Faithless Brewing MTG: Modern and Pioneer for the Spike Rogue

Brought Back, Real Smooth

Modern Horizons / Core Set 2020, Episode 6: Brought Back
 
Core Set 2020's Brought Back took a star turn during our Lotus Field deep dive a couple weeks ago. So naturally, we Brought it Back for another chance at Modern glory, this time as the featured build-around. Part ramp, part card draw, part reanimation, Brought Back offers a little bit of everything. The only catch? You have to play white. Dave has some ideas, but what did we miss?
 
Spice Roundup: New Takes on Old Favorites
 
The wicked Bridge is dead, so it is time for the brewers to come out to play. Spicy decks are everywhere in the 5-0 league results, including some nice takes on cards we have previously explored.
 
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Kiora, Behemoth Beckoner
 
Kiora's Dragons (Damon): 2-3 Modern Invitational, powerful but sideboard has "leaky bucket" problem
 
Niv-Mizzet Reborn
 
Glittering Niv (lan2_13, 5-0 league): six dorks, 4 Glittering Wish, light on green sources
 
Rainbow Snow (Jiggywiggy, 5-0 league): 10 snow basics + Astrolabe, no Pillar of Paruns
 
Force of Virtue
 
 
WR Loxobots (Erks, 5-0 league)
 
 
Oketra's Monument (Rebus8, 5-0 league)
 
 
Zoo Squad (jjenson187, 5-0 league; Hybrid7, 5-0 league)
 
 
Flashback: Crashing Footfalls
 
We hoofed it through a few leagues with Crashing Footfalls, trying out multiple strategies for getting the rhinos into play. The card was quite powerful in a number of shells, but in the end there could only be one winner of the Rhino Rumble.
 
UR Rhinos (KyFly1): 4-6 test leagues, strong but narrow in scope
 
 
Restore Rhinos (Jakesbaked): 5-0 test league, felt more versatile against a wide field
 
 
BR Free (Dzy): 1-4 test league, fragile and very hard to cast Footfalls
 
 
Temur Ascendancy (SvenSveeterSven, 5-0 league)
 
Brew Session: Brought Back
 
Bant Brought Back (Sketch)
 
 
Naya Landfall (Sketch)
 
If you have a list with Brought Back, or suggestions for one of our builds, we would love to hear from you! Send us your build and we may feature it on next week's episode of the cast.
 
Contact Us
 
Twitter: @FaithlessMTG
 
Email: faithless.brewing@gmail.com
 
Homepage: faithlessbrewing.podbean.com
 

Rhino Rumble: All the Ways to Use Crashing Footfalls

Modern Horizons, Episode 5: Crashing Footfalls
 
Are you ready for a RHINO RUMBLE?!? Crashing Footfalls joins the lineage of "can't be cast" suspend cards that are historically powerful and ripe for abuse. The combination with Ancestral Visions gives a critical mass of generically powerful suspend cards, in contrast to all-in build-arounds like Living End, Restore Balance, or Wheel of Fate. But what is the best route for casting the Rhinos, and from which zone? Are we willing to wait for them, or do we need to make our Rhinos right now?
 
Roundup: Brewing After Hogaak
 
They actually did it. Bridge from Below got the axe after just four weeks on Magic Online. The crew discusses the post-ban metagame: what's still strong, what may rise again, and what a brewer should be prepared to face. Also: decks we plan to test in preparation for GP Minneapolis.
 
Flashback: Lotus Field
 
We put Lotus Field through its paces in four different builds, discovering quite a bit of clunk (drawing the 2nd copy is awful, Blood Moon and Damping Sphere are embarrassing) but also unlocking several powerful synergies. Blood Sun and the Brought Back + Flagstones + Ghost Quarter package were very solid and worthy of further exploration.
 
