This is the list I've been tweaking for a local 42 person Modern League that starts on Monday. I was testing a list without Remand but also without as many ramp spells as this one is running, and it felt terrible - after adding more ramp spells, I don't miss remand at all. With less ramp in the deck, remand buys you a turn (though that happens less and less with how fast the format has gotten), in which you can hit a land drop and then cast Scapeshift. Why not just ramp and win a turn sooner instead?
A lot of the deck is pretty locked in, the only slots I am still playing with are the Anger in the main, the Relics, and the cards for the Repeal/Into the Roil slot. The logic on Into the Roil is that it's better at bouncing Delve creatures, and if I am Blood Moon'd in game 1 I can find a card to bounce it off of a Bring to Light with all non-basics + 1 Island and 1 Forest. Not having to have the basic swamp in play to be able to BTL for a Cryptic is nice.
I know some players aren't too hot on Jace, and while he is not awesome in some matchups, I expect a lot of control and midrange in the league.
The Relics have been decent, not stellar all the time but when they're good they're great and when they're bad they cantrip. I did lose a match with an old build of this deck when someone Surgical Extraction'd my Valakut, and I like that they answer that line.
I'm posting here because I want people's thoughts on my sideboard - I'm not running the Madcap combo because, after round 1, everyone's decklists will be public to eachother. I feel like losing out on the surprise factor makes that plan way worse.
When I realized that I only have 3 cards main and 1 side with a CMC of 1 (and one of those is an X spell), I started thinking about Chalice of the Void out of the board. I would obviously have to cut some cards for it, but there's been a recent uptick in Death's Shadow decks here and I am trying to figure out a sideboard plan that's good against them. I could run 2 Negate and cut the Dispel, and in the matchups where both Relic and Chalice are good (Storm, KCI, Hollow One(?)... any others?) I am probably not too upset if I can't play my Relic because I've got a Chalice on 1 - it'll be hard for my opponent to win through that anyway.
Has anyone tried Chalice in the board? If so, how was it? Would it be worth bringing in vs. Humans even though they have vial?
Quite late replying here - I hope your league starts well!
I'm completely with you on ramp over remand, and I like the one of roil a lot for just that reason. The only time it's really sad to have is when you're bouncing a death's shadow or vial, and I think the added easy of bouncing hollow one/delve threats is probably a good call.
Jace I haven't had much luck with, but I'll be interested to hear your experience.
I was pretty underwhelmed by the relics as well, with the "save me from surgical" line being the most impressive thing about them.
As to Chalice, I'm curious if you decided to use them - I don't like them here at all really. They're pretty weak against Humans due to both cavern and vial, and while they are pretty great against storm and KCI, I feel like you're better off with damping sphere there.
I've been grinding RUGw BTL online for a bit now and have two problems that repeatedly come up: (1) hands that would be incredible if they had a green source and (2) occasional clunkiness with the manabase - either being tough to get to UUU for cryptic or to get 4 colors for BTL - especially by turn 3 or 4. This gets worse when you need UUUU for cryptic+snap or cryptic+BTL, or cryptic+izzetcharm/remand/dispel. See also: when you draw the wrath/damnation and don't have double W or B.
I'm going to try testing a solution to both - 2x manamorphose. It seems like something of a natural inclusion here, giving us a pseudo-green source in opening hands, smoothing for turn 3-4 BTL with 4 colors, smoothing cryptic mana (and letting you cryptic with like GRWU up), giving us an out from under a blood moon that we were unprepared for, and letting us play essentially a 58 card deck.
Downsides I expect - plays worse under Thalia, can lead to some difficult mulligan decisions if you have 2 in the opener or 1+land.
I've only recently picked up the deck, but I think I prefer Baloth here over Pia and Kirin due to (1) not wanting to fetch two red sources when possible and (2) baloth is sooo much better against Hollow One (flip in off inquiry and able to block/kill hollow one himself)
Y’all crazy. Control matches have definitely gotten closer but we are still the apex predator.
Crucibl of worlds in the 75 helps both these matches. Know their strategy. The main way they win is landing an early threat and out tempo-ing us. Do the same to them. Or have spatial for their threats. UW lists have been running resto angel... be prepared. ¯\_(..)_/¯.
