MTG Salvation

Quote from MikePemulis »

What are you playing these days, Jordan? Are you still on Mandrills, or have you migrated to Hexdrinker or Mongoose? For what it's worth, I'm super pleased with roughly 56/60 of my main deck right now, and while it's hard to say we're well-positioned, I think we have gotten some important tools in these last few sets.

I will say that while Jund was never easy, Wrenn and Six has made it that much more difficult. That card is a house against us. Pings our dudes, drowns us in card advantage. It even makes the Blood Moon plan pretty sketchy postboard.

I'm on this. Wrenn and Six is great in this kind of strategy IMO, just have to build around it a bit.

I would join a facebook group. A couple things though:

- Consider having multiple admins in case something goes wrong with one user. I'd be happy to admin if needed.
- A big benefit of facebook over Discord is that it's thread-based, liked reddit, but you can scroll through the posts, making it more like a forum. I too think this is a cleaner replacement than Discord, which is just a massive chat stream.
- I have Discord but never use it; I don't like the auto-launch, the RAM it takes up while running, or the notifications. When I do launch it myself, I end up closing it after doing a quick check of whatever "subs" I follow. Maybe I'm just using it wrong, but I don't see it working for me personally, and wonder if others might share a similar experience. Since Discord works better for some users and facebook for others, why not just have both? Seems like there's ample motivation in this thread to keep the discourse going elsewhere.

On the news of mtgsalvation closing, I agree it's disappointing stuff. I'm very proud of the community we've built in this thread and the level of insight we were able to achieve through our dedication to a few silly Modern cards. I'll try to update the primer before the site becomes archived to be more comprehensive and include recent developments, and will take recs on how to go about doing that. Thanks to everyone who's contributed over the years!

Quote from mikej »

I have a suggestion, and I know it may sound a bit controversial.

If you don't like ban talk, then don't open a thread specifically talking about the State of Modern and B&R.

Crazy, I know.

As Kathal alluded to, this thread exists because that sort of discussion is inevitable on a board about Modern. It's necessary to keep other threads from getting derailed by ban talk. A more practical (and simple) solution: if you don't like ban talk, then don't enter a thread specifically talking about the State of Modern and B&R. Unless that's what you meant by "open," in which case yeah.

Hey guys, wrote a piece about the possible banlist candidates from Phoenix, the implications of each card and reasons Wizards might hit it, and what it would take for an Izzet ban in the first place. Read it here: http://modernnexus.com/ashes-ashes-should-wizards-address-phoenix/

In a nutshell, I agree with most posters here that the deck won't be touched until May 20, and even then not unless it continues to put up results similar to those of GP LA and Bilbao. Manamorphose seems like the most elegant hit to me (sorry Storm!).

Quote from cfusionpm »

Quote from gkourou »

This is neither friendly to new users, nor respectful to other people's opinions.

Do you think that there is this minor possibility that some people have invested thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours of their life into a format they once loved, only to see it transform in to an amalgamation of trash and frustration that bares no resemblance to what it once was?

I don't really understand this argument, although I do see it a lot. The cards from Twin held their value, and are in fact more valuable now than they ever have been. If you hate Modern, feel free to cash out for a profit!

Quote from jokerstyle00 »

Quote from ashtonkutcher »

Quote from jokerstyle00 »

So how do people approach big mana matchups? Tron's a little more clear cut, but my LGS has two Amulet Titan players and I always seem to get matched up with at least one of them. Any things in particular to keep in mind against an Amulet Titan player?

I have found this matchup to be very easy. Fast Chalice on 1 is great; on 0 is also powerful. TKS wrecks them as does Ghost Quarter. Ratchet fine to bring in post-board to deal with stray Amulets but mostly to power through Hornet Queen tokens if it comes to that; otherwise, the mainboard is well-equipped.

Thanks for the info! Random question, without hand info, which is better, Chalice on 0 or 1?

1 firs then 0. 1 Turns off Stirrings and Amulet which are their primary enablers. 0 counters Pact which is a payoff, and Explosives which removes Chalice, so you can wait a little before deploying it.

Quote from jokerstyle00 »

So how do people approach big mana matchups? Tron's a little more clear cut, but my LGS has two Amulet Titan players and I always seem to get matched up with at least one of them. Any things in particular to keep in mind against an Amulet Titan player?

I have found this matchup to be very easy. Fast Chalice on 1 is great; on 0 is also powerful. TKS wrecks them as does Ghost Quarter. Ratchet fine to bring in post-board to deal with stray Amulets but mostly to power through Hornet Queen tokens if it comes to that; otherwise, the mainboard is well-equipped.

This deck is just a few weeks old, from Feb. 15. Whether it "counts" as a "planeswalker deck" is for you to decide, but if War gives us more playable walkers, I wouldn't be surprised if some other Modern decks, especially control-aligned ones, ended up leaning this way as well.

Quote from Mikefon »

Quote from MikePemulis »

I think other than exactly Jund and Rock, Huntmaster is just the best 4 drop currently in print for the deck. The value is great and it wins if it sticks, but it also does good stuff like damage through a Bridge, lifegain against the aggro decks, blockers for GDS ... It's just great. Hazoret is probably better against the Thoughtseize decks that don't have Path, but in all the other matchups, I'd rather go a little wider.

