I've tested cradle a bunch, and it never performs as well as I want it to, I'd rather always have the canopy/karakas/maze of ith
Cradle never competed with either of those. You actually need to play cradle + canopy + karakas + one utility land (can be maze if you want although it's gotten worse over time).
The two big divergences of maverick are either Cradle or Thespian Stage (which then takes your utility land slot for DD).
Has anyone messed around with Kavu Predator in Punishing versions? I know it's basically just a big, dumb beater with StP/Grove synergies but sometimes you just need a 7/7 trampler to end the game. I'm also curious if Sejiri Steppe is worth a slot. It provides a primary color for the deck and protects threats or allows attacks through blockers.
Brainstorm Realist
I close my eyes and sink within myself, relive the gift of precious memories, in need of a fix called innocence. - Chuck Shuldiner
Okay boys, I’m back!
This is where I left the deck off, and have played a DnT, Depths and Lands the past year or so....but I’m sleeping her up again.
White Staples(11)
4 Mother of Runes
4 Thalia Guardian of Thraben
3 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
SFM Package(4)
2 SFM
1 Jitte
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
Green Staples(8)
4 Noble Heirarch
4 Knight of the Reliquary
GSZ Targets(6)
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Scryb Ranger
1 Ranumap Excavator
1 Dryad Arbor
Spells(8)
4 Green Sun’s Zenith
4 Swords to Plowshares
Lands(23)
3 Verdant Catacombs
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wasteland
4 Savannah
2 Forest
1 Plains
1 Maze of Ith
1 Gaea’s Cradle
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Karakas
Sideboard
2 Gideon Ally of Zendikar
2 Containment Priest
3 Surgical Extraction
3 Choke
2 Blessed Alliance
2 Councils Judgement
1 Sigarda, Host of Herons
What is popping right now?
"eggs... why'd it have to be eggs"
I'm wondering how good THC has become if you play 3-4 of her. Last time I tried her DRS was still around.
THC does makes even miracles weak to wasteland which isn't a bad thing but I'm not sure if it's really what we want.
I feel like if I want a White land-hater I'd rather have Aven Mindcensor. Mindcensor has applications against a variety of combo decks (and SFM decks) while being actual land hate in itself. The fact it has flash also helps with obnoxious walkers and whatnot; and opens up surprise "EoT Aven, untap, equip, swing" plays that can just end a game. I get it's another 1-toughness duder and whatnot; I just think that Mindcensor is better *and* it doesn't see play.
It's noteworthy that D&T (4 years ago or something) ran Mindcensors regularly.
Don't forget that fetchlands give you 2 turns to waste unless they get basics and also creatures come in tapped. That means there's nothing to block for a good while.
I think thc is noticeably better than mindsensor.
Censor and Thalia has both their upsides.
Censor flies and have flash (can kill delver, or equip jitte vs elves) vs Thalia has first strike (2 thalia and can stop Smasher with first strike)
Censor is better against Elves, ANT vs Thalia is better against Sneak Attack, mirror and Lands.
Censor is a Wizard vs Thalia is a Human
They both hate lands but in other way
Censor hate fetchlands and it's hard lock Thalia is a softlock and hate all nonbasics
Generally Censor is better against most combo except Sneak, Thalia is better against Midranges and Sneak.
Last time I played Big Thalia, DRS was legal and she was bonkers due to all of the 3-4 color manabase.
She is really good in tempo, eldrazi, sneak, elves and Grixis matchups.
Wasting fetchlands is huge, as is first strike against strix/scm
The biggest benefit is that she is played on turn 2 regularly and loves Karakas protection.
I don’t know if she is worth it, but this is my starting point atm.
"eggs... why'd it have to be eggs"
The last time I used her I only had two open slots because 5 dorks was stock. I ended up cutting her not because she wasn't good but because I couldn't reliably find her on T2. She was definitely bonkers helping our bad matchups and locking in our even ones. I have to admit wastelanding miracles out of the game felt pretty sweet.
Nowadays I could probably find a way to slot in three copies, transitionning from having a few card advantage engines to a full-on tempo strategy. We never were very great at CA anyway so maybe we win more % points by committing to the mid-game.
Having threats don't die to LLH (other than kotr because he obviously dies on sight) is definitely good since she woops our butt pretty hard.
Brainstorm Realist
I close my eyes and sink within myself, relive the gift of precious memories, in need of a fix called innocence. - Chuck Shuldiner
The card is pretty lackluster by today's standards if you ask me. Way too narrow to be good in the main. If you want to play it I would suggest it being in the board.
Brainstorm Realist
I close my eyes and sink within myself, relive the gift of precious memories, in need of a fix called innocence. - Chuck Shuldiner
I love Thalia HC but my main problem with it is you usually only have the slots to play like 1 or 2, but the card is really good turn 2 and meh later. This makes you want to play more copies, cutting other good cards and leaving you with a list where sometimes your hand is several Thalias and it's just a clunky mess.
2 Isn't enough. I think 3 is the sweet spot and I believe it's achievable but you indeed have to cut other good cards. The question is does she create enough non-games to offset for the fact that she's much weaker in games that go long.
THC = if you want her effect constantly you have to play 3 (maybe 3/3 split of both thalias)
but you get really punished if opp has karakas in play...
Mindcensor "was" sweet back then, but nowadays bird is too slow and dies too quick reg. only having 1 thoughness (DoN, ZP, Toxic,Golgari Ch, etc.)
IDK about now, but when I played THC as a 3of I loved it. With exalted it's almost unbeatable on the battlefield and it singlehandedly is a house against a few strategies. Even when it's not game breaking it's still a good attacker that can get you in a few solid shots while slowing the opponent down a bit. I fully support. Even against Karakas it comes in tapped and gives you a window to waste before it gets active. I do think I played it before angler was as heavily used as it is now though so factor that in. It's probably the only regularly played creature that can Trump it in fair matches.
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