When to run Top?
Commander (EDH) forum
Posted on Feb. 18, 2017, 8:17 p.m. by BlueMageBrandon
I know Sensei's Divining Top is a great card - everyone knows that. But how do you decide whether or not to run it in your Commander deck? How many shuffle effects do you need? What colors do you want to run? Does every deck want one? What do you guys think?
I think Sensei's Divining Top works best with cards that use the top cards of your deck as a resource like Oracle of Mul Daya. The next best thing to be running with it, in my opinion, are fetches that allow you to shuffle away 3 irrelevant things on the top.
I can't think of a deck it wouldn't help in but it fits better in combo decks that have room for "good-stuff support" slots rather than synergy or theme decks where it may compete with cards that better fit the theme or have stronger synergy at a much reduced price tag.
That being said, I can think of 3 EDH decks that I currently run that would love a top.
February 18, 2017 8:39 p.m.
shaistyone says... #4
In my opinion, people get too focused on needing shuffle effects with top. Able to continually sequence your draw steps optimally, draw a card whenever you need it, and the fact that (Krosan Grip notwithstanding) it is usually unkillable. That is a fantabulous set of abilities.
The best I've ever seen it is in my Melek, Izzet Paragon deck. Any other time, I really just want to see it when I'm mana-screwed, as hitting those land drops is so critical.
February 19, 2017 12:09 a.m.
DrukenReaps says... #5
i only have one top and im not buying any more so i just leave it in with some copy artifact effects
MagicalHacker says... #2
I put one in every deck even with 0 shuffle effects.
February 18, 2017 8:25 p.m.