Faithless Brewing MTG: Modern and Pioneer for the Spike Rogue

Narset's Undoing

Theros Beyond Death, Episode 10: Narset, Parter of Veils
 
It's been a minute since Narset was a staple in Modern. Once mentioned frequently in the same breath as Karn and Teferi, the long and difficult months of 2019 gradually forced Narset to surrender her claim as a top-three planeswalker from War of the Spark. Without Arclight Phoenix decks to prey upon, Narset has taken a back seat to cards like Ashiok, Dream Render, Nissa, Who Shakes the World, and even the occasional Saheeli, Sublime Artificer.
 
It would be a mistake, however, to ignore Narset completely, even in today's metagame. Her static ability may not line up well against every opponent, but it does combine in spectacular ways with certain unique spells and effects. Those same pieces can be found off Narset's -2 activation, making this unassuming three-mana walker both a strong card advantage engine and a deadly prison enabler. Let's see what she can do!
 
Flashback: Setessan Champion
 
Pioneer
Selesnya Enchantress (Damon): 2-3 league
 
Sultai Enigmatic Enchantress (David): 2-3 league
 
Modern
Naya Land-chantress (Dan): 1-4 league
 
Brew Session: Narset, Parter of Veils
 
Pioneer
Dimir Undoing (Sketch)
Update: Damon took this version to a 5-0 after recording
 
Modern
Narset Turns (Sketch)
 
Reference: Temur Turns (Daniel Wong)
 
 

Build a Better Enchantress

Theros Beyond Death, Episode 9: Setessan Champion
 
The notion of an Enchantress deck has always held a certain timeless allure. Play an enchantment, draw a card. Play an enchantment, draw another card. Maybe your enchantments are enticing mana rampers, or strong prison lock pieces, or possibly even auras that boost your lethal attacker. What's not to like?
 
If you go looking for these mythical Enchantress decks in the wild, however, you will find they are the rarest of species. Just based on tournament results, you could reasonably argue that Enchantress decks have been extinct at the competitive level for a decade or more. Reasons for this are manifold, and pointing in various directions. It's tricky to strike the right balance between enablers and payoffs; enchantments as a category tend to be a mismatched and underpowered group of cards; and the payoffs (the "Enchantresses" themselves, or equivalent "enchantments-matter" effects) have not been costed aggressively enough to overcome these barriers.
 
Undaunted, with Theros: Beyond Death and the constellation mechanic, Wizards has gone back to the enchantments fold. What choice do we have but to follow them boldly into the unknown? This week, we take on Setessan Champion, the latest entrant in the "play an enchantment, draw a card" class of payoffs, but with slightly more combat-ready stats than her predecessors. Will she prove her worth as a Setessan Enchampion? Let's find out!
 
**ALSO: Earlier this week we posted a short bonus episode dedicated entirely to COVID-19. This episode is meant to be a general resource on preparedness, covering topics like basic safety practices, how to adjust to social distancing, and what to have on hand if you are asked to stay home. Please feel free to share this guide with anyone for whom the discussion might be helpful; no knowledge of Magic is required.**
 
"The View from Seattle: Preparing for COVID-19"
 
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Flashback: Emry, Lurker of the Loch
 
Modern
 
Breach Station (Damon): 5-0 league
https://scryfall.com/@nukelaunch/decks/01149f33-4af4-4e1c-a24d-d438849227cd
 
 
Pioneer
 
Jeskai Owl Ascendancy (David): 4-6 leagues
https://scryfall.com/@FaithlessMTG/decks/70be8426-0b03-437f-ba1d-4b07b962b3df
 
Simic Steel (David): 2-3 league
https://scryfall.com/@FaithlessMTG/decks/6dcaba9c-66ed-447f-8447-823208ec1416
 
Scion of Whirza (Dan): 3-2 league
https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/2697842#paper
 
 
Brew Session: Setessan Champion
 
Pioneer
 
Selesnya Enchantress (Sketch)
https://scryfall.com/@FaithlessMTG/decks/622cc97d-33ff-41e9-adec-cdfb38d51455
 
Golgari Valakut (Sketch)
https://scryfall.com/@FaithlessMTG/decks/4b36100d-d809-4d04-93d3-aaa5ddfd5991
 
Modern
 
4c Tallowisp Enchantress (Sketch)
https://scryfall.com/@FaithlessMTG/decks/0c5cffef-8b3f-4fb7-acfd-1a1a257e3518
 
 
 

The View from Seattle: Preparing for COVID-19

Faithless Brewing, Special Edition: Coronavirus
 
For some, COVID-19 is a source of worrisome headlines unfolding quickly on the world stage. For others, it is already a daily reality. Self-quarantine, work-from-home, and cancellations of schools and social events have rapidly taken hold across cities and regions, and it seems likely that there is more to come.
 
