How do people feel about Xathrid Necromancer vs. Selfless Spirit? I've been running one of each but if people are seriously running Necromancer main deck it makes me think maybe I should commit to multiple copies in the board.
This is also something that interests me. I've been running a 1/1 split but lately I've been trying out 2 Selfless Spirits. Clearly in some spots Necromancer is better (Attrition wars against Jund, Death Shadow, Jeskai) and in some spots I prefer Selfless Spirits (Against Tron -> Oblivion Stone, against UW Control's Boardwipes) Selfless Spirits can also really screw combat by flashing it in with a vial. It is also a much better card against Anger of the Gods, where Necromancer does nothing.
I think with all the Jund running around at the moment I will go back to a 1/1 split or even try out more Necromancers, I wouldn't run them maindeck though.
If you want to fight the attrition war, isn't Deputy of Acquittals better than Xathrid Necromancer? Necromancer needs Vial on 3 to be played at instant speed, with only effect to replace the removed Human with a 2/2 Zombie Token. If otherwise played at sorcery speed, opponent will just removed it before anything else (again leaving behind a 2/2 Zombie Token). Deputy can always be played at instant speed, Vial or not. And bouncing Humans to play them again means extra triggers. My guess is that people are trying their best to come up with and inventive card to get into the main deck, and the latest they've come up with is Necromancer. Doesn't deserve a slot in the main deck, IMHO. But it's still better than Selfless Spirit. Even then, I'm not fighting sweepers with Necromancer, but with Gaddock Teeg. It also kills Cryptic Command, and the 2/2 body doesn't have to be sacrificed to get the job done.
Hey all, I'm quite new to the deck, having only picked it up on MTGO 2 weeks ago as practice for Team Unified Modern GP next week since my regular Traverse Shadow main was feeling badly positioned in the meta.
I just copied Steve Locke's list from GP Phoenix but after a few leagues swapped the Mirran Crusader out of mainboard for Kessig Malcontents (found I was boarding it the Crusader a lot) which coincidently ended up being the same mainboard as the Mocs winner a few days ago.
I've been using Steve's SCG article as a sideboarding guide and found the deck to be fantastic, churning out consistent 3-2 and 4-1's in Comp Leagues despite my inexperience and even a Top 8 finish in the Modern Challenge last week.
The main problem I'm running into is the holes in Steve's sideboarding guide, particularly for some of the harder matchups such as Mardu Pyro, Jeskai Control, Bogles and Dredge.
Keen to get opinions on sideboarding and general playstyle against these decks, I've taken a stab at some stuff myself but have been second-guessing some of my calls.
On mobile atm but will edit this post with the list and sideboarding specifics during work breaks today.
Gifts Storm
-3x Mantis Rider
-1x Dire Fleet Daredevil
-1x Dark Confidant
-1x Mirran Crusader
+2x Sin Collector
+2x Izzet Staticaster
+2x Dismember
(This is one I've had cone back to bite me, Steve argues that most builds are off the PiF plan so Cage isn't worth bringing in but I've lost at least a couple games following that. Admittedly the matchup is very favorable so it's not a huge issue)
Hey all, I'm quite new to the deck, having only picked it up on MTGO 2 weeks ago as practice for Team Unified Modern GP next week since my regular Traverse Shadow main was feeling badly positioned in the meta.
I just copied Steve Locke's list from GP Phoenix but after a few leagues swapped the Mirran Crusader out of mainboard for Kessig Malcontents (found I was boarding it the Crusader a lot) which coincidently ended up being the same mainboard as the Mocs winner a few days ago.
I've been using Steve's SCG article as a sideboarding guide and found the deck to be fantastic, churning out consistent 3-2 and 4-1's in Comp Leagues despite my inexperience and even a Top 8 finish in the Modern Challenge last week.
The main problem I'm running into is the holes in Steve's sideboarding guide, particularly for some of the harder matchups such as Mardu Pyro, Jeskai Control, Bogles and Dredge.
Keen to get opinions on sideboarding and general playstyle against these decks, I've taken a stab at some stuff myself but have been second-guessing some of my calls.
On mobile atm but will edit this post with the list and sideboarding specifics during work breaks today.
Gifts Storm
-3x Mantis Rider
-1x Dire Fleet Daredevil
-1x Dark Confidant
-1x Mirran Crusader
+2x Sin Collector
+2x Izzet Staticaster
+2x Dismember
(This is one I've had cone back to bite me, Steve argues that most builds are off the PiF plan so Cage isn't worth bringing in but I've lost at least a couple games following that. Admittedly the matchup is very favorable so it's not a huge issue)
Regarding the UR Storm matchup it really shouldn't matter too much since I've yet to lose that matchup. I like to bring in cages for Reflector Mage on the draw since Reflector Mage is weak on Turn 3 if they can go off first on turn 3, then a cage can be very usful.
