Some cards whose price had raised too much in the last two years have been reprinted as well. In this category we find Fulminator Mage, Noble Hierarch, Spellskite, Remand, Splinter Twin and Daybreak Coronet. In the case of the later two, these cards have appeared in the collection without the combo cards that make them work in Modern (Deceiver Exarch for Twin, and any other aura for Coronet). Kiki-Jiki+Pestermite was a combo that was very present in the first Modern Masters format, and probably they wanted to avoid it; however, not making room to cards like Rancor and some totem armors and/or hybrid mana auras from Shadowmoor/Eventide to make Daybreak Coronnet playable in the format is a clear mistake. The conclusion is clear: if you get a money rare, don't expect to win Limited games with it.
Finally, there are the missing cards from this set. There are many cards that were printed in the first Modern Masters edition that didn't appear in this new edition, like Blood Moon, Engineered Explosives and Vedalken Shackles. In order to make room to new additions, specially if they're rare cards, you need to cut older cards, so there's little to complain about it. However, after two editions there are some cards that haven't been printed yet. The most flagrant case is Serum Visions. With the scry ability being present in Theros, we all thought (or hoped) that the card would be reprinted in that block; we didn't only get the original one, but nothing remotely similar. Now it hasn't been reprinted in Modern Masters again, and its price is skyrocketing.
Once the understanding of the game has improved, Wizards have realized the best decks are both consistent and versatile, something you can only achieve with the control of what you draw via cantrips. Modern is a format in which you can't have it all and you are forced to make a choice: the consistent deck that has a very streamlined plan but can be easily hated, or the versatile deck that has reactive cards that can be useful in a large amount of match-ups, but will still have some unwinnable pairings and, since there aren't completely versatile answers against the full metagame, can still draw the wrong ones against a given opponent.
Other effects that Wizards seem to dislike are stealing creatures (not only Shackles disappear, but Sower of Temptation and Threads of Disloyalty haven't been reprinted), preventing players from searching their libraries (Shadow of Doubt and Aven Mindcensor haven't made the cut twice, while Leonin Arbiter could have been reprinted this year but it wasn't as well) and cheating fatties into play (Goryo's Vengeance and Through the Breach). Inquisition of Kozilek hasn't been printed too, but it appeared in the Modern event deck a year ago.
Overall, the selection of cards in Modern Masters 2015 is pretty good, and if we only look at money cards even better than in the previous Modern Masters edition (something we should already expect from the price increase). The price of some of the reprinted cards is already falling down, so May is a good month to start building or completing your Modern pool, before there is the rebound effect that we observed with the original Modern Masters edition.
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Last active Fri, Oct, 11 2019 06:05:01
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An experienced player knows the infinite loops of the deck and that could save you a lot of time... once you got there. But with combo decks there are many games in which you are forced to go off without knowing beforehand if you'll succeed, but it's that or losing next turn, and those turns can take long. KCI goes faster than original Eggs, but still slower than Storm.
Regarding Forsythe opinion on Stoneforge Mystic, his reasoning for not unbanning it is as silly as if they banned it in Legacy to stop Miracles.
U Bounce Negate
Instant
As an additional cost to cast this spell, return an Island you control to its owner's hand.
Counter target noncreature spell.
This one can't counter Primeval Titan, but could compete for the maindeck spot with Stubborn Denial. Problem with cheap counterspells is that you never know when they'll backfire, and the card you intended to be played by non-blue decks ends up consolidating blue dominance or something that should help fair decks gets abused by unfair ones.
B Bounce Thoughtseize
Sorcery
As an additional cost to cast this spell, return a Swamp you control to its owner's hand.
Target player reveals his or her hand. Choose a nonland card from it. That player discards that card.
Tempo loss is more significant with discard spells, as you play them proactively. Against a fast aggro deck, losing one land can be more devastating than Thoughtseize life loss. However, this card has good synergy with Liliana of the Veil, Collective Brutality and Tireless Tracker, and I could see it getting some room in Rock decks alongside Inquisition of Kozilek.
W Bounce Flash Morningtide
Instant
As an additional cost to cast this spell, return a Plains you control to its owner's hand.
Exile all cards from all graveyards.
With Rest in Peace in the Modern card pool, original Morningtide would have no room in this format. However, this version could become the most devastating graveyard hate spell due to instant speed and just requiring to leave one land untapped to exile Phoenixes or Dredge creatures about to enter the battlefield.
R Bounce Bolt
Instant
As an additional cost to cast this spell, return a Mountain you control to its owner's hand.
Deal 3 damage to any target.
If Shard Volley got to be played in Burn, this is an improved version that combines well with Searing Blaze. If we intended to help control decks instead (I'd never play this in a deck with Cryptic Command), it could deal more damage (4? 5?) but only to creatures or planeswalkers.
G Bounce Pump
Instant
As an additional cost to cast this spell, return a Forest you control to its owner's hand.
Target creature gets +3/+3 and gains trample and hexproof until end of turn.
This should be an upgrade to Blossoming Defense. In a deck with as few lands as Infect, the bounce clause can be helpful if you cast this on your main phase and replay the Forest to cast a Might of Old Krosa or Groundswell.
The idea is good, but this card is better than Izzet Charm with an easier to pay mana cost. I'd downgrade it to choose between Dispel, Envelop, Unsummon and Opt to imagine it being printed.
Though best advice is play with red.
WU Submerge into Light
Instant
Put target creature on top of its owner's library.
Probably UW doesn't need much removal now, but it's an effect barely used and it fits those colors in the color pie.
After playing some Legacy and seeing Baleful Strix in action, I agree with the Faerie crew that Faerie Miscreant was a wasted opportunity. I guess the design team believes this is too good (I find it hard to understand why):
U Miscreant Sprite
Creature - Faerie Rogue
Flying
When ~ enters the battlefield, draw a card.
1/1
So if we can't ensure the card draw for 1 mana, what about increasing the cost to 2? If it's a Faerie, I wouldn't mind trading deathtouch for flash, even if the bonus is as tiny as Peek that doesn't care about Leyline of Sanctity.
1U Peeking Faerie
Creature - Faerie Rogue
Flash
Flying
When ~ enters the battlefield, look at each player's hand, then draw a card.
1/1
Btw, there are Faeries in Ravnica, and one pending expansion set in there.
The core would be:
4 Pteramander
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Force of Will
4 Daze
4 Wasteland
6 Island
8 fetchland
This still leaves you with 18 spells to add. I think True-Name Nemesis is the best extra threat you can play if you want to take the tempo approach. Thought Scour also plays well with many cards in the deck. Many could argue Stifle might fit into this deck, but as Team CFB claimed, that card makes you lose win% and I guess they were right. A few extra counterspells and some removal (playing just blue will usually be bouncers, Dismember or stuff like Piracy Charm) and the deck should be finished.
I guess that given that Ptelamander won't adapt until late, getting value from it with Ninja of the Deep Hours might be a good idea. However, I believe that the right way to play ninjas is with value creatures (Spellstutter Sprite, Snapcaster Mage, Baleful Strix...), and not cheap evasive ones, which would force the deck to go in a different direction.
This would be my first draft: https://www.mtgsalvation.com/decks/9031-monoblue-delver