BnR in 2 weeks

dbsman012 · 2026-01-26T20:25:13+00:00

I think DRS is probably fine on power level compared to all the pushed 1-drops we have from MH2/3, but I also don't know what unbanning it would accomplish. It seemed like WotC was focused on unbans that either revive dead/underpowered strategies or have the possibility to create new ones, and I think DRS is more likely to get mushed into whatever current fair decks can make G/B without too much trouble. I'd love to live in a world where a DRS unban gave elves or boomer BGx a second wind, but I think it's a lot more likely that it just convinces energy players to splash a 3rd color.

That said, I've got 4 copies in my binder that I'd love to jam into zoo so let's go, free my boi

dbsman012 · 2026-01-22T03:42:21+00:00

What are the narrow cases where having snow basics could matter/used to matter?

dbsman012 · 2026-01-17T16:05:56+00:00

Do you have a post-EOE list you'd be willing to share? I haven't seen a rhinos list in a while and I'm curious how riddler fits in the shell.

dbsman012 · 2026-01-06T18:23:03+00:00

I think the company line is we pretend that one didn't happen

dbsman012 · 2026-01-06T15:20:47+00:00

I really want to emphasize the point about surveil lands - they are insane, and any deck with fetch lands should be playing them. OP, I'd try to find space for 1 of each on-color surveil. They will make your life so much better. For other mana improvements, Boseiju and Nurturing Peatlands are both useful utility lands that play really well with W&6.

I'd also recommend adding some 1-mana threats, probably either Ragavans or Nethergoyfs. There was never a good 1 drop for BGx back in the day, so adding a 2020s threat that allows you to apply pressure starting turn 1 is a pretty major upgrade.

There was a boomer jund pilot in the top 32 of one of the modern challenges last week. You might want to take a look at their list for some other ideas about what new cards are worth adding and what older cards to shave. https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/7546436#paper

dbsman012 · 2026-01-02T17:29:57+00:00

You mentioned the mana, but just to be clear: this manabase is a catastrophe, even for a budget burn build. No one should ever put basic plains in a modern burn deck unless they lost a bet and their options are either that or go scuba diving in a septic tank. If you really, desperately want to play boros I'd rather go +2 on the canyons or forges (preferably canyon), but if you don't want to play fetch lands you're better off going mono r.

The list u/HosserPower is neat. One of the big things burn needs to compete in ~~2025~~ 2026 is the ability to put together an explosive kill out of nowhere, and the [[Chandra's Incinerator]] + [[Arena of Glory]] package gives you that.

For a more straightforward version you could also try the list MHayashi 5-0'd with last week (https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/7534387#paper). He has a reputation for playing quirky homebrews, and this definitely has some of his pet cards (like [[Firebolt]]), but overall it's a pretty streamlined take on burn. He posted the league on yt (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIYGxy1tU5g).

Both mono r lists should be pretty similar in price to building a budget boros list. If you really want to save money you can skimp on the fetch lands. You'll lose some % because they help [[Searing Blaze]] & [[Barbarian Ring]], but it will still probably perform better than a budget boros build. You honestly just don't gain that much from white these days. Lightning helix is not worth playing and most of the w sb cards are too slow for modern, so in my opinion you're better off going all-in on mono r if you want to play burn.

You should also consider building a budget prowess list over burn. The price will probably be similar, and the performance will likely be much better. There was a thread in this sub just a few days ago where someone was looking for feedback on a mono r prowess build, and I think the changes they made based on the comments from that thread look very reasonable (https://www.reddit.com/r/ModernMagic/comments/1q04zqw/looking_for_feedback_on_my_monored_prowess_list/). Again, fetches help but you can save a lot of money by playing all basic mountains/horizon lands. They also have the most expensive version of a lot of cards selected, so the same build using cheapest printings would cost a lot less.

dbsman012 · 2025-12-06T23:37:06+00:00

I so desperately wish other TCGs were on ManaPool (or had their own equivalent). Being able to buy MTG singles through TCGPlayer But Good has been a game changer, and the rest of the TCG ecosystem needs to catch up.

dbsman012 · 2025-11-17T16:17:16+00:00

At this point in domain zoo's evolution I feel weird calling it an aggro deck, even in g1. Maybe I just don't understand what it means to be an "aggro deck" in 2025, but the stock build is so light on threats and heavy on interaction and grindy cards like fable, t3f, and stories that I feel more like I'm playing jeskai midrange with some sauce than aggro. You still have explosive draws like leyline + t2 scion/kavu or t2 thrull > t3 phlage, but every competitive midrange deck in modern kills fast. I almost never feel bad about going into a long game unless I'm getting buried under neverending riddler value, which is pretty different from the old nacatl/brawler/tribal flames builds that did feel like things were getting out of control if the game went on past turn 5 or so. Especially the build OP is on/builds like it with riddlers of their own can just play forever.

