Faithless Brewing MTG: Modern and Pioneer for the Spike Rogue

Core Set 2021, Episode 7: Surprise Pioneer B&R ft. Evart Moughon

Life has a funny way of giving you second chances. One week, you're flunking out of season 24 of The Bachelor, roseless and rejected. The next week you're the darling of Bachelor in Paradise, delighting audiences with your antics as you revel in another shot at romance. So, too, in Magic: one week your format is a ghost town, with near-empty tournament queues and a "healthy and balanced" metagame of four combo decks, each with strengths and weaknesses against each other. The next week, practically the entire Tier 1 metagame is banned, and we are suddenly presented with a second chance at love in a wide open Pioneer.

This week we welcome special guest Evart Moughon, aka Aspiringspike, to survey the new Pioneer landscape after the long shadows of Theros combo decks have been lifted. We tackle a bit of post-Astrolabe Modern as well, and wind down with some questions for Evart from the Brewers' Mailbag. Is this the dawn of a new era of brewing? What new decks and strategies might rise to the top? Which pre-Theros strategies are poised for a resurgence? The one thing we know for sure: if Aspiringspike has anything to say about it, it's going to involve a lot of Shark Typhoons. Happy brewing!

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

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Where to find Evart:

https://twitter.com/MoughonEvart

http://twitch.tv/aspiringspike

Flashback: Jolrael, Mwonvuli Recluse

Temur One-Mind Jolrael

BG Jolrael Enchantress

Sultai Jolrael Delirium

Brew Session: A Second Chance at Love in Pioneer

UB Narset's Undoing

UB Tome Diviner

UG Sublime Sharks

Jeskai Lukka Sharks

Mono-G Karn

Core Set 2021, Episode 6: Jolrael, Mwonvuli Recluse

What happens when you take a mechanic based on drawing extra cards, and move it out of Izzet colors and into Green? Does it somehow get a whole lot better? Jolrael thinks so, and we are inclined to agree. The empress of the Jamuraan jungles has gotten a lot leaner, fiercer, and more cat-friendly since we last saw her all the way back in Prophecy. As a splashable two-mana legend that generates tempo and card advantage every turn, Jolrael seems to have all the right moves for both Modern and Pioneer, so let's see what she can do!

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

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Roundup: Brewers' Mailbag ft. ManaCymbal

Where to find Zach: https://www.twitch.com/manacymbal

Links to Zachs' YouTube, Twitter, etc. can be found here

Flashback: Mazemind Tome

Blue Moon (Damon): 4-1 league

Eldrazi Tron: 5-4 ManaTraders Qualifiers

Classic Dice Factory (by Hampuse1): 2-3 league

Saheeli Dice Factory (by Brian M): 3-2 league

Blue Tron (by Lordofthelobsters): 3-0 league

UB Tome Diviner (David, Zach): 4-1 league, 3-2 league

Mazemind Niv (by Grixisism)

Esper Maze-Seize (by Spotred)

Brew Session: Jolrael, Mwonvuli Recluse

Modern

Sketch: Jolrael's Shadow

Sketch: Bant Jolrael

Sketch: Temur Tokens

Sketch: Jolrael GW Taxes

Sketch: Jolrael UG Kinnan

Pioneer

Sketch: Jolrael Delirium

Sketch: Bant Cycling

Sketch: Jundrael Enchantress

Core Set 2021, Episode 5: Mazemind Tome

M21's Mazemind Tome certainly looks unassuming. For a small 2-mana down payment, you get the option to "crack a Clue," as it were, by paying another 2-mana installment. If you don't want to spend mana, you can trade a Clue for a scry 1. Do that four times, then collect 4 life. Sounds simple enough. Can a bootleg Tireless Tracker really set the Modern format on fire?

