It does handle a lot of cards in a cute fashion, I look forward to seeing how it works out in the deck....
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It does handle a lot of cards in a cute fashion, I look forward to seeing how it works out in the deck....
As a combo (TES) player who routinely plays against DNT, I can tell you some of the pros and cons right now.
Pros:
-It's not a hatebear and doesn't die to hate bear hate (IE. Deathmark).
-It's an enchantment This means that shattering spree, one of the best anti-hate cards ever printed, doesn't take care of it. Also, for TES, there really isn't a very good sorcery speed hate piece to get with burning wish--we really want shattering spree in white for enchantments. What we have is gleeful sabotage.
Cons:
-It doesn't stop second turn empty the warrens for a forty goblin tokens.
-It doesn't help with your clock.
-It doesn't stop Ad Nauseum. If we do get some hate card (probably chain of vapors) we don't have to deal with Leyline of the Mask before going for Nauseum, and we can continue drawing until we hit it. This is probably the worst one. Ethersworn canonist stops ad nauseum for going off, but this . . . doesn't.
If you're running an eight card anti-storm side board, I might do this as 5-8, I don't know. This AND canonist could be pretty backbreaking if you can get any sort of reasonable clock up.
The problem isn't the lack of uses. The problem is the fact that it takes up a lot of space in your side. This isn't a singleton that you're going to Tutor for: what will you take out for 4 of these? And are those four cards less useful than this ability?
Jotun Grunt, Runed Halo, Orim's Chant, perhaps? I don't understand the deck well enough to know exactly what is being brought in when.
I know this is a shot in the dark, but what about Sword of Vengeance? It seems interesting, What with the +2 ATK, Trample, AND First Strike. Maybe and Aggro heavy meta choice? The 3 to equip does seem kinda lofty though.
It's easy to suggest cards for a deck: many cards have things to offer a given deck. The hard part is answering "what would you take out for it?" That's the statement with real value: it shows that you've thought about how and why a particular card is better than an existing one, or how and why a deck should be modified to fit a new idea.
It's been said that the new sword makes Flickerwisp into a real combat powerhouse, but the key there is first strike and vigilance, which allows it to attack and block without worrying too much about the 1 toughness. However, it's still not as good as anything else we're using, so there's just no room for it. I'm not even sure that it's as useful as certain other good equipment that we're not using. Loxodon Warhammer and Basilisk Collar come to mind, and both are good in aggro matchups too.
The issue with it I think is that unlike the other swords or Jitte it does nothing to protect your guy from removal, and even if they tap out, stacks no advantage you can use later if they do as Jitte does. That makes it a very scary tempo loss proposition, which equipment already has trouble with in format.
The issue has never really been about removal, 9 out of 10 times if the creature receives any amount of removal it happens before or in response to the equip ability. Half the time the equipment itself gets more hate than the critters.
While I do agree the lack of Pro: X does make me want to pass it up, the chance to make flickerwisp/Avengers into baby akromas is almost to much to pass up, let alone the idea of Mangara and Mom/Harrier being a threat and still getting to use their tap effects seems just GOOD. I honestly think the deck needs a viable Vigilence equip to make the smaller defense creatures more of a threat.
The fact that this weapon gives haste makes all the difference imo. Aside from the fact that vialing in Mangara, equipping, attacking, then removing something all on the same turn is hotness, I like that you have a more streamlined decision tree when the equipment grants haste. Instead of having to guess which to play first (equipment or creature), now the answer is always the weapon.
Look, we have Mystics to fetch it. How much work could testing it be?
I was just going to risk failing badly and add it as the 61st card, or move collar to SB. I also think Basilisk Collar is good, but it might be better as a SB card. It's good against re-animator and it was useful against Dreadstill. I might cut the two cataclysms for a 4th canonist in case of the occasional combo matchup and having the collar in SB.
I think it's worth having somewhere due to the synergy with mom.
If/When they flesh out the enemy swords in Scars, what do we replace for one of the pro green swords? I know we want it in the deck to be able to go pro any color as soon as we have a mystic.
Would we actually cut Jitte? It's purpose more often than not is to kill opposing Jittes in my experience, and ensuring that they don't get counter on theirs by preventing combat damage dealt by the creature is just as good imo.
