Topplegeist has a good effect, but the problem is that it's at the wrong mana cost. When is tapping down a creature good? When you have an army and want to get past blockers. What does casting Topplegeist on turn 1 accomplish? You tap their creature, if any, and they get to untap it on their turn. Your army doesn't get to swing through, because you don't have an army on turn 1. So you just casted a Lantern Kami. Topplegeist's power level is lower than what a lot of people here are making it out to be. It could be good in the right deck (you can't really count out 1-drops; I mean, even Blisterpod has a deck for it), but I don't see what that deck is at the moment.
I have to agree that Topplegeist is too weak to mkae it into any competitive Modern decks. His ability is meh and 1/1 body also isn't very impressive but he could see play in specific decks but you have to build them around Topplegeist so that entire deck is based on synergy with this card since he's too weak on his own.
I never thought he was that playable. But as an indicator to what they are trying to push (weenies that arent just early game smash, but smash with mid game abilites tacked on) thats awesome for other card designs. Too often they treat aggro as one way thinking. this has options. Options are always good.
I think what's really hot about the card that you didn't mention at all is its delirium ability. That ETB could be useful lategame when you need to tap down that last blocker, but really Topplegeist in the midgame is basically a moving Claustrophobia. One creature your opponent controls of your choice is going to be tapped on their turn, every turn unless you get graveyard hated.
What sort of deck might use this? Well, a deck that has variety in the sort of spells they use, and already love stuffing graveyards anyway. I'm thinking BG for Goyf and Lily/IOK/Abrupt Decay. Those, Lily's uptick, and fetchlands, will provide plenty of variety. The question would then be, why not just play Jund for terminate and kommand? Hey, dont be a wet blanket, the mind is like a parachute: works best when open. you've got path to exiles, you could go wide with lingering souls... who knows?
Disabling one creature every turn is not that big of a deal. Martial Law and Citadel Siege do it any nobody plays them. Topplegeist is much cheaper, but requires you to jump through hoops to turn it on. I don't think it's that easy to turn on delirium; it's not like delve, where any 7 cards will do, or Goyf, which counts the cards in your opponent's graveyard as well.
Abzan doesn't want Topplegeist. They are a goodstuff deck and Topplegeist is a synergy card. There's no reason to play it when you have actual removal at W anyway.
Topplegeist reminds me of Vedalken Certarch. They're both cheap 1-drops that are crazy powerful if they were "on" all the time. The hard part is turning them on in the first place.
Well, you obviously can't compare a 1 drop to a 4 drop enchantment, and I would suggest that saying delirium is hard to hit sounds notoriously familiar to what naysayers did about Tarmogoyf at first.
Your points on the deck I pointed out being a bad choice I do accept, I simply typed something off the top of my head. BW tokens as someone suggested may make more sense. Certarch was also a pretty good comparison in terms of powerlevel and support requirements, although I would say topplegeist could probably fit into more decks than the metalcraft dependant.
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In the first few turns of the game, BW Tokens puts a fetch, an instant, and a sorcery into the grave just from Token makers (Souls, Midnight Haunting, Procession, Raise the Alarm). That's 3/4s to delirium without even actively trying. If you cast a dismember on an enemy creature at any point, he's turned on.
Dismember doesn't get you to 4/4 card types in your graveyard.
What are you doing with a 1/1 that doesn't get pumped by Intangible Virtue anyway? At least Auriok Champion has an excuse: it cancels out the life loss from BB.
Topplegeist has a good effect, but the problem is that it's at the wrong mana cost. When is tapping down a creature good? When you have an army and want to get past blockers. What does casting Topplegeist on turn 1 accomplish? You tap their creature, if any, and they get to untap it on their turn. Your army doesn't get to swing through, because you don't have an army on turn 1. So you just casted a Lantern Kami. Topplegeist's power level is lower than what a lot of people here are making it out to be. It could be good in the right deck (you can't really count out 1-drops; I mean, even Blisterpod has a deck for it), but I don't see what that deck is at the moment.
I have to agree that Topplegeist is too weak to mkae it into any competitive Modern decks. His ability is meh and 1/1 body also isn't very impressive but he could see play in specific decks but you have to build them around Topplegeist so that entire deck is based on synergy with this card since he's too weak on his own.
I would say he's too weak to make it into any current competitive modern decks, but he's definitely good enough to see play.
Kind of like Abbot of Keral Keep; A damn good card with no home, so it sees no play.
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Oath of the Gatewatch; the set that caused the competitive community to freak out over Basic Lands.
"I can only untap one creature, so I'll untap this 6/7 Goyf"
"And ToppleGeist will tap it."
Bant lockdown with Spellskite guarding the rear sounds rather appealing.
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1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
Not saying that topplegeist is a good idea in bw tokens, but they do in fact play midnight haunting and raise the alarm. At least some lists are replacing spectral procession with midnight haunting so that they can maindeck land hate.
