My meta tends to lack people consistently playing big mana decks, and I've also noticed a mild, but general uptick in the amount of interaction people are typically playing. The last few times I've taken DS Jund to the shop I've found myself thinking that Abzan would probably have just been a better choice.
I'd also been wondering about the general downtick in Abzan, and I don't really have any good answer. My expectation would be that DS Jund could help keep big mana at reasonable levels, which would mean that Abzan gets to prey on it, while also being good against the rest of the field, and doesn't have to play against Tron/Valakut every other round. However, that doesn't quite seem to be the case. The cards that people play against Death's Shadow are also reasonable against Abzan because both decks run basically the same threats, so maybe there's some splash effect going on? It's also possible that more B/G/x players are moving to Death's Shadow, so the Abzan representation is just generally lower because of less people playing the deck.
I actually love the direction Abzan has gone in, I had always hated it in the past because it just felt like a more durdly version of Jund. Thanks to the printing of Grim Flayer and Fatal Push, the deck finally has enough 2-drops to consistently present a clock, as well as efficient, early game 1-mana removal. The adoption of Gideon, Ally of Zendikar also gives us an incredibly powerful grindy planeswalker, but at 4 mana instead of 6 mana. I also like that the Hierarchs help to hedge against matchups where you just have to go faster, and are just randomly good against things like Ensnaring Bridge. Overall, the last year has just xbeen really kind to Abzan and has given it lower-cost versions of a lot of the cards it's historically liked to run. My only complaint is that I still can't seem to squeeze in Dark Confidant without feeling like I'm completely punting the Burn matchup.
Agreed on the last part. Game 2 against Naya Zoo I kept in my bobs thinking they weren't the worst and boy what a mistake that was after I revealed 2 4 cmc cards turn after turn and died.
For a larger tournament, I would want to find room for a third Thoughtsieze in the sideboard, but my local meta has been pretty burn heavy and combo-light lately, so I recently dropped it for Sorin. I'm also on the fence about swapping Zealous Persecution for a third Stony Silence.
I would recommend adding sorin to the mainboard for he's just been so amazing for me so far.
I won a PPTQ last year with almost this exact 75 and I always wanted a 4th Rhino but every time I tried playing a 4th, I always wished it was something else. 3 is the number I'm sticking with.
Enforcer isn't just around to dodge removal. Even though Jund has almost no ways of getting rid of it, the real reason I like it so much is because Tasigur, the Golden Fang and Death's Shadow can't ever attack through it.
The new card I'm trying in the board is Mortify because I expect the control decks to be playing some number between 1-2 of Cast Out and I wanted to take out the second Maelstrom Pulse from the board for an instant speed removal on it.
Honestly if it works for you, then go for it. I still find it too cute.
The meta will be heavy in control and death's shadow decks with some other Jund decks looming around. That's why I have Mystic Enforcer in the board.
I would honestly play 1-2 Gideon Ally of Zendikar in his spot instead. This guy still dies to Damnation and Supreme Verdict. Also our MU against DS decks is pretty even if not in our favor slightly.
I know some of my choices are not the norm or average but I really like all the cards in the list. I think everything fits pretty well. I have 1-2 cards in the 75 that I still question but I think they are worth trying. Let me know what you guys think.
Do you know what the meta will be like?
Also why is mystic enforcer in the sideboard? I don't think I've even heard of that card before.
I have been playing Living End but want to improve at playing magic and feel it is too much like goldfishing and I want to get better at decision making. I like being able to cut the opponent's gameplan from under them and supplant it with my own but find that after game 1, I can't beat a lot of the sideboard tech that's brought in thanks to the popularity of Dredge. I'm hoping to actually start winning at FNM and eventually take it to a GP and win my first GP game.
To illustrate what I find fun, I have tried to brew an Esper Living End deck which, in play-testing, proves to be too slow but is a good example of what I find interesting and fun in Magic. Decks I have previously considered include:
Ad Nauseam - worried it's just as one-dimensional as LE
Lantern Control - I like the idea of stopping my opponent playing magic but fear it's skill cap is too high for me right now
Dredge - it gives the same feeling that you're breaking magic as LE but is easily shut off in the same way.
If it helps, I like blue and black as colours
I'm open to all suggestions and any advice would be welcome.
You should check out the BG Afinity Counter deck. I know there's no blue in it but it does have a lot of counters that gets put on creatures.
Thanks! BG is a combination I really like!
is there something similar but with more creature instead of artifact creatures? or something that splash red as well?
Well the primise of the deck is based off of the Modular ability which only artifacts have really. So not really.
I started playing magic few months ago with standard but I'm thinking about slowly build a modern deck. Since I'm new to this environment I need some suggestion about some card I should start looking at because I literally have no idea where to start from
CARDS I ALREADY OWN
not a lot... I own mostly kaladesh, aether revolt cards and a few tarkir fetchlands
COLORS I LIKE
mmmmm... i started with green...not a big fan of blue for now (hate when they counterspell me XD)
EDIT: I love counters on creatures (love dices haha)
STYLE I LIKE TO PLAY
I like aggro decks but my goal is to have interesting long games that require you to think so I'm not interested in turn 4 win kind of style.
