Dumb question since I've finally got all the pieces together and plan on running Pyro Prison this Friday.
How do you know what to set Chalice on versus decks? Just from experience? I know setting it on one hoses a lot of early game plays, and that two is devastating against Merfolk and I think Humans too? Just looking for some general advice as well for a first timer.
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Current Modern Decks BG Elves // "He's back. And he brought his friends. And their friends." BG The Rock // "Dwayne Johnson approved." RU Izzet Phoenix // "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." UGW Bant Spirits // "Super Ghost Bros." BUG Sultai Wildnerness Teachings // "How many turns did I just take again?" C Colorless Eldrazi // "Smash you."
Dumb question since I've finally got all the pieces together and plan on running Pyro Prison this Friday.
How do you know what to set Chalice on versus decks? Just from experience? I know setting it on one hoses a lot of early game plays, and that two is devastating against Merfolk and I think Humans too? Just looking for some general advice as well for a first timer.
Experience plays a huge role. As an example: When playing against certain colors/decks, from experience you just know sometimes there are only 'x' number of cards that can kill my Ensnaring Bridge. Of those cards, almost all of them are converted mana cost 'x' and you just set your Chalice to that. Or playing against certain decks you know that 70% of their threats are converted mana cost 1, so you set it to that. Even a Chalice on 0 is the right play sometimes. You just need to learn what you are playing against. Control decks/prison decks are decks that get a lot better with experience in the format.
If I am completely blind and have a turn 1 Chalice on 1 available, I usually just do it unless I have a better play. At least you will be shutting of some of their deck as I can't think of many decks that just don't run 1 drops besides us.
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My current modern paper decks with current match records since 02/01/17:
Current Modern Decks BG Elves // "He's back. And he brought his friends. And their friends." BG The Rock // "Dwayne Johnson approved." RU Izzet Phoenix // "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." UGW Bant Spirits // "Super Ghost Bros." BUG Sultai Wildnerness Teachings // "How many turns did I just take again?" C Colorless Eldrazi // "Smash you."
@jokerstyle: '12 Moon' is a quirky update of Saffron's 'Free Win Red' deck of which Pyro Prison is 1/2 based. The other half is 'Bloody Humans'...the evolution is all in the official primer. Anyhoo, good luck at FNM this week.
As for your Chalice question: 1. Set it to 1. Primarily because we are not impeded by that play in any way, and there is no deck out there (except us) that doesn't run any 1 drops. That's the simple answer.
The more involved answer speaks to what Ski_AoP said. More specifically:
Set it to 2 against U/R Storm.
Set it to 2 against B/G Rock.
Set it to 0 against Living End
If you've set your first Chalice of the Void to 1, then your second chalice should be set to 2 unless you're facing:
Titanshift: set it to 0 to stop a summoner's pact to get a reclamation sage or, if you can, 3 to stop the sage.
KCI: Set it to 0 to stop their engine (if you can).
Ad Nauseam: Set it to 0 to stop their Lotus Bloom - maybe 2 to stop their Pentad Prison
Grixis Death's Shadow: Set it to 2. But in game 2, set it to 3 to stop Kolaghan's Command
As for Fluffy's encyclopedic offering. It...is...illuminating. There are some straight up bad matches like we've never seen before (i.e. extremely resilient to our pre-AND-sideboard tech), but some definite positive ones as well. Lately, I've been throwing any manner of deck ideas against the cave wall just to see what might stick. I think the split is either 8-Rabble or something that curves high, has a lot of card filtering, and spotlights Pia and Kiran Nalaar. I think they're back and I also think Spellskite might make a return as the '5th' lock - sideboard.
Bottom Line: Like Fluffy said, do not be afraid to mainboard cards which seem like strictly sideboard material if your meta calls for it. That is the ethos of Pyro Prison anyway. It started with the Power Lock Suite, and now it may be time to push it even further out. Hell, I am doing a main deck Witchbane Orb EDIT: Since the Baltimore Event has permeated the event: I have moved away from WO in the main deck... for now
.
I might have to play a less optimal version of Pyro Prison this FNM; my package with the last of the cards I needed got delayed by USPS and now there's no estimate for when it'll arrive. -___-
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Current Modern Decks BG Elves // "He's back. And he brought his friends. And their friends." BG The Rock // "Dwayne Johnson approved." RU Izzet Phoenix // "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." UGW Bant Spirits // "Super Ghost Bros." BUG Sultai Wildnerness Teachings // "How many turns did I just take again?" C Colorless Eldrazi // "Smash you."
Been playing the 8 Rabble version to some decent success online. Only problem I’ve faced so far is - wait for it - Jund. I know this matchup just sucks but has anyone found any success against it? Any good tech?