This has been my experience as well. Crucible in particular helps the 4 Field of Ruin matchups quite a bit.
May actually look at switching back towards a gifts build because of how good they've been for me.
I realize the UU cost can still be steep for us, but a hard counter for UU with a Mage on the field is exceptional.
Also, Navigator's Compass as a possible mana fixer, occupying the space(s) that Talisman(s) usually occupy? 1 CMC for 3 life + making Urza lands into U sources, or any land into another color for purposes of pumping Engineered Explosives, and, if needed, tutor-able off of Trinket Mage, seems like a much better deal...
Not much of a fan of either, tbh. Double blue is prohibitive for us, and it'd have to be in the condescend or remand slots. Given how often condescend is a hard counter for us, I don't see the upside in making it harder to cast AND losing the scry.
As to the other, I could see it as an explosives enabler maybe, but losing the ramp aspect of the talisman hurts (especially since turn 3 solemn or chalice on 2 is a pretty strong play for us). Honestly, the version I'm currently running isn't running talisman at all so I'd be hard put to find a spot.
So, Sunday I played a relatively big tourney with 17 people and 4 rounds. Unfortunately I went 2-2 and came 7th and they only did top 4 going forward so I would've needed a 3-1 record to make top 4.
Here's a quick report:
Round 1 was versus a U/B control deck without The Scarab God so I managed to approach twice both games and won 2-0 rather easily.
Round 2 was versus a U/W/G ramp approach deck which can make zombie tokens to win with but after sideboard, he brings in Nezahal and Regal Caracal. I won game 1 by Approaching twice. Game 2 was won by him on the back of a Nezahal which I couldn't get rid off due to him discarding 3 cards twice to exile it when I tried to kill it. In Game 3 he brought in Carnage Tyrant as well and I risked an Approach for the first time, but the next turn he cast Carnage Tyrant and he already had Nezahal out, I needed to draw another approach in the next turn or a fumigate or something to wipe the board but I didn't so I lost game 3 to Nezahal and Carnage Tyrant. I can't say much, he was a good player and knew exactly what creatures my deck can't deal with.
Round 3 was versus a R/G/U energy deck with phoenix, glorybringer, whirler virtuoso and team and I won both games by casting Approach twice and taking care of his threats on time.
Round 4 was versus R/B aggro which was running Ammit Eternal main, and I lost both games because he got good draws and I didn't draw a single Baffling End both games, I was forced to wait until 4 mana for settle in both games, and in the second game Sunscourge Champion kept me alive for a few rounds, but for some reason I still couldn't draw a baffling end to exile some of his creatures and he beat me down with hazoret, phoenix, khenra etc... it is a very bad match-up because his whole deck was just threats and I just didn't have enough answers.
So, the result was 2-2, I should've beat the Ramp Approach deck but couldn't deal with both Carnage Tyrant and Nezahal on the board at the same time and against the R/B deck there's not much you can do, you need to drop baffling end on turn 2 or 3 to exile something and then you still need to draw creature kill cards to kill something every turn otherwise you are dead. It's like a lottery, if he draws the nuts then you can't win at all pretty much unless you draw a hand of 3 lands and 3 baffling ends and 1 settle, but most likely he would duress first turn or second turn and you'd lose the settle anyways...also him running Ammit Eternal main deck was a surprise and he hit me for 5 for a couple of turns since I couldn't draw the baffling ends.
I will be giving this deck a rest for the next 2-3 weeks or maybe even wait until Dominaria is out in a month and see how the metagame changes with the new cards, I know our deck will be getting some juicy goodies from that set.
I don't know what list you were running, but if it was the list on the last page, it seems like Regal Caracal is a sideboard card you should reconsider. Opponents definitely expect it, but it is so critical for stabilizing against creature-heavy matchups, which seem to be the ones that you struggled against. Even if they contempt the Caracal, you still have 2 lifelinking bodies that can chump their dudes which can buy you a turn or two against Ammits, Nezahals, etc. Sunscourge Champion comes down 2 turns earlier, but it's just as vulnerable to contempt as the Caracal, and it doesn't leave bodies behind. And the times when you can cast back-to-back cats happen more often than you might think, and it's really tough for opponents to deal with a swarm of 3/3 lifelinking kittehs.
