Fine, you dont like Lantern as an example, but its irrelevant. 90% of cards coming out of any set are going to be 'bad'. Limited fodder, Standard level '4 mana for draw 2' and the like.
90% are not going to work in Modern at anything above Tier 3.
We are always going to get bad cards, so there is no point in fighting it. Expansion // Explosion for example. The cards are coming regardless.
Yeah, we basically know that MAYBE 1-3 cards in any given set will be relevant to Modern. And if they took the time to make something as amazing as Assassin's Trophy (and previously, Fatal Push) it would be nice to see that same bone that they toss to removal also get tossed to counterspells.
Which speaks to both points, that a counterspell can be good in Modern and just okay in Standard, but the larger point of, what other counterspells do you want/need? With the added question of, given that all of these already exist, how do you then expect Wizards to print a new Modern playable counter that fits the previously stated criteria of 1-2 CMC, fits nicely into UR tempo, is poor/okay in Standard, is good in Modern, and doesn't overlap with all of the other stuff already out there?
personally id like to see some sort of free counter magic (like force of will) that was more playable. its the only type that is really missing. it would be a challenge to balance correctly, and there are some risks involved; however i think the format could be improved if one was around as a safety outlet.
like you point out, there are 2 cmc counters out there if people want them. straight up counterspell would be an upgrade for sure, but its potential impact is greatly overestimated. deploying a threat and holding up 2 mana hardly keeps you tempo positive with what is going on in the format. control decks would just converge their slots, be more consistent with their gameplan, but ultimately be doing the same thing they are now.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Modern: UWGSnow-Bant Control BURGrixis Death's Shadow GWBCoCo Elves WCDeath and Taxes (sold)
In 2 mana, you get to counter creatures or non creatures in standard. Not both. Putting a looting effect on it also, makes it bonkers.
We could see a good 3 cmc counter like that though. It could be modern playable.
Killing any permanent ANY, including Land, is also bonkers, at 2cmc.
I think thats the point of all this last few pages.
What they are saying by not printing "downside" 1-2cmc counters for Modern is simply: "We do not want counters to be good in Modern."
I think the comment was more, the only format that will benefit from a 2CMC counter is Modern, because every other eternal format already has better options and Standard doesn't need a 2CMC counter. By introducing a 2CMC counter to Standard, so that it can flow in to Modern, would more than likely disrupt Standard significantly and result in a ban, further damaging the image of Standard. If they unban already existing counters so Modern can use them, how does that impact Modern?
Modern already has a plethora of counters and ways to disrupt the stack. Many people dislike stack interaction. And, as we're now seeing, Ux has a very competitively viable build, so how much would adding another, even lower CMC, counter affect the power level of Ux builds?
I think the logical conclusion has to be that 2CMC counter would provide too much power to the Ux decks and further elevate their Top8/16/32 showings. Which then cascades into "slower" magic, with resulting timed-out matches, and logistics issues because more people are playing Ux decks with the powerful 2CMC counters and other decks drop in meta share because they can't get anything successfully through the stack bottle neck.
Obligatory - "OMG that's a way overblown fear..."
1) That's why I said (several times on the previous page) that a 1-2cmc counterspell with downside would be nice. There's a reason why Remand, Mana Leak, Logic Knot, Negate, Dispel, Spell Snare all see play, but not a single Cancel+upside sees any play whatsoever. It would have been nice to have something at least as powerful as the recent slew of busted removal spells.
2) Yes, Ux has a great deck. Specifically UW, which would not be able to cast this hypothetical UR without taking several downgrading steps. That's entirely the point of printing it in specifically UR to provide help for the tempo decks they have destroyed multiple times in the past.
3) The success of one deck that can't even play this hypothetical card should not impact whether or not we get to have that card.
4) A card would not break Standard if it had a downside that makes it poor/OK in Standard, but great in Modern.
1) You just named 6 1-2 CMC spells that can go currently go into a Modern UR Deck. Why do you need another, specifically for UR?
2) The premise of your argument is that UR doesn't have an appropriately costed counterspell and therefore is "destroyed" as a result. Is that really the case though? Is a 1-2 CMC counterspell that fits narrowly into just a UR tempo shell going to catapult that deck forward, or will it actually do next to nothing for the deck that already has 6 of these options available, as you pointed out previously, and then end up being abused by a different build that you and Wizards didn't foresee?
