Yeah I feel like Unclaimed Territory could replace some Blooming Marsh in GB build. I also like the idea of it enabling colorless cards like TKS, maybe some warping wail sideboard
Oh man...the thought of countering an anger of the gods or scapeshift against valakut....
Shapers' Sanctuary looks sweet. Any chance of this card seeing play in Elves on the sb? Definitely a better Fecundity
Post sideboard games you're going to most likely be facing down more sweepers, so I'm not sure how relevant it would be over Fecundity. Then again, it is only 1 mana.
Shapers' Sanctuary looks sweet. Any chance of this card seeing play in Elves on the sb? Definitely a better Fecundity
Post sideboard games you're going to most likely be facing down more sweepers, so I'm not sure how relevant it would be over Fecundity. Then again, it is only 1 mana.
I like it over Lifecrafter's I think. Having to rely on your opponent for the advantage but coming down as soon as T1 vs Lifecrafters 3 mana initial investment + 1 mana each draw but benefit controlled by you and having the continuous scry. Also woudn't die to K Command like Lifecrafters does.
Essentially turns all opponents non mass removal into letting us draw a card. Would get two draws for things like electrolyze killing two creatures etc. Against grixis/jund I could see it as an option.
Shapers' Sanctuary looks sweet. Any chance of this card seeing play in Elves on the sb? Definitely a better Fecundity
Post sideboard games you're going to most likely be facing down more sweepers, so I'm not sure how relevant it would be over Fecundity. Then again, it is only 1 mana.
I like it over Lifecrafter's I think. Having to rely on your opponent for the advantage but coming down as soon as T1 vs Lifecrafters 3 mana initial investment + 1 mana each draw but benefit controlled by you and having the continuous scry. Also woudn't die to K Command like Lifecrafters does.
Essentially turns all opponents non mass removal into letting us draw a card. Would get two draws for things like electrolyze killing two creatures etc. Against grixis/jund I could see it as an option.
It's definitely not a bad card, far from it. What I also forgot to mention was the fact that usually sweepers aren't boarded in in place of spot removal. Since you have the pressure and tempo,you can probably use all your from it to fight through a wipe. That, and enchantments are not that easy to intact with. A 1/1 split between it and Lifecrafters/Fecundity looks strong.
Looks like the only Elf decks that are winning or topping are the infinite GW builds. Anyone else having better results with the GW builds or the GB builds?
Shapers' Sanctuary looks sweet. Any chance of this card seeing play in Elves on the sb? Definitely a better Fecundity
Post sideboard games you're going to most likely be facing down more sweepers, so I'm not sure how relevant it would be over Fecundity. Then again, it is only 1 mana.
I like it over Lifecrafter's I think. Having to rely on your opponent for the advantage but coming down as soon as T1 vs Lifecrafters 3 mana initial investment + 1 mana each draw but benefit controlled by you and having the continuous scry. Also woudn't die to K Command like Lifecrafters does.
Essentially turns all opponents non mass removal into letting us draw a card. Would get two draws for things like electrolyze killing two creatures etc. Against grixis/jund I could see it as an option.
It's definitely not a bad card, far from it. What I also forgot to mention was the fact that usually sweepers aren't boarded in in place of spot removal. Since you have the pressure and tempo,you can probably use all your from it to fight through a wipe. That, and enchantments are not that easy to intact with. A 1/1 split between it and Lifecrafters/Fecundity looks strong.
I was thinking about this card a lot. The things that wreck us most are boardwipes. So we put in selfless spirit or whatever. But then you can't chord for it because of spot removal, leaving you with not enough creatures. With this card you can actually keep keep filling the boardstate, lure out a boardwipe and have enough creatures to use chord to get spirit...
I might try this instead of lead the stampede but, I will leave in chords where i normally would board them out.
I prefer a creature toolbox sideboard, but it seems I've been struggling against the decks where I have to board out chord (ofcourse).
