I have this deck built, and am thinking lots about it.
Is Goldmeadow Harrier good enough to play against FSM? (Emrakul)
Or Scepter of Dominance ?
Ensnaring bridge certainly seems to require a dedicated sideboard card.
Is True Believer worth it?
(Just like a leyline, but different. Maybe being a creature will keep it alive as they look at enchantment removal.)
Is the Emeria engine really fast enough?
The combo decks just seem faster, and the aggro decks are stopped, so I spoze it is about beating control.
With Proclamation as well, Emeria just seems like slow gravy.
The reason I bring this up is there is a whole lot that can be done with the lands in this deck, but isn't, because of Emeria.
Mistveils also seem SO SLOW.
Ghost Quarter and Flagstones I can live with, but there are so many funky lands out there that noone seems to have tried.
Mutavault is an obvious startpoint. It is the best of the available man lands.
One funky one I came across was 'Haunted Fengraf'
(Kabira Crossroads and even New Banalia.....)
Sure, adding a Mutavault or two is not going to change the broken draws, but, they are just solid and highly effective at killing Planeswalkers, blocking, and dealing random damage.
So I spoze it really comes down to... How many games does Emeria win? Wanna give a %?
And, Does Emeria ever make the difference against anything except really slow control decks? (because I am not sure if those exist any more.)
And, in how many games is the Mistveil actually more effective than an Untapped Plains?
So.... Why has there been no interest in this deck for 6 months?
Deck is fun, affordable and has great game against most other fair decks in the format. You guys could take a look into the soul sister thread in established for more ideas.
I have just beaten 4 of 5 opponents with it in casual reality.
The only loss was to a crushing beating from Tron, for Tooth & Nail get Emrukal, or Kikki sillyness.
At the time I did not have Ghost quarters in. Maybe I have a chance now. The Weathered Wayfarer is going to stop at two/three plains, and then start getting Ghost Quarters. maybe that would help. Anyhoo, this was as expected I spoze.
And the wins have all been emphatic.
Totally crushing wins.
The reason this deck is a very hard one to play is not actually because it is expensive, it is because the cards are SO RARE.
The Serra Ascendants are being almost non existent. Actually finding them to trade for, or buy is really hard. I reckon I would have asked 80-100 players. I have TWO. Both real life stores were dry.
LeyLine is also getting very, very scarce.
The deck itself is just amazing.
Martyr seems just silly, as does Serra.
Proclamation seems only OK because it doesn't often get 3 little guys, but it hardly matters since you are getting Martyr and Serra.
Squad Hawk is much better than he reads. If the game goes on, and on, Squady seems perfect. He boosts the Martyr and makes an expensive hard to stop Kill as a mana sink.
Wrath is good. Going the aggro route, like in Souls Sisters, just seems a bit simple. When you have this much Life gain, why not use it? Wrath works.
Ghost prison is a hard one to justify, especially when giving them land with Path to Exile. But it most certainly stops hordes of creatures.
Emeria is a total disappointment, and then, one game in ten, it just wins.
Mistviel has been a complete failure. Never used. But, I haven't needed to. The decks I have faced have not made this important. Maybe it just isn't
Path to Exile is irritatingly strong. I don't like it, but it is worth it.
I am really not sure how to cope with combo, and tron in particular.
Very few people seem to like the true combos that are out there though... so maybe it just doesn't matter.
There seems to be a really strong set of about 50 cards, but the last ten seem like extras.
I have just beaten 4 of 5 opponents with it in casual reality.
The only loss was to a crushing beating from Tron, for Tooth & Nail get Emrukal, or Kikki sillyness.
At the time I did not have Ghost quarters in. Maybe I have a chance now. The Weathered Wayfarer is going to stop at two/three plains, and then start getting Ghost Quarters. maybe that would help. Anyhoo, this was as expected I spoze.
And the wins have all been emphatic.
Totally crushing wins.
The reason this deck is a very hard one to play is not actually because it is expensive, it is because the cards are SO RARE.
The Serra Ascendants are being almost non existent. Actually finding them to trade for, or buy is really hard. I reckon I would have asked 80-100 players. I have TWO. Both real life stores were dry.
LeyLine is also getting very, very scarce.
The deck itself is just amazing.
Martyr seems just silly, as does Serra.
Proclamation seems only OK because it doesn't often get 3 little guys, but it hardly matters since you are getting Martyr and Serra.
Squad Hawk is much better than he reads. If the game goes on, and on, Squady seems perfect. He boosts the Martyr and makes an expensive hard to stop Kill as a mana sink.
Wrath is good. Going the aggro route, like in Souls Sisters, just seems a bit simple. When you have this much Life gain, why not use it? Wrath works.
Ghost prison is a hard one to justify, especially when giving them land with Path to Exile. But it most certainly stops hordes of creatures.
Emeria is a total disappointment, and then, one game in ten, it just wins.
Mistviel has been a complete failure. Never used. But, I haven't needed to. The decks I have faced have not made this important. Maybe it just isn't
Path to Exile is irritatingly strong. I don't like it, but it is worth it.
I am really not sure how to cope with combo, and tron in particular.
Very few people seem to like the true combos that are out there though... so maybe it just doesn't matter.
There seems to be a really strong set of about 50 cards, but the last ten seem like extras.
The deck really seems nuts against a whole lotta people.
