Notable cards: 1. Vendilion Clique. I've only recently started playing 2 Cliques in my deck, and let me say it's been a revelation against combo decks. A lot of the time, the 2 U to cast is bypassed with Nissa and Collected Company. Cliqued away Scapeshift a couple of times. 2. Loxodon Smiter. As an experiment, I've played 3 Loxodon Smiters in my sideboard. This is partly a reaction against an uptick in Anger of the Gods, so Kitchen Finks isn't as good. I wanted a 3 mana 4/4 that can pressure (on top of Knight). It's also great against control since it can't be countered (which I forgot about). Has anyone else tested Loxodon Smiter? It feels really good.
I also played 3 Reflector Mages in my main deck and crushed Jund. Thanks for the tip, @dejadal!
My current quandary is the 2-slot. I used to play 2 Qasali and 2 Ooze, but I want to make my deck more proactive in terms of game plan. Ooze and Qasali are great sometimes, but mostly reactionary. I've been playing less 2-drops (replacing with Reflector Mages), so that I have only 3 Voice and 2 Selfless Spirit. I'm toying with some out of the box ideas like Spellskite, Exemplar of Strength, Channeler Initiate, Jace, Vryn's Prodigy, etc. to replace my 2 Selfless Spirits (they haven't been bad). Spellskite is on top of my list now since it seems great versus Affinity, Bogles, Burn, and Bolt. However, it's reactive rather than proactive. Any ideas?
I've been trying 2 meddling mages, and they seem pretty good side them out in some matchups, but it has one me a few game 1s against storm, u/w control, scapeshift, and Adnauseum
Osanai - what does your manabase look like? I liked meddling mage when I played with it as well, but ultimately cut it because the mana cost was too awkward. It punishes you for fetching basic forest and is difficult to play alongside another spell later in the game
Lockdown smiter is appealing to me right now because I just lost to 8-rack
I mulled to 5 game one and then he drops the rack turn one after I dropped a land and a dork. Thoughts?
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If you can get out ahead of the 8rack player, you will probably be fine. Tracker is really good here. If you're on the draw and they T2 smallpox you to kill a land and dork, you're done for. Jace is great in this matchup. If you can ever land him, you basically win on the spot. Also stop playing lands once you hit 4 mana sources to keep your card count up in your hand. Unless you are locked under a Lilly +1 or Raven's Crime. Also Spell Queller can exile a Raven's Crime forever. You did mull to 5, which helps the 8rack deck immensely.
Hey Guys, So I've seen Red Knightfall with BBE do well online recently, and I've gone around and theory-crafted and started to test this deck, and I really like it. Could I get some feedback?
Hey man, I've been playing almost the same deck as you for the past few leagues. It's really fun, and surprisingly good. Courser had been lackluster for me though, so I cut both and now I am playing 2 Thalia, heretic Cathar. The card is SO good, especially with 8 mana dorks. I had a game where I mulled to 5 against Tron on the play, and my first play was Thalia on t3. It slowed him down 2 turns and I won.
The problem I've been having with the deck is lackluster 2-drops, but any bant company deck has always had that problem (aside from Devoted Druid). My 2-drop suite is 4 VoR, 2 Qasali, 2 Scooze, and I was considering trying Meddling mage in the board. But it might just be better main. I also was considering Clique to make combo matchups better, but I think the double Blue is too hard for the deck to cast it consistently.
2-drop Thalia is interesting. I could see it being good.
I really don't want to put any Quellers in the board. It's such vulnerable card, and I don't really even like it in most matchups where it would seem good. That, combined with the non-bo with BBE, makes it an easy cut.
Here's my current board:
2x Izzet Staticaster
2x Stony silence
2x Worship
2x Tireless Tracker
2x Kitchen Finks
2x Eidolon of Rhetoric
3x Crumble to Dust (looking to replace these. Maybe with a stony silence, or fracturing Gust, or meddling mages, or maybe I will try thalia. Probably dampening Sphere when it comes out. Maybe a bojuka Bog)
I realize, I’m asking how it would fit in if he did put it in. He complained about lackluster two drops. The combo uses two drops so I’m thinking that we could put it in.
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The Vizier combo takes up way too much room for the BBE list. Plus it's pretty terrible without Chord and Chord is a nonbo with BBE. Not to mention the creatures themselves are bad (2 mana 0/2 and 2 mana 2/1 are not where you want to be in a value list)
yeah I've been pretty unhappy with the vizier combo myself lately. The cards are so clunky and underpowered that you often can't win if you're interacted with.
Did anyone else see the recent 5-0 MTGO list with 4 maindeck mana leaks? It honestly struck a chord with me immediately. I've always been most comfortable after sideboard with access to negates or unified wills, and to me path is more of a necessary evil than a boon.
I might play a couple more reflector mages, but in general leak seems awesome. Shores up some rougher matchups and boosts the flash plan.
Shalai, Voice of Plenty
3W
Legendary Creature - Angel
Flying
You, planeswalkers you control, and other creatures you control have hexproof.
4GG: Put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control.
