Good catch, Caligula! So, Justin Fry turned in a Top-8 finish (5th place) at a StarCityGames IQ in New Holland on July 23rd. Another notch on the big board for us!
I looked over the main deck, and it's (2) spells different from my 1K winning Pyro Prison list: He went for an Abrade (unavailable to me at the time) and an extra Koth of the Hammer with a... ... swap out of the 4th ensnaring bridge. I'd love to see Justin drop into the thread, and share some thoughts about what happened in New Holland. And, my first question would have to be, 'where is New Holland'? Sounds like it's out of a Fairy Tale, doesn't it?
Only (3) Ensnaring Bridge? Is this advisable or even possible??? I've recently snuck a Faithless Looting into my build for the primary goal of finding a bridge. And, believe you me, I am not happy about running that card - it's singleton buttocks are barely hanging on to the 60th card slot.
Sideboard Thoughts: I applaud the use of Sun Droplet vs. Dragon's Claw. I've also quietly shifted in that direction - mostly to mediate the small pings that occur vs. Signal Pest , famed bridge-defeater, and other onboard ping machines. I wonder about the choice to use By Force as opposed to going for Shattering Spree??
Lastly, no utility lands, just the mountains? Feels like there's some money that got left on the table with that decision....
Lately I felt like my list was getting scattered, 1 of this, 1 of that.. so I've refocused on 3 main threats; Chandra, Koth and Hazoret, cutting Rabblemaster. Sometimes he's a superstar, but a lot of the time I feel like I'd rather have something harder to kill, and Hazoret fits the bill. With 4 Chandra and 8 4-CMC spells, her discard outlet is important as well.
Abrade- this card was made for our deck. Clearly our game plan is centered around Blood Moon, and this card kills all of our nemesi; Hierarch, Birds, Mox Opal, Aether Vial etc etc. A match made in heaven!
Other changes- Defense Grid has been great in the UW/UWx control matchups, and I've switched to snow lands and put Skred in the board for matchups where Chalice comes out (CoCo/Chord comes to mind) and instant-speed removal is needed. So far I'm loving this list!
Long time lurker here. I am planning on taking this to a PPTQ on saturday and have been jamming the deck on xmage. I am having some trouble sideboarding in the particular match ups: UWx control, COCO match ups (specifically druid) and grixis shadow. anyone have any baseline strategies they'd mind sharing? I have been a long time ad nauseam and storm player and understand what most meta decks are trying to accomplish as a game plan. post board games are kind of tough for me here as the hate cards are already exhibited in game 1.
UW control is usually a pretty good match up from the start for us. Especially with a fast blood moon as they usually kill you with man lands. After sideboard I would bring in relics and grafdiggers cage's to stop their use of snapcaster mage.
For Grixis Shadow, they can't really get passed enanaring bridge game 1. They usually only have 2 main board cards that can deal with it where we have 4 bridges. But I'd probably bring in ratchet bomb to hit their deaths shadow and maybe storm breath dragon to be able to take down their tassagur or angler in the late game since it will be a bigger 7/7 body.
Private Mod Note
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My current modern paper decks with current match records since 02/01/17:
FNM report, but not from me. A pal at my LGS built his own Pyro Prison deck and was 3-0 with nary a loss in any rounds before falling to a death'n'taxes build in the 4th (shaking fist at the cornsilk, blonde hair of Thalia!!!). Still, an impressive first effort for Phil!
So, Caligula's got a new plan, eh....The 4-cmc Club. No Rabble and no way to win outside of his (8) 4-drops and the gray ogres. My initial observation turns to the metric of 'threat density'. It's slim, partner. One of the reasons why I slipped (2) Phyrexian Revoker into the sideboard, instead of Pithing Needle, is just a way to buttress damage delivery.
This speaks to Skia_AoP's comments to the new fella, jrschnoebelen (kin to aslidsiksoraksi I can only imagine - man, these names! It's like your folks took child naming advice from Robert DeNiro /Calogero). Skia talked about beating U/W countering decks with some swapping in of specific cards. For reference, this is my current deck (shoosh, just realized I haven't put up a list in a month):
Jrs asked for advice on U/W - This is what I wrote in an earlier post:
Facing Counterspell/Control Decks
You nailed it Vegitas: "just run into their spells and hope we have more gas than them". Some discussion on this topic: card economy. First, your mulliganning has got to be frustrating, and although I readily do it once (7 cards is about the same as 6 with a scry), I rarely drop below 6 cards, because land distribution becomes dicey. So, try to keep card counts high, and trust in the draws and dig. You mentioned merfolk: Bridge - sure, but sweepers will reset the game. And, what's your removal: Magma Jet, Sweltering Suns or my combo card: Arc Trail.
Threat density. It's all about presenting 'must counterspell' cards to the opponent where finally they run out of gas. Honestly, if we don't get out ahead of them with a chalice or moon to slow their development, then they can start to pick off our principal threats with draw-go shenanigans. Tormenting Voice. It's a win-win if it's countered or it isn't.
