Mishra is dead and therefore not on Kaladesh in order to build a factory. So no, I don't think we have any hope of seeing a Mishra's Factory reprint in Kaladesh unless it's a Masterpiece in Aether Revolt.
I mean, I agree with you that it probably won't make it to constructed, but why in the world would you be activating it without the activation either
A) being done in response to removal (or potential removal, if it's damage based)
B) being saved until you're certain that you're in the clear. It's not like you can't see how much mana the opponent has available or how many cards they have in their hand. If there's a reasonable chance that it'll get killed in response to an activation, then why are you activating it? The only time I can imagine doing that is some kind of last ditch effort where you have three tiny creatures and your opponent has 3 really big ones that you need to get rid of, or you lose anyway. At which point, you lose anyway if you don't activate her, so it's not like you lose anything by doing so.
At that point, you should ask yourself why you are playing a 5 mana 3/3 that you cannot activate unless your opponent is tapped out or hellbent. I think you summed up why this card is not good.
I like the flavor, but this card won't make it to constructed. If your opponent kills this at instant speed with the transform trigger on the stack, you lose 4 creatures and gain nothing. This card is too much of a liability and having to hard cast this thing is terrible. When was the last time we played a 5 mana 3/3 in constructed?
So I read Reid Duke's article and I like the list too. The Gitrog Monster is my favorite card from the set because it's so unique.
Has anyone done testing with this list?
Here's what I found with my own testing:
Fetching Mirrorpool is almost always the best play with your first hydra and Rogue's Passage with your 2nd.
Ultimate Price x4 is not where you want to be. I would run 2 at most and 2 To the Slaughter. Having no mainboard answer to stuff like Ormendahl in the deck doesn't cut it. I saw much more success changing the removal to 2 ultimate and 2 to the slaughter.
I added a single Ob Nixilis. Unless you had an explosive T2 Deathcap, T3 Nissa's, T4 World Breaker, some of your matches are going to go long. Ob helps build card advantage on a new axis. I don't recommend more than one mainboard though. He's strong vs. Midrange, but bad vs aggressive decks.
You have better sideboard options than GR ramp. You get to have Languish, Transgress the Mind, Infinite Obliteration, Flaying Tendrils, Duress, and whatever other removal you want. The sideboard is strong. However you trade strength for having no access to Chandra. You will miss her sometimes.
That's what I found so far. I'd love to hear if anyone else has experience with Reid's list.
I would suggest From Beyond instead of Explosive Vegetation. Card has been a complete boss. Allows you to ramp, chump block when needed, pressure control decks, and tutor for your eldrazi. Also makes sac effects useless.
You want to remove the most powerful ramp spell available, the one that enables stuff like T4 World Breakers, and add in a non-competitive enchantment? From Beyond has seen almost zero competitive play and only appears in a small handful of sideboards. The card is just too slow and you *don't* want to chump block with your ramp. You want to ramp. If you are not powering to cast your next big thing in this archetype, you are playing to lose slowly.
The Hydra smells like a final hour change. It was probably closer to Primeval Titan, most likely 1 land on attack and 1 on cast, and was changed at the last moment. Now we're stuck with this.
This. Great card with no home. The deck where she would be best in, Aristocrats, doesn't have room for her because Liliana and Nantuko just fit the strategy better.
The best reason to play blue is for access to Whirler Rogue and Jace, Vryn's Prodigy. Sidisi's Faithful is the weakest reason to be in blue. If you are not going to run Whirler or Jace I would look to another color. You are giving up other great cards like Catacomb Sifter, Blisterpod, and Collected Company and not getting much payoff for it.
Also, I would add that Murderous Cut does not belong in Rally lists. It eats your win conditions. If you are going to run Rally look to Bone Splinters instead.
Was browsing my lgs on lunch break earlier and got this idea to try out the flip Gideon in my mardu deck since the price on Liliana jumped up on me before I could pick up my third copy. Has anyone running white tested this idea before? He should be easy to flip and giving husk, butcher, or cutthroat indestructible seems like a good way to counter removal
You shouldn't run anything that you are not afraid to sacrifice to Husk. Also this deck tends to attack with 1 creature at a time which makes flipping Kytheon harder than you think. I would say that he doesn't really belong in any Aristocrats deck.
Has anyone tested Marang River Prowler or Silumgar Sorcerer in the UB lists? Marang River Prowler is a bigger version of Bloodsaoked champion that doesn't sac quite as well but can deal significant damage over a few turns on a stalled board and doesn't just get nullified by our opponents playing a creature. Silumgar Sorcerer also has evasion letting it fly over stalled boards. It also gives us another answer to Anafenza and the generally more powerful creatures that other decks run. At worst, its an instant speed wind drake. At best, It counters Seige Rhino while flipping Liliana while upgrading my sultai emissary to a bear and giving me a wind drake. I'm hoping that Silumgar Sorcerer will let me cut down on the number of Murderous Cuts (from 4 to 2-3 with the rest probably in the side), potentially enabling a green splash for CoCo.
