MTG Salvation

Hello guys,

I was wondering which are the best finishers for each color in the high end of the curve. Right now I got the following:

Green
Plated Crusher for ramp
Skysnare Spider for a more controlly deck
Phantom Centaur he has been a solid finisher in every deck, I feel this card is really oppresive though.

Red
Not looking for higher than 4 CMC creatures at the moment, but suggestions are welcome.

Blue
???
Really needing one right now.

Black
???
Really needing one right now.

White
Sentinel of the Eternal Watch

Colorless
I wanted to try Bane of Bala Ged because I think it has a very strong triggered ability and can be dominating when unanswered, but I feel like I wanted to try another. Any suggestions?

Suggestions are welcome!

For blue you have Jetting Glasskite and Erranr Ephemeron. For black there's Gray Merchant of Asphodel, but also Twisted Abomination and Morkrut Necropod.

Finishers need to have some resilience to removal -- Plated Crusher obviously works, but so does Pelakka Wurm since 7 life + a card helps you out quite a bit if it just gets hit with Murder. Skysnare Spider doesn't really do anything like that... it's still a fine card, but much moreso for ramp decks rather than control decks that want to rely on it as one of a few possible ways your deck has to win a game.

Also, cards like Lingering Souls and Migratory Route work nicely -- there's a ton of 1-for-1 removal in Peasant, but far fewer ways to kill four 1/1 flyers easily. Even a Whirler Rogue can go a long way when backed up by your own removal plus card draw spells.

Phyrexian Ingester, Drownyard Behemoth, Havoc Demon, Grixis Slavedriver

Thanks for the help.

I got Ordered Migration which can substitute Migratory Route so I got that covered. It may be a bit difficult to make it consistent though. But can serve as a finisher in 4-5 color control decks.

Whirler Rogue is a fine addition. It also goes well with my bounce theme in B/W.

Twisted Abomination is already in there, but I sometimes struggle to finish games with it. Especially when there is Carbonize in the Cube.

Pelakka Wurm will try.

With no doubt I'll add Jetting Glasskite, thanks for the suggestion.

Great oak guardian has been unreal for me when I play.

Cloudgoat ranger unnamed? What?

Pelakka wurm is the gold standard 7 drop. I dont know of a higher impact creature.

Trostani's summoner is my favorite gold card.

Ordered migration is only good in 4 color decks when you have four different basics in play. Sounds terrible, and if anything shouldn't take up a guild slot because you can't even justify it in 3 color decks.

Yeah Ordered Migration is just 100,000 miles behind Migratory Route. Also, Route costs like five cents, it's not like we're recommending Demonic Tutor.

If you want to try some only-will-ever-go-in-very-slow-control-deck finishers, could consider Elixir of Immortality and/or Psychic Spiral.

--

Didn't mention CloudG.O.A.T. because I presumed it was already in, though if Pelakka Wurm is also a new idea then yes, we definitely need to bring it up.

Quote from Leelue »

Great oak guardian has been unreal for me when I play.

Cloudgoat ranger unnamed? What?

Pelakka wurm is the gold standard 7 drop. I dont know of a higher impact creature.

Trostani's summoner is my favorite gold card.

Ordered migration is only good in 4 color decks when you have four different basics in play. Sounds terrible, and if anything shouldn't take up a guild slot because you can't even justify it in 3 color decks.

Great Oak Guardian looks like a good combat trick in the end game/defensive option (also good to deny Flaying Tendrils or Drown in Sorrow). Nice one, didn't know about it. Although, I think my green top end is pretty stacked at the moment. I think Overrun is better as a finisher if you are finding to pump your team.

Cloudgoat Ranger seems good. Will be looking for it in trade binders.

Trostani's Summoner looks good as well, putting 10 power in play for only 7 mana seems efficient. Moreover if you got anthem effects. Seems a good finisher for Selesnya, a color combination that im currently lacking an archtype of. I'm thinking of making a token theme for this color combination.

Rise from the tides

Quote from BrownDog5117 »

Rise from the tides

Rise From the Tides, looks like a great Finisher for U/R Spells Matter archtype (or control), definitely earns a try.


Also,
What's your opinion on Wispweaver Angel as a finisher for Blue/White bounce archetype? Has it worked for you?



thanks!

It's alright, but it's outclassed by all the other high end white cards. Fireblast and Fireball are both solid finishers in red. The first for aggro decks and the latter for control.

Acidic Soil for Red.

Quote from leadfeather89 »

It's alright, but it's outclassed by all the other high end white cards. Fireblast and Fireball are both solid finishers in red. The first for aggro decks and the latter for control.

Which high end cards are you talking about? I would love to know.

Quote from BrownDog5117 »

Acidic Soil for Red.

Acidic Soil. Wow, what a great Magic Card. Seems great to push for those final points of damage. Thanks!

