Faithless Brewing MTG: Modern and Pioneer for the Spike Rogue

Theros Beyond Death, Episode 11: Brew Review #2

We asked our listeners to send in their spiciest brews featuring cards from Theros: Beyond Death. As always, they delivered. In this edition of the Brew Review, we talk through a dozen slick new lists, spanning the full spectrum of rogue strategies in Modern and Pioneer. Archive Trap control? Check. Soulherder with Avalanche Riders? Check. Ayula's Influence Loam? You got it. Mono-red IMMINENT DOOM? Do you even have to ask?

Join us this week for a walk through the collected creativity of the Faithless Family, and be sure to check out the decklists and writeups in the notes below. Oh, and we also took our Narset Undoing to a 5-0 last week in Pioneer. The deck looked solid across five full leagues; we'll get you up to speed on all the details!

****

Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

****

Like our content? Support us on Patreon and join our brewing community!

****

Flashback: Narset, Parter of Veils

Pioneer

Narset Undoing: 16-9 (5 leagues)

(David’s match vs. Zan Syed can be viewed here)

Modern

Narset Turns: 1-4 league

Temur Turns (by Daniel Wong): 3-2 league

Narset Undoing: 0-3 league

Brew Review: Theros Edition

Modern

1. Dimir Trap Control (by Soren W.)

2. AyUro's Influence (by Drej)

3. Temur Urzo (by Zach aka ManaCymbal)

4. Soulrider (by Collin aka blak fishy)

5. Heliod Devotion (by Lanny Huang)

6. Soul Sisters (by Paimon)

7. Heliod Company (by Been395)

8. Scarlet Grinding Breach (by Josh aka Auralox)

Bonus: Green/Blue Control (by Peacharita)

Pioneer

9. Here Comes the Doom (by KilgoreTrout503)

10. Spaghetti Flash (by nonstripedzebra)

11. Rakdos Kroxa (by Illsicknasty)

Bonus: Scion of Whirza (by Brian M)

Bonus: Human Revolution (by nonstripedzebra)

Bonus: Red Fell Revolver (by KilgoreTrout503)

1. Dimir Trap Control by Soren W. (Modern)

Soren writes:

My deck is an evolution of a deck from your Vantress Gargoyle Episode that I just can’t seem to put down. It is the Trap control deck that you folks mentioned as potentially “Secretly Excellent.” I’ve been working on it now for quite sometime and I’ve changed the deck pretty heavily as I’ve learned it and addressed changes in the metagame. At this point I’ve played 175 games online with this and have gone 101-74 good for a 57.7% mwp. Enough to keep me from bleeding tickets, but maybe not amazing? I’m really happy with 65 of 75 cards but still feel like there is room for innovation. 

Game 1 the deck attempts to play multiple Ancestral Recalls in the form of Visions of Beyond that are enabled by Thoughtscours and Archive Traps. It's not a traditional Mill build that has a critical mass of library removal as fast as possible, but rather a control deck that aims to drag the game out to the point where you are drowning in card advantage and your opponents are drowning in your Drown in the Lochs. You get to almost completely blank their removal game one and in game two you pull a switcheroo, bringing in Things and Kalitis. 

The biggest change in the meta, was the introduction of the escape-elders, Kroxa and Uro. When these first became popular in the MTGO meta, I thought this deck was finished, I could not beat one G1 since I essentially always draw them for my opponent, and they turn off my Ancestral Recalls, IttS, and DitLs. I lost sooo many matches to those, until I discovered Cling to Dust. This has been a surprisingly amazing card, that has blanked Snapcasters and E-Wits, exiled shrunk Goyfs, turned off Delirium, all while cantripping! That doesn’t even cover the incidental lifegain and rebuying ability from the escape side. I’ve become a true believer in this card and wouldn’t be playing the deck without it. 

Good match-ups include: Control*, Hard Combo (Ad Nauseam, Goryos, Neo-Brand, Storm, Titanshift), Niv :) , Non-“Go-wide” Aggro (Burn, Infect, Red Prowess), Tron, Urza*. 

