My prediction: People start playing Essence Scatter to combat Thragtusk. 6 weeks from now, we see threads complaining about Essence Scatter and calling for it's banning.
What are the chances they name 'beast' for their cavern when they are running resto angel and angel of serenity?
That is IF they are even running cavern, which I am not seeing in any 3 color lists.
From what I've seen, syncopate>dissipate>essence scatter. At least in my grixis list its that way. Our pillars can and should hit their t1 dorks, our syncopate can hit their t2 farseek, or whatever. t3 Hopefully I have a dreadbore/mortars/rift/firebrand to undo their t3 play.
I keep getting rolled by a reanimator deck with caverns and sigarda and deathrite shaman though.
The jund and bant mish mash decks have too varied creature types and a three colour mana base that can't handle a cavern.
So if jund and bant continue to be the decks to beat then essence scatter will start showing up more and more... which will cause humans and zombies to rise against that.
Cavern of Souls set to beast only allows Thragtusk to evade Essence Scatter. it doesn't suddenly make Essence Scatter a blank card. there are other creatures in the deck.
I came back to the game a few months ago after taking a break for 10 years.
What the hell has happened to this game where Remove Soul AKA Essence Scatter is a sucky card? What the blazes?
Leave two mana open, the same cost as Terror and you can preemptively snipe any creature in the face before it activates its ETB effect. You payed 2 mana to waste your oppponents 5, as well as waste his turn, waste a card, and throw a huge monkey wrench in his plans.
Saying "Oh well Cavern of Souls" doesn't negate counterspells. That's like saying you should never run blue cards because of Red Elemental Blast.
Leave two mana open, the same cost as Terror and you can preemptively snipe any creature in the face before it activates its ETB effect. You payed 2 mana to waste your oppponents 5, as well as waste his turn, waste a card, and throw a huge monkey wrench in his plans.
Lol... and if you draw the essence scatter after the creature ETB, or don't leave mana open your essence scatter is useless. Real removal is incredibly better than creature only counterspells. I'm guessing you don't play much competitive magic. Essence scatter cards have rarely seen play.
Lol... and if you draw the essence scatter after the creature ETB, or don't leave mana open your essence scatter is useless. Real removal is incredibly better than creature only counterspells. I'm guessing you don't play much competitive magic. Essence scatter cards have rarely seen play.
What? You're obviously a noob if you don't know the history of counter magic in the game.
Thragtusk -> Essence Scatter: 1 for 1. You tapped for 1U and your opponent for 4G. Board state the same.
Thragtusk -> Ultimate Price: Not 1 for 1. Your opponent is up 5 life and has a 3/3 Beast token. Board state much different. You tapped for 1B and your opponent for 4G. You're down on CA currently because you now have to deal with his 3/3.
Previous standard - Mana Leak/Dissipate/Cancel/Negate mainly used
Standard before that - Mana Leak/Cancel/Stoic Rebuttal/Spell Pierce all saw decent play
Standard before that (didn't follow this one as much) - Deprive/Negate/spell pierce/some essence scatter use
Standards before that - Incredibly better counterspells, like UU counterspell by name
Essence scatter has not been a primary counterspell of choice. Control decks like to use REMOVAL or SWEEPERS to deal with creatures. The main times you use essence scatter is out of necessity, either you can't get good removal in your colors, your opponent is using shroud/hexproof, or perhaps when you are in a control mirror and having counter wars.
The main times you use essence scatter is out of necessity, either you can't get good removal in your colors, your opponent is using shroud/hexproof, or perhaps when you are in a control mirror and having counter wars.
Oh right, I was unaware control decks always had removal, your opponent never uses shroud or hexproof, and you're never in a control mirror. I also forgot that removal spells somehow negate Thragtusk's ETB and LTB effect.
Did I ever say essence scatter is not a good answer for Thragtusk right now? Nope. Stop arguing against straw men. Also control mirrors of today are much different than the draw gos of before, you would not want essence scatter against control in the current meta. Essence scatter is often too late of an answer against Geist of Saint Traft when you really neeed to answer him. Any control deck right now has access to 3 colors and hence access to removal (not to mention 8 exile cards in white and blue/white)
Previous standard - Mana Leak/Dissipate/Cancel/Negate mainly used
Standard before that - Mana Leak/Cancel/Stoic Rebuttal/Spell Pierce all saw decent play
Standard before that (didn't follow this one as much) - Deprive/Negate/spell pierce/some essence scatter use
Standards before that - Incredibly better counterspells, like UU counterspell by name
Essence scatter has not been a primary counterspell of choice. Control decks like to use REMOVAL or SWEEPERS to deal with creatures. The main times you use essence scatter is out of necessity, either you can't get good removal in your colors, your opponent is using shroud/hexproof, or perhaps when you are in a control mirror and having counter wars.
