I just starting running a 1 of in my mono-green build. It's been nice in practice. Taking it to a modern local event tonight. It's a great "hmm, didn't quite pan out like the aggre/combo start i wanted", recovery mid-game/late-game spell. I wish i would have run it this weekend at the Modern Event I played. I hit this point of no return, where i needed a couple more damage.
Current Build - not buying Heirarch's, also not a huge fan of Might of Old Krosa, prefer instant speed myself, even if it's only +3/+3. Still messing with balance between Giant Growth and Groundswell. So far i'm liking the 3/3 split. I like the +3/+3 of giant growth to protect from Lightning Bolt, even on their turn.
I was just reading up on yesterday's SCG open, and have been working on a similar change that Owen made, removing temples. I too have found too many swamps though. He said he'd like to cut a swamp for anything. Since I just got my playset of Deathrite Shaman I thought, why not toss one in my MB. It seems to play nicely with pack rat and all the removal and discard spells we use. Gonna test it out I think. Almost makes me want to push 2 into the deck, dropping a devour flesh or ultimate price
Other options to fill that single space
- pitching needle
- ultimate price
- duress (which would then open a slot in the sideboard)
- read the bones (big fan of this card, scry before draw is awesome)
Not a fan overall of whip of Erebos, but I guess it could take the spot. I just never feel it wins me games I'm not already winning.
Way off topic as well, but I agree. The entry point to modern/Legacy is ridiculous. Wizards could take this to heart if the made a complete awesome deck for $50 that included tons of fetches and goyfs, confidants, whatever expensive stuff. Flood the market and bring prices back to a reasonable level. I shouldn'thave to pay as much as a cheap car just to compete in a magic tournament. An event deck is a great way to bring these prices in. They won't do it though. Why would they, magic as a whole is still growing. But for how long?
Proxy events are more fun and show skill more than non-proxy events. Then it's not all about how much money you can spend on magic. It's your skill level that wins.
Make 5 event Decks, hitting the most popular 5 Decks, fully powered. They'd sell like hotcakes
Sure it'd tick off collectors, and a few players, but would bring in a bunch of people who enjoy playing but won't due to cost. I don't play modern for that reason. Not going to take my budget deck to compete with $2,000 stud Decks. It's a waste of money to even enter.
I'm running LBZ over NVS. Way too much G/R and it's a stud there. Also actually thinking about reducing my Temple by 2,adding a nykthos and a Swamp to maybe speed up my board a little. I like Temple sometimes, but having access to some Mana every turn may be better? The temple coming in tapped has always felt slow, despite getting to plan next draw. Just wonder if it'd help against some of the faster Decks.
I'm running 2 Bile, 2 devour, 2 UP/DB (not sure which yet). I like having the 2/2/2 split so far, but concerned with choosing my removal based on local decks, since Cincy will be bigger than that. Non-black vs Mono-Colored, tough choice.
I can understand your hesitation about using Gemstone Mine, especially since your list here runs only 18 lands. 18 Lands is not enough to reliably cast the playset of Jaces you have in there, so I'd try and work in a few Darkslick Shores if you can. They normally run between $3-$4 ea on TCGplayer. Adding a set of Hedron Crabs would help speed up your deck with the added lands. The crab may not look that great on paper, but I recently had a game where I got all 4 of mine out at once. (I don't think it will ever happen again, but it was great!) That's 12 cards milled for every land drop! But I digress....
Darkslick Shores, I've seen some people use River of Tears, and if you decide to get into mill I'd use a set of Misty Rainforest. You could also get a few Shelldock Isles for the late game win. (Remember that you can hide a Jace under one and later cast him for essentially 2!) Hope that helps your mana base a bit.
As far as SB goes, I'd ditch the Hunted Horror. Your MD Echoing Truth can take care of Leylines, so I'd add a few more Extractions to help out vs combo decks like Splinter Twin and Living End. I always use Archive Trap in the MD, but I play mill competitively, so its pretty much a guarantee that the other guy uses fetches unless they're playing a mono-color deck, and then I just hide them with Shelldock or run a few Ghost Quarter to help facilitate a search. If you're ok using them for SB, you're not the only one I know who does that so to each their own.
