so there are a couple threads bouncing around playing with master biomancer and talrand, sky summoner, and i have a build i posted in one of those threads, hoping to get some feedback/input. so far, ive gotten nothing, and i waited about 5 days, just to make sure, and to not be redundant in my posting this. this is the only version i have seen to date that features wild defiance, and it's inclusion has been pretty sic'wicked so far.
This deck's main purpose is to sneak massive damage through via artful dodge and invisible stalker, coupled with wild defiance. Along the way, are some pretty crazy plays and interactions.
-increasing savagery + master biomancer is flat out crazy. throw in wild defiance, and your biomancer gets +8/+8 until end of turn. if you are able to play a creature after, that creature will come into play with eight +1/+1 counters. booyah! which leads to;
-talrand in play, with above situation = a 12/12 drake token. this is t5 or 6 potentially.
-without defiance in play, but 6 mana (t5 possibility) play artful dodge on your 9/9 talrand and your 7/9 biomancer = three 9/9 drakes.
HOWEVER...
talrand is NOT the focus. a simple play like increasing savagery on invisible stalker is always a good thing. follow up with zegana is going to draw you 7 cards.
-biomancer + increasing savagery + zegana = 15/15 zegana, and 15 cards drawn. discard all flashback spells and land, then the following turn you can usually flashback IS for ten +1/+1 counters, or simply artful dodge your zegana for 15 damage. the card draw plus flashback spells discarded is super important to consider.
-cavern of souls: wizard. biomancer, zegana and talrand are all wizards.
the wild defiance plan is simple, land invisible stalker, hit it wit simic charm for +5/+5, turn sideways. or as i said earlier, increasing savagery it for +8/+8, turn sideways.
i had been testing blessings of nature, as with defiance, it can target up to four creatures, giving them all +4/+4 essentially - with drakes as the targets. however, i just put in 2 simic manipulators instead, and in the first game testing them landed a 7/8 manipulator on turn 5. next turn take basically anything you want. still, both may be sb cards really.
Really though, almost every card in heer interacts well/awesome with each other card. 3/3 arbor elves arent too shabby, and 8/8 ones are even better (if you hit biomancer with increasing savagery). and all along, simic charm protects all your permanents. it also returns zegana to hand to draw more, or stalker to hand to replay once mancer is in play, for a larger stalker.
one last fun interaction is a bit of an xmas land scenario, but it has happened a couple times. wild defiance, biomancer, talrand in play (turn 5ish). turn 6, six mana, with 2 artful dodges in play and plenty of mana. target biomancer with AD, pumping it +3/+3(to 5/7), and getting a 7/7 drake. flashback AD targeting biomancer, biomancer becomes 8/10, recieve a 10/10 drake. play second AD on biomancer..11/13, recieve 13/13 drake... and if you have 1 blue mana left (likely), flashback for a 14/16 biomancer, and a 16/16 drake. now that is 46 power for 4 mana. plus your biomancer is a 14/16 unblockable that turn, setting up the death blow with your drakesdragons.
please any thoughts at all? control will probably be the toughest matchup, but spell rupture is a good sideboard piece in here.
quick recap
-Huge unblockables
-fill your hand with ease
Well it doesnt actively try to winmor lol, but its happens. I think winmor is fine if the deck isnt designed for it. This deck, the synergies is what makes it winmor, but taking away the synergies to make it winles seems...dur. Lol what do you suggest? I know you have a great mind for the more competitive side of standard. What should be changed? A dash of control? That was my sb plan, to remove defiance and put in counters.
Your deck started out well and swung with a 7/7 stalker on t4, but next turn he was just a 1/1 again. After a couple removal spells the deck choked on creature buffs and ran out of gas. Even dropping a late creature was underwhelming with some of the buffs that were sorcery speed with the enchant out, since you couldn't use them on defense. I don't think there was anything in your deck to help you bounce back from a weak board state, zegana won't come in unless you have biomancer or a dude covered in counters.
Not trying to say my deck is better or your deck is bad after only one game just thought you might want to know how it went in a test.
I would suggest more dudes, maybe more hexproof, try to lower the curve a bit, some additional form of draw.
