Listen Now

Season 18, Episode 1: Brewer’s Guide to March of the Machine, Vol. 1 Magic has a brand new card type, and it is a brain bender. Battles (or Sieges … or Invasions…) attach spell effects to a new class of permanent. These permanents may then be attacked or damaged, similar to planeswalkers, to unlock a bonus card on the back side. Clearly each siege represents a large amount of value, but at the cost of time and efficiency. Your initial effect will be slightly below rate, and the reward for defeating the Battle may or may not be worth the progress you could have made on your opponent’s life total in the meantime. But there’s far more to March of the Machine than just Battles. The Incubate mechanic shakes up the hierarch of Game Objects, and could be significantly more powerful than Clues if you build your deck wisely. Backup is a new twist on ETB triggers that creates some very dangerous attacking sequences, and Convoke returns with some of the strongest payoffs we have ever seen. Today on Faithless Brewing we kick off our Modern and Pioneer Full Set Review with a close look at these new mechanics, as well as the most promising cards at the lower end of the mana curve. Will Wrenn and Realmbreaker become a multi format staple? Will there be a dedicated Battle deck? Will Knight-Errant of Eos make Morde’s value dreams come true? Find out in part 1 of our Brewer’s Guide to March of the Machine! Read our mini-primer on Wrenn and Realmbreaker here. Like our content? Support us on Patreon and join our brewing community! Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com Timestamps [3:02] Mechanic: Battles [4:07] Invasion of Kaladesh — Aetherwing, Golden-Scale Flagship [6:22] Invasion of Azgol — Ashen Reaper [7:56] How to evaluate Battles [14:33] Interacting with Battles [16:03] Render Inert [17:45] Mechanic: Convoke [19:03] Knight-Errant of Eos [25:27] Mechanic: Incubate [26:17] Norn’s Inquisitor [29:20] Mechanic: Backup [29:34] Doomskar Warrior [33:34] Elspeth’s Smite [34:58] Referee Squad [36:41] Invasion of Tarkir — Defiant Thundermaw [42:35] Invasion of Ikoria — Zilortha, Apex of Ikoria [44:49] Botanical Brawler [48:03] Invasion of Ergamon — Truga Cliffcharger [51:46] Bloodfeather Phoenix [53:36] Wrenn and Realmbreaker

Season 17, Episode 17: Brew Session (Unctus, Grand Metatect) Unctus, Grand Metatect does it all. It draws a million cards, assembles infinite combos, and provides tempo and aggression. It powers up Mox Amber and keeps your artifact density high. Interested in devotion pips? Life loss? Graveyard synergy? Unctus does that too. In Modern, Unctus has shown great promise in the proven artifact shells, where Urza’s Saga, Riddlesmith, and Ovalchase Daredevil make great use of the graveyard. It also provides a brilliant combo with two copies of Fatestitcher. In Pioneer, the artifact shells are less established, but no less tantalizing. Unctus sets up combos with Paradox Engine, Kiora’s Follower, Chief Engineer, or The Locust God. It also backs up aggression from Patchwork Automaton, vehicles, artifact creature tokens, and much more. Cavedan and David have been noodling on this card for a while, and today they plunge deep into the Metaverse of artifact combos. We’ve got six new decks to test and another half dozen still to discover. What will you do with Unctus in Modern and Pioneer?   Like our content? Support us on Patreon and join our brewing community!   Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com   Timestamps [2:25] Housekeeping [4:48] Brew Session: Unctus, Grand Metatect [6:36] Key questions [9:50] Graveyard synergies [14:32] Tapping creatures [19:38] Aggro creatures [23:33] More synergies [25:55] Sketch 1: Izzet Thopters [33:50] Sketch 2: UW Malcator Tokens [41:04] Sketch 3: Sultai Tyvar Artifacts [45:09] Sketch 4: Emry Paradox Combo [48:21] More Unctus combos [54:24] Sketch 5: Blue Shadow [1:01:01] Sketch 6: Ninja Skies [1:07:30] Unctus in Modern

