Had a turn 2 Goblin Rabblemaster followed by turn 3 Blood Moon practicing against Tron today and lost game 1. Had me a little salty. He killed the Rabblemaster with a Walking Ballista x=2 and then didn't miss any land drops so he started hard casting Wurmcoil Engine and Karn Liberated. Never was able to recover from there.
Didn't make any changes and followed it up with a turn 1 Rabblemaster in game 2 and killed him before he could do anything.
Draw my 7 for game 3 and I see that I have turn 1 Rabblemaster again... what are the odds? Very decidedly took game 3 the same way game 2 went.
Been watching you guys on Discord and have been impressed with the results. I have been considering Damping Sphere over Welding Jar in the board but when Ensnaring Bridge is one Kolaghan's Command away from you losing the game, Welding Jar looks like a nice option. Damping Sphere doesn't feel like it does anything against Storm/Phoenix that Trinisphere doesn't already do and we are already really well positioned against Tron so I just don't know if it is worth a slot. This is the list I have settled with lately: RDragon Stompy
This was the Tron list we were practicing with: GTron
Hey everyone!I am new here and you can call me Slug. I am just about finished with this deck (missing 2 gemstone caverns and a bridge) I can't wait to play it as I love to play both blood moon and chalices. I have played Skred as my first modern deck for a while then built E-tron to chalice people. Since then I have been playing R/g Ponza and have been enjoying my Moons. Now I am ready to just straight up lock people out of playing magic. Just a quick question for you guys is there a pyro prison discord as that would be easier for me to be on. Also I am glad to see this forum with plenty of very useful info on the deck and it's variations.
There is a Discord but the link that has been posted here doesn't work. It isn't an invite link so it just takes you to Discord home page instead of bringing you into the server for Pyro Prison... So Raystack will have to post an invite link so you can join.
Also, can I see your Ponza list? I play it as well.
@Skia_AoP: Nice to see your face around the campfire again. Your analysis? Smile. Agree.
I'm always reading. Not so much talking... ha.
Also, my Fridays haven't been FNM's in awhile unfortunately as I can't get out to my LGS on Friday's anymore. So I've been playing a lot of practice games and no real games for a long while.
I keep seeing comments, the gist of which are 'Red decks are f*cked with the London mulligan rule. Everybody should play Tron, Whir Prison or UW Control.' Can I get some reassurance please?!
Turn 1 lock pieces may become a bit more common...
However if Tron and Control go up in the meta as a result of London Mulligan those are not necessarily great match-ups for us. But that is also why we have gone up in early, fast threats such as Legion Warboss and Goblin Rabblemaster. Getting those cards down early can make us a bit favored against Tron and other slower decks.
This deck needs to evolve to the meta. If Blood Moon is really good by itself in the meta we go up on Magus of the Moon and down threats. If Blood Moon is bad by itself, like right now in the meta, we bring in more threats instead. So if Tron and Control go up with the London Mulligan we will have to evolve a bit and maybe bring more quick threats or more hate. We will just have to see.
Hey all, been awhile since I checked in but I've been playing a lot of Pyro Prison online. I know burn shouldn't be that bad of a matchup for us but I've been struggling against it a lot lately. A lot of burn decks bringing in 4x Rakdos charm out of the board. Any thoughts on ways to get around this or do we just need to chalk it up to a bad matchup?
Get an early Chalice on 2 to stop Destructive Revelry or Rakdos Charm when in games 2 and 3. Dragon's Claw in the sideboard is a good option against burn, turns their Bolts into Shocks. If a lot of people in your meta are bringing that much artifact hate Spellskite in the board can be an option as well. But just be careful that you aren't devoting too much away from other matchups. I only keep one Dragon's Claw and one Spellskite in my board but I have considered adjusting to two Claws.
Dumb question since I've finally got all the pieces together and plan on running Pyro Prison this Friday.
How do you know what to set Chalice on versus decks? Just from experience? I know setting it on one hoses a lot of early game plays, and that two is devastating against Merfolk and I think Humans too? Just looking for some general advice as well for a first timer.
Experience plays a huge role. As an example: When playing against certain colors/decks, from experience you just know sometimes there are only 'x' number of cards that can kill my Ensnaring Bridge. Of those cards, almost all of them are converted mana cost 'x' and you just set your Chalice to that. Or playing against certain decks you know that 70% of their threats are converted mana cost 1, so you set it to that. Even a Chalice on 0 is the right play sometimes. You just need to learn what you are playing against. Control decks/prison decks are decks that get a lot better with experience in the format.
