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Quote from Sinis »I saw this in the Gru's Plan meme format.Quote from tstorm823 »Surrak Dragonclaw
I like this guy, but he let me down big time once. Flash in EOT, surprise attack a planeswalker controlled by a player without enough toughness in play to stop 6 trample power... get's chump blocked. Doesn't have trample. I don't know if I lost the game, but I lost in my mind.
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Quote from Hawk7915 »Well, Direct Current and Sonic Assault have me realll worried that Jump-start is going to go the way of Cipher; i.e. development was so scared of it that they costed it into oblivion. I'm not convinced that Direct Current is even that amazing in limited (context will matter), and it has zero hope of being constructed playable in any format. I mean, the overall cost of your two shots of two is the same as Firebolt...but you also discard a card :(. Radical Idea is at least on the borderline where I could see it being too strong at one mana even if it's probably a little weak at two.
Meanwhile, Unexplained Disappearance and even Deadly Visit (which is not a constructed card but will most likely be a limited rock star) show that they considered Surveil to be equal to Scry for mana purposes even though Surveil is generally much, much more powerful than Scry. It bodes well for us getting a Surveil-based Opt or Serum Visions that they then have to ban in Modern, Legacy, Vintage, and Pauper.
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Daretti, Scrap Savant: I run it as a superfriends deck, and so Karn, the Great Creator and Ugin, the Ineffable are instant adds. I am also interested in trying Chandra, Fire Artisan and Sarkhan, the Masterless, I may also experiment with Mobilized District and Karn's Bastion which look powerful even though I prefer to keep my mountain count high for Caged Sun and Koth of the Hammer.
The Gitrog Monster: The bar is really high for this deck so so far there are no instant additions. I may try Blast Zone out, but am not optimistic on it being super good. I don't think I have enough cards that will interact with Evolution Sage but I'll need to take a second pass - it tickles me enough that I may actually revamp the deck to support it. I may also experiment with God-Eternal Bontu due to its sick interaction with Gitrog. Casualties of War and Deliver Unto Evil may also clear the steep threshold that non-creature, non-land cards have to clear to earn a slot in the deck; cards are crazy strong.
Doran, the Siege Tower: So far the only card of real interest is Casualties of War. Teyo, the Shieldmage, Nissa, Who Shakes the World, and Sorin, Vengeful Bloodlord are interesting but aren't really what the deck is about and Huatli, the Sun's Heart gets a no from me dog.
Gahiji, Honored One: I keep this around as my deck to play when I need to lose - I don't always expect to win with it. As a result, it's hard to justify adding powerful cards to it as I don't necessarily want the deck to be super powrful. That being said, I kind of think that Ajani, the Greathearted might be a great fit for the deck since it allows my token army to swing and protect me, rolls up other 'walkers and creatures, and gains life. Finale of Glory (still rumored at this point) also seems like a great finisher for my deck.
Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow: Not all decks can be winners. Yuriko gains nothing (so far) from this set, but Yuriko has very specific needs. Closest to interesting is Lazotep Plating but honestly I feel like the deck needs less, not more, narrow answers to "get 'em". I may also add Fblthp, the Lost because Fblthp.
So for my decks actually not a ton, but I am also the keeper of my wife's decks and my oh my...
Varina, Lich Queen: This set is basically "Varina's magical Christmas". Of particular interest are Dreadhorde Invasion, God-Eternal Oketra, and Eternal Skylord but I'd also be interested to test Eternal Taskmaster, Lazotep Reaver, God-Eternal Bontu, Lazotep Plating, Vizier of the Scorpion, Gleaming Overseer, Liliana, Dreadhorde General, Enter the God-Eternals, and Ashiok, Dream Render. So lots of great additions.
Jenara, Asura of War: This deck is basically just "fun with Doubling Season and pillowforts, so basically the entire set is an interesting addition to Jenara.
Nath of the Gilt-Leaf: Liliana's Triumph and Davriel, Rogue Shadowmage fit this deck's theme nicely. Casualties of War is again very powerful.
From there her decks are more niche as they are all tribal (Merfolk, Cats, and mono-black Vampires) but I do imagine that Liliana's Triumph also makes its way into the Vampire deck.
This deck also makes me want to build an Izzet or Grixis spells and 'walkers deck, and build Feather, the Redeemed.
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- Currently, the dominant decks in Modern include Tron, Izzet Phoenix, Grixis Shadow, Humans, and Dredge; current Grixis removal options (such as Terminate, Anger of the Gods, Damnation, Dismember, and Fatal Push) match up extremely poorly against the primary threats of all of those decks except Humans which is why Azorius and Jeskai decks (with get to run Path to Exile and Terminus) are effectively the only traditional control decks that have a share of the metagame today.
- As a result, Grixis control decks that do exist currently more "splash" Black so that they can emphasize running counterspells (namely a full four Cryptic Commands with Tasigur and Snapcaster to buy them back) to have more successful answers to those threats. A BBB card is a real strain to those deck's mana base.
