Faithless Brewing MTG: Modern and Pioneer for the Spike Rogue

Shining Shoal for Advanced Modern Players (ft. Lawson Zandi)

Season 17, Episode 14: Brew Session (Shining Shoal) + Lord of the Rings First Look
Shining Shoal is well on its way to becoming a Modern staple. It provides massive swings in a red-heavy metagame and generally terrorizes the combat step against creature decks. It is also one of the trickier cards in the format, both in understanding its niche interactions and in finding the correct shell to harness its power.
Today on Faithless Brewing we welcome special guest Lawson Zandi (Zanman on MTGO) who has played some 50 leagues with Shining Shoal in various configurations, stacking up trophies in the process. Lawson explains the strengths and weaknesses of the original Shining Humans list with Chancellor of the Annex, the transition to Hatebears and Taxes strategies using Ondu Inversion, and the possibilities of Leyline Binding in a “5 color Mono White” manabase.
We also take a first look at The One Ring (which one co-host describes as “the most powerful planeswalker legal in Modern”) and track new developments with Atraxa, Grand Unifier.
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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com
Timestamps
[2:45] Q&A with Lawson Zandi
[6:55] Housekeeping
[7:33] Lord of the Rings First Look
[9:48] Gandalf the Grey
[14:13] The One Ring
[20:47] The 2023 Hunter Burton Memorial Open
[24:22] Brew Session: Shining Shoal
[35:30] Shining Humans by Hank the Obese
[44:07] UW Shoal Hatebears by Zanman
[50:47] Mono White Ponza by Zanman
[59:18] 5c Mono White Stoneblade by Zanman
[1:09:00] The future of Shining Shoal
[1:12:34] Dan’s pick: Neoform Atraxa
[1:16:53] Lawson’s pick: Atraxa Goryo’s
More from Lawson: https://faithlessbrewing.podbean.com/e/wild-modern-with-lawson-zandi/

Blade Splicer 2049: Malcator, Purity Overseer in Pioneer & Modern

Season 17, Episode 13: Brew Session (Malcator, Purity Overseer) + Flashback (Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines)
The people have spoken, and they want Elephants! 1/1 Elephants to be exact. Malcator, Purity Overseer took first place in our last monthly vote, meaning it’s time to dust off the Golem tokens and see how Blade Splicer stacks up against the 2023 Modern and Pioneer metagame.
Of course, Malcator is more than just a Blade Splicer. The intriguing end-of-turn clause gives us something to strive for when simply blinking Malcator isn’t enough. Specific synergies, such as Saheeli Rai copying Malcator, or Urza’s Saga fetching Underworld Cookbook, make it much easier to generate 3 artifacts at once and generate Malcator’s bonus token. We examine five Pioneer decklists for the Phyrexian Elephant Wizard, and consider possible homes in Modern as well.
On the Flashback, Elesh Norn, March of the Machines continues her rampage in three of David’s lists. Doubling up your own triggers for profit will always be fun, but how did Elesh stack up as a hate piece against the rest of the format? Tune in to find out.
 
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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com
 
Timestamps
[3:26] Housekeeping
[5:31] Brew Session: Malcator, Purity Overseer
[7:06] Rules notes
[8:26] Key synergies
[16:44] Sketch 1: Sram’s Esper-tise
[29:22] Sketch 2: UW Tezzerator
[35:39] Sketch 3: Jeskai Saheeli Combo
[43:26] Sketch 4: 4c Saheeli Omnath
[48:23] Sketch 5: Bant Malcator Circle
[52:15] Malcator in Modern
[55:19] Flashback: Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines
[56:23] David’s GW Elesh Evolution
[1:03:24] David’s GW Elesh Ramp
[1:07:44] David’s Lotus Kiora Hellraiser 2.0
[1:19:00] Closing thoughts

We’re Gonna Have Tryouts: Modern RCQ Prep with Crabvine, Eldrazi, Shining Shoal & More

Season 17, Episode 12: Weekly Roundup
With several Modern tournaments on the horizon, Dan went deep into the weeds testing his favorite brews and tweaking out the numbers. Did any of them have what it takes to keep up with the 2023 Tier 1 Modern meta? Here’s what we tested:
Sultai Crabvine, the old standby, is the quickest graveyard deck in the format and has numerous flex slots and sideboard options. Baithook Angler and other graveyard synergy pieces overperformed in testing, but the meta is still quite hostile.
Temur HollowVine is an old strategy that got a burst of life thanks to the efforts of dackfayden_07, who cut the Asmo+Cookbook package for a more aggressive stance with Urborg Lhurgoyfs and Flameblade Adepts. The new configuration can rack up some impressive trophies, but consistency is elusive and graveyard hate is still a problem.
Eldrazi Stompy was left for dead after the Simian Spirit Guide ban, but with a little TLC Dan has achieved a solid 64% win rate with TKS and friends. This deck isn’t a meta breaker but it has some great matchups and attacks from a unique angle.
In this episode, the crew reviews Dan’s findings and identifies some other promising spice. Is Ghost Quarter the secret sauce in today’s meta? Is Shining Shoal poised to break things wide open? We discuss all this and more on today’s Faithless Brewing.
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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com
Timestamps
[2:49] Housekeeping
[3:49] Voting results
[10:06] B&R Update
[17:12] Modern Tryouts: Sultai Crabvine
[34:23] Modern Tryouts: Temur Hollow Vine
[43:41] Modern Tryouts: Eldrazi Stompy
[52:18] David’s pick: Tyvar Bastion of Remembrance Sacrifice
[58:14] Dan’s pick: Mono White Ponza by Lawson Zandi
 

