Stoic Angel? More like "Boring Angel", right guys? Restoration Angel, Linvala, Avacyn, even Angel of Serenity deserve to be on that booster more than Stoic Angel. A card that literally sees zero play, zero emotional impact (I dare you to pull that and feel like your money was well spent), and gives zero incentive to buy their product.
I'm semi-retiring from Magic after watching this Pro Tour. The whole Dimirtirus vs Lucas game 1 and the entire Segovia vs Nguyen debacle makes me not want to play this game. That plus the prices and the possible drop of a ban hammer if something does too good. It just makes me want to avoid buying anything.
We have got to get these prices under control. Wizards, go big or go home.
RED - Goblin Guide, Blood Moon, Through the Breach, Grim Lavamancer
BLUE - Snapcaster Mage, Ancestral Visions, Vendillion Clique, Tamiyo Moon Sage
WHITE - Serra Ascendant, Restoration Angel, Auriok Champion, Restoration Angel
GREEN - Goyf, Scavenging Ooze, Azsuza, Scapeshift, Vengevine, Craterhoof Behemoth, Noble Hierarch
BLACK - Liliana Veil, Dark Confidant, Bloodghast, Damnation, Phyrexian Obliterator
Cavern of Souls, Aether Vial, Crucible of World, Ensnaring Bridge, Engineered Explosives, Voice of Resurgence, Horizon Canopy, Grove of the burnwillows, Grafddigger's Cage, Spellskite. Uncommons and commons will include SSG, Bolt, Path,Serum Visions.
I agree that Probe created an issue. Free information allowed unfair decks to go all out and decks were using it for strategies that just needed cards in the yard or a free spell to cantrip. If we're completely honest with ourselves we know this to be true and it's not a healthy interaction.
My concern with Baleful Strix is that it's really good against fair decks, especially BGx and these already aren't doing very well t the moment. It's good against aggressive decks such as Affinity and Infect as well as Eldrazi but in my opinion hurts fair decks too much. If you play a fair deck (BGx for example) you basically need a removal for it otherwise it will trade with one of your creatures and even if you have a removal for it, it's still a 2 for 1 which is good enough.
I would say BGx is in considerably better shape than UBx right now. Much, much better. Giving blue/black more stalling against aggressive strategies seems fair because they already don't run that many creatures that roadblocks threats - let's be honest that most of the BGx two drops have to be answered in some way. Jund and Abzan already runs cards like bolt, grim lavamancer, seal of fire, terminate, abrupt decay, kolaghan's command, maelstrom pulse, liliana, or path to exile. Control loses a lot of times by running out of gas and not being able to answer threats. A cantrip that can block a threat is reasonably suited. I mean, against something like Eldrazi with Cavern of Souls they lose their entire counter magic.
My opponent is going to use Nahiri, the Harbinger to fetch Emrakul, the Aeons Torn. My best bet is to get rid of Nahiri before that happens, but let's assume that I failed to do that for some reason, and Emrakul has just been put on the battlefield. We move to combat. What are my options in Modern to stop Emrakul (and her Annihilator ability)?
Stasis Snare, though I want to avoid this because if Statis Snare leaves, Emrakul is back on the battlefield instead of in my opponent's hand (as Nahiri's ability would make happen). Master Warcraft to prevent Emrakul from being declared as an attacker. Crackling Doom to get the opponent to sacrifice her.
Does Summary Dismissal work? (Does "Emrakul can't be countered" mean her abilities as well?)
What are some other options I have?
If we knew what colors you ran it may help narrow the list. But Grafdigger's Cage, Shadow of Doubt, Pithing Needle on Nahiri, Hallowed Moonlight, Maelstrom Pulse on Nahiri, Detention Sphere on Nahiri, Crackling Doom, Cryptic Command, Deflecting Palm, etc. Emrakul has protection from all colors so she can't be targeted, but you can get around it.
Overall I'd say Grafdigger's Cage is a good universal hate card because it comes down for 1 colorless mana and also hits coco, chord, snapcaster mage, griselshoal, dredge.