And, this is how I would generally sideboard against them - generally. IN: Hazoret the Fervent, Eidolon of the Great Revel, Phyrexian Revoker, Grafdigger's Cage OUT: Sweltering Suns, Ensnaring Bridge, Pyretic Ritual, Tormenting Voice (keep 2 in)
Versus Coco (druid): To Moon or Not to Moon.....it has to do with a lot of factors, not least of which is who is playing first. Also, how well positioned are you to sniping out their weenie dorks. Ever teamed up a minx named Jaya Ballard, Task Mage?? My SB has increasingly shifted to shutting down their engine since they amongst the deck least affected by our power lock suite. So, the highlighted cards are... IN: Grafdigger's Cage, Torpor Orb, Anger of the Gods, Phyrexian Revoker, Ratchet Bomb OUT: Awwwww, c'mon do I have to?!
Versus Grixis Death's Shadow: No problems here as we're hitting them from all angles...Although Magma Jet seems like an easy take-out, they are important for locating bridges. And, you have to assume that GDS will have discard on turn one, so filtering becomes critical.
IN: Ratchet Bomb, Hazoret the Fervent OUT: Sweltering Suns, Magma Jet
I know this advice is coming late, as you were planning on running this deck at a PPTQ today....so, hope you throw some mountain fisted uppercuts wherever your village may be, buddy.
Hey Ray, thanks for the response. I actually wasn't able to attend the PPTQ because of work reasons (darn that I.T life) but will be back at the grind this weekend! thanks for the tips and updated list. I was thinking something very similar on all of those MU's so glad to hear I have the right logic.
You'll get 'em next time Jrschnoebelen...pleased to hear that we're thinking the same. One of the less intuitive cuts when facing Grixis Control or U/B Control is our mana accelerators. I'd rather pack in some beefcake than worry about a single turn accelerator - that's where the creature threats create real problems, since the opponents have to fight off multi-tiered wincons. Grixis can't kill enchantments & U/W struggles with threats that hit the board on a missed counterspell opportunity.
3-1 at last week's FNM. I ran the same list that I put up above, and played well.....until the last round.
Round 1: Titan Breach/Scapeshift - 2-0 WIN. This is a superb matchup for us. There really isn't much to say here: Bridge/Moon Lockdown and Planeswalker win.
Round 2: Humans - 2-1 WIN. In game 1 of round 1, I was on the draw and was unsure of my opponent's deck. I made a tough decision on the tossed card to Gemstone Caverns. With 2 bridge in hand and fear that he could nuke a single one if I tossed the 2nd one away, I opted to toss 1 of my 2 rituals. This precluded my ability to land a turn 1 Chandra. The game begins and I draw -- a 3rd bridge. He lands a turn 2 thalia, guardian of thraben, and I can't recover. I can't believe how disruptive that pixie can be to us. In games 2-3, we're in very good shape with sweepers/bridges/moon. I will say that this, and other games as well, I feel really well situated having (2) Pia and Kiran Nalaar back in my maindeck.
Round 3: U/R Storm - 2-1 WIN. In order to beat Storm, I highly recommend that you read up on the right way to kill their chain. If anyone knows of a good link, can they post it up here? The real trick is landing a Chalice on 2. It equals autoscoop. The other trick? Patience. My opponent is a great laugh and good guy, but man the pace of play on this solitaire deck is unreal. We were less than a minute away from going to time.
Round 4: Abzan Beats - 0-2 LOSS. Unlike my 3rd round opponent, this was a new face at our LGS. And he was neither fun nor courteous. I think he said 1 full sentence to me, and other than that it was interruptions and rudeness at every turn. And, the worst part was....it got to me. His reprehensible gameplay manners tilted me towards making 2 critical mistakes. 4-0 became 3-1.
I wouldn't be surprised if his unsportsmanlike play was carefully calculating & purposeful - as a way to gain the edge over an opponent. Hey, it worked. I don't know if there's a precedent for involving a judge for *****iness, but I view it as a form of cheating: 'underhanded tactics that create an unfair advantage'.
Anyone else had to deal with rubbish at this level? No point of going into details of exactly what/how was said in our match. Sufficed to say in 20+ years of play, I've seen a lot and I'm no snowflake - jus' sayin' that dude was on the attack.
Over the last few weeks, I've re-learned some lessons. First and foremost, the importance of Pia and Kiran. There's no replacement for Ensnaring Bridge, but finding a P&K is a descent substitute, at least until we find one. I've also settled on two in the main.
I've missed Rabblemaster almost as much. The other day I lost a game after a T1 Chandra. If I had played a T1 Rabble I would've won the game and match, but I just couldn't take life fast enough.. Rabble back in the main for good this time.
Side note; not only is Titanshift a great matchup, according to mtggoldfish, it's also the most played deck in Modern! Great news for us, mountainfolk!
Looking at the Birmingham Grand Prix results, do you think Shrine of Burning Rage is worth considering?