Average Match-Ups include: Death’s Shadow w/o Stubborn Denial, Druid Combo, E-Tron, Jund, UG Titan Ramp. 

Poor Match-ups include: CrabVine, “Go-Wide” Aggro (Elves, Goblins, Humans, Spirits, Zoo), Death’s Shadow with Stubbs, Mill, RG Klothys Moon. 

* How strong the deck feels, really depends on their build. The more Uros there are, generally the less good I feel even with C2D.

2. AyUro’s Influence by Drej (Modern)

Note: needs to be updated post-Once Upon a Time

Drej writes:

I've been playing pioneer gitrog and have had a blast playing it. One card I've wished I had access to is obviously Life from the Loam. As I was thinking about building a deck around the two, I stumbled upon Ayula's Influence aka Bear Vortex. 

So simple ideas: 1) ramp with lands 2) play gitrog 3) play Ayula's .... ????) Bear-pocalypse. So the play pattern is - play gitrog, discard land to Ayula's, draw a card off trigger, make lots of bears. Lots of bears. Dredging Liam and hitting lands also gives you a second draw. Lots of cute interactions.

Uro is the reason this deck is functional. Full stop. The black green version, I recently piloted and bombed with, can attest to this. So many things that he does, changes burn damage, puts lands on the board, churns through the deck. The game plan with uro isn't to escape him ASAP. It's more growth spiral with late game power. The feeling of getting into the late game top deck mode and having the option to play a 6/6 threat that needs specific removal is amazing. Also blue let's you get mystical dispute... so that's gotta stay. 

My thoughts on the deck - it's awesome. The nut draw of T1 Sakura, T2 influence, T3 gitrog, opponents end step make 10 bears is something that everyone needs to experience. The fundamental fear I have is that it's a "fairish" graveyard deck. It's not dredge, it's not hogaak, it won't blow people out of the water. 

Which is why I made it a land based deck - every card does something, no bad top decks (ish). I recently rediscovered blast zone and discovered the new Labyrinth card. The dream of removing a battle raged death shadow from combat keeps me up at night. Lastly- big shout out to Witch's Cottage - awesome card with Druid of the Willy Wonka Forest. 

Wrenn vs Loam - you can make more than one bear with loam.  Also it fills up your graveyard for uro, and crime and more loams and more of the functional lands. Also 4 color would be tougher, Uro is a must stay

3. Temur Urzo by Zach Ryl aka ManaCymbal (Modern)

Zach writes:

Here's mine from a few months back. If I were to update it for now I'd try to get some trackers into the main, and maybe switch out the rebukes for Archmage's Charms? but it really depends on how I feel about the meta at the moment.

The core concept was marrying my favorite card in modern, from then until now, Wrenn and Six, with the UG fair Urza midrange deck, another joy of mine. The crypts in the main and the EE are definintely debatable, and I'd be interested to know if you guys have any thoughts about how big each package should be. I'm not REALLY comfortable with wrenn and Six being paired with Less than 23 lands, but I wonder if I can go with closer to the 4c snow mana base with a pile of field of ruins, and a couple of cycle lands, instead of playing sanctuary, or if I want to do that too.

Uro is also an interesting thing to try to make work, I think 2 might be the right number. The artifact package's size is also an important design axis. 4 Emry really encourages a high density of cheap artifacts to get her on the board. Also a Saheeli has been nuts at some times.

4. Soulrider by Collin aka blak fishy (Modern)

Collin writes:

If you want to curve Goose into Soulherder into Avalanche Riders and kill 2 of your opponent's lands on turn 3 then this is the modern deck for you! With no conceivable bad matchups except Legacy Manaless Dredge you will be sure to clean up your modern leagues in no time. Warning, this deck may only be safe to play online: Tron players have been rumored to call a judge and ask if Riders is even legal then berate the opponent with such insults as "play a real deck."

