[Discussion] Bringing Out the Dead - Underplayed Cards

[Alfred]

The single-most underplayed card in the format is Winter Orb. It hoses a lot of decks.

[Mirrislegend]

Winter Orb is indeed, awesome, but when its coming out of the SB to screw over 100%, purely-control-devoted control decks. Which is... what 3, maybe 4, decks in the format? And you probably need to count TrainWreck.dec in that (I'm not digging at TrainWreck, in fact I love it, but its not part of many testing gauntlets yet, despite its showing in that major t8).

Winter Orb is a staple in my sideboards, but it really can only go MD in a deck designed to abuse it. And such decks are few and far between, and of those decks, ones that work are just diamonds in the rough. I spent ages on a winter orb deck (my CaNGD II submission: http://mtgthesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3386 ) and it still didnt turn out to be that awesome ().

The point is, Winter Orb is good, but really not MD material

[Phantom]

The point is, Winter Orb is good, but really not MD material

Agreed. Way too many Goblins and Thresh running around to maindeck Orb.

[MattH]

Stunted Growth
Ice Age rare
3GG
Card Type: Sorcery

Rules Text (Oracle): Target player chooses three cards from his or her hand and puts them on top of his or her library in any order.

I've been thinking of trying to use this card, but I'm not sure if I'd be better off with Plowed Under.

Also, I've been looking at Natural Balance; seems it might have potential.

This is a fun card from way back, but I think it's just a worse, slightly faster Fugue. Plow Under sets them much further back, since they had to pay the resources (land drops) for the cards they're putting back.

[Bane of the Living]

Krosan Grip and Sudden Shock are ridiculously underplayed at the moment. Pick them up people.

[Eldariel]

Krosan Grip and Sudden Shock are ridiculously underplayed at the moment. Pick them up people.

Could you explain me why you'd want to play Sudden Shock in this format? I mean, sure, it kills Mogg Fanatic without you taking 1, but that appears to be pretty much the only widely played card, against with it's better than the burn-spells. One has to always remember that the quality of specifically, burn, counters and removal in general is many times higher in Legacy than in other formats, while creatures are about the same, so for 'em to be worth it, they need to be really incredibly pushed like Lightning Helix or Magma Jet. I mean, not many spells cards can match Lightning Bolt or even Chain Lightning in terms of pure efficiency.

[Complete_Jank]

Card Name: Plains
Card type: Basic Land
Oracle text: Tap add one white mana to your mana pool. (This is a mana ability.)

Way under played.

[Bane of the Living]

Could you explain me why you'd want to play Sudden Shock in this format? I mean, sure, it kills Mogg Fanatic without you taking 1, but that appears to be pretty much the only widely played card, against with it's better than the burn-spells. One has to always remember that the quality of specifically, burn, counters and removal in general is many times higher in Legacy than in other formats, while creatures are about the same, so for 'em to be worth it, they need to be really incredibly pushed like Lightning Helix or Magma Jet. I mean, not many spells cards can match Lightning Bolt or even Chain Lightning in terms of pure efficiency.

Well, it kills Meddling Mage. Thats a huge reason. Also Wild Mongrel, Basking Rootwalla, Nantuko Shade, Psychatog, un-threshed Werebears, and it still takes out all the goblins just the same as jet does but if you aim this one at Siege Gang he wont be hucking goblins at you.

[dahcmai]

Sudden Shock I expect to scare off a lot of decks by itself. Kind of like the effect Pithing Needle has on Survival Decks. Sure, Survival get's shut down by the card, but Survival is still super powerful for the format.

Think about that and then realize Sudden shocks kills damned near every single typical control deck kill card there is. Morphling (situationaly), Pychatog, Rainbow Efreet? Fah.. They are nothing to it.

I expect Krosan Grip one will see more play though, just because people like efficiency and Sudden shock really doesn't have that for the mana. The Green one can wipe a Disc, shackles, Keg, Deed, and all kinds of board sweeping goodness in one hit with no problems. There's something to be said for that.


Avoid Fate has it's uses, but I think it'll sit in extended more than anywhere. I am glad to see it in standard since it got a renewed use though.


I am actually predicting Pox to make a serious comeback too. Everyone can see that synergy. Smallpox is amazing, no one can argue with that. 2 black to do all that? Yeah, that's good. I tried replacing Sinkholes with Smallpox in a couple decks to try it out and I love it. Especially, if you have the Flagstones to support your scrublands.