So I made some decisions based on what you've said here. Seeking out some Darkslick Shores to replace the Gemstones. Adding a pair of Ghost Quarter while the opponent can opt not to put a land in to prevent me from free casting Archive Trap, i assume most will use the chance to put a land in play.
I reduced Jace, Memory Adept by 1. Reduced Noxious Revival by 2. Added another Surgical Extraction
Adjusted Sideboard some, but still kept Hunted Horror in there. I just can't talk myself out of very fast backup win condition if they are playing leyline of sanctity. And that gives me 7 options to combat the Leyline. 4 Echoing Truth and 3 Hunted Horror
Feels a lot better. Still need to pick up a few of the cards, but not expensive ones (Darksteel Shores). I can't wait to test at a modern night in 10 days. See if it actually performs like it does in my personal testing. I do like Hedron Crab, not sure why i took it out of my original builds.
I keep bouncing back and forth about mesmeric orb. As much as it can slow them down, and assist in milling, it also is a pain to me, and makes some top deck control (noxious revival) a bit tougher.
The drawing of Visions and Thought Scour are keys, since my hand empties pretty quick with the amount of low cost spells.
I want a better card than Gemstone Mine, which is great when it comes out, and for 3 turns, but then it goes to graveyard...Underground river gets too painful after a few uses, at 1 life per use. (most spells need the U or B, not 1)
My opponent names his 3/3 as blocker and blocks pack rat #1.
I tap 3 mana and discard my card to create pack rat copy token, making all my pack rats 3/3.
I kill his 3/3 and my pack rat #1, and 3 damage goes through from the untapped pack rat.
Is this correct? There is a thread in archive rulings that seems to say that once the pack rat dies, the other attacking pack rat becomes a 2/2, so only 2 damage goes through.
2) I have 2 pack rat in play with 1 card in hand and 3 available mana sources.
My opponent has a 5/5 creature in play, and declares it as an attacker.
I use 3 mana and discard to create a pack ratcopy token, thus making my 2 blocking pack rat each a 3/3 creature.
He orders damage as pack rat 1 and then pack rat 2. pack rat 1 receives a lethal 3 damage and dies. pack rat 2 recieves 2 damage. He entered the damage step as a 3/3, so he survives but the 5/5 creature has received a total of 6 damage and dies as well.
Is this correct? The archived rulings implied my pack rat 2 would become a 2/2 as the other died and would be dealt 2 damage and die as well. How can power/toughness change during the damage step?
Current Build - not buying Heirarch's, also not a huge fan of Might of Old Krosa, prefer instant speed myself, even if it's only +3/+3. Still messing with balance between Giant Growth and Groundswell. So far i'm liking the 3/3 split. I like the +3/+3 of giant growth to protect from Lightning Bolt, even on their turn.
4 Ichorclaw Myr
4 Mutagenic Growth
3 Groundswell
4 Vines of Vastwood
3 Giant Growth
3 Gitaxian Probe
4 Rancor
4 Sylvan Scrying
2 Dismember
2 Apostle's Blessing
1 Become Immense
4 Inkmoth Nexus
1 Windswept Heath
3 Wooded Foothills
8 Forest
2 Pendelhaven
Other options to fill that single space
- pitching needle
- ultimate price
- duress (which would then open a slot in the sideboard)
- read the bones (big fan of this card, scry before draw is awesome)
Not a fan overall of whip of Erebos, but I guess it could take the spot. I just never feel it wins me games I'm not already winning.
Proxy events are more fun and show skill more than non-proxy events. Then it's not all about how much money you can spend on magic. It's your skill level that wins.
Make 5 event Decks, hitting the most popular 5 Decks, fully powered. They'd sell like hotcakes
Sure it'd tick off collectors, and a few players, but would bring in a bunch of people who enjoy playing but won't due to cost. I don't play modern for that reason. Not going to take my budget deck to compete with $2,000 stud Decks. It's a waste of money to even enter.
I'm running 2 Bile, 2 devour, 2 UP/DB (not sure which yet). I like having the 2/2/2 split so far, but concerned with choosing my removal based on local decks, since Cincy will be bigger than that. Non-black vs Mono-Colored, tough choice.