Glad to see somebody's still trying to play good ol' Martyr Proc! I too have recently dusted mine off and tried to revise it for the current meta. I'll post what I've been playing with later, but for now, I just wanted to comment on your statements about Mistveil Plains and Emeria, The Sky Ruin, both of these cards have been great for me. Sometimes this deck needs to act as the slow grindy control deck, using lifegain, Wrath of God, Path to Exile, Squadron Hawks and Ghostly Prison to keep the opponent at bay, in these games, recurring a Serra Ascendant every turn, or having endless Squad Hawks can prove invaluable. The biggest problem with these two cards is all the non-basic hate being played right now, but I'll post my thoughts on that later.
(22 Total) - October 2014; December 2014; January 2015; April 2015; June 2015; August 2015; September 2015; November 2015; December 2015(T); January 2016; March 2016(T); April 2016; June 2016; October 2016; December 2016(T); February 2017; April 2017; December 2017; November 2018(T); January 2019; April 2019; June 2019
(8 Total) - May 2015; May 2016; June 2016; August 2016; October 2016; December 2016; October 2017; May 2019
(7 Total) - September 2015; October 2015; January 2016; March 2016; April 2016; July 2016(T); March 2019(T)
I played it some more.
Good times.
Ghostly Prison was a complete house.
Still dont see the point in Mistveil.
Think I might try a sceptre of dominance.
Does the sceptre get to tap the creature they have payed for?
So, they pay and dont get to attack with Emrukal?
Something that drew me to this deck is the fact it has so many really strong cheap cards that like hanging out together, and they are the same colour. It manages to completely avoid the 'no second colour mana' problem by not having one. Colour screw does happen sometimes in mono colour decks. But very rarely..
I just don't see how three cost dual coloured gods are going to work.
Sorry.
Emeria kicks in at the Very Earliest on turn 9, after 8 strait land plays, seven of which ended on Plains. It is a big kick when it happens, no doubt. Most likely that should be happening for me at about turn 13, I think.
Mistviel plains will only start working after there is something in the graveyard that you want put back, Ranger, or Squadron Hawk. And you have to have Two White cards in play, and the minor cost of a white and tap the MV. And then another Squadie gets the bonus card, and at that point it can be used as more life for a Martyr, or trying for an infinite blocker, with maybe a Ghostly prison in play. But...Blocker? Really? In a deck with so much random spammage an infinite blocker is worth spending time on?
I think the way this happened is because Flagstones are an obvious choice. They dont really have a downside, so why not?
Then Emeria says ...Um, I need you to be plains, And Ghost Quarters Yells out, No Probs!
And thats how the current lands base seems to work.
Two special land are used so that a third special land will allow a fourth special land to kick in on turn 13 for a complete arse kickin.
That just sems a bit slow.
It is tempting to try some switching of the landbase.
Both Tap for a Mana, not sure which is better, especially at the extremes. Encroaching Wastes or Tectonic Edge ?
Tectonic Edge,
1 Tap: Sacrifice Tectonic Edge: Destroy target nonbasic land. Activate this ability only if an opponent controls four or more lands.
I reckon Tec Edge, especially if we are giving them a land with Path to Exile
Playing them together seems a little counterproductive.
The First Man-Land to be added should be Mutavaults, but to me they dont really seem to solve many problems.
I think this land has potential. I mean.. Its a land. Taps for mana and everything.
Haunted Fengraf
Add one to your mana pool.
3 Tap : Sacrifice Haunted Fengraf: Return a creature card at random from your graveyard to your hand.
And that creature will be a Martyr or a Serra A... That sounds interesting. And might happen on turn 4. Or a Ranger on turn 6ish. Sounds good after a Wrath.?
Hmmmmm and , Getting a Squadron Hawk is going to blow.
Increasing the non White sources of mana is going to hurt the F-o-D and Student. So they would prolly wander off. No big loss, many people, and myself are a little underwhelmed by them.
Now, consider that that stuff will start happening on turn 4/5/6/7, (and Mutavault might on turn 2).
If they get nailed by a Blood Moon, all that has been lost is their utility. All of that utility would have been nailed in the Emeria/Flagst/MV/GhostQ route as well.
I am thinking about how few white sources I can get away with.
14 is cutting it thin. But.... I think I need one in 3 sources to be white.
10-12 just seems a bit obscene. Would need some sort of cheat, search or extra mana from somewhere.
Going the opposite also seems to make sense. Hard White
I do like the Windbrisk Heights + Spectral Procession deck at the top of this page.
Windbrisk also works on the Squadron hawks, and on a late game Full Ranger Swing.
I like the use of Windbrisk enough to consider using it myself. Having an excuse to play Spectral procession seems OK.
Not sure I like the Honour the Pures, but hey they do get the job done. Something this deck can be a little lax on.
My version is currently so defensive I am considering Felidar soveriegn. So I must be wrong. Think I might upgrade to Windbrisks...
I have been staring at White cards for hours.
I want to include Windbrisk heights instead of Emeria, which triggers a cascade of other changes.
For me, the weathered Wayfarer has underperformed. But that may just be because all of the land he can get is extremely ordinary. After 11 mana the FoD gets huge. Which compares poorly to 1 for a Serra Asc. And Kami of stop hurting me is yet to prove useful.
He seems like a pretty simple infinite blocker. Doesn't stop Annihilate though.