Season 17, Episode 16: Weekly Roundup David & Dan look at early previews from Lord of the Rings and March of the Machines, and ponder whether Thalia and The Gitrog Monster has the right stats for Pioneer. Dan shares his results from the Hunter Burton Memorial Open, where he played Crabvine in the Modern 15K & Neoform Atraxa in the Pioneer 5K. They also look at new technology from the event, including updates to Lawson Zandi’s Shining Shoal deck, a new take on Pioneer Dredgeless Dredge, and updates to 5c Humans. Read Dan’s full tournament report from the HBMO Modern 15K here: https://bit.ly/Crabvine-15K-Report-FaithlessBrewing This article goes in depth on why Dan chose Crabvine, his updates to the decklist, round by round analysis and sideboarding guide, and a full review of a brutal camera match played at the end of Day 1. Like our content? Support us on Patreon and join our brewing community! Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com Timestamps [3:27] Housekeeping [6:55] Previews: Middle Earth + March of the Machine [7:35] Reprieve [12:32] Samwise, the Stouthearted [18:40] Gollum, Patient Plotter [22:24] The Shire [25:44] Tom Bombadil [30:15] Thalia and The Gitrog Monster [37:40] Tournament Report: HBMO Modern 15K [40:23] Dan’s Sultai Crabvine [46:56] Round 8 feature match: Crabvine vs Murktide [50:09] Lawson’s Boros Pitch Please [52:15] Tournament Report: HBMO Pioneer 5K [52:27] Dan’s Neoform Atraxa [57:40] Sultai Dredgeless Dredge by James Adams [1:02:07] 5c Humans by Cy Yarbrough

Season 17, Episode 15: Brew Session (Capricious Hellraiser) + Flashback (Malcator, Purity Overseer) Capricious Hellraiser has been racking up 5-0s … as well as 0-5s. The card has the support of premier deckbuiliders like Aspiringspike, and yet few have been able to replicate his success. Is this a value play at RRR, similar to Bloodbraid Elf? If so, you need a big graveyard, and a tolerance for randomness in what the Hellraiser will cast. Or is this a giant 3RRR threat that can reanimate something more specific, in a smaller graveyard? The possibilities with Hellraiser are nearly limitless. Cavedan and Morde review the best options for unlocking the synergies with Capricious Hellraiser, and discuss David’s ideas for new Pioneer brews as well as Spike’s ideas for Modern. They also check in on Project Malcator, where Cavedan has been spitting out 3/3 Golems at an impressive rate.   Like our content? Support us on Patreon and join our brewing community!   Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com   Timestamps [3:05] The One Ring [6:24] Brew Session: Capricious Hellraiser [8:24] Rules notes [10:36] Key questions [15:34] Key synergies [21:19] Sketch 1: Capricious Form [28:48] Sketch 2: Mardu Refurbish [34:27] Capri Sun (Jeskai Lotus Field) [43:41] Izzet Dragon Control [48:12] Gruul Capricious Conscription [54:22] Flashback: Malcator, Purity Overseer [55:43] David’s Esper Tokens [59:39] Dan’s UW Malcator Vehicles [1:06:45] 4c Malcator Omnath by DJeffMTG

Season 17, Episode 14: Brew Session (Shining Shoal) + Lord of the Rings First Look Shining Shoal is well on its way to becoming a Modern staple. It provides massive swings in a red-heavy metagame and generally terrorizes the combat step against creature decks. It is also one of the trickier cards in the format, both in understanding its niche interactions and in finding the correct shell to harness its power. Today on Faithless Brewing we welcome special guest Lawson Zandi (Zanman on MTGO) who has played some 50 leagues with Shining Shoal in various configurations, stacking up trophies in the process. Lawson explains the strengths and weaknesses of the original Shining Humans list with Chancellor of the Annex, the transition to Hatebears and Taxes strategies using Ondu Inversion, and the possibilities of Leyline Binding in a “5 color Mono White” manabase. We also take a first look at The One Ring (which one co-host describes as “the most powerful planeswalker legal in Modern”) and track new developments with Atraxa, Grand Unifier. Like our content? Support us on Patreon and join our brewing community! Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com Timestamps [2:45] Q&A with Lawson Zandi [6:55] Housekeeping [7:33] Lord of the Rings First Look [9:48] Gandalf the Grey [14:13] The One Ring [20:47] The 2023 Hunter Burton Memorial Open [24:22] Brew Session: Shining Shoal [35:30] Shining Humans by Hank the Obese [44:07] UW Shoal Hatebears by Zanman [50:47] Mono White Ponza by Zanman [59:18] 5c Mono White Stoneblade by Zanman [1:09:00] The future of Shining Shoal [1:12:34] Dan’s pick: Neoform Atraxa [1:16:53] Lawson’s pick: Atraxa Goryo’s More from Lawson: https://faithlessbrewing.podbean.com/e/wild-modern-with-lawson-zandi/

