When Zendikar fetches are reprinted in BFZ, because of the new block format, all ten fetches will only be in Standard together for a short time. Khans will rotate out once "Tears" debuts in spring next year, taking the allied fetches with it. The need in Modern certainly seems strong enough to demand a reprint of the enemy colored fetches at earliest opportunity, and this upcoming block offers no better chance. As others have said, I am going to sit on all of my enemy fetches for now. Even if the price drops due to a reprint, it's not like I'll suddenly not need them in my decks. I'm anal enough to likely sell my "old" ones to get playsets from the new printing (I missed Zendikar the first time around, and only own the Zen fetches I need for my decks), but I'm not doing anything until we know for sure they are being reprinted.
I recall what you said about Palm. My experience with the card would make me want to play it. Even if they know you have it, against the right opponent, you can often turn a two mana instant into a huge life swing. At Game Day, I had Palm and Crane in my deck. Once they saw one of them, they still couldn't play around it. Finally, a deck like ours, with lots of little creatures, does not block terribly well. It won't be a surprise if we let something big (like a 5/5 trampler, for example) go through unblocked. Then we slam Palm and profit.
The card may even be Standard-playable in the right build. I could easily see it as a sideboard card against big creature decks. Monstrous your dragon to a 9/9? OK. In response to damage, Deflecting Palm your Stormbreath, you take 9? Seems good to me.
tl;dr Palm is a better card than a lot of players give it credit for.
I'd rather have Deflecting Palm over Singing Bell Strike. I've been less enamored of SBS lately, whereas Palm can win you one game per match, and that's all you can really ask of a card. I'd also be OK with swapping Quiet Contemplation for Palm. Having now been on both sides of Deflecting Palm (it won me a match I shouldn't have in a Game Day Sealed Event, propelling me to the finals), I'm a believer.
That being said, I'd advocate keeping Quiet Contemplation in the deck. I haven't had much luck with it personally, but with all the spells we have here, if it's not good in this deck then it's never good.
So I guess what I'm really saying is I'd like run Palm over Strike or Contemplation, in that order.
Agreed, Weaponmaster is better as a threat. I was also concerned about castability. As far as I'm concerned, both of these cards were good for us, and I'm fine with either of them.
I'm starting to get very concerned about our creature count. Hordling is nice, but it's double red, and we should avoid that. I really want the tri-land or Force, but creatures. So, Weaponmaster or Sage-Eye? I'm going to vote for the card that is easier to unmorph, and can also unmorph the turn immediately after we play it. Sage-Eye Harrier.
My concern with the second Arrow Storm is the double red. Right now, our red is a splash, and I'd like to keep it that way. I don't necessarily agree that Deflecting Palm is unplayable (especially since I lost a game three to it this weekend), but I do agree with Calavera that our deck could really use a cheap removal spell. I want Singing Bell Strike.
Hmmmm....Swift Kick isn't very good, but it does trigger Prowess and can function as removal. A 4/2 Hexproof for 5 isn't exciting, either. I'll err on the side of a combat trick we might play over a 5 drop I hope we don't.
This is tough. I am still missing my Jund deck from last Standard, and everyone's favorite beast to hate, Thragtask. I loved me some Birthing Pod, too. I'm going to go old-school, though, and vote for a card from my misspent youth; Ancestral Recall. Even my stupid college-age self knew THAT was a good card! Wish I knew what happened to all my old cards....sigh...
The card may even be Standard-playable in the right build. I could easily see it as a sideboard card against big creature decks. Monstrous your dragon to a 9/9? OK. In response to damage, Deflecting Palm your Stormbreath, you take 9? Seems good to me.
tl;dr Palm is a better card than a lot of players give it credit for.
That being said, I'd advocate keeping Quiet Contemplation in the deck. I haven't had much luck with it personally, but with all the spells we have here, if it's not good in this deck then it's never good.
So I guess what I'm really saying is I'd like run Palm over Strike or Contemplation, in that order.
<EDIT> And Deflecting Palm? Damn....nice autopicks!
As for the pick, I don't think there's any question. Dig Through Time.