Faithless Brewing MTG: Modern and Pioneer for the Spike Rogue

What’s Wrong with Modern? Can It Be Fixed? (Brewer’s Mailbag)

Season 15, Episode 13: Brewers’ Mailbag
Does Modern have a “five color problem”? If so, how can it be fixed? Has the format become hostile to brewing? And why has black become such a weak color?
Today, Cavedan and Morde open up the Brewers’ Mailbag to field listener questions about the state of Modern and Pioneer after several weeks of Dominaria United. Many listeners want to know, “What’s wrong with Modern?” and more importantly, what can be done about it? After a bit of soul searching (and weeping and gnashing of teeth), the crew has some recommendations to help you get the most out of these formats.
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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com
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Timestamps
[4:17] Checking in
[7:33] White Rhinos by HamburgerJung
[10:02] Housekeeping
[12:15] Why not The Raven Man?
[14:55] Emi’s Micromancer Wizard Control
[22:36] The RCQ system: is it working?
[28:42] Brewing in Modern after MH2
[33:49] Are efficient answers good for brewing?
[35:27] Does Modern have a “5 color problem?”
[41:41] Search hate: pros and cons
[47:31] Rakdos Scam and how to beat it
[52:01] Deck building heuristics
[56:04] Should Morde be banned from Yorion decks?
[58:12] Deck diversity in Pioneer
[1:00:26] Reprints we want for Pioneer
[1:01:43] Why black is the worst color in Modern
[1:06:35] All time favorite limited format
[1:08:45] Card designs we want to see

Five Color Legends?! Jodah, the Unifier in Modern and Pioneer

Season 15, Episode 12: Brew Session (Jodah, the Unifier) + Flashback (Soul of Windgrace)
The people have spoken! The votes have been tallied for our next monthly project, and two cards stood head and shoulders above the rest. Mechanized Production, an intriguing alternate win con using artifact tokens, was bested by the narrowest of margins, losing only to a card that is even more insane: Jodah, the Unifier.
For five mana, in WUBRG colors, we had better be getting an amazing deal. Jodah has a ridiculous text box that certainly gives you a massive advantage while he is in play. But five mana without an ETB effect is a very tall order. That’s Niv-Mizzet mana, after all, and we know that Niv can win the game just by entering the battlefield once. Jodah is going to make us work harder, to guarantee that either his anthem effect or his “buy one, get one” coupon for legends is enough to put the game away. Cavedan has some ideas for how to pursue this, so let the brewing commence!
On the Flashback, the crew also reviews their testing results with Soul of Windgrace, a card that is enjoying a breakout week of finishes. Morde stuck to more traditional Yorion good stuff shells, while Cavedan ranged further afield with Bard Class, Shigeki Fires, and Titania’s Fury. If Soul is on track to become a staple of Modern and Pioneer, what can we expect from this card?
 
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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com
 
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[2:19] Voting results
Brew Session: Jodah, the Unifier
[7:24] Rules notes
[10:47] The Tibalt loophole
[14:30] Getting Jodah into play
[24:04] Building for anthem vs. building for cascade
[29:04] Micro-syngergies
[33:17] Jodah Pyre Humans by Rich Ellis
[36:39] Jodah Pyre Humans by DJeffMTG
[38:47] 5c Humans Company by IslandGoSAMe
[41:38] Dan’s 5c Jund Tibalt
[45:14] Jodah Winota by Mildpro
Flashback: Soul of Windgrace
[52:39] 5c Domain Delirium by aspiringspike
[54:17] Emi’s 5c Yorion Domain Delirium
[1:01:01] Jund Windgrace by claudioh
[1:04:09] Dan’s Jund Bard Class
[1:07:21] David’s Jund Shigeki Fires
[1:10:46] Dan’s Titania’s Fury
[1:16:50] Final thoughts on Soul of Windgrace