In Seattle, Damon has been tracking developments closely as he adjusts to life in the epicenter of the outbreak in the United States. Together with special guest Maria, the two Seattleites share what they have learned about how to prepare for COVID-19 and strategies for living under self-quarantine and social distancing. Topics covered include:
 
• A short history of coronavirus: symptoms, history, and safety practices
• Tips for basic preparedness: what to have on hand if you are asked to stay home
• Social distancing: what it means and how to adapt
• Strategies for working from home effectively
• How to politely avoid a handshake
 
This episode has very little to do with Magic: the Gathering (although we do tackle the Big Question: should you attend that upcoming Magic tournament?). Nevertheless, we consider this a very important topic, and hope that this discussion can be a resource for anyone who finds it helpful. Please do what you can to help your families and communities stay safe and informed!
 
Resources and Further Reading:
 
New York Times Daily Briefing:
https://www.nytimes.com/newsletters/coronavirus-briefing
Vox Guide to Covid-19:
https://www.vox.com/2020/3/5/21162138/vox-guide-to-covid-19-coronavirus
 
Reddit News Aggregators:
www.reddit.com/r/coronavirus
www.reddit.com/r/covid19
 
Mental Health & Support:
www.reddit.com/r/covid19_support
 
Leading epidemiologists and public health experts are posting important updates on Twitter. Here are a few to start with:
https://twitter.com/ScottGottliebMD
https://twitter.com/mlipsitch
https://twitter.com/trvrb
 
 
 
 

Something Fishy: Back Into the Loch with Emry

Theros Beyond Death, Episode 8: Emry, Lurker of the Loch
 
First, there was Stoneforge Fishstick. Then, there was Deathrite Salmon. Coming out of Eldraine preview season, the hype for Emry was considerable, with many ranking her among the very best cards of what looked to be a very strong set. Possible combos with Jeskai Ascendancy, Paradoxical Outcome, and Paradox Engine had us thinking that the lady of the lake might shake things up in Modern, but we had no idea what was coming.
 
Flash forward several months, and the landscape looks entirely different. Oko joined forces with Urza for an utterly dominant spell atop the Modern metagame, to such a degree that both Oko and Mox Opal were hit with bans. Artifact-based decks in Modern would need to be re-engineered from the ground up. Meanwhile, the Pioneer format was launched, which was merely a twinkle in R&D's eye when we last featured Emry in Episode 22. Pioneer has seen its own well-documented churn, including bans on Oko and Smuggler's Copter that have contributed to artifact-based decks not finding much of a foothold in the young format.
 
The timing seems right, then, to jump back into the loch and see what Emry is capable of. The escape mechanic from Theros: Beyond Death has added new possibilities to Emry's self-mill trigger, and the value and combo potential of her activated ability remain as tantalizing as they ever were. Can Emry carry the torch for Mox Amber and friends in the new-look metagame of Modern and Pioneer? Let's find out!
 
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Roundup: The State of Brewing in Pioneer
 
 
Daniela Diaz on Brewing in Pioneer (thread)
 
Number of 5-0 Lists Over Time (via Eric Landes)
 
Breach Station: Sample Decklists
 
Article by Urchin Colley
 
 
Flashback: Ox of Agonas
 
 
Modern
  
Ox Dredge (Damon): 3-2 league
 
Gruul KiorOx (Damon): 6-4 leagues
 
Mardu AshiOx (Dan): 4-6 leagues
 
Jund AshiOx (Dan): 10-5 leagues
 
Hollow Ox by Kahn_M (Dan): 3-2 league
 
 
Brew Session: Emry, Lurker of the Loch
 
 
Emry: Lessons Learned (article by Urchin Colley)
 
 
Modern
 
Emry Planeswalker Loch (Sketch)
 
 
Pioneer
 
Emry Owl Ascendancy (Sketch)
 
 
Blue-Green Steel (Sketch)
 
 
Emry Ensoul Herald (Sketch)
 
 
 

Raging Bull: Thinking Outside the Ox

Theros Beyond Death, Episode 7: Ox of Agonas
 
Bedlam Reveler is a gem of a Magic card. When it is fully powered, you get an above-rate creature (3/4 prowess for RR) that also draws three new cards. That's a straight up 4-for-1, a better rate than Ancestral Recall. Are there hoops to jump through? Sure, but that hasn't stopped Reveler from finding a home in Mardu Pyromancer (may it rest in peace) and more recently in Red Prowess. When surrounded by the right pieces, Reveler provides a powerful endgame that thrives on what red decks are already interested in doing.
 
If a 4-for-1 off Reveler sounds attractive, can we interest you in a 4-for-0? That's right, no cock and bull: how about an above-rate creature (5/3 for RR) that you can cast directly from your graveyard, and still draw three new cards to boot. We're entering Niv-Mizzet territory in terms of raw card advantage, but with an efficiency and built-in recursion that is in a class by itself. Why buy the cow when you can escape it for free?
 