So I made some decisions based on what you've said here. Seeking out some Darkslick Shores to replace the Gemstones. Adding a pair of Ghost Quarter while the opponent can opt not to put a land in to prevent me from free casting Archive Trap, i assume most will use the chance to put a land in play.
I reduced Jace, Memory Adept by 1. Reduced Noxious Revival by 2. Added another Surgical Extraction
Adjusted Sideboard some, but still kept Hunted Horror in there. I just can't talk myself out of very fast backup win condition if they are playing leyline of sanctity. And that gives me 7 options to combat the Leyline. 4 Echoing Truth and 3 Hunted Horror
Feels a lot better. Still need to pick up a few of the cards, but not expensive ones (Darksteel Shores). I can't wait to test at a modern night in 10 days. See if it actually performs like it does in my personal testing. I do like Hedron Crab, not sure why i took it out of my original builds.
4 Jace, Memory Adept
Spells
4 Breaking // Entering
4 Echoing Truth
4 Mind Funeral
4 Mind Sculpt
4 Noxious Revival
4 Psychic Strike
2 Surgical Extraction
4 Thought Scour
4 Tome Scour
4 Visions of Beyond
4 Drowned Catacombs
2 Gemstone Mine [Underground River]
6 Island
2 Swamp
4 Watery Grave
4 Archive Trap
1 Bojuka Bog
4 Far // Away
4 Hunted Horror
2 Psychic Drain
I am not fully committed to the idea of Mill, so I haven't bought the Glimpse the Unthinkable. Obviously, i would like those in the deck.
My goals for playing this deck:
1) Tome Scour / Thought Scour - hopefully good target for Surgical Extraction turn 1 or 2 as well.
2) Breaking // Entering
3) Mind Funeral
4) Multiple Mill Spells would be great
5) Jace - use zero ability
6) Use zero ability Jace, and then cast a 2nd Jace(removing first Jace), and use that zero ability. Use Thought Scour or Visions to get some new cards as well.
If they aren't mostly out by now, game is over i will lose most likely.
SB
- if opponent has fetch lands, i will side in my archive trap.
- If opponent has Leyline of Sanctity, i will side in Hunted Horror.
- If I need some life, I'll side in Psychic Drain to try to get a little life gain going.
- Tons of creatures? I'll side in Far // Away
- Graveyard love? Side in Bojuka Bog.
I keep bouncing back and forth about mesmeric orb. As much as it can slow them down, and assist in milling, it also is a pain to me, and makes some top deck control (noxious revival) a bit tougher.
The drawing of Visions and Thought Scour are keys, since my hand empties pretty quick with the amount of low cost spells.
I want a better card than Gemstone Mine, which is great when it comes out, and for 3 turns, but then it goes to graveyard...Underground river gets too painful after a few uses, at 1 life per use. (most spells need the U or B, not 1)
1)I have 2 pack pack rat in play, 1 card in hand and 3 mana available.
My opponent has a 3/3 creature in play, with no special notes.
I declare attackers, and select both pack rat
My opponent names his 3/3 as blocker and blocks pack rat #1.
I tap 3 mana and discard my card to create pack rat copy token, making all my pack rats 3/3.
I kill his 3/3 and my pack rat #1, and 3 damage goes through from the untapped pack rat.
Is this correct? There is a thread in archive rulings that seems to say that once the pack rat dies, the other attacking pack rat becomes a 2/2, so only 2 damage goes through.
2) I have 2 pack rat in play with 1 card in hand and 3 available mana sources.
My opponent has a 5/5 creature in play, and declares it as an attacker.
I declare both pack rats to block the 6/6
I use 3 mana and discard to create a pack ratcopy token, thus making my 2 blocking pack rat each a 3/3 creature.
He orders damage as pack rat 1 and then pack rat 2. pack rat 1 receives a lethal 3 damage and dies. pack rat 2 recieves 2 damage. He entered the damage step as a 3/3, so he survives but the 5/5 creature has received a total of 6 damage and dies as well.
Is this correct? The archived rulings implied my pack rat 2 would become a 2/2 as the other died and would be dealt 2 damage and die as well. How can power/toughness change during the damage step?