Let's work on the holes of that Sideboard guide, here is how I would sideboard:
Mardu Pyromancer: Definitely bring in the Staticasters (Best card postboard) and the Rec Sages (Blood Moon & EE). Don't know about the Sin Collectors, they are usually not that good but some lists run Anger of the Gods, Collector is very good against that. I would take out Malcontents and a combination of Meddling and Reflector Mages. Matchup is quite hard, worse than Jund. Best way to beat them is with Mantis Riders and early pressure, postboard Staticasters.
Jeskai Control: In: 2 Sin Collector and 3 Necromancers, Out: Reflector Mages (no target) and 1 Image (Pretty bad on empty board, they 1 for 1) This matchup is horrible, I don't know how to win two games against them honestly, even their bad draws line up pretty good against us. The way to beat them involves early aggression from turn 1 though.
Bogles: In: 1 Mirran Crusader, 2 Rec Sage. Out: 1 Dark Confidant, 2 Image -> Matchup often becomes a race, very important to prevent opponent from casting Daybreak Coronet otherwise the game is basically over unless you can Rec Sage his other Aura. I don't think Bogles is as bad of a matchup as people think. It's close to a 50/50 in my opinion but maybe my sample size is too small.
Dredge: Haven't played against this in a long time but I would sideboard as following: Bringing in Crusader (Pro Black seems good for attacking), Staticaster for pinging down the bloodghasts and Nacrophoeba over and over again. Taking out the Confidant and 2 Reflector Mages. You don't have Cages so the matchup is even worse than it would be otherwise
Hope this helps!
If you want to fight the attrition war, isn't Deputy of Acquittals better than Xathrid Necromancer? Necromancer needs Vial on 3 to be played at instant speed, with only effect to replace the removed Human with a 2/2 Zombie Token. If otherwise played at sorcery speed, opponent will just removed it before anything else (again leaving behind a 2/2 Zombie Token). Deputy can always be played at instant speed, Vial or not. And bouncing Humans to play them again means extra triggers. My guess is that people are trying their best to come up with and inventive card to get into the main deck, and the latest they've come up with is Necromancer. Doesn't deserve a slot in the main deck, IMHO. But it's still better than Selfless Spirit. Even then, I'm not fighting sweepers with Necromancer, but with Gaddock Teeg. It also kills Cryptic Command, and the 2/2 body doesn't have to be sacrificed to get the job done.
I think Gaddock Teeg and Necromancer serve different usecases. I use Gaddock Teeg in my UW Control heavy, Tron meta as a replacement for Cage, since it also stops the Coco decks and still prevents Control decks from castings their Supreme Verdict and Tron their Ugin and others. While Necromancer can be brought in against UW and Tron I also like them very much against Jund, Jeskai, Mardu (All the decks with a lot of 1 for 1 removal, where Gaddock is bad).
I haven't tried Deputy yet, it sounds interesting, I might put them into my sideboard for a few leagues
Hey all, I'm quite new to the deck, having only picked it up on MTGO 2 weeks ago as practice for Team Unified Modern GP next week since my regular Traverse Shadow main was feeling badly positioned in the meta.
I just copied Steve Locke's list from GP Phoenix but after a few leagues swapped the Mirran Crusader out of mainboard for Kessig Malcontents (found I was boarding it the Crusader a lot) which coincidently ended up being the same mainboard as the Mocs winner a few days ago.
I've been using Steve's SCG article as a sideboarding guide and found the deck to be fantastic, churning out consistent 3-2 and 4-1's in Comp Leagues despite my inexperience and even a Top 8 finish in the Modern Challenge last week.
The main problem I'm running into is the holes in Steve's sideboarding guide, particularly for some of the harder matchups such as Mardu Pyro, Jeskai Control, Bogles and Dredge.
Keen to get opinions on sideboarding and general playstyle against these decks, I've taken a stab at some stuff myself but have been second-guessing some of my calls.
On mobile atm but will edit this post with the list and sideboarding specifics during work breaks today.
Gifts Storm
-3x Mantis Rider
-1x Dire Fleet Daredevil
-1x Dark Confidant
-1x Mirran Crusader
+2x Sin Collector
+2x Izzet Staticaster
+2x Dismember
(This is one I've had cone back to bite me, Steve argues that most builds are off the PiF plan so Cage isn't worth bringing in but I've lost at least a couple games following that. Admittedly the matchup is very favorable so it's not a huge issue)
Regarding the UR Storm matchup it really shouldn't matter too much since I've yet to lose that matchup. I like to bring in cages for Reflector Mage on the draw since Reflector Mage is weak on Turn 3 if they can go off first on turn 3, then a cage can be very usful.
Let's work on the holes of that Sideboard guide, here is how I would sideboard:
Mardu Pyromancer: Definitely bring in the Staticasters (Best card postboard) and the Rec Sages (Blood Moon & EE). Don't know about the Sin Collectors, they are usually not that good but some lists run Anger of the Gods, Collector is very good against that. I would take out Malcontents and a combination of Meddling and Reflector Mages. Matchup is quite hard, worse than Jund. Best way to beat them is with Mantis Riders and early pressure, postboard Staticasters.