3/4
--
Mainly for the Devoted Druid builds, but this card is sweet. It's a combo piece. It protects our other combo pieces. It's hate for a bunch of decks, including Burn and Storm, and very good against Liliana (both Lilianas, even). It's a 3/4 beater in the air. It blocks Mantis Rider. At 4 casting cost and 4 toughness, it's annoying to deal with removal. It's a grindy win-con with the built-in Gavony Township effect.
Did I mention it's a combo piece??
Yes, it's a miss from Collected Company, but the list plays Walking Ballista, and sometimes more than one. This is also excellent with Chord of Calling to blank any removal, discard or other spell that targets... anything on your side of the battlefield. I think the druid builds play minimum one of these in the main.
But while Shalay got a lot of attention yesterday, I think there's another potentially very good card that flew under the radar, also for the Druid build:
Dauntless Bodyguard
W
Creature - Human Knight
As Dauntless Bodyguard enters the battlefield, choose another creature you control.
Sacrifice Dauntless Bodyguard: The chosen creature gains indestructible until end of turn.
2/1
--
A 2/1 for W isn't awful on rate, but where this shines is as a super cheap protection spell with Chord of Calling. Anyone who plays Burrenton Forge-Tender knows how good it feels to have Chord for Forge-Tender ready to save your devoted druid. This is a more maindeckable version of that. Yes, Selfless Spirit does it better, but Chord for 2 is significantly harder to do than Chord for 1.
I'm wondering if we could have a curve like this to protect Druid:
Chord for 1 = Dauntless Bodyguard (save it from non-white removal)
Chord for 2 = Selfless Spirit (save your whole board from non-white removal)
Chord for 3 = Renegade Rallier (recur it after any removal as long as you have a graveyard)
Chord for 4 = Shalai, Voice of Plenty (save it from any targeted removal so long as your opponent can't respond with a removal spell that hits Shalai)
All of these could be 1-ofs, and all are very good cards in their own right.
Dauntless bodyguard is definitely something that caught my eye as well. I honestly wonder if a benevolent-bodyguard-varient wouldn't be too strong in modern, because this guys drawback makes it extremely awkward.
Remember, a good opponent will kill druid while it's summoning sick if possible. So... The only scenario I can come up with where this card is good is when you play a druid and pass with chord to protect. Druid only costs 2 mana, so this is only relevant if you have exactly 4 chord Mana left, and isn't relevant against path, dismember, brutality, or reflector mage.
Will there be scenarios where you simultaneously:
a) have to protect a druid with exactly 4 convoke?
b) are facing removal that indestructible works against?
c) still have the cards to go off after?
Yes. But will that happen enough times to justify playing a Savannah Lion? I think probably not. Its possible that my logic's flawed, let me know what you find if you test it.
Dauntless bodyguard is definitely something that caught my eye as well. I honestly wonder if a benevolent-bodyguard-varient wouldn't be too strong in modern, because this guys drawback makes it extremely awkward.
Remember, a good opponent will kill druid while it's summoning sick if possible. So... The only scenario I can come up with where this card is good is when you play a druid and pass with chord to protect. Druid only costs 2 mana, so this is only relevant if you have exactly 4 chord Mana left, and isn't relevant against path, dismember, brutality, or reflector mage.
Will there be scenarios where you simultaneously:
a) have to protect a druid with exactly 4 convoke?
b) are facing removal that indestructible works against?
c) still have the cards to go off after?
Yes. But will that happen enough times to justify playing a Savannah Lion? I think probably not. Its possible that my logic's flawed, let me know what you find if you test it.
You're not wrong. I think it's worth a try just because Bolt and Push are so prevalent. It also protects against various other spells such as Kolaghan's Command, Abrupt Decay, Anger of the Gods, Supreme Verdict, etc. It can also be used for combat in odd cases. The biggest thing is the surprise factor. It's not hard to hold up 4 mana when counting untapped creatures including druid itself. Yes, there are spells it doesn't protect against, but I think it's still worth a shot on balance. The card isn't awful on its own; Savannah Lion beats aren't the worst, especially with Exalted.
I also played 3 Reflector Mages in my main deck and crushed Jund. Thanks for the tip, @dejadal!
My current quandary is the 2-slot. I used to play 2 Qasali and 2 Ooze, but I want to make my deck more proactive in terms of game plan. Ooze and Qasali are great sometimes, but mostly reactionary. I've been playing less 2-drops (replacing with Reflector Mages), so that I have only 3 Voice and 2 Selfless Spirit. I'm toying with some out of the box ideas like Spellskite, Exemplar of Strength, Channeler Initiate, Jace, Vryn's Prodigy, etc. to replace my 2 Selfless Spirits (they haven't been bad). Spellskite is on top of my list now since it seems great versus Affinity, Bogles, Burn, and Bolt. However, it's reactive rather than proactive. Any ideas?
I could see it as a sideboard card, but I'm pretty sure blessed alliance is the card you want for your boggles/burn/affinity matchup
I mulled to 5 game one and then he drops the rack turn one after I dropped a land and a dork. Thoughts?
