Hey all!
Welcome to the third season of Modern Hero. A lot has changed in the past few weeks with the structure behind Modern Hero and I want to touch on that before posting the videos for the week.
No More Budget
The first two iterations of Modern Hero were primarily concerned with improving a budget deck by spending small amounts of money over an allotted amount of time. Rich took the Modern Event Deck (B/W Tokens), spent $120 over eight weeks, and piloted the deck to a 4-3-2 finish at GP Worcester-Boston. Two years later I bought into a $150 Elves deck, spent $220 over ten weeks, and piloted the deck to an embarrassing 3-4 record (including one bye) at GP Vegas.
Over the course of each iteration we learned a few things. One, playing on a strict budget in Modern does not allow for continued success at the competitive level. While the top decks in Modern range in price, I think $500 is the minimum buy-in for a competitive list. Burn, Ad Nauseaum, and UR Storm are all respectable decks and according to MTGGoldfish range from $511-$598. If you’re playing kitchen table Magic or the occasional FNM then by all means jam your Mono-Black Vehicle deck but at even the lowest level of competitive Magic, you’re likely to be outclassed. Two, playing a non-competitive deck over an extended period is a tough sell to potential viewers and content consumers. While I appreciate everyone who tuned in to the last season of Modern Hero, seeing a non-competitive deck get beat up on is only entertaining for so long (unless you’re a MTG sadist). I hoped the continuity of the series and the “level up” narrative was good enough to build a viewership but I think the budget angle paired with a frustrated host and an abysmal record was ultimately damning for the project.
So with no budget constraints here is the new plan for Modern Hero. Every week I will play in a Modern league with a deck I’m considering for the November RPTQ. Over the first few weeks I will pilot different versions of Primeval Titan decks: Titanshift and Breach Titan. After deciding on which deck I enjoy more, I will continue to play in leagues with that one deck, occasionally making small changes based on shifts in the metagame. Instead of leveling up the deck, I’m hoping to get in practice and improve my own game so that I am more comfortable with the deck and sideboarding for the November 11th RPTQ at Pandemonium Books and Games in Cambridge, MA.
A Weekly Stream
Previously, I posted a recorded video every week and that was that. Now, my plan is to stream every week on Sunday or Monday at 7PM (I will put up a calendar) and then post a recap of the videos with some additional information during the week right here. While streaming is something relatively new to me, I like the notion that viewers can be more engaged with the Modern Hero process.
Please follow us on Twitch and tune in every week for Modern content at https://www.twitch.tv/hipsterstv
This Week’s Videos:
Dunk of the Week
This is in the final match of the league against Storm which is a pretty bad match-up for Titan Shift. In game three, my opponent had just cast an Empty the Warrens for eight goblins. I had no action in hand and while I had plenty of outs, the Goblins would make quick work of me. I called upon the Magic gods to deliver me the second copy of Sweltering Suns and they obliged. I definitely yelled and did a little dance around the room.
Next Week
I will be streaming with Breach Titan on Monday 9/25 at 7PM EST. Tune in at https://www.twitch.tv/hipsterstv.
In terms of Magic, Shawn Massak is a Modern enthusiast, with a penchant for tier two decks, counterspells, and pre Eighth Edition frames. In terms of life, Shawn lives in Brighton, MA where he works as an employment director for people with disabilities, plays guitar in an indie-pop band, and spends his free time reading comics, cursing capitalism, complaining about pro-wrestling, and wishing his apartment allowed dogs as pets.