March 2009 Banned/Restriced announcement [Archive]

majikal

03-19-2009, 11:53 PM

http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/feature/30a&dcmp=ilc-mtgrss

Announcement Date: March 20, 2009
Effective Date: April 1, 2009
Magic Online Effective Date: April 8, 2009

Standard, Extended, Legacy, Vintage, Shards of Alara Block Constructed
No changes
Magic Online Formats

Vanguard Avatar Changes
Reaper King
Was: -1 card, -5 life
Now: -2 cards, -5 life
Change: -1 card, +0 life

Nekrataal
Was: +0 cards, -4 life
Now: -1 card, -4 life
Change: -1 card, +0 life

Online Classic
(and Vanguard Classic)
Demonic Tutor is restricted*

*Demonic Tutor is currently not available online. It will become available with the release of Duel Decks: Divine vs. Demonic.

Commander, Freeform, Momir Basic, Pauper, Prismatic, Singleton 100, Tribal Wars Classic, Tribal Wars Standard
No changes

Kaleidoscope**
Glittering Wish is banned

**Kaleidoscope is a new Magic Online–only format that will be available soon. Watch for an announcement called the Official Unofficial Format Review for the formats rules to come soon in the Magic Online announcements folder.

NOTHING.

Continue smashing face with Tarmogoyfs please. :)

Solaran_X

03-20-2009, 12:19 AM

Maybe now we can get about 3 1/2 months of peace and quiet before the next round of "ZOMGWTFBBQ!!1one! BAN GOYF!" begins again.

Bryant Cook

03-20-2009, 12:21 AM

Grozoth was unbanned in Prismatic.

majikal

03-20-2009, 12:23 AM

Grozoth was unbanned in Prismatic.
I don't see that in the article anywhere. Who plays Prismatic anyway?

Bryant Cook

03-20-2009, 12:25 AM

Maybe it was last bannings that I looked at? Jerkface.

Volt

03-20-2009, 12:26 AM

Maybe now we can get about 3 1/2 months of peace and quiet before the next round of "ZOMGWTFBBQ!!1one! BAN GOYF!" begins again.

Way to be mature about it.

Nobody thought there was even the slightest chance Tarmogoyf was going to get banned, even though more than half the people who responded to the poll want it to be.

majikal

03-20-2009, 12:26 AM

What's with the namecalling? o_O

TheInfamousBearAssassin

03-20-2009, 12:28 AM

Maybe now we can get about 3 1/2 months of peace and quiet before the next round of "ZOMGWTFBBQ!!1one! BAN GOYF!" begins again.

I like to consider myself a reasonable person who approaches contention in a rational, logical and amenable fashion.

If I didn't, I might call your mother a whore and imply that I had sex with her last night.

But I'm not going to do that, because I'm a gentleman.

And gentlemen never kiss and tell.

Solpugid

03-20-2009, 12:36 AM

At least they didn't get worried and ban top. AND they seem more open to additional Legacy events.

Frenger

03-20-2009, 04:55 AM

We do not often get the chance to see Legacy played at high-level events. The last time we saw it was the team rounds at last year's World Championships, so we were excited to see the results of Grand Prix–Chicago. We were nervous going into the event because cards like Lion's Eye Diamond and Dark Ritual still roamed free. Magic developer Erik Lauer expressed his fear that the tournament would end up being a fight to the death between Dark Ritual and Force of Will where nothing else could compete.

Happily, this is not what happened. The results of Grand Prix–Chicago suggest that Legacy is in fact wide open. The Top 8 contained three decks each that played Dark Ritual and Force of Will, but there were significant variations among those sets of three decks, and another two players made it to the elimination rounds with neither of those two cards.

I spent some time perusing the top 128 decklists and got lost in an endless sea of variety. There were plenty of blue decks, but everyone disagreed about what they were supposed to play alongside their Force of Wills, Brainstorms, and Dazes. Some played Phyrexian Dreadnought and Stifle to win the game with. Others played Tarmogoyf, sometimes with Dark Confidant. Some eschewed creatures almost entirely and instead played Standstill alongside Mishra's Factory and Mutavault. Some players even went tribal with Faeries or Merfolk.