Me with 8 rabble. All in Aggro, 4 chalice out and 4 bridge, 4 relic in from sideboard. It is one of my best match ups with relic/chalice switch tactic. I play only 2:2, 3:2, 2:2 and again 3:2 in fnm, still New and learning...but Never lost vs. Jund and BG and dredge
Last time 3 eidolon, 1, spyglass, 4 relic. But next time i dont want give my opponents artefact target. Relic is not really target, because you can sacrifice it and if not, you used it allready often.my Plan is go full agro without giving targets in some match Ups. AS example my last mardu opponent had 2 wear/tear in Hand, but i dont had any bridge/chalice anymore...only relics and he Never could target it really without loosing card for nothing
Same vs. Dredge, i dont give them any bridge/chalice targets anymore, so they board in useless cards and slow themselves while i am faster. Important vs dredge, NEVER play relic turn 1
On a random note, can someone offer some advice on when I should mull with this deck? My experience with Skred has taught me to keep a hand with some form of interaction in it, but Pyro Prison seems more concerned with amassing lockdown pieces.
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Current Modern Decks BG Elves // "He's back. And he brought his friends. And their friends." BG The Rock // "Dwayne Johnson approved." RU Izzet Phoenix // "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." UGW Bant Spirits // "Super Ghost Bros." BUG Sultai Wildnerness Teachings // "How many turns did I just take again?" C Colorless Eldrazi // "Smash you."
On a random note, can someone offer some advice on when I should mull with this deck? My experience with Skred has taught me to keep a hand with some form of interaction in it, but Pyro Prison seems more concerned with amassing lockdown pieces.
Hey Joker, so to answer your question, in the blind you always mull a one land hand. My one exception is unless it’s a turn 1 chandra. My reasoning on that is that dreadbore and assassin’s trophy are the premium planeswalkers removal spells in the format. Both cost two, so they give you at least a turn with chandra out, trophy is by far more popular and will give you a land, and depending on your build, everything you’d ever want to cast (besides second chandra) costs 3, chandra ticks up for the mana to cast the things. Second rule of thumb is always mull a hand that does nothing. In the blind 4 lands SSG Ritual bridge is a snap mull in my opinion. In that scenario if it was blood moon I’d be a little more tempted but I still would mulligan. I would personally keep that hand if my action card was Chandra, but that’s probably incorrect, I just have a soft spot for my red headed girl. Another scenario of a hand that does nothing is 2 lands 2 chandra Bridge Moon Slagstorm. This looks like it may have everything you want, and I’ll admit that I keep hands like this, but I usually get punished. Best case my humans opponent over extends with meddling mages and Mantis Riders, you top deck a land and slagstorm (could be bridge depending on the situation) into Moon. Worst case your infect/storm opponent kills you on turn 2. You are not doing anything before turn 3, usually you want to keep a hand with a turn 2 play. Modern is a very fast format and hands that do nothing will lose you the game regardless what you’re playing. Hope this helps in learning how to mulligan!
Testing in the Laboratory: Planeswalkers? More like Planesrunners!
Modern Competitive Leagues: 3-2, 3-2, 2-3
Natehill talked about how Modern is fast. As much as I've been enjoying 8-Rabble, I've noted that it is slower than other decks which are all-in on creature attack: 'can't out-creature a creature deck'. SO, I pulled all of them out and their revelrous devil buddies too. Out of here! Put 'em on the bench, and see if I can win through Gods, Planeswalkers, and Parents.
But, wait a minute. Aren't those options even slower? Correct. So, that means I've gotta rack up some nitrous tanks to locate and deploy them even faster:
(14) Mana Rituals
(3) Tormenting Voice
(1) Faithless Looting
(2) Fireblood Rummage
(3) Zhalfirin Scry
NO: goblins, devils, abrade allowed. RESULTS of TESTING: 50/50% after (15) Rounds. I noticed that I had a strong game against the new arclight/thing in the ice deck. This isn't surprising as I pretty much had that winning Baltimore deck at the front of my mind when I designed this deck: Firewalkers. I definitely became more vulnerable to U/W control, because I dropped the pressure: no attacking creatures or devil shocks - thus, they could selectively counterspell my sparse threats. Against Spirits/Humans, my wins were about the same - however the loss of Abrade hurts | as well as the ability to amass Goblins which can close out the game quickly. The same can be said about my Burn matchup which actually had me considering Dragon's Claw (burn/arclight/storm). My Jund-Rock matchup also probably dropped by a small percentage point, because I couldn't devise a win fast enough.
What did I learn? Playing (3) Different Planeswalkers alongside Gods and a couple sets of Parents is fun. The deck is fun. T-Voice/Faithless/Z-Void/Fireblood are terrific at filter-draw. If you're facing a deck where you need to get a bridge out and drop your hand as fast as possible, then this IS the deck. It puts the Pyro in Prison. What it doesn't do is execute the prisoner with haste.
So much of Magic is about seizing an opportunity. Decks falter. A lot. Mana screws/floods or an opponent can't find the right pieces to their own mousetrap. You have to take advantage, and Goblin Rabblemaster is a punisher. It was missed. I'm continuing to tinker, but let's check out the prototype.
VERSION 2.0 has me putting (4) Rabblemaster back into the main deck. The cuts were pretty intuitive. MINUS: Hazoret || Tormenting Voice || Pyretic Ritual || Witchbane Orb. So far, I'm 3-0 in the new league....
