Conflux is here, and in a big way! Conflux is not only one of the best sets in years from a playables standpoint, it is fun and interesting set to think about. I am a huge fan of this set. I open a lot of Conflux on the night of the release, and this set is probably the best set from which to crack packs since Future Sight.
The Future Sight Game was a Magic culture event: the opening of packs of Future Sight, on a mass scale, once the economics were such that packs of Future Sight were worth more open than sealed. Obviously, Tarmogoyf is the biggest culprit, but River of Tears, Venser, and many more all played a role. Opening packs of Future Sight was a little bit like an everyman’s lotto, but one with a positive EV.
Opening Morningtide had some real highs, but the risk was much riskier, as there are a lot of bad packs of Morningtide going around. There really are only so many Bitterblossoms, Mutavaults, Chameleon Colossi, and Reveillarks. I want to temper my seemingly hyperbolic comments about Conflux, but even so, this is a great set to open (for the time being), as there are just tons of cards that people are going to want.
First of all, Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker invokes in me a sensation that I have not felt in years. I actually want to own one just to own one. Maybe it is tournament playable, maybe it is not, but it is like I am 14 again and I have first laid eyes on Shivan Dragon.
Shivan Dragon was the first Magic card I ever fantasized about. I mean it, I really fantasized about Shivan Dragon. I imagined what it would be like to someday own one. I imagined building decks with it. I imagined casting it. I imagined the look on the face of my third-round opponent when I pumped it with every Red mana I could muster. Shivan Dragon, to me, was more than just sexy, it was inspiring. It was not just cool, it was exhilarating.
Even to this day, Shivan Dragon will always hold a special place in my heart. As anyone who knows me can tell you, Shivan Dragon comes up in my day-to-day conversation more than most Magic cards. To me, Shivan Dragon still invokes an emotion that mere mortal Magic cards do not. It is timeless. It is a classic.
Nicol Bolas is awe-inspiring. He is the baddest ass of them all. He is elegant, fun, and he was created to be out-of-this-world crazy powerful. He may be so expensive that it is hard to justify him in Constructed, but he seems like more than a Magic card to me.
“There is always a greater power?”
Sure, because you can always look up to Nicol Bolas.
Just imagine how fun this guy would be to play, whether it is round 9 of a Grand Prix or it is the 9th turn of an emperor game. Imagine if it is Top 8 of the Pro Tour, and you summon Nicol Bolas against Kenji. Kenji may be a master among men, but with Nicol Bolas on your side, how can he feel like anything but a huge underdog?
Anyway, this article is not meant to be a rant about how much I love Nicol Bolas (though, I do). I was merely saying that I think Nicol Bolas is currently underpriced. Who doesn’t want to own a Nicol Bolas? On top of that, people want something to be the card to chase. Why not chase the baddest of the bad asses? Wizards has made many powerful spells and powerful creatures, no question, but who really cares that much about the latest 7/7?
Nicol Bolas is the most powerful Planeswalker (most powerful, not best), and Planeswalker is a very special card type. This gives us reason to care. This card is even in that sweet spot where you are probably going to win just by playing it, but the game is going to continue for a bit and you are going to get to enjoy it, as opposed to Tooth and Nail where the game ends immediately, or Cruel Ultimatum where your opponent concedes immediately as he knows the game is hopeless.
My point is that Nicol Bolas is just one of many great cards to open in this set, along with Banefire, Noble Hierarch, hell, even Path to Exile. Talk about a chase uncommon!
Okay, enough random musings. Let’s get down to business.
Creatures (14)
Planeswalkers (2)
Lands (25)
Spells (19)
Can you believe that people are still sleeping on Faeries? You would think they would get it by now. Yes, of course I realize there are no Conflux cards in this deck, just as I realize that Conflux offers great anti-Fae cards like Volcanic Fallout and Scattershot Archers. Still, look big picture and you will see what I am talking about.
Faeries was so good last year that, at times, it became a poor choice. The hate was ridiculously slanted against it. Not that the hate was unbeatable, but it was just a very hostile format for the deck.
Now that Faeries is perceived to have been “checked,” the number of Fae players will go down, with many potential pilots afraid of being the victim of a Fallout. Boy, I know a lot of players will not want to deal with that. Still, the decreased number of pilots also means that players will face Faeries less often, meaning it is actually less worthwhile to dedicate sideboard and maindeck slots against it.
This could eventually lead to a situation where the format is actually less hostile towards Fae than it was, such as if everyone ends up wanting to play Reveillark and Noble Hierarch and takes the Cloudthreshers out of their decks.
