Speculation/Theory: Mind Sculptor Being Unbanned: Is it a possibility?
Modern forum
Posted on March 1, 2014, 12:10 a.m. by Davik100
Jace,The Mind Sculptor. Simply the most powerful planeswalker in MTG. Banned in every format excluding Legacy and Vintage, and was even banned in Standard during its own block. All of this goes to show that its unbelievably broken... at least it is for its own time. Given the amount of answers and responses that modern has available to present to several different strategies, I personally see no problem unbanning The Mind Sculptor. There are so many ways to easily combat him. Any flash creature at the end of the opponents turn shuts Mind Sculptor off from an unsummon trick. One of the most commonly seen MAINBOARDED cards that is seen in this category is Snapcaster Mage . Snapcaster even allows for a U/R or U/R/x deck to even recast a used up Lightning Bolt or Lightning Helix to finish him off. Another card that falls into this category is Vendilion Clique , with the ability to disrupt the opponents hand as well. Another amazing answer that is normally found in a sideboard is Venser, Shaper Savant . He doesn't even need to look at Jace, he's just gone for another turn, giving you a chance to Thoughtseize or Vendilion Clique it away next turn! There are also several activation lands that get the job done as well. Mutavault is the most recent re-iteration of one. Another extremely common one is Celestial Colonnade . Almost any activation land can get the job done for Mr. Mind Sculptor. Is it really necessary to talk about burn spells.
Open discussion is welcome! Feel free to either criticize or enhance the argument. Please only present arguments backed by reasons or theses. I don't want comments saying "BUT MIND SCULPTOR OP BROKEN U STOOPID SHIT", it's extremely unnecessary and makes you look brainless. Thank you!
thataddkid says... #3
Pretty much what vampirelazarus said, scry 1 when you drop him to put him out of bolt range and then just brainstorm every turn while countering their spells with the card draw.
March 1, 2014 12:16 a.m.
NobodyPicksBulbasaur says... #4
The scenarios you just described are exactly what Wizards is trying to avoid. When one card becomes so overpowering that you have to run mainboard answers to it or you lose, it's too strong and should be banned.
When the only two reasons to play a deck are "it can run Jace, the Mind Sculptor " and "it can directly answer Jace, the Mind Sculptor ", then Jace needs to be banned. Feel free to substitute in any card name instead of Jace. Any time an entire format centers around interactions with one card, that card is a problem.
March 1, 2014 12:27 a.m.
Arachnarchist says... #5
Of the ~30 cards on the Modern Banned List, Jace, the Mind Sculptor is the least likely to be unbanned. The problem with your analysis about all of the "answers" to Jace is that half of them will be played in the same deck as him anyways. And assuming you drop Jace on turn 4 and tap out, that gives your opponent basically one turn to deal with him before you start Brainstorm ing every turn and just holding up Counter mana for anything they try.
Also, (this applies on a larger scale than just this discussion) I hear way too many people use the "There are answers for it" excuse when discussing card power. It's basically the same as saying "just dies to doom blade" when it comes to creatures. Fact is: there really aren't many direct "answers" for Jace, the Mind Sculptor , or really any planeswalker. So the only way Jace will be unbanned is if Wizards produces a direct answer to it. So I present the following "answer" card for your consideration:
Screw You Jace - Instant - 1R
Screw You Jace Can't be countered.
If your opponent played a 4-mana blue planeswalker this turn, you may play Screw You Jace from your library and without paying it's mana cost.
March 1, 2014 1:30 a.m.
