Season 23, Episode 03: Weekly Roundup + Brew Session (Caretaker's Talent)

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Season 23, Episode 02: Brewer's Guide to Bloomburrow, Part 2

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Season 22, Episode 03: Brew Session (Satoru, the Infiltrator) + Modern Horizons 3 First Look

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Season 22, Episode 02: Brewer's Guide to Thunder Junction (Set Review, Part 2)

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Season 22, Episode 1: Brewer's Guide to Thunder Junction, Part 1

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Season 21, Episode 06: Brew Session (Proft's Eidetic Memory) + Flashback (Deduce, The Enigma Jewel)

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Season 21, Episode 05: Weekly Roundup + Brew Session (Deduce) + Flashback (Archdruid's Charm)

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Season 21, Episode 4: Weekly Roundup + Brew Session (Archdruid's Charm)

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed here.

Season 21, Episode 3: Brewer's Guide to Karlov Manor, Part 3

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Season 21, Episode 2: Brewer's Guide to Karlov Manor, Part 2

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Season 21, Episode 1: Brewer's Guide to Karlov Manor, Part 1 (Pioneer & Modern)

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

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Decklists for this episode can be found here:

https://faithlessbrewing.notion.site/S20E05-The-Twelve-Brews-of-Christmas-9f2a27123fb745079e924dea7717a2ac?pvs=4

Season 23, Episode 1: Brewer's Guide to Bloomburrow in Modern and Pioneer, Part 1

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Season 20, Episode 4: Weekly Roundup + Brew Session (Inti, Seneschal of the Sun + Smuggler's Copter)

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Season 20, Episode 3: Brew Session

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Season 20, Episode 2: Brewer's Guide to Ixalan, Part 2

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Season 20, Episode 1: Brewer's Guide to Ixalan, Part 1

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

Season 19, Episode 6: Brew Session (Blossoming Tortoise) + Flashback (Spiteful Hexmage)

Yertle the Turtle was king of them all. Yertle the Turtle had a great fall. But while he was down there, he also milled a few helpful lands, and set up a game-winning infinite combo.

David’s favorite card from Wilds of Eldraine takes center stage in our final brew session of Season 19. Blossoming Tortoise boasts the all-powerful Titan clause, combining card advantage and ramp every time it attacks. What’s more, the built-in selection from the self-mill finds specialty lands like Mutavault and Lavaclaw Reaches that combine with Tortoise’s cost reduction for infinite activations. Is that enough to secure the win? That’s the question on our minds as we explore a half dozen ways to unlock Turtle Power in Pioneer and Modern.

Intro: Yertle the Turtle, by Dr. Seuss

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

Season 19, Episode 5: Brew Session (Spiteful Hexmage) + Flashback (Agatha’s Soul Cauldron)

Is there anything more beautiful than a game object? Rectangle theory is back in full force this week with our favorite 1 drop from Wilds of Eldraine. Spiteful Hexmage is a beautiful puzzle, offering two fresh permanents on an above-rate creature at the cheapest possible price. The only catch? One of them is a Cursed Role, which is ostensibly a drawback.

The brewer’s gears are turning this week as we seek to turn a liability into an advantage, cashing in our Cursed Role for fun and profit and unlocking a black Wild Nacatl in the process. The possibilities are endless: we can enchantments-matter or auras-matter effects to gain advantage, or sacrifice the token to pay a cost, or even straight-up replace the token with a different Role. We can count the game objects, using Spiteful Hexmage to power Celebration or Regal Bunnicorn. We can “hide” the Cursed Role on a 1/1 creature, or even use it to upgrade a 0/0 creature. We can even find creatures that benefit from being shrunk into 1/1s! (Hello, Tree of Perdition.)

David is brewing up a storm in Pioneer and he’s already snagged his first 5-0 trophy with Spiteful Hexmage (which, incidentally, was also the first recorded 5-0 trophy with Setessan Champion since the Trump administration). Are there more to come? Let’s find out!

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

Season 19, Episode 3: Weekly Roundup (Wilds of Eldraine Week 1) + Brew Session (Beseech the Mirror)

The first week of results with Wilds of Eldraine is in the books. In Modern, Hot Ring Summer is drawing to a close, and players now clambering Up the Beanstalk to unlock endless value. Meanwhile, strange things are brewing in Agatha’s Soul Cauldron, with multiple known archetypes already picking up the artifact successfully, and dozens of more suspicious combos bubbling up besides. In Pioneer, Sleight of Hand is making early moves, and there’s so much left to explore.

What does all this mean for the early darling of preview season, Beseech the Mirror? The card is certainly powerful, as first week wins in Legacy and even Vintage can attest. But making this cheaper Bring to Light variant work in smaller formats is a trickier task. David has some ideas in Pioneer (hint: they involve Demonic Pact), while Modern players have taken a more brute force approach in decks like Oops All Spells. Cavedan and Lawson put their heads together to review eight new homes for Beseech the Mirror, to separate the truth from the hype. Is Beseech going to be a $75 dollar flop, or will we get more than we bargained for?

