The Meaning of Life: "M-hmm. Well, it's nothing very special. Uh, try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations"
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Whether its blue players countering your spells, red players burning you out, or combo, if you have a problem with an aspect of Magic's gameplay, you can fix it!
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
Card filtering is a nice thing. If you squint your eyes, it sort of lets you dig as deep as Sylvan Library. That's my unfair comparison, and I'm sticking to it.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Zedruu: "This deck is not only able to go crazy - it also needs to do so."
I see Sultai Ascendancy more like a selective Curse of the Bloody Tome that only enchants yourself than Sylvan Library. If you're using this its probably because you want to mill yourself but you're afraid of milling your resurrection or Laboratory Maniac. For that niche I want to say "It's not that bad" but I feel like "It could be worse" is more honest.
I am trying to remember if I have ever seen this played anywhere. We know at 2 mana this effect is great but 3 mana it is just too slow.
Damia, sage of stone reanimator perhaps? Since Damia skips the draw step you can't use Library. For the flavourful choices Sadisi needs a high concentration of creatures and Tasigur it seems too inefficient for him.
Once you are to three colours particularly these three colours you have access to so many powerful cards that its rare to use weaker cards in 3 colour decks.
As someone who was a hardcore Sultai player once (and still gravitates towards the colors), I think this card sucks.
Paying 3 mana of 3 colors for a slightly different (although better) scry 2 is underwhelming. Cards that costs 3 mana and have a scry 1 do see play, but that is because they have additional utility that is highly valued.
It says a lot when some people would prefer to play Monastery Siege over this card.
There is a very large gap between Jeskai Ascendancy and Temur Ascendancy and the rest of that cycle. This one could very well be at the bottom of that pile. Even when compared in the context of their respective strategies this one barely makes the cut in budget Sultai reanimator decks but by the gods if I could play Jeskai Ascendancy as my commander I would.
It says a lot when some people would prefer to play Monastery Siege over this card.
Good thing you can have both, one for upkeep and one for draw step. Sultai Ascendancy also doesn't force you to give up one card, while Monastery Siege could be protective.
Jeskai and Temur are great in decks that want them.
Mardu is a solid token generator for aggro decks. It's second ability is pretty bad but you can just ignore it until the situation arises where its usefull. You'll like it when anger of the gods drops (or you'll never realize that it's been protecting you from it all game).
Abzan is underrated. It gives counters to all your dudes then generates flying tokens when your dudes die. It's good fam.
Sultai is crap. Only can see it in Sidisi, because flavor.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
The Meaning of Life: "M-hmm. Well, it's nothing very special. Uh, try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations"
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Whether its blue players countering your spells, red players burning you out, or combo, if you have a problem with an aspect of Magic's gameplay, you can fix it!
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
Jeskai basically gives everything prowess and makes me seriously consider running mana myr and the like.
Temur is just ridiculous: One-sided Kavu Lairand the all-important (in multiplayer) haste ability? Fires was good, but this is Fires for one mana less and you get a better ability. (Though it does require you play blue.)
Abzan is...rather interesting. The obvious deck for it is Karador Spirit tribal. But you can also use it with Ghave and undying or persist dudes. And look, it even gives you a Titania's Boon, again for one mana less.
Mardu is also interesting. I like the idea of doubling my assault, and this does just that. But I'm not sure how useful Piety is. Not useful enough to see a reprint since Fourth Edition.
Which brings us to this card. Which curiously has only one ability. I mean, Mardu also breaks the cycle by having an activated ability instead of an ETB trigger.
The obvious comparison is to Sylvan Library, but Sylvan Library can also be a "bad Phyrexian Arena" in a pinch. Two of them in fact. So, it's not really so bad after all. And you can just use Alhammarret's Archive or Thought Reflection to break Sylvan Library, if nothing else. There's also Monastery Siege, which does it better, since you have the khans mode as an option as well, and you can discard any card in your hand.
Another thing is self-mill, but Mesmeric Orb is far more efficient at that, and arguably the most efficient mill engine in the game.
tl;dr: There are many better options for card draw, many better options for mill, and many better looters when you want to say "Why not both?"
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Card advantage is not the same thing as card draw. Something for 2B cannot be strictly worse than something for BBB or 3BB. If you're taking out Swords to Plowshares for Plummet, you're a fool. Stop doing these things!
I haven't seen it as much lately, but it used to be a staple, because it used to be one of the best draw spells in green. The blue version is OK, but you have more options in blue. The black versions cost you 3 life and are still two of the better black spells in the format. Black has better draw than green at the top end, with necro being absurd, but the quality drops off more quickly. Green has a wider variety of good draw spells, and that makes this a little worse by comparison. It's still 3 cards at a good rate in the color best able to cast extra cards, and it requires no building around or boardstate to be useful unlike most if greens draw.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
The Meaning of Life: "M-hmm. Well, it's nothing very special. Uh, try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations"
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Whether its blue players countering your spells, red players burning you out, or combo, if you have a problem with an aspect of Magic's gameplay, you can fix it!