This week, we're grabbing the horns of Ox of Agonas, the most exciting creature to break loose from the underworld of Theros. This won't be our first rodeo with the escape mechanic, but there are no sacred cows in brewing. The Titans may have more pedigree, and Breach may steal headlines, but it would be a terribull misteak to leave this mad cow in the bullpen. Unlike Reveler, the Raging Bull is agnoxtic about what card types it will eat: spells, creatures, fetch lands, everything is fuel to a four-chambered stomach. Modern Dredge has already been beefed up by the Red Bull, but can it also give wings to other strategies? We're feeling bullish on Ox of Agonas, and we've got brews til the cows come home in both Modern and Pioneer. Plenty to ruminate on, but we'll steer you in the right direction!
 
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Roundup: Tournament Reports
 
Modern 5c Niv (Dan): Top 32, Modern Challenge
 
Legacy Maverick (Damon): 0-2, Mox Boarding House 1k
 
Pioneer Sultai Delirium (Dan): Top 8, SCG IQ Newington
 
 
Flashback: Storm Herald
 
 
Pioneer
 
Mono-Red HammerHerald 1.0: 3-2 league
 
Mono-Red HammerHerald 1.1: 2-3 league
 
Mardu Siege Herald: 3-2 league
 
 
Modern
 
Jund Storm Conscription: 3-2 league
 
Jund Traverse Conscription: 4-1 league
 
Temur Uro Conscription: 2-3 league
 
 
Brew Session: Ox of Agonas
 
 
Modern
 
Reference: Stock Dredge
 
Sketch 1: Gruul KiorOx
 
Reference: Kiora Escape (by cavedan, 5-0 league)
 
Sketch 2a: Hollow Ox  (Kanm_H, 5-0 league; rodebo, 5-0 league)
 
Sketch 2b: Hollow OxVine
 
Sketch 3a: Mardu AshiOx
 
Sketch 3b: Jund AshiOx
 
Reference: Mardu “Oxtomancer” (by foggmanatic, 5-0 league)
 
 
Pioneer
 
Sketch 1: Izzet PhoenOx
 
Bonus Sketch: Izzet Flooding
 
Reference: Izzet Phoenix (1 Ox / 4 Cruise split)
 
 
 

Storm Herald's a-Brewin'

Theros Beyond Death, Episode 6: Storm Herald
 
The last time we brewed around a flashy Simic mythic from the latest set release, the 5-0 finishes just piled up like candy. Our testing with Uro yielded similar results: no trophies this time, but a giant pile of 4-1s across multiple decks and multiple formats (Pioneer, Modern, and even Standard), from established meta decks to off-the-wall wild brews. Uro is here to stay, even making appearances in Legacy, so pick up your playset now and get ready to start drawing cards, gaining life, and exiling your graveyard in neat stacks of five cards.
 
This week, we pivot to a Theros card with a much less impressive pedigree: the curious rare Storm Herald. The effect on this hasty Shaman is so unique in Magic that the closest comparisons are... Retether? Iridescent Drake? Boonweaver Giant?? When our first pass at the card has us debating the merits of Shape of the Wiitigo, you know you are in for some deep cuts. Whether imitating Goryo's Vengenace by bringing back an Eldrazi Conscription, or playing the role of the pied piper calling a host of tiny auras all at once, Storm Herald is playing by its own rules in the strange and bizarre world of creature-boosting enchantments. Can this exciting new tool breathe life into the historically underpowered Aura subtype? And will the juice be worth the squeeze? There's only one way to find out!
 
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Flashback: Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath
 
Standard
 
Bant Uro Ramp (by Danny Salvatore): 6-2, SCG Philadelphia
 
Pioneer
 
Swedish Delirium (Dan): 6-2, SCG Philadelphia
 
 
4c Uro Reanimator (David/Damon): 8-2 leagues
 
Modern
 
Uro's Weirding (by Nephtyz, 5-0 league)
 
Temur Uro and Six (by MrRaeb, 5-0 league x2)
 
Turbo Lazav (by lannynyny, 5-0 league)
 
Turbo Lazav 1.1 (Dan): 4-1 league
 
Turbo Lazav 1.2 (Dan): 4-1 league
 
5c Niv Uro (Dan): 4-1 league
 
 
Brew Session: Storm Herald
 
 
Modern
 
Reference list: Jund Storm Conscription (Caleb Durward)
 
Sketch 1: Jund Storm Conscription
 
 
Pioneer
 
Reference list: BW Auras (Ken Yukuhiro)
 
Sketch 1: Mardu Sram Herald
 
Sketch 2: Boros Sram Herald
 
Sketch 3: Jeskai Curious Herald
  
 
 

Uro vs. Kroxa: Clash of the Titans

Theros Beyond Death, Episode 5: Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath
 
Kroxa made his case last week for early release from the underworld of Theros, taking a bite out of the competition in both Modern and Pioneer. The hungry fellow has been making inroads into 5-0 lists, but has yet to enjoy the success of his greener, bluer, more wrathful sibling. This week, the clash of the titans comes to a head, as we pit our results with Kroxa against new lists featuring Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath.
 
