I would rather run Lightning Berserker over Mage-Ring Bully. You probably also want to go wider with the tokens ala Nissa, Voice of Zendikar, Chandra's parents, and the newly spoiled Werewolf PW.
Depending on the amount of G/R Ramp and Devoid strategies in the meta, Ugin gets weaker before rotation anyways. People are shaving copies of him now, since you have access to Kozilek's Return and Chandra (especially if you're running Oath of Nissa).
Alot of X/4 and X/5 stuff that currently sees play is rotating out in April, which means Chandra is more likely to be a full board wipe at -3 and -4:
Siege Rhino
Tasigur
Gurmag Angler
Anafenza, the Foremost
Wingmate Roc
Silumgar, the Drifting Death
Anyone think Green Sun's Zenith could come off the list? Fetching for an early Gaddock Teeg, Goyf, KotR, or even a Dryad Arbor doesn't seem all that degenerate, especially when a bunch of decks are running PtE and Lightning Bolt anyways.
sorry for asking a bit of a dumb question but why was green sun's even banned in the first place?
I'm a bit new to modern as I've been playing it for about a year now, so I don't know logic behind some of the early bannings
The basic reasoning was it reduced deck diversity, which seems kind of loose to me.
It's also ramp - but I also think the GSZ banning is a little shaky.
I can't see GSZ breaking modern too much tbh, unless I'm missing any decks that would break it
Maybe Elves and Amulet Bloom (assuming Bloom can generate 7 mana in one go) get too strong? Elves already has Chord of Calling though.
Keep in mind there was a bunch of other fast mana around when it was banned (Seething Song, Rite of Flame, Cloudpost) that may have exacerbated GSZ's impact. The only decent decks I remember from the first PT using it were Bant aggro (seems like a fair deck to me) and Twelvepost, which isn't around anymore.
Anyone think Green Sun's Zenith could come off the list? Fetching for an early Gaddock Teeg, Goyf, KotR, or even a Dryad Arbor doesn't seem all that degenerate, especially when a bunch of decks are running PtE and Lightning Bolt anyways.
sorry for asking a bit of a dumb question but why was green sun's even banned in the first place?
I'm a bit new to modern as I've been playing it for about a year now, so I don't know logic behind some of the early bannings
The basic reasoning was it reduced deck diversity, which seems kind of loose to me.
Anyone think Green Sun's Zenith could come off the list? Fetching for an early Gaddock Teeg, Goyf, KotR, or even a Dryad Arbor doesn't seem all that degenerate, especially when a bunch of decks are running PtE and Lightning Bolt anyways.
I've lived the dream with this and Looming Spires before and it's pretty awesome. That said, I'd only run this in a G/R or R/W Landfall deck, maybe U/R or B/R devoid aggro if I'm short on playables. It usually wheels, there's no real need to pick it highly unless you're short on combat tricks.
You have nothing else for that slot. Deathdealer is just bad cause of languish and all the exile effects and abbot in a fatty midrange/control build is terrible.
wow I never said it was the best card in the format. If I thought that why would why create a thread to discuss the cards that can be picked over it ?
Archangel of Tithes is super powerful but the triple white really turns me off. White gotta be your only color or your primary color and in your first pick there's no way you know white is open to you. For that reason alone I would not pick Sentinel over the Archangel.
I'm not super impressed with Hixus. I've drafted it once and faced it twice. It won me one game but was not that high impact in others. All times I faced it I answered it with stuff like Titan's Strength on the creature it blocked and Disperse to get back my creatures and surprise block the opponent's attackers. It's a great card but I still rate sentinel higher.
I'm on the fence between sentinel and Kytheon's Irregulars. Irregulars are much faster and have a awesome late game but it dies to common removal (Lightning Javelin, Fiery Impulse, Claustrophobia) and using his ability early might keep you from developing your board.
So far my list of cards I would definetly pick over Sentinel is:
Would pick Sentinel over Languish ?
I've drafted it once and I was very, very, very happy with it.
Fiery Impulse doesn't kill Kytheon's Irregulars and even if they Claustrophobia it you can still use its tap ability. Agree with you on Hixus, he's first pickable but I don't think he's as powerful as he seems on the surface (I've drafted him but never actually cast him), especially since you have to let the creatures deal damage to you first.
I'd probably take Sentinels first pick first pack over Whirler Rogue as it's more splashable, I think white is a better color overall this set, and he's not dependent on me getting other artifacts later on to make the most of him (though Whirler Rogue on his own is still pretty good).
