I assume Deputy gives you that half-Resto-half-Image feeling, where you still get a Human on the board, but need something relelavnt already on the board to be good. I believe Deputy lacks targets to be good enough in the deck. Besides Ref Mage and sometimes Med Mage, and obv a few SB babes, it's not impressive. there's also that singleton Whirler or MalC, but it's very situational.
Saw Kataki+Staticaster+Rec Sage and could not get there g2. Not sure if it's even worth having artifact hate in my SB at this point, could probably use those slots for something else.
Well, why did you lose while having those cards ? What do you cut and bring in ?
Besides:
I sleeved up 2 copies of Restoration angel aswell and i must say i was impressed with the card. I saved my Champions from spot removal on several ocassions
Saving a Champion is not a very outstanding play, is it ?
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Pioneer - A bunch of stuff Modern - Humans Legacy - Grixis Phoenix / Death & Taxes
With my current 75 I've been cutting 3 Thalia, 2 Meddling Mage to bring in 2 Kataki, 1 Rec Sage, and 2 Staticaster. Shaving Meddling or Freebooter has been a debate for a while, I think Meddling is correct because Freebooter can take Plating and their removal spells, as well as block the flyers in a pinch.
I just feel like the way Affinity wins the game are just too varied for us to successfully play reactively, and we're not really likely to draw into enough damage to kill them before they can clog up the board unless their draw is incredibly bad. Kataki can steal some games on it's own but a lot of time we've just taken a turn not advancing our clock for it to eat a Galv Blast/Dispatch. Staticaster is blanked by Master of Etherium by itself, as well as Steel Overseer on the play. You obviously need it but there are plenty of spots where it's not good. We can't interact with Etched Champion, and if we lack Vial we can't interact with Inkmoth. Gut Shot might be worth testing, or playing more Rec Sages, but at that point I'm wondering if it's worth having that many cards in my SB dedicated for this matchup.
I feel you. Affinity isn't a deck we can crush every game, it's doomed to be a tough MU no matter what. Maybe we'll get a "Stony Human" with flying someday.
I think it's worth having cards for the MU because it's one of the top decks to beat anyway, even though it doesn't especially shine these days. Hopefully the cards we bring in are good in other close MUs, so I don't think it's necessary to change them. After all, if they're in the SB, it's because we needed them in the first place.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Pioneer - A bunch of stuff Modern - Humans Legacy - Grixis Phoenix / Death & Taxes
I've been testing Bodyguard, and my conclusion is... it's fine. Not great, but fine. Kytheon is probably better if you want the extra 1-drop, but I think I'm ready to test some of these 4-cost cards people have been winning with.
Running Kenji's article through Google Translate, here's the core list as he sees it:
The creature slots can be the fourth Image and/or Thalia, Malcontents, Resto, Bob, or your favorite spice. 19th land is typically the last Canopy, but can also be another Seachrome Coast, another Plains, or an Island. The last sideboard slots went to Gut Shot for go-wide decks and Daredevil for removal-heavy decks, though clearly all sideboard slots can be flex slots depending on your expected metagame.
Looks like I can feel a little better about only owning 3 Canopies. I'd argue the 4th Meddling Mage can also be a flex spot if you'd rather cut it than a Thalia or Image. Not sure I agree with his "core" sideboard. I've never run Auriok Champion or Reclamation Sage, but they've been showing up enough recently that I guess I should give them a try? The decks that call for Auriok have been pretty good matchups for me so far, and I don't think hitting Blood Moon and other enchantments (Kenji lists Ghirapur Aether Grid and Daybreak Coronet) is enough to make Rec Sage better than Renegades. I'd rather just accept that some games I'll lose to those cards.
Unrelated, but Brian Basoco posted an article talking about his SCG Team Open winning list that could be worth discussing. He seems very focused on the mirror, which I suppose makes sense for a Team Open.
TIL that apparently, "Kataki" means disaster. But seriously lolol at those card name translations in general. If I'm understanding his point, he likes Resto because it walls Mantis Rider in the mirror and flies over clogged ground states in other matches (as well as the obvious blanking removal factor). He likes its positioning against Affinity. He also dithers a little over whether Resto #2 is better or worse than a singleton copy of Dissatisfaction Molecule of Cissig (lol again). He likes Image in part because of how well it copies the sideboard cards. He advocates for 4x Canopy, then he goes into his sideboard choices.