Jeskai Control: In: 2 Sin Collector and 3 Necromancers, Out: Reflector Mages (no target) and 1 Image (Pretty bad on empty board, they 1 for 1) This matchup is horrible, I don't know how to win two games against them honestly, even their bad draws line up pretty good against us. The way to beat them involves early aggression from turn 1 though.
Bogles: In: 1 Mirran Crusader, 2 Rec Sage. Out: 1 Dark Confidant, 2 Image -> Matchup often becomes a race, very important to prevent opponent from casting Daybreak Coronet otherwise the game is basically over unless you can Rec Sage his other Aura. I don't think Bogles is as bad of a matchup as people think. It's close to a 50/50 in my opinion but maybe my sample size is too small.
Dredge: Haven't played against this in a long time but I would sideboard as following: Bringing in Crusader (Pro Black seems good for attacking), Staticaster for pinging down the bloodghasts and Nacrophoeba over and over again. Taking out the Confidant and 2 Reflector Mages. You don't have Cages so the matchup is even worse than it would be otherwise
Hope this helps!
I think you might have mixed up my list with the Mocs finalist, I'm currently running a different sideboard, 2 cages, no rec sages.
Only just saw the Mocs one this morning so haven't had a chance to try it out online, just been running the GP Phoenix sideboard.
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Legacy: Turbo Depths -
Modern: Traverse Shadow -
Standard: Whatever's on top -
Yea, he mixed them up. I've been running Locke's Humans a good bit myself so curious to see if we can collectively expand the SB guide. I'm on three competitive 3-2s in a row with it.
I feel the same way about Resto as I do about Deputy of Acquittals: they're interesting, innovative options that could very well be great in the deck, but I'm working on finalizing my list for SCG Milwaukee and I don't have near enough time to test either right now.
I do like some of his other choices though: I think I'd rather have the 4th Thaila than the 4th Meddling Mage right now, I like Malcontents and Inspector as his other flex slots, and 3 Daredevil in the board makes sense in a list with less grindy elements. I'm less sure of the Hostage Takers and the Riders of Gavony. I don't want a sideboard card solely for the mirror match and any non-tribal matchup you're boarding it in it's basically a bad Mirran Crusader. And I've never been happy with how mana-intensive Hostage Taker is, though maybe it's just a better option than Vithian Renegades.
What's the game plan against Tron? Every time I run into it I only seem to win games where my opponent keeps bad hands, otherwise they can wipe my board through disruption before I can close. Is Gaddock Teeg the answer? I haven't tested it much but on paper it doesn't seem worth it. I don't want a hate card for Tron that still loses to O-Stone and he's only so-so against Wrath decks.
@Headminerve I expect to run 2-3 copies of damping sphere SB. Tron is such a bad match up for us and I definitely like its incidental hate against control.
I personally am excited for Dauntless bodyguard, I think the one thing that they got right at the pro tour was that we need a few more one drops and I would much rather run dauntless bodyguard than my current one of Kython, Hero of Akros.
benalish marshal could be cool as well as 3 drop to help us turn the curve. I generally dislike 3 drops that aren't good top decks but I am open to the possiblity.
Collins Mullen showed his updated list in his article today at SCG. He's playing 1 Restoration Angel as new tech.
Restoration Angel, by itself, is a better card than Deputy of Acquittals. But for Humans, I'm pretty sure Deputy is better. It's a Human, and it only costs 2. It’s only a 2/2, and not a 3/4 Flying. But it can be cast much more earlier in the game, when it matters to fizzle a removal to maintain aggression, or to get extra ETB on Champion and (or with) Lieutenant to outrgrow Lightning Bolt and Anger of the Gods.
The total mana cost to cast Deputy and the bounced Human can be spread over two turns or shared with Aether Vial. Restoration Angel doesn’t have that flexibility, and will be cast much later in the game, when opponent is top decking removals after already having spent other removals, successfully, earlier in the game. Will you only have a Human left on the battlefield, to flicker, when you get the mana to cast Restoration Angel? Sarcasm intended, but you know what I mean...
It's not like we can't get to 4 lands, or 4 counters on Vial. We can. But getting to 4 lands means we've not cycled Horizon Canopy, and are actually flooding. And putting the 4th counter on Vial better be game wining, because it makes Vial totally useless after that.
I started playing playing Deputy yesterday, before reading Collins' article. I can say with certainty that it won me games with just 2 lands : Tap Hierarch and land to cast Deputy ; trigger Lieutenant and Champion ; bounce tapped Hierarch ; cast it right away with land #2 ; trigger again Lieutenant and Champion ; attack ; GG. Not only Restoration Angel would have been a dead card in my hand at that time, but there's no way a flickered Human could have added the 4 more damage needed to win, given the board state.
Conclusion : I'll stubbornly stay on Deputy of Acquittals in my main deck, 2 of, and stay away from Restoration Angel. I may change my mind in the future, but play tests convinced me already that it's the right call at the moment.
