If this is what theyre gonna do with with Core sets, they might as well go back to not printing them. What a waste of time and cardboard.
This is not what a Core set should be used for (yes i know we havent seen everything but I dont suspect we'll see the things I think we should)
We got a couple of expensive reprints and a handful of cards that might see play.
Core Sets have never been designed for Modern. What, pray-tell, SHOULD the purpose of a Core Set be by your standards?
my mistake...i didnt catch the "modern" sub category in the heading. I thought it was a general Core19 discussion.
But since you asked, ive always felt the core sets should address
1) Problem cards in existing formats
2) Standard more specifically. Imo it should be a utility set featuring "staples". Naturalize/Disenchant, Doom Blade, Elves/BoP, Bolt/Incinerate, Mana Leak, etc.
Did you read Maro's article yesterday where he literally articulates that their goals are what you're asking for with the addition of having a better bridge product for newer players? They're printing cards specifically for modern (your first point), giving us sweet and sorely needed reprints, printing answers that are needed for standard and things that don't 'fit' in main sets, and doing it all while satisfying the needs of EDH and newer players. What more could you realistically want from what was before a 'throwaway' set?
I did not....because I cant stand the man and dont believe a word that comes out of his mouth. I 1000% believe he's bad for the game.
Is that Esper Dragon playable? I've never played Esper control outside of messing around with things like Mentor and Ashiok but its got me wanting to try it out.
Not in any Esper shell I've ever heard of.
Not as a finisher in Esper Control? The fact that it has flash is pretty good. Flashing in at end step + cant be countered is pretty good seeing as how you can basically immediately untap right after. 7 mana is a lot but not unrealistic in a control deck like that.
What exactly does this finisher provide that makes it more efficient than Gearhulk, Pearl Lake Ancient, WSZ, StW, or basically anything else Esper Control runs?
Not quite Containment Priest but another nice answer against unfair strategies.
This card is bad for the same reason why Hallowed Moonlight is bad; the effect is only until end of turn meaning that the person can simply avoid doing it. If they tap their vial then they don't have to play it on the turn that you sac it. Containment priest is very good because the effect is static. I expect this card to see little if any play for that reason.
Militia Bugler: This being a human obviously helps the tier 1 tribe but this card has the potential of whiffing and getting to three mana isn't trivial in a deck that doesn't play many three mana creatures. For that reason I think that if this sees play, that it's going to be in the death and taxes builds.
Nicol Bolas, the Ravager: 4 drop 4/4 flyer that is a 2 for 1 with it's etb is okay as a top end for a grixis midrange deck. The obvious issue with this card is that you have to get to 7 mana for the ability to every work at sorcery speed none the less. This can be okay against the decks that like to go long since grixis has kolaghan's command to get this creature back if it dies.
Scapeshift reprint alone has me happy. $100 was just shaved from the price of a legit modern deck. I never expect high-end modern reprints in standard-legal sets, so even getting one is nice. Considering more of this will be available than modern masters, and at a lower price point, this and crucible should see major price decreases (scapeshift moreso, since it has far narrower applications than crucible. that thing may end up being $15 by winter).
I'm still afraid of buying into a deck that functions off the back of one card. I just wont pull the trigger, even though I have most everything else and would love to play RUG Scapeshift.
Amulet of Safekeeping 2
Artifact
Whenever you become the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, counter that spell or ability unless its controller pays 1.
Creature tokens get -1/0.
Remorseful Reverend
1W
Creature - Cleric Spirit
Flying
Sacrifice Remorseful Reverend: Exile all cards from target player's graveyard.
2/1
some more fringe cards with some potential. amulet conveniently shuts down both storm cards in modern, but still open to their very large suite of bounce spells. cleric is a spirit, can be activated immediately, and blows up only one GY; maybe it shows up in a SB somewhere. obviously amulet would be better if it cost 1 since that type of effect could severely hinder some decks if gotten out early enough.
