Has Vexing Devil done any good in testing? I understand it doesn't survive the bolt test, but in some metas (like my own) the opponent usually ended up PTE'ing small threats like that.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"The gods may not always be kind, but they do have a soft spot for the plucky underdogs."
I hold the job of resurrecting dead threads.
Formerly presumed dead, but also formerly presumed alive.
Experimenting with Bedlam. I was inspired by Tyler Black's list from a few months ago but kept it in Boros Colors. I got rid of many of the cantrips in favor of more burn, but this might be incorrect, I get the feeling it would fold easily to Leyline. Also decided experiment with Myth Realized which has been fair. The Eidolons from the original list are probably the correct move, and I'll replace the Myths and Reckoners with them. Reckoner's in it...just because I have soft spot for him, doesn't really add to the strategy but helps wall off bigger creatures.
Belam itself is cool but I can see why the standard burn deck doesn't play it. He's slow to come out, luckily the high burn count means that it comes out at a decent rate and most aren't prepared for a burn deck with a creature that passes the bolt test. Even if it dies the refill effect is the most powerful aspect of it. It sucks to see more than one in your hand though.
I've been playing gobots and really like the idea of boros artifact, i think Bomat Courier and Legion Loyalist are great addition to this deck, and what about Lighting Helix.
Do you think that Shrapnel Blast will be better here than Galvanic Blast ?
It is more expensive at 2-mana but can remove big blockers like Goyf/Tasigur or help burn out the opponent and having an artifact to sac' might be easier than 3 to trigger "metalcraft" for 4-damage Galvanic Blast.
#Dark Confidant - obviously a good card but a bit slow as I think that the deck wants to kill quickly and not grind out card advantage.
I prefer Thraben Inspector that helps somewhat with card-draw while enabling artifact-synergies.
#Scrapheap Scrounger - it's actually a pretty good aggresive creature with recursion ability, though not worth the Black splash alone imho.
I think you are undervaluing haste in a linear format like Modern where your early hits make your end game hits mean something and forces action. Inventor's Aprentice is similar to Kird Ape for Zoo decks. You can just get those times when you don't have the enabler and it under performs costing you the game. The Metalcraft aggro deck has been a thing before but I don't think it has enough viable support in Modern with too slow a start without the high enough payout in a format where everyone has artifact hate and to over come the hate you have to go overload on artifacts like Affinity to make up for it.
ONLY if you think he lives and only if you run 3-4 and enough one drops with haste to flip him turn 2. Modern is defined by it's removal spells and there have recently and/or soon had more flooded in like Fatal Push...
ONLY if you think he lives and only if you run 3-4 and enough one drops with haste to flip him turn 2. Modern is defined by it's removal spells and there have recently and/or soon had more flooded in like Fatal Push...
While all true he does good at soaking up removal. Wouldn't you say it's better for a conditional bomb to get removal than a consistent great card.
Also not playing him removes the option of him just winning some games. I'd strongly suggest playing him as a 2 of just so he's at least there. The threat of getting a planeswalker for 1 mana is something the opponent has to keep in mind when holding and using removal.
Read that post. Just above the deck list the guy says he's the decks greatest threat. Gives you the ability to contend with the bigger guys instead of just hoping you can go wide enough to get there. All very true.
Sooo... I'd like to point out that the recent bannings are HUGE for our decks... The axis we pivot on comes back into focus as decks like Burn become viable again and more controlling shells will start to move in again. The further from the 3.5 turn decks we get the better our position is being just fast enough to have a clock from turn one but still a suite of removal and permanents with either enough staying power or reach to push to the finish line' I'm looking forward to revisiting my list and I'm sure will be reverting to older iterations and less if the "Boros Humans" Synergies.
It can be more explosive than the all-goblin version but is more vulnerable (unless you manage to flip Kytheon) and has less reach (no Goblin Grenade, the deck could use Shrapnel Blast imho).
Also how has everyone's metas been shifting? Have the bans freed up more viable space in their local play groups? Has anyone started looking to Aether Revolt for new tech?
Personally I'm about to rebuild my list and I happened to also cave the other day to a eBay sale coupon and buy a 4thr Expo Mesa... I've been stuck on 3 Mesa cause I sold my 2 remaining Zen ones to a friend... I think once it comes in is when I break down my list and rebuild again. I dn't know when I'll be able to play next but I'm at least eager to renew tech'ing the deck. I picked up more Bedlham Revelers to see if I can push the speed up and maybe get more large bodies in the ground cheap while reloading the hand.
