I've been looking to make a standard deck using the Simic guild, and I started thinking about the following:
1.) Is EVOLVE good enough for standard? Is it too slow, and is the dependence of playing creatures too unbalanced?
2.) Why is Zegana sooooo "good" in standard? You need to have high-power creatures on the board, so why would you take the risk of having a six-mana block sitting in your hand?
3.) Will Master Biomancer's price drop anytime soon? I need a playset for a deck and I don't think it will stay at $10 for long... What price do you think it will stabilize around?
1. No. It takes far too long to build your creatures up even on a fantastic curve. Control would shrug it off, aggro would eat it alive.
2. I personally think she isn't all that good. But, card advantage is a big deal.
3. Hard to say. Mainly because it's difficult to predict future variables such as if it will become more prominent in Standard when X set rotates out and other such things.
Experiment One is the only currently Standard viable evolve card. A couple are cutesy, but this isn't a standard for cutesy things. I think most of these mechanics were meant to be for the casual crowd.
Well, I have to say that I originally thought it was crap, but I'm starting to warm up a bit more to it. Strangleroot Geist really makes for some explosive starts with evolve creatures and Rapid Hybridization. Playing against sweepers, it's fairly easy to get some extra draw with Zameck Mage to replenish your hand. Straight Simic decks will probably play 30 creatures at least.
Master Biomancer is also such a house that weenies even are threats when they drop mid-game. It demands an immediate answer, and many decks don't have one currently to deal with a 4cc 2/4 creature. Thragtusk also thrives in this house moreso than in many decks, and cards like Deadbridge Goliath have value. Rancor is easily fit into the color scheme, along with Simic Charm.
I think that it will certainly win a FNM before rotation if someone is brave enough to pilot it. It may not find a player on the Pro Tour because it doesn't feel safe.
I agree that Experiment One is a good advocate for the evolve mechanic and I believe that Cloudfin Raptor and Elusive Krasis also make good use of evolve. After all, the Raptor is a 1-drop like Experiment One and it has flying. And the Krasis has 4 toughness so it's safe from most burn and you can use pump abilities to give it a lot of unblockable power (like Increasing Savagery or Deadbridge Goliath).
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EDH/Commander
UBR Sedris RG Omnath, Locus of Rage UB The Scarab God RUG Maelstrom Wanderer WU Dragonlord Ojutai
i've actually been testing this deck for some time now, the deck is fast, and has blockers against aggro, you can win the mid game against aggro, mass removal in control is a problem but still a very winnable match
I feel like adding black to the mix will really help. You get Lotleth Troll, removal, and not to mention Golgari charm if mass removal is that big of a problem against you. Hell you could even try Corpsejack Menace.
Evolve is good in standard like soulbond is good in standard.
The vast majority of the cards SUCK and basing and entire deck around the single concept is a no no and easily disrupted. But there are good cards with Evolve that merit inclusion in decks.
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1.) Is EVOLVE good enough for standard? Is it too slow, and is the dependence of playing creatures too unbalanced?
2.) Why is Zegana sooooo "good" in standard? You need to have high-power creatures on the board, so why would you take the risk of having a six-mana block sitting in your hand?
3.) Will Master Biomancer's price drop anytime soon? I need a playset for a deck and I don't think it will stay at $10 for long... What price do you think it will stabilize around?
2. I personally think she isn't all that good. But, card advantage is a big deal.
3. Hard to say. Mainly because it's difficult to predict future variables such as if it will become more prominent in Standard when X set rotates out and other such things.
MTGS egos at their finest.
Thoughts on proxies:
Master Biomancer is also such a house that weenies even are threats when they drop mid-game. It demands an immediate answer, and many decks don't have one currently to deal with a 4cc 2/4 creature. Thragtusk also thrives in this house moreso than in many decks, and cards like Deadbridge Goliath have value. Rancor is easily fit into the color scheme, along with Simic Charm.
I think that it will certainly win a FNM before rotation if someone is brave enough to pilot it. It may not find a player on the Pro Tour because it doesn't feel safe.
UBR Sedris
RG Omnath, Locus of Rage
UB The Scarab God
RUG Maelstrom Wanderer
WU Dragonlord Ojutai
4x Experiment One
4x Elusive Krasis
4x Shambleshark
4x Gyre Sage
3x Fathom Mage
3x Master Biomancer
3x Simic Manipulator
1x Clone
4x Rapid Hybridization
4x Simic Charm
3x Increasing Savagery
+23 lands
notice the interactions with increasing savagery + fathom mage, increasing savagery + Gyre Sage (cast and FB same turn), increasing savagery + simic manipulator,
you can sideboard in spell rupture against mass removal,
i've also been testing Prime Speaker, Agoraphobia, Zamecki guildmage
any thoughts?
The vast majority of the cards SUCK and basing and entire deck around the single concept is a no no and easily disrupted. But there are good cards with Evolve that merit inclusion in decks.