Severely Underrated Cards & Archetypes
Standard forum
Posted on July 29, 2013, 12:53 p.m. by capriom85
This current standard is fairly versatile. We are seeing a lot of variety in card choice among different builds and I really like that, but what do you all think are some of the underrated, unused cards right now? Also, what kind of builds do you think are strong, but you don't see very many of. For me, I don't see much use of Slitherhead . There are more and more Golgari decks surfacing, and I think it is a legit choice to run. It gives you a T1 drop if you don't draw you Shaman. Then, it starts swinging and if it isn't dealt with it does add up. If they do deal with it, just use it to buff you T2 or T3 troll (lotleth or varolz). It doesn't win games on its own, but I think it's overlooked. It does exactly what g/b wants to do. As for what build is underrated, I have been having lots of success with my Bant mid build. It has gone from PSB to WR and back, but I think the brew is right now and I don't see a lot of Bant running around right now. I had a purely aggro based FNM run this weekend where I went 5-0. I was really pleased bc aggro is usually a bad match for me, which weird bc it's supposed to be a good match for Bant right now. What do you all vote for on underrated stuff?
alligatorjones7 says... #3
As someone who plays tokens, Parallel Lives is deceptively good. Sure it doesn't immediately effect the board, but if you ramp to it, all of your token producing cards become bombs. Garruk, Primal Hunter turn after means 2 beasts a turn :) Definitely the kind of card that needs to be playtested to be valued.
July 29, 2013 1:08 p.m.
I'm loving what Silence and Render Silent are doing for me.
July 29, 2013 1:15 p.m.
I find Riot Control is severely underrated, prevents all damage and life gain.
July 29, 2013 1:23 p.m.
Markov Warlord is deceptively powerful as a 4/4 haster that normally allows for an alpha strike
July 29, 2013 1:54 p.m.
Schuesseled says... #7
I like Slitherhead but i haven't been able to find a slot for him, in my decks Bloodstained Under-Growth and Lust For Power. Bringing him in would mean losing Young Wolf in the former, or a mana dork in the latter.
For a purely b/g deck, yes you should be running him IMO..
July 29, 2013 2:25 p.m.
All good choices so far. Blind Obedience is very nice, especially if you can drop it turn 2. I think that Warlord is nice in the same way Zealous Conscripts is nice. It's a late threat you don't normally see and t effects the board in a big way. Parallel Lives , as mentioned can own games. Also, Riot Control is totally viable right now with all the aggro. Silence and Render are pretty potent also, basically removing 8 turns from your opponent if you can keep the board clear on his side.
July 29, 2013 2:37 p.m.
ramp, fun Increasing Savagery
onto Gyre Sage , then drop Kalonian Hydra
next roundflash back Increasing Savagery and swing with the hydra,
enjoy watching the WTF, and they glare you get. or you could try Hellhole Flailer , for a jund flavor
July 29, 2013 3:02 p.m.
Unforgivn_II says... #10
Yeah, Hellhole Flailer is ridiculous in my Jund Hydra deck. He's brutally efficient (4/3 for 3?), his ability is a great finisher if you can't quite finish them, and if you bloodrush Ghor-Clan Rampager onto him, he alone is going for 16 damage that turn. The Kalonian Hydra certainly makes him better, but I'm surprised he wasn't in decks before now. Maybe because he's more aggro than Jund midrange would have liked. Still, dude's a beast.
July 29, 2013 3:29 p.m.
i think Rakdos, Lord of Riots and Staff of the Flame Magus are very underrated, the last one made me win a game match at magic online since i should had been killed if it wasnt for the Mountain and the Lava Axe i played and remained on 2 LP to kill my opponent on my next turn
and Rakdos, Lord of Riots , 4 mana 6/6? and on a R/B deck? its super easy to deal damage to my opponent it totally worth it
July 29, 2013 4:22 p.m.
Even though it hasn't had a chance to be one underrated, per se, but I also think Savage Summoning is a great card. It essentially allows you to play almost any deck as a flash deck or surprise block with anything.
July 29, 2013 10:06 p.m.
lelandgiovanni says... #13
I think Illness in the Ranks in the sideboard is under used. There is a lot of token making decks out there these days.
July 30, 2013 2:05 a.m.
Illness in the Ranks might see some play once Curse of Death's Hold rotates out. Even with the massive difference in cost, Curse is useful against a wide variety of decks, whereas Illness isn't. When you only have 15 sideboard cards, you want ones that can be used in a variety of situations.
As far as the OP goes, I loved playing Slitherhead in early RTR block. It was basically "0: Give target Lotleth Troll two +1/+1 counters." Of course, in a format with a lot more cards, it's hard to find room for such a narrow and/or marginal effect. Slitherhead was basically used because the card pool was small enough that there wasn't anything better.
It does see some use, but I think Gyre Sage is much better than the amount of play it's seeing. I'm surprised to not see it in the new big mono-green Garruk decks.
July 30, 2013 9:34 a.m.
MinscAndBoo says... #15
Nightveil Specter is a dollar rare that steals topdecks, in an environment with Chromatic Lantern . Once it's no longer overshadowed by Vampire Nighthawk I hope it sees play. (But secretly not, so my deck can be the only one that steals stuff!)
