Now, because the targeted AoS is gone, does this cause the whole ETB effect to fizzle (my guys are safe), or does the ETB effect just exile what it can (My 2 creatures on the field are exiled)?
The Ball Helix is definitely pushing Boros Deck Wins playability. Though Fight Beast doesn't interest me that much, The Bobfather does look promising...
Wow... Mind Grind is nuts...I can definitely see Dimir Mill being a deck...
A quick question on Stolen Identity. If I have SI encoded onto an invisible stalker, and then choose the Invisible Stalker as the target for SI, does the token gain any encoded spells or does it etb as a fresh copy?
However, I have to agree with Yoshimitsu. You should try a Golgari variant.
One thing that I noticed in your deck is an alternate win con or alternate route to HS (aside from the obvious hardcast). It seems like HS is the lynch pin here. Without it, you would have a handful of fatty-no-boom-booms. With the addition of green, in addition to access to previously mentioned cards, it provides a backup plan in the form of ramp. And at the very least, the new card, Treasure Find, could be utilized to recur destroyed/countered copies of HS.
In reality, your not losing out on so much by ridding yourself of red. Black is the spot removal king. In addition to Tragic slip and Abrupt decay, you also have things like Ultimate Price and Murder (that's a stretch though). One of the problems that red removal will face is that it seems like there was a big push on +1/+1 counter adding abilities. People will just pump to mitigate the damage. At least with black, you have bone-fide destroy spell.
Anyway, This list is definitely getting there! Keep it up and I look forward to your updates.
I might be wrong here, but play playing a turn 4 Resto just to blink a turn 3 creature is kind of missing the whole point of resto angel. Resto angel is an answer card above all else. Typically, from what I've seen and used her for, she saves creatures by invalidating them as a target. Kind of like using Snapcaster mage only when you have an instant/sorcery that you need to replay.
Now, with Thragtusk and Armada Wurm, those are worth blinking just to get double the effect. If you feel that 4 mana is a bit much as far as solely to blink a creature, you might want to switch to Cloudshift.
*As far as 3cmc blink targets, I've always been a fan of Fiend Hunter to permanently exile creatures.
Are you really going to say Syncopate is useless? Comparing it to Mana leak it's not as good early game but it's not a dead draw late game like mana leak is.
Comparing it to Mana Leak again; in order to get a similar effect, i.e. unless they pay 3, you would have to make Syncopate cost 4. At that point, you might as well be playing Rewind instead. If you look at other x cost counters like Broken Ambitions or Condescend, they had better secondary abilities. For the exile ability, Dissipate would still see play before this. Mana leak still gets advantage because they have to pay 3 to your 2 (cost of Mana Leak). Late game, you would have to practically tap out for it to be effective. It's just not worth spending all that mana on it.
Even if you just made x=1, there are still far better, less played counters in standard than this thing. It didn't even see any action in any decks during it's initial printing in Odyssey. It didn't work then, and it won't work now. So, yes, I still call it useless.
Syncopate is kinda of a useless counter. I mean really? a soft-counter Dissipate as an x spell. Pass. Now, Loxodon Smiter on the other hand, is pretty sweet. An uncounterable 4/4 for 3 cmc is not that bad of a beat stick. It'll probably see play as an answer to Jund in a G/W or Naya Lightsaber-ish style deck.
@ Krandle:
I've got a question, can a card work around the cant counter clause? Like say put target spell on the bottom of its owner's library? That would be awesome, splashy, very rav like.
Yes, if anything happens to the target (your permanent)that would invalidate it before the spell (Abrupt decay)resolves, IE the permanent left play, got protection from the color of the spell, blinked, etc., then decay would be countered by the rules on resolve.
My friend casts a Sorin, Lord of Innistrad (3 Loyalty). I respond by casting a brimstone volley at it for 3. Now he tries to activate the +1 token ability, saying that he has priority because it is an incoming player.
Now, I think that this is the most a** backwards thing I've ever heard of. I think that you can't activate the +1 ability because Brimstone is an instant.
Now, because the targeted AoS is gone, does this cause the whole ETB effect to fizzle (my guys are safe), or does the ETB effect just exile what it can (My 2 creatures on the field are exiled)?
outside of aetherize). But Order of the Boros Hand looks like a decent limited beater...
A quick question on Stolen Identity. If I have SI encoded onto an invisible stalker, and then choose the Invisible Stalker as the target for SI, does the token gain any encoded spells or does it etb as a fresh copy?
BTW, I'm so happy that Phantasmal Image is no longer in standard...
However, I have to agree with Yoshimitsu. You should try a Golgari variant.
One thing that I noticed in your deck is an alternate win con or alternate route to HS (aside from the obvious hardcast). It seems like HS is the lynch pin here. Without it, you would have a handful of fatty-no-boom-booms. With the addition of green, in addition to access to previously mentioned cards, it provides a backup plan in the form of ramp. And at the very least, the new card, Treasure Find, could be utilized to recur destroyed/countered copies of HS.
In reality, your not losing out on so much by ridding yourself of red. Black is the spot removal king. In addition to Tragic slip and Abrupt decay, you also have things like Ultimate Price and Murder (that's a stretch though). One of the problems that red removal will face is that it seems like there was a big push on +1/+1 counter adding abilities. People will just pump to mitigate the damage. At least with black, you have bone-fide destroy spell.
Anyway, This list is definitely getting there! Keep it up and I look forward to your updates.
Now, with Thragtusk and Armada Wurm, those are worth blinking just to get double the effect. If you feel that 4 mana is a bit much as far as solely to blink a creature, you might want to switch to Cloudshift.
*As far as 3cmc blink targets, I've always been a fan of Fiend Hunter to permanently exile creatures.
Please don't evade the censor. -TK
Comparing it to Mana Leak again; in order to get a similar effect, i.e. unless they pay 3, you would have to make Syncopate cost 4. At that point, you might as well be playing Rewind instead. If you look at other x cost counters like Broken Ambitions or Condescend, they had better secondary abilities. For the exile ability, Dissipate would still see play before this. Mana leak still gets advantage because they have to pay 3 to your 2 (cost of Mana Leak). Late game, you would have to practically tap out for it to be effective. It's just not worth spending all that mana on it.
Even if you just made x=1, there are still far better, less played counters in standard than this thing. It didn't even see any action in any decks during it's initial printing in Odyssey. It didn't work then, and it won't work now. So, yes, I still call it useless.
@ Krandle:
Yes, if anything happens to the target (your permanent)that would invalidate it before the spell (Abrupt decay)resolves, IE the permanent left play, got protection from the color of the spell, blinked, etc., then decay would be countered by the rules on resolve.
My friend casts a Sorin, Lord of Innistrad (3 Loyalty). I respond by casting a brimstone volley at it for 3. Now he tries to activate the +1 token ability, saying that he has priority because it is an incoming player.
Now, I think that this is the most a** backwards thing I've ever heard of. I think that you can't activate the +1 ability because Brimstone is an instant.
I need a second opinion (or ten lol).