Season 17, Episode 13: Brew Session (Malcator, Purity Overseer) + Flashback (Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines) The people have spoken, and they want Elephants! 1/1 Elephants to be exact. Malcator, Purity Overseer took first place in our last monthly vote, meaning it’s time to dust off the Golem tokens and see how Blade Splicer stacks up against the 2023 Modern and Pioneer metagame. Of course, Malcator is more than just a Blade Splicer. The intriguing end-of-turn clause gives us something to strive for when simply blinking Malcator isn’t enough. Specific synergies, such as Saheeli Rai copying Malcator, or Urza’s Saga fetching Underworld Cookbook, make it much easier to generate 3 artifacts at once and generate Malcator’s bonus token. We examine five Pioneer decklists for the Phyrexian Elephant Wizard, and consider possible homes in Modern as well. On the Flashback, Elesh Norn, March of the Machines continues her rampage in three of David’s lists. Doubling up your own triggers for profit will always be fun, but how did Elesh stack up as a hate piece against the rest of the format? Tune in to find out.   Like our content? Support us on Patreon and join our brewing community! Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com   Timestamps [3:26] Housekeeping [5:31] Brew Session: Malcator, Purity Overseer [7:06] Rules notes [8:26] Key synergies [16:44] Sketch 1: Sram’s Esper-tise [29:22] Sketch 2: UW Tezzerator [35:39] Sketch 3: Jeskai Saheeli Combo [43:26] Sketch 4: 4c Saheeli Omnath [48:23] Sketch 5: Bant Malcator Circle [52:15] Malcator in Modern [55:19] Flashback: Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines [56:23] David’s GW Elesh Evolution [1:03:24] David’s GW Elesh Ramp [1:07:44] David’s Lotus Kiora Hellraiser 2.0 [1:19:00] Closing thoughts

Season 17, Episode 12: Weekly Roundup With several Modern tournaments on the horizon, Dan went deep into the weeds testing his favorite brews and tweaking out the numbers. Did any of them have what it takes to keep up with the 2023 Tier 1 Modern meta? Here’s what we tested: Sultai Crabvine, the old standby, is the quickest graveyard deck in the format and has numerous flex slots and sideboard options. Baithook Angler and other graveyard synergy pieces overperformed in testing, but the meta is still quite hostile. Temur HollowVine is an old strategy that got a burst of life thanks to the efforts of dackfayden_07, who cut the Asmo+Cookbook package for a more aggressive stance with Urborg Lhurgoyfs and Flameblade Adepts. The new configuration can rack up some impressive trophies, but consistency is elusive and graveyard hate is still a problem. Eldrazi Stompy was left for dead after the Simian Spirit Guide ban, but with a little TLC Dan has achieved a solid 64% win rate with TKS and friends. This deck isn’t a meta breaker but it has some great matchups and attacks from a unique angle. In this episode, the crew reviews Dan’s findings and identifies some other promising spice. Is Ghost Quarter the secret sauce in today’s meta? Is Shining Shoal poised to break things wide open? We discuss all this and more on today’s Faithless Brewing. Like our content? Support us on Patreon and join our brewing community! Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com Timestamps [2:49] Housekeeping [3:49] Voting results [10:06] B&R Update [17:12] Modern Tryouts: Sultai Crabvine [34:23] Modern Tryouts: Temur Hollow Vine [43:41] Modern Tryouts: Eldrazi Stompy [52:18] David’s pick: Tyvar Bastion of Remembrance Sacrifice [58:14] Dan’s pick: Mono White Ponza by Lawson Zandi  

