Magic: The Gathering Thread XIV: Instant Annoying, Just Add Hexproof

[Fable Wright]

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Borderland Ranger, Increasing Devotion, Rootbound Defenses, and Collective Blessing I could see being cut or moved to the sideboard. With such a reduction of Humans, I would probably take out Champion of the Parish, as well, though he can still make for explosive starts if you get a god hand.

[Binks]

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Guild Feud, it is so silly and long winded that I think I'm in love.

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That is just awesome. I love big wacky red enchantments, they're always so much fun.

[Androgeus]

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That is just awesome. I love big wacky red enchantments, they're always so much fun.

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I think the best use for it that I've seen in standard is to play the beast tracker dude and put the 15/15 wurm on top of your library

[Elagune]

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Borderland Ranger, Increasing Devotion, Rootbound Defenses, and Collective Blessing I could see being cut or moved to the sideboard. With such a reduction of Humans, I would probably take out Champion of the Parish, as well, though he can still make for explosive starts if you get a god hand.

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All good points. That's actually another thing I was wondering. The human sub-theme would probably be a remnant of my current deck, I'm just wondering whether or not it's worth it to actually keep that theme in there? As far as I can see it's taking up space that could be used for cards like Arbor Elf and the removal that comes with Black.

Oh, and I was also considering Thraben Doomsayer. The token generation seems pretty great for a deck like this, and his Fateful Hour anthem seems like icing on the cake.

[tgva8889]

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That Anthem is actually rather insane. Extremely powerful effect. Determining whether it's worth 6 mana is a different matter, but you are playing a card that says "you win combat as long as this card is in play" for a really large amount of situations. I know, for example, that it will be an all-star in EDH just by pure power-level.

Delver still doesn't have a very good counterspell, so all this "can't be countered" business is kind of "whatever you say" in Standard.

[Callos_DeTerran]

...These spoilers are making it really hard for me to decide if I want to play Golgari or Rakdos.

On the one hand, I love the Golgari mechanic and the color combination. On the other, I really like more then few Rakdos cards (Dreadbore, will you marry me?) and their theme of 'murder circus!'...what to decide?!

[Sith_Happens]

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Delver still doesn't have a very good counterspell, so all this "can't be countered" business is kind of "whatever you say" in Standard.

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Yeah, first thing I thought seeing Abrupt Decay and Supreme Verdict was "What's with all the 'can't be countered' clauses all of a sudden?" I get that Wizards apparently wants UW Delver to die in a fire, but surgically excluding everything that makes it actually work as a deck from M13 (and presumably from RtR block as well) seems like more than enough.

[Nerocite]

...These spoilers are making it really hard for me to decide if I want to play Golgari or Rakdos.

On the one hand, I love the Golgari mechanic and the color combination. On the other, I really like more then few Rakdos cards (Dreadbore, will you marry me?) and their theme of 'murder circus!'...what to decide?!

Why not both? Jund all the way.

[raymundo]

On the one hand, I love the Golgari mechanic and the color combination. On the other, I really like more then few Rakdos cards (Dreadbore, will you marry me?) and their theme of 'murder circus!'...what to decide?!

Rakdos all the way, my fellow party murder clown of doom!

But why don't you just take them both? Rakdos + energized Golgari zombies = cheesy Thriller remake

[tgva8889]

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Yeah, first thing I thought seeing Abrupt Decay and Supreme Verdict was "What's with all the 'can't be countered' clauses all of a sudden?" I get that Wizards apparently wants UW Delver to die in a fire, but surgically excluding everything that makes it actually work as a deck from M13 (and presumably from RtR block as well) seems like more than enough.

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The real issue is that I'm not even sure Delver cares anymore. Fine, you get what is basically Terminate against me and I can't counter it. Except Abrupt Decay can't kill Geist of St. Traft, or Restoration Angel, or Talrand. It trades being able to kill any of those for being able to kill Runechanter's Pike. Maybe that's relevant, but I think I'd rather just have Terminate.

