Last week, we kicked off the September Brew Report, covering some of the juiciest decks to emerge from recent 5-0 dumps. As the format continues to find its footing after the Hogaak ban, the possibilities seem endless. Today we’ll discuss the other newcomers.
Fair Enough
We’ll kick things off with Modern’s unsung heroes: the decks that play it fair against all odds.
Temur Midrange, by C4N7O (5-0)
| Creatures (13) 4 Tarmogoyf 4 Ice-Fang Coatl 4 Snapcaster Mage 1 Tireless Tracker Planeswalkers (4) 1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor 3 Wrenn and Six Instants (18) 2 Abrade 2 Cryptic Command 3 Force of Negation 4 Lightning Bolt 1 Magmatic Sinkhole 2 Mana Leak 2 Opt 2 Spell Snare Sorceries (3) 3 Serum Visions Lands (22) 1 Breeding Pool 1 Field of Ruin 1 Fiery Islet 1 Ghost Quarter 1 Lonely Sandbar 1 Lumbering Falls 2 Misty Rainforest 2 Prismatic Vista 3 Scalding Tarn 1 Snow-Covered Forest 4 Snow-Covered Island 2 Snow-Covered Mountain 1 Steam Vents 1 Stomping Ground | Sideboard (15) 1 Alpine Moon 1 Ancient Grudge 1 Anger of the Gods 2 Ashiok, Dream Render 2 Damping Sphere 1 Engineered Explosives 1 Flame Slash 1 Fry 1 Keranos, God of Storms 1 Pyroclasm 1 Surgical Extraction 2 Weather the Storm | |
| Buy deck on Cardhoarder (MTGO)Buy deck on TCGPlayer (Paper) |
Temur Midrange has never been a deck in Modern, though that hasn’t stopped players from trying time and again to crack the code. It simply lacks the heavy-duty removal options of black and white, as well as proactive non-creature plays with which to develop its position. Jund loses out on the ability to run counterspells, but gains targeted discard and Liliana of the Veil, draws that Temur could never match.
Until, perhaps, now. Joining the wedge’s ranks are Wrenn and Six, a proven powerhouse in and out of Jund that offers Temur an on-plan way to satisfy its hungry mana requirements. Also new is Ice-Fang Coatl, a pseudo-removal spell with its condition met. Temur is already in the business of fetching basics, so the snow creature does a fine Baleful Strix impersonation for the deck.
Whether such developments turn the combination around remains to be seen, but color me doubtful for the time being. Discard spells greatly enhance this kind of nickel-and-diming playstyle, and Jund is a force to be reckoned with right now for that reason.
BR Claim, by IVAN_CATANDUVA_BR (5-0)
| Creatures (14) 4 Pestilent Spirit 4 Rix Maadi Reveler 2 Rotting Regisaur 4 Seasoned Pyromancer Planeswalkers (4) 1 Chandra, Acolyte of Flame 3 Liliana of the Veil Instants (11) 4 Gut Shot 3 Kolaghan’s Command 4 Lightning Bolt Sorceries (9) 3 Claim // Fame 3 Inquisition of Kozilek 3 Thoughtseize Lands (22) 1 Barren Moor 3 Blackcleave Cliffs 1 Blood Crypt 3 Bloodstained Mire 2 Field of Ruin 1 Marsh Flats 3 Mountain 3 Swamp 4 Verdant Catacombs 1 Wooded Foothills | Sideboard (15) 2 Anger of the Gods 1 Chandra, Torch of Defiance 3 Collective Brutality 4 Pillage 2 Plague Engineer 1 Shadow of Doubt 2 Surgical Extraction | |
| Buy deck on Cardhoarder (MTGO)Buy deck on TCGPlayer (Paper) |
BR Claim follows in the footsteps of a breakout deck post-Horizons, BR Unearth. That strategy aimed to abuse Unearth by reanimating juicy targets like Seasoned Pyromancer. Variations have dipped into three drops as diverse as Lightning Skelemental, Jace, Vryn’s Prodigy, and Monastery Mentor. This deck runs the staple Seasoned Pyromancer and Rotting Regisaur. 
But it doesn’t run Unearth; only Claim // Fame, which targets neither of those creatures.
Claim can only bring back one creature in the list: Rix Maadi Reveler. As such, it serves as a mini-velocity engine to power through the deck. But it’s much less efficient at doing that than reanimating Pyromancer. Rather, the draw to Claim lies in its other half, Fame. With the aftermath spell in the graveyard, opponents need to be wary at every turn, as a 7-power Regisaur could emerge out of nowhere and take a bite out of their life points.
With all that said, I sincerely don’t understand why this deck doesn’t have any Unearths in it and would dearly appreciate any guidance in the comments!
Fishing for a New Religion
Fish-style tempo decks have taken many forms in Modern, and the strategy continues to emerge in unique constructions as new cards are released.
