1. I think the Heliod + Ballista Combo will likely be a noticeable presence in Modern.
2. Green Devotion got one sideboard card thus far in Setessan Suplicant
3. Underworld Breach and Storm Herald both scream to be broken...so it’s very possible a deck gets built for them.
Outside of that I’ll not seeing a ton (maybe the red boardwipe in Red Prison.). There is still a good amount. The power level does seem high enough that another few cards could make it.
I hear that Modern is “dying” and that a huge chunk of Modern players are focused on Pioneer right now; but as a Modern-centric player I think we’ll have a good year coming up!
I've built a Grixis Underworld Breach Combo deck that's much like those Kethis Combo decks going around except with a better mana base. I'm open to making it Temur instead if I can find a better tutor than Wishclaw Talisman, though (Wishclaw kinda sucks at tutoring for Grinding Station, but its ability to enable Mox Opal has already won me games--also, I maxed out on Muddle the Mixture). It's shockingly good against Jund, but Eidolon of the Great Revel usually makes me lose the game despite me maindecking Dreadbore.
I've also found that Underworld Breach is fairly good in those old-school Jeskai Ascendancy Mana Dork Combo decks. It's a staggeringly good draw spell mid-combo, but it tends to be a mere cantrip pre-combo.
In thw meantime, shame the only way the Heliod 2-Ballista combo can happen by/on Turn 4 is with mana ramp or Turn 1 Hardened Scales.
We've already seen a similar infinite combo in Midnight Guard-Presence of Gond, but now we can make infinite 1/1's on Turn 4 again with Siona, Captain of the Pyleas and Shielded By Faith! Of note: Siona has a nonzero chance of lucking into the combo by herself, and you can enchant a hexproof creature of yours to nigh-guarantee that at least half the combo will stick even if they kill Siona in response.
Haktos the Unscarred is probably the closest Modern will ever get to True-Name Nemesis. He's vulnerable to some converted mana cost that's randomly 2, 3, or 4 (and you'd better pray that he rolls a 4 in Modern, and even then, he trades with Bloodbraid Elf), he has protection from you as well as your opponents for all other converted mana costs, he must attack if able, and he costs an awkward RRWW--but hey, he's a 6/1! Initial tests of him in 5c Niv-Mizzet have been promising, especially when I Kolaghan's Command him for an infuriating Round 2.
Tectonic Giant is a 3/4 Elemental Giant for 2RR with some really swell attack/opponent targets with spell triggers (either 3 damage to each opponent or you get to play one of the top 2 cards of your library until the end of your next turn and exile the other). Great value, but can it crack Modern when abilities like those on Teferi, Time Raveler, Oko, Thief of Crowns, Ugin, the Ineffable, and Karn Liberated eat it alive?
How good is Polukranos, Unchained? 4 mana for a 6/6 that can fight another target creature for 1BG a shot is a decent deal, and so is his Escape for a 12/12 (for sadly 4BG and 6 other cards in your graveyard), but having all his P/T as +1/+1 counters and losing them equal to the damage he takes whenever he gets damaged sucks.
We found our next no-library alt win con! It's Thassa's Oracle--its win trigger is on ETB, and as long as you have no library, you still win even if she gets removed in response!
This is the Urza Ascendancy deck but with Breach and Grinding Station instead of Urza and Outcome.
The two main combos are:
1) Emry + Ascendancy + 0-drop that bins itself (Bauble, 2 of the same Mox, any 0 + Station). Sac the 0, tap Emry targeting it, recast it. This gives you infinite pump and loot. If it's a Mox, you get infinite mana too (you can loot into it). If it's 0 + Station, you point Station at your opponent and mill them out. If you've got Sai or Saheeli on the board, you get infinite tokens.
2) Breach + Station + 0 + artifact/legend/2 open mana (to cast Thassa's Oracle, either directly, or by replacing the 0 with a Mox once you mill into it). Sac 0 to Station, mill yourself for 3, then exile 3 to bring the 0 back and untap Station. You need one other card in the graveyard as a "free cell" until you mill Thassa's Oracle, then on the next loop, you exile that card instead. Mill yourself to 0, then cast Oracle with Breach and win.