In fairness, mana leak has been around for the previous two and a half standards and is much better at doing much the same thing, while before that the ubiquity of things like bloodbraid elf and really powerful cheap creatures like goblin guide/steppe lynx made essence scatter and indeed countermagic in general a poor proposition. When those are the creatures a control deck needs to kill, removal >>> essence scatter.
But in general, the power level of standard is down on even a couple of years ago, so weaker cards become playable. Essence scatter is in that category imo.
Edit: Also, against normal 1-for-1 creatures removal is only clearly better if the removal is instant speed. We're kinda short on good instant speed removal right now.
Lather, Rinse, Repeat.
Cavern of Souls.
Emille, Seven-Sting Dancer Shalin Nariya
Come back in 12 weeks, "Cavern of Souls is broken and needs to be banned".
That is IF they are even running cavern, which I am not seeing in any 3 color lists.
From what I've seen, syncopate>dissipate>essence scatter. At least in my grixis list its that way. Our pillars can and should hit their t1 dorks, our syncopate can hit their t2 farseek, or whatever. t3 Hopefully I have a dreadbore/mortars/rift/firebrand to undo their t3 play.
I keep getting rolled by a reanimator deck with caverns and sigarda and deathrite shaman though.
zombies and humans.
The jund and bant mish mash decks have too varied creature types and a three colour mana base that can't handle a cavern.
So if jund and bant continue to be the decks to beat then essence scatter will start showing up more and more... which will cause humans and zombies to rise against that.
and there will be a rotation of top decks.
Pioneer:UR Pheonix
Modern:U Mono U Tron
EDH
GB Glissa, the traitor: Army of Cans
UW Dragonlord Ojutai: Dragonlord NOjutai
UWGDerevi, Empyrial Tactician "you cannot fight the storm"
R Zirilan of the claw. The solution to every problem is dragons
UB Etrata, the Silencer Cloning assassination
Peasant cube: Cards I own
Yeah...except nobody plays Cavern right now....
It's worth it just to make Thragtusk uncounterable
What the hell has happened to this game where Remove Soul AKA Essence Scatter is a sucky card? What the blazes?
Leave two mana open, the same cost as Terror and you can preemptively snipe any creature in the face before it activates its ETB effect. You payed 2 mana to waste your oppponents 5, as well as waste his turn, waste a card, and throw a huge monkey wrench in his plans.
Saying "Oh well Cavern of Souls" doesn't negate counterspells. That's like saying you should never run blue cards because of Red Elemental Blast.
and on the 18th week they said... ban ghost quarter
Lol... and if you draw the essence scatter after the creature ETB, or don't leave mana open your essence scatter is useless. Real removal is incredibly better than creature only counterspells. I'm guessing you don't play much competitive magic. Essence scatter cards have rarely seen play.
What? You're obviously a noob if you don't know the history of counter magic in the game.
Thragtusk -> Essence Scatter: 1 for 1. You tapped for 1U and your opponent for 4G. Board state the same.
Thragtusk -> Ultimate Price: Not 1 for 1. Your opponent is up 5 life and has a 3/3 Beast token. Board state much different. You tapped for 1B and your opponent for 4G. You're down on CA currently because you now have to deal with his 3/3.
Standard before that - Mana Leak/Cancel/Stoic Rebuttal/Spell Pierce all saw decent play
Standard before that (didn't follow this one as much) - Deprive/Negate/spell pierce/some essence scatter use
Standards before that - Incredibly better counterspells, like UU counterspell by name
Essence scatter has not been a primary counterspell of choice. Control decks like to use REMOVAL or SWEEPERS to deal with creatures. The main times you use essence scatter is out of necessity, either you can't get good removal in your colors, your opponent is using shroud/hexproof, or perhaps when you are in a control mirror and having counter wars.
Oh right, I was unaware control decks always had removal, your opponent never uses shroud or hexproof, and you're never in a control mirror. I also forgot that removal spells somehow negate Thragtusk's ETB and LTB effect.
In fairness, mana leak has been around for the previous two and a half standards and is much better at doing much the same thing, while before that the ubiquity of things like bloodbraid elf and really powerful cheap creatures like goblin guide/steppe lynx made essence scatter and indeed countermagic in general a poor proposition. When those are the creatures a control deck needs to kill, removal >>> essence scatter.
But in general, the power level of standard is down on even a couple of years ago, so weaker cards become playable. Essence scatter is in that category imo.
Edit: Also, against normal 1-for-1 creatures removal is only clearly better if the removal is instant speed. We're kinda short on good instant speed removal right now.
2011-2012:Bantblade, BantPod
2010-2011:Bant Shaman, Naya Shaman, Naya allies + Scars, URG Turboforce
2009-2010:Naya allies, Mono-White Titan Control
BGStandard Green AggroGB
UWRGModern Saheeli CobraGRWU
UBRGLegacy StormGRBU
Wizards Certified Rules Advisor