And, why do I Need and infinite Fog?
So, if the 3 spell cards that annoy me are one cost creatures, what else interacts with those guys? Well, Emeria pulls them up, Mistviel hides them, Ranger can get them, Proclamation Points at them (forecast too), And Wrath Kills them. I spoze path makes them into a Mana too, but that is desperate.
Of that lot, only Proclamation seems worth noting, especially if I am replacing the Emeria & Mistviel.
They seem a simple swap for Windbrisk Heights. WH just seems awesome in this. (I spoze I will find out soon.) Now, the natural friend of Windbrisk is Spectral Procession. WH will work with a Full Ranger attack, or a triple Squaddie, but turn 3 Spectral, turn 4 use WH is pretty strong.
I do not like that 3 little creatures have been removed, and I am seriously thinking about replacing them with 3 cost sourceries.
The obvious cards to remove are the current 3 cost stuff. GPrison & OblivionR & Proclamation.
Proclamation has been OK, but it really just seems like a win more card.
The 6 cost version of Emeria does sorta work. The 3 cost sometimes gets a second white dudette, but it aint huge.
Not sure I want to have 1-2-3-4 Wrath of God. And it should be Wrath. Wrath IS better.
Some of this deck is just plain stupid.
Martyr + Serra Asc is the centre point, it is why Sould Sisters and This*
*(there has to be a better name than Martyr/Proclamation)
(M.P.? maybe . . . Empy?)
The Squadrons just make the Martyr, and are an accidental long game, and blockers.
The Rangers get the (Martyr + Serra Asc)
There is White Mana required
Maybe Path to Exile should be in that base just because it is so Strong.
And the rest is all just bits of cardboard.
Very hard to justify bits of cardboard.
Oblivion Ring, Ghost Prison, Wrath, Proclamation and smattering of weenies are all just filler. None of which can be justified as even particularly interfacing with the rest of the deck. Just kinda strong cards. It is why I am not sold on Elspeth in this. She just doesn't seem strong enough. And I think The ghostly prisons do NOT protect her. Which is a downer.
It is tempting to just increase the three cost slot with some more Spectral Processions.
Maybe ONE Honour the Pure.
Journey to Nowhere seems interesting.
I have been posting on the Tron threads asking what hurts them.
Most of the responces I got were centred around Stoney Silence....And the fact it did not stop them again.
Aggressive land kill seems to be the only real option, and Crucible of Worlds seems to be the only reliable way of doing that.
The Ghost Quarters are going to needs some help though, Tectonic Edge seems the next candidate.
Real pity the Crucible is not white, but eh.
Also, I figured out why Leyline of Sanctity is SO expensive.
I think it is because it is a 4-off in 8Rack sideboards.
I have been posting on the Tron threads asking what hurts them.
Most of the responces I got were centred around Stoney Silence....And the fact it did not stop them again.
Aggressive land kill seems to be the only real option, and Crucible of Worlds seems to be the only reliable way of doing that.
The Ghost Quarters are going to needs some help though, Tectonic Edge seems the next candidate.
Real pity the Crucible is not white, but eh.
Also, I figured out why Leyline of Sanctity is SO expensive.
I think it is because it is a 4-off in 8Rack sideboards.
I have a Prison in play
I have a Scepter of Dominance in play
They get to their attack phase, and pay 2 to attack with a guy.
I pay a white, tap the Scepter, and tap their dude.
Can they pay for another guy now?
No, but it doesn't work like this anyways. The combat phase is divided into a number of steps: beginning of combat, declare attackers, declare blockers, combat damage, and end of combat. Your opportunity to tap creatures down with Scepter is in the beginning of combat step. After that, your opponent declares attackers, they become tapped, then your opponent pays for Prison. You can attempt to tap creatures after your opponent has paid for Prison, but it won't remove them from combat (they're likely already tapped as well). You never have an opportunity to use Scepter to stop a creature after it's been declared as an attacker. That said, your opponent doesn't get multiple opportunities to declare attackers/pay for Prison either. All of their attackers have to be declared at once. They can't declare one, pay for Prison, wait for your response, then repeat.
Leyline is pricey because it was printed in a single core set, most decks that want it in the board want it as a 4-of, and there are multiple decks across modern and legacy that use it in the board.
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I have a Prison in play
I have a Scepter of Dominance in play
They get to their attack phase, and pay 2 to attack with a guy.
I pay a white, tap the Scepter, and tap their dude.
Can they pay for another guy now?
No, but it doesn't work like this anyways. The combat phase is divided into a number of steps: beginning of combat, declare attackers, declare blockers, combat damage, and end of combat. Your opportunity to tap creatures down with Scepter is in the beginning of combat step. After that, your opponent declares attackers, they become tapped, then your opponent pays for Prison. You can attempt to tap creatures after your opponent has paid for Prison, but it won't remove them from combat (they're likely already tapped as well). You never have an opportunity to use Scepter to stop a creature after it's been declared as an attacker. That said, your opponent doesn't get multiple opportunities to declare attackers/pay for Prison either. All of their attackers have to be declared at once. They can't declare one, pay for Prison, wait for your response, then repeat.
Leyline is pricey because it was printed in a single core set, most decks that want it in the board want it as a 4-of, and there are multiple decks across modern and legacy that use it in the board.