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

Decklists

Agatha Yawgmoth by claudioh

Yawg Cauldron by CalebD

Hardened Scales by MentalMisstep

Heliod Life Combo by LFC

David’s Yorion Beseechiok Pact Combo

David’s Yorion Fires Beseech Pact Foretold

David’s Turbo Demonic Pact

Oops All Spells by Ashanti

Mono Black Coffers by IlGianB

Dimir Hatching Plans by Dack_Fayden07

As Foretold Waste Not by DylanMTG

Living End Reanimator by NinjaTheNick

Red Burn-finity by CrusherBotBG

Magda Changelings by toaohuntmaster

Season 19, Episode 2: Wilds of Eldraine Full Set Review, Part 2 of 2

Cavedan and David go hog wild in a 3-hour finale to our Full Set Review. Wilds of Eldraine is practically Pioneer Masters, but it has great new cards for Modern as well.

Beseech the Mirror has players dreaming of combos as far back as Legacy, and Up the Beanstalk is a dark horse contender for a Modern format full of free Elementals and cost reduction effects.

In Pioneer, David has his eye on Yurtle the Turtle (Blossoming Tortoise), while Dan is salivating over the second coming of Witching Well and Bedlam Reveler (Candy Trail and Hearth Elemental). For fans of smashing face, two new Otters juice up the Prowess archetype, while Goddric might just be the curve topper that red aggro has been waiting for.

Young heroes, wicked combos, and tasty gingerbread snacks await as we complete our 5-hour review of every card that’s fit to brew in Modern and Pioneer.

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

Season 19, Episode 1: Brewer’s Guide to Wilds of Eldraine

Once upon a time, Eldraine ruled the multiverse. An innocuous plane of fairy tales and enchantment quickly broke every format in Magic, thanks to brutally efficient cost reduction spells, pushed standalone threats (hello, Oko), and Adventures that allowed us to squeeze more out of a single piece of cardboard than ever before.

Wilds of Eldraine has a tough act to follow, but Wizards seems to have swung for the fences. Not only are Adventures back for seconds, but they are cheaper, free-r, and more colorful than ever before. On top of that, the innovative Role mechanic (and its counterpart, Bargain) has led to a set absolutely stuffed to the brim with 1 and 2 mana plays. These cards are meant to see play, and that means the rate is pushed across the board. It seems like every single 1 drop is “best in class” compared to the 30 years of Magic that came before.

Cavedan and Lawson kick off the new season of Faithless Brewing with a long look at the best Modern and Pioneer cards from Wilds of Eldraine. The bar is high in non-rotating formats, but when you fill a set with so many generously costed cheap plays some of them are bound to break through. Power creep intensifies with every visit to Oko’s woods; which new card will steal the trickster’s crown?

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

Season 18, Episode 27: Weekly Roundup + Brew Session

Cavedan and David look three year’s into Magic future, and unpack the shocking return of Preordain in Modern. Did Wizards get it right in their “only-once -each-year-really-trust-us-we-promise” B&R update? What impact will blue’s newest toy have on the known and unknown decks of the meta?

They also discuss David’s latest experiments at the cutting edge of Pioneer, where he has been hunting trophies with Stern Lesson, Galazeth Prismari, BTL Valki, and Dread Presence Scapeshift. Is Reckoner Bankbuster the savior we need?

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

Season 22, Episode 10: Brew Session (Psychic Frog) + Weekly Roundup

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Season 18, Episode 26: Weekly Roundup

Lawson Zandi returns to break down the results from Pro Tour: Barcelona, where The One Ring and Orcish Bowmasters put on dominant displays. Big mana was the big winner, with Tron and Amulet Titan harnessing The One Ring to tremendous effect while going way over the top of midrange and control players who had planned to outduel Rakdos Scam. And as for Rakdos itself? The most popular deck was also among the winningest decks, making it a ripe target for action in Monday’s upcoming B&R window.

There’s plenty to unpack this week, as we take stock of the current state of the format and speculate where Modern can go from here. We also take a look at Wilds of Eldraine, analyzing the first batch of sneak peek preview cards.

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

Season 18, Episode 25: Weekly Roundup + Brew Session (God-Eternal Kefnet)

The age of man is over. You know what comes next.

David, Morde, and Manacymbal join forces this week for a Modern + Pioneer doubleheader. With Pro Tour weekend approaching, the M&M boys have their eyes on some spicy numbers in Modern, including a challenge-winning Game Objects deck with both Samwise Gamgee and Lonis, Cryptozoologist. Meanwhile, David is back in the laboratory in Pioneer, brewing up fresh concepts with a surprising combo engine: God-Eternal Kefnet!

Season 18, Episode 24: Modern 5-0s with Dack_Fayden07

The Greatest Thief in the Multiverse has stolen The One Ring, and stolen our hearts! Josip Jukic, better known as DackFayden07, has been on a stunning streak of 5-0 results, racking up trophy after trophy with original Lord of the Rings brews. He is the best kept secret in Modern, a Croatian aspiringspike, an indomitable brewer and a talented Blues Rock musician besides.