I don't know how I feel about this card. The choice is really what to play turn 1. In a grindy game you may want this as your first turn play to push through discard/counters against interactive decks. In doing so you set your clock behind by an entire turn. An entire turn that may cost you the opportunity to outgrow a board clear or just set up a kill. After T1 we tend to focus on expanding and setting up one of our kills (ezuri, other lords, devoted druids, SotP, throne of the God pharaoh, cloudstome curio, etc.). That being said it does draw us into cards which is an improvement over evolutionary leap and I think the two in conjunction could be potent.
Imo cards I want to play this against are:
Bolt, push, path, k command, electrolyze, maelstrom pulse, collective brutality, terminate, liliana the last hope, izzet static caster, walking ballista etc.
Cards I don't want to play this against:
Sweepers, discard, lotv, counters, all in combo decks that can just outrace us like storm, nahiri, night of souls betrayal, etc.
So really it looks like the jund color suite may have a rough time with this. UW almost doesn't care. I don't think combos designed to race care. RG tron used to just run 3-4 pyroclasm. Titanshift or storm can just run anger. Grishoalbrand runs clams/anger. Amulet Titan runs firespout and EE. Bant eldrazi runs EE. I find myself good enough against fair decks as really I often only have to stick 1-2 drains, a lord, and a few chip shots before they're in jepordy of losing. Bant eldrazi runs 2 sweepers and 3-4 kill spells in the main at the absolute most (often less).
at the end of the day I guess I like it for GB builds with lead over chord and a spellbased sideboard. 4 of these for control. 4-6 discard for combo. For GW I think I'd rather run a combo of spellskite and selfless spirit. Taking a turn off to play a rattlesnake card just doesn't seem right.
I've been thinking over the unclaimed territory land and I'm getting more excited about it. The first thing I'm going to experiment is to use the Ross Merriam GW list, and replace the lone elvish visionary with a SoTP. Mana base would probably be 4 caverns, 4 Unclaimed Territory, 3 Horizon Canopy, 3 Razorverge Thicket, 2 forest, 1 pendelhaven, and 1 westvale abbey. I feel like 8 B sources for SoTP + 4 coco + 4 Chord should be enough to reliably cast 1 Shaman in the GW build that seems to be putting up good results lately.
Hello, I have a problem for the sideboard of my mono-green elves deck.
I often play against 8rack with 4x Flaying Tendrils and I am in trouble. Do you know any cards that I can use against that card? More generally, which cards can I put in the sideboard against a black control deck?
Well, much like black sun's zenith, it gets around every kind of protection in the game, except for a high toughness.
Therefore your answer is to maybe jam some extra cards that have a passive toughness-pumping effect, like joraga warcaller.
As for other options, I'm afraid you'll want to splash a second colour. Blue gives you cheap counterspells (good against sweepers), white gives you selfless spirit and burrenton forge-tender.
Your final option is to speed the deck up, or play around the inevitable wrath by holding dudes in your hand.
Your biggest effects against black removal are collected company and Elvish visionary (any kind of 2-for-1 card advantage is good).
Good luck
Private Mod Note
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Modern: G Tron, Vannifar, Jund, Druid/Vizier combo, Humans, Eldrazi Stompy (Serum Powder), Amulet, Grishoalbrand, Breach Titan, Turns, Eternal Command, As Foretold Living End, Elves, Cheerios, RUG Scapeshift
Now to enter the random lottery to get featured on Goldfish tomorrow. The deck is seriously well positioned atm.
How have you been approaching Burn matchups? I feel a little lacking in support against the matchup without Kitchen Finks in the SB. They have all been close (3 of the 4 games i lost - i got him to one before he had lethal). Sometimes its been b/c of slowdown to deal with an Eidolon or have to play through it to get a board that can block it (so it doesnt attack while i hold out for CoCos and Chords). I know play/draw is big in this one but wondering what approach / what types of hands kept you do. A lot of the times they hold up the life gain negater so Finks is only good 50/50. The flexibility of able to 2 for 1 their removal/attacking creatures and while at the same time being 3 power beater (which they dont want to block) when needed makes up for that.