The problem with Sword of Vengeance is that the equip cost is 3 instead of 2, this means that vialing a mystic eot on turn 3 still means you cant play and equip on turn 4. I think unless you draw SoV naturally you won't be playing it in most games.
i have to agree with finn that haste makes a real difference, and together with vigilance sword of vengeance can be really good
a long time now i have been thinking of lightning greaves, just due to the fact that they give haste, like this we would gain a lot of tempo, the only problem with lightning greaves was that the creature became untargetable, so it would be hard to use mangara as a vindicate, it would only work if i got 2 creatures in play, including mangara
as finn allready mentioned sword of vengeance gives the option to even attack with mangara the same turn he came in by vial, and then remove something, it sounds just too awesome..... but, IMO i do not think sword of veangeance will find its place in any serious decklist because it is just to much of a mana investment
until i know exactly what abilities the sword of PRO green has, i will not change anything with my equipment suite, if that sword is really powerful it will come into the list but not as a replacement for any of the other equipments, but as replacement for one of the less usefull creatures (depends on meta)
Indeed. Lightning Greaves was in my Sideboard off and on for a while, and I always felt it was kinda lacking. Now a Greaves with vigilance/trample/first strike is worth the time in playtesting.Quote:
Originally Posted by AggroSteve
The much rumored Sword of Pro Green (maybe) sounds good, whether or not it makes it is kinda depending on its other abilities.
Death and Taxes took 3rd place in the last Premier Event held on MTGO!
Here is the decklist:
3 Ethersworn Canonist
4 Flickerwisp
3 Jotun Grunt
3 Mangara of Corondor
4 Mother of Runes
4 Serra Avenger
3 Stoneforge Mystic
4 Aether Vial
2 Oblivion Ring
1 Runed Halo
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Sword of Light and Shadow
4 Swords to Plowshares
1 Umezawa's Jitte
2 Flagstones of Trokair
4 Karakas
2 Mishra's Factory
10 Plains
4 Wasteland
Sideboard:
2 Aura of Silence
2 Burrenton Forge-Tender
1 Ethersworn Canonist
3 Kitchen Finks
2 Ravenous Trap
3 Silence
2 Tormod's Crypt
Death and Taxes has made showings at both legacy PEs on MTGO so far. Death and Taxes went up against a diverse amount of decks during the event, beating Burn, dredge, landstill, countertop thopters, zoo, and Aeon Bridge in the swiss rounds. Without ports to stop Aeon Bridge (1st), the deck lost to combo in the semifinals. The new white leyline would have helped in this matchup and possibly versus Aluren (2nd) as well.
Make that back to back top 8s for DnT with Blaze. Sitting in top 8 right now just 5-1'd the swiss, 33 man Premier.Quote:
Originally Posted by Salogy
In the finals now, went through the top 8 like a hot knife thru butta. Seriously, Blaze has consistently put up very impressive, consistent results with this deck. There's probably some wisdom in them thar cards.
yeah he has actually been testing several varieties of the deck. A while back he was playing a GW version of the deck, now it seems he is back to a mono-white list. I am actually interested to see what his next innovation is going to be.Quote:
Originally Posted by morgan_coke
I think his consistency has more to do with the fact that he has been playing this deck on MTGO for several years. I think he started playing the deck in the classic format, despite the fact that the deck is not designed for such a format. I don't know what kind of results he put up in said format, but whatever those results he gained the experience needed to progress to becoming one of the best and most consistent Death and Taxes players on the MTGO Tournament Circuit. Despite the fact that I think I earned his ire with a comment I made that apparently freaked him out a little bit (don't know why), I respect and admire him a great deal as a death and taxes player. Both he and Finn seem to be very good with this deck.
One thing that heavily interests me about his lists is the fact that he does not use the Enlightened Tutor Package. That strikes me as a unique feature of his decks. I don't remember if this is because of him not being able to afford such a package, or because of preference, but it seems to be doing incredibly well for him.
EDIT: Blazelix and his Death and Taxes deck came in Second in the Third Premier Event for Legacy on MTGO. He isn't doing all that bad for himself if I do say so myself.
Yeah he is solely responsible for over half of those winnings with DnT online. I would say he is one of the nicer people online and it is pretty hard to get the guy upset. The Classic list played more like GW Haterade with Teeg,Canonist and True Believer. I and a few other guys online helped out with that list and i think he did something like 3-4 dailies out of 8. And, yeah that list is not the easiest thing to put against Bazaar,oath and Y.Will, but has a great Merfolk MU. He has only played DnT online since Jan,2010. I think he tried 2 E.Tutor and did not like them, the only thing he used it for was finding GY hate. Plays Finks over Prisons.Quote:
Originally Posted by DalkonCledwin
Can we play Flickerwisp, then tap mangara and bring mangara to hand with this Flickerwisp?
You tap Mangara, then Vial in Flickerwisp in response to tapping Mangara. Casting Flickerwisp as normal is too slow. Also, it doesn't bounce Mangara to hand but RFGs it until end of turn.