In the side he's playing 2x Kataki and also 2x Reclamation Sage--and I have to say that at least where I play, four serious artifact hate cards would be a bare minimum right now. Ensnaring Bridges (and also Blood Moons) are literally everywhere--there were four Ponza players last night at my LGS, and three Lantern players, plus lots of other decks running one or the other prison card. In fact, in my meta, Humans feels like a bad choice currently because of all these 3 CMC hate cards. I can expect to see one or the other in over half the matches I play, no exaggeration.
My Hollow One deck is killing it so far with 4x Ancient Grudge in the side, but the play style is not as much fun for me. Anyone here playing Humans in a meta comparably infested with Bridge and Moon? How are you doing, if so? The sideboard lottery is coming up sevens for you, or do you have an approach I'm missing?
It has been a while since I updated the deck, but with the printing of Damping Sphere and the reincarnation of Restoration Angel I've made some changes recently. Currently my maindeck has the usual suspects plus two Dark Confidant and one Restoration Angel. These will be reversed when I get my 2nd copy.
I have a question regarding the sideboard, In what games does Dismember come in generally, and what get's cut from the main in those matches?
Also, what would you cut from the board to make room. Currently, this is my sideboard and it has served me well. Recently cut Chalice of the Void for Auriok Champion for Jund and Hollow One.
If I was playing with Dismember I'd be bringing it in pretty aggressively, basically any matchup where instant speed removal would matter or where I think I'd be staring across from a fatty I can't swing through. For the former, something like Counters Company or Elves where killing a piece of their combo with the other piece on the stack will give you turns of life to win the game. Infect is another place where I think you could bring it in. In these matchups you really don't care about your life total anyway, so it's really almost just a free removal spell. For the latter, things like Angler decks, random green midrange decks. In these creature matchups you're likely already shaving some of your disruption suite so finding room for Dismember isn't really difficult. Killing their 4/5 Goyf could just let you swing for lethal a turn or two sooner. But if you aren't worried about matchups from either of those categories (I'm particularly not just with the way my local meta is right now) I think you can skip Dismember entirely.
I haven't played with Anafenza in months, unless your local meta is really heavily on Dredge I think that's the first cut.
---
@Kineticstasis I think Auriok Champion is one of the best cards in our sb right now. It's our best card vs Burn, and it's also very good vs the BRx decks with piles of removal like Jund and Mardu. I think all three of those matchups are fairly close but Auriok Champion sticking around likely pushes all of them in our favor.
I can't imagine playing Vithian Renegades over Reclamation Sage. There's almost zero downside and you get a sideboard card that can come in against more decks and be useful. It just makes your sideboard better, you can worry less losing to Worship or Blood Moon or Daybreak Coronet. Our mana base can handle 2G, especially with Noble and with Aether Vial. The Human etb triggers aren't very useful, in the matchups where we're bringing in Renegades/Rec Sage we want them to be as disruptive as possible, representing the fastest clock is secondary. It's purely upside in the situations we want it, and it makes our sideboard wider.
Thanks for your reply, I guess I can get on without Anafenza. I only ever bring it in versus Dredge/Living End(As Foretold) and Burn. The the former are rare and both somewhat easy to out-hate with our creatures. For the latter I now have Auriok Champion.
Though if you look at recent results on mtgtop8.com, you'll notice the flex slots (three indeed) and the sideboard are far and apart from one another. with cards vastly different. Though I clearly see players load up on artifact hate for affinity and lantern. With Reclamation Sage we gain utility over Vithian Renegades, but is the one green mana really that consistent for us? I might try it.
I've never had a problem with casting Reclamation Sage when I've needed it, but I haven't crunched the numbers about our landbase. I wouldn't go back to Renegades but I hate Boggles and Blood Moon too much.
The body on Anafenza is insane, I miss playing it lol. Wish I had an excuse to run it tbh. There is a Mono Blue Living End player at my local store pretty regularly. It blocks Hollow One and gets rid of Phoenix and Bloodghast. Maybe I can talk myself into this...