5. Mono-White Devotion by Lanny Huang (Modern)

Lanny writes:

Here's a post theros update to Craig Wescoe's mono-white devo. I'm gonna take it for a spin and maybe update it to be more aggressive or more prison-y. Considering a lot of stuff for this, maybe a charming prince/wall of omens/thraben inspector package, maybe a benalish marshall, history of benalia theme package. For historical reference, here's Wescoe's original GP list: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1706917#online

My biggest concern is the 'land tax' effects are too durdly and there's no way to leverage them into an advantage. I think I'd want to cut them entirely for something more proactive but I'm also worried that takes too much away from the devotion package, having not tested yet.

6. Heliod Sisters by Paimon (Modern)

Paimon writes:

I stole a bunch of ideas from the last time you guys talked about white devotion in modern and made: I've played it all of once. Against mono-red prowess. The player was new to the deck, so it might not be as easy a match as it seemed. But then again, it seemed like if I drew my lands on time, I won. It feels greedy, but I want to put Archangel of Thune into the sideboard.

7. Heliod Company by Been395 (Modern)

8. Scarlet Grinding Breach by Josh aka Auralox (Modern)

Josh writes:

A mostly mono-red shell for the Grinding Station+Underworld Breach combo lines in Modern. Splashing black for its fine interaction and removal options. Open to input and suggestions!

Scrap trawler+sword in gy and zero drop gets the ball rolling with a grinding station in play Sword in graveyard and station and trawler in play. Memnite in hand. But you can get there other ways too

The goblin engineer can help set up the sword in the graveyard as well as retrieve needed bits later on. The fallback plan is to rebuy galv blast with breach, but we don’t need as much mana fixing since red is already our base color so I reduced the astrolabe to 2

The Pia Nalaar (which are strangely Legendary) are still in the sideboard from an with experiment where I ran 2 mox amber, but I found that just a bit more than I could fit in…

The last line to mention is the wishclaw talisman line, you can sac it to station before your opponent gets a chance to use it which always just feels great.

Bonus: Green/blue Control by Peacharita (Modern)

Note: needs to be updated post-Once Upon a Time

Peacharita writes:

Here’s my updated mono green control w/ blue splash since oko and lattice got banned. Deck feels lacking without something else like trinisphere to slow the game down that you can jam on t2. Using primal command to time walk the opponent and search up silver bullet creatures that can be looped with eternal witness and thassa is big game, and flickering coatl and acidic slime is sweet value. Just needs something to jam on t2 that impedes opponents gameplan similar to trinisphere or oko.

9. Here Comes the Doom by Jason (aka KilgoreTrout) (Pioneer)

Jason writes:

It needs tweaking for consistency, but man it is fun. When it goes off, sometimes youbjsut clear a board. T2 Soul-Scar, T2 Runaway Steam-Kin, T3 imminent, get a counter on steamkin, T4 cast 1cmc spell, 2cmc spell, attack with 4/4 steamkin, remove counters second mainphase to make 3 Mana for a 3cmc spell

Purphoros's Intervention is way better than I thought. A mainboard answer to a big dumb creature without casting multiple spells has been super useful. 

Not sure on Satyr's Cunning or Escape Velocity. I have played a league with them yet. Put them in here as a discussion point. They allow you to get imminent doom triggers from the GY. Escape Velocity can get you the 1 and 2 CMC trigger

10. Spaghetti Flash by nonstripedzebra (Pioneer)

11. Rakdos Kroxa by Illsicknasty (Pioneer)

Illsicknasty writes:

I haven’t played it against any top tier beside a my friends mono white, but if we in Portland get quarantined / school and work get shut down, It will finally give me a reason to learn MODO

Bonus: Scion of Whirza by Brian M (Pioneer)

(See Episode 46 for Dan's league play-through report of this deck)

Brian writes:

My hypothesis was that Karn, Scion of Urza is basically unplayable unless you want the Karnstructs as there are typically better CA engines available than Karn. The Karnstructs are a bit weak to opposing chump blockers, so when I saw Shadowspear it seemed like the missing piece to make the Karnstructs playable. The goal of the deck is to drag the game long and eventually win through a massive Karnstruct strapped up with a Shadowspear. Alternatively flooding the board with Thopters can be an avenue to a win. 

