Frenzy is 4 CMC do nothing. To break it requires some sort of combo and plenty of mana acceleration so I don't know maybe in some sort of RG deck since artifact based mana is not all that broken in Modern and red doesn't have seething song, rite of flame and most of the good options of those spell types whose overall name is escaping me right now.
We have plenty of rituals in Modern, and Steam-kin has really nice synergy with Frenzy. Even if it's not part of a combo, it seems like it would be nuts for something like Burn or maybe a Zoo deck. Those decks have issues with running out of gas, and Frenzy is a card that really accelerates you through that. It would have to be a bigger Burn deck to support the 4-drop, maybe a more burn-heavy version of Skred or free-win Red. There has to be a deck for this card, though, its power level is off the charts. Having played with it for like a week now, I wouldn't be surprised if it gets banned in Standard, it's that good.
Mainstream burn wouldn't run a 4 cmc card. The odds it would be in play turn four are virtually zero. Skred looks more viable, then again skred has scrying sheets already to make sure it is always topdecking something other than a land. I'd be looking at red midrange decks without a card draw engine. Jund is a possibility, as is ponza running this as a one or two-of. Anything else would likely be a brand new deck.
Hell it took like a year and a half for people to figure out how to use bedlam reveler.
It's funny you mention Bedlam Reveler. There was a list that 5-0'd last week with Bedlam Reveler using Runaway steam kin and the new punisher jumpstart card and arclight phoenix. Which goes to show that even when a card is known there are always new boundries to break and decks that can come up after the fact.
Has anyone seen any brews with Experimental Frenzy in Modern yet? The card is super busted, and I have to imagine there's a build somewhere in the Modern card pool, but it'll probably take longer to find.
Been playing it in Jund and Affinity. It's real strong in both.
the bottleneck for frenzy as an enabler is the cmc. if you want to do anything degenerate with it there kinda needs to be some sort of acceleration involved.
Not really. You just need proactive cards, some library manipulation, and a low curve.
Frenzy is 4 CMC do nothing. To break it requires some sort of combo and plenty of mana acceleration so I don't know maybe in some sort of RG deck since artifact based mana is not all that broken in Modern and red doesn't have seething song, rite of flame and most of the good options of those spell types whose overall name is escaping me right now.
The combos to break it are library manipulation. Serum Visions+JTMS is one such option (this is a route I haven't explored yet). Library manipulation creatures like Grim Flayer or Bomat Courier is another. I have had a lot of success going down that path. What you need more than mana acceleration is a low curve. The card will utterly bury your opponent in card advantage. T4 cast it, T5 play a land, 2 2 drops and a 1 drop. T6 play 2 1 drops, a 2 drop, a 3 drop and a land. You've already gotten an effective draw 7 out of it. By turn 8 or so you'll have gotten another draw 7, by turn 9 yet another draw 7.
The card is extremely powerful and in any deck that either puts a lot of pressure on the opponent or keeps the board clear, you're not going to die by tapping out on T4.
As a value card in modern it runs into the same problem every other 4 drop does which is that if it doesn't win the game or essentially win the game it's jank.
It's the best rate draw spell in the format, and it's in a color that isn't supposed to get card advantage. Even if the game only goes until T5 and you cast it on T4 it's 4 mana for a sorcery speed draw 4.
Assuming you played every other card in your hand before turn 4 and the top of your library is good and your deck is set up in such a way to take advantage of the enchantment then it can indeed be very powerful. But again we're talking about a format where you tap out turn 4 for an enchantment that doesn't effect the board and your opponent goes Arcbound ravager, activate inkmoth kill you, or KCI kill you, or swing with death shadow kill you, or play Baral kill you.
Assuming you played every other card in your hand before turn 4 and the top of your library is good and your deck is set up in such a way to take advantage of the enchantment then it can indeed be very powerful. But again we're talking about a format where you tap out turn 4 for an enchantment that doesn't effect the board and your opponent goes Arcbound ravager, activate inkmoth kill you, or KCI kill you, or swing with death shadow kill you, or play Baral kill you.
You don't need to play every other card in your hand, presumably the cards in your hand that you haven't played are of lower value. Low curves assist with casting what's in your hand though.
The set up of the top of your deck is pretty much irrelevant, because you can keep casting things. That's where having some library manipulation comes in handy. I've had a lot of success in using Grim Flayer with Frenzy. Tonight now that we've finally got some Modern going in paper I'll be trying out Affinity (my only online deck is Jund, so I've had to wait a bit for anything else). It goldfishes well in testing, and Bomat Courier is a very powerful library manipulation card when paired with Frenzy.
