Faithless Brewing MTG: Modern and Pioneer for the Spike Rogue

New Perspectives on Combo (ft. Danny Salvatore)

Throne of Eldraine, Episode 11: Scrap Trawler, New Perspectives, Astral Drift
 
It was a golden weekend for Niv-Mizzet at Grand Prix Columbus, with Dan and Damon both posting 10-4-1 finishes with our favorite Faithless Brew. Is Niv the last control deck in Modern? What we do know is that, at the last Grand Prix of 2019, Niv quietly had one of the best performances of any archetype in the field.
 
This week, however, we depart from the realm of flashy five-color control, and turn our attention instead to some truly bizarre combos. Scraps from the Oven? New Perspectives? Astral Drift Turbo-Land? Oh yes, these are going to be spicy ones.
 
We are joined this week by special guest brewer Danny Salvatore, fresh off a Top 4 finish at the SCG Invitational. We talk about his preparations in Modern and Pioneer leading up to the Invi and the GP, before we collectively dive headfirst into assembling the combo machine.
 
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Flashback: SCG Invitational + Grand Prix Columbus
 
SCG Invitational (Pioneer / Modern)
 
Green Devotion (Danny Salvatore, 3rd place)
Grixis Shadow (Danny Salvatore, 3rd place)
 
GP Columbus (Modern)
 
Utopia Niv-Mizzet (Dan + Damon, 10-4-1, 40th & 42nd place)
 
Rakdos Bone Picker: 2-3 league, needed more creatures to crew with
 
Brew Session: Comboing Off
 
Sketch #1: Scraps from the Oven
 
Sketch #2: New Perspectives (Growth Spiral version)
 
Sketch #3: New Perspectives (Blood Sun version)
 
Brainstorm Session: Astral Drift Turbo-Land
 
 

What's Cooking? Firing Up the Witch's Oven

Throne of Eldraine, Episode 10: Witch's Oven
 
Let's face it, Vantress Gargoyle is probably not going to make the leap to eternal playable anytime soon. It struggles to attack in Pioneer, although our Modern explorations did yield some very interesting builds using powerful tools like Archive Trap and Into the Story. That being said, when a card can't even hack it in Standard, we shouldn't ask too much of it off the bat.
 
On the other hand, when a card is dominating Standard and meets the benchmark metrics for eternal playability (best in class effect, highly efficient, useful card type) it is certainly worth a closer look. Witch's Oven fits that bill. The "Kentucky Fried Kitten" / "Meow Mix" combo with Cauldron Familiar was a breakout star at the most recent Mythic Championships, and those two have started to make some inroads into Pioneer as well. But how good is this combo really? And is there more to the Oven than just cat food? While Damon and Dan are busy prepping Niv-Mizzet in Modern for GP Columbus, David has been cooking up some spicy Oven lists that he thinks just might hit the sweet spot.
 
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Flashback: Vantress Gargoyle
 
Modern
 
Simic Flying Goyfs: 3-2 league. Extremely effective at finding big flyers and attacking with them, but struggles against creature decks and high density of removal.
 
Sultai Flying Goyfs: 2-3 league, noticeably clunkier than the Simic version because Glimpse and Hedron Crab fight for mana, but some additions like Drown in the Loch are well worth the price of admission.
 
Gargoyles, Please!: 2-3 league. Yes, this is a Modern list with four copies of Didn't Say Please. The concept here is not bad, but the execution could use refinement.
 
Turbo Trap Control: 4-1 league. This strategy might be secretly excellent. Needs a more diverse set of spells in the main deck, but Mystic Sanctuary + Into the Story is incredible and the sideboard juke plan can steal games.
 
Pioneer
 
Emry Ascendancy: achieved numerous turn 3 kills, but this deck relies super heavily on Emry surviving, and probably shouldn't run any Gargoyles as they can never attack
 
Gargoyle Gift: 3-2 league, Gargoyle is actually a decent blocker here and synergizes with both Kiora and Gift
 
Bonus list: Retraction Helix Ascendancy by MrRaeb
 
Brew Session: Witch's Oven
 
Pioneer
 
Sketch 1: Sultai Cat Dredge
 
Sketch 2: Rakdos Bone Picker
 
Sketch 3: Grixis Emerge Oven
 
Sketch 4: Orzhov Life Gain
 
Modern
 
Utopia Niv-Mizzet (GP Columbus build)
 
 

The Real Gargoyles of Castle Vantress

Throne of Eldraine, Episode 9: Vantress Gargoyle (Modern & Pioneer)
 
Just when you thought you'd seen it all, it turns out the castles of Eldraine are guarded by blue Tarmogoyfs with wings. At 5/4 flying for 1U, Vantress Gargoyle is an absolute unit. It's even an artifact to boot, with an illustrious pedigree of potential synergies. The catch? It might be a while before you can start attacking. Oh, and if you want to block, better make sure that hand size doesn't get too low. Perhaps you'd like to tap and mill for 1 instead?
 