Went 2-1 last night. Lost to Phoenix 0-2, though the games were close. Beat both Dredge and Storm 2-0, and the Dredge games were both won by countering key discard outlets with either Shoal or Pierce, not through hate. Surgical wrapped up game 2 against Storm. I stuck a Grafdigger's Cage in over my general catch all, Delay, and never saw it and never wanted to. Phoenix killed me with Thing and Drake, and Cage doesn't do anything there. What I really wanted was another Flame Slash in the 75, so I may try that out next week.

I'm also learning that except in the ultra grindy matchups, I'm probably overboarding. Instead of the 7-10 cards I often sideboard in, I've been more like 3-6 lately and happier for it. The Shoal plan feels great right now against most of the top decks. I'm even going to cut a Blood Moon down to 2 I the board, which feels awful given how much I love that card, but all I want right now are extra Spell Pierces and removal that kills x/4s.

I was also toying with the idea of going down to 1 Snapcaster and playing a Nimble Obstructionist, Vendilion Clique, or even Savage Knuckleblade as my 15th creature. Snapcaster has just been a little slow and I want more ways to close the game faster that don't rely on recasting Bolts. Having a 9th ferocious enabler with Knucks is also super tempting. Thoughts?

I'm on Countercats but despite path I still have to win a game against Phoenix decks. I definitely need to test more, but it's not a great match up for tempo decks.
I feel that 2 moons are enough in this meta.
About knucks: I always love having it in the deck. It can have Haste and sometimes it may also dodge removals. And as a 6/6 can close the games really quickly. The only problem is that it isn't evasive.

Try our sideboard, we like the Phoenix matchup okay:

Quote from tronix »

this conversation is derailing. the point is that we know and wizards knows that reprints should happen at some point because its mutually beneficial. the masters line was the premier method of accomplishing this, and wizards has expressed plans to do a higher, but more evenly distributed, spread of reprints across products. horizons seemed like a decent place to include some, but wizards seems to have gone out of their way to forego that opportunity.

its still early in the year, and the product announcement timelines have changed. people get worried, but the best we can do for the moment is to wait and see how they handle the situation/issue/whatever you want to call it.

Derailing? "Modern Prices" are literally what this thread is about. "High price bad" is something parroted constantly here and I'd like to at last figure out how its parroters justify such a mentality to themselves when the rest of the world (Wizards included) seems to operate in the opposite way.

Hey everyone! After much deliberation, I am deciding to step down from my magic career that spans 9 years and retire from magic. This post is a thank-you post to the RUG community and all the awesome effort that they have invested in Temur Delver. I have made many good memories piloting this deck, my favorites including: ending 10-5 at my first GP (you can read my tournament report here. Scroll down to near the bottom and expand the spoilers) , spending many a college class scribbling Temur decklists next to my statistics notes, posting sideboarding guides here on the forums (under Riku_the_Wizard, see this for an example), getting my custom Temur Delver playmat (which is attached down below), and getting my hooting mandrills signed by @ashtonkutcher (aka Jordan Bosivert of Modern Nexus).

Also attached below are images of my current decklist and temur toolkit that has everything I need to craft the best Temur Delver list. And yes, all the cards pictured except for the 3 Surgicals, 2 Delay and 1 Hazoret are FOIL. GP Los Angeles 3/1/2019 will be my last hurrah for magic, a victory lap so-to-say. It will be a farewell to the game and my beloved deck of choice. I'm probably not going to play in the main event, but I will for sure be jamming some side events with the deck before I hand it over to the vendors.

As a thank you to @ashtonkutcher for the countless hours, articles, and postings he has put into the archetype, I will be mailing him a card of his choice from the aforementioned collection. So Jordan, send me a message so I can get that card shipped out to ya! Thank you so so much!

And also as a way of expressing my gratitude to the people who post here, I will be giving away one more card. One lucky person will also receive a card of his/her choosing! Here are the necessary conditions that you need to meet in order to have a chance of winning:

1. You need to have at least ONE post in this thread before 2/14/2019.
2. You hit this post with a like.

And that's it! A week from today, I will be conducting a drawing from the list of usernames that have met the above conditions and will be selecting one of them at random to be the lucky winner. "This is a promotion by RikuTheWizard. Wikia does not sponsor or endorse RikuTheWizard’s promotion and is not responsible for this promotion."

Again, thanks everyone for the great times and memories. As for why I am deciding to quit magic, there are a couple of reasons. 1) I've become disillusioned with the game. Between how much time it takes during the matches to shuffle decks, personal distastes of games that include mulligans, the streamlining and "weaponizing" of Modern, and how little enjoyment I get out of the game nowadays: my passion for the game has run its course. 2) Realizing that there is more to life than having shiny pieces of cardboard. I look at how much money I have spent on these things that just don't last and I wonder if there are better things I could be doing with my money. Throughout my magic career, I would always want more and shinier cards, thinking that once I acquired them I would be satisfied and happy. But the truth is, that anytime we look to material things for fulfillment, they never provide it. Sure, it feels good to acquire new magic cards, but feelings fade and pretty soon I find myself wanting to feel that good feeling again. And so the cycle continues. Don't let this happen to you!