If you've been interacting properly, it's very hard for a deck to just kill you out of nowhere on turn 4. For example, against Storm you'll have hit them with several discard spells at that point.
If you would like, I'll post some MTGO replays so you can see it in action. Or you can try it for yourself, the card costs a couple cents online and not much more than that in paper. So it's easy to try.
yeah the card is a good value rate over a couple of turns, but every card in your hand when its played is -1, and each draw step is also -1. you can convert those cards later but it isnt free. if those cards in hand were of little consequence due to a low curve, its safe to assume the same of the cards you would also use off the top of your deck.
as i said before, its completely feasible as a 1 or 2-of value 4 drop; however im not seeing anything that makes it significantly better than other 4 drops in red to make it the defacto go-to. for example can you definitively say that a RG deck is better served playing frenzy over a BBE?
besides the point was about a deck that is specifically looking to abuse the card, and not just throwing it in a midrange deck.
edit: thinking about it, mardu pyro seems like a deck that could make good use of it.
yeah the card is a good value rate over a couple of turns, but every card in your hand when its played is -1, and each draw step is also -1.
Incorrect. Cards in your hand are -1 in a sense, but in another sense they're not because they were lower priority cards to cast. There's also ways to still make use of them such as Liliana/Brutality fodder. Draw steps are not -1 because you still get a new card every turn. That card is just on the top of your library rather than in your hand. It's the exact same thing, except your new random card is the second card from the top rather than the card on top.
you can convert those cards later but it isnt free. if those cards in hand were of little consequence due to a low curve, its safe to assume the same of the cards you would also use off the top of your deck.
When you effectively attach "draw a card" to every card you play for the rest of the game, cards of little consequence cease to matter. Every card replaces itself, so card quality is no longer as big a deal. You don't need big impact 3's and 4's because you make up for it in velocity.
besides the point was about a deck that is specifically looking to abuse the card, and not just throwing it in a midrange deck.
I threw it in Jund, it plays well. I've been altering my build to take greater advantage of it, but all the cards you want with Frenzy are the same cards you wanted with BBE, just the numbers shift a little.
are people really playing a 4 mana enchantment that doesn't do anything when you play it in a format where decks win on turn 3 a non negligible amount of time
if only we could play other cards that stop opponents from enacting their game plan...
granted 4 mana is a lot, but its still within the threshold of playability. boiling the format down to goldfish speed ignores much of the context involved with card evaluation. it all depends on the supporting cast of cards.
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Modern: UWGSnow-Bant Control BURGrixis Death's Shadow GWBCoCo Elves WCDeath and Taxes (sold)
Honestly I rather build around Steam-kin quite frankly that has real potential if you ask me. 2 CMC and it sits around to give you free mana seems to work next to Pyromancer.
How many 4 CMC or more permanents gets played that do nothing by itself the turn it gets played in Modern?
Steam-Kin is seeing play in h0lydivas deck, quite good when things work out.
Hoogland pulled a 4-1 with a UBg Assassins Trophy deck.
I played against a guy with 3cmc Gideon and the RW take an extra turn. He didn't lose because the walker stuck around with the emblem. Very cute, but Cryptic doesn't care and bounces Gideon's...
How many 4 CMC or more permanents gets played that do nothing by itself the turn it gets played in Modern?
Karn, Chandra, and Jace for starters.
I did great with the card playing Affinity tonight running 3 copies. It was just like it was for me in Jund, it comes down and completely runs away with the game. Even had a turn where the turn I tapped out to play it I was able to play Mox Opal, Ornithopter, Springleaf Drum, Arcbound Worker from the top not that that scenario is very common or anything, but it was really strong when it happened.
How so do walkers have summoning sickness now? You can plus or minus or zero them the turn they came into play. They do not do nothing the turn they are played. They don't win the turn they are played fair enough....well I mean maybe they do if they can make you some mana or take life.
As for the cards themselves Jace does good stuff in most formats...Karn and Chandra don't do their best work in Modern though.
Trophy is the obvious choice but if were are talking red I see Steam-kin as far more likely to hit the ground running in Modern then Frenzy. Might someone brew up a strong deck for Frenzy sure but right now I don't see it.
Although speaking of Walkers I wonder if the speculated Azorious, Gruul and Orzhov Walkers in Nex Set will make a splash. I find it hard to imagine Dovin will be strong after Teferi but I am guessing it makes thopters.