3) Correct, if the hypothetical card is unplayable in the deck cited. My argument wasn't narrowly tailored to a UR build. The reason being, the counter, at 1 CMC, would also be playable in UW because it would have to be a U costed counter. A R costed counter doesn't fit the pie and likely ends up breaking other Rx decks. So, your hypothetical card would have to be UR costed by its very nature and then, yes, you are correct, that would not be played in the current UW build and that argument fails. But, it may make Jeskai rise or UR tempo, as you propose, or some other deck(s) we haven't considered.
4)How on earth do you design such a narrow counterspell that it's "poor/ok" in Standard but good in Modern? That seems like a complete impossibility for that type of card.
It's not that difficult. You can print a UR counter that untaps all the lands that player tapped to cast the spell. Perhaps that wording isn't possible, so then you just add an untap X clause. You can make a UB Counter that causes you to lose 2 life, sac a permanent, etc. There are all sorts of cost-reduction mechanics. You can make a UR/UB Cancel that costs 1 less to cast if you have some # of I/S in your GY, etc.
People don't like their big bombs countered? Just make an inverse Disdainful Stroke. That card would see all sorts of Modern play. In fact, it's a card a lot of people have been wondering why it hasn't all ready happened. Same thing with a Revolt Counterspell. Completely fine in standard, but great in Modern. There are a ton of missed opportunities from Wizards in this regard. It's not too different from stuff like Take Inventory and all the "fixed" versions of Fact or Fiction. None of that ***** sees play. The original cards were/are interesting and powerful. I just really dislike them using print equity on these types of "throwbacks" that are slaps in the face. A card like Accumulated Knowledge would be really interesting in Modern. Hell, don't have to reprint it exactly if you don't like its symmetry, you can just make it asymmetrical like Take Inventory, but sorcery speed....really? Same principles apply to their print equity of counters.
Edit: Also, where are the Dimir cards? Every other guild has had 3-4+ R/MR spoiled, but Dimir only has their crappy 6 mana MR spoiled. Does this bode well that they're leaving them for last? Probably not....
In 2 mana, you get to counter creatures or non creatures in standard. Not both. Putting a looting effect on it also, makes it bonkers.
We could see a good 3 cmc counter like that though. It could be modern playable.
Killing any permanent ANY, including Land, is also bonkers, at 2cmc.
I think thats the point of all this last few pages.
Yeah, the bar for that used to be 3CMC at sorcery speed. Even the "fixed" instant speed versions are either 3CMC and lose 3 life or 4CMC, neither of which can still hit lands. Assassin's Trophy, at 2CMC, at instant speed, that can target lands, and the only drawback is the opponent gets a basic? That is NUUTTTSSSS.
Edit: Also, where are the Dimir cards? Every other guild has had 3-4+ R/MR spoiled, but Dimir only has their crappy 6 mana MR spoiled. Does this bode well that they're leaving them for last? Probably not....
I hope it means we get a bunch of Dimir goodies. Unless they want to lead with all the "exciting" cards and then blow us away with some super awesome UB mill cards... Buuut I'm certainly praying for the not mill variety.
I'm also gonna be so pumped when WotC gives us all the finger and makes UG "Counter target spell". I don't think UR is wrong, probably more fair than the straight reprint or reprint with drawback (reprint minus?). The thing we'll run into with anything other than UU is that if the card is decent, then that's it; WotC can't ever print another 2cmc counter, especially not a UU one.
Justification for UG is that Green is ramp and is good at targeting any permanent, blue just puts in in the stack and gives it access to Instant and Sorcery.
I'd cry hard, but then I would just move into RUG Control.
Why RUG? BUG would be so much better getting both Counterspell and best removal ever printed. Finally would be a reason to play that color pair together.
I too am disappointed Izzet player. I have played izzet decks for years now, but non of them actual have an izzet cards in them. As one poster state above, Electrolyze is the only izzet card that ever sees any type of competitive play and it doesn't see much. In my opinion there are 4 guilds that have been somewhat left behind in Izzet, Dimir, Orzhov, and Simic. The others have had multiple cards that are currently played in modern in decent amounts. These four guilds have little to nothing.
As for the new Izzet cards, they are extremely underwhelming from a modern perspective. None of them jump out as playable yet. I think WOTC is just too worried that any good UR card will be "to good" in modern/legacy. There are easy ways to make a pure counter spell with a minor draw back. How about;
Resonating Field UR
Instant
Counter target spell. Resonating Field deals 2 damage to you.