Has anyone experimented with Runaway Steam-kin in the deck? If so, what have your results been? I was gonna try the 8-Rabble list that fluffy posted -2 warboss and +2 steam-kin and replacing avaricious dragon with koth of the hammer tonight, but I got off work too late to catch a ride to the FNM that has modern.
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Decks: Modern:
Pyro Prison
Sun and Moon
Eldrazi Stompy
Went 1-3 but I enjoyed playing the deck. I got a turn 1 ensnaring bridge and a turn 2 blood moon against dredge which was hilarious, and I beat Vizier Company which is supposed to be a bad matchup. Lost against Bant Spirits, GW Emeria, and Dredge.
Some of the issues I had were mainly drawing too many lands or not being able keep up pace, or just being up against a horrible matchup (Emeria). I did land a turn 2 Rabblemaster with Mutavault one game which was hilarious.
Had an okay time, just wished I didn't lose so much. I can post my list for feedback later, but I think I already posted my list a few posts before.
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Current Modern Decks BG Elves // "He's back. And he brought his friends. And their friends." BG The Rock // "Dwayne Johnson approved." RU Izzet Phoenix // "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." UGW Bant Spirits // "Super Ghost Bros." BUG Sultai Wildnerness Teachings // "How many turns did I just take again?" C Colorless Eldrazi // "Smash you."
Went 1-2 in my local LGS modern tourny last night but had a great time seeing the looks on peoples faces as I locked them out. I have a very old list and fell away from magic while I got married and bought a place with my wife but grabbed 4 Legion Warboss and foiled out the basics with some Sunday showdown Rebbecca Guay.
G1 Infect - wasn't even close but my hands were godlike. T1 Blood mooned them both games, chalice on 1 and 2 the first game, 1 rabble t2, another t3, dead to a million damage t4 the second game. 1-0
G2 Infect (again but different guy), he got the OTK turn 5 when i was digging for a lock. I got greedy on the t1 rabble and it cost me but its worked before so i still think it was the right play at the time. G2 i had t1 blood moon and chalice on 1 t3 but topdecked EIGHT lands in a row and they drew their basics before I found a bridge or a kill condition. This one felt bad because variance is what got me. Oh well, good with the bad right? 1 - 1
G3 - UR Phoenix - Let me be clear, I hate this deck in that it is as consistent as Tron with a much quicker clock. This deck feels like what burn used to feel like 3 years ago. It is SO DAMN FAST and it counters, and it storms off, and it plays everything too fast and you have to pick which lock you're going with and hopefully it works out. blood moon t2 is what i went with (which is the wrong move as this deck functions perfectly fine without Blue mana) off a mulligan and it slows them down but thing in the ice into manamorphose into manamorphose into remand into another manamorphose into , dumping 2 phoenix and a fiery temper for like 16 damage t4 is just awful lol. I don't remember the specifics of what happened game 2 other than variance really got me (first hand, 6 lands and a Chandra. Second hand, no lands. Third hand, 2 lands, a chalice 2 rabble. I took that because going to 4 might as well be a forfeit but I was dead on t4 with -6 life so at least the beating was swift. 1 - 2
Any ideas on what to sideboard in against this? I brought in 2 Grafdigger's Cage, 1 spellskite, and 2 abrade but didn't hit a single one so they might have helped if I drew any of them.
Feels great to be back
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Modern - Pyro Prison
Modern - GW Tron
Modern - Mono G Tron
Modern - RWg Burn
Commander - Yisan, The Wanderer Bard cEDH build
Commander - Edric, Spymaster of Trest - Budget/Casual list - complete
Commander - Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis - $35 Budget upgrade
Commander - Edgar Markov - $150 upgrade
Hey all, been awhile since I checked in but I've been playing a lot of Pyro Prison online. I know burn shouldn't be that bad of a matchup for us but I've been struggling against it a lot lately. A lot of burn decks bringing in 4x Rakdos charm out of the board. Any thoughts on ways to get around this or do we just need to chalk it up to a bad matchup?
Hey all, been awhile since I checked in but I've been playing a lot of Pyro Prison online. I know burn shouldn't be that bad of a matchup for us but I've been struggling against it a lot lately. A lot of burn decks bringing in 4x Rakdos charm out of the board. Any thoughts on ways to get around this or do we just need to chalk it up to a bad matchup?
Get an early Chalice on 2 to stop Destructive Revelry or Rakdos Charm when in games 2 and 3. Dragon's Claw in the sideboard is a good option against burn, turns their Bolts into Shocks. If a lot of people in your meta are bringing that much artifact hate Spellskite in the board can be an option as well. But just be careful that you aren't devoting too much away from other matchups. I only keep one Dragon's Claw and one Spellskite in my board but I have considered adjusting to two Claws.
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My current modern paper decks with current match records since 02/01/17:
Went 1-2 in my local LGS modern tourny last night but had a great time seeing the looks on peoples faces as I locked them out. I have a very old list and fell away from magic while I got married and bought a place with my wife but grabbed 4 Legion Warboss and foiled out the basics with some Sunday showdown Rebbecca Guay.