Trophy is the obvious choice but if were are talking red I see Steam-kin as far more likely to hit the ground running in Modern then Frenzy. Might someone brew up a strong deck for Frenzy sure but right now I don't see it.
Jund, Affinity and Grixis Midrange are all very natural homes for it.
Frenzy is 4 CMC do nothing. To break it requires some sort of combo and plenty of mana acceleration so I don't know maybe in some sort of RG deck since artifact based mana is not all that broken in Modern and red doesn't have seething song, rite of flame and most of the good options of those spell types whose overall name is escaping me right now.
We have plenty of rituals in Modern, and Steam-kin has really nice synergy with Frenzy. Even if it's not part of a combo, it seems like it would be nuts for something like Burn or maybe a Zoo deck. Those decks have issues with running out of gas, and Frenzy is a card that really accelerates you through that. It would have to be a bigger Burn deck to support the 4-drop, maybe a more burn-heavy version of Skred or free-win Red. There has to be a deck for this card, though, its power level is off the charts. Having played with it for like a week now, I wouldn't be surprised if it gets banned in Standard, it's that good.
Mainstream burn wouldn't run a 4 cmc card. The odds it would be in play turn four are virtually zero. Skred looks more viable, then again skred has scrying sheets already to make sure it is always topdecking something other than a land. I'd be looking at red midrange decks without a card draw engine. Jund is a possibility, as is ponza running this as a one or two-of. Anything else would likely be a brand new deck.
Hell it took like a year and a half for people to figure out how to use bedlam reveler.
It's funny you mention Bedlam Reveler. There was a list that 5-0'd last week with Bedlam Reveler using Runaway steam kin and the new punisher jumpstart card and arclight phoenix. Which goes to show that even when a card is known there are always new boundries to break and decks that can come up after the fact.
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!
So where are all the decks with Rest in Peace hiding these days? Graveyard decks seem to be taking over MTGO right now. Dredge and Bridgevine have been 25% (combined) of the my matchups in the past week. No one seems to be praying on them much at the moment.
So where are all the decks with Rest in Peace hiding these days? Graveyard decks seem to be taking over MTGO right now. Dredge and Bridgevine have been 25% (combined) of the my matchups in the past week. No one seems to be praying on them much at the moment.
I feel more people are looking to find the 'next broken deck' like h0lydiva has perhaps with Steak-Kin, instead of leaning on the proven RIP deck, UW Control.
I feel like the people disparaging Frenzy haven't seen it in play before. I vastly underrated the card when I first read it, but the first time I saw it in play I realized I was very wrong about it. Been playing mono-red in Standard on Arena, and the card is stupid busted. It might work in a kinda combo-y build with Steam-Kins or rituals, but it can also just work as a curve topper for an aggro deck like Affinity or Zoo. Those decks lose if their opponent is not dead yet when they run out of gas, but Frenzy keeps a constant stream of gas coming for you. That's what it's doing for the red deck in Standard right now. It's good even without an extra enabler, and it's downright disgusting with an active Steam-kin. Just a random thought I had, it would be pretty gross in some kind of RG Elves build... Heritage Druids and Nettle Sentinels so you get to keep going until you hit a clump of lands.
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Modern UBR Grixis Shadow UBR UR Izzet Phoenix UR UW UW Control UW GB GB Rock GB
Commander BG Meren of Clan Nel Toth BG BGUW Atraxa, Praetor's Voice BGUW
for elves youd definitely want to be jund with frenzy for shaman of the pack. creature slots are tight for CoCo, but maybe drop some number of the Lead the Stampede(s) more typical of GB elves (or chords more uncommonly). without GSZ the nettle + heritage interaction isnt reliable enough, but plenty of mana development means you could probably still do your thing on turn 4.
/shrug, sounds plausible though probably just minor upgrade at best. it wouldnt be any faster, and youd mostly just be doing the same thing that GBx elves was doing before; which obviously isnt top tier (though still decent).
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The difference, I think, is that Frenzy does kind of a Glimpse imitation. Every spell you cast "draws" another card by revealing the next card down. You probably want fetches and Canopies to clear the second land you see in a turn. It could potentially turn Elves into more of a combo deck like the Legacy version, but I don't really know, I'm just spitting ideas.