Season 17, Episode 11: Brew Session (Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines) + Flashback (Mindsplice Apparatus & Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler) Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines has quickly become a Modern and Pioneer staple. She is hard to kill, interferes with opponents and supercharges all of your ETB triggers. Sure, we could throw Elesh into our 4c Omnath decks and call it a day. But why settle for just being an Elesh Normie? We’ve got oil-slick brews that will challenge the machine orthodoxy, and we are looking to put them to the test. On the Flashback, we tested Mindsplice Apparatus in Pioneer to unlock the power of massive cost reduction. The card still needs work and the decklists are fragile, but the power is undeniable once it gets going. We also check in on Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler, which is finally finding its groove in both Modern and Pioneer after a rocky but encouraging start. Like our content? Support us on Patreon and join our brewing community! Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com Timestamps [3:34] Housekeeping [3:58] Brew Session: Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines [10:50] French Obosh (Jeskai Blink) [14:13] Heartless Summoning Elesh Norn [18:15] 4c Omnath Elesh-mentals [21:06] Eldritch Evolution Elesh Norn [23:05] Omnath to Light [23:44] David’s GW Kiora Elesh Ramp [28:37] David’s Elesh Norn Lotus Field [34:09] Flashback: Mindsplice Apparatus + Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler [35:41] Temur Mindsplice Explosion [40:11] UW Mindsplice Approach [46:15] BG Tyvar Company [49:00] David’s Tyvar Sidisi [52:05] Jund Asmo Fiend Artisan [54:16] More Tyvar decks

Season 17, Episode 10: Weekly Roundup As Cavedan gears up for local RCQs in Modern & Pioneer, he faces challenges of deck selection, rust, and general tournament preparedness. Izzet Phoenix is his weapon of choice in Pioneer, but what about Modern? Luckily Morde is here to help. After that, the crew looks at the best of the March of the Machines previews from last week’s Pro Tour stream. Yuta Takahashi’s World Champion card has the right skills for eternal formats, but there are also some cheekier possibilities for silly legend team-ups like Yargle and Multani and Ghalta and Mavren. Pick up your Cragganwick Cremators and Sorin, Imperious Bloodlords just in case. We round things out with two spectacular brews that have found success in the highest levels of Modern competition. Graaz for Treasure inserts an unlikely payoff into the artifact reanimator shell, with Graaz, Unstoppable Juggernaut functioning as a Craterhoof Behemoth for your team. Shining Shoal Humans embraces the pitch spell mentality in a white weenie deck, perfectly tuned to flip a red-heavy Modern meta on its head. Both decks dominated in Modern Challenges over the weekend, showing once again that you don’t have to choose between playing a brew and making day two! Like our content? Support us on Patreon and join our brewing community! Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com   Timestamps [3:34] Housekeeping [5:51] A Pioneer RCQ Report: From the Ashes with Izzet Phoenix [13:15] Dan’s Izzet Phoenix (PT + MTGO Hybrid) [18:29] How to prepare for a Modern RCQ [21:33] Dan’s Colorless Eldrazi Stompy [25:47] March of the Machines First Look [26:53] Faerie Mastermind [31:57] Moment of Truth [34:53] Heliod, Radiant Dawn [37:52] Yargle and Multani [43:36] Ghalta and Mavren [45:58] Omnath, Locus of All [48:19] Jin-Gitaxias [49:38] Chandra, Hope’s Beacon [51:44] Graaz for Treasure by kahluah777 [58:33] Shining Shoal Humans by HankTheObese  

Season 17, Episode 9: Brew Session (Mindsplice Apparatus) + Flashback (Atraxa, Grand Unifier) David and Dan brew decks with Mindsplice Apparatus, the biggest cost reducer we have ever seen. We also track the rise of Atraxa, Grand Unifier and test two new Pioneer builds. Like our content? Support us on Patreon and join our brewing community! Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com Timestamps [2:05] Housekeeping [3:21] Brew Session: Mindsplice Apparatus [4:50] Key Questions [7:33] Card draw payoffs [14:41] Big spell payoffs [16:38] Synergistic pieces [19:37] Deck 1: Temur Growth Spiral [24:00] Deck 2: UW Approach of the Second Sun [30:40] Deck 3: Izzet Galvanic Turns [32:57] Izzet Mindsplice by Chris Botehlo [36:14] Magma Opus + Gearhulk [40:09] Flashback: Atraxa, Grand Unifier [42:35] Atraxa Goryo’s Reanimator by FunkiMunki [45:33] 5c Elesh-mentals by Batuhtunha [46:04] Tyvar Devoted Druid Combo by galatriste [48:49] Dan’s Sultai Neoform Atraxa [59:43] Dan’s 4c Omnath to Light Atraxa [1:06:29] Obosh Creativity Atraxa by MrRaeb [1:06:40] Keruga Transmogri-Fires Atraxa by bcs8995 [1:07:06] Vat of Rebirth Reanimator by NJAMTG  

