I have been playing MBI on MODO for the last week or so without Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon. I have not gotten supercompetitive with it yet, but I have been very successful in the Tournament Practice room and I have won a couple of 2-man Q's. I am curious what peoples' experience has been with Skithiryx. Without having played him, I just feel that he would sit in your hand uncast many times. For reference sake, my list looks like this:
Let me know how your experiences with Skithiryx have gone, please. Basically, I have the funds to purchase the Dragons if you guys convince me that the deck requires them. I have seen them in literally every deck list, but I am not sure if anyone has discussed their inclusion in the deck. Thanks in advance for your replies.
In summation.....Star Trek wins a prolonged naval battle against superior, yet less technologically advanced, numbers, with Picard leading the assault, while Kirk takes your soul by laying out Solo and probably his manservant Chewy as well, before impregnating and ditching your Princess.
Decks like bombs that win quickly after they land. Skithyrix is a bomb that wins fast, and does not require a card to support him, like a lashwrithe. His power scales as you get >5 mana, with 6 he is a haste 8/4 flying essentially (against opponents all infect dmg is doubly effective). It is feasible that he could hold off cards such as wurmcoil, as he'll infect it down and regenerate. I have never reached that scenario though, but Skithyrix is just good because he is a potent threat in 1 card and can win if he slips through.
Answer this, once you have accumulated 5 mana, what card would you rather draw and play instead of Skithyrix? Would you prefer to drop a crusader, or a skithyrix?
I don't use him maindeck though, but my meta is more aggro so accumulating 5 mana even is dubious. Their finishers (Koth, Hero of Bladehold, Angelic destiny) are cheaper at 4 mana. It is pretty strong to curve into him against control decks. I'm not sure how good he is against wolf run.
Yes, the "haste" portion is often much more relevant than the "regenerate" portion on Skithiryx. Usually you can just win that turn (effectively 8 damage to the dome).
As long as Dismember isn't rocking out in every deck, Skithiryx is great. Squadron Hawk could also decrease Skittles' awesomeness... but hey..
Yes, the "haste" portion is often much more relevant than the "regenerate" portion on Skithiryx. Usually you can just win that turn (effectively 8 damage to the dome).
As long as Dismember isn't rocking out in every deck, Skithiryx is great. Squadron Hawk could also decrease Skittles' awesomeness... but hey..
Again though, even if Skithiryx dies to dismember, what else would you rather be playing for 5-6 mana that Doesn't die to dismember? There are really few choices. (Dismember will likely start showing up in lots of sideboards and perhaps some maindecks soon)
The strength of Mono-black infect is even small creatures can become deadly threats requiring removal. It costs the player poison counters to hold back dismember-ing a crusader or pumped plague stinger for the skithyrix.
Skithyrix will also give them less time to draw an answer, sometimes 0 turns, if he is hasted and they are at 6 infect. So in that aspect he is a good finisher.
If you equip a lashwrithe to Skittle he will actually be out of dismember range, disabling dismember as an answer. I would say against blue back control, which can run go for the throat, he may be less potent.
The basic point is, "Dies to removal" is of more relevance in decks that cannot draw out removal. Also, spellskite can help protect against dismember, although the spellskite shield strategy is less effective in decks with mass removal like day of judgement.
I had two games this TNM where I actually drew him. The one I top decked when my opponent was at 6 poison and I had the mana to haste him and win. This was two turns after he used removal on my creatures. I have yet ti start with him in my hand but he is an amazing card with abilities for our decks. With regenerate he's insane late game. Even if you have no creatures or they've been killed, chances are you have a lashwrthe out and can just swing for 9+ poison
In summation.....Star Trek wins a prolonged naval battle against superior, yet less technologically advanced, numbers, with Picard leading the assault, while Kirk takes your soul by laying out Solo and probably his manservant Chewy as well, before impregnating and ditching your Princess.
While Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon is hands down better than Hand of the Praetors, I think I'm going to be of the unpopular opinion that he's not STRICTLY necessary. Although the best MBI deck probably runs him in some number and if you want to have the best MBI deck you should too (mine does), I've had and won a lot of games where I've never seen him or needed him. He's a great topdeck when you have the mana to cast him with haste, but you can and will win games without him in the deck, so long as you're careful about what you replace him with.
Skithiryx is MBI's game breaker. He makes control decks scared to tap out for their 6 drops.
He flies over most of the significant creatures in the format.
He essentially forces the opponent to answer or it's game either that turn or the next. He's a must for an optimal infect build.
I have won many games with my MBI in the exact, bolded way. Lots of times, either the opponent taps 6 for a Wurmcoil, Sun Titan, Primeval Titan, or whatever, and on my next turn I send in Skittles, hasted, for the win. Other times, they drop their fatty and leave up 2 for mana leak. I Geth's Verdict / Tribute, whatever and draw the counter, and then drop Skittles for the win. Many, many times, I can drop Skittles for an auto-concede.
I'm not sure I'm liking him as a 3-of in my build, but he almost always stays in for games 2 and 3, and either draws heavy fire long enough for other little dudes to push those last turn or two of infect, or just wins a game on his own.
Who turns down an aggressively costed 8/4 with evasion, haste and ability to protect itself from most removal?
It's not even a question of "if" it should be in your deck.
Well, it's no longer "Aggressively Costed" once it has all those features, since you need 8 lands for both haste and regenerate, but by the time he lands, just the haste is usually enough.
