Is Unexpectedly Absent any good on an Isochron Scepter?
Does a bear shit in the woods?Originally Posted by rufus
WAT
Granted Blue has been doing the "put this thing on top of the library" for a while, but White's claim to burying things in the library is pretty well established - Condemn, Terminus, Hallowed Burial, shit even Oblation all say OHAI. The inverse of this - Blue's claim to "protection from things-besides-just-colors" is sort of completely out of left field -- though I can see the logic in moving from Shoreline Raider's 'protection from Kavu' to 'protection from everything target player controls or owns'.
I guess that's as close as you can get to walk on a stick.
Hm.
They can choose to not play anything to dig for an answer, or play multiple permanents in a turn, although I think most opponents would be hard pressed to be able to handle this on a scepter. Compared to Orim's Chant on scepter, your opponent can still play things and attack, although Unexpectedly Absent is significantly better as a stand-alone card, like possibly worth playing without scepter as just a control card in some decks.
The downside to Scepter, as always, is the card disadvantage if (and when) it gets destroyed. That said, it always seemed like a very powerful card to me. Something that is cute is that you can cast unexpectedly absent on scepter itself to save it from removal, although the imprinted card still stays away.
Sceptor is very very bad in a format with Abrupt Decay, you can't even defend your scepter with counters. Unfortunately Chant lock is not coming back anytime soon.
You can protect it with Boros Charm. I've always wanted to try to revive W/R Scepter Chant with 4 MD Boros Charm :p
Last edited by SirTylerGalt; 10-19-2013 at 11:56 AM. Reason: "U/R" -> "W/R"
That just doesn’t make sense mtg wording wise.
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I played Scepter in Modern. Its fine. I mean if you get Scepter + UA, and they dont have decay in hand you win right? They won't ever draw another card, assuming they dont have a draw spell, and they wont have a way to stop you.
I think scepter is still at it's best in modern, but I could see a sweet swcepter lock deck being played. And Boros Charm on it seems sweet. They cant decay it, and you can 4 them every turn. Get in Voltaic Key for maximum value? #magicalchristmasland
You can also protect it by bouncing the Scepter with itself, lol.
Scepter is horribly bad in Modern. The format is dominated by GBx decks with Decay and Maelstrom Pulse. Tron just -3 Karns it. Mono U Tron counters it or cast Repeal...or just Mindslavers you to death. UWr Midrange has Geist and counters. UWr Control just doesn't care and Colonnades you. Splinter Twin has protection and control. Affinity is too fast for Scepter anyway and Etched Champion is a card. Pithing Needle, O-Ring etc. That's definitely not worth the initial card-disadvantage.
I've played it as a singleton and it is fine. Of course there are answers to it. There are answers to everything. If you play it and you use it, then untap and use it again (assuming you are bolting dudes or something) then you have broken even. In legacy with UA, if they dont have an answer in hand they never get to see a new card. AKA you win. You are basically time walking them every turn. I'm not saying it is good, but I don't think it is the worst thing in the world.
Edit: I suppose they could refrain from recasting their permanents, but most of the time you are effectively time walking them then. And you are buying time. Idk. I may try it out as a janky deck to dick around with.
1-of versus "I think scepter is still at it's best in modern, but I could see a sweet swcepter lock deck being played."
Find the difference.
In Legacy you have to deal with better counters, including Stifle and there's always artifact hate.
I think you are currently in tunnel vision mode regarding this card combination. Try timewalking a combo deck with this, for example.
You could always play 4 Silence as well ;)
I understand what you are saying, but I dont think it is necessarily bad just because there are a lot of played answers to it.
Is UA somehow going to be Modern-legal?
Otherwise the discussion regarding UA + Scepter in Modern is moot, right?
Last I checked the Commander product was only 'Old Eternal' legal.
My hypothetical shitbox deck is legacy. I forget why Modern came up, but no it will not be Modern Legal.
Ironically, Unexepectedly Absent is another fine answer to Isochron Scepter ;-)
Armageddon Stax is still a deck right? This can be played in that deck.
I am convinced that WotC is "dumbing" the game because of all the stupid posts they come across on MTG-related forums
I think Stax decks would shy away from something so white-heavy. I think the most likely home for this is Miracles. They already have to have a mana supply that supports WW for Entreat, though that is not until after stabilizing. But the deck runs well on two colors and lots of basics. It already has Jace for that nice synergy. And it is a slow control deck with a combo finish. You can protect your piece with this, and then grab it again fast with Top if needed. It even has nice interaction with Counterbalance in a pinch. UA would be firing on all cylinders in a deck of that sort.
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I think this card is good, 2-3 copies. Design is odd though, are you ever going to cast this with X>0? It might as well just be WW - perm to top of deck. And are they running out of words for card names or something?
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