Both of these combos can win on turn 2 if you draw good (e.g.: land, Mox Amber, Bauble, Emry, land, Ascendancy; or fetch, 0, 0, Mox Opal, Station, Breach).
Outside of the instant kill combos, Emry + Bauble is a grindy combo that draws you a card for free every turn. Pair that with Sai/Saheeli and you also get a token. Breach can be used as a Regrowth with an additional delve 3 cost, or an expensive hand refill with Bauble and a large number of cards to delve away.
Nothing in the last round of spoilers sticks out, but I may as well talk about a few last cards:
Kunoros, Hound of Athreos is a neato hate bear/creature. Nice Lifelink, some evasion, has Vigilance, hoses Flashback/the Dredge deck/Vengevine decks/etc....of course, being a 3-drop means it could very well come down too late to hose anything in practice.
Tried Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath in both my old UGr Scapeshift Fast Combo deck and the newfangled Bant Snowko Midrange-Control deck going around. He was predictably quite good in Scapeshift (although, chances are, I can only Escape him once before comboing off), and he was deceptively good in Bant Midrange-Control (enough instants, fetchlands, and fragile planeswalkers and creatures to support his Escape, cost is comparable to Jace TMS or lower). Against Jund, I got to Escape him three times in one game and run them over with CA. Beware of Path to Exile, though (especially since it restricts him to one trigger), and man does opposing Teferi, Time Raveler mess with his head.
Shame Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger does not compare well to the black Delve creatures, though. I'm doubtful the special discard is good enough, especially at 2 mana.
I encountered a Heliod deck running ballista and that 0/0 insect that gives itself 2 counters. There are a few different ways to gain infinite life and they don't necessarily rely on Ballista. It seems pretty consistent.
My buddy played an Uro Titan Ramp deck and that performed quite well. It beat it's amulet counterpart, but I'm not quite sure if it's necessarily better.
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Heliod, Sun-Crowned is another tool for Walking Ballista combos.
Wrath of Storm is a red Languish. Narrow uses over Anger of the Gods.
Nadir Kraken is intriguing for Serum Visions / Thought Scour / Manamorphose decks.
Woe Strider is Varolz, the Scar-Striped's cousin, I doubt he makes the cut.
Ox of Agonas looks like a tough to crack Bedlam Reveler. Testers will test.
Ashiok, Nightmare Muse for Grixis / Sultai control.
Elspeth, Sun's Nemesis is intriguing. Much competition in that slot.
Underworld Breach needs to be broken, not sure the format has the tools though. Already a thing in Legacy though.
2. Green Devotion got one sideboard card thus far in Setessan Suplicant
3. Underworld Breach and Storm Herald both scream to be broken...so it’s very possible a deck gets built for them.
Outside of that I’ll not seeing a ton (maybe the red boardwipe in Red Prison.). There is still a good amount. The power level does seem high enough that another few cards could make it.
I hear that Modern is “dying” and that a huge chunk of Modern players are focused on Pioneer right now; but as a Modern-centric player I think we’ll have a good year coming up!
I've also found that Underworld Breach is fairly good in those old-school Jeskai Ascendancy Mana Dork Combo decks. It's a staggeringly good draw spell mid-combo, but it tends to be a mere cantrip pre-combo.
In thw meantime, shame the only way the Heliod 2-Ballista combo can happen by/on Turn 4 is with mana ramp or Turn 1 Hardened Scales.
Haktos the Unscarred is probably the closest Modern will ever get to True-Name Nemesis. He's vulnerable to some converted mana cost that's randomly 2, 3, or 4 (and you'd better pray that he rolls a 4 in Modern, and even then, he trades with Bloodbraid Elf), he has protection from you as well as your opponents for all other converted mana costs, he must attack if able, and he costs an awkward RRWW--but hey, he's a 6/1! Initial tests of him in 5c Niv-Mizzet have been promising, especially when I Kolaghan's Command him for an infuriating Round 2.
