The problem with Defense Grid (and similar cards like City of Solitude, Dosan, the Falling Leaf, etc) is that they make the game less interactive. Sure, it stops your Blue-jamming friend from countering your spells, but it also stops him from countering that Tooth and Nail the guy to the left of you is about to drop and win with, as well as stopping the guy to your right from Doom Bladeing the Kiki-jiki he's tutoring up.
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A recent few of my Purphoros games have gone like this.
T2: "Mountain, tap mountain and mountain for Defense Grid."
All opponents: "Scoop."
It's hilarious when they're holding that Spell Crumble for your Purphoros and...yeah. It's just a great card IF you are the one on the table making the most of it. That is something you'll need to keep in mind.
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My Commander decks:
Chandra, Torch of Defiance - Oops! All Chandras.
Prime Speaker Zegana - Draw for Power.
Pir & Toothy - Counterpalooza.
Arcades, the Strategist - Another Brick in the Wall.
Zacama, Primal Calamity - Calamity of Double Mana.
Edgar Markov - Vampires Don't Die.
Child of Alara - Dreamcrusher.
It has pros and cons. Its a good card to lead into a combo as it for the most part says respond now or go and die. It has some similarities to Silence in that means or you can drop it in early to try to hinder people out of your turn. As others have said though it creates problems for those situations where other people combo off thanks to you protecting their combo.
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I have officially moved to MTGNexus. I just wanted to let people know as my response time to salvation decks being bumped is very hit or miss.
The problem with Defense Grid (and similar cards like City of Solitude, Dosan, the Falling Leaf, etc) is that they make the game less interactive. Sure, it stops your Blue-jamming friend from countering your spells, but it also stops him from countering that Tooth and Nail the guy to the left of you is about to drop and win with, as well as stopping the guy to your right from Doom Bladeing the Kiki-jiki he's tutoring up.
Exactly. I run Dosan in my Animar deck and typically only drop it when I'm ready to go off. I lent the deck to a buddy last night and he randomly played it, shutting me down from responding to anything the Sliver deck at the table did. Cards like Defense Grid can be good, but it's easy to misplay them as well.
A must for combo decks, but not really super important for fair decks. If this effect interests you, you may like Grand Abolisher. Same general effect on a nice bear body
Might shine in mono-G when you're drowning in extra mana, anyway. You can afford to pay 5G for Beast Within, but not so for other decks. You could even build around it with cheaper alternatives like Nature's Claim or creature-based removal like Silklash Spider + Predator, Flagship.
Make sure you play this with a plan. You won't like those awkward situations where someone else utterly dominates the game all because you just wanted to stick it to defensive decks for the hell of it. Personally, I'm the kind of guy that plays around responsive decks.
It's good in combo decks and aggro decks. Basically if you're trying to win the game fast this guy can be your best friend. I run it in Kaalia to help protect her early so I can get out a fatty quick. It's pretty annoying for opponents who have the removal but just can't play it until it's too late. It can backfire pretty easily but if you can't immediately take advantage of it then you shouldn't be playing it anyways.
Unfortunately every try hard from Sacramento to Shanghai preaches from the top of their 27 lands + Mana Reflection that Tooth and Nail and Time Stretch are fine to play in the same turn but Armageddon is unfair.
For some reason I think this was relevant to a game I played in recently, but I can't think of what it is. Oh well. I really like these looting draw effects for red. In terms of drawing power, it's card disadvantage because you remain card neutral while your opponents each gain a card. However, when you factor in the random discard, you can really mess up your opponents plans. I could see a Grixis or Jund reanimator deck liking this card, as well as in Izzet spell deck.
Edit: Reading is tech. It's actually not even card draw because you draw three then discard three. Still good disruption.
For some reason I think this was relevant to a game I played in recently, but I can't think of what it is. Oh well. I really like these looting draw effects for red. In terms of drawing power, it's card disadvantage because you remain card neutral while your opponents each gain a card. However, when you factor in the random discard, you can really mess up your opponents plans. I could see a Grixis or Jund reanimator deck liking this card, as well as in Izzet spell deck.
The groans I get for casting this card on the first play. They fuel me.
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Modern Decks:
Lantern Control
Bogles (RIP)
Living Belcher (RIP)
It's card disadvantage for the caster, because they lose the card for the spell itself. Otherwise, the phoenix/squee red decks love effects like these in order to fuel some card advantage.
It's a bit like Winds of Change. It doesn't provide any card advantage (and is actually card disadvantageous for the caster), and its net effect on players' hands is randomly determined. It does play a bit more nicely with the graveyard though, so there is that.
