Brought Back, Real Smooth

Modern Horizons / Core Set 2020, Episode 6: Brought Back
 
Core Set 2020's Brought Back took a star turn during our Lotus Field deep dive a couple weeks ago. So naturally, we Brought it Back for another chance at Modern glory, this time as the featured build-around. Part ramp, part card draw, part reanimation, Brought Back offers a little bit of everything. The only catch? You have to play white. Dave has some ideas, but what did we miss?
 
Spice Roundup: New Takes on Old Favorites
 
The wicked Bridge is dead, so it is time for the brewers to come out to play. Spicy decks are everywhere in the 5-0 league results, including some nice takes on cards we have previously explored.
 
****
Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com
****
Like our content? Support us on Patreon and join our brewing community!
****
 
Kiora, Behemoth Beckoner
 
Kiora's Dragons (Damon): 2-3 Modern Invitational, powerful but sideboard has "leaky bucket" problem
 
Niv-Mizzet Reborn
 
Glittering Niv (lan2_13, 5-0 league): six dorks, 4 Glittering Wish, light on green sources
 
Rainbow Snow (Jiggywiggy, 5-0 league): 10 snow basics + Astrolabe, no Pillar of Paruns
 
Force of Virtue
 
 
WR Loxobots (Erks, 5-0 league)
 
 
Oketra's Monument (Rebus8, 5-0 league)
 
 
Zoo Squad (jjenson187, 5-0 league; Hybrid7, 5-0 league)
 
 
Flashback: Crashing Footfalls
 
We hoofed it through a few leagues with Crashing Footfalls, trying out multiple strategies for getting the rhinos into play. The card was quite powerful in a number of shells, but in the end there could only be one winner of the Rhino Rumble.
 
UR Rhinos (KyFly1): 4-6 test leagues, strong but narrow in scope
 
 
Restore Rhinos (Jakesbaked): 5-0 test league, felt more versatile against a wide field
 
 
BR Free (Dzy): 1-4 test league, fragile and very hard to cast Footfalls
 
 
Temur Ascendancy (SvenSveeterSven, 5-0 league)
 
Brew Session: Brought Back
 
Bant Brought Back (Sketch)
 
 
Naya Landfall (Sketch)
 
If you have a list with Brought Back, or suggestions for one of our builds, we would love to hear from you! Send us your build and we may feature it on next week's episode of the cast.
 
Contact Us
 
Twitter: @FaithlessMTG
 
Email: faithless.brewing@gmail.com
 
Homepage: faithlessbrewing.podbean.com
 

Rhino Rumble: All the Ways to Use Crashing Footfalls

Modern Horizons, Episode 5: Crashing Footfalls
 
Are you ready for a RHINO RUMBLE?!? Crashing Footfalls joins the lineage of "can't be cast" suspend cards that are historically powerful and ripe for abuse. The combination with Ancestral Visions gives a critical mass of generically powerful suspend cards, in contrast to all-in build-arounds like Living End, Restore Balance, or Wheel of Fate. But what is the best route for casting the Rhinos, and from which zone? Are we willing to wait for them, or do we need to make our Rhinos right now?
 
Roundup: Brewing After Hogaak
 
They actually did it. Bridge from Below got the axe after just four weeks on Magic Online. The crew discusses the post-ban metagame: what's still strong, what may rise again, and what a brewer should be prepared to face. Also: decks we plan to test in preparation for GP Minneapolis.
 
Flashback: Lotus Field
 
We put Lotus Field through its paces in four different builds, discovering quite a bit of clunk (drawing the 2nd copy is awful, Blood Moon and Damping Sphere are embarrassing) but also unlocking several powerful synergies. Blood Sun and the Brought Back + Flagstones + Ghost Quarter package were very solid and worthy of further exploration.
 