Good cards come to those who break them, so this week, the crew is leaving no stone unturned with new lists for Vantress Gargoyle in both Pioneer and Modern. Will we ever attack with this card? Will we ever get to block with it? And perhaps most important of all, is this strong enough to be the centerpiece of its own deck, or is the Gargoyle better utilized as a role player in small numbers? As always, there's only one way to find out!
 
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Roundup: Pioneer B&R, Redux
 
Blue Moon Canlander (Damon): Top 8, Puget Sound Battleground 1k (Individual); Top 4, Puget Sound Battleground 1k (Team Trios)
Pioneer B&R Announcement
 
Flashback: The Royal Scions
 
 
Modern
 
Izzet Arcanist: 2-3 league (adapted from this 5-0 list by Habster)
 
Blue Moon (by thepensword): 7-3 leagues
 
Temur Prowess: 1-4 league
 
 
Pioneer
 
 
Grixis Arcanist: 4-6 leagues
 
Temur Deathtouch: 4-1 league
 
4c Royal Vehicles: 2-3 league
 
Izzet Firebirds: updated sketch (compare to these Izzet Firebirds lists from Challenge)
 
 
Additional concepts:
 
Grixis Flamewake Phoenix: updated sketch
 
Grixis Ninja Scions (by Pedro Almeida): sketch
 
Royal Frenzy Aggro (by Elvis Alcomb): sketch
 
 
Brew Session: Vantress Gargoyle
 
Pioneer
 
Sketch 1: Dimir Citadel Devotion
 
Sketch 2: Dimir Control
 
Sketch 3: Sultai Artifacts
 
Sketch 4: Vantress Ascendancy
 
Sketch 5: Mystic Forge
 
Sketch 6: Gargoyle Gift
 
 
Modern
 
Sketch 1: Dimir Turbo Trap (by Jordan Boisvert, based on this article at Modern Nexus)
 
Sketch 2: Sultai Delirium
 
 
 

Royal Pain in the Scions

Throne of Eldraine, Episode 8: The Royal Scions
 
Kiora delivered us a fresh 5-0 last week, but we knew that would happen, as Kiora has always been great. The combination with Glorybringer is excellent in Modern and even stronger in Pioneer, although the mana requirements proved to be much trickier without the smooth shock-fetch manabase. Eldrazi add an interesting wrinkle to the Gruul ramp archetype, and Niv-Mizzet got in on the 5-0 action too.
 
This week, we're on to the next 3 CMC walker with absurdly high loyalty. Oko has already been widely accepted as planeswalker royalty, but what about Eldraine's actual royalty, the dashing Kenrith Kids? Two useful +1s and an achievable ultimate make The Royal Scions an attractive card to brew around, in both Modern and Pioneer. We've got more than a dozen new lists, so whether you like looting for value, unlocking graveyard synergies, or pumping creatures and turning them sideways, there's something for everyone this week!
 
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Roundup: Pioneer B&R Announcement
 
Pioneer B&R Announcement
 
Aaron Forsythe tweet
 
Kiora Green Devotion (Dan): 3-2 league
 
Flashback: Kiora, Behemoth Beckoner
 
Modern
 
Classic Niv-Mizzet (Damon): 5-0 league
 
Once Upon KiorDrazi (Dan): 5-0 league, 3-3 Modern Challenge
 
Once Upon Kiora (Damon): 4-1 league
 
Pioneer
 
RG Dragons (David): 2-3 league, 4-1 league
 
RG Dragons (Damon): 0-4 league, 4-1 league
 
Jeskai Dragons (David): 4-1 league, 1-4 league
 
Jeskai God-Pharaoh's Gift (David): 2-3 league
 
Brew Session: The Royal Scions
 
Pioneer
 
Sketch 1: Grixis Royal Arcanist
 
Sketch 2: Izzet Royal Prowess
 
Sketch 3a: 4c Royal Vehicles v1
 
Sketch 3b: 4c Royal Vehicles v2
 
Sketch 4a: Grixis Flamewake v1
 
Sketch 4b: Grixis Flamewake v2
 
Sketch 5: Temur Deathtouch Company
 
Sketch 6: Temur Pummeler
 
Sketch 7: 4c Faeburrow Company
 
 
Modern
 
Sketch 1: Grixis Royal Arcanist
 
Sketch 2: Temur Royal Phoenix
 
Sketch 3: Wrenn and Scions Midrange
 
Sketch 4: Izzet Collected Ponza
 
Reference: Blue Moon (thepensword)
 
