[Brainstorming] Aether Vial

[DragoFireheart]

http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?&id=48146

Are goblins the only deck that can make use of this card?

Can other aggro decks use it, or would it be too much of a hinderance for those aggro decks?

If a deck is going to use Aether Vials, how many creatures are needed at the least to take advantage of them?


Mods: If there is a thread about this card specifically just closed this one and leave me a link to the topic please as I did a search but I do not remember seeing one.

[deadlock]

http://www.morphling.de/top8decks.php?id=631

Check out the deck on the bottom of the page, i played against it in a small tourney yesterday.

Got crushed with solidarity, vialed-in mage ftl. :rolleyes:

[DragoFireheart]

Wow...

Every deck but the 2 combo decks run Goyf XD.

[Bryant Cook]

Cephalid Breakfast. Think outside the box people.

[Illissius]

The morphling.de list is interesting, I remember everyone was trying out Vial-Faeries decks when the errata were first removed. They didn't turn out to be good, apparently, but that was back when Goblins was the dominant force in the metagame, so they might be worth revisiting. The Rebel engine seems more cute than good, though, and a little slow. While we're brainstorming, here's a list I just brainstormed with Brainstorm in it:

4 Aether Vial
4 Isamaru, Hound of Konda
4 Cloud of Faeries
4 Meddling Mage
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Serra Avenger
2 Jotun Grunt
3 Umezawa's Jitte
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will
4 Daze
4 Flooded Strand
4 Windswept Heath
4 Tundra
1 Tropical Island
1 Savannah
1 Plains
1 Island
SB: 4 Absolute Law
SB: 4 Stifle
SB: 4 Winter Orb
SB: 2 Jotun Grunt
SB: 1 Umezawa's Jitte

Yeah, splash for Goyf. Why not? 16 lands seems low, but Vial is effectively two, and the only noncreature spell which costs more than one mana is Jitte. It worked out well enough in the bunch of sample draws I just tried.

[FoolofaTook]

Wow...

Every deck but the 2 combo decks run Goyf XD.

Why would anybody who is running a multi-color aggro-control concept not use Tarmogoyf? It comes out fast and then it scales with the midgame and it's never a bad creature pull, unlike most small under-costed creatures.

[TheMightyQuinn]

The Countersliver deck Meathooks uses Vials now and, as wastedlife stated, so does Cephalid Breakfast. Vial is definately applicable is non-Goblin decks. I believe someone was working on a WW deck called White Vial some time ago. Don't know how great WW is in the first place, but the guy really seemed to like Vial in it.

[FoolofaTook]

Vial is good in a lot of decks that have a bunch of 2cc and 3cc creatures. It allows an active aggro deck to play both creatures and disruption early on. I'm surprised we haven't seen a serious mono-black attempt at Vial yet given that it would resolve some of the early tempo issues with 2cc creatures and Duress and Hymn to Tourach. Using Vials instead of Dark Rituals seems like a natural mutation for a deck with 15 smallish critters in it and a few big finishers.

[zulander]

Using Vials instead of Dark Rituals seems like a natural mutation for a deck with 15 smallish critters in it and a few big finishers.
Most likely because you can't go turn 1 vial -> negator, nor can you go turn 1 vial -> duress -> hymn. And late game vial isn't a giant growth for nantuko shade.

[MattH]

Vial DOES work nicely around Nether Void, however.

[Brushwagg]

I've been using Vial in Survival for a while now. It really helps out in casting the 4cc stuff and gets you around counters nicely.

[FoolofaTook]

Most likely because you can't go turn 1 vial -> negator, nor can you go turn 1 vial -> duress -> hymn. And late game vial isn't a giant growth for nantuko shade.

You can go a bit lower on land than if you're using Dark Rituals though and that allows an extra threat or two in the deck. Vial doesn't peter out the way a Dark Ritualed start does because it's a factor until it's removed from the board.

In terms of the negator, Vial at least gives you an acceptable sacrifice when the negator takes damage. I don't know very many people who would blindly throw a negator out turn 1 off of a ritual because it's a loss if the opponent is playing bolts. Probably a rout.

[KobeBryan]

Merfolk and D&T can also run this card

[DragoFireheart]

Merfolk and D&T can also run this card

7 year Necro. Impressive!

[KobeBryan]

7 year Necro. Impressive!

Opps...i was looking at your threads.