Hello! Long-time lurker and I wanted to share how I did yesterday with the list. I played the list that won the MOCS (https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1080606#online) with the following changes:
Main Deck: -1 Phantasmal Image, +1 Kessig Malcontents (I love this card and Resto)
The sideboard changes were mostly because I forgot to update it, and just ran with what I had in my 75 from the weekend. I think I would like to definitely add the Gut Shots and the other changes. I’m on the fence about the second Direfleet.
Round One vs Bant Control (Jeff Hoogland’s list that he ran on stream)
Game one I sequenced poorly and missed some damage I believe. Opening hand had Noble, Champion of the Parish, Thalia’s Lieutenant, Mantis Rider, and three lands. I knew my opponent was on some sort of control list (he was building and testing the deck before the tournament) and I thought the turn 2 mantis rider would be a better play. Ended up bringing my opponent to one and had to fade a wrath for one turn. I did the math after and realized I would have killed my opponent if I sequenced the other way.
Game 2 I realized my sequencing error and sequenced much better. I freebooter on turn three to see two Kitchen Finks, two Courser of Kruphix, Obstinate Baloth, Verdict, and Cryptic Command. I took the Cryptic as I did not have a cavern and I had a Xathrid Necromancer in hand. He bricked on his next two draw steps and did not hit his land and I brought him down to 3. He finally hits a 3rd land but it is far too late.
2-0
Round Two vs 8-Rack
I have played this guy almost every week. I knew right away he was on 8-Rack when he won the die roll and said he would take the draw. I kept a hand of Champion of the Parish, Thalia’s Lieutenant, and five lands, knowing it will essentially blank any discard spells past the first and I want to keep my hand fairly full of cards. Felt loose but got the job done. He took my Thalia turn 1 off an Inquisition and I drew another one like a professional. I drew nothing but lands essentially and he scooped after only drawing Urborgs. This probably was a case of better lucky than good.
Game two I bring in some Sin Collectors, Kambal, and two Reclamation Sages. I turn two Freebooter after he takes my Noble (I lead with Vial), taking a Small Pox, and turn three Sin Collector taking a Bontu’s Last Reckoning. A turn of note was when he cast Pithing Needle and immediately said Horizon Canopy without even giving me a chance to respond (literally said the name of the card as he was placing his needle down). He realized quickly what he did, and I was able to crack my Horizon Canopy (we both knew that was the line I was going to take as he knew the contents of my hand). He bricked on an important draw where he needed discard and the clock killed him.
2-0
Round Three vs Affinity
My opponent was ranting about how he always loses die rolls, and then mulled to five. I kept a very loose land and over valued the fliers in my hand (Resto, Freebooter, Phantasmal Image). Freebooter didn’t hit anything, and next turn he played a Steel Overseer. Me being the best Magic player ever, I decided to copy his Steel Overseer with an Image next turn. I immediately realized what I did when he untapped and I scooped it up.
Sideboard in all the good affinity hate, and ended up not seeing any lands in my 7 or 6. After reading here about mulliganing, I put my five cards face down in front of me and kept without looking. The hand was Horizon Canopy, three Thalia’s Lieutenant, and a Kataki. I scry a land to the top. Turn 2 Kataki takes out 3 of my opponent’s permeants, and he is now tilted. I play a Lieutenant next turn, followed by a Noble Hierarch. He finally has something to deal with Kataki and jams a Blood Moon onto a board where he has no board presence. I played another Lieutenant off the Noble and he scoops it up.
Game 3 I drew relevant sideboard cards and easily won. I was able to turn 3 Staticaster his late Steel Overseer, Reclamation Sage his Cranial Plating, Image my rec sage blowing up a second Plating, which turned off metalcraft because he was tapped out. I then Dismembered his Etched Champion and he scooped it up.
I missed a very important interaction where he activated a Blinkmoth Nexus to activate metalcraft, and I shipped the turn without pinging the Blinkmoth. I’m apparently really good at seeing the plays I should be making the next turn.
2-1
Round Four vs Jeskai Delver feat. Young Pyromancer
My deck fired on all cylinders. I was able to play a Champion of the Parish each game, and consciously follow up with relevant threats. I had a vial on 2 and 4 ready to protect my Mantis Riders with a Lieutenant and a Restoration Angel. Thalia, Guardian of Thraben was great in the match up, making his mana very awkward and taxed.
