I'm considering picking one up and adding a shard section to gain access to Broodmate Dragon and Empyrial Archangel to complement it and reanimator strategies.
I think it's a great 4th card for Orzhov. I run it in my cube and it's been great--usually in decks with Gifts Unigven or Liliana of the Veil. It's also fine as just a reanimation spell.
It's a sad and happy day. Trading my Vendilion Clique for the last of the cards I need to build UW Tron in modern. Namely Emrakul, Ulamog, and others. Not bad for a card that I picked up when it was >$8, but it's going to be rough cubing without it for a while!
Just about every section in my cube has a pet card that's one of my favorite cards of all time--which range from very good to marginally playable. But I still love them.
U: Gifts Ungiven--my favorite time to play vintage was before Gifts was restricted. I had a brew based on Meandeck Gifts (I learned to play without Recoup before it was cool), and a ritual-Gifts list that was a beast. I love this card in constructed and in the cube. Never leaving.
B: Yawgmoth's Will--no card has won me more games...in constructed, that is. It's still incredible card advantage in cube, even more so now that I'm proxying power.
R: Goblin Welder--my favorite creature of all time, and Control Slaver was my go-to deck for vintage from 2006-2009. I make a concerted effort to keep this card relevant and viable in my cube.
G: Plow Under--everyone knows this card is insane. I love it.
Artifact: Mindslaver--I was immune to the bug that went around about a year and a half ago that led everyone to cut this card. I love the effect, I keep it for nostalgia, I love bringing it back with Welder, and it's just so fun...for the person activating it.
I have not found the swords or jitte to be oppressive at all--only if you're not packing answers. They all have such targets on them--they are either destroyed immediately upon equipping, or get a few hits in and take over the game.
With all the maindecked disenchant-effects, bounce, removal, counters, and sweepers that should be packed--they're not too hard to contain.
Blowouts happen, but that's why you play with power. If it's too often for your liking, you can either de-power your cube or see if there are more bombs than answers and even things out a bit.
In supporting reanimator, you need all the pieces involved to be good outside of the archetype. Waterfront Bouncer, Faithless Looting, Wild Mongrel, Psychatog, and the Masticores are all discard outlets that are good by themselves. You want fatties that can be ramped or Tinkered into, not just reanimated. And your reanimation spells are also just an avenue of black card advantage--not just for the archetype.
I learned that you really have to warp your cube and include too many suboptimal cards to make viable a reanimator archetype that regularly and consistently gets turn 2-3 fatties. But without much effort and change, you can make reanimator a deck that pops up now and then and generally spits out guys on turn 3-5.
The quest for designing red's entry to the pantheon of great two-drops continues.
Right?
I've been wondering how the Green-Tinker has worked out for the people who run it.
How many targets makes it viable? I'm currently running Thrun, the Last Troll, Deranged Hermit, Genesis, Thornling, Kodama of the North Tree, Pelakka Wurm, Terastodon, and Simic Sky Swallower--all of which I wouldn't mind sacrificing a mana-elf/bird to get. I'd also be motivated to include some more targets, but I'm not sure how many one would need.
I'm considering picking one up and adding a shard section to gain access to Broodmate Dragon and Empyrial Archangel to complement it and reanimator strategies.
How has it performed for those who include it?
Warning for Image Leeching.
-:ER:
And now I know.
Can't tell if it's too hard to abuse in cube or broken beyond belief. I like it, though.
http://deck.tk/1zpL4vqe
Thanks!
I recommend that you finish Game of Thrones, and then start reading the books. It'll give you something to do while you wait!
AND you'll be immune to spoilers.
W: Pulse of the Fields--a back-breaking card for aggro to see that demands a discard spell or Sulfuric Vortex.
U: Gifts Ungiven--my favorite time to play vintage was before Gifts was restricted. I had a brew based on Meandeck Gifts (I learned to play without Recoup before it was cool), and a ritual-Gifts list that was a beast. I love this card in constructed and in the cube. Never leaving.
B: Yawgmoth's Will--no card has won me more games...in constructed, that is. It's still incredible card advantage in cube, even more so now that I'm proxying power.
R: Goblin Welder--my favorite creature of all time, and Control Slaver was my go-to deck for vintage from 2006-2009. I make a concerted effort to keep this card relevant and viable in my cube.
G: Plow Under--everyone knows this card is insane. I love it.
Gold: Unburial Rites--so fun! Combine with Liliana of the Veil for fun and profit.
Artifact: Mindslaver--I was immune to the bug that went around about a year and a half ago that led everyone to cut this card. I love the effect, I keep it for nostalgia, I love bringing it back with Welder, and it's just so fun...for the person activating it.
With all the maindecked disenchant-effects, bounce, removal, counters, and sweepers that should be packed--they're not too hard to contain.
I recently made the switch to powered, and it's been great. Usually when someone explodes with land, Black Lotus, mox, Grim Monolith, Wurmcoil Engine, go...the response is usually a Swords to Plowshares or Path to Exile.
Blowouts happen, but that's why you play with power. If it's too often for your liking, you can either de-power your cube or see if there are more bombs than answers and even things out a bit.
In supporting reanimator, you need all the pieces involved to be good outside of the archetype. Waterfront Bouncer, Faithless Looting, Wild Mongrel, Psychatog, and the Masticores are all discard outlets that are good by themselves. You want fatties that can be ramped or Tinkered into, not just reanimated. And your reanimation spells are also just an avenue of black card advantage--not just for the archetype.
I learned that you really have to warp your cube and include too many suboptimal cards to make viable a reanimator archetype that regularly and consistently gets turn 2-3 fatties. But without much effort and change, you can make reanimator a deck that pops up now and then and generally spits out guys on turn 3-5.