Hey man, I've been playing almost the same deck as you for the past few leagues. It's really fun, and surprisingly good. Courser had been lackluster for me though, so I cut both and now I am playing 2 Thalia, heretic Cathar. The card is SO good, especially with 8 mana dorks. I had a game where I mulled to 5 against Tron on the play, and my first play was Thalia on t3. It slowed him down 2 turns and I won.
The problem I've been having with the deck is lackluster 2-drops, but any bant company deck has always had that problem (aside from Devoted Druid). My 2-drop suite is 4 VoR, 2 Qasali, 2 Scooze, and I was considering trying Meddling mage in the board. But it might just be better main. I also was considering Clique to make combo matchups better, but I think the double Blue is too hard for the deck to cast it consistently.
2-drop Thalia is interesting. I could see it being good.
I really don't want to put any Quellers in the board. It's such vulnerable card, and I don't really even like it in most matchups where it would seem good. That, combined with the non-bo with BBE, makes it an easy cut.
Here's my current board:
2x Izzet Staticaster
2x Stony silence
2x Worship
2x Tireless Tracker
2x Kitchen Finks
2x Eidolon of Rhetoric
3x Crumble to Dust (looking to replace these. Maybe with a stony silence, or fracturing Gust, or meddling mages, or maybe I will try thalia. Probably dampening Sphere when it comes out. Maybe a bojuka Bog)
Did anyone else see the recent 5-0 MTGO list with 4 maindeck mana leaks? It honestly struck a chord with me immediately. I've always been most comfortable after sideboard with access to negates or unified wills, and to me path is more of a necessary evil than a boon.
I might play a couple more reflector mages, but in general leak seems awesome. Shores up some rougher matchups and boosts the flash plan.
Shalai, Voice of Plenty
3W
Legendary Creature - Angel
Flying
You, planeswalkers you control, and other creatures you control have hexproof.
4GG: Put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control.
3/4
--
Mainly for the Devoted Druid builds, but this card is sweet. It's a combo piece. It protects our other combo pieces. It's hate for a bunch of decks, including Burn and Storm, and very good against Liliana (both Lilianas, even). It's a 3/4 beater in the air. It blocks Mantis Rider. At 4 casting cost and 4 toughness, it's annoying to deal with removal. It's a grindy win-con with the built-in Gavony Township effect.
Did I mention it's a combo piece??
Yes, it's a miss from Collected Company, but the list plays Walking Ballista, and sometimes more than one. This is also excellent with Chord of Calling to blank any removal, discard or other spell that targets... anything on your side of the battlefield. I think the druid builds play minimum one of these in the main.
But while Shalay got a lot of attention yesterday, I think there's another potentially very good card that flew under the radar, also for the Druid build:
Dauntless Bodyguard
W
Creature - Human Knight
As Dauntless Bodyguard enters the battlefield, choose another creature you control.
Sacrifice Dauntless Bodyguard: The chosen creature gains indestructible until end of turn.
2/1
--
A 2/1 for W isn't awful on rate, but where this shines is as a super cheap protection spell with Chord of Calling. Anyone who plays Burrenton Forge-Tender knows how good it feels to have Chord for Forge-Tender ready to save your devoted druid. This is a more maindeckable version of that. Yes, Selfless Spirit does it better, but Chord for 2 is significantly harder to do than Chord for 1.
I'm wondering if we could have a curve like this to protect Druid:
Chord for 1 = Dauntless Bodyguard (save it from non-white removal)
Chord for 2 = Selfless Spirit (save your whole board from non-white removal)
Chord for 3 = Renegade Rallier (recur it after any removal as long as you have a graveyard)
Chord for 4 = Shalai, Voice of Plenty (save it from any targeted removal so long as your opponent can't respond with a removal spell that hits Shalai)
All of these could be 1-ofs, and all are very good cards in their own right.
GWU Knightfall Spirit Company GWU
GWB Abzan Evolution GWB
Remember, a good opponent will kill druid while it's summoning sick if possible. So... The only scenario I can come up with where this card is good is when you play a druid and pass with chord to protect. Druid only costs 2 mana, so this is only relevant if you have exactly 4 chord Mana left, and isn't relevant against path, dismember, brutality, or reflector mage.
Will there be scenarios where you simultaneously:
a) have to protect a druid with exactly 4 convoke?
b) are facing removal that indestructible works against?
c) still have the cards to go off after?
Yes. But will that happen enough times to justify playing a Savannah Lion? I think probably not. Its possible that my logic's flawed, let me know what you find if you test it.
You're not wrong. I think it's worth a try just because Bolt and Push are so prevalent. It also protects against various other spells such as Kolaghan's Command, Abrupt Decay, Anger of the Gods, Supreme Verdict, etc. It can also be used for combat in odd cases. The biggest thing is the surprise factor. It's not hard to hold up 4 mana when counting untapped creatures including druid itself. Yes, there are spells it doesn't protect against, but I think it's still worth a shot on balance. The card isn't awful on its own; Savannah Lion beats aren't the worst, especially with Exalted.
GWU Knightfall Spirit Company GWU
GWB Abzan Evolution GWB