Season 17, Episode 8: Weekly Roundup (Pro Tour Phyrexia) + Monthly Project Nominees At long last, the paper Pro Tour has returned! Pioneer was the format of choice as 200+ pros did battle in Philadelphia. But what did they discover as they each attempted to break the format? Cavedan and David break down the latest decks and technologies from PIoneer, from small innovations in stock lists to speculative brews invented whole cloth. After that, it’s time for you the listeners to pick our next monthly project! Twelve cards have been nominated by our patreon community and there is no shortage of spice. Which card will we brew next? That’s up to you. Like our content? Support us on Patreon and join our brewing community! Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com Timestamps [5:39] Housekeeping [8:15] Pro Tour Phyrexia Recap [10:47] Radkos Midrange by Shota Yasooka [18:22] Selesnya Auras by Benton Madsen [23:56] 5c Omnath to Light by Nick Schirillo [28:05] Azorius Powerstones by Jeff LIn [35:24] Monthly Project Nominees [36:16] Ratadrabik of Urborg [39:11] All Will Be One [42:17] Malcator, Purity Overseer [46:34] Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor [48:18] Devastating Summons [50:20] Teething Wurmlet [52:57] Voidwing Hybrid [54:41] Michiko’s Reign of Truth [57:08] Riveteers Ascendancy [1:01:27] Urza, Lord Protector [1:02:53] Aetherworks Marvel [1:06:31] Flux Channeler

Season 17, Episode 7: Brew Session (Atraxa, Grand Unifier) + Flashback (Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler) Atraxa, Grand Unifier is a tremendous creature. No one would dispute that. But is it really possible that Atraxa is the strongest creature in all of Magic? Recent tournament results from Standard, Legacy, Modern, and even Vintage have seen Atraxa decks soaring to the top of the standings. This is a heavyweight creature, much more likely to be cheated into play than cast fairly. But once on the battlefield, Atraxa does things other creatures can only dream of. Her trigger looks at a massive 10 cards (1/6th of a typical library), making this less of a “draw 4 cards” and more of a “draw 10, discard 6.” And unlike Niv-Mizzet Reborn, Atraxa grants access to these cards with almost no deckbuilding concessions. Want to use Atraxa to grab a Mox Amber and an Ephemerate? You are welcome to, and you even keep a few other cards for your trouble. What truly sets Atraxa apart is how she helps you even before entering the battlefield. For better or worse, we live in the era of free pitch cards, and Atraxa pitches to everything from Solitude and Grief (more Ephemerate targets) to Force of Vigor and Force of Negation. That means your Atraxa turn doesn’t have to end when you tap out for Atraxa, as you can follow up with a Grief or even a free protection spell like Not Of This World. The sky is the limit for Atraxa, and her price has been skyrocketing accordingly. We’ll do our part this week to drive that price even higher, as we attempt to find new homes for Atraxa in both Modern and Pioneer. Whatever happens, one thing is clear: never bet against a Niv-Mizzet trigger!   Like our content? Support us on Patreon and join our brewing community! Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com   Timestamps [3:35] Housekeeping [6:43] Brew Session: Atraxa, Grand Unifier [10:57] Rules notes [14:52] The competition at 7+ CMC [22:21] Getting Atraxa into play [29:06] Atraxa Reanimator (Legacy) [31:02] Emi’s Neoform Atraxa (Modern) [33:40] Esper Goryo’s (Modern) [35:04] Obosh Creativity (Pioneer) [39:56] David’s Neoform Atraxa (Pioneer) [42:13] Atraxa Invoke Justice (Standard) [44:46] Phyrexian Pyre of Heroes (Pioneer) [48:46] Flashback: Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler [50:11] Sultai Soul Diviner [54:10] 4c Vannifar Pod [1:01:48] Paradox Engine Combo [1:08:50] Tyvar Devoted Druid Combo  

