Dies to Removal

Valdarith

Ask yourself these questions:

1) Why is this better than Burn?
2) Why am I not running Treasure Cruise?

I have a legit reason for #2 in my meta, but #1 is a bit harder to justify.

Valdarith

I will tell you that I had someone play Peak Eruption against me in the mirror and it seemed pretty good. If speed is a concern and people begin to adjust to how much Blood Moon is being played, I like Peak Eruption and Cryoclasm.

Valdarith

Is that really a full playset of maindeck Vexing Shusher? Please tell me that's a typo.

Valdarith

"Don't hate me cuz I'm beautiful." -Ashley

Valdarith

I'm considering writing a primer for this archetype. Any objections?

Valdarith

I would run no more than two Lavaman with no fetches.

Valdarith

Look closely at your decklist under "Land".

Valdarith

Convoke, dawg. You didn't know?!?!

Valdarith

After some reconsideration, this may work:

[deck]
Creatures 24
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Goblin Guide
4 Mogg Fanatic
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
4 Keldon Marauders
4 Stormblood Berserker

Burn 16
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Rift Bolt
4 Searing Blaze
4 Molten Rain

Land 20
1 Keldon Maruaders
19 Mountain
[/deck]

I think if the deck is going to utilize Molten Rain to its full effect, you really need to land an aggressive presence early. It's pretty devastating to land 2 attackers and set your opponent back a land. That kind of tempo advantage is simply enough to win a game most times. I can concede that that's where Cackler can be pretty useful.

See, he's not actually that bad in the right kind of build.

Agreed that you would not want Vexing Devil in this kind of deck.

I'm continually reminded of an article by PSully last year regarding Boros Aggro in Modern. This was pre-DRS ban and pre-Eidolon, so the list would certainly look different now, but I think his article is worth a read for the people following this thread (maybe it's been posted before?):

http://www.starcitygames.com/article/26 ... troit.html

I've read this article countless times and I've been referring to it as I tweak my own RDW list for Modern.

Valdarith

If the concern is turning Berserker on it could just be that Marauder is better. Play like a burn deck except with creatures and try to end the game on turn four. Eschew Molten Rain and Berserker for Lava Spike and Rakdos Cackler.

Valdarith

I feel like Rakdos Cackler offers a similar role that Keldon Marauders does for Berserker. Playing a one drop and getting in next turn just as easily turns him on, whereas you have to wait for Marauder to die or get in an attack to play Berserker unless you have four mana.

I'm personally on the cut Molten Rain plan anyway. I feel like the deck needs to speed up the goldfish. There are times where Molten Rain is stellar but other times where it's just a three mana Shock.

Valdarith

I'd replace Searing Blaze with Searing Blood due to lack of fetchlands, and I'd also play Rakdos Cackler over Keldon Marauders. You need at least 12 one drop creatures.

Valdarith

I personally am in love with Figure and would run all four if I could make it work.

Valdarith

Slows down the goldfish but increases threat density. I think Khaos has been running him as a one of.

Valdarith

Valdarith

Got my foil Rift Bolts and Lava Spikes from Khaos today. Thanks!

Valdarith

Plus Flame Javelin doesn't trigger Eidolon.

Valdarith

I actually like the idea of Spellbomb against Twin because it's easy to lead with it on turn one or two and dare them to end step Pestermite or Exarch. Having Searing Blaze in the list helps a ton here since you just activate landfall, Blaze the Exarch, then finish him off with either Mogg Fanatic or Spellbomb. I think against UR the swap of 4x Molten Rain for 2x Dismember and 2x Spellbomb is fairly obvious. Perhaps taking the Forked Bolts out for the other two Spellbombs is correct too, but since UR tends to run Spellskite I'd probably prefer Smash to Smithereens.

This is all theorycrafting of course.

Valdarith

Pretty much. Lavaman will typically do more damage over time, so you tend to want to bait removal with VD and give the illusion to your opponent that he gained 4 life early.

Valdarith

Depends on how much removal your opponent plays.

Valdarith

If you only have limited experience with all of those, I suggest playing Heal's list. It's probably the safest of all the decks in terms of unfamiliarity. Play a strategy you are comfortable playing.

Valdarith

Also I may be playing something very close to Heal's list at my next Modern outing. I want to make people miserable with Eidolon.

Valdarith

What's your budget? If this is a big Modern tournament like you say it is and you're willing to pony up the cash, there are a lot of possibilities for you.

Valdarith

I love Gpblins.

Valdarith

Huh?

Ham's deck.

Valdarith

I wonder how effective a second Keldon Megaliths would be in the sideboard. It's pretty damn good against a lot of decks. Affinity, Soul Sisters, and Snapcaster/Clique decks immediately come to mind.

Valdarith

It's a straight swap with Shrine against Burn, RDW, Storm, and Zoo. I played against Zoo tonight and it was the only reason why I lived to tell the tale.

I have had a similar experience with Dragon's Claw against RG Zoo. It's much better than it seems.

Valdarith

But seriously, his approach looks similar to PSully's Boros aggro brew from last year. Play all the one drops. The departure is less burn spells, less land, and mono colored. I prefer the Sully approach.

Valdarith

Ross's first list also has Ash Zealot.

Niggas needta stop forcin Ash Zealot in they Modern decks.

Valdarith

No. Just conceed the Boggles matchup.

Valdarith

I ran it in UR Delver for a little bit in response to a lot of people playing blue Tron at my LGS that night. The feels when you cast it on a Wurmcoil Engine cannot be described.

Valdarith

Maindeck Molten Rain ought to be a good way to keep them off a fast Wurmcoil Engine. Otherwise it's pretty hard to win through. Shattering Blow is probably your best bet if you want a direct answer to it.

Valdarith

Also, LP's liberal use of "nigga" in this thread is good comedic relief.

Valdarith

I've actually had awhile to think about it while getting my 5k in and I'm on board now. I think if the deck is loaded with enough creature threats that have to be answered VD becomes much better. Between Lavamancer, Guide, Eidolon, and VD they're going to take a lot of damage, and even if they kill our VD manually we have a lot of other threats ready to come swinging.

Consider me convinced.

Valdarith

I will need a long time to respond cogently, but I'm fairly busy right now so hopefully I remember in the next few days, but if I don't, consider the matter dropped. Suffice it to say, I have yet to hear a "sound argument" favoring VD. I need a lot more theorycrafting than "it enables turn four kills". In what conditions is it good? In what conditions is it bad? Do instances where you wished it were another creature come up more often than not? How does it effect your percentages against the popular decks in the format? Does it just make good matchups better or does it improve bad ones at the expense of good ones?

Valdarith

Patrick Sullivan does in fact play VD in Modern Burn. He even made a convincing Facebook post about it months ago.

Key word being Burn. In a deck that focuses more on board presence and a more grinding strategy, VD just isn't effective.

Valdarith

There are other reasons I don't want to play VD but I'm tired of rehashing the same arguments that have been produced by others ad nauseum so I'll leave it at that. The Red Mage himself doesn't run the card in his brews either and I doubt he thinks he's hindering his gameplan.

Valdarith

It was a rhetorical question. I know why we play those cards. My point was that we shouldn't disregard a card because it doesnt kill quickly as LP mentioned.

I'm just going to say that I will never put VD in any deck I ever build, but especially not in Modern. I prefer to know what my cards do in all phases of the game.

Valdarith

Like, if we're concerned about a turn four goldfish then why are we running Molten Rain, Shrine, and Mogg Fanatic?

Valdarith

Honestly I still think he's fine but what do I know.

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