Faithless Brewing MTG: Modern and Pioneer for the Spike Rogue

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
 
 

Searching for Prince Charming

Throne of Eldraine, Episode 3: Charming Prince
 
Oko, Thief of Crowns crushed it last week. We tested five homes the new Simic walker, and the trophies just started stacking up. Sultai Faeries, Bant Okoblade, Bonecrusher Kiora, even Faeburrow Niv-Mizzet got in on the 5-0 action. 38-7 is not a normal record for our testing sessions. Was it just good luck, good decklists, or is Oko simply brok-o? What is clear at least is that the card has many hidden modes, functioning more like a six- or seven- ability walker. "Five-Oh-ko" (too much?) looks to be a multi-format staple going forward, so pick up your copies now.
 
Four trophies will be a tough act to follow, so this week the crew takes a crack at a more humble offering from Eldraine: the Charming Prince! Like Oko, Prince Charming offers three modes, but contextually they can feel like four or five. Versatility like that on a 2 drop is great, but the blink mode in particular has Dave's gears turning as potentially enabling broken plays. Can the young prince rescue our permanents from the enemy’s clutches, and stake his claim as a future Modern staple?
 
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Timestamps and Decklists
 
Flashback: Oko, Thief of Crowns
 
03:45 Bant StoneBlade: 5-0 league
12:29 Shape Anew: 2-3 league
21:14 Sultai Faeries: 9-1 leagues
30:04 Bonecrusher Kiora: 17-3 leagues
39:10 Faeburrow Niv: 5-0 league
 
Roundup: Eldraine Week Two
 
 
51:03 SCG Team Open results
52:48 Once Upon a Time, Castle Garenbrig
54:06 Emry, Lurker of the Loch
54:56 Witching Well
55:34 Mystic Sanctuary
58:35 Gingerbrute, All that Glitters
59:24 Merchant of the Vale
59:43 Fires of Invention + Fae of Wishes
1:01:15 Fires of Invention + Savor the Moment + Mystic Sanctuary
1:04:55 Glass Casket
1:05:16 The Royal Scions
1:06:18 Drown in the Loch
 
Brew Session: Charming Prince
 
 
1:09:24 Charming Prince Overview
1:11:53 Sketch 1: Wr Humble Blink
1:26:37 Sketch 2: Naya Challenge
 
Reference lists:
 
Mono-W Taxes (kaosofmind): 5-0
Mono-W Emeria (Fincown): 5-0
GW Dubious Prince (k_f_chicken): 5-0
 
 

Mr. Steal Your Crown: Six New Brews with Oko

Throne of Eldraine, Episode 2: Oko, Thief of Crowns
 
Oko, Thief of Crowns, is a mischievous trickster. He’s so devious that he tricked Wizards into printing him with three powerful abilities and a giant pile of loyalty, all for the low, low price of three mana. Already poised to dominate Standard, the crew thinks Oko will be flaunting his skills in Modern in the very near future, and Dave has six new decklists to prove it.
 
Also, Dan has a new article up on Arenadecklists.gg: a comprehensive Brewer’s Guide to Throne of Eldraine! Expanding on our discussions in the podcast and analyzing 65 cards across four different Top 10 lists (math checks out, right?) this article has everything you need to start brewing with one of the most exciting new releases that Modern has ever seen. You won’t want to miss it!
 
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Dan’s Article: A Brewer's Guide to Throne of Eldraine
https://arenadecklists.gg/2019/10/02/a-brewers-guide-to-mtgeld-in-modern/
 
Damon’s Tournament Results
 
Rainbow Niv-Mizzet (Damon): 6-2 Modern challenge, 5-0 league
Brazen Cutthroat Kiki (Damon, based on kahluah777’s 5-0 list): 5-0 league
 
Roundup: Throne of Eldraine Week 1
 
Paradoxical Emry (Kevslinger): 7-1 Modern Challenge
Emry Ascendancy (Rav104): 5-0 League
Wishclaw EmrySword (haubidtran): 5-0 league
Grixis Into the Story (aspiringspike): 5-0 league
Charming Emeria (Fincown): 5-0 league
 
Dubious Prince (k_f_chicken): 5-0 league
 
Gilded Skies (internetsurfer09): 5-0 league
Questing Stompy (fluffywolf2): 5-0 league
Once Upon a Bogle (__matsugan): 5-0 league
Glitterbrute Affinity (sandahl123): 5-0 league
SnowKo Niv-Mizzet (rodebo): 5-0 league, 4-1 league
 
Brew Session: Oko, Thief of Crowns
 
Sketch #1: Sultai Faeries
Sketch #2: Oko Shape Anew
Sketch #3: 4c Saheeli
Sketch #4: Bant OkoBlade
Sketch #5: Arcades Herder
Sketch #6: Faeburrow Niv-Mizzet (update: Damon notched a 5-0 with this updated list!)
 