So what is the secret to Dack’s tremendous success? We find out today in a massive interview. Cavedan and Josip discuss the state of Modern with The One Ring, Orcish Bowmasters, and Delighted Halfling, and then take a deep dive into eight of Dack’s trophy winning Modern lists. They also peer into the Palantir to divine the future of Lord of the Rings in Modern. Which cards have more undiscovered potential? Josip has some ideas, and when he speaks, we listen.

Where to find Josip:

Subscribe to the Dack_Fayden07 YouTube Channel

Join the DackFayden07 Discord

Follow Josip on Twitter

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

Decklists

Rakdos Rings ft. Waste Not (Decklist) (Gameplay)

Naya Winota Legends (Decklist) (Gameplay)

Bowmasters HollowVine (Decklist) (Gameplay)

Giada Flash Esper Scam (Decklist) (Gameplay)

Asmo Wizard Kitchen ft. Flame of Anor (Decklist) (Gameplay)

Urborg Scavengers Domain Zoo (Decklist) (Gameplay)

Zoo Ring ReScaminator (Decklist) (Gameplay)

Abzan Nissa Scam (Decklist) (Gameplay)

Season 18, Episode 23: Brew Session (Archfiend of the Dross) + Flashback (Invasion of Gobakhan)

Archfiend of the Dross burst onto the scene at DreamHack Dallas, where cftsoc unleashed a devastating combo with Metamorphic Alteration that took the tournament by storm. Turning an opponent’s creature into a copy of Archfiend, without access to Oil counters, means instant death on their upkeep. The one two punch of a 6/6 flier for 2BB, paired with a blue two drop, harkens back to the days of Dimir Inverter, when the unique combo-control strategy menaced the Pioneer format while racking up an impressive 47% win rate.

Excitement for the Archfiend combo has abated in recent weeks. Despite the heavy scrutiny among dedicated Pioneer players, there is still no stock build of the combo that has delivered consistent results. While cftsoc splashed blue into a mostly Rakdos shell, others like laa11 and DJeffMTG have pushed for a dedicated Dimir build. Then there are weirder options like Golgari Fight Rigging, or even Jund with Harmless Offering — all decks predicated on the promising observation that Archfiend of the Dross is a powerful standalone card. This is a combo that should work, and it’s a great mystery why the new Inverter has so far failed to live up to its billing.

Today on Faithless Brewing, David and Cavedan put on their sleuthing caps to get to the bottom of the mysterious missing demon. We look at eight different Pioneer builds with Archfiend, some featuring Metamorphic Alteration, and others not. We also review our testing results with Invasion of Gobakhan, which snagged David a nifty 5-0 trophy with a unique aggro brew.

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

Decklists

David’s Sultai Fiend Rigging

Sultai Fight Rigging by biz1 (5-0)

David’s Jund Harmless Offering

Dimir Archfiend Combo by DJeffMTG

Dimir Alteration (Yorion) by laa11 (5-0)

Dimir JVP Alteration by OafMcNamara (T16 Pioneer Challenge)

David’s Atraxa Rise to Glory

Drossed to Kill by KilgoreTrout503

David’s RW Shatterskull Invasion (5-0)

Dan’s BW Demonic Processors

Season 18, Episode 22: The Brew Review (July 2023)

David and Cavedan review 10 spicy decks submitted by our listeners. Is the next great Modern or Pioneer deck hiding among them?

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

Decklists

Naya Exile by LurkingEvil

UB Rogues by Woosh

the Rock by Briger

Dredge for Bones by TuesdayTastic

Ms. Marvel by Ignacio E.

Legendary Combos by Patrick Thomas (ptom)

Winota Mardu Blink by Spencer Hanks

UB Cauldron (Pioneer Living End) by Odince

Vesuvan Mindbreaker of the Dross by Brandon Redden

Mono Green Jeskai Ascendancy by Topher

Season 18, Episode 21: Brew Session (Orcish Bowmasters) + Flashback (Chrome Host Seedshark)

Orcish Bowmasters was flagged early on as one of the top Modern cards from Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth — and, it turns out, one of the most powerful Commander cards to boot. Everyone loved the base stats (a guaranteed 1/1! a free ping! instant speed!) and the potential for so much more. The only problem? No one could actually name a deck where Bowmasters fit.

One week after release, questions are beginning to be answered. Is Bowmasters strong enough on rate to slot into fair, low synergy decks? For Rakdos Scam and BG Rock players, the answer seems to be yes. But the ceiling on Bowmasters is much higher, and its baseline strength opens up many further brewing possibilities.

Today on Faithless Brewing, cavedan and Manacymbal tumble down the rabbit hole of Bowmaster brews, going deep into the world of Slitherwisp Flash, go-wide strategies with Convoke or Winota, and good old fashioned Sacrifice synergies. But we don’t stop there. Down in the icy depths, far beneath the iceberg, more adventurous brews await with forced card draw and “wheel” effects, from Narset + Dark Deal, to Burning Inquiry, and even Waste Not. Many of these strategies have already found success, and there’s still so much further to go.

Long term, it’s unclear whether Bowmasters has Modern legs. But what about their legs? They don’t need those. All we know for sure is that meat’s back on the menu, and we’re here for it. Happy brewing!