Arachnarchist says... #6
I now realize that "Screw You Jace" should probably say "destroy target planeswalker"
March 1, 2014 1:38 a.m.
http://www.mtgtop8.com/event?e=6710&d=238556
this is the current meta of modern, or the top ten decks to beat according to mtgtop8.com, a very reputable website. the 10 decks in their generic-ness make up 59% of the current meta game winning decks, which is obviously not a small amount. of those 10 decks, i would say that at least five would be willing to put jace in, if not more.
twin = yes. should be obvious
melira = yes. its like a jund goodstuff deck, which has the benefit of going blue, depending on how deep it wants to go into Spellskite and Noble Heirarch. it would love jace because it can keep him alive, and he would actually get to use his unsummon once in a while. :)
America control =yes. should be more obvious than twin.
affinty = it seems a waste to me, but even the meta affinity deck could get away with using one or two sideboard wise. most top tier affinity tend to tap for blue or red, blue for Thoughtcast and red for Blood Moon , again depending on their architype. jace wouldn't hinder the deck in any way blue wise, especially as affinity needs somethng for control.
jund = doubtful. I've seen jund decks splash blue, but that usually for snapcaster. at this point, if he did get unbanned, jund would probably become BUG or RGU. jace and liliana in the same deck? no thank you.
UWx midrange = obvious yes. what he was concieved in and designed for.UR storm = maybe yes. he's a little late for comboing off, but he also can be late setup if needed.
zoo=probably the least likely, they can't afford to splash blue for him. doesn't even fit the deck really.
aura hexproof = maybe yes. many aura decks are bant so there is a possiblity.
even with the decks he'd become a staple in, he'd find ways into other ones in the big architypes and do nothing but make them better. the whole reason behind banning deathrite and the unbanning of bitterblossom and nacatl was to expand the deck format and hopefully get a little more diversity among tier decks. jace would be a bad unbanning because he would do just the opposite.
March 1, 2014 2:17 a.m.
Also, considering brainstorm is banned and much to powerful for Modern, why would they unban a card that uses brainstorm? It's not going to happen.
March 1, 2014 9:12 a.m.
Trollhoffer says... #10
As a rule, blue cards that demand you to play blue in order to answer them are scum, scourge and scurvy.
March 1, 2014 9:32 a.m.
Arachnarchist says... #11
@DrFunk27: Brainstorm isn't banned in modern, it just hasn't been printed in a modern legal set.
March 1, 2014 9:51 a.m.
There's a reason they haven't reprinted it...it's better than Ponder and Preordain and both of those are banned, so reprinting it for Modern legality is wishful thinking.
March 1, 2014 9:53 a.m.
megawurmple says... #13
I despise people who use the "but there are answers to X" as a reason for it not being broken. Most (if not all) of the cards on the banlist should, by your logic, be unbanned as counter spells are a thing. Jace is far too broken, plain and simple. It's a Brainstorm (which is already broken enough to be banned) every turn. Were Jace unbanned, the only decks we would see would be blue decks that run Jace, and a small minority of non-blue decks that could answer Jace sometimes. The Modern meta would have no diversity, which is the opposite of what Wizards wants. In my opinion, Jace will never be unbanned.
March 1, 2014 10 a.m.
Arachnarchist says... #14
That's a fair point, Doc. But there is a significant difference between banned and simply not modern legal.
March 1, 2014 10:16 a.m.
I agree. I was mistaken, but if it were modern legal, you better believe it would be banned. lol
March 1, 2014 10:22 a.m.
I don't think JtMS should be unbanned. If it is the type of card you HAVE to dedicate a good amount of deck space specifically for, then it's too strong. Considering that blue is already the most successful color currently, I don't think we need an OP planeswalker in the mix.
P.S. I love Jace, and i'd love to play him in modern, but it just doesn't make sense
March 2, 2014 11:30 p.m.
NotSoLuckyLydia says... #17
Short answer: No.
Long, more comprehensive answer: Nope nope nope nope nopity noe nope no no never nope NO.
P.S. If he gets unbanned, I will LITERALLY eat my hat and post photographic evidence to tappedout.
March 3, 2014 11:31 a.m.
SharuumNyan says... #18
Wizards is actively trying to expand the format to contain more competitive decks to increase participation in the format. Unbanning Jace is counter to that idea.
vampirelazarus says... #2
The deck that would run him, would be able to deal with the "answers" much more efficiently than the "answers" could deal with him.
Just sayin'
March 1, 2014 12:13 a.m.