[SCD] Scorched Earth

[morgan_coke]

For reference:

Scorched Earth
XR
Sorcery
As an additional cost to cast Scorched Earth, discard X lands. Destroy X target lands.

In related news, Life from the Loam is legal in Legacy. Also, this thing hits basics. So merfolk/goblins/DnT aren't safe from it.

I think the closest comp to this is Devastating Dreams. Dreams also sweeps the board if you've got enough in hand, but it doesn't target specific lands, and it also destroys your own lands, whereas this is one sided.

Honestly in a loam deck it's very close to Mind Twist for lands. Coupled with Raven's Crime and Burning Wish plus various lands you've probably got a pretty decent deck shell already.

To my shame I've been unable to fill out the rest of said deck so I'm sharing it with everyone else to see if anyone can make it work. The potential power level of "mind twist your basics" is insanely high, and even if you're only hitting for two or three, it's still a very big blow. Much bigger than an equivalent mind twist because you're undoing so much of their progress up to that point. Curious on others' thoughts or experiments with this. Thanks.

[menace13]

Needs moar Standstill.

[Shawon]

Unfortunately, the dealbreaker between DDreams and SEarth is that Earth costs more mana to do the same thing as Dreams. And Earth can't discard Loam as part of its cost.

[GGoober]

DDreams and SEarth combined together can be quite devastating in a more LD-based Aggro Loam deck. Although I would imagine such a deck with more dedicated slots into LD might run into issues of resolved vials/creatures. Perhaps play more EEs and Firespout, and then go for beats with KotR and Crushers.

I don't think not discarding Loam is a drawback, since you can just cast it to get it in your yard. SEarth is assymmetrical while DDreams still hits your own lands. I think it's worth considering since it also gets past Counterbalance/Spell Snare/Chalice@2 at the cost of mana. This is an interesting SCD and I think has some potential in a controllish-Loam variant, not sure what I'd play though, probably even heavily tutors for Loam to setup for DDreams/Seismic Assault more aggressively aka resolve these two-spells, you don't need to play spells, just win with lands. Maybe it suits a lands.dec theme better than aggro-loam.

Problem with a dedicated LD-shell is that it won't work, you still need to follow up threats while your opponents are landless otherwise they'll just rebuild and you need to top-deck into another 'armageddon'. Smokestacks could keep the board in check though, GR Suntower Stax? Was that what it was called?

[samurai_socks]

I do not think multiples of this card in a maindeck would be particularly strong. A one of in a wish board however could be very strong and quite unexpected.

-Cheers-

[ReAnimator]

Why would you ever want this card in a format where daze is super popular and a lot of decks run Heirarch, Birds and Aether Vial?

[Aggro_zombies]

Why would you ever want dedicated land destruction spells in a format where 90% of the decks curve out at three?
Fixed that for you.

[morgan_coke]

If LD is so bad, why is Wasteland so popular?

[Tacosnape]

If LD is so bad, why is Wasteland so popular?

Wasteland is the best LD card ever printed that isn't banned in Legacy, is why. Wasteland costs 0 mana (just the tempo of your land drop), and still taps for colorless in a pinch. And often, the LD is used more for tempo or solving a problem land than for actual LD.

Discard is also bad in theory, but people still play Thoughtseize/Hymn/Duress because they're the best discard spells.

[Meekrab]

I don't think a one-sided Armageddon would be worth suffering a one-sided Mind Twist except in very specific circumstances. Also, it seems real slow.

[morgan_coke]

been playing this online. This card is fcking amazing in a loam deck. absolutely no two ways about it. i'm sorry but anyone dissing the power level of this card seriously doesn't understand what it does.

[Moosedog]

been playing this online. This card is fcking amazing in a loam deck. absolutely no two ways about it. i'm sorry but anyone dissing the power level of this card seriously doesn't understand what it does.

Care to post the list your playing that makes it so amazing?

[morgan_coke]

the only relevant parts of the list are: 3x scorched earth, 4x wasteland, 3x life from the loam

[Cabal_chan]

been playing this online. This card is fcking amazing in a loam deck. absolutely no two ways about it. i'm sorry but anyone dissing the power level of this card seriously doesn't understand what it does.

That would be why.