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
I'm not that keen on the "draw X cards for X+1 mana" sorceries in blue, but shifting this to green makes it a solidly playable card. Not only does green typically have more mana spare, but it also has less reliable alternatives. The "draw equal to a creature's power" and "draw equal to the number of creatures" cards that make up the bulk of greens drawpower can be much better, but this will always work, so still has a slot in many green decks that lack either blue or black.
Its an interesting card in that if you have it in your deck you're generally never mad to have it but if its not in your deck youre probably not going to miss it. Its the perfect sort of filler card. In Green? Already playing Rishkar's Expertise and Shamanic Revelation? Cant decide on a 99th card? Play Harmonize.
Perfectly good, reliable card. I will admit, I more often go with the green draw spells that draw based on number of creatures, power of creature available or doing damage to someone, but having those conditions not always be available or optimal reminds me that reliable, non-conditional draw is not a bad thing. Good, solid card.
Its strength is in its consistency. Practically an auto-include when Rout can functionally counter Shamanic Revelation, any spot removal can functionally Soul's Majesty (and it can just be harried by shrink effects), and there are two charms which can functionally counter Grim Flowering. Other green card draw options not in the vein of those cards tend to be "one at a time": Enchantresses, Viridian Revel, Fecundity, Tireless Tracker, cards with the Curiosity ability, and things like Elemental Bond. So, they can be answered by getting rid of permanents.
Card advantage is not the same thing as card draw. Something for 2B cannot be strictly worse than something for BBB or 3BB. If you're taking out Swords to Plowshares for Plummet, you're a fool. Stop doing these things!
Hey, it's Slavacyn! Indestructible is a pain in the butt.
One of the 'auto-punch you in the face' commanders...
I have a friend who runs a sliver deck with hivelord as the 99(thank God), and he knows he's getting targeted when playing it, even as he laughingly protests, "It's not that bad!"(to be fair, he's right...it's NOT that bad. But slivers are always bad ENOUGH, as we all know).
Anyway...nope all day, would encourage to play something else.
I've never run a sliver deck in Commander but if I did I'm pretty sure I'd choose this to lead it over Sliver Queen and Sliver Overlord. The other two are by no means bad choices, but the sheer resiliency offered by the Hivelord, blanking ~95% of all board wipes, is just amazing.
Overlord is better, it tutors your combos, and that's better than indestructible for more tuned Sliver decks (more casual decks that just want to drop the slivers they draw into and snowball are better served by Hivelord, but Overlord tutors for combo pieces and silver bullets, including Hivelord in the 99 if you really need it).
Overlord>Hivelord>Legion>Queen for slivers.
Queen is good for 5 color control as a commander that can create a board presence on its own.
Hivelord is a pretty solid control commander as well, as an indestructible threat. He's better as a blow up the world commander. He gets you all the Worldslayer effects and the best wraths besides.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
The Meaning of Life: "M-hmm. Well, it's nothing very special. Uh, try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations"
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Whether its blue players countering your spells, red players burning you out, or combo, if you have a problem with an aspect of Magic's gameplay, you can fix it!
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
Sliver Overlord and Sliver Queen in the command zone both signal to me that I'm up against some kind of five color combo. Tribal decks usually play a pretty fair game. Slivers still intimidate a lot of players. I think its because everyone starts off playing Magic, makes a tribal deck, and runs into a far superior tribe and find the game unfair. Later on they get Post Traumatic Sliver Disorder. Elves annoy people for the same reason. I don't know a lot of people who hate merfolk, or goblins, or zombies nearly as much as slivers or elves.
Beyond being a great Sliver and #1 tutor target if you choose to go Overlord, Hivelord does enable some other play. My wife ran slivers for a briefmoment in time but ended up dismantling the deck, as it was simply too repetitious - first you tutor for stuff to make your boardstate unanswerable, then you tutor for value, then you swing for lethal. Rinse, wash, repeat, and you either pull it off and win easily or get hate-nuked by opponents who have the silver bullet to your initial set-up and don't get to play anymore.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Sufferer of EDHD
Commander - Currently Playing: RCRDaretti: Superfriends Forever RCR WGBDoran: Ent-mootWBG GGGMultani: Group Bear HugGGG GB(B/G)The Gitrog Monster: Dredgefall DurdleGB(B/G) RGWGahiji, the Honored Group Hug MonsterRGW UB(U/B)Yuriko, Ninja Trinket AggroUB(U/B) WUBRGAtogatog: Assembling a OHKOWUBRG
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
Card filtering is a nice thing. If you squint your eyes, it sort of lets you dig as deep as Sylvan Library. That's my unfair comparison, and I'm sticking to it.
The
Necromancer (or Noob)
Cat.
Don't ask, I don't know why ether...