Reference lists:
 
Bant OkoBlade (UBERMIKEYB): 3rd place, Modern Challenge
4c SnowKo Saheeli (Gab Nassif): 6-2, Modern Challenge
 

Eldraine Top Ten + Five Ways to Break Emry

Throne of Eldraine, Episode 1: Emry, Lurker of the Loch
 
Eldraine is upon us, and Emry, Lurker of the Loch is the talk of Modern Town. In fact, we wrote an entire strategy guide for the card the very day it was spoiled. Our analysis contained one error, though: "Stoneforge Fishstick" is not the most appropriate nickname for the Lady in the Lake. Her power level warrants a more distinguished pedigree: nothing less than "Deathrite Salmon." This week, the crew unpacks five different ways to break Modern wide open with the new legendary merfolk. There's more than one way to fry a fish!
 
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Timestamps
 
03:02  Niv-Mizzet Reborn (Damon): 5-2 Modern Challenge. Graveyard decks and Urza combo are currently ascendant in the metagame; plan accordingly.
 
Flashback: Green Week
 
08:57 GW Leyline Elves: 3-2 league, needs more speed and redundancy in the combo to compensate for lower overall power
 
14:08 Genesis Devotion (by u/Cube_): 8-7 leagues, capable of truly astonishing combo turns, but struggles to interact with other linear/degenerate decks
 
25:17 Unbound Devotion: 5-5 leagues, Llanowar Tribe is solid and Hydroid Krasis is capable of carrying the deck. Still struggles with the same spread of matchups as the other green devotion lists
 
36:17 Unbound Revelation (by u/DiogenesCane): uses Heartbeat of Spring and Finale of Revelation for a Time Spiral-like effect, as described here
 
41:49 "Hogaak-less Hogaak" (sketch): an attempt to graft the Saffi+Rallier combo into a Vengevine aggro shell
 
44:41 Rallier Combo (by Aaron Westbrook): a variant using Kaya's Ghostform for redundancy in combo pieces
 
 
Roundup: Eldraine Top Ten
 
 
51:10 (HM) Grumgully, the Generous
 
53:01 (HM) Witching Well
 
54:50 (#10) Brazen Borrower
 
58:57 (#9) Glass Casket
 
1:01:10 (#8) Wishclaw Talisman
 
1:05:33 (#7) Castle Garenbrig
 
1:10:07 (#6) The Royal Scions
 
1:14:50 (#5) Oko, Thief of Crowns
 
1:16:33 (#4) Drown in the Loch
 
1:18:51 (#3) Mystic Sanctuary
 
1:22:32 (#2) Emry, Lurker of the Loch
 
1:24:17 (#1) Once Upon a Time
 
 
Brew Session: Emry, Lurker of the Loch
 
 
1:29:25 The Core Emry Package
 
1:33:17 UrzaSword
 
1:33:50 Jeskai Ascendancy
 
1:39:12 Paradox Engine
 
1:41:54 Paradoxical Outcome
 
1:46:51 Kethis, the Hidden Hand
 
1:55:11 Fair Decks with Emry
 
 
 

Hopelessly Devoted to Green

Modern Horizons / Core Set 2020, Episode 15: Leyline of Abundance + Eldraine Previews
 
 
 
It's finally here: Green Week! After a long and arduous Hogaak summer, the metagame has finally slowed enough to potentially reward a strategy of flooding the battlefield with green permanents. Core 2020's Leyline of Abundance has been waiting in the wings, offering explosive starts with mana dorks, as well as a few sneaky infinite combos. Also, did somebody say two free pips for Nykthos? The crew breaks down fresh new takes on Leyline Combo, Unbound Flourishing, and Green Devotion.
 
Plus: a host of spicy previews from Throne of Eldraine, including bonus decklists!
 
 
 
Roundup: Niv-Mizzet Takes Flight
 
 
 
It was a big week for Niv-Mizzet Reborn, as this Faithless Brewing Original has officially ascended to Tier 2 status (at least, according to the wise sages at the Arena Decklists Podcast). But don't just take their word for it. The tournament results speak for themselves, with Niv putting up strong results at MCQs both in paper and online.
 
 
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Glittering Niv (Ihavethefire): 1st place, MCQ Pittsburgh
 
 
 
Ramp-less Niv (Damon): 6-2 MCQ Seattle, 6-4 MTGO PTQ, 5-0 league x2
 
 
 
Traverse Niv (cavedan): 6-3 MTGO PTQ
 
 
 
Flashback: Kethis, the Hidden Hand
 
 
 
We'll be straight up, these decks sucked. Even Matt Nass's build could barely win a game. Not all is lost, however: the Saffi combo proved strong enough to possibly become its own version of the deck, and Emry, Lurker of the Loch means that help is on the way for dedicated Kethis Kombo.
 
 
 
Project Keth-eX: 3-7 practice matches, curve felt too slow, Kethis combo less well integrated than Saffi combo
 
 
 
Kethis "KCI" (Matt Nass, test deck): 0-5 practice matches, deck folded to everything, mana was horrendous
 
 
 
Emry Kethis Combo (Sam Black, test deck)
 
 
 
"Hogaak-less Hogaak" (test deck): re-built for speed and to maximize Saffi combo, with potential for turn 2 kill (Carrion Feeder -> Stitcher's Supplier into Unearth on Renegade Rallier, return Saffi, attack for lethal).
 
