Expecting Storm, Elves, Merfolk, Affinity, Humans, Counters Company, Abzan Mid, UW Control, Eldrazi Tron, some burn but not usually a ton.
I'm not the biggest advocate of Palm decks, but Small creature decks are maybe what we want it vs. Helps seing the race in a big way.
1 might be ok--you usually don't want more than 1 at a time.
Could cut the firewalkers completely--Burn mirror seems to not come down to it a huge chunk of the time.
Could cut 1 copy of Searing Blood since they come in vs the same decks.
Modern is wide open and no deck is more than 6-7% of the meta (Burn is something like 4%), so Kor Firewalker doesn't do a lot of work in a wide open meta because it's so narrow. I'd cut it for another Palm or Helix. I think 6 Searing effects is sufficient in general, and might be a little bit on the heavy side even but I'd play 6 given your small creature deck expectations. Outside of that, the rest of the deck looks reasonable. Good luck tomorrow (err today, since I posted so late).
Does anyone have a list of Burn streamers they like? I added Mr Magicdownunder to a section in the primer, but I don't watch any streams and don't know of any others.
Round 1: Jeskai Control 2-0
Game 1, he got off two Helix. Swift Spear did a little work early, Eidolon got in for 2 and helped make the first Helix not as bad. I got my 4th land and passed woth Searing Blaze and Skullcrack in hand. He plays Vendillion Clique EoT: Fetch into blaze and skullcrack ftw.
In: 2 Relic, 1 Skullcrack
Out: 2 Blaze, 1 Helix
Game 2: Dont remember much he flooded a bit. Never drew a helix. I suspended a rift bolt to bottleneck his mana, untap and he cast a clique on himself to find a counter, didnt and lost.
Game 2: Fast start with 3 creatures, a bolt and 2 Helix. Kept him off his dudes.
Game 3: he mulled to 5. Guide and swiftspear did early work. Bolted the first reducer, Pathed the 2nd, he cast 3 spells and a grapeshot to kill my creatures and I butrnt him a few times to win.
Round: GDS 0-2
Game 1: I backed off when he was at 10. He cast 2 Death shadows and a Tasiguar and killed me too quickly.
In: 3 Path, 2 Palm, out: 4 Blaze, 1 Helix
Game 2: He got off two collective Brutality. I had him at 2 with a swiftspear, he had an angler. He had a stubborn. I decided to not cast Path--which would have forced his hand on the stubborn. He let me path it on his turn, he plays a death shadow, I was out of cards, he passes and I flip a boros charm and he shows me the stubborn. If I path on my turn, he stubborns it or dies. The Boros charm wins the game.
Round 4: Temur Tempo 1-2
Game 1, I wasnt even sure what was going on. Key misplay here: turn 3 he flashes in a snapcaster and targets bolt, I had Searing Blaze but no landfall. I let him block and trade, which meant the bolt went to my face. He killed me with Goyf beats, and 1 more turn may have stolen it. I died with cards in hand to boot.
Game 2 I had all 1 cost cards and tan him over.
Game 3: mulled to 6, kept a 1 lander, never saw land 2.
Boarded in paths, Relics, Skullcrack. Took out Helix, Lavamancer, 2 Boros.
Round 5: Living End 2-0
Game 1 he mulled to 5 and went off turn 3, but did a ton of damage himself.
In: 3 Relic, 2 Palm
Out: Lavaman, 3 Helix
T2 Relic kept his yard emtpy.
3-2. Wound up 10/28. 2-3 better decisions and maybe top 8.
Never played Revelry, never saw LeyLine. Tempted to go straight Boros and run a couple wear/Tear.
Never played Searing Blood. There were a few merfolk lists and 1 humans list, but meta was weird.
Thanks for your response (and all following discussions) on the matter of AC vs SC. It's clear to me now.
Another question to you if you don't mind. I'm checking your list again, seeing you play just 1 Inspiring Vantage. Shouldn't it be more (or none), e.g. would the singleton in the deck not just take away the consistency of the land base of the deck?
Also, I don't like playing Grim Lavamancer myself, too often it feels like a do-nothing card. I might be wrong here, but perhaps I haven't been able to use its full potential thusfar. I've been wondering about a 4/4 split between Inspiring Vantage and Copperline Gorge for the Naya list so you have almost all required colors free of pain in the early stages of the game. Why I mentioned Lavaman is with the fastlands you'll have a little less graveyard filling. Would it be an option to play 8 fastlands, 2 basic Mountains, 1 shock of each duo, and the rest of them fetches in your Naya list?
