I love how people always say the packs are bad. This pack is pretty strong. I count 9 cards that would easily make my deck if they were in my colors, and at least one or two cards that would be acceptable 23rd cards. How is that a weak pack?
It's bad because it doesn't have a bomb mythic in it.
And I do not see why anyone would take the captain here. He's a lord for a good tribe, sure, but the ability he grants isn't that good, and he puts you into two colors.
How is 4 damage for 9 better than a hard kill? Would you pick Galvanic Blast over Spread the Sickness? Deaths Caress is the pick. Im also a little biased as i hate red.
Death's Caress can't 2 for 1 them. And fires can fit in burning vengence decks..I guess.
The pack is pretty good, I'm leaning toward Fires of Undeath.
The Fires of Undeath vs Death's Caress debate reminds me of Geistflame vs. Into the Maw of Hell. Personally I'd rather have Geistflame 75% of the time, and I also prefer the Fires of Undeath over the Caress.
I think the Captain is better than most of you guys are thinking. I voted for the Captain, but after thinking about it I might rather have the Death's Caress. But is that card really going to be that strong in a format wit Doomed Traver, etc. and undying? I don't know I really don't want to first pick any of these cards.
The Fires of Undeath vs Death's Caress debate reminds me of Geistflame vs. Into the Maw of Hell. Personally I'd rather have Geistflame 75% of the time, and I also prefer the Fires of Undeath over the Caress.
Except in this case Fires of Undeath requires 2 colors.
If I was for sure in Red/Black Fires of Undeath is the stronger card.
If you have no way to flash it back it is the weaker of the 2 removal spells easily.
Comparing it to Geistflame feels like a straw-man argument since it only requires red and red to play it.
I'd take Divination and start cutting blue hard, because I want to force blue in basically every draft with this set. Wheeling the Gavony Ironwright would be gravy. I don't mind shipping red and black removal to my left when it means I can likely expect Claustrophobia, Silent Departure, and Grasp of Phantoms in pack 2. Blue is way ahead of either red or black's power curve in this format and I don't mind picking Divination over removal in order to set myself up to take advantage of it.
Think about how those removal spells look against a deck full of Stormbound Geists, Nephalia Seakites, and Griptides. I want to be playing strong fliers and tempo cards, not 3-mana Shocks and 5-mana Terminates.
Sever the Bloodline is a bad card using this logic. I think Fires of Undeath is the pick but Death's Caress is fine.
No, because Sever is cheaper, splashable and card advantage.
Imo, Fires of Undeath is way better than "Brainspoil" because:
-it's cheaper
-it's splashable
-it's instant speed
-it's card advantage
-it can deal 2 or 4 to the head
No, because Sever is cheaper, splashable and card advantage.
Imo, Fires of Undeath is way better than "Brainspoil" because:
-it's cheaper
-it's splashable
-it's instant speed
-it's card advantage
-it can deal 2 or 4 to the head
How is a 2-color commitment to cast with flashback "splashable"? And, yeah, it's cheaper...because it does less. Just because it can kill two little creatures doesn't always make it better. I can kill most little guys in combat. The only real advantage Fires has over Death's Caress is it can take out cheap utility creatures like Avacynian Priest or Skirsdag Cultist. But most of the time it's the Olivia Volderen or the Balefire Dragon's you really need to take out. Guess which one does it better and doesn't require me to be in two colors.
I would take Fires but the Captain is very close second. Fires can easily be splashed for along with maybe getting a Brimstone Volley, Devil's Play and/or Geistflame. The Captain is forcing you into U/B but that isn't a huge issue. I mainly would be worrying about getting zombie screwed with my pack luck!
I'd take Death's Caress because a sure kill makes it a reliable card, the potential lifegain is a good perk, and it being single color (albeit double black) it requires less color commitment. Fires of Undeath is a great card, but I feel like unless I grab more Red and Black cards it won't be too useful.
The Zombie captain intrigues, but that's also a two-color commitment and specifically requires Zombies (not that it's particularly hard if you're U/B). It's also not removal, and I expect unlikely to win a game alone.
