Re: [Official] State of Modern Thread (B&R 07/13/2020)
Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2020 7:46 pm
by AvalonAurora
Or get some kind of stand/holder that goes with a webcam you can put over some clear table space to look down on it, with players you trust in a video chat and use that to play with your paper cards (with some restrictions on allowed cards and mechanics that would be difficult to pull off this way due to information reasons, such as stuff that looks at stuff from the top of the opponent's deck without letting them see it), if you want to play a deck that is more expensive than you'd like in mtgo but you already have in paper, unless the webcam and stand would be more expensive than getting the deck in mtgo.
Re: [Official] State of Modern Thread (B&R 07/13/2020)
Do yourself a favor. keep your paper cards, you will regret not keeping them even if paper never comes back. Do this though: buy ONE DECK in MTGO. Just one deck, even a cheap one, any format you enjoy and play it. Play a few games and see how you feel about it.
I really do enjoy Modern and although I hadn't really given my all, falling short several times for Pro Tour Qualifications (GPs or RPTQs), I had a lot of good times.
I think for that reason, I may have to just take the current "loss" and just hope to be able to play similar decks in the future. I was hoping for 2021 to bring back paper, but for California, USA, it's looking closer to 2022 at best right now. I'm not sure what's going on with the vaccines, as I'm assuming that pharma companies can afford to put hundreds of billions into research and elsewhere in the world, there's some super bright minds.
It's more of a hurrah, being able to sell and have temporary fun with other hobbies. I know Magic has always been at the forefront.
The main reason I don't want to do MTGO is that I don't know the hotkeys, so I would hate to lose to misclicks for my first month. I kind of hate having a digital collection and I don't have the interaction. I thrive on the interaction, even as a introverted person who has gotten more outgoing with age. I like to look at my opponent's face and surmise what's going on over there.
Re: [Official] State of Modern Thread (B&R 07/13/2020)
Do yourself a favor. keep your paper cards, you will regret not keeping them even if paper never comes back. Do this though: buy ONE DECK in MTGO. Just one deck, even a cheap one, any format you enjoy and play it. Play a few games and see how you feel about it.
I really do enjoy Modern and although I hadn't really given my all, falling short several times for Pro Tour Qualifications (GPs or RPTQs), I had a lot of good times.
I think for that reason, I may have to just take the current "loss" and just hope to be able to play similar decks in the future. I was hoping for 2021 to bring back paper, but for California, USA, it's looking closer to 2022 at best right now. I'm not sure what's going on with the vaccines, as I'm assuming that pharma companies can afford to put hundreds of billions into research and elsewhere in the world, there's some super bright minds.
It's more of a hurrah, being able to sell and have temporary fun with other hobbies. I know Magic has always been at the forefront.
The main reason I don't want to do MTGO is that I don't know the hotkeys, so I would hate to lose to misclicks for my first month. I kind of hate having a digital collection and I don't have the interaction. I thrive on the interaction, even as a introverted person who has gotten more outgoing with age. I like to look at my opponent's face and surmise what's going on over there.
There are no hotkeys you need to know. I use mouse for everything. Right clocking on the gamespace will give you some extra options to auto yield to speed up play, but these are not necessary. Just buy a deck for pennies from mtgo traders, join the practice room for whatever format that deck is and click play. You will being playing real game of mtg against an actual person in seconds.
Re: [Official] State of Modern Thread (B&R 07/13/2020)
Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2020 3:21 am
by TheAnnihilator
I have to say, fearing misclicks is a minor reason not to buy into mtgo. It's pretty easy to learn the hot keys, and it's worth the short learning curve to be able to play imo. The hardest part of MTGO is accepting that you're buying the same cards twice, but you don't really "own" the online set lol. And then there's cards like Force of Negation and Uro that alone (I mean a single copy) cost almost the same as a whole budget deck for MTGO.
I could build a 100tix list for Amulet Titan that could easily 3-2 or 4-1, MAYBE 5-0. I can't buy even 2 copies of FoN for 100 tix.
Re: [Official] State of Modern Thread (B&R 07/13/2020)
Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2020 9:31 pm
by drmarkb
It is probably better to invest (or at least have invested) in paper, from the whole resale point of view. I would be worried that one say they pull the plug on digital play in five years.
I still don't buy anything digitally myself- I like vinyl/CD for the same reason- and paper mtg. I use x mage to keep track of my decklists more than anything, during the pandemic it is different, I will play with friends who don't have webcam set ups, but I don't want to enter online events either way. My last fnm- 24 player Legacy in Cardiff, was a real joy because paper mtg is so, so much better than any digital offering for me.
If I play digitally I want to speak to the person on the other end, not by typing but via audio, just more fun that way, so that rules out tournament play for me.
Re: [Official] State of Modern Thread (B&R 07/13/2020)
It is probably better to invest (or at least have invested) in paper, from the whole resale point of view. I would be worried that one say they pull the plug on digital play in five years.
