Card/Deck Single Card Spotlight
- Thread starter Dom Harvey
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My issue with Thragtusk is the casting cost. Single green makes it ridiculously splashable. If it was 3GG, I'd hate it less. As is, it's stupid value at a cost that is too easy for anyone to assemble.
On that note, I would not play Wolfir Silverheart if it was priced 4G either. Even as 3GG, it's walking a fine line because of how good it is. But green getting fatty dudes that roll people is sort of what the color is about.
In case you haven't noticed the trend, I'm a big fan of heavy color requirements on powerful creatures and effects. You should be rewarded for going heavy into a color. In that vein, Skinrender is 2BB. You can't just splash that without making some sacrifices.
Long story short. I find 5 color goodstuff.dec an abomination and I refuse to support that in my cube. Even 3 color decks, I want guys having a primary color (or two at most) and only splashing a third (read: single mana requirements). A huge aspect of the game IMO is what colors do and don't do and the sacrifices you make by making said color choices.
On that note, I would not play Wolfir Silverheart if it was priced 4G either. Even as 3GG, it's walking a fine line because of how good it is. But green getting fatty dudes that roll people is sort of what the color is about.
In case you haven't noticed the trend, I'm a big fan of heavy color requirements on powerful creatures and effects. You should be rewarded for going heavy into a color. In that vein, Skinrender is 2BB. You can't just splash that without making some sacrifices.
Long story short. I find 5 color goodstuff.dec an abomination and I refuse to support that in my cube. Even 3 color decks, I want guys having a primary color (or two at most) and only splashing a third (read: single mana requirements). A huge aspect of the game IMO is what colors do and don't do and the sacrifices you make by making said color choices.
CML
Contributor
Chris Taylor
Contributor
Well in a cube without aggro decks it'll be hard to nudge people away from durdly multicolor midrange decks won't it? 
What are they going do to, draft combo?
What are they going do to, draft combo?
Isn't that what we have the Fight Club thread for?
RIP Fight Club. My favorite thread on the forums.
Yeah, I'm in agreement with ahadabans here. CML, you don't have to agree, but if you're going to disagree try to do so reasonably and respectfully.
Maybe it's my Legacy background but I'm really not that fussed about distinct colour identities. The speed of our format means players are still incentivized to build reasonable mana bases (don't stumble!). I don't wanna minimize what Magic is for you, ahada, but I think the cost of splashing in your environment isn't what I wanted duplicated in mine. In a midrange format like yours the counterweight to 5c good stuff (other decks that beat it) isn't as present, so an argument which might be fallacious elsewhere (in environments where 5c midrange has too many bad matchups) is instead an earnest goal.
Like, what midrange deck wins, the one with less value and consistency or the one with more?
Like, what midrange deck wins, the one with less value and consistency or the one with more?
Nice post Safra.
I would like the more consistent decks to win over the ones packed with generic value cards (which tend to be 3+ color decks). And I try to make that happen by focusing on synergytic effects versus raw power cards. But I want to cater to the raw power guys too because not everyone wants to create complicated decks and I can appreciate that desire. I just want those raw power guys to have to make hard color choices. Thragtusk is just not the droid I'm looking for personally.
Devotion was a mechanic that I was really excited for because it helps with what I'm trying to do. But outside Thassa, Purphoros, Rofellos (sort of), and Grey Merchant, I don't have tons of incentive for mono (or heavily mono) color decks unfortunately. It's still more an idea than an actualilty. Hopefully we see more cards printed in this vein though so I can keep pushing this concept forward.
I'm not much into the actual lore of the game, but the fundamental identify of the colors and how that translates to what kind of mage you are playing... It might sound contrary, but I really dig that part of the game. And it likely stems from my role-playing background.
EDIT: More on this idea of having to choose primary colors. I'd love some flavor of mana system where the more colors you played the few cards of those colors you had access to. So for instance, all CCC cards would be locked out as soon as you went to 2 colors, and all CC cards would be locked when you went 3 colors. Something along those lines. Clearly not anything you could put into Magic at this point, but I dig the idea of getting access to more powerful effects in a color by focusing more on it - hence why devotion is so appealing to me.
