Dies to Removal

You'd still have to pay 2 to have the stomping ground untapped

Sometimes, sure. But there's still the EOT fetch.

I think the real bonus from Stomping Ground isn't casting Mutagenic Growth - that 2 life shouldn't matter much - it's being able to access things like Ancient Grudge or Destructive Revelry from the board.

Why on earth would i want to play Ancient Grudge?

Why wouldn't you want to play destructive revelry?

Who would eat thirty bagged lunches?

There's little point in playing Ancient Grudge and Destructive Revelry when you're already playing Wear / Tear.

Also, smash

Who would eat thirty bagged lunches?

He called the shit 'poop!

I'm personally not a fan of Smash alongside Wear / Tear anyway because the only matchup I'd actually want Smash is for Affinity, and eight Searing effects is more than enough IMO. I'd rather use those extra slots to Volcanic Fallout or something more widely useful that can also be brought in for Affinity.

I like playing 2 wear/tear 2 smash to smithereens , because sometimes you want to board in 1-2 artifact destruction spells for annoying cards like dragon's claw, and the upside of dealing 3 damage is huge. I can't justify boarding in a spell that doesn't deal damage to destroy something that my opponent might never draw.

But it doesn't deal damage when your opponent doesn't draw it either. That's not a good argument for reasons to run it.

You are right, i should just have said that i believe smash to smithereens is a strictly better card in burn. You want wear/tear for enchantments, but if have to deal only with artifacts smash is the better choice.

Look at it this way: wear/tear is just a 1 for 1 removal spell, and burn is not looking to 1 for 1 the opponent since the more the game goes long, the worse is for us (this is why discard spells/counterspells are decent against us). On the other hand, smash to smithereens is a 2 for 1, like searing blaze and searing blood : it destroys a card and deals 3 damage, that are worth a card for the burn deck.

Ideally i would play 4 destructive revelry to solve any doubt, but i don't want to splash green only for that, so i will keep gong with my wear/smash split.

This just feels so wierd. It is like I can put together any combination of red, white, and blue spells and Cruise and get a viable deck. I keep adding more creatures and whatnot and it just keeps going.

[deck]Raka Geistburn[/deck]

The Lightning Angel was a Resto but nobody falls for attacking into 4 open mana any more so I may as well take the haste/vigilance creature. It also gives a neat little package where I have Angel, Firewalker and Anger and just grin evilly at my opponent.

List that top 8 milan ran lightning helix instead of growth

Well, it doesn't seem strange to me. I understand how it can be cool to save your creatures from burn spells, or live the dream of triple growth + boros charm double strike, but in the end i think it is just a high risk- high reward card that burn tipycally doesn't want. i want cards that deal damage, don't want to be topdecking pump spells when i have to finish my opponent off or when i have no creatures. Also paying 2 life is a real cost ...

I'm 4-2 ( ) this morning fucking around in the 2-mans with this:

[deck]
Creatures 12
4 Goblin Guide
4 Monastery Swiftspear
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel

Spells 28
2 Forked Bolt
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Rift Bolt
4 Lava Spike
4 Skullcrack
4 Searing Blaze
4 Boros Charm
2 Treasure Cruise

Land 20
4 Arid Mesa
2 Bloodstained Mire
2 Scalding Tarn
2 Wooded Foothills
4 Mountain
4 Sacred Foundry
2 Steam Vents

Sideboard 15
3 Wear // Tear
2 Smash to Smithereens
2 Kor Firewalker
2 Searing Blood
2 Flames of the Blood Hand
2 Volcanic Fallout
2 Molten Rain
[/deck]

GR Tron - L
U/R Delver - L
Ascendency Combo - W
U/R Delver - W
RUG Delver - W
4 Color Loam - W

How the hell did you lose to Delver?

Sometimes you have to mull to 3 before you even see a land?

In fact, during the first 2 matches (GR Tron and UR Delver), I started every game (all 6 of them) with 5 or less cards in hand.

Whatevs.

MODO shuffler.

For every few rounds where I fall flat on my face because some terrible draws, I'll have a couple rounds where I draw unbelievably great. So I guess it all evens out.