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

Decklists

Rakdos Scam by yungdingo (5-0)

Esper Goryo’s by Gab Nassif (5-0)

BG Rock with Saga by ElectricBob (5-0)

Golgari Yawgmoth by Xerk (Challenge Winner)

Rakdos Sac by aspiringspike

4c Slitherwisp by MordeToLight

UB Narset Wheels by wutup (T16 Modern Challenge)

Burning Inquiry Breach by benchsummer (4-1)

Flumph Combo by Iamthelaw2004

Season 18, Episode 20: Brew Session (Lord of the Rings Day 1)

Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth hit the digital streets this week and already the Modern format is awash in brews. Morde and Manacymbal are on the case, sorting the wheat from the chaff and also firing off a half dozen decklists of their own.

The early winner is The One Ring, a card that looks so intensely powerful that the sky is the limit. Any deck capable of generating sufficient mana to cast The One Ring and deploy the endless cards it draws should slip on Bilbo’s ring. After all, why not? Why shouldn’t we brew it?

Beyond the raw power of the Ring, specific combos are the next big winner. Samwise Gamgee supports a new Cauldron Familiar loop, while Forge Anew gives more options to Hammer (and is especially tricksy with Kaldra Compleat). Orcish Bowmasters has massive hype (largely from EDH) but struggles to find a decent home outside of Morde’s crazy Esper Flash.

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

Decklists

Mono Black Coffers

Unholy Tron Mashup

Green Tron (Sourced from AspiringSpike)

Freakunasty Samwise 1

Freakunasty Samwise 2

Season 18, Episode 19: Brew Session (Invasion of Gobakhan) + Flashback (Omen Hawker + Training Grounds)

Where were you when they invaded Gobakhan? On that fateful morning, when the World Tree stopped turning?

We asked our researchers some important questions, like, Where is Gobakhan anyway? What is a Battle? Why did Invasion of Gobakhan spike to $20, and still hovers at $10 despite being a medium powered rare?

Answers are coming, but we’ll need to put on our brewing caps. David has three Pioneer decks meant to exploit Invasion of Gobakhan, using synergies with +1/+1 counters, Eldrazi Processors, and even casting things from exile (thanks, Pia Nalaar!).

On the Flashback, Zach went deep on Omen Hawker and Training Grounds, building numerous versions of combo decks with Drafna and Rona, while brewer extraordinaire laa11 honed a Blue Devotion Omen Hawker list. We also tried UW Lotus Field, which has finally seen breakout success in Pioneer in recent weeks.

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

Season 18, Episode 18: Set Review (Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth)

With the full set of Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth revealed and ready for action, Cavedan and Manacymbal join forces to rank the best new cards for Modern.

The set continues to deliver small role players and long shot build arounds, but few blue chip staples.

Stern Lesson is the cheapest version of Remove Soul, but that family of countermagic has no proven track record in constructed. Similarly, Flowering of the White Tree is the most powerful Anthem ever printed, but are Anthems viable in 2023 Modern? Goblins get a new toy in Moria Marauder, and Food strategies will be happy for the combo and value options that Samwise Gamgee provides.

Beyond those, we must look to the far green country for long shot brewing targets. Doors of Durin is both explosive and grindy, Lotho, Corrupt Shirriff has echoes of Ledger Shredder, and Phial of Galadriel offers intriguing card draw possibilities. One does not simply register a brew in Modern, but with good fellowship and true companions our quest for a new deck may yet succeed. Happy brewing!

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

Timestamps

[3:53] Housekeeping

[5:55] The One Ring bounty

[13:13] Great Hall of the Citadel

[14:53] Stern Scolding

[18:04] Troll of Khazad-dum

[20:21] Lorien Revealed

[21:10] Birthday Escape

[24:08] Stone of Erech

[26:59] Samwise Gamgee

[30:54] Moria Marauder

[33:36] Lotho, Corrupt Shirriff

[36:13] Flowering of the White Tree

[38:43] Spiteful Banditry

[41:06] Shadow Summoning

[44:12] Theoden, King of Rohan

[45:52] Flame of Anur

[49:08] Phial of Galadriel

[53:24] Galadriel, the Lady of Lorien

[59:18] Sauron’s Ransom

[1:02:06] Radagast the Brown

[1:04:20] King of the Oathbreakers

[1:06:17] Doors of Durin

[1:10:20] There and Back Again

[1:13:38] The Balrogs

[1:16:17] Final thoughts

Season 18, Episode 17: Weekly Roundup

The US Regional Championships are in the books, where Pioneer took the spotlight once again. 1200 players descended upon Dreamhack Dallas to do battle with the strongest decks in the format, and put the newcomer Boros Convoke (”Boros Hogaak”) to the test. In the end, it was Engimatic Fires that ran the tables in the swiss, and Rakdos Sacrifice and Azorius Spirits that posted the top winrates overall. Boros, meanwhile, languished at a mere 47% win rate, and stock Rakdos Midrange (the most popular deck by far) performed even worse.