I wanted to post that in the commentaries, under Collins' articles. But for some personal reasons, I don't have a Facebook account, and one is required to post a reply. Can someone please copy-paste the above and post it under that article? I'm pretty sure the discussion, at a professional level, can only help the community. Thanks!
@Headminerve I expect to run 2-3 copies of damping sphere SB. Tron is such a bad match up for us and I definitely like its incidental hate against control.
I personally am excited for Dauntless bodyguard, I think the one thing that they got right at the pro tour was that we need a few more one drops and I would much rather run dauntless bodyguard than my current one of Kython, Hero of Akros.
benalish marshal could be cool as well as 3 drop to help us turn the curve. I generally dislike 3 drops that aren't good top decks but I am open to the possiblity.
Damping Sphere will certainly appear in our SB, but probably not in the said quantity, 1-2 is my guess. Multiple Spheres are not good, and I much prefer siding in 1 Gaddock Teeg and 1 Sphere in the Tron matchup. Drawing the two won't hurt us, but drawing two of each would be bad.
I'm glad I'm not the only to realize that Sphere is also good against Control. The play of Path + Snapcaster + flashback Path won't be possible anymore on 4 lands. That, plus the fact that Control gets good when it starts casting two cards per turn. The Sphere's tax will hurt Control for sure, and maybe even Burn. But that tax is really there to hurt Storm, I guess.
I'm not high at all on Dauntless Bodyguard. The same way opponent would play around Selfless Spirit in Standard, they're going to do it to Bodyguard better because it doesn't make all Humans indestructible, and it can't protect Humans played after it. Opponent will just play removals on other Humans or Bodyguard itself, and it won't ever fizzle a removal, except on the rare occasion you have a Vial on 1 at that particular point in the game. Please consider Deputy of Acquittals instead. It’s the Human you're looking for. *Jedi mind trick on you*
Benalish Marshal can be good. But at 3 mana, isn't Thraben Doomsayer better for us? It's anthem will only get online at the Fateful Hour, but that's the definition of turning the corner. Otherwise, it can create Human tokens until we're wide enough to win. And if it's just a +1/+1 anthem that you want, I think you should go back to Mayor of Avabruck for one less mana. You do lose the anthem effect when he flips, but he spawns 3/3 wolf tokens when he does.
It depends specifically which Tron you’re facing, but I’ve found the following really helpful: gaddock teeg, thalia, heretic cathar, selfless spirit and vithian renegades. Trying to keep the disruptive elements of the deck to slow them down also works. I’ve found it a tough match up though.
Just for reference - I’ve found gaddock teeg Useful against Counters/Vizier Company as well as Cryptic Command based decks. I think it has quite good utility at the moment.
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You are probably right that damping sphere will be at most a two of in the side board but I think you are looking at dauntless bodyguard wrong. It isn't a bad to way to fizzle removal its a 2/1 for 1 that happens to have other text. In that sense deputy is way worse since it can't be played on t1 or from a vial on one.
In terms of benalish marshal, the reason it is better than thraben doom sayer is it can help enable attacks and push through damage the turn it comes down. It isn't supposed to sit on the field for a long time. Think of it as a 3 toughness kessig malcontents.
I'm glad I'm not the only to realize that Sphere is also good against Control. The play of Path + Snapcaster + flashback Path won't be possible anymore on 4 lands
Or on 5 or even 6 lands, for that matter.
Damping Sphere seems relevant against Hollow One as well, to me, at least on the play.
You are probably right that damping sphere will be at most a two of in the side board but I think you are looking at dauntless bodyguard wrong. It isn't a bad to way to fizzle removal its a 2/1 for 1 that happens to have other text. In that sense deputy is way worse since it can't be played on t1 or from a vial on one.
In terms of benalish marshal, the reason it is better than thraben doom sayer is it can help enable attacks and push through damage the turn it comes down. It isn't supposed to sit on the field for a long time. Think of it as a 3 toughness kessig malcontents.
I see your point with Benalish Marshal. A 3/4 body would have been playable, to survive Bolt and Anger. What I hate with Marshal's anthem, is that it's fragile. If removed, everything else can fall apart (like Mayor). Six 4/4 and 1 Marshal will still die to Anger. And a carefully calculated attack or block can totally fail if Marshal is removed. It can die before having a game effect, but Kessig Malcontents will always trigger, no?
If Deputy’s only drawback is « can't be played on t1 or from a vial on one », then I'll embrace its faults. Vial on 1 is the ONLY way to counter a removal with Bodyguard. Late game, Vial won't be at 1. The odds of playing a Bodyguard from Vial at a timely moment to save a creature are slim. And if you do, you're just trading your Bodyguard for the removal. Turn 1, Bodyguard is a vanilla 2/1. Later, without Vial (which is likely), it's still a 1 for 1 that can be worked around.
