sure, lets group burn w/ bogles, elves, and grishoalbrand. These decks attack in unique (and different) ways. Just because you don't like that play style, doesn't mean it isn't a diverse T8.
sure, lets group burn w/ bogles, elves, and grishoalbrand. These decks attack in unique (and different) ways. Just because you don't like that play style, doesn't mean it isn't a diverse T8.
It is diverse. From a decklist standpoint it is diverse. Modern IS diverse from an individual deck standpoint; I don't think anyone is arguing that. However, this event certainly doesn't do a good job of shaking the stigma of Modern being a "50 Shades of Linear" format. Other things have come and gone, and it almost looked like good things were on the way! But this reminds us that it has always been a good idea to do something fast, powerful, and hard to interact with. And playing a fair or reactive deck puts you at an unnecessary disadvantages much of the time.
Considering Burn just played out as Control/Prison...yeah thats pretty diverse. Archetype diversity isnt the end all be all. You had a lot of different lines of play going on, unless you are Bogles...but hey we cant have it all.
Yet the most fair/ interactive deck was #1 going into the top 8? It fell to Bogles in game 3 of the semifinals, but I'd say it did just fine overall (13-1-1 record).
Yet the most fair/ interactive deck was #1 going into the top 8? It fell to Bogles in game 3 of the semifinals, but I'd say it did just fine overall (13-1-1 record).
Did they publish any other numbers like meta breakdowns and day 2 conversions? Or were we just spoiled with those goodies at the PT?
Yet the most fair/ interactive deck was #1 going into the top 8? It fell to Bogles in game 3 of the semifinals, but I'd say it did just fine overall (13-1-1 record).
Did they publish any other numbers like meta breakdowns and day 2 conversions? Or were we just spoiled with those goodies at the PT?
Generally only the PT has them. There are a lot fewer people and those there are a lot higher level so they are able to put more focus on them. It would be really nice to see them do it at GP's though as they usually have 1500 entries which would be a ton of data.
It would be very dumb for them to touch anything, especially with another modern GP next week. They should save the unbans when the meta is stale/solved.
They should really make some commander-esque product for modern, where they print cards for non-rotating formats to bypass standard so they can print cards suited for modern. Then they can print cards that you can main deck against lantern instead of only being able to print sideboard cards for standard play. I feel that if you don't have access to the modern card legality list(internet access), then you're not the target demographic for modern, and if you don't know which cards are legal, you shouldn't care anyways.
It would be very dumb for them to touch anything, especially with another modern GP next week. They should save the unbans when the meta is stale/solved.
They should really make some commander-esque product for modern, where they print cards for non-rotating formats to bypass standard so they can print cards suited for modern. Then they can print cards that you can main deck against lantern instead of only being able to print sideboard cards for standard play. I feel that if you don't have access to the modern card legality list(internet access), then you're not the target demographic for modern, and if you don't know which cards are legal, you shouldn't care anyways.
There's plenty of MD cards against lantern. Cryptic Command, Kolaghan's Command, Abrupt Decay, pretty much every threat in Tron, Liliana of the Veil, hand disruption, Chalice of the Void, or just attacking in a way that is harder for them to deal with like Storming out or Valakut to the face.
Great T8 overall with all archetypes represented... except big mana, which the Modern critics will likely be silent about as they identify other perceived problems with the event.
T32 is also awesome with lots of archetype and deck diversity, and a ton of midrange and control in the higher standings. Sadly, Mardu Pyro missed T8 solely on breakers (.02 less than the 8th place Burn deck). But great showings overall.
I can't imagine Wizards banning anything tomorrow. I can't even find an article on SCG, TCG, Gathering Magic, CF, Goldfish, or any other major site that even wants a ban. This is a far cry from most other periods of Modern where there was considerable published dissent about the format and at least one deck. Even the Twin era, where Twin's ban was a shock, had a clear target on Bloom (and Twin itself was so obviously influenced by the PT, which is no longer a factor today).
Haha boggles. This meta is really funny. It's so diverse, that it's shifting so much every week. It's like you play the deck that happens to prey on whatever people brings.
Bunch of humans, shadow decks, and you pick that one deck that can beat both you win the tournament. In this case it's Boggles.
