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  • absreim's avatar

    1

    Sep 10, 2018
    absreim posted a message on [GRN] Guilds of Ravnica previews and spoilers: Modern edition
    Quote from tronix »
    RtR standard didnt feature any 4 color decks if i remember correctly


    I remember most of the decks being 2 or 3 colors, with 2 colors being more common after Burning Earth was printed. Still, a few prominent 4-color decks come to mind immediately: Wolf Run Bant, Dark Naya, and Nightshade Peddler-Izzet Staticaster combo.
    Posted in: Modern
  • absreim's avatar

    2

    Jan 3, 2016
    absreim posted a message on Wizards Suspends 5 L3, 8 L2 and 1 L1 Judge from the Southeast
    Quote from jskura »
    Comparing the practices of a private business, to a public court of law is pretty much the dumbest thing you can do in this situation.

    Wizards doesnt have to let you play in their tournaments, and they are well within their right to ban whoever they want from doing so for whatever reason they want to do it. Playing in a sanctioned tournament is not a right.


    I don't think many people are arguing what WoTC can do but rather what they should have done.

    They can do whatever they want in terms of DCI bannings, but doing so is not without consequences (e.g. the existence of their business).

    I find they way they handled the situation be illogical and heavy-handed, and I'm willing to let my wallet do the talking about how I feel about it.
    Posted in: Magic General
  • absreim's avatar

    1

    Jul 8, 2015
    absreim posted a message on Ajani, Mentor of Heroes
    It has already seen play in the sideboard of some Abzan lists and Kibler big zoo lists. It is good in grindy matchups like BGx and blue control.
    Posted in: Modern
  • absreim's avatar

    1

    May 12, 2015
    absreim posted a message on 61 Card decks
    Quote from BatHickey »
    I hate to actually weight in on this, but one of the better players in my shop (in a very competitive shop), runs 65 card decks. He plays mid-range in all formats he plays and consistently goes 3-1, 4-0, ect. Week after week. He doesn't really even up the land count to accommodate for it.

    My shop is all experienced pilots on tier 1 decks, and yet he manages to pull out good results nearly all the time. I don't think playing 61 cards is a good idea, but knowing this player well--makes me doubt the articles and their math.

    He's playing with 5 more things he wanted to play but had to cut--like mainboarding thrun in BGx, stuff like that. Its absolutely baffling and should hurt him, but it really doesnt seem to.


    I'd argue that he achieves success in spite of having a 65 card deck rather than because of having it. I don't think the drawback is great to running more than 60 cards, but every minute disadvantage in Magic adds up.
    Posted in: Modern
  • absreim's avatar

    1

    May 7, 2015
    absreim posted a message on [[Official]] Modern Metagame Discussion Thread (Updated 6/12/2016)
    Jund's return to prominence bodes well for blue control. When playing a control deck I'd rather deal with Lava Spikes (Lighting Bolt) than Lingering Souls any day.
    Posted in: Modern Archives
  • absreim's avatar

    2

    Apr 23, 2015
    absreim posted a message on [[Official]] Modern Metagame Discussion Thread (Updated 6/12/2016)
    I think Modern is the best it has ever been right now. Finally color combinations like Grixis and Esper are starting to see more than fringe play. I'm even considering dusting some of my UB hate cards like Great Sable Stag.
    Posted in: Modern Archives
  • absreim's avatar

    1

    Jan 23, 2015
    absreim posted a message on Stoic Angel
    The biggest problem with Bant in Modern is not having Swords to Plowshares for early game removal. The drawback of Path to Exile is really noticeable when it is your only source of early game removal. I do see Bant colored spells like Bant Charm in Modern four for five color zoo decks, however.

    As for Stoic Angel itself, I see it as mainly good against other aggressive creature decks and it competes with Elspeth, Knight-Errant for the 4-drop slot. Other creatures in Bant like Knight of the Reliquary, Rhox War Monk, and Loxodon Smiter already do a good job of blocking small creatures.
    Posted in: Modern
  • absreim's avatar

    1

    Jan 19, 2015
    absreim posted a message on Current Modern Banlist Discussion (1/19/2015 - 7/13/2015)
    Quote from BiNexus »
    I'm really bummed Scapeshift lost Dig Through Time. :') I'm happy that I didn't get 2 more copies, but it's bittersweet.


    Now Urban Evolution is playable in Scapeshift again! (at least as sideboard material)
    Posted in: Modern Archives
  • absreim's avatar

    1

    Jan 17, 2015
    absreim posted a message on Modern Esper Draw-Go
    Quote from 1stTilt »
    I really feel like esper control is meant for a Jund/Junk heavy meta.


    I second this sentiment.

    From my experience playing Esper Teachings in the past, the BGx matchup was quite good after the Deathrite Shaman ban. There was a memorable game of mine against Jund where my opponent resolved a Thrun, the Last Troll, discarded 2 Cryptic Commands with Liliana of the Veil while he was hellbent, and blew up at least one of my lands with Fulminator Mage, yet I still easily won by going over the top with Mystical Teachings, Sphinx's Revelation, and White Sun's Zenith.
    Posted in: Control
  • absreim's avatar

    1

    Sep 6, 2014
    absreim posted a message on Modern Esper Draw-Go
    Quote from stokpile »

    As for teachings, it is just way too expensive, plain and simple. A single remand just ruins your day and god forbid they remand the flashback part. I'd much rather have a revelation in it's place. When you cast teachings, you have to get something that is som incredible that it is worth spending your entire turn 4 and turn 5 casting it because teachings effectively adds an additional 4 mana to it's mana cost.


    I wouldn't be so quick to write off Mystical Teachings. There is an entire archetype around the card and it has put up solid results in the past. I had the same impression as you did at first, which is what made me so curious about the Esper Teachings deck in a first place: how in a blisteringly fast format that is Modern a control deck that runs four copies of a 4-mana tutor could put up such solid results as winning Worlds in 2011.

    While it certainly is useless in the early game, in the mid and late game it can perform a lot better than it looks. It is quite common to get into situations where only one or two cards in your entire deck can get you out of it, which is where Mystical Teachings shines. Even outside of those situations, playing with the card feels like playing with a Birthing Pod in the inevitability it provides you. A single Mystical Teachings in the graveyard can lead to large amount of card advantage over time by first getting another Mystical Teachings and using that one to get a Sphinx's Revelation, for example. While slow, that situation comes up surprisingly frequently in a deck that is built to stall out the game.

    Finally, the instant-speed of Mystical Teachings is incredibly relevant, being able to tutor up counterspells in response to spells on the stack. In many of the games that I've played with Esper Teachings where I stabilize to the late game and had a Mystical Teachings in hand, the feeling I had towards my opponent was: "it doesn't matter what you topdeck, I have an answer for it."

    Nevertheless, in order to use Mystical Teachings effectively your deck needs to have a large number of instants and/or flash creatures and a low level of redundancy. In many of the lists being posted here there are multiple copies of the same spells and a lot of key sorcery-speed spells, which Mystical Teachings does not help you find, making it a poor choice in those decks.
    Posted in: Control
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