The area where the deck can suffer a bit is against other decks that can grind well. I've considered a splash into R for some additional interaction and ways to get a bit more aggro. I've also considered Green for Lifecraft Awakening and Uro, but that sort of pushes all in on the GY synergies whereas currently only Emry really cares about the yard.

Bonus: Human Revolution by nonstripedzebra (Pioneer)

Bonus: Red Fell Revolver by Jason aka Kilgore Trout (Pioneer)

Jason writes:

Would love some help optimizing the numbers here: I keep tweaking how many pingers vs spells. Not sure if I want card draw main or if I should play it like burn (no card draw, all gas) The card draw spells are more triggers, which is why I have it built the way it currently is.

Bedlam Reveler has gotten stuck in my hand a few times. Would love to replace it. Was shocks 7-8 originally and that was feeling pretty good in the league

Theros Beyond Death, Episode 10: Narset, Parter of Veils

It's been a minute since Narset was a staple in Modern. Once mentioned frequently in the same breath as Karn and Teferi, the long and difficult months of 2019 gradually forced Narset to surrender her claim as a top-three planeswalker from War of the Spark. Without Arclight Phoenix decks to prey upon, Narset has taken a back seat to cards like Ashiok, Dream Render, Nissa, Who Shakes the World, and even the occasional Saheeli, Sublime Artificer.

It would be a mistake, however, to ignore Narset completely, even in today's metagame. Her static ability may not line up well against every opponent, but it does combine in spectacular ways with certain unique spells and effects. Those same pieces can be found off Narset's -2 activation, making this unassuming three-mana walker both a strong card advantage engine and a deadly prison enabler. Let's see what she can do!

Flashback: Setessan Champion

Pioneer

Selesnya Enchantress (Damon): 2-3 league

Sultai Enigmatic Enchantress (David): 2-3 league

Modern

Naya Land-chantress (Dan): 1-4 league

Brew Session: Narset, Parter of Veils

Pioneer

Dimir Undoing (Sketch)

Update: Damon took this version to a 5-0 after recording

Modern

Narset Turns (Sketch)

Reference: Temur Turns (Daniel Wong)

Theros Beyond Death, Episode 9: Setessan Champion

The notion of an Enchantress deck has always held a certain timeless allure. Play an enchantment, draw a card. Play an enchantment, draw another card. Maybe your enchantments are enticing mana rampers, or strong prison lock pieces, or possibly even auras that boost your lethal attacker. What's not to like?

If you go looking for these mythical Enchantress decks in the wild, however, you will find they are the rarest of species. Just based on tournament results, you could reasonably argue that Enchantress decks have been extinct at the competitive level for a decade or more. Reasons for this are manifold, and pointing in various directions. It's tricky to strike the right balance between enablers and payoffs; enchantments as a category tend to be a mismatched and underpowered group of cards; and the payoffs (the "Enchantresses" themselves, or equivalent "enchantments-matter" effects) have not been costed aggressively enough to overcome these barriers.

Undaunted, with Theros: Beyond Death and the constellation mechanic, Wizards has gone back to the enchantments fold. What choice do we have but to follow them boldly into the unknown? This week, we take on Setessan Champion, the latest entrant in the "play an enchantment, draw a card" class of payoffs, but with slightly more combat-ready stats than her predecessors. Will she prove her worth as a Setessan Enchampion? Let's find out!

**ALSO: Earlier this week we posted a short bonus episode dedicated entirely to COVID-19. This episode is meant to be a general resource on preparedness, covering topics like basic safety practices, how to adjust to social distancing, and what to have on hand if you are asked to stay home. Please feel free to share this guide with anyone for whom the discussion might be helpful; no knowledge of Magic is required.**

"The View from Seattle: Preparing for COVID-19"

****

Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

****

Like our content? Support us on Patreon and join our brewing community!