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Modern: UWGSnow-Bant Control BURGrixis Death's Shadow GWBCoCo Elves WCDeath and Taxes (sold)
Remorseful Reverend seems like a good sideboard card for a hatebears deck or a Coco deck.
The issue with amulet of safekeeping is it coming down on turn 2 doesn’t slow down discard or burn that much, and with damping sphere I don’t think a lot of people will play the amulet, but it’s still a playable sideboard card.
I like Goreclaw. Honestly, I don't care if it dies to bolt: It's a legendary freaking bear that discounts a ton of creatures by 2 through just being on the board, and it likely will land sooner than turn 4.
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
They will never do 4 Mana wraths again. This was also up their design philosophy. So you can't ever expect any 4 Mana wrath to be printed for a long while unless they want to go back on their word.
Amulet of safe keeping now requires them to spend an their manamorphose to play destructive revelry or just include 2 slots for actual artifact hate. The mind games you can play with this card when you SB can lead them to draw potentially dead cards. Burn is now in a position where they will always have to board in revelry regardless if you actually put in amulet or not because they are forced to SB it or lose to an artifact for punishing their playstyle.
Does anyone else feel this set has more staples/replrints and potentially mmodern playable cards than any other set in the last two years, including two out of three of the masters sets?
The set is shaping up to be far more interesting than i originally had anticipated.
Could Runic Armasaur do anything in a sort of chord/company/value town deck?
I guess it’s a shame that you can’t chord/company/vial it in in response to an activation and draw a card.
I've been thinking about one in value town, but I don't know that it provides you with any more or even equal value as one of our current 3 drops. It's certainly not better than Knight, Excavator, or Courser. Azusa can be pretty limited in her use, but when she wins a game she does it in style. Armasaur's body is MUCH better against things like humans, so that is definitely something to keep an eye on. It's one to watch for sure.
if it was any activation, and not just the opponents, then we would be cooking with gasoline. a 3 mana 2/5 is certainly respectable though. also drawing a card every time your opponent cracks a fetch land is pretty sweet.
for reference:
Runic Armasaur
1GG
Creature - Dinosaur
Whenever an opponent activates an ability of a creature or land, if it isn't a mana ability, you may draw a card.
2/5
edit: 3 mana sarkhan spoiled. not playable, but whatever
Sarkhan, Fireblood
1RR
Legendary Planeswalker - Sarkhan
[+1]: You may discard a card. If you do, draw a card.
[+1]: Add two mana in any combination of colors. Spend this mana only to cast Dragon spells.
[-7]: Create four 5/5 Dragon creature tokens with flying.
3
edit2: ah yeah i also thought this card was interesting. limited applications, but cheap artifacts are plentiful and it could supplement another gameplan. also passes the bolt test.
Sai, Master Thopterist
2U
Legendary Creature - Human Artificer
Whenever you cast an artifact spell, create a 1/1 colorless Thopter artifact creature token with flying.
Amulet of Safekeeping is a bad Storm hate card. Bad Storm hate is the kind that only protects you from Grapeshot or Empty the Warrens, but doesn't stop the Storm player from comboing off. So they either draw their deck or Gifts for Echoing Truth, bounce your bad Storm hate, and kill you.
Sai, Master Thopterist is like a Monastery Mentor that doesn't die to Bolt. Cheeri0s played Mentor before Sram, Senior Edificer came along, and now Mentor doesn't even make the SB because Ghirapur Aether Grid is a better alternate wincon. The original Mentor sees a good amount of play, but not with artifacts. Sai doesn't do well in Affinity because you'll end up dumping your hand on turn 2 and not having much to trigger him. Also, he's not an artifact himself, and non-artifacts in Affinity have a really high bar to clear.