Tectonic Giant is a 3/4 Elemental Giant for 2RR with some really swell attack/opponent targets with spell triggers (either 3 damage to each opponent or you get to play one of the top 2 cards of your library until the end of your next turn and exile the other). Great value, but can it crack Modern when abilities like those on Teferi, Time Raveler, Oko, Thief of Crowns, Ugin, the Ineffable, and Karn Liberated eat it alive?
How good is Polukranos, Unchained? 4 mana for a 6/6 that can fight another target creature for 1BG a shot is a decent deal, and so is his Escape for a 12/12 (for sadly 4BG and 6 other cards in your graveyard), but having all his P/T as +1/+1 counters and losing them equal to the damage he takes whenever he gets damaged sucks.
As a green Devotion player I’m upset we didn’t get anything; but what can you do? :). Still seems like a cool/fun set nonetheless.
4 Flooded Strand
1 Prismatic Vista
4 Snow-Covered Island
1 Snow-Covered Mountain
1 Snow-Covered Plains
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Steam Vents
1 Sacred Foundry
4 Mox Amber
4 Mishra's Bauble
3 Engineered Explosives
4 Arcum's Astrolabe
4 Emry, Lurker of the Loch
4 Jeskai Ascendancy
4 Underworld Breach
4 Grinding Station
2 Saheeli, Sublime Artificer
2 Muddle the Mixture
1 Thassa's Oracle
The two main combos are:
1) Emry + Ascendancy + 0-drop that bins itself (Bauble, 2 of the same Mox, any 0 + Station). Sac the 0, tap Emry targeting it, recast it. This gives you infinite pump and loot. If it's a Mox, you get infinite mana too (you can loot into it). If it's 0 + Station, you point Station at your opponent and mill them out. If you've got Sai or Saheeli on the board, you get infinite tokens.
2) Breach + Station + 0 + artifact/legend/2 open mana (to cast Thassa's Oracle, either directly, or by replacing the 0 with a Mox once you mill into it). Sac 0 to Station, mill yourself for 3, then exile 3 to bring the 0 back and untap Station. You need one other card in the graveyard as a "free cell" until you mill Thassa's Oracle, then on the next loop, you exile that card instead. Mill yourself to 0, then cast Oracle with Breach and win.
Both of these combos can win on turn 2 if you draw good (e.g.: land, Mox Amber, Bauble, Emry, land, Ascendancy; or fetch, 0, 0, Mox Opal, Station, Breach).
Outside of the instant kill combos, Emry + Bauble is a grindy combo that draws you a card for free every turn. Pair that with Sai/Saheeli and you also get a token. Breach can be used as a Regrowth with an additional delve 3 cost, or an expensive hand refill with Bauble and a large number of cards to delve away.
| Ad Nauseam
| Infect
Big Johnny.
Kunoros, Hound of Athreos is a neato hate bear/creature. Nice Lifelink, some evasion, has Vigilance, hoses Flashback/the Dredge deck/Vengevine decks/etc....of course, being a 3-drop means it could very well come down too late to hose anything in practice.
Tried Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath in both my old UGr Scapeshift Fast Combo deck and the newfangled Bant Snowko Midrange-Control deck going around. He was predictably quite good in Scapeshift (although, chances are, I can only Escape him once before comboing off), and he was deceptively good in Bant Midrange-Control (enough instants, fetchlands, and fragile planeswalkers and creatures to support his Escape, cost is comparable to Jace TMS or lower). Against Jund, I got to Escape him three times in one game and run them over with CA. Beware of Path to Exile, though (especially since it restricts him to one trigger), and man does opposing Teferi, Time Raveler mess with his head.
Shame Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger does not compare well to the black Delve creatures, though. I'm doubtful the special discard is good enough, especially at 2 mana.
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Want to play a UW control deck in modern, but don't have jace or snaps?
Please come visit us at the Emeria Titan control thread
My buddy played an Uro Titan Ramp deck and that performed quite well. It beat it's amulet counterpart, but I'm not quite sure if it's necessarily better.