Don’t get me wrong, Volcanic Fallout is a killer, probably the best anti-Fae card ever, but it doesn’t mean the end of the Fae. Not by a long shot.
Countersquall out of the sideboard is a reasonable option, but I doubt it will change much. The more interesting question is will Faeries players finally give in and embrace a third (or even fourth) color? I have my eyes on either Red or White, as both add interesting dimensions to a Faeries deck.
Speaking of Red…
Creatures (22)
- 3 Mogg Fanatic
- 4 Demigod of Revenge
- 4 Tattermunge Maniac
- 4 Figure of Destiny
- 4 Hellspark Elemental
- 3 Shambling Remains
Lands (23)
Spells (15)
You can see from this list that my view on Red is that it is going to have to adapt to survive. Yes, it has exciting new tools to work with, but the format is not what it was three months ago. Plus, without Magus of the Moon, there are a lot fewer free wins going around.
I think Blightning is a fantastic card. Still, that will not surprise many. The more interesting aspects of this list are the Tattermunge Maniacs, which I think are going to come back in a big way. Hellspark Elemental and Volcanic Fallout are amazing new additions, and anyone overlooking them had best try them and see for themselves.
Hellspark is much more powerful than you probably think, and is easily one of the best cards in the deck. Three damage for two mana is a fine deal, and “drawing” a second one for free is unreal. It is very difficult to combat this card effectively, and it should help remind players why they should be playing Plumeveils.
Volcanic Fallout confuses many players who worry about playing it with a bunch of weenies. Here is the thing: against Fae, you really need the help, as Red is not nearly as good against Faeries as people think. In addition, you struggle with cards like Spectral Procession.
Finally, so very often the situation is that your opponent either deals with your guys or they don’t. If they don’t, you win anyway. If they do, it is a reliable source of uncounterable damage to seal the deal.
Shambling Remains is a nice upgrade over Ashenmoor Gouger, as three is the new four. This guy is nicely positioned and really helps force through some damage in the early mid-game. Boggart Ram-Gang is another nice option, and there is definitely nothing wrong with running them.
One card with which I was experimenting, with some success, was Goblin Lore. Goblin Lore gets a lot of strange looks, but it is actually interesting since you don’t really have any two-drops anyway. It is a nice way to filter cards to try to increase hand quality, but is also a mondo combo with all of the Unearth and Demigod. Whether you are stuck on two lands or flooded, it helps solve your problems. I tried it in the above deck and it was not quite good enough, but it is an interesting option to keep in mind, particularly if you get a little more graveyard stuff going on.
Another deck I have been experimenting with a lot is Five-Color Control.
Creatures (11)
Planeswalkers (1)
Lands (26)
Spells (22)
This deck is a far cry from the Quick n’ Toast monster unveiled by Manuel Bucher and friends in Hollywood last year, but it is merely the latest in the ongoing quest to understand Vivid Creek.
This list is certainly not tuned, but it is modeled after our Worlds deck, which was certainly the most successful Five-Color Control build. The Volcanic Fallouts are a must, in my opinion, and maindeck is surely a place for two-to-four copies. The Path to Exiles have been working out well, particularly the play of Pathing my Mulldrifter on turn 4.
I also think Celestial Purge is a consideration for the maindeck, although it obviously makes a great sideboard card. There are tons of other goodies to try, as once you embrace Vivid Lands, you realize that all cards are options.
I know a lot of people traditionally struggle to make Five-Color Control work, but I assure you, there is a build out there that has what it takes. Nobody ever said playing Vivid Creek would be easy, but the rewards are great.
Creatures (24)
- 4 Mistmeadow Witch
- 4 Mulldrifter
- 3 Sower of Temptation
- 4 Reveillark
- 4 Kitchen Finks
- 3 Glen Elendra Archmage
- 2 Knight of the White Orchid
Lands (24)
Spells (12)
The only truly great cards in the format are Cryptic Command, Bitterblossom, Noble Hierarch, and Reveillark. This build tries to do what many of the Reveillark decks do, but it incorporates a great late-game along with the power of Cryptic Command for value.
Path to Exile plus Knight of the White Orchid is cute, but the mana is a little shaky for those kind of shenanigans. I happen to love Pathing my Reveillark in a pinch, especially as a way to get a Glen Elendra Archmage into play. The play of Pathing a Sculler (with trigger on the stack) is enough to get me to consider the splash, especially since I already play Arcane Sanctum.
This deck struggles with Faeries, as Reveillark traditionally does, but perhaps if enough people abandon the Fae, U/W can shine. This is still a good strategy to have in the gauntlet, as it beats up a number of decks, particularly the many creature decks and most Five-Color Control builds.
Let’s get into a little more exciting territory.