The burn match-up is extremely close. I used to run 3 x Kitchen Finks in the SB for Burn, Control and Grindy Match-ups. However, the format has become so fast and so linear that my sideboard space is extremely tight at the moment.
As you've said, it's really close, but I've been having a lot of success trying to find hands with Nettle Sentinel/Dwynen's Elite. Turn 2 is really important in this match-up, and it's necessary to flood the board, even in the face of an Eidolon. It's ok to take 4-6 damage from an Eidolon, as you need to start racing asap. I almost never play Archdruid on Turn 2. Ideal start is dork into Nettle+Dwynen's (Unless you have the Heritage Druid start). Don't be afraid to trade with Goblin Guide, as most lists are Boros now and you can't get blown out by Atarka's Command.
Finks was a great card, but the match-up will still be close with or without it.
Here is my current SB plan vs burn:
You really want interaction in this match-up more than speed. I actually board out the combo as it's almost impossible to combo off against better players. Instead I bring in Garruk as an Eidolon dodger that can kill a creature or make a wolf (Almost always a 2 for 1). I bring in Paths mainly for Swiftspear and Eidolon. I bring in Revoker for Grim Lavamancer/Shrine. I bring in Rec Sage for Eidolon/Shrine/Cage. BFT is just an auto include.
You want to avoid chumping as much as possible, and crack in for damage at every opportunity. I've still got 8 cards that come in for burn, but like you mentioned, it's a very play/draw dependent match-up!
Hello, I have a problem for the sideboard of my mono-green elves deck.
I often play against 8rack with 4x Flaying Tendrils and I am in trouble. Do you know any cards that I can use against that card? More generally, which cards can I put in the sideboard against a black control deck?
Well, much like black sun's zenith, it gets around every kind of protection in the game, except for a high toughness.
Therefore your answer is to maybe jam some extra cards that have a passive toughness-pumping effect, like joraga warcaller.
As for other options, I'm afraid you'll want to splash a second colour. Blue gives you cheap counterspells (good against sweepers), white gives you selfless spirit and burrenton forge-tender.
Your final option is to speed the deck up, or play around the inevitable wrath by holding dudes in your hand.
Your biggest effects against black removal are collected company and Elvish visionary (any kind of 2-for-1 card advantage is good).
Good luck
What do you think about Witchbane Orb in the sideboard against 8rack and mono black control? I think it's a budget substitute for Leyline of Sanctity and it can be used also in a not GW Elves deck.
Probably not as good as you'd imagine. Couple of reasons for this:
1) leyline comes into play before turn 1. This means the tricky turn 1 discard spell is avoidable. With orb you don't get the protection until much later and your opener is already hit.
2) orb can get hit by the discard you're trying to avoid. Also gets hit by artifact removal which is more commonly used than enchantment removal.
Hope this helps
Private Mod Note
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Modern: G Tron, Vannifar, Jund, Druid/Vizier combo, Humans, Eldrazi Stompy (Serum Powder), Amulet, Grishoalbrand, Breach Titan, Turns, Eternal Command, As Foretold Living End, Elves, Cheerios, RUG Scapeshift
The burn match-up is extremely close. I used to run 3 x Kitchen Finks in the SB for Burn, Control and Grindy Match-ups. However, the format has become so fast and so linear that my sideboard space is extremely tight at the moment.
As you've said, it's really close, but I've been having a lot of success trying to find hands with Nettle Sentinel/Dwynen's Elite. Turn 2 is really important in this match-up, and it's necessary to flood the board, even in the face of an Eidolon. It's ok to take 4-6 damage from an Eidolon, as you need to start racing asap. I almost never play Archdruid on Turn 2. Ideal start is dork into Nettle+Dwynen's (Unless you have the Heritage Druid start). Don't be afraid to trade with Goblin Guide, as most lists are Boros now and you can't get blown out by Atarka's Command.
Finks was a great card, but the match-up will still be close with or without it.