Well I think he's a must to have in your 75, at least. Mainboard, no. Infect has other threats completely capable of getting a player to 10 infect.
I cannot comprehend why you would run it in your Sideboard.. What would you side it in for? Which matchups.. I can't think of a single matchup that I wouldn't want Skittles in for....
I think I will have to agree that Skithiryx is not really THAT important. Nice, yes. I went 4-0 yesterday at FNM and didn't have a Skithiryx on the battlefield once. I always either didn't have the mana, or already won by the time I could use him.
I run one Skith and one hand of praetors and I am always happy to see either. Skith usually sits in my hand until I can haste him out and Hand pumps Inkmoth. I feel that there is room for either. Sure Hand is a removal magnet, but i have rarely had the mana available to both haste AND regenerate Skith in the same turn.
You only need regenerate in a long, drawn-out game. All decks tap out eventually and that's when six mana is more then enough to finish it right then and there.
He doesn't even have to kill them on the spot. He just makes sure the any other infecter you send into the red zone does.
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4 Phyrexian Crusader
2 Whispering Specter
2 Hand of the Praetors
3 Virulent Wound
4 Despise
4 Mutagenic Growth
2 Go For The Throat
2 Tribute to Hunger
1 Distress
4 Lashwrithe
1 Contagion Clasp
2 Tezzeret's Gambit
20 Swamp
4 Inkmoth Nexus
1 Virulent Wound
4 Nihil Spellbomb
2 Doom Blade
1 Tribute to Hunger
2 Ratchet Bomb
1 Go for the Throat
1 Dismember
2 Distress
1 Contagion Clasp
Let me know how your experiences with Skithiryx have gone, please. Basically, I have the funds to purchase the Dragons if you guys convince me that the deck requires them. I have seen them in literally every deck list, but I am not sure if anyone has discussed their inclusion in the deck. Thanks in advance for your replies.
Day of Judgement
Black Sun's Zenith
Frost Titan
A Big Flyer to block your own flyers
Next turn: Hasted Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon will win the game for you.
There is nothing wrong with holding him in your hand and wait for the right moment to drop him.
Answer this, once you have accumulated 5 mana, what card would you rather draw and play instead of Skithyrix? Would you prefer to drop a crusader, or a skithyrix?
I don't use him maindeck though, but my meta is more aggro so accumulating 5 mana even is dubious. Their finishers (Koth, Hero of Bladehold, Angelic destiny) are cheaper at 4 mana. It is pretty strong to curve into him against control decks. I'm not sure how good he is against wolf run.
As long as Dismember isn't rocking out in every deck, Skithiryx is great. Squadron Hawk could also decrease Skittles' awesomeness... but hey..
Again though, even if Skithiryx dies to dismember, what else would you rather be playing for 5-6 mana that Doesn't die to dismember? There are really few choices. (Dismember will likely start showing up in lots of sideboards and perhaps some maindecks soon)
The strength of Mono-black infect is even small creatures can become deadly threats requiring removal. It costs the player poison counters to hold back dismember-ing a crusader or pumped plague stinger for the skithyrix.
Skithyrix will also give them less time to draw an answer, sometimes 0 turns, if he is hasted and they are at 6 infect. So in that aspect he is a good finisher.
If you equip a lashwrithe to Skittle he will actually be out of dismember range, disabling dismember as an answer. I would say against blue back control, which can run go for the throat, he may be less potent.
The basic point is, "Dies to removal" is of more relevance in decks that cannot draw out removal. Also, spellskite can help protect against dismember, although the spellskite shield strategy is less effective in decks with mass removal like day of judgement.
He flies over most of the significant creatures in the format.
He essentially forces the opponent to answer or it's game either that turn or the next. He's a must for an optimal infect build.
The bolded part basically answers my question. Does this pretty much sum it up for everyone? If so I guess it is time to part with some tickets.
Do not question this wisdom.
Just profit
My Decks
UW - Geist's Living Relatives - WU
Well I think he's a must to have in your 75, at least. Mainboard, no. Infect has other threats completely capable of getting a player to 10 infect.
I have won many games with my MBI in the exact, bolded way. Lots of times, either the opponent taps 6 for a Wurmcoil, Sun Titan, Primeval Titan, or whatever, and on my next turn I send in Skittles, hasted, for the win. Other times, they drop their fatty and leave up 2 for mana leak. I Geth's Verdict / Tribute, whatever and draw the counter, and then drop Skittles for the win. Many, many times, I can drop Skittles for an auto-concede.
I'm not sure I'm liking him as a 3-of in my build, but he almost always stays in for games 2 and 3, and either draws heavy fire long enough for other little dudes to push those last turn or two of infect, or just wins a game on his own.
I'm sorry, but what's a Signet?
It's not even a question of "if" it should be in your deck.
Well, it's no longer "Aggressively Costed" once it has all those features, since you need 8 lands for both haste and regenerate, but by the time he lands, just the haste is usually enough.
My Decks
UW - Geist's Living Relatives - WU
I cannot comprehend why you would run it in your Sideboard.. What would you side it in for? Which matchups.. I can't think of a single matchup that I wouldn't want Skittles in for....
He doesn't even have to kill them on the spot. He just makes sure the any other infecter you send into the red zone does.
Many thanks to HotP Studios. Special thanks to DNC for this great sig.