G1 Infect - wasn't even close but my hands were godlike. T1 Blood mooned them both games, chalice on 1 and 2 the first game, 1 rabble t2, another t3, dead to a million damage t4 the second game. 1-0
G2 Infect (again but different guy), he got the OTK turn 5 when i was digging for a lock. I got greedy on the t1 rabble and it cost me but its worked before so i still think it was the right play at the time. G2 i had t1 blood moon and chalice on 1 t3 but topdecked EIGHT lands in a row and they drew their basics before I found a bridge or a kill condition. This one felt bad because variance is what got me. Oh well, good with the bad right? 1 - 1
G3 - UR Phoenix - Let me be clear, I hate this deck in that it is as consistent as Tron with a much quicker clock. This deck feels like what burn used to feel like 3 years ago. It is SO DAMN FAST and it counters, and it storms off, and it plays everything too fast and you have to pick which lock you're going with and hopefully it works out. blood moon t2 is what i went with (which is the wrong move as this deck functions perfectly fine without Blue mana) off a mulligan and it slows them down but thing in the ice into manamorphose into manamorphose into remand into another manamorphose into , dumping 2 phoenix and a fiery temper for like 16 damage t4 is just awful lol. I don't remember the specifics of what happened game 2 other than variance really got me (first hand, 6 lands and a Chandra. Second hand, no lands. Third hand, 2 lands, a chalice 2 rabble. I took that because going to 4 might as well be a forfeit but I was dead on t4 with -6 life so at least the beating was swift. 1 - 2
Any ideas on what to sideboard in against this? I brought in 2 Grafdigger's Cage, 1 spellskite, and 2 abrade but didn't hit a single one so they might have helped if I drew any of them.
Feels great to be back
Chalice is excellent against this deck. I don't know what your list is but I shave 4 moons, 3 koths, and a legion warboss (I'm on 4 rabble 2 boss) for 2 Abrade, 2 Tormod's Crypt, 2 Damping Sphere, and 2 Anger (1 anger, 1 slag main to start). I haven't been having issues with this deck, as a matter of fact it's one of the reasons I've gone back to both PYro Prison AND Skred Dragons. Especially in the online metagame.
$30 Buy-In || 5-0 Swiss before cracking to Top 4
Small Tourney, just 16 people. But, at that price, only premier headbangers were willing to put 30 greenbacks on the barrel head to throw down. So, it's a competitive crowd.
LET'S DROP THE HAMMER!!!!!!
Round 1 -- U/W Control. Square off against a buddy who has all the usual tricks: Teferi, Jace, Snaps, Cryptics, Terminus. Pretty typical build with a Dragonlord Ojutai for spice. Obviously I need to win via a Moon. GAME 1: He gets ahead of me with control, and I scoop after a Teferi lands on the board beside an already established Jace. GAME 2: I slam a moon on Turn 1, and he immediately scoops. In my hand, I had a Rabblemaster and Legion alongside another mountain. GAME 3: Slugfest. Basically, I baited out a tap down from him, and then landed a Chandra which ticked up into a victory. A chalice on 1 stranded 4 cards in his hand.
Round 2 -- Spirits. There's very little to tell, and yet so much to say since I faced Spirits again and again in the next 2 rounds. This is a good matchup for us. But, you have to know how to sideboard: stow away those swords and reach for the shields. GAME 1: I locked him on a couple bridges and got hellbent. He had 3 Noble Hierarchs out, however I had a single Rabblemaster that kept generating infinite blocking tokens. He scooped. GAME 2: I brought out 12 cards and brought in a control package. Got there.
Round 3 -- See Above
Round 4 -- See Above Above
Round 5 -- Grixis Death's Shadow. At this point, I'm 4-0. He's considering an intentional draw with hopes to cut into the Top 4 (they didn't do a Top 8). But, he rolled the dice. Likable fella, and I felt bad for him: We both knew that Pyro Prison is a bad matchup for GDS. GAME 1: I keep a decent hand with a noteworthy Chalice/Land/Gemstone combo ready for Turn 1. I'm on the Draw. He turn 1 Thoughtseizes away the Chalice. I top deck another chalice and it gets slammed on 1. He brings out a Tarmogoyf. I cast out a moon. He's got nothing but mountains now. On turn 3, I drop a bridge. That equals game. GAME 2: I'm on the draw again. I land a gemstone caverns again - throwing away a Chandra. He does not have a discard spell this time. I play a land, toss an SSG, and land a bridge on my Turn 1. Seem aggressive? No way. I wasn't risking him getting to 2 mana for a negate or hitting me with a drawn discard spell on his next turn. Bridge = Game Over. And, so it was. Just took a several turns to get there.
CUT TO TOP 4
Opponent was exactly who I did not want to see. Not a Spirit Deck. And, Not my Round 1 UW Control opponent. Instead.....Skred. For all the talk that Dredge is a bear to beat. I put Skred at our worst matchup. Every little machination that we perform which can slow down most opponents, they just don't care about, particualarly the Power Lock Suite. And, they're loaded with removal and sweepers when we try and get through with Goblins. I got smashed! Hey, even Superman has his kryptonite. Our kryptonite just happens to be mountains dusted with crystalline frozen water droplets.
