I would use Top in aggro. Playing with a hand size of 10 instead of 7 is pretty useful there or anywhere, really. You have less mana to capitalize on it in aggro, but even just getting one activation so you can dig to your Overrun/insert finisher here instead of drawing a land is a game-changer. But like a finisher, it's not a card I particularly want to see in my opening hand.
I couldn't justify using top in aggro. You're typically running 16, maybe even 15, lands and when your mana is so type you won't have time to dick around with looking at the top 3 when not only do you have your opponent on a clock, but you're on a clock before they stabilize as well.
New Nissa got me thinking about Top. Where do people stand on this card these days? I still run it, but I know Top is kind of one of those love/hate cards.
Top is still solid, it still fits into most non-aggro decks very well. Not exactly a staple unless you really need Tinker fodder.
I too thought about using Top with Nissa, too bad Nissa can't use her 0 ability on artifacts, otherwise she'd be able to pull off the wonky Chandra, Torch of Defiance + Top draw engine.
I think Top is overrated, but there are certainly decks/shells that can take advantage of the effect. Nowhere near cutting. Looks fun with the new Nissa.
I've cut it for time constrains a little while ago, luckily no one has asked for it to return yet. The match with top ended a good 15+ minutes later than the other matches too often, so I think its exclusion made for a better experience. Totally a group-dependent ting though. Top is good card in some decks, but perpetually overrated. Could make a comeback if a mechanic that it breaks will be printed, say more miracles or cards like Monastery Mentor.
I like Top's interactions in green, with Courser of Kruphix, Oracle of Mul Daya, and the new Vizier of the Menagerie.
I also like when control players spend turn after turn durdling with it, and I get to smash them with 2/1 creatures while they're wasting mana.
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I've cut it for time constrains a little while ago
Been very close to doing this in my midrange list. It's neat card. I enjoy playing it because I think there are a lot of cool synergies you can exploit. But it is time consuming and a bit tedious. Those interactions though tend to make me second guess removing it.
I'm trying to move back down to 360 Powered, and Top has never felt very good at all, even a year ago. Since Cube (at least for us) just keeps getting faster and faster, does this card still have a place in your cubes? I think I'm ready to cut it, but it always feels weird to cut a card that's been banned before for being too overpowering, so I want some final input before I make any decisions.
I'm trying to move back down to 360 Powered, and Top has never felt very good at all, even a year ago. Since Cube (at least for us) just keeps getting faster and faster, does this card still have a place in your cubes? I think I'm ready to cut it, but it always feels weird to cut a card that's been banned before for being too overpowering, so I want some final input before I make any decisions.
its been on the chopping block for me for a while. its good at what it does but i dont think its a card your are going to miss in a draft either.
I like Top still. It's not for every deck, but the library manipulation can be powerful, and there are still a lot of decks that can use it well. There are matchups it can really shine in too. Even in the smallest of cubes, I think I'd be loathe to cut it.
Sensei's Divining Top is probably strongest in smaller cubes where you'll have a higher rate of cards that shuffle your library. The card is sweet and has a lot of tricks to it. It's always fun to assemble Chandra, Torch of Defiance + Sensei's Divining Top for +1: draw a card for 1 mana instead of the YOLO draw effect.
I would also agree that Top is still sweet. Card selection can be extremely powerful especially if you have ways to take advantage of that top card (like Chandra, Torch of Defiance or Oracle of Mul Daya) or shuffle effects. I'm with wtwlf here. Even at 360 I'd still be running Top. And I am, actually, in my 360 peasant list.
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I don't know where I would rank it in my cube, probably above some of the lesser swords but below the 1 drop mana rocks.
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I too thought about using Top with Nissa, too bad Nissa can't use her 0 ability on artifacts, otherwise she'd be able to pull off the wonky Chandra, Torch of Defiance + Top draw engine.
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I also like when control players spend turn after turn durdling with it, and I get to smash them with 2/1 creatures while they're wasting mana.
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Been very close to doing this in my midrange list. It's neat card. I enjoy playing it because I think there are a lot of cool synergies you can exploit. But it is time consuming and a bit tedious. Those interactions though tend to make me second guess removing it.
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its been on the chopping block for me for a while. its good at what it does but i dont think its a card your are going to miss in a draft either.
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