It is running pretty smoothly. You were definitely correct that my pet card Chandra should be a 0-1 of in the main deck and not a 2 of. I mean she's great and all, but in a format full of aggro I really prefer the early removal in Sudden Shock and Forked Bolt in game 1.
Can you elaborate a bit on the card choices ?
Especially the: 4x Exquisite Firecraft (isn't usually played), 2x Sudden Shock (usually a SB option) and 3x Brimaz, King of Oreskos (usually a midrange card, also 3x copies of a legendary creature seem a bit much).
Firecraft and Sudden Shock are both uncounterable. His mets might have more UR or Jeskai control. If you can pop off a Nahiri right away they often don't have any many chances of winning. When Twin was legal I personally ran Volcanic Fallout because it wasn't counterable and could not only wipe their Snapcasters and Pestermites, but it's often be able to push through damage to the done when they've let themselves get down to like 5 when they think they are safe with counter back up.
BroMeowz is just great. He's hard to kill and puts serious pressure in the form of a definite clock. When opponents expend 2 cards to remove him and you have a second ready to deploy it can just be crushing on them.
I've begun my revamp, ditching anything that wasn't already there before the "Hey! I'm gonna try Human Tribal synergies!", because that failed IMO.... failed miserably...
So what direction do you ask I'm taking?! A return to focusing on Prowess as I previously talked about in sure. I got more Bedlam Revelers as I said that was the primary thing I wanted to test. There have been a great deal of other R Aggro control lists across a few formats using it for exactly why I'd like to. Running out of steam and having a bigger body that just IS big and happens to get slightly bigger doing what we already are doing.
Few things noticed while goldfishing;
1.Holy crap where did all my white go?! From at least a creature standpoint they are gone ATM. I plan to liberate some critters back from my Legacy DnT but that still doesn't feel like a lot. Not that big of a deal but makes you wonder why keep W(it would be VERY wrong to remove W even if your creature base stays R)
2.Bedlam Revelers are SWEET, GIANT, HAND REFILLING MONSTERS(Horror Devil to be accurate) but I shuffled up four to push testing.... Four was too much. Clogged the early turns in my hand and without other later shifts, stayed stranded waiting for more lands and/or spells in the graveyard.
3. Mana base needs rework again... found myself stuck with too many "non mountain plains" while fetching if you know what I mean. I still don't think four Foundry is right in the damage race but three REALLY smooths fetches... Flagstones might be returning to at least testing. Boom//Bust is on my radar again thanks to Kari Zev's Expertise so both from a use standpoint and a preparing to face standpoint it's just proper planning.
4. Mana denial could be REALLY avoid again with Boom//Bust and the Expertise letting you bait out all their basics with Ghost Quarter and Paths, the Bust the field... this obviously won't always be a good thing for use because of match ups but it sure needs looking at against enough decks. Tron specifically or other big mana decks looking to capitalize on late game pay offs. For that matter and returning to the point before Simian Spirit Guide might get thrown around in testing. Stick a Chandra, Torch of Defiance or other one, or better Ajani then just hold the line till we win.
5. Maybe our own Chalice of the Void, speaking of SSG. Think about it.
Trying to pick the last few maindeck changes and slots.... 2 open slots and honestly I really want them to be white... I kind of raided my Modern Boros stash for Legacy DnT.
Primary candidates;
Steppe Lynx
Kytheon, blah blah blah
Leonin Arbitor
Grand Abolisher
Martyr of Sands(old favorite 1 cmc package)
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
Thalia, Heretic Cathar
Chandra, Torch of Defiance
Chandra, (the M14/15 one)
Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
Ajani Vengeant
Ranger of Eos
4 Monastery Swiftspear
4 Seeker of the Way
3 Brimaz, King of Oreskos
2 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Lightning Helix
4 Boros Charn
4 Searing Blaze
3 Rift Bolt
4 Path to Exile
4 Bloodstained Mirw
2 Windswept Heath
3 Sacred Foundry
3 Inspiring Vantage
2 Mountain
2 Plains
3 Leyline of Sanctity
2 Stony Silence
2 Rest in Peace
2 Wear // Tear
1 Ajani Vengeant
2 Anger of the Gods
2 Blood Moon
It found play in my deck!
also, I'm sure this has came up before, but...
Has Vexing Devil done any good in testing? I understand it doesn't survive the bolt test, but in some metas (like my own) the opponent usually ended up PTE'ing small threats like that.
I hold the job of resurrecting dead threads.
Formerly presumed dead, but also formerly presumed alive.