In all seriousness though, it was pretty amusing listening to the commentators try to make this final round sound interesting. Then again, they were pretty bad the whole time anyway.
Was really hoping to see other decks make it farther in the T8.
I really enjoyed watching Grishoalbrand and of course the game I saw of UWR. I dont know, as long as its not Tron, I could probably watch any of the 30 odd different decks they said were floating around.
Masterful meta call. Although funny enough, he lost to a prey deck, Jeskai, in the Swiss and only beat it 2-1 (same opponent) in the T8.
Odd things happen when you play a deck with extreme variance. Bogles is that deck. Sometimes your deck just loses to itself.
On another note, this was one of my favorite recent GPs because I was SO close to seeing the 2 decks I've played the most in Modern face off in the finals - Grishoalbrand and Bogles. Top ranked Pro Player Jon Stern had to be the bad guy for me here. Still doesn't change how I feel about every deck trying to just goldfish one another.
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Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
Masterful meta call. Although funny enough, he lost to a prey deck, Jeskai, in the Swiss and only beat it 2-1 (same opponent) in the T8.
Odd things happen when you play a deck with extreme variance. Bogles is that deck. Sometimes your deck just loses to itself.
On another note, this was one of my favorite recent GPs because I was SO close to seeing the 2 decks I've played the most in Modern face off in the finals - Grishoalbrand and Bogles. Top ranked Pro Player Jon Stern had to be the bad guy for me here. Still doesn't change how I feel about every deck trying to just goldfish one another.
I'll also say that many of the linear matchups had some very involved, interactive, and skill-testing lines. Skullcrack and burn bluffing/timing vs. Grishoalbrand was a great example of this from the T8. True, sometimes Bogles just topdecks Coronet vs. Humans when they're a turn from death, but people tend to overweigh those due to selection-bias and not remembering examples of tighter matches.
The Grishoalbrand play was pretty nuts to me. I like the deck, but feel I'm so at the mercy of good draws, and its just not something I can ever wrap my head around.
In all seriousness though, it was pretty amusing listening to the commentators try to make this final round sound interesting. Then again, they were pretty bad the whole time anyway.
Was really hoping to see other decks make it farther in the T8.
What are you talking about? We saw some pretty intense skilled plays throughout the top 8, even in linear vs linear MUs. The commentators were also pretty good throughout the tournament, providing both insights, hype, as well as fun content. And let's not forget that they pretty much casted double the amount of matches as, and correct me if I am wrong, they were cast both the live and the time warp matches.
I also hoped for a different winner, but that doesn't make the GP a bad tournament.
I also hoped for a different winner, but that doesn't make the GP a bad tournament.
Didn't say it was a bad tournament. I implied that two linear decks smashing into each other, one playing cards you cant interact with, and the other sitting behind a Bridge, is less than a thrilling conclusion to the day. The topdecked Seal of Primordium for the win is not skill, it's the very definition of variance: draw the right card and win, don't draw the right card and lose.
I'm sure the rest of the tournament was fine; I was unable to see most of it other than the last round and Top 8. I also just personally hate Ben Seck as a commentator. He's terrible on Magic TV and he was terrible from what I saw yesterday.
I also hoped for a different winner, but that doesn't make the GP a bad tournament.
Didn't say it was a bad tournament. I implied that two linear decks smashing into each other, one playing cards you cant interact with, and the other sitting behind a Bridge, is less than a thrilling conclusion to the day. The topdecked Seal of Primordium for the win is not skill, it's the very definition of variance: draw the right card and win, don't draw the right card and lose.
I'm sure the rest of the tournament was fine; I was unable to see most of it other than the last round and Top 8. I also just personally hate Ben Seck as a commentator. He's terrible on Magic TV and he was terrible from what I saw yesterday.
It can't be interacted with except, you know, by the 3 mana artifact that interacted with it.
I also hoped for a different winner, but that doesn't make the GP a bad tournament.
Didn't say it was a bad tournament. I implied that two linear decks smashing into each other, one playing cards you cant interact with, and the other sitting behind a Bridge, is less than a thrilling conclusion to the day. The topdecked Seal of Primordium for the win is not skill, it's the very definition of variance: draw the right card and win, don't draw the right card and lose.