Blood Sun Eldrazi: 2-3 league, curve was disastrous, but Blood Sun is strong
 
RG Assault Loam: 2-3 league, needs speed and more versatile control elements
 
GW Brought Back: 3-2 league, Brought Back is strong, but needs better early plays
 
Twiddle Storm: 5-5 leagues, excellent in game 1, vulnerable after sideboarding
 
Brew Session: Crashing Footfalls
 
We take a slightly different approach this week, as several lists with Crashing Footfalls have already seen success. However, each of them tackles the "can't be cast" problem differently, opting to cheat the card into play either from hand, from graveyard, or from the top of the library. If you want to get really crazy, you can even suspend it the "normal" way and wait. Which routes are the most effective, and are there additional enablers that have not been fully explored?
 
Restore Dominance (Jakesbaked, 5-0 league x2)
Rhino enablers: 7 hand (As Foretold, Electrodominance), 2 graveyard (Finale of Promise). Green mana: yes.
 
UR As Foretold (KyFly1, 11-4 GP Dallas, 5-0 league, 6-2 Modern Challenge)
Rhino enablers: 8 hand (As Foretold, Electrodominance), 3 graveyard (Dreadhorde Arcanist). Green mana: no.
 
Black-Red Free (Dzy, 5-0 league)
Rhino enablers: 5 graveyard (Dreadhorde Arcanist, Finale of Promise), 4 hand (Electrodominance). Green mana: yes.
 
Living End "Fakeout" (MagicAids youtube + keatingn, 5-0 league)
Rhino enablers: 12 library (Violent Outburst, Demonic Dread, Bloodbraid Elf). Green mana: no.
 
Rhino Conjuring (Sketch)
Rhino enablers: 4 library (Collected Conjuring), 4 hand (As Foretold), 4 graveyard (Dreadhorde Arcanist, Finale of Promise). Green mana: TBD.
 

Life from the Lotus: Breaking Lotus Field in Midrange, Ramp, and Combo

Modern Horizons / Core Set 2020, Episode 4: Lotus Field
 
What's better than a Black Lotus? How about a free Black Lotus every turn? Magic 2020's "fixed" version of Lotus Vale comes with a host of interesting clauses: hexproof, sacrifice two lands, enters the battlefield tapped. The crew sets out to use every part of the buffalo, either dodging the drawbacks or turning them into advantages. There might even be some 9/9 hexproof attackers in our future. But which builds are competitive, and which are just a field of memes?
 
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Roundup: The New Tier One
 
The results from GP Dallas and SCG Pittsburgh are in. Hogaak established itself as tier zero, but it didn't sweep the events. Instead, a new tier one emerged, starring Izzet Phoenix and UW Control. But don't blink, because the London Mulligan is already here to shake up the format, and a B&R announcement is right around the corner. Plus: a tournament report with BG Rock. Good old rock, nothing beats rock.
 
Grim Flayer Rock: 2-3 SCG IQ, some things do in fact beat Rock
 
Flashback: Force of Virtue
 
While Tom Ross was cruising to a top 8 finish with Hogaak Bridgevine, we were working hard trying to squeeze playable decks out of his pet design Force of Virtue. The card proved surprisingly good, and the combo with Squadron Hawk should not be underestimated. The most competitive shell also proved to be the most delightful: Goat Devotion, harnessing the power of Nykthos, Ranger-Captain of Eos, and Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite.
 
Mardu PyroHawk : 4-6 leagues, felt much better than its record, Seasoned Pyromancer is the truth
 
Goat Devotion: 8-7 leagues, surprisingly good, but weak to decks that don't care about combat
 
Turbo Elesh Norn: 4-1 league, Elesh Norn is very well positioned
 
Esper Skies: 3-2 league, needs more disruption, less Pride of the Clouds
 
Brew Session: Lotus Field
 
Naya Value Town (Sketch)
 
Blood Sun Eldrazi (Sketch)
 
One-Punch Land (Sketch)
 
Twiddle Storm (Sketch)
 
Contact Us
 
Twitter: @FaithlessMTG
 
Email: faithless.brewing@gmail.com
 
Homepage: faithlessbrewing.podbean.com
 
 
 
 

Revenge of the Goatnapped: Is Force of Virtue a Playable Card in Modern?