2 Boros Reckoner
4 Monastery Swiftspear
2 Myth Realized
4 Boros Charm
4 Burst Lightning
1 Forked Bolt
4 Lava Spike
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Lightning Helix
4 Rift Bolt
2 Sacred Foundry
1 Searing Blood
2 Skullcrack
18 Lands
Experimenting with Bedlam. I was inspired by Tyler Black's list from a few months ago but kept it in Boros Colors. I got rid of many of the cantrips in favor of more burn, but this might be incorrect, I get the feeling it would fold easily to Leyline. Also decided experiment with Myth Realized which has been fair. The Eidolons from the original list are probably the correct move, and I'll replace the Myths and Reckoners with them. Reckoner's in it...just because I have soft spot for him, doesn't really add to the strategy but helps wall off bigger creatures.
Belam itself is cool but I can see why the standard burn deck doesn't play it. He's slow to come out, luckily the high burn count means that it comes out at a decent rate and most aren't prepared for a burn deck with a creature that passes the bolt test. Even if it dies the refill effect is the most powerful aspect of it. It sucks to see more than one in your hand though.
Here's the original list:
http://www.starcitygames.com/article/33556_Video-Reveler-Burn-in-Modern.html
4 Monastery Swiftspear
4 Seeker of the Way
4 Chandra's Phoenix
Chandra:
2 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
Burn
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Lightning Helix
4 Boros Charm
2 Collective Defiance
4 Searing Blaze
3 Burst Lightning
4 Path to Exile
Lands
4 Arid Mesa
4 Bloodstained Mire
4 Inspiring Vantage
3 Sacred Foundry
2 Clifftop Retreat
3 Mountain
2 Plains
3 Leyline of Sanctity
2 Brimaz, King of Oreskos
1 Ajani Vengeant
2 Rest in Peace
1 Deflecting Palm
2 Wear//Tear
2 Valorous Stance
2 Anger of the Gods
Hey all!
This is my current baby
Another card which might fit here is Servo Exhibition.
Here it is:
4x Inventor's Apprentice
4x Toolcraft Exemplar
4x Ardent Recruit
4x Signal Pest
4x Thraben Inspector
4x Court Homunculus
4x Champion of the Parish
2x Ethersworn Canonist
4x Lightning Bolt
4x Galvanic Blast
Artifact (4)
4x Smuggler's Copter
Land (18)
4x Arid Mesa
4x Inspiring Vantage
2x Sacred Foundry
4x Blinkmoth Nexus
4x Plains
4x Path to Exile
2x Phyrexian Revoker
2x Relic of Progenitus
1x Grafdigger's Cage
2x Ethersworn Canonist
2x Wear // Tear
2x Pithing Needle
What do you think ?
I've been playing gobots and really like the idea of boros artifact, i think Bomat Courier and Legion Loyalist are great addition to this deck, and what about Lighting Helix.
It is more expensive at 2-mana but can remove big blockers like Goyf/Tasigur or help burn out the opponent and having an artifact to sac' might be easier than 3 to trigger "metalcraft" for 4-damage Galvanic Blast.
With Path to Exile in the SB it seems less necessary and I like: L.Bolt and G.Blast/S.Blast for reach in the maindeck.
Btw, Frank Lepore published kind-of a similar deck which also splashes Black and is less fast and aggressive:
http://www.numotgaming.com/modern-monday-mardu-vehicles/
It uses cards like: Bonesplitter and Cultivator's Caravan which are not good in the deck at all.
There are also:
#Goblin Guide - decent but without synergy in the deck and the drawback might be worse outside of "Burn".
I like Inventor's Apprentice/Ardent Recruit/Court Homunculus here instead.
#Porcelain Legionnaire - is just rather slow and not very efficient (and not disruptive like say Ethersworn Canonist).
#Dark Confidant - obviously a good card but a bit slow as I think that the deck wants to kill quickly and not grind out card advantage.
I prefer Thraben Inspector that helps somewhat with card-draw while enabling artifact-synergies.
#Scrapheap Scrounger - it's actually a pretty good aggresive creature with recursion ability, though not worth the Black splash alone imho.
http://www.starcitygames.com/article/34355_Daily-Digest-The-Goblins-Were-Everywhere.html
Also not playing him removes the option of him just winning some games. I'd strongly suggest playing him as a 2 of just so he's at least there. The threat of getting a planeswalker for 1 mana is something the opponent has to keep in mind when holding and using removal.
Read that post. Just above the deck list the guy says he's the decks greatest threat. Gives you the ability to contend with the bigger guys instead of just hoping you can go wide enough to get there. All very true.
And here is more of this deck - http://www.channelfireball.com/videos/modern-monday-rw-8-whack/
It can be more explosive than the all-goblin version but is more vulnerable (unless you manage to flip Kytheon) and has less reach (no Goblin Grenade, the deck could use Shrapnel Blast imho).
