Anyone like Hardened Scales with Outlast?
Standard forum
Posted on Nov. 14, 2014, 8:38 p.m. by vance3
I typically don't pay a whole lot of attention to green and was looking through my binder and started to wonder if Hardened Scales is viable in a competitive deck. Say I drop Herald of Anafenza turn one, Hardened Scales turn two and Outlast turn three I have a 3/4 Herald and 1/1 throw away creature. Turn four a 5/6 Herald and two 1/1 creature and so on. Anyone use Scales and if so what do you think about it?
OP_Magikarp says... #3
Outlast is honestly so slow... there are way faster ways to get counters onto creatures. Feat of Resistance is cheaper and you don't have to tap AND it gives protection. Using Phalanx Leader and targeting him with an ability or spell. Reap What Is Sown you can target three separate creatures to get counters onto them (If Phalanx Leader is one of them, you're dealing with some massive counters). It's just too slow and not worth it to use the outlast ability. Use other spells to quickly get counters onto creatures and benefit from the secondary effect
November 14, 2014 11:42 p.m.
eatyourbabes says... #4
Honestly, Outlast itself is a pretty crappy mechanic because you get bigger but leave yourself defenseless. That and I don't think I've seen any outlast ability ever used during competitive play. The are much faster and efficient ways to get counters on your creatures, Heroic abilities are great for stacking +1/+1's and same goes to spells such as Reap What Is Sown, Incremental Growth, and Feat of Resistance.
Hardened Scales though is very easily abused though and is very very good when done correctly
November 17, 2014 12:52 a.m.
So by your current thinking you have a 4/5 herald and a 1/1 token on turn 4 and that's the best case scenario. Against an abzan deck they can have a 4/5 seige rhino out on turn 4 that creates a 6 life difference and they didn't have to spend the last 3 turns setting it up. Green devotion can have a 5/5 polukronos with an elvish mystic and sylvan caryatid on turn 3 if they get the right draw. Even if they don't they have a 5/5 on the field on the same turn.
Outlast is just too slow to be good in any format besides limited. Especially with hardened scales, you're spending 3 turns to gain +2/+2 and a token. I can get +2/+2 on a heroic deck in 3 turns AND swing for damage 2 of those turns and possibly have 2 1/1 tokens out.
November 17, 2014 4:54 a.m.
Hardened Scales works awesome with heroic creatures. If your using outlast cards you have to use them for their second texts, for example "creatures with +1/+1 counters get flying" etc..
November 17, 2014 6:56 p.m.
TheCenturion says... #7
It all depends how you play. I made a Abzan with mostly outlast creatures a couple of weeks ago and made top 8 in a local tournament. Add Ivory Fortress so that you will still have your defenses.
November 19, 2014 9:15 a.m.
I'm playing green white, and instead of Ivorytusk Fortress I play Brave the Sands it's quicker
November 19, 2014 11:36 a.m.
OP_Magikarp says... #9
Yeah Ivorytusk Fortress was created so that creatures you use the outlast ability on will be untapped on your opponents next phase, but since it's a little pointless and slow to use that ability, Ivorytusk is just now mediocre creature.
November 19, 2014 11:57 a.m.
eatyourbabes says... #10
still though a 5/7 for 5 mana that also has that ability is still a pretty good card
WhiteEyesCloudedbyH8 says... #2
Hardened Scales with Ordeal of Nylea on heroic creatures like Favored Hoplite and Hero of Iroas.
November 14, 2014 9:16 p.m.