Modern Horizons, Episode 3: Force of Virtue
 
White has a long history of getting shafted in cycles. Blue got Ancestral Recall, white got Healing Salve. Blue got Force of Will, white got Scars of the Veteran. Blue got Force of Negation, white got... Force of Virtue? Free spells are always worth a closer look, and the crew thinks this zero-mana Crusade might be sneakily competitive. We discuss potential builds of Mardu Tokens, Esper Skies, and Goat Devotion (no, not greatest of all time, just actual goats).
 
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Roundup: Brewer's Guide to the Hogaak Meta
 
Hogaak continues to dominate the winners' meta in MTGO Premier events. Successful challengers last weekend skewed toward midrange and control, with creature aggro and big mana seemingly pushed out of the format. In the unified Modern League, though, it's a safari of wild brews. Plus: new cards with potential from Core 2020, and a tournament report from GP Seattle (undefeated on Day 2!).
 
Mardu Helix: 8-2 leagues, Smiting Helix is the truth.
 
Lantern Citadel: 6-4 leagues, effective against Hogaak.
 
Flashback: Ice-Fang Ninja Tempo
 
Ice-Fang Coatl proved to be a brilliant design: versatile and powerful, but requiring serious concessions to unlock deathtouch. The ninjas were all playable and surprisingly good, with Ingenious Infiltrator seemingly the best option, Mist-Syndicate Naga running second, and Fallen Shinobi the most greedy and least versatile.
 
BUG "Little" Ninjas: 6-4 leagues, Infiltrator and Seer are good, slow cards (Spellstutter, Snapcaster, Opt) are iffy. Sideboard needs more sweepers.
 
BUG "Big" Ninjas: 4-1 league, land count is greedy, 4 Shinobi is too many.
 
UG Obsession: 1-4 league, unplayable, removal is too plentiful and cheap to protect a non-hexproof creature.
 
Bant Flash: 3-2 league, solid if no one is playing Tron. 
 
Queller Flash: 2-3 league, perfect deck for exhausting midrange slugfests.
 
Brew Session: Force of Virtue
 
Goat Devotion (Sketch)
 
Mardu Tokens (Sketch)
 
Esper Skies (Sketch)
 
Soul Sisters (Sketch)
 

How to Train Your Ninja: Faerie Seer, Ice-Fang Coatl, and Other Clever Disguises

Modern Horizons, Episode 2: Ninja Faerie Tempo Snake
 
Is that a winged snake with deadly fangs of poison ice... or an ingenious ninja in disguise? Dreams of ninja glory become real this week as the crew explores David's favorite archetype of all time: sneaky blue tempo decks. Ice-Fang Coatl, Faerie Seer, Ingenious Infiltrator, and Fallen Shinobi offer a host of new tools for players looking to chip away for value while fighting battles on the stack. The ninjas are sweet and the faeries are classy, but are they just too fair for today's Modern?
 
Roundup: The Rise of Creature Combo
 
Hogaak Bridgevine continues to dominate online and in paper, but players are punching back with linear combo decks of their own, looking to exploit Hogaak's lack of interaction. Both Devoted Vizier and Saheeli combo are putting up strong results, and the crew has some builds that we like. Plus: Core 2020 previews and a tournament report with Niv-Mizzet Reborn.
 
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GW Vizier Combo: 5-0 league, very strong in current meta
Jeskai Supercats: 7-3 leagues, Watcher for Tomorrow is promising
 
Flashback: Ranger-Captain of Eos
 
It turns out that if you take an underpowered strategy and add Ranger-Captain of Eos, the result is an underpowered deck with Ranger-Captain of Eos. Martyr Proc does not line up well against today's modern. The Kirin combo seemed to get there on power level, but finding a build that can assemble the combo quickly while not falling prey to the inherent weaknesses of GW midrange proved challenging.
 