Better Than Urza? Meria Is Desperately Wanting to Be Good

Season 15, Episode 11: Weekly Roundup + Brew Session (Meria, Scholar of Antiquity)
Artifact strategies have been around forever, but Urza, Lord High Artificer was a game-changer. Urza unlocked massive amounts of mana, in quantities not seen since Tolarian Academy, and even gave you somewhere to spend that mana by playing free cards from your deck. On top of that, Urza brought a large Karnstruct friend, ensuring good value from your 4 drop even if your opponent succeeds in foiling whatever combo or big mana nonsense you are up to. This made Urza a perfect engine: explosive when unchecked, but also a viable standalone threat.
Imagine our surprise, then, when Dominaria United brought a new, cheaper Urza in Gruul colors. Meria, Scholar of Antiquity trades blue mana for green but retains the ability to draw large amounts of cards while also providing boatloads of mana. Meria is a full mana cheaper (a huge upgrade) and draws cards at an even faster rate. In exchange, we lose out on the Karnstruct and the ability to tap tokens, but those are merely bonuses, not the core of what makes Urza powerful.
Today on Faithless Brewing the crew takes a close look at Meria in several new builds in Modern and Pioneer. The intersection of Big Mana and Big Card Draw is a potent brewing space, as long as we’re willing to get our hands dirty and get into the weeds looking for the right artifact support. Meria has already earned trophies in combo decks like Paradox Engine, Thopter-Sword, and Hardened Scales, but are there more homes waiting to be unearthed? It will take a brilliant archaeologist to unlock Meria’s full potential, so let’s roll up the sleeves and get to work!
 
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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com
 
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Decklists and Timestamps
[2:06] Housekeeping
[5:57] Unfinity spoilers
[14:43] Magic 30 woes
Brew Session: Meria, Scholar of Antiquity
[19:32] Rules notes
[29:41] Key interactions
[40:26] Paradox Engine Combo by mouthbreather1
[43:23] David’s Meria Song of Creation
[49:04] Dan’s Hullbreaker Horror Combo
[52:40] Gruul Hardened Scales by maxxattack
[55:53] Thopter Sword Combo by MTGBullent
[58:52] Meria Howling Mine Combo

Soul of Windgrace: The Love Child of Omnath and Primeval Titan

Season 15, Episode 10: Brew Session (Soul of Windgrace) + Flashback (Aether Channeler)
Three Faithless Brewers looked at a new Dominaria United card. One said, “That’s a Primeval Titan.” Another said, “No, that’s Solemn Simulacrum.” The third brewer said, “Actually, that’s Jund Omnath.”
Soul of Windgrace has the potential to be all of these things, and maybe more. Legendary four drops that generate mana and card advantage have the potential to be format-defining centerpieces of strong, unfussy decks. Or, they could completely flop like the Sad Robot himself (sorry Jens Thoren, we still love you). For those who like to dream big, Soul of Wingrace even has echoes of Prime Time, but at a much more affordable mana cost.
Today we put our theories to the test and build a half dozen decks with Soul of Windgrace. From proven strategies like Jund Sagavan and 5c Omnath, to ambitious brews like Bard Class, Titania Ramp, and even some attempts to bring Jund land ramp into Pioneer. Who is right, and who is getting high off their own mana supply? There’s only one way to find out!
 
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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com
 
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Decklists and Timestamps
[1:01] Updates on the kittens
[6:10] Housekeeping
Brew Session: Soul of Windgrace
[12:27] Rules notes
[15:54] Key questions
[22:15] Comparisons: Omnath, Primeval Titan
[30:39] Jund Sagavan by YungDingo
[33:18] Emi’s 5c Omnath
[40:03] Dan’s Jund Bard Class
[45:02] Dan’s Jund Titania’s Fury
[50:04] Naya Maverick by ChaosVeiler89
[51:52] David’s Jund Titan Ramp
[1:00:15] David’s Shigeki Fires 2.0
Flashback: Aether Channeler
[1:06:13] Emi’s Bant Soulherder
[1:08:38] David’s Bant Teleportation Circle
[1:13:26] Dan’s Mono Blue Devotion
[1:17:54] Bant Humans by StarwalkeroO
[1:18:47] Bant Company by FreeMyFelidar
[1:19:47] Closing thoughts
 

