MTG Salvation

For the thread: Karn is an amazing finisher for control and ramp decks and is definitely 360 worthy.

For OP: Some strategies are strong. Ramp into Karn is one of the better strategies in cube because you just ramped over aggro, and control doesn't always have the silver bullet for planeswalkers at the ready or the creature density to take Karn out through combat. Your drafters not drafting Karn outside of that strategy seems strange to me though, and possibly shows that they undervalue him a bit. I would be fine with my 7 drops winning games though. I also think you could benefit from a larger sample size.

Karn Liberated was discussed here in the Random Cube Card of the Day thread.

At 360 I think Karn is starting to show his age, and he’s been severely underperforming for a long time now. However, it just feels gutterally wrong to cut him, as he’s been such a staple for so damn long. I’d be replacing him with Phyrexian Revoker, which I’ve played in the past to good effect in a variety of decks. Thoughts on cutting Karn? I assume he’s still a house at large sizes.

I think 7cc Karn is cuttable in small cubes, and I do like Revoker more if I could only have 1 of the 2.

We’re currently testing Hellkite because it’s so good with Shops, and in the few games we’ve had with it so far, it’s actually been pretty cool. Not sure if it’s great yet, but with even a single connection, no matter how far behind you are, it allways catches you up. It can also be used to help with Metalworker and Tinker support. Not sure if it will, stick but so far I want to keep testing it.

Revoker over Karn? I thought I’d never see the day! Any other opinions on he change? I think the edit seems sound, but I lack experience with needle effects so I might be valuing Revoker wrong.

Quote from NotScottMescudi »

We’re currently testing Hellkite because it’s so good with Shops, and in the few games we’ve had with it so far, it’s actually been pretty cool. Not sure if it’s great yet, but with even a single connection, no matter how far behind you are, it allways catches you up. It can also be used to help with Metalworker and Tinker support. Not sure if it will, stick but so far I want to keep testing it.

Revoker over Karn? I thought I’d never see the day! Any other opinions on he change? I think the edit seems sound, but I lack experience with needle effects so I might be valuing Revoker wrong.

I think revoker is probably more important in powered than unpowered. I cut it awhile ago in my unpowered 465 and haven't looked back. I still happily run Karn.

This is a card I'm starting to get less and less excited about - It seems way too slow to be effective and with more efficient planeswalker removal effects in black, it seems to get a lot worse.

Does anyone else feel this about Karn?

I actually think it’s first-pickable! I 3-0ed with back to back Karn decks a couple weeks ago.

Quote from Patrunkenphat7 »

I actually think it’s first-pickable! I 3-0ed with back to back Karn decks a couple weeks ago.

Thats really interesting. Could you explain why you first picked Karn and what the deck was?

Quote from Breathe1234 »

Quote from Patrunkenphat7 »

I actually think it’s first-pickable! I 3-0ed with back to back Karn decks a couple weeks ago.

Thats really interesting. Could you explain why you first picked Karn and what the deck was?

The context of my cube is powered 720 with full sets of signets and talismans. The 3-0 Karn decks were Rakdos control and Mardu prison control. Both decks ramped with artifacts, controlled the board, and played bomby top end such as Karn, Ugin, and Wildfire.

I like to pick Karn early because it goes in any color artifact ramp deck and is a combo of both powerful and flexible.

Ugin >> 7 CC Karn >>> 4 CC Karn

I'd play both of the first two at 360. 4CC Karn barely makes it at 450 for me.