Well, don't take our word for it, just ask the Eldrazi Tron players who have adopted this card en masse while surging to the top of the metagame in the wake of last week's B&R. You can blame those players too for the Sylvan Library comparison: it's not that there is an actual mechanical similarity between the two cards, but exude that same energy of "I've got this": if you get your engine down safely and have a few turns to extract value from it, you feel like a million bucks.

The beautiful thing about Tome is that it is colorless and cheap, which means it can potentially fit in a host of different strategies. It's not exactly a "build-around," as it asks very little of you and mostly supports whatever else your deck is attempting. But it does its job efficiently and well, and who isn't in the market for a reserve supply of 4 Clues? We've asked the question, so we'll do our best to answer it this week with some new homes (and some old ones) for Mazemind Tome in both Modern and Pioneer. Happy brewing!

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

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Roundup: Modern + Pioneer After the B&R

UW SharkBlade (by HeyPharaoh, 2nd place Modern Champs)

Eldrazi Tron (by TheTunnelingCat, 1st place Modern Champs)

Mono-White Tokens (by Marxelo, 7-2 Modern Champs)

Fervent Sunforger (by qbturtle15, 5-0 Modern League)

Pioneer: Aggregate results from Challenge + last four Prelims (by FamousOnLine)

Flashback: Teferi, Master of Time

Teferi Delirium (Dan): 6-4 leagues (a "Robertson 9-1," three losses were timeouts)

Teferi Phoenix (David): 2-3 league

Izzet Moon (Damon): 3-2 league

UW Miracles (Dan): 2-3 league

Brew Session: Mazemind Tome

Reference: Blue Moon (Damon)

Reference: Eldrazi Tron (by TheTunnelingCat, 1st place Modern Champs)

Reference: Dice Factory (by Hampuse1, 5-0 Modern League)

Reference: Blue Tron (by Lordofthelobsters, 5-0 Modern League)

Reference: Skred Red (by utopia_mycon, 5-0 Modern League)

Sketch 1: Klothys Prison

Sketch 2: Tome Diviner

Core Set 2021, Episode 4: Teferi, Master of Time

Recently, certain members of the Faithless Brewing brain trust expressed skepticism that new Teferi could ever possibly be better than Jace, the Mind Sculptor (I won't name names, so let's just call them D***). How could any 2UU walker ever compete with JTMS, perhaps the greatest planeswalker of all time? But here's the thing: they don't write the show notes.

This week, we settle the score once and for all by putting Teferi through his paces in four different archetypes. And we do so set against the brave new landscapes of two formats completely refreshed by this week's B&R announcement. The metagame is brand new! Anything is possible now in Modern and Pioneer! .... ***wait, what's that? oh.... Modern only? no bans this week in Pioneer? awkward...*** Correction: Modern looks brand new and Pioneer looks as healthy and balanced as ever, so let's forge ahead!

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

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Notable decks from around the leagues:

Chromatic Combo Tron (by Trellon, 5-0 league)

Liliana 8-Rack (by D00mwake, 5-0 league)

Sultai Neo-Evolution (by sivek, 5-0 league)

Flashback: Archfiend's Vessel

Abzan Horse Vessel: 1-4 league

BW Liliana’s Vessels: 4-1 league, 3-2 league

Archfiend Jund: 2-3 league

Brew Session: Teferi, Master of Time

Sketch 1: Te4eri Delirium (Pioneer)

Sketch 2: Te4eri Phoenix (Pioneer)

Sketch 3: Izzet Rielle (Modern)

Sketch 4: UW Miracles (by Zach Allen, Top 8 Modern Challenge)

Core Set 2021, Episode 3: Archfiend's Vessel

Archfiend's Vessel is a card to make your jaw drop. 5/5 flying? For a single black mana? Move over, Gurmag Angler; where can we sign up?