- No Grixis deck currently runs planeswalkers even though Jace, the Mind Sculptor is a legal card in the format due to the emphasis on instant-speed control. This is key because Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God would really like to partner with some friendly 'walkers. Yes, he copies all abilities of ALL planeswalkers, but I think it will rarely be correct to keep an opponent's Teferi, Hero of Dominaria around to get that sweet draw + untap when Bolas can just -3 to kill Teferi instead. However, paying five mana to destroy an opposing Teferi (assuming you even get to resolve this Hot God through an enemy's Dovin's Veto) is simply too slow and vulnerable a play.
I do think a Superfriends deck is going to emerge in Modern, but I suspect that Dragon-God will be a fringe player in that deck. Standard is a more spicy format for him.
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Seriously in love with this set. Part of me greedily hopes that this and Flux Channeler are actually part of a 5-card cycle of "Proliferate Trigger dudes":
White - proliferate on lifegain? Probably goes infinite. Proliferate on creature ETB? Also goes infinite but less so?
Black - proliferate on death
Red - Proliferate on attacking?
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A wild one I saw is that the Wanderer is actually Emrakul.
A) Looks strikingly like Emeria's statue from Shrine of the Forsaken Gods.
B) She goes and comes as she pleases, is hard to destroy via conventional means, and annihilates anything that gets in her way.
C) Vaguely Kamigawan-design makes sense after she mind-melded with Tamiyo.
D) Headpiece and whip-like weapon give her a distinctly alien jellyfish appearance.
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Some Good Examples of this are...
Doran, the Siege Tower: Doran totally changes the way one evaluates creatures and totally changes the way combat at the table works. But, Doran doesn't necessarily require a specific build or specific cards and you can see a great deal of variability in how one builds Doran.
Rakdos, Lord of Riots: Suddenly there's a whole lot of cards that are normally abysmal in Commander that you are excited to run like Flame Rift and Spear Spewer. But again, he also enables lots of strategies and there's not necessarily just one correct solution (although Eldrazi are pretty close to being the best solution).
Brago, King Eternal: Again, looking at Brago's list reveals a whole lot of cards that only Brago would run. His unique restrictions make him an interesting commander to build around, and while he is on the stronger end of these commanders he still isn't an easily "solved" Commander.
I'd also second Brudiclad and Mairsil, as great examples of a "Blue Sky" Commander that requires some creativity and encourages obscurity in deckbuilding.
This is a tough balance though, as the format is littered with Commanders like Atraxa, Praetor's Voice and Animar Sovereign that seem like they'd be wide open but are just so generically powerful that they eclipse their own strategies, or Commanders like Edgar Marvok, Kaalia of the Vast or Arcades, the Strategist that seem like they'd reward deep cuts but in truth basically tell you exactly how to build the deck.
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So the idea of introducing Force of Will (which is a powerful, unfair card but also a crucial "safety valve" for a turn 2 or 3 format like Legacy) is bonkers, and unlikely. It is above the power level of Modern AND not necessary, as Wizards proactively manages the format to ensure people don't need the ability to play threats and still counter plays over the first 3-4 turns in order to compete.
In general I'd be surprised to see ANY "free" spells here. Certainly I think the old-school power ones (Fireblast, Force of Will, Land Grant, Gush) are just unacceptable for Modern, but free spells have burnt them in the past and I think even introducing something that seems innocuous like Contagion, Massacre, Submerge, Misdirection, Daze, or Pyrokinesis feels really questionable. Again, this isn't a format where you just die if you cast a turn 3 threat and don't have the ability to also cast an answer. I think the Coldsnap free spells are the power level they want in the format, so maybe - maybe! - we could see like Foil, Abolish, Bounty of the Hunt, and other "also rans". This extends to any of the "free" spells from Saga block like Snap, Cloud of Faeries, Treachery, Peregrine Drake, Frantic Search, and Palinchron (I am aware some of those are Reserved) - way too risky.
Similar deal with Mana Drain, Cabal Ritual, and Dark Ritual - these cards dramatically increase the speed of a format that Wizards generally think has the right speed now. Rituals are dangerous, and printing more rituals would be a mistake. I imagine even more "fair" rituals like Culling the Weak and High Tide are "too much" for Modern when Storm is already a relevant, playable archetype that is staying above water with "trash" like Desperate Ritual and Pyretic Ritual.
I also think WotC will avoid tutors. Tutors slow gameplay and increase consistency. Most tutors are banned in Legacy so it'd be silly to expect them in Modern. Grim Tutor is about where I think we could see it, maybe Diabolic Intent - and even then, I question.
Finally, MaRo just said that this set adheres to the Modern color pie, so I wouldn't count on Sinkhole, Swords to Plowshares, Elvish Spirit Guide, Sylvan Library, Land Tax, Song of the Dryads, or Chaos Warp popping into Modern any time soon.
The cards "on the bubble" are...