Honestly, i play zegana as soon as i can every time, because even drawing 2 cards is good imo. I really just view her as a card draw spell first, creature second. Simic charm can always return her to my hand to replay for more card draw. The list im running now uses 2 simic manipulators instead of blessings of nature, and theyve been pretty good so far. Most of the time in my testing, its increasing savagery that wins it, on a stalker, or whatever. Its flashback isnt all that hard to attain either. I played with giant growth a lil, but simic charm was just plain better cuz of its greater utility.
Also, i usually hold simic charm to protect against the removal you spoke of. Going to test zameck guildmage a lil too, he could be a house
Thanks for testing my deck!! Really appreciate the feedback! Ill mess with it a lil and see what happens.
Ps; this deck is all in the way you play it too (most decks are, i know), with a lot of strategy involved in the order you lay and play things. I woulda probably only dodged stalker once in your scenario, holding it for a turn to land biomancer etc. Also, there are 4 hexproof creatures, and 4 spells that make all my permanents hexproof. 8 sources seems decent to me
Bump? Nobody likes this at all? Working with simic manipulator has been interesting, and the addition of Spell rupture has given it a bit more strength
I like the simic ideas kicking around, and your thoughts here with wilddefiance are good! I've been holding onto 4 wilddefiance's and experimenting with different pumps (travel preparations, swift justice, boros charm, wild hunger etc). I've never been quite happy with how they have turned out because that turn 2/3 when you play wild defiance slows the speed down quite a bit. I'm definitely gonna think on your deck though.
Fear not, there are more lurkers than posters here
I like the simic ideas kicking around, and your thoughts here with wilddefiance are good! I've been holding onto 4 wilddefiance's and experimenting with different pumps (travel preparations, swift justice, boros charm, wild hunger etc). I've never been quite happy with how they have turned out because that turn 2/3 when you play wild defiance slows the speed down quite a bit. I'm definitely gonna think on your deck though.
Fear not, there are more lurkers than posters here
thanks! Id love to see your take on it. I dropped defiance to 3of, to make room for 3 Spell ruptures. Zameck guildmage deserves a spot, but idk what to drop. Talrand? But he is pretty great here too. Lets see if this can be more than kitchen table fun- it has some power houses
hey there i just wanted to make sure i read it correctly about the COS you can't say wizard that is a subtype not a creature type like merfolf, elf, bird and so on
Wow, tower, had not thoight of that at all! Good suggestion! It is possible to only draw 2 cards with her, but the more likely sitch usually nets you 10-15+. Testing now
Snapcaster needs a spot, with biomancer and WD out flashing in a 4/3 killing an attacker and fighting another and maybe living since your 2 mana 2/1 is now a 7/6 seems like it could be fun lol.
snaps has occured to me, but i might just "splash" him, like 2-3. thing with him is that most spells are exiled on flashback, so hed have less targets. but simic sharm and flashbacking increasing savagery for 6 instead of 7 might be worth it.
Snaps is only good in this deck assuming that you 1) have creature in play, 2) have a card in the graveyard to flash back. To me, that's too conditional. It's better to do as you have done and pick flashback cards where you can get virtual card advantage. Other cards to consider, Wild Hunger, Travel Preparations (can boost two guys, and twice in the same turn for 4CMC, total of +8/+8 on one, +16+16 on two).
I like it, and have looked at fathom mage, but she needs other creatures to draw you cards, where zegana etb drawing us cards. An is a very big finisher with artful dodge. Shoot me a pm, maybe we can test a lil on ctrice
I like it, and have looked at fathom mage, but she needs other creatures to draw you cards, where zegana etb drawing us cards. An is a very big finisher with artful dodge. Shoot me a pm, maybe we can test a lil on ctrice
Yeah, with Fathom Mage, you probably want to add in ways to get counters on her besides evolve to maximize her use. Spells like these:
Simic:
Increasing Savagery (good with hexproof guys too)
Deadbridge Goliath (scavenge)
Bioshift - if you are playing enough evolve
Ring of Eros Isle (extra card a turn, and hexproof possibility)
Master Biomancer (already in your deck)
Forced Adapation (not wholly useless on your hexproof guys too)
Bant:
Gavony Township
Ajani
Restoration Angel - extra use of evolve
GoST - extra use of evolve
Ive been running 2 master mancers, 2 zeganna, and 2 talrand. results vary somewhat, but all in all i win on turn 6. I also run 2 Urban Evolution, I feel it helps smooth out the mana curve when playing with Alchemist Refuge. Playing a fatty on their turn that gets buffed by master mancer? yes please. I'm also running 3 Prey Upon and 3 Pit Fight, as well as a pair of Spell Ruptures and it feels good at the moment. The only problem I am having is consistent 1 drops. Seems like I need more arbor elves or maybe even a couple Judges Familiar to act as both counter and blocker. Plus with it being flying it has evasion. More testing needs to be done before I feel confident about this at my FNM.