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Modern UBR Grixis Shadow UBR UR Izzet Phoenix UR UW UW Control UW GB GB Rock GB
Commander BG Meren of Clan Nel Toth BG BGUW Atraxa, Praetor's Voice BGUW
I feel like the people disparaging Frenzy haven't seen it in play before. I vastly underrated the card when I first read it, but the first time I saw it in play I realized I was very wrong about it. Been playing mono-red in Standard on Arena, and the card is stupid busted. It might work in a kinda combo-y build with Steam-Kins or rituals, but it can also just work as a curve topper for an aggro deck like Affinity or Zoo. Those decks lose if their opponent is not dead yet when they run out of gas, but Frenzy keeps a constant stream of gas coming for you. That's what it's doing for the red deck in Standard right now. It's good even without an extra enabler, and it's downright disgusting with an active Steam-kin. Just a random thought I had, it would be pretty gross in some kind of RG Elves build... Heritage Druids and Nettle Sentinels so you get to keep going until you hit a clump of lands.
I agree to a point. Bomat Courier filled a similar role, but could be killed easily with creature removal or be forced into a chump block. Frenzy comes into play when you need it in an aggro deck and can help out gas opposing strategies. That and unlike Bomat, if the opponent kills it there is no pile of "lost cards". It just unlocks the hand you've been building up.
There is a bit of a tug of war in the sideboard right now between artifact hate for KCI and Affinity, the boneyard cheaty-face decks, and control / tron. I'm sure that the professional player teams are all rolling dice to figure out what to play, because even if they play the absolute pinnacle deck of a particular archetype, there is a very good chance that a bad meta call will completely tank their chance at winning.
I mean, I build a mean artifact deck out of affinity pieces that can go out of control really fast, but if someone is landing Ingot Chewer, Stony Silence, and Reclamation Sage against me I'm not going to get anywhere fast.
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!
I agree to a point. Bomat Courier filled a similar role, but could be killed easily with creature removal or be forced into a chump block. Frenzy comes into play when you need it in an aggro deck and can help out gas opposing strategies. That and unlike Bomat, if the opponent kills it there is no pile of "lost cards". It just unlocks the hand you've been building up.
Bomat Courier actually plays really well with Frenzy. If you don't have a Frenzy down, it's another source of potentially getting more cards, and can even dig you to a Frenzy. If you do have a Frenzy down it's a haste threat you can dig into, and the trigger can clear a bad card from the top.
I had a game yesterday against some b/r control deck, I had a Frenzy and some artifacts out, with a bunch of lands, and no creatures. Opponent was at 19 I was at 6 facing lethal on the next turn, but my opponent tapped out. I hit a Ravager, Bomat Courier, and enough other artifacts off Frenzy that turn that I was able to win out of nowhere.
So where are all the decks with Rest in Peace hiding these days? Graveyard decks seem to be taking over MTGO right now. Dredge and Bridgevine have been 25% (combined) of the my matchups in the past week. No one seems to be praying on them much at the moment.
I feel more people are looking to find the 'next broken deck' like h0lydiva has perhaps with Steak-Kin, instead of leaning on the proven RIP deck, UW Control.
We dont find out till next weekends SCG I guess.
That's fair. Though with how easy it is to change decks online with everyone using the rental services, I do expect decks to catch on faster online then in paper. I mean Bridgevine in paper is pretty expensive so if someone didn't already have it/could borrow it, I don't know how many new pilots would jump on.
So where are all the decks with Rest in Peace hiding these days? Graveyard decks seem to be taking over MTGO right now. Dredge and Bridgevine have been 25% (combined) of the my matchups in the past week. No one seems to be praying on them much at the moment.
I feel more people are looking to find the 'next broken deck' like h0lydiva has perhaps with Steak-Kin, instead of leaning on the proven RIP deck, UW Control.
We dont find out till next weekends SCG I guess.
That's fair. Though with how easy it is to change decks online with everyone using the rental services, I do expect decks to catch on faster online then in paper. I mean Bridgevine in paper is pretty expensive so if someone didn't already have it/could borrow it, I don't know how many new pilots would jump on.
I put Frenzy in a budget (is there any other kind) Goblins deck, and it was pretty funny.
I had an Affinty opponent roll it as a 1 of and in chatting with him, he really enjoyed it. Though he was unsure if it warrants a 2nd copy yet.
I wouldn't run more than two in a deck. It's really there to help finish a game that goes longer than expected, so there's little reason to have to draw into it early. If anything, the best thing to do if one did draw it early is probably mull unless the other six cards in hand look reasonable. Watching people play Arena on youtube I swear there are too many people wanting to Yolo on a one lander...
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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!
I had an Affinty opponent roll it as a 1 of and in chatting with him, he really enjoyed it. Though he was unsure if it warrants a 2nd copy yet.