Game 2 felt very similar. I started to draw blanks at the end, but Izzet Staticaster let me trade an exalted Mantis Rider for a Stormchaser Mage and a Delver of Secrets. I was trying to pressure him as his life was getting very low, and I still had a 6/6 Champion of the Parish (He had a Vapor Snag in hand so I went with the line that forced the trade). He did not know about the Staticaster in hand, other he probably wouldn’t have let his Mage die. He topdecks a delver and just dies
2-0
Overall, the deck ran smooth, and I didn’t get too punished for some really bad plays. I have a ton to learn about MTG and the deck, but it feels really good when it fires on all cylinders. Was happy with my 4-0 finish.
Aether Vials are definitley bad VS Jund. You can trust your gut on this one.
Auriok Champion is okay-ish VS Mardu. It can attack through Young P, tokens and Reveler, that'll do it for me. I also believe it's good in conjunction with Staticaster, since once you have both cards, you can deal with all their creatures, so to speak.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Pioneer - A bunch of stuff Modern - Humans Legacy - Grixis Phoenix / Death & Taxes
Guys I really think Dauntless Bodyguard is good. The deck needs more 1 drops and it plays well with Champion of the Parish. It is not a bad topdeck to force through attacks and it is a decent early target for Phantasmal Image. Considering how up in the air the flex slots are, and that this serves two main purposes - keeps up aggression and provides protection - is a serious consideration.
4 Cavern of Souls
4 Unclaimed Territory
4 Ancient Ziggurat
4 Horizon Canopy
2 Seachrome Coast
1 Plains
4 Aether Vial
4 Champion of the Parish
4 Noble Hierarch
2 Dauntless Bodyguard
The thing is Dauntless ain't no 1-drop really. If you play it Turn 1, it's a Savannah Lions. Even a Lion with upside ain't good enough in Modern. The best aggro 1-drops in the format are Wild Nacatl, Goblin Guide, Monastery Swiftspear and Champion of the Parish. Anything subpar to these guys are somewhat obsolete in nowadays Magic.
And I disagree that we need more 1-drops, unless it's very close to the power of the Parish, so it makes your nut draws more consistent. Here It doesn't solve our bad MUs, doesn't help against cards we can't beat G1, and doesn't let us have a more explosive start. That's why Thraben Inspector has been played, then dropped. Now the format is ready for Humans and we need something more impactful to weigh against our predators.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Pioneer - A bunch of stuff Modern - Humans Legacy - Grixis Phoenix / Death & Taxes
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Well, why did you lose while having those cards ? What do you cut and bring in ?
Besides:
Saving a Champion is not a very outstanding play, is it ?
I just feel like the way Affinity wins the game are just too varied for us to successfully play reactively, and we're not really likely to draw into enough damage to kill them before they can clog up the board unless their draw is incredibly bad. Kataki can steal some games on it's own but a lot of time we've just taken a turn not advancing our clock for it to eat a Galv Blast/Dispatch. Staticaster is blanked by Master of Etherium by itself, as well as Steel Overseer on the play. You obviously need it but there are plenty of spots where it's not good. We can't interact with Etched Champion, and if we lack Vial we can't interact with Inkmoth. Gut Shot might be worth testing, or playing more Rec Sages, but at that point I'm wondering if it's worth having that many cards in my SB dedicated for this matchup.
I think it's worth having cards for the MU because it's one of the top decks to beat anyway, even though it doesn't especially shine these days. Hopefully the cards we bring in are good in other close MUs, so I don't think it's necessary to change them. After all, if they're in the SB, it's because we needed them in the first place.
Lots of Humans talk--like three plus pages worth--on the State of Modern thread on this forum right now.