14 Terrible Cards That Might Actually Be Sweet (Serum Visions #4)

Season 15, Episode 9: Faithless Brewing x Serum Visions #4
The Serum Visions gang returns to wrap up our third monthly project. Last time, the listeners voted for Resurgent Belief, a challenging card that asks us to combine two dubious strategies: reanimator, and enchantments. Fortunately, these strategies get new tools all the time, with powerful sagas like Fable of the Mirror-Breaker or surprising removal like Leyline Binding and Temporary Lockdown. Unfortunately, a few decent enchantments does not a playable deck make. Was the crew able to crack the code on Resurgent Belief before the clock ran out? Or does this strategy need some new printings to replenish its hopes?
After that recap, we turn our attention to new and wonkier things. 14 cards are on the ballot for next month’s project, running the gamut from Commander favorites like Jodah, the Unifier and Lithoform Engine, to nasty combo enablers like Erayo, Spreading Algae, and Necrotic Ooze. There’s something for everyone in this eclectic mix of cards, and possibly even a few hidden gems. What card will we brew next? Only you can decide!
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Like our content? Support us on Patreon and join our brewing community!
Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com
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Timestamps
Flashback: Resurgent Belief
[5:38] Zach’s BTL Resurgent Seals
[13:47] Dan’s Leyline Cascade Resurgence
[22:38] Concluding thoughts on Resurgent Belief
Nominees for Next Month’s Project
[31:02] Aggressive Mining
[35:52] Spreading Algae
[39:27] Lotleth Troll
[41:56] Ingenious Infiltrator
[44:39] Erayo, Soratami Ascendant
[48:51] Kamahl’s Druidic Vow
[52:10] March of Burgeoning Life
[58:15] Jodah, the Unifier
[1:02:31] Mechanized Production
[1:08:39] Bayou Groff
[1:12:00] Shepherd of the Flock
[1:15:41] Necrotic Ooze
[1:19:37] Danitha, Benalia’s Hope
[1:21:48] Lithoform Engine
 

Aether Channeler: The Triple Threat Wizard

Season 15, Episode 8: Brew Session (Aether Channeler) + Flashback (Leyline Binding)
Aether Channeler isn’t the best at any one job, but it always gives you something meaningful. Is this style of card strong enough for today’s Modern and Pioneer? That’s the question that we set out to answer today on Faithless Brewing.
We’ve seen multiple modes on 3 drops before, most notably on Callous Bloodmage, a card that barely saw play. Channeler offers two similar abilities (make a token, draw a card) but replaces the niche graveyard hate with an always-solid bounce any permanent effect. This raises the floor of the card significantly, making Channeler a meaningful play whether you are ahead or behind. What’s more, the ability to bounce a planeswalker is an effect previously missing from the blink strategies where ETB triggers are known to thrive.
On the Flashback, David and Morde share their results testing various brews with Leyline Binding. The card has quickly established itself as a staple in top tier Modern archetypes (hopefully you bought your copies early, we tried to warn you!). But can Binding also power up silly synergies with Enigmatic Incarnation and In Search of Greatness? The better the card, the more hope there is for enabling some true nonsense.
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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com
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Timestamps
Brew Session: Aether Channeler
[4:05] What makes this card good?
[9:07] David’s Naban Wizards
[15:30] David’s Teleportation Circle
[21:50] Morde’s Bant Soulherder
[24:55] Morde’s WU Sun Titan Taxes
Flashback: Leyline Binding
[31:49] David’s Enigmatic Greatness
[45:08] Morde’s 5c Restoration Angel
[49:19] Morde’s Shadow Prophecy Reanimator

Paragons of Innovation: Week 1 Winners & Losers

Season 15, Episode 7: Weekly Roundup
David and Morde review the top innovations from Week 1 of #MTGDMU, starring Serra Paragon, Yotia Declares War, Meria, Scholar of Antiquity, and more.
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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com
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Timestamps
[1:51] Housekeeping
[5:03] Leyline Binding
[18:41] Liliana of the Veil
[28:18] Meria, Scholar of Antiquity
[34:11] Yotia Declares War
[42:12] Serra Paragon
[52:37] Evolved Sleeper
[55:25] Rundvelt Hordemaster
[58:02] Leaf-Crowned Visionary

Brew This, Not That! Dominaria United Top 5s

Season 15, Episode 6: Dominaria United Top 5s With Mordeka1ser and Cavedan
 
Preview season is a heady time. Cards are flying fast and furious, the air is thick with new ideas, and big dreams take flight on wings of hype and hopium.
And when the dust has settled… well, it’s a lot! We covered more than a hundred cards in the blink of an eye. Which are the cards that really matter? Which ones are going to make a big impact on the meta, and which cards are we most excited to brew with? And of course, which are the cards that other people are just flat wrong about?
Cavedan and Morde are here to set the record straight on Dominaria United, as they compare their respective Top 5 lists for most impactful cards, most exciting cards, and most overrated and underrated. How do your own lists stack up? What did we get wrong, and where should we be looking next?
 
 
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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com
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Timestamps
[5:31] Housekeeping
[7:08] Top 5 Most Impactful: Modern
[18:55] Top 5 Most Impactful: Pioneer
[27:15] Top 5 Most Exciting to Brew
[42:32] Top 5 Overrated
[50:07] Top 5 Underrated
[1:00:35] Top 5 Random Power Creep