I'm thinking of moving the Goblin Rabblemaster to the sideboard for these, specifically for a local PPTQ (where I probably won't be facing my LGS's regulars who already know the deck, and the sideboard shenanigans).
CMC is 2 (a less crowded spot than 3).
I run about 25-27 red spells total, so it should tick up consistently. Extra spells cast through Chandra's +1 almost help boost this up.
It allows you to run more maindeck sweepers (ex: Pyroclasm) without worrying about blowing up your own Rabblemasters.
This would leave the maindeck "almost" creatureless (just 2x Magus of the Moon and 1x Hazoret the Fervent for me). When people side out their creature removal for artifact removal, I'd swap the Shrines for Rabblemasters.
I think the Shrine is less explosive than Rabblemaster, but could have better interaction with the rest of the deck.
5 'Top 5' performances in premier events in twice that many, most recent months
In previous posts, I've told tale of Magilympics. Once per season, a 1/2 dozen of us grizzled, olde-timers gather at my house in the Boston suburbs for an all day/night battleground of Magic (EDH, Drafts, 2-Headed Giant, and Modern). I sold all of my valuable cards years ago, but we proxy up vintage goodness and remember the rockin' 90s. The Magilympic flame is lit around noon and doesn't go out until well after midnight.
At the last event, the fellas presented me with a wrapped gift. And, upon opening the package, it felt like Christmas morning. Friends like these - how about these sonsa*****es, eh?!
5 'Top 5' performances in premier events in twice that many, most recent months
In previous posts, I've told tale of Magilympics. Once per season, a 1/2 dozen of us grizzled, olde-timers gather at my house in the Boston suburbs for an all day/night battleground of Magic (EDH, Drafts, 2-Headed Giant, and Modern). I sold all of my valuable cards years ago, but we proxy up vintage goodness and remember the rockin' 90s. The Magilympic flame is lit around noon and doesn't go out until well after midnight.
At the last event, the fellas presented me with a wrapped gift. And, upon opening the package, it felt like Christmas morning. Friends like these - how about these sonsa*****es, eh?!
Regarding Shrine of Burning Rage
What an interesting twist on Red Burn! Some fella took 1st place with (4) of these in his main deck - instead of Eidolon of the Great Revel. Huh, I do play (1) Eidolon in my sideboard, so the thought is valid, JfMajor. You make some good points for how it worked it's way into 1st place in a Grand Prix, but does it translate into a control shell?
In all likeliness, Shrine's probably best employed only as that extra step of reach to push dedicated burn-red into a win -- after all, their late land draws are brutally vacuous - the shrine gives them a tick-tick-tick boom. Burn has early game and absolutely no late game. For our dead draws, we have our planeswalkers and rabble rabble growth *plus* the control shell which grants us access to the late game.
Regarding Goblin Rabblemaster
Seems like folks are starting to consider a pivot from Goblin Rabblemaster. Most recently Caligula has thankfully heel-turned back to the GR after a dalliance with other ladies out on the dance floor. Phew. And, I get Major's considerations about blanking people's creature kill cards by going creatureless. But, their cards are generally blanked out anyway via Chalice/Moon. If not, then let 'em trade away an abrupt decay, detention sphere, maelstrom pulse, Cryptic Command bounce or Beast Within on a 2/2 preggers pumper instead of the hammer blow that is an ensnaring bridge or blood moon or Chandra/Koth.
Rabblemaster alongside Pia and Kiran Nalaar is the differentiating dimension to Pyro Prison's win conditions. Man can not win on Planeswalkers alone. Just 1 Rabblemaster puts up a combined 7 damage the turn after he comes out.
The Strategy Cave Eidolon of the Great Revel came up in this post. I keep it in my 75 for Storm/U-W Contro/Lantern/G-x Tron/Ad Nauseam. Does that make sense? Would I bring it in against Grixis Death's Shadow - or is that gas for them, that I just don't want to grant?
I recently switched over to using crook of condemnation over Relic of Progenitus in the sideboard. Has anyone else tried this? In my limited amount of testing I have liked that it does not conflict with chalice on 1, especially against death's shadow decks. Targeting cards to blank snaps feels good, but the significant mana investment might not be worth it.
I definitely think i prefer Chandra as a 4-of. We always want her, and the odds of having too many Chandras are slim.
Ive gone to 4 Rituals and 22 lands. I feel it gives a bit more consistentcy while still giving us a 70% chance of a turn two 3-drop on the play.
T. Voice/Magma Jet/Abrade- all 3 of these playas got game. They all get a spot on the team, and the choice of who gets the spot in the starting 60 comes down to one thing; who plays better off the bench? Abrade. I usually rotate it out with Voice, kinda like the frontcourt of that basketball team you like. So far it's been a strong 6th man of the year candidate!
Wildcards- Stormbreath Dragon and Seismic Strike. I absolutely love unleashing the Dragon on UW Control. Literally my favorite thing in magic right now. As for the Strike, it's a trial balloon. I've killed a Goyf or two, so it's been fine with me so far!
