Just wondering if I could get a time check

Modern forum

Posted on March 7, 2015, 11:55 p.m. by IndepenentMeta

So I first started playing magic in the gate crash format and I wanted know what the meta looked like for some of the following cards. Would anyone card to guide me?

1) Counterflux

2) Vendilion Clique

3) vescera dagger

4) Terminate

5) Marchesa, The Rein Grabber

6) Gifts Ungiven

accelerando11 says... #2

Some cards aren't properly linked, so I guess you meant these:

2) Viscera Dragger

5) Marchesa, the Black Rose

March 7, 2015 11:57 p.m.

accelerando11 says... #3

(Double post, not on purpose because I realized Marchesa was not Modern legal...)

Although the second one is most likely not correct because she isn't Modern legal (I'm pretty sure), so maybe March of the Machines or something else with march in it?

March 7, 2015 11:59 p.m.

IndepenentMeta says... #4

Yeah sorry bout that so got any info?

March 8, 2015 12:03 a.m.

accelerando11 says... #5

Unfortunately I don't know much about Modern, so no. I don't play it because of the steep entry (at least in my eyes) to using a good deck, plus I've only been playing since Magic 2014 so I don't have a lot of good cards stockpiled. I also can't go to any events to play it and my friends don't play Modern either, so I haven't invested any time into learning about it.

March 8, 2015 12:07 a.m.

alexthegreat38 says... #6

I don't play a ton of Modern, but I know that Counterflux sees some play in WUR control decks, Gifts Ungiven has a deck built around it, and Terminate is a very commonly played removal spell. Vendilion Clique also sees play but I'm not sure exactly how much.

Maybe we could get ChiefBell over here? He plays a lot of Modern.

March 8, 2015 12:18 a.m.

lemmingllama says... #7

So you want to know what decks these are played in? Or what the meta looked like when they were first released?

I'll answer the first one since it seems like it would make more sense.

Counterflux is a sideboard card for people who want to win counter wars or are worried about Storm. Not typically a mainboard card unless your meta is full of Storm.

Vendilion Clique sees play in a lot of decks that run blue. It lets you leave up countermagic, and can be flashed in at their endstep or on their drawstep to tuck their combo pieces. The decks that you will normally see playing it are U/R Aggro (Delver lists and their variants), U/W/x Control/Midrange, Esper Gifts, Twin, and Scapeshift. Also useful to target yourself so you can get an extra draw.

Viscera Dragger sees no play in anything, not even in Living End.

Terminate is mainly used in Grixis Twin, Cruel Control, and Jund Midrange. Instant speed killspells are good.

Marchesa, the Black Rose isn't Modern legal, and she likely wouldn't see a lot of play anyways.

Gifts Ungiven is used normally to grab either Iona, Shield of Emeria or Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite and Unburial Rites. This lets you shut down their plays and outvalue them. Decks sometimes also run it as a value tutor. It is mainly seen in Gifts Tron and some Esper Control lists.

March 8, 2015 12:41 a.m.

IndepenentMeta says... #8

So I wanna know the meta that was around during these cards respective time

March 8, 2015 1:23 a.m.

seuvius says... #9

thats a fairly complicated question,its not exactly easy to remember how the meta was when each card was printed,ive only been playing for a little over a year and i can tell you that your asking way too much.

March 8, 2015 3:24 a.m.

Im sure some of you have to know what was around for ternaminate and counterflux. those weren't even too long ago.

The ones I doubt I'll ever know bout is

Vendilion clique or vescera dragger

March 8, 2015 3:27 a.m.

Hjaltrohir says... #11

I don't really understand what you want to know...

Viscera Dragger is never played and was never played. Vendilion Clique is played in modern now and last year when a large prevalence of Jund, Abzan and Delver were played.

March 8, 2015 3:44 a.m.

Viscera Dragger had its place in jund

March 8, 2015 3:50 a.m.

There was mono blue clique on its release date

March 8, 2015 3:51 a.m.

seuvius says... #14

Well you seem to know more about the past meta then most of us lol

March 8, 2015 3:51 a.m.

seuvius says... #15

Wait....is this a troll post? Lol

March 8, 2015 3:52 a.m.

