Ever Forward

The last game of Commander I played took three hours. It was against people piloting Derevi, Sydri, and Queen Marchesa and it was quite a bit of fun!

But three hours wears on you, I'll tell you that much. However, I kept my wits about me and was able to pull off a victory against some really interesting and well put together decks, so that feels good.

It also allowed me to see a great deal of my deck, so I was able to see how it preforms and some of my takeaways are:

Future Sight is awesome and opponents were generally willing to ignore it.

Mind's Dilation is really awesome.

I need some shuffle effects in this deck or more ways to manipulate the library because I spent a lot of turns with lands on top of my deck. Sometimes this was good, as when Duskmantle Seer is in play but often I felt frustrated, since despite my best efforts, I never saw a Soothsaying or a Mystic Revelation.

Enter: Beacon of Unrest. Here's something that will fulfill at least two great roles in this deck; first I get a shuffle effect and second, I could get a win condition from any graveyard.

And Yennett needs both of these things, because it's a slower deck and wants to get to the long game. Once Yennett is online, the goal is to just keep drawing enough cards to overwhelm the opponents but that doesn't happen until turn six, frequently. But it is, as friends are saying, a 'value engine' it just takes a little time for the engine to warm up.

This is going to be the last post for a little bit; I'm out of town for ten days so I won't get much gaming in. But I'll be back in July!



 

Odd Vs Even

After all those changes, how does the deck feel to play?

It's a little clunky. The higher casting cost of cards means that this deck is a bit of a slow roller.

However! The upgrades are clearly better. Aminatu's ability becomes useful and rewards smart decision making. Future Sight is a very cool addition, Temporal Cascade acts as a way to mess with people's hands (and future plans) but more relevantly, graveyard based strategies.

The decision making for Yennet has started to become far, far more complex and this engages me a lot as a player. It means that of the problems to solve in Commander games, I have some tools to help me solve them....most of the time.

As I said, it's still a little clunky; having a Soothsaying and a Mystic Speculation at the same time can feel foolish, for example. But cutting one seems even less wise, since having repeatable effects are important. It's probably worth investigating the mana base again, since the new cards may have weighted the deck towards a color in a way that I haven't compensated for yet.

The tension I'm noting, I finally realize, is the difference between feeling like I'm doing something cool, versus doing something cool. I still need some more games with this deck though but the biggest difference is that I'm looking forward to those games. If I'm actually doing cool things, then that is a definite improvement.

Detailed Sphinx

"That game came down to the wire!" Jason said. "I love those games."

"Me, too, but...god I wish this deck wasn't so boring."

"Well, what're you trying to do?" he asked.

"Play stuff off the top of my deck, use Ninjas and Yennett to play things for free."

"How does Yennet work?"

And this was the question that led to me looking up Yennet in Gatherer to see what the rulings are and we found this tidbit:

If you cast a card “without paying its mana cost,” you can’t choose to cast it for any alternative costs, such as evoke costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, such as that of Tormenting Voice, those must be paid to cast it.

That's good to know, since additional costs would include Kicker, Entwine, and Buyback, for example.

Suddenly, there's something I can work with.

With that in mind, I'm removing: Devastation Tide, Banishing Stroke, Predict, Lightform, Cloudform, Sigiled Starfish, High Priest of Penance, Varna, Lich Queen, and Primordial Mist.

Adding: Evangelize, Dismantling Blow, Stormscape Battlemage, Stormscape Familiar, Mystic Speculation, Temporal Cascade, Demonic Collusion, Future Sight, Conqueror's Pledge, and Urborg Emissary.

Then I cut two Plains for a Swiftfoot Boots and a Stir the Pride. 40 lands is a lot and the analysis was that I had a lot more white than I needed. Swiftfoot Boots protects Yennet which is critical, and Stir the Pride could be a great turnaround moment in the game.

So this should be fun to test!

Cuts to Yennet

So, when I promoted this deck at the casualmtg forums on reddit, a user suggested I didn't really understand Aminatou, and then presented their deck choices. That person had some pretty cool ideas, and I think it's worth a read. Maybe someone will take some inspiration from them and arrive at a cool deck of their own!

But I'm sticking with Yennet on this one.

I don't like Cloudform, Lightform, Primordial Mist or Jeskai Infiltrator.

However, Yennet's deck is geared up to work the top of the library. That means that Cloudform/Lightform might be fun or clever. So I'm going to give everything except Jeskai Infiltrator a shot; maybe I just need to play the cards to see what they can do.