With 2 maindeck splash colors, I always want at least 2 fetchable lands of each color to satisfy the consistency issue. I also like having 3 basics. The build before kaladesh had 3 Foundry, so it seemed to be a straight forward and obvious swap for 1 Vantage. If I played 20 lands, I'm not sure whether I'd play a Copperline or another Vantage, but probably Copperline and I don't play 20 anyway. If I didn't play AC, is drop a Stomping Ground for a Vantage. If I didn't play green at all, it would be 3-4 Vantage. I wouldn't play 4/4 fast lands like you suggest, because you need a lot of GW sources for mana fixing in order to minimize the situations that Arkaedrian is talking about where you're locked out of a color, so you need 10-12 fetches. There's just not room for more fast lands.
Grim Lavamancer had fallen out of favor because small creature decks went away with fatal push. It's a busted card if it doesn't die, and it's an absolute wrecking ball against small creature decks. I like playing 1 or 2, even if it's fragile to removal. With UG Fish and Humans running around, I think Grim Lavamancer should be on the rise again. Even if I didn't play Grim, I wouldn't alter my manabase. The payoff of repeatable unblockable 2 damage is worth the risk of paying 1 mana and 1 card to play it.
Never played Revelry, never saw LeyLine. Tempted to go straight Boros and run a couple wear/Tear.
Never played Searing Blood. There were a few merfolk lists and 1 humans list, but meta was weird.
I'm coming around to the idea that this slot should either be DRev or Smash to Smithereens and that Wear//Tear just isn't worth it unless you expect to run into Leylines. I feel like Wear//Tear might be giving up too much in matches where the damage from DRev matters so that while you avoid losing to Leyline, you're in trouble with the artifact mode.
The maindeck is, but the side isn't. I'd cut the skullcracks and kor firewalkers for an unkempt meta and play 2 board wipes and 2 searing blood, or 1 blood and the last path.
The only recent change I've tried is 1 shard volley main for 1 blaze, but I prefer the blaze.
Some other primers (Jund in particular) do periodic polls of things like mulligan decisions . Would there be any interest in something like that here? Things like when to board in various sideboard cards, perhaps some "what's the play" stuff?
Some other primers (Jund in particular) do periodic polls of things like mulligan decisions . Would there be any interest in something like that here? Things like when to board in various sideboard cards, perhaps some "what's the play" stuff?
this would be nice..i'd definitely need this since I just came back to playing again after a couple of months.
I have two questions about the sideboard, and one about play.
First sideboard question: it's been said earlier in this thread that Harsh Mentor isn't a good maindeck card because a lot of the time it just dies without doing any damage. Does it make sense as a sideboard card? I feel like there are certain matchups where it could do a lot. Is Pithing Needle just better?
Second sideboard question: this is a rules question, not a tactical one. Does evoking Ingot Chewer get around a Chalice with one counter? My understanding is that even if evoked, its CMC is still 5, is that correct?
Play question: Let's say I'm on the draw, and my opponent plays a turn-one Noble Hierarch (or BoP or mana elf or whatever). In my hand I have a Bolt and a Searing Blood (I use Blood rather than Blaze since I don't have fetchlands). Should I bolt the creature, or should I instead wait a turn, allowing my opponent one use of the ramp creature, so that I can Searing Blood it?
Does evoking Ingot Chewer get around a Chalice with one counter? My understanding is that even if evoked, its CMC is still 5, is that correct?
Yes it does, and yes that's correct.
Play question: Let's say I'm on the draw, and my opponent plays a turn-one Noble Hierarch (or BoP or mana elf or whatever). In my hand I have a Bolt and a Searing Blood (I use Blood rather than Blaze since I don't have fetchlands). Should I bolt the creature, or should I instead wait a turn, allowing my opponent one use of the ramp creature, so that I can Searing Blood it?
Always bolt the bird, unless you can't.
If they're playing a ramp creature, they'll also play other targets for Blood - and keeping them off that ramp is super important.
Always bolt the bird, IMHO*. Especially G1 in the blind. They may have kept a sub-optimal hand that the bird digs them out of. What if the T2 creature they play is Kitchen Finks or Geist? It's not like your Searing blood won't be good at some point anyway if they're playing a deck that has birds in it.
*notable exception is against druid company but even then if you're playing a zillion ways to kill druid anyway I'd still bolt the bird.
Yes on Ingot Chewer. It's CMC is 5 even when you evoke it.