Strangle root may very well be the answer in stead of guild mage for this deck. While the draws are nice, having a recurring threat that if master mancer is out will get double pumped is nothing to scoff at. a 2/2 haste coming back as a 5/5 haste is definitely something to look into.
Zero. If you look at all my posts in the other simic threads you will see that I've been telling you to run gm and strangleroot. They are quite the powerful tag team. Kinda like a smaller resto tusk team. While not format defining they are the simics most powerful synergy. I have not lost to any deck that does not answer them somehow.
A "new" tech I have found is silklash spider. So broken in this deck. Protects against every playable flyer. And it's butt is big enough to survive combat against anything not comboed with paladin or bloodrushed. But it will always evolve everything you have.
I fall in and out with elusive. It's really really good sometimes while just meh a lot of the time.
No matter what the guildmage is always a 4 of. I tried playing less. Just so many games where I go wouldn't an extra couple of draws made me win even better or easier? Or a few more power would have swung that game around. I'm almost to the point of running a few copies of baby garruk to tutor for gm when I don't seem to be able to draw it. Did I mention how good strangleroot is if you can get a gm, itself, and garruk out? Every turn you can tutor for whatever creature you want and draw a card for doing so.
Zero. If you look at all my posts in the other simic threads you will see that I've been telling you to run gm and strangleroot. They are quite the powerful tag team. Kinda like a smaller resto tusk team. While not format defining they are the simics most powerful synergy. I have not lost to any deck that does not answer them somehow.
A "new" tech I have found is silklash spider. So broken in this deck. Protects against every playable flyer. And it's butt is big enough to survive combat against anything not comboed with paladin or bloodrushed. But it will always evolve everything you have.
I fall in and out with elusive. It's really really good sometimes while just meh a lot of the time.
No matter what the guildmage is always a 4 of. I tried playing less. Just so many games where I go wouldn't an extra couple of draws made me win even better or easier? Or a few more power would have swung that game around. I'm almost to the point of running a few copies of baby garruk to tutor for gm when I don't seem to be able to draw it. Did I mention how good strangleroot is if you can get a gm, itself, and garruk out? Every turn you can tutor for whatever creature you want and draw a card for doing so.
Yeah, Silklash is a good one. I assume you are playing it out of the SB?
Anyone taking this to FNM tonight? What's your current decklist?
I hav to work tonight.. good luck to those that do! Id love to hear some results!
I still like zegana over fathom mage, the ability to draw 7-15 cards and refill your hand with answers is better in this deck than drawing a card or two here or there... I think her frail body makes me shy away too... However, zameck guildmage has proved useful. Think im running him as a 2of now. Pit fight is awesome, and great suggestion. I have 3 in, swapping the counterspell out for it. All in all, i still think this deck has mad potential.
Artful dodge will always be main for me, as it enables so much in this deck for U, or UU. Biomancer, talrand, and wild defiance in play (not unheard of at all). Play dodge on biomancer, now have unblockable 5/7, and get a 7/7 drake. Flashback dodge, and target mancer again for an 8/10 mancer, and a 12/12 drake. Or target talrand, to be able to swing with two creatures (but only(lol) getting a second 7/7 drake(lol again @only)).
Spell rupture and simic charm make a good protection package, and with pit fight, thats not too shabby a "control" package for a deck that is pretty offensive.
I hav to work tonight.. good luck to those that do! Id love to hear some results!
I still like zegana over fathom mage, the ability to draw 7-15 cards and refill your hand with answers is better in this deck than drawing a card or two here or there... I think her frail body makes me shy away too... However, zameck guildmage has proved useful. Think im running him as a 2of now. Pit fight is awesome, and great suggestion. I have 3 in, swapping the counterspell out for it. All in all, i still think this deck has mad potential.
Artful dodge will always be main for me, as it enables so much in this deck for U, or UU. Biomancer, talrand, and wild defiance in play (not unheard of at all). Play dodge on biomancer, now have unblockable 5/7, and get a 7/7 drake. Flashback dodge, and target mancer again for an 8/10 mancer, and a 12/12 drake. Or target talrand, to be able to swing with two creatures (but only(lol) getting a second 7/7 drake(lol again @only)).