Here is my current SB plan vs burn:
You really want interaction in this match-up more than speed. I actually board out the combo as it's almost impossible to combo off against better players. Instead I bring in Garruk as an Eidolon dodger that can kill a creature or make a wolf (Almost always a 2 for 1). I bring in Paths mainly for Swiftspear and Eidolon. I bring in Revoker for Grim Lavamancer/Shrine. I bring in Rec Sage for Eidolon/Shrine/Cage. BFT is just an auto include.
You want to avoid chumping as much as possible, and crack in for damage at every opportunity. I've still got 8 cards that come in for burn, but like you mentioned, it's a very play/draw dependent match-up!
I have a few questions if you have the time. If not, cool.
Do you just not have the 3rd Canopy?
Big question, I just switched to Nykthos, and not sure what I like better, that or Westvale. Thoughts? I find nykthos great for chord and ezuri. Why I dont often need it, its great when its great. I can understand its a "win more" card, but liking in better in the GW build. I used to run westvale in the BG build, but not sure how good it is in GW. Thoughts? I guess I feel like GW can win out of nowhere, and Westvale can win you games out of nowhere that you should have lost, so there is that, but westvale feels out of place, but I think its like 55/45 and not sure what is correct.
Second, Relic vs RIP. I was running relic, and I love the card draw from it, but with GW elves, I find I dont need the GY as much, and so I have been running RIP. I am not sure if I miss relic or not, as the card draw, but dredge and storm can play around relic pretty easily. Why no scav ooze?
Last, what match ups are you bringing in garruk in? control? I run vital force and its a house. But in the other slot, I run wurmcoil engine, which is good in a lot of matches. What are you boarding out for garruk, when are you bringing them in? Why do they get 2? Secret deck tech? I know syreal runs them in his GB build, just hoping you could shed some light. Thanks.
Thanks man! After a string of 4-1s it was great to have a bit of luck and solidify my recent performances with the big 5-0.
Those are great questions, and I'm always happy to answer.
1. Correct, I've only got the two. I would definitely run 3 as my ideal number, shaving a Cavern of Souls. This is ever so partially one of the reasons I am playing Relic over RIP (Only 9 Sources of W compared to 10 with the 3rd Canopy).
2. Nykthos has also been the core colourless land for me for over a year on GW. My answer to this question is also pretty similar to the Relic question in that I am just testing out alternatives at this stage. I don't think that Nykthos is win more at all. It's a card you are always happy to see and can often be the difference between playing Ezuri and being able to activate him or not in a single turn. I very much rate the card. Westvale Abbey is also a card I always want to see (Except as the sole land in my opening seven). It does a few things really well: Provides a mana sink when you are flooded, grants the ability to grind a little more in the attrition matches, win races when all you have is Dwynen/Token/Heritage/Dork/Dork and affinity/burn are gonna kill you really soon. Also, some decks just can't beat the Prince himself. I don't see me dropping the card anytime soon, but I won't fault anyone for sticking with Nykthos.
3. It basically comes down to the cantripping for me. I like being able to cast it at the end of a Heritage Druid chain if I have excess mana, sometimes being able to pop it as well if I am just dropping a dork and the timing is right. I have done this several times against Dredge on T2 and it's been enough of a tempo swing/delay to their gameplan to win the game. It's not too restrictive for us to hold up 1 mana against Storm and Dredge every turn. Granted it isn't the complete haymaker like RIP is against he GY decks, I really like the card against GBx and Snapcaster Mage decks, as it can just sit on the battlefield threatening to pop and cantrip your way forward in the game. I've been trying RIP in paper, and once again, both are fundamentally quite similar. I also like Relic better vs GDS.
4. Garruk comes in against Control/GBx/Burn/Devoted Druid Decks/Some other creature decks. It comes in against the last 3 as sometimes bolting a Devoted Druid and then a Noble Hierarch can be so crushing for your opponent. I like him against Burn as he can often kill a Goblin Guide or gummy up the board with wolves. Syreal and I have discussed planeswalkers at length, and we think Garruk and Nissa are the best two. If I faced more grindier match-ups on Modo, I would add Nissa, Vital Force to my deck as well. However, Modo is super linear atm so I would much prefer my flex slots of Kataki and Mindcensor.