Of course, that's just the blue decks, and there were plenty of other decks running around. Non-blue tribes were represented by Goblins and Elves. There were decks built around both Life from the Loam and Survival of the Fittest. Some decks with as many as 43 lands were played on Day 2, as were storm combo decks with as few as 13. We are excited about the format's variety and how it plays, and we look forward to supporting it with more high-level events in the future.

Finally!

citanul

03-20-2009, 05:13 AM

Nobody thought there was even the slightest chance Tarmogoyf was going to get banned, even though more than half the people who responded to the poll want it to be.

What? I voted yes but never wanted Tarmogoyf banned. I just admitted that Tarmogoyf limits other creatures. And I'm probably not alone.

I'm happy nothing got banned.

rleader

03-20-2009, 05:30 AM

I don't understand the ZOMG "dark ritual."

undone

03-20-2009, 08:45 AM

I don't understand the ZOMG "dark ritual."

They phear "Rit hippy go" to be "Unfun" or maby it was Rit rit LEd adnauseam

They also appear to be afrade of FoW o.O I dont get that. FoW is good but its straight up card disadvantage it doesnt do anything broken it prevents all in's...

Seriously seems like they misevaluated the format.

Solaran_X

03-20-2009, 08:59 AM

Way to be mature about it.

Nobody thought there was even the slightest chance Tarmogoyf was going to get banned, even though more than half the people who responded to the poll want it to be.
Oh, we all know full well Tarmogoyf had next to no chance of being banned. But ever since Tarmogoyf was released and people figured out it was good, there are usually multiple threads on every forum about Magic begging/demanding/explaining why it gets/needs banned.

And quite frankly, I'm sick of it.

Nessaja

03-20-2009, 09:39 AM

Then don't read them, what makes you? There are plenty of ideas to make Legacy more healthy as a format and there happens to be one that a lot of people agree on. In the end, Wizards is more interested in making sure that Legacy isn't broken then making Legacy more diverse. Probably rightfully so.

URABAHN

03-20-2009, 09:39 AM

They phear "Rit hippy go" to be "Unfun" or maby it was Rit rit LEd adnauseam

They also appear to be afrade of FoW o.O I dont get that. FoW is good but its straight up card disadvantage it doesnt do anything broken it prevents all in's...

Seriously seems like they misevaluated the format.

I was surprised to hear that someone out there thought the event would boil down to Ritual vs. Force. I can't remember the format ever being like that. Maybe that's the reason Mind Twist is still on the Banned List for Legacy. There's a lot of dumb stuff on the Banned List, I hope they change that by the end of 09.

FoolofaTook

03-20-2009, 09:47 AM

I was surprised to hear that someone out there thought the event would boil down to Ritual vs. Force. I can't remember the format ever being like that. Maybe that's the reason Mind Twist is still on the Banned List for Legacy. There's a lot of dumb stuff on the Banned List, I hope they change that by the end of 09.

Mind Twist is still on the B/R list and will probably stay there not because of Dark Ritual, although that's a nasty effect on turn 1, but because blue control would use it to win. Midgame Mind Twists are destroyers when backed by counters. Once they make you drop your hand you are finished and they can do this reliably by turn 5 every game.

Nihil Credo

03-20-2009, 10:32 AM

I was surprised to hear that someone out there thought the event would boil down to Ritual vs. Force. I can't remember the format ever being like that.

I believe that with "Ritual" decks they were alluding less to Deadguy/Suicide lists than to Storm combo.

Indeed, if more people played Storm [well], then I suspect we could end up with a metagame where decks with FoW/Daze, TS/Hymn, or Chalice/Trini have a decent-to-strong game against Storm which then beats everything else.

Fortunately the decks in the former category are already popular enough that there isn't generally much Tendrils around to annoy people bringing R/G/W decks.

FoolofaTook

03-20-2009, 11:00 AM

Indeed, if more people played Storm [well], then I suspect we could end up with a metagame where decks with FoW/Daze, TS/Hymn, or Chalice/Trini have a decent-to-strong game against Storm which then beats everything else.

Fortunately the decks in the former category are already popular enough that there isn't generally much Tendrils around to annoy people bringing R/G/W decks.

Which is a boon to the format because it encourages people to bring R/G/W aggro that scoops to both control and combo most of the time?