I have a Prison in play
I have a Scepter of Dominance in play
They get to their attack phase, and pay 2 to attack with a guy.
I pay a white, tap the Scepter, and tap their dude.
Can they pay for another guy now?
No, but it doesn't work like this anyways. The combat phase is divided into a number of steps: beginning of combat, declare attackers, declare blockers, combat damage, and end of combat. Your opportunity to tap creatures down with Scepter is in the beginning of combat step. After that, your opponent declares attackers, they become tapped, then your opponent pays for Prison. You can attempt to tap creatures after your opponent has paid for Prison, but it won't remove them from combat (they're likely already tapped as well). You never have an opportunity to use Scepter to stop a creature after it's been declared as an attacker. That said, your opponent doesn't get multiple opportunities to declare attackers/pay for Prison either. All of their attackers have to be declared at once. They can't declare one, pay for Prison, wait for your response, then repeat.
Leyline is pricey because it was printed in a single core set, most decks that want it in the board want it as a 4-of, and there are multiple decks across modern and legacy that use it in the board.
While I understand what you say is probably right,... It makes absolutely no sense.
The wording on Ghost Prison just doesn't work like that.
I mean... read it. it just dont.
I checked up a card called propaganda.
It is the same card in Blue.
It has the same wording, word for word.
...unless you look at the original Tempest Block card.
Read the Tempest block card....
'Each turn, each creature cannot attack you unless its controller pays an additional 2 for that creature'
I can remember hating this card.
maybe that is why.
And, yeah.
I have been reading up on Leyline, it is mentioned everywhere.
I think I am going to try out the Windbrisk Heights version with some weird crucible/landkill action from the board.
Is anyone still playing with this deck? It seems to have fallen by the wayside, but I'll be bringing it to a Modern event this Monday, mostly as an excuse to get back in Modern after something of an absence from the format. Has anyone had good results lately? How are your splashes going?
Is anyone still playing with this deck? It seems to have fallen by the wayside, but I'll be bringing it to a Modern event this Monday, mostly as an excuse to get back in Modern after something of an absence from the format. Has anyone had good results lately? How are your splashes going?
You definitely have a point re: Figure vs. Student.
I didn't do well in the Modern night at my local shop, but the results were kind of odd.
Tie Versus Draw-Go American Control
First game went on forever, never got a Cavern in so 90% of my creatures were countered. The second game I drew more Martyrs and Serra Ascendants than he drew removal, but then we went to time game three.
Tie Versus Melira Pod.
The first game I slowed him with a lot of removal ( another massively grindy game ), but he had most of the pieces in play and combo'd out one turn before I could kill him with a 6/6 Serra Ascendant. The second game two cards really shone: Suppression Field ( boarded in ), which had an added bonus in slowing him greatly with the hand full of Fetchlands he had, and Heap Doll, which exiled his Kitchen Finks like a champ. Again, went to time game three with no clear winner.
Got a bye, then:
0-1 to Draw-Go American Control deck ( during my Bye I counted four of them in a event of roughly, so this deck is around in my local meta in a big way )
Another trip to the land of grind. It would be tedious to go into detail regarding this round, as it could essentially be summarized as: neither of us got ANY threat to stick. He Path'd and countered all my creatures; I Path'd and Ghost Quarter'd his Snapcasters and Celestial Colonnades, respectively. I had almost won through sheer wait-them-out milling ( he was down to seven cards ), but though Snapcaster never stuck around long, the bolts and flashed-back bolts eventually killed me. The next round started only a couple minutes before time, so I never got to see if my sideboard was helpful.
I realize my Meta is somewhat unusual, but after last night there is something mildly comical about people complaining that Modern is a three-turn win/lose format.
Hey Nakhla,
I am still playing it.
I think it is an excellent, interesting and skill intensive deck.
I think Sideboarding is extremely hard for this.
I am surprised by your results.
Emeria and Procession should have just won games that come down to 7 card libraries....
It does have problems with ties, but I think you need to learn the deck, so you can play it faster.
I am thinking that Crucible of Worlds with Ghost Quarter/Tec Edge is very good sideboard tech.
(Against that level of slow hatred, maybe recurring Mutavaults might be worth a thought.)
Good to see another person still playing this! Most of the casual games I've been involved with tended to be against less than tier-one decks, so I'm looking forward to putting this out there in a more diverse setting.
Any updated thoughts on the splashes? I'm thinking of blue, black, and red in particular.
I've proxied in a black splash with Lingering Souls, Vault of the Archangel, and Dark Confidant. I haven't had a chance to take it to a more competitive setting ( primarily for $$$ reasons, as the Bobs and Marsh Flats are proxies ), but Dark Confidant is truly amazing in this build. The life-loss is nothing compared to the draw, and one can clear the board with a Wrath and have a full hand to refill life totals and swing with Serra Ascendants.
Blue strikes me as more interesting recently for the more controlling builds. Supreme Verdict is highly relevant in a meta with a lot more counterspells than regenerate, 99% of the time Detention Sphere is a better Oblivion Ring, and Meddling Mage is hate on a stick for a bunch of different decks. I think Sphinx's Revelation is interesting but it's strictly late game - maybe as a singleton?
The red I don't have much of an opinion on, other than liking Lightning Helix and liking Ajani Vengeant as an alternate win-con.
When I see results like yours, Emeria seems even more enthusiastic.