I wanna be able to start aggressive but if the games get longer I wanna be able to still manage the game and have answer and strategy available (don't be screwed if I don't win by turn 5/6).
What colors or archetypes should I study first? there are so many that would be really helpful to have some suggestion in the beginning
I almost play casually and sometimes FNM. Standard I play budget (don't like to change deck every new expansion release.. feels like a waste of money since cards don't really hold value..or at least that's what I think now.. maybe in the future I'll change idea lol)
But since a modern deck is playable forever even if is not budget it's ok.
You should check out the BG Afinity Counter deck. I know there's no blue in it but it does have a lot of counters that gets put on creatures.
A toolbox approach to Abzan could certainly include Glissa, the Traitor. She's better with fewer Lightning Bolts around and she at least requires Revolt for Fatal Push to work. She's obscene with Engineered Explosives and even a recycled Mishra's Bauble is value. Moreover, she's money against almost any creature-based strategy. Eldrazi? It had better fly. Wurmcoil Engine? Not as big of a problem as it usually is.
I think this may be too cute. But I like the idea however.
I agree with tinrockymaces. Bone Picker is a tempo card which we don't need/want. And not to forget, it can't come down on turn 1, which is way worse than delver, and on turn 2 I want my Goyf/Bob/Flayer on the battlefield ideally.
Even if I could play it turn one, I'd rather play a turn 1 discard spell. The card is simply just not good in this format.
Thanks for that. One of my testing group runs fish and he has agreed to have a full night testing it on Tuesday so I will report back once Finished. Is there any space for another damnation in the board instead of a zealous persecution? I felt like I wanted to side out goys in the matchup as they always seemed to have relic and when thinking about it I wondered if double damnation would be viable if I board out goys
I'd say that's a good swap without knowing your sideboard.
Second batch of online data in! April numbers so far:
Dredge - 9.5%
Edrazi Tron - 6.5%
Affinity - 5.0%
Grixis Shadow - 5.0%
Elves - 4.5%
UR Storm - 4.5%
Jund Shadow - 4.5%
Burn - 4.0%
Bant Company - 3.5%
WU Control - 3.5%
Jund Midrange - 3.5%
Abzan Midrange - 3.5%
As expected, the numbers have normalized. Jund Shadow's drop is still the most significant change compared to last month (-7.5%). On the other hand, Dredge (+4.5%), Elves (+3.2%) and Bant Company (+2.5%) results have probably improved the most. All in all, I like the fact that the top dog has changed, even if I personally dislike facing Dredge. Again, these are preliminary results, and even at the end of the month n would just be ~300. Oh well. Any thoughts guys?
These numbers do not support my "ban ancient Stirrings + thoughtseize" agenda, do you mind fudging them a little bit and then repost them?
about 18% of those decks run TS and IoK
I wouldn't say ban them but TS/IoK do have a negative impact on the format in some respects. It pushes other decks into playing non-interactive redundant aggro/aggro-combo decks, it makes winning the die roll even more important than it already is, and it makes mulligans somewhat equivalent to conceding. The format needs a way for decks to interact with the hyper efficient targeted discard.
About 18% of them run fatal push, does the format need ways for decks to interact with hyper efficient targeted removal as well?
Agreed, Combo orientated strategies have always folded to TS/IoK effects and I don't see why people are just feeling the impact of that now.
If your game plan is to use them mainly against burn, then no. They do not care too much about it, that or they just bring in revelries.
Agreed on the last part. Game 2 against Naya Zoo I kept in my bobs thinking they weren't the worst and boy what a mistake that was after I revealed 2 4 cmc cards turn after turn and died.
I would recommend adding sorin to the mainboard for he's just been so amazing for me so far.
Honestly if it works for you, then go for it. I still find it too cute.
I would honestly play 1-2 Gideon Ally of Zendikar in his spot instead. This guy still dies to Damnation and Supreme Verdict. Also our MU against DS decks is pretty even if not in our favor slightly.
Do you know what the meta will be like?
Also why is mystic enforcer in the sideboard? I don't think I've even heard of that card before.
I would suggest giving Esper Control a try.
Well the primise of the deck is based off of the Modular ability which only artifacts have really. So not really.
You should check out the BG Afinity Counter deck. I know there's no blue in it but it does have a lot of counters that gets put on creatures.
I think this may be too cute. But I like the idea however.
Even if I could play it turn one, I'd rather play a turn 1 discard spell. The card is simply just not good in this format.
I'd say that's a good swap without knowing your sideboard.
Agreed, Combo orientated strategies have always folded to TS/IoK effects and I don't see why people are just feeling the impact of that now.
We have plenty of ways to deal with the rack in the form of Thoughtseize/IoK/Abrupt Decay/Maelstrom Pulse.
This MU seems even G1, G2 is even more in our favor however after sideboard.
I'd target Snap if you have the chance. Otherwise hitting their Cryptic Commands, AVs, or other counter magic is good too.