Lawson Zandi returns to analyze the state of Pioneer and share his findings testing for the event. What went wrong for Boros, and what can we expect going foward? Lawson and Cavedan also pick out under the radar sleepers from the RC, including a brand new Inverter-style combo using Archfiend of the Dross and Metamorphic Alteration.

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

Decklists

Mono Green Devotion vs Lotus Field Matchup Strategy

Enigmatic Fires by Elliot Raff

Dimir Rogues by Toph Robinson

Boros Convoke by Max McVety

Mono Green Devotion by Evart Moughon

Rakdos Goblins by Luke Goodwin

Neoform Atraxa by Brent Waggoner

Archfiend Alteration by cftsoc

Season 22, Episode 09: Weekly Roundup

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Season 18, Episode 16: Set Review (Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth)

Morde and Manacymbal join forces to analyze the best Modern cards from Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-Earth. Very few of these cards seem flashy enough for 2023 Modern, but heed Tolkien’s advice: all that is gold does not glitter. A brave little hobbit, such as Rosie Cotton of South Lane, might have the right stats to enable a new infinite combo, and the interactive value provided by Orcish Bowmasters gets more powerful in older formats. A legendary land cycle has generous activated abilities, and Equipment decks get a new toy in Forge Anew. Will any of these cards break in to the brutally powerful Modern meta? Let’s find out!

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

Timestamps

[2:47] Housekeeping

[4:02] Middle-Earth: First impressions

[10:37] Barad-dur

[11:51] Minas Tirith

[13:02] Mines of Moria

[13:55] Many Partings

[15:31] Delighted Halfling

[17:50] Oliphaunt + Generous Ent

[19:20] Long List of the Ents

[22:50] Shelob’s Ambush

[25:44] Orcish Bowmasters

[28:44] Westfold Rider

[30:13] Council’s Deliberation

[32:39] Nasty End

[33:17] Boromir, Warden of the Tower

[34:56] Rosie Cotton of South Lane

[38:46] Forge Anew

[42:17] Grishnakh, Brash Instigator

[44:18] Swarming of Moria

[45:13] Fires of Mount Doom

[47:38] Nazgul

[53:59] Bill the Pony

[56:19] Hew the Entwood

[58:16] Tom Bombadil

[59:07] Gandalf the White

[1:06:30] Aragorn, the Uniter

[1:07:50] Sauron, the Dark Lord

[1:09:38] March from the Black Gate

[1:15:24] Closing thoughts: the future of mini-sets

Season 18, Episode 15: Brew Session (Omen Hawker + Training Grounds)

The dream of Sol Ring is alive and well thanks to March of the Machine’s astonishing blue mana dork, Omen Hawker. This little one drop taps for stunning amounts of mana — but only to pay for activated abilities. It’s the kind of unique effect that promises so much power, but at the expense of consistency. Outside of oddballs like Zirda, Biomancer’s Familiar, Powerstone tokens and Renowned Weaponsmith, specialized mana producers like Omen Hawker were mostly going it alone.

Enter Training Grounds. This slick little reprint from March of the Machine: Aftermath suddenly doubles our options for a deck full of activated abilities, and opens up combo loops besides. It’s not an exact parallel: not every Omen Hawker deck will be a Training Grounds deck, but every Training Grounds deck can potential benefit from the Omen Hawker. This is a brewing space that has barely been touched in three decades of competitive Magic, so it’s all the more exciting to finally see what activated abilities can do.

Cavedan and David are brewing up a storm with eight new decklists featuring Omen Hawker, Training Grounds, or both. We’ve got Pioneer Drafna combo decks, Shark Typhoon control decks, pump knight aggro, Nykthos devotion, and even turbo Urza’s Saga. If that sounds far fetched, consider that Omen Hawker has already notched a 12th place Challenge finish in Modern, using Wizardcycling of all things! And the synergies in Pioneer keep getting better and better. It’s a great time to be a blue creature brewer, so head on down to The Training Grounds and Activate Your Game (TM).

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

Timestamps

[0:00] Manacymbal presents: Activate Your Game

[8:06] Brew Session: Omen Hawker + Training Grounds

[10:36] Key synergies

[16:41] Key similarities and differences

[21:05] UW Hawker Control by Pascal Maynard

[22:23] David’s UW Lotus Hawker

[29:59] David’s Simic Drafna Combo

[39:05] David’s Sultai Tome Diviner

[43:30] Dan’s Dimir Captive Weird

[47:38] David’s Dimir Wizard Class Combo

[52:17] Article: The complete guide to Blue Nykthos Devotion (ft. Omen Hawker) by laa11

[57:59] Izzet Wizardcycling by xfile

[1:02:13] Dan’s Sultai Tyvar Kitchen

Season 18, Episode 14: Weekly Roundup

Magic Twitter is a place prone to meltdowns, that’s no surprise. But a meltdown over a Boros Convoke deck using Venerated Loxodon? That’s a bit of a stretch. Nevertheless, with the Regional Championships around the corner, a “Hogaak Summer” has been declared by many grinders trying to break through in Pioneer.

