This seems good vs:
Affinity
V-Clique
Pestermite
birds/hierarch
young pyromancer/SSS
With delver gaining ground in the meta, and many twin lists on a tempo plan with 3+ pestermite, is this a chance for gut shot to start seeing play as a 1-2 of in sideboards?
I think the issue for Gut Shot has always been, 1 damage for free does not compare to 3 damage for 1. While it has its moments, it's very narrow, and drawn late game, weak.
It's not really a great sideboard card. It's a solid card in several popular matchups, but when you reach into your sideboard you want cards that turn matchups around. Anger of the Gods, Creeping Corrosion, Pyroclasm.
Against Pod Gut Shot is strong turn 1 if they have a dork. If they don't or you are in the late game it's a wasted top deck essentially. Potentially worth bringing in.
Against Twin you can knock off Pestermite, but that's only half of their potential combo and it's the lesser used one even which makes it too risky to bring in.
The card is very good against affinity, but so are Pyroclasm, Creeping Corrosion, Nature's Claim.
It hits bob against Jund, but isn't worth it just for that.
GW Hatebears it acts as a solid kill spell for.
Infect it is a solid kill spell for.
UR Delver it is good against.
Tron, Scapeshift, Burn, UWR Control, Merfolk, Storm, Bogles, Blue Moon, Amulet, Living End, BW Tokens, Ad Nauseum all don't care or care very little.
Those are all the decks that make up at least 1% of the meta according to MTGGoldfish. So if your Meta is a lot of GW Hatebears, Infect, UR Delver and Affinity it could be worth running in the Sideboard. Pyroclasm is just a much more powerful option against those decks though.
It's meant as removal for non-red decks. Sadly, Dismember does that job better.
If you're playing red, of course, you'll have Bolts, so Gut Shot falls by the wayside. If you're playing black, Darkblast or Disfigure are typically better and even those don't see a lot of play.
Unless your deck just absolutely isn't going to be able to find one spare mana, it will have better options in Lightning Bolt, Path to Exile, or Dismember.
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The only deck that wants to even remotely play this card is UR Pyro Aggro. It seems actually pretty reasonable there, you can kill 2 toughness guys with a Snapcaster and it gives you another (in addition to Probe) card to make turn 2 tokens with Young Pyromancer. The thing is, it's too narrow to want in the sideboard and too conditional/weak in the maindeck, certain metagames it do a lot of work though I imagine.
It's not really a great sideboard card. It's a solid card in several popular matchups, but when you reach into your sideboard you want cards that turn matchups around. Anger of the Gods, Creeping Corrosion, Pyroclasm.
Against Pod Gut Shot is strong turn 1 if they have a dork. If they don't or you are in the late game it's a wasted top deck essentially. Potentially worth bringing in.
Against Twin you can knock off Pestermite, but that's only half of their potential combo and it's the lesser used one even which makes it too risky to bring in.
The card is very good against affinity, but so are Pyroclasm, Creeping Corrosion, Nature's Claim.
It hits bob against Jund, but isn't worth it just for that.
GW Hatebears it acts as a solid kill spell for.
Infect it is a solid kill spell for.
UR Delver it is good against.
Tron, Scapeshift, Burn, UWR Control, Merfolk, Storm, Bogles, Blue Moon, Amulet, Living End, BW Tokens, Ad Nauseum all don't care or care very little.
Those are all the decks that make up at least 1% of the meta according to MTGGoldfish. So if your Meta is a lot of GW Hatebears, Infect, UR Delver and Affinity it could be worth running in the Sideboard. Pyroclasm is just a much more powerful option against those decks though.
you are making the mistake of listing the decks it is good against without considering the decks it is good in. Sure pyroclasm is good against the same deck and probably more powerful. But are you going to put pyroclasm in your delver deck? The card is probably worth a slot or 2 in pyro delver sb
I've seen early in the format's history when UW decks had 2 copies in their sideboard along with 2 Dismember.
In the end, Infect is dramatically less popular, and anything that Gut Shot can take care of, you generally rely on Anger of the Gods against those specific decks.
In UR Delver, Magma Spray is just better, because it deals with Finks in addition to the usual stuff that would die to Gut Shot.
I wont disagree that magma spray is likely better, but its a bit unfair to compare a 0 mana card to a 1 mana card (well, obviously gut shot is 1 mana for the purposes of things like chalice but you get the idea). If you are delver on the draw and your opponent goes turn 1 hierarch, of course its much better to have both gut shot and delver than gut shot and magma spray.
I am personally considering it side in a deck like infect, that has at least 2 wild defiance main+side, as well as a couple copies of twisted image side. Twisted Image + gut shot kills even deciever exarch for a mana, and seems pretty solid against twin (they likely have 2 spellskite o having a couple twisted image isnt bad anyways. Also I figure it could help vs delver.
As an infect player, I could easily see bringing it in against twin, pod, affinity, delver, hatebears, 8rack (if you see confidants), living end (kill your own blighted agent), the mirror, polymorph (ok not a real deck), and any deck with confidant and at least 4 other good targets.