Spell rupture and simic charm make a good protection package, and with pit fight, thats not too shabby a "control" package for a deck that is pretty offensive.
Well, I'm on the fence with Zegana v. Fathom Mage in a straight U/G deck. The Biomancer nets you at least a few cards when the Fathom Mage comes into play, and the Zameck Guild Mage can keep resetting her. She is likely to avoid targeted removal because she doesn't appear like much of a threat (although this will be interesting to see as I test more). At least she isn't immediately subjected to Selesnya Charm shenanigans--that charm is played in a lot of aggro decks.
Also, without white to blink her, Zegana is a bit weaker. Unlike Fathom Mage, she is dependent on a powerful creature being out to draw you a bunch of cards for the one shot you use her. I suppose you could use Simic Charm to bounce her to hand, but I generally like to use Simic Charm for other purposes. Finally, in a straight U/G I'm trying to keep the deck lean and limit highest CC creatuer to 5--Thragtusk--with Primordial Hydra being a potential mana dump (with Simic Charms to protect it).
Anyway, it's a tough call. If you go Bant I think Zegana is a must, although Fathom Mage also is solid there with Gavony Township, Ajani, Restoration Angel.
Well, I'm on the fence with Zegana v. Fathom Mage in a straight U/G deck. The Biomancer nets you at least a few cards when the Fathom Mage comes into play, and the Zameck Guild Mage can keep resetting her. She is likely to avoid targeted removal because she doesn't appear like much of a threat (although this will be interesting to see as I test more). At least she isn't immediately subjected to Selesnya Charm shenanigans--that charm is played in a lot of aggro decks.
Also, without white to blink her, Zegana is a bit weaker. Unlike Fathom Mage, she is dependent on a powerful creature being out to draw you a bunch of cards for the one shot you use her. I suppose you could use Simic Charm to bounce her to hand, but I generally like to use Simic Charm for other purposes. Finally, in a straight U/G I'm trying to keep the deck lean and limit highest CC creatuer to 5--Thragtusk--with Primordial Hydra being a potential mana dump (with Simic Charms to protect it).
Anyway, it's a tough call. If you go Bant I think Zegana is a must, although Fathom Mage also is solid there with Gavony Township, Ajani, Restoration Angel.
All good valid points. Idk. Perhaps ill try a 2:2 split with them. I feel like both types of card draw is good to have in a deck, and then we can rely on zegana to be more of a finisher. Artful dodge on her is usually game if things go right for you. I feel like mana has never been an issue for me being able to play her. Also like i said before, im not looking to zegana primarily to be a big creature, just to be a draw spell. Thats why i prefer to run 4, because you can just draw into another of her. She will totally take spot removal as a 7/7 or 15/15, but i have another in my hand. Idk...
An offshoot that would be fun to make is zegana defiance self-mill with maniac lol...
Hydra seems super shmexy with biomancer...
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3 Arbor Elf
4 Invisible Stalker
3 Zameck Guildmage
4 Master Biomancer
2 Talrand, Sky Summoner
3 Prime Speaker Zegana
4 Artful Dodge
4 Wild Defiance
3 Increasing Savagery
4 Simic Charm
3 Pit Fight
4 Breeding Pool
4 Hinterland Harbor
3 Cavern of Souls
6 Forest
6 Island
This deck's main purpose is to sneak massive damage through via artful dodge and invisible stalker, coupled with wild defiance. Along the way, are some pretty crazy plays and interactions.
-increasing savagery + master biomancer is flat out crazy. throw in wild defiance, and your biomancer gets +8/+8 until end of turn. if you are able to play a creature after, that creature will come into play with eight +1/+1 counters. booyah! which leads to;
-talrand in play, with above situation = a 12/12 drake token. this is t5 or 6 potentially.
-without defiance in play, but 6 mana (t5 possibility) play artful dodge on your 9/9 talrand and your 7/9 biomancer = three 9/9 drakes.
HOWEVER...
talrand is NOT the focus. a simple play like increasing savagery on invisible stalker is always a good thing. follow up with zegana is going to draw you 7 cards.
-biomancer + increasing savagery + zegana = 15/15 zegana, and 15 cards drawn. discard all flashback spells and land, then the following turn you can usually flashback IS for ten +1/+1 counters, or simply artful dodge your zegana for 15 damage. the card draw plus flashback spells discarded is super important to consider.