As with most demonic bargains, the truth is that Archfiend's Vessel is rife with hidden costs. On the surface, the bargain is simple: kill my vessel, then bring it back for demonic fun and profit. But the card gives no guidance on how we are actually supposed achieve this. A 1/1 lifelink is not a relevant combat creature, so you can't rely on your opponent to kill the Vessel for you. And it's not like "reanimate a creature" is an effect that just gets thrown around for free. Once you set out to solve all the puzzles, the Archfiend might not feel like such a bargain after all. But, as we know, there's only one way to find out, so let's build some decks!

Meanwhile, around the Multiverse: a surprise B&R announcement has us putting on our speculation hats again, this time for both Pioneer and Modern. There's plenty that we'd like to see changed, but the timing of the announcement is also suspicious: is it possible that something will be freed from B&R purgatory? We make our best guesses before the bombshell is dropped on Monday. Also on the Flashback: our testing results with Silversmote Ghoul.

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

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Roundup: B&R Predictions

Modern Predictions

Pioneer Predictions

Flashback: Silversmote Ghoul

Mardu Helix (Modern): 3-2 league

WB Silversmote Midrange (Pioneer): 1-4 league

Sultai Blood for Ghoul (Pioneer): 1-4 league

Sultai Jolrael Delirium (Pioneer): 4-1 league

Brew Session: Archfiend's Vessel

Theorycraft

Four Conceptual Challenges

Reanimation Options

Decklists

Reference: BR Lurrus Rites (by Wolfie98, 4-1 Pioneer preliminary)

Sketch 1: Rakdos Archfiend Rites (Modern)

Brainstorm: Archfiend Pox (Modern)

Sketch 2: Abzan Collected Sacrifice (Pioneer)

Sketch 3: Abzan Horse Rallier (Pioneer)

Core Set 2021, Episode 2: Silversmote Ghoul

Life comes at you fast when you're a 200-year-old vampire. One day, you're a suave, brooding heartthrob, the envy of your high school. Your skin sparkles in sunlight, you play baseball during thunderstorms, and you just proposed to your girlfriend the day after her prom (that's not weird at all, right?). Here's hoping Bella says yes!

Then, one day, some Hero McJerkface sticks a silver dagger in your back, and suddenly you're a Zombie Vampire. You're now 200% undead, your hair starts to fall out, and when you look in the mirror... yikes. Such is the life of a silver-smitten ghoul. Tough break, Edward!

Nobody asked for a Twilight meets World War Z crossover, and to be honest nobody asked for Silversmote Ghoul either. But it's here, and it's free, so we should probably take a very close look. The new Prized Amalgam has a unique trigger condition and has already made a splash in both Modern and Pioneer, thanks to the incidental lifegain tacked onto format staples like Creeping Chill and Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. We've got seven new Ghoul lists this week, plus more coming down the pipeline.

Also in this edition: a first look at M21 tournament finishes; our testing results with Conspicuous Snoop; and a difficult listener question about the future of Pioneer and Historic. Let's dive in!

Roundup: First Results with M21

03:46  Conspicuous Snoop

04:38 Frantic Inventory

07:21 Stormwing Entity

Izzet Prowess (by Spiderspace, 5-0 league)

Temur Delver (by TubbyBatman, 5-0 league)

10:34 Chandra’s Incinerator

Mono-Red (by Cherryxman, 5-0 league)

14:46 Thieves Guild Enforcer

Grixis Vantress Delver (by RogerSteady, Top 8 Modern Challenge)

Fierce Empath

Amulet Titan (by Moniz0801, Top 16, Modern Challenge)

18:51 Sublime Epiphany

Simic Reclamation (by talos41, T16 Pioneer Challenge) 

23:00 Eliminate vs Heartless Act

25:41 Lofty Denial + Shacklegeist

UW Spirits (by Phil_Hellmuth, 5-0 league)

28:45 Selfless Savior

GW Devoted Druid (by Meanfannypack, 5-0 league)

30:20 Teferi, Master of Time

Modern Bant Snow (by McWinSauce, T16 Modern Challenge)

Pioneer Esper Control (by killersuv, T32 Pioneer Challenge)