If I am completely blind and have a turn 1 Chalice on 1 available, I usually just do it unless I have a better play. At least you will be shutting of some of their deck as I can't think of many decks that just don't run 1 drops besides us.
Raystack I see you guys are really high on Legion Warboss from the new set. I'm still running this list: Dragon Stompy. I was testing Avaricious Dragon for a bit but it is definitely a flex spot. Might be worth going down 2 Dragons and up 2 Warboss in that list you think? Or is the new card not really performing?
I knew I was against UB Faeries. I am also on the draw. I knew a quick threat would mean a huge upper hand to me. Everything inside me was screaming Mulligan because this is such a risky hand but I just couldn't help but think that Chandra is a house even on turn 3 or 4 let alone turn 1. 'But if you play Chandra turn 1, add two mana and play Chalice on 1 it might be enough to just take the game,' I thought to myself. But I also might never be able to play another spell after I make that decision. Would it really be enough?
"I'll keep."
Oh God. We're in this now. Opponent plays Island, go.
So, after getting killed twice by my own Tormenting Voice I will never use the card again. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. The card is dead to me. Twice I had my opponent completely locked out of the game with no hope of coming back. They were trapped behind a bridge and making about 20 1/1's per turn with abilities but had no way of killing the bridge. I then proceed to draw Tormenting Voice with no way to cast it because I can't discard a card. In comes a hundred 1/1's swinging next turn...
In other news, I'm testing a single Hazoret the Fervent main board over a single Pia and Kiran Nalaar. Pia and Kiran are always useful to create chump blockers in a desperate situation but Hazoret can be a pretty decent chump blocker himself, especially with indestructible. In a world of Death's Shadow and Gurmag Angler's Hazoret seems better.
Hey guys, i am new here. I own only half of this deck but try to get rest. Seems funny and i test several decklists on x mage at moment. It seems bridge is to important... Tryed without and it was a desaster.
If you are playing without Ensnaring Bridge you should just play Skred Red at that point. It's probably the best bridge-less version of the deck but I personally prefer this version.
UW control is usually a pretty good match up from the start for us. Especially with a fast blood moon as they usually kill you with man lands. After sideboard I would bring in relics and grafdiggers cage's to stop their use of snapcaster mage.
For Grixis Shadow, they can't really get passed enanaring bridge game 1. They usually only have 2 main board cards that can deal with it where we have 4 bridges. But I'd probably bring in ratchet bomb to hit their deaths shadow and maybe storm breath dragon to be able to take down their tassagur or angler in the late game since it will be a bigger 7/7 body.
I don't think I agree with 1 Solemnity and 2 Idyllic Tutor. Solemnity is such a good card on its own already against quite a few match ups. It's good against Affinity, good against Chalice of the Void/Walking Ballista from Eldrazi Tron and other prison decks,Infect obviously, Ratchet bomb which a bunch of people are going to bring in to try and kill our other enchantments, devoted druid combo, stops Raging Ravine, hurts Merfolk or other Aether Vial decks.
I think it is a really underrated card on its own, add in additional synergy with other cards in the deck such as Unlife and I think it's good for a 3-4 of in the deck for sure.
I was watching that stream live. Was more of a Skred version of the deck but with Rabblemaster's. I personally prefer the Chalice of the Void version but Skred can do well also, especially with 4 Rabblemaster's. I thought it was odd that Seth didn't like the card. He mentioned at the end of the stream that he wasn't sure if he would put Rabblemaster in the deck if he played it again. I feel like that's downplaying Rabblemaster a little bit.
Didn't make any changes and followed it up with a turn 1 Rabblemaster in game 2 and killed him before he could do anything.
Draw my 7 for game 3 and I see that I have turn 1 Rabblemaster again... what are the odds? Very decidedly took game 3 the same way game 2 went.
Been watching you guys on Discord and have been impressed with the results. I have been considering Damping Sphere over Welding Jar in the board but when Ensnaring Bridge is one Kolaghan's Command away from you losing the game, Welding Jar looks like a nice option. Damping Sphere doesn't feel like it does anything against Storm/Phoenix that Trinisphere doesn't already do and we are already really well positioned against Tron so I just don't know if it is worth a slot. This is the list I have settled with lately: R Dragon Stompy
This was the Tron list we were practicing with: G Tron
Thanks. That is almost exactly what my mainboard looked like before Bloodbraid was unbanned.
Thank you! Now I can join as well.
Post up a list! Here is mine: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/582752#paper
There is a Discord but the link that has been posted here doesn't work. It isn't an invite link so it just takes you to Discord home page instead of bringing you into the server for Pyro Prison... So Raystack will have to post an invite link so you can join.
