MTG Salvation

Ok so why isn't Abzan Ascendancy being played this card seems insane. Get an anthem effect the turn it comes down and every creature turns into Doomed Traveler, seems pretty gross with manifest and boardwipes.

Let's look at the Abzan decks:

- Control doesn't need it.
- Aggro does just fine against boardwipe decks.
- Whip decks MAYBE can use it, but their 75 is rather full and again, they don't fear boardwipes.
- Most of these decks have a very full 3 CMC slot.

It's potentially useless if you don't have creatures out before playing it. It gets a lot of value out of having multiple creatures out beforehand, but in Abzan colors that means you're winning already. Plus, any creature played after it doesn't get the counters.

If GW Manifest evolves into Abzan colors, I can see it being played though.

I also think GW devotion might start playing with it. It's not that hard for them to splash black (mana confluence/Sylvan Caryatid). Turning all manifested creatures into 3/3s that leave 1/1 flyers behind seems pretty good to me.

Add Altar of the Brood and you've got a pretty legit Mill deck haha. Would work great in the mirror too.

I actually run it in my Abzan deck. It has never actually been a bad card in my experience.

imo standard frequently turns into both players having 4-5-6 creatures each that can't profitably attack and so this card can actually be very strong for breaking through that sort of thing. and because most board wipes (aside from drown in sorrow which doesn't even necessarily wipe your 2/4s and 0/3s and 4/5s) are 5 mana, this thing can get in before those drop.

however i had to consider the active board state of standard games, i think if you look at this card in a vacuum you might see 'oh it's a conditional enchantment that doesn't do as much if i'm not already in a very good position with tons of creatures.'

it also has to compete with other cards in your 75 and some people might just prefer to draw a removal spell or bomb or something that is a little bit more proactive.

It's one of those cards that never makes the final cut for decks, at least for me.

Abzan ascendancy works well with Whisperwood elemental and your own boardwipes. Double your own army and take out theirs. But I guess that interaction has basically already been talked about, with GW devotion possibly running it.

I really like it for is its interaction with Athreos, God of Passage, since you get the tokens anyway, and should be able to keep some of your own creatures.

So far the "Lets make Abzan Ascendancy playable.dec" list is as follows:

Bloodsoaked champion
Soldier of the Pantheon
Abzan Ascendancy
Whisperwood Elemental
Mastery of the unseen????
Atheros, God of Passage

I mean, this seems solid. I feel like it just need to be filled out from there. Siege Rhino?

I actually have a deck which has used Abzan Ascendancy since Khans was released, and it has proven to be a rather effective deck.