Counterspell: This does increase the "speed" of the format somewhat, as suddenly stuff that costs 4+ is much worse. WotC also notoriously dislikes counterspells, and this does "lock in" the power of counters in the format, in the same way Lightning Bolt sets the pace for burn and Fatal Push/Path to Exile anchor what removal is playable. That being said, at this moment in Modern it helps decks that feel like they need help like Azorius/Esper/Jeskai control. Counterspell is impressive, but it slots poorly into Izzet Phoenix (too reactive, bombo with Phoenix) as well as Humans, Spirits, and Grixis Shadow (where UU is too heavy a cost and again it is too reactive). Perusing other blue decks we see it mostly helps other T2 lists like Sultai Teachings and Mono-blue Tron. What it really comes down too is if WotC WANTS UWx control to be a Tier 1 deck in the metagame. This card is a perfect partner with Teferi and makes such decks infinitely more likely to always have the "right" answer, and it makes for a Tier 1 deck packing 8-10 counterspells maindeck. I don't know if Counterspell gets the deck there alone, but it means all future standard sets have to contend with possibly banning Teferi or re-banning Jace in Modern if they print any more powerful tools.
Lotus Petal: This card was mentioned, and I am surprised. It's free mana! Wouldn't this just be an automatic 4-of in Storm, 4-color Prison, Ad Nauseum Combo, Hardened Scales, Dredge, and "Shadow" builds? Well, maybe - but maybe not. The format isn't necessarily fast enough that these can just replace lands in those lists, and those are all linear decks that can't really afford to just drop stuff. Many of those lists run Mishra's Bauble because it replaces itself, and it'd be interesting to see if folks are willing to go down a card to gain a mana on a key turn - I imagine most decks other than Storm and AdNauseum are not. I think this card is inanely dangerous, but is the right level of dangerous to experiment with. More interesting is if this would be "enough" to bring back eggs (using Faith's Rewards and possibly Open the Vaults since Second Sunrise is banned) as a new way to generate mana for nothing now that Krark-clan Ironworks is banned.
True-name Nemesis: This card is by itself a 7-turn clock (but realistically, probably 5 or 6 with all the fetches), which is within keeping of the spirit of Modern. It is also the definition of "unfun" - a card they designed to be amusing in Commander that ended up taking eternal formats by storm as it is effectively unstoppable. It would force Modern to adapt, as the format currently spins on powerful single-target removal which is all blank against it. Counterspells are also no guarentee to stop it, not in a format with Cavern of Souls where Merfolk is on the bubble of being competitive. I think the card's saving grace is, again, that it helps decks that aren't currently Tier 1. Humans and Spirits don't want this; wrong tribe. Phoenix and Shadow don't want this; mana cost is a bit tough and it doesn't play into their fundamental synergies. Merfolk will be thrilled with this, but Merfolk isn't even in the top 30 of decks in the format currently. Thus, this card does something different - it sculpts the metagame and hopefully spawns new decks.
I'll also say that I'm betting now we see at least one of Toxic Deluge, Chainer's Edict, and Diabolic Edict - these cards would serve as a safety valve for TNN if he gets in while also giving the format more answers to Bogle and Spirit decks full of hexproof threats.
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Counterspell: Most hard counters in modern are 3 CMC, but that's because counters in modern have to get through standard first where a 2CMC hard counter is suffocating and needs considerable deck-building constraints (see Silumgar's Scorn, which I'll note saw a lot of success in Standard but is wildly unplayable in Modern) to not oppress the format. Modern is a format where we have devastating 1 CMC removal and where control remains a struggling archetype despite the unbanning of Jace and the printing of Teferi, so I think it's high time to see what a 2 CMC counter does to the format. The UU Cost is actually a significant one, one that may prevent something like Grixis Delver from just snapping this off. I will say I think this is as powerful as a counter is going to get to be in Modern.
Wild Growth: This would help put enchantress back on the map, and be an overall great inclusion.
Toxic Deluge: This feels good as a card that would allow Bxy control decks to keep Spirits in check while still being too costly against pyromancer, drake, and burn lists and thus not an oppressive card. It'd help drive the price down, too.
Fact or Fiction: I think it'd see 0 play, but would love for it to get a shot.
Quirion Ranger: Might be a bit much for elfball, but I'd love to see it.
Daze: A top 10 list is surprisingly hard, and I think this is contentious, but as noted this is a fairly innocuous "free" spell that can punish combo decks without being too dangerous due to the limitations of a Shock-and-Fastland mana base.
True-Name Nemesis: A fine top-end that might just finally put a Merfolk deck over the top!
Flame Rift: Burn just got a lot of goodies, but this is a double-edged sword. Could be interesting in both burn and Death's Shadow builds.
Baleful Strix: Powerful but not overpowered, I think it'd be a great addition to a variety of decks.
Oubliette: This card would see very little play in Modern (a strictly-worse Journey to Nowhere? A reversible Murder? Hard pass.), but would be a slam-dunk appreciated inclusion even pushed to uncommon or rare.
Containment Priest: A card that can prevent a lot of the "unfairness" of the format. I can see them printing this into the format, instead of banning Collected Company
I think there's some suggestions that are probably "dream on, never happening" - I imagine they will keep Force of Will, Brainstorm, Gush, Crop Rotation, Leovold, Emissary of Trest, Swords to Plowshares, Armageddon, Balance, Wasteland, and functional reprints of original duals as a Legacy/Vintage thing to separate the two formats.