How good is Warped Physique?

Standard forum

Posted on May 2, 2013, 5:42 p.m. by seevers35

A friend of mine was telling me that Warped Physique was a card that needed to be played in my Grixis Control deck. I wrote the card off. Later I heard Evan Erwin and Brad Nelson saying very positive things about the card on their set review (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InF46tcLVtM). I still wasn't convinced.

I would like to see how the community feels about the card and if it has a place in a current standard competitor, such as Esper Control.

gufymike says... #2

The main reason is, you're not really emptying your hand and you're drawing a lot of cards in esper with Think Twice and Sphinx's Revelation . In some cases if you don't have a Reliquary Tower out, you might be discarding. But it's optimal use is 2 CMC for +6/-6 on your opponents turn, maybe more on your turn, on average, probably 2 cmc for a +4/-4. It is pretty good removal that doesn't fall to indestructibility or similar. That - to it's toughness is what makes it great in these situations.

May 2, 2013 6 p.m.

MindAblaze says... #3

One thing to consider, if your Grixis deck isn't running a lot of draw you may find yourself running out of steam making the card a dead draw late game. Sphinx's Revelation really shines for Esper, enabling the late game value of the card.

May 2, 2013 7:03 p.m.

SpammyV says... #4

Alright, I can see how it would be useful for killing things that have a habit of being regenerated or indestructible. And I can see how for a lot of annoying creatures in Standard you really just need 2-4 cards in hand. Just... it seems like a relatively narrow set of circumstances compared to playing a guaranteed kill spell like Murder or an edict effect like Tribute to Hunger . Then again I'm a Standard spectator, not player, so don't trust me on anything.

May 2, 2013 8:57 p.m.

MindAblaze says... #5

If anything it's a nice one or two of in a deck that usually have a full hand anyway and is playing those colors.

May 2, 2013 9:08 p.m.

xlaleclx says... #6

It's definitely a lot better in esper control than it is in grixis. I'd run it in the sideboard against indestructible stuff maybe

May 3, 2013 12:26 a.m.

It's absolutely ridiculous in Esper, killing everything, from Lotleth Troll to Falkenrath Aristocrat and sometimes even stuff like Obzedat, Ghost Council and Thundermaw Hellkite . In a non-Sphinx's Revelation deck, I'm not so sure. Probably not in Grixis since you have amazing spot removal anyway (Mizzium Mortars , Searing Spear ).

May 3, 2013 2:47 a.m.

KrazyCaley says... #8

I think it's a great card, and certainly deserves at least sideboard consideration for any control deck that can cast it.

May 3, 2013 4:28 a.m.

seevers35 says... #9

Well, Nick Sinclair's Esper Control Deck ran 3 Warped Physique and Kevin Lane's Esper Control Deck ran 4 at a StarCityGames.com IQ in Myrtle Beach where they placed 5th and 6th. It seems that the card does have a place in standard, at least in these decks.

May 6, 2013 8:30 p.m.

I think 3 is the right number. The card is very good, but getting more than two in one hand is pretty bad as they get progressively worse.

May 7, 2013 1:14 a.m.

toysm1th says... #11

limited, it has so far proven to be amazing, it has had massive impacts on two nights, all be won me the last 3 matches of the first night i played with it. and the other night it was a end game bomb combo, Sphinx's Revelation into Warped Physique cleared out the air they had a Maze Glider , swing in, pass the turn, they draw and scoop.

constructed, have been playing jund and junk decks so, i have not even looked at it yet.

May 7, 2013 3:03 p.m.

This discussion has been closed