I liked meddling mage in knightfall a lot a few months ago. Decks like storm, ad nauseum, UW control, and valakut were all pretty soft to it.
More recently though, one of the best decks in the format is running a full playset with ways to copy them. People have adapted - red combo decks play bolts, control decks diversify wraths, and decks like KCI are overtaking less flexible archetypes.
Long story short, I don't think you want them right now. It's a card that we'd play to steal game ones, but the decks we're targeting have had time to adjust to it.
Wow how did I forget about worship? That's brilliant. I've actually used that card before but it slipped my mind.
I'm actually already up to the four reflectors after board. I've found them to be ok, but very bad against aether vial. Also can be a little awkward if they have images.
How have you guys been handling humans? In the games I've played it seems like a very close matchup.
After struggling with it in leagues I went in search of good sideboard options. Does anyone have anything spicy?
I know it's a hard deck to hate out. My current board plan is to bring in revoker for vial or staticaster, reflector, and blessed alliance for riders. I'm considering adding settle the wreckage or ghostly prison
Dauntless bodyguard is definitely something that caught my eye as well. I honestly wonder if a benevolent-bodyguard-varient wouldn't be too strong in modern, because this guys drawback makes it extremely awkward.
Remember, a good opponent will kill druid while it's summoning sick if possible. So... The only scenario I can come up with where this card is good is when you play a druid and pass with chord to protect. Druid only costs 2 mana, so this is only relevant if you have exactly 4 chord Mana left, and isn't relevant against path, dismember, brutality, or reflector mage.
Will there be scenarios where you simultaneously:
a) have to protect a druid with exactly 4 convoke?
b) are facing removal that indestructible works against?
c) still have the cards to go off after?
Yes. But will that happen enough times to justify playing a Savannah Lion? I think probably not. Its possible that my logic's flawed, let me know what you find if you test it.
yeah I've been pretty unhappy with the vizier combo myself lately. The cards are so clunky and underpowered that you often can't win if you're interacted with.
Did anyone else see the recent 5-0 MTGO list with 4 maindeck mana leaks? It honestly struck a chord with me immediately. I've always been most comfortable after sideboard with access to negates or unified wills, and to me path is more of a necessary evil than a boon.
I might play a couple more reflector mages, but in general leak seems awesome. Shores up some rougher matchups and boosts the flash plan.
Osanai - what does your manabase look like? I liked meddling mage when I played with it as well, but ultimately cut it because the mana cost was too awkward. It punishes you for fetching basic forest and is difficult to play alongside another spell later in the game
I've been alternating between vizier knightfall and the 4c bloodbraid pile online. I've been beginning to favor vizier, simply because there are so many matchups where you just think "thank God I'm not fighting fair"
I actually wanted to make an argument for reflector mage in vizier. After playing that GP list for a while, that was the card that impressed me the most, and I've been really happy with it over KotR.
Like someone else mentioned, everybody is interacting these days. With the knight/tracker lists I found I could rebuild... But those cards are slow and don't catch you up from behind. I lost a lot of games to a bolt or path on my combo turn, and then never getting enough traction to overcome a gurmag angler, leonin arbiter, or steel overseer.
Reflector has been so good for me because it just instantly takes pressure off. In the games where you get your druid killed, it stabilizes the board enough for you to properly utilize cards like chord and EWit.
Generally there are "decklist" sheets at the event that you grab when you walk in. The staff will tell you where to bring them. Make sure you know your DCI number and spell everything right!
I would caution you away from rallier. I love the card but it just hasn't ever been consist enough for me in knightfall. I do think you should run a couple more pilgrims if you can't find nobles. You still want 7-8 dorks
I built the GP list last night, played a few games. Nothing decisive yet buti can say the deck feels extremely flexible and powerful.
Chord was extremely sweet. Using it as a bounce spell, counterspell, or combo piece was awesome, and played really well with the company/queller flash plan.
Jace was terrible for me. Hard to cast, awkward with company and recruiter, and slow. I'll keep trying him but I'm itching to play the full playset of chords.
Does anyone have experience with the list or know Vikram? Knightfall decks are always so different; I'm definitely not going to ignore a finish that great
I played meddling mage for a bit and wasn't sure how I felt. It's a hard card to analyze, as online you don't always know if it affected your opponent.
I actually really like the card, but cut it because few of the winning lists were running them. It's also pretty hard on the mana and gets boarded out a lot
Just wrapped up a couple of modo leagues, finishing with an overall 8-2 record.