I think that if you want to play Emeria, play it hard. LOTS of Plains is the way to go.
Me, I will not be relying on it any time soon. Turn 13ish for the effect to kick in just seems hopeful, especially when the secondary ability of the Procalmation kicked in so many turns ago. And the second ability of the Proclamation is really not that big a deal anyway. Mostly.
I have been considering lowering them, or trying out other stuff.
Playing a deck called 'Martyr ' sounds ... um....
Splashes....
Black - Dark Confidant, Thoughtseize, (DISCARD) , T Sculler, Castigate, . . .
Red - Bolt, Helix, Ajani V
Green - QPMage, - (Horizon Canopy, Stirring Wildwood)
Blue - Supreme V, Meddling Mage, Detention Sphere
All are completely reasonable.
The core of the deck is not actually THAT large, but the Martyr does REALLY want white cards.
The Standouts....
Dark Confidant seems really strong.
Qasali Pridemage is something I have thought lots about recently. Really like the effect he has.
DSphere really aint all that much better. 95% of the time it is the same effect as O-Ring.
I think there is another splash.
The effort involved in putting a splash in can also be turned into improving the quality of the landbase. Cards like BloodMoon are very real. Assuming that your landbase will survive against it AND Ghost Quarter, Tec Edge, Fulminator mage is a big assumption.
If the off-coloured mana prtion of the deck does not arrive, is killed, or surpressed, the deck will most likely have problems.
If you are looking for alternate win conditions, going off colour to Ajani V seems unneeded. Sure, he is a reasonable card, but, well, Chalice of Life fits.
Crucible of Worlds is fascinating.
Scepter of Domination seems OK.
I have started looking through hundreds of artifacts.
They are SO BAD, mostly. Artifacts have had a hard time since Mirodin. (Yay 5 cost creatures.)
Is Goldmeadow Harrier good enough to play against FSM? (Emrakul)
Or Scepter of Dominance ?
Ensnaring bridge certainly seems to require a dedicated sideboard card.
Is True Believer worth it?
(Just like a leyline, but different. Maybe being a creature will keep it alive as they look at enchantment removal.)
Is the Emeria engine really fast enough?
The combo decks just seem faster, and the aggro decks are stopped, so I spoze it is about beating control.
With Proclamation as well, Emeria just seems like slow gravy.
The reason I bring this up is there is a whole lot that can be done with the lands in this deck, but isn't, because of Emeria.
Mistveils also seem SO SLOW.
Ghost Quarter and Flagstones I can live with, but there are so many funky lands out there that noone seems to have tried.
Mutavault is an obvious startpoint. It is the best of the available man lands.
One funky one I came across was 'Haunted Fengraf'
(Kabira Crossroads and even New Banalia.....)
Sure, adding a Mutavault or two is not going to change the broken draws, but, they are just solid and highly effective at killing Planeswalkers, blocking, and dealing random damage.
So I spoze it really comes down to... How many games does Emeria win? Wanna give a %?
And, Does Emeria ever make the difference against anything except really slow control decks? (because I am not sure if those exist any more.)
And, in how many games is the Mistveil actually more effective than an Untapped Plains?
So.... Why has there been no interest in this deck for 6 months?
Hasn't the banning of DrS helped this deck?
Basilisk Collar? $5.00
Shooting down a baneslayer angel? Priceless
I have just beaten 4 of 5 opponents with it in casual reality.
The only loss was to a crushing beating from Tron, for Tooth & Nail get Emrukal, or Kikki sillyness.
At the time I did not have Ghost quarters in. Maybe I have a chance now. The Weathered Wayfarer is going to stop at two/three plains, and then start getting Ghost Quarters. maybe that would help. Anyhoo, this was as expected I spoze.
And the wins have all been emphatic.
Totally crushing wins.
The reason this deck is a very hard one to play is not actually because it is expensive, it is because the cards are SO RARE.
The Serra Ascendants are being almost non existent. Actually finding them to trade for, or buy is really hard. I reckon I would have asked 80-100 players. I have TWO. Both real life stores were dry.
LeyLine is also getting very, very scarce.
The deck itself is just amazing.
Martyr seems just silly, as does Serra.
Proclamation seems only OK because it doesn't often get 3 little guys, but it hardly matters since you are getting Martyr and Serra.
Squad Hawk is much better than he reads. If the game goes on, and on, Squady seems perfect. He boosts the Martyr and makes an expensive hard to stop Kill as a mana sink.
Wrath is good. Going the aggro route, like in Souls Sisters, just seems a bit simple. When you have this much Life gain, why not use it? Wrath works.
Ghost prison is a hard one to justify, especially when giving them land with Path to Exile. But it most certainly stops hordes of creatures.
Emeria is a total disappointment, and then, one game in ten, it just wins.
Mistviel has been a complete failure. Never used. But, I haven't needed to. The decks I have faced have not made this important. Maybe it just isn't
Path to Exile is irritatingly strong. I don't like it, but it is worth it.
I am really not sure how to cope with combo, and tron in particular.
Very few people seem to like the true combos that are out there though... so maybe it just doesn't matter.
There seems to be a really strong set of about 50 cards, but the last ten seem like extras.
Flagstone + Ghost Quarter + (KamiOfFalseHope + FoD + Student) + Oblivion Ring + Elspeth + Journey2N + Timely Reinf + ...
