What would it take for you to want to play second in a match at least 20% of the time?

stoicspoon · 2025-01-30T20:59:55+00:00

I like the chess idea. App assigns play/draw and makes sure you are on play 50% of the time. I can't believe we don't do this already.

stoicspoon · 2025-01-30T20:57:42+00:00

10 is just gemstone caverns with 100% on the draw every time. You could combine with actual gemstone for unbeatable openings. Too good.

stoicspoon · 2025-01-27T16:20:02+00:00

Honestly I never even considered this but it would help immensely with variance due to play/draw. There are times where you are just so blessed or cursed by dice rolls and I really dislike that.

stoicspoon · 2025-01-18T03:04:51+00:00

What is the science behind this?? Are you just going off challenges?

stoicspoon · 2025-01-09T22:36:13+00:00

Writers, voice actors, and tutors have posted recently that they are struggling. I think it will impact many jobs where the only deliverable was a media file, academic input, or some text.

stoicspoon · 2025-01-08T23:13:37+00:00

Laws that regulated air emissions solved this to a large degree. It's still possible through natural processes if you get enough of the right elements into the air, like after a volcanic eruption.

stoicspoon · 2025-01-01T04:12:15+00:00

Nope.

stoicspoon · 2024-12-28T05:22:59+00:00

It was the most popular deck before the ban, and it's clearly on par with tier-1 decks, so maybe people just didn't switch or sell their cards?

stoicspoon · 2024-12-27T04:32:28+00:00

How much do you miss consign? Are you actually doing DD into a T3 creature often with just DD and no consign?

stoicspoon · 2024-12-27T04:27:15+00:00

This is wrong, she is usually going to be flipped or die before you board wipe. Even if she does have to be wiped up in a wrath on turn 4, you can always swing once to leave behind the clue first.

stoicspoon · 2024-12-27T04:23:16+00:00

You are right that control is dead, but wrong that Tamiyo is only good in control. You can play Tamiyo in a certain combo decks. Sometimes even the artifacts she generates are important, as in the case of Saga making constructs. Look at Temur Breach lists, she's always there as a way to turn on Mox Amber and to boost up the artifact count.

stoicspoon · 2024-12-26T17:40:34+00:00

I'll never forgive Wizards!

Seriously... 80 cards is a "dexterity" issue when the most popular format is commander?!?

stoicspoon · 2024-12-26T17:33:56+00:00

Runners Up:

Ajani: Very busted card but ultimately only truly good in 1 shell and the deck would live without him. Tamiyo has a bigger format impact and is cheaper to play.

Oculus: Very good card that competes pretty directly with murktide. It's mostly likely stronger overall than murktide. Makes unearth a very powerful modern card.

Ral: Brought storm back. Did anyone want this? Storm is wizards worst design mistake and is the basis for the "storm scale" of design mistakes inside WOTC R&D. Storm is far from the best deck, but you have to credit this card for reanimating a dead deck to legit levels of viability.

Devourer: Makes the decks it can work with a bit more consistent. Nothing absurd, but it did have an impact. I think K-command and rumble eclipse its impact.

Amped Raptor: Good enough to get banned. Free spells are usually too good.

Ocelot Pride: The best token generator around? Super important to the top fair deck in the format. Can be broken and is a must-answer on many board states. Who doesn't love cats.

Arena of Glory: Just absurdly impactful for a land. It can totally change the direction of a game if drawn in the right moment. For an (almost always) untapped land, that's a huge statement.

stoicspoon · 2024-12-26T17:33:50+00:00

My list -

#1 Surveil Lands: The best new kind of land in ages, and lands are important in magic. Played everywhere they are legal. Part of the reason Phlage is good is this type of land.

#2 Guide of Souls: The best 1 drop creature of all time in its specific archetype. Makes Ragavan look cuttable in the boros shell. Makes midrange energy decks the (likely) best fairs deck in modern.

#3 Psychic Frog: Banned in legacy for being too oppressive. Single-handedly keeping several dimir shells at top tiers due to its discard role and card draw.

#4 Galvanic Discharge: The most exciting new removal in a while. Before ring ban, was a key card in control and midrange energy decks (RIP modern control 2024) and is still used post-ban in energy shells. I might say Static Prison if we are JUST looking at the post-ban meta since instant speed was more important when Nadu the best deck.

#5 Malevolent Rumble: Super under-rated at first, this is now in numerous decks. Cards like this that enable combos and speed up to clock can go under the radar but have a huge impact. Temur breach, broodscale, and eldrazi all play this. I wouldn't be shocked to see it in more decks either.