My list was essentially the same as brosterman's, with the key difference being Nissa, Steward of Elements over Jace.
Nissa was very, very good, but often in spots where jace would have been as well. Playing with both, I think they fill the same role. Nissa simply trades the bounce ability for CMC 3 and a better ultimate.
Bojuka bog was very awkward for me. I never tutored it, so drawing it felt worse than having a relic or surgical. I also had a second courser over the second clique, which played out well
Anybody else playing phyrexian revoker in their board? I've found it to be fantastic against Tron and affinity, as well as devoted druid decks and linear combo.
It's not as strong a hoser as Stony, but it has applications in more matchups. And it's a company hit, of course
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More recently though, one of the best decks in the format is running a full playset with ways to copy them. People have adapted - red combo decks play bolts, control decks diversify wraths, and decks like KCI are overtaking less flexible archetypes.
Long story short, I don't think you want them right now. It's a card that we'd play to steal game ones, but the decks we're targeting have had time to adjust to it.
I'm actually already up to the four reflectors after board. I've found them to be ok, but very bad against aether vial. Also can be a little awkward if they have images.
After struggling with it in leagues I went in search of good sideboard options. Does anyone have anything spicy?
I know it's a hard deck to hate out. My current board plan is to bring in revoker for vial or staticaster, reflector, and blessed alliance for riders. I'm considering adding settle the wreckage or ghostly prison
Remember, a good opponent will kill druid while it's summoning sick if possible. So... The only scenario I can come up with where this card is good is when you play a druid and pass with chord to protect. Druid only costs 2 mana, so this is only relevant if you have exactly 4 chord Mana left, and isn't relevant against path, dismember, brutality, or reflector mage.
Will there be scenarios where you simultaneously:
a) have to protect a druid with exactly 4 convoke?
b) are facing removal that indestructible works against?
c) still have the cards to go off after?
Yes. But will that happen enough times to justify playing a Savannah Lion? I think probably not. Its possible that my logic's flawed, let me know what you find if you test it.
Did anyone else see the recent 5-0 MTGO list with 4 maindeck mana leaks? It honestly struck a chord with me immediately. I've always been most comfortable after sideboard with access to negates or unified wills, and to me path is more of a necessary evil than a boon.
I might play a couple more reflector mages, but in general leak seems awesome. Shores up some rougher matchups and boosts the flash plan.
I could see it as a sideboard card, but I'm pretty sure blessed alliance is the card you want for your boggles/burn/affinity matchup
I actually wanted to make an argument for reflector mage in vizier. After playing that GP list for a while, that was the card that impressed me the most, and I've been really happy with it over KotR.
Like someone else mentioned, everybody is interacting these days. With the knight/tracker lists I found I could rebuild... But those cards are slow and don't catch you up from behind. I lost a lot of games to a bolt or path on my combo turn, and then never getting enough traction to overcome a gurmag angler, leonin arbiter, or steel overseer.
Reflector has been so good for me because it just instantly takes pressure off. In the games where you get your druid killed, it stabilizes the board enough for you to properly utilize cards like chord and EWit.
I would caution you away from rallier. I love the card but it just hasn't ever been consist enough for me in knightfall. I do think you should run a couple more pilgrims if you can't find nobles. You still want 7-8 dorks
Chord was extremely sweet. Using it as a bounce spell, counterspell, or combo piece was awesome, and played really well with the company/queller flash plan.
Jace was terrible for me. Hard to cast, awkward with company and recruiter, and slow. I'll keep trying him but I'm itching to play the full playset of chords.
Does anyone have experience with the list or know Vikram? Knightfall decks are always so different; I'm definitely not going to ignore a finish that great
I actually really like the card, but cut it because few of the winning lists were running them. It's also pretty hard on the mana and gets boarded out a lot
If you're looking for dedicated hate to draw normally, I'd suggest stony or more countermagic.
It helps more against Oblivion Stone, as well as being a way to break serve against valakut
My list was essentially the same as brosterman's, with the key difference being Nissa, Steward of Elements over Jace.
Nissa was very, very good, but often in spots where jace would have been as well. Playing with both, I think they fill the same role. Nissa simply trades the bounce ability for CMC 3 and a better ultimate.
Bojuka bog was very awkward for me. I never tutored it, so drawing it felt worse than having a relic or surgical. I also had a second courser over the second clique, which played out well
It's not as strong a hoser as Stony, but it has applications in more matchups. And it's a company hit, of course