Season 17, Episode 6: Weekly Roundup (Modern + Pioneer) A full week of online tournaments with Phyrexia: All Will Be One are now in the books, and new format staples are emerging in both Modern and Pioneer. It starts with The Mycosynth Gardens, a card that Amulet Titan players have given rave reviews. The only question seems to be: where does Valakut+Dryad fit into the newly colorless manabase? Meanwhile, Dimir Mill players have been feasting upon the Amulet Hopeful sporting playsets of a new toy of their own: Jace, the Perfected Mind. An on-plan threat that plays to the board and has huge upside and versatility seems to be exactly what Dr. Mill ordered. Finally, Atraxa, Grand Unifier is a card in the midst of a meteoric rise. In just days the card has quadrupled in value following tournament wins in every format. The card is loaded with potential in both Modern and Pioneer, and is a worthy target for our next brewing adventure. Like our content? Support us on Patreon and join our brewing community! Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com Timestamps [5:05] Housekeeping [8:28] Amulet Titan ft. The Mycosynth Gardens [13:50] Dimir Mill ft. Jace, the Perfected Mind [20:35] Grinding Breach ft. Skrelv, Defector Mite [21:41] 5c Creativity ft. Atraxa, Grand Unifier [25:43] Hammer ft. Kemba, Kha Enduring [26:24] Rakdos Scam ft. Sheoldred’s Edict [29:38] Mardu ReScaminator ft. Nahiri, the Unyielding [35:03] Izzet Murktide ft. Minor Misstep [37:01] Boros Stoneblade ft. Skrelv, Defector Mite + Malcator, Purity Overseer [42:13] Mono White Devotion ft. Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines, Ossification & The Eternal Wanderer [43:26] GW Yorion Blink ft. Elesh Norn [49:26] Rakdos Sac ft. Annihilating Glare [51:45] Venerated Rotpriest brews [54:03] Rakdos Sac ft. Gleeful Demolition + Vraan, Executioner Thane [58:17] Hammer Cats ft. Kemba [1:00:02] Moritte of the Frost Combo [1:07:34] Boros Hammer ft. Kemba & Cacophony Scamp & Skrelv  

Season 17, Episode 5: Brew Session (Elesh Norn, Mindsplice Apparatus, Filigree Sylex, Unctus, Grand Metatect) No nonsense, no bluster, no chit-chat. All Will Be Brews. There’s so much to explore now that Phyrexia: ONE is available, so let’s dive right into the decklists! David shares five of his favorite brew-around cards for Pioneer, with a fresh decklist for each one. All Will Be One offers a red interpretation of Doubling Season. The Filigree Sylex is a 1-shot kill when paired with Solphim, Mayhem Dominus. Mindsplice Apparatus is a mana engine unlike anything we have ever seen. And big momma herself, Elesh Norn, may be the cure for the Pioneer meta. You can read David’s full article with even more deck ideas at FaithlessBrewing.com: The Faithless 15: First Draft Pioneer Brews for Phyrexia All Will Be One " Faithless Brewing MTG Like our content? Support us on Patreon and join our brewing community! Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com Timestamps [5:05] Housekeeping [5:34] Deck 1: Izzet All Will Be One [15:36] Deck 2: Gruul Filigree Sylex [27:27] Deck 3: Temur Mindsplice Apparatus [38:56] Deck 4: GW Elesh Norn Kiora [46:38] Deck 5: Emry Unctus Combo

Season 17, Episode 4: Brew Session (Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler) Attention faithless brewers, tawdry tappers, and spike rogues! Tyvar Kell invites you to the JUBILEE BRAWL, starting today at the New Phyrexia Fairgrounds. There will be creature combos! Graveyard shenanigans! Turn 3 kills! Join us for a week of Modern Mayhem, Pioneer Pandemonium, and Phyrexian Physticuffs!   Featuring the following creatures: Devoted Druid, for infinite mana three different ways, or a mini-ritual with Tyvar’s -2. Prime Speaker Vannifar, now with a turn 3 Tap to Win! Goblins galore with Conspicuous Snoopy! Build-a-sword workshops with Stoneforge Mystic Overgrown Battlement and the Wombo Combo Walls Jewel hunting with Diamond Lion & Echo of Eons Mana dorks, elves, and so much more!   There’s decks for everyone at the JUBILEE BRAWL, with combo kills and value plays in any format you please. Bring the whole family and happy brewing!   Like our content? Support us on Patreon and join our brewing community! Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com   Timestamps [2:38] Predictions [5:46] Housekeeping [6:37] Brew Session: Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler [9:21] Rules notes [13:38] Combo kills with Tyvar [38:36] Synergy creatures with Tyvar [51:33] Sketch 1: Sultai Sidisi [58:40] Sketch 2: Abzan Priest of Forgotten Gods [1:05:19] Sketch 3: Prime Speaker Vannifar Combo [1:13:57] Sketch 4: Dimir Soul Diviner