What are the big cards that Delver is playing that you are getting huge value on with Abrubt Decay? New Delver isn't going to be nearly as fast, they won't be able to threaten you with death on turn 6 nearly as often because they simply don't have Ponder to set up consistent Delvers anymore. New Delver is going to win with cards like Talrand, cards that Abrubt Decay does nothing against. Losing tempo, I feel, isn't going to hurt them as much because I think they'll have a really powerful late-game.

The others having "can't be countered" is actually relevant, since they're expensive and the decks they're good against do play counters to stop those kinds of cards. Being able to Memoricide a blue control deck or a combo deck with certainty seems like it could be valuable, and ensuring your Day of Judgment resolves against a deck like Merfolk might be relevant. But Abrubt Decay is cheap enough (and an Instant!) that "can't be countered" feels almost completely unnecessary.

[Callos_DeTerran]

Why not both? Jund all the way.

I don't think I can choose both for the prerelease. Also, I'm what many call a Vorthos in that I enjoy flavor and themes to my deck. It'd feel...weird playing Golgari Circus.

[tgva8889]

Callos: It'll be hard to choose until we see all the cards. I honestly suggest waiting until you've seen everything so you have a better idea of the playstyle.

[9mm]

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ugh... functional reprint of Surgical extraction.

[Androgeus]

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ugh... functional reprint of Surgical extraction.

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talking about Slaughter Games? That's not a functional reprint, a functional reprint is the same card but with a different name and sometime sub type.

[tgva8889]

Is there a multicolored EDH general that would fit a historical-themed deck? I wanted to make a deck with 1 card from every set of Magic ever made.

[Lord Seth]

Is there a multicolored EDH general that would fit a historical-themed deck?

Any of these guys could potentially qualify.

[IthilanorStPete]

Is there a multicolored EDH general that would fit a historical-themed deck? I wanted to make a deck with 1 card from every set of Magic ever made.

Maybe one of the more famous guys from Legends, like Dakkon Blackblade or Sol'kanar?

[9mm]

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talking about Slaughter Games? That's not a functional reprint, a functional reprint is the same card but with a different name and sometime sub type.

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still exiles any card in your deck with no recourse for the opponent. "what's that your playing door to nothingness? LAWL"

I'm not sure a card that disruptive should even exist, let alone be that freaking cheep.

[tgva8889]

Lord Seth, your search parameters didn't work. Did you also look at Legends from Legends? It might be fun to make it an Elder Dragon just because.

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still exiles any card in your deck with no recourse for the opponent. "what's that your playing door to nothingness? LAWL"

I'm not sure a card that disruptive should even exist, let alone be that freaking cheep.

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No recourse? There are many recourses. "Have a variety of threats in your deck" is by far the most viable, most effective, and easiest to successfully enact.

Cheap? The one we're talking about, Slaughter Games, costs 4 mana. That's not cheap at all; it's, in fact, very expensive. Expensive enough that it doesn't even get the Door to Nothingness you so specifically mentioned because your deck could have one in play by that turn! Sure it's disruptive, but not at such a level that it's not beatable.

[Lord Seth]

Lord Seth, your search parameters didn't work. Did you also look at Legends from Legends? It might be fun to make it an Elder Dragon just because.

Well, it was supposed to give you a list of all multicolored legends from the Time Spiral block.

[Bucky]

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still exiles any card in your deck with no recourse for the opponent. "what's that your playing door to nothingness? LAWL"

I'm not sure a card that disruptive should even exist, let alone be that freaking cheep.

Aven Mindcensor is a recourse.

[Lord Seth]

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still exiles any card in your deck with no recourse for the opponent. "what's that your playing door to nothingness? LAWL"

I'm not sure a card that disruptive should even exist, let alone be that freaking cheep.

If your deck honestly can't win without Door to Nothingness, then that doesn't mean this card is overpowered, it means your deck is awful.

[Sith_Happens]

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...I don't even know what to say about this, other than that it's the card control decks are going to have nightmares about for the next two years.

[Penguinizer]

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It's 4 mana and doesn't do anything beyond exiling said one card. It's essentially a null turn and will rarely end up being more than a 1 to 1 if even that.