-cavern of souls: wizard. biomancer, zegana and talrand are all wizards.
the wild defiance plan is simple, land invisible stalker, hit it wit simic charm for +5/+5, turn sideways. or as i said earlier, increasing savagery it for +8/+8, turn sideways.
i had been testing blessings of nature, as with defiance, it can target up to four creatures, giving them all +4/+4 essentially - with drakes as the targets. however, i just put in 2 simic manipulators instead, and in the first game testing them landed a 7/8 manipulator on turn 5. next turn take basically anything you want. still, both may be sb cards really.
Really though, almost every card in heer interacts well/awesome with each other card. 3/3 arbor elves arent too shabby, and 8/8 ones are even better (if you hit biomancer with increasing savagery). and all along, simic charm protects all your permanents. it also returns zegana to hand to draw more, or stalker to hand to replay once mancer is in play, for a larger stalker.
one last fun interaction is a bit of an xmas land scenario, but it has happened a couple times. wild defiance, biomancer, talrand in play (turn 5ish). turn 6, six mana, with 2 artful dodges in play and plenty of mana. target biomancer with AD, pumping it +3/+3(to 5/7), and getting a 7/7 drake. flashback AD targeting biomancer, biomancer becomes 8/10, recieve a 10/10 drake. play second AD on biomancer..11/13, recieve 13/13 drake... and if you have 1 blue mana left (likely), flashback for a 14/16 biomancer, and a 16/16 drake. now that is 46 power for 4 mana. plus your biomancer is a 14/16 unblockable that turn, setting up the death blow with your
drakesdragons.please any thoughts at all? control will probably be the toughest matchup, but spell rupture is a good sideboard piece in here.
quick recap
-Huge unblockables
-fill your hand with ease
fathom mage kinda sweet in this too....
My decklist:
4 Crypt Ghast
4 Desecration Demon
3 Disciple of Bolas
4 Bloodgift Demon
3 Harvester of Souls
2 Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
1 Griselbrand
3 Devour Flesh
3 Victim of Night
3 Duress
2 Tragic Slip
1 Elixir of Immortality
Your deck started out well and swung with a 7/7 stalker on t4, but next turn he was just a 1/1 again. After a couple removal spells the deck choked on creature buffs and ran out of gas. Even dropping a late creature was underwhelming with some of the buffs that were sorcery speed with the enchant out, since you couldn't use them on defense. I don't think there was anything in your deck to help you bounce back from a weak board state, zegana won't come in unless you have biomancer or a dude covered in counters.
Not trying to say my deck is better or your deck is bad after only one game just thought you might want to know how it went in a test.
I would suggest more dudes, maybe more hexproof, try to lower the curve a bit, some additional form of draw.
Also, i usually hold simic charm to protect against the removal you spoke of. Going to test zameck guildmage a lil too, he could be a house
Thanks for testing my deck!! Really appreciate the feedback! Ill mess with it a lil and see what happens.
Ps; this deck is all in the way you play it too (most decks are, i know), with a lot of strategy involved in the order you lay and play things. I woulda probably only dodged stalker once in your scenario, holding it for a turn to land biomancer etc. Also, there are 4 hexproof creatures, and 4 spells that make all my permanents hexproof. 8 sources seems decent to me
Fear not, there are more lurkers than posters here
thanks! Id love to see your take on it. I dropped defiance to 3of, to make room for 3 Spell ruptures. Zameck guildmage deserves a spot, but idk what to drop. Talrand? But he is pretty great here too. Lets see if this can be more than kitchen table fun- it has some power houses
Wizard is a subtype flavor wise obviously, but yes it you can set Wizard to CoS.
I always suggest Reliquary Tower in Zegana decks, but ESPECIALLY yours.
Prey Upon and Pit Fight buff your dudes while removing blockers!
Snapcaster needs a spot, with biomancer and WD out flashing in a 4/3 killing an attacker and fighting another and maybe living since your 2 mana 2/1 is now a 7/6 seems like it could be fun lol.
snaps has occured to me, but i might just "splash" him, like 2-3. thing with him is that most spells are exiled on flashback, so hed have less targets. but simic sharm and flashbacking increasing savagery for 6 instead of 7 might be worth it.
