[Podcast] Everyday Eternal 36: Dragons of Tarkir Set Review

[nedleeds]

Doran was useless over a large event because of Karakas. That single card hosed him more than anything. You had to Wasteland the opposing Karakas before casting or tutoring him. Not that investing a G in Assault Formation is a good use of mana in Legacy either .... in modern it can create a pretty brutal clock with Wall of Omens, Forbidden Bootytower, Skinfincher, etc.. even already good creatures like Courser, Rhino and Tasigur hit a little harder.

[maharis]

Doran was useless over a large event because of Karakas. That single card hosed him more than anything. You had to Wasteland the opposing Karakas before casting or tutoring him. Not that investing a G in Assault Formation is a good use of mana in Legacy either .... in modern it can create a pretty brutal clock with Wall of Omens, Forbidden Bootytower, Skinfincher, etc.. even already good creatures like Courser, Rhino and Tasigur hit a little harder.

Pretty much this... Doran also is particularly bad against STP. Can't STP or Karakas an enchantment though.

There's also little reason to play Doran and not just play Goyf, KotR, or even Loxodon Smiter.

Also worth noting that in Modern the things that kept me off Doran have always been Spellskite and Deciever Exarch. It feels super bad when your deck gives the combo player 4/4s incidentally. Assault Formation affects only your creatures. I also think Spellskite can be a Legacy card in the right shell, and it is Enlightened Tutor-able as well as Assault, Sylvan, Courser. (Does anyone know how Spellskite works with Mom, btw? If I activate Spellskite, hold response, and give it protection from the color of the spell, does the spell fizzle or the spellskite ability?)

I don't see this strategy as drop-walls-and-eventually-attack -- you need to play creatures that are good still. But you do get a nice discount for trading power for toughness and there are some interesting creatures that can be unlocked. The strategy would be also to probably play something like RIP (hey, that can also be found by e-tutor!) to justify not playing Goyf or Knight or Tasigur.

Courser of Kruphix - He's fine, but 3 mana 4/4 is hardly impressive for Modern or Legacy.

In Legacy he is a GSZ-able 2/4 Phyrexian Arena with life gain instead of loss. Thanks, Top and Sylvan Library! I have loved playing Courser and occasionally play my junk build with a Doran as a GSZ target (though it is more often Pridemage in that slot).

The nice thing about playing Assault Formation there, though, is that I could drop it on Miracles and not have to worry about it being Terminused away. Then as I rebuild my board I'm getting the effect, plus the ability to increase my clock. A DRS and SFM coming across for 3 each while there are cards like Rhino in my hand is probably good. It forces a reaction.

Orzhov Keyrun - This is interesting. The ramp is a little slow, but the lifelink is quite good on a 4/4. Also, it dodges the removal that will chew up your other little dorks.

Forbidding Watchtower - Thank you, Tenth Edition! This is a land I can really get behind. Not totally useless without Doran-effect, because it does tap for W, after all, and can swing as a 5/5 for 1W thereafter. Not too shabby!

Playing mana rocks/manlands that get an Assault Formation boost with boardsweepers doesn't sound like the worst idea.

I mean, it's just an idea, but there are definitely some interesting interactions there, especially since Legacy gets access to lots of good library manipulation to find your crucial one-ofs.

[sdematt]

Because Peter and I discussed a little bit of Myth Realized, I quickly drafted this up while pretending to study respiratory block:

4 Young Peezy
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Myth Realized

4 STP
4 Daze
4 Force of Will
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Dig Through Time

18 land special

For a Doran deck, you could try:

The Doran Special

2 Doran, the Siege Tower
1 Courser of Kruphix
4 Deathrite Shaman
1 Eternal Witness
1 Birds of Paradise
2 Wall of Roots
2 Wall of Blossoms
2 Wall of Junk
4 Tarmogoyf

2 Sylvan Library
1 Sensei's Divining Top
3 Assault Formation

3 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Abrupt Decay
3 Swords to Plowshares
4 Thoughtseize

1 Dryad Arbor
3 Bayou
2 Savannah
1 Scrubland
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Windswept Heath
2 Forest
1 Swamp
1 Plains
3 Wasteland

Maybe it's bad, but maybe not.

[thecrav]

Turn 1 Lotus > double Myth Realized is pretty nuts. (This is turn 4)

[Lemnear]

Because Peter and I discussed a little bit of Myth Realized, I quickly drafted this up while pretending to study respiratory block:

4 Young Peezy
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Myth Realized

4 STP
4 Daze
4 Force of Will
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Dig Through Time

18 land special

Matt, at the moment I'm not sure if a UWB shell isn't more interresting to support Myth, starting with the fact that Discard let you see if you can animate Myth without exposing it to creature removal while also pumping it while Daze would do neither. It would also open up the deck to Tasigur which would profit from your process of burning through your deck with plenty of cantrips all while being fine by the deck operating off an U.Sea+Tundra. I feel that Pyromancer+Myth create a problem as topdecks turn 3+ aka once your hand runs low on cards or only contains reactive ones. Tasigur would fit in that strategic gap. Moreover you gain access to Massacre against all those UW Blades or even D&T as a weapon which works perfectly if your threats are Myth and Tasigur. Food for thought

[KIP_NZ]

Good cast guys, I liked the music addition, keep it coming.

Got to pick Matt up on saying Combust can kill True Name.... I guess it can kill your own TNN.