Been trying some other weird stuff:

[deck]
Creatures 16
4 Goblin Guide
4 Monastery Swiftspear
4 Vexing Devil
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel

Spells 25
2 Forked Bolt
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Rift Bolt
4 Lava Spike
1 Shard Volley
3 Searing Blaze
2 Skullcrack
4 Boros Charm
1 Treasure Cruise

Land 19
4 Arid Mesa
2 Bloodstained Mire
2 Scalding Tarn
2 Wooded Foothills
4 Mountain
4 Sacred Foundry
1 Steam Vents

Sideboard 15
3 Wear // Tear
2 Smash to Smithereens
2 Kor Firewalker
2 Combust
2 Skullcrack
2 Volcanic Fallout
2 Pillar of Flame
[/deck]

Currently 5-1 just jamming in the 2-Mans.

Hatebears 1-2 (tough game, actually)
Ascendancy 2-1
Ascendancy 2-1
Ad Nauseum 2-0
World Championship List U/R Storm 2-0
UR Delver 2-0

I honestly don't know how I lose to UR lists, aside from mulling into oblivion...

Seriously, somebody stop me

Over the past few months, I've traded into the following R/W Burn list in paper Magic:

[deck]
Creatures 8
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
4 Monastery Swiftspear

Spells 34
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Rift Bolt
4 Lava Spike
4 Magma Jet
4 Boros Charm
4 Lightning Helix
4 Searing Blaze
2 Searing Blood
2 Skullcrack
2 Pillar of Flame

Land 18
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Sacred Foundry
2 Clifftop Retreat
8 Mountain

Sideboard 15
2 Wear // Tear
2 Combust
2 Skullcrack
2 Molten Rain
2 Path to Exile
2 Stony Silence
2 Searing Blood
1 Tormod's Crypt
[/deck]

The above list was the starting point for the deck. I played one small, Modern event. First round, I had a bye. Second round, I played Death and Taxes. I won 2-1 against D&T because he was playing Aether Vial and didn't blow up my manabase with Ghost Quarter. Insane. Third round, I played a very good pilot of U/R Delver and he ate me for lunch. Casting Delver and YP$ with counters when I tried to take Delver or YP$ off the board. Second game, he boarded in Dragon's Claw and just life gained his way to victory. He won the round 2-0. Fourth round, I played a rogue Red Deck Wins/mono red. He swarmed the board with dudes first round and barely beat me. Second round, he sided in Shrine of Burning Rage and I didn't side in any artifact destruction because I didn't see any artifacts game one. Rookie mistake on my part? He then played less creatures and used two Shrines to kill me. I learned a lot and I'm sure I made a lot of piloting mistakes. I didn't really like Searing Blaze, I'm thinking of taking it out.

I want to play a longer, Modern 1k Pre PTQ next Sunday. I need advice on the main deck and board. I can't really afford Goblin Guides, so I'm thinking of using YP$ to create more of a board state presence. I use the Magma Jets to smooth out draws as a poor man's Goblin Guide. Should I splash blue for Treasure Cruise? I own playsets of Steam Vents and Sulfur Falls. In the sideboard, I think I have answers to most major decks, however, I'm looking for advice on my whole 75 and good practices on deck testing. I used to be on Dies to Removal all time and I've missed it. My unstable job situation kept me away from Magic and internet message boards. It's good to be back! Thanks for your time! Here's my second configuration:

[deck]
Creatures 12
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
4 Monastery Swiftspear
4 Young Pyromancer

Spells 30
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Rift Bolt
4 Lava Spike
4 Magma Jet
4 Boros Charm
4 Lightning Helix
2 Searing Blood
2 Skullcrack
2 Pillar of Flame

Land 18
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Sacred Foundry
2 Clifftop Retreat
8 Mountain

Sideboard 15
2 Wear // Tear
2 Combust
2 Skullcrack
2 Molten Rain
2 Path to Exile
2 Stony Silence
1 Rest in Peace
1 Ratchet Bomb
1 Dragon's Claw
[/deck]

I got 12th at yesterdays modern piq at scgs columbus. 7-2 got unlucky and paired against some one who could not draw in. He had to play i got him to virtual 3 but top decked a land facing a 16 power guy. He was on affinity.

I was watching Paul Cheon's stream last night, and he was jamming Rwu Burn with Mutagenic Growth. Did anyone get round to testing it? He had Wrapter and Shahar with him, and they were saying about how much they liked it.