The deck really seems nuts against a whole lotta people.
Glad to see somebody's still trying to play good ol' Martyr Proc! I too have recently dusted mine off and tried to revise it for the current meta. I'll post what I've been playing with later, but for now, I just wanted to comment on your statements about Mistveil Plains and Emeria, The Sky Ruin, both of these cards have been great for me. Sometimes this deck needs to act as the slow grindy control deck, using lifegain, Wrath of God, Path to Exile, Squadron Hawks and Ghostly Prison to keep the opponent at bay, in these games, recurring a Serra Ascendant every turn, or having endless Squad Hawks can prove invaluable. The biggest problem with these two cards is all the non-basic hate being played right now, but I'll post my thoughts on that later.
Good times.
Ghostly Prison was a complete house.
Still dont see the point in Mistveil.
Think I might try a sceptre of dominance.
Does the sceptre get to tap the creature they have payed for?
So, they pay and dont get to attack with Emrukal?
Something that drew me to this deck is the fact it has so many really strong cheap cards that like hanging out together, and they are the same colour. It manages to completely avoid the 'no second colour mana' problem by not having one. Colour screw does happen sometimes in mono colour decks. But very rarely..
I just don't see how three cost dual coloured gods are going to work.
Sorry.
Mistviel plains will only start working after there is something in the graveyard that you want put back, Ranger, or Squadron Hawk. And you have to have Two White cards in play, and the minor cost of a white and tap the MV. And then another Squadie gets the bonus card, and at that point it can be used as more life for a Martyr, or trying for an infinite blocker, with maybe a Ghostly prison in play. But...Blocker? Really? In a deck with so much random spammage an infinite blocker is worth spending time on?
I think the way this happened is because Flagstones are an obvious choice. They dont really have a downside, so why not?
Then Emeria says ...Um, I need you to be plains, And Ghost Quarters Yells out, No Probs!
And thats how the current lands base seems to work.
Two special land are used so that a third special land will allow a fourth special land to kick in on turn 13 for a complete arse kickin.
That just sems a bit slow.
It is tempting to try some switching of the landbase.
Both Tap for a Mana, not sure which is better, especially at the extremes. Encroaching Wastes or Tectonic Edge ?
Tectonic Edge,
1 Tap: Sacrifice Tectonic Edge: Destroy target nonbasic land. Activate this ability only if an opponent controls four or more lands.
Encroaching Wastes,
4 Tap: Sacrifice Encroaching Wastes: Destroy target nonbasic land.
I reckon Tec Edge, especially if we are giving them a land with Path to Exile
Playing them together seems a little counterproductive.
The First Man-Land to be added should be Mutavaults, but to me they dont really seem to solve many problems.
I think this land has potential. I mean.. Its a land. Taps for mana and everything.
Haunted Fengraf
Add one to your mana pool.
3 Tap : Sacrifice Haunted Fengraf: Return a creature card at random from your graveyard to your hand.
And that creature will be a Martyr or a Serra A... That sounds interesting. And might happen on turn 4. Or a Ranger on turn 6ish. Sounds good after a Wrath.?
Hmmmmm and , Getting a Squadron Hawk is going to blow.
Increasing the non White sources of mana is going to hurt the F-o-D and Student. So they would prolly wander off. No big loss, many people, and myself are a little underwhelmed by them.
Now, consider that that stuff will start happening on turn 4/5/6/7, (and Mutavault might on turn 2).
If they get nailed by a Blood Moon, all that has been lost is their utility. All of that utility would have been nailed in the Emeria/Flagst/MV/GhostQ route as well.
I am thinking about how few white sources I can get away with.
14 is cutting it thin. But.... I think I need one in 3 sources to be white.
10-12 just seems a bit obscene. Would need some sort of cheat, search or extra mana from somewhere.
Going the opposite also seems to make sense. Hard White
I do like the Windbrisk Heights + Spectral Procession deck at the top of this page.
Windbrisk also works on the Squadron hawks, and on a late game Full Ranger Swing.
I like the use of Windbrisk enough to consider using it myself. Having an excuse to play Spectral procession seems OK.
Not sure I like the Honour the Pures, but hey they do get the job done. Something this deck can be a little lax on.
My version is currently so defensive I am considering Felidar soveriegn. So I must be wrong. Think I might upgrade to Windbrisks...
I have been staring at White cards for hours.
I want to include Windbrisk heights instead of Emeria, which triggers a cascade of other changes.
For me, the weathered Wayfarer has underperformed. But that may just be because all of the land he can get is extremely ordinary. After 11 mana the FoD gets huge. Which compares poorly to 1 for a Serra Asc. And Kami of stop hurting me is yet to prove useful.
He seems like a pretty simple infinite blocker. Doesn't stop Annihilate though.
And, why do I Need and infinite Fog?
So, if the 3 spell cards that annoy me are one cost creatures, what else interacts with those guys? Well, Emeria pulls them up, Mistviel hides them, Ranger can get them, Proclamation Points at them (forecast too), And Wrath Kills them. I spoze path makes them into a Mana too, but that is desperate.
Of that lot, only Proclamation seems worth noting, especially if I am replacing the Emeria & Mistviel.
They seem a simple swap for Windbrisk Heights. WH just seems awesome in this. (I spoze I will find out soon.) Now, the natural friend of Windbrisk is Spectral Procession. WH will work with a Full Ranger attack, or a triple Squaddie, but turn 3 Spectral, turn 4 use WH is pretty strong.