I'm really intrigued by the Eidolon idea, however I think we would need to devote at least 3 slots to really get a feel for him. I'm stroking my beard menacingly.
3-1 at FNM this week. The loss was an 0-2 drop to Griselbrand / Goryo's Vengeance Deck in 5 turns and then 2 turns. Heh, fair shakes. We've been known to win on turn 1.
So pleased to have a couple new faces with a pure red pedigree in our clan: Sorz & Proxxy
@Sorz: I noticed your top 5 finish in a SCG Modern IQ last month. Good on ya! I know we'd love to hear some details about how you climbed that mountain on July 23rd and the experiences you've had with the deck in your area. I noticed the Abrade inclusion in the main deck and some unconventional additions in the sideboard, but first: Just Mountains? Just like Mayor West is a man who enjoys his Taffy, I'm a fella that can revel in Mountaineity, but alllll mountains? In your year+ of testing, did you try any tricksy lands?
Abrade: This created a stir when it first came out. Is this card in for the long haul, though? I tend to view 1-for-1 removal dimly in our control shell. So much of our approaches are either totality or search - thus, my respect for Proxxy's use of lotsa Magma Jet instead. (4) might be excessive, but I will say this: the moment Grixis Death's Shadow and Phat Beater decks start to fade in popularity, the Jet will be crucial. Maybe that's already happening in Proxxy's meta.
Crook of Condemnation? Well, it's an isolated case, but that Turn-2 win with Goryo's Vengeance had me considering a faster option: Tormod's Crypt. Like you said, Sorz, the crook may be a bit too slow.
@Proxxy: Ahhhhhhhhh, our brother! Great to hear the enthusiasm - you've just found us and nearly read the whole thread. Phenomenal. You've got some insights into ideas that came in and out of vogue and will be poised to remind us of weapons forgotten when the meta shifts. Heads Up: Updated Ban List will be announced tomorrow! So, I see you went for the shrewd inclusion of Snow-Covered Mountains - hilarious. Have you seen people make missteps on account of the perceived Skred threats? I would definitely join you in this approach, but I just can't give up my Unglued Mountain set - favorite art.
You asked about (4) Chandra, Torch of Defiance. We were on 4 for a while here, but slipped that count to 3. For me, it's either a 4th chandra or a 3rd tormenting voice. I'm definitely the most aggressive T-Voicer here, so can see that 4 chandra works as well - either way. Again, 4 magma jet / 1 t-voice / 1 sweltering suns. Hmmm - I'm topped at 2 magma jet for now - meta call. But, I do like the trick of firing one off on my Turn-2 upkeep to influence my draw when lock searching.
@Caligula: Friend to All & Ambassador of Pyro Prison - Stormbreath Dragon. I can imagine that going monstrous has given you wins. It's a more wise consideration than my previously suggested Kargan Dragonlord, and particularly impactful when opponents side out their creature kill. Abrade and Seismic Strike both subscribe to that kind of narrow removal regime, no? I'd probably devote more trust in the bridge and maybe toss in a spellskite for protection? Or, how about Mizzium Mortars?
Ray: I definitely want to give Mortars a try, as I found Strike to be sub-par overall.. As for Abrade, although it is a 1-for-1, it's versatility is key. Against decks with a lot of dorks, it gives me an extra couple bullets while also killing mana rocks, shoring up the Blood Moon plan, and a couple extra ways to deal with little must-kill guys like Bob, Vizier, Druid and such. I usually swap them for voice when it's no good.
I've just started trying Damping Matrix, I have an intense hatred for Affinity and, well, this card is close to GG. Works well against Druid/Viz combo too!
It used to be that, dependent on the meta, it was a singular and simple choice of Torpor Orb or Grafdigger's Cage for the lock out of opponent shenanigans. Yet, D. Matrix was always an underappreciated alternative as well. Huh - I will say that the first time I saw this card, I was astounded that it wasn't seeing more play. Is it the sneaky catch-all answer these days? Regarding similar logic, I recently ratcheted my Witchbane Orb count up to 2 in my SB and removed my lifegain elements: Dragon's Claw / Sun Droplet. Are we missing something, Caligula?
Since we're talking about shutting down activated abilities, what about the new spoiled card Sorcerous Spyglass?
Pithing Needle stapled to a Peek? We don't have access to any peek effects now that Git Probe is banned, and needle is often a sideboard card. Would be more versatile.
Edit: Also we have Treasure Map now. How does this match up with Crystal Ball and other scry effects? It's cheaper, with less scry, but the upside of after 3 turns being able to draw cards. And I can see using treasure for mana when stuck on 3 lands to power out a Chandra or Koth.
@Proxxy: If it was running for office on the Elf or Tron or Coco/Vizier ticket, I'd vote for it. Any other deck type? Thumbs down. I tried Ballista for a good while, alongside other mountainfolk, and it just didn't offer enough impact. Scavenging Grounds??? Alluring. I get the argument on Gemstone Caverns vs. Mutavault. And, there's a lot of testing/variety on this thread regarding the right mix.
