I don't understand echoing truth at all. Why would it be a better removal spell than one that costs half the mana and works permanently?
Truth sees play in hard combo decks as a versatile anti-answer. It is not the card you're looking for to deal with the format's goblin guides, death's shadows, and thought knot seers.
Even the corner-case, christmasland scenario you outlined isn't where truth shines: bridgevine plays a critical mass of free sacrifice effects.
I think I agree that bugler is bad. I play him in GW company with devoted druid, and I can say: he's a commitment.
You're essentially taking your whole to generate card selection and a body. Those things matter in a deck that plays chord and needs specific creatures, but spirits would lose a ton of tempo for no real gain.
Not to mention, many spirits (like queller and rattlechains) are weaker if you have to reveal them (and possibly tap out while doing so).
On the other hand, obsession has been great for me. It's surprisingly easy to protect for a turn with rattlechains or queller, even against mid-range decks.
For your first question, I think the answer is "yes", but not strictly because of ballista. Eldrazi Tron, hardened scales, etc, are decks you want Stony against, but it's because it turns off a critical number of cards. I would not, for example, bring in Stony against GW druid with ballista as a combo piece.
In terms of boarding with captain, I actually do cut them pretty often. Against decks like jund and grixis, it's very possible that your early plays have been answered. Wind Drakes don't win games
There's definitely nothing wrong with the MODO shuffler; like nearly any computational randomness it's based on significantly more arbitrary variables than the average IRL card shuffle.
If you hit the right mix of lands and spells the whole tournament that means you were running hot, as your opponents likely didn't.
Regardless, congrats on the finish. I have a couple questions about your list.
Firstly, how has obsession been for you? Which creatures are most important to protecting the enchanted one?
Also, what is your reasoning for playing deprive over unified will? Nearly all successful lists choose will, as far as I can tell.
It's possible that one rays should be replaced by a copy of guard duty, for cards like death's shadow and wurmcoil. The reprinted armadillo cloak has been reasonable out of the board.
I've been having some success with tallowisp (thought not to the point that I'm convinced).
Basically, cut paths, selfless, and image from classic spirits to add 3x oppressive rays and 3x curious obsession.
Rays is a powerful early play, generally better than path against an early vine, guide, or Noble. Obsession is a surprisingly good curiosity.
These cards, in combination with the tallowisp engine, help with spirit's problems against fast aggro and flood. However, they leave us weaker to traditional wraths and certain creatures (Baral, TITI).
I liked meddling mage in knightfall a lot a few months ago. Decks like storm, ad nauseum, UW control, and valakut were all pretty soft to it.
More recently though, one of the best decks in the format is running a full playset with ways to copy them. People have adapted - red combo decks play bolts, control decks diversify wraths, and decks like KCI are overtaking less flexible archetypes.
Long story short, I don't think you want them right now. It's a card that we'd play to steal game ones, but the decks we're targeting have had time to adjust to it.
Wow how did I forget about worship? That's brilliant. I've actually used that card before but it slipped my mind.
I'm actually already up to the four reflectors after board. I've found them to be ok, but very bad against aether vial. Also can be a little awkward if they have images.
How have you guys been handling humans? In the games I've played it seems like a very close matchup.
After struggling with it in leagues I went in search of good sideboard options. Does anyone have anything spicy?
I know it's a hard deck to hate out. My current board plan is to bring in revoker for vial or staticaster, reflector, and blessed alliance for riders. I'm considering adding settle the wreckage or ghostly prison
Dauntless bodyguard is definitely something that caught my eye as well. I honestly wonder if a benevolent-bodyguard-varient wouldn't be too strong in modern, because this guys drawback makes it extremely awkward.
Remember, a good opponent will kill druid while it's summoning sick if possible. So... The only scenario I can come up with where this card is good is when you play a druid and pass with chord to protect. Druid only costs 2 mana, so this is only relevant if you have exactly 4 chord Mana left, and isn't relevant against path, dismember, brutality, or reflector mage.
Will there be scenarios where you simultaneously:
a) have to protect a druid with exactly 4 convoke?
b) are facing removal that indestructible works against?
c) still have the cards to go off after?
Yes. But will that happen enough times to justify playing a Savannah Lion? I think probably not. Its possible that my logic's flawed, let me know what you find if you test it.
yeah I've been pretty unhappy with the vizier combo myself lately. The cards are so clunky and underpowered that you often can't win if you're interacted with.