Deputy will always be castable at two, instant speed, with or without Vial (which is more likely to be on 2 counter than anywhere else). And while an instant speed removal can blank it’s ability, it's ALWAYS a 2 for 1 : removal #1 on target, Deputy tries to bounce target, removal #2 on target, Deputy's ability fizzles. Opponent spent 2 removals on a single target, but you get to keep a 2/2 Human. The same situation with Bodyguard (working hard to do it with Vial on 1, because it doesn’t have Flash), and removal #2 will still remove the target and Bodyguard already sacrificed, leaving behind nothing (two removals, target is removed and Bodyguard sacrificed for nothing).
And don't underestimate how powerful it can be to recast Lieutenant or Reflector Mage, or to get extra triggers on Champion, etc.
I sure want to see a playable Human in Dominaria, but Bodyguard will not be up to expectations, IMHO. Casting cost of 1 is an asset, but it won't be enough. Humans reached domination of Modern on 8 one-drops. We can continue a bit more and get card advantage with innovation. And innovation doesn't have to come from a new set. Kessig Malcontents was such innovation at one point. Whirler Rogue recently. Now it's Restoration Angel. The next one can be a forgotten 2-colors common card from Dragon's Maze.
The real downside is that it protects a creature you choose, you don't name a card. It means it protects one single Mantis amongst the 2 you have, and that it doesn't protect anything that etb after it. The effect is heavily nerfed in comparison to Benevolent Bodyguard's (indestructible is far worse than protection too). I don't think it will make the cut either, it'll join the club of unplayed Humans that are this close.
Marshal is another one of that club to me. I won't complain, we get Sphere in the set, it's already a nice gift that should help the deck comfort its Tier 1 status.
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Pioneer - A bunch of stuff Modern - Humans Legacy - Grixis Phoenix / Death & Taxes
Definitely see the arguments against benalish and I will agree it is a huge long shot to see play.
The reason I like dauntless so much is that I am currently having a great time running kytheon, hero of akros (in the flex 3 drop slot that used to be Big Thalia) and I view the body guard as an upgrade as it's text will often be more relevant than kytheon.
I am trying to look at things through the lens that a dead opponent doesn't cast removal and that we need more aggression not more disruption to win on the play.
The reason I like dauntless so much is that I am currently having a great time running kytheon, hero of akros (in the flex 3 drop slot that used to be Big Thalia) and I view the body guard as an upgrade as it's text will often be more relevant than kytheon.
I am trying to look at things through the lens that a dead opponent doesn't cast removal and that we need more aggression not more disruption to win on the play.
Oh, ok. I understand now why we disagree so much on Bodyguard vs Deputy. Me, I assume differently : opponent will cast a lot of removals, specifically not to lose the early game and win with their more powerful late game threats ; and we won't be on the play more than 33% of the games (50% of game 1 ; 0% of game 2, because I expect to win game 1 ; and 50% odds of winning game 2, and thus not going to game 3 on the play).
Excluding lands, Lightning Bolt (36%), Fatal Push (20%) and Path to Exile (18%) have been the 3 most played cards of Modern. That was in the last two months, when Humans have been on the decline (rarely making the top8). In the last two weeks, Humans have regained their dominance of Modern. What happened to the metagame during that time? Bolt, Push and Path are still dominating the board of most played cards, but their percentage have dropped significantly.
Now that Humans are again on the rise (3 decks in MOCS' top8, none playing extra 1-drops), and Hollow One being super good and popular, people will start preying on aggressive decks. To maintain our dominance, we have to forecast that change in the metagame, and adapt accordingly. Removals will again be on the rise, and decks like Mardu Pyromancer will probably make a comeback, while Jund will adapt their main deck. The presence of Xathrid Necromancer in the main deck recently, and Collins Mullen's call on Restoration Angel is a direct expression of that expected change in the metagame.
That being said, a 2/1 vanilla on turn 1, be it Bodyguard or Kytheon, won't be the solution. Particularly if we're on the draw most of the time. I love Kytheon, Hero of Akros, but with so much attrition, attacking with the right number or creatures to flip is hard. And like I said, Dauntless Bodyguard is known information to the opponent, that can be worked around, or at best 1 for 1 that trades with a removal if Vial is on 1. If Bodyguard's text is solely about protecting a target, why don't you just upgrade to Deputy of Acquittals that does the job better?
All that being said, and I say this with most respect for your opinion : if all my arguments to opt for Deputy over Bodyguard failed to convinced you, yours failed too. Let's move on to other subjects, like Reflecting Pool or Seachrome Coast #2? Or Restoration Angel vs Deputy of Acquittals? Or how to beat Hollow One? Or how to best prepare for a sweeper-heavy metagame?
1st, GP Toronto Sunday Super Series 2016 : Ally Company RWBG
Top 8, PPTQ Shadows over Innistrad : Boros Humans WR.
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I just copied Steve Locke's list from GP Phoenix but after a few leagues swapped the Mirran Crusader out of mainboard for Kessig Malcontents (found I was boarding it the Crusader a lot) which coincidently ended up being the same mainboard as the Mocs winner a few days ago.
I've been using Steve's SCG article as a sideboarding guide and found the deck to be fantastic, churning out consistent 3-2 and 4-1's in Comp Leagues despite my inexperience and even a Top 8 finish in the Modern Challenge last week.