@LindonMichael: Sorcerous Spyglass? Holy Hell.........Helluva find there. Helluva find. This card - and its related CMC - brings into focus the additions of cards that violate our self imposed, 1-cmc ban rule. [I get that this is a 2-cmc card, though] Like
LM said, it's an unencumbered Pithing Needle play.
It's a careful dance to allow for 1-drops in the SB when you know that you're bringing out the Chalice of the Void anyway. Thus, no conflict
https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/712362#paper
I looked over the main deck, and it's (2) spells different from my 1K winning Pyro Prison list: He went for an Abrade (unavailable to me at the time) and an extra Koth of the Hammer with a... ... swap out of the 4th ensnaring bridge. I'd love to see Justin drop into the thread, and share some thoughts about what happened in New Holland. And, my first question would have to be, 'where is New Holland'? Sounds like it's out of a Fairy Tale, doesn't it?
Only (3) Ensnaring Bridge? Is this advisable or even possible??? I've recently snuck a Faithless Looting into my build for the primary goal of finding a bridge. And, believe you me, I am not happy about running that card - it's singleton buttocks are barely hanging on to the 60th card slot.
Sideboard Thoughts: I applaud the use of Sun Droplet vs. Dragon's Claw. I've also quietly shifted in that direction - mostly to mediate the small pings that occur vs. Signal Pest , famed bridge-defeater, and other onboard ping machines. I wonder about the choice to use By Force as opposed to going for Shattering Spree??
Lastly, no utility lands, just the mountains? Feels like there's some money that got left on the table with that decision....
2 Koth of the Hammer
2 Hazoret the Fervent
2 Magus of the Moon
4 Blood Moon
4 Ensnaring Bridge
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Simian Spirit Guide
4 Desperate Ritual
1 Pyretic Ritual
3 Tormenting Voice
3 Abrade
1 Sweltering Suns
2 Mutavault
18 Snow-Covered Mountain
2 Anger of the Gods
2 Shattering Spree
1 Witchbane Orb
2 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Ratchet Bomb
2 Skred
1 Spellskite
3 Defense Grid
Lately I felt like my list was getting scattered, 1 of this, 1 of that.. so I've refocused on 3 main threats; Chandra, Koth and Hazoret, cutting Rabblemaster. Sometimes he's a superstar, but a lot of the time I feel like I'd rather have something harder to kill, and Hazoret fits the bill. With 4 Chandra and 8 4-CMC spells, her discard outlet is important as well.
Abrade- this card was made for our deck. Clearly our game plan is centered around Blood Moon, and this card kills all of our nemesi; Hierarch, Birds, Mox Opal, Aether Vial etc etc. A match made in heaven!
Other changes- Defense Grid has been great in the UW/UWx control matchups, and I've switched to snow lands and put Skred in the board for matchups where Chalice comes out (CoCo/Chord comes to mind) and instant-speed removal is needed. So far I'm loving this list!
For Grixis Shadow, they can't really get passed enanaring bridge game 1. They usually only have 2 main board cards that can deal with it where we have 4 bridges. But I'd probably bring in ratchet bomb to hit their deaths shadow and maybe storm breath dragon to be able to take down their tassagur or angler in the late game since it will be a bigger 7/7 body.
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
So, Caligula's got a new plan, eh....The 4-cmc Club. No Rabble and no way to win outside of his (8) 4-drops and the gray ogres. My initial observation turns to the metric of 'threat density'. It's slim, partner. One of the reasons why I slipped (2) Phyrexian Revoker into the sideboard, instead of Pithing Needle, is just a way to buttress damage delivery.
This speaks to Skia_AoP's comments to the new fella, jrschnoebelen (kin to aslidsiksoraksi I can only imagine - man, these names! It's like your folks took child naming advice from Robert DeNiro /Calogero). Skia talked about beating U/W countering decks with some swapping in of specific cards. For reference, this is my current deck (shoosh, just realized I haven't put up a list in a month):
Creatures (8)
4 Goblin Rabblemaster
2 Magus of the Moon
2 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
Accelerators (12)
4 Simian Spirit Guide
4 Desperate Ritual
1 Pyretic Ritual
3 Tormenting Voice
Enchantments (4)
4 Blood Moon
3 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
1 Koth of the Hammer
Artifacts (8)
4 Ensnaring Bridge
4 Chalice of the Void
Disruption (3)
2 Magma Jet
1 Sweltering Suns
Lands (21)
17 Mountains
3 Gemstone Caverns
1 Mutavault
3 Anger of the Gods
2 Shattering Spree
2 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Torpor Orb
1 Ratchet Bomb
1 Witchbane Orb
1 Sun Droplet
1 Eidolon of the Great Revel
1 Hazoret the Fervent
Jrs asked for advice on U/W - This is what I wrote in an earlier post:
You nailed it Vegitas: "just run into their spells and hope we have more gas than them". Some discussion on this topic: card economy. First, your mulliganning has got to be frustrating, and although I readily do it once (7 cards is about the same as 6 with a scry), I rarely drop below 6 cards, because land distribution becomes dicey. So, try to keep card counts high, and trust in the draws and dig. You mentioned merfolk: Bridge - sure, but sweepers will reset the game. And, what's your removal: Magma Jet, Sweltering Suns or my combo card: Arc Trail.
