RB's Magic the Gathering Thread!

[Cheater Hater]

This deck looks good overall, but a lot of the numbers look weird--do you have card availability concerns, or are there reasons for all of the two/one-ofs? The split of planeswalkers seems really weird too, especially since you have all the (aggressive) ramp cards. Eschewing Lightning Strike for a full playset of Crater's Claws also is different.

On a completely different note, who wants to see a custom set! I've been working on a custom version of what Modern Masters 2015 could be, even before it was officially announced (and was just assumed to exist because of GP TBD). Here's where I am at the moment:
Set List
Detailed Spreadsheet
Summary:
Mythics:
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
Linvala, Keeper of Silence
Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur
Consecrated Sphinx
Sheoldred, Whispering One
Sorin Markov
Urabrask the Hidden
Koth of the Hammer
Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger
Azusa, Lost but Seeking
Venser, the Sojourner
Crucible of Worlds
Mox Opal
Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn

Archetypes:
WU: Self-bounce (Gating creatures, stuff that likes to be bounced)
UB: Mill
BR: Graveyard/Madness
RG: Eldrazi Spawn (not just for ramp, includes things like Furnace Celebration or Broodwarden)
GW: Auras
WR: Aggro (slight Landfall theme)
UR: Artifacts/Phyrexian Mana (this archetype is very shaky--input requested )
UG: Graft and +1/+1 Counters (with Proliferate)
GB: Elves
BW: Allies

FAQ:
OMG Why aren't you reprinting card X:
Zendikar Fetches: MMA2 doesn't need them--heck, I wouldn't be surprised if they're in Dragons of Tarkir (watch the gainland slot in your Fate Reforged packs this weekend )
Anything in MMA1 (Goyf/Dark Confidant/etc.): My decision is that they aren't going to reprint any big cards from MMA1 yet--they'll save them from MMA3 likely. This may be the wrong decision, but until I see evidence to the contrary, I'm sticking to my guns (and I can always slip in Goyf for Azuza without anyone noticing )
Noble Hierarch: This is by far the hardest cut, but it's a matter of logistics--each keyword in an MMA set needs at least 3 cards to justify the complexity, and for me to do so with Exalted, I'd probably need to make it a featured theme--except that there just aren't enough cards to do so! Look at the exalted cards from Alara block that weren't reprinted in M13--they just aren't competitive (unless you just want me to put Akrasan Squire and Sigiled Paladin in to support aggro--which may be the right decision thinking about it). Obviously MMA3 can easily have an Exalted theme, and Noble Hierarch will go in there for certain. This is also the reason something like Goryo's Vengeance isn't in the set.
Card X that is currently banned in Modern: If WotC isn't going to reprint cards that are possibly being banned, they aren't going to reprint banned cards that might be unbanned (aka no, JtMS isn't in the set!). Speaking of the watch list, that's why Pod wasn't in the set for the longest time (until the Phyrexian mana theme pushed it over).

Where can I play this?
I often run drafts on Cockatrice (using drafts.in), on and off depending on my mood. If you want to try running a draft, let me know and I can provide you with the file I use to run a cube draft using the set on drafts.in.

[TheHumanHydra]

Well, you've got my two most desired reprints in there - Damnation (for multiplayer) and Goblin Guide (for Modern). Other than that: that's an impressive amount of work (setting it up for drafts and everything). I'd try it if I used Cockatrice.

[Cheater Hater]

Well, you've got my two most desired reprints in there - Damnation (for multiplayer) and Goblin Guide (for Modern). Other than that: that's an impressive amount of work (setting it up for drafts and everything). I'd try it if I used Cockatrice.