Thoughts?
Marang River Prowler is way too slow. You're paying for the same stats as Bloodsoaked Champion, but for 2 more mana. If you have a Zulaport, Champion is basically unblockable and his return cost is cheaper than Marang. Prowler just doesn't have the stats to cost ratio to make it into constructed.
Silumgar Sorcerer, like Prowler, costs too much mana. You don't need or care about the 2/1 flyer in UB Aristocrats. You want your spells to be as cheap as possible and that means you're looking at Disdainful Stroke and Negate, not Sorcerer.
I was testing the UB list all weekend after seeing Calcano's deck tech. It's definitely the real deal. The two card combo of Whirler Rogue and Nantuko Husk is just unfair. You should be looking to kill somebody turns 4-6 with this deck. It's not uncommon to be dealing 14-16 damage with Nantuko in a single turn. If the game goes long or you don't draw Nantuko you can win a game off Bloodsoaked Champion and Zulaport Cutthroat too, but it's less explosive.
This list and my testing have taught me something very important about this archetype: Do not get cute! This archetype is a borderline combo deck/aggro deck. You are looking to kill your opponent as quickly as possible. If you give your opponent the chance to go over you, they will. While this deck can fake a long game with Liliana you have to ultimately remember that this is a list of 1-3 CMC "bad" creatures. Carrier Thrall and Sultai Emmisary are valuable pieces to the deck, but they are not Warden of the First Tree or Mantis Rider. That is my biggest take away from the deck. Don't give your opponent the chance to go over you and don't toy with the streamlined engine. If your are main boarding Ruthless Deathfang, From Beyond, or unwieldy cards like Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger you are getting cute with the deck and making it much worse.
The UB list is really impressive. Whirler Rogue is just amazing at helping you close out games. Basically give your Nantuko Husk +6/+6 and unblockable for 2UU.
He has 3 arms. Corrupted by Emrakul.
At that point, you should ask yourself why you are playing a 5 mana 3/3 that you cannot activate unless your opponent is tapped out or hellbent. I think you summed up why this card is not good.
Has anyone done testing with this list?
Here's what I found with my own testing:
That's what I found so far. I'd love to hear if anyone else has experience with Reid's list.
You want to remove the most powerful ramp spell available, the one that enables stuff like T4 World Breakers, and add in a non-competitive enchantment? From Beyond has seen almost zero competitive play and only appears in a small handful of sideboards. The card is just too slow and you *don't* want to chump block with your ramp. You want to ramp. If you are not powering to cast your next big thing in this archetype, you are playing to lose slowly.
Remember Archangel's Light?
This. Great card with no home. The deck where she would be best in, Aristocrats, doesn't have room for her because Liliana and Nantuko just fit the strategy better.
Also, I would add that Murderous Cut does not belong in Rally lists. It eats your win conditions. If you are going to run Rally look to Bone Splinters instead.
You shouldn't run anything that you are not afraid to sacrifice to Husk. Also this deck tends to attack with 1 creature at a time which makes flipping Kytheon harder than you think. I would say that he doesn't really belong in any Aristocrats deck.
Marang River Prowler is way too slow. You're paying for the same stats as Bloodsoaked Champion, but for 2 more mana. If you have a Zulaport, Champion is basically unblockable and his return cost is cheaper than Marang. Prowler just doesn't have the stats to cost ratio to make it into constructed.
Silumgar Sorcerer, like Prowler, costs too much mana. You don't need or care about the 2/1 flyer in UB Aristocrats. You want your spells to be as cheap as possible and that means you're looking at Disdainful Stroke and Negate, not Sorcerer.
This list and my testing have taught me something very important about this archetype: Do not get cute! This archetype is a borderline combo deck/aggro deck. You are looking to kill your opponent as quickly as possible. If you give your opponent the chance to go over you, they will. While this deck can fake a long game with Liliana you have to ultimately remember that this is a list of 1-3 CMC "bad" creatures. Carrier Thrall and Sultai Emmisary are valuable pieces to the deck, but they are not Warden of the First Tree or Mantis Rider. That is my biggest take away from the deck. Don't give your opponent the chance to go over you and don't toy with the streamlined engine. If your are main boarding Ruthless Deathfang, From Beyond, or unwieldy cards like Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger you are getting cute with the deck and making it much worse.