Reference: Temur Kiora (Dan, 5-0)
 
Reference: Faeburrow Niv (Damon, 5-0)
 
 
 

Bonecrushing and Glorybringing in Modern and Pioneer

Throne of Eldraine, Episode 7: Bonecrusher Giant
 
It's finally time to dive into Pioneer, so it's no surprise that the first card we want to brew around is... Kiora, Behemoth Beckoner? That's right, Kiora! An old favorite on Faithless Brewing, Kiora has always been secretly excellent in Modern, especially when paired with Glorybringer in a ramp shell. New additions from Eldraine have Dan interested in updating the Modern list, while David believes that the basic shell can be ported over to Pioneer as well. But that's not all that Kiora can do. Looking outside of green, David has some wilder ideas for unlocking Kiora's synergies in Esper, Grixis, and Izzet. Do any of them have what it takes to keep up in the wild west that is Pioneer?
 
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Also, Dan has a new article up at Arenadecklists.gg, covering the rules of engagement for building successful decks in Pioneer. Check it out!
https://arenadecklists.gg/pioneers-rules-of-engagement/
 
Roundup: SCG Atlanta + Week 1 of Pioneer
 
Simic Urza Oko Goose (by Zan Syed): 4th place, SCG Atlanta Modern Open
 
Boros Burn (by Lichking7): 7-1, Pioneer Challenge
 
Brew Session: Kiora in Modern and Pioneer
 
Modern lists
 
Bonecrusher Oko-Kiora (Dan): 5-0 league
For a writeup on the evolution of this deck, see this article.
 
Once Upon KiorDrazi (Dan): 5-0 league
 
Pioneer lists
Sketch #1: Gruul Ramp
Sketch #2: Esper Dragons
Sketch #3: Grixis Hollow One
Sketch #4: Izzet God-Pharaoh's Gift
 
 

Modern After Regionals

Throne of Eldraine, Episode 6: New Spice from SCG Regionals
 
In this second half of our double header episode, we are tackling all things Modern: spicy brews from SCG Regionals, testing results with The Great Henge, plus Damon's Top 8 finish in his Standard MCQ in Mox Boarding House, Seattle. Does the Czech testing house's Bant Ramp deck hold lessons for Modern as well?
 
Two other important announcements this week:
 
First: We are extremely excited to announce the launch of our Faithless Brewing PATREON (https://www.patreon.com/faithlessbrewing)! Many of you have been asking us about this over these past five months, and lo, it has at last come to pass. Patreon is where you can support the show directly, and receive a variety of cool benefits as thanks, including bonus content, swag, and access to our Faithless Brewing Discord channel. We are very excited to build a community of brewers in the Faithless Family, which we hope can be a place to interact not just with us but with the many talented and creative brewers that make up our listener base. So if you like what we produce, find value in it, and want to help us make it even better, be sure to check it out!
 
Second, I mentioned that this Episode is part of a double header. The other half, which is posted as separately (as Episode 27), is already available on our channel and offers a guide to the Pioneer format from the perspective of a Modern player. We unpack the manabases, removal options, disruption tools, the most powerful cards and strategies, and how to combat them. If you are Modern player wondering how to get started brewing in Pioneer, you won't want to miss this!  
 
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Timestamps:
 
Weekend Roundup
 
 
5:21  Bant Ramp (Damon, via Czech testing house): Top 8, Standard MCQ at Mox Boarding House, Seattle
 
 
13:57  Urza Oko (by Zan Syed): 1st place, SCG Regionals Raleigh-Durham
 
 
18:23  Simic Eldrazi (by aspiringspike): 7-2 regionals, several 5-0s, also top 8 in MTGO PTQ (by C_E.L)
 
 
23:14  Foodie Niv-Mizzet (by Cameron Martinez): 1st place, SCG Regionals Knoxville
 