The main problem I'm running into is the holes in Steve's sideboarding guide, particularly for some of the harder matchups such as Mardu Pyro, Jeskai Control, Bogles and Dredge.
Keen to get opinions on sideboarding and general playstyle against these decks, I've taken a stab at some stuff myself but have been second-guessing some of my calls.
On mobile atm but will edit this post with the list and sideboarding specifics during work breaks today.
EDIT:
Decklist
http://mtgtop8.com/event?e=18827&d=317759&f=MO
Sideboarding
Hollow One
-4x Meddling Mage
-1x Dark Confidant
+2x Grafdigger's Cage
+2x Dismember
+1x Dire Fleet Daredevil
Burn
-1x Dark Confidant
-1x Kessig Malcontents
-1x Mantis Rider
+1x Dire Fleet Daredevil
+2x Sin Collector
Jund
-4x Aether Vial
-2x Thalia's Lieutenant
-1x Meddling Mage
+2x Xathrid Necromancer
+2x Dismember
+1x Dire Fleet Daredevil
+1x Hostage Taker
+1x Mirran Crusader
Tron
-1x Dark Confidant
-1x Dire Fleet Daredevil
+2x Xathrid Necromancer
5c Humans (Mirror)
-4x Meddling Mage
-3x Thalia, Guardian of Thraban
-1x Mirran Crusader
+2x Xathrid Necromancer
+2x Izzet Staticaster
+2x Dismember
+1x Hostage Taker
+1x Dire Fleet Daredevil
Affinity
-3x Thalia, Guardian of Thraban
-2x Meddling Mage
-1x Dark Confidant
+2x Kataki, War's Wage
+2x Dismember
+2x Izzet Staticaster
Gifts Storm
-3x Mantis Rider
-1x Dire Fleet Daredevil
-1x Dark Confidant
-1x Mirran Crusader
+2x Sin Collector
+2x Izzet Staticaster
+2x Dismember
(This is one I've had cone back to bite me, Steve argues that most builds are off the PiF plan so Cage isn't worth bringing in but I've lost at least a couple games following that. Admittedly the matchup is very favorable so it's not a huge issue)
Legacy: Turbo Depths -
Modern: Traverse Shadow -
Standard: Whatever's on top -
Regarding the UR Storm matchup it really shouldn't matter too much since I've yet to lose that matchup. I like to bring in cages for Reflector Mage on the draw since Reflector Mage is weak on Turn 3 if they can go off first on turn 3, then a cage can be very usful.
Let's work on the holes of that Sideboard guide, here is how I would sideboard:
Mardu Pyromancer: Definitely bring in the Staticasters (Best card postboard) and the Rec Sages (Blood Moon & EE). Don't know about the Sin Collectors, they are usually not that good but some lists run Anger of the Gods, Collector is very good against that. I would take out Malcontents and a combination of Meddling and Reflector Mages. Matchup is quite hard, worse than Jund. Best way to beat them is with Mantis Riders and early pressure, postboard Staticasters.
Jeskai Control: In: 2 Sin Collector and 3 Necromancers, Out: Reflector Mages (no target) and 1 Image (Pretty bad on empty board, they 1 for 1) This matchup is horrible, I don't know how to win two games against them honestly, even their bad draws line up pretty good against us. The way to beat them involves early aggression from turn 1 though.
Bogles: In: 1 Mirran Crusader, 2 Rec Sage. Out: 1 Dark Confidant, 2 Image -> Matchup often becomes a race, very important to prevent opponent from casting Daybreak Coronet otherwise the game is basically over unless you can Rec Sage his other Aura. I don't think Bogles is as bad of a matchup as people think. It's close to a 50/50 in my opinion but maybe my sample size is too small.
Dredge: Haven't played against this in a long time but I would sideboard as following: Bringing in Crusader (Pro Black seems good for attacking), Staticaster for pinging down the bloodghasts and Nacrophoeba over and over again. Taking out the Confidant and 2 Reflector Mages. You don't have Cages so the matchup is even worse than it would be otherwise
Hope this helps!
I think Gaddock Teeg and Necromancer serve different usecases. I use Gaddock Teeg in my UW Control heavy, Tron meta as a replacement for Cage, since it also stops the Coco decks and still prevents Control decks from castings their Supreme Verdict and Tron their Ugin and others. While Necromancer can be brought in against UW and Tron I also like them very much against Jund, Jeskai, Mardu (All the decks with a lot of 1 for 1 removal, where Gaddock is bad).
I haven't tried Deputy yet, it sounds interesting, I might put them into my sideboard for a few leagues
Ratchet Bomb is a card too.
I think you might have mixed up my list with the Mocs finalist, I'm currently running a different sideboard, 2 cages, no rec sages.
Only just saw the Mocs one this morning so haven't had a chance to try it out online, just been running the GP Phoenix sideboard.