I'm also pretty low on Baffling End at this point. Being sorcery-speed makes it so much worse than something like Slash of Talons or even Aether Meltdown (which I'm experimenting with online...not quite sold on it, but it's not terrible either), and the fact that it can't hit the dudes that are really troublesome (Haz, Phoenix, Carnie) really limits its utility.
I've been finding that my post-board matchups with U-based control often look like a race to Nezahal, and the first to cast Nezzie is usually the winner. I wish she had trample, but she's really very good. I like to think when I tap 7 to cast her, my opponent is all ready to cast Negate on an Approach, and that they get really disappointed when they see the 7/7.
Can you speak some as to your sideboard plan vs. common matchups? I'm just coming back to the game and looking at picking this up since it's up my alley, but am working on figuring out matchups in a meta I'm totally unfamiliar with!
People who use a tragedy such as the most recent school shooting to further their own ideas about gun control make me sick, why does no one talk about mental health issues an how the guy could have been helped, I saw on the news today that 20 politicians got on their soap box and yelled about gun control but not a one of them wanted to talk about mental health care, none, zero, nada, gun control in my opinion will only a. Have possibly hurtful effects on the economy because we as a country like our guns and b. Would not, in my opinion, lower the chances (much) on people doing things like what's happened. The guy was carrying multiple guns, how is limiting the magazine cap. or outlawing assault weapons going to help when a person could carry multiple weapons. Gun control is exactly that... Control over peoples freedoms and making us more dependent on an already shoddy government. Frankly I'm just sick of the whole "oh my god look what guns do! We need to severly restrict or ban them so this won't happen!" Im pretty confident that whether they ban/restrict or impose high taxes on weapons and ammunition that this will happen over and over. Alright, end rant!
If not now, when? After Giffords, we were told that it was too soon to talk about gun control. After Aurora, still too soon. After Ohio, still too soon. After this one? Oh hell no, you can't talk about gun control after this!
You're right though, the right time to talk isn't after a mass shooting. It's before one.
If a guy wants to commit a mass murder and then dome himself, a case with a cute little lock isn't going to do jack ****.
No, but strong gun laws do have a history of working. See: Australia after Port Arthur. See: China just Friday.
In two countries, elementary school attacks happened in which students were targetted. In one, 20 students were killed. In the other, zero were killed (22 wounded). I'm not saying we should be China with the gun control laws, but there are reasonable limitations that can be put in place.
The market doesnt regulate the workers or the workers wages or working conditions, the government does. The only thing the market regulates is the profit margins of those playing in said market.
The market regulates wages with the price system, workers prefer employment where wages are higher and the workplace is safer. Workers will take on an acceptable level of risk if the pay is worth it.
You are incorrect. The market does not self-regulate against monopolies, price fixing, collusion within itself, nor does it self-regulate environmental impact or regional safety/security. For a capitalist you don’t seem to know very much about capitalism. Even the “father” of capitalism, Adam Smith, advocates banking regulation in The Wealth of Nations.
A natural monopoly has never occurred ever, it's only possible with the help of government. The environment would be better protected and conserved if more was privatized instead of the raping and pillaging that currently happens on land and ocean that nobody "owns".
Adam's Smith doesn't come off as a free market guy if you actually read his stuff. He is far from the authority on capitalism, I would reserve that title for Murray Rothbard.
Care to make a list of all the "stuff" Obama gives people? Make sure to document your references.
This is a debate forum, not a place for you spread your ignorance.
free healthcare - VERY few people, if any are getting this for free. Obamacare does two things. First, it requires all people to PURCHASE insurance. Second, it sets up cheap insurance for certain people who qualify. A very, very small fraction of the population will qualify for any *free* insurance (read: medicaid).
free cellphones - This program was set up and championed by a republican president, not Obama (despite the ignorance of some poor misinformed and overplayed lady in a video). The veracity of the program is up for debate, but this isn't a "Obama" gift.
free citizenship (trying to) - Who is he trying to give "free" citizenship to? Last I checked, it was only children who pay to go to a US university or serve in the US armed forces. There is a big difference between making something "not impossible" and "free"
continues to give people unemployment - Fair enough. Let me pause while I go out and look for all the unemployed people I know who are happy living on government unemployment. Oh... wait.
i am sure there is more i would have to look it up
I would just like to say that although I have absolutely no background in linguistics, this whole discussion is fascinating. As a teacher, it makes me wish that there was a bit more (read: any) focus on linguistic history at the high school level.