Threat density. It's all about presenting 'must counterspell' cards to the opponent where finally they run out of gas. Honestly, if we don't get out ahead of them with a chalice or moon to slow their development, then they can start to pick off our principal threats with draw-go shenanigans. Tormenting Voice. It's a win-win if it's countered or it isn't.
IN: Hazoret the Fervent, Eidolon of the Great Revel, Phyrexian Revoker, Grafdigger's Cage
OUT: Sweltering Suns, Ensnaring Bridge, Pyretic Ritual, Tormenting Voice (keep 2 in)
Versus Coco (druid): To Moon or Not to Moon.....it has to do with a lot of factors, not least of which is who is playing first. Also, how well positioned are you to sniping out their weenie dorks. Ever teamed up a minx named Jaya Ballard, Task Mage?? My SB has increasingly shifted to shutting down their engine since they amongst the deck least affected by our power lock suite. So, the highlighted cards are...
IN: Grafdigger's Cage, Torpor Orb, Anger of the Gods, Phyrexian Revoker, Ratchet Bomb
OUT: Awwwww, c'mon do I have to?!
Versus Grixis Death's Shadow: No problems here as we're hitting them from all angles...Although Magma Jet seems like an easy take-out, they are important for locating bridges. And, you have to assume that GDS will have discard on turn one, so filtering becomes critical.
IN: Ratchet Bomb, Hazoret the Fervent
OUT: Sweltering Suns, Magma Jet
I know this advice is coming late, as you were planning on running this deck at a PPTQ today....so, hope you throw some mountain fisted uppercuts wherever your village may be, buddy.
3-1 at last week's FNM. I ran the same list that I put up above, and played well.....until the last round.
Round 1: Titan Breach/Scapeshift - 2-0 WIN. This is a superb matchup for us. There really isn't much to say here: Bridge/Moon Lockdown and Planeswalker win.
Round 2: Humans - 2-1 WIN. In game 1 of round 1, I was on the draw and was unsure of my opponent's deck. I made a tough decision on the tossed card to Gemstone Caverns. With 2 bridge in hand and fear that he could nuke a single one if I tossed the 2nd one away, I opted to toss 1 of my 2 rituals. This precluded my ability to land a turn 1 Chandra. The game begins and I draw -- a 3rd bridge. He lands a turn 2 thalia, guardian of thraben, and I can't recover. I can't believe how disruptive that pixie can be to us. In games 2-3, we're in very good shape with sweepers/bridges/moon. I will say that this, and other games as well, I feel really well situated having (2) Pia and Kiran Nalaar back in my maindeck.
Round 3: U/R Storm - 2-1 WIN. In order to beat Storm, I highly recommend that you read up on the right way to kill their chain. If anyone knows of a good link, can they post it up here? The real trick is landing a Chalice on 2. It equals autoscoop. The other trick? Patience. My opponent is a great laugh and good guy, but man the pace of play on this solitaire deck is unreal. We were less than a minute away from going to time.
Round 4: Abzan Beats - 0-2 LOSS. Unlike my 3rd round opponent, this was a new face at our LGS. And he was neither fun nor courteous. I think he said 1 full sentence to me, and other than that it was interruptions and rudeness at every turn. And, the worst part was....it got to me. His reprehensible gameplay manners tilted me towards making 2 critical mistakes. 4-0 became 3-1.
I wouldn't be surprised if his unsportsmanlike play was carefully calculating & purposeful - as a way to gain the edge over an opponent. Hey, it worked. I don't know if there's a precedent for involving a judge for *****iness, but I view it as a form of cheating: 'underhanded tactics that create an unfair advantage'.
Anyone else had to deal with rubbish at this level? No point of going into details of exactly what/how was said in our match. Sufficed to say in 20+ years of play, I've seen a lot and I'm no snowflake - jus' sayin' that dude was on the attack.
I've missed Rabblemaster almost as much. The other day I lost a game after a T1 Chandra. If I had played a T1 Rabble I would've won the game and match, but I just couldn't take life fast enough.. Rabble back in the main for good this time.
Side note; not only is Titanshift a great matchup, according to mtggoldfish, it's also the most played deck in Modern! Great news for us, mountainfolk!
Looking at the Birmingham Grand Prix results, do you think Shrine of Burning Rage is worth considering?
I'm thinking of moving the Goblin Rabblemaster to the sideboard for these, specifically for a local PPTQ (where I probably won't be facing my LGS's regulars who already know the deck, and the sideboard shenanigans).
This would leave the maindeck "almost" creatureless (just 2x Magus of the Moon and 1x Hazoret the Fervent for me). When people side out their creature removal for artifact removal, I'd swap the Shrines for Rabblemasters.