Another thing was that they had Combust in the 'board. I'm not sure I'd run that at the moment, what does it hit in the meta now Twin isn't a deck?

Tested Mutagenic Growth in couple of matches. Sometimes I liked it (Starthand wird Monastery Swiftspear and Mutagenic Growth). But it can also be a dead card in mid/late game. Somethimes it can be used to save your Eidolon.

Combust hits Siege Rhino in Pod.

I tried Shenhar's list for about a week online and it's certainly explosive in some games. I actually had a turn 2 win with it. But there were several games where I felt helpless because I was trapped by my own Eidolon clutching the Growths, wishing they were burn spells in the late game.

Combust is decent enough, allowing you to plow through Colonnades, Wall of Omens, Resto Angels, Seige Rhinos, and (of course) Exarch. But lately, it hasn't been pulling its weight (at least in my games).

Gonna jam this list in today's 1pm DE.

[deck]
Creature 12
4 Goblin Guide
4 Monastery Swiftspear
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel

Spells 28
2 Forked Bolt
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Lava Spike
4 Rift Bolt
4 Skullcrack
4 Searing blaze
4 Boros Charm
2 Treasure Cruise

Land 20
5 Mountain
3 Sacred Foundry
2 Steam Vents
4 Arid Mesa
2 Bloodstained Mire
2 Scalding Tarn
2 Wooded Foothills

Sideboard
3 Wear // Tear
2 Smash to Smithereens
2 Flames of the Blood Hand
2 Volcanic Fallout
2 Searing blood
4 Lightning Helix
[/deck]

R1: Promptly 0-2'd by Rhino Pod. I'm convinced the Seige Rhinos travel in stampedes and that all Pod players natural curve into Dork -> Voice / Spellskite -> Finks (along with Gavony as their land drop) -> Rhino -> Rhino. I'm still convinced that Flame of the Hand is needed over Combust, however.

R2: I was also quickly and embarrassingly defeated by 5-Color Zoo that curved out at....you guessed it, Siege Rhino! All the greed. Geist got me Game 1 and I succumbed to the Rhino Squad Double Rhino led by a Rhox War Monk.

Okay, I may have been disastrously wrong with my Combust assessment today.

Final record: 0 - Drop

Tested growth, it was okay. Most of the time i felt it was better as a another 3 damage burn spell

I have made Siege Rhino my personal enemy today. Updated my decklist post.

I keep getting hosed by Siege Rhino too, thanks to this thread for reminding me that Siege Rhino is white and Combust takes care of it.

Well, I don't know if you want to be boarding in combust to kill rhinos. We don't want to be trading 1 for 1 with the opponent without dealing damage to him (unless it is needed to stop combos like twin).... in red deck wins that plays more creatures i think it's fine to play combust just as a normal removal spell, but in burn i think i would just want 4 skullcrack and 4 flames to stop the lifegain.

Yeah, my deck is more of a RDW style, and I was scratching my head for good removal that would help against Rhino.

It's not just the drain and gain from the Rhino. His fat fucking ass will stymy your little dude offense and trample over them with ease. He is a problem.

Don't Be A Menace to South Central While Sieging Your Rhino in the Hood.

Thing is, if rhino comes down turn 4 and him stopping your attacks is a problem, probably things didn't go well anyway. When rhino comes down early creatures should already have done their job and you should just hope to prevent the lifegain to win with burn spells to the face. Well, i could see wanting a way to remove the beast if he was the only creature the opponent has to block your army ; but what are you going to do with your combust when you face voice of resurgence, kitchen finks, tarmogoyfs and rhinos ? against abzan midrange or abzan pod your creatures will be stopped anyway and i think you should rely more on burn spells than creatures (i am always referring to burn and not the cool boros deck ham's playing right now)

Or we could just start playing hushwing gryff and convince people he is better than rhino
Well , i was joking but probably gryff is really good against pod, stopping redcaps finks and rhinos while flying over

Modern:
Dig Through Time, Treasure Cruise, and Birthing Pod are banned.
Golgari Grave-Troll is no longer banned.

Back to Mardu/Boros?

Rwg is still possible, i been trying out become Immense as a possible card, it has been a little hit and miss. When it is good it is bonkers when its not its kind of meh.

I will likely be going back to Mardu. Snap and Geist isn't enough to justify UWR.

I think Boros is just better. There's nothing I want to splash black for.