Agree. I play Izzet Phoenix, from time to time, and the deck has so many problems. Some times it happens that you’re just being lucky with birds, but the metagame isn’t the promise land for it (Surgical maindeck everywhere, lots of Narset, Parter of Veils, Combo crushes it, etc...).
Decks always been decent, but never outstanding or doing anything broken consistently.
If the meta narrows however, I've always been successful enough with it.
I know the deck has never been a Tier (I myself played it for a long time) but the recent addiction aren’t a slight modification, they add so much fuel to the archetype. Charm is a spell MEANT for Blue Moon. Force is, simply put, what makes you willing to tap out on turn two without have to worry about the opponent doing broken things. Sinkhole is a way to deal with Goyf and Delve threats much more consistently than using Roast or Harvest Pyre. Charm also deals with things such as Death’s Shadow, which were always a beating.
I do think that the third Battle Rage is strong at the moment. I had very good results with Ur Bloo and Grixis Shadow packing three of them, lately, and I don’t think I’ll ever go back in this metagame.
I loved Ravnica/Kamigawa Standard while Gifts Ungiven with Kami was a real deck. Maybe the best I have played in any format, just a tad bit below Almost Blue in Vintage.
That said, I enjoyed Modern in 2014, I enjoy it today.
For what it's worth, I took UW to FNM last week. Died on Turn 3 (while on the draw) to Breach Titan, then got Chalice'd for 1 turn 1 game 2 with Surgical, Field, and 2x Path in hand. Then I lost to regular old Galvanic Blast Affinity on turn 3, twice (game 1 and 3, each I was on the draw. Game 3 I had turn 2 Stony Silence).
It’s not that I don’t believe you. It may just happens. But this argument doesn’t lead to the fact that UW isn’t a top Tier deck at the moment. Cause it is.
By the way, that’s another reason why Force of Negation is a mainstay, and not running it in the maindeck is digging your own grave.
@idSurge
I’m sure that there are people displeased by it. But, to me, it seems that Modern is still widely played and most people ARE having fun. For the same reason that, even though I don’t particularly enjoy playing/facing Prison decks, there are lots of players who actually do. Fun is subjective, indeed.
- Izzet Phoenix is good
- Mono Red Phoenix is good
- Urza’s Prison is good
- Bridgevine is good
- Human is the usual beast
- UW Control has game against everyone
- Eldrazi Tron and Creature Toolbox are on the resurgence
We have, more or less, every strategy covered. Can someone explain to me how playing in this environment isn’t fine?
You can’t find me anywhere because I gave up on feeding the trolls.
Hogaak is perfectly fine, imho, and the problem are players that desperately want to run their Midrange decks or go without proper sideboard in such an environment. Hogaak is certainly strong, a Tier 1, but non ‘busted’. As recent results confirm. I can definitely see a Bridge ban if it’s going to become oppressive, but the conversion rate is nowhere near a Tier 0 for the moment.
I’ll remember that in Vintage 6-7 pieces of Grave hate is the norm. But in Modern, no, this is oppression!
I’m kind of astonished for the fact that nobody seems to play this archetype anymore. I’m having a blast, locally, crushing my meta.
I’m still on the Pascal Vernier’s iteration of the deck (Pyro-Thing) with the addition of the new toys. Having a double wincon has been extra useful in so many scenarios, I don’t see myself going back.
a) 19 Blue Spells is 3 too few for a respectable Blue-Count (meant for FoN).
b) Cleric are strong, but I don’t particularly like them maindeck.
c) 23 Lands is one too much (31 mana sources).
d) I would probably play a pair of Deputy in the 60.
e) no CA sources seems just wrong.
I know the deck has never been a Tier (I myself played it for a long time) but the recent addiction aren’t a slight modification, they add so much fuel to the archetype. Charm is a spell MEANT for Blue Moon. Force is, simply put, what makes you willing to tap out on turn two without have to worry about the opponent doing broken things. Sinkhole is a way to deal with Goyf and Delve threats much more consistently than using Roast or Harvest Pyre. Charm also deals with things such as Death’s Shadow, which were always a beating.
This is the Pyromancer-less version, btw:
3 Spirebluff Canal
1 Sulfur Falls
2 Fiery Isle
2 Polluted Delta
2 Flooded Strand
2 Scalding Tarn
2 Steam Vents
5 Island
1 Field of Ruin
Creatures (9)
4 Snapcaster Mage
4 Thing in the Ice
1 Vendilion Clique
4 Opt
4 Sleight of Hand
4 Force of Negation
1 Remand
4 Archmage’s Charm
4 Cryptic Command
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Abrade
2 Flame Slash
2 Magmatic Sinkhole
2 Alpine Moon
1 Abrade
2 Dispel
2 Negate
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Relic of Progenitus
2 Anger of the Gods
2 Ral, Izzet Viceroy
That said, I enjoyed Modern in 2014, I enjoy it today.
It’s not that I don’t believe you. It may just happens. But this argument doesn’t lead to the fact that UW isn’t a top Tier deck at the moment. Cause it is.
By the way, that’s another reason why Force of Negation is a mainstay, and not running it in the maindeck is digging your own grave.
@idSurge
I’m sure that there are people displeased by it. But, to me, it seems that Modern is still widely played and most people ARE having fun. For the same reason that, even though I don’t particularly enjoy playing/facing Prison decks, there are lots of players who actually do. Fun is subjective, indeed.
- Izzet Phoenix is good
- Mono Red Phoenix is good
- Urza’s Prison is good
- Bridgevine is good
- Human is the usual beast
- UW Control has game against everyone
- Eldrazi Tron and Creature Toolbox are on the resurgence
We have, more or less, every strategy covered. Can someone explain to me how playing in this environment isn’t fine?
So far, my prediction was more than accurate. Hogaak Tier 1, nowhere near to being oppressive.
Hogaak is perfectly fine, imho, and the problem are players that desperately want to run their Midrange decks or go without proper sideboard in such an environment. Hogaak is certainly strong, a Tier 1, but non ‘busted’. As recent results confirm. I can definitely see a Bridge ban if it’s going to become oppressive, but the conversion rate is nowhere near a Tier 0 for the moment.
I’ll remember that in Vintage 6-7 pieces of Grave hate is the norm. But in Modern, no, this is oppression!
Teferi and Ice-Fang are replacing themselves, and that’s it. Try it with this configuration, but I suspect you won’t go far against any grind deck.
I guess you didn’t play much that time.
I’m still on the Pascal Vernier’s iteration of the deck (Pyro-Thing) with the addition of the new toys. Having a double wincon has been extra useful in so many scenarios, I don’t see myself going back.
4 Spirebluff Canal
3 Fiery Isle
2 Polluted Delta
2 Flooded Strand
2 Scalding Tarn
2 Steam Vents
5 Island
Creatures (10)
4 Snapcaster Mage
3 Thing in the Ice
3 Young Pyromancer
4 Opt
4 Sleight of Hand
4 Force of Negation
4 Archmage’s Charm
4 Cryptic Command
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Abrade
2 Flame Slash
2 Magmatic Sinkhole
2 Alpine Moon
1 Beacon Bolt // Abrade
2 Dispel
2 Negate
3 Surgical Extraction
1 Relic of Progenitus
2 Anger of the Gods
2 Ral, Izzet Viceroy
a) 19 Blue Spells is 3 too few for a respectable Blue-Count (meant for FoN).
b) Cleric are strong, but I don’t particularly like them maindeck.
c) 23 Lands is one too much (31 mana sources).
d) I would probably play a pair of Deputy in the 60.
e) no CA sources seems just wrong.