Did anyone else see the recent 5-0 MTGO list with 4 maindeck mana leaks? It honestly struck a chord with me immediately. I've always been most comfortable after sideboard with access to negates or unified wills, and to me path is more of a necessary evil than a boon.
I might play a couple more reflector mages, but in general leak seems awesome. Shores up some rougher matchups and boosts the flash plan.
Osanai - what does your manabase look like? I liked meddling mage when I played with it as well, but ultimately cut it because the mana cost was too awkward. It punishes you for fetching basic forest and is difficult to play alongside another spell later in the game
Hard on the mana. But probably the best maindeck answer to UW right now
Hard on the mana. But probably the best maindeck answer to UW right now
Truth sees play in hard combo decks as a versatile anti-answer. It is not the card you're looking for to deal with the format's goblin guides, death's shadows, and thought knot seers.
Even the corner-case, christmasland scenario you outlined isn't where truth shines: bridgevine plays a critical mass of free sacrifice effects.
You're essentially taking your whole to generate card selection and a body. Those things matter in a deck that plays chord and needs specific creatures, but spirits would lose a ton of tempo for no real gain.
Not to mention, many spirits (like queller and rattlechains) are weaker if you have to reveal them (and possibly tap out while doing so).
On the other hand, obsession has been great for me. It's surprisingly easy to protect for a turn with rattlechains or queller, even against mid-range decks.
In terms of boarding with captain, I actually do cut them pretty often. Against decks like jund and grixis, it's very possible that your early plays have been answered. Wind Drakes don't win games
If you hit the right mix of lands and spells the whole tournament that means you were running hot, as your opponents likely didn't.
Regardless, congrats on the finish. I have a couple questions about your list.
Firstly, how has obsession been for you? Which creatures are most important to protecting the enchanted one?
Also, what is your reasoning for playing deprive over unified will? Nearly all successful lists choose will, as far as I can tell.
Tallowisp spirits:
- 4x Noble hierarch
- 4x mausoleum wanderer
- 4x supreme Phantasm
- 4x rattlechains
- 4x tallowisp
- 4x drogskul Captain
- 4x spell queller
- 4x collected company
- 3x oppressive rays
- 3x curious obsession
- 22 land stock manabase
It's possible that one rays should be replaced by a copy of guard duty, for cards like death's shadow and wurmcoil. The reprinted armadillo cloak has been reasonable out of the board.
I think the actual question is if it's worth the deck-building cost. Rays is certainly weaker than path, but free, tribal tutoring might justify it.
Basically, cut paths, selfless, and image from classic spirits to add 3x oppressive rays and 3x curious obsession.
Rays is a powerful early play, generally better than path against an early vine, guide, or Noble. Obsession is a surprisingly good curiosity.
These cards, in combination with the tallowisp engine, help with spirit's problems against fast aggro and flood. However, they leave us weaker to traditional wraths and certain creatures (Baral, TITI).
Thoughts?
More recently though, one of the best decks in the format is running a full playset with ways to copy them. People have adapted - red combo decks play bolts, control decks diversify wraths, and decks like KCI are overtaking less flexible archetypes.
Long story short, I don't think you want them right now. It's a card that we'd play to steal game ones, but the decks we're targeting have had time to adjust to it.
I'm actually already up to the four reflectors after board. I've found them to be ok, but very bad against aether vial. Also can be a little awkward if they have images.
After struggling with it in leagues I went in search of good sideboard options. Does anyone have anything spicy?
I know it's a hard deck to hate out. My current board plan is to bring in revoker for vial or staticaster, reflector, and blessed alliance for riders. I'm considering adding settle the wreckage or ghostly prison
Remember, a good opponent will kill druid while it's summoning sick if possible. So... The only scenario I can come up with where this card is good is when you play a druid and pass with chord to protect. Druid only costs 2 mana, so this is only relevant if you have exactly 4 chord Mana left, and isn't relevant against path, dismember, brutality, or reflector mage.
Will there be scenarios where you simultaneously:
a) have to protect a druid with exactly 4 convoke?
b) are facing removal that indestructible works against?
c) still have the cards to go off after?
Yes. But will that happen enough times to justify playing a Savannah Lion? I think probably not. Its possible that my logic's flawed, let me know what you find if you test it.
Did anyone else see the recent 5-0 MTGO list with 4 maindeck mana leaks? It honestly struck a chord with me immediately. I've always been most comfortable after sideboard with access to negates or unified wills, and to me path is more of a necessary evil than a boon.
I might play a couple more reflector mages, but in general leak seems awesome. Shores up some rougher matchups and boosts the flash plan.