A 1 of is not where you want to be with the card. It works best as a build around, so you have to make some pretty significant deck changes to make it work.
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It's funny you mention Bedlam Reveler. There was a list that 5-0'd last week with Bedlam Reveler using Runaway steam kin and the new punisher jumpstart card and arclight phoenix. Which goes to show that even when a card is known there are always new boundries to break and decks that can come up after the fact.
Been playing it in Jund and Affinity. It's real strong in both.
Not really. You just need proactive cards, some library manipulation, and a low curve.
The combos to break it are library manipulation. Serum Visions+JTMS is one such option (this is a route I haven't explored yet). Library manipulation creatures like Grim Flayer or Bomat Courier is another. I have had a lot of success going down that path. What you need more than mana acceleration is a low curve. The card will utterly bury your opponent in card advantage. T4 cast it, T5 play a land, 2 2 drops and a 1 drop. T6 play 2 1 drops, a 2 drop, a 3 drop and a land. You've already gotten an effective draw 7 out of it. By turn 8 or so you'll have gotten another draw 7, by turn 9 yet another draw 7.
The card is extremely powerful and in any deck that either puts a lot of pressure on the opponent or keeps the board clear, you're not going to die by tapping out on T4.
It's the best rate draw spell in the format, and it's in a color that isn't supposed to get card advantage. Even if the game only goes until T5 and you cast it on T4 it's 4 mana for a sorcery speed draw 4.
You don't need to play every other card in your hand, presumably the cards in your hand that you haven't played are of lower value. Low curves assist with casting what's in your hand though.
The set up of the top of your deck is pretty much irrelevant, because you can keep casting things. That's where having some library manipulation comes in handy. I've had a lot of success in using Grim Flayer with Frenzy. Tonight now that we've finally got some Modern going in paper I'll be trying out Affinity (my only online deck is Jund, so I've had to wait a bit for anything else). It goldfishes well in testing, and Bomat Courier is a very powerful library manipulation card when paired with Frenzy.
If you've been interacting properly, it's very hard for a deck to just kill you out of nowhere on turn 4. For example, against Storm you'll have hit them with several discard spells at that point.
If you would like, I'll post some MTGO replays so you can see it in action. Or you can try it for yourself, the card costs a couple cents online and not much more than that in paper. So it's easy to try.
as i said before, its completely feasible as a 1 or 2-of value 4 drop; however im not seeing anything that makes it significantly better than other 4 drops in red to make it the defacto go-to. for example can you definitively say that a RG deck is better served playing frenzy over a BBE?
besides the point was about a deck that is specifically looking to abuse the card, and not just throwing it in a midrange deck.
edit: thinking about it, mardu pyro seems like a deck that could make good use of it.
UWGSnow-Bant Control
BURGrixis Death's Shadow
GWBCoCo Elves
WCDeath and Taxes(sold)Incorrect. Cards in your hand are -1 in a sense, but in another sense they're not because they were lower priority cards to cast. There's also ways to still make use of them such as Liliana/Brutality fodder. Draw steps are not -1 because you still get a new card every turn. That card is just on the top of your library rather than in your hand. It's the exact same thing, except your new random card is the second card from the top rather than the card on top.
When you effectively attach "draw a card" to every card you play for the rest of the game, cards of little consequence cease to matter. Every card replaces itself, so card quality is no longer as big a deal. You don't need big impact 3's and 4's because you make up for it in velocity.
I threw it in Jund, it plays well. I've been altering my build to take greater advantage of it, but all the cards you want with Frenzy are the same cards you wanted with BBE, just the numbers shift a little.
granted 4 mana is a lot, but its still within the threshold of playability. boiling the format down to goldfish speed ignores much of the context involved with card evaluation. it all depends on the supporting cast of cards.
UWGSnow-Bant Control
BURGrixis Death's Shadow
GWBCoCo Elves
WCDeath and Taxes(sold)How many 4 CMC or more permanents gets played that do nothing by itself the turn it gets played in Modern?
Hoogland pulled a 4-1 with a UBg Assassins Trophy deck.
I played against a guy with 3cmc Gideon and the RW take an extra turn. He didn't lose because the walker stuck around with the emblem. Very cute, but Cryptic doesn't care and bounces Gideon's...
Spirits
Karn, Chandra, and Jace for starters.