****

Flashback: Emry, Lurker of the Loch

Modern

Breach Station (Damon): 5-0 league

https://scryfall.com/@nukelaunch/decks/01149f33-4af4-4e1c-a24d-d438849227cd

Pioneer

Jeskai Owl Ascendancy (David): 4-6 leagues

https://scryfall.com/@FaithlessMTG/decks/70be8426-0b03-437f-ba1d-4b07b962b3df

Simic Steel (David): 2-3 league

https://scryfall.com/@FaithlessMTG/decks/6dcaba9c-66ed-447f-8447-823208ec1416

Scion of Whirza (Dan): 3-2 league

https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/2697842#paper

Brew Session: Setessan Champion

Pioneer

Selesnya Enchantress (Sketch)

https://scryfall.com/@FaithlessMTG/decks/622cc97d-33ff-41e9-adec-cdfb38d51455

Golgari Valakut (Sketch)

https://scryfall.com/@FaithlessMTG/decks/4b36100d-d809-4d04-93d3-aaa5ddfd5991

Modern

4c Tallowisp Enchantress (Sketch)

https://scryfall.com/@FaithlessMTG/decks/0c5cffef-8b3f-4fb7-acfd-1a1a257e3518

Faithless Brewing, Special Edition: Coronavirus

For some, COVID-19 is a source of worrisome headlines unfolding quickly on the world stage. For others, it is already a daily reality. Self-quarantine, work-from-home, and cancellations of schools and social events have rapidly taken hold across cities and regions, and it seems likely that there is more to come.

In Seattle, Damon has been tracking developments closely as he adjusts to life in the epicenter of the outbreak in the United States. Together with special guest Maria, the two Seattleites share what they have learned about how to prepare for COVID-19 and strategies for living under self-quarantine and social distancing. Topics covered include:

• A short history of coronavirus: symptoms, history, and safety practices

• Tips for basic preparedness: what to have on hand if you are asked to stay home

• Social distancing: what it means and how to adapt

• Strategies for working from home effectively

• How to politely avoid a handshake

This episode has very little to do with Magic: the Gathering (although we do tackle the Big Question: should you attend that upcoming Magic tournament?). Nevertheless, we consider this a very important topic, and hope that this discussion can be a resource for anyone who finds it helpful. Please do what you can to help your families and communities stay safe and informed!

Resources and Further Reading:

New York Times Daily Briefing:

https://www.nytimes.com/newsletters/coronavirus-briefing

Vox Guide to Covid-19:

https://www.vox.com/2020/3/5/21162138/vox-guide-to-covid-19-coronavirus

Reddit News Aggregators:

www.reddit.com/r/coronavirus

www.reddit.com/r/covid19

Mental Health & Support:

www.reddit.com/r/covid19_support

Leading epidemiologists and public health experts are posting important updates on Twitter. Here are a few to start with:

https://twitter.com/ScottGottliebMD

https://twitter.com/mlipsitch

https://twitter.com/trvrb

Theros Beyond Death, Episode 8: Emry, Lurker of the Loch

First, there was Stoneforge Fishstick. Then, there was Deathrite Salmon. Coming out of Eldraine preview season, the hype for Emry was considerable, with many ranking her among the very best cards of what looked to be a very strong set. Possible combos with Jeskai Ascendancy, Paradoxical Outcome, and Paradox Engine had us thinking that the lady of the lake might shake things up in Modern, but we had no idea what was coming.

Flash forward several months, and the landscape looks entirely different. Oko joined forces with Urza for an utterly dominant spell atop the Modern metagame, to such a degree that both Oko and Mox Opal were hit with bans. Artifact-based decks in Modern would need to be re-engineered from the ground up. Meanwhile, the Pioneer format was launched, which was merely a twinkle in R&D's eye when we last featured Emry in Episode 22. Pioneer has seen its own well-documented churn, including bans on Oko and Smuggler's Copter that have contributed to artifact-based decks not finding much of a foothold in the young format.