That way you get a counter spell that is tough to cast and has a small downside. However, it acts a a full counter spell at 2 CMC. Grixis death shadow would love this spell.
Or if they want something with a different draw back they could even do
Izzet Counter UR
Counter target spell, each opponent gains 2 life.
or
Counter target spell, each opponent may untap a land.
or
Counter target spell, each opponent may surveil one.
or if they really want to make sure it's not to broken in modern with snapcaster mage, they could do;
Counter target spell, random drawback. If this card would go to the graveyard, exile it instead.
These are just random ideas I thought of in 5 minutes. They could definitely do this easily, but they continue to be scared to give UR anything that could see wide play.
personally id like to see some sort of free counter magic (like force of will) that was more playable. its the only type that is really missing. it would be a challenge to balance correctly, and there are some risks involved; however i think the format could be improved if one was around as a safety outlet.
like you point out, there are 2 cmc counters out there if people want them. straight up counterspell would be an upgrade for sure, but its potential impact is greatly overestimated. deploying a threat and holding up 2 mana hardly keeps you tempo positive with what is going on in the format. control decks would just converge their slots, be more consistent with their gameplan, but ultimately be doing the same thing they are now.
I'd cry hard, but then I would just move into RUG Control.
Why RUG? BUG would be so much better getting both Counterspell and best removal ever printed. Finally would be a reason to play that color pair together.
I'd cry hard, but then I would just move into RUG Control.
Why RUG? BUG would be so much better getting both Counterspell and best removal ever printed. Finally would be a reason to play that color pair together.
As much as many of us are calling it the best removal ever printed, this is still a 1 for 1 at 2cmc and it has drawback at that. I'm not saying the card is bad, it just is not powerful at all.
For the most part Trophy is rather unremarkable; I'd rather Path a creature, I'd rather Erase an enchantment, I'd rather Shattering Blow an artifact. For three of the five permanent types there are simply better answers... that exile... Just in WHITE!
For the other two permanent types, I will admit that Trophy does a better job than it's competitors. For walkers we have competition in Dreadbore and Hero's Downfall. Lands is an interesting one, because you aren't just going to shoot any land with this, so this is really match up relevant. Probably reserved for Manlands, Tron, and utility lands? Fairly narrow.
I would think this is getting used, most of the time, against something your opponent is using to kill you. If that's the case you are playing at a higher power level if you hit a Walker or Land; against anything else you are playing a worse card. So, the real power in Trophy is like ~75% flexibility. Will that flexibility catapult it to tier 1? I am doubtful.
If you want to play GB with 4 FoR and 4 Trophy to try to mana hose the opponent, go right ahead. You'll spend the first few turns not hampering your opponent at all beyond T1 Thoughtseize. In modern, that's usually a loss.
Edit: I felt a bit ranty at the end. Sort of sorry?
I'd cry hard, but then I would just move into RUG Control.
Why RUG? BUG would be so much better getting both Counterspell and best removal ever printed. Finally would be a reason to play that color pair together.
As much as many of us are calling it the best removal ever printed, this is still a 1 for 1 at 2cmc and it has drawback at that. I'm not saying the card is bad, it just is not powerful at all.
For the most part Trophy is rather unremarkable; I'd rather Path a creature, I'd rather Erase an enchantment, I'd rather Shattering Blow an artifact. For three of the five permanent types there are simply better answers... that exile... Just in WHITE!
For the other two permanent types, I will admit that Trophy does a better job than it's competitors. For walkers we have competition in Dreadbore and Hero's Downfall. Lands is an interesting one, because you aren't just going to shoot any land with this, so this is really match up relevant. Probably reserved for Manlands, Tron, and utility lands? Fairly narrow.
I would think this is getting used, most of the time, against something your opponent is using to kill you. If that's the case you are playing at a higher power level if you hit a Walker or Land; against anything else you are playing a worse card. So, the real power in Trophy is like ~75% flexibility. Will that flexibility catapult it to tier 1? I am doubtful.
If you want to play GB with 4 FoR and 4 Trophy to try to mana hose the opponent, go right ahead. You'll spend the first few turns not hampering your opponent at all beyond T1 Thoughtseize. In modern, that's usually a loss.
Edit: I felt a bit ranty at the end. Sort of sorry?
