Faithless Brewing MTG: Modern and Pioneer for the Spike Rogue

Set Review: The Best of Dominaria United in Modern and Pioneer, Part 1

Season 15, Episode 1: Brewer’s Guide to Dominaria United + Magic in 2023
Today on Faithless Brewing we kick off our set review with the first batch of previews from Dominaria United. The set looks beautiful, but the criteria for playability in Modern and Pioneer are stricter than ever as the formats keep getting powered up. Do any of these new cards have a shot?
Squee, Dubious Monarch stands out as a multi-format staple. While it invites initial comparisons to Goblin Rabblemaster, the cards play very differently. Squee gets on the board faster (3 power with haste across 2 bodies), works better with lords, and provides unlimited access to a Den of the Bugbear-class threat. Rabblemaster, by contrast, spends most of its time in the graveyard after dying to removal.
Liliana of the Veil, the former jewel of Modern, looks humble in comparison to the endless value from cards that cost 2R. Liliana will be powerful but not broken in Pioneer; her existential struggle against Squee and Fable of the Mirror-Breaker for the soul of Rakdos will be a trend to watch.
Beyond those blue chips, the pickings get more speculative. Braids, Arisen Nightmare is a sneakily great draw engine masquerading as a punisher effect. Soul of Windgrace has Primeval Titan vibes at a decent mana cost. And Archangel of Wrath delivers a massive life swing, albeit on a clunky body. It will take some work to unlock these cards, but the power is there.
We also kick things off with a lighthearted look at the major announcements for Magic’s upcoming lineup in 2023. What cards did we miss on, and what did we get right? Tune in to find out.
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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com
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S15E01 Decklists and Timestamps
Roundup: “Wizards Presents” Announcements
[2:55] Is D&D more popular than Magic?
[5:36] Housekeeping
[7:14] Dan’s article: Mastering Variance with Sultai Crabvine
[10:03] Lord of the Rings conspiracies
[15:51] Magic in 2023 release schedule
Set Review: Dominaria United
[27:27] Pain land cycle
[32:03] Radha’s Firebrand
[35:47] Guardian of New Benalia
[38:40] Jhoira, Ageless Innovator
[41:07] Raff, Weatherlight Stalwart
[42:52] The Raven Man
[48:11] Benalish Sleeper
[49:43] Nishoba Brawler
[52:27] Impede Momentum
[53:29] Squee, Dubious Monarch
[59:31] Ajani, Sleeper Agent
[1:02:52] Resolute Reinforcements
[1:03:20] Micromancer
[1:04:55] Lilliana of the Veil
[1:09:34] Zur, Eternal Schemer
[1:11:29] Braids, Arisen Nightmare
[1:14:44] Soul of Windgrace
[1:17:23] The Phasing of Zhalfir
[1:20:16] Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
[1:24:05] Archangel of Wrath
[1:26:42] Nemata, Primeval Guardian
[1:30:07] Sol’Kanar, the Tainted
[1:33:03] Defiler of Dreams
[1:34:54] Sphinx of Clear Skies
[1:36:07] The World Spell
[1:40:56] Herd Migration
 

Vivien and the Arkbow: A Tale of 10 Brews

Season 14, Episode 37: Brew Session (Vivien’s Arkbow, Getaway Car) + Flashback (Heart of Kiran, Rielle the Everwise, Humble Defector, Ugin’s Nexus)
David and Cavedan brew with Vivien’s Arkbow, the runner up in this month’s voting. Morde is a believer, but the old men will need some convincing. Are there ways to cheat on the activation cost? Make use of the discard outlet? Or perhaps even enable sweet Werewolves brews?
David also takes a crack at Getaway Car, an odd little vehicle that leans aggressive but can enable shenanigans with Voldaren Epicure and other ETB effects.
On the Flashback, the crew shares their testing results with Grixis Heart of Kiran, an updated Izzet Looting build with Rielle the Everwise, Mardu Charming Prince + Humble Defector, and a new attempt to crack Ugin’s Nexus.
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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com
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S14E37 Decklists and Timestamps
[3:00] David’s picks: movies from the 1990s
[12:00] Brewing Vivien’s Arkbow
[20:38] David’s Bant Renowned Arkbow
[28:24] Emi’s GW Devoted Druid
[30:58] Gruul Werewolves by Judge Rob
[35:00] BG Werewolves by pugsonchairs
[38:22] Brewing Getaway Car
[41:18] David’s Boros Getaway
[45:41] David’s UW Getaway
[51:22] Flashback: Grixis Week etc
[51:43] David’s Grixis Heart of Kiran
[59:27] David’s Izzet Rielle 2.0
[1:06:21] Dan’s Mardu Charming Defector
[1:11:48] David’s Jund Ugin’s Nexus
 

