[SCD] Ice Floe

[Mr. Safety]

I just came across this land recently while doing a land search on Gatherer at the mothership:

Ice Floe

Is this even remotely playable? I've been toying around with Crop Rotation in a G/B/w KotR/Loam build and I've been trying to find some silver bullets. Maze of Ith is definately one of the better bullets, but I'm wondering if Ice Floe is another option.

Looking for some feedback from the collective mind of The Source. Thanks!

EDIT: I read the cards again, just because I retardedly missed crucial information.

[Fade]

I just came across this land recently while doing a land search on Gatherer at the mothership:

Ice Floe

Is this even remotely playable? I've been toying around with Crop Rotation in a G/B/w KotR/Loam build and I've been trying to find some silver bullets. Maze of Ith is definately one of the better bullets, but I'm wondering if Ice Floe is slightly better against Emrakul (because it can prevent annihilator from triggering.)

Looking for some feedback from the collective mind of The Source. Thanks!

I feel like Maze of Ith is just better as it has more applications like untapping a KOTR after combat damage has been dealt. Also if you are running KOTR you would just search up a Karakas to bounce the Emrakul back to their hand.

[adrock]

Unfortunately it can't tap Emrakul because of the "non flying" clause.

Overall it is less versatile than Maze of Ith, but keeping something tapped indefinitely might have merit.

[kusumoto]

Could be a super narrow answer to Grim Lavamancer. Most of the time, Barbarian Ring or Cabal Pit would seem better at doing that though.

[SurFitOfTheVine]

I just came across this land recently while doing a land search on Gatherer at the mothership:

Ice Floe

Is this even remotely playable? I've been toying around with Crop Rotation in a G/B/w KotR/Loam build and I've been trying to find some silver bullets. Maze of Ith is definately one of the better bullets, but I'm wondering if Ice Floe is slightly better against Emrakul (because it can prevent annihilator from triggering.)

Looking for some feedback from the collective mind of The Source. Thanks!

Your lack of rules knowledge is unbelievable, sorry if this offends you.

1. Emrakul has flying, this only taps non-flying creatures.
2. This taps an attacking creature, it doesn't even prevent the 15 damage Emrakul deals let alone prevent the annihilator trigger...

Basically you tap the attacking creature, you take the damage, and you may have it stay tapped for as long as you like. Actually tapping it in this case is only useful if the creature has vigilance.

[Mr. Safety]

Your lack of rules knowledge is unbelievable, sorry if this offends you.

1. Emrakul has flying, this only taps non-flying creatures.
2. This taps an attacking creature, it doesn't even prevent the 15 damage Emrakul deals let alone prevent the annihilator trigger...

Basically you tap the attacking creature, you take the damage, and you may have it stay tapped for as long as you like. Actually tapping it in this case is only useful if the creature has vigilance.

No, it doesn't offend me. I simply didn't read all of the text (and I forgot that Emrakul flies.) Every now and then a face-palm disrupts my day. I apologize for my noob-tardedness, especially if it wasted your time.

DOH! Thanks for the schooling.

[Malchar]

I use it occasionally in EDH as an additional maze of ith. It's nice that you can only tap creatures attacking you, so it encourages your opponents to attack each other.

I don't think it's all that bad in legacy. Being able to bring it in at instant speed is huge because you can keep their guy tapped and then counterattack, unlike maze of ith. Maze of ith just turns their guy into a blocker, whereas this actually "removes" the creature until they find an answer. The huge caveat is that it doesn't stop fliers and you still have to get attacked once, making it very conditional.

If you're playing a knight of the reliquary pump-me-up deck, then making their guys into blockers via maze of ith usually works fine because eventually your knight will get big and break through. I don't know what kind of deck wants to use ice floe though.

[Koby]

Kor Haven would be better thank both Maze of Ith and Ice Floe. Unfortunately, forces you to be in white.

[ScatmanX]

With this you can keep an Knight of the Relicary tapped, so it won't destroy your land (what would happend to maze).
Don't see any other application though...

[Mr. Safety]

Basic thought was this:

1) opponent attacks with Goyf (or other big threat)
2) I use Knight of the Reliquary or Crop Rotation to dig out Ice Floe
3) Target the threat, leaving an opening for my Knight/Terravore to get through for big beats

I suppose I was really just looking at the semi-permanent effect of Ice Flow rather than the 'provide a blocker' effect that Maze does (like Malchar said.)

I suppose I'll use it in EDH/casual, and use the better Maze of Ith in legacy.

[maurobad2k4]

Basic thought was this:

1) opponent attacks with Goyf (or other big threat)
2) I use Knight of the Reliquary or Crop Rotation to dig out Ice Floe
3) Target the threat, leaving an opening for my Knight/Terravore to get through for big beats

I suppose I was really just looking at the semi-permanent effect of Ice Flow rather than the 'provide a blocker' effect that Maze does (like Malchar said.)

I suppose I'll use it in EDH/casual, and use the better Maze of Ith in legacy.

Well, in this case it means that's you who got the bigger threat, because it's very rare to see someone sucessfully attacking into an active Knight. Even then, Maze would be better because of the sinergy with KotR.
I believe Sejiri Steppe would be a better trick than this in a toolbox shell, but even that it's not that great.

[Mr. Safety]

Aleady using Sejiri Steppe...