Yeah, with Fathom Mage, you probably want to add in ways to get counters on her besides evolve to maximize her use. Spells like these:
Simic:
Increasing Savagery (good with hexproof guys too)
Deadbridge Goliath (scavenge)
Bioshift - if you are playing enough evolve
Ring of Eros Isle (extra card a turn, and hexproof possibility)
Master Biomancer (already in your deck)
Forced Adapation (not wholly useless on your hexproof guys too)
Bant:
Gavony Township
Ajani
Restoration Angel - extra use of evolve
GoST - extra use of evolve
Talrand, Borderland Ranger, and Elvish Visionary seem fairly weak in your deck. You don't really have any Blink. I'd rather play creatures like Cloudfin Raptor, Experiment One, Strangleroot Geist, Zameck Guildmage, Thragtusk, Deadbridge Goliath, or even Primordial Hydra in a straight Simic Deck.
If you go Bant, then GoST is an obvious add for what you are trying to accomplish.
Also, sorry for the double post.
A "new" tech I have found is silklash spider. So broken in this deck. Protects against every playable flyer. And it's butt is big enough to survive combat against anything not comboed with paladin or bloodrushed. But it will always evolve everything you have.
I fall in and out with elusive. It's really really good sometimes while just meh a lot of the time.
No matter what the guildmage is always a 4 of. I tried playing less. Just so many games where I go wouldn't an extra couple of draws made me win even better or easier? Or a few more power would have swung that game around. I'm almost to the point of running a few copies of baby garruk to tutor for gm when I don't seem to be able to draw it. Did I mention how good strangleroot is if you can get a gm, itself, and garruk out? Every turn you can tutor for whatever creature you want and draw a card for doing so.
Yeah, Silklash is a good one. I assume you are playing it out of the SB?
I hav to work tonight.. good luck to those that do! Id love to hear some results!
I still like zegana over fathom mage, the ability to draw 7-15 cards and refill your hand with answers is better in this deck than drawing a card or two here or there... I think her frail body makes me shy away too... However, zameck guildmage has proved useful. Think im running him as a 2of now. Pit fight is awesome, and great suggestion. I have 3 in, swapping the counterspell out for it. All in all, i still think this deck has mad potential.
Artful dodge will always be main for me, as it enables so much in this deck for U, or UU. Biomancer, talrand, and wild defiance in play (not unheard of at all). Play dodge on biomancer, now have unblockable 5/7, and get a 7/7 drake. Flashback dodge, and target mancer again for an 8/10 mancer, and a 12/12 drake. Or target talrand, to be able to swing with two creatures (but only(lol) getting a second 7/7 drake(lol again @only)).
Spell rupture and simic charm make a good protection package, and with pit fight, thats not too shabby a "control" package for a deck that is pretty offensive.
Well, I'm on the fence with Zegana v. Fathom Mage in a straight U/G deck. The Biomancer nets you at least a few cards when the Fathom Mage comes into play, and the Zameck Guild Mage can keep resetting her. She is likely to avoid targeted removal because she doesn't appear like much of a threat (although this will be interesting to see as I test more). At least she isn't immediately subjected to Selesnya Charm shenanigans--that charm is played in a lot of aggro decks.
Also, without white to blink her, Zegana is a bit weaker. Unlike Fathom Mage, she is dependent on a powerful creature being out to draw you a bunch of cards for the one shot you use her. I suppose you could use Simic Charm to bounce her to hand, but I generally like to use Simic Charm for other purposes. Finally, in a straight U/G I'm trying to keep the deck lean and limit highest CC creatuer to 5--Thragtusk--with Primordial Hydra being a potential mana dump (with Simic Charms to protect it).
Anyway, it's a tough call. If you go Bant I think Zegana is a must, although Fathom Mage also is solid there with Gavony Township, Ajani, Restoration Angel.
All good valid points. Idk. Perhaps ill try a 2:2 split with them. I feel like both types of card draw is good to have in a deck, and then we can rely on zegana to be more of a finisher. Artful dodge on her is usually game if things go right for you. I feel like mana has never been an issue for me being able to play her. Also like i said before, im not looking to zegana primarily to be a big creature, just to be a draw spell. Thats why i prefer to run 4, because you can just draw into another of her. She will totally take spot removal as a 7/7 or 15/15, but i have another in my hand. Idk...
An offshoot that would be fun to make is zegana defiance self-mill with maniac lol...
Hydra seems super shmexy with biomancer...