Already boasting a Players Tour championship, Uro seems to have all the makings of a multi-format star. Simic colors? Check. Useful in many strategies? Check. Mythic rare, costs 1UG, rapidly increasing in price? Check, check, and check. Three letter name, two of which are vowels, followed by a title description? Welcome to my decklist, Oko left the seat warm for you.
 
There's no denying that Uro is a powerful and wildly successful card. Unlike Kroxa, Uro's draw and lifegain abilities create both time and resources to play a longer game, while also giving you land drops to go nuts with all of your extra material. Uro has so many abilities that even now players have only begun to scratch the surface of what it can do. A repeatable Growth Spiral is great. A repeatable Reviving Dose is also great. A giant creature that comes out of the graveyard without costing you a card, and generates value turn after turn, is starting to get a little crazy. This is a card that we are going to be seeing a lot of for the foreseeable future, so let's see what else Uro can do!
 
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Roundup: Pioneer Between the PTs
 
Czech House Niv-Mizzet (Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa)
 
BW Auras (Ken Yukuhiro)
 
Sultai Delirium (Joel Larsson)
 
Lotus Breach (Brent Vos)
 
Dimir Inverter (kanister)
 
Flashback: Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger
 
Pioneer
 
Grixis Kroxa Midrange (Damon): 7-8 leagues
 
Grixis Kroxa Midrange (David): 2-3 league
 
Rakdos Kroxa Cat (David): 3-2 league
 
Modern
 
Jund Hungry Zoo (Dan): 3-2 league
 
Grixis Renegade Kroxa (Dan): 2-3 league
 
T-Rex on the Titanic (test deck): not recommended for league play
 
 
Brew Session: Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath
 
Pioneer
 
Blood for Bones Reanimator: 8-2 leagues
 
Simic Ramp (Sketch)
 
Sultai Uro Oven (Sketch)
 
Modern
 
Wrenn and Uro (by MrRaeb, 5-0 league)
 
Uro's Weirding (by Nephtyz, 5-0 league)
 
 
 

Still Hungry: Kroxa in Modern and Pioneer

Theros Beyond Death, Episode 4: Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger
 
Freshly escaped from the underworld of Theros, Kroxa is at the peak of his powers. 6/6 is nearly as big as it gets. Two mana is nearly as lean as it gets. A true titan of the game, Kroxa packs a punch and delivers value coming and going, but he's not resting on his laurels. No, King Kroxa is still hungry, and he's coming for that 5-0 in Modern and Pioneer. 
 
Mechanically speaking, Theros's titans are fairly complicated under the hood. As pseudo spell effects, they are somewhat reminiscent of the Evoke and Adventure mechanics, but the similarities only go so far. The upshot is that the turn you spend two mana for a Raven's Crime is a very bad turn. The turn you spend four mana for a 6/6 with a positive ETB and attack trigger is a very good turn, and you can have that turn multiple times in a game. Kroxa's power level seems to lie somewhere in the middle, if we are just taking the card at face value. But what if we break the mold and cheat on Kroxa's hidden costs? Can we skip the Raven's Crime turn by putting Kroxa directly into the graveyard? Or how about the two mana 6/6 body that is briefly on the battlefield, what if we make extra use of that? The possibilities are as endless as Kroxa's appetite, so let's start brewing!
 
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Roundup: Modern Brews + Pioneer PTs
 
Modern
 
Turbo Elesh Norn: 4-0* league. Move 4th Leyline to main deck, cut green splash, add SB Burrenton Forge-Tender.
 
 
RG Kiora Ox: 5-0 league. New card grades: Ox of Agonas (B), Phoenix of Ash (B-), Klothys, God of Destiny (C)
 
 
Flashback: Enigmatic Incarnation
 
Pioneer
 
Rhino Incarnation 1.1: 4-6 leagues
 
 
 
Rhino Incarnation 1.2: proposed update
 
 
Enigmatic Uro: 0-5 league. Needed more removal. Rebuild as Chronic Flooding delve/self-mill Oracle deck.
 
Modern
 
Enigmatic Doom: 2-3 league. Add Leylines to the main deck, increase land count, clean up 2-3 mana plays.
 
Brew Session: Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger
 
Sketch 1: Grixis Kroxa
 
Sketch 2: Rakdos Sacrifice
 
Reference lists:
 
"Mardu Yacht Club" (by @shakegently)
 
 
Jund Traverse Kroxa (5-1-1, by kaberb)