MTG Salvation

Sad to see this forum pretty dead. FNM swapped from draft over to Modern since we were struggling to get people for draft (there is no virus here). But unfortunately, attendance is still inconsistent.

So I made some minor updates to my list (there is a lot of different lists floating around) and I was able to qualify for the store championships. Which was last weekend. I ended up going 3-1. All my matches seem to go to 3 games. Beat Elves, BW tokens and Goblins lost to Dredge. Somewhat favourable matchups plus a bit of luck.

I like playing the Karn toolbox. I just wish there were better life gain/blocking options than Filigree familiar and I only have so many options against dredge when my sideboard is full. 3 mana or less artifacts are key because you Tron into Karn and want to get something impactful but I am struggling to find something good there.

Have you ever been on the receiving end of Entomb + exhume + sylvan primordial in a multiplayer game?
It targeting lands and ramping the person into the stratosphere is simply provides too much value for a single card.

Does hullbreacher even do anything? Just shock it, it is getting just 1 treasure for its flash surprise and after that. It dies to removal.

Opposition Agent is definitely higher on the feel bad but the more causal the player base the fewer tutors not to mention janker decks with less good stuff to get. I remember getting bribery once and just not having anything good for me opponent to get and I just killed him with my aggro.

Be the Beatdown.

Something that just seems to work against decks without a lot of creatures is Luminarch Ascension.

Planar cleansing hour of revelation oblivion stone all is dust destroy all nonland perminant cards.

In
Thunderous Orator - I have keyword soup cards in white and black
Frost trickster - broken good
Zephyr boots - lootie booties
Rip Apart - rip lightning helix
Quandrix Pledgemage - more consistently good than gilder bairn
Pest summoning - golgari hybrids are bad and black token makers are rare.

This set is very synergy based so a lot of cards are a bit restrictive or narrow but multicoloured cards look very strong but very similar power level to each other and other options.

Which of the mana simic cards in this set is the best?

I am partial to Biomathematician but I don't have other fractals

Zephyr Boots Lootie booties, been a long time since we got good equipment.

I actually like the Thunderous Orator because I have all the Keyword soup white cards like Danica and Dayhawk

Rip apart more like rip lightning helix

I have the Khans Gain lands in my 360. But I don't consider thriving Lands to be modern legal and I don't want the stupidly strong fixing of the vivid lands.
They absolutely are late picks and I don't expect aggro decks in colour would pick them either.
Basically, I don't want fixing to be too easy like vivid lands (or signets) allow things to be sensible.

Maybe Thriving lands will be printed in a modern legal set and then I'd consider them, probably leaning towards them being the right level of fixing for my cube.

Red
Subira, Tulzidi Caravanner Seems good but mono-red so limits your options Márton Stromgald similar.
white
Nagao, Bound by Honor, Pianna, Nomad Captain, Syr Alin, the Lion's Claw, Kongming, "Sleeping Dragon" {2} Jazal Goldmane etc etc. other Anthem commanders

RW
Agrus Kos, Wojek Veteran, Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer, Adriana, Captain of the Guard, Arcangel Avacyn, Iroas, God of Victory, Tajic, Legion's Edge

One of the best aggro commanders is Gahiji, Honored One, because he also encourages others to attack each other it is not completely off theme if you think about it an Honor-themed deck. Green also many easier mana bases and access to recently printed shapeshifters.

Literally, all they had to do to fix it was make it only be able to target a spell an opponent controls but apparently, that was too many words for an already wordy card.

Take a look at Mayael the Anima decklists for inspiration.

But interestingly you could build the deck with no little creatures and just use non-creature spells for all your low-cost spells.

Tidespout tyrant is one of those high-value high cost cards

We had a weird thing where we played Sealed for FNM because of Covid so we don't touch each other's cards. I didn't have enough gold for drafts on Arena until yesterday

Inga Rune-Eyes was really good in sealed, but I still wished it was black. I just made blocks to trigger the card draw every time I played them without sac enablers.

After so many years Simian spirit guide is finally banned.
Another one of those cards we knew wasn't exactly good for the format but we all just got used to it.
Losing Ad nausem sucks though.

The other are just recent mistakes and I don't think anyone would mourn them.

Obviously you'd want a commander that forces your opponents to sacrifice or discard.


Sacrifice

• Malfegor
  
• Mogis, God of Slaughter
  
• Negan, the Cold Blooded
  
• Rakdos, The Defiler
  
• Savra, The Golgari queen
  
• Thraximundar
  
• Vaevictis Asmadi, the Dire
  
• Wasitora, Nekoru Queen
  

Discard

• Crosis, The Purger
  
• Gwendlyn Di Corci
  
• Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger
  
• Nath of the Gilt-Leaf
  
• Neheb, the Worthy
  
• Nicol Bolas
  

Thrax and Wasitora for sacrifice and Nath and Nicol for discard. Z
I think are good but they are very expensive mana wise compared to Tergird though, but you get more colours to play with.

In:
Usher of the Fallen
Clarion Spirit, I have Myrsmith and I feel like I should definitely replace her (artifact deck can abuse this as well)
Basalt Ravager I have wizard tribal (warrior and goblin tokens in red) and as modern pesant no flametounge. not 100 on what to cut yet.
Masked Vandal efficency is good. also shapeshifting really helps tribal
Firja, Judge of Valor like I know Maw of the Obzedat is powerful but it is also very narrow, I like enabling BW control.
Moritte of the Frost I know technically Clone counts for Pesant but since it hasn't been printed at uncommon in modern era I ignored it, copy something you have but make it bigger is nice very versitile (I still wish it could copy your enemies things)
Bloodline Pretender quickly becomes good with a little tribal support
Funeral Longboat not sure what to cut but I like 1 crew vehicles


Maybe:
Battlefield raptor flying/first strike feels better than 1 extra power but I am not sure
Starnheim Courser probably not
Giant's Amulet the hexproof mode isn't great but the 4/5 hexproof giant for 5 is sort of good.
Inga Rune-Eyes those are some powerful effects but I wish it was white/black
Bloodsky Berserker I think the 1 power base makes this not good enough
Vengeful Reaper similar to Bone Picker not a huge fortel fan.
Immersturm Raider that one toughness is a tough sell
Tormentor's Helm I still like this card but not sure where it fits.
Tuskeri Firewalker on going draw engine but I think its worse than Hollowhead sliver and Reckless Racer even if it is actual card advantage.
Littjara Glade-Warden this seems very slow but doing it repeatedly is powerful.
Roots of Wisdom if I want a second copy of grapple with the past
Snakeskin Veil I cut blossoming defense some time ago but if I want this effect again.
Aegar, the Freezing Flame would be fun but I think its too hard to fit in.
Harald, King of Skemfar my green section has plenty of elves and warriors but my black section does not.
Maja, Bretagard Protector unfortunately GW was a bit too strong for this one

Not a big snow or Fortell fan (I don't like having too many "wierd" mechanics in my cube)

Saga could be real good in the right meta. Reminds me of Ashiok, nightmare weaver and I did some broken things with them. Although you need a low cmc high impact cards to make the best of it.