OK, I think that is likely enough on the point, there is no real sense in belaboring it since, as far as I can tell, it has nothing to do with Strixhaven at this point.
Let's all move on with our lives, thanks. If there is an issue, PM me, or make a new thread.
"The Ancients teach us that if we can but last, we shall prevail."
—Kaysa, Elder Druid of the Juniper Order
Isn't there supposed to be a c21 spoiler today?
I want to hold some lore.
So is Nic Fit the big winner from Strixhaven? Gets a 1 mana cantrip in Abundant Harvest, a combo win con in Witherbloom Apprentice, a new midrangey sac outlet in Bayou Groff, and a toolbox in Witherbloom Command.
I hope so...but honestly, almost every set has a 'this might be ok in nic fit' kind of card. This time I think it will be the real deal though, simply because of Witherbloom Apprentice + Chain of Smog. Having a low-to-the-ground combo win is something Nic Fit could really use.
Brainstorm Realist
I close my eyes and sink within myself, relive the gift of precious memories, in need of a fix called innocence. - Chuck Shuldiner
Agreed, but I think Abundant Harvest is just as, if not more important, because with GSZ it basically gives you 8 cantrips. And Bayou Groff gives you a GSZ-able sac outlet for Explorer, which is also huge.
Maybe something like:
4x Abundant Harvest
4x Green Sun's Zenith
4x Cabal Therapy
4x Chain of Smog
3x Witherbloom Command
2x Abrupt Decay
1x Maelstrom Pulse
4x Veteran Explorer
1x Bayou Groff
2x Witherbloom Apprentice
2x Sylvan Library
7x other nic fit things
22x Lands
That seems like a reasonable starting point, tons of removal and discard and mana and cantrips, all in a BG shell. Like, I mean, usually when people are like "this is great for Nic Fit" it's some midrangey thing that the deck already has six versions of. This set is comboes and another cantrip, both of which are far more important, imho.
That looks pretty good! The 7 Nic Fit stuffs that we include will probably include silver bullet cards like Reclamation Sage, Scavenging Ooze, Sylvan Safekeeper, and Eternal Witness. That still leaves 4 slots for some juicy dudes. However (and I don't mean to derail the spoiler thread with too much Nic Fit talk) there is a diminishing return on playing Veteran Explorer without having a massive mana advantage and also utilizing that advantage to go over the top. I think Witherbloom Apprentice will actually result in a new deck build, probably closer to The Rock. You basically have a combo with Apprentice/Chain, which is super compact, and then your dig tools (GSZ, Abundant Harvest, Sylvan Library), then you add your disruption (discard and removal.) By that time, how much room do you really have to include a 'bad' combo like Veteran Explorer/Cabal Therapy? At that point just playing the right amount of lands and Thoughtseize is probably correct. You could even conceivably do a Hogaak-Depths type of hybrid where you have overlapping synergies. Chain of Smog could be a discard outlet for Vengevine/Bloodghast/Gravecrawler/Hogaak that also doubles up as a combo with Apprentice. Simple tools like Unearth and Reanimate can be included to actually make the combo resilient. Kill my Apprentice? Unearth it, take 2. Last thought: I think Allosaurus Shepherd is probably a much better GSZ target than Veteran Explorer.
TL,DR: It's certainly possible to do Witherbloom stuff with Nic Fit, but there might be a new deck waiting in the tall grass to develop that doesn't need big mana/Veteran Explorer.
EDIT: My mind is racing with the possibility of using Dark Confidant, Allosaurus Shepherd, and Veil of Summer as well...cheap disruption, cantrips, tutors, discard, even the ability to play Abrupt Decay maindeck with bullet-proof mana. Low curve, all business.
Brainstorm Realist
I close my eyes and sink within myself, relive the gift of precious memories, in need of a fix called innocence. - Chuck Shuldiner
Why Mox Diamond when you can just play Lotus Petal? Diamond/Loam takes up slots that probably should be disruption, dig, or just alternative threats.
Brainstorm Realist
I close my eyes and sink within myself, relive the gift of precious memories, in need of a fix called innocence. - Chuck Shuldiner
So these are the playables from the set, from what I can see:
Witherbloom Command
Witherbloom Apprentice
Clever Lumimancer
Solve the Equation
Sedgemoor Witch
Conspiracy Theorist
Fracture
Vanishing Verse
Honestly, the 2 Witherbloom cards, Sedgemoor Witch, and Fracture will be the most impactful. Clever Lumimancer seems cool in a prowess-ish built, but I don't know if it's quite good enough for legacy.
Brainstorm Realist
I close my eyes and sink within myself, relive the gift of precious memories, in need of a fix called innocence. - Chuck Shuldiner
Elite Spellbinder might still be playable in the right deck. It does see play in other formats, so it might be good enough for Legacy, too.
Looking up the combo partner for Spellbinder, Drannith Magistrate, I've noticed two things:
1) Magistrate stops Uro from escaping, which is currently running rampant.
2) Magistrate creates a softlock with Uba Mask that prevents conventional card draw.
The wonderful part is that Magistrate - Spellbinder - Uba Mask is on curve and Spellbinder can remove potential counterspells before you lock them with Uba Mask. Might be a cool idea for a future Stompy deck.
He is also good with blink effects. There is also this semi bad card Parallax wave...
“Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn.
I would just rather play Eldrazi Displacer for the instant blink in the draw step. TKS to supplement the whole thing. That would give you 8 discard creatures that both synergize extremely well with Displacer.
Maybe a Yorion shell? Somewhat reduces the consistency, but having access to Yorion + Displacer + tons of ETB effects sounds pretty good.
For what it's worth, Archon of Emeria should also be great with Uba Mask. The extra cards drawn from cantrips get useless if they can't be cast on the same turn and after that, they're gone.
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