Questions about Lantern Control
Modern Deck Help forum
Posted on Dec. 16, 2018, 5:55 p.m. by TUMTUM
Hello fellow modern players! I've been reviewing deck lists for a while now and for my next deck building venture, I would like to build Lantern control. Though in the reviewing of deck lists some questions were posed and I was hoping that this forum might be able to help me solve them. Here are my questions:
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Is black-green lantern a better alternative to classic lantern which is more blue/artifact focused.
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What sideboard staples help with artifact hate
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Is the deck still viable in a somewhat competitive environment
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The deck list is not... cheap. What pieces should I buy first before investing in expensive parts.
Thank you so much for reading and I hope you are able to answer some of my questions, have a great day!
Flooremoji says... #3
Academy Ruins is main deck anti AH, blue based is more popular, but it can still (and does) splash G/B without trouble. pizzagod13, (traditional) lantern actually doesn't have any counter spells, so I don't see how it would be better at prevention ;). Dredge is so hot right now, lantern might be better later then it is now, so that is something to keep in mind. Lantern is really just a EB deck that controls your opponents draws, and both of those are powerful. Aside from dredge, yes, lantern is very powerful, and all decks have bad match ups. I would start with bridge first, then going into cards that don't see play outside of lantern, just in case. Hope this helps you.
December 16, 2018 9:25 p.m.
Just to be honest, most players out there hate playing against lantern control because every match goes to time and it’s no fun to just have your entire deck to be locked out. If you want everyone at your LGS to hate playing against you with Lantern control then have at it. I honestly think it’s not worth the $700+ you have to spend to make the deck at least FNM playable.
December 16, 2018 10:45 p.m.
Snivy__,
FWIW, I actually enjoy playing against Lantern.
To me, it's like it's a really tough puzzle to solve, or maybe a complex maze ... and though I'm almost certainly the exception, I like trying to find a path to victory, through a deck specifically designed to make that difficult.
I've never really had an issue of going to time either. You're right though that plenty of folks struggle with that ... maybe knowing when to scoop and move on to the next game is a skill (like any skill in Magic) that some folks have a hard time learning :-)
December 17, 2018 12:07 a.m.
Flooremoji says... #6
December 17, 2018 1:07 a.m.
Lantern is viablle, that is not a question.
The damn deck debuted from being a homebrew by beating up a major tournament, and tearing the now banned Splinter Twin deck in half to get into the finals.
(considering that it was the only copy of the deck at this tournament, i would dare to say that it had a damn great trasfer rate)
However the deck is a great way to loose your playgroup - its like 8-rack, or boogles in a sense. It lock people out from using their deck, and most oeople hate that with an otherwise rarely seen passion... So unless you are planning to grind tournaments or are playing on mtgo, i would advocate against buying the deck.
December 17, 2018 8:14 a.m.
Magic players really seem to hate when they cant directly interact with your deck without needing to think or use cards they otherwise wouldnt use. Its part of why you see so many mtg player crap all over games like Hearthstone, for some reason the stack is the holy grail of card games and anything that can mess with that is taboo. As a long-time bogles player I really don't mind that sort of thing, it adds a level of complexity and outside-the-box thinking that makes card games enjoyable.
That being said, the only bone I have to pick with Lantern control is that its an absolute headache to pilot and pilot against, simply because of how complicated your turns are and how you need to have an intense knowledge of what youre playing against (as the pilot). Also I have a strong distaste for any deck that takes multiple minutes to complete a single turn - at least vs lantern control the opponent that is piloting the deck is spending that time actually thinking as opposed to counting things (storm).
I dont really have any good answers to your questions - I also advocate against buying for a different reason. Dont buy the deck unless you are 100% sure you love it. If people stop playing with you because they hate the deck that much and arent willing to adjust - find a playgroup thats more competitive and less whiny. For example, I knew a few people that despised bogles despite there being common and easy counters for it, so I found a playgroup that enjoys a challenge and doesnt mind occasionally having to deal with decks that don't have simple answers to them. I also play a rat version of 8-rack in that playgroup, so if they can deal with both of those decks and not whine you can find a playgroup that doesnt mind lantern control.