Prolific streamer and Faithless Brewer-at-large Zach “Manacymbal” Ryl returns to help us sort through the latest technology in Modern and Pioneer, from new flavors of Izzet Control with Chandra, Hope’s Beacon, to a unique Golgari Elves toolbox, and a surprisingly competitive build of Cragganwick Kitchen featuring Yargle and Multani. We also peer into the future of Standard with a major B&R coming that will set the tone for what 3-year Standard will look like.

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

Timestamps

[1:34] Catching up with Manacymbal

[5:27] Housekeeping

[8:15] The future of Standard

[18:35] The Aftermath of MOM:Aftermath

[20:20] Boros Hogaak (RW Convoke) by Sodek

[27:56] Cragganwick Kitchen by Alesha_

[36:12] Jund Yargle Traverse by nikkuniku

[38:13] Pia Nalaar Prowess by Dack_Fayden07

[42:15] Izzet Chandra Control by TSPJendrek

[53:25] Golgari Elves Toolbox by rage_hs

[57:21] Gruul Samut Aggro by DookieTrouserMD

Season 18, Episode 13: Mailbag

David and Cavedan open up the brewer’s mailbag to field listener questions about the state of brewing in Modern and Pioneer, the health of the metagame, the future of Magic crossovers, and more. They also look at an impressive new combo deck using the Pioneer Elementals package and the Vadrok + Double Major combo.

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

Season 18, Episode 12: Brew Session (Sarkhan, Soul Aflame, Ob Nixilis, Captive Kingpin, Narset, Enlightened Exile, Urborg Scavengers)

And just like that, March of the Machine: The Aftermath is here. Not sure where to get started? Never fear? David Robertson, our resident Pioneer brewmaster, has been cooking up a half dozen spicy decklists to get you ready for battle on Day 1. Here’s what’s on the menu:

Sarkhan, Soul Aflame allows explosive sequences with 5 mana dragons, building on Izzet ramp shells we’ve had good results with in the past. Ob Nixilis, Captive Kingpin can be a curve topper in value decks but also has a unique combo finish with All Will Be One. Narset, Enlightened Exile has drawn comparisons to Sheoldred: a seemingly clunky 4 drop that nevertheless runs away with the game if you untap. And Urborg Scavengers gives us a higher density of Soulflayers than ever before.

Can any of these decks crack the tier 1 Pioneer meta? Let’s find out!

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

Timestamps

[4:46] Aftermath First Impressions

[14:34] Housekeeping

[16:08] Deck 1: Izzet Sarkhan Aflame

[27:11] Deck 2: Rakdos Backup

[36:36] Deck 3: Ob Will Be One

[46:43] Deck 4: Jeskai Narset Spells

[49:32] Deck 5: Boros Narset Tokens

[59:27] Deck 6: Sultai Urborg Scavengers

Season 18, Episode 11: Brewer’s Guide to March of the Machine: The Aftermath

Fifty more cards are being foisted onto all formats with March of the Machine: the Aftermath, a small supplemental set full of wordy text boxes and big dreams. Luckily, only a handful are poised to make an impact in non-rotating formats.

In today’s compressed Set Review, Cavedan and Morde sort the wheat from the chaff and identify the most important Aftermath cards for Modern and Pioneer. They also evaluate the newly revealed Ring Temptation mechanic, and the extended Standard rotation aimed at reviving tabletop play.

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

Timestamps

[3:49] Housekeeping

[4:34] New Standard rotation

[7:53] The Ring Tempts You: new LotR cards

[13:13] Frodo Baggins

[15:34] Call of the Ring

[17:10] Wizard’s Rockets

[18:27] Delighted Halfling

[22:37] March of the Machine: The Aftermath Set Review

[26:55] Sigarda, Font of Blessings

[28:30] Niv-Mizzet, Supreme

[31:24] Jirina, Dauntless General

[33:37] Urborg Scavengers

[37:12] Training Grounds

[39:39] Coppercoat Vanguard

[41:22] Ob Nixilis, Captive Kingpin

[44:57] Nissa, Resurgent Animist

[48:22] Honorable mentions

[56:29] Closing thoughts

Season 18, Episode 10: Weekly Roundup

Morde and Lawson talk new Modern brews with March of the Machine: Battle Zoo, Errant and Giada Flash, Mono Black Coffers, and more.

Season 18, Episode 9: Weekly Roundup

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

Season 18, Episode 8: Brew Session (Rona, Herald of Invasion) + Flashback (Chrome Host Seedshark)

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

Season 18, Episode 7: Brew Session (Yargle and Multani)

What if they printed a creature with LITERAL DEATHTOUCH FOR PLAYERS? No, I’m not talking about that pesky Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer. Not talking about Phage, the Untouchable either. No, I’m talking about everyone’s favorite Frog Spirit. Yargle and Multani is a foolish card. An insipid card. A team-up no one asked for that earned, at best, a mirthless chuckle during previews.

And yet… it has 18 power.

Is 18 power the same as literal deathtouch for players? Not quite, but it’s tantalizingly close.

