Does Ramunap Excavator have a home in Modern?
It seems so good, but where does it belong?
I have to think it either shows up in traditional CoCo decks as value, replaying fetchlands from the graveyard, in a crazy Abzan Pox list or Death Cloud, or in a super janky build of CoCo. In terms of the Coco brew, you could try to lock people out of the game with Ghost Quarters, or just ramp up by replaying fetches to get value from a Duskwatch Recruiter and win with Rhonas. You could even toss in the Druid-Vizier combo, and give it a transformational sideboard to dodge hate. If that depends on the Excavator too much, you could use a couple of copies Crucible of Worlds might give it more consistency.
But really, is a spicy Excavator brew like that actually going to be better in any way than just playing Counters Company or something of the like, and if not, where else does our little Naga Cleric go?
Momir Vig, Simic Visionary
Melek, Izzet Paragon
Oona, Queen of the Fae
Bruna, Light of Alabaster
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
Rhys the Redeemed
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
Sen Triplets
The Mimeoplasm WUBRGSliver OverlordGRBUW WUBRGSliver Hivelord(Superfriends)GRBUW
Yeah, it might work in Scapeshift, but, to my understanding of the deck, the Excavator's only significant use is to help you hit your land drops, and only then if you're running fetches, which isn't all that common, because you need a certain density of Mountains in your deck. Once you cast Scapeshift, that should be the game, so getting those lands back should be irrelevant. Then again, I've never tried playing Scapeshift, so I may just be missing something.
Yeah, its weakness to pretty much all creature removal does make it worse than Crucible of Worlds in that sense, so I figured Coco would be the biggest incentive to run it. I'm pretty sure you're right, that you can play the land before it gets shot.
Actually, thinking of the MTG Goldfish article on GW Emeria when Renegade Rallier was printed (ultimately, it was decided that Renegade Rallier did not make GW Emeria better than UW Emeria), could this be the card to do the trick? It gets recurred by Sun Titan, and gets more lands toward the having an active Emeria.
It's probably got a place in modern, just I wouldn't expect it to hold the same kind of value as Crucible of Worlds. Sun Titan is one way to keep the creature technically alive. I'd find it funny if this card somehow made Landfall playable in modern.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
Doing a quick search on recent decks that contain Crucible of Worlds, I found a Green White Company deck (https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/692848#paper) with a one-of Crucible maindeck and another in the sideboard that 5-0'd a league, using a one-of Azusa and Ghost Quarters to lock out people with a low basic count, as well as Knight of the Reliquary for the value. Of course, it's easier to kill an Excavator than a Crucible, but with a four-of Collected Company, you could run maybe two or three of the Naga maindeck, and it seems like it might be what this build of CoCo needs to make it a real thing.
Speaking of Landfall, you could do some pretty fun stuff with Lotus Cobra. Turn four, you could chain together any number of Primeval Titan/clones of it, by grabbing two fetches with with the ETB trigger. You could even set up with an Uncage the Menagerie X=4, to find Phyrexian Metamorph, Clever Impersonator, Clone, and Rite of Replication, which you could actually pay the kicker for after playing the Phyrexian Metamorph and another Clone effect, which I find absolutely hilarious. This doesn't directly tie in to Ramunap Excavator, but it could be good for value, if you're running so many fetchlands.
Having said that, i'm going to invest heavily in Lotus Cobra now.
how is it any better than crucible when there are soooo many cards that are maindecked that can pinch a 2/3 with ease. This was supposed to be a Nicol Bolas set. So I'm not that surprised green is reprinting inferior cards. When Ixalan comes along green better get a huge boost!
Hatebears/Maverick/Selesnya can use it. Don't call it a company deck. Company is pretty much the only reason green exists right now, and its in a lot of decks.
You can definitely play a land from the grave before anyone has a chance to hit it with spot removal. Cast Ramunap Excavator. It goes on stack. Opponent has chance to respond (counter). IF no counter > resolves. Once it finishes resolving, priority goes back to you at which point you could play a land from your graveyard.
Still, as many have pointed out it's more of a budget crucible than a better alternative to crucible except maybe in a COCO deck. I know there is one build already out there that uses it.
Raven's crime is great with it. Drawing a land never felt so good. Especially if it's ghost quarter. This seems more practical than building a deck around a bunch of weenie creatures.
It seems so good, but where does it belong?
I have to think it either shows up in traditional CoCo decks as value, replaying fetchlands from the graveyard, in a crazy Abzan Pox list or Death Cloud, or in a super janky build of CoCo. In terms of the Coco brew, you could try to lock people out of the game with Ghost Quarters, or just ramp up by replaying fetches to get value from a Duskwatch Recruiter and win with Rhonas. You could even toss in the Druid-Vizier combo, and give it a transformational sideboard to dodge hate. If that depends on the Excavator too much, you could use a couple of copies Crucible of Worlds might give it more consistency.
But really, is a spicy Excavator brew like that actually going to be better in any way than just playing Counters Company or something of the like, and if not, where else does our little Naga Cleric go?
but I'm not really familiar enough to know.
It might be worth a try in any midrange-y deck running G.
The fact that it dies to bolt is a major strike against it,
but you can at least play one land with it before it can be bolted (I think)?
Reprint Stasis!
Control needs more love.
EDH:
Momir Vig, Simic Visionary
Melek, Izzet Paragon
Oona, Queen of the Fae
Bruna, Light of Alabaster
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
Rhys the Redeemed
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
Sen Triplets
The Mimeoplasm
WUBRGSliver OverlordGRBUW
WUBRGSliver Hivelord(Superfriends)GRBUW
Yeah, its weakness to pretty much all creature removal does make it worse than Crucible of Worlds in that sense, so I figured Coco would be the biggest incentive to run it. I'm pretty sure you're right, that you can play the land before it gets shot.
Actually, thinking of the MTG Goldfish article on GW Emeria when Renegade Rallier was printed (ultimately, it was decided that Renegade Rallier did not make GW Emeria better than UW Emeria), could this be the card to do the trick? It gets recurred by Sun Titan, and gets more lands toward the having an active Emeria.
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
1G
Land Voyage
Enchantment
Landfall- Draw a card
Speaking of Landfall, you could do some pretty fun stuff with Lotus Cobra. Turn four, you could chain together any number of Primeval Titan/clones of it, by grabbing two fetches with with the ETB trigger. You could even set up with an Uncage the Menagerie X=4, to find Phyrexian Metamorph, Clever Impersonator, Clone, and Rite of Replication, which you could actually pay the kicker for after playing the Phyrexian Metamorph and another Clone effect, which I find absolutely hilarious. This doesn't directly tie in to Ramunap Excavator, but it could be good for value, if you're running so many fetchlands.
Having said that, i'm going to invest heavily in Lotus Cobra now.
Hatebears/Maverick/Selesnya can use it. Don't call it a company deck. Company is pretty much the only reason green exists right now, and its in a lot of decks.
Not that any decks run it, but Realms Uncharted says hello.
Still, as many have pointed out it's more of a budget crucible than a better alternative to crucible except maybe in a COCO deck. I know there is one build already out there that uses it.
Currently Playing:
Legacy: Something U/W Controlish
EDH Cube
Hypercube! A New EDH Deck Every Week(ish)!