I'd probably only consider running it in a hardcore Dredge-style deck aimed at playing almost exclusively from the yard. But I'd at least consider running it (along with Control of the Courts and Goblin Lore) in that deck, so that's something.
I guess it's okay in Nekusar, the Mindrazer as well.
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This, Goblin Lore, and Control of the Court are a favorite of mine for Red decks, but Burning Inquiry is the best because it serves as disruption (the other two are luck-based filters for when my hand has too many lands).
Groans are an eco-efficient fuel to any EDH player.
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X Hope of Ghirapur Swordpile W Ghosty Blinky Anafenza U Nezahal- Big, Blue and HERE! B Gonti Can Afford It R Etali, Primal 'Whatjusthappened?' G Polukranos Wants More Mana WU The Exalted Vizier Temmet WB Home, Athreos WR Basandra, Recursive Aggression WG Karametra, Momma of Lands UB Wrexial Eats Your Brains UR Arjun, the Mad Flame UG The Fable of Prime Speaker BR Hellbent, Malfegor Style BG Jarad, Death is Served RG Running Thromok WUB Varina and ALL the Zombies WUBYennett, the Odd Pain-Train WUR Zedruu the Furyhearted WUG Arcades' Strategy, Shmategy, Sausage and Spam WBR A Case of Mathas' Persistent F*ckery WBRLicia's League of Legendary Lifegain Layabouts WBG The Karador Advantage PackageWRG Gahiji Rattlesnake Collection UBR Jeleva... does... things UBG Damia's Just Deserts URG Yasova's Has More Power Than Sense BRG Wasitora, Bad Kitty WUBRBreya, Eggs, Breya'd Eggs WUBG Tymna and Kydele, Extended Borrowing WURG Kynaios and Tiro, Landfall Impersonations WBRG Saskia Pet Card EnchantressUBRG Yidris of the Chi-Ting Corporation WUBRG Tazri's Amazing Allies
Fun with Megrim, Liliana's Caress, Geth's Grimoire, and Quest for the Nihil Stone. I wouldn't mind working it into a B/R(/x) discard deck.
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UUU Talrand, Sky Summoner // (W/U)(W/U)(W/U) Grand Arbiter Augustin IV // RRR Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker // (R/G)(R/G)(R/G) Wort, the Raidmother // URG Riku of Two Reflections // RWU Ruhan of the Fomori
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This is why I started playing magic in the first place. It wasn't PT aspirations just making noobs cry by doing things that are perfectly fair.
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EDH Cube
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T2: "Mountain, tap mountain and mountain for Defense Grid."
All opponents: "Scoop."
It's hilarious when they're holding that Spell Crumble for your Purphoros and...yeah. It's just a great card IF you are the one on the table making the most of it. That is something you'll need to keep in mind.
Chandra, Torch of Defiance - Oops! All Chandras.
Prime Speaker Zegana - Draw for Power.
Pir & Toothy - Counterpalooza.
Arcades, the Strategist - Another Brick in the Wall.
Zacama, Primal Calamity - Calamity of Double Mana.
Edgar Markov - Vampires Don't Die.
Child of Alara - Dreamcrusher.
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[Modern] Allies
Exactly. I run Dosan in my Animar deck and typically only drop it when I'm ready to go off. I lent the deck to a buddy last night and he randomly played it, shutting me down from responding to anything the Sliver deck at the table did. Cards like Defense Grid can be good, but it's easy to misplay them as well.
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For some reason I think this was relevant to a game I played in recently, but I can't think of what it is. Oh well. I really like these looting draw effects for red. In terms of drawing power, it's card disadvantage because you remain card neutral while your opponents each gain a card. However, when you factor in the random discard, you can really mess up your opponents plans. I could see a Grixis or Jund reanimator deck liking this card, as well as in Izzet spell deck.
Edit: Reading is tech. It's actually not even card draw because you draw three then discard three. Still good disruption.
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Resources:Commander Rulings FAQ | Commander Deckbuilding Guide
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The groans I get for casting this card on the first play. They fuel me.
Lantern Control
Bogles (RIP)
Living Belcher (RIP)
Legacy - Solidarity - mono U aggro - burn - Imperial Painter - Strawberry Shortcake - Bluuzards - bom
Then somebody plays Burning Inquiry.
Suddenly all bets are off. lol
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I'd probably only consider running it in a hardcore Dredge-style deck aimed at playing almost exclusively from the yard. But I'd at least consider running it (along with Control of the Courts and Goblin Lore) in that deck, so that's something.
I guess it's okay in Nekusar, the Mindrazer as well.
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Groans are an eco-efficient fuel to any EDH player.