Wow haven't I seen this somewhere before to another g/b card? For every other ability mode there is a better alternative such as a birds of paradise/grim lavamancer/scavenging ooze. And guess how it ended up for the little g/b elf? That's right. That thing is broken and scares me.
eh, i dont think the comparison to deathrite is applicable. at least not to the extent you are implying. mostly because of the inherent differences between threats and answers.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Modern: UWGSnow-Bant Control BURGrixis Death's Shadow GWBCoCo Elves WCDeath and Taxes (sold)
I'd cry hard, but then I would just move into RUG Control.
Why RUG? BUG would be so much better getting both Counterspell and best removal ever printed. Finally would be a reason to play that color pair together.
As much as many of us are calling it the best removal ever printed, this is still a 1 for 1 at 2cmc and it has drawback at that. I'm not saying the card is bad, it just is not powerful at all.
For the most part Trophy is rather unremarkable; I'd rather Path a creature, I'd rather Erase an enchantment, I'd rather Shattering Blow an artifact. For three of the five permanent types there are simply better answers... that exile... Just in WHITE!
For the other two permanent types, I will admit that Trophy does a better job than it's competitors. For walkers we have competition in Dreadbore and Hero's Downfall. Lands is an interesting one, because you aren't just going to shoot any land with this, so this is really match up relevant. Probably reserved for Manlands, Tron, and utility lands? Fairly narrow.
I would think this is getting used, most of the time, against something your opponent is using to kill you. If that's the case you are playing at a higher power level if you hit a Walker or Land; against anything else you are playing a worse card. So, the real power in Trophy is like ~75% flexibility. Will that flexibility catapult it to tier 1? I am doubtful.
If you want to play GB with 4 FoR and 4 Trophy to try to mana hose the opponent, go right ahead. You'll spend the first few turns not hampering your opponent at all beyond T1 Thoughtseize. In modern, that's usually a loss.
Edit: I felt a bit ranty at the end. Sort of sorry?
Wow haven't I seen this somewhere before to another g/b card? For every other ability mode there is a better alternative such as a birds of paradise/grim lavamancer/scavenging ooze. And guess how it ended up for the little g/b elf? That's right. That thing is broken and scares me.
This comparison is completely off base. A 1 mana accelerator and win condition is totally different than a 2 mana generic answer. It's shocking to me that there are people who are somehow unhappy for any reason with Trophy. The card is custom-made almost explicitly to resolve the Modern generic answer issue. It helps a profoundly fair deck and hurts a variety of unfair ones. It improves a deck that is not currently Tier 1 and that has not been top-tier for a very long time. It also has a very real drawback and will not always be best in class removal. People should be rejoicing that Modern has this kind of effect, not comparing it to DRS or Treasure Cruise.
I think what Cfusionpm's complaint really comes down to is that WotC isn't playing in the space that might produce Modern playable counterspells. They're being too conservative with that particular kind of interaction. I don't think they're willing to print a 3 cmc counterspell with enough upside to make it Modern playable. A 3 cmc counter would need to have significant upside to see play. The window of Modern playability is in 2 cmc counters with downside, or 1 cmc counters that are narrow, and they rarely tread in this territory. Ceremonious Rejection was a great printing. It did practically nothing in Standard, and it's nothing more than a sideboard card, although a nice one, in Modern. Other than that, when was the last time they designed a Modern playable counterspell? Disdainful Stroke and Stubborn Denial back in Khan's block, like 4 years ago? And thank God we got those two, because before that it was Spell Pierce and Countersquall, back in 2009!!
They've designed THREE Modern playable counter spells in almost 10 years. That's just being lazy and not exploring that design space enough. Here's an idea: UW: Counter target noncreature spell, you gain 2 life. There, in 5 seconds I thought up a Negate variant that would probably be playable in Modern and is absolutely fine from a power level standpoint. Why can't they play with different effects and casting costs like this instead of printing Negate in every set? That is the argument here about counterspells. It's not that people want something crazy busted, we just want something playable, and it's so rare for WotC to get adventurous enough to design something like that.
