Modern Bannings!

Hello Everybody!

Just a couple hours ago, the December B&R announcement went up on the Mothership, which you can find here, and Erik Lauer explains the bans here. For those of you who don't feel like following the link, here's the beef:

Modern:
Wild Nacatl is banned
Punishing Fire is banned

If you follow Patrick Chapin at all, then this is old news to you and you already have decklists lined up ready to spring at the moment the curtain fell. Chapin has been an advocate for these specific bannings for about a month by now. Back on December 6th, I posted my Dredge decklist on Chapin's FB page to which he responded: "Interesting build. Is Mulch worth considering? What about Jace's Archivist? This build gets a LOT more exciting if Punishing Fires and Wild Nacatl were to get banned." Well Mr. Chapin, the time has come! Obviously this is where I am starting leading into the modern PTQ season, but there are definitely other options. Another sweet deck that comes to mind as an opportunity is Doran:


4x Treefolk Harbringer
4x Loam Lion
4x Tarmogoyf
4x Dark Confidant
4x Doran, the Siege Tower
4x Dungrove Elder


4x Duress
2x Thoughtseize
3x Path to Exile
4x Maelstrom Pulse


4x Verdant Catacombs
4x Misty Rainforest
4x Murmuring Bosk
2x Temple Garden
2x Overgrown Tomb
3x Treetop Village
1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
2x Forest
1x Swamp


This is a fairly rough list, but it is certainly a strong possibility now that Zoo has been slightly neutered and essential cards like Dark Confidant are no longer restrained by Punishing Fire. One quick note on this list specifically: One card that seems like it could be very good (though probably in a version with 2-3 more removal spells) is Sheltering Ancient. That card feels like it can simply lend itself to some free wins:


T1: Murmuring Bosk, Treefolk Harbringer
T2: Sheltering Ancient
T3: Doran, attack for 8
T4: Path blocker, attack for 13


If that nuts draw doesn't work out, then maybe something a little slower:


T1: Loam Lion
T2: Tarmogoyf
T3: Thoughtseize, Dark Confidant


After reading that second line of play, you may realize that this Doran deck is a slightly more disruptive version of Zoo. So going back to Sheltering Ancient, that card seems like it can be crazy good, but right now I have Dungrove in its place, which can provide more long-term value, which may be all this deck really wants thanks to the slower nature of the deck, and the inevitably slower nature of Modern.


Modern as a whole is going to be completely changed. Up until now, the format was completely warped around Zoo, which is now at least 1 full turn slower, which gives a ton of decks just enough time to breath and actually play out their game plan too. I am very intruiged to see where things go from here. I don't know much about the deck, but I feel like with a slower format, Ad Nauseum is another deck that could get big now it has time to draw into the necessary pieces....


But that's all I have for today! Until next time, stay classy!


Ryan Lackie
@ThingsILack