July 30, 2013 9:59 a.m.
Unforgivn_II says... #16
I believe the reason Gyre Sage is underused is because people understand exactly what deck they're facing when they see it. Even worse, its usually the backbone of the ramp in the deck, so a simple kill spell on turn three leaves the deck with Gyre Sage heavily crippled. I know this from experience, too many times I'm like "Woo! Gyre sage is down! Now I'll just Renegade Krasis , then Corpsejack Menace , then bring a MASSIVE Primordial Hydra !" The whole time my opponent is saying "Dude, its exiled. I Pillar of Flame 'd it."
July 30, 2013 1:43 p.m.
When we lose the main burn and shock is all that's left a lot of these 2/2's will be able to spread their wings and show us what they really have. I think Voice is at the top of this list, and just to be clear I am in no way saying that Voice is underrated, but it is not as widely used as I believe it will be when Pillar goes away.
July 30, 2013 2:39 p.m.
MinscAndBoo says... #18
True dat, people are gonna be running Annihilating Fire just to kill Voices.
July 30, 2013 3:04 p.m.
MinscAndBoo says... #20
Also Phylactery Lich . People always ask me to read the card, then they lose...
August 4, 2013 12:05 p.m.
lord_of_the_snakes says... #21
grixis control, you've got cipher, unleash, and overload, you use an overload to kill all opponent creatures, then unleash for big guys, then make it big and with lots of ciphers to cast 3 spell and deal 5 damage all at once
August 4, 2013 12:59 p.m.
harrydemon117 says... #22
I have tested Annihilating Fire for the sole purpose of being able to exile Voice, Thragtusk, etc.
It will NOT work in a 3 color deck unless you use Farseek to fix, and even then you could be in trouble.
Grixis Control (or midrange) in my opinion is an underrated archetype. I just wish I could get Sire Of Insanity to work out of the sideboard like I want it to :)
August 5, 2013 9:43 a.m.
Blessing . This card seems to be pretty powerful from what I have seen of it.
August 5, 2013 11:43 a.m.
fluffybunnypants says... #24
deck-large:trolling-with-young-pyro-budgetScreams underrated.
August 8, 2013 7:23 p.m.
quadspell1 says... #25
Somberwald Sage in Ruric Thar, the Unbowed and creature heavy decks. Turn 3 or 4 Ruic-Thar can turn some heads, or Infernal Plunge which can do cool stuff like a turn 2 kalonian hydra
August 9, 2013 11:33 p.m.
GureiSeion says... #26
@MinscAndBoo - Very much agreed on Phylactery Lich . Even gave us Prophetic Prism back for second-color splashing, though I've grown partial to Inquisitor's Flail .
August 10, 2013 4:01 a.m.
landseahorse says... #27
Man, I think Dega Aggro could be pretty good. A friend of mine has a deck that works well, and hits fast. His best curve I've seen so far is T1 Legion Loyalist , T2 Spike Jester , T3 Boros Reckoner , T4 Hellrider , T5 Thundermaw Hellkite . Also sports some Spark Troopers, Boros Charm, Dreadbore, a lot of burn; and even Sorin to adapt to the late game.
August 10, 2013 4:08 p.m.
quadspell1 says... #28
Also Shimian Specter , put it in a deck with a lot of removal and/or give it double strike, every turn you remove another of you opponent's best cards (that they have in their hand)
August 10, 2013 11:36 p.m.
MinscAndBoo says... #29
Which reminds me, Reap Intellect is very overlooked. I think people get mad when they crack it in Limited, and forget to consider its application in constructed. It's a Mind Warp that exiles all copies of the chosen cards. Against anyone who holds removal or big creatures, it can devastate. Even casting it for one can cripple them.
August 11, 2013 12:09 p.m.
One card that I think is overlooked a little is Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts . I will admit she is very expensive but she can be such a problem when resolved. She is at her best against selesnya decks which have like no answers to her other than double Selesnya Charm . Other decks she causes problems for are bant hexproof (since her ability does not say target) and any deck running Domri Rade (since they tend to all creatures and pro creatures is a thing) .
I am playing her in a variation on junk rites and have found that some times your opponent just stops attacking all together with her out as any attacks cause more harm to them then good. Yes there will be times you wish she was Angel of Serenity but there have been times where I wished the angel I just drew was Teysa. Oh and lately in my meta at least Fiend Hunter and Banisher Priest have become popular so it is nice to have a creature that cant be hit by them
August 11, 2013 5:49 p.m.
NoPantsParade says... #31
Wild Beastmaster is underrated and with the Bloodrush mechanic, it's pretty ridiculous turn 3 or 4. My modified version of a Wild Beastmaster deck, inspired by Domri's Bloodrush Buddies, has performed very well recently.
August 13, 2013 4:28 p.m.
crystalizeq says... #33
I'm not really all too much into standard right now, but I feel like something people are not using is Viashino Firstblade
And I don't know how big it will get in M14, but I feel like a great card is Awaken the Ancient , because you can drop one on a land on turn 5 and swing for 7, and even if they block, they can't block forever
Jay says... #2
Blind Obedience is a personal favorite that is good in basically any matchup.
July 29, 2013 12:56 p.m.