After that, I want to cut Aethermage's Touch, Serra Avatar, Banishing Stroke, and Boreas Charger. Boreas Charger is so bland. I don't have any dual lands to help color fix so I'd just be getting Plains. Too many of Yennet's lands enter tapped anyway; why is this card here? So no.

This deck clearly needs Soothsaying and that's probably why WotC didn't include it (EYE ROLL).

Also going in is Pollen Lullaby, Windreader Sphinx, and Revive the Fallen. I am keeping Banishing Stroke against my better judgment, as a way to deal with the gods from Theros, since in nearly any other situation, Disenchant would be better.  But I see those gods enter and this deck really can't deal with those cards.

I also hate the mana base. So much coming into play tapped just feels so grindy and sets this deck on its back foot. Maybe that doesn't matter; experts designed the mana base and I am a little reluctant to mess with it, especially since I'm not going to be putting a lot of money cards into the mana. Still; after the changes, running it through the deckstats.net algorithm might help me make some changes.

I just wish I was more excited about this deck. It wants to do something unique to most Magic games, much less Commander games and yet it just feels so boring to me, even after the Commander change up.  Hopefully, getting some practice under my belt will reveal something.

Commander - Aminatou, the Fateshifter

I want to continue the Commander deck improvements (that I started with Saheeli) with Aminatou, the Fateshifter. Here's the base deck:

Instant Aethermage's Touch Utter End Banishing Stroke Return to Dust Brainstorm Predict Telling Time Esper Charm Mortify Crib Swap	Artifacts Azorius Signet Commander's Sphere Crystal Ball Dimir Signet Mind Stone Orzhov Signet Seer's Lantern Sol Ring
Enchantment Lightform Cloudform Primordial Mist	Sorcery Terminus Aminatou's Augury Entreat the Dead Skull Storm Entreat the Angels Army of the Damned Akroma's Vengeance Devastation Tide  Dream Cache Ponder Portent  Treasure Hunt
Lands Isolated Watchtower 8 Plains 5 Island 3 Swamp Forge of Heroes Arcane Sanctum Azorius Chancery Azorius Guildgate Barren Moor Command Tower Dimir Aqueduct Dimir Guildgate Dismal Backwater Forsaken Sanctuary Halimar Depths Jwar Isle Refuge Lonely Sandbar Meandering River Mortuary Mire New Benalia Orzhov Basilica Orzhov Guildgate Scoured Barrens Secluded Steppe Sejiri Refuge Submerged Boneyard Tranquil Cove	Creatures Enigma Sphinx  Varina, Lich Queen Yennett, Cryptic Sovereign Boreas Charger Magus of the Balance Night Incarnate Sower of Discord Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow Serra Avatar Adarkar Valkyrie Conundrum Sphinx Djinn of Wishes Jeskai Infiltrator Sphinx of Jwar Isle Sphinx of Uthuun Phyrexian Delver Duskmantle Seer High Priest of Penance Silent-Blade Oni Loyal Unicorn Loyal Subordinate Geode Golem Mulldrifter  Ninja of the Deep Hours Sigiled Starfish Pilgrim's Eye

 
OK, so this deck..................

I hate it.

Aminatou doesn't do anything really interesting, the ultimate is the sort of play that makes games go on FOREVER, and the setup/payoff for that ultimate is way too much work, the mana base is absurd with all the lands that enter tapped, I actively despise Lightform and Cloudform, Aethermage's Touch is not a thing, stop trying to make it a thing, I am 100% sick of WotC shoving Serra Avatar into white decks...basically, this deck exhausts me. It is for someone. But not for me.

I'm going to change it up and run Yennett, Cryptic Sovereign as my commander instead. That's the payoff card, meant to work with Aminatou, in my opinion. I'd much rather encourage game states where I am pushing things towards the conclusion, even if that conclusion is: I lose.

So here we go.

Modern Horizons Overview

Well...that is certainly some list of cards, isn't it?

This is the first time, to my memory, that Wizards has produced a set that deliberately skews high on the power scale, in order to "compete" with eternal formats. Oh sure, ostensibly this set is about Modern but there's also no denying that Commander, Pauper and even Legacy stand to benefit from Modern Horizons in a way that most Standard sets don't roll out the carpet for.

So let's talk about 'em.

White
I don't see any reprints that I'm glad have made it into Modern: they don't suck (Shelter, Dismantling Blow, Battle Screech, Guided Light) but they're all draft role players.