What Is This? A Tournament for Ants? Magic 30 Las Vegas

Season 14, Episode 36: Week in Review
The party of the year is happening in Las Vegas, and the tickets are already gone. The four Modern Qualifiers feeding the Beta draft sold out in mere hours (and the VIP badges went even faster than that). Is this insane demand or artificial scarcity? A genius marketing move or another Wizards blunder?
As for tournaments you can actually play: Cavedan took his trusty Crabvine deck to a local Regional Championship Qualifier, with the express goal of mastering the art of the mulligan and collecting some hard data on the variance of a graveyard deck.
After that, we continue our exploration of Resurgent Belief. Morde brewed up a spicy little number with Bring to Light and Seals. The deck showed promise, but can it be powered up further? Meanwhile David took the enchantment reanimation concept to Pioneer, where related effects like Starfield of Nyx and Brilliant Restoration might hold the key to victory.
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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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S14E36 Decklists and Timestamps
[2:49] Housekeeping
[5:00] Magic 30 Las Vegas
[17:05] Dominaria United
[20:33] Dan’s Sultai Crabvine (Modern RCQ Report)
[35:08] Emi’s BTL Resurgent Seals
[44:54] Bloodbraid Marauder Cascade by TheGreenSpeed
[47:25] David’s Bant Starfield of Nyx
[57:00] Mardu Brilliant Restoration by LurkingEvil
 

Beyond Belief: Resurgent Brews for the Modern Enchanter

Season 14, Episode 35: Brew Session (Resurgent Belief)
Our third monthly project kicks off with a look at Resurgent Belief, the surprise winner after an intense round of voting. Belief promises to restore the glory of Replenish decks of old. But do the tools exist to compete in today’s Modern? Our task this month is to find out.
At first glance, Belief resembles Living End and follows simple steps. 1. Put enchantments in the graveyard. 2. Find and cast Resurgent Belief. 3. Win with whatever you got back. But each stage is rife with challenges.
For starters, most enchantments don’t put themselves into the graveyard. Beyond a handful of cards with cycling or channel (Colossal Skyturtle, Shark Typhoon, Lay Claim, Cast Out), we need to choose either Sagas or use non-enchantment effects to loot cards away. As always, if we lean too far into the graveyard angle, we risk getting devastated by graveyard hate.
Finding and casting the namesake card is also tricky. Cascade is the most effective method, but most support cards for cascade have little to do with putting enchantments into the graveyard. Weaker options like As Foretold and Fires of Invention could support an enchantments-matter theme. There is even the possibility that Bring to Light is a viable option: Replenish was busted at 4 mana, so is Belief really so far-fetched at 5 mana?
The last step, winning the game, ought to be the simplest. Yet even here, we find that few enchantments are truly game winning by themselves. Unlike Living End, Resurgent Belief does nothing to wipe the board or disrupt the opponent, so we need enchantments that will catch us up and pull way ahead in one fell swoop, which is a tall order.
All of this combines to make Resurgent Belief a powerful, challenging card that is well worth the effort to crack open. We discuss a few possible directions today on Faithless Brewing, including some intriguing builds proposed by our Discord community. Can we solve the puzzle of Modern Replenish? What directions should we explore next?
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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com
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S14E35 Decklists and Timestamps
[3:06] Brew Session: Resurgent Belief [4:38] The original Replenish deck [12:24] Rules notes [13:31] Key questions [19:53] Game-winning enchantments [26:21] Cycling, channel, and self-sacrificing enchantments [36:29] Prison enchantments [38:16] Combo enchantments [40:25] Utility enchantments [43:58] Graveyard related enchantments [45:04] UW Belief by Gionax (5-0 league) [49:00] UW Ancestral Belief by Jim Davis [51:26] 4c As Foretold Electro by IPlayBadDecks [55:54] 4c BTL Resurgent Reanimator by 1stTurnNegator [1:01:01] 4c BTL Seals by Epochally [1:04:48] Closing thoughts
 

How to Win with Bad Decks (ft. IPlayBadDecks)

Season 14, Episode 34: Modern 5-0s with Anthony Mannino
Few Modern players these days are willing to embrace “bad” cards. With the format powered up heavily by MH2 and years of aggressive designs, the older tier 2-3 strategies have simply faded away. They were fringe to begin with, the thinking goes, and so they certainly can’t compete in this day and age.
Enter Anthony Mannino (IPlayBadDecks on Twitch and MTGO). Anthony is the last brewer of Modern’s golden age, a player not afraid to sleeve up the discarded tools of bygone eras and put them to the test in new configurations. He has been rewarded with a string of truly spectacular 5-0 finishes, starring such hits as Ulamog’s Nullifier, Braids, Cabal Minion, Kethis, the Hidden Hand, Michiko’s Reign of Truth, and Voice of Resurgence, to name just a few.
Today on Faithless Brewing, Anthony joins Cavedan and Morde to discuss the art of brewing (and winning) with bad decks. He shares his latest creations, from an unholy mashup of Winota and Yawgmoth, to a hybrid Dimir Inverter and Eldrazi Processors brew, to the latest tech in Sultai Crabvine. These decks exemplify Modern at its very best, when all things are possible for those who believe in the heart of the cards.
 
