I'm done in this thread. People just keep saying "this with discard is format defining!" Despite empirical evidence to the contrary. Seriously, go find a thread for extirpate when it came out. Exact same response. This card is a solid role player against graveyard decks. Nothing more.
Eh. It's good, don't get me wrong, but people are freaking out like they did when Extirpate came out. Yes, it is good against certain strategies. No, it isn't "busted" or ground shaking. I'm pretty sure any Caw Blade opponent will be happy if you bring these in against them.
I think it is worth considering maindecking the Earwig squads in the new Standard+/Extended. Sadistic Sacrament on a pretty cheap beatstick is nothing to laugh at. Pulling Jaces and/or Iona/Eldrazi out of decks is a big boost.
There is no deck currently that wouldn't be substantially hurt by the loss of three cards. I'm a Standard player that is going to be building Gobbos with this new extended format out now. I ran Thought Hemmo in my standard gobbos and speaking from experience, I've T8'd at tournaments on the back of that card alone. Some examples:
U/W Control - Pull Iona/Jace/Sphinxes and they have no finishers.
UWr Superfriends - Pull Gideon/Ajani/Elspeth/Jace in that order and they are significantly hurt/slowed down
Jund - Pull their bloodbraids and the CA engine is handicapped. Pull Pulses and your gobbo tokens are safe.
Bant Conscription - Pull the 1-2 of Conscription and their deck is significantly hampered. Pull the Baneslayers and you win.
Polymorph - Pull their Iona/Eldrazi. Pull their morphs. GG.
U/G Turboland - Pull their Avengers. GG.
Legacy is much more sensitive to its restricted combo pieces it would generally tutor for but that doesn't mean that a single shot from an earwig squad wouldnt severely hamper current competitive decks. Not to mention a 5/3 (6/4 hasty with a chief) beatstick for 3 isn't bad in an aggro deck.
Also, I think it may be worth including bolt to slow down other aggro decks early game (bolting cobras, heirarches, llanowars, etc). SB Terminates to deal with Baneslayers/Regen threats. Deathmark potentially as well.
Also, Though Hemmo is what kept my B/R gobbos competitive in standard. Although Earwig Squad addresses that concern well.
I came back into magic (played Beta - Masques) with the Zendikar block, so I don't know the Llorwyn gobbos well, but it seems we may have a decent deck in the new format.
Looking forward to ordering my cheap llorywin goblin playsets while I can and to start having fun with gobbos again
Why are you looking at this from a Standard perspective? Most decks in Extended will be fine post Earwig Squad. The card is too situational against good decks!
with the new rotation, the old extended elf combo looses most of its engines. but at the same, time the old elf combo deck of lorwyn-alara rebron era, was a successful deck. add in the new elves we have now and i think it could compete.
I think you could cut down on the CIPT lands and just move into M10 dual, pain lands and Shard Tri-Lands, definitely. Also if you're having problems with color fixing, Prophetic Prism just came out and it's nice.
This amuses me because I was about to tell you to play MORE vivid lands.
I played 5cc so much when it was legal that I thought lands coming into play tapped was an advantage.
A deck like the fae has to value their life a little bit more then they did in standard because the fast aggro decks will have more game, and inquisition hits everything in those decks with no life loss.
Doesn't take Cryptic Command. This alone makes it almost useless in the new ext.
5cc will probably sucks until TSP rotates out . The deck cannot handle an early resolved magus of the moon and it's a serious problem with R/G beats being an obvious tier 1.
This is simply not true. The old "5cc" (quick 'n toast) played Firespout and will probably still want it with Elves/Merfolk/Faeries etc running around.
Sure, but what happens when you don't draw this? You're playing a bunch of crappy cards and Thrun?
Please show me the spoiled hexproof guys you want to put this on.
Why are you looking at this from a Standard perspective? Most decks in Extended will be fine post Earwig Squad. The card is too situational against good decks!
You need Primal Commands to go infinite.
This amuses me because I was about to tell you to play MORE vivid lands.
I played 5cc so much when it was legal that I thought lands coming into play tapped was an advantage.
Doesn't take Cryptic Command. This alone makes it almost useless in the new ext.
This is simply not true. The old "5cc" (quick 'n toast) played Firespout and will probably still want it with Elves/Merfolk/Faeries etc running around.