Legacy: Turbo Depths -
Modern: Traverse Shadow -
Standard: Whatever's on top -
WGUBR 5c Humans
GWR Naya Zoo
Legacy:
GW GW Maverick
R Goblins
I do like some of his other choices though: I think I'd rather have the 4th Thaila than the 4th Meddling Mage right now, I like Malcontents and Inspector as his other flex slots, and 3 Daredevil in the board makes sense in a list with less grindy elements. I'm less sure of the Hostage Takers and the Riders of Gavony. I don't want a sideboard card solely for the mirror match and any non-tribal matchup you're boarding it in it's basically a bad Mirran Crusader. And I've never been happy with how mana-intensive Hostage Taker is, though maybe it's just a better option than Vithian Renegades.
What's the game plan against Tron? Every time I run into it I only seem to win games where my opponent keeps bad hands, otherwise they can wipe my board through disruption before I can close. Is Gaddock Teeg the answer? I haven't tested it much but on paper it doesn't seem worth it. I don't want a hate card for Tron that still loses to O-Stone and he's only so-so against Wrath decks.
FreeB & Med Mage, like in most noncreature-based MUs. Thalia can punish some hands. I think Damping Sphere will be a staple in the SB.
I personally am excited for Dauntless bodyguard, I think the one thing that they got right at the pro tour was that we need a few more one drops and I would much rather run dauntless bodyguard than my current one of Kython, Hero of Akros.
benalish marshal could be cool as well as 3 drop to help us turn the curve. I generally dislike 3 drops that aren't good top decks but I am open to the possiblity.
The total mana cost to cast Deputy and the bounced Human can be spread over two turns or shared with Aether Vial. Restoration Angel doesn’t have that flexibility, and will be cast much later in the game, when opponent is top decking removals after already having spent other removals, successfully, earlier in the game. Will you only have a Human left on the battlefield, to flicker, when you get the mana to cast Restoration Angel? Sarcasm intended, but you know what I mean...
It's not like we can't get to 4 lands, or 4 counters on Vial. We can. But getting to 4 lands means we've not cycled Horizon Canopy, and are actually flooding. And putting the 4th counter on Vial better be game wining, because it makes Vial totally useless after that.
I started playing playing Deputy yesterday, before reading Collins' article. I can say with certainty that it won me games with just 2 lands : Tap Hierarch and land to cast Deputy ; trigger Lieutenant and Champion ; bounce tapped Hierarch ; cast it right away with land #2 ; trigger again Lieutenant and Champion ; attack ; GG. Not only Restoration Angel would have been a dead card in my hand at that time, but there's no way a flickered Human could have added the 4 more damage needed to win, given the board state.
Conclusion : I'll stubbornly stay on Deputy of Acquittals in my main deck, 2 of, and stay away from Restoration Angel. I may change my mind in the future, but play tests convinced me already that it's the right call at the moment.
I wanted to post that in the commentaries, under Collins' articles. But for some personal reasons, I don't have a Facebook account, and one is required to post a reply. Can someone please copy-paste the above and post it under that article? I'm pretty sure the discussion, at a professional level, can only help the community. Thanks!
Damping Sphere will certainly appear in our SB, but probably not in the said quantity, 1-2 is my guess. Multiple Spheres are not good, and I much prefer siding in 1 Gaddock Teeg and 1 Sphere in the Tron matchup. Drawing the two won't hurt us, but drawing two of each would be bad.
I'm glad I'm not the only to realize that Sphere is also good against Control. The play of Path + Snapcaster + flashback Path won't be possible anymore on 4 lands. That, plus the fact that Control gets good when it starts casting two cards per turn. The Sphere's tax will hurt Control for sure, and maybe even Burn. But that tax is really there to hurt Storm, I guess.
I'm not high at all on Dauntless Bodyguard. The same way opponent would play around Selfless Spirit in Standard, they're going to do it to Bodyguard better because it doesn't make all Humans indestructible, and it can't protect Humans played after it. Opponent will just play removals on other Humans or Bodyguard itself, and it won't ever fizzle a removal, except on the rare occasion you have a Vial on 1 at that particular point in the game. Please consider Deputy of Acquittals instead. It’s the Human you're looking for. *Jedi mind trick on you*
Benalish Marshal can be good. But at 3 mana, isn't Thraben Doomsayer better for us? It's anthem will only get online at the Fateful Hour, but that's the definition of turning the corner. Otherwise, it can create Human tokens until we're wide enough to win. And if it's just a +1/+1 anthem that you want, I think you should go back to Mayor of Avabruck for one less mana. You do lose the anthem effect when he flips, but he spawns 3/3 wolf tokens when he does.
1st, GP Toronto Sunday Super Series 2016 : Ally Company RWBG
Top 8, PPTQ Shadows over Innistrad : Boros Humans WR.
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Just for reference - I’ve found gaddock teeg Useful against Counters/Vizier Company as well as Cryptic Command based decks. I think it has quite good utility at the moment.
Everyone loves an angry mob RWG
Why so Bloo? RU
In terms of benalish marshal, the reason it is better than thraben doom sayer is it can help enable attacks and push through damage the turn it comes down. It isn't supposed to sit on the field for a long time. Think of it as a 3 toughness kessig malcontents.
