aggro, affinity
Do people really think modern is the healthiest it's ever been. I'm not saying it's terrible but at least to me it seems like it's just GDS vs big mana and linear aggro/combo. Maybe that's what people like and I'm out of touch, but I'm not exactly thrilled with what the top decks are at the moment
I think it depends, if you liked the previously combo dominated Modern in which Pod/Twin combos defined the format then you probably very much dislike it. If you prefer a wider window for more fair decks to be competitive than you probably prefer it now. IMO both formats have issues and I tend to prefer the post Pod/Twin meta-game overall.
I liked the pod and twin metas because there were more fair decks than compared to now. But I guess this all depends on your definition of fair
absolutely. a meta where the top decks are twin jund and pod are wayyyyyyyyy better than the current pillars in eldra tron, death shadow aggro, affinity
Well, as Cfusion just showed, right before Twin's ban, the top played decks were... Tron, Affinity, and Jund. While right now the decks are Tron, Affinity, and Blue Jund.
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"I hope to have such a death... lying in triumph atop the broken bodies of those who slew me..."
You don't call "dying to removal" if the removal is more expensive in resources than the creature. If you have to spend BG (Abrupt Decay), or W + basic land (PtE) to remove a 1G, that is not "dying to removal". Strictly speaking Goyf dies to removal, but actually your removal is dying to Goyf.
At this point I sometimes wonder if wizards decides to ban cards just to try and make the format look worse. Call it paranoia, but between the high cost of entry and the looming threat of potentially losing ones deck unless they play something that isn't in the T1 bracket, modern feels like it is riskier to be playing than it should be. Literally the entire reason I built merfolk is that the deck will literally never eat a ban. I probably would have went jund if my pockets could have gone that far.
I also think modern has a problem of having too many decks that try to go about their own game plan instead of interacting with one another. Aggro strategies and ramp strategies are perfectly fine as parts of a good ecosystem, but those need to also share space with decks that thrive on interaction.
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
Do people really think modern is the healthiest it's ever been. I'm not saying it's terrible but at least to me it seems like it's just GDS vs big mana and linear aggro/combo. Maybe that's what people like and I'm out of touch, but I'm not exactly thrilled with what the top decks are at the moment
I think it depends, if you liked the previously combo dominated Modern in which Pod/Twin combos defined the format then you probably very much dislike it. If you prefer a wider window for more fair decks to be competitive than you probably prefer it now. IMO both formats have issues and I tend to prefer the post Pod/Twin meta-game overall.
I liked the pod and twin metas because there were more fair decks than compared to now. But I guess this all depends on your definition of fair
absolutely. a meta where the top decks are twin jund and pod are wayyyyyyyyy better than the current pillars in eldra tron, death shadow aggro, affinity
Well, as Cfusion just showed, right before Twin's ban, the top played decks were... Tron, Affinity, and Jund. While right now the decks are Tron, Affinity, and Blue Jund.
I'm talking about when pod existed.
This was a year before twin was banned..
The format was the least linear I've Ever seen it. Not perfect I admit but better than now for sure.
Do people really think modern is the healthiest it's ever been. I'm not saying it's terrible but at least to me it seems like it's just GDS vs big mana and linear aggro/combo. Maybe that's what people like and I'm out of touch, but I'm not exactly thrilled with what the top decks are at the moment
I think it depends, if you liked the previously combo dominated Modern in which Pod/Twin combos defined the format then you probably very much dislike it. If you prefer a wider window for more fair decks to be competitive than you probably prefer it now. IMO both formats have issues and I tend to prefer the post Pod/Twin meta-game overall.
I liked the pod and twin metas because there were more fair decks than compared to now. But I guess this all depends on your definition of fair
I disagree, essentially BGx decks were the only "fair" decks that could contend, BGx was kinda the only color segment with main deck tools to combat both combo decks. I actually attribute the decline of Jund/Junk over all from losing these decks in the format. BGx had 50/50 match ups with most every deck but the fact that win G1 against those decks is really what kept it in high standing. It was notorious for being able to beat anything post board but this is kind of because the meta-game was so hostel to other fair decks that you didn't need to really consider decks like merfolk, burn, infect etc... in your 75 because Pod was so good against those decks that they didn't see much play over all.
I would say that there are certainly more linear strategies now then there was then but the competitive options were also far more restrictive.
Do people really think modern is the healthiest it's ever been. I'm not saying it's terrible but at least to me it seems like it's just GDS vs big mana and linear aggro/combo. Maybe that's what people like and I'm out of touch, but I'm not exactly thrilled with what the top decks are at the moment
I think it depends, if you liked the previously combo dominated Modern in which Pod/Twin combos defined the format then you probably very much dislike it. If you prefer a wider window for more fair decks to be competitive than you probably prefer it now. IMO both formats have issues and I tend to prefer the post Pod/Twin meta-game overall.