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Modern UBR Grixis Shadow UBR UR Izzet Phoenix UR UW UW Control UW GB GB Rock GB
Commander BG Meren of Clan Nel Toth BG BGUW Atraxa, Praetor's Voice BGUW
I think what Cfusionpm's complaint really comes down to is that WotC isn't playing in the space that might produce Modern playable counterspells. They're being too conservative with that particular kind of interaction. I don't think they're willing to print a 3 cmc counterspell with enough upside to make it Modern playable. A 3 cmc counter would need to have significant upside to see play. The window of Modern playability is in 2 cmc counters with downside, or 1 cmc counters that are narrow, and they rarely tread in this territory. Ceremonious Rejection was a great printing. It did practically nothing in Standard, and it's nothing more than a sideboard card, although a nice one, in Modern. Other than that, when was the last time they designed a Modern playable counterspell? Disdainful Stroke and Stubborn Denial back in Khan's block, like 4 years ago? And thank God we got those two, because before that it was Spell Pierce and Countersquall, back in 2009!!
They've designed THREE Modern playable counter spells in almost 10 years. That's just being lazy and not exploring that design space enough. Here's an idea: UW: Counter target noncreature spell, you gain 2 life. There, in 5 seconds I thought up a Negate variant that would probably be playable in Modern and is absolutely fine from a power level standpoint. Why can't they play with different effects and casting costs like this instead of printing Negate in every set? That is the argument here about counterspells. It's not that people want something crazy busted, we just want something playable, and it's so rare for WotC to get adventurous enough to design something like that.
Sometimes I don't words good. But this are good words done good.
Nobody is playing Censor or Disallow. From mtgtop8, checking every Modern deck since Amonkhet (4/28/17, main or side), I found the following;
15 decks playing Censor
26 decks playing Disallow
1188 decks playing Ceremonious Rejection
770 decks playing Disdainful Stroke
1439 decks playing Stubborn Denial
4446 decks playing Remand
4085 decks playing Cryptic Command
2900 decks playing Mana Leak
833 decks playing Logic Knot
Hey, guys, I want to see your opinions about this question: "Is White color ever playable now?"
In my mind after printing Trophey white is a total gabage for now. It has nothinbg good except some sideboard cards but I think in near future we will see more colorless hate like Damping Sphere and etc. to replace them.
Before Trophey white at least had questionable but somehow best removal Path to exile but even this is gone now.
Also I don't understand why BG colors getting more and more better answers while BW as the best get Anguished Unmaking. Also printing Vindicate in BG colors looks like a total madness for me.
Also I think that with Trophey printed there will be no any reason to play nonBGx midrange deck bcs they will be much weaker in terms of power lvl of answers. So, probably, we can see BGx + UWx metagame instead of variaty of ther control and midrange decks in near future.
Sry if this post is a bit crumpled but I feel so much pain for white color. Even Colorless "color" with Wastes looks more like a fifth color for me than white.
Just to note I have nothing against control (I know I was against it in the past but I got over it), in fact I'm currently playing UW Control. I'm just saying that control is fine and thus printing cards that make it better doesn't make sense to me. If it becomes worse then it might be a different story but as long as it's doing as it is I see no reason to give it additional boost.
There are multiple flavors of mid-range (Mardu Pyro, BGx, Shadow/Traverse decks, E-Tron, Taxes decks, etc.), but non UWx control decks are really lacking. Printing better UB multi-color cards for control wouldn't affect the potency of UW decks, just like bringing something like Containment Priest wouldn't affect the potency of BGx decks. The same can be said for UR control cards. Blue Moon is poop. Coming back to Ravnica was a great chance to help UR/UB decks, but so far, we got nearly zero. The only playable card I see is Chemister's Insight as a 1-of. A minor upgrade over the other non-permanent CA options, especially in Thought Scour lists (like a big daddy Think Twice). It just irks me that BG and UW get really pushed multi-color cards every Ravnica, but UB and UG and to a lesser extent UR get complete crap. The power imbalance is staggering.
UR ....... WUBR ........... WB ............. RGW ........ UBR ....... WUB .... BGU
Spells / Blink & Combo / Token Grind / Dino Tribal / Draw Cards / Zombies / Reanimate
personally id like to see some sort of free counter magic (like force of will) that was more playable. its the only type that is really missing. it would be a challenge to balance correctly, and there are some risks involved; however i think the format could be improved if one was around as a safety outlet.
like you point out, there are 2 cmc counters out there if people want them. straight up counterspell would be an upgrade for sure, but its potential impact is greatly overestimated. deploying a threat and holding up 2 mana hardly keeps you tempo positive with what is going on in the format. control decks would just converge their slots, be more consistent with their gameplan, but ultimately be doing the same thing they are now.
UWGSnow-Bant Control
BURGrixis Death's Shadow
GWBCoCo Elves
WCDeath and Taxes(sold)Something like that, would be 'pushed' to the point of Trophy.
