No-rare modern.

Challenges and Articles forum

Posted on March 30, 2015, 12:18 p.m. by Kyresh

A thought of what the format would look like if no rares were allowed. Because of the drop in power level and the unknown format there is no banned list at the moment but one may develop. After a time I will run a Swiss tournament on cockatrice if we get more than 8 players. You don't need to post deck lists if you want to keep it secret, but respond if you are interested in the idea.

cklise says... #2

I already enforce this upon myself when I play Modern, and my record isn't too shabby with my no rares decks. Though, I don't play on Cockatrice.

March 30, 2015 12:21 p.m.

Kyresh says... #3

Well if you want to share some list that could help people, but I guess that they are normal modern legal and don't contain banned cards, so you can still brew :P

March 30, 2015 12:29 p.m.

Frayace says... #4

mana bases would be alot worse, and there would probably be alot of agro/burn decks.

March 30, 2015 12:32 p.m.

Programmer_112 says... #5

Probably we just get a ton of Infect.

March 30, 2015 12:32 p.m.

So, basically remove the defining characteristics of Modern like fetches+shocks? Why not just try Pauper?

March 30, 2015 12:33 p.m.

Yeah, I agree with Frayace and Programmer_112 the entirety of Modern would be Burn and Infect, maybe Zoo.

March 30, 2015 12:58 p.m.

Kyresh says... #8

Because pauper is only commons, so even though we are taking out the legacy commons we get a lot of relatively powerful cards.

Frayace and Programmer_112, if you think that those are going to be the strongest decks then make a deck that beats them or join them and have good sideboard tech.

March 30, 2015 12:58 p.m.

There would be no zoo. Without stomping grounds and temple gardens loam lions and kird apes are no where near as good.

You'd probably see a lot of burn, mono green infect, and mono black control.

March 30, 2015 1:21 p.m.

branston567 says... #10

Surely UR delver would rule the roost, only loss is in the lands which wouldn't hit a 2 colour deck too much

March 30, 2015 1:37 p.m.

branston567 says... #11

It even gets Ponder and Preordain back

March 30, 2015 1:39 p.m.

Kyresh says... #12

Speculation is well an good but as I said before, you can keep your deck ideas on the down low and surprise everyone, and just saying an archetype is fine but designing it is different. Lists are what we are looking for :)

March 30, 2015 1:41 p.m.

filledelanuit says... #13

As is always true when Skullclamp is legal I believe that elf clamp would easily be the best deck in the format.

March 30, 2015 2:44 p.m.

ChiefBell says... #14

No banlist? Skullclamp elves. Easily.

March 30, 2015 2:48 p.m.

dan8080 says... #15

I'd be interested but I'd have to agree with other posters here. The meta would be burn and infect and maybe storm (unless I'm forgetting about a key piece that is rare) oh and delver cause cruise would be legal. So I don't know how good the format would be.

March 30, 2015 2:49 p.m.

JWiley129 says... #16

dan8080 - The rares in Storm outside the manabase is Past in Flames and Pyromancer's Ascension. You can probably get by with just Goblin Electromancer but you lose a lot of the power that the Ascension or Past in Flames gives you.

March 30, 2015 2:55 p.m.

dan8080 says... #17

I was always under the assumption that it won usually by simply using a timed Grapeshot but I forgot about the ascension and the past in flames.

March 30, 2015 3:01 p.m.

Disciple Affinity. K? K.

March 30, 2015 3:16 p.m.

Kyresh says... #19

if you think that you have found the crux of the format then go for it we will not know until the day. the more people talk about it the more that people will sideboard against it.

March 30, 2015 3:26 p.m.

Oh wait no banlist. Holy hell.

March 30, 2015 3:34 p.m.

shit I missed that part. No ban list?

Skullclamp, thoughtcast, aether vial, ornithopter, memnite, vault skirge, springleaf drum, galvanic blast, myr enforcer, frogmite, lightning greaves, qumulox, all the artifact lands, cranial plating, literally of mirrodin actually

March 30, 2015 5:37 p.m.

jandrobard says... #22

Mirrodin block.dec basically? And is this "no card that's been printed as a rare" or "any card printed at common or uncommon".

March 30, 2015 7:35 p.m.

Kyresh says... #23

We will go buy the most current printing of the card, so Rule of Law and Masked Admirers would be legal.And there are lots of ways to combat decks such as affinity, Shatterstorm being the first that comes to mind as mass removal, or if not there are lots of removal, every deck has some way to be shut off, you just need to find it.

March 30, 2015 7:48 p.m.

Shatterstorm, Creeping Corrosion and Stony Silence are all not common, and after that you've only really got Ancient Grudge, Wear / Tear Krosan Grip, Nature's Claim and some other random red cards. But then, you have to play red or green to be able to handle Affinity.

As for Elves, you basically have to have Anger of the Gods because of Skullclamp, so basically if you want to win you have to play one of those two or some silly red deck.

March 30, 2015 7:52 p.m.

dan8080 says... #25

Could sliver tribal be a thing there?

March 30, 2015 9:02 p.m.

jandrobard says... #26

Eh, slivers can't really beat elfclamp.