Season 17, Episode 3: Weekly Roundup With previews finished and our Set Review episodes in the books, Cavedan and Morde sit down to rank their top cards from Phyrexia: All Will Be One. This time around, they broadly agree on the cards that excite them most in Modern. Build-around planeswalkers and unique creatures top the list, but there’s still room for a little gleeful destruction of artifacts for fun and profit. In the Picks of the Week, Morde shares the secrets to his recent success with Goblins, which has netted him three 5-0 trophies in his last four tries. This leaner build emphasizes cost reduction from Frogtosser Banneret and Goblin Warchief to set up spectacular turns with Rundvelt Hordemaster and Skirk Prospector. Is this the future of the Goblins archetype? Dan’s pick is a truly astonishing Combo Walls deck that racked up multiple 5-0 finishes in the last week. If you have copies of Walking Bulwark in your draft chaff, fish them out now! He also shares his travails with Rivaz of the Claw, our current Monthly Project. With 1-4 and 2-3 results pouring in (and the occasional painful 0-4), can we finally assemble a Rivaz build that gets into the winning column?   Looking for more brewing inspiration? Check out this new article from David & Dan, outlining 15 new Phyrexia brews for Pioneer. Free to read at FaithlessBrewing.com! The Faithless 15: First Draft Pioneer Brews for Phyrexia All Will Be One " Faithless Brewing MTG   Like our content? Support us on Patreon and join our brewing community!   Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com   Timestamps [3:19] Housekeeping Weekly roundup [4:19] RCQ changes [7:56] An FNM ethics question Phyrexia Top 5 Most Exciting to Brew [19:41] Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler [22:04] Venerated Rotpriest [24:40] Capricious Hellraiser [27:59] Atraxa, Grand Unifier [30:41] Nahiri, the Unforgiving [31:48] Gleeful Demolition Picks of the Week [35:13] Morde’s pick: Frogtosser Goblins [46:51] Dan’s pick: Bant Walls Combo Monthly Project Update [54:02] Zach’s Dragon Ramp [57:22] Dan’s Jund Kiora Dragons

Season 17, Episode 2: Brewer’s Guide to Phyrexia, Part 2 (Pioneer) The Great Work continues. With Phyrexia: All Will Be One fully previewed, we turned loose our resident brew master to analyze the best new offerings for Pioneer. (This time around, we are diving our set review by format — if you’d like to hear our analysis of the Modern cards, check out the previous episode of Faithless Brewing). In the brewer’s paradise that is Pioneer, the powerful new offerings from Phyrexia are glistening with oil-slick possibilities. More than 60 cards made the cut in this massive episode, which still only scratches the surface of what All Will Be One has to offer. There’s something for everyone in this set, and we can’t wait to grease the wheels of the brewing machine and get to work. Happy brewing, — cavedan   Like our content? Support us on Patreon and join our brewing community!   Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com   Timestamps [1:56] Housekeeping [3:19] Allied Fastlands [7:47] The Seedcore [10:50] Mirrex [13:11] The Mycosynth Gardens [14:58] Vindictive Flamestoker [17:45] Venerated Rotpriest [21:13] Skrelv, Defector Mite [24:51] Black Sun’s Twilight [27:35] Tyvar’s Stand [30:27] Evolving Adaptive [32:12] Green Sun’s Twilight [35:17] Rebel Salvo [37:59] Gleeful Demolition [39:48] Cacophony Scamp [43:04] Annihilating Glare [44:07] Vat of Rebirth [45:38] Crawling Chorus [46:38] Swooping Lookout [49:23] Experimental Augury [51:42] Voidwing Hybrid [52:35] Venser, Corpse Puppet [55:20] Hexgold Halberd [57:37] Cankerbloom [58:54] Soulless Jailer [1:00:36] Skrelv’s Hive [1:02:35] Melira, the Living Cure [1:05:08] The Filigree Sylex [1:07:23] Armored Scrapgorger [1:09:42] Kemba, Kha Enduring [1:12:54] Ossification [1:15:16] Sheoldred’s Edict [1:17:01] Anoint with Affliction [1:19:20] Tablet of Compleation [1:22:11] Vraan, Execution Thane [1:24:13] Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler [1:26:34] Tamiyo’s Logbook [1:27:37] Bloated Contaminator [1:31:29] Blade of Shared Souls [1:33:09] Glissa Sunslayer [1:36:04] Urabrask’s Forge [1:38:01] Mirran Safehouse [1:39:50] Malcator, Purity Overseer [1:42:23] Sword of Forge and Frontier [1:45:10] Migloz, Maze-crusher [1:46:36] Unctus, Grand Metatect [1:48:19] Lukka, Bound to Ruin [1:53:18] Solphim, Mayhem Dominus [1:54:34] Mondrak, Glory Dominus [1:55:35] Evolved Spinoderm [1:57:09] Archfiend of the Dross [1:59:07] Mindsplice Apparatus [2:02:25] Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines [2:04:44] Argentum Masticore [2:06:48] Thrun, Breaker of Silence [2:08:40] The Eterrnal Wanderer [2:10:21] Capricious Hellraiser [2:14:31] Nissa, Ascended Animist [2:16:39] Atraxa, Grand Unifier [2:19:51] Kaya, Intanigible Slayer [2:21:44] Tyrannax Rex [2:24:24] Concluding thoughts  

