It is interesting to note Daniel’s lack of discard, which of course doesn’t work when he’s trying to drop one-drops onto the field as fast as possible. Stubborn Denial was the de facto 'best card' a couple weeks ago, but it doesn’t do much against 19 creatures attacking into you, especially when this list also has access to a ton of pump and burn to go with it. But I’m interested in seeing how the classic Death's Shadow decks will respond to this newcomer entering the clubhouse. Whether Daniel’s version of Death’s Shadow Jund, or Zoo, or creature Burn, or whatever you want to call it, is the right version for next week is hard to say. Next week, who knows if players will adopt his list, but that doesn’t really matter. This is what those in the business call betting the farm, and Daniel cashed in. By sleeving up this 75, Daniel made a statement about where he expected the field to be, and I hear it loud and clear. I appreciate going all-in and trusting your gut about the format, as there isn’t a basic land in sight. This week, dodging Leylines (and potentially Oketra's Last Mercy) seemed to be Daniel’s goal, and it worked out well for him. We’ve finally reached the point where there are just so many good cards to play in Modern that the lines between Death’s Shadow Aggro, Zoo, and Burn are forever blurred. Kolaghan's Command, Traverse the Ulvenwald, and company are gone, instead replaced by Tribal Flames, Boros Charm, and Might of Alara.

Creatures seems like a good bet, but really this deck is just Burn, but a Burn deck that can actually beat Leyline of Sanctity and grind out the midrange decks. Might of Alara? Are you kidding me? Daniel’s list is so cool, I don’t even know where to start. I’m not even going to try and hide my excitement. How is that possible? Well, let’s look and see… Even though there weren’t many Hour of Devastation inclusions, there were still a ton of new archetypes and innovations hidden in the lists. Let’s dive in to the Modern Classic results from Atlanta. Remember a few weeks ago when everyone said Death's Shadow needed to be banned? Remember a few weeks before that when Counters Company took an event by storm? And what about before that, when Dredge and Storm were putting up strong, consistent results? See what I mean? I could go on and on, but the truth of the matter is that Modern is great, and life is good-let’s appreciate it while we have it. Modern is great right now, and far from solved, so a set release that doesn’t add much to the card pool is much more welcome than, say, if the format were busted beyond belief.

So, by all early indications, it doesn’t look like Hour of Devastation is a knock out of the park, but as we discussed last week, that’s kind of okay. Behold, your new Modern influencers: Rhonas the Indomitable, Claim to Fame, and Irrigated Farmland! Hm. Armed with powerful new spells, creatures, and everything in between, the world’s best brought their collective knowledge to bear, shaking the foundations of our beloved format to its core under their combined might (do foundations have a core? I’m an architect, I should know). Hour of Devastation is officially upon us, and with it, our reckoning has arrived. The SCG Modern Classic in Atlanta last Sunday signaled the end of Modern as we know it.

Scg maelstrom pulse