Blood Sun Eldrazi: 2-3 league, curve was disastrous, but Blood Sun is strong
 
RG Assault Loam: 2-3 league, needs speed and more versatile control elements
 
GW Brought Back: 3-2 league, Brought Back is strong, but needs better early plays
 
Twiddle Storm: 5-5 leagues, excellent in game 1, vulnerable after sideboarding
 
Brew Session: Crashing Footfalls
 
We take a slightly different approach this week, as several lists with Crashing Footfalls have already seen success. However, each of them tackles the "can't be cast" problem differently, opting to cheat the card into play either from hand, from graveyard, or from the top of the library. If you want to get really crazy, you can even suspend it the "normal" way and wait. Which routes are the most effective, and are there additional enablers that have not been fully explored?
 
Restore Dominance (Jakesbaked, 5-0 league x2)
Rhino enablers: 7 hand (As Foretold, Electrodominance), 2 graveyard (Finale of Promise). Green mana: yes.
 
UR As Foretold (KyFly1, 11-4 GP Dallas, 5-0 league, 6-2 Modern Challenge)
Rhino enablers: 8 hand (As Foretold, Electrodominance), 3 graveyard (Dreadhorde Arcanist). Green mana: no.
 
Black-Red Free (Dzy, 5-0 league)
Rhino enablers: 5 graveyard (Dreadhorde Arcanist, Finale of Promise), 4 hand (Electrodominance). Green mana: yes.
 
Living End "Fakeout" (MagicAids youtube + keatingn, 5-0 league)
Rhino enablers: 12 library (Violent Outburst, Demonic Dread, Bloodbraid Elf). Green mana: no.
 
Rhino Conjuring (Sketch)
Rhino enablers: 4 library (Collected Conjuring), 4 hand (As Foretold), 4 graveyard (Dreadhorde Arcanist, Finale of Promise). Green mana: TBD.
 

Life from the Lotus: Breaking Lotus Field in Midrange, Ramp, and Combo

Modern Horizons / Core Set 2020, Episode 4: Lotus Field
 
What's better than a Black Lotus? How about a free Black Lotus every turn? Magic 2020's "fixed" version of Lotus Vale comes with a host of interesting clauses: hexproof, sacrifice two lands, enters the battlefield tapped. The crew sets out to use every part of the buffalo, either dodging the drawbacks or turning them into advantages. There might even be some 9/9 hexproof attackers in our future. But which builds are competitive, and which are just a field of memes?
 
****
Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com
****
Like our content? Support us on Patreon and join our brewing community!
****
 
Roundup: The New Tier One
 
The results from GP Dallas and SCG Pittsburgh are in. Hogaak established itself as tier zero, but it didn't sweep the events. Instead, a new tier one emerged, starring Izzet Phoenix and UW Control. But don't blink, because the London Mulligan is already here to shake up the format, and a B&R announcement is right around the corner. Plus: a tournament report with BG Rock. Good old rock, nothing beats rock.
 
Grim Flayer Rock: 2-3 SCG IQ, some things do in fact beat Rock
 
Flashback: Force of Virtue
 
While Tom Ross was cruising to a top 8 finish with Hogaak Bridgevine, we were working hard trying to squeeze playable decks out of his pet design Force of Virtue. The card proved surprisingly good, and the combo with Squadron Hawk should not be underestimated. The most competitive shell also proved to be the most delightful: Goat Devotion, harnessing the power of Nykthos, Ranger-Captain of Eos, and Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite.
 
Mardu PyroHawk : 4-6 leagues, felt much better than its record, Seasoned Pyromancer is the truth
 
Goat Devotion: 8-7 leagues, surprisingly good, but weak to decks that don't care about combat
 
Turbo Elesh Norn: 4-1 league, Elesh Norn is very well positioned
 
Esper Skies: 3-2 league, needs more disruption, less Pride of the Clouds
 
Brew Session: Lotus Field
 
Naya Value Town (Sketch)
 
Blood Sun Eldrazi (Sketch)
 
One-Punch Land (Sketch)
 
Twiddle Storm (Sketch)
 
Contact Us
 
Twitter: @FaithlessMTG
 
Email: faithless.brewing@gmail.com
 
Homepage: faithlessbrewing.podbean.com