Deadguy Ale, by BENNYHILLZ (5-0)
| Creatures (20) 4 Dark Confidant 4 Giver of Runes 4 Thraben Inspector 4 Stoneforge Mystic 4 Kitesail Freebooter Instants (6) 1 Cast Down 4 Fatal Push 1 Slaughter Pact Sorceries (11) 1 Collective Brutality 4 Inquisition of Kozilek 3 Lingering Souls 3 Thoughtseize Artifacts (3) 1 Batterskull 1 Elbrus, the Binding Blade 1 Sword of Fire and Ice Lands (20) 4 Concealed Courtyard 2 Flooded Strand 2 Godless Shrine 4 Marsh Flats 1 Plains 2 Polluted Delta 2 Snow-Covered Plains 3 Swamp | Sideboard (15) 2 Collective Brutality 1 Lingering Souls 3 Fulminator Mage 2 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet 2 Liliana of the Veil 1 Liliana, the Last Hope 1 Manriki-Gusari 3 Rest in Peace | |
| Buy deck on Cardhoarder (MTGO)Buy deck on TCGPlayer (Paper) |
Deadguy Ale is a black-white fish deck with more midrange elements than your typical Death & Taxes, such as Dark Confidant and Inquisition of Kozilek. It’s long been native to Legacy, but as Stoneforge has just arrived in Modern, the strategy is a newcomer here.
BENNYHILLZ did us the favor of breaking it in, employing Giver of Runes and Thraben Inspector to generate a beautiful curve without the need for Aether Vial. Lingering Souls plays exceedingly well with Sword of Fire and Ice, and Elbrus turns any flying creature (there are plenty) into a serious threat. A full set of Fatal Pushes round out this elegant list.
Trending away from synergy is rare in Modern, but as a lover of all-purpose disruption, I’m excited to see if such developments continue.
Company Hatebears, by POC (5-0)
Speaking of moving away from synergy, Company Hatebears pulls a Naya Zoo in using its titular instant for non-combo purposes. When you’re fishing out the best two-drops in Modern, among them Stoneforge and Thalia, who needs to go infinite?
A big factor allowing this deck to exist is Collector Ouphe, which gives it superb interaction against artifact strategies the likes of Whirza. That deck certainly isn’t going anywhere, and Ouphe’s stock should only rise as Emry makes a splash alongside Jeskai Ascendency come Throne.
Pride of the Pack
Of course, Modern is still home to plenty of synergy, and much of it has to do with creatures. These decks put innovative spins on that old concept.
Bant Pride, by INTERNETSURFER09 (5-0)
Behold Bant Pride, AKA flying tribal. But hasn’t this deck been done before? Like, with Spirits? Well, kind of. Spirits has better lords, to be sure. But it doesn’t have the grind game enabled by the forecast mechanic. Or durdle game?
Balancing out that snail-slow plan is Mantis Rider, the game’s-now-over closer from Humans. Growing Rider above 3/3 is an interesting premise, and one I’ve spent many hours trying to implement well myself. The format’s changed a lot since those days; perhaps it’s the 4/4 or 5/5 Rider’s day to shine outside its original tribal deck and alongside some straight-up draft cards.
Company Hatebears, by POC (5-0)
Yawgmoth Undying might not play Collected Company, but it’s got the other green creature-finders, Eldritch Evolution and Chord of Calling. 
That’s because it’s not looking for a critical mass of beaters or disruptors so much as one specific card: Yawgmoth, Thran Physician.
With the Cleric in play, Young Wolf and its undying buddies get a new lease on life, not from the graveyard this time, but from the bulk bin. Yawgmoth’s -1/-1 counter cancels out the +1/+1 counter from undying, letting pilots draw cards at will. They only have 20 life, of course, but Geralf’s Messenger races that clock by dealing twice as much damage each sacrifice, and recruiting Blood Artist first goes infinite. It’s likely that players mid-combo will find a way to grab Artist in their next 10-or-so cards.
A Month in the Books
September has been very exciting for Modern, and the fun’s just beginning: Throne of Eldraine is about to become legal! Which brews stand out to you the most? What kinds of decks do you hope to see emerge from the new expansion? Let’s keep the discussion going in the comments.
Jordan is the copy and content editor at Modern Nexus. He has played Magic since 2003, and Modern since its inception. Jordan favors card efficiency over raw power and specializes in disruptive aggro strategies. He always brings tuned brews to events.
Do you believe ‘Counter-Cat’ can still come back?
It was my favorite deck to play.
Considering there are so many new 1 drop beaters; and stoneforge is back.
I wouldn’t want the new one-drops or Stoneforge in that deck. But I do think that the strategy has been more or less power-crept—Goyf and Nacatl are a lot less impressive than they used to be. Either way, I did write an article about the new one-drops and how to evaluate them after trying Elvish Reclaimer in some thresh-style shells. Take a look: http://modernnexus.com/beat-this-evaluating-one-mana-beaters/