I hope these answers help! I stream a couple of nights a week and love interacting with people in chat, so feel free to tune in sometime if our timezones align!
Second, Relic vs RIP. I was running relic, and I love the card draw from it, but with GW elves, I find I dont need the GY as much, and so I have been running RIP. I am not sure if I miss relic or not, as the card draw, but dredge and storm can play around relic pretty easily. Why no scav ooze?
I posted this a few pages back, but I think it's relevant to your RIP vs Relic question. Rothgar13 from the Merfolk forum wrote this up and I mostly agree with what he has to say about the two.
Oh man...the thought of countering an anger of the gods or scapeshift against valakut....
Post sideboard games you're going to most likely be facing down more sweepers, so I'm not sure how relevant it would be over Fecundity. Then again, it is only 1 mana.
My Trades
I like it over Lifecrafter's I think. Having to rely on your opponent for the advantage but coming down as soon as T1 vs Lifecrafters 3 mana initial investment + 1 mana each draw but benefit controlled by you and having the continuous scry. Also woudn't die to K Command like Lifecrafters does.
Essentially turns all opponents non mass removal into letting us draw a card. Would get two draws for things like electrolyze killing two creatures etc. Against grixis/jund I could see it as an option.
It's definitely not a bad card, far from it. What I also forgot to mention was the fact that usually sweepers aren't boarded in in place of spot removal. Since you have the pressure and tempo,you can probably use all your from it to fight through a wipe. That, and enchantments are not that easy to intact with. A 1/1 split between it and Lifecrafters/Fecundity looks strong.
My Trades
Modern: Infect, Elves, Bant Knightfall
I don't know how I feel about this card. The choice is really what to play turn 1. In a grindy game you may want this as your first turn play to push through discard/counters against interactive decks. In doing so you set your clock behind by an entire turn. An entire turn that may cost you the opportunity to outgrow a board clear or just set up a kill. After T1 we tend to focus on expanding and setting up one of our kills (ezuri, other lords, devoted druids, SotP, throne of the God pharaoh, cloudstome curio, etc.). That being said it does draw us into cards which is an improvement over evolutionary leap and I think the two in conjunction could be potent.
Imo cards I want to play this against are:
Bolt, push, path, k command, electrolyze, maelstrom pulse, collective brutality, terminate, liliana the last hope, izzet static caster, walking ballista etc.
Cards I don't want to play this against:
Sweepers, discard, lotv, counters, all in combo decks that can just outrace us like storm, nahiri, night of souls betrayal, etc.
So really it looks like the jund color suite may have a rough time with this. UW almost doesn't care. I don't think combos designed to race care. RG tron used to just run 3-4 pyroclasm. Titanshift or storm can just run anger. Grishoalbrand runs clams/anger. Amulet Titan runs firespout and EE. Bant eldrazi runs EE. I find myself good enough against fair decks as really I often only have to stick 1-2 drains, a lord, and a few chip shots before they're in jepordy of losing. Bant eldrazi runs 2 sweepers and 3-4 kill spells in the main at the absolute most (often less).
at the end of the day I guess I like it for GB builds with lead over chord and a spellbased sideboard. 4 of these for control. 4-6 discard for combo. For GW I think I'd rather run a combo of spellskite and selfless spirit. Taking a turn off to play a rattlesnake card just doesn't seem right.
Thoughts?
Don't play GW Without it anymore. As much as I love having my ~4 bullets in the MB, the combo just really makes the deck a lot stronger.
EDIT: Just hit my first 5-0 on Modo competitive leagues, woohoo!
The loot: https://puu.sh/xmZRu/5e3a61eee1.jpg
The deck: https://puu.sh/xmZYx/654638803a.jpg
Now to enter the random lottery to get featured on Goldfish tomorrow. The deck is seriously well positioned atm.
Well, much like black sun's zenith, it gets around every kind of protection in the game, except for a high toughness.
