I've tested Bolt Bend which is pretty similar, but most of the time is more powerful to those two. I quite enjoyed it but my drafters did not. I consider it the best card we have presented for the effect (in red) because it supports the type of deck that would normally want it. Big red decks that want some kind of protection, but don't want to branch out into blue for counterspells. But when your format (and removal) is very slow, and someone will likely spend their whole turn trying to remove something, it created too many feels bad moments for the villain. Even something like Avoid Fate or Siren Stormtamer was better appreciated because it did not also kill one of the villain's creatures in the process. I thought it was very cool, and after the game that it was casted it made people guess "does he have it? does he not have it?", and that can make for very interesting games (ie I cast Etali with one red mana left open even though I don't have the card and I bluff my way to victory). But my drafters did not appreciate the subtle nuances as much as I did.
Card/Deck Low Power Card Spotlight
- Thread starter Grillo_Parlante
- Start date
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
There's also
I believe these two saw the most constructed play. It's a fairly narrow effect, but pretty devastating when it works. Divert can be played around, when your opponent knows/suspects you have it, and Misdirection often creates a 2-for-2 scenario, which means you still get ahead on board, but at least you're not also getting ahead in cards. I think Shunt is too expensive, and Swerve too narrow for a multicolor card.
I believe these two saw the most constructed play. It's a fairly narrow effect, but pretty devastating when it works. Divert can be played around, when your opponent knows/suspects you have it, and Misdirection often creates a 2-for-2 scenario, which means you still get ahead on board, but at least you're not also getting ahead in cards. I think Shunt is too expensive, and Swerve too narrow for a multicolor card.
Low Bottom, high ceiling. Don't like that kind of effect.
@ Monuments:
Oketra's obv is the most powerful.
Kefnet's would have been powerful if it would actually tap something, but that would've actually make it pretty damn powerful.
Rhonas's Monument is a card which I find to be the most interesting. It enables combo turns, it's cost reducing effect helps with that, and if you built your deck right it's certainly stronger than Oketra's. To me, this is the most interesting one.
Hazoret's is playable, but I find that kind of effect is on a lot of other cards that are way more interesting.
Bontu's Monument is meh.
@ Monuments:
Oketra's obv is the most powerful.
Kefnet's would have been powerful if it would actually tap something, but that would've actually make it pretty damn powerful.
Rhonas's Monument is a card which I find to be the most interesting. It enables combo turns, it's cost reducing effect helps with that, and if you built your deck right it's certainly stronger than Oketra's. To me, this is the most interesting one.
Hazoret's is playable, but I find that kind of effect is on a lot of other cards that are way more interesting.
Bontu's Monument is meh.
I also thought about Bolt Bend first, but then figured the more consistent version would be nicer to have for such a specific thing? My red section has very few creatures with power 4 or greater and even fewer to grow. On the other hand I could very well imagine a scenario where you would like to protect my Weaver of Lightning, my Talrand, Sky Summoner, or my Falenrath Noble.
But that leads me to another question: How much worse was Bolt Bend when you had to cast it for 4? Was the impact still big enough to justify the cost against certain matchups?
There's also
I believe these two saw the most constructed play. It's a fairly narrow effect, but pretty devastating when it works. Divert can be played around, when your opponent knows/suspects you have it, and Misdirection often creates a 2-for-2 scenario, which means you still get ahead on board, but at least you're not also getting ahead in cards. I think Shunt is too expensive, and Swerve too narrow for a multicolor card.
I didn't know Divert, thanks!
But besides the huge price tag on Miscalc, I just thought about these card in the first place, because I had an open slot in my red section, and I wanted to fill it with an interesting instant/sorcery, that is not just another burn spell or an aggro-only effect. So I stumbled over Shunt and then remembered Swerve.
What I like about these effects is, that they are good against removal. Also, unlike TekLazars Playgroup, my drafters have always liked Willbender a lot. We sometimes call him "Willy" and he makes every morph so much more suspicious, which creates a fun tension for both players. I think, if good enough, a card like Shunt/Bolt Bend could have a similar effect.
