Card/Deck Single Card Spotlight

[MilesOfficial]

Huh. Galta and Mavren is actually the top Selesny creature pick on CubeCobra at the moment!

On an ELO basis, that makes sense. It's only played in 719 cubes as of writing, and most of the popular Cubes it's run in seem like Commander cubes or those restricted to Pioneer, etc. -- contexts where there are not very many strong GW creatures available. Interesting callout! I'm glad it's not just me who likes the big dinos!

I don't know how Selesnya has so few good choices for power-conscious lists like mine after 28 years of regularly printing allied guild cards. It's the only guild where I feel generally unsatisfied. It's why I brought up Applejack as a viable option in the SLD thread, even if I'm not a big fan of the art or the silver-bordered silliness.

Of all the suggestions, this is the most interesting to me but it doesn't excite me like the two choices I listed above.

I do not like big creatures that do not need to survive to give a lot of value, but that's me.

It's a good place to be, but that's what the competition where my cube leaves it, especially for a gold slot.

Appreciate the considerations, both!

 

[blacksmithy]

these may be way off your format goals and definitely out of scope for "fun fatty" but there are two "real" GW cards that i like and do not see on your list:
Voice of Resurgence
Eladrimi's Call

 

[LadyMapi]

Voice of Resurgence makes fun fatties, so there's that?

 

[blacksmithy]

it DOES!

 

[TrainmasterGT]

For a GW top-end card in my 720 list, I'm currently running Ghalta and Mavren, which is a very fun Timmy card. I just found out Torsten, Founder of Benalia exists, and it seems like it's probably better? Ghalta and Mavren still passes the Vindicate test as long as you have another creature to attack with and has a sillier ceiling, but there's something about the double safety-valve of Torsten. What do you all think?

Are you doing Winota, Joiner of Forces Shenanigans? If so, Torsten is a great target for her.

Honestly I would lean Torsten in general because it’s a better cheat card than GM.

 

[blacksmithy]

i like the dino, but i have to admit i like the big value pile card more

 

[Brad]

At a glance, your list looks like it needs immediate ETB value at 7 mana. There's quite a lot of higher powered cards in there and a player shouldn't spend 3GGWW only to immediately lose to some 1B instant.

The other consideration is that Torsten is likely unbeatable when cheated into play for a significant number of decks.

Torsten is definitely the stronger card.

 

[blacksmithy]

sneak attacking thor is goals

 

[Phone]

Skrelv is a mess of a card, but it kind of does cool things? A lesser Mother of Runes variant can still be powerful. But the Toxic, the fact it can't block are probably too many strikes against it :/

Wow, Today I Learned that Skrelv can't block. I've been playing with that card since before the set properly released.

 

[Velrun]

Wow, Today I Learned that Skrelv can't block. I've been playing with that card since before the set properly released.

None of the Mites can block. That’s their trait along with poisonous version 3.0 of course.

 

[Phone]

None of the Mites can block. That’s their trait along with poisonous version 3.0 of course.

Yeah, that makes sense. I just never read any of the other mites, honestly.

 

[Velrun]

Yeah, that makes sense. I just never read any of the other mites, honestly.

Understandable!

One cool thing about all these Magic expansions, Commander sets, Secret Lairs, Universes Beyond etc. etc. is that Magic can sometimes feel like when we all started as kids and we didn’t know all the cards. We didn’t know what was coming next. We could be surprised by one of opponent’s cards when he (correct term to use in 1990th) played (correct term to use pre M10) it. There’s something to appreciate there for all the questionable/bad things that happen to the game post War of the Spark.

 

[Nanonox]

Are there any other printings of this card? I'd like to include it, but hate the full frame thing it has going on.

I think it has good potential. It's great in the face of removal obviously, but you also get to surprise block someone. It can be used precombat as a bite spell or you can go haywire with Paradox Engine, Jeskai Ascendancy and Earthcraft/Rishkar, Peema Renegade.

Split Second feels a little heavy fisted though, not a fan of that.

 

[Chris Taylor]

Not at present. I'm running it, it hasn't shown up in draft yet, but I'm interested in it, and I'm only using it in fair ways.
I'll defend split second on it in that while inelegant, it does actually accomplish the goal of the card. Split second might be what a "fight" spell needs to work in higher power environments.
There's plenty of this effect without split second if that's not your jam

 

[Rusje]

All I can think about when I see that card is:
Hey, removal for one green mana! (Just play it before you attack what you planned to do anyway.) It could be even played as protection or a fly catcher.

 

[LadyMapi]

?

 

[Rusje]

?

The beautiful part is that it is non-interactive due to the split second and hexproof… blegh

 

[Chris Taylor]

Yeah I for one am happy to finally have a green interactive spell that I can cast without fear of my opponent 2-for-1ing me into last week, and that can flexibly be used to counter a removal spell if that's what the game needs from you.

If you can only imagine this card being played against you and blowing you out, and aren't also thinking the times where it's stuck in hand because your creature isn't there, or it is there and there's no good attacks, or you do have a creature but it's just too small (none of this text lets birds of paradise beat up on anything, and god forbid your 2/2 is starting down some interchangable control card, be that palinchron, torrential gearhulk or even Omnath, Locus of Creation) you're missing a lot of what this card does.

Like, even that splinter twin-esque combo you've got there with the Alchemist is plague wind. They don't die, you just kill their board and the game keeps on going.
I think even if both of these cards are like, C+/B- cards you kinda want in your deck and combine to do something big, that's a fine outcome, and that is being EXTREMELY generous to the alchemist here.

 

[Nanonox]

I'll defend split second on it in that while inelegant, it does actually accomplish the goal of the card. Split second might be what a "fight" spell needs to work in higher power environments.

100%. Having that safety net feels important for a conditional card like this. Inelegant is the right word for it!

 

[Rusje]

If you can only imagine this card being played against you and blowing you out, and aren't also thinking the times where it's stuck in hand because your creature isn't there, or it is there and there's no good attacks, or you do have a creature but it's just too small (none of this text lets birds of paradise beat up on anything, and god forbid your 2/2 is starting down some interchangable control card, be that palinchron, torrential gearhulk or even Omnath, Locus of Creation) you're missing a lot of what this card does.

It is a green card, greens power is to have strong creatures. Yes, it can happen that you do not have the biggest boy in town ready to attack, but that should be a rare occasion. Unless you do something completely different with green in your cube.
Plague winding an opponent is almost always game over in a few turns. There is a reason that those cards cost 8 to 9 mana…

 

[Nanonox]

Does anyone have experience with

?

I am trying to see how far I can push my tempo mana denial decks and this seems like a good fit. However, I also want the card to be generally playable elsewhere too.

Spoiler: Mana denial package

 

[Velrun]

No experience with that. Would like to consider these



Evasive can send the wrong signals if you’re not supporting heavy multicolor.

Lose I would consider over Spell Pierce.

Mystic Confluence I would personally love to play in a deck like that as a catch all kind of card.

 

[Nanonox]

No experience with that. Would like to consider these

These are definitely in line with the theme, thank you.

Evasive sends the wrong signal as you say and Mystic Confluence is a little too good stuff for my vision of the cube (amazing card though).
Lose Focus is a good fit though. Hits more targets and scales, I like it.

 

[Onderzeeboot]

If we're suggesting cards in this vein, have you tried out



It's not that expensive anymore nowadays, and arguably a toned-down version of Mystic Confluence.

 

[inscho]

I am trying to see how far I can push my tempo mana denial decks and this seems like a good fit. However, I also want the card to be generally playable elsewhere too.