Stitcher's Supplier is a great enabler for graveyard-based decks. I see a lot of possibilities with this card: milling Vengevine/Gravecrawler while simultaneously counting as a creature for both, resurrecting an ancient mostly-black reanimator deck (the one with Griselbrand, Necrotic Ooze, Zombie Infestation and Soul Spike), ritualing out Tasigur, the Golden Fang on turn 2, speeding up an alternative Dredge engine consisting of milling Darkblast and Bridge from Below, then Blasting the Supplier to mill even more and get a Zombie. I'm pretty excited to try them out.
Amulet of Safekeeping is a bad Storm hate card. Bad Storm hate is the kind that only protects you from Grapeshot or Empty the Warrens, but doesn't stop the Storm player from comboing off. So they either draw their deck or Gifts for Echoing Truth, bounce your bad Storm hate, and kill you.
Sai, Master Thopterist is like a Monastery Mentor that doesn't die to Bolt. Cheeri0s played Mentor before Sram, Senior Edificer came along, and now Mentor doesn't even make the SB because Ghirapur Aether Grid is a better alternate wincon. The original Mentor sees a good amount of play, but not with artifacts. Sai doesn't do well in Affinity because you'll end up dumping your hand on turn 2 and not having much to trigger him. Also, he's not an artifact himself, and non-artifacts in Affinity have a really high bar to clear.
Stitcher's Supplier is a great enabler for graveyard-based decks. I see a lot of possibilities with this card: milling Vengevine/Gravecrawler while simultaneously counting as a creature for both, resurrecting an ancient mostly-black reanimator deck (the one with Griselbrand, Necrotic Ooze, Zombie Infestation and Soul Spike), ritualing out Tasigur, the Golden Fang on turn 2, speeding up an alternative Dredge engine consisting of milling Darkblast and Bridge from Below, then Blasting the Supplier to mill even more and get a Zombie. I'm pretty excited to try them out.
If Sai is good enough for Modern, then he would make his own archtype happen. It's worth noting that Thopters can attack through an Ensnaring Bridge which isn't trivial. He is obviously good with Sword of the meek/Thopter Foundry.
Sticher's supplier is actually insane in legacy and vintage for dredge decks. The combo potential is there, people actually would counter it. It is even better in modern because it is a 1 Mana spell mill 3 on a 1/1 body.
An actual decent sarkhan, he has a 3 mana multiple loot ability. That is already in itself a very good ability and why nahiri still sees some sort of play. He lets you go above the curve in colors that shouldn't have it for a flavorful creature type. Storm breath, thundermaw, glory bringer, khans block, as well as the m19 dragons are all capable of being played.
It seems like Sarkhan and spit flame could be good in skred red, with faithless looting, blood moon, anger, thunder maw helllite, storm breath dragon, bolt, skred, Chandra, and then maybe amulet of safekeeping would come in to help against combo decks, and diamond mare could come in against burn decks.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Modern
JundBGR
RW Blood MoonRW
Pauper
Delver U
Elves G
Control B
Commander
Edgar Markov BRW
Captain Sisay GW
Niv-Mizzet, Parun UR
Tymna and Ravos WB
Sarkan, Dragonblood doesn't appear to have anything Modern wants. It doesn't defend itself. It doesn't replace itself. It doesn't affect the board without it's awful ultimate. It charges up slowly. Compare this to Liliana of the Veil.
The "Top 5 for a color identity card" cycle interests me, and I'm curious what (if anything) the Blue and Black versions of the spells might be.
What exactly does this finisher provide that makes it more efficient than Gearhulk, Pearl Lake Ancient, WSZ, StW, or basically anything else Esper Control runs?
This card is bad for the same reason why Hallowed Moonlight is bad; the effect is only until end of turn meaning that the person can simply avoid doing it. If they tap their vial then they don't have to play it on the turn that you sac it. Containment priest is very good because the effect is static. I expect this card to see little if any play for that reason.
Modern Decks:
UB Faeries: (https://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/modern-ub-faeries/)
Jeskai Nahiri: (https://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/modern-jeskai-nahiri/)
Avatar is from the card Keeper of the Mind
Cards that are playable:
Alpine Moon: Seems like a good sideboard card for decks that do not want blood moon, fulminator mage or damping sphere. Other than hitting tron, this can hit many manlands that are problematic, valakut, the molten pinnacle, field of ruin, etc. Costing one mana certainly helps.