Creatures (29)
- 4 Birds of Paradise
- 4 Doran, the Siege Tower
- 1 Treefolk Harbinger
- 4 Boggart Ram-Gang
- 4 Wilt-Leaf Liege
- 4 Rafiq of the Many
- 4 Tidehollow Sculler
- 4 Noble Hierarch
Lands (23)
Spells (8)
I gave a preview of this new archetype last week, and I have to say I was not surprised at the talk that it has generated. I am far from the world’s foremost expert on beatdown, and I am sure much can be done to improve this deck, but here is my latest version.
The Ram-Gang seems superior to the War Monk to me, as Haste is so much better than lifelink, and this makes up for the toughness drop. I think that the turn 2 Ram-Gang is such a nutty draw, especially with Hierarch.
The Tower Aboves have been phenomenal. I absolutely love them in this deck. They serve as removal, allowing you to easily pick off Sowers (especially when the Sower steals an attacker), as well as easily dealing with cards like Kitchen Finks. On top of the removal aspect, they serve as extra damage, not only dealing four damage itself, but helping your guys break through. If you have a Doran and your opponent has a Plumeveil and a Mulldrifter, if you Tower Above and attack, how much damage is the Tower Above really doing?
In many ways, the Tower Above is like a fantastic burn spell, serving both as a solution to problem creatures as well as a way to get some reach. I know it may seem funny, but trust me, the card is awesome. Don’t even get me started on when you Tower Above a Rafiq of the Many…
The somewhat random Treefolk Harbinger is a little solution to the problem of not having much play on turn 2 if they kill your one-drop. Even though he costs one, he is an ideal two-drop, setting up the Doran play. The ability to get Bosk, Forest, or Nameless Inversion is a nice touch, and a second Harbinger is an option, but I need more data.
This deck has incredible potential, and it will help drive interest in Noble Hierarch. I think the biggest obstacles one must overcome with this strategy are Faeries and a deck with a million Paths and Wraths. Thornling is an interesting thought out of the board. It can be Pathed, but the Paths will be stretched to the limit already, and it trumps Wrath.
I am not sure the best way to fight the Fae with this deck, but perhaps Scattershot Archers is the place to look. Who knows? Maybe this is a Ranger of Eos deck waiting to happen.
As of right now, Noble Hierarch is the only card that has me considering not playing Cryptic Command.
Creatures (27)
- 4 Llanowar Elves
- 4 Civic Wayfinder
- 4 Doran, the Siege Tower
- 4 Wren's Run Vanquisher
- 3 Wilt-Leaf Liege
- 4 Tidehollow Sculler
- 4 Noble Hierarch
Lands (23)
Spells (10)
This is a little different take on the Noble Hierarch. The comparisons to Gindy-style Elves are obvious, with Doran and Wilt-Leaf replacing Perfect and Colossus. The Colossus is poorly positioned now, as is the Perfect. Pro Black is not Pro White. Two toughness is not what you want on a three-drop with no inherent card advantage.
The Sculler is a great card that I think should see more play. This deck really shines at the two-spot, a feature that most other decks do not share right now.
Eyeblight’s Ending is an oft-overlooked piece of removal that usually serves as an easier-to-cast Unmake that untaps your land.
Finally, Profane Command is such an insane finisher. Decks like this often only need to get through 6-10 damage, and Profane Command will do the rest. Even the value play of killing a guy and getting back a Sculler is very appealing. Personally, I don’t think Elves is positioned well enough to make a full comeback, but it has some interesting features.
As you can see, there are a lot of different directions to go with this format, and I have been having a lot of fun playing it thus far. I gotta say though, I still think there are a ton of cards that need to be explored. Banefire? Thornling? Wall of Reverence? Scepter of Fugue? Master Transmuter? This is only the tip of the iceberg.
I want to try an experiment. If you guys would, please suggest cards from Conflux to try building around or incorporating into existing strategies. I will try to work with a couple of suggestions (serious suggestions…) and see what I come up with for next week. Also, I am playing in an Extended PTQ on the Game in the Gulf, Magic Cruise, so I will let you guys know how that went.
I am actually sending this article in a little early, as I am about to get on the Cruise Ship tomorrow. I am so psyched! This event is amazing. I will be on the ship for five days before returning to the Midwest in time for the Meandeck Open on February 15th. Man, there’s so much fun stuff going on this month, and it’s all leading up to Pro Tour: Kyoto.
See you next week when I cover all this, as well as things I have learned recently as a result of having Manuel Bucher, Mark Herberholz, and Gabriel Nassif staying with me in my Detroit Penthouse.
Later!
Patrick Chapin
“The Innovator”