4x Arid Mesa
2x Bloodstained Mire
3x Inspiring Vantage
2x Mountain
2x Plains
4x Sacred Foundry
1x Slayers' Stronghold
2x Windswept Heath
Sorcery
4x Exquisite Firecraft
1x Forked Bolt
Instant
4x Boros Charm
4x Lightning Bolt
4x Lightning Helix
4x Path to Exile
2x Sudden Shock
3x Brimaz, King of Oreskos
4x Goblin Guide
1x Grim Lavamancer
4x Monastery Swiftspear
3x Seeker of the Way
Planeswalker
1x Chandra, Torch of Defiance
1x Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1x Chandra, Torch of Defiance
2x Engineered Explosives
2x Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
2x Rest in Peace
2x Soulfire Grand Master
1x Spellskite
1x Stony Silence
2x Sudden Shock
2x Wear / Tear
Also how has everyone's metas been shifting? Have the bans freed up more viable space in their local play groups? Has anyone started looking to Aether Revolt for new tech?
Personally I'm about to rebuild my list and I happened to also cave the other day to a eBay sale coupon and buy a 4thr Expo Mesa... I've been stuck on 3 Mesa cause I sold my 2 remaining Zen ones to a friend... I think once it comes in is when I break down my list and rebuild again. I dn't know when I'll be able to play next but I'm at least eager to renew tech'ing the deck. I picked up more Bedlham Revelers to see if I can push the speed up and maybe get more large bodies in the ground cheap while reloading the hand.
Especially the: 4x Exquisite Firecraft (isn't usually played), 2x Sudden Shock (usually a SB option) and 3x Brimaz, King of Oreskos (usually a midrange card, also 3x copies of a legendary creature seem a bit much).
BroMeowz is just great. He's hard to kill and puts serious pressure in the form of a definite clock. When opponents expend 2 cards to remove him and you have a second ready to deploy it can just be crushing on them.
So what direction do you ask I'm taking?! A return to focusing on Prowess as I previously talked about in sure. I got more Bedlam Revelers as I said that was the primary thing I wanted to test. There have been a great deal of other R Aggro control lists across a few formats using it for exactly why I'd like to. Running out of steam and having a bigger body that just IS big and happens to get slightly bigger doing what we already are doing.
Few things noticed while goldfishing;
1.Holy crap where did all my white go?! From at least a creature standpoint they are gone ATM. I plan to liberate some critters back from my Legacy DnT but that still doesn't feel like a lot. Not that big of a deal but makes you wonder why keep W(it would be VERY wrong to remove W even if your creature base stays R)
2.Bedlam Revelers are SWEET, GIANT, HAND REFILLING MONSTERS(Horror Devil to be accurate) but I shuffled up four to push testing.... Four was too much. Clogged the early turns in my hand and without other later shifts, stayed stranded waiting for more lands and/or spells in the graveyard.
3. Mana base needs rework again... found myself stuck with too many "non mountain plains" while fetching if you know what I mean. I still don't think four Foundry is right in the damage race but three REALLY smooths fetches... Flagstones might be returning to at least testing. Boom//Bust is on my radar again thanks to Kari Zev's Expertise so both from a use standpoint and a preparing to face standpoint it's just proper planning.
4. Mana denial could be REALLY avoid again with Boom//Bust and the Expertise letting you bait out all their basics with Ghost Quarter and Paths, the Bust the field... this obviously won't always be a good thing for use because of match ups but it sure needs looking at against enough decks. Tron specifically or other big mana decks looking to capitalize on late game pay offs. For that matter and returning to the point before Simian Spirit Guide might get thrown around in testing. Stick a Chandra, Torch of Defiance or other one, or better Ajani then just hold the line till we win.
5. Maybe our own Chalice of the Void, speaking of SSG. Think about it.
Primary candidates;
Steppe Lynx
Kytheon, blah blah blah
Leonin Arbitor
Grand Abolisher
Martyr of Sands(old favorite 1 cmc package)
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
Thalia, Heretic Cathar
Chandra, Torch of Defiance
Chandra, (the M14/15 one)
Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
Ajani Vengeant
Ranger of Eos
4 Goblin Guide
4 Monastery Swiftspear
4 Abbot of Keral Keep
2 Eidolon of the Great Revel
3 Bedlam Reveler
Spells: 22
4 Path to Exile
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Lava Spike
2 Flame Jab
4 Lightning Helix
4 Boros Charm
3 Sacred Foundry
4 Arid Mesa
4 Flooded Strand
3 Scalding Tarn
2 Plains
2 Mountain
1 Ghost Quarter