Anyways, I digress. It's been a good ride, fellow Delver and Hootie aficionados. May your Delvers always flip, Goyfs always be 6/7's, and Thought Scours never mill all your fetchable lands. -Riku.

Man, i was really thinking about building this deck but after seeing how horrible and toxic the people who play it are, example Ashton, I'm definitely not making it any more. It really seems to me like this forum is just a cult meant to praise all that is Ashton and everything he does, and that anyone who says anything even slightly out of line just immediately gets hated out because Ashton is so insecure about his own intelligence. That any innovation that goes against Ashton's previously held beliefs on the deck is immediately singled out and hated on because he and his followers have no idea what an open mind is. Sorry, but this place just seems completely toxic and horrible.

gg

WOTC banlist commentary to lighten the mood. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYrslokS2Ac&feature=youtu.be

It would seem that lately I can't talk about Modern without receiving a warning. So let me use my 1,000th post to simply say:
FREE TREASURE CRUISE!!!

Oh my god just saw the update so I'm late to the party. Literally crying with laughter haha. I don't even know what to say.

Quote from bocephus »

Not in the current Delver/Pod meta, but it was viable pre KTK. What tools is it lacking? We have finishers in multiple colors, cheap card draw, counters.. I think people have a way too high expectation for the deck.

What tools isn't it lacking? The cheap card draw is more beneficial to aggro oriented decks than control, the counters are too conditional or too slow, the finishers are terrible, I could go on for days.

The problem with control in this format is it's bad. Everything about it is bad because the threats are so much more powerful than the answers.

Wizards changed design direction and blue got left behind. Treasure Cruise and Delver of Secrets are two prime examples of what is wrong with the color. The color's very own cards are contributing to making control unplayable. At some point Wizards decided that counter magic was too good, that card draw was too good, that cantrips were too good, that removal was too good. At the same time they made the threats that those cards answer even better. I remember when Call of the Herd was one of the most expensive cards in standard. A card like Voice of Resurgence or Tarmogoyf would have blown our minds back then, and that was when Fact or Fiction and Counterspell were standard legal.

Design direction changed but the color pie largely did not. Blue still gets counter magic, card draw, and cantrips, but now 99% of it is unplayable chaff and most of what does make it to print is banned. To compensate for the fact that nearly every spell printed in blue will end up in a trash can they had to take risks with printing stronger blue creatures. That's why we end up with cards like Delver of Secrets and Geist of St. Traft. You or whoever can complain endlessly that blue gets the best aggro creature (not true regardless) but what's the alternative? Clearly everything that is decidedly blue is also decidedly broken; there was no other option aside from reserving the entire color for the casual corner. And I really shouldn't give Wizards any ideas considering the direction UB and UG have taken.

In the meantime colors like green, red, black, and white which have always had creatures and other inoffensive card types as parts of their color pie continue to get those cards; cards that power creep and design direction have made stronger and stronger with every set. For whatever reason it is okay to print cards like Monastery Swiftspear, Voice of Resurgence, Thrun, the Last Troll, and Emrakul (trying to hit all the archetype bases here), but an unconditional 2cmc Counterspell is clearly overpowered. Birthing Pod is a perfectly acceptable card advantage engine, but Ancestral Vision is so overpowered it was never even given a chance to see the light of Modern.

So what exactly do you mean by "high expectations?" I guess I'm supposed to apologize here for expecting control to be a viable archetype because clearly Wizards has not written that into the format's future. I'm not going to though. I'm going to read this thread and be the crotchety old man as everyone complains about the plague of midrange and combo decks that dominate the format while in the same breath screaming for every blue card that's printed to be banned. Some people are very vocal about turning Modern into the same kind of midrange slugfest that Standard has devolved into, and before long they'll probably get their wish. All I'm hoping is that my collection will be worth a small fortune by then so I can sell out and go sit on the beach for a few weeks.

I wouldn't say splasing white is greedy. Actually, since the release of KTK (today!!!!), splashing anything is just fine. You're just turning your back on an abundance of utility lands in favor of, well, fetches and 3rd color lands. Personally, I'm just waiting for the release hype to cool down (and prices) and then will hunt said fetches and get back to rainbow brewing.

But anyways, to the new speakers: thanks for the input!

On another topic. Some of you guys may remember that dreaded countercats match-up I've been whining about for months? Well, that guy [now a friend], who just beats me every_single_time in the finals of our FNM, just put up a primer. If some of you are curious, you can find his list in the linked thread. I'd say with the obvious burn and U-tron, this deck has got to be one of our toughest match-ups, if not literally our Archnemesis! Even though it's not super-popular at the moment, I've seen (and played against) different iterations of it that have been lurking around big events here in Montreal. Specifically, I'd be interested to hear your sideboard ideas against it.

Countercats thread:

http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/modern/modern-deck-creation/573218-counter-cat