RTR and Modern

[Phoenix Ignition]

There's a legacy thread with this topic, but cards affect Modern completely differently than they do Legacy. So far the cards that I think will see a little to a lot of Modern play:
http://cdn.magicspoiler.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Dreadbore-Return-to-Ravnica-MTG-Spoiler.jpg
Like Terminate but takes out Planeswalkers. Being a sorcery hurts, but it's one of the most effective cards ever at taking down problem cards.

http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=134536&stc=1&d=1346042458
This card scares me the most, as RWU delver is already a great deck and this fits right in there with no problems. A great card to abuse with Snapcaster.

http://cdn.magicspoiler.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Azorius-Charm-Return-to-Ravnica-MTG-Spoiler.jpg
Another charm, probably not as good as Izzet but still with great abilities. Putting creatures on top of libraries is going to be a huge tempo swing for any deck, especially if you're hitting a delver. Lifelink for all creatures you control can be huge against something like the Bump burn decks we've seen from time to time, and it cycles in case you really need something else. Solid card.

http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=135267&d=1346731406
I'm extremely excited about this card. It is great against UR Storm, decent against all Snapcaster decks, and can do work as a 2/1 beater for 1 against a lot of other decks. Added bonus is being a 1 drop means it can't be repeal/spell snared/mana leaked, and therefore can do work against blue decks. Sure, he can just eat a Path and be done, but the more targets you have in your deck the better off you'll be. It's great against the new Yasooka deck that is popping up everywhere.

http://cdn.magicspoiler.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Chromatic-Lantern-Return-to-Ravnica-Spoilers.jpg

This one's a bit iffy, but there's always a chance it will bring 5 color control back. There are some mighty powerful cards for control to have right now, and having a super mana fixer + accelerant might be all it needs to come back.

http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=135302&stc=1&d=1346817949

I'm interested in seeing what comes of Vraska. The -3 is very powerful, the +1 is *sort of* decent, but basically says "kill the player in the next 2 turns or have a burn spell to slow me down", which honestly isn't that threatening given how much red is in modern. Ultimate coming down 2 turns after you play her is pretty good, and most BG decks will have gotten rid of the opposing player's creatures at least down to 2.

I've been playing Death Cloud heavily lately, and while Vraska is good and might get a couple slots in there, she doesn't do anything that I need help with right now. Combo decks and Tron decks are really the only bad match ups and Vraska doesn't really touch them until the ultimate.

http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=135312&d=1346818625

Cranial Extraction/ Memoricide/ Thought Hemorrhage again, but this time uncounterable. Given the amount of counters in the format, this honestly seems playable. Shutting off Yasooka's Cryptic Commands leaves him with a very mild deck. Can you tell based on my comments how much Yasooka deck I've been playing against recently? The problem with the card is the same problem with every other version of this is that if they didn't have the card in their hand you get automatic -1 card. If you draw it after they played said card it's an even worse -1 card.

http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=135341&d=1346904113
Now here's a great card for Modern! Instant speed uncounterable removal for 90% of the creatures in the format is going to be huge, and it can even take out problem enchantments or artifacts, if there happen to be any. This will definitely see play in at least Jund (beating out Dreadbore and Maelstrom Pulse, I would think), and quite possibly any other deck that uses those colors. They really hate Snapcaster Mage, don't they?

http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=135468&stc=1&d=1347249742
If Hive Mind ever becomes a popular deck, this guy will show up. Otherwise, I don't see him being very good (Storm would rather just storm).

http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=135278&d=1346743269
I could see this starting a deck up with Vengevine + Gravecrawler, but he doesn't fit in any current decks.

http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=135551&d=1347422553
This card will definitely see some play in storm decks. Seems like a natural fit, with UR's mana acceleration and color combination already making the card good.


Last updated 9/12

[Phoenix Ignition]

Saving this space in case I need room for more than 15 images.

Also, shameless bump ^_^

But for the mods who are reading this, it was totally for saving the spot in case more cards show up that are good.

[JDK]

Izzet Charm will most likely just replace the 1-of Lootings for the Gifts Package.

I really dislike the Dryad, because I was getting into Storm and it basically is a must-remove for UWR as well.

[Phoenix Ignition]

Izzet Charm will most likely just replace the 1-of Lootings for the Gifts Package.
Really? I think this would be worse as a Gifts Package since it going in the graveyard nullifies it. It's incredibly versatile and in any deck with Snapcaster it just gets nuts. I think it would deserve maindeck inclusion over Spell Pierce, even with the extra :r: in its cost. I think it will see play in anything that has red + Snapcaster.