Death's Caress. Hard removal is good (Spread the Sickness was great back in NMS). Red hasn't gotten much better so I'd want to stay away from it unless I opened a legit bomb like Curse of Bloodletting. The Captain and Griffin are pretty decent choices as well but I'd take the Caress.
The Captain isn't removal because no one is going to block or attack into it at a disadvantage unless they are on the ropes and then it's just a "win more" card. Deathtouch isn't removal, it's clogging the ground.
Footbottom Feast was never "a beating", it was alright because that was a whole block where creatures made deck synergy so getting back creatures was a decent move. Now you're just losing a bit of tempo by casting that card.
Brainspoil isn't an apt comparison because that block had some of the best common removal ever printed, disembowel, last gasp, wrecking ball and two great removal spells at uncommon, putrefy and mortify. It's apples and oranges comparing Ravnica to Innistrad.
Death's Caress is the best pick.
EDIT: I love how people always say the packs are bad. This pack is pretty strong. I count 9 cards that would easily make my deck if they were in my colors, and at least one or two cards that would be acceptable 23rd cards. How is that a weak pack?
So the most expensive card is the best? I hope to play you in a draft one day so you can illustrate your logic behind this choice. You talk about tempo loss yet you tout a 5 mana sorcery. Your points have merit but the execution is somewhat flawed.
In case I didn't tell you, I don't care about your opinion I just want your facts. And not the facts that make you seem smart. I want the ones that are actual facts.
So the most expensive card is the best? I hope to play you in a draft one day so you can illustrate your logic behind this choice. You talk about tempo loss yet you tout a 5 mana sorcery. Your points have merit but the execution is somewhat flawed.
I can assure that the percentage of limited games where it is a tempo loss to cast a 5 mana sorcery to remove their best threat is a far less number than the number of games where it is a proper play. And I'd gladly play anyone in a limited match.
It's bad because it doesn't have a bomb mythic in it.
And I do not see why anyone would take the captain here. He's a lord for a good tribe, sure, but the ability he grants isn't that good, and he puts you into two colors.
Death's Caress can't 2 for 1 them. And fires can fit in burning vengence decks..I guess.
The pack is pretty good, I'm leaning toward Fires of Undeath.
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Because it kills literally everything without Hexproof? Just sayin'...
Except in this case Fires of Undeath requires 2 colors.
If I was for sure in Red/Black Fires of Undeath is the stronger card.
If you have no way to flash it back it is the weaker of the 2 removal spells easily.
Comparing it to Geistflame feels like a straw-man argument since it only requires red and red to play it.
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Think about how those removal spells look against a deck full of Stormbound Geists, Nephalia Seakites, and Griptides. I want to be playing strong fliers and tempo cards, not 3-mana Shocks and 5-mana Terminates.
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No, because Sever is cheaper, splashable and card advantage.
Imo, Fires of Undeath is way better than "Brainspoil" because:
-it's cheaper
-it's splashable
-it's instant speed
-it's card advantage
-it can deal 2 or 4 to the head
How is a 2-color commitment to cast with flashback "splashable"? And, yeah, it's cheaper...because it does less. Just because it can kill two little creatures doesn't always make it better. I can kill most little guys in combat. The only real advantage Fires has over Death's Caress is it can take out cheap utility creatures like Avacynian Priest or Skirsdag Cultist. But most of the time it's the Olivia Volderen or the Balefire Dragon's you really need to take out. Guess which one does it better and doesn't require me to be in two colors.
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The Zombie captain intrigues, but that's also a two-color commitment and specifically requires Zombies (not that it's particularly hard if you're U/B). It's also not removal, and I expect unlikely to win a game alone.
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So the most expensive card is the best? I hope to play you in a draft one day so you can illustrate your logic behind this choice. You talk about tempo loss yet you tout a 5 mana sorcery. Your points have merit but the execution is somewhat flawed.
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I can assure that the percentage of limited games where it is a tempo loss to cast a 5 mana sorcery to remove their best threat is a far less number than the number of games where it is a proper play. And I'd gladly play anyone in a limited match.
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