Now, I wouldnt play it maindeck (unless I was on some crazy brew with 4 wild defiance... or nivmagus elemental combo, or some type of grixis delver with death's shadow), but it seems pretty reasonable side in decks that dont have access to red mana.
Would definitely play this in Nivmagus Elemental decks, especially that one appearing in an MTGO event a few days back with Death's Shadow. Otherwise, Bolt or Dismember are better in almost every situation.
It's meant as removal for non-red decks. Sadly, Dismember does that job better.
If you're playing red, of course, you'll have Bolts, so Gut Shot falls by the wayside. If you're playing black, Darkblast or Disfigure are typically better and even those don't see a lot of play.
I actually consider it more comparable to Daze (or perhaps more accurately, to Snapback), if that makes any sense.
Dismember kills things very well, but you need at least one pip of mana to even consider casting it. Gut Shot answers a completely different issue: "how many relevant x/1s exist in the current format such that I need to answer them for 'free?'"
That said, Modern isn't even yet a format where Snapback sees play, so Gut Shot's off to the side waiting for its time. There are cards it kills, relevant ones at that (Tangent on pinging cards: have I mentioned before that Forked Bolt is a great card? It really is. ), but we're not yet at a point where it's like "answer this x/1 or lose the game instantly."
Would definitely play this in Nivmagus Elemental decks, especially that one appearing in an MTGO event a few days back with Death's Shadow. Otherwise, Bolt or Dismember are better in almost every situation.
I agree, and since any deck has access to dismember this limits its applicability. However, in some cases it seems reasonable as a card in addition to bolt. For example and perhaps most obviously, bolt+gut shot kills deciever exarch out of twin. There are also some pretty cute tricks you can do with remand that are much harder to do with bolt (for example, against infect in response to pump, you can gut shot, and if they have another pump in response, you can remand your own gut shot, then recast gut shot. This also seems reasonable with young pyromancer (hold up remand, if you dont end up needed to remand anything you can EOT gut shot/remand/gut shot for a bunch of tokens)
Personally, playing U/G infect I already have access to 4 dismember main and side, and am considering 1-2 gut shot side, mainly against twin and affinity.
Taking two damage to do one seems underpowered, amd one mana for one damage is even worse. If it were a free shock it would be much better but as it is, it just isnt powerful enough in my books.
Gut Shot is a perfectly fine card but there currently doesn't exist a metagame that requires a free answer that Gut Shot provides. For example, a couple of years ago I was playing Maverick (This is Legacy obv) with 2 Gut Shot in my SB. The format was basically RUG Delver, Maverick, and Stoneblade and literally nothing else and having the edge in the mirror was huge. Being able to play a Mom or Noble on the draw AND be able to kill their Mom or Noble was huge. If the Modern metagame ever reached this point (such as UR Wizard becoming a dominate deck and wanting an edge in the mirror), then Gut Shot would be 100% reasonable.
Well I said it when it was spoiled. the card ought to do something a 1 mana card can, that no one uses, but make it free, so suddenly everyone will use it.
If gut shot did 2 damage, Id be using 4 of it in my zoo.
Got to remember at the time of printing, bolt was legal in standard. I'm sure thats one of the reasons.
All the cards Gut Shot is good against are all cards that there are already better answers for them that are either more efficient (Electrolyze), or more flexible (Lightning Bolt.
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Current standard decks:
Gruul Aggro
EDH General:
Sydri, Galvanic Genius
Modern
Jeskai Control
Jeskai Midrange
Affinity
Esper Teachings
Tribal Zoo
All the cards Gut Shot is good against are all cards that there are already better answers for them that are either more efficient (Electrolyze), or more flexible (Lightning Bolt.
I really think people need to stop huffing the ozone from Electrolyze.
In the meta where ping effects are that relevant, you'd probably be dead by the time you tried casting a 3 mana Forked Bolt.
Dead, or stumbling in tempo lock.
Man, I remember Gut Shot in Standard. That card was so much fun in Delver...
Yeah, they never really found a good way to hate snap and delver out of standard did they... Everything they printed to beat it, generally got used by it.
Man, I remember Gut Shot in Standard. That card was so much fun in Delver...
Yeah, they never really found a good way to hate snap and delver out of standard did they... Everything they printed to beat it, generally got used by it.
Actually they did. Thragtusk was printed as a way to hate on Mage-blade since using Vapor Snag as your means of control didn't work too well against him. Combined with the rotation of the Scars block the deck essentially died off. Skylasher was another card printed for anti Delver and anti Snapcaster action, but by the time it actually came into print it had nothing to actually combat against.
Affinity
V-Clique
Pestermite
birds/hierarch
young pyromancer/SSS
With delver gaining ground in the meta, and many twin lists on a tempo plan with 3+ pestermite, is this a chance for gut shot to start seeing play as a 1-2 of in sideboards?
Current decks of choice:
Vintage: Shops.
Legacy: Lands.
Modern: Lantern.
Against Pod Gut Shot is strong turn 1 if they have a dork. If they don't or you are in the late game it's a wasted top deck essentially. Potentially worth bringing in.