I still don't buy anything digitally myself- I like vinyl/CD for the same reason- and paper mtg. I use x mage to keep track of my decklists more than anything, during the pandemic it is different, I will play with friends who don't have webcam set ups, but I don't want to enter online events either way. My last fnm- 24 player Legacy in Cardiff, was a real joy because paper mtg is so, so much better than any digital offering for me.
If I play digitally I want to speak to the person on the other end, not by typing but via audio, just more fun that way, so that rules out tournament play for me.
I realize people still feel like this but cmon yall it's 2020! Digital goods have REAL VALUE, and it's been that way for MTGO for over 20 years. The differences between paper and digital are real, but the medium of the cards is not one of them! The difference is between sitting in front of someone in a group of folks on a Friday night and playing a game of MTG. Digital does not try to capture this experience 1:1. Instead it gives you a different more spammable experience where you can just play play play, rank casual, any format, play play play, 24/7, play play play etc.
It's not the same, but there are BOTH pros and cons to playing digitally, not just cons.
Re: [Official] State of Modern Thread (B&R 07/13/2020)
Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2020 8:48 am
by drmarkb
Oh, I agree there are pro and con aspects- unlimited mtg at most times of days is an obvious pro, just not one that fits in for me- I am too time poor to take advantage...
Re: [Official] State of Modern Thread (B&R 07/13/2020)
Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2020 11:03 am
by Mikefon
According to data from preliminaries and challenges of the last month or so, Uro, Omnath and Field of the Deads are each present in about 15-20% of the decks (not necessarily in the same deck obviously).
Do you think that they could ban something?
Re: [Official] State of Modern Thread (B&R 07/13/2020)
According to data from preliminaries and challenges of the last month or so, Uro, Omnath and Field of the Deads are each present in about 15-20% of the decks (not necessarily in the same deck obviously).
Do you think that they could ban something?
I think they definitely have their eyes on them, but do they even have any incentive to make bans in the foreseeable future?
Re: [Official] State of Modern Thread (B&R 07/13/2020)
Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2020 3:49 am
by motleyslayer
I've basically just been playing modern past few months (although my area isn't really competitive now in paper for obvious reasons).
I was doing well with Grixis Shadow but decided to try Rakdos Shadow, which I can't seem to figure out playing well. I don't know how much playing vs random brews impacts how I'm doing but I can't seem to close games
Is Rakdos shadow just that much better than GDS in this meta?
as for bans, I don't know if I'd like to see bans anytime soon. I haven't been following actual meta stuff in a while though
Re: [Official] State of Modern Thread (B&R 07/13/2020)
Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2020 1:17 pm
by The Fluff
from here in my area.. the meta is non-existent. Facebook groups are mostly quiet too.
mono red prowess is my current deck. But have not been able to test it with others, for obvious reasons.
Re: [Official] State of Modern Thread (B&R 07/13/2020)
from here in my area.. the meta is non-existent. Facebook groups are mostly quiet too.
mono red prowess is my current deck. But have not been able to test it with others, for obvious reasons.
I'm not sure what the online meta is, as I haven't been watching twitchtv in a while.
As for paper, it's mostly non existent. As for our play group, California just had a curfew of 10 pm in the hoster's area, so he's not going to do them for a while. We had Omnath Turns, UW Control, Omnath/Field, Amulet, Scales, RW Yorion Taxes, Elementals (me), UR Prowess, and RB Shadow. We had a nice little meta, but I was probably going to have to change the deck up or change decks altogether since I was 3-5 the past 2 tournaments.
Re: [Official] State of Modern Thread (B&R 07/13/2020)
Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2020 6:45 pm
by cfusionpm
My soul is warmed by this. Will probably be giving this a try.... whenever I log back into MTGO.... Especially since paper is not returning to California for the foreseeable future.
Re: [Official] State of Modern Thread (B&R 07/13/2020)
Posted: Fri Nov 27, 2020 3:58 am
by Ed06288
Wrenn and six looks like a minor problem in uro-omnath control builds. I bring this up in part because it's an unpopular opinion, given how popular jund is. But the ability to fix mana and provide card advanatge at 2 mana is crazy good. It basically took the spot of arcum's astrolabe.
Fetchlands and new triome lands also exaggerate the problem.
While wrenn and six is good in jund, I actually think control builds are better shells for w&6, because these decks get more mileage out of the extra land drops. Stuff like field of the dead, mystic sanctuary, and just large mana plays in general like big teferi greatly benefit from repeated land drops.
The deck plays cryptic command, uro, and omnath, which just seems too good to be true. Maybe i'm out of touch though, because with how card design has been lately, every deck has been doing crazy things lately.
Re: [Official] State of Modern Thread (B&R 07/13/2020)
I was doing well with Grixis Shadow but decided to try Rakdos Shadow, which I can't seem to figure out playing well. I don't know how much playing vs random brews impacts how I'm doing but I can't seem to close games
There is a B/R Rakdos Deaths Shadow player in my area. He keeps bumping into bad matchups like u/w control, tron, and jund midrange. The deck seems to flood out or just gas out. The only thought that comes to mind is I never remember him kicking scourge of the skyclaves ever, which would make a great mana sink. I don't know... when playing against the deck, I just keep removing threats and that seems to beat it pretty easy.