Cavedan has Frog Stew on the brain, and the craving won’t go away until he does his darnedest to convert Yargle’s 18 power into damage applied directly to the face. He’s been rummaging around in the bulk bins pulling out every copy of Cragganwick Cremator, Morgue Burst, Voldaren Thrillseeker, and Manifold Key he can find, with a little help from Goryo’s Vengeance and Shadowspear. For a card with no text, Yargle and Multani allows a surprising number of Modern brews.

Meanwhile, Lawson Zandi has been on an insane quest of his own. Lawson is a full hundred matches deep with Windbrisk Heights brews in Modern, and while he has yet to post any 5-0s, he’s been winning at a steady 67% clip. Can he crack the code on Hideaway and finally snag that trophy? More importantly, can he save Cavedan from himself before all his tickets are incinerated on terrible Frog brews?

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

Timestamps

[3:05] Brewing with Windbrisk Heights

[21:06] Bad Ideas: Yargle and Multani Combos

[27:34] Rakdos Cragganwick Kitchen

[32:56] Gruul Yargle’s Kitchen

[37:50] Gruul Cragganwick Evolution

[44:57] Final thoughts

[47:27] Postscript: In the Heights

Season 22, Episode 08: Brew Session (Ugin's Labyrinth, Sowing Mycospawn, Eldrazi Linebreaker, Nulldrifter, Wastescape Battlemage) + Brewer's Guide to Assassin's Creed

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Season 18, Episode 6: Brew Session (Chrome Host Seedshark)

Shark Typhoon is powerful. A resolved Shark Typhoon is lights out. A resolved Shark Typhoon wins games. Most Modern and Pioneer players know this, or think they know this.

They don’t know the half of it.

Shark Typhoon sees play, but no one truly builds around it. It’s far too expensive to craft your game plan around having a Typhoon in play. Instead we cycle, and move on with our lives.

Enter Chrome Host Seedshark. Putting a Shark Typhoon effect on a 3 mana creature changes EVERYTHING. Synergies that seemed like pie-in-the-sky win-more plays, notably pairing huge cost reduction spells with the Shark Typhoon effect, are suddenly available as early and often as we want them.

Want to cast Leyline Binding? Sure, have a 6/6. Protect the Seedshark with Force of Negation or Metallic Rebuke? No problem, have a 3/3. Delve spells are incredible here, from Treasure Cruise and Temporal Trespass in Pioneer to Logic Knot and Magmatic Sinkhole in Modern. And don’t forget the “Splinter Twin” potential of the Shining Shoal cycle: a turn 3 Seedshark, followed by end step Shoal pitching a huge card (X=15 anyone? Autochthon Wurm and Shadow of Mortality make it happen) means you are attacking potentially for lethal damage on turn 4.

There’s more going on that just a parade of creatures, of course. Incubator tokens are decidedly not creatures, until we invest additional resources. Animating the tokens directly with Tezzeret, Betrayer of Flesh or Jinnie Fae, Jetmir’s Second is downright nasty. For larger Incubators, paying 2 mana is still a great bargain. For smaller Incubators, we can take advantage of the fact that unflipped Incubators are quite hard to remove (unlike, say, the tokens from Third Path Iconoclast or Sai, Master Thopterist). If we want to build up a solid battlefield of wrath-proof game objects for Affinity, for Improvise, for Urza or for Galazeth Prismari, Chrome Host Seedshark is simply best in class. We can even play sweepers of our own, and Seedshark leaves behind a massive token as a going away present.

There’s so much to discover about Seedshark, and about the Incubate mechanic in general, that we couldn’t imagine starting our March of the Machine brewing season with any other card. We’ve got seven new decklists drawn up in Modern and Pioneer, and a half dozen more ideas to explore besides. It’s Shark Week here at Faithless Brewing, and we could not be more excited!

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

Timestamps

[3:11] Housekeeping

[4:01] Brew Session: Chrome Host Seedshark

[7:59] Closest comparisons

[11:30] Key synergies: cost reduction

[20:08] Key synergies: Incubator tokens

[25:09] Sketch 1: Izzet Galazeth Turns (Pioneer)

[31:51] Sketch 2: Dimir Improvise (Pioneer)

[38:38] Sketch 3: Sultai Glistening Dawn (Pioneer)

[42:45] Sketch 4: 5c Galazeth Shark to Light (Modern)

[49:36] Sketch 5: UW Chrome Control (Modern)

[56:09] Sketch 6: WU White Pitch Please (Modern)

[1:05:44] Sketch 7: 4c Sickening Shoal (Modern)

Season 18, Episode 5: Interview with Dack_Fayden07

Dack Fayden may be the Greatest Thief in the Multiverse, but did you know that he also runs one of the spiciest YouTube channels for original brews in Modern?

Today on Faithless Brewing, Cavedan sits down with special guest Josip Jukic, better known as DackFayden07, to hear about his unique approach to creating winning brews in Modern. Josip’s recent MTGO trophies include gems like Melira Zoo Scam, Winota Reanimator, Rokiric Zoo Rhinos, Sultai Grief Vine, and many others. The best part? You can see all these brews in action on Dack’s YouTube channel, with short format gameplay and insightful commentary. We talk about Dack’s approach to brewing and card evaluation, his most successful recent brews in Modern, and his top picks from March of the Machine.