Some of the colorshifted(ish) cards bring good stuff to the table: Generous Gift and Recruit the Worthy (as Beast Within and Lab Rats{ish}, respectively) might give some dimension to White that wasn't there.

I don't think Giver of Runes is being respected enough, as I believe the ability to protect creatures from colorless is not to be underestimated. How much impact that has I'm not certain, but it does give an out against the Eldrazi decks. Winds of Abandon will be an absolute blowout against so many Commander decks that are unable to take advantage of the land search. Sisay already has Commander players buzzing so I don't think there's much for me to add there, though I want to make a sixty card deck with it, because I'm contrary. Maybe worth considering in Oathbreaker?

Segovian Angel might be one of the best common one drops White could ever get and King of the Pride is something I'm fairly certain my friend Caitlin will be adding to a cat deck. Hell, I should make a cat deck. Reprobation is some fantastic creature removal and while I know Trustworthy Scout isn't constructed material, I still want it.

Vesperlark is the uncommon I'd look out for and Force of Virtue is really narrow and I don't think will see a lot of action. Still, it's free and free is a very good price, especially in decks with Monastery Mentor. Astral Drift has the most potential for creating a new decktype in Modern but I hesitate to look at its impact elsewhere. Still, making a new decktype in Modern possible is no small feature!

Blue
The reprints and colorshifted(ish) cards honestly seem really solid! Fact or Fiction has a very strong history and despite what some are saying, I think will be useful in the format. Sure, there's more draft stuff but a reprint of Future Sight? That's some spice, I say. I doubt it can be broken but again, it gets the deckbuilding gears turning. Plus, we're getting an unblockable ninja! Players have only been wanting that for fourteen years. (Yike. 2005 seems like a long way away).

Is Archmage's Charm the real deal? Triple blue isn't easy to come up with and I'm not sure there are decks that are asking for the choices it's offering. But, smarter people than I are saying it's the new hotness, so maybe I'm just blind. Scuttling Sliver will be in demand, though: there's always some way to create infinite mana from untapping creatures. It's just a matter of time. Mirrodin Besieged is incredibly cool, and I don't think Marit Liege's Slumber or Mist-Syndicate Naga are going to go unnoticed for long. The Naga will be great in Ninja decks (which Commander players have been hoping for support for) but the Slumber? It's easy for me to imagine having four snow permanents in play by turn two. Getting to ten shouldn't be hard.

I want a copy of Oneirophage because that artwork is great. Watcher for Tomorrow is a solid uncommon. A body that nets you a card for two mana and sifts through the top four cards seems really, really good. Pair it with Read the Runes or Perilous Research for extra good times. Pondering Mage might not seem like too much but a 3/4 body is decent, and the effect helps a lot of decks. It'll find a lot of use in Commander and with anyone playing blink effects.

All in all, I think Blue got a lot of really good stuff across rarities and playstyles.

Black
Yike, that new artwork for Carrion Feeder is naaaaaaaaaaaasty.

I can't identify anything colorshifted and most of the reprints are merely serviceable, but Nether Spirit anchored a mono-Black control deck back in the day, so maybe that'll open up some space for Black in Modern?

Umezawa's Charm probably has the best "Hey there," look I've ever seen on a Magic card. I'm down. But the most exciting cards for me are Endling (a 20 year old cycle complete!) and Force of Despair.

I'm sure Fuz will be happy to see Undead Augur; will it be enough to push zombies forward in Modern? Probably not, but I'm glad they're trying.

Sling-Gang Lieutenant is the card that screams the loudest; RB GOBLINS, DUDE and yeah, why not make that deck? Goblins are cheap to produce and the activation of the Lieutenant is free. It probably won't work in any competitive deck due to the 4 mana casting cost but I've got my eye on you, Lieu. Certainly as a final "burn" spell, Sling-Gang might work.

Red
As with Black, the reprints/shifted cards aren't eyebrow raising. I am surprised to see it took this long to get Juzam Djinn shifted to Red, though (Ravenous Giant). I'm also pleased to see Pillage make a return. I don't think that it will have a big impact on Modern, but Pillage has always been a solid, versatile card that could slot into a lot of decks.

Pashalik Mons; now THAT is the card that might make goblins work in Modern. It's on curve and has a free activation. The only issue is that it's competing at the 3 slot with a LOT of really good goblins.