I really dislike the Dryad, because I was getting into Storm and it basically is a must-remove for UWR as well.
:wink: That's why I love this card. Finally something to make blue worse that blue itself can't play.

[Borealis]

Really? I think this would be worse as a Gifts Package since it going in the graveyard nullifies it.

Not sure what you mean here exactly, but his point was that Faithless Looting is narrow, but somewhat necessary to smooth out the terrible draws you can get with the Gifts SB Plan. Izzet Charm is miles better because it also does other things. Like countering Karn, or removing Dryad Militant, for example. Faithless looting doesn't do that.

On that note, I'm not too worried about the Dryad as a WUR Delver player. Sure it's a hoser for Snapcaster Mage, but is it good enough to actually see play? Decks that would use it probably already have a good matchup against us anyway. And worst case, you have to use a burn spell on it to turn your Snapcasters back on. Or, you can force them to chump block your Steppe Lynx or trade with Geist, and than cast the Snapcaster. WUR also has access to Forked Bolt, Electrolyze, etc. If they really need to fight the Dryad, they can. But last time I checked, Elite Vanguard wasn't seeing very much Modern play.

[Phoenix Ignition]

Not sure what you mean here exactly, but his point was that Faithless Looting is narrow, but somewhat necessary to smooth out the terrible draws you can get with the Gifts SB Plan. Izzet Charm is miles better because it also does other things. Like countering Karn, or removing Dryad Militant, for example. Faithless looting doesn't do that.
I guess we might be thinking of different Gifts decks since they really aren't being played, but Looting as a 1-of is better in a Gifts package because A) Gifts is almost exclusively played for Unburial Rights -> Reanimate fatty, and B) if you Gifts an Izzet Charm + other stuff, they can throw that in the graveyard and you never got the chance to use it to ditch whatever fatty ended up in your hand. If you had chosen Looting instead, you could have cast it from the graveyard and then pitched the unneeded cards.

So as a 1-of in Gifts, it's much better to run Looting, although if you want to play more than one you'd probably be better off with the utility Izzet provides.


On that note, I'm not too worried about the Dryad as a WUR Delver player. Sure it's a hoser for Snapcaster Mage, but is it good enough to actually see play? Decks that would use it probably already have a good matchup against us anyway. And worst case, you have to use a burn spell on it to turn your Snapcasters back on. Or, you can force them to chump block your Steppe Lynx or trade with Geist, and than cast the Snapcaster. WUR also has access to Forked Bolt, Electrolyze, etc. If they really need to fight the Dryad, they can. But last time I checked, Elite Vanguard wasn't seeing very much Modern play.

Fair enough, I'm in no way saying this is going to break the format in half and Savannah Lions' predecessor is going to be king, I'm just highlighting possible cards that RtR has to offer. Also, bolting this guy to get him out of the way is almost always going to be more favorable for Militant's side than yours, just because you're wasting removal on a 2/1 for :g:.

The decks he will be good against are UR storm and Yasooka's new UGr deck, and in general, it will be somewhat decent pressure at 2/1 for :g:/:w:.

[Borealis]

Yea, Dryad is definitely good. I was mostly saying that I wasn't too worried about it as a WUR Delver player. Thalia is still a much better hate card against any spell based deck.

I think your still missing something on the Izzet Charm/Gifts Ungiven interaction. When you Gifts for Unburial Rites and a Fatty, they both go to the graveyard. You don't need to get anything else, so it doesn't matter that the charm doesn't have flashback. You want the looting effect for when the Reanimate Target gets stuck in your hand, not as a Gifts target.

While its true that in a proper control/combo style Gifts deck, you might prefer Looting, I was mostly talking about the WUR Delver gifts SB plan that many people online use. Izzet Charm is a way better card for those decks, and not being forced to run Faithless is a huge upgrade.

[JDK]

Well, Looting's flashback is really strong in conjunction with Gifts Ungiven (Fatty + Gifts in Hand - play Gifts for Looting and Unburial Rites/or even more), but Looting itself isn't versatile enough in the maindeck. With Charm you'd have to tutor for a Snapcaster too, which is beloved by Spell Snare and needs one more mana, but it doesn so much more in the maindeck. So both cards have their advantage.