Oh, Well. 5-1 on the Day. I'll take it. Here's the deck. I don't think I would make any changes if I ran it out again. Probably swap that 2nd mutavault for a mountain, but I like to gamble.
vs. U/W CONTROL
IN: Magus, Spellskite, Torpor, Koth, Spyglass, Abrade, Abrade
OUT: 4 Bridge, 2 Anger of the Gods, 1 slagstorm
==> abrades come in to shoot down the snapcasters which often block Goblin Lords.
vs. SPIRITS
OUT: 4 Goblin Rabblemaster, 4 Eidolon of the Great Revel, 2 Hazoret, 1 Pia and Kiran Nalaar.
IN: 2 Anger of the Gods, Sorcerous Spyglass, 2 Damping Matrix (vs.A.Vial-EE-Selfelss Spirit), 2 Abrade, Magus of the Moon, Torpor Orb, Grafdigger's Cage, Koth of the Hammer.
vs. GRIXIS DEATH'S SHADOW
OUT: 2 Anger of the Gods, 1 Slagstorm,
IN: Spellskite, Magus, Sorcerous Spyglass (vs.EE-Liliana-Grim Lavamancer)
vs. SKRED
OUT: All sense of Hope
IN: Foreboding
**ALSO**
@Gelati asked about sideboarding against BURN:
==> First, leave IN your Blood Moons. You mentioned that take them out, and that you have a concern about Rakdos Charm. Moons stop those and Destructive Revelry, Boros Charm, and Lightning Helix. I don't think this is a bad matchup for us.
OUT: 4 Ensnaring Bridge
IN: Spellskite, Abrade, Abrade, Anger of the Gods
@Vegitas1998 asked about sideboarding against U/R PHOENIX:
==> Candidly, I built my Main Deck with this matchup in mind. However, there was only 1 person that was running it. So, the maindeck Eidolons are cherry & I don't muck up my maindeck with any spot removal which is pretty much useless against Phoenix.
IN: Anger of the Gods, Ravenous Trap, Grafdigger's Cage, Damping Sphere, Torpor Orb (vs.Thing/Bedlam), Spellskite.
OUT: 4 Blood Moon, Slagstorm, Desperate Ritual
That's a wrap for now.
Happy Rock Throwing to all of you during this Holiday Season!
How do you know what to set Chalice on versus decks? Just from experience? I know setting it on one hoses a lot of early game plays, and that two is devastating against Merfolk and I think Humans too? Just looking for some general advice as well for a first timer.
BG Elves // "He's back. And he brought his friends. And their friends."
BG The Rock // "Dwayne Johnson approved."
RU Izzet Phoenix // "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."
UGW Bant Spirits // "Super Ghost Bros."
BUG Sultai Wildnerness Teachings // "How many turns did I just take again?"
C Colorless Eldrazi // "Smash you."
Experience plays a huge role. As an example: When playing against certain colors/decks, from experience you just know sometimes there are only 'x' number of cards that can kill my Ensnaring Bridge. Of those cards, almost all of them are converted mana cost 'x' and you just set your Chalice to that. Or playing against certain decks you know that 70% of their threats are converted mana cost 1, so you set it to that. Even a Chalice on 0 is the right play sometimes. You just need to learn what you are playing against. Control decks/prison decks are decks that get a lot better with experience in the format.
If I am completely blind and have a turn 1 Chalice on 1 available, I usually just do it unless I have a better play. At least you will be shutting of some of their deck as I can't think of many decks that just don't run 1 drops besides us.
Dragon Stompy - R 11-6-0
Ponza - RG 8-4-0
Tron - BG 1-2-0
Naya Burn - WRG 2-4-0
Spirits - UW2-2-0
Dragons - R
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtFAO1lJ0Qs
BG Elves // "He's back. And he brought his friends. And their friends."
BG The Rock // "Dwayne Johnson approved."
RU Izzet Phoenix // "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."
UGW Bant Spirits // "Super Ghost Bros."
BUG Sultai Wildnerness Teachings // "How many turns did I just take again?"
C Colorless Eldrazi // "Smash you."
As for your Chalice question: 1. Set it to 1. Primarily because we are not impeded by that play in any way, and there is no deck out there (except us) that doesn't run any 1 drops. That's the simple answer.
The more involved answer speaks to what Ski_AoP said. More specifically:
Set it to 2 against U/R Storm.
Set it to 2 against B/G Rock.
Set it to 0 against Living End
If you've set your first Chalice of the Void to 1, then your second chalice should be set to 2 unless you're facing:
Titanshift: set it to 0 to stop a summoner's pact to get a reclamation sage or, if you can, 3 to stop the sage.
KCI: Set it to 0 to stop their engine (if you can).
