[Official]
The Top 50 List (Indefinite Hiatus)
Poll: Which WHITE CREATURE should be removed from the list?
Ended Feb 16, 2019
Poll: Which BLACK CREATURES should be removed from the list? (Pick 4)
Ended Feb 16, 2019
Poll: Which GREEN NONCREATURE should be removed from the list?
Ended Feb 16, 2019
Poll: Which COLORLESS NONCREATURE should be removed from the list?
Ended Feb 16, 2019
Unfortunately we don't have anything better to vote on this time, but in the long run I hope that all these spells will be replaced with something better.
GWU Derevi, the Prison Queen UWG
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[Modern] Allies
If you think that Ancient Grudge is unplayable in EDH then you can't be facing many optimized lists. If you're not routinely facing down cards like Sol Ring, Mana Crypt, Winter Orb, Null Rod, Defense Grid, Cursed Totem, Grafdigger's Cage, Torpor Orb, Static Orb, Tangle Wire on and on and on then people aren't exactly trying their hardest to win. The card is stellar in cEDH and sees play in just about every RGx shell.
I agree that the other (non Anguished Unmaking) cards are crap though.
No it really is. Swan Song, Flusterstorm, Chain of Vapor, Swords to Plowshares, Nature's Claim, Arcane Denial, Cyclonic Rift, Mana Drain, Aura Shards, Reclamation Sage, Force of Will, what competitive interaction spell are you ever cutting for something that's 3 CMC, not a creature (i.e. inefficient to tutor for) and absurdly conditional? If it were Tuck, Cancel and Disenchant, sure, you could justify it. As is? No chance. Flexibility isn't enough to overcome the marginal aspect of all 3 modes.
Guilds of Ravnica - Commander 2018 - Core 2019 - Battlebond - Dominaria - Rivals of Ixalan - Ixalan - Commander 2017 - Hour of Devastation - Amonket - Aether Revolt - Commander 2016 - Kaladesh - Conspiracy 2 - Eldritch Moon - Shadows Over Innistrad - Oath of the Gatewatch - Commander 2015 - Battle for Zendikar - Magic Origins - Dragons of Tarkir
Green - Blue - Red - White - Gold
Its all about the versatility. The creature removal still removes any creature, destroy an artifact, or counter an instant. Yes, you can get cheaper options for any one of those but the versatility is what is good about it.
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[Modern] Allies
This is a terrible mindset to have. Why would we rate cards in a vacuum? Bant cards are always competing with every card in their respective card pools. If you post me a deck with Bant Charm but no Mana Drain you better damn well believe that you're going to hear "uhh, you're playing Blue, play Mana Drain" because that will improve your overall win %. Isn't that what "top" means? If the "top" cards aren't the best ones then what the Hell are they? If they don't make the cut in the best decks (for whatever reason) how you can call them "top cards" with a straight face? I don't care if Plow et al. are monocolored because Bant Charm is 1-for-1 interaction and so it's always going to be judged against the possible alternatives. I'm not going to grade it in a vacuum because that's utterly ridiculous given that it has no real-world value. So yes, we have to compare it to Drain and Plow and Shards and Claim and all of that fantastic + cheap interaction because those are the cards that you're ostensibly cutting to make room for it. Everything that you slot into the 99 carries a significant opportunity cost so don't blindly pretend that it's free. My argument is as simple as can be; no deck that contains Bant Charm is maximizing its overall win %. That's it. I don't care about fun, flavour, flexibility, nothing. The only variable that concerns me is "what will give the highest probability of winning" and if the monocolored alternatives boast higher %s then so be it. I don't have to rant and rave about Bant Charm simply because there are no good Bant cards. After all, Blue and Green are swimming in oppressive playables so the second you're talking "marginal value" you can kiss its competitive value goodbye.