ELESH NORN: Oil-Slick Brews to Challenge the Machine Orthodoxy

Season 17, Episode 11: Brew Session (Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines) + Flashback (Mindsplice Apparatus & Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler)
Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines has quickly become a Modern and Pioneer staple. She is hard to kill, interferes with opponents and supercharges all of your ETB triggers. Sure, we could throw Elesh into our 4c Omnath decks and call it a day. But why settle for just being an Elesh Normie? We’ve got oil-slick brews that will challenge the machine orthodoxy, and we are looking to put them to the test.
On the Flashback, we tested Mindsplice Apparatus in Pioneer to unlock the power of massive cost reduction. The card still needs work and the decklists are fragile, but the power is undeniable once it gets going. We also check in on Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler, which is finally finding its groove in both Modern and Pioneer after a rocky but encouraging start.
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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com
Timestamps
[3:34] Housekeeping
[3:58] Brew Session: Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines
[10:50] French Obosh (Jeskai Blink)
[14:13] Heartless Summoning Elesh Norn
[18:15] 4c Omnath Elesh-mentals
[21:06] Eldritch Evolution Elesh Norn
[23:05] Omnath to Light
[23:44] David’s GW Kiora Elesh Ramp
[28:37] David’s Elesh Norn Lotus Field
[34:09] Flashback: Mindsplice Apparatus + Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler
[35:41] Temur Mindsplice Explosion
[40:11] UW Mindsplice Approach
[46:15] BG Tyvar Company
[49:00] David’s Tyvar Sidisi
[52:05] Jund Asmo Fiend Artisan
[54:16] More Tyvar decks

Unstoppable Juggernauts: Graaz for Treasure, RCQ Prep & March of the Machines First Look

Season 17, Episode 10: Weekly Roundup
As Cavedan gears up for local RCQs in Modern & Pioneer, he faces challenges of deck selection, rust, and general tournament preparedness. Izzet Phoenix is his weapon of choice in Pioneer, but what about Modern? Luckily Morde is here to help.
After that, the crew looks at the best of the March of the Machines previews from last week’s Pro Tour stream. Yuta Takahashi’s World Champion card has the right skills for eternal formats, but there are also some cheekier possibilities for silly legend team-ups like Yargle and Multani and Ghalta and Mavren. Pick up your Cragganwick Cremators and Sorin, Imperious Bloodlords just in case.
We round things out with two spectacular brews that have found success in the highest levels of Modern competition. Graaz for Treasure inserts an unlikely payoff into the artifact reanimator shell, with Graaz, Unstoppable Juggernaut functioning as a Craterhoof Behemoth for your team. Shining Shoal Humans embraces the pitch spell mentality in a white weenie deck, perfectly tuned to flip a red-heavy Modern meta on its head. Both decks dominated in Modern Challenges over the weekend, showing once again that you don’t have to choose between playing a brew and making day two!
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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com
 
Timestamps
[3:34] Housekeeping
[5:51] A Pioneer RCQ Report: From the Ashes with Izzet Phoenix
[13:15] Dan’s Izzet Phoenix (PT + MTGO Hybrid)
[18:29] How to prepare for a Modern RCQ
[21:33] Dan’s Colorless Eldrazi Stompy
[25:47] March of the Machines First Look
[26:53] Faerie Mastermind
[31:57] Moment of Truth
[34:53] Heliod, Radiant Dawn
[37:52] Yargle and Multani
[43:36] Ghalta and Mavren
[45:58] Omnath, Locus of All
[48:19] Jin-Gitaxias
[49:38] Chandra, Hope’s Beacon
[51:44] Graaz for Treasure by kahluah777
[58:33] Shining Shoal Humans by HankTheObese
 

