I'm getting them...I've already got a Prairie Stream on the way and the price of the Hallowed Fountain is dropping like a rock so that should be coming in the near future.
Chalice does not counter your pact as it is not cast. It is created on the stack.
The copies that Hive Mind's ability creates are created on the stack, so they're not "cast." Abilities that trigger when a player casts a spell (like Hive Mind's ability itself) won't trigger.
You definitely still need to have knowledge of what competitive decks exist in the format. The sideboard is very important in a lot of matchups.
Serra Ascendant is a great card and I don't think it's too far fetched to say that about 75% of games that Soul Sisters wins have it's pilots life total over 30.
I don't think there really weak cards in the deck because it has a lot of synergy only weak matchups. This deck can be devastating if you get a good opening hand but it can definitely grind out wins if it needs to.
704.3. Whenever a player would get priority (see rule 116, "Timing and Priority"), the game checks for any of the listed conditions for state-based actions, then performs all applicable state-based actions simultaneously as a single event. If any state-based actions are performed as a result of a check, the check is repeated; otherwise all triggered abilities that are waiting to be put on the stack are put on the stack, then the check is repeated. Once no more state-based actions have been performed as the result of a check and no triggered abilities are waiting to be put on the stack, the appropriate player gets priority. This process also occurs during the cleanup step (see rule 514), except that if no state-based actions are performed as the result of the step's first check and no triggered abilities are waiting to be put on the stack, then no player gets priority and the step ends.
704.5f If a creature has toughness 0 or less, it's put into its owner's graveyard. Regeneration can't replace this event.
704.5g If a creature has toughness greater than 0, and the total damage marked on it is greater than or equal to its toughness, that creature has been dealt lethal damage and is destroyed. Regeneration can replace this event.
Since priority is passed State-based Actions check. After Caltrops deals its 1 damage to all of the 1/1 tokens they would have lethal NON-COMBAT damage dealt to it and would be put into the graveyard as state based actions are checked.
The first FNM I Played was a draft and that was pretty neat. Everyone was really cool. Just make sure if you are playing in a constructed format that your deck is legal.
You can't Retrace a Sorcery at instant speed.
8/1/2008: A retrace card cast from your graveyard follows the normal timing rules for its card type.
Modern Masters
Serra Ascendant is a great card and I don't think it's too far fetched to say that about 75% of games that Soul Sisters wins have it's pilots life total over 30.
I don't think there really weak cards in the deck because it has a lot of synergy only weak matchups. This deck can be devastating if you get a good opening hand but it can definitely grind out wins if it needs to.
704.5f If a creature has toughness 0 or less, it's put into its owner's graveyard. Regeneration can't replace this event.
704.5g If a creature has toughness greater than 0, and the total damage marked on it is greater than or equal to its toughness, that creature has been dealt lethal damage and is destroyed. Regeneration can replace this event.
Since priority is passed State-based Actions check. After Caltrops deals its 1 damage to all of the 1/1 tokens they would have lethal NON-COMBAT damage dealt to it and would be put into the graveyard as state based actions are checked.