Infinite Obliteration: Sideboard Bomb to Wreck Standard?
Standard forum
Posted on July 7, 2015, 10:52 p.m. by Jimmy_Chinchila
So as a mostly midrange player I'm scared shitless of Infinite Obliteration. On the play, it comes down before anything that really lends itself to my strategy. Dragonlord Atarka, Dragonlord Ojutai, even control finishers like Pearl Lake Ancient. Whatever you killed them with last game, or they struggled to deal with, is gone if they have access to black mana. I feel like it forces me to play blue for countermagic or black for discard to avoid getting my biggest dude, and not just in my hand but anywhere in the game, exiled. Permanently. Not "while this is in play". And, they get to search my deck so now they see my sideboard changes and my whole strategy! Have 2 in hand? The second is even more powerful as you have seen their whole deck! Screw even using that creature ever from that point forward. You don't even have to have drawn it so they can target it. Choose a card not in the deck? They still get to search it, and can dominate any creature based strategy as it kills finishers and stompers and utility creatures and the most evasive dude ever without them even needing to see it. Game 1: I know what that string of plays means, you're playing Esper Control! I choose Dragonlord Ojutai. I mean, I seriously think this will wreck Standard. Every deck will need access to black or blue. Even Aggro goblins gets Goblin Rabblemaster taken from your deck, all 4 copies, the turn before you can cast it on the draw. Thoughts? I need a way to beat this, my Stormbreath Dragon still has a couple months left to battle! I think this card is waaaaayyy too strong, but I hope I'm wrong...
Rasta_Viking29 says... #3
We survived Slaughter Games just fine. Matter of fact it struggled to see any extensive sideboard play. Extraction effects are always overvalued. In terms of gameplay, casting Infinite Obliteration is like Time Walking your opponent against most decks. Sometimes it will be a 3mana discard spell but that's awful value.
Rest easy, no need to fear.
July 7, 2015 11:07 p.m. Edited.
I also shook my head a bit when I read Infinite Obliteration in the spoilers.
WotC has been pushing game interactivity through combat over the years, and it's more difficult to put together a deck that wins primarily through levering advantage with instant or sorcery spells like Cruel Ultimatum, although I guess there are burn decks. Most tournament viable win conditions are either creatures or planeswalkers. Infinite Obliteration can really mess with current control decks by removing the few creature-based win conditions that most of them are forced to run. I don't think that WotC like it when control decks manage to get a strong foothold in the standard format.
Granted, I think that most decks wouldn't bother to run Infinite Obliteration mainboard since it does not affect the board when they are trying to run an aggressive curveand win quick. That has always been the downside of these sorts of hate cards. I think that aggressive decks would rather see a card that forces an opponent to sacrifice a creature than run Infinite Obliteration as a way of dealing with hard-to-kill creatures. Infinite Obliteration will most likely show up in Control or Midrange sideboards for the mirror.
Who knows, maybe the lurking threat of Infinite Obliteration in the format will help keep prices a little lower? Infinite Obliteration itself isn't likely to sell for much, and who wants to pay $80-100 for a playset of the format's top beater when all it takes is a $2-3 card to completely strip all copies of them from your deck?
July 7, 2015 11:34 p.m.
Izu_Korasu says... #5
in standard we currently have Stain the Mind already and it sees only fringe sideboard play. and with convoke and one less B in its casting cost it would be easier to splash into decks. (and can target walkers, counterspells, removal ... etc) because Infinite Obliteration only names creatures, probably will see about the same amount of play as Slaughter Games or Stain the Mind due to the lower mana cost (slaughter games is the best due to cant be countered ... should have just reprinted that)
if it becomes an issue you can start running multiple threats at 1x 2x intervals or you can make them waste a the card by using sideboard to your advantage ... i've faced a number of decks at fnm that shift from a standard, abzan/RB/Mardu midrangey type deck to control/removal making it a dead draw/wasted mana if you name the wrong creature.
July 8, 2015 1:42 a.m.
AS a mostly midrange player, you really should have more than one threat in your deck that is equally scary. Playing card disadvantage cards is awful in this day and age of standard where deploying and protecting threats is the key to victory.
Think of it this way - if you are playing abzan and your opponent plays obliteration naming Rhino and rips all 4 from your deck, you gained a 1 card advantage and regardless of the abzan variation you are playing, you will have other viable threats (Anafenza if aggro or Tasigur if control). You are actually ahead when your opponent plays this card.
The only way you are behind is when you have 2 or more copies of that card in your hand already, because you suffer card disadvantage.
That is the entire reason why these effects are not seeing widespread play.
July 8, 2015 2:50 a.m.
Jimmy_Chinchila says... #7
Ok cool, thank you guys that makes sense. Actually just stumbled upon a Stain the Mind stack while looking through cards, realized that hasn't wrecked a format. Appreciate the input.
Jimmy_Chinchila says... #2
Sorry so long, gets narrow on smartphone screen
July 7, 2015 10:53 p.m.