March 30, 2015 9:16 p.m.

dan8080 says... #27

I honestly don't understand how that deck works just cause I've never seen the combo.

March 30, 2015 9:35 p.m.

You just make a lot of mana with Heritage Druid and draw your deck with Skullclamp and Glimpse of Nature, and win however you see fit. Generally it's Craterhoof Behemoth, but people have played Grapeshot in the past.

March 30, 2015 9:36 p.m.

jandrobard says... #29

It's not always a combo. It uses elves and Skullclamp to gain a lot of mana and cards. It can out-value anything, seeing as if they kill your stuff, you get more stuff, and it can win very quickly.

March 30, 2015 9:41 p.m.

jandrobard says... #30

The thing is GlistenerAgent Glimpse and craterhoof are rare, so they can't be used in this. But your description of the regular one is much better.

March 30, 2015 9:42 p.m.

Right. The combo's really resilient, but you can always win with the beats. Oh, and Deathrite Shaman. The Deathrite beats are the best beats.

March 30, 2015 9:43 p.m.

Damn this common thing. Why would somebody do that to themself?

March 30, 2015 9:44 p.m.

Kyresh says... #33

GlistenerElf there are lots of non direct hate cards for affinity, Ghostly Prison is a good option for white, Drown in Sorrow is good for clearing up their cheap stuff, and then black 1 for 1 removal to take out the big guys.

Also all the elf clamp guys, don't forget that there are cards like Mental Misstep to stop you ever landing a clamp, and then you are just a bad elf deck :P

March 31, 2015 7:42 a.m.

branston567 says... #34

Quick UR Delver list i put together


No rare modern UR Delver Playtest

Modern* branston567

SCORE: 0 | 0 COMMENTS | 1 VIEWS

March 31, 2015 8:01 a.m.

Kyresh says... #35

March 31, 2015 8:50 a.m.

Boza says... #36

I will be willing to participate, just thinking of a deck right now. FML, Sensei's Divining Top and Counterbalance are uncommon, brb.

Reserving countertop archetype.

March 31, 2015 9:04 a.m.

Kyresh says... #37

Haha, you let the cat out of the bag :P been laughing because everyone had missed it

March 31, 2015 9:15 a.m.

Boza says... #38

This was hard but here it is:


No-rare Modern Countertop Playtest

Modern* Boza

SCORE: 0 | 0 COMMENTS | 1 VIEWS

I really do not want to participate in anything, so if anyone steals the idea, I am completely fine with it. Should have more merfolk me thinks, and more Mental Misstep.

March 31, 2015 9:50 a.m.

jandrobard says... #39

Oh yeah. I completely forgot blue has such stupid things.

March 31, 2015 10:09 a.m.

ChiefBell says... #40

Top isn't that great. It just slows games down a lot and makes things a lot more reasonable. It's most effective with fetchlands for regular shuffles. If you don't have regular shuffles its like eh, fine. CounterTop is a pretty good deck but it can lose pretty quickly to midrange decks or those that are happy to stick a single 3/3 and just beat you to death. You know the kind of deck that doesn't need to play any creature except one.

The point about skullclamp is that you can literally never gain value. Oh you wipe my board? Ok I sac them all to the clamp and draw like 20 cards. You spent one card and gained me like 20. Good play. Elves is ridiculous.

March 31, 2015 10:36 a.m.

Kyresh says... #41

ChiefBell: You can't equip at instant speed so that is wrong, a wipe is a wipe, I agree that with the right hand the deck is explosive and can win, but as I said if clamp gets countered or destroyed it is just a bad elf deck as there are no lords.

March 31, 2015 12:08 p.m.

ChiefBell says... #42

To be fair that IS true. Though I kind of believe that if it's viable in legacy then a watered down version would be great in modern.

March 31, 2015 12:11 p.m.

jandrobard says... #43

I think we can all agree that this format would be crazy to try to play though. I'd join the tournament but I don't use cockatrice.

March 31, 2015 12:38 p.m.

Kyresh says... #44

Just been trying out elf clamp, it is really bad I can't get it to work. Without the chord and summoners pact you can't find the pieces, with out Nettle Sentinel, Heritage Druid and Skullclamp, the deck is just 1mana 1/1s so I don't think it is viable.

March 31, 2015 1:35 p.m.

You are most definitely playing the wrong cards and do not know how to play the deck properly. Granted, I don't either, but I know for a fact that you are missing something important.

March 31, 2015 4:17 p.m.

jandrobard says... #46

Then let's all collaborate to create the most optimal elfclamp deck for this challenge!

March 31, 2015 4:23 p.m.

Kyresh says... #47


No-rare elfclamp Playtest

Modern* Kyresh

SCORE: 0 | 0 COMMENTS | 1 VIEWS

This is what I came up with. Discuss :P (but do it on the deck not this thread to try and keep it fairly clear.)

March 31, 2015 4:37 p.m.

Didgeridooda says... #48

April 1, 2015 12:18 p.m.

Well white still gets Path to Exile So that could be fun.

April 4, 2015 4:36 p.m.

This discussion has been closed