I am finding Profaner of the Dead great in many match ups. But too slow to really save me against the more aggro opponents (MonoRed, Jeskai Tokens). Has anyone tested Profaner AND Minister of Pain and able to compare the two?
I am really interested in the Yasooka version, I am left to wonder if it is a stable build. Or if it too heavily meta dependent, and maybe it will weaken as people become used to it.
I guess a backup question is; Why run Ascendancy when the Blue Siege is almost as good and easier to cast?
I looked at Arbor Colossus last night. I was concerned about his mana cost. Let us know how it works out. My hope for him was that the opponent has to use up removal spells on 4/4 - 6/6 zombie horrors and arbor colossus has his way with the board.
It is.
I think how you have to look at it - the manifested creature wouldn't even be around, so loss of ETB isn't the big thing. Whether it is worth unmorphing at it's casting cost and no ETB is a real question.
Unrelated, I would love to get Silumgar's Sorcerer into the deck, but double blue is a lot to ask.
What does your Removal package look like these days?
I have been running 4 Charms and 3 Downfalls main. I have to say the 4 main Charms was great, but with the increase in Dragons came an increase in Gold creatures. So the number of times I have only had a charm facing a gold thing I need removed has gone up. But it has been SO useful otherwise. As flyers is one of the main needs for removal, I guess I am stuck cutting back.
I haven't found Cuts to be all that exciting, maybe if we had more card draw the cheap/delve would be more useful. I know it is good for thinning the GY ahead of a Tasigur activation, or for Torrent. But I can't say I have felt lacking in either scenario.
I think the idea of Ascendancy (if it has any chance at all, it may not) is a 1 or 2 of. Something to come down in the later game - dodge dead draws, fill GY, find business (removal). On paper it sounds plausible, but I remain skeptical.
The real way I try to think about it is - given the assumption that once it is in play I draw more business cards (this is a soft assumption) - when I actually draw the Ascendancy am I happy with the promise of more business? Or would I prefer that Ascendancy simply was a card that did something. If I am barely hanging into the game then a card that improves later draws might be a sad draw.
Last night I played 2 Profaners instead of the Doomwakes. I had a bad night, but that was not Profaners fault (1-3 drop, of 5 matches). When he was involved I won games. I lost 2 matches because I sided him out (2 copies) against decks that it turned out were siding IN Elspeth.
A few other test cards were creating value. I want to see my tests through, but my Meta is also telling me "go back to UB control".
I am having trouble parting with my Doomwakes. But if you are saying that Profaner is working in place of Doomwaake, that does smooth out my curve.
Are you just mostly saccing the Profaner to itself? Or do you have another reliable sac choice? Is it resonable to sac a whipped-back creature, or is that just too much mana to expect to have (4 for whip, AND cast Profaner)?
I would think the side board is meaningless (though a good way to have a lot of parts to experiment with). The list sounds good, but I haven't run it. It might be a bit janky.
And if all of your swamp is in the graveyard (because of the self mill this deck does) the Urborg that should have been a swamp is not fetchable from the Delta.
Is it possible that the fetches are the problem? Is it possible that Urborg would be better than Fetches? I don't feel this is true, I am simply too tired this morning to reason it out fully.
I think a late game concern is 4 black mana. To play and activate whip. Or to activate whip and do something else (downfall, Zidisi, etc)(also for numerous Pharika activations). I have seen that problem often enough to be concerned about it, but Urborg still only solves that problem if it is around - which you can't count on.
I would like to report that Monday night I had many cases of Pharika being turned on due to new Sidisi. Pharika as a one-of makes this moot, but I have rarely seen her active.
I looked at Arbor Colossus last night. I was concerned about his mana cost. Let us know how it works out. My hope for him was that the opponent has to use up removal spells on 4/4 - 6/6 zombie horrors and arbor colossus has his way with the board.
I think how you have to look at it - the manifested creature wouldn't even be around, so loss of ETB isn't the big thing. Whether it is worth unmorphing at it's casting cost and no ETB is a real question.
Unrelated, I would love to get Silumgar's Sorcerer into the deck, but double blue is a lot to ask.
I have been running 4 Charms and 3 Downfalls main. I have to say the 4 main Charms was great, but with the increase in Dragons came an increase in Gold creatures. So the number of times I have only had a charm facing a gold thing I need removed has gone up. But it has been SO useful otherwise. As flyers is one of the main needs for removal, I guess I am stuck cutting back.
I haven't found Cuts to be all that exciting, maybe if we had more card draw the cheap/delve would be more useful. I know it is good for thinning the GY ahead of a Tasigur activation, or for Torrent. But I can't say I have felt lacking in either scenario.
The real way I try to think about it is - given the assumption that once it is in play I draw more business cards (this is a soft assumption) - when I actually draw the Ascendancy am I happy with the promise of more business? Or would I prefer that Ascendancy simply was a card that did something. If I am barely hanging into the game then a card that improves later draws might be a sad draw.
A few other test cards were creating value. I want to see my tests through, but my Meta is also telling me "go back to UB control".
Are you just mostly saccing the Profaner to itself? Or do you have another reliable sac choice? Is it resonable to sac a whipped-back creature, or is that just too much mana to expect to have (4 for whip, AND cast Profaner)?
http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/article.asp?ID=12425
I would think the side board is meaningless (though a good way to have a lot of parts to experiment with). The list sounds good, but I haven't run it. It might be a bit janky.
I think a late game concern is 4 black mana. To play and activate whip. Or to activate whip and do something else (downfall, Zidisi, etc)(also for numerous Pharika activations). I have seen that problem often enough to be concerned about it, but Urborg still only solves that problem if it is around - which you can't count on.
Foul-tounge looks like good tech.
I suspect the Charm also makes the Ultimate Price less iffy.