Faithless Brewing MTG: Modern and Pioneer for the Spike Rogue

Faithless Brewing, Episode 8: Ninja Faerie Tempo Snake

 

Is that a winged snake with deadly fangs of poison ice... or an ingenious ninja in disguise? Dreams of ninja glory become real this week as the crew explores David's favorite archetype of all time: sneaky blue tempo decks. Ice-Fang Coatl, Faerie Seer, Ingenious Infiltrator, and Fallen Shinobi offer a host of new tools for players looking to chip away for value while fighting battles on the stack. The ninjas are sweet and the faeries are classy, but are they just too fair for today's Modern?

 

Roundup: The Rise of Creature Combo

 

Hogaak Bridgevine continues to dominate online and in paper, but players are punching back with linear combo decks of their own, looking to exploit Hogaak's lack of interaction. Both Devoted Vizier and Saheeli combo are putting up strong results, and the crew has some builds that we like. Plus: Core 2020 previews and a tournament report with Niv-Mizzet Reborn.

 

GW Vizier Combo: 5-0 league, very strong in current meta

Jeskai Supercats: 7-3 leagues, Watcher for Tomorrow is promising

 

Flashback: Ranger-Captain of Eos

 

It turns out that if you take an underpowered strategy and add Ranger-Captain of Eos, the result is an underpowered deck with Ranger-Captain of Eos. Martyr Proc does not line up well against today's modern. The Kirin combo seemed to get there on power level, but finding a build that can assemble the combo quickly while not falling prey to the inherent weaknesses of GW midrange proved challenging.

 

Martyr Proc: 4-6 leagues, Ranger-Captain didn't change the outlook for this strategy

 

GW Kirin (Vivien): 4-6 leagues, hard to assemble combo and the GW shell felt underpowered

 

GW Kirin (Eladamri's Call): 4-1 league, more successful at combo but surrounding GW cards are still mediocre

 

Boros Geddon: 3-2 league, needs better value engines to snowball an advantage

 

Brew Session: Ninja Tempo

 

Sultai Ninja Faeries

 

UG Curious Obsession

 

UB Ninja Faeries

 

Temur Sea Stompy

Faithless Brewing, Episode 7: Ranger-Captain of Eos

 

It's a tale as old as Winterfell: our plains and forests are covered in snow, the army of the dead is coming, and all that shields the realms of men are a few brave Rangers. Hogaak Vine has swept through the Magic Online metagame, but for now the crew wants to fight for the side of the living. Ranger-Captain of Eos offers considerable talents at an attractive mana cost, but can fair creature decks stand up to the zombie hordes? Damon and David have some ideas, so let's discuss!

 

Flashback: Bolas's Citadel

 

They say that great wisdom grows from defeat. If so, Dan might be the wisest person alive after a week of getting stomped while exploring Bolas's Citadel. The engine was powerful, but glass-cannon strategies quickly proved too fragile in this hostile meta. Three directions remain promising: Lantern-style control with mill rocks, creature-based strategies using the Viscera Seer-Blood Artist engine, and lifegain control with a generous helping of Smiting Helix.

 

Lantern Engines

BUG Lantern: 0-5, lantern is hard, meta is hostile

RB Trashy Engineer: 1-4, slightly too slow and still fragile

RB Engineer Control: 2-3, can compete but needs tuning

 

Aristocrats Engines

Abzan Aristocrats: 2-3, creatures were too weak

Esper Shape Anew: 3-2, decent despite the unplayables

4c Shape Anew: not yet tested

 

Lifegain Control

Mardu Helix: 4-1, clunky but promising

Madcap Mardu: 1-4, awful, do not try at home

 

Brew Session: Ranger-Captain of Eos

 

Sketch 1: Mono-W Martyr Control

 

Sketch 2: GW Kirin Armageddon

Faithless Brewing, Episode 6: Bolas's Citadel

 

Dreadhorde Arcanist proved challenging to work with, but the crew was eventually able to convert its versatility into another Faithless 5-0. But Dan is tired of chipping away for 1 damage plus a cantrip: this week, he just wants to break Modern in half. Bolas's Citadel can potentially do just that, offering an insane card draw engine stapled to an insane mana engine. But what about all those deckbuilding restrictions? And how are you going to get this pricey artifact into play? The crew breaks down a host of different directions, including some spicy additions from Modern Horizons.

 

Flashback: Dreadhorde Arcanist

 

Temur Atarka's: 3-2 league, weak to control

 

Grixis Value: 4-1 league, takes too long to win

 

Grixis Shadow: 2-3 league, needs better SB

 

Jund Atarka's: 5-0 league, versatility was promising

 

Brew Session: Bolas's Citadel

 

Sketch 1: Trash for Treasure

 

Sketch 2: Goblin Engineer

 

Sketch 3: Lotus Bloom

 

Sketch 4: Shape Anew

 

Sketch 5: Grand Architect

Faithless Brewing, Episode 5: Dreadhorde Arcanist

 

Modern Horizons previews are burning up the internet, but the crew still has unfinished business with War of the Spark. Dreadhorde Arcanist is a powerful two-drop that has proven itself in Legacy, but hasn’t yet made a splash in Modern. Is the Arcanist best used for grinding value, or should we be smashing face? Dave has a decklist for each strategy, so let’s discuss!

 

Flashback: Karn, the Great Creator and Teferi, Time Raveler

 

It was a shorter than normal week of testing, but we still played enough to learn that we hated the Liquimetal Jund list. Play Karn, but don’t play Karn here. Teferi Scepter seemed more promising, but there is plenty of work still to be done.