Worldgorger Dragon Combo (by fire10798, Legacy Challenge Winner)

32:58 Silversmote Ghoul

33:36 Mailbag: The Future of Pioneer and Historic

Flashback: Conspicuous Snoop

Modern

55:40 "Classic" Snoop (by Sebastian Steuckl): 1-4 league

59:50 "Double Combo" Snoop: 3-2 league

1:03:06 5-Discard Snoop (by kanister, 5-0 league)

Pioneer

1:13:59 Snoopwhacker Aggro: 1-4 league

1:15:40 Snoopcleaver Aggro: 3-2 league

Brew Session: Silversmote Ghoul

1:25:54 Sketch 1: Mardu Helix (Modern)

1:32:16 Sketch 2: Sultai Ghoul Emerge (Pioneer)

1:35:53 Sketch 3: Sultai Dredge (Pioneer)

1:41:48 Sketch 4: Abzan Energy (Pioneer)

1:45:47 Sketch 5: Silversmote Vampires (Pioneer)

1:48:56 Sketch 6: Blood for Bones Reanimator (Pioneer)

1:51:48 Sketch 7: Jolrael Sultai (Pioneer)

Reference lists:

Silversmote Dredge (by Sodeq, T4 Modern Challenge)

Sultai Dredge Emerge (by AlexFiero, 5-0 League)

Sultai Dredge (by PigNorton, 5-0 League)

Sultai Reanimator (by illsicknasty, 12-3 Leagues)

Core Set 2021, Episode 1: Conspicuous Snoop

"Umm... Is that a goblin with his face pressed up against our window?" "Yeah" "Is he... spying on us?" "Yeah, it's exactly what it looks like."

Today's episode is exactly what it looks like. During preview week, it took approximately 7 minutes for the Modern community to latch onto the hot new combo involving Conspicuous Snoop. Play Snoop, play Boggart Harbinger, put Kiki-Jiki on top, easy as you please. As far as combos go, this one is pretty conspicuous.

So should we as Faithless Brewers even bother exploring this card, or should we trust in the collective efforts of the hive mind to Figure It Out? Everyone else is also working on this deck and the concept is very powerful, seeming to slot into an already solid Goblins strategy. That said, we don't often get chances to do a Goblin Week, and when you dig deeper into the tribe, it turns out there are many branching paths that can take a Goblins deck into unexpected places. This is especially true in Pioneer where the infinite combo is not available. As clear-cut as the combo is, there are many questions to be answered, not least of which is: How good is Conspicuous Snoop, really? We've got our first round of M21 deck sketches ready, so let's head to the queues to find out!

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

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Roundup: Top Picks for M21

6:45  Kinnan Urza (Jiggywiggy, 7-1 Modern Challenge)

Kinnan Urza Deck Guide (by ManaCymbal)

Core Set 2021 Preview Roundup

15:30  Most Overrated

20:48  Most Underrated

33:15  Best fits for Existing decks

36:00  Best for spawning new archetypes

39:00  Most Fun / Most Excited to Brew With

44:50  Top 5 Overall

Flashback: Sprite Dragon

47:55  Izzet Prowess (Modern): 5-5 leagues

55:30  Grixis Lurrus (Modern): 2-3 league

1:04:48  One Mind Prowess (Pioneer): 2-3 league

1:10:45  Dragon Tempo (Pioneer): 6-4 leagues

1:18:30  Sprite Phoenix (Pioneer): 7-3 leagues

Brew Session: Conspicuous Snoop

1:30:12  A History of Goblins

1:33:20  Bushwhacker Aggro

1:37:13  Post-MH1 Midrange Goblins

1:40:40  Grumgully Combo Goblins

1:47:06  Sketch 1: "Classic" Snoop Combo (Modern)

1:52:35  Sketch 2: Snoopy Double Combo (Modern)

1:58:33  Sketch 3: Snoopwhacker Aggro (Pioneer)

Ikoria, Episode 11: Sprite Dragon

The brewers have spoken! Two weeks ago, we unveiled the ten nominees for our Brewers' Choice episode. Now, the ballots have been cast, the votes have been tallied, and the winning card is... Sprite Dragon!