If I saw strong decks in the R/G/W sphere that completed that triangle you're listing above I'd think the metagame was strong and varied. Goyf Sligh, Goblins and Elves are the primary representatives there though and they scoop to combo and don't beat good blue control that often either.

sunshine

03-20-2009, 11:26 AM

I'm just surprised that FoW is on their list of worrisome cards. The fact that FoW worries them worries me... I would rather not see what happens to this format if FoW goes away.

undone

03-20-2009, 11:31 AM

I'm just surprised that FoW is on their list of worrisome cards. The fact that FoW worries them worries me... I would rather not see what happens to this format if FoW goes away.

It will be a cold day in the combo winter before they ban FoW.

Mayk0l

03-20-2009, 11:54 AM

Arsenal

03-20-2009, 11:59 AM

I guess that might have a lot to do with the size of the "official" Extended scene compared to that of Legacy's. I don't think Wizards cares enough about Legacy to extensively look at what is causing problems, etc. That might've changed with GP: Chicago (their level of interest in the format), but it still isn't enough compared to the size of the Extended scene.

FoolofaTook

03-20-2009, 12:07 PM

I was pleased to read this morning that Sensei's Divining Top is still around. I just don't really understand why though. Why not ban Top when the exact same arguments that got it banned in Extended can be made for Legacy? Do we really need it to keep a healthy environment?

1200+ people just attended a Legacy GP, in lousy economic times in which everybody seems to be cutting back on expenses. I'm guessing WotC just said if it ain't broke don't fix it, and having that kind of turnout suggests that the competition ain't broke at this point.

Volt

03-20-2009, 12:10 PM

1200+ people just attended a Legacy GP, in lousy economic times in which everybody seems to be cutting back on expenses. I'm guessing WotC just said if it ain't broke don't fix it, and having that kind of turnout suggests that the competition ain't broke at this point.

At last, you've said something I can agree with.

thefreakaccident

03-20-2009, 12:17 PM

I like to consider myself a reasonable person who approaches contention in a rational, logical and amenable fashion.

If I didn't, I might call your mother a whore and imply that I had sex with her last night.

But I'm not going to do that, because I'm a gentleman.

And gentlemen never kiss and tell.

classical.... classical...

ALSO: SIGGED

aTn

03-20-2009, 04:00 PM

And gentlemen never kiss and tell.

Haha ! Great one !

Personally, I'm glad nothing gets the axe this time.

P.S.: In your face Pat Chapin (I didn't sell my Tops).

Solaran_X

03-20-2009, 04:30 PM

Zach Tartell

03-20-2009, 04:51 PM

Volt

03-20-2009, 05:06 PM

I don't think it was "ban goyf" or "not ban goyf." It was, "Would shit be more interesting if Goyf weren't around?"

Yes, you're right. My bad.

Nessaja

03-20-2009, 06:02 PM

I was pleased to read this morning that Sensei's Divining Top is still around. I just don't really understand why though. Why not ban Top when the exact same arguments that got it banned in Extended can be made for Legacy? Do we really need it to keep a healthy environment?

The arguments for extended didn't apply to legacy. Unlike in extended, not every deck plays it, making games much longer.

mercenarybdu

03-20-2009, 06:07 PM

At least they didn't go too far yet.

freakish777

03-21-2009, 05:59 PM

I'm just surprised that FoW is on their list of worrisome cards.

FoW isn't a card that worries them. Dark Ritual based Storm Combo decks worry them, and if those decks ever account for a large portion of the metagame, then they're afraid of the Format being "Dark Ritual vs. Force of Will." Note that back when Necropotence was Type II legal, it was "Necro Decks vs. Anti-Necro Decks." The anti-Necro decks of course basically looked like:

4 Disenchant
4 White Knight
4 Order of the White Shield
etc

None of those cards ever worried them, what worries them is a particular strategy being so good that the format becomes "Overpowered Strategy vs. Anti-Strategy," with the Overpowered Strategy pushing everything that isn't the mirror or Anti-Strategy out of the format, and going 50-50 in those match ups anyways.

Sims

03-21-2009, 06:08 PM

http://edh.truespace.ca/EDH_Forum/viewtopic.php?t=1499

I believe this is the more important news. We knew nothing was going to happen to our Legacy list, but this could cause a slight stir for those EDH groups that use the "official" b/r list.

No more Tinker, but green decks get Crucible to play with their loams, wastes, stripmines, and fastbonds.

KillemallCFH

03-21-2009, 06:40 PM

No more TinkerI saw that :frown:. My Angus Mackenzie deck just got neutered again.