 

Liquimetal Jund: tried and rejected

 

Teferi Scepter Lock: more testing needed

 

Brew Session: Dreadhorde Arcanist

 

Grixis Value Arcanist

 

Temur Phoenix Arcanist

 

Bonus Content: Modern Horizons Quick Hits

 

Dan has some early takes on cards he is excited about. Find his article here on the Modern subreddit!

Faithless Brewing, Episode 4: Karn, the Great Creator and Teferi, Time Raveler

 

You don’t have to look far these days to find Karn, Teferi, and Narset locking down battlefields across all formats. We don’t have to like it, but we owe it to ourselves to at least try them out in some brews. David is intrigued by Liquimetal Coating and Isochron Scepter, while Dan has his eye on Lavinia, Azorius Renegade.

 

Flashback: Kiora, Behemoth Beckoner

 

Another week, another Faithless 5-0! We recap our week of testing with Kiora, which led us to create a sleek new Glorybringer list that would make the Mother of Dragons proud (is it too soon?). But we didn’t stop there; the crew also tried numerous other builds featuring a wild menagerie of 4-power creatures: Vexing Devil, Rampaging Baloths, Thought-Knot Seer, God-Eternal Oketra. Which ones are tournament ready and which ones are best discarded?

 

Vexing Zoo: tried and rejectedhttps://www.mtggoldfish.com/decks/new#online

 

Abzan Little Kid: needs tuninghttps://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1919346#paper

 

Dragon Ramp: tournament ready (5-0 league, 16-4 overall)https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1929876#online

 

Proposed but not tested: Green Devotion, Temur Ascendancy, Bant Eldrazi

 

Brew Session: Karn, the Great Creator and Teferi, Time Raveler

 

Liquimetal Jund:https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1928177#online

 

Teferi, Isochron Silencer:https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1928110#online

 

Teferi-Lavinia Lock:https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1928144#online

 

Mix and Match Walker Combo:https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1928204#online

 

Reference lists mentioned on cast:

 

Mono-Red Karn Prison:https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1895722#online

 

Teferi-Knowledge Pool Lock:https://www.mtggoldfish.com/archetype/modern-azorius-control-85955#online

 

Copycat PW Extravaganza:https://www.mtggoldfish.com/archetype/modern-four-colors-copycat-86068#online

 

Narset Pitch Blue:https://www.mtggoldfish.com/archetype/modern-pitch-blue#paper

Faithless Brewing, Episode 3: Kiora, Behemoth Beckoner

 

War of the Spark is chock full of spicy planeswalkers, so it’s no surprise that Dan wants to go deep on… Kiora? Yes, Kiora! The Behemoth Expert ramps you like a big Arbor Elf (or a mini-Garruk, or a bootleg Amulet) and also keeps the cards flowing. This puts her in a class of her own. But can this intriguing engine find a home in Modern? David has some ideas, so let’s discuss!

 

Flashback: Niv-Mizzet Reborn

 

It was a promising week of Niv-Mizzet testing. Many dragon avatars were brought to light, and many, many cards were drawn. The control shell proved 5-0 worthy and is a solid concept, but the mana base needs more basic lands and the best ramp option has yet to be determined (Birds of Paradise? Sakura-Tribe Elder? Sarkhan Fireblood?). David also had good results with a turbo-ramp midrange shell, so there’s a lot here still to explore.

 

Niv to Light: 5-0 League https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1885348#online

 

Turbo-Niv Midrange: 4-1 Leaguehttps://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1910829#online

 

Brew Session: Kiora, Behemoth Beckoner

 

Sketch 1.0: Little Kid Abzanhttps://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1910904#online

 

Sketch 1.1: Little Kid GWhttps://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1910921#online

 

Sketch 2.0: Temur Ferocioushttps://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1910934#online

 

Sketch 2.1: Gruul Ramphttps://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1910948#online

 

Sketch 3: Vexing Zoohttps://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1911962#online

 

Bonus ideas mentioned on cast:

 

Kiora + Nykthos (Green devotion shell)

Kiora + Eldrazi Temple (Bant Eldrazi shell)

Kiora + Sakura-Tribe Scout + karoos (Rampaging Baloths ramp)

Faithless Brewing, Episode 2: Niv-Mizzet RebornDan has a chip on his shoulder and is eager to prove the haters wrong about Niv-Mizzet Reborn, his pick for War of the Spark sleeper hit in Modern. But how to make use of a 5 mana engine? How to build the rainbow mana base? And what two-color cards are we even trying to cast? We discuss several possible sketches, including Turbo-Ramp, Golden Hatebears, Niv to Light Control, and GBx Rainbow Rock. Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time!Flashback: Neoform We discuss our results after a week of testing Bant Monkeyform, including a 5-0 competitive league and top 8 at an SCG IQ. Not too shabby! The deck is sweet and appears to have legs, and tails, and fins (or whatever frog-lizards have).Bant Monkeyform: 5-0 League https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1871220#onlineBant Monkeyform: SCG IQ Top 8https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1885401#onlineBrew Session: Niv-Mizzet RebornSketch 1: Golden Hatebearshttps://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1903261#onlineSketch 2: Niv-Mizzet Ramphttps://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1903327#onlineSketch 3: Niv to Light Controlhttps://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1885348#onlineSketch 4: Rainbow Rockhttps://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1903415#online

Faithless Brewing, Episode 1: NeoformEldritch Evolution hit the gym and got a little leaner, a little meaner, and potentially a lot more powerful. The crew dives deep into Neoform, an exciting new tutor from War of the Spark. What can we do with this card? Is it just another creature toolbox option, or are there more powerful synergies to be unlocked?  Brew session: NeoformSketch 1: Allosaurus Combohttps://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1903165#onlineSketch 2: Neo-Eldrazihttps://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1903156#onlineSketch 3: Bant Monkeyformhttps://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1903148#online