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Modern: -UBG Lantern Control-GW or RG or R Tron - G Stompy - C KCI Combo-
EDH: -UG Ezuri-UGZegana-BRMogis-WUBRGRamos-WBREdgar-URLocust God-WUBRBreya-BMacar-WUBrago-WEvra-
Burn Poll series 1 The way polls work is kind of clunky. You can select multiple answers, but please only select one choice for each hand. The poll will be up for 2 weeks. I'll do more of these periodically, and I'll try to find ways to do more than mulligan options given that polls are kind of clunky.
Hand 1: 7 card hand, game 1, unknown opponent, you're on the play. Fetch, Goblin Guide, Eidolon, Rift Bolt, Lava Spike, Boros Charm, Skullcrack.
Hand 1: Keep 63.3% of Users - 19 votes
Hand 1: Mulligan 36.7% of Users - 11 votes
Hand 2: 6 card hand, game 1, unknown opponent, you're on the play. Fetch, Goblin Guide, Eidolon, Rift Bolt, Lava Spike, Boros Charm.
Hand 2: Keep 93.3% of Users - 28 votes
Hand 2: Mulligan 6.7% of Users - 2 votes
Hand 3: 5 card hand, game 1, unknown opponent, you're on the play. Fetch, Goblin Guide, Eidolon, Rift Bolt, Boros Charm.
Hand 3: Keep 90% of Users - 27 votes
Hand 3: Mulligan 10% of Users - 3 votes
Hand 4: 7 card hand, game 1, unknown opponent, you're on the play. Fetch, Goblin Guide, Eidolon, Searing Blaze, Rift Bolt, Boros Charm, Skullcrack.
Hand 4: Keep 16.7% of Users - 5 votes
Hand 4: Mulligan 83.3% of Users - 25 votes
Hand 5: 7 card hand, game 2, Affinity, you're on the play. Fetch, Mountain, Goblin Guide, Spike, Spike, Boros Charm, Skullcrack.
Hand 5: Keep 70% of Users - 21 votes
Hand 5: Mulligan 30% of Users - 9 votes
Hand 1: 7 card hand, game 1, unknown opponent, you're on the play. Fetch, Goblin Guide, Eidolon, Rift Bolt, Lava Spike, Boros Charm, Skullcrack. Mull; not a big fan of 1 landers on the play
Hand 2: 6 card hand, game 1, unknown opponent, you're on the play. Fetch, Goblin Guide, Eidolon, Rift Bolt, Lava Spike, Boros Charm.
Would keep if the land wasn't a fetch and we could actually profit from the scry... without the scry... I would probably mull, missing a land on the second turn would hurt, but if we also miss it on the 3rd turn we probably lose; still feel like we could do better at 5
Hand 3: 5 card hand, game 1, unknown opponent, you're on the play. Fetch, Goblin Guide, Eidolon, Rift Bolt, Boros Charm. Keep; can't imagine it will get much better at 4 cards, hopefully we draw a land in the first couple of turns
Hand 4: 7 card hand, game 1, unknown opponent, you're on the play. Fetch, Goblin Guide, Eidolon, Searing Blaze, Rift Bolt, Boros Charm, Skullcrack. Mull; only 1 land, and 4 2-drops, way to risky
Hand 5: 7 card hand, game 2, Affinity, you're on the play. Fetch, Mountain, Goblin Guide, Spike, Spike, Boros Charm, Skullcrack. Keep; even though it has 0 removal; it has the T1 goblin guide, 2 lands, and 13 points of burn (including a skullcrack vs lifelink or pro red), great if we draw a land, great if we draw more burn
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"What's your plan?" Gideon asked.
"Are you serious?" Chandra replied.
Hand 1: 7 card hand, game 1, unknown opponent, you're on the play. Fetch, Goblin Guide, Eidolon, Rift Bolt, Lava Spike, Boros Charm, Skullcrack.
Keep. It's really on the edge but I'm willing to try it. The right play is probably to mull this but I just can't let it go.
Hand 2: 6 card hand, game 1, unknown opponent, you're on the play. Fetch, Goblin Guide, Eidolon, Rift Bolt, Lava Spike, Boros Charm.
Keep. You have the same number of 1 drops and a Scry to try and find a land that'll get you there.
Hand 3: 5 card hand, game 1, unknown opponent, you're on the play. Fetch, Goblin Guide, Eidolon, Rift Bolt, Boros Charm.