Forbiddian

03-21-2009, 11:15 PM

Way to be mature about it.

Nobody thought there was even the slightest chance Tarmogoyf was going to get banned, even though more than half the people who responded to the poll want it to be.

BTW, I put yes, but I definitely DO NOT WANT GOYF TO GET BANNED.

The cat's already out of the bag, and it's annoying, but it's not too much of an in-heat asscat that it keeps me up all night scratching at my window.

I do wish that Goyf had never been printed and I do think the format would be more interesting without it, but it would be horrible for Magic/Legacy if they banned powerful staples just because they're extremely powerful staples.

What I really want Wizards to do is print a few non-green cards that would be strong against Goyf. Relic of Progenitus was useful, but a few other good ones for more options would help a lot.

Anusien

03-22-2009, 02:28 AM

Erik Lauer might be right. A world without Top probably is a world that is just Dark Ritual versus Force of Will (which is somewhat of a misnomer because the Ritual decks might just run Force of Will!).

raharu

03-22-2009, 03:35 AM

BTW, I put yes, but I definitely DO NOT WANT GOYF TO GET BANNED.

The cat's already out of the bag, and it's annoying, but it's not too much of an in-heat asscat that it keeps me up all night scratching at my window.

I do wish that Goyf had never been printed and I do think the format would be more interesting without it, but it would be horrible for Magic/Legacy if they banned powerful staples just because they're extremely powerful staples.

What I really want Wizards to do is print a few non-green cards that would be strong against Goyf. Relic of Progenitus was useful, but a few other good ones for more options would help a lot.
A removal package like this:
3 Diabolic Edict
4 StP
3 Vindicate

with:
4 Daze
3 Spell Snare
4 FoW

Sounds fair, right? (Even though I just vomited the shell for my next deck out. Oh well). Should keep everyone's favorite hulk of a lhurgoyf in check.

Media314r8

03-22-2009, 07:24 AM

(@ keeping goyf in check)
A removal package like this:
3 Diabolic Edict
4 StP
3 Vindicate

with:
4 Daze
3 Spell Snare
4 FoW

Sounds fair, right? Should keep everyone's favorite hulk of a lhurgoyf in check.

This -deck- seems a little bit harder to splash for than 1G. I think the proposed solution was more along the lines of some playable bears or cantrips that 'balanced' goyf, ex:

The burninator 1R
when the burninator CiP, it deals 6 damage to target creature with CMC 2 or less.
2/1

Amrou Pacifist WW
creatures with power 5 or greater cannot attack or block
1/3

Goyf shredder BB
when goyf shredder CiP, destroy target green or white creature unless it's controller pays :2:
2/1

Bird-is-the-word 1U
pro green, vigilance
1/1

@ Top not getting the ban-hammer:
Top was banned in extended because every competitive deck that wasn't dredge played it (often in conjunction with CB), and it lead to matches taking forever. In legacy, blue decks not playing CB have better options with ponder and brainstorm, which can take equally long, or in landstill's case FoF. Hell, landstill and stacks decks exist in legacy and go to time far more frequently than CB/top decks. Having all decks playing top and creating infinite boring CB/top mirrors got top banned in extended. CB/top is played in perhaps 10-20% of the legacy field (opposed to upwards of 30-50% of extended NLU), with CB sometimes residing in the SB, and CB/top actually keeps combo in check- (same with force) thus increasing the health of the format rather than saturating it with cookie-cutter decks ala extended. IMO top will never be banned in legacy.

ParkerLewis

03-22-2009, 06:25 PM

In this situation...I'm not sure who would have worse standards. You, or my mom.

I mean...you like dead chicks?

Now that was funny.

Finally.

Shabbaman

03-23-2009, 06:03 AM

dahcmai

03-23-2009, 08:36 AM

Sims

03-23-2009, 10:41 AM

Eh, I play EDH and I saw a Progenitis as a general die to Odds/Ends, Wrath, and Humility just last night. The guy isn't a big deal at all in EDH. I think I was more surprised to see someone actually playing Wrath.

Tinker is worse just because of Possessed Portal. Now that's nasty having one of those dropped on everyone right off the bat.

I don't think anyone said Prog... Just that Natural Order goes and finds huge guy number 3.10v2.0 out of your library and can be great at nabbing stuff like Stomphowler, Primus, or Wickerbough in a tight pinch. Not overly broken but definitely useful.

