I've been considering saving for 2-4 Deathrite Shaman, but the question is; is he worth while without Fetches? I only play casual and no one I play with uses fetch lands. He still does a lot but can't ramp. Is he still viable?
A card is as viable as a meta will allow it. 1/3rd of the card has no function in your meta since there's no Flooded Strands (no one uses Terramorphic Expanse either?) to fuel it, but if you're just using it to get even more out of your instants/sorceries by using Deathrite as a mana sink when you don't draw the right cards to meet your curve then I see very little problem with that since it'll do a lot of work. In the games when you do hit your curve properly every turn, though, I imagine Deathrite won't be helping you much at all since you couldn't use its mana ramping function. Of course Deathrite gets better when your opponents run lots of instants and sorceries as well, which is when I'd seriously consider it more since 2 life loss for B each turn can eventually become a win condition if you force a stall, but that depends on the entire remainder of your deck.
I see no harm in saving for Deathrite Shaman because it's seriously a good little creature. Should it be run over any other G or B 1 drop out there? I can't tell you that because it depends on your deck and the decks your opponents run (but you can always push some relevance with your deck, but the life loss ability is great in stall games so you'd need to run a healthy amount of instants).
In multiplayer it annoys people too because it hits everyone as well as acting as yard hate and an accelerant (more likely if more players around especially with fetches)
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I have a cheapskates melria birthing pod deck.
and I am just running Evovling wilds.
It is a versitile card.. it has seen some play in standard without fetches.
I'd think about picking up two, it can mess with peoples stragies accdentally.
@ExImperialDragon: I'm thinking of running him in a Jund or Junk deck, depending which way I go. I think in either case, between my deck and my opponents, I'll have enough Instants/Sorceries to make use of the life loss. As far as Expanse/Wilds, a few people run them in the odd deck, but not commonly enough to consider it a viable mana source. I've considered running them myself but that just keeps me on curve (though it does allow me to fix mana a bit).
As for the card suggestions, they are all great but I already have a deck idea for him (Jund or Junk, maybe BUG; basically BGx), so most of the cards aren't really a fit (or within budget in the case of Sinkhole and Wasteland).
@Narvuntien: That's kind of my thoughts on it. I'm just indecisive and like to hear peoples opinions
Personally, if I see a card with a lot of different options (like the various Charms), I want to try to be able to take advantage of all the possible interactions to the fullest. If you don't, you're basically playing with only half a card, since one of the abilities won't be used. Deathrite Shaman is one of these cards, and I feel that you should either tweak the deck to try and at least have the OPTION of using the first ability, or run him in lower numbers to reduce the "inefficiency" of the card.
I'm certainly not saying that he is bad. I'm just saying that if you can't take full advantage of a card, you're not playing to the best results that your deck can offer.
Personally, if I see a card with a lot of different options (like the various Charms), I want to try to be able to take advantage of all the possible interactions to the fullest. If you don't, you're basically playing with only half a card, since one of the abilities won't be used. Deathrite Shaman is one of these cards, and I feel that you should either tweak the deck to try and at least have the OPTION of using the first ability, or run him in lower numbers to reduce the "inefficiency" of the card.
I'm certainly not saying that he is bad. I'm just saying that if you can't take full advantage of a card, you're not playing to the best results that your deck can offer.
That's part of the thing holding me back; as far as GY hate, Ooze is better. DRS is nice as he does a bit of everything and can ping the opponent to death if the game stalls. Tweaking the deck is possible but not ideal:
1) Buy Fetch lands - simply out of budget, so they're not an option.
2) Evolving Wilds/Terramorphic Expanse - As the land they fetch enters tapped, all I gain is staying on curve (as long as DRS is out) and slight mana-fixing.
3) Cycle lands - These are an option, as it would be a 1-mana cantrip, but if I do need the mana, they enter tapped. I try to avoid EtB Tapped lands as much as possible (excluding the Zendi man-lands).
U FaerieNinjaStandstill U
B Swag Flu B
In Development
BG Nightmare Survival GB
B The Gate B
BRG Jund GRB
I see no harm in saving for Deathrite Shaman because it's seriously a good little creature. Should it be run over any other G or B 1 drop out there? I can't tell you that because it depends on your deck and the decks your opponents run (but you can always push some relevance with your deck, but the life loss ability is great in stall games so you'd need to run a healthy amount of instants).
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or if you're playing :symgb:, you can run some in-color land destruction- Winter's Grasp/Creeping Mold with Befoul/Rain of Tears, which would later fuel his second ability.
he's a versatile little critter...
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and I am just running Evovling wilds.
It is a versitile card.. it has seen some play in standard without fetches.
I'd think about picking up two, it can mess with peoples stragies accdentally.
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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
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As for the card suggestions, they are all great but I already have a deck idea for him (Jund or Junk, maybe BUG; basically BGx), so most of the cards aren't really a fit (or within budget in the case of Sinkhole and Wasteland).
@Narvuntien: That's kind of my thoughts on it. I'm just indecisive and like to hear peoples opinions
U FaerieNinjaStandstill U
B Swag Flu B
In Development
BG Nightmare Survival GB
B The Gate B
BRG Jund GRB
I'm certainly not saying that he is bad. I'm just saying that if you can't take full advantage of a card, you're not playing to the best results that your deck can offer.
GW Tokens GW || UB UB Control UB || BRG Jund Aggro BRG || UR Wee Dragonauts Tempo UR || BG Fungus/Saproling BG || W Soldiers W ||
GWU Bant Flicker Gun GWU
Under Construction
U Wizards Tribal Control U || RG MLD Trolling RG
That's part of the thing holding me back; as far as GY hate, Ooze is better. DRS is nice as he does a bit of everything and can ping the opponent to death if the game stalls. Tweaking the deck is possible but not ideal:
1) Buy Fetch lands - simply out of budget, so they're not an option.
2) Evolving Wilds/Terramorphic Expanse - As the land they fetch enters tapped, all I gain is staying on curve (as long as DRS is out) and slight mana-fixing.
3) Cycle lands - These are an option, as it would be a 1-mana cantrip, but if I do need the mana, they enter tapped. I try to avoid EtB Tapped lands as much as possible (excluding the Zendi man-lands).
U FaerieNinjaStandstill U
B Swag Flu B
In Development
BG Nightmare Survival GB
B The Gate B
BRG Jund GRB