Nobody picked Blasting Station when I ran it because Goblin Bombardment is so hugely preferable. However, I've been thinking long and hard about making the swap from GB -> BS, because I feel like GB warps games around it in a bad way a little too often for me over here. Amping up the incidental enchantment hate is an option, but there's only so much of that to go around..
General Fight Club
- Thread starter Jason Waddell
- Start date
Nobody picked Blasting Station when I ran it because Goblin Bombardment is so hugely preferable. However, I've been thinking long and hard about making the swap from GB -> BS, because I feel like GB warps games around it in a bad way a little too often for me over here. Amping up the incidental enchantment hate is an option, but there's only so much of that to go around..
I'm not sure Goblin Bombardment is the villain we are looking for, to be honest. Basically along the lines of what the Emotions thread is trying to get at, why take out all the slightly swingy cards? This is a neat and valuable way to give a closer and some reach to Rx decks. Sure it's swingy and can instantly close out the game, but it not Sulfuric Vortex, it's not fireblast, etc.
Maybe it's more oppressive with a singleton-broken recursion theme, but I've had no real big issues with it. Cool card is cool.
Maybe it's more oppressive with a singleton-broken recursion theme, but I've had no real big issues with it. Cool card is cool.
Chris Taylor
Contributor
Yeah I ran double blasting station was a complete dud for me when I ran it.
I ran the Blasting Station / Bombardment split, but even when I was in the archetype, I didn't want Blasting Station. I'd have to drop way down in power level before Blasting Station felt like a card worth sleeving up.
says the guy who runs Jinxed Idol
When I played Jason last draft draft, Jinxed Idol was an all star. It was the hardest card to deal with from the zombie deck and turned many navigable board states into unwinable situations.
I really like it actually. It's less about breaking the symmetry, but if you're in a ramp deck it provides a roadblock that helps get you to the game stage you want to be at. Also good to sacrifice. It helps both players have an effective game, which helps the overall experience.
Jinxed Idol is the real deal.
I've had some success with Ashnod's Altar as a colorless sac outlet.
What do people think of Altar of Dementia? It's something I've been considering, lately. Seems sort of ideal for recurring zombie self-mill.
Chris Taylor
Contributor
Problem with altar of dementia is it doesn't affect the board, which is what makes goblin bombardment so strong.
Mortarpod is decent, and Spawning Pit could be alright
Mortarpod is decent, and Spawning Pit could be alright
I just 3-0'd with a Jinxed Idol maindeck. And before that with Skaab Ruinator. Next you'll be telling me Etched Monstrosity is bad.
Altar of Dementia was tons of fun back in the day, and I've considered returning it at some point. The problem is that it really wants to be on the combo-mill plan, which is great, but kinda narrow. I do love me some combo-mill though, and could see looking to support it once more.
Veteran Explorer was an idea I poached from safra and despite letting it sit in a slot for dozens of drafts with very little competition re: 1-drop rampers, nobody could play it optimally, as it was often not worth the hassle of setting up. It's just a bit annoying trying to break symmetry on the effect; ramping both players simultaneously can mean you get outplayed by slow decks if they're ready to capitalize on the mana, or that fast decks dump their hand even faster while you're trying to durdle up to a Genesis. Ramp is already not a very powerful "thing" in my environment without making it a finnicky tool that can lose you tempo so easy. I could see it working out if your playgroup is super tech-oriented, but I never found it to be very exciting tbh. I may try it again sometime but I literally had that card in for dozens of drafts and the few times it made a deck, it usually felt pretty dull for such a unique effect.
Veteran Explorer was an idea I poached from safra and despite letting it sit in a slot for dozens of drafts with very little competition re: 1-drop rampers, nobody could play it optimally, as it was often not worth the hassle of setting up. It's just a bit annoying trying to break symmetry on the effect; ramping both players simultaneously can mean you get outplayed by slow decks if they're ready to capitalize on the mana, or that fast decks dump their hand even faster while you're trying to durdle up to a Genesis. Ramp is already not a very powerful "thing" in my environment without making it a finnicky tool that can lose you tempo so easy. I could see it working out if your playgroup is super tech-oriented, but I never found it to be very exciting tbh. I may try it again sometime but I literally had that card in for dozens of drafts and the few times it made a deck, it usually felt pretty dull for such a unique effect.
I'm in the same boat. Before I went full retard with customs, my memory of goblin bombardment was that 3(+?) gravecrawlers/bloodghasts were the things that caused it to seem broken.
v. Eldrazi Displacer has become one of my favorite cards but I'm worried that its ability is too spammy. It has some interesting play to it with being able to remove blockers. On the other hand you don't get a flicker as soon as it enters the battlefield and it can't protect itself. I also like that it makes wastes/ colorless mana matter. Any thoughts?
I do like the Displacer a lot. It might be repeatable, but it does tie up quite a bit of mana to do so (mana with a barrier to entry at that). I also think the lack of ETB helps balance out the repeatability. I did have a fun game once where I held off a Drana, Liberator of Malakir for several turns while my teammate developed a board more (2HG).
Eldrazi Displacer has become one of my favorite cards but I'm worried that its ability is too spammy. It has some interesting play to it with being able to remove blockers. On the other hand you don't get a flicker as soon as it enters the battlefield and it can't protect itself. I also like that it makes wastes/ colorless mana matter. Any thoughts?
As for the versus, I run both. Without Restoration Angel, Displacer can take a toned down role as the anchor for the ETB deck, with Galepowder Mage at it's side. And Flickerwisp is just awesome.
I had a handful of Eldrazi that I wanted to play with, but I couldn't find a way to fit it into my current cube at the time when it was at 420. I fixed it by just jumping up to 450, which is pretty much the limit for me now giving me enough flex slots to work with whenever I want to try out something new. I enjoy the effects of many of the Smalldrazi, but it's hard to incorporate them into the environment b/c those colorless costs are actually kind of tricky to implement (especially without ULD on the side). It's a real cost running colorless sources if you can't just naturally pick up 2-3 from a draft alone.
On pure power level, I've seen much more interesting boardstates and interactions occur from a Displacer than the Wisp, though a Flying 3/1 is a legitimate threat in certain matchups. If I had to choose one, I go with Displacer.
On pure power level, I've seen much more interesting boardstates and interactions occur from a Displacer than the Wisp, though a Flying 3/1 is a legitimate threat in certain matchups. If I had to choose one, I go with Displacer.
Alright, you've convinced me to run both! I feel like I'll have enough colorless sources for the Displacer and we'll see if these two with Restoration Angel becomes too degenerate.
vs (E Domain MODO submission)
New Emrakul. She just has so much more play to her than the old one. You can realistically hard cast her, for one. Getting a turn to completely train wreck your opponent's plans is way more fun than Annihilator 6. There is actual counter play against her. Just a better designed card all-around.
(E Domain MODO submission)
New emrakul for me. Easier to hard cast and it also serves well in reanimator. Old emrakul is a little too bullshitty, since it steals games and you can't do squat about it or does nothing because it costs too much. Too swingy for me.
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
This is not even a close call?
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
This is a much harder pick! The Archangel can win on her own (being a 5/5 flyer), and can burst out something way ahead of the curve, but Nexus just oozes value turn after turn. I really like both if five color is sufficiently supported.