Languish's potential
Spoilers, Rumors, and Speculation forum
Posted on June 22, 2015, 6:45 p.m. by jchudz
Languish brings a 4 mana wrath back into standard. 
What do you think this is going to do to the format? To me it seems to be a big tool for midrange decks where you run a lot of 5+ toughness creatures. I could potentially see it making its way into modern jund/junk.
Servo_Token says... #3
For standard, yes. Kills all the dragons that it needs to, being Ojutai and Thunderbreak / stormbreath
June 22, 2015 7:07 p.m.
APPLE01DOJ: Maybe, but it a meta currently dominated by multicolored decks this is better, as it doesn't rely on having swamps. In current Esper or Blue/Black control decks, you would only expect to have 2ish swamps turn 4, when you really want to cast this...
June 22, 2015 7:46 p.m.
fluffybunnypants says... #6
This card is sort of like if they did this to Serum Visions.
June 22, 2015 7:53 p.m.
Granted, it doesn't say 'destroy all creatures', it might as well say, kill everything that matters, sans Siege Rhino and a few of the dragon lords, but really, there is 1 for 1 removal that CAN kill those few creatures that avoid Languish, Foul-Tongue Invocation being a good follow up to catch anything that lived through Languish hexproof or otherwise.
I think the big point here is that it's essentially a wrath in standard.. at 4cmc.
Since last year when RTR rotated out, we lost our 4cmc panic button in Supreme Verdict and the replacement they gave us was 5cmc with no built in protection from counter spells. So trying to play that same control game putting all your eggs in the, panic switch basket, doesn't work out too well when you have to survive til turn 5 AND not get blown out by counter magic, think a good Temur Monsters shell with Stubborn Denial perpetual cocked and ready to hose any and all sweepers.
In a perfect world, you'll be firing off your 4cmc wrath on turn 4, before those select few dragon lords can make it into play, or before a siege rhino can start getting in the beats with a gang of road blocks left behind to deter a crack back, things like Deathmist Raptor and Den Protector.
There will be times where your locked in a late-game midrange stand off, and Languish might not be the 'wrath' you were hoping for, but for the other two thirds of the time, early and mid-game, it should clean things up quite nicely; early mana dorks, gone. Early abzan aggro threats Fleecemane Lion and Anafenza, the Foremost gone. goblin tokens and monk/warrior tokens, gone. Resurgence of a mono-blue devotion deck with 3cmc Shorecrasher Elemental, gone. And as was pointed out, Thunderbreak Regent & Stormbreath Dragon & Dragonlord Ojutai, gone.
Considering there's already Crux of Fate 1-step farther up the curve at 5cmc, B/U will be lookin pretty good, and I have no idea what the correct splash would be if any, as you could even splash red for burn, go grixis, kill/counter/burn all the things/players. There are some cool new burn spells too so that's why I bring it up.
All in all, I see it being a nerfed to hell Damnation in other formats outside of standard, but for now, I'm excited to see what happens with it in standard for starters, especially with a few things like the flip Gideon having the Indestructible ability.
June 22, 2015 8:24 p.m. Edited.
It will be fun explaining to newer players that the 3 mana they paid to make gideon indestructible doesn't save him from my -4/-4 wrath effect in limited.
June 22, 2015 8:34 p.m.
Rasta_Viking29 says... #10
Due to U/B mirror matches and Abzan Control decks will not be able to sell out on this card, Crux is still necessary in some numbers. Some ways to beat this card:
Collected Company EoT after the wrath should be a common occurance.
Deathmist Raptor just keeps coming back. Den Protector too.
Xenagos, the Reveler. The Supreme Verdict had no effect on this guy. Revel on.
Most other Planeswalkers.
Ashcloud Phoenix is made to combat removal.
Stubborn Denial and Disdainful Stroke trade effficiently.
Polukranos, World Eater might go up in play.
June 22, 2015 9:27 p.m.
The_Dragonmaster says... #11
Languish doesn't kill off Tasigur, the Golden Fang either. If Languish does get popular, Collected Company might hit some price reductions.
June 22, 2015 9:52 p.m.
Metroid_Hybrid says... #12
I can see this having some interesting synergy with Phyrexian Obliterator..
CheeseBro says... #2
June 22, 2015 6:58 p.m.