Green anit-burn spells
Modern forum
Posted on Aug. 27, 2014, 4:29 a.m. by BarfQuackers
So I just started to play modern and I run a mono-green elf deck, one of my friends who frequents the tournament runs mono-red burn I'm looking for any green cards to help me against his deck
Green has a metric ton of stuff that gains life. Essence Warden seems like the easiest one. Stick some in the sideboard and proceed. Things that gain a lot of life as a single event should be avoided, since Skullcrack and Flames of the Blood Hand can ruin your day. Finks is not advisable since three mana for two life is not a good idea.
August 27, 2014 4:49 a.m.
TurboFagoot says... #5
Kitchen Finks is good against burn because it isn't just "3 mana for 2 life", it's 3 mana for a 3/2 that also gains you life two separate times. You need to counteract the burn strategy, but at the same time, you need to win the game. Finks is really good at attacking in the midgame, something you want to be doing.
If you have a hand of seven Healing Salves against burn, you will lose. Their top decks are more impactful than yours on average, you need to win the game before they do. That's why you want lifegain stapled onto other effective cards. Finks was one, someone else said Baloth.
August 27, 2014 5:07 a.m.
Finks also trades with Goblin Guide , and Vexing Devil .
You, T1 mana elf.
Them, T1 devil.
You, T2 finks.
Them, T2 swing you trade and gain 4 life and now have a 2/1.
Who won this exchange?
August 27, 2014 5:32 a.m.
Finks is good in a deck that is not elves. Now, of course this is under the assumption that OP is playing a combo elves deck. In that deck, there is no need for a suboptimal creature such as Finks, which is only good when abused - in a pod deck or blinked after he comes back with persist or some other shenanigans. Two Essence Warden s are better in the long run than a kitchen finks will ever be IN AN ELF COMBO DECK.
Additionally, Warden works better than finks vs other aggro decks, since it generates life off all other creatures, so it is more useful in tokens/soul sisters and goblins, and even, to a lesser extent, against affinity.
Not to mention that combo elves are generally faster than burn, given no disruption. Having a decklist to work with would be nice.
August 27, 2014 5:47 a.m.
TurboFagoot says... #8
Finks is only good when abused? Do you have any idea what you're talking about? That card is good on its own.
August 27, 2014 6:02 a.m.
BarfQuackers says... #9
Here's my deck The Elves of Mirkwood no combo, though I threw two finks in the sideboard
August 27, 2014 6:32 a.m.
Ok, so it is a straight up elf deck with some possibilities for generating a lot of mana. I would go for -4 Imperious Perfect and + 4 Cloudstone Curio (to enable some more shenanigans) and some number of Regal Force or Gilt-Leaf Archdruid and possibly even something like Thousand-Year Elixir in the main. In any case, you need more card draw in there. Just throwing some ideas main.
Anyways, two finks will not get you too far versus burn. I would go for -2 finks, -2 Root Maze and +4 of the aforementioned Essence Warden , especially if you run the curios. It seems to me that you will generally be faster than burn if unopposed. The real threat for you in burn is Eidolon of the Great Revel and finks will not help vs that, especially when they main flames of the blood hand and skullcrack.
The other possibility is the simple 4 Leyline of Sanctity - helps vs burn and discard and counters sacrifice effects. it is a bit expensive though.
August 27, 2014 7:07 a.m.
ChiefWannaHacka says... #11
I find the most effective strategy to counter burn, in green, is to dodge it in tournament play.
August 27, 2014 10:25 a.m.
BarfQuackers says... #12
I probably won't run curio since a play-set is a bit out of my price range for now. Would you still recommend running Essence Warden without it?
August 27, 2014 11:51 a.m.
BarfQuackers says... #13
ChiefWannaHacka Lol that seems like the best option I've found
August 27, 2014 11:54 a.m.
APPLE01DOJ says... #14
Courser of Kruphix Spellskite Chalice of the Void are all viable options too.
August 27, 2014 2:34 p.m.
GlistenerAgent says... #15
The Essence Warden suggestion was likely the best. It's a little more resilient to Skullcrack , and you play like 800 creatures.
August 27, 2014 2:57 p.m.
GlistenerAgent says... #16
The Essence Warden suggestion was likely the best. It's a little more resilient to Skullcrack , and you play like 800 creatures.
August 27, 2014 2:57 p.m.
Except essence warden will just eat a Searing Blaze or Searing Blood or just get bolted. There's a reason why Obstinate Baloth and Kitchen Finks see a ton of play in modern and Essence Warden is just a shitty card that sees 0 play.
August 27, 2014 5:53 p.m.
GlistenerAgent says... #18
The rest of your creatures will eat the Searing Blaze . Essence Warden is relevantly cheaper than the other two, and it synergizes well with the deck. The other two gain (up to) four life, where the Warden has a much higher potential upside if they don't remove it. The competent burn player will not waste their spells removing your creatures, except in the case of cards like Searing Blaze . Searing Blood is not played in Modern.
August 27, 2014 7:11 p.m.
Searing Blood definitely does see sideboard play. Essence Warden is just going to get bolted, burn can't really remove finks and baloth, you need your cards to do more than gain some life, baloth and finks are good creatures that help your gameplan
August 27, 2014 8:30 p.m.
GlistenerAgent says... #20
I suppose to each their own. I would almost certainly play Essence Warden , because either they use a card that should be going to the head to kill it, or I gain 30 life. They can almost certainly clock you faster than Obstinate Baloth or Kitchen Finks can clock them.
I haven't seen Searing Blood , and don't think people should play it, but it was in the GP Kobe winning list (it might be a typo of Searing Blaze , which I don't see in that deck) and it's fine. It's strictly worse, however, so play it only if you need more removal spells than your 40 burn spells that can kill anything you want.
August 27, 2014 9:01 p.m.
Milester856 says... #21
Healing Leaves stops bolts if thats any helps. Suicidebring3r
xlaleclx says... #2
Obstinate Baloth Kitchen Finks
August 27, 2014 4:40 a.m.