Season 17, Episode 1: Brewer’s Guide to Phyrexia, Part 1 (Modern) Behold blessed perfection! With Phyrexia: All Will Be One finally revealed in all of its machine glory, we are ready to dive into the glorious work of brewing. Today on Faithless Brewing we present our Modern set review. (This time around Pioneer will be treated separately, so check out our next episode if you are interested in that format). Two cards stand out immediately for their high potential in Modern. The first is Venerated Rotpriest, a 1 drop that could bolster traditional Infect strategies. More importantly, Rotpriest may be powerful enough to spawn a new Storm archetype. Thanks to Summoner’s Pact, Ground Rift, and free spells, it’s possible to assemble a lethal combination consistently by turn 3. Spellskite not only runs interference but doubles as additional copies of the Priest for purposes of accumulating triggers. The Mycosynth Gardens is enticing in Amulet Titan as a way to set up double Amulet kills. While the Titan experts run their experiments, we can also contemplate other cheap artifacts that might benefit from low-cost doubling. Rarely do lands offer so much brewing potential at such an efficient rate. Beyond those two blue chips, several other cards cards could upgrade existing strategies. Gleeful Demolition gives critical momentum to “whack” strategies alongside Kuldotha Rebirth, Jace, the Perfected Mind is a new toy for Mill with lots of optionality Soulless Jailer improves upon Drannith Magistrate, and the black Skullbomb is a clean 2 for 1 for Urza’s Saga. Beyond the known strategies, Phyrexia: ONE also offers enticing brewing targets for the adventurous. Atraxa, Grand Unifier may be the new premier threat to cheat into play. Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler and Nahiri, the Unforgiving open up new brewing space on three mana planeswalkers, while Capricious Hellraiser can fit into fair and unfair strategies alike. And don’t rule out the Mother of Machines herself: while Commander players wring their hands over Elesh Norn, her impressive powers may well extend into 1v1 formats. For a standard set release there is a lot going on beneath the surface, and plenty to keep our attentions occupied in the eternal formats. What cards do you have your eye on? Are there any Modern contenders we are still sleeping on? Happy brewing, — cavedan Like our content? Support us on Patreon and join our brewing community! Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com Timestamps [3:12] The mechanics of Phyrexia: All Will Be One [6:04] The Mycosynth Gardens [9:25] Venerated Rotpriest [15:49] The Skullbomb cycle [17:48] Gleeful Demolition [20:15] Minor Misstep [22:23] Experimental Augury [24:05] Cankerbloom [24:58] Soulless Jailer [26:38] Mercurial Spelldancer [29:28] Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler [35:48] Jace, the Perfected Mind [40:30] Nahiri, the Unforgiving [47:06] Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines [50:14] Capricious Hellraiser [54:18] Atraxa, Grand Unifier [59:37] Final thoughts

Season 16, Episode 19: 2022 Year in Review

Season 16, Episode 18: Morde Brews Modern (Jan 2023)