Mirror
-4 mage, -3 guardian
+2 stat, +2 sage, +2 gut shot, +1 dism
Affinity
-4 mage, -3 guard, -2 image
+2 rec, +2 katak, +2 izzet, +2 gut, +1 dism
Mardu Pyro
-4 mage, -3 guard, -1 image
+2 sage, +2 Dire, +2 Sin, +2 izzet, +1 dism
Jund
-4 mage, -1 image
+2 Dire, +2 Auriok, +1 dism
Grixis Shadow
-4 mage, -1 image
+2 Dire, +2 Auriok, +1 dism
Jeskai Control
-4 reflector
+2 Sin, +2 Dire
Tron
-2 resto
+2 sage
Hexproof
-2 Reflector
+2 sage
Collected Company
-3 guardian, -2 mage
+2 izzet, +2 gut, +1 dism
Storm
-4 reflect, -2 resto, -1 image
+2 izzet, +2 Dire, +2 Sin, +1 dism
Hollow One
-3 mage
+2 Auriok, +1 dism
https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1080606#online
http://www.hareruyamtg.com/article/sp/category/detail/5090
Running Kenji's article through Google Translate, here's the core list as he sees it:
4 Champion of the Parish
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Kitesail Freebooter
4 Meddling Mage
3 Phantasmal Image
4 Thalia's Lieutenant
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
4 Mantis Rider
4 Reflector Mage
3 other creatures
4 Aether Vial
Land (18 of 19)
4 Ancient Ziggurat
4 Cavern of Souls
4 Unclaimed Territory
3 Horizon Canopy
2 Seachrome Coast
1 Plains
1 other land
2 Auriok Champion
2 Kataki, War's Wage
2 Reclamation Sage
2 Izzet Staticaster
2 Sin Collector
1 Dismember
4 other sideboard cards
The creature slots can be the fourth Image and/or Thalia, Malcontents, Resto, Bob, or your favorite spice. 19th land is typically the last Canopy, but can also be another Seachrome Coast, another Plains, or an Island. The last sideboard slots went to Gut Shot for go-wide decks and Daredevil for removal-heavy decks, though clearly all sideboard slots can be flex slots depending on your expected metagame.
Looks like I can feel a little better about only owning 3 Canopies. I'd argue the 4th Meddling Mage can also be a flex spot if you'd rather cut it than a Thalia or Image. Not sure I agree with his "core" sideboard. I've never run Auriok Champion or Reclamation Sage, but they've been showing up enough recently that I guess I should give them a try? The decks that call for Auriok have been pretty good matchups for me so far, and I don't think hitting Blood Moon and other enchantments (Kenji lists Ghirapur Aether Grid and Daybreak Coronet) is enough to make Rec Sage better than Renegades. I'd rather just accept that some games I'll lose to those cards.
Unrelated, but Brian Basoco posted an article talking about his SCG Team Open winning list that could be worth discussing. He seems very focused on the mirror, which I suppose makes sense for a Team Open.
https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.hareruyamtg.com/article/sp/category/detail/5090&prev=search
TIL that apparently, "Kataki" means disaster. But seriously lolol at those card name translations in general. If I'm understanding his point, he likes Resto because it walls Mantis Rider in the mirror and flies over clogged ground states in other matches (as well as the obvious blanking removal factor). He likes its positioning against Affinity. He also dithers a little over whether Resto #2 is better or worse than a singleton copy of Dissatisfaction Molecule of Cissig (lol again). He likes Image in part because of how well it copies the sideboard cards. He advocates for 4x Canopy, then he goes into his sideboard choices.
In the side he's playing 2x Kataki and also 2x Reclamation Sage--and I have to say that at least where I play, four serious artifact hate cards would be a bare minimum right now. Ensnaring Bridges (and also Blood Moons) are literally everywhere--there were four Ponza players last night at my LGS, and three Lantern players, plus lots of other decks running one or the other prison card. In fact, in my meta, Humans feels like a bad choice currently because of all these 3 CMC hate cards. I can expect to see one or the other in over half the matches I play, no exaggeration.
My Hollow One deck is killing it so far with 4x Ancient Grudge in the side, but the play style is not as much fun for me. Anyone here playing Humans in a meta comparably infested with Bridge and Moon? How are you doing, if so? The sideboard lottery is coming up sevens for you, or do you have an approach I'm missing?
I have a question regarding the sideboard, In what games does Dismember come in generally, and what get's cut from the main in those matches?
Also, what would you cut from the board to make room. Currently, this is my sideboard and it has served me well. Recently cut Chalice of the Void for Auriok Champion for Jund and Hollow One.
