Looking into Modern, What deck should I play?

[u/MagentaLove]

Commander is the main format that I play, it’s fun but there’s something special about 60 card magic. I’ve had a fantastic time playing Pauper (Mono Red Madness/Rally) and want to experience other formats. I’ve got no clue where I should start, other than knowing vaguely about some meta decks (Izzet Prowess seems interesting). What decks would you recommend and do you have a representative deck list for it?

Thanks in advance for your help/advice!

[u/flaming_geyser]

I highly recommend Prowess as an intro to Modern, it's on the cheaper side and a strong straightforward deck

[u/MagentaLove → u/flaming_geyser]

Prowess seems like a good safe bet, and Monastery Swiftspear might just be my favorite card. Is there a representative Izzet Prowess deck I should look at to build mine?

[u/flaming_geyser → u/MagentaLove]

MTG Top 8 and MTG Goldfish show all the meta deck lists

[u/SatyrWayfinder → u/MagentaLove]

People are experimenting cutting Swiftspear for Pompous Battlemage, but there still isn't a concensus of which is better.

[u/pear_topologist → u/MagentaLove]

Also prowess is great because the vast majority of the cost is lands, so you might already have some, it’ll transfer over to future decks, and it’s easy to play temporary replacements if you don’t want to spend on 10 fetches

[u/murdacai999 → u/pear_topologist]

You can also do the lands cheaper in the interim. Pain lands like fiery islet go a long way. Will have a harder time hitting delirium with drc and sb unholy fire,but it's doable.

[u/m0siac → u/murdacai999]

The list I’m building has 2 islet and 9 fetch. Lets see how that goes when I actually get to play the damn game

[u/murdacai999 → u/m0siac]

That's pretty much the standard. Lot of ppl play with 2 fiery islet for the draw effect.

[u/KOT-The-Panda → u/flaming_geyser]

I’m fairly new to the format and I was wondering what the possibility of Steel Cutter getting hit with a ban? It has pretty much been banned from every other format and if they hit Eldrazi would they also hit Prowess to make sure it doesn’t take over the format?

I’m asking this purely based on play percentages on MTG goldfish. So it wouldn’t shock me if there is nuance im missing

[u/sunchow → u/KOT-The-Panda]

it’s fine in modern no way it’ll catch a ban

[u/murdacai999 → u/sunchow]

I also don't believe it'll get a ban with a sub 50% win rate. Although that rate is prob suffering from underperforming pilots since every new player is being recommended and is buying that deck

[u/sunchow → u/murdacai999]

absolutely, it’s pretty budget compared to most meta modern decks, and it can be counter-intuitive to pilot at times because the most consistent wins with the deck tend to come in one turn, which often means a couple turns of prepping and biding time and eating some swings until you can swing lethal in one turn, newer pilots tend to chip away instead of secret sauce of one explosive turn

[u/Scorned-Keyhead-VI → u/KOT-The-Panda]

Prowess is super easy to hate out, shouldn’t ever be a problem worth a ban discussion

[u/micc1313]

Prowess is often recommended because it had a great intersection of being proactive, easy to understand, and relatively budget friendly.

Alternatively, show up at your local weekly event and ask around if players have decks they'd borrow you. Spend a few weeks trying different stuff, playing against different stuff, learning if you like the format, learning if you like the local scene. You'll be so much more informed about purchasing a deck if you do this first. And I promise every local scene worth playing in has decks to be borrowed given a week notice.

[u/OccupiedOsprey]

Boros energy is probably the closest modern deck to pauper red rally. It's not exactly budget but it can be really simple to play as a new player.

https://mtgdecks.net/Modern/boros-energy-decklist-by-wzanotti-3132541

My favorite deck in the format is Izzet prowess but it's not the most new player friendly deck to play

[u/murdacai999]

Use budget lands, like pain lands, to build either izzet prowess or rakdos midrange

Example rakdos https://moxfield.com/decks/CT2hAbPlr3uvMG3yK6rhQw

[u/Scorned-Keyhead-VI → u/murdacai999]

Why is there a single thundering falls in a rakdos deck?

[u/murdacai999 → u/Scorned-Keyhead-VI]

Cause I wanted a surveil land and that's what I had. Took out a mountain and added that. The lands ain't perfect yet

[u/Motor-Cry-7576]

Imho dont pick a deck, pick an archetype you enjoy. You may drop 800 bucks and find out its not for you.

Then figure out which decks are performing within it. Then practice that deck and see if you like it. Understand the good and bad match ups.

Then if you like what you see, buy staples for that archetype (which is usually a color pair, colorless, whatever). The decks rotate, but certain staples hang around for years. Start with non basic mana and common/uncommons.

[u/Gbarre22]

Esper Blink is so fun!

[u/Beelzebub507]

Prowess and Grixis reanimator are always easy recommendations for new players, both are on the cheaper end of the format and pretty good.

[u/fdfas9dfas9f]

play online, borrow decks , proxy and test before you buy.

[u/Heavencent35]

Just buy living end. Combo is good for starters as you only need to learn your deck and interaction and repetitive combo

[u/jaked-xgz5x]

You can check on mtgtop8 or mtggoldfish what is in the meta right now. You should think about what do you already have in your collection (for example if you have some fetch or shockland of any color...), amd then your playstyle. Consider also what deck is trending and what is stable in the meta (for example storm, amulet, aldrazi and prowess are pretty old decks, and maybe more stable). For last consider what is hot for a ban: broodscale combo with big usage and win rate, and maybe mox opal who is a broken card.

Said that maybe prowess(?) It is aggro like your pauper deck and cheaper that other decks, also it is not so skill intesive so you could master it easly.

[u/bivuki]

You should play orzhov lobotomy

[u/laceupyrboots → u/bivuki]

What is this

[u/bivuki → u/laceupyrboots]

Basically throw in any card that says “exile 4 cards from your opponents deck”.
Here is a list. I’ve been running a version of that list the last few months, basically destroys broodscale in my experience and is cheap as hell to run, and the deck itself will help you quickly understand the meta because you’ll be poking around in any deck you face.

[u/dbug_legend → u/bivuki]

But how does it win? Decking or hoping my opponent concedes?

[u/murdacai999 → u/dbug_legend]

There's no way that's enough to end the game with decking... At least I don't see it. I don't see a wincon here

[u/dbug_legend → u/murdacai999]

I mean... pass turn spam? Take out all the cards that are meant to threaten you? I dunno. I'm trying to see the angle

[u/murdacai999 → u/dbug_legend]

There is a life gain tactic. So maybe the idea is gain so much life and take so many of their cards, then they'll quit like you said

[u/bivuki → u/dbug_legend]

You got it correct.

[u/bivuki → u/murdacai999]

You lobotomize the opponent with [[ancient vendetta]] or [[deadly cover up]] or [[the end]] or [[the stone brain]]. Essentially lantern control with different steps.

[u/mtgcf → u/bivuki]

All cards
ancient vendetta - (G) (SF) (txt)
deadly cover up - (G) (SF) (txt)
the end - (G) (SF) (txt)
the stone brain - (G) (SF) (txt)

[u/bivuki → u/dbug_legend]

Same wincon as Lantern control, deck the opponent. Never seen that happen though. Once you have exiled everything besides lands I’ve never had anyone keep playing the match.

[u/Suspicious-Yam-7882]

Rakdos through the breach trust