Gifts Ungiven was first released in Kamigawa block and saw play in Block Constructed decks as a value tutor at events like Pro Tour Philadelphia 2005, where it appeared in controlling decks that ran multiple one-of win conditions and lots of niche interaction. It matched up well with and against the absolute mess of cards that was Kamigawa Block Constructed. It also made a splash in a weird-almost-degenerate Extended format at Pro Tour Los Angeles 2005 as a sort of combo enabler with Dredge cards, Psychatog, and some Heartbeat of Spring storm tech. As for Standard, you could ask Frank Karsten, who took second at Worlds 2005 with a Greater Good and Gifts Ungiven deck that ultimately lost to the Vitu-Ghazi, the City-Tree plus Glare of Subdual decks that were floating around.

Is that the type of description you're looking for? You could find more information by searching the other cards on mtgtop8.com and finding how early they were used and checking some tournament results.

March 8, 2015 4:03 a.m.

@IndepenentMeta "Viscera Dragger had its place in jund."

No it did not. I have no idea where you got that impression, but its not accurate.

Also, Vendilion Clique saw lots of early play in Faeries decks that were popular during Lorwyn Block.

March 8, 2015 4:07 a.m.

ChiefBell says... #18

I have no idea how to answer this question.

I know that Counterflux would have been released into a very Jund heavy format. The card itself (Counterflux) has had almost no impact on the format except for a sideboard card to end counter wars in control v control matchups.

March 8, 2015 6:12 a.m.

MollyMab says... #19

I think the best way to answer this is barnyard sounds.

Moo. Oink oink. Quack. Neigh.

March 8, 2015 6:40 a.m.

seuvius says... #20

This whole post makes my head hurt!

March 8, 2015 7:30 a.m.

Naw but it has it's place when it came out I remember seeing something with counter flux as one of the main cards

March 8, 2015 7:38 a.m.

ChiefBell says... #22

Counterflux has never, ever been more than a 1-of in the main board of decks. Ever. I just did a mtgtop8 search of all professional level, major level, and competitive level decks and only 3 decks in the last 2 years appeared that were playing it. I didn't check regular level because...... that's regular level.

March 8, 2015 7:41 a.m.

@ChiefBell

He/she/??? May mean Conflux.

March 8, 2015 8:05 a.m.

Yeah but can you name those decks?

March 8, 2015 8:06 a.m.

MollyMab says... #25

UWR Control

March 8, 2015 8:40 a.m.

mtgtop8.com

Search for events around the dates of release for those cards

March 8, 2015 9:31 a.m.

Counterflux is a sideboard staple for Twin, Scapeshift, and Jeskai Control.

Vendilion Clique sees heavy play in Twin and Jeskai Control.

Viscera Dragger was never played, but Viscera Seer was a one-of in Melira Pod decks before bannings.

Terminate is a very good card, and people play it in Jund and Grixis decks.

Marchesa isn't legal.

Gifts Ungiven has a deck built around it.

March 8, 2015 10:04 a.m.

ChiefBell says... #28

GlistenerAgent - we're not even sure if that's what he's asking haha.

March 8, 2015 10:12 a.m.

heuertag says... #29

look at who the OP is before you consider trying to make a serious response

March 8, 2015 10:19 a.m.

Oh, I think I figured it out.

Counterflux - This was printed in the same set as Deathrite Shaman and Abrupt Decay, which means that Jund was a force for a while after. It was an excellent answer to Bloodbraid Elf and its cascade friend. It still holds a niche slot.

Vendilion Clique was printed way before Modern became a format, so it didn't really change anything when it was printed because Modern didn't exist.

Similar deals with Gifts and Terminate.

March 8, 2015 10:28 a.m.

Care to show me your jund build?

March 9, 2015 1:03 a.m.

I don't play Jund. However, this deck did quite well at a recent large Modern event, and is fairly representative of what Jund decks look like nowadays.

March 9, 2015 4:22 p.m.

This discussion has been closed