Keep. I can't imagine a 4 card that'd be any better. Not that the hand is good - it's not. But you're not going to get better by losing a card.
Hand 4: 7 card hand, game 1, unknown opponent, you're on the play. Fetch, Goblin Guide, Eidolon, Searing Blaze, Rift Bolt, Boros Charm, Skullcrack.
Mull. Not enough 1 drops.
Hand 5: 7 card hand, game 2, Affinity, you're on the play. Fetch, Mountain, Goblin Guide, Spike, Spike, Boros Charm, Skullcrack.
Mull. Against Affinity you're the control deck. This isn't a control hand, it's a racing hand which while it will sometimes work it's more confirmation bias than anything in this matchup.
I'm an old Legacy burn player and just getting into Modern after a recent move. I have a slightly dated mono red Legacy burn that I intend to adapt to a Modern legal deck which will also be mono red for starters. I've been reading the primer and thread and have a few questions:
In Legacy, Pithing Needle and Ratchet Bomb can help mono-red burn fight enchantments, but they don't seem to be discussed much here. Is it just because the mono red variant is less common here or are there simply not many activated abilities or low cmc permanents that need be dealt with?
I was thinking about including mostly Magma Jet and Shard Volley instead of Lightning Helix and Boros Charm. I'm also thinking about Grim Lavamancer (though I go without fetches) and possibly Keldon Marauders. IMO, the Marauders often offer as much value as Lightning Helix, but they seem to be pretty unpopular in Modern?
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Want two Lavamancers in the main.
Currently
4 Goblin Guide
4 Monastery Swiftspear
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
2 Grim Lavamancer
Spells
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Rift Bolt
4 Lava Spike
4 Boros Charm
4 Searing Blaze
3 Lightning Helix
3 Skullcrack
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Bloodstained Mire
3 Arid Mesa
2 Sacred Foundry
1 Stomping Ground
3 Inspiring Vantage
3 Mountain
4 Destructive Revelry
3 Path to Exile
3 Relic of Progenitus
2 Searing Blood
1 Skullcrack
1 Kor Firewalker
1 Deflecting Palm
Expecting Storm, Elves, Merfolk, Affinity, Humans, Counters Company, Abzan Mid, UW Control, Eldrazi Tron, some burn but not usually a ton.
I'm not the biggest advocate of Palm decks, but Small creature decks are maybe what we want it vs. Helps seing the race in a big way.
1 might be ok--you usually don't want more than 1 at a time.
Could cut the firewalkers completely--Burn mirror seems to not come down to it a huge chunk of the time.
Could cut 1 copy of Searing Blood since they come in vs the same decks.
3-2 after punt town USA
Round 1: Jeskai Control 2-0
Game 1, he got off two Helix. Swift Spear did a little work early, Eidolon got in for 2 and helped make the first Helix not as bad. I got my 4th land and passed woth Searing Blaze and Skullcrack in hand. He plays Vendillion Clique EoT: Fetch into blaze and skullcrack ftw.
In: 2 Relic, 1 Skullcrack
Out: 2 Blaze, 1 Helix
Game 2: Dont remember much he flooded a bit. Never drew a helix. I suspended a rift bolt to bottleneck his mana, untap and he cast a clique on himself to find a counter, didnt and lost.
Round 2: Storm 2-1
Game 1: Mulled to 5, lost
In: 3 Path, 3 Relic
Out: 2 Lavamancer, 3 Skullcrack, 1 Lava Spike
Game 2: Fast start with 3 creatures, a bolt and 2 Helix. Kept him off his dudes.
Game 3: he mulled to 5. Guide and swiftspear did early work. Bolted the first reducer, Pathed the 2nd, he cast 3 spells and a grapeshot to kill my creatures and I butrnt him a few times to win.
Round: GDS 0-2
Game 1: I backed off when he was at 10. He cast 2 Death shadows and a Tasiguar and killed me too quickly.
In: 3 Path, 2 Palm, out: 4 Blaze, 1 Helix
Game 2: He got off two collective Brutality. I had him at 2 with a swiftspear, he had an angler. He had a stubborn. I decided to not cast Path--which would have forced his hand on the stubborn. He let me path it on his turn, he plays a death shadow, I was out of cards, he passes and I flip a boros charm and he shows me the stubborn. If I path on my turn, he stubborns it or dies. The Boros charm wins the game.