Ad Nauseam: Set it to 0 to stop their Lotus Bloom - maybe 2 to stop their Pentad Prison
Grixis Death's Shadow: Set it to 2. But in game 2, set it to 3 to stop Kolaghan's Command
As for Fluffy's encyclopedic offering. It...is...illuminating. There are some straight up bad matches like we've never seen before (i.e. extremely resilient to our pre-AND-sideboard tech), but some definite positive ones as well. Lately, I've been throwing any manner of deck ideas against the cave wall just to see what might stick. I think the split is either 8-Rabble or something that curves high, has a lot of card filtering, and spotlights Pia and Kiran Nalaar. I think they're back and I also think Spellskite might make a return as the '5th' lock - sideboard.
Bottom Line: Like Fluffy said, do not be afraid to mainboard cards which seem like strictly sideboard material if your meta calls for it. That is the ethos of Pyro Prison anyway. It started with the Power Lock Suite, and now it may be time to push it even further out. Hell, I am doing a main deck Witchbane Orb EDIT: Since the Baltimore Event has permeated the event: I have moved away from WO in the main deck... for now
.
BG Elves // "He's back. And he brought his friends. And their friends."
BG The Rock // "Dwayne Johnson approved."
RU Izzet Phoenix // "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."
UGW Bant Spirits // "Super Ghost Bros."
BUG Sultai Wildnerness Teachings // "How many turns did I just take again?"
C Colorless Eldrazi // "Smash you."
BG Elves // "He's back. And he brought his friends. And their friends."
BG The Rock // "Dwayne Johnson approved."
RU Izzet Phoenix // "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."
UGW Bant Spirits // "Super Ghost Bros."
BUG Sultai Wildnerness Teachings // "How many turns did I just take again?"
C Colorless Eldrazi // "Smash you."
Hey Joker, so to answer your question, in the blind you always mull a one land hand. My one exception is unless it’s a turn 1 chandra. My reasoning on that is that dreadbore and assassin’s trophy are the premium planeswalkers removal spells in the format. Both cost two, so they give you at least a turn with chandra out, trophy is by far more popular and will give you a land, and depending on your build, everything you’d ever want to cast (besides second chandra) costs 3, chandra ticks up for the mana to cast the things. Second rule of thumb is always mull a hand that does nothing. In the blind 4 lands SSG Ritual bridge is a snap mull in my opinion. In that scenario if it was blood moon I’d be a little more tempted but I still would mulligan. I would personally keep that hand if my action card was Chandra, but that’s probably incorrect, I just have a soft spot for my red headed girl. Another scenario of a hand that does nothing is 2 lands 2 chandra Bridge Moon Slagstorm. This looks like it may have everything you want, and I’ll admit that I keep hands like this, but I usually get punished. Best case my humans opponent over extends with meddling mages and Mantis Riders, you top deck a land and slagstorm (could be bridge depending on the situation) into Moon. Worst case your infect/storm opponent kills you on turn 2. You are not doing anything before turn 3, usually you want to keep a hand with a turn 2 play. Modern is a very fast format and hands that do nothing will lose you the game regardless what you’re playing. Hope this helps in learning how to mulligan!
Modern Competitive Leagues: 3-2, 3-2, 2-3
Natehill talked about how Modern is fast. As much as I've been enjoying 8-Rabble, I've noted that it is slower than other decks which are all-in on creature attack: 'can't out-creature a creature deck'. SO, I pulled all of them out and their revelrous devil buddies too. Out of here! Put 'em on the bench, and see if I can win through Gods, Planeswalkers, and Parents.
But, wait a minute. Aren't those options even slower? Correct. So, that means I've gotta rack up some nitrous tanks to locate and deploy them even faster:
What did I learn? Playing (3) Different Planeswalkers alongside Gods and a couple sets of Parents is fun. The deck is fun. T-Voice/Faithless/Z-Void/Fireblood are terrific at filter-draw. If you're facing a deck where you need to get a bridge out and drop your hand as fast as possible, then this IS the deck. It puts the Pyro in Prison. What it doesn't do is execute the prisoner with haste.
So much of Magic is about seizing an opportunity. Decks falter. A lot. Mana screws/floods or an opponent can't find the right pieces to their own mousetrap. You have to take advantage, and Goblin Rabblemaster is a punisher. It was missed. I'm continuing to tinker, but let's check out the prototype.
4 Ensnaring Bridge
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Blood Moon
1 Witchbane Orb
Creatures (4)
2 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
2 Hazoret the Fervent
Planeswalkers (5)
3 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
2 Sarkhan, Fireblood
Removal (3)
1 Slagstorm
2 Anger of the Gods
4 Simian Spirit Guide
4 Desperate Ritual
2 Pyretic Ritual
Draw Accelerators (4)
3 Tormenting Voice
1 Faithless Looting
Lands (21)
14 Mountains
3 Gemstone Caverns
3 Zhalfirin Void
1 Ramunap Ruins
2 Anger of the Gods
2 Damping Matrix
2 Torpor Orb
2 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Ravenous Trap
1 Spellskite
1 Damping Sphere
1 Sorcerous Spyglass
1 Abrade
1 Koth of the Hammer
VERSION 2.0 has me putting (4) Rabblemaster back into the main deck. The cuts were pretty intuitive. MINUS: Hazoret || Tormenting Voice || Pyretic Ritual || Witchbane Orb. So far, I'm 3-0 in the new league....