I liked the pod and twin metas because there were more fair decks than compared to now. But I guess this all depends on your definition of fair
absolutely. a meta where the top decks are twin jund and pod are wayyyyyyyyy better than the current pillars in eldra tron, death shadow aggro, affinity
Like I said it boils down to if you liked the Combo dominated Twin/Pod meta or the current aggro centered one.
I tend to prefer the current simply because it does have more options, Like the recent DnT lists doing well while being perhaps unexpected wasn't shocking, if DnT put 2 into the top 8 during the Twin/Pod era it would be a huge surprise.
I guess I just don't really take much stock into these flavor of the month decks like d&t so the current meta just doesn't appeal to me as much as pre eldrazi modern did. Again I would not call 2014 or 2015 modern combo dominated
Some call infect and burn 'combo' maybe that's what they are getting at?
I call those aggro, but whatever.
Don't be obtuse.
Twin was a combo deck that had the capability to go long. Pod was a combo deck that could also be an attrition toolbox deck. Pretending the Twin was a control deck before a combo deck completely ignores what the deck is named after.
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You don't call "dying to removal" if the removal is more expensive in resources than the creature. If you have to spend BG (Abrupt Decay), or W + basic land (PtE) to remove a 1G, that is not "dying to removal". Strictly speaking Goyf dies to removal, but actually your removal is dying to Goyf.
Lots of rose-tinted glasses in this thread, especially with Pod. That deck was around 20% of the metagame and quite polarizing. With the current complement of new creatures and spells, it would be even more problematic today. I also much prefer a format where you can play basically anything you want (i.e. Modern today) rather than a format where you have to pick from the top 5-6 decks (i.e. the Modern of 2014-2015). This makes it harder to metagame at the deck level, which is why pros get annoyed with Modern; they can't just audible to the best deck like in Standard. But it greatly rewards deck familiarity, customization, and sideboarding, which is awesome for someone like me who has played Modern for years and has a handful of decks I really enjoy.
Also, if you genuinely don't think Modern is interactive, I strongly encourage you to try UW Control. It's an excellent, interactive, "pure"-feeling control deck that is very competitive.
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And if those concerns you listed in your response were actually a problem for Wizards, then they should have mentioned them in the ban announcement.
UR ....... WUBR ........... WB ............. RGW ........ UBR ....... WUB .... BGU
Spells / Blink & Combo / Token Grind / Dino Tribal / Draw Cards / Zombies / Reanimate
Based on?
Spirits
Honestly I looked around and couldn't find any burn lists or primers running dismember, Path sure but that has been the go to SB answer for road blocking fatties like Gofy, Tas, Angler, and now DS since essentially forever. For Burn the Twin match up was always about do they have the combo on 4 or not? If yes then you likely lose if no then you odds of winning sky rocket.
Certainly a interesting article and pretty much echo's a lot of the criticisms of the "all blue needs is counterspell for control to be good" arguments; I happen to agree with the article that while counterspell would be nice the other needed elements don't exist either. I think the biggest crime that counterspell ever committed was making mid-range creature decks bad, that is the origins of the "feels bad to have your spell countered" thing came from , WotC wanted to let your 3-6 mana creature who looks so cool actually be playable and counters did a lot of work in making sure that they generally sucked.
Other than pre-Eldrazi? Yes.
Spirits
The thing I don't know is how well MM17 is selling.
I don't think it's the healthiest it's ever been. I do think it's better than it's been in a while though.
My opinion is not a popular one, but I personally feel that Modern was healthiest right at the beginning. Maybe this was because I was only playing Modern at Regular REL, but it was very fun and unexplored. Affinity ruled the early metas where I played at, but it got hated out brutally after around 3-4 months of dominating. I enjoyed people's desire to hate out decks and change the metagame. It seems more like whining and cries for bans nowadays, at least online.
But on the opposite side, there will be people that only saw Rite of Flame Storm during that time, so they HATED it. I think Modern was super interesting during Birthing Pod, from its rise to being banned. I actually think the only really terrible time was during Eldrazi Winter. Eye of Ugin is the first card that I will admit needed a ban 100%. I personally didn't mind Cruise/Pod dominating, but I can see how others would hate it. I saw decks like Bloom, Affinity, and RG BReach do super well during that meta.
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/
Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)Those are all indicators that Modern is doing well, not that Wizards is happy about anything.
I agree, everything about Modern is great, I just wish they would unban cards that do not deserve to be banned.
Spirits
I think it depends, if you liked the previously combo dominated Modern in which Pod/Twin combos defined the format then you probably very much dislike it. If you prefer a wider window for more fair decks to be competitive than you probably prefer it now. IMO both formats have issues and I tend to prefer the post Pod/Twin meta-game overall.
I'll be really disappointed if they don't unban BBE. It's such a fun card that costs 80 cents, would fit into a tier 3 deck, and is less powerful than Collected Company.
With that being said, I'll continue playing with BW tokens, which kind of plays like a Jund deck and has been doing well for me. I'm kind of surprised the deck hasn't made it to tier 2 yet. It has a good matchup with DS and doesn't really have any terrible matchups.
