[SCD] Kambal, Consul of Allocation

[tescrin]

You have to compare him to other 3-drops; as you can only have a few:
* Worse than Liliana in most cases
* Doesn't let you not-run Souls
* Worse than KotR/Mirran Crusader/Hatebears

And that's basically the only issue. You can only run a few 3-drops before you get pinched for it, and you'll either run a more efficient hatebear who lands potentially early enough you don't die, or you want your 3-drop to win the game on it's own.

Crusader, Lily, and KotR can all run away with the game, and the latter two have obvious anti-combo interaction (albeit both are worse against Storm.) You could do what I do and swap in Blossom for Souls freeing some 3-drop slots, but now you have to justify adding 3-drops that aren't the above; and there could be others too. Lastly; you're stuck in WB which have a lot of other fun-ofs you may run instead.

I've found I often die with a 2-drop hatebear in hand. a 3-drop one likely just results in more feel-bads.

I own a few copies; but I haven't tried them yet because putting them in a list just always looks worse than their alternative. He'll win you games against Burn and Storm if he lands T2, but just about anything else you'll probably be much much happier with Lily or KotR, and both of those have applications against Burn and Storm as well (KotR->Bog or Waste for Storm, Plow KotR against storm or Plow->KotR against Burn when you're gonna die.)

Lastly, being WB means you're likely in Team Italia or Maverick. Maverick doesn't want him because he's not Green. Junk doesn't want him because he's not G (and they're GBw) and Italia doesn't see any play because Counterbalance is the worst feeling ever. In Esper, he's not blue which makes him as obnoxious to cast as DRS before you consider you're running a Bayou and a bunch of wastelands.


Not hating, he's just got no slot in legacy until CB goes away because he's really a Team Italia card.

[Wilkin]

I play a ton of DnT and have for a long time now. At the moment, mono-W DnT is a tier 1 deck by most definitions. It is at least as good and consistent vs the legacy meta as any deck that isn't Miracles. The above build has felt at least as strong as normal DnT, and definitely stronger vs some decks (e.g. Miracles, Delver).

So my goal isn't to badmouth Dead Guy or whatever, it's just to say that Kambal is already a card that's playable in a competitive legacy deck and not just some fringe 'maybe this could be playable' case. The right shell is pretty obvious - there's a tuned deck that wants its creatures to be legendary humans with powerful taxing effects.

While I don't doubt it can be okay in some midrangey deck too like Dead Guy or Maverick, the real draw is its interaction with Cavern/Vial and especially Karakas. It is not the same card in Dead Guy as it is in DnT, because you don't have the same tools to abuse it.

Well, when you said "But the bigger question is 'Why you playing a WB fair small creature deck that doesn't play Aether Vial and Karakas?'", my understanding of that statement is you think WB decks with small creatures are only optimal if you play Vial and Karakas.

Kambal is an alright card but there are a lot of other cards (like Tescrin mentioned in his post) that Kambal has to compete against in that mana slot. And right now, I'd rather have Liliana of the Veil and Lingering Souls at 3 mana.

[nedleeds]

Not hating, he's just got no slot in legacy until CB goes away because he's really a Team Italia card.

Be sick if they printed a Boseju for creatures.

[ahg113]

Not hating, he's just got no slot in legacy until CB goes away because he's really a Team Italia card.

Some people play Team Italia.

Oh, and in my Team Italia list, Kambal competes with Monastery Mentor as well. The 3-drop spot is so, so competitive.

[MaximumC]

Some people play Team Italia.

Oh, and in my Team Italia list, Kambal competes with Monastery Mentor as well. The 3-drop spot is so, so competitive.

He would be so good if there was a way to reliably pop him out turn 1. Something like:

Better Edgewalker WB

Pay 1 life, Exile this from your hand: Put a Cleric creature with a mana cost of 1WB from your hand onto the battlefield.

2/2

I mean, you print that, you make Kambal great. But, of course, something that narrow is unlikey to ever happen.

[ahg113]

What am I missing? Kambal is an advisor, not a cleric...

[grimfield]

My favorite advisors are Gaddock Teeg, Mayor of Avabruck, and Imperial recruiter