Modern:
Pyro Prison
Sun and Moon
Eldrazi Stompy
Some of the issues I had were mainly drawing too many lands or not being able keep up pace, or just being up against a horrible matchup (Emeria). I did land a turn 2 Rabblemaster with Mutavault one game which was hilarious.
Had an okay time, just wished I didn't lose so much. I can post my list for feedback later, but I think I already posted my list a few posts before.
BG Elves // "He's back. And he brought his friends. And their friends."
BG The Rock // "Dwayne Johnson approved."
RU Izzet Phoenix // "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."
UGW Bant Spirits // "Super Ghost Bros."
BUG Sultai Wildnerness Teachings // "How many turns did I just take again?"
C Colorless Eldrazi // "Smash you."
G1 Infect - wasn't even close but my hands were godlike. T1 Blood mooned them both games, chalice on 1 and 2 the first game, 1 rabble t2, another t3, dead to a million damage t4 the second game. 1-0
G2 Infect (again but different guy), he got the OTK turn 5 when i was digging for a lock. I got greedy on the t1 rabble and it cost me but its worked before so i still think it was the right play at the time. G2 i had t1 blood moon and chalice on 1 t3 but topdecked EIGHT lands in a row and they drew their basics before I found a bridge or a kill condition. This one felt bad because variance is what got me. Oh well, good with the bad right? 1 - 1
G3 - UR Phoenix - Let me be clear, I hate this deck in that it is as consistent as Tron with a much quicker clock. This deck feels like what burn used to feel like 3 years ago. It is SO DAMN FAST and it counters, and it storms off, and it plays everything too fast and you have to pick which lock you're going with and hopefully it works out. blood moon t2 is what i went with (which is the wrong move as this deck functions perfectly fine without Blue mana) off a mulligan and it slows them down but thing in the ice into manamorphose into manamorphose into remand into another manamorphose into , dumping 2 phoenix and a fiery temper for like 16 damage t4 is just awful lol. I don't remember the specifics of what happened game 2 other than variance really got me (first hand, 6 lands and a Chandra. Second hand, no lands. Third hand, 2 lands, a chalice 2 rabble. I took that because going to 4 might as well be a forfeit but I was dead on t4 with -6 life so at least the beating was swift. 1 - 2
Any ideas on what to sideboard in against this? I brought in 2 Grafdigger's Cage, 1 spellskite, and 2 abrade but didn't hit a single one so they might have helped if I drew any of them.
Feels great to be back
Modern - GW Tron
Modern - Mono G Tron
Modern - RWg Burn
Commander - Yisan, The Wanderer Bard cEDH build
Commander - Edric, Spymaster of Trest - Budget/Casual list - complete
Commander - Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis - $35 Budget upgrade
Commander - Edgar Markov - $150 upgrade
Get an early Chalice on 2 to stop Destructive Revelry or Rakdos Charm when in games 2 and 3. Dragon's Claw in the sideboard is a good option against burn, turns their Bolts into Shocks. If a lot of people in your meta are bringing that much artifact hate Spellskite in the board can be an option as well. But just be careful that you aren't devoting too much away from other matchups. I only keep one Dragon's Claw and one Spellskite in my board but I have considered adjusting to two Claws.
Dragon Stompy - R 11-6-0
Ponza - RG 8-4-0
Tron - BG 1-2-0
Naya Burn - WRG 2-4-0
Spirits - UW2-2-0
Dragons - R
Chalice is excellent against this deck. I don't know what your list is but I shave 4 moons, 3 koths, and a legion warboss (I'm on 4 rabble 2 boss) for 2 Abrade, 2 Tormod's Crypt, 2 Damping Sphere, and 2 Anger (1 anger, 1 slag main to start). I haven't been having issues with this deck, as a matter of fact it's one of the reasons I've gone back to both PYro Prison AND Skred Dragons. Especially in the online metagame.
Small Tourney, just 16 people. But, at that price, only premier headbangers were willing to put 30 greenbacks on the barrel head to throw down. So, it's a competitive crowd.
LET'S DROP THE HAMMER!!!!!!
Round 1 -- U/W Control. Square off against a buddy who has all the usual tricks: Teferi, Jace, Snaps, Cryptics, Terminus. Pretty typical build with a Dragonlord Ojutai for spice. Obviously I need to win via a Moon. GAME 1: He gets ahead of me with control, and I scoop after a Teferi lands on the board beside an already established Jace. GAME 2: I slam a moon on Turn 1, and he immediately scoops. In my hand, I had a Rabblemaster and Legion alongside another mountain. GAME 3: Slugfest. Basically, I baited out a tap down from him, and then landed a Chandra which ticked up into a victory. A chalice on 1 stranded 4 cards in his hand.
