Right now some of the interactions I'm looking at are the enrage enablers in combination with cards like Boros Reckoner. Using something like Reckless Rage with it offers a lot of value along with Path of Mettle. It doesn't sound like much, but that's basically a two for one against a lot of decks that like to really extend themselves. Skymarcher Aspirant is another piker with upside to fit into aggressive white builds, and Release to the Wind... what the heck is this card? You get to exile any creature and then may CAST that creature again? As in, this isn't a flicker, it's a free cast of a card that is already on the field that may have a cast trigger. What has cast triggers in modern? Hello eldrazi...
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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!
Legion Lieutenant being off-color isn't really a problem as we have a multitude of tribal lands (Cavern, U.Territory) now,
and together with Aether Vial you don't even need to splash White in your BR Vampire shell. Skymarcher Aspirant is another decent white vampire 1-drop which has tradinionally been one of the weaker parts of the tribe's curve.
Some more cards tha I think can be playable in Modern are:
#Thrashing Brontodon - decent Qasali Pridemage alternative for non-white decks with a better body than Reclamation Sage.
#Slaughter the Strong - potentially playable removal for control or creature-lite decks like Combo or hatebears/tokens with small creatures.
#Vona's Hunger - in decks that can get to 10x permanents quickly this can be a huge swing with the city's blessing, isn't a horrible card without it as a 3-mana Diabolic Edict. Golden Demise also seems interesting if it can be one-sided in a deck like "WB Tokens" or any deck with Lingering Souls.
#Tetzimoc, Primal Death - an interesting option for black midrange/control decks which offers removal unlike Grave Titan which offers board presence.
#Azor, the Lawbringer - a potential UW finisher (like a bigger Dragonlord Ojutai) though probably too slow and not as powerful as Elspeth, Sun's Champion.
Baffling End seems more and more playable to me than at first glance. Even if they remove the enchantment, it's a weird Beast Within type removal spell for creatures only, but forcing your opponent to react to an enchantment that never gives you the initial investment makes things very interesting. Seems like a good include for BW Death & Taxes
Baffling End is good, though I'd say Beast Within is more powerful as it can destroy lands as well as creatures. In fact, that's what it gets used for most of the time as the 3/3 body is irrelevant in most decks that run Beast Within. The main issue with both is that the downside of the card has to be considered. If the opponent can remove the enchantment he gets a 3/3 creature as a result and in white big beefy creatures are not necessarily the colors strong suite. Green White has a lot of value and could use it.
I guess I view it similarly to SoI blocks declaration in stone. Both look good, but they give the opponent some kind of advantage that white alone isn't too good against.
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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!
Does anyone think Deeproot Elite will see play in Fish? It seems like a great way to hit harder faster in that deck, but I am not sure what they'd cut to make room for it. In that vein I can see a 1/2-of Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca fitting in because of how he just gives mad card advantage.
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Modern Decks: UBG Lantern Control GBU BRG Bridge-Vine GRB
Commander Decks UBG Muldrotha, Value Elemental GBU BRG Windgrace Real-Estate Ltd. GRB
#PayThePros
I've tried Kumena in a Shmanka-like list, and he's a bomb in ground-clogging match-ups. He's a must-kill, kill-me-first against so many decks. ...But that's mainly because he's often unblockable. Tapping 3 Merfolk to draw a card sucks out a lot of tempo, so it's often feasible in board stalls only. It's hard to get 5 Merfolk in the first place for his 3rd ability.
I had meh experiences with Metallic Mimic in Merfolk, as it was the last Merfolk I played surprisingly often, so I don't quite think Deeproot Elite will see play in Modern.
Swift Warden has been the bee's knees as a 1-2-of, though--I generally don't have trouble casting this guy with UG Merfolk's mana base (not even with 4 Mutavault), and when it blocks a removal spell, it tends to swing games. It's got a decent body if I'm short on Merfolk, too. It's performed better than Jungleborn Pioneer for me, which has had a pretty low ceiling in my testing.
You see, I think what Deeproot Elite has over Metallic Mimic is that you don't have to give the counter to whichever Merfolk just ETB'd. You could have a turn where you have an Elite in play and by playing 2 Merfolk and adding 2 more power to your creatures that don't have summoning sickness, you can just kill your opponent that turn. Comparatively, Mimic is just a worse Deeproot Elite.
Private Mod Note
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Modern Decks: UBG Lantern Control GBU BRG Bridge-Vine GRB
Commander Decks UBG Muldrotha, Value Elemental GBU BRG Windgrace Real-Estate Ltd. GRB
#PayThePros
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!
Skymarcher Aspirant won't see play in vampires. Vampire Nocturnus is ran as a 4 of in vampire decks and the 2/1 isn't black...
Decks I'm playing in Modern right now:
URB Grixis Reveler (http://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/modern-grixis-reveler/)
UB Faeries (http://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/ub-fae-2/)
UW Azorious Control (http://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/modern-ojutai-control-2/)
There is no need to go above 3-mana (Stromkirk Captain/Captivating Vampire) in vampires anymore.
Nocturnus gives vampires reach that other tribes don't have. Why play that vampire list over any of the other tiered tribes?
Decks I'm playing in Modern right now:
URB Grixis Reveler (http://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/modern-grixis-reveler/)
UB Faeries (http://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/ub-fae-2/)
UW Azorious Control (http://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/modern-ojutai-control-2/)
I guess I view it similarly to SoI blocks declaration in stone. Both look good, but they give the opponent some kind of advantage that white alone isn't too good against.
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!
Vampires have some upsides like decent standalone creatures (which become better with lords), some discard synergies and good removal in their colors.
Modern Decks:
UBG Lantern Control GBU
BRG Bridge-Vine GRB
Commander Decks
UBG Muldrotha, Value Elemental GBU
BRG Windgrace Real-Estate Ltd. GRB
#PayThePros
I had meh experiences with Metallic Mimic in Merfolk, as it was the last Merfolk I played surprisingly often, so I don't quite think Deeproot Elite will see play in Modern.
Swift Warden has been the bee's knees as a 1-2-of, though--I generally don't have trouble casting this guy with UG Merfolk's mana base (not even with 4 Mutavault), and when it blocks a removal spell, it tends to swing games. It's got a decent body if I'm short on Merfolk, too. It's performed better than Jungleborn Pioneer for me, which has had a pretty low ceiling in my testing.
Modern Decks:
UBG Lantern Control GBU
BRG Bridge-Vine GRB
Commander Decks
UBG Muldrotha, Value Elemental GBU
BRG Windgrace Real-Estate Ltd. GRB
#PayThePros