Still doesnt fix anything worth fixing, in UR.
Spirits
Killing any permanent ANY, including Land, is also bonkers, at 2cmc.
I think thats the point of all this last few pages.
Spirits
It's not that difficult. You can print a UR counter that untaps all the lands that player tapped to cast the spell. Perhaps that wording isn't possible, so then you just add an untap X clause. You can make a UB Counter that causes you to lose 2 life, sac a permanent, etc. There are all sorts of cost-reduction mechanics. You can make a UR/UB Cancel that costs 1 less to cast if you have some # of I/S in your GY, etc.
People don't like their big bombs countered? Just make an inverse Disdainful Stroke. That card would see all sorts of Modern play. In fact, it's a card a lot of people have been wondering why it hasn't all ready happened. Same thing with a Revolt Counterspell. Completely fine in standard, but great in Modern. There are a ton of missed opportunities from Wizards in this regard. It's not too different from stuff like Take Inventory and all the "fixed" versions of Fact or Fiction. None of that ***** sees play. The original cards were/are interesting and powerful. I just really dislike them using print equity on these types of "throwbacks" that are slaps in the face. A card like Accumulated Knowledge would be really interesting in Modern. Hell, don't have to reprint it exactly if you don't like its symmetry, you can just make it asymmetrical like Take Inventory, but sorcery speed....really? Same principles apply to their print equity of counters.
Edit: Also, where are the Dimir cards? Every other guild has had 3-4+ R/MR spoiled, but Dimir only has their crappy 6 mana MR spoiled. Does this bode well that they're leaving them for last? Probably not....
UR ....... WUBR ........... WB ............. RGW ........ UBR ....... WUB .... BGU
Spells / Blink & Combo / Token Grind / Dino Tribal / Draw Cards / Zombies / Reanimate
I'm also gonna be so pumped when WotC gives us all the finger and makes UG "Counter target spell". I don't think UR is wrong, probably more fair than the straight reprint or reprint with drawback (reprint minus?). The thing we'll run into with anything other than UU is that if the card is decent, then that's it; WotC can't ever print another 2cmc counter, especially not a UU one.
Justification for UG is that Green is ramp and is good at targeting any permanent, blue just puts in in the stack and gives it access to Instant and Sorcery.
"Reveal a Dragon"
Spirits
Why RUG? BUG would be so much better getting both Counterspell and best removal ever printed. Finally would be a reason to play that color pair together.
As for the new Izzet cards, they are extremely underwhelming from a modern perspective. None of them jump out as playable yet. I think WOTC is just too worried that any good UR card will be "to good" in modern/legacy. There are easy ways to make a pure counter spell with a minor draw back. How about;
Resonating Field
UR
Instant
Counter target spell. Resonating Field deals 2 damage to you.
That way you get a counter spell that is tough to cast and has a small downside. However, it acts a a full counter spell at 2 CMC. Grixis death shadow would love this spell.
Or if they want something with a different draw back they could even do
Izzet Counter
UR
Counter target spell, each opponent gains 2 life.
or
Counter target spell, each opponent may untap a land.
or
Counter target spell, each opponent may surveil one.
or if they really want to make sure it's not to broken in modern with snapcaster mage, they could do;
Counter target spell, random drawback. If this card would go to the graveyard, exile it instead.
These are just random ideas I thought of in 5 minutes. They could definitely do this easily, but they continue to be scared to give UR anything that could see wide play.
Pauper. You play Pauper.
Disrupting Shoal already exists.
Snap, Bolt, is pretty much what I play for now.
No Snaps? No Cryptic? What are we, savages?
Its bad.
Spirits
For the most part Trophy is rather unremarkable; I'd rather Path a creature, I'd rather Erase an enchantment, I'd rather Shattering Blow an artifact. For three of the five permanent types there are simply better answers... that exile... Just in WHITE!
For the other two permanent types, I will admit that Trophy does a better job than it's competitors. For walkers we have competition in Dreadbore and Hero's Downfall. Lands is an interesting one, because you aren't just going to shoot any land with this, so this is really match up relevant. Probably reserved for Manlands, Tron, and utility lands? Fairly narrow.
I would think this is getting used, most of the time, against something your opponent is using to kill you. If that's the case you are playing at a higher power level if you hit a Walker or Land; against anything else you are playing a worse card. So, the real power in Trophy is like ~75% flexibility. Will that flexibility catapult it to tier 1? I am doubtful.
