Sorry for the random question, where do you think Pyromancer Ascension and it's pyromancer ascensionFoil version will end up? Decrease rapidly or increase even more? Seems like prime reprint target.
That's a great question. I just recently picked up a playset of foil Pyromancer's Ascensions since I saw it was only at 3-4 dollars value and figured that it was a "Breakable" card. Personally I am waiting until SCG decides to put "more in stock" which will update their prices. Honestly they kind of set the secondary prices on items and I'm betting they settle at 30 dollars. I believe for the time being, barring any major showings on MTGO, that the 20-30 price range on the foil and 10-15 on the regular will be a settling point until a reprint or a huge showing again. I've been having an eternal debate on moving them personally or holding.
Anyone else have some thoughts?
I only ask because I did the same thing, got a non foil, and foil set, I let them go already based on what I saw the past few days. Most all the cards from PTBNG have decreased, don't think this one will hold either. Considering Past In Flames foil/non-foil is somewhere in the same price range (at the moment) I don't think Pyromancer can be the same price. Considering 1 is mythic and played in Legacy, and one is not. I suppose I could of got more out of them, but I don't think holding them is wise either, I let them go at 35$ for non foil (playset) and 60.00 for foil (playset). This is in no means a brag post, just giving you an idea. I just think if you put them up for SSG (even a bit lower) prices they will just sit there. Also taking into account Storm didn't T8 at PTBNG, but might at GP. So who knows.
As for where JTMS is headed price wise, only up as long as MTG continues to thrive and there are no more reprints of him (skeptical of that due to the very real potential for jtms to appear in a modern masters set after he gets unbanned in all likelihood at one point.)
To be fair, I think its fair to say if JTMS was reprinted in MM his price wouldn't drop lower than what it is now, because that would mean he's modern legal and there would be a whole other format buying into him.
Most Titan-Shift decks I've seen typically run ~12 ramp spells. Everyone is on board with the Tribe Elder, and Farseek/Search for Tomorrow are a bit more of personal preference. Lots of people generally play the full playset of Search for Tomorrow, its our deck's only turn 1 play. Farseek usually competes with Explore for slots depending on that person's preference. I personally like Farseek more, it guarantees you a land when you cast it, and you have a lot more control over what land it gets.
Primetime/Scapeshift are your main win cons. Scapeshift is self-explanatory. I haven't played the UGr version myself, but I have heard that it has problems keeping the necessary amount of mountains in its library so it can combo off with Scapeshift. In the Titan-Shift version that isn't a problem. I have won a lot of games where I've built up mountains early, happen to topdeck a Scapeshift, and was able to combo off anyway. Generally when I cast Primetime I'm not winning the game on the spot, but I'm setting the deck up to win on the next turn. When I tutor up lands with him, its generally some sort of a mountain and Valakut to get the engine active. Because of all the mountains in my list, when I cast Primetime and tutor up those lands it turns all of the ramp and most of the lands I topdeck into bolts or better depending on the number of valakuts I have in play. Also, never expect Primtetime to live to your next combat step; he will be killed.
That gives us 12 MD slots to play with depending on what our meta is. Before the recent bans/unbans, this is the 12 that I had:
I had Anger and Negate mained because of my local meta. Worldly Counsel is a card I've been testing in place of Peer Through Depths; I've had too many games where I needed a Primetime/Omen, saw one with with PtD but couldn't pick it. Before the recent bans/unbans I would have considered Izzet Charm a core piece of the deck. Its a flexible game 1 card, and all three modes were relevant. With a bunch of kitties running around it loses some of its power, but at least initially I'll be keeping it maindeck.
As far as gameplay, its really similar to the UGr version. It plays a ramp/tempo game, it just does it a little more aggressively.
How have Boseiju/Cavern been for you? It seems like the only time you can reliably get to them are when you cast Scapeshift/Primetime, and by then you should more or less be winning anyway.
Regardless of how good Zoo/Fae may or may not be, everyone will be running around trying the deck out. I'll be trying some combination of Anger of the Gods or Engineered Explosives and see which I like more.
Personally I would rather play Echoing Truth over Rift. Rift has a nice end-game effect, but Echoing Truth deals with Twin well, and has the chance of hitting multiple permanents earlier on in the game.