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Topplegeist has a good effect, but the problem is that it's at the wrong mana cost. When is tapping down a creature good? When you have an army and want to get past blockers. What does casting Topplegeist on turn 1 accomplish? You tap their creature, if any, and they get to untap it on their turn. Your army doesn't get to swing through, because you don't have an army on turn 1. So you just casted a Lantern Kami. Topplegeist's power level is lower than what a lot of people here are making it out to be. It could be good in the right deck (you can't really count out 1-drops; I mean, even Blisterpod has a deck for it), but I don't see what that deck is at the moment.
I have to agree that Topplegeist is too weak to mkae it into any competitive Modern decks. His ability is meh and 1/1 body also isn't very impressive but he could see play in specific decks but you have to build them around Topplegeist so that entire deck is based on synergy with this card since he's too weak on his own.
He could definitely fill the 1 drop slot in D&T in place of Dryad Militant since it does a much better job at being relevant at any point in the game. The Delirium ability would be amazing to get online since it would give the deck 4 more "removal" spells main deck without taking anything away, but D&T can only really get two card types into the yard consistently so it probably won't happen.
He could definitely fill the 1 drop slot in D&T in place of Dryad Militant since it does a much better job at being relevant at any point in the game. The Delirium ability would be amazing to get online since it would give the deck 4 more "removal" spells main deck without taking anything away, but D&T can only really get two card types into the yard consistently so it probably won't happen.
He could definitely fill the 1 drop slot in D&T in place of Dryad Militant since it does a much better job at being relevant at any point in the game. The Delirium ability would be amazing to get online since it would give the deck 4 more "removal" spells main deck without taking anything away, but D&T can only really get two card types into the yard consistently so it probably won't happen.
BW D&T with Lilliana and Seal of Doom? You won't be able to run Thalia main deck, but Thalia and Topplegeist are good in different MUs anyway, so that shouldn't be a totally unsolveable problem. Even then, the odds of actually being able to activate Delirium are slim, but it is a late game ability anyway.....
Regardless, I think the Abbot anology is accurate. Playable card that needs an unplayable shell, but it might get some better support in the set to make it playable.
He could definitely fill the 1 drop slot in D&T in place of Dryad Militant since it does a much better job at being relevant at any point in the game. The Delirium ability would be amazing to get online since it would give the deck 4 more "removal" spells main deck without taking anything away, but D&T can only really get two card types into the yard consistently so it probably won't happen.
Topplegeist is the perfect example of a card that I love, but I'm struggling on how to use it efficiently. I could see it as a 1-of if you are playing Ranger of Eos or Chord of Calling. Kiki-Chord may actually be a perfect fit. Flashing in Topplegeist isn't exactly a power play, but it's great utility. Also, the deck can easily meet the requirements for Instant, Land, and Creature for Delirium...it just struggles on that last card type. I'm sure that a few Sorceries, Enchantments, Planeswalkers, and/or Artifacts squeeze their way into lists.
Depending on the powerlevel of cards with Investigate, Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas may get quite the boost. Turning a dinky cycling artifact into a 5/5 beater seems good.
He could definitely fill the 1 drop slot in D&T in place of Dryad Militant since it does a much better job at being relevant at any point in the game. The Delirium ability would be amazing to get online since it would give the deck 4 more "removal" spells main deck without taking anything away, but D&T can only really get two card types into the yard consistently so it probably won't happen.
BW D&T with Lilliana and Seal of Doom? You won't be able to run Thalia main deck, but Thalia and Topplegeist are good in different MUs anyway, so that shouldn't be a totally unsolveable problem. Even then, the odds of actually being able to activate Delirium are slim, but it is a late game ability anyway.....
Regardless, I think the Abbot anology is accurate. Playable card that needs an unplayable shell, but it might get some better support in the set to make it playable.
I think the best way is to swap Dryad militant with the spirit and play 4 Phyrexian revokers to have a better chance at getting 4 card types into the yard. It would be really nice to have a 1 drop that "trades" with an opponents Wild Nacatal or Luxadon Smiter, this feels so close to being good!
He could definitely fill the 1 drop slot in D&T in place of Dryad Militant since it does a much better job at being relevant at any point in the game. The Delirium ability would be amazing to get online since it would give the deck 4 more "removal" spells main deck without taking anything away, but D&T can only really get two card types into the yard consistently so it probably won't happen.
I think Judge's Familiar is better than Topplegeist but maybe the latter could still see play in some lists.
Nah. If you have played enough games then you will probably see that having a having Dryad Militant is usually a better choice than the bird, mainly because there are a lot of matches where the Dryad's ability and the bird's ability don't really matter at which point the 2 power is very important over the 1 power. Topplegiest gives you the birds evasion combined with the ability to race creature decks like Militant. Above that its better than both of those creatures mid to late game with its ability to remove an opponents creature from combat while its on the battlefield which is an area where the deck has big issues (both people top decking, they get an Tasigur while you draw familiar is terrible!).
So the new set has a mechanic called Delerium which punishes the owner for not having 4 or more card types in the graveyard. This allows for a pushed card (in theory). So maybe any new Modern playable cards with Delerium are basically unable to be used in decks running Delve? Or do decks based around delve SOLVE the delerium clause?
