New to magic. Is this an incredibly good combo?
Standard Deck Help forum
Posted on June 24, 2015, 7:45 p.m. by MeatLoafMagic
Hello! I've just started playing the game of magic and I've just started creating my first deck. My goals for this deck are to take it to a FNM and to have fun with my friends. I'm a casual player right now (or at least that's what my friends call me) but I really like the game and I hope I can create a winning deck.
For starters I am creating a Jeskai themed deck or simply just using cards that are red, white, or blue. As I was looking through cards on gatherer I noticed two cards that might work really well together. Turn to Frog and Circle of Flame. My initial thought was that if I turned whatever was attacking me right when the attack was declared into a 1/1 frog the Circle of Flame passive would kill it off. If anyone knows how it would play out let me know so I can determine if Turn to Frog is worth putting into my deck or not.
Also if you want you can look at my deck right here Freeze Them All
Thanks so much!
omnipotato says... #3
to kill one creature is not exactly the height of efficiency
June 24, 2015 7:58 p.m.
One of the best parts of Magic is finding cool little interactions like this. I wouldn't call it a powerful combo, but it is fun and unique. It works, but only if the creature doesn't already have flying. If the creature has flying the ability on Circle of Flame doesn't trigger. The Lightning Strikes you already have are more powerful in general though.
Also some people get bent out of shape if you use the word "combo" to refer to things that aren't infinite combos (such as Deceiver Exarch plus Splinter Twin), and those people would prefer you called them "interactions", but those people kind of suck :)
June 24, 2015 7:58 p.m.
A creature without flying attacks you and triggers Circle of Flame's triggered ability. While that ability is on the stack, you cast Turn to Frog targeting that creature and it goes on the stack. It resolves, the creature turns to frog, then the ping resolves and the creature is a dead frog.
It's a good combat trick but some might not consider it a combo. Turn to Frog is a great reactive card, especially versus creature decks but Circle of Flame won't do much on its own unless you're up against a bunch of 1/1s. You could consider 1-3 Circles in your main board and then the remaining in the sideboard if it works well in a match.
June 24, 2015 7:59 p.m.
Animazriel says... #6
I mainly play control so i've had a lot of experience working out how to remove difficult creatures, indestructible creatures are always tricky, many people send them back to the hand or deck but they aren't truly gone then, this is a very good way around indestructibility, unfortunately it is a two card combo so put in some method of fishing through your deck or multiple copies to be sure you have it when you need it. oh and dont pay attention to your friends, they were casual too once lol
with regards
Anima
June 24, 2015 7:59 p.m.
You could do Polymorphist's Jest instead of Turn to Frog as an alternative board wipe.
June 24, 2015 8:02 p.m.
omnipotato says... #8
If you want to play Standard, combo isn't the way to go. There's maybe one viable combo deck (the Jeskai Ascendancy combo SirFowler mentioned) but in general the most powerful decks are aggro, midrange, and control. In other formats, such as Modern and Legacy, there are more cards to choose from, so exponentially more powerful interactions between cards.
June 24, 2015 8:03 p.m.
MeatLoafMagic says... #9
wow! I didn't expect the feedback so quick! Thanks so much! I have to get polymorphist's jest! Keep the comments coming please! :)
June 24, 2015 8:06 p.m.
MeatLoafMagic says... #10
Any thoughts on how the rest of my deck? I really could use the feedback. Testing it soon against my friends Mardu Aggro
June 24, 2015 8:08 p.m.
HolyFalcon says... #11
omnipotato: Enduring Scalelord, its a sorta good (well, its at least fun) combo.
Nice combo. Its good against decks like Heroic where your opponent has one big creature.
June 24, 2015 8:30 p.m.
I want Polymorphist's Jest + Izzet Staticaster to be a thing in modern :(
June 24, 2015 8:47 p.m.
scopesightzx says... #13
unfortunately, jesticaster (cute right?) doesn't work as you'd like it. The creatures still retain their name, so staticaster doesn't hit all of them, even though they are all the same creature type.
June 24, 2015 11:59 p.m.
that or Astral Cornucopia was a thing when khans of takir first came out. personally I tooled around with a deck for fun that went infinite everything off of that combo, mill, damage, card draw, mana, and tokens. I want the everything, X Infinitiy
SirFowler says... #2
An infinite combo in Jeskai would be Briber's Purse + Jeskai Ascendancy + Retraction Helix with any creature. That's just one that comes to mind.
June 24, 2015 7:54 p.m.