Round 2 -- Spirits. There's very little to tell, and yet so much to say since I faced Spirits again and again in the next 2 rounds. This is a good matchup for us. But, you have to know how to sideboard: stow away those swords and reach for the shields. GAME 1: I locked him on a couple bridges and got hellbent. He had 3 Noble Hierarchs out, however I had a single Rabblemaster that kept generating infinite blocking tokens. He scooped. GAME 2: I brought out 12 cards and brought in a control package. Got there.
Round 3 -- See Above
Round 4 -- See Above Above
Round 5 -- Grixis Death's Shadow. At this point, I'm 4-0. He's considering an intentional draw with hopes to cut into the Top 4 (they didn't do a Top 8). But, he rolled the dice. Likable fella, and I felt bad for him: We both knew that Pyro Prison is a bad matchup for GDS. GAME 1: I keep a decent hand with a noteworthy Chalice/Land/Gemstone combo ready for Turn 1. I'm on the Draw. He turn 1 Thoughtseizes away the Chalice. I top deck another chalice and it gets slammed on 1. He brings out a Tarmogoyf. I cast out a moon. He's got nothing but mountains now. On turn 3, I drop a bridge. That equals game. GAME 2: I'm on the draw again. I land a gemstone caverns again - throwing away a Chandra. He does not have a discard spell this time. I play a land, toss an SSG, and land a bridge on my Turn 1. Seem aggressive? No way. I wasn't risking him getting to 2 mana for a negate or hitting me with a drawn discard spell on his next turn. Bridge = Game Over. And, so it was. Just took a several turns to get there.
CUT TO TOP 4
Opponent was exactly who I did not want to see. Not a Spirit Deck. And, Not my Round 1 UW Control opponent. Instead.....Skred. For all the talk that Dredge is a bear to beat. I put Skred at our worst matchup. Every little machination that we perform which can slow down most opponents, they just don't care about, particualarly the Power Lock Suite. And, they're loaded with removal and sweepers when we try and get through with Goblins. I got smashed! Hey, even Superman has his kryptonite. Our kryptonite just happens to be mountains dusted with crystalline frozen water droplets.
Oh, Well. 5-1 on the Day. I'll take it. Here's the deck. I don't think I would make any changes if I ran it out again. Probably swap that 2nd mutavault for a mountain, but I like to gamble.
4 Ensnaring Bridge
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Blood Moon
Creatures (14)
4 Goblin Rabblemaster
3 Legion Warboss
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
2 Hazoret the Fervent
1 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
2 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
Sweeper Removal (3)
1 Slagstorm
2 Anger of the Gods
Accelerators (8)
4 Simian Spirit Guide
4 Desperate Ritual
Lands (21)
13 Mountains
3 Gemstone Caverns
3 Ramunap Ruins
2 Mutavault
2 Anger of the Gods
2 Abrade
2 Damping Matrix
1 Torpor Orb
2 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Sorcerous Spyglass
1 Damping Sphere
1 Spellskite
1 Ravenous Trap
1 Magus of the Moon
1 Koth of the Hammer
SIDEBOARDING NOTES:
vs. U/W CONTROL
IN: Magus, Spellskite, Torpor, Koth, Spyglass, Abrade, Abrade
OUT: 4 Bridge, 2 Anger of the Gods, 1 slagstorm
==> abrades come in to shoot down the snapcasters which often block Goblin Lords.
vs. SPIRITS
OUT: 4 Goblin Rabblemaster, 4 Eidolon of the Great Revel, 2 Hazoret, 1 Pia and Kiran Nalaar.
IN: 2 Anger of the Gods, Sorcerous Spyglass, 2 Damping Matrix (vs.A.Vial-EE-Selfelss Spirit), 2 Abrade, Magus of the Moon, Torpor Orb, Grafdigger's Cage, Koth of the Hammer.
vs. GRIXIS DEATH'S SHADOW
OUT: 2 Anger of the Gods, 1 Slagstorm,
IN: Spellskite, Magus, Sorcerous Spyglass (vs.EE-Liliana-Grim Lavamancer)
vs. SKRED
OUT: All sense of Hope
IN: Foreboding
**ALSO**
@Gelati asked about sideboarding against BURN:
==> First, leave IN your Blood Moons. You mentioned that take them out, and that you have a concern about Rakdos Charm. Moons stop those and Destructive Revelry, Boros Charm, and Lightning Helix. I don't think this is a bad matchup for us.
OUT: 4 Ensnaring Bridge
IN: Spellskite, Abrade, Abrade, Anger of the Gods
@Vegitas1998 asked about sideboarding against U/R PHOENIX:
==> Candidly, I built my Main Deck with this matchup in mind. However, there was only 1 person that was running it. So, the maindeck Eidolons are cherry & I don't muck up my maindeck with any spot removal which is pretty much useless against Phoenix.
IN: Anger of the Gods, Ravenous Trap, Grafdigger's Cage, Damping Sphere, Torpor Orb (vs.Thing/Bedlam), Spellskite.
OUT: 4 Blood Moon, Slagstorm, Desperate Ritual
That's a wrap for now.
Happy Rock Throwing to all of you during this Holiday Season!