Hello all,
I have noticed that there aren't Living Wish cards being played in all the green variants of Miracles, Delver, or shardless BUG.
I see Living Wish as a fantastic card to pair with hexmage/depths and as a card to help get out of a losing situation given there are a lot of creatures and lands that can be game changers.
Why is Living Wish or any other sideboard tutors being played in legacy?
And yes I do realize they are cast at sorcery speed.
Thanks
Decks that want to tutor for lands have access to Crop Rotation, and decks that want to tutor for creatures have Green Sun's Zenith. Those are both more efficient at what they do. There is a hexmage deck that runs Living Wish, but it's not especially popular. Also, giving up sideboard space is rough when the format offers so many high impact options.
Burning Wish does see some play, Cunning is/was played in Omni-tell, but thoe are mostly in combo deOriginally Posted by Gunnar
Most of the targets for Living wish are better put in the main deck, GSZ does a better job of getting creatures out of your deck then LW does for one out of your board. The only thing I can think of needing both for is Hexmage Depths, but is that run anymore? since Thespians stage an not be countered, and both parts can be tutored off Crop Rotation.
Mostly that:
* it's slow; in all ways. It's two mana, sorcery speed, card-reveal, etc.. taxing yourself to make a play that is likely inefficient due to the two-mana, or vulnerable because you couldn't pay the two-mana tax; before you consider Thalia or taxing counters.
* Most anti-combo lands you'd get with it are better in the main deck (Karakas) or are roughly garbage in the grand scheme of things (Bojuka Bog.)
* Most creatures you'd fetch are either problems with the deck's natural composition, could be done better with Enlightened Tutor, or can be done better by GSZ.
* Eats valuable sideboard space on mediocre hate in an attempt to maximize the card
Largely; it's that better cards that do similar things exist, and adding two mana to spells in legacy makes them unplayable. GSZ is barely seen in legacy; and the decks that use it have way too much mana, so it's not a problem. E-Tutor boards are somewhat common and do most of what Wish does a lot better; at lest G2/G3.
Living Wish mostly serves as you've found, a compliment to Depths Combo by sticking Depths, Stage, and Mage in the board, getting around extraction and finding the one you need at the moment; while being lands so you don't have to spend mana at all.
I bought them and tried them out in Nic Fit a bit; but found that if I'm dropping a 2-drop; i'd rather it put my opponent in the position they need to respond; rather than do nothing while they continue with their gameplan.
Living Wish is a great card. The problem with your question is that you're looking at living wish in isolation. It's kind of hard to know whether living wish makes sense without knowing the other 56 cards in your deck and the wish board you want to use.
To counter some of the arguments from people here:
* it's slow; in all ways. It's two mana, sorcery speed, card-reveal, etc.. taxing yourself to make a play that is likely inefficient due to the two-mana, or vulnerable because you couldn't pay the two-mana tax; before you consider Thalia or taxing counters.
- Every tutor is slow, its not about speed its about selection. Infernal Tutor costs the same and is hit equally by Thalia.
* Most anti-combo lands you'd get with it are better in the main deck (Karakas) or are roughly garbage in the grand scheme of things (Bojuka Bog.)
- I see no reason why you can't run additional Karakas in the sideboard. Living Wish also gets Gaddock Teeg, Thalia or other anti-combo cards if you are looking specifically for something to beat combo with. I'd argue that living wish with aether vial can be played fine.
* Most creatures you'd fetch are either problems with the deck's natural composition, could be done better with Enlightened Tutor, or can be done better by GSZ.
- Enlightened Tutor costs 1 mana less and 1 card more.
* Eats valuable sideboard space on mediocre hate in an attempt to maximize the card
- Wishboards can get full quickly, so it depends on what you are playing. Also, since when are creatures mediocre hate by definition?
This is probably true. Green has great selection between Green Sun's Zenith, Crop Rotation or even Ancient Stirrings and Sylvan Library.
1 - The difference is that Infernal Tutor usually wins you the game on the spot, in a deck that is floating 5-8 mana. The deck is built around it. I give exemption to the Depths decks for Living Wish for the same reason. It's built around the card essentially. We're comparing fair green decks to storm decks here; this should be a red flag.
2 - I roughly agree. It just sounds like Maverick to me; but go crazy.
3 - Yet it sees leagues more play. Mana efficiency is important.
4 - They're much more mediocre when they cost 4 mana, forecast what you'll be doing for cabal therapy or cantrips, etc..
But honestly I'm more talking about the Karakas or Bojuka Bog; which both don't usually work by themselves or on turn 2/3 against the decks we're talking about; especially in lieu of a T2 play that could've been amazing. The difference between T2 GSZ for Teeg and T2 Living Wish for Teeg should be readily apparent.
5 - I find it odd you agree with him here, but then disagree with me on the exact same point (#3)
I have used the card before and it felt slow. It's similar to when people say Dark Confidant or Stoneforge feel slow. They don't get you anywhere now; which is how I feel about Wish. They can absolutely win you the game, but often feel lackluster the turn you plop them down. Were it instant speed I think it'd see some play, mostly because it'd offset the CDA you mention of the tutors that are out there.
But to reiterate, Crop Rotation also makes things like Bog a lot better (by being instant speed), reacting to wasteland causing card-neutrality, etc.. GSZ has Arbor so it can be used as a T1 play; which is a large part of why it's successful anywhere outside of Elves (which is debatable given how few maverick players are around.)
There are also other oddities, like that with Wish there's usually no reason to counter the wish unless you're grabbing Thrun or they fear Karakas that badly. Everything else can just be countered, discarded, or is too mediocre to worry about.
I will say, maybe you could use it in Junk Nic Fit to put Archangel of Thune in the side..
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