Typical targets for Crop Rotation/Knight are Wasteland, Maze, Sejiri Steppe, and Bojuka Bog. I have pulled out a Treetop Village before with Rotation, but only out of sheer neccessity (I didn't have any threats in hand, just a fistfull of control (Inquisition of Kozilek, Raven's Crime, Loam, StP, and Deed.) I actually won that game riding a Treetop Village while Loam/Crime raped their hand every turn. Occasionally Rotation will blank a Wasteland so I'm not down a land, but that happens rarely (as I only play 2 CRotations in the deck...it has its issues, most notably a 2-for-1 on my opponent's end if it gets countered.)

[Nihil Credo]

You could always pack a token-maker instead; which one depends on your list, but old Kjeldoran Outpost is probably still the most efficient after all these years. Don't run it before Kor Haven, though.

(And just for the sake of completeness, you could use Yavimaya Hollow to regenerate one of your blockers, or even Spawning Pool to get a regenerating blocker for the absolute bargain of 1BB/turn.)

[Mr. Safety]

Well, I think I should share a list so folks know what I'm doing. It is certainly a budget deck, make no bones about it. It is 61 cards, but the 61st card is simply land #24. I wouldn't feel uncomfortable with 23 lands, it just seems better to me to run 24 lands with Crop Rotation and Loam.

1 Artifact
Creatures - 12
4x Birds of Paradise
4x Knight of the Reliquary
2x Terravore
2x Eternal Witness

Instants - 6
4x Swords to Plowshares
2x Crop Rotation

Sorceries - 16
4x Inquisition of Kozilek
2x Profane Command
3x Raven's Crime
2x Maelstrom Pulse
2x Crime // Punishment
3x Life from the Loam

Artifacts - 1
1x Loxodon Warhammer

Enchantments - 2
2x Pernicious Deed

Land - 24
3x Barren Moor
3x Forest
1x Godless Shrine
1x Marsh Flats
1x Maze of Ith
2x Overgrown Tomb
1x Sejiri Steppe
2x Swamp
1x Temple Garden
3x Tranquil Thicket
1x Treetop Village
4x Verdant Catacombs
1x Wasteland

[Royal Ass.]

Island of Wak-Wak is another one of these type of cards, but only deals with flyers. I play it in my EDH deck along with Maze, though half the reason I play it is cause it looks cool :)

[jhhdk]

If you're looking for ways to abuse Crop Rotation, Steppe Lynx and Flagstones of Trokair warrant testing. I've been playing those as 4-ofs in a WG lands deck and have experienced some pretty sick plays.
I realize your list is a lot more controllish, but finnishing someone of with 2 swings from Lynx is priceless.

[wert]

A couple more useful lands for Crop Rotation shenanigans.
Teetering Peaks
Smoldering Spires
Gruul Turf

[Mr. Safety]

If you're looking for ways to abuse Crop Rotation, Steppe Lynx and Flagstones of Trokair warrant testing. I've been playing those as 4-ofs in a WG lands deck and have experienced some pretty sick plays.
I realize your list is a lot more controllish, but finnishing someone of with 2 swings from Lynx is priceless.

I haven't tried Lynx...but I don't want early beef, or worse, top-decking a weak option like Lynx in the mid-late game when I really need a Knight/Terravore. Early turns are for disruption and control to get me to the mid-game. It's definately a mid-range deck, make no bones. I'd rather finish with 2 swings of Knight, who doesn't rely on land drops but rather synergizes amazingly with Life from the Loam/Raven's Crime.

If I were to put more threats into the deck, I think they would have to be better than Lynx. Tombstalker and Abyssal Persecutor come to mind first, but I would probably get the other 2 Terravores in before them.

Flagstones is an interesting option...but my list has such a minor white splash, I'm not sure I would want the focus on plains. White is basically for Knight and Swords, occasionally the Crime side of Crime//Punishment. Pushing more white into the deck doesn't make a lot of sense to me; I'm already playing the best white cards with StP/Knight.

@Wert: I'm not sure why I would use those red-flavored lands...Smoldering Spires would let me get through unblocked...but Sejiri Steppe already has that potential (and more, because it protects against spot removal.) The Ravinca bounce-land would put a land back to hand for Raven's Crime abuse...but Loam is pretty good at doing that already. I find myself using Crop Rotation most often to find Wasteland, Maze, or Sejiri Steppe. I have also used it in response to opposing Wastelands to essentially blank it.

What I'm looking for from Ice Floe is a way to nullify opposing threats. I may take a hit, but only one hit before Ice Floe locks it down. Still, the more I think about Ice Floe the worse it gets in my mind. With a heavy empasis on board control (Deeds, Pulses, Swords, Crime//Punishment, Maze of Ith) I don't think I need a lackluster land like Ice Floe.

I appreciate the responses, but don't expect the thread to stick around...I'll get it deleted soon.

[Finn]

There is a reason nobody plays Ice Flow, Island of Wak Wak, Maze of Shadows, Kor Haven, and Hall of Gemstones, and they do play Maze of Ith. At least Kor Haven counts as a mana source though.

Still, if you are looking for a land that prevents attackers smacking you, Maze of Ith does it without much design space required.

[Mr. Safety]

There is a reason nobody plays Ice Flow, Island of Wak Wak, Maze of Shadows, Kor Haven, and Hall of Gemstones, and they do play Maze of Ith. At least Kor Haven counts as a mana source though.

Still, if you are looking for a land that prevents attackers smacking you, Maze of Ith does it without much design space required.

Bingo :wink: that was my thought as well. I'm sticking with Maze of Ith.