2 Damping Sphere
2 Dire-Fleet Daredevil
2 Auriok Champion
2 Izzet Staticaster
2 Xathrid Necromancer
2 Vithian Renegades
1 Mirran Crusader
1 Anafenza, the foremost
Modern: WUBRG Humans - GBW Traverse - GWU Knightfall - GRW Bushwhacker Zoo -
I haven't played with Anafenza in months, unless your local meta is really heavily on Dredge I think that's the first cut.
---
@Kineticstasis I think Auriok Champion is one of the best cards in our sb right now. It's our best card vs Burn, and it's also very good vs the BRx decks with piles of removal like Jund and Mardu. I think all three of those matchups are fairly close but Auriok Champion sticking around likely pushes all of them in our favor.
I can't imagine playing Vithian Renegades over Reclamation Sage. There's almost zero downside and you get a sideboard card that can come in against more decks and be useful. It just makes your sideboard better, you can worry less losing to Worship or Blood Moon or Daybreak Coronet. Our mana base can handle 2G, especially with Noble and with Aether Vial. The Human etb triggers aren't very useful, in the matchups where we're bringing in Renegades/Rec Sage we want them to be as disruptive as possible, representing the fastest clock is secondary. It's purely upside in the situations we want it, and it makes our sideboard wider.
Though if you look at recent results on mtgtop8.com, you'll notice the flex slots (three indeed) and the sideboard are far and apart from one another. with cards vastly different. Though I clearly see players load up on artifact hate for affinity and lantern. With Reclamation Sage we gain utility over Vithian Renegades, but is the one green mana really that consistent for us? I might try it.
Modern: WUBRG Humans - GBW Traverse - GWU Knightfall - GRW Bushwhacker Zoo -
The body on Anafenza is insane, I miss playing it lol. Wish I had an excuse to run it tbh. There is a Mono Blue Living End player at my local store pretty regularly. It blocks Hollow One and gets rid of Phoenix and Bloodghast. Maybe I can talk myself into this...
Main Deck: -1 Phantasmal Image, +1 Kessig Malcontents (I love this card and Resto)
Sideboard: -2 Gut Shot, -1 Auriok Champion, -1 Dire Fleet Daredevil, -1 Kataki, +1 Xathrid Necromancer, +1 Kambal, +1 Gaddok Teeg, +1 Dismember, +1 Mirran Crusader
The sideboard changes were mostly because I forgot to update it, and just ran with what I had in my 75 from the weekend. I think I would like to definitely add the Gut Shots and the other changes. I’m on the fence about the second Direfleet.
Round One vs Bant Control (Jeff Hoogland’s list that he ran on stream)
Game one I sequenced poorly and missed some damage I believe. Opening hand had Noble, Champion of the Parish, Thalia’s Lieutenant, Mantis Rider, and three lands. I knew my opponent was on some sort of control list (he was building and testing the deck before the tournament) and I thought the turn 2 mantis rider would be a better play. Ended up bringing my opponent to one and had to fade a wrath for one turn. I did the math after and realized I would have killed my opponent if I sequenced the other way.
Game 2 I realized my sequencing error and sequenced much better. I freebooter on turn three to see two Kitchen Finks, two Courser of Kruphix, Obstinate Baloth, Verdict, and Cryptic Command. I took the Cryptic as I did not have a cavern and I had a Xathrid Necromancer in hand. He bricked on his next two draw steps and did not hit his land and I brought him down to 3. He finally hits a 3rd land but it is far too late.
2-0
Round Two vs 8-Rack
I have played this guy almost every week. I knew right away he was on 8-Rack when he won the die roll and said he would take the draw. I kept a hand of Champion of the Parish, Thalia’s Lieutenant, and five lands, knowing it will essentially blank any discard spells past the first and I want to keep my hand fairly full of cards. Felt loose but got the job done. He took my Thalia turn 1 off an Inquisition and I drew another one like a professional. I drew nothing but lands essentially and he scooped after only drawing Urborgs. This probably was a case of better lucky than good.
Game two I bring in some Sin Collectors, Kambal, and two Reclamation Sages. I turn two Freebooter after he takes my Noble (I lead with Vial), taking a Small Pox, and turn three Sin Collector taking a Bontu’s Last Reckoning. A turn of note was when he cast Pithing Needle and immediately said Horizon Canopy without even giving me a chance to respond (literally said the name of the card as he was placing his needle down). He realized quickly what he did, and I was able to crack my Horizon Canopy (we both knew that was the line I was going to take as he knew the contents of my hand). He bricked on an important draw where he needed discard and the clock killed him.