I think the Shrine is less explosive than Rabblemaster, but could have better interaction with the rest of the deck.
What do you guys think?
At the last event, the fellas presented me with a wrapped gift. And, upon opening the package, it felt like Christmas morning. Friends like these - how about these sonsa*****es, eh?!
Oh.. my.. granddaddy! I love that shirt!!!
http://magic.wizards.com/en/events/coverage/gpbir17/top-8-decklists-grand-prix-birmingham-2017-08-13
Regarding Shrine of Burning Rage
What an interesting twist on Red Burn! Some fella took 1st place with (4) of these in his main deck - instead of Eidolon of the Great Revel. Huh, I do play (1) Eidolon in my sideboard, so the thought is valid, JfMajor. You make some good points for how it worked it's way into 1st place in a Grand Prix, but does it translate into a control shell?
In all likeliness, Shrine's probably best employed only as that extra step of reach to push dedicated burn-red into a win -- after all, their late land draws are brutally vacuous - the shrine gives them a tick-tick-tick boom. Burn has early game and absolutely no late game. For our dead draws, we have our planeswalkers and rabble rabble growth *plus* the control shell which grants us access to the late game.
Regarding Goblin Rabblemaster
Seems like folks are starting to consider a pivot from Goblin Rabblemaster. Most recently Caligula has thankfully heel-turned back to the GR after a dalliance with other ladies out on the dance floor. Phew. And, I get Major's considerations about blanking people's creature kill cards by going creatureless. But, their cards are generally blanked out anyway via Chalice/Moon. If not, then let 'em trade away an abrupt decay, detention sphere, maelstrom pulse, Cryptic Command bounce or Beast Within on a 2/2 preggers pumper instead of the hammer blow that is an ensnaring bridge or blood moon or Chandra/Koth.
Rabblemaster alongside Pia and Kiran Nalaar is the differentiating dimension to Pyro Prison's win conditions. Man can not win on Planeswalkers alone. Just 1 Rabblemaster puts up a combined 7 damage the turn after he comes out.
The Strategy Cave
Eidolon of the Great Revel came up in this post. I keep it in my 75 for Storm/U-W Contro/Lantern/G-x Tron/Ad Nauseam. Does that make sense? Would I bring it in against Grixis Death's Shadow - or is that gas for them, that I just don't want to grant?
Another option in this slot is a single Pithing Needle {engineered explosives/walking ballista} Spellskite or Kargan Dragonlord. Remember him? He used to be aces against g/w once they removed their path to exile, since he could blast through the top with trample. But, these days? Vizier/Coco is a different breed, and it is quite the *****er.
Current Deck
Creatures (8)
4 Goblin Rabblemaster
2 Magus of the Moon
2 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
Accelerators (12)
4 Simian Spirit Guide
4 Desperate Ritual
1 Pyretic Ritual
3 Tormenting Voice
Enchantments (4)
4 Blood Moon
3 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
1 Koth of the Hammer
Artifacts (8)
4 Ensnaring Bridge
4 Chalice of the Void
Disruption (3)
2 Magma Jet
1 Sweltering Suns
Lands (21)
17 Mountains
3 Gemstone Caverns
1 Mutavault
3 Anger of the Gods
2 Shattering Spree
2 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Torpor Orb
1 Ratchet Bomb
1 Witchbane Orb
1 Sun Droplet
1 Eidolon of the Great Revel
1 Hazoret the Fervent
I recently switched over to using crook of condemnation over Relic of Progenitus in the sideboard. Has anyone else tried this? In my limited amount of testing I have liked that it does not conflict with chalice on 1, especially against death's shadow decks. Targeting cards to blank snaps feels good, but the significant mana investment might not be worth it.
I would appreciate any insight on this change.
4 Goblin Rabblemaster
2 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
2 Magus of the Moon
4 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
1 Koth of the Hammer
4 Blood Moon
4 Ensnaring Bridge
4 Chalice of the Void
1 Pyretic Ritual
3 Tormenting Voice
2 Magma Jet
2 Gemstone Caverns
18 Mountain
2 Mutavault
2 Shattering Spree
2 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Ratchet Bomb
2 Abrade
1 Seismic Strike
3 Anger of the Gods
1 Hazoret the Fervent
1 Witchbane Orb
1 Stormbreath Dragon
Just a few thoughts;
I definitely think i prefer Chandra as a 4-of. We always want her, and the odds of having too many Chandras are slim.
Ive gone to 4 Rituals and 22 lands. I feel it gives a bit more consistentcy while still giving us a 70% chance of a turn two 3-drop on the play.
T. Voice/Magma Jet/Abrade- all 3 of these playas got game. They all get a spot on the team, and the choice of who gets the spot in the starting 60 comes down to one thing; who plays better off the bench? Abrade. I usually rotate it out with Voice, kinda like the frontcourt of that basketball team you like. So far it's been a strong 6th man of the year candidate!