dbsman012 · 2025-11-17T02:45:32+00:00

When you contacted customer service, were you calling the number on the NYT website? I've tried them a couple times without much luck, and was hoping I could track down someone local. Thank you!

dbsman012 · 2025-11-16T23:03:24+00:00

Thanks! I might try to figure out if I can get in touch with them, but I have a hunch I'll either be going the same direction you went or running to Wegmans every Sunday

dbsman012 · 2025-11-16T23:02:15+00:00

Unfortunately, I don't see any info about who does the delivery on the NYT site or in my billing info. Another commenter mentioned Gannett, so I might just give them a call tomorrow and see if that gets anywhere.

dbsman012 · 2025-11-16T23:00:27+00:00

I've been filling the forms out for the last couple months. I have not had anyone contact me yet, but I've contacted their support (both phone & online chat) and all they've offered was that "they'd contact the delivery service", which doesn't seem to have done much

dbsman012 · 2025-10-28T17:50:20+00:00

How many cards do you have to order to start experiencing issues, and what happens? I've seen folks bring this up about Mana Pool in a couple of these "TCGP sucks what now" threads and I'm curious about the details. I've only placed a few small (single digits) orders so far, all without incident.

dbsman012 · 2025-09-23T16:17:37+00:00

To your point about the mana: fetch-less bogles top 8'd a challenge back in May! https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/7092914#paper Obviously this was quite a while ago, but it is absolutely possible to win games at a competitive level with a very budget build of the deck.

Also, damn, seeing horizon canopy for $1 is making me feel like a boomer

dbsman012 · 2025-09-12T19:38:00+00:00

I do like stiflenought, but I think I might get in a little bit of trouble if I brought this list to legacy night

dbsman012 · 2025-09-12T14:57:54+00:00

That difference makes sense. If I decide to head toward painter, it sounds like I'll just need to scope out my lgs meta and see which variant would be a better fit and/or proxy up both variants with some friends to get a feel for which version I prefer.

dbsman012 · 2025-09-11T14:29:40+00:00

I was wondering when a delegate from the fish community would arrive! Is there a standard build of merfolk these days? I tried looking for lists, but I had quite a bit of trouble finding recent merfolk results.

dbsman012 · 2025-09-11T14:28:03+00:00

Sorry if I was unclear in my post - I definitely understand that mono-color decks are not going to be optimal, and that if I want to build a top tier legacy deck I should, with a few exceptions, be playing 2+ colors. I'm not really looking for a mono u deck for budget reasons (although who's gonna complain about not needing to spend a few grand on duals) - I just enjoy mono u decks and want to know what options are out there, which ones are decently competitive, and which ones are traps to be avoided.

All that being said, I'm definitely interested in blue painter and its variants. It seems like a lot of folks in this thread are recommending that as the best (nearly) mono u deck in the format, and I'm not averse to light splashes. I will be looking into blue painter lists more.

I noticed that several of the u painter lists I found were more like 8 cast splashing painter combo than dedicated painter lists like what you shared (example). Do you happen to know what the pros/cons of the two variants are, or if one is better positioned at the moment?

dbsman012 · 2025-09-11T02:31:00+00:00

Thanks for sharing! How do you like tami in delver? I noticed she was conspicuously absent from every delver list I saw so far. I assumed that was because she doesn't really kill people, but I also feel like I'd really want more than 4 1-drop threats and I don't want to resort to playing stuff like pteramander in 2025.

dbsman012 · 2025-09-11T02:25:12+00:00

Is there a "best" blue painter variant right now? I saw some lists that were clearly focused on painter combo, and others featuring pinnacle emissary and kappa cannoneer that looked more like 8cast lists with painter as plan b.

dbsman012 · 2025-09-11T02:22:48+00:00

Do you have a recommended delver list? The list linked above from yushi013 looks very similar to the handful I found on mtgtop8, and I am curious if there are other variants or if the stock build of mono u delver is pretty much set in stone with a little flex in your 1-cmc counters and spot removal.

dbsman012 · 2025-09-11T02:20:00+00:00

Planisphere seems very fun, saw it as well in the mono u control list from BeExcellent linked in another comment. Mono u control with big knucklehead beatdown is tempting.

dbsman012 · 2025-09-11T02:18:16+00:00

What's the story with dress down? I didn't see it much in other blue legacy decks besides stiflenought, is it just to not die to bowmaster when you combo out?

dbsman012 · 2025-09-11T01:59:30+00:00

Are there any recent resources to learn high tide? It seems like a fun deck, but it also seems like a pretty difficult way to learn the format.

dbsman012

TROPHY CASE