Faithless Brewing MTG: Modern and Pioneer for the Spike Rogue

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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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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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
 

Leyline Binding Is the Truth

Season 15, Episode 5: Brew Session (Leyline Binding, Shadow Prophecy)
So here’s the deal. Oblivion Ring for a single white mana, at flash speed, is an unreal Magic card. It’s so insanely powerful that when we first discussed Leyline Binding, many listeners thought it was fake. Had we been duped by the folks at r/custommagic, they wondered? And it’s a fair question. It’s not every day we get a removal spell that can rival Swords to Plowshares.
Not only is Leyline Binding very real, it’s also the real deal. But don’t just take our word for it. Now that Dominaria United is available online, it’s time to put theory into practice and set this card loose on the hapless Modern and Pioneer metagames.
We see Leyline Binding fitting into several existing Modern strategies: 4c Omnath, UWx Control, Reanimator, Indomitable Creativity, Domain Zoo, and Crashing Footfalls, to name just a few. It may even revive the Enigmatic Incarnation deck, thanks to its nutty ability to tutor a 7 drop directly into play. Swords to Plowshares with combo potential? You bet. In Pioneer, Enigmatic is a much more proven deck, and 5c Niv is also well set up to support Leyline. You can even go for synergistic nonsense like In Search of Greatness, Zur, Eternal Schemer, or Resurgent Belief.
Building a Domain manabase is no mean feat, but the rewards have never been higher. Not only do we get Leyline Binding, but also there is Shadow Prophecy, a juiced up Fact or Fiction that can fill your graveyard on the cheap while providing card advantage and selection. Morde and Cavedan are high on Prophecy, but can it crack the top tier of Modern? 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
 
[2:23] Update: the kittens
[7:50] Housekeeping
Brew Session: Leyline Binding + Shadow Prophecy
[12:01] Rules notes
[17:41] Key questions: power level
[23:57] Mana considerations
[28:14] Which existing decks want Leyline?
[30:42] Morde’s UWx Leyline Control
[31:54] How good is Shadow Prophecy?
[38:27] Morde’s 5c Reanimator
[44:16] 5c Archon Creativity
[47:37] Modern Enigmatic Incarnation
[59:16] Pioneer Enigmatic Incarnation
[1:09:28] David’s Naya In Search of Greatness
[1:13:35] David’s Bant Enigmatic Greatness
[1:15:35] Modern Domain Zoo
[1:18:19] Cavedan’s Resurgent Belief

Leveling Up in Modern with Cameron Lantz, SCG Baltimore Champion

Season 15, Episode 4: Q&A with Cameron Lantz
Fresh off her victory at the SCG Baltimore Team Trios $25K, Cameron Lantz joins Morde to share her insights on the current state of Modern and Pioneer and her preferred approach to deck selection for team events. She also weighs in on the last batch of Dominaria United spoilers, including some final-day surprises like Shadow Prophecy, Flowstone Infusion, and The Cruelty of Gix.
 
Where to find Cameron:
Twitter: @sometimesIscry
Articles: Owl Central Games
Read Cam's SCG Baltimore Winner's Report for more insight on her preparation and deck selection process, and her team’s winning decklists in Pioneer, Modern, and Legacy.
Cameron also offers one on one coaching for eternal formats. Contact her on Twitter for more details.
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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com
 
 

Set Review, Part 3: Final Look at Dominaria United Previews in Modern and Pioneer

Season 15, Episode 3: Brewer’s Guide to Dominaria United, Vol. III
While the final batch of Dominaria previews did not sport such mighty cards as Leyline Binding, it is still filled to the brim with brew arounds that catch the eye of our Faithless Brewers.
Ivy, Gleeful Spirit leads the 2 drop charge with a new twist on its effect that makes the Nephilim of old nothing but envious. Ivy allows us to not only get bonuses out of our own spells but also nullify our opponent's ones (or at least get the same value they will get), while also being a "MAY" ability, stopping us from getting blown out with a removal. The fact it works with any sort of spell and not just instant and sorceries is just icing on the mutated cake.
Vodalian Hexcatcher is the runner up as the second best lord of the set, making sure that Merfolk do not lag too far behind Goblins. This flash lord allows you to transform your Merfolk into Jwari Disruption for noncreature spells. Meanwhile the Elf lord, Leaf-Crowned Visionary, ensures you never run out of gas as you can keep cycling through your deck with an interesting twist on Glimpse of Nature.
Finally, Read Ahead sagas like The Elder Dragon War are extremely versatile spells, balancing value against tempo. Will they lead Morde down the Brought Back rabbit hole once more? Perhaps some 4/4 Dragons are just what the card needs to return to the Modern spotlight, or even better, make a surprise appearance in the Pioneer format. Tune in for all the info, hope you enjoy and happy brewing!
 
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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com
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S15E03 Timestamps
Set Review: Dominaria United, Part 3
[3:27] Housekeeping
[5:41] Thran Portal
[8:40] Combat Research
[11:24] Tail Swipe
[12:49] Runic Shot
[13:14] Battlewing Mystic
[15:23] Elas il-Kor, Sadisitic Pilgrim
[17:22] Shadow-Rite Priest
[21:19] Weatherlight Compleated
[24:37] Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief
[28:10] Baird, Argivian Recruiter
[31:48] Phyrexian Missionary
[33:16] Balmor, Battlemage Captain
[36:22] Leaf-Crowned Visionary
[38:13] Vodalian Hexcatcher
[40:15] Yotia Declares War
[42:29] Impulse
[44:33] Shanna, Purifying Blade
[46:05] Anointed Peacekeeper
[50:02] Meria, Scholar of Antiquity
[54:42] Braids’s Frightful Return
[57:16] Ertai’s Scorn
[58:48] Haughty Djinn
[1:02:35] Relic of Legends
[1:04:35] Lagomos, Hand of Hatred
[1:06:44] Aether Channeler
[1:08:56] Vodalian Mindsinger
[1:10:52] Astor, Bearer of Blades
[1:12:41] Nael, Avizoa Aeronaut
[1:14:37] Sheoldred’s Restoration
[1:15:51] Ertai Resurrected
[1:20:28] The Elder Dragon War
[1:24:17] Timeless Lotus
[1:26:43] Rith, Liberated Primeval