Wildcards- Stormbreath Dragon and Seismic Strike. I absolutely love unleashing the Dragon on UW Control. Literally my favorite thing in magic right now. As for the Strike, it's a trial balloon. I've killed a Goyf or two, so it's been fine with me so far!
I'm really intrigued by the Eidolon idea, however I think we would need to devote at least 3 slots to really get a feel for him. I'm stroking my beard menacingly.
So pleased to have a couple new faces with a pure red pedigree in our clan: Sorz & Proxxy
@Sorz: I noticed your top 5 finish in a SCG Modern IQ last month. Good on ya! I know we'd love to hear some details about how you climbed that mountain on July 23rd and the experiences you've had with the deck in your area. I noticed the Abrade inclusion in the main deck and some unconventional additions in the sideboard, but first: Just Mountains? Just like Mayor West is a man who enjoys his Taffy, I'm a fella that can revel in Mountaineity, but alllll mountains? In your year+ of testing, did you try any tricksy lands?
Abrade: This created a stir when it first came out. Is this card in for the long haul, though? I tend to view 1-for-1 removal dimly in our control shell. So much of our approaches are either totality or search - thus, my respect for Proxxy's use of lotsa Magma Jet instead. (4) might be excessive, but I will say this: the moment Grixis Death's Shadow and Phat Beater decks start to fade in popularity, the Jet will be crucial. Maybe that's already happening in Proxxy's meta.
Crook of Condemnation? Well, it's an isolated case, but that Turn-2 win with Goryo's Vengeance had me considering a faster option: Tormod's Crypt. Like you said, Sorz, the crook may be a bit too slow.
@Proxxy: Ahhhhhhhhh, our brother! Great to hear the enthusiasm - you've just found us and nearly read the whole thread. Phenomenal. You've got some insights into ideas that came in and out of vogue and will be poised to remind us of weapons forgotten when the meta shifts. Heads Up: Updated Ban List will be announced tomorrow! So, I see you went for the shrewd inclusion of Snow-Covered Mountains - hilarious. Have you seen people make missteps on account of the perceived Skred threats? I would definitely join you in this approach, but I just can't give up my Unglued Mountain set - favorite art.
You asked about (4) Chandra, Torch of Defiance. We were on 4 for a while here, but slipped that count to 3. For me, it's either a 4th chandra or a 3rd tormenting voice. I'm definitely the most aggressive T-Voicer here, so can see that 4 chandra works as well - either way. Again, 4 magma jet / 1 t-voice / 1 sweltering suns. Hmmm - I'm topped at 2 magma jet for now - meta call. But, I do like the trick of firing one off on my Turn-2 upkeep to influence my draw when lock searching.
@Caligula: Friend to All & Ambassador of Pyro Prison - Stormbreath Dragon. I can imagine that going monstrous has given you wins. It's a more wise consideration than my previously suggested Kargan Dragonlord, and particularly impactful when opponents side out their creature kill. Abrade and Seismic Strike both subscribe to that kind of narrow removal regime, no? I'd probably devote more trust in the bridge and maybe toss in a spellskite for protection? Or, how about Mizzium Mortars?
I've just started trying Damping Matrix, I have an intense hatred for Affinity and, well, this card is close to GG. Works well against Druid/Viz combo too!
It used to be that, dependent on the meta, it was a singular and simple choice of Torpor Orb or Grafdigger's Cage for the lock out of opponent shenanigans. Yet, D. Matrix was always an underappreciated alternative as well. Huh - I will say that the first time I saw this card, I was astounded that it wasn't seeing more play. Is it the sneaky catch-all answer these days? Regarding similar logic, I recently ratcheted my Witchbane Orb count up to 2 in my SB and removed my lifegain elements: Dragon's Claw / Sun Droplet. Are we missing something, Caligula?
Is damping matrix the 'new' play?
Pithing Needle stapled to a Peek? We don't have access to any peek effects now that Git Probe is banned, and needle is often a sideboard card. Would be more versatile.
Edit: Also we have Treasure Map now. How does this match up with Crystal Ball and other scry effects? It's cheaper, with less scry, but the upside of after 3 turns being able to draw cards. And I can see using treasure for mana when stuck on 3 lands to power out a Chandra or Koth.
@Proxxy: If it was running for office on the Elf or Tron or Coco/Vizier ticket, I'd vote for it. Any other deck type? Thumbs down. I tried Ballista for a good while, alongside other mountainfolk, and it just didn't offer enough impact. Scavenging Grounds??? Alluring. I get the argument on Gemstone Caverns vs. Mutavault. And, there's a lot of testing/variety on this thread regarding the right mix.
@LindonMichael: Sorcerous Spyglass? Holy Hell.........Helluva find there. Helluva find. This card - and its related CMC - brings into focus the additions of cards that violate our self imposed, 1-cmc ban rule. [I get that this is a 2-cmc card, though] Like
LM said, it's an unencumbered Pithing Needle play.
It's a careful dance to allow for 1-drops in the SB when you know that you're bringing out the Chalice of the Void anyway. Thus, no conflict