Not to mention most decks will not be harmed by the removal of one card. I doubt it'll see that much play especially since Surgical Extraction and Extirpate exist. For reference, see how much play Cranial Extraction got.

[Mystic Muse]

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...I don't even know what to say about this, other than that it's the card control decks are going to have nightmares about for the next two years.

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Should I get these now while I can get them for less than six dollars apiece, or wait?

[Lord Seth]

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...I don't even know what to say about this, other than that it's the card control decks are going to have nightmares about for the next two years.

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I don't really think so. The "can't be countered" is decent but just means the counterspell goes to another card, and the discard part is practically a non-thing. The simple issue is that it has no real resistance to removal, so a sweeper or targeted removal spell ends it. And control decks have plenty of those!

I predict the card will see play in Standard, a 1GW for 4/4 is a good deal even without its extra abilities, but it's hardly something to give control decks nightmares.

[Zavoniki]

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So based on these spoilers, counter spells are no longer a thing in Standard right? I mean Cavern was... actually not really that bad at all as it was mainly good for fixing, but putting can't be countered on this many cards along with the massive reduction in playable counterspells, which is now at... Dissipate??? Negate in the sideboard? Uhm... Izzet Charm I guess, though Im not sure how much of a counterspell it will actually be.

[Mr._Blinky]

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I don't really think so. The "can't be countered" is decent but just means the counterspell goes to another card, and the discard part is practically a non-thing. The simple issue is that it has no real resistance to removal, so a sweeper or targeted removal spell ends it. And control decks have plenty of those!

I predict the card will see play in Standard, a 1GW for 4/4 is a good deal even without its extra abilities, but it's hardly something to give control decks nightmares.

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Doesn't matter. As an aggro player, having a three-drop must remove is amazing. Remember, Leatherback Baloth was a card that got people really excited even though it cost GGG, and although it didn't see real play that was more because of a lack of support than anyone over-rating it; I actually did run it in a rogue deck, and it absolutely wrecked face every time I played it. This is another three-mana 4/x, and even if it has 1 less Toughness it more than makes up for it with a less restrictive mana cost and two (2) relevant anti-control abilities. For aggressive deck this card is absolutely incredible, even borderline broken; ramping into a turn-2 4/4 that your opponent can't counter or force you to discard is an incredible advantage for an aggressive deck, and one that's very hard for your opponent to come back from if not immediately answered.

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So based on these spoilers, counter spells are no longer a thing in Standard right? I mean Cavern was... actually not really that bad at all as it was mainly good for fixing, but putting can't be countered on this many cards along with the massive reduction in playable counterspells, which is now at... Dissipate??? Negate in the sideboard? Uhm... Izzet Charm I guess, though Im not sure how much of a counterspell it will actually be.

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I think they're only doing one "can't be countered" per guild. We've got one Golgari (Abrupt Decay), one Rakdos (Slaughter Games), an Azorius (Supreme Verdict), an now one from Selesnya (Loxodon Smiter). It's not nothing, but you're probably only going to be able to play one, maybe two of these in a deck, and Slaughter Games at least isn't more than a side-board card, and probably only a 2-of at that. They're not irrelevant, but I don't think they're going to be so format-warping that they'll prevent the play of counterspells.

[raymundo]

I don't think I can choose both for the prerelease. Also, I'm what many call a Vorthos in that I enjoy flavor and themes to my deck. It'd feel...weird playing Golgari Circus.

Well, you will only get one booster of your chosen guild and a bunch of regular RtR boosters, so you can build whatever you like ;)

I'm sure Rakdos and Golgari like each other just fine - one produces corpses, the other unliving party zombies

[9mm]

If your deck honestly can't win without Door to Nothingness, then that doesn't mean this card is overpowered, it means your deck is awful.

no it means it's degenerate combo hate. I'll freely admit I don't like the card because I've watched multiple decks just get hosed via repeated castings just stripping out all the threats and killing the ones on the board. For me, that's worldspine worm power, at half the casting cost.