Re: [Official] State of Modern Thread (B&R 07/13/2020)
Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2020 10:13 am
by drmarkb
W6 won't be getting the bullet from wotc. They hate multi format bans, and like to leave avenues open for newer cards.
Oko survived in Legacy, though it should not have done, and W6 survived in Modern. Both those formats are best equipped to have those cards in, even if they are hugely problematical, and really the only place they can be played in 60 card mtg, so a ban will be absolutely last ditch for both. Generally if they can leave a card like Hogy or Bridge in one 60 card format they will, and W6 is so awful in it's only other potential place that Modern will keep it unless it becomes nuts level of bad, which it won't.
Re: [Official] State of Modern Thread (B&R 07/13/2020)
Re: [Official] State of Modern Thread (B&R 07/13/2020)
Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2020 3:35 am
by cfusionpm
Ad Nauseam was always the quintessential feel-bad deck for me. That deck that embodied several of the worst attributes of Magic, in my eyes, including: "Do nothing then win" and "If you don't have the specific narrow answer right now, you lose." Always hated that deck, and will continue to hate it until the end of time. Besides being an obnoxious, narrow, and truly instant-speed win combo, it also has multiple tools baked in to make fighting fair against it daunting and frustrating. The only saving grace is that it can be hosed by those specific narrow cards, but then the games boil down to "do you have it or not" (which are the worst kinds of games, IMO).
Granted I haven't played much in the last several months, has anything changed with AN in the meantime?
Re: [Official] State of Modern Thread (B&R 07/13/2020)
Granted I haven't played much in the last several months, has anything changed with AN in the meantime?
As far as I can tell, not much. Granted, I have yet to dive into MTGO, but it doesn't seem like it really runs anything new. There's an SCG article about it, but it's behind their premium service, so I don't know if there's something in the article that I'm missing since I've just been tracking Modern Challenge and Modern Champs results. It might simply be that it's better positioned because it isn't shut down by grave hate and can run Veil to deal with Uro piles' counter spells. Either way, it's not exactly sweeping tournaments. There's 1 challenge where there were 3 in the T32, but none of them made T8. In fact, I think there's only 1 challenge where it hit T8, and most challenges seem to only see 1-2 Ad Naus decks in the T32 at most
Re: [Official] State of Modern Thread (B&R 07/13/2020)
Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2020 10:04 am
by drmarkb
Once played a uw hatebear deck vs ad nauseam
Maindeck meddling mages T2, 3 Ouch, followed with Thalia. Certainly long before humans was a thing. The look on his face....
Boarded into t1 forge tender, t2 mage, t3 spellskite, t4 canonist.
Enjoyed that game. Ruined his chances of t8. Think it was a pptq.
Decks like and nauseam are exactly why cards like nevermore need to be made better.
General 'you can't win off your combo until you deal with this, and it can't be bolted" cards,
Nine lives was in this fashion for Depths decks in Legacy, ones that make 20 20s
Can't be Force of Vigored., so that creating a window to protect a 20 20 for a single turn is not good enough. I like it when players cannot interact and have a limited game plan involving specific cards- it literally serves them right for having a one shot A plus B game plan. All decks should struggle against something.
Necromentia is another recent card I like.
. .
Either way content providers often necro old decks on the back of tiny upswing. It gets them paid and gets people buying physical cards in normal circumstances.
Re: [Official] State of Modern Thread (B&R 07/13/2020)
Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2020 3:57 pm
by Bearscape
Been a long time posting here, but I gotta say I'm very excited about Skyclave Apparation. What an awesome, well designed, powerful answer that demands you're deep in white. Of course it is far from fixing Modern's issues but I do think it's the design we need more of and I'm glad to see it take off.
It actually makes me excited about getting the rest of the cycle of two faced dual lands, as I think DnT splashing blue for Spell Queller and (sadly) tef3 could be quite good, but currently the manabase is rough without fetchlands.
Re: [Official] State of Modern Thread (B&R 07/13/2020)
Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2020 9:56 pm
by The Fluff
@Bearscape
yeah, the apparition is a good answer to a lot of things. I hope they print more like it in later sets.
Re: [Official] State of Modern Thread (B&R 07/13/2020)
Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2020 6:54 pm
by Ed06288
Ad Nauseam's alright but sometimes they get multiple pacts at the right times.
Re: [Official] State of Modern Thread (B&R 07/13/2020)
Ad Nauseam's alright but sometimes they get multiple pacts at the right times.
there are a few players who I see a lot that have been on ad naus for years and they're pretty good with the deck. It seemed like a pretty good choice when Arclight Phoenix decks were popular because phoenix decks were weak to them
Re: [Official] State of Modern Thread (B&R 07/13/2020)
Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2020 10:47 am
by The Fluff
speaking of Arclight... are Arclight Phoenix decks truly dead, or are there variants still competing today? Asking this since, the card is so cheap now. I would get a few copies if there is still a competitive version of the deck.
