The Strengths:
So this card is probably bad, but its exactly the kind of card casual players gravitate toward. I mean it has a weird tribal type, is potentially ten points of power and toughness the turn you play it, provides indestructible, advocates playing life gain, and produces tokens -- potentially EVERY turn. At first, I wrote it off as bad, but when a friend new to the game asked me to build a deck around this card, I thought about it and realized the card has potential in certain metas. I want to build a deck around it.
The Weaknesses:
In evaluating Crested Sunmare, it's important to understand the card's weaknesses. It's vulnerable to spot removal and doesn't provide much for its cost unless you can gain life the turn you play it. My personal meta includes a lot of mass removal in the form of Pernicious Deed, Day of Judgment, and Languish, but lacks a lot of spot removal. So while Sunmare probably won't be around for a long time, it has the potential to create value.
The Strategies:
Probably the most obvious inclination will be to put these at the top of the curve in a Soul Sisters deck. Cards like Soul Warden almost guarantee Sunmare will activate. Sunmare helps by giving that deck a stronger late game. Unfortunately, for my personal meta, I dislike the Soul Sisters strategy since its so weak to mass removal which, as I said, is prevalent. Although that could be mitigated with cards like Return to the Ranks and/or Immortal Servitude
The approach I want to take is more mid-range-control oriented. There are several ways to do that and I need your help figuring out which way would be best:
Bear in mind, these are all off the cuff first drafts and therefore, probably very, very bad
Aside from having way too many five drops, I like the Orzhov version of the deck due to its many options and versatility. Cards like Ayli, Wall of Omens, and Karlov keep you in the game early while Kambal chips away at your opponents life totals. After a Sunmare is on board, Kambal, Authority of the Consuls, and Sunscorch Regent all provide ways to gain life on your opponents turns while Wall of Reverence gains you life on your turns. Palace Siege works double duty in this build by getting back dead creatures or gaining life. The rest of the deck can be filled with utility cards like Vindicate, Syphon Mind, etc. Going into Orzhov also gives us access to Extort and Vault of the Archangel.
The Azorius Version:
I won't provide a decklist yet since the Azorius version is more or less a blue white control deck that uses Crested Sunmare and Drogskol Reaver to win the gain. It would play a more traditional control route, using Day of Judgment and Counterspells to maintain board control and traditional Blue card draw. Counterspells also have the added benefit of protecting one of your threats once you stick it. The downside to this direction would be that the deck is basically just a goodstuff.dec with Sunmare thrown in.
Thank you for reading this and sharing your thoughts. I'll update the post as I refine the lists, but in the meantime, what do you guys think about the card and how it could be used to its fullest potential?
Sun Droplet was a card that came to mind when I first saw Crested Sunmare. Get hit a couple times early then just save the counters till the Sunmare hits the board.
I'd love to copy it somehow. That way they're all indestructible.
Yeah that's pretty much what I was gonna say.
Being 5cmc hurts how you build the deck - Phyrexian Metamorph stays with mono-white potentially. I'd get in some Soul Warden-types, as it means your opponents have to question whether playing a creature on their turns is a good play or not....
If you are going to run that much lifegain it seems like you want Aetherflux Reservoir for sure & probably more Felidar Sovereign or Test of Endurance (over Sun Droplet or Wall of Reverence or Pristine Talisman). I think you were better off with black for Karlov & Kambal though.
If you are going to run that much lifegain it seems like you want Aetherflux Reservoir for sure & probably more Felidar Sovereign or Test of Endurance (over Sun Droplet or Wall of Reverence or Pristine Talisman). I think you were better off with black for Karlov & Kambal though.
Pretty much this. Also, Ranger of Eos is more relevant than he used to be since you really want a SS in play when you cast your Sunmare. Ranger is even affordable now which is good :).
The Strengths:
So this card is probably bad, but its exactly the kind of card casual players gravitate toward. I mean it has a weird tribal type, is potentially ten points of power and toughness the turn you play it, provides indestructible, advocates playing life gain, and produces tokens -- potentially EVERY turn. At first, I wrote it off as bad, but when a friend new to the game asked me to build a deck around this card, I thought about it and realized the card has potential in certain metas. I want to build a deck around it.
The Weaknesses:
In evaluating Crested Sunmare, it's important to understand the card's weaknesses. It's vulnerable to spot removal and doesn't provide much for its cost unless you can gain life the turn you play it. My personal meta includes a lot of mass removal in the form of Pernicious Deed, Day of Judgment, and Languish, but lacks a lot of spot removal. So while Sunmare probably won't be around for a long time, it has the potential to create value.
The Strategies:
Probably the most obvious inclination will be to put these at the top of the curve in a Soul Sisters deck. Cards like Soul Warden almost guarantee Sunmare will activate. Sunmare helps by giving that deck a stronger late game. Unfortunately, for my personal meta, I dislike the Soul Sisters strategy since its so weak to mass removal which, as I said, is prevalent. Although that could be mitigated with cards like Return to the Ranks and/or Immortal Servitude
The approach I want to take is more mid-range-control oriented. There are several ways to do that and I need your help figuring out which way would be best:
Bear in mind, these are all off the cuff first drafts and therefore, probably very, very bad
The Orzhov Version:
3x Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim
3x Karlov of the Ghost Council
4x Wall of Omens
3x Kambal, Consul of Allocation
2x Wall of Reverence
3x Crested Sunmare
2x Palace Siege
2x Sunscorch Regent
Aside from having way too many five drops, I like the Orzhov version of the deck due to its many options and versatility. Cards like Ayli, Wall of Omens, and Karlov keep you in the game early while Kambal chips away at your opponents life totals. After a Sunmare is on board, Kambal, Authority of the Consuls, and Sunscorch Regent all provide ways to gain life on your opponents turns while Wall of Reverence gains you life on your turns. Palace Siege works double duty in this build by getting back dead creatures or gaining life. The rest of the deck can be filled with utility cards like Vindicate, Syphon Mind, etc. Going into Orzhov also gives us access to Extort and Vault of the Archangel.
The Azorius Version:
I won't provide a decklist yet since the Azorius version is more or less a blue white control deck that uses Crested Sunmare and Drogskol Reaver to win the gain. It would play a more traditional control route, using Day of Judgment and Counterspells to maintain board control and traditional Blue card draw. Counterspells also have the added benefit of protecting one of your threats once you stick it. The downside to this direction would be that the deck is basically just a goodstuff.dec with Sunmare thrown in.
Thank you for reading this and sharing your thoughts. I'll update the post as I refine the lists, but in the meantime, what do you guys think about the card and how it could be used to its fullest potential?
Yeah that's pretty much what I was gonna say.
Being 5cmc hurts how you build the deck - Phyrexian Metamorph stays with mono-white potentially. I'd get in some Soul Warden-types, as it means your opponents have to question whether playing a creature on their turns is a good play or not....
4x Emeria, the Sky Ruin
19x Plains
Artifacts
3x Pristine Talisman
3x Sun Droplet
2x Well of Lost Dreams
3x Authority of the Consuls
3x Grasp of Fate
Creatures
3x Soul's Attendant
4x Soul Warden
4x Ajani's Pridemate
3x Brimaz, King of Oreskos
2x Wall of Reverence
2x Regal Caracal
3x Crested Sunmare
2x Felidar Sovereign
Pretty much this. Also, Ranger of Eos is more relevant than he used to be since you really want a SS in play when you cast your Sunmare. Ranger is even affordable now which is good :).
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