Where to find Josip:

YouTube: Dack_Fayden07

Twitter: @DackFayden07

Dack’s 5-0 lists

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

Timestamps

[1:01] Q&A with Dack_Fayden07

[4:54] Dack’s YouTube channel

[12:30] Approaches to brewing

[17:34] BW Scam GixBlade (decklist) (gameplay)

[18:59] Winota Reanimator (decklist) (gameplay)

[26:18] Urborg Lhurgoyf Crabvine (decklist) (gameplay)

[29:58] Sultai Grief Vine (decklist) (gameplay)

[34:24] Melira Zoo Scam (decklist) (gameplay)

[37:51] Zoo Evolution (decklist) (gameplay)

[48:51] Classic Zoo (decklist) (gameplay)

[52:55] Rokiric Zoo Rhinos (decklist) (gameplay)

[1:08:30] Dack’s picks: March of the Machine

Season 18, Episode 4: Brewer’s Guide to March of the Machine (Part 4) + Top Five Cards

After four grueling sessions, the Great Work of our March of the Machine Set Review is finally compleat. At the top of the mana curve, most cards are long shots for the non-rotating formats. This time, however, several new legends participate in game-winning combos or have intriguing cost reduction options.

To round things out, Cavedan and David predict the Top 5 Most Impactful cards for both Modern and Pioneer, as well as their personal Top 5 lists of cards they are most excited to brew. Clearly this is a set that will keep us busy for a while. What do you think of our analysis? What’s on your personal Top 5 list?

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

Timestamps

[2:49] Housekeeping

[4:51] Vorinclex — The Grand Evolution

[8:49] Sheoldred — The Scripture of Truth

[11:38] Djeru and Hazoret

[15:22] Quintorius, Loremaster

[19:19] Invasion of Ravnica — Guildpact Paragon

[22:37] Hidetsugu and Kairi

[28:12] Archpriest of Shadows

[31:12] Kogla and Yidaro

[33:42] Kroxa and Kunoros

[37:04] Invasion of Fiora — Marchesa, Resolute Monarch

[40:01] Ancient Imperiosaur

[42:37] Zephyr Singer

[42:45] Interdisciplinary Mascot

[44:03] Invasion of Segovia — Caetus, Sea Tyrant of Segovia

[44:22] Hoarding Broodlord

[47:05] March of the Machine Top 5s

[47:28] David’s Top 5 Cards to Brew

[52:22] Dan’s Top 5 Cards to Brew

[53:57] Top 5 Most Impactful: Modern

[56:15] Top 5 Most Impactful: Pioneer

[1:02:28] Ral’s Reinforcements

[1:04:00] Patreon bonus content

Season 18, Episode 3: Brewer’s Guide to March of the Machine, Vol. 3

The full set of March of the Machine is revealed, and something is clearly amiss. Every card looks good. Incubate looks synergistic and easy to transform. Battles look like tremendous value. Convoke looks fun, and Backup looks extremely versatile. Even the silly infinite combos — and there are many in this set — are looking pretty good.

This can’t be right. Either we are wrong, or Wizards is wrong. Play Design knows their stuff, so it’s probably a case of us wearing brew goggles. But that won’t stop us from trying to break these sweet new cards.

In the third installment of our Set Review, David returns to lend a Pioneer perspective on the best new additions to the brewer’s toolbox.

Rona, Herald of Invasion is the best 2 mana looter we have seen, and supports multiple infinite combos. Change the Equation has main deck potential in the current Pioneer metagame. The 1-mana backup creatures, Scorn-Blade Berserker and Enduring Bondwarden, support a tremendous variety of play patterns. Even the humble Ichor Drinker draws comparisons to Voldaren Epicure and Lingering Souls.

There’s tons of spice up and down the mana curve. Let the Great Work begin!

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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com

Timestamps

[3:14] Housekeeping

[4:37] Evaluating Battles: another perspective

[10:44] Backup, Convoke, Incubate

[14:23] Scorn-Blade Berserker

[17:42] Enduring Bondwarden

[21:12] Ichor Drinker

[24:32] Progenitor Exarch

[28:41] Seed of Hope

[31:35] Lithomantic Barrage

[33:08] Rona, Herald of Invasion — Rona, Tolarian Obliterator

[38:39] Invasion of Gobakhnan — Lightshield Array

[43:18] Invasion of Ixalan — Belligerent Regisaur

[47:10] Change the Equation

[50:48] Invasion of New Phyrexia — Teferi Akosa of Zhalfir

[54:24] Marauding Dreadship

[56:53] Zimone and Dina

[59:17] Invasion of Amonkhet — Lazotep Convert

[1:03:47] Glistening Dawn

[1:07:13] Rampaging Raptor

[1:09:21] Urabrask — The Great Work

[1:14:57] Elesh Norn — The Argent Etchings

[1:18:28] Invasion of Innistrad — Deluge of the Dead

[1:20:41] Invasion of Kaldheim — Pyre of the World Tree

[1:24:39] Invasion of Zendikar — Awakened Skyclave

[1:27:46] Archangel Elspeth