Yeah--I've been working on this for a while (this is version 5.1, with 5.2 in the pipeline, and I've done 28 drafts of various versions by my count). The one good thing is that I didn't have to set up the actual drafting--I just make a cube out of the set list (5 of each common. I'm also always taking any suggestions, so don't be afraid to let me know if something is obviously missing or wouldn't work. Right now, other than a perfect RU theme, I'm also looking for a new black mythic (since Sorin is probably outside the range, though M12's position in the range isn't very clear--MMA1 didn't include any M10 cards except for Terramorphic Expanse, and that appeared in M11 as well), as well as a way to make GW auras balanced (one change I know I'm making is swapping out Silhana Ledgewalker for Verduran Enchantress because of the Invisible Stalker problem, but I feel like that makes Auras too weak--maybe fitting in one more Aura (Keen Sense possibly, due to price?) would help, but Green uncommons and rares are by far my tightest slots (with the possible exception of all colorless rarities).

[yuris125]

This deck looks good overall, but a lot of the numbers look weird--do you have card availability concerns, or are there reasons for all of the two/one-ofs? The split of planeswalkers seems really weird too, especially since you have all the (aggressive) ramp cards. Eschewing Lightning Strike for a full playset of Crater's Claws also is different.

The list is heavily based on the list Sam Pardee presented in this video. My changes:

-1 Boon Satyr
-2 Goblin Rabblemaster
+1 Stoke
+1 Polukranos
+1 Prophetic Flamespeaker

And in SB, -2 Hornet Nest +2 Fated Conflagration

Probably the most controversial change I made is cutting Goblin Rabblemaster. Mostly because I think it's not a good card in the deck. It may be good in Jeskai, the deck which plans to remove blockers and get a few Rabblemaster hits in. The RG deck relies on attacking past blockers with big creatures, it has very little removal, and Rabblemaster doesn't fit in the strategy. The best realistic scenario for Rabblemaster in this deck is to trade with Courser - which is very unspectacular. A T2 Rabblemaster on the play is still very strong, which is why I still have 2, but I don't think this deck wants 4

Flamespeaker was an experiment I wanted to try. When I decided to cut Rabblemaster, I was going to put another Polukranos in, went to get one out of the folder, saw the Flamespeaker next to it, and thought it was worth trying

Lightning Strike I don't think is not particularly good in the format, there's very few things it kills that need killing, and most of them also die to Magma Spray. Also, this deck wants 4 Crater's Claws, as it's an excellent finisher as well as removal, and it also wants as many Ferocious enablers as possible, so it can't run too many non-creature spells (it's not as critical as it used to be in Domri times, but still important). So I don't think there's space for Lightning Strike

If there are other numbers you think a strange, just ask

[Cheater Hater]

The one concern I possibly have with cutting Rabblemaster is that you have fewer things to ramp into T2--the main things I can see are Fanatic of Xenagos and morphed Rattleclaw to go with the remaining Rabblemasters (along with fringe cases like Heir/Temple and morphed Phoenix). Flamespeaker seems particularly anti-synergistic with that strategy.

What do you think the deck gets from Fate Reforged? The obvious things I see are Wild Slash (replacing the Magma Sprays in the board, though I don't know how much the face damage is relevant vs the exile against Whip decks), Flamewake Phoenix (very powerful in a deck already abusing Ferocious, but being a 3-drop you mostly can't cast T2 off Mystic concerns me) and Shaman of the Great Hunt, along with maybe a 1-of Yasova Dragonclaw.

Other than that, any comments on my MMA2?

[yuris125]

The thing is, with only 4 1-drops, you're not playing one on T1 that reliably. Especially considering that you easily can have an awkward opening hand like Temple, Mountain, Elvish Mystic - can't mulligan, but can't play the Mystic on T1 either. I think this deck is more interested in reliably playing a 4-drop on T3. It's perfectly fine playing a 2-drop and on 2, maybe with a Temple if it managed to cast Elvish Mystic on 1

For me, Flamewake Phoenix is the main addition. I'll be looking to play 4. Probably will need to play more Mana Confluences, maybe even full 4, to have a chance to play RR 3-drops on T2. The other cards you mentioned are all worth testing, and Shock Wild Slash should replace at least some Magma Spray. But Phoenix is the one that really makes me excited

[Cheater Hater]

Just got back from a sealed PPTQ--made the finals, and then split so I got almost two boxes of product as prizes (since I wouldn't be able to attend the RPTQ this cycle--I'm in Minnesota, and the closest RPTQs for Vancouver are Illinois, Kansas, and Toronto ). I still have my decks and pools together, so I can post them later, but my sealed pool was a GBw deck with Crux of Fate and Whisperwood Elemental as bombs, and my T8 draft was GUr with Yasova, Temur Sabertooth, and double Bear's Companion.