What mode should I be using with Karn against Ad Nauseam and Griselbrand combo? Attack their mana, or attempt to keep them off combo cards/filtering to find their combo pieces?
Also, anyone else notice that Razorverge Thickets are now $7-8? Not sure when the climb happened, but it's there now. I think I traded one of mine away around $5 about two weeks ago.
Well that settles it, Boil it is ! We really hate blue that much, don't we ?
Yes, yes we do. I bring in about half my SB against Twin (usually a combo of Claims, Spellskites, and Combusts) as is. It also gives you something decent to board in against Temur Delve if that's a thing in your meta.
On the sideboard plan, I'm not sure whether Choke or Boil is better against blue decks.
I'm a fan of Boil over Choke. Twin can theoretically get out of Choke by using their Exarchs to untap their own lands. I'm not sure yet if I'd bring in either against Grixis Delver (took a bit of a hiatus from Modern, haven't played the matchup much), as the matchup pre-board doesn't seem as bad as it was pre-Treasure Cruise ban.
Firespout should've been an Ugin but I couldn't procure a 2nd one before the event started.
Mini report:
Round 1 (2-1 vs. Affinity):
Punted game 1 by miscounting mana on a Pyroclasm, could've stabilized with Wurmcoil. Side out: Relics, Ugin, couple of eggs; Side in: Wurmcoil, Nature's Claim playset, extra Ghost Quarter. Opponent could've had me game 2 with poison damage, but never attacked with his Nexus with a Plating in play and eventually sacced it to keep a Ravager alive through Pyroclasm. I kill most of his board, then get Karn and he scoops. Game 3 I get 3 Wurmcoils.
Round 2 (1-1-1 vs. Junk):
Game 1 I wipe Bob and Liliana right before ultimate with O Stone to stabilize and eventually get Emrakul. Side in: couple of Claims, Wurmcoil, All is Dust; side out: Pyroclasms and Firespout (they don't kill Tasigurs Goyfs, and Rhinos too well, also expected him to side out Souls). Game 2 I lose to Souls tokens and Siege Rhino after he topdecks Thoughtseize for my Emrakul that would've won the next turn. Game 3 I eventually clear out 3 Goyfs and some tokens and a timely Creeping Corrosion clears out my Wurm tokens. We go to turns and I can't hit Emrakul mana fast enough.
Round 3 (2-0 vs mono red hatebears homebrew):
Game 1 I see double Moon, Ensnaring Bride, and Pithing Needle (on Karn) but manage to clear them out with Karn (hardcasted off 7 lands) and an O Stone. His only threat is a SSG and eventually Flying Spaghetti Monster comes out to play. Side out: Relics, couple of eggs, couple of Pyroclams; side in: Nature's Claims, Ghost Quarter (can't tell if he's bringing in Sowing Salt), All is Dust. Game 2 he slows me down with Moon but I manage to hit a Nature's Claim to clear it out, see a Koth, but clear it with Ugin, and finish with Ugin and Wurmcoil after getting double Slaughter Games'd on Karn and Emrakul.
Round 4: (1-2 vs. Grixis Delver):
Game 1 natural Tron into Wurmcoil, Emrakul shows up not far after. Side out: couple of Eggs, Emrakul I think, some other stuff I can't remember; side in: couple of Claims, also Ghost Quarter and Wurmcoil (I think). Game 2 get run over by Snaps, Pyro, and Delvers. Game 3 I punt again, lose to Snapcaster and Bolts in response to my Nature's Claim on an egg when I could've searched for Wurmcoil and cast it in the same turn.
Def liking the 2nd GQ in the 75, helps against man lands (mainly Inkmoth) and protection against Sowing Salts, as lots of people in my meta hate Tron with a passion. Not sure what I would change, though All is Dust is probably the flex slot in the board. Also, I'm way rusty.
Alot of X/4 and X/5 stuff that currently sees play is rotating out in April, which means Chandra is more likely to be a full board wipe at -3 and -4:
Siege Rhino
Tasigur
Gurmag Angler
Anafenza, the Foremost
Wingmate Roc
Silumgar, the Drifting Death
Recasting a Draconic Roar or Kozilek's Return seems pretty sweet. You can also See the Unwritten into it and still get the trigger.
Maybe Elves and Amulet Bloom (assuming Bloom can generate 7 mana in one go) get too strong? Elves already has Chord of Calling though.
Keep in mind there was a bunch of other fast mana around when it was banned (Seething Song, Rite of Flame, Cloudpost) that may have exacerbated GSZ's impact. The only decent decks I remember from the first PT using it were Bant aggro (seems like a fair deck to me) and Twelvepost, which isn't around anymore.