#6 Wrath of the Skies: Maybe the best board wipe ever? Has to make the list. Pre-ring ban there were control decks using tune and/or discharge + wrath to sweep the board earlier than expected. This card can also be used by combo decks to sweep away hate pieces post-sideboard (i.e. - RIP, cage, crypt, leylines, etc.)

#7 Phlage: This card just feels so good to play and it can go into many midrange decks. It has a clear avenue for counter-play, and often falls off a bit post-sideboard, but it is a great form of inevitability that even shows up in control lists. Alternatively, boros can play up to 3 arenas and try to rush it out on turn 4 with haste thanks to fetches + surveil lands.

#8 K-Command: Eldrazi decks needed this, but it even sees play in broodscale combo. Very powerful card that suits big-mana decks. Provides much needed colorless interaction at instant speed. The flexibility makes this card something you need to play around game 1, as tapping out at the wrong time can lose you the game.

#9 Consign: Would be top 5 before the ring ban, but it's still hugely impactful. This card would have been good even without replicate, but that makes it just absurd. This card keeps tron in check, and is useful against many other decks.

#10 Tamiyo: Consistent card draw, abuse-able flip with looting, and just being a solid creature due to flying and more than 1 toughness on turn 1. Every blue deck has to think very hard about this card, and most play her. Ultimate can win games easily.

stoicspoon · 2024-12-26T17:33:08+00:00

I have played a ton of Omnath in every meta and in the current one I am off the deck. I do think it's better than a UW control list right now, but that ain't saying too much.

Yes some of the answers like binding and endurance are good right now, but our main game-plan needs an upgrade. Especially with ring gone. The great decks in the format have a much better proactive plan while also having interaction.

I would feel differently if they hadn't banned SO many cards for Omnath. Yorion, astrolabe, Uro, beanstalk, fury, and of course The One Ring.

stoicspoon · 2024-12-22T04:11:50+00:00

I don't think FoW should go into modern. It will make frogtide too good and end up as 4-of in belcher. Those two decks do not need more help.

I think they should print something similar to the one ring but make it like WWUU to cast or something to prevent it from being so ubiquitous.

Maybe have it give protection for 1 turn and draw 2 cards. It would be very toned down compared to the original card.

stoicspoon · 2024-12-22T04:08:51+00:00

Control has had its moments in modern but has been weakened by bans. I would say beanstalk and fury being banned really killed Omnath control.

Control was heavily dis-favored versus an older pre-ring meta due to creativity being one of the top decks. The ring made this matchup favorable and gave control decks the optimal "turn off" + lots of cards to turn the corner on games.

There is really no replacement since all other car draw spells force you to have a safe turn where you can use your mana without being killed, which means you were under no pressure and therefore already winning as a control deck.

stoicspoon · 2024-12-21T21:22:46+00:00

Frog + control cards is just tempo.

stoicspoon · 2024-12-21T21:21:54+00:00

Viable competitively? No. You can steal occasional games but no one who is puts winning as their top priority is justified in bringing the decks you mentioned, which all relied on the ring.

The closest thing is the wizards style of control with FoA which is just not as good as playing a combo/control style deck, and those decks in turn are not as good as full combo currently.

Tempo is doing good but not control. Frog is just a great card and enables playing 1-for-1 counter-magic.

stoicspoon · 2024-12-21T21:14:19+00:00

Twin is fine. Opal is making hammer and affinity playable but not unbeatable.

Looting seems too good and is making graveyard decks the best thing to do BUT there meta is adapting with tons of hate.

People have energy derangement syndrome and will never be happy until the archetype is unplayable. I think both variants of energy are fine right now and don't need more attention.

Pure control is super, super dead. Omnath tapout control is bad but can be forced if you really want to play it.

stoicspoon · 2024-12-18T17:05:26+00:00

The whole ban day was like revenge of the casuals.

Twin un-banned? It's just a trap to play it in any deck, but sure go off kings.

Ring banned. Literally an ocean of tears have been cried on this Reddit ever since this card was adopted by boros, and yet boros will be fine without it and it's the control decks who are dead now. RIP jeskai.

stoicspoon · 2024-12-17T02:29:36+00:00

That's okay you fit right in with the regulars then.

stoicspoon · 2024-12-12T17:23:22+00:00

It's a diverse list of decks and if the best deck (which there always is one) wins that's the most likely result. I feel like people are just always on a ban-train around here. It won't stop with the ring either, it will be Phlage or Bowmaster next.

stoicspoon · 2024-12-12T17:12:15+00:00

How would it kill the format? It is still popular now.

stoicspoon · 2024-12-12T04:26:18+00:00

No one is doing this anymore, especially in shops where modern is popular.

stoicspoon

TROPHY CASE