I do not like that 3 little creatures have been removed, and I am seriously thinking about replacing them with 3 cost sourceries.
The obvious cards to remove are the current 3 cost stuff. GPrison & OblivionR & Proclamation.
Proclamation has been OK, but it really just seems like a win more card.
The 6 cost version of Emeria does sorta work. The 3 cost sometimes gets a second white dudette, but it aint huge.
Not sure I want to have 1-2-3-4 Wrath of God. And it should be Wrath. Wrath IS better.
Martyr + Serra Asc is the centre point, it is why Sould Sisters and This*
*(there has to be a better name than Martyr/Proclamation)
(M.P.? maybe . . . Empy?)
The Squadrons just make the Martyr, and are an accidental long game, and blockers.
The Rangers get the (Martyr + Serra Asc)
There is White Mana required
Maybe Path to Exile should be in that base just because it is so Strong.
And the rest is all just bits of cardboard.
Very hard to justify bits of cardboard.
Oblivion Ring, Ghost Prison, Wrath, Proclamation and smattering of weenies are all just filler. None of which can be justified as even particularly interfacing with the rest of the deck. Just kinda strong cards. It is why I am not sold on Elspeth in this. She just doesn't seem strong enough. And I think The ghostly prisons do NOT protect her. Which is a downer.
It is tempting to just increase the three cost slot with some more Spectral Processions.
Maybe ONE Honour the Pure.
Journey to Nowhere seems interesting.
Still worried about Tron.
Most of the responces I got were centred around Stoney Silence....And the fact it did not stop them again.
Aggressive land kill seems to be the only real option, and Crucible of Worlds seems to be the only reliable way of doing that.
The Ghost Quarters are going to needs some help though, Tectonic Edge seems the next candidate.
Real pity the Crucible is not white, but eh.
Also, I figured out why Leyline of Sanctity is SO expensive.
I think it is because it is a 4-off in 8Rack sideboards.
It is also a 4 of in Bogles sideboards.
Storm Crow is strictly worse than Seacoast Drake.
I have a Scepter of Dominance in play
They get to their attack phase, and pay 2 to attack with a guy.
I pay a white, tap the Scepter, and tap their dude.
Can they pay for another guy now?
Leyline is pricey because it was printed in a single core set, most decks that want it in the board want it as a 4-of, and there are multiple decks across modern and legacy that use it in the board.
While I understand what you say is probably right,... It makes absolutely no sense.
The wording on Ghost Prison just doesn't work like that.
I mean... read it. it just dont.
I checked up a card called propaganda.
It is the same card in Blue.
It has the same wording, word for word.
...unless you look at the original Tempest Block card.
Read the Tempest block card....
'Each turn, each creature cannot attack you unless its controller pays an additional 2 for that creature'
I can remember hating this card.
maybe that is why.
And, yeah.
I have been reading up on Leyline, it is mentioned everywhere.
I think I am going to try out the Windbrisk Heights version with some weird crucible/landkill action from the board.
Is anyone still playing with this deck? It seems to have fallen by the wayside, but I'll be bringing it to a Modern event this Monday, mostly as an excuse to get back in Modern after something of an absence from the format. Has anyone had good results lately? How are your splashes going?
I can't say I'm making many tweaks to it barring an extra Leyline of Sanctity and adding two Cavern of Souls to the mainboard. I'm playing Student of Warfare over Figure of Destiny for the Cavern naming human advantage.
It still pops up occasionally with good results on MTGO, so I'll see how it goes.
UTeferi, Temporal ArchmageU's prison: blue is the new orange is the new black.
Mizzix Of The Izmagnus : wheels on fire... rolling down the road...
BSidisi, Undead VizierB: Bis zum Erbrechen
GTitiania, Protector Of ArgothG: Protecting Argoth, by blowing it up!
GYisan, The Wanderer BardG: Gradus Ad Elfball.
Duel EDH: Yisan & Titania.
In Progress: Grand Arbiter Augustin IV duel; Grenzo, Dungeon Warden Doomsday.
I still would run Figure of Destiny over Student of Warfare because it is easier to make Figure bolt-proof than Student.
Storm Crow is strictly worse than Seacoast Drake.
I didn't do well in the Modern night at my local shop, but the results were kind of odd.
Tie Versus Draw-Go American Control
First game went on forever, never got a Cavern in so 90% of my creatures were countered. The second game I drew more Martyrs and Serra Ascendants than he drew removal, but then we went to time game three.
Tie Versus Melira Pod.
The first game I slowed him with a lot of removal ( another massively grindy game ), but he had most of the pieces in play and combo'd out one turn before I could kill him with a 6/6 Serra Ascendant. The second game two cards really shone: Suppression Field ( boarded in ), which had an added bonus in slowing him greatly with the hand full of Fetchlands he had, and Heap Doll, which exiled his Kitchen Finks like a champ. Again, went to time game three with no clear winner.