I did great with the card playing Affinity tonight running 3 copies. It was just like it was for me in Jund, it comes down and completely runs away with the game. Even had a turn where the turn I tapped out to play it I was able to play Mox Opal, Ornithopter, Springleaf Drum, Arcbound Worker from the top not that that scenario is very common or anything, but it was really strong when it happened.
As for the cards themselves Jace does good stuff in most formats...Karn and Chandra don't do their best work in Modern though.
Trophy is the obvious choice but if were are talking red I see Steam-kin as far more likely to hit the ground running in Modern then Frenzy. Might someone brew up a strong deck for Frenzy sure but right now I don't see it.
Although speaking of Walkers I wonder if the speculated Azorious, Gruul and Orzhov Walkers in Nex Set will make a splash. I find it hard to imagine Dovin will be strong after Teferi but I am guessing it makes thopters.
Jund, Affinity and Grixis Midrange are all very natural homes for it.
Bedlam Reveler seems like Arclight Phoenixs best friend. Firing off manamorphose into Lightning bolt, Rift bolt, and Lava spike, with the ability to reload the hand sounds really good. Thing in the Ice is another really good option.
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!
Modern: Storm
Legacy: ANT
I feel more people are looking to find the 'next broken deck' like h0lydiva has perhaps with Steak-Kin, instead of leaning on the proven RIP deck, UW Control.
We dont find out till next weekends SCG I guess.
Spirits
UBR Grixis Shadow UBR
UR Izzet Phoenix UR
UW UW Control UW
GB GB Rock GB
Commander
BG Meren of Clan Nel Toth BG
BGUW Atraxa, Praetor's Voice BGUW
/shrug, sounds plausible though probably just minor upgrade at best. it wouldnt be any faster, and youd mostly just be doing the same thing that GBx elves was doing before; which obviously isnt top tier (though still decent).
UWGSnow-Bant Control
BURGrixis Death's Shadow
GWBCoCo Elves
WCDeath and Taxes(sold)UBR Grixis Shadow UBR
UR Izzet Phoenix UR
UW UW Control UW
GB GB Rock GB
Commander
BG Meren of Clan Nel Toth BG
BGUW Atraxa, Praetor's Voice BGUW
I agree to a point. Bomat Courier filled a similar role, but could be killed easily with creature removal or be forced into a chump block. Frenzy comes into play when you need it in an aggro deck and can help out gas opposing strategies. That and unlike Bomat, if the opponent kills it there is no pile of "lost cards". It just unlocks the hand you've been building up.
There is a bit of a tug of war in the sideboard right now between artifact hate for KCI and Affinity, the boneyard cheaty-face decks, and control / tron. I'm sure that the professional player teams are all rolling dice to figure out what to play, because even if they play the absolute pinnacle deck of a particular archetype, there is a very good chance that a bad meta call will completely tank their chance at winning.
I mean, I build a mean artifact deck out of affinity pieces that can go out of control really fast, but if someone is landing Ingot Chewer, Stony Silence, and Reclamation Sage against me I'm not going to get anywhere fast.
Meanwhile, those new Arclight Phoenix decks aren't going to work too well against Rest in Peace and Damping Sphere.
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!
Bomat Courier actually plays really well with Frenzy. If you don't have a Frenzy down, it's another source of potentially getting more cards, and can even dig you to a Frenzy. If you do have a Frenzy down it's a haste threat you can dig into, and the trigger can clear a bad card from the top.
I had a game yesterday against some b/r control deck, I had a Frenzy and some artifacts out, with a bunch of lands, and no creatures. Opponent was at 19 I was at 6 facing lethal on the next turn, but my opponent tapped out. I hit a Ravager, Bomat Courier, and enough other artifacts off Frenzy that turn that I was able to win out of nowhere.
Spirits
That's fair. Though with how easy it is to change decks online with everyone using the rental services, I do expect decks to catch on faster online then in paper. I mean Bridgevine in paper is pretty expensive so if someone didn't already have it/could borrow it, I don't know how many new pilots would jump on.
I had an Affinty opponent roll it as a 1 of and in chatting with him, he really enjoyed it. Though he was unsure if it warrants a 2nd copy yet.
Modern: Storm
Legacy: ANT
I wouldn't run more than two in a deck. It's really there to help finish a game that goes longer than expected, so there's little reason to have to draw into it early. If anything, the best thing to do if one did draw it early is probably mull unless the other six cards in hand look reasonable. Watching people play Arena on youtube I swear there are too many people wanting to Yolo on a one lander...
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!
A 1 of is not where you want to be with the card. It works best as a build around, so you have to make some pretty significant deck changes to make it work.