Narrowly edging out Sundial of the Infinite, Sprite Dragon could not be more different from the goofy artifacts we have busied ourselves with in past editions of Brewers' Choice. Sprite Dragon is, by many accounts, a "good card," even a format staple in certain metas. And yet, if it's true that a card is only as good as the decks it engenders, we must also admit that there is not currently an established "Sprite Dragon deck." The reign of Lurrus Grixis Delver in Modern was short-lived. Izzet Prowess in Pioneer has seen some recent success in the 5-0s, but beyond that it seems that the adorable hellkite is still searching for its forever home.

In other Magic news, we have the full set reveal for Core Set 2021, which means it is time for Part 2 of our Brewers' Guide to M21! The set looks stacked with intriguing build-around options. It also seems much more balanced than previous sets, with a noticeable lack of outlier cards likely to upend Magic's tournament formats. In short, it is a true brewer's paradise. We talk through the cards we are most excited to start building decks with, as well as our testing results with Sea-Dasher Octopus from last week.

Finally, if you haven't done so already, be sure to check out our sixth and final episode of Rogue Refinery! We gave the series a proper send-off with some truly awesome decks with Rielle, the Everwise (and multiple 5-win events to show for it). WotC is eager for feedback on this pilot series, so if you liked this style of content and would like to see more of it in the future, be sure to leave a comment on the video and show some love! Watch the series finale of Rogue Refinery here: https://youtu.be/e_74lZDfYps

Roundup: M21 Previews, Week 2

Timestamps

10:42  Speaker of the Heavens -- 14:21  Thieves' Guild Enforcer -- 18:03  Miscast -- 20:00  Conspicuous Snoop -- 25:34  Heartfire Immolator -- 28:45  Conclave Mentor -- 30:58  Track Down -- 32:56  Ghostly Pilferer -- 35:33  Shacklegeist -- 37:57  Lofty Denial -- 39:00  Frantic Inventory -- 41:59  Barrin, Tolarian Archmage -- 44:30  Demonic Embrace -- 47:44  Silversmote Ghoul -- 50:58  Nine Lives -- 52:54  Radha, Heart of Keld -- 55:11  Sporeweb Weaver -- 56:30  Garruk's Uprising -- 58:03  Garruk, Unleashed -- 1:00:23  Transmogrify -- 1:02:55  Terror of the Peaks -- 1:05:46  Discontinuity -- 1:07:48  Sublime Epiphany

Flashback: Sea-Dasher Octopus

Pioneer

1:14:10  Mono-Blue Octopus Flash: 4-1 league

1:22:14  Emry Octopus: 3-2 league, 3-2 league

Modern

1:29:33  Bant Octoform: 0-2 league, 0-3 league

Brew Session: Sprite Dragon

1:36:49  Theorycraft: Finding a Home for Sprite Dragon

Modern

1:42:48  Sketch 1: Stormwing Prowess

1:46:35  Sketch 2: Jeskai Dragons

Reference lists (pre-Companion nerf)

Lurrus Grixis Delver (Zonast, MTGO SuperQ, 1st place)

Lurrus Grixis Shadow (WhiteHatMan, 5-0 league)

Lurrus Jeskai Control (Nilsfit, 5-0 league)

Pioneer

1:51:17  Sketch 3: Dragon Tempo

1:55:53  Izzet One-Mind Prowess (doshimo1110, 5-0 league)

Reference lists:

Izzet Wizard Prowess (MangoPunch, 5-0 league)

Lurrus Jeskai Heroic (pre-nerf) (PigNorton, 6-2 Pioneer Challenge)

Ikoria, Episode 10: Sea-Dasher Octopus

Is there anyone who doesn't love Sea-Dasher Octopus? When Ikoria was revealed, what feels like years ago, the Octopus was warmly embraced by players near and far. Part Curious Obsession, part Ninja of the Deep Waters, with a fail-safe mode of Ophidian with flash, it certainly seemed like the Octopus could do it all. And that's not even accounting for all of the nifty synergies with the Mutate mechanic, or even something as pedestrian as Flash tribal.