I am surprised no one is using Scrying Sheets as a small engine in mono color decks though. It's sick in standard and should at least be half decent in Legacy. All you have to do is make yourself vulnerable to the unplayed Icequake. lol If there was a mono-blue control deck in Legacy that could hold it's own, I'd try to jam them in.


and I still say Land Equilibrium can make something damnit.

[Goblin Snowman]

The Abyss, Moat, Gradza's Assassin, Promise of Power (in Train Wreak)

[Citrus-God]

Could you explain me why you'd want to play Sudden Shock in this format? I mean, sure, it kills Mogg Fanatic without you taking 1, but that appears to be pretty much the only widely played card, against with it's better than the burn-spells. One has to always remember that the quality of specifically, burn, counters and removal in general is many times higher in Legacy than in other formats, while creatures are about the same, so for 'em to be worth it, they need to be really incredibly pushed like Lightning Helix or Magma Jet. I mean, not many spells cards can match Lightning Bolt or even Chain Lightning in terms of pure efficiency.

Let's see...

It hits Sakura Tribe Elder, Nantuo Shade, Wild Mongrel, Basking Rootwalla, Viridian Zealot, more with the Sariface this creature if you get priority.

As for Krosan Grip, this is my one main reason to run this card: it hits Aluren.

[Eldariel]

Let's see...

It hits Sakura Tribe Elder, Nantuo Shade, Wild Mongrel, Basking Rootwalla, Viridian Zealot, more with the Sariface this creature if you get priority.

I'll give you Steve (why would you ever want to spend turn 2 Shocking Steve though?), but if opponent has a target for Zealot he needs to destroy, he'll do so with his priority after he has cast it and if you only play the target afterwards, anything will do. Nantuko Shade will rarely be able to outgrow a Bolt and Rootwalla dies to a Bolt too. Mongrel you're right about, it just doesn't appear to see play in any relevant decks. It just doesn't seem like there're real reasons to play it over 8-Bolt plan here unless your metagame consists of 20% Madness, and really, not even then, since it costs more and doesn't go to the dome as effectively when you need to finish it. I guess, somewhere, there may be some deck that could consider them in addition to the 8 Bolts, but if there is, I haven't seen it yet.

As for Krosan Grip, this is my one main reason to run this card: it hits Aluren.

For Grip, I agree. Although, my #1 reasoning is Jitte. Rather not have the counters come off, and if opponent uses the counters immediately, I'll have much easier time killing the equipped creature. But yea, Grip is great.

[Goblin Snowman]

Crypt dies to Grip. In Thres, that's pretty awesome.

[Finn]

Krosan Grip hits Crypts too. What I like about the split second stuff is making the opponent THINK you have it. I think I may leave my sideboard face-up with Krosan Grip on top the next time I have it in there. Then, perhaps I will count out the three mana rather obviously without it in my hand. I may even ask the opponent how many counters are on the Jitte and ask who has priority. This could get fun.

EDIT: yeah, what Eldariel said.

[Elfrago]

Grip hoses counterspells... that's enough for me!

[laststepdown]

top 10 most underused cards in legacy
1. lotus petal
2. goblin welder
3. enlightened tutor
4. transmute artifact
5. berserk
6. tangle wire
7. natural order
8. pyroclasm
9. shadow of doubt
10. fact or fiction

(imho)

[xsockmonkeyx]

Main deck Disenchant/Naturalize

[Elfrago]

Main deck Disenchant/Naturalize

Usually there are a couple of them in the Main, but you can't afford more since often they are dead cards...

[kicks_422]

Stifle is the most powerful underplayed card in Legacy right now. I'm still running it as a 4 of in my build of Meat Hooks, and I'm never dissapointed with it. Fishesque decks should start with 4 Stifle, right after 4 FoW IMHO.

[Silverdragon]

Usually there are a couple of them in the Main, but you can't afford more since often they are dead cards...

And this shows why they are underplayed. Many people believe in this mantra "they only kill artifacts and enchantments so they are dead cards" but there are so many decks out there that play maindeck artifacts or enchantments that in most metagames it could be worth running them maindeck.

Another underplayed card imho is Ancient Tomb. It gives you 2 mana and the drawback is not relevant until you reach your last 2 lifepoints. This card is so good I almost like it more than Workshop :)