MTG Salvation

Quote from Cassial

My thoughts exactly, going to test Entreat as a 2 of. I'm wanting to take this idea pretty competitively, so, before I go any further I'm devoting all my time/energy into coming up with the best combination of cards to give us the most consistent, generally rock-solid aggro plan. Like you said, Rift has been pretty fail early on, and sometimes I need just something else to buy me a turn, so it really does seem to come down to Feeling of Dread vs Entreat.

Entreat as a T3 miracle is okay even, Entreat as a T4 miracle for 4 mana (worst case scenario we missed a ramp) giving us 2x 4/4 Angels, I can't in any way see how this wouldn't save us or buy us some time in a pinch.

Onto Alchemist's Refuge...I have yet to use it one single game, no lie. By the time I've got the mana active to consider using it, I'm down to very few cards in hand. What are the odds that I'll even have something to flash in and go all game-breaker mode just because it flashed in? Just some very minor assumptions I'm going to make, but this is really solidifed through my own testing.

They are turning into 2x Rogue's Passage and not returning anytime soon. Perhaps 3 even, I believe the Passage makes Thragtusk that much more valueble.

Quote from Cassial

I read it initially when you first posted it, but you didn't have Abundant Growth actually in that list. Then again you said you were tired when you posted it. :> Went back and read it again, well, you just said you "tested abundant growth in a list". I see why it's not really a fit for *that* list now, you want to keep mana available for counterspells and flashing things in and/or Think Twice if nothing else. You also do not need growth to draw you cards as you're running 4x Think Twices. Yeah, you've got plenty of reasons to not want it in your list specifically.

Anyway less nitpicking on my end :>, more constructiveness in the thread, mind telling us some of your notable matchups? I'm curious what a hybrid ramp/control deck's worst matchup is and all that jazz. Seeing if we can make some assessments about what applies across the board to potentially all of our decks here.

Quote from Cassial

Worst case scenario you're saying you don't have 1 mana to spare on your turn? In a ramp deck? I'll agree with you it's not an impressive card by itself, (it goes from meh to amazing if you're running Devastation Tide) but it is hard to really evaluate it since it's value is subtle. It's not like we're saving excess mana to wolf run people anymore, either.

I can't disagree with your own testing/results, but it's a shame it's not working for you I guess. I've had spectacular results with it and Tide, in this current standard. When you also consider that Solemn Simulacrum and Green Sun's Zenith are both leaving the building, we're really hurting for that early draw.

Quote from Cassial

My one pet card has been pulling very heavy duty for me currently in standard ramp: Abundant Growth x4. Despite whatever folks think of it at first glance, it does several subtle things for us, and it's obviously not needed for color-fixing. If running 4 of these, you can easily cut down to 2 Solemn Simulacrum as they serve very similar functions, even though they don't seem alike at all.

Let me try to illustrate the case for Abundant Growth;
1) Gives us a turn 1 play (minor point)
2) Cantripping early on like this increases the odds that we will not miss a land drop or a ramp spell. You'd be much more inclined to keep a hand if you have at least one ramp spell and the growth, as you're likely to get a second ramp spell.
3) It doesn't keep you from ramping, and it's a good top deck later on too.
4) Allows more keepable hands by all of these points.

I've had so many games where I would not have landed a turn 4 Titan without the help of Growth. The typical ramp structure of 12 ramp spells (4x Rampant/4x Sphere/4x Solemn) does not really guarantee T4 bomb, obviously, generally they hit T5. Abundant does take other spots away from other things in the deck, I'll grant that. More on this all later and why I like Growth so much, but I play a full 4x Devastation Tide as well, but I've found that the Growth alone has done it's job for me.

Quote from ultimania92

Intrepid Hero.

I kept enchanting my opponent's 2+ power creatures with Rancor, then tapping Intrepid Hero to kill them. Get Rancor back, repeat every turn.

Also, Mark of Mutiny into sacrificing is always a baller plan, especially if you steal a fatty like Stormtide Leviathan.

Quote from Drowning

Invasion had 2-3 hard counters and much more library interactions tacked on cards/utilitly in spells then we currently have. Heck even their prohibit is leagues beyond mana leak in terms of standard(course of whole games) not to mention their potential 1 drop hard counter to any kicked spell.

Simple answer possibly but it will not be as good sadly. and if rewind is actually get a reprint this makes this card playability in counter burn much more effective.