Martyr Proc: 4-6 leagues, Ranger-Captain didn't change the outlook for this strategy
 
GW Kirin (Vivien): 4-6 leagues, hard to assemble combo and the GW shell felt underpowered
 
GW Kirin (Eladamri's Call): 4-1 league, more successful at combo but surrounding GW cards are still mediocre
 
Boros Geddon: 3-2 league, needs better value engines to snowball an advantage
 
Brew Session: Ninja Tempo
 
Sultai Ninja Faeries
 
UG Curious Obsession
 
UB Ninja Faeries
 
Temur Sea Stompy
 
 
 

Winter Is Coming: Ranger-Captain of Eos in a Hogaak Meta

Modern Horizons, Episode 1: Ranger-Captain of Eos
 
It's a tale as old as Winterfell: our plains and forests are covered in snow, the army of the dead is coming, and all that shields the realms of men are a few brave Rangers. Hogaak Vine has swept through the Magic Online metagame, but for now the crew wants to fight for the side of the living. Ranger-Captain of Eos offers considerable talents at an attractive mana cost, but can fair creature decks stand up to the zombie hordes? Damon and David have some ideas, so let's discuss!
 
Flashback: Bolas's Citadel
 
They say that great wisdom grows from defeat. If so, Dan might be the wisest person alive after a week of getting stomped while exploring Bolas's Citadel. The engine was powerful, but glass-cannon strategies quickly proved too fragile in this hostile meta. Three directions remain promising: Lantern-style control with mill rocks, creature-based strategies using the Viscera Seer-Blood Artist engine, and lifegain control with a generous helping of Smiting Helix.
 
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Lantern Engines
BUG Lantern: 0-5, lantern is hard, meta is hostile
RB Trashy Engineer: 1-4, slightly too slow and still fragile
RB Engineer Control: 2-3, can compete but needs tuning
 
Aristocrats Engines
Abzan Aristocrats: 2-3, creatures were too weak
Esper Shape Anew: 3-2, decent despite the unplayables
4c Shape Anew: not yet tested
 
Lifegain Control
Mardu Helix: 4-1, clunky but promising
Madcap Mardu: 1-4, awful, do not try at home
 
Brew Session: Ranger-Captain of Eos
 
Sketch 1: Mono-W Martyr Control
Sketch 2: GW Kirin Armageddon
 

Enter the Citadel: Yawgmoth's Bargain Meets Channel

War of the Spark, Episode 6: Bolas's Citadel
 
Dreadhorde Arcanist proved challenging to work with, but the crew was eventually able to convert its versatility into another Faithless 5-0. But Dan is tired of chipping away for 1 damage plus a cantrip: this week, he just wants to break Modern in half. Bolas's Citadel can potentially do just that, offering an insane card draw engine stapled to an insane mana engine. But what about all those deckbuilding restrictions? And how are you going to get this pricey artifact into play? The crew breaks down a host of different directions, including some spicy additions from Modern Horizons.
 
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Flashback: Dreadhorde Arcanist
 
Temur Atarka's: 3-2 league, weak to control
 
Grixis Value: 4-1 league, takes too long to win
 
Grixis Shadow: 2-3 league, needs better SB
 
Jund Atarka's: 5-0 league, versatility was promising
 
Brew Session: Bolas's Citadel
 
Sketch 1: Trash for Treasure
 
Sketch 2: Goblin Engineer
 
Sketch 3: Lotus Bloom
 
Sketch 4: Shape Anew
 
Sketch 5: Grand Architect
 
 

The Dreadhorde Arcanist Dilemma

War of the Spark, Episode 5: Dreadhorde Arcanist
 
Modern Horizons previews are burning up the internet, but the crew still has unfinished business with War of the Spark. Dreadhorde Arcanist is a powerful two-drop that has proven itself in Legacy, but hasn’t yet made a splash in Modern. Is the Arcanist best used for grinding value, or should we be smashing face? Dave has a decklist for each strategy, so let’s discuss!
 
Flashback: Karn, the Great Creator and Teferi, Time Raveler
 
It was a shorter than normal week of testing, but we still played enough to learn that we hated the Liquimetal Jund list. Play Karn, but don’t play Karn here. Teferi Scepter seemed more promising, but there is plenty of work still to be done.
 
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Liquimetal Jund: tried and rejected
 
Teferi Scepter Lock: more testing needed
 
Brew Session: Dreadhorde Arcanist
 
Grixis Value Arcanist
 
Temur Phoenix Arcanist
 
Bonus Content: Modern Horizons Quick Hits
 
Dan has some early takes on cards he is excited about. Find his article here on the Modern subreddit!