I've also been working on an update of my custom MMA2 set; I can post it here if there's interest.

[yuris125]

Congrats on the final! I got my second top8 this weekend, but lost in the semis. Still hunting for that win..

[TheHumanHydra]

Yes, congratulations!

I had an agreeable experience on a much smaller scale last week, when I took a highly suboptimal Burn deck to my store's weekly Modern event - eg. Spark Elementals instead of Goblin Guides, and no sideboard! - and still went 2-0, 0-2, 1-2, 2-0, 2-0 against some of the first- and second-tier decks of the format. I've since made a number of upgrades, and I look forward to going again!

[Cheater Hater]

Thanks--I finally have most of my winnings organized, so I'm pulling out my decks from the PPTQ and can do a mini-tournament report:
Sealed:
6 Forest
6 Swamp
4 Plains
1 Jungle Hollow
1 Blossoming Sands
1 Typhoid Rats
1 Sultai Emissary
1 Ainok Guide
2 Alpine Grizzly
2 Frontier Mastodon
2 Hooded Assassin
1 Krumar Bond-Kin
2 Abzan Skycaptain
2 Formless Nurturing
1 Whisperwood Elemental
1 Destructor Dragon
1 Savage Punch
1 Douse in Gloom
1 Harsh Sustenance
1 Abzan Charm
1 Reach of Shadows
1 Crux of Fate
Relevant SB:
1 Return to the Earth
1 Ugin's Construct
1 Seeker of the Way
1 Alesha's Vanguard
1 Kill Shot
1 Villainous Wealth
1 Polluted Delta

I don't like that I had to splash so much white with so little fixing, but my deck performed well. I went 4-0 in the first 4 rounds, only losing 1 game (to a T4 Sorin ). Other than that, I lost the last round when I was in no matter what--apparently my deck didn't like my Hubris

Draft:
7 Forest
6 Island
2 Mountain
2 Rugged Highlands
1 Swiftwater Cliffs
1 Jeskai Sage
1 Smoke Teller
1 Highland Game
1 Yasova Dragonclaw
1 Monastery Flock
1 Sagu Archer
1 Snowhorn Rider
1 Temur Sabertooth
1 Sultai Flayer
1 Ethereal Ambush
1 Aven Surveyor
1 Fierce Invocation
2 Bear's Companion
1 Savage Punch
1 Hunt the Weak
1 Become Immense
1 Incremental Growth
1 Arc Lightning
1 Wild Slash
1 Force Away
1 Treasure Cruise
Relevant SB:
1 Crippling Chill
1 Enhanced Awareness
1 Renowned Weaponsmith
2 Cunning Strike
1 Waterwhirl
2 Scout the Borders
1 Windstorm
1 Collateral Damage

4-0 in games here as well going into the finals, and I can go into detail on the games:
T8 G1:
I'm getting beaten down, a bit of a stall, my opponent apparently breaks through with Brutal Hordechief--then I topdeck Yasova, steal Brutal Hordechief, and turn the game around.
T8 G2:
Game gets bogged down, I get Yasova, and grind out a win by stealing Unyielding Krumars for a bit, then finally break through with multiple Bear's Companions.
T4 G1:
T3 Yasova, but it gets killed immediately--instead I grind out a win with Temur Sabertooth, including tons of Bear's Companion recursion and returning a manifested Become Immense to deal 14 damage in 1 turn.
T4 G2:
Early Yasova, I keep getting in with a stolen Typhoid Rats (and not attacking with Yasova to play around a possible Sandblast), until I finally Savage Punch that Rats to kill a Gurmag Angler.

After that, I split in the finals to get all the product since I couldn't use the slot anyway.