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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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S14E34 Decklists and Timestamps
[3:07] Housekeeping
[13:41] 4c Yawgnota
[32:10] UB Valki Processors
[47:44] BW Braids Smallpox
[1:02:16] UW Michiko’s Affinity
[1:04:23] Kethis Grinding Breach
[1:11:52] Sultai Crabvine

What If Innistrad Were Added to Pioneer? Brewer’s Mailbag (July-August 2022)

Season 14, Episode 33: Brewer’s Mailbag
Today on Faithless Brewing we open up the mailbag and field listener questions about everything under the Modern and Pioneer sun. Who is the most impactful brewer of all time? What if Innistrad block were legal in Pioneer? Which cards could be tweaked or updated for Modern? What if Prismatic Vista was the only legal fetchland?
These conundrums and many more will be answered as David, Morde, and Dan weigh in on the questions of the day. Happy brewing!
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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com
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[2:29] Housekeeping
[3:49] What card would you tweak to make it Modern playable?
[8:37] What if Prismatic Vista was the only legal fetchland?
[12:21] Who is the most impactful brewer of all time?
[18:57] Which 4 decks would you play for the rest of your life?
[23:31] How many cards different does a deck need to be considered a brew?
[28:55] What is your favorite pet card?
[33:20] Which Faithless Brew are you most proud of?
[38:31] Which classic card should be updated for MH3?
[43:56] Why do many people like either Modern or Pioneer, but not both?
[48:45] Do you see yourself playing Magic when you’re 60?
[50:02] What is the most elegantly designed card of the last few years?
[53:08] What are the signs that a deck is warping a format without dominating it?
[55:45] During preview season, what traits indicate playability? Why did many players miss on Ledger Shredder, Hearse, Graveyard Trespasser, Fable?
[1:03:18] Which cards from Innistrad block would be good or bad for Pioneer?
[1:07:52] What card would you like to see get a promo treatment?
[1:08:25] Aetherflux Reservoir + Bolas’s Citadel: why isn’t this a thing?
[1:10:53] Why is durdling so good in 4c Omnath, but bad in other shells?
[1:19:11] David’s top 3 movie recommendations

Dominaria United First Look and a $100k Grudge Match

Season 14, Episode 32: Weekly Roundup
David, Cavedan, and Morde reunite this week to take on a grab bag of topics. With the sneak preview of Dominaria United we have five new cards to dissect plus a host of Legends lost and found to puzzle over. Morde falls in love with chonky Omnath, Cavedan airs grievances against an MTGO grinder, and David backs an unexpected horse in a grudge match against Post Malone.
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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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S14E32 Decklists and Timestamps
[3:01] Housekeeping
[9:04] A cheating scandal
[15:00] Dominaria United first look
[18:57] Evolved Sleeper
[26:13] Llanowar Loamspeaker
[32:43] Temporal FIrestorm
[34:47] Shivan Devastator
[37:55] Jaya, Fiery Negotiator
[42:55] Legends Retold
[46:28] Textless Omnath
[50:10] Explorer Anthology 1
[55:45] A $100k Grudge Match
 

Sweet 16: Vote for Our Next Card!

Season 14, Episode 31: Nominees for Monthly Project #3
Another vote approaches! The mad brewers in our Discord community have put their heads together to put sixteen cards on the ballot for Monthly Project #3. These are the creme de la creme, the spiciest of the spice, the cards that should probably never see the light of day but we can’t resist trying to combo with them so we brew them anyway. Many brews are sure to be forged and many tickets are sure to be lost. Which card will we feature next? That’s up to you!
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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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S14E31 Decklists and Timestamps
[4:13] Housekeeping
[6:25] Sedgemoor Witch
[9:45] Marionette Master
[13:38] Monastery Mentor
[17:32] Weaver of Harmony
[22:49] Painter’s Servant
[27:43] Animation Module
[32:10] Fight Rigging
[37:03] Resurgent Belief
[40:55] Unexpected Results
[44:22] Damon’s 5c Niv vs. Unexpected Tron (GP Minneapolis 2019)
[51:28] Fevered Visions
[53:48] Moderation
[57:15] Necrotic Ooze
[1:01:30] Death Cloud
[1:03:51] Vivien’s Arkbow
[1:07:23] Pyre of Heroes
[1:10:29] Big Score