Baleful Strix is a good card for Modern as it stops aggro in it's tracks and can block inkmoth nexus, all the affinity fliers, eldrazi, and it draws a card. Innocent Blood would be helpful for getting rid of Turn 1 creatures like Bogles, Glistener Elf, ramp, etc. Containment Priest would severely punish opponents trying to cheat creatures enter play ranging from Griselshoal, Coco, Dredge.
The World Magic Cup was full of non-interactive decks. I can't blame the players for wanting to be the fastest and most powerful as you are almost guaranteed victory if your opponents plan doesn't involve interacting with you. And even then, their victory chances is dependent on how much they can stop you.
If you were in a race and you had the fastest engine but it was delicate and susceptible to damage, as opposed to having a reliable engine that will for sure get you across the finish line, which would you take? The reliable engine will never outpace the speedy one, but in a race of pure speed the later will always win. So what do you do when everyone is focused on pure speed? You trim the max potential allowed. I truly believe we are at a point speed will be banned in some form and at the same time, we need the more dependable engines more appealing.
There is just too many powerful threats and not enough red support to make a competitive burn deck. You could totally win a game or two at FNM against a homebrew or low quality deck. The creatures and planeswalkers are just so efficient that you are either forced to deal with them or better have a tight mid and late zone that gets around them or play fast threats yourself. Even mtgoldfish's budget mono red is centered around aggro.
If you are trying mono red burn there would be no reason not to add bedlem reveler, Chandra torch, or red gearhulk.
As an infect player I'm fine with Become Immense being banned. I just go back to playing Groudswell and call it a day. Hurts Suicide Zoo more. If they ban SSG it damages Ad Nauseam so much that I expect players to quit the deck. I would be fine with Mox Opal being banned but know that is very unlikely.
I still think a counterspell that has a limitation and a situational effect would help. Something as simple as two mana to counter a three drop or less and pay additional kicker/discard/pay life to counter any spell or bounce or stifle something. I'm not saying we should break blue, but a little helping hand doesn't hurt.
What if they printed a cheap counterspell that has a kicker or escalate effect? Like pay 2 mana to counter a 3 drop or less. The additional effect would be like.. kicker for 1 and counter target spell. Or escalate pay 3 life: counter target spell instead.
Baleful Strix, Innocent Blood, a cheap counterspell that can hit 3 or less spells, and someway to gain hand advantage that is not overpowered. I would absolutely support Baleful Strix in Modern. It trades with creatures and is a cantrip --incredible road block against aggressive strategies. Grixis can tap out against against infect, zoo and others and not have the weight of the world on their shoulders.
RED - Goblin Guide, Blood Moon, Through the Breach, Grim Lavamancer
BLUE - Snapcaster Mage, Ancestral Visions, Vendillion Clique, Tamiyo Moon Sage
WHITE - Serra Ascendant, Restoration Angel, Auriok Champion, Restoration Angel
GREEN - Goyf, Scavenging Ooze, Azsuza, Scapeshift, Vengevine, Craterhoof Behemoth, Noble Hierarch
BLACK - Liliana Veil, Dark Confidant, Bloodghast, Damnation, Phyrexian Obliterator
Cavern of Souls, Aether Vial, Crucible of World, Ensnaring Bridge, Engineered Explosives, Voice of Resurgence, Horizon Canopy, Grove of the burnwillows, Grafddigger's Cage, Spellskite. Uncommons and commons will include SSG, Bolt, Path,Serum Visions.
Overall I'd say Grafdigger's Cage is a good universal hate card because it comes down for 1 colorless mana and also hits coco, chord, snapcaster mage, griselshoal, dredge.
Put up a better roadblock against unfair decks.
If you were in a race and you had the fastest engine but it was delicate and susceptible to damage, as opposed to having a reliable engine that will for sure get you across the finish line, which would you take? The reliable engine will never outpace the speedy one, but in a race of pure speed the later will always win. So what do you do when everyone is focused on pure speed? You trim the max potential allowed. I truly believe we are at a point speed will be banned in some form and at the same time, we need the more dependable engines more appealing.
If you are trying mono red burn there would be no reason not to add bedlem reveler, Chandra torch, or red gearhulk.