The timing seems right, then, to jump back into the loch and see what Emry is capable of. The escape mechanic from Theros: Beyond Death has added new possibilities to Emry's self-mill trigger, and the value and combo potential of her activated ability remain as tantalizing as they ever were. Can Emry carry the torch for Mox Amber and friends in the new-look metagame of Modern and Pioneer? Let's find out!

****

Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

****

Like our content? Support us on Patreon and join our brewing community!

****

Roundup: The State of Brewing in Pioneer

Daniela Diaz on Brewing in Pioneer (thread)

Number of 5-0 Lists Over Time (via Eric Landes)

Breach Station: Sample Decklists

Article by Urchin Colley

Flashback: Ox of Agonas

Modern

Ox Dredge (Damon): 3-2 league

Gruul KiorOx (Damon): 6-4 leagues

Mardu AshiOx (Dan): 4-6 leagues

Jund AshiOx (Dan): 10-5 leagues

Hollow Ox by Kahn_M (Dan): 3-2 league

Brew Session: Emry, Lurker of the Loch

Emry: Lessons Learned (article by Urchin Colley)

Modern

Emry Planeswalker Loch (Sketch)

Pioneer

Emry Owl Ascendancy (Sketch)

Blue-Green Steel (Sketch)

Emry Ensoul Herald (Sketch)

Theros Beyond Death, Episode 7: Ox of Agonas

Bedlam Reveler is a gem of a Magic card. When it is fully powered, you get an above-rate creature (3/4 prowess for RR) that also draws three new cards. That's a straight up 4-for-1, a better rate than Ancestral Recall. Are there hoops to jump through? Sure, but that hasn't stopped Reveler from finding a home in Mardu Pyromancer (may it rest in peace) and more recently in Red Prowess. When surrounded by the right pieces, Reveler provides a powerful endgame that thrives on what red decks are already interested in doing.

If a 4-for-1 off Reveler sounds attractive, can we interest you in a 4-for-0? That's right, no cock and bull: how about an above-rate creature (5/3 for RR) that you can cast directly from your graveyard, and still draw three new cards to boot. We're entering Niv-Mizzet territory in terms of raw card advantage, but with an efficiency and built-in recursion that is in a class by itself. Why buy the cow when you can escape it for free?

This week, we're grabbing the horns of Ox of Agonas, the most exciting creature to break loose from the underworld of Theros. This won't be our first rodeo with the escape mechanic, but there are no sacred cows in brewing. The Titans may have more pedigree, and Breach may steal headlines, but it would be a terribull misteak to leave this mad cow in the bullpen. Unlike Reveler, the Raging Bull is agnoxtic about what card types it will eat: spells, creatures, fetch lands, everything is fuel to a four-chambered stomach. Modern Dredge has already been beefed up by the Red Bull, but can it also give wings to other strategies? We're feeling bullish on Ox of Agonas, and we've got brews til the cows come home in both Modern and Pioneer. Plenty to ruminate on, but we'll steer you in the right direction!

****

Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

****

Like our content? Support us on Patreon and join our brewing community!

****

Roundup: Tournament Reports

Modern 5c Niv (Dan): Top 32, Modern Challenge

Legacy Maverick (Damon): 0-2, Mox Boarding House 1k

Pioneer Sultai Delirium (Dan): Top 8, SCG IQ Newington

Flashback: Storm Herald

Pioneer

Mono-Red HammerHerald 1.0: 3-2 league

Mono-Red HammerHerald 1.1: 2-3 league

Mardu Siege Herald: 3-2 league

Modern

Jund Storm Conscription: 3-2 league

Jund Traverse Conscription: 4-1 league

Temur Uro Conscription: 2-3 league

Brew Session: Ox of Agonas

Modern

Reference: Stock Dredge

Sketch 1: Gruul KiorOx

Reference: Kiora Escape (by cavedan, 5-0 league)

Sketch 2a: Hollow Ox  (Kanm_H, 5-0 league; rodebo, 5-0 league)

Sketch 2b: Hollow OxVine

Sketch 3a: Mardu AshiOx

Sketch 3b: Jund AshiOx

Reference: Mardu “Oxtomancer” (by foggmanatic, 5-0 league)

