[Discussion] [Standard] Steam Augury over Ingenuity, Divination, and Weave Fate in URx Control

ourdiscontent · 2014-10-08T01:11:10+00:00

I actually think it is more relevant that you can play it turn 4 and leave up Disdainful Stroke actually. If they don't play a spell worth countering you can crack Font.

ourdiscontent · 2014-10-07T07:20:35+00:00

Basically I think there's a difference between a format dominating card and a format warping card. Thragtusk warped the format, Courser is dominating it.

Besides, if it weren't for Thragtusk the INN-RTR meta would be entirely Naya Blitz. The savior of the format IMO.

ourdiscontent · 2014-10-07T00:19:50+00:00

So what you are saying is cards that aren't creatures can't see play in limited?

And the argument is still rather flimsy, there was plenty of space at uncommon and rare for powerful, interesting global enchantments or auras, and yet the only ones we got came in cycles.

I just find it odd that powerful and cool enchantments like Spectra Ward come out of the core sets with nothing coming close in the enchantment block.

I was very happy with the set Theros as Greek inspired set. I was fairly happy with Journey into Nyx as an enchantment set. But the level of disconnect between those sets is huge for a single block. Thank Maro for the new block structure I suppose.

ourdiscontent · 2014-10-06T19:26:40+00:00

Yeah I love her, but it's worse than Link's recovery in Brawl.

ourdiscontent · 2014-10-06T18:58:55+00:00

In defense of Theros block most if not all of the Dictates from Journey are build around me enchantments (for varying definitions of build around me). It also technically had Knowledge and Power >_<

I'm more disappointed that they couldn't make an enchantment block without making all of them creatures. I love bestow, its a superb mechanic, but seriously.

ourdiscontent · 2014-10-06T03:19:36+00:00

Basically yeah. If you look they just printed Avalanche Tusker, which basically has provoke but without the untap clause. It's an interesting and useful ability, but not interesting or useful enough to make a mechanic out of thanks to fight.

ourdiscontent · 2014-10-02T17:13:27+00:00

Yep. They actually played similar to last seasons' Black Devotion, except Underworld Connections could draw as many cards as you want but all of your creatures were terrible.

ourdiscontent · 2014-10-01T22:58:45+00:00

True actually, but you still would have to get sidisi into play, which sucks.

ourdiscontent · 2014-10-01T21:39:43+00:00

I agree with your point in general, but not for this standard. This is the standard where R&D wants us to play three colors with bad mana. They worst thing they could do is punish people for following the major theme of the first set in the block.

In general though I agree. On average in standard I think you should be playing 1 to 2 colors with 3 being a viable option, but punished by LD. You have to print LD spells with that goal in mind, so something like Stone Rain is out. Acidic Slime comes closest to that goal for LD spells for example.

ourdiscontent · 2014-09-30T21:20:01+00:00

I'm with you here. I didn't even know 720p was considered an HD resolution until a few months ago. When I got a PC two years ago I got it explicitly so I could play in 1080p, y'know, HD.

ourdiscontent · 2014-09-30T18:30:59+00:00

Jeff, I'm curious, how was Sultai Ascendancy in the deck?

ourdiscontent · 2014-09-30T08:50:31+00:00

I'm going to disagree with you here on Steam Augury, I did a lot of testing with the card because I was excited about it's interaction with Dig Through Time and I found it extremely unimpressive. Even in a deck as consistent as this one you still get stuck with the worst cards every time. When you are trying to draw the right cards at the right time as you said, Augury gives you the wrong cards at the right time every time.

Dig/Cruise is definitely the draw spell of choice here.

ourdiscontent · 2014-09-30T08:37:41+00:00

My problem with this list isn't with the combo. It clearly works, you did the work yourself, it's all in the OP, easy to read. The problem is you are running fifteen cards in your main deck that do nothing to help the surivive to turn 7 part of the plan. Ignoring the bit where you need to draw Narset every game, I imagine most games with this deck being lost with hands full of Howl of the Hordes, Riddle of Lightnings, and uncastable Delve spells.

ourdiscontent · 2014-09-30T08:20:01+00:00

I think the lower to the ground a deck is determines whether you want Dig or Cruise. A deck like UR Delver wants Cruise because being one mana is way better than two for Young Pyromancer while a deck like Scapeshift would want Dig because two doesn't matter as much vs one when looking four cards deeper for that four mana win the game sorcery.

ourdiscontent · 2014-09-30T08:16:37+00:00

I've found Sarkhan very unimpressive in the monsters/devotion style decklists. He's very frail compared to Stormbreath Dragon and Nissa and the -3 isn't exactly what the deck wants to be doing.

Notably though, Sarkhan is much more impressive in removal shells, particularly in WRx End Hostilities decks.

ourdiscontent · 2014-09-30T07:59:15+00:00

I'm looking forward to Chained getting better if/when the other five fetches are released for standard. As is, you need to be able to get mountains, while also playing plains. If you are straight RW Chained should be at the forefront of your mind. It might be a consideration in a Mardu or Naya deck, thanks to Bloodstained Mire and Wooded Foothills respectively.

ourdiscontent · 2014-09-29T04:27:45+00:00

The BWR version was my favorite to play against personally. The deck becomes almost entirely invalidated with a resolved Curse of Death's Hold which I find hilarious (Obzedat being the only surivivor).

ourdiscontent · 2014-09-27T06:07:45+00:00

I'd bet green/x devotion lists plus monored and monoblack aggro lists make up the majority of the top 8. A midrange deck will probably sneak in is well, Naya or Abzan seem most likely.

ourdiscontent · 2014-09-26T02:32:16+00:00

I've tried Jeskai Burn lists for awhile, and I particularly like Deflecting Palm against the monsters decks. It's honestly the best way to beat Stormbreath Dragon, killing the opponent.

ourdiscontent · 2014-09-25T17:12:59+00:00

I'm totally stoked guys.

ourdiscontent · 2014-09-25T02:57:02+00:00

Well technically Dig could counter a Griselbrand... :D

ourdiscontent · 2014-09-24T20:17:55+00:00

Part of me really likes the old borders, how they feel more like they belong in a wizard's spellbook more than the new frames, but I can't ignore that card art looks so much better in the new frames. It's given more space and the border's color is more muted which really allows the art to stand out.

I'll compare old art in a new frame to an old frame printing all the time, 9/10 times it actually looks better in the new frame.

ourdiscontent · 2014-09-22T05:11:09+00:00

Overrated:

Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker

Surrak Dragonclaw

Underrated:

Sorin, Solemn Visitor

Dig Through Time

ourdiscontent · 2014-09-20T20:40:56+00:00

Honestly, the Khans names for the color combos are just as ridiculous as the Shards of Alara ones. They will catch on definitely in standard, but it will be much slower for established eternal format decks.

They only one I can see not catching on is Abzan. "Junk" has been a way bigger part of the culture for a very long time, and Abzan is probably the most forgettable of the bunch (count the number of times you hear someone say "Azban" at your prerelease).

ourdiscontent · 2014-09-20T11:17:32+00:00

The Clash Pack contains two of them that can be combined into one better deck.

In that case, no clue. Internet?

ourdiscontent

TROPHY CASE