Cards that have potential but I'm unsure on:
Militia Bugler: This being a human obviously helps the tier 1 tribe but this card has the potential of whiffing and getting to three mana isn't trivial in a deck that doesn't play many three mana creatures. For that reason I think that if this sees play, that it's going to be in the death and taxes builds.
Nicol Bolas, the Ravager: 4 drop 4/4 flyer that is a 2 for 1 with it's etb is okay as a top end for a grixis midrange deck. The obvious issue with this card is that you have to get to 7 mana for the ability to every work at sorcery speed none the less. This can be okay against the decks that like to go long since grixis has kolaghan's command to get this creature back if it dies.
Everything else.
Modern Decks:
UB Faeries: (https://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/modern-ub-faeries/)
Jeskai Nahiri: (https://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/modern-jeskai-nahiri/)
Avatar is from the card Keeper of the Mind
Spirits
Artifact
Whenever you become the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, counter that spell or ability unless its controller pays 1.
Creature tokens get -1/0.
Remorseful Reverend
1W
Creature - Cleric Spirit
Flying
Sacrifice Remorseful Reverend: Exile all cards from target player's graveyard.
2/1
some more fringe cards with some potential. amulet conveniently shuts down both storm cards in modern, but still open to their very large suite of bounce spells. cleric is a spirit, can be activated immediately, and blows up only one GY; maybe it shows up in a SB somewhere. obviously amulet would be better if it cost 1 since that type of effect could severely hinder some decks if gotten out early enough.
UWGSnow-Bant Control
BURGrixis Death's Shadow
GWBCoCo Elves
WCDeath and Taxes(sold)The issue with amulet of safekeeping is it coming down on turn 2 doesn’t slow down discard or burn that much, and with damping sphere I don’t think a lot of people will play the amulet, but it’s still a playable sideboard card.
JundBGR
RW Blood MoonRW
Pauper
Delver U
Elves G
Control B
Commander
Edgar Markov BRW
Captain Sisay GW
Niv-Mizzet, Parun UR
Tymna and Ravos WB
WotC why you do this?
Infernal Reckoning - "Get bent Wurmcoil/Eldrazi"
Alpine Moon - "Pee Off Urza's Tower"
Amulet of Safekeeping - "Hey Storm? You there? Yeah. You're screwed while this is on the table. Find a bounce spell, win in a turn or die"
Remorseful Revenant - "Dear Dregde: Get Bent"
Mistcaller -"Legacy Reanimator? Hahahahah"
Plaguemare - "Remember when you wanted Chainwhirler banned from Standard? LOL"
Modern: Storm
Legacy: ANT
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
Cleansing Nova
3WW
Sorcery
Choose one -
- Destroy all creatures.
- Destroy all artifacts and enchantments.
close. so close.
UWGSnow-Bant Control
BURGrixis Death's Shadow
GWBCoCo Elves
WCDeath and Taxes(sold)Amulet of safe keeping now requires them to spend an their manamorphose to play destructive revelry or just include 2 slots for actual artifact hate. The mind games you can play with this card when you SB can lead them to draw potentially dead cards. Burn is now in a position where they will always have to board in revelry regardless if you actually put in amulet or not because they are forced to SB it or lose to an artifact for punishing their playstyle.
The set is shaping up to be far more interesting than i originally had anticipated.
Modern: WUBRG Humans - GBW Traverse - GWU Knightfall - GRW Bushwhacker Zoo -
I guess it’s a shame that you can’t chord/company/vial it in in response to an activation and draw a card.