Pioneer

Sketch 1: Izzet PhoenOx

Bonus Sketch: Izzet Flooding

Reference: Izzet Phoenix (1 Ox / 4 Cruise split)

Theros Beyond Death, Episode 6: Storm Herald

The last time we brewed around a flashy Simic mythic from the latest set release, the 5-0 finishes just piled up like candy. Our testing with Uro yielded similar results: no trophies this time, but a giant pile of 4-1s across multiple decks and multiple formats (Pioneer, Modern, and even Standard), from established meta decks to off-the-wall wild brews. Uro is here to stay, even making appearances in Legacy, so pick up your playset now and get ready to start drawing cards, gaining life, and exiling your graveyard in neat stacks of five cards.

This week, we pivot to a Theros card with a much less impressive pedigree: the curious rare Storm Herald. The effect on this hasty Shaman is so unique in Magic that the closest comparisons are... Retether? Iridescent Drake? Boonweaver Giant?? When our first pass at the card has us debating the merits of Shape of the Wiitigo, you know you are in for some deep cuts. Whether imitating Goryo's Vengenace by bringing back an Eldrazi Conscription, or playing the role of the pied piper calling a host of tiny auras all at once, Storm Herald is playing by its own rules in the strange and bizarre world of creature-boosting enchantments. Can this exciting new tool breathe life into the historically underpowered Aura subtype? And will the juice be worth the squeeze? There's only one way to find out!

****

Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

****

Like our content? Support us on Patreon and join our brewing community!

****

Flashback: Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath

Standard

Bant Uro Ramp (by Danny Salvatore): 6-2, SCG Philadelphia

Pioneer

Swedish Delirium (Dan): 6-2, SCG Philadelphia

4c Uro Reanimator (David/Damon): 8-2 leagues

Modern

Uro's Weirding (by Nephtyz, 5-0 league)

Temur Uro and Six (by MrRaeb, 5-0 league x2)

Turbo Lazav (by lannynyny, 5-0 league)

Turbo Lazav 1.1 (Dan): 4-1 league

Turbo Lazav 1.2 (Dan): 4-1 league

5c Niv Uro (Dan): 4-1 league

Brew Session: Storm Herald

Modern

Reference list: Jund Storm Conscription (Caleb Durward)

Sketch 1: Jund Storm Conscription

Pioneer

Reference list: BW Auras (Ken Yukuhiro)

Sketch 1: Mardu Sram Herald

Sketch 2: Boros Sram Herald

Sketch 3: Jeskai Curious Herald

Theros Beyond Death, Episode 5: Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath

Kroxa made his case last week for early release from the underworld of Theros, taking a bite out of the competition in both Modern and Pioneer. The hungry fellow has been making inroads into 5-0 lists, but has yet to enjoy the success of his greener, bluer, more wrathful sibling. This week, the clash of the titans comes to a head, as we pit our results with Kroxa against new lists featuring Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath.

Already boasting a Players Tour championship, Uro seems to have all the makings of a multi-format star. Simic colors? Check. Useful in many strategies? Check. Mythic rare, costs 1UG, rapidly increasing in price? Check, check, and check. Three letter name, two of which are vowels, followed by a title description? Welcome to my decklist, Oko left the seat warm for you.

There's no denying that Uro is a powerful and wildly successful card. Unlike Kroxa, Uro's draw and lifegain abilities create both time and resources to play a longer game, while also giving you land drops to go nuts with all of your extra material. Uro has so many abilities that even now players have only begun to scratch the surface of what it can do. A repeatable Growth Spiral is great. A repeatable Reviving Dose is also great. A giant creature that comes out of the graveyard without costing you a card, and generates value turn after turn, is starting to get a little crazy. This is a card that we are going to be seeing a lot of for the foreseeable future, so let's see what else Uro can do!

****

Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

****

Like our content? Support us on Patreon and join our brewing community!