Got a bye, then:
0-1 to Draw-Go American Control deck ( during my Bye I counted four of them in a event of roughly, so this deck is around in my local meta in a big way )
Another trip to the land of grind. It would be tedious to go into detail regarding this round, as it could essentially be summarized as: neither of us got ANY threat to stick. He Path'd and countered all my creatures; I Path'd and Ghost Quarter'd his Snapcasters and Celestial Colonnades, respectively. I had almost won through sheer wait-them-out milling ( he was down to seven cards ), but though Snapcaster never stuck around long, the bolts and flashed-back bolts eventually killed me. The next round started only a couple minutes before time, so I never got to see if my sideboard was helpful.
I realize my Meta is somewhat unusual, but after last night there is something mildly comical about people complaining that Modern is a three-turn win/lose format.
UTeferi, Temporal ArchmageU's prison: blue is the new orange is the new black.
Mizzix Of The Izmagnus : wheels on fire... rolling down the road...
BSidisi, Undead VizierB: Bis zum Erbrechen
GTitiania, Protector Of ArgothG: Protecting Argoth, by blowing it up!
GYisan, The Wanderer BardG: Gradus Ad Elfball.
Duel EDH: Yisan & Titania.
In Progress: Grand Arbiter Augustin IV duel; Grenzo, Dungeon Warden Doomsday.
I am still playing it.
I think it is an excellent, interesting and skill intensive deck.
I think Sideboarding is extremely hard for this.
I am surprised by your results.
Emeria and Procession should have just won games that come down to 7 card libraries....
It does have problems with ties, but I think you need to learn the deck, so you can play it faster.
I am thinking that Crucible of Worlds with Ghost Quarter/Tec Edge is very good sideboard tech.
(Against that level of slow hatred, maybe recurring Mutavaults might be worth a thought.)
Good to see another person still playing this! Most of the casual games I've been involved with tended to be against less than tier-one decks, so I'm looking forward to putting this out there in a more diverse setting.
Oddly enough despite the length of those games, I didn't get an Emeria up and going. I was running just two of them, mind you, and 24 lands ( 14 Plains, 2 Mistveil Plains, 4 Ghost Quarter, 2 Emeria, The Sky Ruin, and 2 Cavern of Souls ).
Is it worth playing Spectral Procession in a deck without the soul sisters?
Any updated thoughts on the splashes? I'm thinking of blue, black, and red in particular.
I've proxied in a black splash with Lingering Souls, Vault of the Archangel, and Dark Confidant. I haven't had a chance to take it to a more competitive setting ( primarily for $$$ reasons, as the Bobs and Marsh Flats are proxies ), but Dark Confidant is truly amazing in this build. The life-loss is nothing compared to the draw, and one can clear the board with a Wrath and have a full hand to refill life totals and swing with Serra Ascendants.
Blue strikes me as more interesting recently for the more controlling builds. Supreme Verdict is highly relevant in a meta with a lot more counterspells than regenerate, 99% of the time Detention Sphere is a better Oblivion Ring, and Meddling Mage is hate on a stick for a bunch of different decks. I think Sphinx's Revelation is interesting but it's strictly late game - maybe as a singleton?
The red I don't have much of an opinion on, other than liking Lightning Helix and liking Ajani Vengeant as an alternate win-con.
UTeferi, Temporal ArchmageU's prison: blue is the new orange is the new black.
Mizzix Of The Izmagnus : wheels on fire... rolling down the road...
BSidisi, Undead VizierB: Bis zum Erbrechen
GTitiania, Protector Of ArgothG: Protecting Argoth, by blowing it up!
GYisan, The Wanderer BardG: Gradus Ad Elfball.
Duel EDH: Yisan & Titania.
In Progress: Grand Arbiter Augustin IV duel; Grenzo, Dungeon Warden Doomsday.
I think that if you want to play Emeria, play it hard. LOTS of Plains is the way to go.
Me, I will not be relying on it any time soon. Turn 13ish for the effect to kick in just seems hopeful, especially when the secondary ability of the Procalmation kicked in so many turns ago. And the second ability of the Proclamation is really not that big a deal anyway. Mostly.
I have been considering lowering them, or trying out other stuff.
Playing a deck called 'Martyr ' sounds ... um....
Splashes....
Black - Dark Confidant, Thoughtseize, (DISCARD) , T Sculler, Castigate, . . .
Red - Bolt, Helix, Ajani V
Green - QPMage, - (Horizon Canopy, Stirring Wildwood)
Blue - Supreme V, Meddling Mage, Detention Sphere
All are completely reasonable.
The core of the deck is not actually THAT large, but the Martyr does REALLY want white cards.
The Standouts....
Dark Confidant seems really strong.
Qasali Pridemage is something I have thought lots about recently. Really like the effect he has.
DSphere really aint all that much better. 95% of the time it is the same effect as O-Ring.
I think there is another splash.
The effort involved in putting a splash in can also be turned into improving the quality of the landbase. Cards like BloodMoon are very real. Assuming that your landbase will survive against it AND Ghost Quarter, Tec Edge, Fulminator mage is a big assumption.
If the off-coloured mana prtion of the deck does not arrive, is killed, or surpressed, the deck will most likely have problems.
If you are looking for alternate win conditions, going off colour to Ajani V seems unneeded. Sure, he is a reasonable card, but, well, Chalice of Life fits.
Crucible of Worlds is fascinating.
Scepter of Domination seems OK.
I have started looking through hundreds of artifacts.
They are SO BAD, mostly. Artifacts have had a hard time since Mirodin. (Yay 5 cost creatures.)
Blinding Light as even more o-Rings seems OK.