Therefore your answer is to maybe jam some extra cards that have a passive toughness-pumping effect, like joraga warcaller.
As for other options, I'm afraid you'll want to splash a second colour. Blue gives you cheap counterspells (good against sweepers), white gives you selfless spirit and burrenton forge-tender.
Your final option is to speed the deck up, or play around the inevitable wrath by holding dudes in your hand.
Your biggest effects against black removal are collected company and Elvish visionary (any kind of 2-for-1 card advantage is good).
Good luck
How have you been approaching Burn matchups? I feel a little lacking in support against the matchup without Kitchen Finks in the SB. They have all been close (3 of the 4 games i lost - i got him to one before he had lethal). Sometimes its been b/c of slowdown to deal with an Eidolon or have to play through it to get a board that can block it (so it doesnt attack while i hold out for CoCos and Chords). I know play/draw is big in this one but wondering what approach / what types of hands kept you do. A lot of the times they hold up the life gain negater so Finks is only good 50/50. The flexibility of able to 2 for 1 their removal/attacking creatures and while at the same time being 3 power beater (which they dont want to block) when needed makes up for that.
4 nettle sentinel
4 collected company
4 llanowar elves
4 summoner's pact
4 elvish mystic
4 elvish visionary
4 elvish archdruid
2 dwynen's elite
3 elvish visionary
1 reclamation sage
1 vizier of remedies
1 craterhoof behemoth
3 ezuri, renegade leader
2 nykthos, shrine to nyx
6 forest
4 windswept heath
4 razorverge thicket
1 temple garden
1 fiend hunter
1 eidolon of rhetoric
2 fracturing gust
1 kitchen finks
3 lead the stampede
1 phyrexian revoker
2 rest in peace
1 selfless spirit
2 stony silence
Thoughts?
EDIT: Fixed a typo
The burn match-up is extremely close. I used to run 3 x Kitchen Finks in the SB for Burn, Control and Grindy Match-ups. However, the format has become so fast and so linear that my sideboard space is extremely tight at the moment.
As you've said, it's really close, but I've been having a lot of success trying to find hands with Nettle Sentinel/Dwynen's Elite. Turn 2 is really important in this match-up, and it's necessary to flood the board, even in the face of an Eidolon. It's ok to take 4-6 damage from an Eidolon, as you need to start racing asap. I almost never play Archdruid on Turn 2. Ideal start is dork into Nettle+Dwynen's (Unless you have the Heritage Druid start). Don't be afraid to trade with Goblin Guide, as most lists are Boros now and you can't get blown out by Atarka's Command.
Finks was a great card, but the match-up will still be close with or without it.
Here is my current SB plan vs burn:
- 4 Chord
- 1 Vizier
- 1 Ewit
- 2 Devoted Druid
+ 2 Garruk
+ 3 Path
+ 1 Revoker
+ 1 Rec Sage
+ 1 BFT
You really want interaction in this match-up more than speed. I actually board out the combo as it's almost impossible to combo off against better players. Instead I bring in Garruk as an Eidolon dodger that can kill a creature or make a wolf (Almost always a 2 for 1). I bring in Paths mainly for Swiftspear and Eidolon. I bring in Revoker for Grim Lavamancer/Shrine. I bring in Rec Sage for Eidolon/Shrine/Cage. BFT is just an auto include.
You want to avoid chumping as much as possible, and crack in for damage at every opportunity. I've still got 8 cards that come in for burn, but like you mentioned, it's a very play/draw dependent match-up!
P.S. My list was featured today! Woohoo! http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/mtgo-standings/competitive-modern-constructed-league-2017-08-30
Probably not as good as you'd imagine. Couple of reasons for this:
1) leyline comes into play before turn 1. This means the tricky turn 1 discard spell is avoidable. With orb you don't get the protection until much later and your opener is already hit.
2) orb can get hit by the discard you're trying to avoid. Also gets hit by artifact removal which is more commonly used than enchantment removal.
Hope this helps
Grats on going 5-0, that is huge.