Also, can I see your Ponza list? I play it as well.
I'm always reading. Not so much talking... ha.
Also, my Fridays haven't been FNM's in awhile unfortunately as I can't get out to my LGS on Friday's anymore. So I've been playing a lot of practice games and no real games for a long while.
Turn 1 lock pieces may become a bit more common...
However if Tron and Control go up in the meta as a result of London Mulligan those are not necessarily great match-ups for us. But that is also why we have gone up in early, fast threats such as Legion Warboss and Goblin Rabblemaster. Getting those cards down early can make us a bit favored against Tron and other slower decks.
This deck needs to evolve to the meta. If Blood Moon is really good by itself in the meta we go up on Magus of the Moon and down threats. If Blood Moon is bad by itself, like right now in the meta, we bring in more threats instead. So if Tron and Control go up with the London Mulligan we will have to evolve a bit and maybe bring more quick threats or more hate. We will just have to see.
Get an early Chalice on 2 to stop Destructive Revelry or Rakdos Charm when in games 2 and 3. Dragon's Claw in the sideboard is a good option against burn, turns their Bolts into Shocks. If a lot of people in your meta are bringing that much artifact hate Spellskite in the board can be an option as well. But just be careful that you aren't devoting too much away from other matchups. I only keep one Dragon's Claw and one Spellskite in my board but I have considered adjusting to two Claws.
Experience plays a huge role. As an example: When playing against certain colors/decks, from experience you just know sometimes there are only 'x' number of cards that can kill my Ensnaring Bridge. Of those cards, almost all of them are converted mana cost 'x' and you just set your Chalice to that. Or playing against certain decks you know that 70% of their threats are converted mana cost 1, so you set it to that. Even a Chalice on 0 is the right play sometimes. You just need to learn what you are playing against. Control decks/prison decks are decks that get a lot better with experience in the format.
If I am completely blind and have a turn 1 Chalice on 1 available, I usually just do it unless I have a better play. At least you will be shutting of some of their deck as I can't think of many decks that just don't run 1 drops besides us.
I knew I was against UB Faeries. I am also on the draw. I knew a quick threat would mean a huge upper hand to me. Everything inside me was screaming Mulligan because this is such a risky hand but I just couldn't help but think that Chandra is a house even on turn 3 or 4 let alone turn 1. 'But if you play Chandra turn 1, add two mana and play Chalice on 1 it might be enough to just take the game,' I thought to myself. But I also might never be able to play another spell after I make that decision. Would it really be enough?
"I'll keep."
Oh God. We're in this now. Opponent plays Island, go.
Mountain, tap, Exile Spirit Guide, Ritual, Exile Spirit Guide, Chandra, Torch of Defiance. Resolves. +1, add two red, Chalice of the Void on 1.
Spell Snare.
*****. Now Chandra better be enough. Chalice just got snared. Opponent plays a land, taps, plays a small threat. Go.
I don't draw a land. I come to terms that I won't see another land the rest of this game. I have to win with what I have. I drew Sarkhan, Fireblood.
+1 Chandra (to 6), add two red, Abrade your threat, go.
Opponent plays land, go.
I don't draw a land.
+1 Chandra (to 7), add two red, tap Mountain, play Sarkhan, Fireblood.
Mana Leak.
No Sarkhan for me... Opponent draws. Doesn't draw a way to prevent Chandra's ult. Scoops.
Sigh of relief. Chandra just stole that damn game. Also, I apparently enjoy taking unnecessary risks that lead to extremely stressful games.
In other news, I'm testing a single Hazoret the Fervent main board over a single Pia and Kiran Nalaar. Pia and Kiran are always useful to create chump blockers in a desperate situation but Hazoret can be a pretty decent chump blocker himself, especially with indestructible. In a world of Death's Shadow and Gurmag Angler's Hazoret seems better.
Here is my current list that I have been liking for some time now. Always seems to do pretty well: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/514090#paper
If you are playing without Ensnaring Bridge you should just play Skred Red at that point. It's probably the best bridge-less version of the deck but I personally prefer this version.
For Grixis Shadow, they can't really get passed enanaring bridge game 1. They usually only have 2 main board cards that can deal with it where we have 4 bridges. But I'd probably bring in ratchet bomb to hit their deaths shadow and maybe storm breath dragon to be able to take down their tassagur or angler in the late game since it will be a bigger 7/7 body.
I think it is a really underrated card on its own, add in additional synergy with other cards in the deck such as Unlife and I think it's good for a 3-4 of in the deck for sure.