Cubetutor Peasant'ish-Funbox
Project: Khans of Tarkir Cube (cubetutor)
I've been thinking about one in value town, but I don't know that it provides you with any more or even equal value as one of our current 3 drops. It's certainly not better than Knight, Excavator, or Courser. Azusa can be pretty limited in her use, but when she wins a game she does it in style. Armasaur's body is MUCH better against things like humans, so that is definitely something to keep an eye on. It's one to watch for sure.
for reference:
Runic Armasaur
1GG
Creature - Dinosaur
Whenever an opponent activates an ability of a creature or land, if it isn't a mana ability, you may draw a card.
2/5
edit: 3 mana sarkhan spoiled. not playable, but whatever
Sarkhan, Fireblood
1RR
Legendary Planeswalker - Sarkhan
[+1]: You may discard a card. If you do, draw a card.
[+1]: Add two mana in any combination of colors. Spend this mana only to cast Dragon spells.
[-7]: Create four 5/5 Dragon creature tokens with flying.
3
edit2: ah yeah i also thought this card was interesting. limited applications, but cheap artifacts are plentiful and it could supplement another gameplan. also passes the bolt test.
Sai, Master Thopterist
2U
Legendary Creature - Human Artificer
Whenever you cast an artifact spell, create a 1/1 colorless Thopter artifact creature token with flying.
1U, Sacrifice two artifacts: Draw a card.
1/4
UWGSnow-Bant Control
BURGrixis Death's Shadow
GWBCoCo Elves
WCDeath and Taxes(sold)Spirits
Sai, Master Thopterist is like a Monastery Mentor that doesn't die to Bolt. Cheeri0s played Mentor before Sram, Senior Edificer came along, and now Mentor doesn't even make the SB because Ghirapur Aether Grid is a better alternate wincon. The original Mentor sees a good amount of play, but not with artifacts. Sai doesn't do well in Affinity because you'll end up dumping your hand on turn 2 and not having much to trigger him. Also, he's not an artifact himself, and non-artifacts in Affinity have a really high bar to clear.
Stitcher's Supplier is a great enabler for graveyard-based decks. I see a lot of possibilities with this card: milling Vengevine/Gravecrawler while simultaneously counting as a creature for both, resurrecting an ancient mostly-black reanimator deck (the one with Griselbrand, Necrotic Ooze, Zombie Infestation and Soul Spike), ritualing out Tasigur, the Golden Fang on turn 2, speeding up an alternative Dredge engine consisting of milling Darkblast and Bridge from Below, then Blasting the Supplier to mill even more and get a Zombie. I'm pretty excited to try them out.
| Ad Nauseam
| Infect
Big Johnny.
If Sai is good enough for Modern, then he would make his own archtype happen. It's worth noting that Thopters can attack through an Ensnaring Bridge which isn't trivial. He is obviously good with Sword of the meek/Thopter Foundry.
Sarkhan Looks really good and I can see him making his own archtype. Having a rummaging ability is really good as Nahiri, the Harbinger has shown us. Nameless Inversion/crib swap are also dragon spells so may be he can fit into the Haakon, Stromgald Scourge/Life From the Loam decks.
Modern Decks:
UB Faeries: (https://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/modern-ub-faeries/)
Jeskai Nahiri: (https://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/modern-jeskai-nahiri/)
Avatar is from the card Keeper of the Mind
An actual decent sarkhan, he has a 3 mana multiple loot ability. That is already in itself a very good ability and why nahiri still sees some sort of play. He lets you go above the curve in colors that shouldn't have it for a flavorful creature type. Storm breath, thundermaw, glory bringer, khans block, as well as the m19 dragons are all capable of being played.
JundBGR
RW Blood MoonRW
Pauper
Delver U
Elves G
Control B
Commander
Edgar Markov BRW
Captain Sisay GW
Niv-Mizzet, Parun UR
Tymna and Ravos WB
The "Top 5 for a color identity card" cycle interests me, and I'm curious what (if anything) the Blue and Black versions of the spells might be.
They are all Planeswalker Deck cards -- the blue and black versions are Tezzeret's Gatebreaker and Liliana's Spoils, respectively.