Well it seems that we are going to go down the fiscal slide. everyone's tax's go up and 120b across the board cuts will occur.
Obama refuses to hear anything but his 3% increase on rich people. he will not go for a revamped tax code with closed loopholes and changes to deductions.
Actually, he said he liked the idea of a revamped tax code with closed loopholes and changes to deductions, and he would be entirely open to something like that as long as it also included a reversion to year 2000 tax rates on the upper brackets.
Note: This type of offer is what we call "compromise." One group or individual gets what they want, and in exchange they give the other group or individual what they want.
Is it simply a concession to the manabase, or is there something I'm not seeing?
Quite late replying here - I hope your league starts well!
I'm completely with you on ramp over remand, and I like the one of roil a lot for just that reason. The only time it's really sad to have is when you're bouncing a death's shadow or vial, and I think the added easy of bouncing hollow one/delve threats is probably a good call.
Jace I haven't had much luck with, but I'll be interested to hear your experience.
I was pretty underwhelmed by the relics as well, with the "save me from surgical" line being the most impressive thing about them.
As to Chalice, I'm curious if you decided to use them - I don't like them here at all really. They're pretty weak against Humans due to both cavern and vial, and while they are pretty great against storm and KCI, I feel like you're better off with damping sphere there.
Good luck though, would love a report back!
Would definitely give that more consideration if Wrath effects weren't so very well positioned right now.
I'm going to try testing a solution to both - 2x manamorphose. It seems like something of a natural inclusion here, giving us a pseudo-green source in opening hands, smoothing for turn 3-4 BTL with 4 colors, smoothing cryptic mana (and letting you cryptic with like GRWU up), giving us an out from under a blood moon that we were unprepared for, and letting us play essentially a 58 card deck.
Downsides I expect - plays worse under Thalia, can lead to some difficult mulligan decisions if you have 2 in the opener or 1+land.
I'm curious if anyone has tested this before?
Any chance you could post your current list?
Was reading through your Cinci report and you mention a Reveillark that doesn't show up on your decklist?
Thanks for your reports! Just getting back into magic now and this is what I think I'm gonna roll with in modern
This has been my experience as well. Crucible in particular helps the 4 Field of Ruin matchups quite a bit.
May actually look at switching back towards a gifts build because of how good they've been for me.
Not sure that pushes them (or more accurately - the counterspell) across the threshold in modern, but it's conceivable.
Not much of a fan of either, tbh. Double blue is prohibitive for us, and it'd have to be in the condescend or remand slots. Given how often condescend is a hard counter for us, I don't see the upside in making it harder to cast AND losing the scry.
As to the other, I could see it as an explosives enabler maybe, but losing the ramp aspect of the talisman hurts (especially since turn 3 solemn or chalice on 2 is a pretty strong play for us). Honestly, the version I'm currently running isn't running talisman at all so I'd be hard put to find a spot.
Can you speak some as to your sideboard plan vs. common matchups? I'm just coming back to the game and looking at picking this up since it's up my alley, but am working on figuring out matchups in a meta I'm totally unfamiliar with!
Thanks )
If not now, when? After Giffords, we were told that it was too soon to talk about gun control. After Aurora, still too soon. After Ohio, still too soon. After this one? Oh hell no, you can't talk about gun control after this!
You're right though, the right time to talk isn't after a mass shooting. It's before one.
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No, but strong gun laws do have a history of working. See: Australia after Port Arthur. See: China just Friday.
In two countries, elementary school attacks happened in which students were targetted. In one, 20 students were killed. In the other, zero were killed (22 wounded). I'm not saying we should be China with the gun control laws, but there are reasonable limitations that can be put in place.
Oh come on. Standard Oil?
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Keep up the good work!
Actually, he said he liked the idea of a revamped tax code with closed loopholes and changes to deductions, and he would be entirely open to something like that as long as it also included a reversion to year 2000 tax rates on the upper brackets.
Note: This type of offer is what we call "compromise." One group or individual gets what they want, and in exchange they give the other group or individual what they want.