2-0
Round Three vs Affinity
My opponent was ranting about how he always loses die rolls, and then mulled to five. I kept a very loose land and over valued the fliers in my hand (Resto, Freebooter, Phantasmal Image). Freebooter didn’t hit anything, and next turn he played a Steel Overseer. Me being the best Magic player ever, I decided to copy his Steel Overseer with an Image next turn. I immediately realized what I did when he untapped and I scooped it up.
Sideboard in all the good affinity hate, and ended up not seeing any lands in my 7 or 6. After reading here about mulliganing, I put my five cards face down in front of me and kept without looking. The hand was Horizon Canopy, three Thalia’s Lieutenant, and a Kataki. I scry a land to the top. Turn 2 Kataki takes out 3 of my opponent’s permeants, and he is now tilted. I play a Lieutenant next turn, followed by a Noble Hierarch. He finally has something to deal with Kataki and jams a Blood Moon onto a board where he has no board presence. I played another Lieutenant off the Noble and he scoops it up.
Game 3 I drew relevant sideboard cards and easily won. I was able to turn 3 Staticaster his late Steel Overseer, Reclamation Sage his Cranial Plating, Image my rec sage blowing up a second Plating, which turned off metalcraft because he was tapped out. I then Dismembered his Etched Champion and he scooped it up.
I missed a very important interaction where he activated a Blinkmoth Nexus to activate metalcraft, and I shipped the turn without pinging the Blinkmoth. I’m apparently really good at seeing the plays I should be making the next turn.
2-1
Round Four vs Jeskai Delver feat. Young Pyromancer
My deck fired on all cylinders. I was able to play a Champion of the Parish each game, and consciously follow up with relevant threats. I had a vial on 2 and 4 ready to protect my Mantis Riders with a Lieutenant and a Restoration Angel. Thalia, Guardian of Thraben was great in the match up, making his mana very awkward and taxed.
Game 2 felt very similar. I started to draw blanks at the end, but Izzet Staticaster let me trade an exalted Mantis Rider for a Stormchaser Mage and a Delver of Secrets. I was trying to pressure him as his life was getting very low, and I still had a 6/6 Champion of the Parish (He had a Vapor Snag in hand so I went with the line that forced the trade). He did not know about the Staticaster in hand, other he probably wouldn’t have let his Mage die. He topdecks a delver and just dies
2-0
Overall, the deck ran smooth, and I didn’t get too punished for some really bad plays. I have a ton to learn about MTG and the deck, but it feels really good when it fires on all cylinders. Was happy with my 4-0 finish.
Auriok Champion is okay-ish VS Mardu. It can attack through Young P, tokens and Reveler, that'll do it for me. I also believe it's good in conjunction with Staticaster, since once you have both cards, you can deal with all their creatures, so to speak.
4 Cavern of Souls
4 Unclaimed Territory
4 Ancient Ziggurat
4 Horizon Canopy
2 Seachrome Coast
1 Plains
4 Aether Vial
4 Champion of the Parish
4 Noble Hierarch
2 Dauntless Bodyguard
4 Kitesail Freebooter
4 Meddling Mage
4 Thalia's Lieutenant
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
3 Phantasmal Image
4 Reflector Mage
4 Mantis Rider
1 Kessig Malcontents
2 Grafdigger's Cage (Hollow One/Dredge)
2 Damping Sphere (Combo/Tron)
2 Dismember (Best castable removal)
2 Izzet Staticaster (Elves, Lingering Souls)
2 Sin Collector (Combo/control/sweepers)
2 Xathrid Necromancer (Sweepers/removal)
3 Vithian Renegades (Affinity, Bridge)
And I disagree that we need more 1-drops, unless it's very close to the power of the Parish, so it makes your nut draws more consistent. Here It doesn't solve our bad MUs, doesn't help against cards we can't beat G1, and doesn't let us have a more explosive start. That's why Thraben Inspector has been played, then dropped. Now the format is ready for Humans and we need something more impactful to weigh against our predators.