Tinker on the other hand would grab portal, combo pieces, DSC (not a huge play in multi but if you duel it can suck), Sundering Titan, Platz.... there's so much stuff that Tinker can grab that can just win you the game or set you ahead of the opponent for a while, that it's pretty disgusting. I miss Tinker from my Intet deck, not gunna lie, but I do agree the card is still broken in half in EDH.

Nightmare

03-23-2009, 11:01 AM

I don't think anyone said Prog... Just that Natural Order goes and finds huge guy number 3.10v2.0 out of your library and can be great at nabbing stuff like Stomphowler, Primus, or Wickerbough in a tight pinch. Not overly broken but definitely useful.

Tinker on the other hand would grab portal, combo pieces, DSC (not a huge play in multi but if you duel it can suck), Sundering Titan, Platz.... there's so much stuff that Tinker can grab that can just win you the game or set you ahead of the opponent for a while, that it's pretty disgusting. I miss Tinker from my Intet deck, not gunna lie, but I do agree the card is still broken in half in EDH.

I was quite possibly the most abusive of Tinker out of any EDH player I've seen, but I still agree that it needed to go.

I'm scared as hell of Crucible in the format. It's going to get Strip Mine banned, or Fastbond. They ain't cool in casual together.

rufus

03-23-2009, 01:39 PM

Mind Twist is still on the B/R list and will probably stay there not because of Dark Ritual, although that's a nasty effect on turn 1, but because blue control would use it to win. Midgame Mind Twists are destroyers when backed by counters. Once they make you drop your hand you are finished and they can do this reliably by turn 5 every game.

I'm not sure that Mind Shatter is going to be a whole lot worse than Mind Twist for something like that, and we all know how much play Mind Shatter sees.

FoolofaTook

03-23-2009, 03:25 PM

I'm not sure that Mind Shatter is going to be a whole lot worse than Mind Twist for something like that, and we all know how much play Mind Shatter sees.

BBX as opposed to BX. One of those is going to get splashed into blue control and one isn't. It's also 1 less card discarded in mono-black due to the +B casting cost.

hi-val

03-23-2009, 04:42 PM

If we assume for a moment that Counterbalance/Top is a problem, I'm interested in whether it's the Top or the Counterbalance that's the actual issue. Clearly, removing Top means Counterbalance doesn't get played much at all, and removing Counterbalance means Top still sees play. Is Top fair without Cbal? I'm wondering if it's possible that the right decision results in one banning the Counterbalance and keeping the Top, if they were a problem.

mujadaddy

03-23-2009, 04:56 PM

If we assume for a moment that Counterbalance/Top is a problem, I'm interested in whether it's the Top or the Counterbalance that's the actual issue.Counterbalance is the issue. Top just breaks it open.

C/B is a free counterspell when it works. That's way more broken than Top...which should be Legendary, imo.

Deirex

03-23-2009, 04:56 PM

CB-Top wasn't much of an issue to me I just wanted Land Tax to get unbanned.

FoolofaTook

03-23-2009, 04:59 PM

Counterbalance is the issue. Top just breaks it open.

C/B is a free counterspell when it works. That's way more broken than Top...which should be Legendary, imo.

And there are a lot of ways to topdeck a specific card in the format. SDT is just the most obvious permanent that does this. Counterbalance is going to be around for a long time even if SDT gets banned.

FoolofaTook

03-23-2009, 05:00 PM

CB-Top wasn't much of an issue to me I just wanted Land Tax to get unbanned.

They're never going to do this, if only to keep games from slowing down at the beginning after a Land Tax is resolved. Shuffle effects cause a lot of delay when they occur. You already have fetchlands causing a few reshufflings at the start of most games, they're not going to want another permanent back in play that potentially causes a reshuffle every turn.

mujadaddy

03-23-2009, 05:03 PM

And there are a lot of ways to topdeck a specific card in the format... Counterbalance is going to be around for a long time even if SDT gets banned.His was a hypothetical question. Do you think it's likely that SDT would get banned? Before C/B?