How have Cavern of Souls and Boseiju, Who Shelters All been in people sideboards? I haven't tried them myself and I've seen them as one-of's that look like you can only tutor them with Scapeshift or Primetime. If you resolve either Scapeshift or Primetime then shouldn't you be close to winning already?
Realmwright is actually a powered down version of Prismatic Omen. When you cast him you have to pick mountain instead of having every type (Although admittingly mana fixing aside this isn't a huge concern). The big deal with Realmwright is he's a lot easier to remove than Prismatic Omen is. One strength of Scapeshift decks is we get virtual card advantage if we don't play creatures for the opponent to kill.
Budget reasons aside, I disagree with playing either version of Scapeshift as a two color deck. With all the ramping in the deck hitting all three colors is very easy, and anecdotaly, once people know I'm on Scapeshift, they tend to save their land destruction for Valakut instead of lands that produce colored mana.
I think you can safely remove at least one Prismatic Omen. Personally I run three, but most lists I've seen have two. Its a card that you never really want to see more than 1 of, but once you have one the game gets a lot easier.
Most of this art is fantastic, but I'm really not feeling Kev Walker's art in this set. We've had a glut of high-quality art, and his cartoony-Shrek work is sticking out pretty badly.
I love most of Walker's art too, but I really wasn't feeling the minotaurs he did in the article.
It did, Chris Fennell piloted it to a top 8.
To be fair, I think its fair to say if JTMS was reprinted in MM his price wouldn't drop lower than what it is now, because that would mean he's modern legal and there would be a whole other format buying into him.
This is what I consider the core of Titan-Shift:
4 Search for Tomorrow
4 Sakura-Tribe Elder
4 Primeval Titan
4 Scapeshift
2 Prismatic Omen
Most Titan-Shift decks I've seen typically run ~12 ramp spells. Everyone is on board with the Tribe Elder, and Farseek/Search for Tomorrow are a bit more of personal preference. Lots of people generally play the full playset of Search for Tomorrow, its our deck's only turn 1 play. Farseek usually competes with Explore for slots depending on that person's preference. I personally like Farseek more, it guarantees you a land when you cast it, and you have a lot more control over what land it gets.
Primetime/Scapeshift are your main win cons. Scapeshift is self-explanatory. I haven't played the UGr version myself, but I have heard that it has problems keeping the necessary amount of mountains in its library so it can combo off with Scapeshift. In the Titan-Shift version that isn't a problem. I have won a lot of games where I've built up mountains early, happen to topdeck a Scapeshift, and was able to combo off anyway. Generally when I cast Primetime I'm not winning the game on the spot, but I'm setting the deck up to win on the next turn. When I tutor up lands with him, its generally some sort of a mountain and Valakut to get the engine active. Because of all the mountains in my list, when I cast Primetime and tutor up those lands it turns all of the ramp and most of the lands I topdeck into bolts or better depending on the number of valakuts I have in play. Also, never expect Primtetime to live to your next combat step; he will be killed.
That gives us 12 MD slots to play with depending on what our meta is. Before the recent bans/unbans, this is the 12 that I had:
4 Izzet Charm
4 Worldly Counsel
1 Negate
I had Anger and Negate mained because of my local meta. Worldly Counsel is a card I've been testing in place of Peer Through Depths; I've had too many games where I needed a Primetime/Omen, saw one with with PtD but couldn't pick it. Before the recent bans/unbans I would have considered Izzet Charm a core piece of the deck. Its a flexible game 1 card, and all three modes were relevant. With a bunch of kitties running around it loses some of its power, but at least initially I'll be keeping it maindeck.
As far as gameplay, its really similar to the UGr version. It plays a ramp/tempo game, it just does it a little more aggressively.
4 Stomping Ground
4 Steam Vents
1 Breeding Pool
4 Misty Rainforest
1 Raging Ravine
6 Mountain
2 Forest
1 Island
Besides the Raging Ravine, its a pretty stock list.
Budget reasons aside, I disagree with playing either version of Scapeshift as a two color deck.
I love most of Walker's art too, but I really wasn't feeling the minotaurs he did in the article.