Is the new Mardu Pyromancer Competitive?
Modern forum
Posted on July 4, 2019, 5:53 p.m. by PTsmitty
I built Mardu Pyromancer prior to Modern Horizons coming out, and I have noticed that there have been a lot of changes in the deck. I loved playing the deck and wanted to start working towards making the new version, but I would hate to put the money into if it is not able to compete in the current meta. I am not looking for the deck to be THE BEST deck of the meta, but I do not want to get steam rolled by other decks either. Heck, the old version of the deck was never extremely overpowering, but it could definitely win games if piloted correctly. Any feedback on playing against or with the deck is much appreciated. Thanks
You should give the new Esper Mentor deck a try, it plays a lot like Mardu Pyromancer, but it better if you ask me.
July 5, 2019 1:35 a.m.
Thanks for the in-depth answer tool. I have been away from modern for the last 8 months so I have forgotten how much it has changed after WAR was released. I remember reading a few articles that PWs were making more of an impart. I do feel like this deck would be vulnerable to PW focused decks. Of course, my deck is made to be played at my local shop rather than at GPs. If hogage continues to be a popular deck then running more white for Path may be an important option to consider. I just wanted to make sure I do not miss the right window to buy Seasoned Pyromancer since it is being played in multiple decks.
ToolmasterOfBrainerd says... #2
Wait until this next ban/restricted announcement before deciding whether a deck is competitive or not. Something from HogaakVine will probably be banned. WOTC might decide it's time to fix the modern format and make widespread changes.
Regardless of how things go down, expect to see a lot of the usual suspects in the next meta. Tron, UW Control, Burn, hopefully some kind of Affinity, Humans, hopefully Infect, Phoenix. Expect to see a lot of Urza Combo/prison decks - I think they're about to make waves through modern. I think the new Jund decks will see a lot of play as well. And expect to see a lot less Hogaak.
Regardless, I expect that one-for-one removal should be decent. Any deck using Giver of Runes will be handled by having a lot of one-for-one removal. Giver excels against decks which have some, but not enough, one-for-one removal. Since Mardu has tons of removal, I think it should be good.
You need to find a good way to beat the planeswalkers from UW Control. A few Dreadbore may or may not be enough. Going wide is good, but risky because of their boardwipes. Developing a boardstate without overextending is a fickle game. The ability of Seasoned Pyromancer to make tokens from the bin helps you keep the pressure on even after a wrath.
I'm not an expert by any means with Mardu Pyromancer, but I do think that a heavier white splash might be warranted. Path to Exile is much much better against Phoenix, among other decks. And I'm unconvinced you want Blood Moon right now. But those are just the whims of a 4-color midrange player, who cannot properly appreciate 2 color decks.
July 4, 2019 7:53 p.m.