The basic reasoning was it reduced deck diversity, which seems kind of loose to me.
Hangarback Walker fills that slot just fine...
Fiery Impulse doesn't kill Kytheon's Irregulars and even if they Claustrophobia it you can still use its tap ability. Agree with you on Hixus, he's first pickable but I don't think he's as powerful as he seems on the surface (I've drafted him but never actually cast him), especially since you have to let the creatures deal damage to you first.
I'd probably take Sentinels first pick first pack over Whirler Rogue as it's more splashable, I think white is a better color overall this set, and he's not dependent on me getting other artifacts later on to make the most of him (though Whirler Rogue on his own is still pretty good).
Elves
Yes, yes we do. I bring in about half my SB against Twin (usually a combo of Claims, Spellskites, and Combusts) as is. It also gives you something decent to board in against Temur Delve if that's a thing in your meta.
I'm a fan of Boil over Choke. Twin can theoretically get out of Choke by using their Exarchs to untap their own lands. I'm not sure yet if I'd bring in either against Grixis Delver (took a bit of a hiatus from Modern, haven't played the matchup much), as the matchup pre-board doesn't seem as bad as it was pre-Treasure Cruise ban.
4 Urza's Power Plant
4 Urza's Tower
4 Urza's Mine
1 Eye of Ugin
1 Ghost Quarter
2 Forest
4 Ancient Stirrings
4 Sylvan Scrying
4 Pyroclasm
1 Firespout
4 Chromatic Sphere
4 Expedition Map
4 Oblivion Stone
3 Wurmcoil Engine
2 Relic of Progenitus
1 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
4 Karn Liberated
1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
3 Leyline of Sanctity
3 Combust
1 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Ghost Quarter
4 Nature's Claim
1 All is Dust
2 Spellskite
Firespout should've been an Ugin but I couldn't procure a 2nd one before the event started.
Mini report:
Round 1 (2-1 vs. Affinity):
Punted game 1 by miscounting mana on a Pyroclasm, could've stabilized with Wurmcoil. Side out: Relics, Ugin, couple of eggs; Side in: Wurmcoil, Nature's Claim playset, extra Ghost Quarter. Opponent could've had me game 2 with poison damage, but never attacked with his Nexus with a Plating in play and eventually sacced it to keep a Ravager alive through Pyroclasm. I kill most of his board, then get Karn and he scoops. Game 3 I get 3 Wurmcoils.
Round 2 (1-1-1 vs. Junk):
Game 1 I wipe Bob and Liliana right before ultimate with O Stone to stabilize and eventually get Emrakul. Side in: couple of Claims, Wurmcoil, All is Dust; side out: Pyroclasms and Firespout (they don't kill Tasigurs Goyfs, and Rhinos too well, also expected him to side out Souls). Game 2 I lose to Souls tokens and Siege Rhino after he topdecks Thoughtseize for my Emrakul that would've won the next turn. Game 3 I eventually clear out 3 Goyfs and some tokens and a timely Creeping Corrosion clears out my Wurm tokens. We go to turns and I can't hit Emrakul mana fast enough.
Round 3 (2-0 vs mono red hatebears homebrew):
Game 1 I see double Moon, Ensnaring Bride, and Pithing Needle (on Karn) but manage to clear them out with Karn (hardcasted off 7 lands) and an O Stone. His only threat is a SSG and eventually Flying Spaghetti Monster comes out to play. Side out: Relics, couple of eggs, couple of Pyroclams; side in: Nature's Claims, Ghost Quarter (can't tell if he's bringing in Sowing Salt), All is Dust. Game 2 he slows me down with Moon but I manage to hit a Nature's Claim to clear it out, see a Koth, but clear it with Ugin, and finish with Ugin and Wurmcoil after getting double Slaughter Games'd on Karn and Emrakul.
Round 4: (1-2 vs. Grixis Delver):
Game 1 natural Tron into Wurmcoil, Emrakul shows up not far after. Side out: couple of Eggs, Emrakul I think, some other stuff I can't remember; side in: couple of Claims, also Ghost Quarter and Wurmcoil (I think). Game 2 get run over by Snaps, Pyro, and Delvers. Game 3 I punt again, lose to Snapcaster and Bolts in response to my Nature's Claim on an egg when I could've searched for Wurmcoil and cast it in the same turn.
Def liking the 2nd GQ in the 75, helps against man lands (mainly Inkmoth) and protection against Sowing Salts, as lots of people in my meta hate Tron with a passion. Not sure what I would change, though All is Dust is probably the flex slot in the board. Also, I'm way rusty.