I have a feeling that a nerfed Goyf is coming. Similar to Pain Seer being a worse bob
Hmm, I'm hoping for the nerfed goyf. Since it might be something that my mono green Stompy can use. ^^
Deadguy Ale/BW Midrange seems like the best home for Topplegeist. Instants, sorceries, and lands to easily bin, runs enough creatures, runs planeswalkers that pop themselves, can run Ranger of Eos, no competition with Siege Rhino, Orzhov Charm and Corpse Churn are nice toys, Bob should lure removal...
...I tried Topplegeist Ranger BW for a couple games against UR Eldrazi and getting that 4th card type into the yard is surprisingly hard. Oh well, at least double Topplegeist-with-Delirium is good against them...
You played JESUS?!?! I heard none of his guys stay in the graveyard, and once you think you have him beat he ALWAYS comes back to win within three turns. I like...WORSHIP him.
Think we can get a two mana zombie lord? I would be happy if all he did was give swampwalk. Compelling Deterrence has got me so hyped for zombies! Card just becomes better recoil!
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Bring back Transmute as a U/B mechanic and take your mill back to the depths of hell where it came from!
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I never thought he was that playable. But as an indicator to what they are trying to push (weenies that arent just early game smash, but smash with mid game abilites tacked on) thats awesome for other card designs. Too often they treat aggro as one way thinking. this has options. Options are always good.
Well, you obviously can't compare a 1 drop to a 4 drop enchantment, and I would suggest that saying delirium is hard to hit sounds notoriously familiar to what naysayers did about Tarmogoyf at first.
Your points on the deck I pointed out being a bad choice I do accept, I simply typed something off the top of my head. BW tokens as someone suggested may make more sense. Certarch was also a pretty good comparison in terms of powerlevel and support requirements, although I would say topplegeist could probably fit into more decks than the metalcraft dependant.
BGW Elves BGW|BW Tokens BW|WBR Sword&ShieldWBR|BUG DelverBUG|UWR Kiki UWR | UR Storm UR
Dismember doesn't get you to 4/4 card types in your graveyard.
What are you doing with a 1/1 that doesn't get pumped by Intangible Virtue anyway? At least Auriok Champion has an excuse: it cancels out the life loss from BB.
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Big Johnny.
I would say he's too weak to make it into any current competitive modern decks, but he's definitely good enough to see play.
Kind of like Abbot of Keral Keep; A damn good card with no home, so it sees no play.
Is there maybe a deck forming around Stoic Angel?
"I can only untap one creature, so I'll untap this 6/7 Goyf"
"And ToppleGeist will tap it."
Bant lockdown with Spellskite guarding the rear sounds rather appealing.
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
"What does MtheW stand for? The world may never know."
He could definitely fill the 1 drop slot in D&T in place of Dryad Militant since it does a much better job at being relevant at any point in the game. The Delirium ability would be amazing to get online since it would give the deck 4 more "removal" spells main deck without taking anything away, but D&T can only really get two card types into the yard consistently so it probably won't happen.
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Big Johnny.
BW D&T with Lilliana and Seal of Doom? You won't be able to run Thalia main deck, but Thalia and Topplegeist are good in different MUs anyway, so that shouldn't be a totally unsolveable problem. Even then, the odds of actually being able to activate Delirium are slim, but it is a late game ability anyway.....
Regardless, I think the Abbot anology is accurate. Playable card that needs an unplayable shell, but it might get some better support in the set to make it playable.
And how well did he place? Its been played in a few decks at GPs and PTs, but nothing with even a top 8 performance as far as I know.
Judge is irrelevant against a few different decks and is much worse later in the game.
Depending on the powerlevel of cards with Investigate, Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas may get quite the boost. Turning a dinky cycling artifact into a 5/5 beater seems good.
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I think the best way is to swap Dryad militant with the spirit and play 4 Phyrexian revokers to have a better chance at getting 4 card types into the yard. It would be really nice to have a 1 drop that "trades" with an opponents Wild Nacatal or Luxadon Smiter, this feels so close to being good!
Nah. If you have played enough games then you will probably see that having a having Dryad Militant is usually a better choice than the bird, mainly because there are a lot of matches where the Dryad's ability and the bird's ability don't really matter at which point the 2 power is very important over the 1 power. Topplegiest gives you the birds evasion combined with the ability to race creature decks like Militant. Above that its better than both of those creatures mid to late game with its ability to remove an opponents creature from combat while its on the battlefield which is an area where the deck has big issues (both people top decking, they get an Tasigur while you draw familiar is terrible!).
Hmm, I'm hoping for the nerfed goyf. Since it might be something that my mono green Stompy can use. ^^
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...I tried Topplegeist Ranger BW for a couple games against UR Eldrazi and getting that 4th card type into the yard is surprisingly hard. Oh well, at least double Topplegeist-with-Delirium is good against them...
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Modern/Legacy
either funpolice (Delver, Deathcloud, UW Control) or the fun decks (especially those ft. Griselbrand)
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Big Johnny.