I'm sure the rest of the tournament was fine; I was unable to see most of it other than the last round and Top 8. I also just personally hate Ben Seck as a commentator. He's terrible on Magic TV and he was terrible from what I saw yesterday.
It can't be interacted with except, you know, by the 3 mana artifact that interacted with it.
I guess if you consider Ensnaring Bridge "interactive magic," then sure. I didn't think I had to spell out the fact that these two decks were essentially hiding behind their difficulty to interact with each other while attempting to goldfish each other.
I have to say I was biased against the finals match being entertaining but it wasn't as horrible as I feared it would be. Then again if it was Boggles vs. Grishoalbrand it would have been a lot worse, even though it was amusing to watch how that deck pulled wins out of thin air. Boggles vs. Burn is a much more interactive finals match then a matchup against a turn 2 combo deck can hope to be.
As for the announcement it seems most likely to me that they will take the centrist approach and unban BBE. Jund has been down in the dumps for the past year or so and there is no real rational explanation why a turn 4 BBE is too good for the format in which a turn 3 TKS is not as uncommon as you might think. Jace would take me completely by surprise if they actually went for it. Still, they did unban Golgari Grave-Troll at one point which clearly shows they are not adverse to risks and are not as biased as it might seem at first glance.
I think it's reasonable to expect unbans, regardless of what they opt for, on the basis that it's better to release new cards into a non-homogenized meta then the other way around. Unbans shouldn't be a bandage that fixes a format but rather something that enriches an already thriving one.
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In my dream, the world had suffered a terrible disaster. A black haze shut out the sun, and the darkness was alive with the moans and screams of wounded people. Suddenly, a small light glowed. A candle flickered into life, symbol of hope for millions. A single tiny candle, shining in the ugly dark. I laughed and blew it out.
Many thanks to HotP Studios. Special thanks to DNC for this great sig.
It is diverse. From a decklist standpoint it is diverse. Modern IS diverse from an individual deck standpoint; I don't think anyone is arguing that. However, this event certainly doesn't do a good job of shaking the stigma of Modern being a "50 Shades of Linear" format. Other things have come and gone, and it almost looked like good things were on the way! But this reminds us that it has always been a good idea to do something fast, powerful, and hard to interact with. And playing a fair or reactive deck puts you at an unnecessary disadvantages much of the time.
UR ....... WUBR ........... WB ............. RGW ........ UBR ....... WUB .... BGU
Spells / Blink & Combo / Token Grind / Dino Tribal / Draw Cards / Zombies / Reanimate
Spirits
Did they publish any other numbers like meta breakdowns and day 2 conversions? Or were we just spoiled with those goodies at the PT?
UR ....... WUBR ........... WB ............. RGW ........ UBR ....... WUB .... BGU
Spells / Blink & Combo / Token Grind / Dino Tribal / Draw Cards / Zombies / Reanimate
Generally only the PT has them. There are a lot fewer people and those there are a lot higher level so they are able to put more focus on them. It would be really nice to see them do it at GP's though as they usually have 1500 entries which would be a ton of data.
They should really make some commander-esque product for modern, where they print cards for non-rotating formats to bypass standard so they can print cards suited for modern. Then they can print cards that you can main deck against lantern instead of only being able to print sideboard cards for standard play. I feel that if you don't have access to the modern card legality list(internet access), then you're not the target demographic for modern, and if you don't know which cards are legal, you shouldn't care anyways.
There's plenty of MD cards against lantern. Cryptic Command, Kolaghan's Command, Abrupt Decay, pretty much every threat in Tron, Liliana of the Veil, hand disruption, Chalice of the Void, or just attacking in a way that is harder for them to deal with like Storming out or Valakut to the face.
Edit: Forgot Abrade
T32 is also awesome with lots of archetype and deck diversity, and a ton of midrange and control in the higher standings. Sadly, Mardu Pyro missed T8 solely on breakers (.02 less than the 8th place Burn deck). But great showings overall.
I can't imagine Wizards banning anything tomorrow. I can't even find an article on SCG, TCG, Gathering Magic, CF, Goldfish, or any other major site that even wants a ban. This is a far cry from most other periods of Modern where there was considerable published dissent about the format and at least one deck. Even the Twin era, where Twin's ban was a shock, had a clear target on Bloom (and Twin itself was so obviously influenced by the PT, which is no longer a factor today).