Guilds of Ravnica - Commander 2018 - Core 2019 - Battlebond - Dominaria - Rivals of Ixalan - Ixalan - Commander 2017 - Hour of Devastation - Amonket - Aether Revolt - Commander 2016 - Kaladesh - Conspiracy 2 - Eldritch Moon - Shadows Over Innistrad - Oath of the Gatewatch - Commander 2015 - Battle for Zendikar - Magic Origins - Dragons of Tarkir
Green - Blue - Red - White - Gold
URXSurf's Up, Mizz Magnus!XRU
URGWKynaios and Tiro's Multiplayer MenagerieWGRU
GUB [Retired Primer] The Mimeoplasm BUG
Modern: UR Storm RU
Cube: WUBRG Pauper Cube GRBUW
Credit for the banner goes to DarkNightCavalier at Heroes of the Plane Studios
Nonetheless, the only thing I could consciously vote for in this week is Anguished Unmaking. Ancient Grudge is probably the closest other thing.
The Unidentified Fantastic Flying Girl.
EDH
Xenagos, the God of Stompy
The Gitrog Monster: Oppressive Value.
Marchesa, Marionette Master - Undying Robots
Yuriko, the Hydra Omnivore
I make dolls as a hobby.
First of all, I didn't say it's unplayable - I said that it's very narrow. Second of all: I'm playing half of the cards you mentioned myself (you can find my decklist in my sig), the other half are or were being played by other guys from my playgroup. Most of my meta consist of decks in 1500$+ range with Workshops, Bazaars, Timetwisters etc. flying left and right, so yeah, we're trying pretty hard.
OK, here's the thing with Ancient Grudge:
1) Nobody really overloads on point artifact destruction - most good decks play 2-3 point artifact removals.
2) If you're in RG, you have already access to things like Nature's Claim, Reclamation Sage or even Hull Breach, which can also deal with enchantments. If your opponent drops an early Survival of the Fittest, Sylvan Library, Necropotence etc., you'll be pretty embarassed with Ancient Grudge in your hand, wishing it was Nature's Claim instead. And let's not forget that being in RG means that you have access to things like Vandalblast and Shattering Spree as well.
3) Straight RG decks suck pretty badly because blue decks usually eat them alive (I haven't played against a straight RG deck for several months). If you want to have a good deck, you need to pair it with either or .
4) If you're in Temur, you have an access to Chain of Vapor, Cyclonic Rift etc. on top of the usual Nature's Claims, Reclamation Sages, Vandalblasts and so on. If you're in Jund, you have 2-4 black tutors, so having only Nature's Claim plus Reclamation Sage/Vandalblast/Hull Breach usually gets you by.
Ancient Grudge looks pretty good on paper, that's true. But adding the above together, it ends as a 4th-5th best card for the job in most of the good decks. I guess it could be like 3rd best in straight RG (after Nature's Claim and Vandalblast), but that's about it.
GWU Derevi, the Prison Queen UWG
Adjustments to the list!
CUTS:
ADDS:
We had a tie for the third spot, so please vote in the poll to determine which card will get the spot.
We are taking nominations this week for colorless creatures so please get your nominations / supports in.
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I'll kick this off and nominate Kozilek, the Great Distortion.
My Helpdesk
[Pr] Marath | [Pr] Lovisa | Jodah | Saskia | Najeela | Yisan | Lord Windgrace | Atraxa | Meren | Gisa and Geralf
URXSurf's Up, Mizz Magnus!XRU
URGWKynaios and Tiro's Multiplayer MenagerieWGRU
Fun card, might be a little expensive for what it does, but it can get a lot done.
I also support Kozilek, the Great Distortion.
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Current Nominations:
Made it to week 2:
Kozilek, the Great Distortion
My Helpdesk
[Pr] Marath | [Pr] Lovisa | Jodah | Saskia | Najeela | Yisan | Lord Windgrace | Atraxa | Meren | Gisa and Geralf
My Helpdesk
[Pr] Marath | [Pr] Lovisa | Jodah | Saskia | Najeela | Yisan | Lord Windgrace | Atraxa | Meren | Gisa and Geralf
Signature by Inkfox Aesthetics by Xen
[Modern] Allies
Bant Charm won the tie-breaker, so there will be no further changes to the list on that section.
My Helpdesk
[Pr] Marath | [Pr] Lovisa | Jodah | Saskia | Najeela | Yisan | Lord Windgrace | Atraxa | Meren | Gisa and Geralf
6 mana, summoning sickness, costs mana to activate, dies to the 2 most common types of spot removal and sweepers
If you are looking for an off-color answer to enchantments or tokens or something there are way better options than this. Generally just a bad card IMO.
Voted for Kozi and It since I think they have the highest ceilings.