And yet, a few months later, here we are. Sea-Dasher has not a single 5-0 to its name in Modern, and only two half-hearted 5-0 results in Pioneer. It doesn't even see play in Standard, not even in the Flash decks. Was the Octopus simply a casualty of the Companion apocalypse? Or are there larger structural problems that we just didn't see?

Core Set 2021 previews are coming fast and furious, but we've got unfinished business with Ikoria and a certain eight-legged bandit. What mysteries will the deep waters reveal?

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Roundup: M21 Previews, Week 1

Timestamps

14:55  Archfiend's Vessel

17:45  Village Rites

20:17  Selfless Savior

22:38  Chandra's Incinerator

25:00  Seasoned Hallowblade

26:59  Angelic Ascension

29:42  Eliminate

31:56  See the Truth

34:30  Stormwing Entity

37:45  Waker of Waves

40:37  Mazemind Tome

44:11  Volcanic Salvo

44:26  Pack Leader

46:22  Alpine Houndmaster

48:49  Sparkhunter Masticore

51:59  Gadrak, the Crown-Scourge

54:01  Bolt Hound

54:51  Basri Ket

56:31  Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose

57:47  Idol of Endurance

59:18  Teferi's Tutelage

1:01:18  Teferi, Master of Time

1:08:32  Liliana, Waker of the Dead

1:11:52  Carrion Grub

1:13:07  Basri's Lieutanant

1:14:58 Teferi's Ageless Insight

1:16:57  Chandra, Heart of Fire

1:20:02  Elder Gargaroth

1:22:46  Containment Priest

1:26:50  Fierce Empath

1:29:07  Massacre Wurm

1:29:13  Baneslayer Angel

1:29:22  Cultivate, Solemn Simulacrum

1:29:31  Azusa, Lost but Seeking

1:29:35  Runed Halo

1:29:56  Faith's Fetters

Brew Session: Sea-Dasher Octopus

Theorycraft: The Modes of Sea-Dasher Octopus

1:34:48  Octopus vs. Curious Obsession

1:36:10  Octopus vs. Ninja of the Deep Hours

1:39:08  Octopus vs. Ophidian

Pioneer

1:45:42  Sketch 1: Mono-Blue Tempo

1:54:50  Sketch 2: Bant Flash Company

1:59:02  Sketch 3: Bant "Metalcraft"

Modern

2:05:17  Bant OctoForm: 4-1 league

Ikoria, Episode 9: Brewers' Choice Nominees

The Magic content in this episode begins at 16:00.

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

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Timestamps

The View from Minneapolis: George Floyd, Black Lives Matter, and Police Brutality

01:08 Updates from Minneapolis

02:14 Updates from Seattle

11:40 How to Stay Informed

16:00 Housekeeping

Roundup: Companion Change + B&R Update

18:14  The New Companion Mechanic

29:00  Lessons from the Standard B&R

45:07  The Dangers of Functional Errata

Brewers' Choice: Meet the Nominees

The winning card will be determined via patron poll, which will be posted in our Discord and on our Patreon feed.

For non-patrons, a public poll will also be posted on our Twitter feed (@FaithlessMTG).

Listen to our analysis and then cast your votes!

58:10  Abandoned Sarcophagus

1:00:36  Aggressive Mining

1:05:35  Athreos, God of Passage

1:10:15  Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy

1:15:01  All the Nicol Bolases

1:21:11  Song of Creation

1:25:22  Sprite Dragon

1:29:57  Sundial of the Infinite

1:33:08  Umori, the Collector

1:36:51  Winota, Joiner of Forces