I’ve played a few four color builds on Magic Online. You can’t really go below 22 lands, and you have to be shock heavy. The downside is very high and your spells aren’t demonstrably better, or at least better enough to make up for this. A part of this article was about how I don’t like Helix in a three color build, and it gets even worse once you’re four colors and land heavier given that you need your spells to be higher impact, and are more likely to need to shock to cast it. Four color is an interested experiment, though one that has had unsatisfying results.

I like Cavern more than Lighthouse, though Lighthouse is certainly reasonable. The more fair the meta gets, the more playing Remand as the fifth and even sixth counterspell makes sense. Currently I play a Collective Brutality, and that sounds pretty poor against those decks. I’d definitely be happier with a Remand over that. The more general Modern metagame makes me prefer the Brutality though, and I would play that in an Open.

The juxtaposition is indeed awkward, and was something that I tried to remedy with different configurations. Ultimately the abstract power of both cards is too high and important in various game ones that you definitely want both in the 75 but can’t reasonably sideboard either. I’ve landed on both and plan to sideboard out one in almost every matchup until a better solution comes to mind.

-JN

I am certain he is a good blue control player, but I am certain it’s everybody’s opinion. I am assuming the -no late game- is heading into the No Cryptic Commands territory. But ,and by the way I prefer the No Pyro version and that is the one I am playing on paper, I agree that 4 Snaps- 2 Kolaghan’s Command + many other spells are great going late into the game. A last question, if you please. My meta is heavy on Jund-Grixis Control-Jeskai Nahiri and a generally fair meta. What would you be thinking of as a counter suite in such a meta. Any great tips in specific cards? I already adopted a past idea of yours and am playing a Cavern of Souls in the SB. Should I prefer a Lighthouse over it? And thoughts about the Remand as a card generally in a possible SCG Open? Would you run it or not?
Regards and thanks for your answers.

These are the ramblings of somebody who has no idea how to pilot the deck. My build is excellent at going long, and the efficiency allows it to interact favorably against other decks going long. I assume this person does not excel at navigating Snapcaster Mage wars, or understanding the phase of the game. To prefer Pyromancer is one thing, but this person does not demonstrate that they could play my build well if they had to.

Your opinion?
Regards, George.

Geist falls into a category of card that I try to avoid in Modern. It’s only conditionally good. You mention that it’s good if you’re killing everything- but that already means that the deck is executing otherwise. Gideon is better in a larger percentage of situations, and plays defense reasonably well in a pinch, which Geist is horrible at. It’s hard to justify three mana spells that are bad at defense. If you Geist and they just cast Tarmogoyf it’s a real bummer.