This is where the Slivers get exciting for me, too: Hollowhead and Spiteful Sliver could give the Sliver deck some legs to see play across formats and that's very exciting! Bladeback Sliver could also be helpful in Pauper-just aggro that deck out and then if the board stalls, start tapping your slivers to finish off opponents.

Aria of Fire is weird and I'm here for it. I'm so glad Wizards still brings these cards to the game.

There's a little undercurrent that Planebound Accomplice might be overpowered but I'm not quite seeing it. Planeswalkers get value when they stick around, giving you instant/sorcery effects that you don't need to pay mana for. It's good, don't get me wrong: paying R instead of anything else for a Planeswalker is usually nice but I don't see it as broken, unless you can get another card to blink/bounce the Planeswalker.

It's a lot of work, for what reward? And once we've figured out the reward, is it broken enough?

Green
I was definitely surprised to see Regrowth on this list! Of the green cards I thought they'd reprint, that effect is often thought of as too powerful-but maybe that's part of the statement being made. Spore Frog coming back is certainly welcome too, since that card was going for $5 just a year ago. Five American Dollars. I cannot believe it.

I don't know that Modern decks were clamoring for Nimble Mongoose but it's not a bad card. As opposed to Nantuko Cultivator which nobody wanted and is clearly here to reinforce Modern Horizon's 'land in graveyard' themes for R/G. That said: Krosan Tusker is an underrated card and more people should get on it.

It seems like Green got a lot more reprints than the other colors-9! compared to Red: 6, White and Black: 5 each, Blue: comes closest at 7- and I wonder if that's because there is a lot of filler needed, or because there are more gems in Green from pre-Mirrodin times than we thought and this was a chance to show off. Maybe both.

Null Rod as Collector Ouphe I ain't mad at though. Artifacts have long been too powerful, so gimme those hatebears.

Speaking of: Yes, Ayula is cool and yes, I want to build a bear deck (again). Force of Vigor will probably be a decent sideboard card and Genesis will allow for graveyard shenanigans-though will they help existing decks (obvoiusly Dredge)? Probably not. Llanowar Tribe is aggressive and I like where they went with it, and Treefolk Umbra is a gem, as far as I'm concerned.

I like Winding Way, since that seems like a good card whenever you draw it and while I know it won't do what I wish it would, I still want to cast Weather the Storm in response to someone trying to storm the game out.

It's a little things, but the little things get you through the day.

Multicolor
Now here's where the slivers get some real boosts and I'm sure I don't have to convince anyone that Cloudshredder and Lavabelly Sliver are good. The First Sliver is funny and I admit, I want to give that a go in a straight up 60 card sliver deck.

But sliver diversion aside; It's great to see Kess reprinted because that should boost a new deck and while I don't know that anyone wanted Eladamri's Call it's a solid card none the less. One honest to god 'no, no don't do that' is Nature's Chant. I just don't know that anyone was hoping for a Disenchant/Naturalize that could use either mana. Not very interesting, and not very necessary, I just don't see where this card slots into a deck. It must be for draft but it's so booooooring.

Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis looks VERY interesting and again: thanks for printing a weird card, Wizards.

Colorless/Artifact
What tribal fan isn't excited about Morophon, the Boundless? (I consider myself a fan of the lesser {non Elves, Merfolk, Goblin} tribal strategies, as you'll see in a moment).

Altar of Dementia was not something I expected but it's possible it does open up a mill strategy for Modern, plus the price was getting very high. I'm also psyched to see a new scarecrow, as my Reaper King deck could always use a new one-and this has the untap symbol on it!

It's easy to dismiss Universal Automaton, since the competitive decks that could use a one drop have them already. However, for every tribe that doesn't have a one drop, I'm glad it's here! Something for everyone, right?

I'm also glad they figured out the lessons of the underwhelming Swords from the Scars of Mirrodin block as the new swords look really cool, even if the Sword of Truth and Justice is inherently more playable due to protection from White characteristic.

Lands
Reprinting the cycling lands from Onslaught was a great idea! These are useful cards for any deck and I'm glad to see more players have access to them.

I think Prismatic Vista is overcharging for what it does but I can't argue that it might bring some utility to decks that need it. The Hall of Heliod's Generosity should definitely find a place in my Brawl deck!

As for the new dual lands: Hey, glad they're here. They should do good stuff and hopefully won't break the bank to acquire.

So: it's what we thought it would be, a strong set with impactful cards. How it translates to draft or sealed, I don't know but from a pure brewing perspective, it's interesting and it definitely adds some cards for decks I have that could use the boost.