****

Roundup: Pioneer Between the PTs

Czech House Niv-Mizzet (Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa)

BW Auras (Ken Yukuhiro)

Sultai Delirium (Joel Larsson)

Lotus Breach (Brent Vos)

Dimir Inverter (kanister)

Flashback: Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger

Pioneer

Grixis Kroxa Midrange (Damon): 7-8 leagues

Grixis Kroxa Midrange (David): 2-3 league

Rakdos Kroxa Cat (David): 3-2 league

Modern

Jund Hungry Zoo (Dan): 3-2 league

Grixis Renegade Kroxa (Dan): 2-3 league

T-Rex on the Titanic (test deck): not recommended for league play

Brew Session: Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath

Pioneer

Blood for Bones Reanimator: 8-2 leagues

Simic Ramp (Sketch)

Sultai Uro Oven (Sketch)

Modern

Wrenn and Uro (by MrRaeb, 5-0 league)

Theros Beyond Death, Episode 4: Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger

Freshly escaped from the underworld of Theros, Kroxa is at the peak of his powers. 6/6 is nearly as big as it gets. Two mana is nearly as lean as it gets. A true titan of the game, Kroxa packs a punch and delivers value coming and going, but he's not resting on his laurels. No, King Kroxa is still hungry, and he's coming for that 5-0 in Modern and Pioneer. 

Mechanically speaking, Theros's titans are fairly complicated under the hood. As pseudo spell effects, they are somewhat reminiscent of the Evoke and Adventure mechanics, but the similarities only go so far. The upshot is that the turn you spend two mana for a Raven's Crime is a very bad turn. The turn you spend four mana for a 6/6 with a positive ETB and attack trigger is a very good turn, and you can have that turn multiple times in a game. Kroxa's power level seems to lie somewhere in the middle, if we are just taking the card at face value. But what if we break the mold and cheat on Kroxa's hidden costs? Can we skip the Raven's Crime turn by putting Kroxa directly into the graveyard? Or how about the two mana 6/6 body that is briefly on the battlefield, what if we make extra use of that? The possibilities are as endless as Kroxa's appetite, so let's start brewing!

****

Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

****

Like our content? Support us on Patreon and join our brewing community!

****

Roundup: Modern Brews + Pioneer PTs

Modern

Flashback: Enigmatic Incarnation

Pioneer

Enigmatic Uro: 0-5 league. Needed more removal. Rebuild as Chronic Flooding delve/self-mill Oracle deck.

Modern

Enigmatic Doom: 2-3 league. Add Leylines to the main deck, increase land count, clean up 2-3 mana plays.

Brew Session: Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger

Sketch 1: Grixis Kroxa

Sketch 2: Rakdos Sacrifice

Reference lists:

Theros Beyond Death, Episode 3: Enigmatic Incarnation

When you give a card an outlandish name like "Enigmatic Incarnation," you'd better step up and deliver something deliciously and awesomely weird. Luckily, in this case, the R&D and Creative teams came through, offering a truly mysterious new tutoring engine. Superficially similar to Birthing Pod and Prime Speaker Vannifar, Enigmatic Incarnation throws those precedents out the window by triggering only once per turn (on end step) and feeding on one card type (enchantment) while tutoring for another (creature). It is truly a mystery wrapped in an enigma, drawing on an entirely different slice of the card pool and asking brewers to invent their own play pattern if they hope to unlock its power over multiple turns. The decision trees are complex and the rewards are potentially massive. Let's start brewing!

****

Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

****

Like our content? Support us on Patreon and join our brewing community!

****

Flashback: Heliod, Sun-Crowned

Pioneer

Modern

Turbo Elesh Norn 2.0 (Dan): 4-0* league. Played this league after we recorded this show, so stay tuned for next week's episode for more info on it.

Brew Session: Enigmatic Incarnation

Pioneer

Sketch 1: 4c Rhino Incarnation

Sketch 2: Sultai Enigmatic Inversion

Modern

Sketch 3: Mystery Ponza

Sketch 4: Bant Hatching Plans

Sketch 5: Enigmatic Conscription