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But looking into the mana-math with that one, it's probably way too sketchy. Even mono-w D+T doesn't have reliable WW t2, but doesn't need it thanks to vials / the fact that you can't even hard cast Avenger t2 etc. etc. But the pingers are absolutely cards we need to hard cast t2.
I don't play DnT, I play infect. This post is the actual truth. I never expect the Gut Shot and have been blown out by it a few times. Fwiw, as an infect player, I always feel favored in this matchup. Blood Moon effects are good against infect, but they need to be backed up by removal because we're almost always fast out of the gates and will have creatures deployed by the time you have 3 mana/vial on 3. Thalia is annoying, and I don't know that I'd board her out, but she isn't the end all be all, and as people have stated, it makes it much easier for us to know when to "go for it" because she makes your StPs cost more. Mom is trash and I'd suggest it be the first cut along with Batterskull. Canonist is surprisingly effective and should def come in.Quote:
Originally Posted by CheddarOps
Just 2c from the opponent's perspective.
I tend to agree with Hopo on his analysis of Infect. I've never considered it a combo deck insofar as it doesn't need the combo to win, unlike say Splinter Twin or Eggs. It is more of an aggro-control, aka tempo, deck that has a combo possibility (there are some great articles on Magic deck types out there, and IMO combo is less a deck type than a wincon that can overlay pretty much any deck type, so that you have aggro-combo, control-combo, tempo-combo, etc.) On that basis, what I want to do is slow them down and make them inefficient, and find a way to get rid of the 1-2 threats they are playing and trying to ride to victory (like Delver, they play a medium number of creatures and want to get 1-2 threat in play and make it impossible for you to get rid of those threats while disrupting you.)
Flickerwisp might be better than Thalia in that case, though again without Vial it isn't that good.
I agree we may not need Needle, but it is another turn 1 play that slows them down.
Magus is good in the match because it does hurt their development and it can limit their ability to protect their creatures, but you still need to find an answer for Noble Hierarch + Blighted Agent. Sudden Demise is not super efficient in this case, but I would rather run 3 Sudden Demise than 2 Gut Shot in my sideboard because I might get all their creatures for R+1 or R+2 if I have it.
If we wanted to go by efficiency, Forked Bolt could also kinda work. Worse vs hordes of creatures or Vines of Vastwood against Infect, but cheaper (and thus faster), but works better in the mirror and can hit different-colored creatures. Hitting flipped Delver or DRS without spending :2::r: doesn't sound to shabby, either. It can also hit Planeswalkers in a pinch and deal the last points of damage, if necessary.
My initial thoughts were that it being a sorcery take it out of consideration. I then remembered that we're likely casting swords and whatever else we have to remove creatures on our turn anyway, since if they use a pump to save the creature, that isn't a pump dealing us infect damage.Quote:
Originally Posted by Barook
Not a bad option.
So I played with Cunning Sparkmage tonight. It was awesome and I like it better than the other "pinging" creatures suggested here.
- Searchable with Recruiter
- Haste has the same "surprise" effect as Gut Shot
- The haste was also relevant when he had to carry equipment
- Playable off Cavern on human
The only times I hated the Sparkmage were when I didn't have a red source. I'm sold on Sparkmage as the "pinging" creature.
However, I haven't given enough thought to Forked Bolt yet... we have way less ways to cast it (no vial, no cavern). And finding red mana can be an issue.
Lastly, compared to Sudden Demise - I can see instances where SD is better - especially against the dreaded Elves match. EOT or mid-combo Sudden Demise for two could probably be GG most times. Though, Sudden Demise just doesn't do enough in the mirror... Is this a case of pick-your-poison?
Has anyone tried Pia and Kiran Nalaar? Double red is pretty intense, but tutorable 'fliers' plus the synergy with karakas sounds gas.
I actually played with it as one of my fun-ofs last night. It was definitely a card I was happy to have in my deck vs Miracles, he had to two for one himself + FoW my STP to get it off the board / protect his Jace. If I had had a Karakas it absolutely woulda been game over at that point.
I am not sure how many other matchups it could come in against, though since legacy is so fast. Stoneblade?
on a different side board note, with the resurgence of BUG and cards such as Lily and hymn do we feel wilt-leaf liege is a contender for a side board slot or two? it also is abrupt decay proof and allows us to restablish a board with dread of night present. down side being casting cost of course and not tutorable with recruiter. or do we just not need it do to the crippling effects of magus against BUG now?
I really want to find room for a pair of wilt leafs for the GP, but it has been hard to find room. Easier to get them in the board of mono white, but the rw version is a little more difficult.
If you wanted to play a "liege" in R/W you could play Balefire Liege. The card is so bad even Recruiter can get it!
Shardless matchup is great if you're playing 3 Magus 3 Recruiter and enough RiPs in your 75, really don't need Wilt Leaf.
So if you weren't sure about r/w Taxes before (and I have been ambivalent, myself) better get your Plateaus if this guy is real:
Magus of the Wheel
:2::r:
Creature - Human Wizard
:1::r:, tap, sacrifice Magus of the Wheel: Each player discards his or her hand, then draws seven cards.
3/3
Kinda good off an end of turn Vial, don't ya think?
A little sad he can't be found with Recruiter, but it does look extremely powerful.
It should have been 2/1, haste as well, but then I guess it would have been blue.Quote:
Originally Posted by Finn
It does seem like this will be the chase card of the set. If he's not playable in R/W Taxes he's playable in some shell. This guy is also pretty clearly a cube staple.
Although it woulda been nice as a 2/3, the fact that it's a 3/3 means that this is a beater on its own, which is a good backup plan in a match where you don't want to use the ability...it's a hedge that might make him more maindeckable. Instant speed Wheel of Fortune hasn't been seen since Memory Jar, has it? It's not necessarily good to draw someone into lands etc. if we're taxing them but it also allows us to refill our hands vs attrition decks or decks with a lot of dead cards like RUG Delver. It's nice to have the *option* to wheel while still hitting them for 3 a turn.
Wheeling him requires a tap. So unless your giving him vigilance he's not beating for 3 and threatening his effect.
Right, you still have to choose what you want to do with him. But when you're ahead you don't need to threaten draw-7, and when you're behind you're less concerned about beating down.
The card is powerful, but I would be shocked if this were the right deck for it.
This.Quote:
Originally Posted by hill_giant
We want to grind them down, not refill their hand, too.
As nice as card draw is, this Magus goes entirely against the deck's strategy.