Spirits
Masterful meta call. Although funny enough, he lost to a prey deck, Jeskai, in the Swiss and only beat it 2-1 (same opponent) in the T8.
Bunch of humans, shadow decks, and you pick that one deck that can beat both you win the tournament. In this case it's Boggles.
Modern Tallowisp Spirits - A Modern Tallowisp Deck UW
Eldrazi Ninjas - Summoning Octopus Jutsu YYYYAAAHHHH!
STANDARD
Naban Wizards
#topdeckskill
In all seriousness though, it was pretty amusing listening to the commentators try to make this final round sound interesting. Then again, they were pretty bad the whole time anyway.
Was really hoping to see other decks make it farther in the T8.
UR ....... WUBR ........... WB ............. RGW ........ UBR ....... WUB .... BGU
Spells / Blink & Combo / Token Grind / Dino Tribal / Draw Cards / Zombies / Reanimate
Spirits
Odd things happen when you play a deck with extreme variance. Bogles is that deck. Sometimes your deck just loses to itself.
On another note, this was one of my favorite recent GPs because I was SO close to seeing the 2 decks I've played the most in Modern face off in the finals - Grishoalbrand and Bogles. Top ranked Pro Player Jon Stern had to be the bad guy for me here. Still doesn't change how I feel about every deck trying to just goldfish one another.
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/
Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)I'll also say that many of the linear matchups had some very involved, interactive, and skill-testing lines. Skullcrack and burn bluffing/timing vs. Grishoalbrand was a great example of this from the T8. True, sometimes Bogles just topdecks Coronet vs. Humans when they're a turn from death, but people tend to overweigh those due to selection-bias and not remembering examples of tighter matches.
Spirits
I also hoped for a different winner, but that doesn't make the GP a bad tournament.
UB Faeries (15-6-0)
UWR Control (10-5-1)/Kiki Control/Midrange/Harbinger
UBR Cruel Control (6-4-0)/Grixis Control/Delver/Blue Jund
UWB Control/Mentor
UW Miracles/Control (currently active, 14-2-0)
BW Eldrazi & Taxes
RW Burn (9-1-0)
I do (academic) research on video games and archaeology! You can check out my open access book here: https://www.sidestone.com/books/the-interactive-past
Didn't say it was a bad tournament. I implied that two linear decks smashing into each other, one playing cards you cant interact with, and the other sitting behind a Bridge, is less than a thrilling conclusion to the day. The topdecked Seal of Primordium for the win is not skill, it's the very definition of variance: draw the right card and win, don't draw the right card and lose.
I'm sure the rest of the tournament was fine; I was unable to see most of it other than the last round and Top 8. I also just personally hate Ben Seck as a commentator. He's terrible on Magic TV and he was terrible from what I saw yesterday.
UR ....... WUBR ........... WB ............. RGW ........ UBR ....... WUB .... BGU
Spells / Blink & Combo / Token Grind / Dino Tribal / Draw Cards / Zombies / Reanimate
It can't be interacted with except, you know, by the 3 mana artifact that interacted with it.
I guess if you consider Ensnaring Bridge "interactive magic," then sure. I didn't think I had to spell out the fact that these two decks were essentially hiding behind their difficulty to interact with each other while attempting to goldfish each other.
UR ....... WUBR ........... WB ............. RGW ........ UBR ....... WUB .... BGU
Spells / Blink & Combo / Token Grind / Dino Tribal / Draw Cards / Zombies / Reanimate
As for the announcement it seems most likely to me that they will take the centrist approach and unban BBE. Jund has been down in the dumps for the past year or so and there is no real rational explanation why a turn 4 BBE is too good for the format in which a turn 3 TKS is not as uncommon as you might think. Jace would take me completely by surprise if they actually went for it. Still, they did unban Golgari Grave-Troll at one point which clearly shows they are not adverse to risks and are not as biased as it might seem at first glance.
I think it's reasonable to expect unbans, regardless of what they opt for, on the basis that it's better to release new cards into a non-homogenized meta then the other way around. Unbans shouldn't be a bandage that fixes a format but rather something that enriches an already thriving one.
Many thanks to HotP Studios. Special thanks to DNC for this great sig.
I guess we'll find out soon if that was true or not.