Volt

03-23-2009, 05:11 PM

Top is much more powerful than Counterbalance, imo. It's just that Counterbalance has a more tangible effect.

mujadaddy

03-23-2009, 05:14 PM

Top is much more powerful than Counterbalance, imo. It's just that Counterbalance has a more tangible effect.Top does diddly squat by itself, other than being an Owl on a stick. Magic is about synergies -- Painter/Grindstone comes to mind as a broken one, and that's relatively new. A single card that isn't completely broken or disruptive by itself isn't going on the B/R list. Again, in the hypothetical situation, C/B is far more disruptive in terms of card advantage and the intangible "fun" factor.

FoolofaTook

03-23-2009, 05:23 PM

His was a hypothetical question. Do you think it's likely that SDT would get banned? Before C/B?

Well didn't they have the same combo in Extended and pick SDT for banning there, citing the time element as well?

mujadaddy

03-23-2009, 05:27 PM

Well didn't they have the same combo in Extended and pick SDT for banning there, citing the time element as well?Different kettle of fish. This is you right?

And there are a lot of ways to topdeck a specific card in the format.Extended has a lot *fewer* ways to exploit C/B than Legacy, so I guess they killed SDT for that reason.

Nihil Credo

03-23-2009, 05:33 PM

Top does diddly squat by itself, other than being an Owl on a stick.

http://xs537.xs.to/xs537/09131/a827.jpg

mujadaddy

03-23-2009, 05:37 PM

:eek:
The beard is very weird. But what does that have to do with CounterTop? :tongue: :wink:

quicksilver

03-23-2009, 05:37 PM

Frenger

03-23-2009, 06:50 PM

Truth, top is a very good card by itself. There are decks that run it without counterbalance. Counterbalance however would be terrible and unplayable without top. There are no decks that run counterbalance without top.

That's because they have top. If top were banned, mujadaddy is saying players will turn to other cards like brainstorm, ponder, portent (?), etc to abuse CB because CB itself if the problem.

Not sure how much I agree with that, but if one of them has to go I would much rather keep my tops as they're much more useful.

quicksilver

03-23-2009, 06:56 PM

That's because they have top. If top were banned, mujadaddy is saying players will turn to other cards like brainstorm, ponder, portent (?), etc to abuse CB because CB itself if the problem.

Not sure how much I agree with that, but if one of them has to go I would much rather keep my tops as they're much more useful.

And I am saying that if top were banned players would not turn to those cards. Sorcery speed stacking of your library does not work very well. Without top, counterbalance would not be palyed at all in legacy. Without counterbalance, top does far more than diddly squat and will still see some play.

FoolofaTook

03-23-2009, 08:15 PM

And I am saying that if top were banned players would not turn to those cards. Sorcery speed stacking of your library does not work very well. Without top, counterbalance would not be palyed at all in legacy. Without counterbalance, top does far more than diddly squat and will still see some play.

I don't believe this is true. I think Counterbalance would see play in UW decks that had a lot of ways to top deck cards on demand. Brainstorm, Enlightened Tutor, fetches to shuffle the pile if you didn't like what you saw on top. I'll bet a singleton Soothsaying would go in there to be a midgame bomb, and it would be a midgame bomb alongside Counterbalance. A reshuffle effect that can dig deep when 5 or 6 mana is on the board.

I don't think Counterbalance would be in most blue decks though like it is now. Just in the ones that had a good dozen ways to bring cards up instantly and a few permanents that helped now and then.

Sterling Grove is another card that might see play alongside Counterbalance, given that it protects CB and can also be sacrificed to top deck an enchantment to use in conjunction with CB.

BTW, I'm not remotely suggesting that Counterbalance would be powerful in the absence of SDT, because I think it wouldn't be all that powerful, but the lure of a permanent that counters spells would keep people inventing decks to try to exploit it.

majikal

03-24-2009, 12:28 AM

I'll bet a singleton Soothsaying would go in there

Just one? Seems like a pretty clear replacement for top in some decks!

FoolofaTook

03-24-2009, 01:20 AM

Soothsaying is too mana intensive to be deployed before you have 4 mana out. Unlike top 1 mana does absolutely nothing for you except give you a peek at the top card of your library. So it'd be a mid to late game locking piece alongside Counterbalance that also allowed you to dig deep for one of the few wincons that decks that get to the mid to late game regularly tend to have available. It would have the benefit that unlike Enlightened Tutor and maybe Sterling Grove it could find a non-artifact/enchantment for you. Use the primary search in the deck to bring up the piece that helps you find the other things you need late to close it out. It'd be an adjunct to both Counterbalance and the artifact/enchantment search devices.