I would like the more consistent decks to win over the ones packed with generic value cards (which tend to be 3+ color decks). And I try to make that happen by focusing on synergytic effects versus raw power cards. But I want to cater to the raw power guys too because not everyone wants to create complicated decks and I can appreciate that desire. I just want those raw power guys to have to make hard color choices. Thragtusk is just not the droid I'm looking for personally.
Devotion was a mechanic that I was really excited for because it helps with what I'm trying to do. But outside Thassa, Purphoros, Rofellos (sort of), and Grey Merchant, I don't have tons of incentive for mono (or heavily mono) color decks unfortunately. It's still more an idea than an actualilty. Hopefully we see more cards printed in this vein though so I can keep pushing this concept forward.
I'm not much into the actual lore of the game, but the fundamental identify of the colors and how that translates to what kind of mage you are playing... It might sound contrary, but I really dig that part of the game. And it likely stems from my role-playing background.
EDIT: More on this idea of having to choose primary colors. I'd love some flavor of mana system where the more colors you played the few cards of those colors you had access to. So for instance, all CCC cards would be locked out as soon as you went to 2 colors, and all CC cards would be locked when you went 3 colors. Something along those lines. Clearly not anything you could put into Magic at this point, but I dig the idea of getting access to more powerful effects in a color by focusing more on it - hence why devotion is so appealing to me.
Which is why he has to hurt the consistency of gold midrange!
Reassembling Skeleton was only ever OK for us. He's fine in Stax and sacrifice decks. And it's cool he can actually block unlike some other options (though the tapped clause somewhat makes him suck at that). He hits like a limp noodle on offense.
I don't know, I don't have a lot of cheery commentary for this dude. He's a warrior?
I cut it and moved on. He was just a little too cute.
I don't know, I don't have a lot of cheery commentary for this dude. He's a warrior?
I cut it and moved on. He was just a little too cute.
Probably actually yeah it isn't that good
Aoret
Developer
Doesn't do many things that bloodsoaked champion doesn't do (AND that I actually want). Coming back without help is nice, but I actually like the no-blocks clause on these recursive dudes.
Same reasoning behind me cutting Ophiomancer after playing with it twice. If at all possible (and a few very controllish exceptions are fine) I want my creatures to encourage attacking and not dicking around.
Back on the topic of ol' two shields, I really haven't looked back since swapping him in for gravecrawler. It makes that deck worse enough that it's about on the same level as everything else again, which is all upside IMO. And it felt nice to cut whatever shitty/hard to cast zombies I was running against my will (fatestitcher, geralf's messenger I'm looking at you guys)
Same reasoning behind me cutting Ophiomancer after playing with it twice. If at all possible (and a few very controllish exceptions are fine) I want my creatures to encourage attacking and not dicking around.
Back on the topic of ol' two shields, I really haven't looked back since swapping him in for gravecrawler. It makes that deck worse enough that it's about on the same level as everything else again, which is all upside IMO. And it felt nice to cut whatever shitty/hard to cast zombies I was running against my will (fatestitcher, geralf's messenger I'm looking at you guys)
Don't forget the "milling yourself like 1/3rd of your deck" part
It's kinda cute but at the same time
I love my BG section and can't imagine ever actually running it when BG has so many other insanely cool cards? I've always felt BG has one of the best selections of multicolor cards (probably right after WU imho) so I'm honestly a bit confused as to why anyone would consider the Chant. But I loooove me some B/x decks, so that might just be, like, my opinion, man
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
/imagines an angry skeletal noodle...
I'm feeling rather ambivalent towards many of the popular B/G gold cards at the moment which is why I was looking for something else. B/G has plenty of good cards but they're just that: good. It's either a strong creature, or removal. I'd like to find out if Deadbridge Chant can add a bit more spice.
With the new Delve cards there are more playable ways to trim down your graveyard and get back something you actually want than there were when the card was printed. Maybe Treasure Cruise and Dig Through Time (the best 2 delve cards?) both being blue pushes this more towards a BUG card. Murderous Cut and Tasigur, the Golden Fang are very playable, but might be coming down before this anyways. Hooting Mandrills, Gurmag Angler, Tombstalker, Become immense are potentially playable. Unfortunately I'm doubting that a deck casting a 6 mana Deadbridge Chant would be too excited with those cards. At least Deathrite Shaman seems like a lock. The best case scenario is way better than drawing an extra card, and the worst case is about the same as drawing an extra card. All this is just theory, so maybe it's garbage at the end of the day anyways.