December 17, 2018 12:36 p.m.
Just keep in mind that not everyone lives in a large city, or in a country where magic is popular enough to make it easy (or even plausible) to switch between playgroups.
December 17, 2018 12:50 p.m.
I dont live in a large city - but I understand what youre saying. My playgroup regularly travels 30-45 minutes to play each other :(
December 17, 2018 1:06 p.m.
I dont live in a large city - but I understand what youre saying. My playgroup regularly travels 30-45 minutes to play each other :(
December 17, 2018 1:07 p.m.
BrandonJamesCAC says... #12
Just my 2 cents,
Don't drop 200 bucks on
Ensnaring Bridge. Unless you think for some reason, it's going to win you tournaments.
The deck is boring. And I can't imagine it's fun to pilot. Playing against it is boring and it's easy to beat after game 1.
But yes, it is viable. But don't waste your money while Dredge is kicking around.
December 17, 2018 10:03 p.m.
Hi BrandonJamesCAC, RedmundR2, Xica, Flooremoji, clayperce Snivy__, pizzagod13, I would like to first apologize for the late response, I was busy with some work that was piled on to me at once. Secondly, I would like to thank you all for your responses. Now I will answer you questions and thoughts. I want to play lantern because I love playing control, but I don't really take to midrange like playstyles, it gets redundant for me, but I'm sure the right deck will turn up some day :). I think you all are right, I shouldn't waste my money while dredge is around I completely blanked on that. Over the 7+ years I have played MTG, I have taken to the archetype of either combo or control, aggro doesn't challenge me and that is one of the reasons I love the concept of lantern so much. It is challenging, I need to learn the metagame and the strategies to play around it, but you all are correct. I don't want to drop $700+ for a deck that will lose to one of the most popular decks. It's in my nature to play complex decks and lantern is the first one to come to mind. If anyone could give suggestions on complex decks or any deck for that matter, that would be great. I'll promise to respond faster too :).
December 20, 2018 1:46 a.m.
TUMTUM,
No problem on the response ... it seems like everyone in the world is slammed this time of year :-D
KCI and Amulet Titan always seem to be at the top of the 'Complex Decks to Pilot' lists. For more thoughts on them, you might check out this thread over on r/ModernMagic. One thing to keep in mind with Amulet Titan though: If Humans or UW Control is a big factor in your meta, Lavinia, Azorius Renegade is really going to mess with the deck, since she nerfs bounce lands for many spells and shuts off Summoner's Pact entirely.
December 20, 2018 8:02 a.m.
Flooremoji says... #15
I don't feel like Amulet Bloom is actually that complex, and KCI is only complex because of the Engineered Explosives Krark-Clan Ironworks Scrap Trawler Myr Retriever trinket loop. Just my opinion though. I agree, lantern is a good deck for combo/control players, maybe once everyone starts playing spirits you will get the chance!
December 20, 2018 12:37 p.m.
BrandonJamesCAC says... #16
I am an absolute disgrace with those artifact combo decks and couldn't pilot correctly if my life depended on it. LOL
I would have better results with a starter deck. So more power to ya-
But control right now, you gotta go U/W with Teferi I think.
December 20, 2018 1:43 p.m.
Flooremoji, clayperce, BrandonJamesCAC, thank you so much for the recommendations, I have looked into amulet titan before. I'm not sure it might be viable, unless anyone can correct me, I'm not always correct. I love KCI and I even used to play eggs, but it hurts my soul whenever I see Mox Opal in a deck. Anyway, those were my thoughts, have a great rest of your day
December 20, 2018 11:45 p.m.
