So when Origins was released there was a bit of hype for this card, and some discussion on its playability. I was to revisit the topic now that Origins is on the way out.
First, the big negatives against it:
1) Tap out on the very crucial T3, and it doesn't effect the board right away.
2) Too expensive for its cost.
3) Too restrictive on its limits (3 power creatures).
Number 1 was by far the biggest argument against it, and I think Wizards does that on purpose with fringe cards like this. 2cmc and it'd be busted to hell, 3 and it's barely playable.
However, there is another 3 drop enchantment seeing Massive play right now in Always Watching. The decks tap out to play that in order to get bigger, vigilant creatures after. There are some obvious differences, one boosts, and does so right away, but the other gives card advantage, which is one of magics most important values.
I feel like there are also quite a few ways to maximize the potential of this card in standard right now. There are some crucial big creatures well worth casting, TKS, Reality Smasher. Green has some of the better creature recursion cards in Pulse of Murasa. Green even has access to a clone card with Altered Ego, and it lets you add counters. Seems like a package made in card advantage heaven.
Thoughts? Still trash? Underrated? Underplayed? Good but homeless?
It seems to me it's a niche card. I thought about it in an elemental deck I threw together. I never optimized it or anything (nor do I plan to), but building decks is fun, right?!
I agree with you with the 3 spot being clogged. Perhaps optimizing the number of cards slots you give it would make it better. Enough so you can get some late game cards but not have it in your opening hand?
Always Watching is always good unless you have 0 creatures, and at that point theres maybe no cards that get you back into that game, it's offense and defense and compounds the further you get ahead. Elemental Bond is a struggle because how many creatures can you realistically have along your curve to satisfy its trigger? And how gruesome is it as a topdeck?
If you're playing a bunch of big creatures you're probably aggressive and would rather just draw a threat instead of this card.
Against control this could be sideboard tech to out card advantage them.
Is this worth using with Eldrazi Displacer?
You don't want to go out of your way to make this card good since multiple big creatures and drawing cards arent strategies that play into each other, you want a competitive or semi competitive deck whose strategy would make great use of this effect. It's an incidental card, not a build around card
I ran a Simic deck as part of a little 10 minute brew game a friend and I had and this card did some work. I posted a version of the deck in deck creation, and initially it wasn't very good, but it's the shell I see this card succeeding in. More of a midrange shell.
Basically, T1, T2, T3 are you set up turns, beat their early onslaught, then play your midrange threats after a *hopefully* T3 E-Bond.
20 cards (I think I had 22, but can't remember the 2 of), all that are now cantrip creatures. Throw in the pulse of murasa for lifegain and recursion.
It worked pretty well, and I was able to just drown him after surviving the initial attack. Now this obviously has issues with a WW swarm aggro, but all decks have weak points.
I think it could work pretty dang well with Golgari too. T1, T2 hand disruption, T3 bond, T4 unload.
Cryptolithic Rites combos with it pretty well I feel like too. Now all creatures are dorks, and cantrips.
I think the key to making this card good is being able to play the first two turns accordingly.
Against aggro, killing 1 for 1 on T1 and T2 sets this up for a T3 win. Against control, they have to counter this or you'll out CA them, which leaves let's kill/counters for your creatures.
Against midrange it's just a CA engine.
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Elemental Bond
So when Origins was released there was a bit of hype for this card, and some discussion on its playability. I was to revisit the topic now that Origins is on the way out.
First, the big negatives against it:
1) Tap out on the very crucial T3, and it doesn't effect the board right away.
2) Too expensive for its cost.
3) Too restrictive on its limits (3 power creatures).
Number 1 was by far the biggest argument against it, and I think Wizards does that on purpose with fringe cards like this. 2cmc and it'd be busted to hell, 3 and it's barely playable.
However, there is another 3 drop enchantment seeing Massive play right now in Always Watching. The decks tap out to play that in order to get bigger, vigilant creatures after. There are some obvious differences, one boosts, and does so right away, but the other gives card advantage, which is one of magics most important values.
I feel like there are also quite a few ways to maximize the potential of this card in standard right now. There are some crucial big creatures well worth casting, TKS, Reality Smasher. Green has some of the better creature recursion cards in Pulse of Murasa. Green even has access to a clone card with Altered Ego, and it lets you add counters. Seems like a package made in card advantage heaven.
Thoughts? Still trash? Underrated? Underplayed? Good but homeless?
I agree with you with the 3 spot being clogged. Perhaps optimizing the number of cards slots you give it would make it better. Enough so you can get some late game cards but not have it in your opening hand?
If you're playing a bunch of big creatures you're probably aggressive and would rather just draw a threat instead of this card.
Against control this could be sideboard tech to out card advantage them.
Is this worth using with Eldrazi Displacer?
You don't want to go out of your way to make this card good since multiple big creatures and drawing cards arent strategies that play into each other, you want a competitive or semi competitive deck whose strategy would make great use of this effect. It's an incidental card, not a build around card
Basically, T1, T2, T3 are you set up turns, beat their early onslaught, then play your midrange threats after a *hopefully* T3 E-Bond.
20 cards (I think I had 22, but can't remember the 2 of), all that are now cantrip creatures. Throw in the pulse of murasa for lifegain and recursion.
It worked pretty well, and I was able to just drown him after surviving the initial attack. Now this obviously has issues with a WW swarm aggro, but all decks have weak points.
I think it could work pretty dang well with Golgari too. T1, T2 hand disruption, T3 bond, T4 unload.
Cryptolithic Rites combos with it pretty well I feel like too. Now all creatures are dorks, and cantrips.
I think the key to making this card good is being able to play the first two turns accordingly.
Against aggro, killing 1 for 1 on T1 and T2 sets this up for a T3 win. Against control, they have to counter this or you'll out CA them, which leaves let's kill/counters for your creatures.
Against midrange it's just a CA engine.