Well, in a vacuum, the only deck where Devil is a viable threat (and I use that term very loosely) is Legacy Burn. In that case it is much more likely that you will let the creature resolve because otherwise, your removal is worthless against Burn.
Removal isn't the only factor to consider which was my point. Their is no way I could tell you using legacy as a template without having much more information about my own deck and hand.
If you want to ban powerful cards, why not Islands? They have been proven to be fairly unfair in most cases.
The worst turn 1 play you can face down is Draw, play basic Island and say, "go"
If I have removal that I can play the very next turn (like if I went dork -> Liliana on the play or I have Bolt or Swords or Innocent Blood in hand), I'll sometimes let it live, but that's the only situation I'd ever even consider it.
Snap take 4 in almost every circumstance.
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Thanks to Gabgabdevo for the awesome sig image!
I'm always looking for foil Madcap Skills and Ghitu Fire-Eater, [trade thread link forthcoming]
Orzhov Charm on an Isochron Scepter, if you really wanted to be a dick. Return it from the yard over and over again, or, if they have a blocker, kill it.
Understand, Dredge is not really a Magic: The Gathering deck. When a card is playable in it, it doesn't mean it's a tournament playable card. It means it's playable in whatever crazy fantasy world that Dredge operates in.
I'd normally take it. Taking 4 from a Vexing Devil is better than taking repeated damage later. But yes, it really depends on what you're playing, and what kind of tools you have at your disposal.
Take the 4 damage rather than let it pulverise you for multiple shots
or
Let it resolve because you know your removal can deal with it?
I know what I would do, but, please tell me what you would do, and explain your choice.
(PS: you don't know anything else about his deck)
If he played Vexing Devil it's an obvious Aggressive based deck, take the 4 now and kill the creature rather than 8 to the face later.
However if it's a Vexing Devil in a control deck then he's just doing it wrong and I take the 4 Damage cause he's a control player with bad ideas and it's better to take 4 life than lose to HURDURR VEXING DEVIL.
If he played Vexing Devil it's an obvious Aggressive based deck, take the 4 now and kill the creature rather than 8 to the face later.
However if it's a Vexing Devil in a control deck then he's just doing it wrong and I take the 4 Damage cause he's a control player with bad ideas and it's better to take 4 life than lose to HURDURR VEXING DEVIL.
Thats the beauty. You don't know. Its some guy you've never seen of before, and it could be anything. So you have to go with your gut instinct, which was more than likely correct with your statement.
I wish I could pay 4 life to kill someone's turn 1 Llanowar Elves whenever I wanted to. That would be amazing.
If you're likely to take a hit from devil anyway, there's no reason to not pay the 4 life. The red deck would be better served opening with a more stable creature drop.
I do respect that Devil's biggest weakness in an all-burn deck is that he could potentially trade with a removal spell instead of nug for 4. If I have a way to deal with him before he hits me, I'm likely to do that instead of pay the life.
I wish I could pay 4 life to kill someone's turn 1 Llanowar Elves whenever I wanted to. That would be amazing.
If you're likely to take a hit from devil anyway, there's no reason to not pay the 4 life. The red deck would be better served opening with a more stable creature drop.
I do respect that Devil's biggest weakness in an all-burn deck is that he could potentially trade with a removal spell instead of nug for 4. If I have a way to deal with him before he hits me, I'm likely to do that instead of pay the life.
That would be an awesome turn 1 drop card. "Pay X life: Target creature takes X damage. If target creature takes lethal damage, exile it"
But, I'm fairly sure that should be a R/B card, with probably at least a 2 or 3 casting cost.
Take your monoblack deck, then set aside 14 swamps. Add 4 Creeping Tar Pits, 4 Darkslick Shores, 4 Drowned Catacombs, and 2 Jwar isle Refuge and add 4 Jace, the Mindsculptors. Your monoblack deck is instantly better. Better yet, drop those refuges, throw in some islands and some mana leaks, and lo and behold, you're now playing a real deck. Congratulations. Welcome to the world of competitive M:TG.
Pretty sure a turn 1 Vexing Devil is a terrible play from the Aggro player, at least in standard. Establishing board presence early is critical to their strategy. I'll take 4.
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Current standard decks:
Gruul Aggro
EDH General:
Sydri, Galvanic Genius
Modern
Jeskai Control
Jeskai Midrange
Affinity
Esper Teachings
Tribal Zoo
I'd like to just say that Undying Evil isn't super great here if you intend to use it how I think you intend to use it. By the time they choose to take 4 or not it is too late to do anything and using it before they choose to take the damage does almost guarantee you can keep your 4/3 devil, but at the cost of two mana and two cards.
Removal isn't the only factor to consider which was my point. Their is no way I could tell you using legacy as a template without having much more information about my own deck and hand.
BaconoftheArk speaks the truth:
Snap take 4 in almost every circumstance.
Thanks to Gabgabdevo for the awesome sig image!
I'm always looking for foil Madcap Skills and Ghitu Fire-Eater, [trade thread link forthcoming]
If yes then let it hit.
If no, then 99% of the time i pay 4.
The entire premise is, you don't know anything about the deck, so you are forced to react in your basic gut check instinct.
Otherwise, we get into too many variables.
Art is life itself.
You gotta stand by your principals man.
Finally, someone who read the concept!
That gave me a good laugh.
Kudos
Modern:
Something new every week
Legacy:
Something new everyweek
Modern-
Legacy-
Painter's Grindstone (WIP)
Thanks to HOTP Studios for the sig!
If he played Vexing Devil it's an obvious Aggressive based deck, take the 4 now and kill the creature rather than 8 to the face later.
However if it's a Vexing Devil in a control deck then he's just doing it wrong and I take the 4 Damage cause he's a control player with bad ideas and it's better to take 4 life than lose to HURDURR VEXING DEVIL.
Because we care about facts.
Thats the beauty. You don't know. Its some guy you've never seen of before, and it could be anything. So you have to go with your gut instinct, which was more than likely correct with your statement.
If you're likely to take a hit from devil anyway, there's no reason to not pay the 4 life. The red deck would be better served opening with a more stable creature drop.
I do respect that Devil's biggest weakness in an all-burn deck is that he could potentially trade with a removal spell instead of nug for 4. If I have a way to deal with him before he hits me, I'm likely to do that instead of pay the life.
That would be an awesome turn 1 drop card. "Pay X life: Target creature takes X damage. If target creature takes lethal damage, exile it"
But, I'm fairly sure that should be a R/B card, with probably at least a 2 or 3 casting cost.
Gruul Aggro
EDH General:
Sydri, Galvanic Genius
Modern
Jeskai Control
Jeskai Midrange
Affinity
Esper Teachings
Tribal Zoo
My burn deck runs 12 creatures. Mogg Fanatics, Ball Lightnings, and ether Blistering Firecats or Hells Thunder depending on the situation.
Its kind of amusing to drop a Morph'd creature at a Legacy tournament, because people go nuts speculating on it.
I don't like the mana base, but, I do like the concept. Maybe if we reduce it down to just R/B/W I would like it more.
Not that I don't like your idea.
Thanks Argentleman;)
WB Teysa token aggroBW (retired)
MAKING (Onmath, Numot, maybe something in Esper)
I'd like to just say that Undying Evil isn't super great here if you intend to use it how I think you intend to use it. By the time they choose to take 4 or not it is too late to do anything and using it before they choose to take the damage does almost guarantee you can keep your 4/3 devil, but at the cost of two mana and two cards.
See this for more: http://blogs.magicjudges.org/rulestips/2012/05/vexing-devil-and-fling-you-cant-get-8-damage-out-of-it/