If you want to play GB with 4 FoR and 4 Trophy to try to mana hose the opponent, go right ahead. You'll spend the first few turns not hampering your opponent at all beyond T1 Thoughtseize. In modern, that's usually a loss.
Edit: I felt a bit ranty at the end. Sort of sorry?
"Reveal a Dragon"
I lol'ed.
Wow haven't I seen this somewhere before to another g/b card? For every other ability mode there is a better alternative such as a birds of paradise/grim lavamancer/scavenging ooze. And guess how it ended up for the little g/b elf? That's right. That thing is broken and scares me.
UWGSnow-Bant Control
BURGrixis Death's Shadow
GWBCoCo Elves
WCDeath and Taxes(sold)This comparison is completely off base. A 1 mana accelerator and win condition is totally different than a 2 mana generic answer. It's shocking to me that there are people who are somehow unhappy for any reason with Trophy. The card is custom-made almost explicitly to resolve the Modern generic answer issue. It helps a profoundly fair deck and hurts a variety of unfair ones. It improves a deck that is not currently Tier 1 and that has not been top-tier for a very long time. It also has a very real drawback and will not always be best in class removal. People should be rejoicing that Modern has this kind of effect, not comparing it to DRS or Treasure Cruise.
They've designed THREE Modern playable counter spells in almost 10 years. That's just being lazy and not exploring that design space enough. Here's an idea: UW: Counter target noncreature spell, you gain 2 life. There, in 5 seconds I thought up a Negate variant that would probably be playable in Modern and is absolutely fine from a power level standpoint. Why can't they play with different effects and casting costs like this instead of printing Negate in every set? That is the argument here about counterspells. It's not that people want something crazy busted, we just want something playable, and it's so rare for WotC to get adventurous enough to design something like that.
UBR Grixis Shadow UBR
UR Izzet Phoenix UR
UW UW Control UW
GB GB Rock GB
Commander
BG Meren of Clan Nel Toth BG
BGUW Atraxa, Praetor's Voice BGUW
Spirits
Sometimes I don't words good. But this are good words done good.
UR ....... WUBR ........... WB ............. RGW ........ UBR ....... WUB .... BGU
Spells / Blink & Combo / Token Grind / Dino Tribal / Draw Cards / Zombies / Reanimate
15 decks playing Censor
26 decks playing Disallow
1188 decks playing Ceremonious Rejection
770 decks playing Disdainful Stroke
1439 decks playing Stubborn Denial
4446 decks playing Remand
4085 decks playing Cryptic Command
2900 decks playing Mana Leak
833 decks playing Logic Knot
UR ....... WUBR ........... WB ............. RGW ........ UBR ....... WUB .... BGU
Spells / Blink & Combo / Token Grind / Dino Tribal / Draw Cards / Zombies / Reanimate
In my mind after printing Trophey white is a total gabage for now. It has nothinbg good except some sideboard cards but I think in near future we will see more colorless hate like Damping Sphere and etc. to replace them.
Before Trophey white at least had questionable but somehow best removal Path to exile but even this is gone now.
Also I don't understand why BG colors getting more and more better answers while BW as the best get Anguished Unmaking. Also printing Vindicate in BG colors looks like a total madness for me.
Also I think that with Trophey printed there will be no any reason to play nonBGx midrange deck bcs they will be much weaker in terms of power lvl of answers. So, probably, we can see BGx + UWx metagame instead of variaty of ther control and midrange decks in near future.
Sry if this post is a bit crumpled but I feel so much pain for white color. Even Colorless "color" with Wastes looks more like a fifth color for me than white.
There are multiple flavors of mid-range (Mardu Pyro, BGx, Shadow/Traverse decks, E-Tron, Taxes decks, etc.), but non UWx control decks are really lacking. Printing better UB multi-color cards for control wouldn't affect the potency of UW decks, just like bringing something like Containment Priest wouldn't affect the potency of BGx decks. The same can be said for UR control cards. Blue Moon is poop. Coming back to Ravnica was a great chance to help UR/UB decks, but so far, we got nearly zero. The only playable card I see is Chemister's Insight as a 1-of. A minor upgrade over the other non-permanent CA options, especially in Thought Scour lists (like a big daddy Think Twice). It just irks me that BG and UW get really pushed multi-color cards every Ravnica, but UB and UG and to a lesser extent UR get complete crap. The power imbalance is staggering.