MINDSPLICE APPARATUS: How to Break Wilderness Rec 2.0

Season 17, Episode 9: Brew Session (Mindsplice Apparatus) + Flashback (Atraxa, Grand Unifier)
David and Dan brew decks with Mindsplice Apparatus, the biggest cost reducer we have ever seen. We also track the rise of Atraxa, Grand Unifier and test two new Pioneer builds.
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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com
Timestamps
[2:05] Housekeeping
[3:21] Brew Session: Mindsplice Apparatus
[4:50] Key Questions
[7:33] Card draw payoffs
[14:41] Big spell payoffs
[16:38] Synergistic pieces
[19:37] Deck 1: Temur Growth Spiral
[24:00] Deck 2: UW Approach of the Second Sun
[30:40] Deck 3: Izzet Galvanic Turns
[32:57] Izzet Mindsplice by Chris Botehlo
[36:14] Magma Opus + Gearhulk
[40:09] Flashback: Atraxa, Grand Unifier
[42:35] Atraxa Goryo’s Reanimator by FunkiMunki
[45:33] 5c Elesh-mentals by Batuhtunha
[46:04] Tyvar Devoted Druid Combo by galatriste
[48:49] Dan’s Sultai Neoform Atraxa
[59:43] Dan’s 4c Omnath to Light Atraxa
[1:06:29] Obosh Creativity Atraxa by MrRaeb
[1:06:40] Keruga Transmogri-Fires Atraxa by bcs8995
[1:07:06] Vat of Rebirth Reanimator by NJAMTG
 

The Pros Tried to Break Pioneer. Here’s What Happened.

Season 17, Episode 8: Weekly Roundup (Pro Tour Phyrexia) + Monthly Project Nominees
At long last, the paper Pro Tour has returned! Pioneer was the format of choice as 200+ pros did battle in Philadelphia. But what did they discover as they each attempted to break the format? Cavedan and David break down the latest decks and technologies from PIoneer, from small innovations in stock lists to speculative brews invented whole cloth.
After that, it’s time for you the listeners to pick our next monthly project! Twelve cards have been nominated by our patreon community and there is no shortage of spice. Which card will we brew next? That’s up to you.
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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com
Timestamps
[5:39] Housekeeping
[8:15] Pro Tour Phyrexia Recap
[10:47] Radkos Midrange by Shota Yasooka
[18:22] Selesnya Auras by Benton Madsen
[23:56] 5c Omnath to Light by Nick Schirillo
[28:05] Azorius Powerstones by Jeff LIn
[35:24] Monthly Project Nominees
[36:16] Ratadrabik of Urborg
[39:11] All Will Be One
[42:17] Malcator, Purity Overseer
[46:34] Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor
[48:18] Devastating Summons
[50:20] Teething Wurmlet
[52:57] Voidwing Hybrid
[54:41] Michiko’s Reign of Truth
[57:08] Riveteers Ascendancy
[1:01:27] Urza, Lord Protector
[1:02:53] Aetherworks Marvel
[1:06:31] Flux Channeler

Atraxa Is Everything. Brewing with Magic’s Greatest Creature

Season 17, Episode 7: Brew Session (Atraxa, Grand Unifier) + Flashback (Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler)
Atraxa, Grand Unifier is a tremendous creature. No one would dispute that. But is it really possible that Atraxa is the strongest creature in all of Magic?
Recent tournament results from Standard, Legacy, Modern, and even Vintage have seen Atraxa decks soaring to the top of the standings. This is a heavyweight creature, much more likely to be cheated into play than cast fairly. But once on the battlefield, Atraxa does things other creatures can only dream of. Her trigger looks at a massive 10 cards (1/6th of a typical library), making this less of a “draw 4 cards” and more of a “draw 10, discard 6.” And unlike Niv-Mizzet Reborn, Atraxa grants access to these cards with almost no deckbuilding concessions. Want to use Atraxa to grab a Mox Amber and an Ephemerate? You are welcome to, and you even keep a few other cards for your trouble.
What truly sets Atraxa apart is how she helps you even before entering the battlefield. For better or worse, we live in the era of free pitch cards, and Atraxa pitches to everything from Solitude and Grief (more Ephemerate targets) to Force of Vigor and Force of Negation. That means your Atraxa turn doesn’t have to end when you tap out for Atraxa, as you can follow up with a Grief or even a free protection spell like Not Of This World.
The sky is the limit for Atraxa, and her price has been skyrocketing accordingly. We’ll do our part this week to drive that price even higher, as we attempt to find new homes for Atraxa in both Modern and Pioneer. Whatever happens, one thing is clear: never bet against a Niv-Mizzet trigger!
 
Like our content? Support us on Patreon and join our brewing community!
Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com
 
Timestamps
[3:35] Housekeeping
[6:43] Brew Session: Atraxa, Grand Unifier
[10:57] Rules notes
[14:52] The competition at 7+ CMC
[22:21] Getting Atraxa into play
[29:06] Atraxa Reanimator (Legacy)
[31:02] Emi’s Neoform Atraxa (Modern)
[33:40] Esper Goryo’s (Modern)
[35:04] Obosh Creativity (Pioneer)
[39:56] David’s Neoform Atraxa (Pioneer)
[42:13] Atraxa Invoke Justice (Standard)
[44:46] Phyrexian Pyre of Heroes (Pioneer)
[48:46] Flashback: Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler
[50:11] Sultai Soul Diviner
[54:10] 4c Vannifar Pod
[1:01:48] Paradox Engine Combo
[1:08:50] Tyvar Devoted Druid Combo