PS. I wish they'd create a version for
that has a cycling ability for or maybe even !Compared to Shunt I would actually say Bolt Bend is a little bit better (even when cast for 4) for one big reason that I didn't mention.
It can swerve abilities as well, which since you run Flametongue Kavu, Nekrataal, Cast Out, and Waterfront Bouncer that could make for some very fun scenarios and make it just a little bit less niche than Shunt.
It really depends on if 4 mana is enough to justify a (sometimes) 2 for 1 effect that can cause huge tempo swings. Like Cast Out still will target one of your creatures, but if it's only a 1/1 token then your opponent spent 4 mana removing a token and you spent 4 mana to make them do it.
If anything you could just proxy it and see how it goes.
Oh my god, I didn't realize that. Yeah, that's a huuuge point. The effect is still something that will be boarded out and in, I guess, but that edge gives it easily 25% more targets. And how annoying would it be to realize for some new player that his trick he was holding a few turns doesn't work against Oblivion Ring?
I do believe Divert is the best of its kind. Costing U makes it far easier to find a target than any other card like it. Still, remember that, historically, the main use of Divert has been "Counter target counterspell".
How do you counter a counterspell with this?
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
You cast Divert, targeting the Counterspell, then redirect the target of the Counterspell to
Divert Edit: I misremembered how this works. Thanks for correcting me Eric Twice
Not quite. Divert resolves and changes the target of Counterspell to itself. Then Counterspell fizzles because its target no longer exists.You cast Divert, targeting the Counterspell, then redirect the target of the Counterspell to Divert
This doesn't matter in most situations but might if you run Baral, Chief of Compliance or whatever.
That is true for sure, but in my environment a 4/4 flier that lets you recast a few strong spells is also a pretty decent way to close out the game. So maybe you won't need a horde of zombies?
Personally, the largest issue I see with spells decks is, well, not having enough spells. I always seem to have enough "payoffs" but not enough cantrips or whatever.
This is the best cc3 mana rock that doesn't add 2 or more mana:
Just got the first games with it done after adding it recently, did a 2-man sealed with my gf and it was the bomb in my mono red/brown wildfire deck. The last round it did 15 dino-damage alone and was helpful ramp in the early to mid game as well.
Just got the first games with it done after adding it recently, did a 2-man sealed with my gf and it was the bomb in my mono red/brown wildfire deck. The last round it did 15 dino-damage alone and was helpful ramp in the early to mid game as well.
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
Yeah, I'm a fan too! Fountain of Ichor has been super decent.
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
Yes. I would sharpie out the satyr buff if you're not running any other satyrs. That said, Boon Satyr, Firedrinker Satyr, Reckless Reveler, and Satyr Wayfinder are playable cards.
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
It’s incidental value, you’re probably going to be okay. I’ve ran Gray Merchant of Asphodel in my multicolor cube because it’s simply a super decent five drop in black. It provides both reach and some life gain, both of which are desirable. I’ve never had people assume there’s a secret monoblack deck in my cube though.
But Gallia needs incidental value even less than Gary I think. Her floor as a Rip-Clan Crasher is already decent and her discard/draw ability just gravy. Probably even without specific things to discard. I also can't be very picky, cheap and aggressive discard outlets are rare. I kinda have to take every good Wild Mongrel variant they give us.
Would you assume there is a satyr tribal draftable when you saw her within the first few picks?
Would you assume there is a satyr tribal draftable when you saw her within the first few picks?
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
Satyr tribal isn’t really a thing outside of Gallia, so other than maybe picking up some incidental tribal value, I don’t think I would.
Chris Taylor
Contributor
Just sharpie over with "of you control other satyrs somehow, they get +1/+1"
Dom Harvey
Contributor
I definitely assumed Satyr tribal when it was previewed!