JundBGR
RW Blood MoonRW
Pauper
Delver U
Elves G
Control B
Commander
Edgar Markov BRW
Captain Sisay GW
Niv-Mizzet, Parun UR
Tymna and Ravos WB
Here's a snapshot of the "combo dominated Modern" from May of 2015 (all decks 2% or higher on Modern Nexus):
Abzan 9.1%
UR Twin 8.5%
Burn 7.9%
Affinity 5.8%
Jund 5.4%
Grixis Delver 5.3%
Abzan Company 4.7%
RG Tron 3.8%
Infect 3.6%
Amulet Bloom 3.2%
Merfolk 3.1%
Elves 3%
Grixis Twin 2.8%
And another look from December 2015, immediately before the Twin/Bloom ban:
Affinity 8.3%
RG Tron 6.9%
Jund 6.6%
UR Twin 6.2%
Burn 6%
Abzan 5.2%
Amulet Bloom 4.2%
Grixis Twin 3.8%
Infect 3.7%
Merfolk 3.6%
Scapeshift 3.1%
Abzan Company 2.5%
Naya Company 2.3%
Living End 2.2%
Grixis Midrange 2.0%
Wow. Modern was in such an awful place. How could anyone consider that healthy? I mean, Twin was an unbeatable, unstoppable machine, destroying the format and oppressing everyth-- oh, wait. No, it wasn't and it didn't.
UR ....... WUBR ........... WB ............. RGW ........ UBR ....... WUB .... BGU
Spells / Blink & Combo / Token Grind / Dino Tribal / Draw Cards / Zombies / Reanimate
Our side is wrong, and Twin DID rule the format, otherwise why would Wizards have banned it? Just to shake up a Pro Tour? Come now.
Spirits
Kind of unfair to characterize what I said to mean a very narrow period in the post Pod pre-Twin banning. But that does showcase that linear strategies like Burn, Infect, and such saw increases in the post Pod meta and that Twin didn't really do much to stifle that. the Dec #'s you posted have about 20% of the meta being combo decks of one type or another. Mid-range actually didn't look to be doing as good as combo or linear aggro.
The point I was making was that during the majority of Moderns history as a format it was dominated simultaneously dominated by Pod/Twin which for years had the lofty title of "pillars" of the format.
I liked the pod and twin metas because there were more fair decks than compared to now. But I guess this all depends on your definition of fair
absolutely. a meta where the top decks are twin jund and pod are wayyyyyyyyy better than the current pillars in eldra tron, death shadow aggro, affinity
decks playing:
none
Well, as Cfusion just showed, right before Twin's ban, the top played decks were... Tron, Affinity, and Jund. While right now the decks are Tron, Affinity, and Blue Jund.
"I hope to have such a death... lying in triumph atop the broken bodies of those who slew me..."
I also think modern has a problem of having too many decks that try to go about their own game plan instead of interacting with one another. Aggro strategies and ramp strategies are perfectly fine as parts of a good ecosystem, but those need to also share space with decks that thrive on interaction.
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
Affinity 8.3%
RG Tron 6.9%
Jund 6.6%
UR Twin 6.2%
Burn 6%
Abzan 5.2%
Amulet Bloom 4.2%
Grixis Twin 3.8%
Infect 3.7%
Merfolk 3.6%
Spirits
This was a year before twin was banned..
The format was the least linear I've Ever seen it. Not perfect I admit but better than now for sure.
decks playing:
none
I disagree, essentially BGx decks were the only "fair" decks that could contend, BGx was kinda the only color segment with main deck tools to combat both combo decks. I actually attribute the decline of Jund/Junk over all from losing these decks in the format. BGx had 50/50 match ups with most every deck but the fact that win G1 against those decks is really what kept it in high standing. It was notorious for being able to beat anything post board but this is kind of because the meta-game was so hostel to other fair decks that you didn't need to really consider decks like merfolk, burn, infect etc... in your 75 because Pod was so good against those decks that they didn't see much play over all.
I would say that there are certainly more linear strategies now then there was then but the competitive options were also far more restrictive.
Like I said it boils down to if you liked the Combo dominated Twin/Pod meta or the current aggro centered one.
I tend to prefer the current simply because it does have more options, Like the recent DnT lists doing well while being perhaps unexpected wasn't shocking, if DnT put 2 into the top 8 during the Twin/Pod era it would be a huge surprise.
I call those aggro, but whatever.
Spirits
Don't be obtuse.
Twin was a combo deck that had the capability to go long. Pod was a combo deck that could also be an attrition toolbox deck. Pretending the Twin was a control deck before a combo deck completely ignores what the deck is named after.
"I hope to have such a death... lying in triumph atop the broken bodies of those who slew me..."
Also, if you genuinely don't think Modern is interactive, I strongly encourage you to try UW Control. It's an excellent, interactive, "pure"-feeling control deck that is very competitive.