Damping Sphere seems relevant against Hollow One as well, to me, at least on the play.
If Deputy’s only drawback is « can't be played on t1 or from a vial on one », then I'll embrace its faults. Vial on 1 is the ONLY way to counter a removal with Bodyguard. Late game, Vial won't be at 1. The odds of playing a Bodyguard from Vial at a timely moment to save a creature are slim. And if you do, you're just trading your Bodyguard for the removal. Turn 1, Bodyguard is a vanilla 2/1. Later, without Vial (which is likely), it's still a 1 for 1 that can be worked around.
Deputy will always be castable at two, instant speed, with or without Vial (which is more likely to be on 2 counter than anywhere else). And while an instant speed removal can blank it’s ability, it's ALWAYS a 2 for 1 : removal #1 on target, Deputy tries to bounce target, removal #2 on target, Deputy's ability fizzles. Opponent spent 2 removals on a single target, but you get to keep a 2/2 Human. The same situation with Bodyguard (working hard to do it with Vial on 1, because it doesn’t have Flash), and removal #2 will still remove the target and Bodyguard already sacrificed, leaving behind nothing (two removals, target is removed and Bodyguard sacrificed for nothing).
And don't underestimate how powerful it can be to recast Lieutenant or Reflector Mage, or to get extra triggers on Champion, etc.
I sure want to see a playable Human in Dominaria, but Bodyguard will not be up to expectations, IMHO. Casting cost of 1 is an asset, but it won't be enough. Humans reached domination of Modern on 8 one-drops. We can continue a bit more and get card advantage with innovation. And innovation doesn't have to come from a new set. Kessig Malcontents was such innovation at one point. Whirler Rogue recently. Now it's Restoration Angel. The next one can be a forgotten 2-colors common card from Dragon's Maze.
1st, GP Toronto Sunday Super Series 2016 : Ally Company RWBG
Top 8, PPTQ Shadows over Innistrad : Boros Humans WR.
Use a hypergeometric calculator for your deckbuilding maths,
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Marshal is another one of that club to me. I won't complain, we get Sphere in the set, it's already a nice gift that should help the deck comfort its Tier 1 status.
The reason I like dauntless so much is that I am currently having a great time running kytheon, hero of akros (in the flex 3 drop slot that used to be Big Thalia) and I view the body guard as an upgrade as it's text will often be more relevant than kytheon.
I am trying to look at things through the lens that a dead opponent doesn't cast removal and that we need more aggression not more disruption to win on the play.
Excluding lands, Lightning Bolt (36%), Fatal Push (20%) and Path to Exile (18%) have been the 3 most played cards of Modern. That was in the last two months, when Humans have been on the decline (rarely making the top8). In the last two weeks, Humans have regained their dominance of Modern. What happened to the metagame during that time? Bolt, Push and Path are still dominating the board of most played cards, but their percentage have dropped significantly.
Now that Humans are again on the rise (3 decks in MOCS' top8, none playing extra 1-drops), and Hollow One being super good and popular, people will start preying on aggressive decks. To maintain our dominance, we have to forecast that change in the metagame, and adapt accordingly. Removals will again be on the rise, and decks like Mardu Pyromancer will probably make a comeback, while Jund will adapt their main deck. The presence of Xathrid Necromancer in the main deck recently, and Collins Mullen's call on Restoration Angel is a direct expression of that expected change in the metagame.
That being said, a 2/1 vanilla on turn 1, be it Bodyguard or Kytheon, won't be the solution. Particularly if we're on the draw most of the time. I love Kytheon, Hero of Akros, but with so much attrition, attacking with the right number or creatures to flip is hard. And like I said, Dauntless Bodyguard is known information to the opponent, that can be worked around, or at best 1 for 1 that trades with a removal if Vial is on 1. If Bodyguard's text is solely about protecting a target, why don't you just upgrade to Deputy of Acquittals that does the job better?
Sweepers will be another problem soon. Hollow One, Gurmag Angler and Tasigur, the Golden Fang all escape Bolt and Anger. I expect to see more Damnation, Wrath of God and Supreme Verdict. Gaddock Teeg can prevent these from being cast, and Xathrid Necromancer can turn Humans into Zombies. Selfless Spirit will probably have to be a SB staple for a while too...
All that being said, and I say this with most respect for your opinion : if all my arguments to opt for Deputy over Bodyguard failed to convinced you, yours failed too. Let's move on to other subjects, like Reflecting Pool or Seachrome Coast #2? Or Restoration Angel vs Deputy of Acquittals? Or how to beat Hollow One? Or how to best prepare for a sweeper-heavy metagame?
1st, GP Toronto Sunday Super Series 2016 : Ally Company RWBG
Top 8, PPTQ Shadows over Innistrad : Boros Humans WR.
Use a hypergeometric calculator for your deckbuilding maths,
and use TopDecked to manage your decks and collection on your Apple or Android device.