Faithless Brewing MTG: Modern and Pioneer for the Spike Rogue
Leisure:Hobbies
Season 17, Episode 7: Brew Session (Atraxa, Grand Unifier) + Flashback (Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler)
Atraxa, Grand Unifier is a tremendous creature. No one would dispute that. But is it really possible that Atraxa is the strongest creature in all of Magic?
Recent tournament results from Standard, Legacy, Modern, and even Vintage have seen Atraxa decks soaring to the top of the standings. This is a heavyweight creature, much more likely to be cheated into play than cast fairly. But once on the battlefield, Atraxa does things other creatures can only dream of. Her trigger looks at a massive 10 cards (1/6th of a typical library), making this less of a “draw 4 cards” and more of a “draw 10, discard 6.” And unlike Niv-Mizzet Reborn, Atraxa grants access to these cards with almost no deckbuilding concessions. Want to use Atraxa to grab a Mox Amber and an Ephemerate? You are welcome to, and you even keep a few other cards for your trouble.
What truly sets Atraxa apart is how she helps you even before entering the battlefield. For better or worse, we live in the era of free pitch cards, and Atraxa pitches to everything from Solitude and Grief (more Ephemerate targets) to Force of Vigor and Force of Negation. That means your Atraxa turn doesn’t have to end when you tap out for Atraxa, as you can follow up with a Grief or even a free protection spell like Not Of This World.
The sky is the limit for Atraxa, and her price has been skyrocketing accordingly. We’ll do our part this week to drive that price even higher, as we attempt to find new homes for Atraxa in both Modern and Pioneer. Whatever happens, one thing is clear: never bet against a Niv-Mizzet trigger!
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Decklists for this episode can be viewed at FaithlessBrewing.com
Timestamps
[3:35] Housekeeping
[6:43] Brew Session: Atraxa, Grand Unifier
[10:57] Rules notes
[14:52] The competition at 7+ CMC
[22:21] Getting Atraxa into play
[29:06] Atraxa Reanimator (Legacy)
[31:02] Emi’s Neoform Atraxa (Modern)
[33:40] Esper Goryo’s (Modern)
[35:04] Obosh Creativity (Pioneer)
[39:56] David’s Neoform Atraxa (Pioneer)
[42:13] Atraxa Invoke Justice (Standard)
[44:46] Phyrexian Pyre of Heroes (Pioneer)
[48:46] Flashback: Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler
[50:11] Sultai Soul Diviner
[54:10] 4c Vannifar Pod
[1:01:48] Paradox Engine Combo
[1:08:50] Tyvar Devoted Druid Combo
Express Yourself: Galazeth Brews for the Prismari Virtuoso
Is It Safe to Play Paper Magic Again?
Sedgemoor Witch: 99 Problems But a Witch Ain't One
Through the Breach with Velomachus Lorehold
Elite Spellbinder: Putting Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa to the Test
8 Spicy New Decks: Velomachus Turns, Brought Back, Paradoxical Galazeth, and More
Everything Is Magma Opus: Five Brews for the Prismari Virtuoso (ft. ManaCymbal)
The Top Innovations from Week 1 of Strixhaven (ft. Zach Ryl)
Real Ultimate Power: Planeswalker Combo with Kasmina, Enigma Sage
Strixhaven 101: Codie, Emergent Sequence, and Ecological Appreciation
Brewer's Guide to Strixhaven, Part 3: Creatures and MDFCs
Brewer's Guide to Strixhaven, Part 2: Instants and Sorceries
An Abundant Harvest of Brews: Alrund's Epiphany, the Mystical Archive, and Narset Bring to Light
Brewer's Guide to Strixhaven, Part 1: Recruitment Week
Keeping the Blade: Brewing in the Age of Legends
Bad Teacher: Professor Onyx, Kasmina, and Urza PyreBlade
Pyre of Heroes: Lessons from Birthing Pod
Dimir Inverter Is Back!
The Invasion of the Giants
The Case for Sylvan Caryatid
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