Round 4: Temur Tempo 1-2
Game 1, I wasnt even sure what was going on. Key misplay here: turn 3 he flashes in a snapcaster and targets bolt, I had Searing Blaze but no landfall. I let him block and trade, which meant the bolt went to my face. He killed me with Goyf beats, and 1 more turn may have stolen it. I died with cards in hand to boot.
Game 2 I had all 1 cost cards and tan him over.
Game 3: mulled to 6, kept a 1 lander, never saw land 2.
Boarded in paths, Relics, Skullcrack. Took out Helix, Lavamancer, 2 Boros.
Round 5: Living End 2-0
Game 1 he mulled to 5 and went off turn 3, but did a ton of damage himself.
In: 3 Relic, 2 Palm
Out: Lavaman, 3 Helix
T2 Relic kept his yard emtpy.
3-2. Wound up 10/28. 2-3 better decisions and maybe top 8.
Never played Revelry, never saw LeyLine. Tempted to go straight Boros and run a couple wear/Tear.
Never played Searing Blood. There were a few merfolk lists and 1 humans list, but meta was weird.
Thanks for your response (and all following discussions) on the matter of AC vs SC. It's clear to me now.
Another question to you if you don't mind. I'm checking your list again, seeing you play just 1 Inspiring Vantage. Shouldn't it be more (or none), e.g. would the singleton in the deck not just take away the consistency of the land base of the deck?
Also, I don't like playing Grim Lavamancer myself, too often it feels like a do-nothing card. I might be wrong here, but perhaps I haven't been able to use its full potential thusfar. I've been wondering about a 4/4 split between Inspiring Vantage and Copperline Gorge for the Naya list so you have almost all required colors free of pain in the early stages of the game. Why I mentioned Lavaman is with the fastlands you'll have a little less graveyard filling. Would it be an option to play 8 fastlands, 2 basic Mountains, 1 shock of each duo, and the rest of them fetches in your Naya list?
Thanks,
DC
Grim Lavamancer had fallen out of favor because small creature decks went away with fatal push. It's a busted card if it doesn't die, and it's an absolute wrecking ball against small creature decks. I like playing 1 or 2, even if it's fragile to removal. With UG Fish and Humans running around, I think Grim Lavamancer should be on the rise again. Even if I didn't play Grim, I wouldn't alter my manabase. The payoff of repeatable unblockable 2 damage is worth the risk of paying 1 mana and 1 card to play it.
I'm coming around to the idea that this slot should either be DRev or Smash to Smithereens and that Wear//Tear just isn't worth it unless you expect to run into Leylines. I feel like Wear//Tear might be giving up too much in matches where the damage from DRev matters so that while you avoid losing to Leyline, you're in trouble with the artifact mode.
The only recent change I've tried is 1 shard volley main for 1 blaze, but I prefer the blaze.
this would be nice..i'd definitely need this since I just came back to playing again after a couple of months.
First sideboard question: it's been said earlier in this thread that Harsh Mentor isn't a good maindeck card because a lot of the time it just dies without doing any damage. Does it make sense as a sideboard card? I feel like there are certain matchups where it could do a lot. Is Pithing Needle just better?
Second sideboard question: this is a rules question, not a tactical one. Does evoking Ingot Chewer get around a Chalice with one counter? My understanding is that even if evoked, its CMC is still 5, is that correct?
Play question: Let's say I'm on the draw, and my opponent plays a turn-one Noble Hierarch (or BoP or mana elf or whatever). In my hand I have a Bolt and a Searing Blood (I use Blood rather than Blaze since I don't have fetchlands). Should I bolt the creature, or should I instead wait a turn, allowing my opponent one use of the ramp creature, so that I can Searing Blood it?
Yes it does, and yes that's correct.
Always bolt the bird, unless you can't.
If they're playing a ramp creature, they'll also play other targets for Blood - and keeping them off that ramp is super important.
*notable exception is against druid company but even then if you're playing a zillion ways to kill druid anyway I'd still bolt the bird.
Yes on Ingot Chewer. It's CMC is 5 even when you evoke it.
EDH: -UG Ezuri-UGZegana-BRMogis-WUBRGRamos-WBREdgar-URLocust God-WUBRBreya-BMacar-WUBrago-WEvra-
Hand 1: 7 card hand, game 1, unknown opponent, you're on the play. Fetch, Goblin Guide, Eidolon, Rift Bolt, Lava Spike, Boros Charm, Skullcrack.
Hand 1: Keep 63.3% of Users - 19 votes
Hand 1: Mulligan 36.7% of Users - 11 votes
Hand 2: 6 card hand, game 1, unknown opponent, you're on the play. Fetch, Goblin Guide, Eidolon, Rift Bolt, Lava Spike, Boros Charm.