Flooremoji says... #18
TUMTUM LOL I know what you mean, the trade off of $99.99 for one mana is painful. :) I hope you have a good week as well!
December 21, 2018 12:47 a.m.
BrandonJamesCAC says... #19
Especially when you can occasionally track down a real Mox, for 110.
December 21, 2018 5:17 a.m.
Flooremoji says... #20
Where can you track down a Mox Ruby, Mox Jet, Mox Sapphire, Mox Emerald or Mox Pearl for 110 BrandonJamesCAC? :) Or is that not what you meant?
December 21, 2018 10:10 p.m.
You could probably track down a really damaged, super-beat-up Unlimited Mox Ruby or Mox Pearl for like $500.
But like...it'd have to be duct taped back together, water damaged, and the artwork scratched out with an eraser.
December 22, 2018 8:41 a.m.
Flooremoji BrandonJamesCAC sylvannos I think I'm going to set lantern for a long term goal. The deck is close to my heart and I think it will become relevant very soon after the release of the new set (hopefully bringing some graveyard hate) meanwhile, I want to built either KCI or Amulet titan both coming with their pros and cons.
KCI Pros: 1. Many of the pieces also apply to lantern so it will be easy to build into lantern 2. I have played eggs before so it is familiar to me 3. Much of the deck is inexpensive (except for, guess what? MOX OPAL) 4. It is competitive
KCI Cons: 1 It will take longer to build than amulet titan, so what's the point if Im going to build lantern anyway 2 The deck imo is easier to pilot than amulet titan 3 I don't think it'll fit a mid range heavy meta game
Amulet Pros: 1 I have practiced with the deck and I love playing it 2 It is less expensive than KCI 3 No mox opal
Amulet Cons: 1 Doesn't share pieces with lantern so building lantern may be harder 2 It's not exactly what people would call.... competitive.
Honestly, Im at a crossroads, and I am extremely sorry if I have bugged anybody with my dilemmas, but appreciate your help. Thank you and have a great rest of your day!
December 22, 2018 9:30 p.m.
BrandonJamesCAC says... #25
I hate both of those decks. But build the one that saves you the most money once you move onto Lantern
December 22, 2018 10:58 p.m.
BrandonJamesCAC KCI it is! Thank you so much for your help!
December 22, 2018 11:08 p.m.
Flooremoji says... #27
I would go with KCI, but that's my opinion. The shared Mox O's will be a great thing for Lantern. My best suggestion is to make a different build of KCI, possibly finding ways to incorporate cards like Academy Ruins and other Lantern staples. What is your criteria for decks you might want to play? I know you want to go with KCI or Amulet, but maybe there is a better option? BTW, thanks for this thread, I have been enjoying it!
December 22, 2018 11:12 p.m.
Flooremoji, No problem! I love discussing decks with this community it is so welcoming! You are thinking exactly what I was thinking! Incorporating lantern staples into KCI is exactly what I was planning to do! I'm so glad we're on the same page. My criteria for decks are either control or something non redundant like aggro. I love complex decks to death and I love control and combo, so yeah. I am sure there are more decks out there, for example, I saw sultai whir, which is amazing and is interchangeable with lantern. So yeah, I hope this thread has helped you as much as it has for me!
December 23, 2018 12:57 a.m.
Flooremoji says... #29
Haha, I'm glad we're on the same page! I'll have to do some digging, to see if there is another deck for you out there!
pizzagod13 says... #2
Also without decklists it is difficult to say. I would imagine both work but blue would be better for preventing stuff from being cast. While black-green is better for removal.
In blue you would just need to counter it really. In black green you have things like Abrupt Decay and just straight up artifact removal which green excels at.
I honestly can’t say. I don’t think it’s tier one but it’s not awful.
Probably lands since if it doesn’t work out you can put those into another deck.
Note: I watch some modern games but am not a modern player myself so if what I said sounds wrong then it probably is. Good luck!
December 16, 2018 6:20 p.m.