Damia, sage of stone reanimator perhaps? Since Damia skips the draw step you can't use Library. For the flavourful choices Sadisi needs a high concentration of creatures and Tasigur it seems too inefficient for him.
Once you are to three colours particularly these three colours you have access to so many powerful cards that its rare to use weaker cards in 3 colour decks.
Pioneer:UR Pheonix
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
Peasant cube: Cards I own
Paying 3 mana of 3 colors for a slightly different (although better) scry 2 is underwhelming. Cards that costs 3 mana and have a scry 1 do see play, but that is because they have additional utility that is highly valued.
It says a lot when some people would prefer to play Monastery Siege over this card.
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.
Good thing you can have both, one for upkeep and one for draw step. Sultai Ascendancy also doesn't force you to give up one card, while Monastery Siege could be protective.
Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR Voltron Control
Temmet, Vizier of Naktamun WU Unblockable Mirror Trickery
Ra's al Ghul (Sidar Kondo) and Face-Down Ninjas
Brudiclad, Token Engineer
Vaevictis (VV2) the Dire Lantern
Rona, Disciple of Gix
Tiana the Auror
Hallar
Ulrich the Politician
Zur the Rebel
Scorpion, Locust, Scarab, Egyptian Gods
O-Kagachi, Mathas, Mairsil
"Non-Tribal" Tribal Generals, Eggs
Jeskai and Temur are great in decks that want them.
Mardu is a solid token generator for aggro decks. It's second ability is pretty bad but you can just ignore it until the situation arises where its usefull. You'll like it when anger of the gods drops (or you'll never realize that it's been protecting you from it all game).
Abzan is underrated. It gives counters to all your dudes then generates flying tokens when your dudes die. It's good fam.
Sultai is crap. Only can see it in Sidisi, because flavor.
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
Jeskai Ascendancy
Temur Ascendancy
Abzan Ascendancy
Mardu Ascendancy
Sultai Ascendancy
Jeskai basically gives everything prowess and makes me seriously consider running mana myr and the like.
Temur is just ridiculous: One-sided Kavu Lair and the all-important (in multiplayer) haste ability? Fires was good, but this is Fires for one mana less and you get a better ability. (Though it does require you play blue.)
Abzan is...rather interesting. The obvious deck for it is Karador Spirit tribal. But you can also use it with Ghave and undying or persist dudes. And look, it even gives you a Titania's Boon, again for one mana less.
Mardu is also interesting. I like the idea of doubling my assault, and this does just that. But I'm not sure how useful Piety is. Not useful enough to see a reprint since Fourth Edition.
Which brings us to this card. Which curiously has only one ability. I mean, Mardu also breaks the cycle by having an activated ability instead of an ETB trigger.
The obvious comparison is to Sylvan Library, but Sylvan Library can also be a "bad Phyrexian Arena" in a pinch. Two of them in fact. So, it's not really so bad after all. And you can just use Alhammarret's Archive or Thought Reflection to break Sylvan Library, if nothing else. There's also Monastery Siege, which does it better, since you have the khans mode as an option as well, and you can discard any card in your hand.
Another thing is self-mill, but Mesmeric Orb is far more efficient at that, and arguably the most efficient mill engine in the game.
tl;dr: There are many better options for card draw, many better options for mill, and many better looters when you want to say "Why not both?"
On phasing:
Draw 3 cards.
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
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.
On phasing:
Hey, it's Slavacyn! Indestructible is a pain in the butt.
One of the 'auto-punch you in the face' commanders...
I have a friend who runs a sliver deck with hivelord as the 99(thank God), and he knows he's getting targeted when playing it, even as he laughingly protests, "It's not that bad!"(to be fair, he's right...it's NOT that bad. But slivers are always bad ENOUGH, as we all know).
Anyway...nope all day, would encourage to play something else.
EDH decks: 1. RGWMayael's Big BeatsRETIRED!
2. BUWMerieke Ri Berit and the 40 Thieves
3. URNiv's Wheeling and Dealing!
4. BURThe Walking Dead
5. GWSisay's Legends of Tomorrow
6. RWBRise of Markov
7. GElvez and stuffz(W)
8. RCrush your enemies(W)
9. BSign right here...(W)
Overlord>Hivelord>Legion>Queen for slivers.
Queen is good for 5 color control as a commander that can create a board presence on its own.
Hivelord is a pretty solid control commander as well, as an indestructible threat. He's better as a blow up the world commander. He gets you all the Worldslayer effects and the best wraths besides.
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
RCRDaretti: Superfriends Forever RCR
WGBDoran: Ent-mootWBG
GGGMultani: Group Bear HugGGG
GB(B/G)The Gitrog Monster: Dredgefall DurdleGB(B/G)
RGWGahiji, the Honored Group Hug MonsterRGW
UB(U/B)Yuriko, Ninja Trinket AggroUB(U/B)
WUBRGAtogatog: Assembling a OHKOWUBRG
amazingly epic sig courtesy of DarkNightCavalier at Heroes of the Planes.