 
 
Throne of Eldraine Previews
 
 
 
Specter's Shriek (Bonus list: BW Processor Eldrazi) -- Bonecrusher Giant (Bonus list: Bonecrusher Kiora) -- Grumgully, the Generous (Bonus list: Grumgully Goblins) -- Torbran, Thane of Red Fell -- Drown in the Loch -- Faeburrow Elder -- Merchant of the Vale (Haggle) -- Irencrag Feat -- Fires of Invention -- Vantress Gargoyle -- The Magic Mirror -- The Cauldron of Eternity -- Witching Well -- Oko, Thief of Crowns (Bonus list: Faerie Foodies)
 
 
Brew Session: Leyline of Abundance
 
 
 
Sketch #1: GW Leyline Elves
 
 
 
Sketch #2: Unbound Flourishing
 
 
 
Sketch #3: Nissa Devotion
 
 
 
Sketch #4: Genesis Wave (designed by u/Cube_)
 
 
 
Reference lists:
 
 
 
Leyline Combo (PVDDR, test deck)
 
 
 
Leyline Combo 2 (PVDDR, test deck)
 
 
 
Devoted Elves (tagosaku, 5-0 league)
 
 
 
Bant Abundance (Jon Stern, MC Barcelona; Jeremie Ross, 5-0 league)
 
 
 
Steel Leaf Stompy (Ryan Robinson, 1st place SCG IQ)
 
 
 

Eldraine Previews and Kethis in Modern

Faithless Brewing, Episode 20: Kethis, the Hidden Hand
 
Throne of Eldraine is around the corner and the previews are coming fast and furious. Some look sweet, some look strange, and some look downright broken, including a certain strange woman lying in a pond distributing swords. That's no basis for a system of government.
 
In the meantime, though, we've got unfinished business with Core Set 2020. Kethis, the Hidden Hand had a surprising breakout late in the Standard season, anchoring a slick combo deck full of powerful legendaries. Modern has even more enticing options, but can this bizarre strategy withstand the transition to the lightning-fast eternal format? Or should Kethis be reimagined as the centerpiece of a midrange build? The crew has some ideas, so let's discuss!
 
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Flashback: Kiora and Niv-Mizzet
 
Ramp-less Niv-Mizzet (cavedan): Top 8 SCG IQ
 
Ramp-less Niv-Mizzet (Ihavethefire): 12-0 Modern Playoffs
 
Kiora Dragons: 10-10 leagues
 
Kiora Eldrazi: 11-4 leagues
 
Bonus list: Cat Jesus Returns (sketch)
 
Throne of Eldraine Previews
 
Dave has eight spicy hot takes on exciting new contenders for Modern, and Damon and Dan are eager to prove him wrong. Plus, don't miss our in-depth written article on the most dangerous card in the set, Emry, Lurker of the Loch!
 
Stoneforge Fishstick: A Brewer's Guide to Emry, Lurker of the Loch
 
Bonus list: Emry Ascendancy (sketch)
 
Brew Session: Kethis, the Hidden Hand
 
Sketch #1: 4c Value Kethis
 
 
Sketch #2: Keth-sper Goryo's
 
 
Sketch #3: Project Keth-eX
 
 
Reference lists:
 
Standard Kethis Combo (Ondrej Strasky)
 
 
Kethis "KCI" (Matt Nass, test deck)
 
Abzan Kethis Station (yooisa, test deck)
 
Kethis Erayo (anonymous, test deck)
 
Kethis Emry Combo (Sam Black, test deck)
 
 

Three Challengers for the New Meta

Modern Horizons / Core 2020, Episode 13: Kiora, Niv-Mizzet, Kolaghan's Command
 
Faithless Looting is gone, and our beloved "non-rotating" format is in upheaval once again. Tournament results are trickling in, but in the Magic Online leagues, it's the Wild West: everyone has dusted off their midrange decks, hoping that strategies that have always fared poorly will finally get a chance to breathe in a graveyard-free Modern. It is a great time to be a brewer.
 
With seemingly endless possibilities to explore, this week the crew revisits some old favorites: Faithless Brews that were powerful before Modern Horizons, but couldn't keep up with the madness of Hogaak Summer. We discuss new builds of RG Kiora Dragons, Rainbow Niv-Mizzet, and old school Grixis Control. Are these old challengers ready to compete for the top tier of the new Modern? Let's discuss!
 
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Flashback: Stoneforge Mystic
 
 
UW Stoneblade (D00mswitch): 3-2 league
 
 
Jeskai QuellBlade: 2-3 league
 
 
Bant Devoted Blade (bobinchese): 4-1 league
 
 
Brew Session: New Takes on Old Favorites
 
 
Kiora's Dragons (post-Hogaak update)
 
 
Rainbow Niv-Mizzet (post-Hogaak update)
 
 
Grixis Control