Hand 2: Keep 93.3% of Users - 28 votes
Hand 2: Mulligan 6.7% of Users - 2 votes
Hand 3: 5 card hand, game 1, unknown opponent, you're on the play. Fetch, Goblin Guide, Eidolon, Rift Bolt, Boros Charm.
Hand 3: Keep 90% of Users - 27 votes
Hand 3: Mulligan 10% of Users - 3 votes
Hand 4: 7 card hand, game 1, unknown opponent, you're on the play. Fetch, Goblin Guide, Eidolon, Searing Blaze, Rift Bolt, Boros Charm, Skullcrack.
Hand 4: Keep 16.7% of Users - 5 votes
Hand 4: Mulligan 83.3% of Users - 25 votes
Hand 5: 7 card hand, game 2, Affinity, you're on the play. Fetch, Mountain, Goblin Guide, Spike, Spike, Boros Charm, Skullcrack.
Hand 5: Keep 70% of Users - 21 votes
Hand 5: Mulligan 30% of Users - 9 votes
Mull; not a big fan of 1 landers on the play
Hand 2: 6 card hand, game 1, unknown opponent, you're on the play. Fetch, Goblin Guide, Eidolon, Rift Bolt, Lava Spike, Boros Charm.
Would keep if the land wasn't a fetch and we could actually profit from the scry... without the scry... I would probably mull, missing a land on the second turn would hurt, but if we also miss it on the 3rd turn we probably lose; still feel like we could do better at 5
Hand 3: 5 card hand, game 1, unknown opponent, you're on the play. Fetch, Goblin Guide, Eidolon, Rift Bolt, Boros Charm.
Keep; can't imagine it will get much better at 4 cards, hopefully we draw a land in the first couple of turns
Hand 4: 7 card hand, game 1, unknown opponent, you're on the play. Fetch, Goblin Guide, Eidolon, Searing Blaze, Rift Bolt, Boros Charm, Skullcrack.
Mull; only 1 land, and 4 2-drops, way to risky
Hand 5: 7 card hand, game 2, Affinity, you're on the play. Fetch, Mountain, Goblin Guide, Spike, Spike, Boros Charm, Skullcrack.
Keep; even though it has 0 removal; it has the T1 goblin guide, 2 lands, and 13 points of burn (including a skullcrack vs lifelink or pro red), great if we draw a land, great if we draw more burn
"Are you serious?" Chandra replied.
Keep. It's really on the edge but I'm willing to try it. The right play is probably to mull this but I just can't let it go.
Hand 2: 6 card hand, game 1, unknown opponent, you're on the play. Fetch, Goblin Guide, Eidolon, Rift Bolt, Lava Spike, Boros Charm.
Keep. You have the same number of 1 drops and a Scry to try and find a land that'll get you there.
Hand 3: 5 card hand, game 1, unknown opponent, you're on the play. Fetch, Goblin Guide, Eidolon, Rift Bolt, Boros Charm.
Keep. I can't imagine a 4 card that'd be any better. Not that the hand is good - it's not. But you're not going to get better by losing a card.
Hand 4: 7 card hand, game 1, unknown opponent, you're on the play. Fetch, Goblin Guide, Eidolon, Searing Blaze, Rift Bolt, Boros Charm, Skullcrack.
Mull. Not enough 1 drops.
Hand 5: 7 card hand, game 2, Affinity, you're on the play. Fetch, Mountain, Goblin Guide, Spike, Spike, Boros Charm, Skullcrack.
Mull. Against Affinity you're the control deck. This isn't a control hand, it's a racing hand which while it will sometimes work it's more confirmation bias than anything in this matchup.
In Legacy, Pithing Needle and Ratchet Bomb can help mono-red burn fight enchantments, but they don't seem to be discussed much here. Is it just because the mono red variant is less common here or are there simply not many activated abilities or low cmc permanents that need be dealt with?
I was thinking about including mostly Magma Jet and Shard Volley instead of Lightning Helix and Boros Charm. I'm also thinking about Grim Lavamancer (though I go without fetches) and possibly Keldon Marauders. IMO, the Marauders often offer as much value as Lightning Helix, but they seem to be pretty unpopular in Modern?
A series of seven articles using Magic to explore the very stuff of the Universe!
"At least for those who can play cards, their present incarnation is not quite wasted."
[Click here for the articles!]