Against Twin you can knock off Pestermite, but that's only half of their potential combo and it's the lesser used one even which makes it too risky to bring in.
The card is very good against affinity, but so are Pyroclasm, Creeping Corrosion, Nature's Claim.
It hits bob against Jund, but isn't worth it just for that.
GW Hatebears it acts as a solid kill spell for.
Infect it is a solid kill spell for.
UR Delver it is good against.
Tron, Scapeshift, Burn, UWR Control, Merfolk, Storm, Bogles, Blue Moon, Amulet, Living End, BW Tokens, Ad Nauseum all don't care or care very little.
Those are all the decks that make up at least 1% of the meta according to MTGGoldfish. So if your Meta is a lot of GW Hatebears, Infect, UR Delver and Affinity it could be worth running in the Sideboard. Pyroclasm is just a much more powerful option against those decks though.
If you're playing red, of course, you'll have Bolts, so Gut Shot falls by the wayside. If you're playing black, Darkblast or Disfigure are typically better and even those don't see a lot of play.
| Ad Nauseam
| Infect
Big Johnny.
you are making the mistake of listing the decks it is good against without considering the decks it is good in. Sure pyroclasm is good against the same deck and probably more powerful. But are you going to put pyroclasm in your delver deck? The card is probably worth a slot or 2 in pyro delver sb
| Ad Nauseam
| Infect
Big Johnny.
edit: im not saying gutshot is better, just that it might be worth testing
In the end, Infect is dramatically less popular, and anything that Gut Shot can take care of, you generally rely on Anger of the Gods against those specific decks.
I wont disagree that magma spray is likely better, but its a bit unfair to compare a 0 mana card to a 1 mana card (well, obviously gut shot is 1 mana for the purposes of things like chalice but you get the idea). If you are delver on the draw and your opponent goes turn 1 hierarch, of course its much better to have both gut shot and delver than gut shot and magma spray.
I am personally considering it side in a deck like infect, that has at least 2 wild defiance main+side, as well as a couple copies of twisted image side. Twisted Image + gut shot kills even deciever exarch for a mana, and seems pretty solid against twin (they likely have 2 spellskite o having a couple twisted image isnt bad anyways. Also I figure it could help vs delver.
As an infect player, I could easily see bringing it in against twin, pod, affinity, delver, hatebears, 8rack (if you see confidants), living end (kill your own blighted agent), the mirror, polymorph (ok not a real deck), and any deck with confidant and at least 4 other good targets.
Now, I wouldnt play it maindeck (unless I was on some crazy brew with 4 wild defiance... or nivmagus elemental combo, or some type of grixis delver with death's shadow), but it seems pretty reasonable side in decks that dont have access to red mana.
I actually consider it more comparable to Daze (or perhaps more accurately, to Snapback), if that makes any sense.
Dismember kills things very well, but you need at least one pip of mana to even consider casting it. Gut Shot answers a completely different issue: "how many relevant x/1s exist in the current format such that I need to answer them for 'free?'"
That said, Modern isn't even yet a format where Snapback sees play, so Gut Shot's off to the side waiting for its time. There are cards it kills, relevant ones at that (Tangent on pinging cards: have I mentioned before that Forked Bolt is a great card? It really is. ), but we're not yet at a point where it's like "answer this x/1 or lose the game instantly."
I agree, and since any deck has access to dismember this limits its applicability. However, in some cases it seems reasonable as a card in addition to bolt. For example and perhaps most obviously, bolt+gut shot kills deciever exarch out of twin. There are also some pretty cute tricks you can do with remand that are much harder to do with bolt (for example, against infect in response to pump, you can gut shot, and if they have another pump in response, you can remand your own gut shot, then recast gut shot. This also seems reasonable with young pyromancer (hold up remand, if you dont end up needed to remand anything you can EOT gut shot/remand/gut shot for a bunch of tokens)
Personally, playing U/G infect I already have access to 4 dismember main and side, and am considering 1-2 gut shot side, mainly against twin and affinity.
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If gut shot did 2 damage, Id be using 4 of it in my zoo.
Got to remember at the time of printing, bolt was legal in standard. I'm sure thats one of the reasons.
Gruul Aggro
EDH General:
Sydri, Galvanic Genius
Modern
Jeskai Control
Jeskai Midrange
Affinity
Esper Teachings
Tribal Zoo
I really think people need to stop huffing the ozone from Electrolyze.
In the meta where ping effects are that relevant, you'd probably be dead by the time you tried casting a 3 mana Forked Bolt.
Dead, or stumbling in tempo lock.
Yeah, they never really found a good way to hate snap and delver out of standard did they... Everything they printed to beat it, generally got used by it.
Actually they did. Thragtusk was printed as a way to hate on Mage-blade since using Vapor Snag as your means of control didn't work too well against him. Combined with the rotation of the Scars block the deck essentially died off. Skylasher was another card printed for anti Delver and anti Snapcaster action, but by the time it actually came into print it had nothing to actually combat against.