Newest Kiki-Chord Utility?
Modern forum
Posted on March 14, 2016, 5:21 p.m. by TMBRLZ
For those of you unfamiliar with the "I wish they didn't have to ban Splinter Twin" combo - Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker + Restoration Angel .
CharlesMandore says... #3
It helps filter, moderate decent removal, and fits the colors. It's definitely worth testing out.
March 14, 2016 5:45 p.m.
bijschjdbcd says... #4
The problem is the deck is already streamlined. I believe Jeff Hoogland even played 61/62 cards at a recent event.
I don't think it is necessarily more playable then Ajani.
March 14, 2016 5:52 p.m.
I don't see it. The card has zero synergy with the rest of the deck and is probably just worse than Ajani vengeant. Sure, it's ultimate can find half the combo, but ou still need the other half, and planeswalker ultimates win the game when you use them anyway. In fact, I'd say her ultimate is fairly weak.
March 14, 2016 5:59 p.m.
GlistenerAgent says... #6
I would play Ajani Vengeant instead. Oh wait, I wouldn't play Ajani Vengeant.
That pretty much sums up my argument against your suggestion.
March 14, 2016 6:05 p.m.
SwaggyMcSwagglepants says... #8
I think this is more of a jeskai walker than anything. @JexInfinite?
March 14, 2016 6:46 p.m.
bijschjdbcd says... #9
Again. Ajani is just better in a Jeskai control shell.
In Jeskai the plus is subpar, - is pretty solid and ultimate is pretty terrible.
Ajanis modes are all good.
March 14, 2016 6:53 p.m.
its funny you guys mention jeff because he just said on his stream he is going to try the new nahiri in kiki-chord
March 14, 2016 7:21 p.m.
asasinater13 says... #12
It's worth testing, but it looks like it won't be good.
March 14, 2016 8:30 p.m.
I didn't say it was good. I just said it's a potential utility.
+2 - Dig dig dig
-2 - Remove the things that hate your combo
-8 - Complete the combo
I don't like the new Nahiri. I really don't. She is only designed with SOI mechanics in mind and is fairly useless in the rest of real Magic. She will be used in Standard (maybe) because she can be.
Her most redeeming quality is being able to ult in three activations.
Her only actual use is an enabler for combos because she can dig, protect, and tutor. I mentioned Kiki-Chord because Mr. Hoogs has made it famous for Modern and it seemed like the most relative deck based on colors.
March 14, 2016 9:45 p.m.
bijschjdbcd says... #14
Whilst I understand your logic completely I still disagree.
Which wins the game more? Armageddon target your opponent or searching for a single creature?
I still don't think the plus or minus are better than Ajani in anyway.
That all being said, you play Eternal Witness which makes the plus on Nahiri much more interesting and synergistic.
I would rather Chord up a Reclamation Sage than play Nahiri to hit a potential Enchantment.
It only hits tapped artifacts, so it doesn't hit a Grafdiggers or anything.
March 14, 2016 11:03 p.m.
I'm skeptical of its potential in Kiki Chord. Fetching a creature of your choice in 3 activations is neat and all, but it's already a 4-drop, and the deck doesn't have a whole lot of room at the top of the curve.
March 15, 2016 12:21 a.m.
JexInfinite says... #16
Nahiri is standard chaff. Not playable in modern in any existing decks. Her +2 is a worse loot, her -2 isn't good enough to justify the mana cost, especially considering she cannot protect herself. Her -8 does nothing in most decks.
Almost any deck that tries Nahiri is going to be better off with Ajani Vengeant.
March 15, 2016 3:47 a.m. Edited.
Could we like change this thread into other options for Kiki-Chord instead of just talking about whether or not this one card is good? I've been playing it lately and doing well against Eldrazi decks. I wish Jeff would stream it at least a little bit, but he's totally against playing modern until something gets banned.
I play between 61 and 63 cards, I recently cut down to 2 of each wall and 2 voices to add a MB Linvala, Keeper of Silence, Fulminator Mage, Huntmaster of the Fells Flip and Magus of the Moon. I may cut Lone Missionary and try adding Sun Titan but the 6 mana cost may be pushing it. My current build is untested but it looks pretty good on virtual paper
March 15, 2016 12:26 p.m.
BrandonKruse says... #18
Oh, how great it feels to be right about a Magic card so many were wrong about. I purchased my Nahiri when they were $8 because I saw the potential that most didn't.
You guys must not understand the true purpose of Kiki-Chord, or you're focusing far too deeply on the combo. This deck is NOT solely a combo deck. It is a value deck. I win more games by out-valuing than I do attempting my combo. Nahiri is a card that not only adds value to your turns, but adds flexibility. You have a reason to hold your extra fetches now.
+2, DRAW A CARD. How many times have you been deep into a board-stall with a deck like, say, Affinity and were dying for an answer. Nahiri helps you cycle through your deck faster to draw greatly increase the statistics of drawing that bullet or Chord.
-2 DESTROY SOMETHING OPPRESSING. Do I need to say much more? Having trouble with Affinity? Choose which artifact you want to blow up after they attack with it. Use your creativity. Chord for Exarch to tap down their Bridge or their Batterskull or whatever is threatening you.
-8 You win the game. The ult is often over-looked by many because with MOST planewalkers, either a) the walker dies before it ults, or b) the game ends because the controller has gained too much value with it.
Well, Nahiri is a very special Planeswalker. Her plus and minus abilities do not win the game on their own. They do however help keep her alive for as long as you want to play Magic. You're drawing more cards than your opponent and you're spot removing threats from your opponents board. You're buying time.
This is why Nahiri's ult is relevant. This is why Emraku's are being tutored up at Modern GP's and this is why Nahiri is over $30 now.
Don't call a card bad until you've given it time to stick in a format. That's the moral of this story.
May 27, 2016 3:05 p.m.
I stand by my skepticism, given that it hasn't truly moved the needle in Kiki Chord (as this analysis ably demonstrates, it wasn't a top-10 deck on Grand Prix weekend). It's been awesome in Jeskai, though, no doubt about that.
May 27, 2016 3:36 p.m.
She's definitely seeing more play and a higher price tag than I ever anticipated. I'm surprised Sorin, Grim Nemesis is seeing next to no play at all as well.
May 27, 2016 3:45 p.m.
I'm not. 6-drop almost automatically disqualifies any card in Modern outside of dedicated ramp decks, and that's not exactly 
's forte.
May 27, 2016 3:46 p.m.
BrandonKruse says... #22
Rothgar13 - GP Charlotte's 4th place winning was Kiki-Chord with Nahiri. Check out the list for yourself.
May 28, 2016 8:35 p.m.
That's all well and good, but Kiki Chord as an archetype was mediocre at the GP weekend. If you had actually clicked on the link I posted earlier, you would know why I can say that with confidence. And overall, Kiki Chord is very much a Tier 2 deck with few prospects of moving up. I think Nahiri, the Harbinger has been at its best in Jeskai Control, and it's not particularly close.
May 29, 2016 7:18 p.m.
BrandonKruse says... #24
That's not entirely true. Nahiri has many advantages in both decks. If you play it in Chord, you're going to have Walls and small toolbox creatures to guard her for days. Rarely is my Nahiri killed by damage. She's also not my main wincon either, which says a lot about the Chord deck. It has enough ways to attack you that Nahiri is just a card advantage/removal engine in the deck. Especially when paired with Exarch.
bijschjdbcd says... #2
Why is this so good in Kiki Chord?
March 14, 2016 5:28 p.m.