Listening to the latest Level Up podcast yesterday while in a semi-conscious state as I was trying to grab a few more minutes in bed and sleep. They were discussing a modern deck (surprise surprise it’s a podcast about the modern format in MtG) that was doing particularly well in that format that used superfriends (lots of Planeswalkers basically).

I know in the podcast they talked about some of the cards in the deck, but I wasn’t really focussing on those, and I haven’t seen a deck list. They were not really relevant to me, and what part of me that was conscious was focussing more on the tactics of the superfriends.

I’m not sure how many copies of the “big” Planeswalkers were used in the deck. I was drifting in and out of consciousness at the time. But for me the only one relevant is Teferi, Hero of Dominaria. Hey I play Standard, Commander and sealed occasionally. So Jace isn’t a card I can play (unless it’s Commander and he’s too costly for that).

I do have a Teferi, Hero of Dominaria I think if I was to use him I’d need a second. And that’s a cost at the moment I’m not prepared to pay. The card rotates out in the Autumn. Plus at the moment I don’t play white/blue or Azorius. So it’s not a card I could play anyway.

Now I did remember the quantities of the 3 Planeswalkers from War of the Spark that were being used. In this modern deck they were using 2 copies of each of the following 3 Planeswalkers.

The nice thing is that when I checked I have 2 copies of each. Which means I wouldn’t need any more.

Although I like Teferi, Time Raveler, just like his bigger brother I currently can’t play him. However with Ashiok and Saheeli being hybrid mana as long as I have one of those colours in my deck I can play them.

I like Ashiok for his -1 ability. Especially in a mono red match up with their Rekindling Phoenix. It’s a very annoying card. But with Ashiok and that -1 get it to the graveyard and bam problem solved. Depending on the deck it’s going into you either mill yourself first to put more fuel in the graveyard or you mill your opponent. So it fits well into a mill deck (will have to revisit mine).

However another annoying set of cards were introduced in War of the Spark. I play some of them myself. I’m talking about the God cycle with the likes of Ilharg, Oketra and their fellow deities.

It’s the final paragraph on these God cards that makes them so annoying. Which I quote here (and just replace with the relevant God Name for the others).

“When Ilharg, the Raze-Boar dies or is put into exile from the battlefield, you may put it into its owner’s library third from the top.”

So Ashiok and that -1 ability allows us to send that just removed deity to the graveyard and then exile it. That annoying deity isn’t coming back anytime soon. Unless they have another in hand, or draw into one quickly.

And as I’m writing this I’m liking Ashiok more and more. Sideboard here it comes. Although main deck it? Strongly considering it.

Saheeli is nice in that she gives you a 1/1 body every time you cast a noncreature spell. Which is cool. But to then be able to make that 1/1 a copy of a big creature for a turn is pretty cool. I like this in my mono red burn/aggro deck. It might be enough in the mirror match up to give the edge. So definitely a sideboard card.

Naturally I need to decide which deck I’m playing today for Standard Showdown, and adjust it accordingly to use one or two of these superfriends. And that is a hard decision to make, 3 decks, all ones I’d like to play. But sadly only one can be. Decisions, decisions.