I have a few questions if you have the time. If not, cool.
Do you just not have the 3rd Canopy?
Big question, I just switched to Nykthos, and not sure what I like better, that or Westvale. Thoughts? I find nykthos great for chord and ezuri. Why I dont often need it, its great when its great. I can understand its a "win more" card, but liking in better in the GW build. I used to run westvale in the BG build, but not sure how good it is in GW. Thoughts? I guess I feel like GW can win out of nowhere, and Westvale can win you games out of nowhere that you should have lost, so there is that, but westvale feels out of place, but I think its like 55/45 and not sure what is correct.
Second, Relic vs RIP. I was running relic, and I love the card draw from it, but with GW elves, I find I dont need the GY as much, and so I have been running RIP. I am not sure if I miss relic or not, as the card draw, but dredge and storm can play around relic pretty easily. Why no scav ooze?
Last, what match ups are you bringing in garruk in? control? I run vital force and its a house. But in the other slot, I run wurmcoil engine, which is good in a lot of matches. What are you boarding out for garruk, when are you bringing them in? Why do they get 2? Secret deck tech? I know syreal runs them in his GB build, just hoping you could shed some light. Thanks.
Thanks man! After a string of 4-1s it was great to have a bit of luck and solidify my recent performances with the big 5-0.
Those are great questions, and I'm always happy to answer.
1. Correct, I've only got the two. I would definitely run 3 as my ideal number, shaving a Cavern of Souls. This is ever so partially one of the reasons I am playing Relic over RIP (Only 9 Sources of W compared to 10 with the 3rd Canopy).
2. Nykthos has also been the core colourless land for me for over a year on GW. My answer to this question is also pretty similar to the Relic question in that I am just testing out alternatives at this stage. I don't think that Nykthos is win more at all. It's a card you are always happy to see and can often be the difference between playing Ezuri and being able to activate him or not in a single turn. I very much rate the card. Westvale Abbey is also a card I always want to see (Except as the sole land in my opening seven). It does a few things really well: Provides a mana sink when you are flooded, grants the ability to grind a little more in the attrition matches, win races when all you have is Dwynen/Token/Heritage/Dork/Dork and affinity/burn are gonna kill you really soon. Also, some decks just can't beat the Prince himself. I don't see me dropping the card anytime soon, but I won't fault anyone for sticking with Nykthos.
3. It basically comes down to the cantripping for me. I like being able to cast it at the end of a Heritage Druid chain if I have excess mana, sometimes being able to pop it as well if I am just dropping a dork and the timing is right. I have done this several times against Dredge on T2 and it's been enough of a tempo swing/delay to their gameplan to win the game. It's not too restrictive for us to hold up 1 mana against Storm and Dredge every turn. Granted it isn't the complete haymaker like RIP is against he GY decks, I really like the card against GBx and Snapcaster Mage decks, as it can just sit on the battlefield threatening to pop and cantrip your way forward in the game. I've been trying RIP in paper, and once again, both are fundamentally quite similar. I also like Relic better vs GDS.
4. Garruk comes in against Control/GBx/Burn/Devoted Druid Decks/Some other creature decks. It comes in against the last 3 as sometimes bolting a Devoted Druid and then a Noble Hierarch can be so crushing for your opponent. I like him against Burn as he can often kill a Goblin Guide or gummy up the board with wolves. Syreal and I have discussed planeswalkers at length, and we think Garruk and Nissa are the best two. If I faced more grindier match-ups on Modo, I would add Nissa, Vital Force to my deck as well. However, Modo is super linear atm so I would much prefer my flex slots of Kataki and Mindcensor.
I hope these answers help! I stream a couple of nights a week and love interacting with people in chat, so feel free to tune in sometime if our timezones align!
I posted this a few pages back, but I think it's relevant to your RIP vs Relic question. Rothgar13 from the Merfolk forum wrote this up and I mostly agree with what he has to say about the two.
http://tappedout.net/mtg-articles/2017/jul/9/rothgars-competitive-corner-let-hatred-flow-throug/
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