 
25:01  Faeburrow BTL Saheeli (David): 4-1 league
 
 
33:33  BTL Kiki Copycat (by forenmagra): four 5-0s in his last six leagues
 
 
 
Flashback: The Great Henge
 
 
35:58 Sultai Hengevine: 4-1 league
 
 
39:57 Golgari Undying: 4-1 league
 
 
45:29  Bant Monkeyhenge: 2-3 league
 
 
46:57  Mono Green Stompy: 2-3 league
 
 
54:22  Hengehammer Gruul: 4-1 league
 
 

How to Brew Successfully in a New Format

Throne of Eldraine, Episode 5: A Brewer's Guide to Pioneer
 
Well that was unexpected.  The birth of a new format is a strange and wonderful thing. “Brewer’s paradise” is a phrase that gets thrown around often, and if that doesn’t apply to times like these, when does it ever apply? For a brewing podcast like ours, a completely unexplored format must be a dream come true.
 
The truth is that successful brewing is actually quite difficult when a metagame is completely undefined. We cannot attack a meta from unexpected angles if we ourselves have no idea what to expect.
 
So what should we expect from Pioneer? How do we build decks in this exciting new format? Fear not, you Faithless Brewers, we have you covered!
 
In this special bonus episode, we take a deep dive into the Pioneer card pool. We unpack the mana bases, removal options, the most powerful cards and strategies, and the decks you will need to be prepared for on Day 1 -- everything you need to get brewing and start battling in the queues!
 
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Timestamps
 
2:38 What is Pioneer?
 
5:18 Initial reactions + unpacking the B&R philosophy
 
11:15 Getting to know the card pool: Pioneer and Modern, compared
 
17:00 Understanding Pioneer mana bases: lands and ramp options
 
32:11 Cards that used to be banned in Standard and Modern
 
45:42 Understanding interactive tools in Pioneer: removal, sweepers, counterspells, and hand disruption
 
1:02:16 Understanding the Day 1 metagame: the most powerful strategies in the format
 
1:22 Summary: The Rules of Engagement for Day 1 of Pioneer
 
 

The Great Henge and Beyond

Throne of Eldraine, Episode 4: The Great Henge
 
Some weeks, when we pick a card to feature, we know it will be a hit. Charming Prince is a versatile role player. Emry is insanely efficient. Oko is simply Broko, and might prove too strong even for eternal formats. Brewing around these cards is a great way to get acquainted with future format staples, and maybe rack up some trophies in the process.
 
Other times, however, it is helpful to brew from the other end of the spectrum: pick a card that might prove totally unplayable, explore it to its fullest, and see where that leads. The Great Henge is one such card. Like the rest of Eldraine's mythic artifact cycle, The Great Henge demands an impossible mana investment, but offers a quest that might let you summon it on the cheap. Meeting this condition is already a giant puzzle, to say nothing of crafting a game plan that can exploit the Henge's abilities while also keeping pace with the brutal Modern format.
 
This week, our goal is to stretch our deckbuilding muscles. This means brewing in Hard Mode. Forget about 5-0s, or tuning a sideboard for the meta; these decks might not even survive the goldfishing stage. But the farther there is to climb, the more we stand to learn from the attempt. Join us as we venture to the Great Henge and beyond!
 
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Roundup: Latest Developments in Modern
 
Utopia Niv-Mizzet (Dan): Top 4, SCG IQ Danbury, Sprawls are quite good at landing a planeswalker on turn 2, which may prove more important going forward
 
Sultai Into the Story (Raphael Mark): Top 2, SCG IQ Danbury, a strong take on the Mystic Sultai hard control archetype
 
Flashback: Charming Prince
 
Naya Dubious Defector: 13-7 leagues, hilarious and powerful, struggles to play defense
 
GW Charming Challenge: 2-3 league, Iona is stronger than Woodfall Primus/Worldspine Wurm, but requires giving up Through the Breach
 
Boros Blink: 2-3 league, grinds well, but struggles to disrupt unfair decks
 
Charming Taxes: 2-3 league, relies heavily on Aether Vial and Stoneforge Mystic to present anything powerful
 
UW Charming Soulherder: 3-2 league, very strong but requires a lot of clicks and triggers to win
 
Brew Session: The Great Henge
 
Sketch #1: Golgari Hengevine
 
Sketch #2: Yolo Yorvo Combo Henge
 
Sketch #3: Basic Henge Stompy
 
Sketch #4: Arcanist Hengehammer Beats
 
Elfball Combo Henge (Meryn MTG): 5-2 in 1v1 queues