I support ramp heavily in green and with artifacts (full cycle of Signets, Worn Powerstone, Thran Dynamo, etc.) as well as reanimator so I may be running a higher percentage of "finishers" than some. Here are all of the 5+CMC cards I'd consider finishers I'm currently running. There are a few other CMC creatures I'm running like Acidic Slime and Mulldrifter that provide solid value but aren't really beefy enough to be considered finishers. Cards in italics are new additions I haven't had the chance to test, the rest have proven themselves good enough for me to keep around:

WWW

Cloudgoat Ranger
Elite Scaleguard (great with a +1/+1 counter theme)
Patron of the Valiant (great with a +1/+1 counter theme)
Serra Angel
Sentinel of the Eternal Watch
Quarry Colossus
Feudkiller's Verdict

UUU

Murder of Crows
Jetting Glasskite
Errant Ephemeron
Phyrexian Ingester

Honorary mention to Mind Control and Opportunity

BBB

Fallen Angel
Rakshasa Gravecaller
Sengir Vampire
Phyrexian Gargantua
Twisted Abomination
Gurmag Angler

RRR

Seismic Elemental
Volcanic Dragon

Fireball
Rolling Thunder

GGG

Arborback Stomper
Ridgescale Tusker
Great Oak Guardian
Skysnare Spider
Krosan Tusker
Pelakka Wurm
Plated Crusher

Beast Attack
Overrun
Roar of the Wurm

WUBRG

Dinrova Horror
Trostani's Summoner
Baloth Null
Fleetfeather Cockatrice
Nucklavee

xxx

Triskelion
Bane of Bala Ged
Ulamog's Crusher
Artisan of Kozilek

Elixir of Immortality has also really impressed me at making hard control a real deck. Instant and sorcery heavy control decks do better with this than most of the creature finishers available below rare.

Havoc Demon, Grixis Slavedriver

I haven't tried either of these yet, but Grixis Slavedriver did really impress me in MM3 drafts. How have they been performing for the rest of you?

Great oak Guardian >>>> Overrun because Great oak guardian is good on basically every turn, in every phase, once you have the mana for it. Overrun is better soecifically if you are able to push for lethal. With the Tree you can just swing most everybody and get the best trades and chump blocks of your life. And untap everyone.
At worst it is a flash 6/7 reach blocker. That's a great Worst case scenario.

Overrun doesn't keep you alive or blowout your opponent.

I have the Rakshasa gravecaller which seems better than the slavedriver.

Do not underrate the classics Serra Angel and Sengir Vampire

I haven't used Sengir Vampire in like two years, with a pretty huge 540+ sized cube.

It's just an Air Elemental, and in 2017 there's way too many other better options out there. Certainly not embarrassing as a card, but also nothing that anyone is really missing out by excluding.

If you want a beefy flier with Air Elemental stats or better in black, there aren't really that many options in Peasant, and a big flier does still end games pretty reliably if not dealt with. The card also holds some nostalgia value for many, so I'm happy to have it in my cube as long as it isn't underperforming and sees main deck play.

How has Serra Angel worked for you guys?

A follow up from my other post (that I did quickly from my phone)

To be honest large finisher creatures in general don't work that well in my cube in general, it is very synergy driven people prefer to try and set up overwhelming incremental advantage rather try a quick knock out. I try to support that option though, because sometimes it just happens in a draft you just draft all the removal or something.

Pelakka wurm is really the only one I have seen swing a game when hardcast. (reanimation and other cheating out is a different case). Dinrovha horror and cloudgoat ranger tend to need to be blinked once then take over the game.

As noted Sengir vampire is actually just the best large flyier in black... the others tend to have terrible drawbacks, 4 toughness is actually hard to deal with and you can't just keep chump blocking because it gets stronger. I should note I am a modern cube not modern frame cube. I also have corrupt.. which is actually terrible I keep wanting to replace it but I don't just want to stuff blacks non-creature spells full with removal only.

Serra angel has been in and out because I keep switching it with other utility angels but I always go back because it is more versitile than the utility angels it can be a curve topper for aggro, finisher for control or just another goodstuff card for midrange.

I have depowered my cube mrore than anyone here, and serra angel is highly unlikely to make it back in. A 4/4 is a good size, but ain't what it used to be.

And aggro doesn't need slow curve toppers.

Quote from Squirrely »

Quote from igurmendez »

How has Serra Angel worked for you guys?

Sadly, it's not the powerhouse it once was and definitely not the must-include. Most regular-sized cubes (300-450 range) are usually better off running other cards.

She's still good though, being a reasonably costed beefy flyer that can play both offense and defense at the same time. I really like playing Serra in slow control decks that can protect her, and I for one will likely never cut her from my cube. I do have a beta version of her, which is basically the best thing ever. Even seeing her in a pack while taking a different card makes me smile every single time.

I feel the same way. Maybe for being the fact that she is the Serra Angel and brings nostalgia I won't cut her off my Cube.

Sprout Swarm hasn't been mentioned yet.

Quote from igurmendez »

I feel the same way. Maybe for being the fact that she is the Serra Angel and brings nostalgia I won't cut her off my Cube.

I'd say Serra Angel is good enough, but not essential, so nostalgia is a good enough tipping point to include her, as she is the original uncommon bomb. If she doesn't actually see play or perform well in your cube, you'll know soon enough. She's been just fine in my cube, though, mostly as a control finisher.

Psychic Spiral, Rolling Thunder, Lust for War, Rite of the Raging Storm, Sprout Swarm, and Elixir of Immortality provide some less traditional ways to close out games.

Artisan of Kozilek is the highest of the high end.

Elite Scaleguard, Goblin Bombardment, Ridgescale Tusker, Great Oak Guardian, Overrun, and Maw of the Obzedat are good closers after an aggressive curve.