The best creature in standard
Standard forum
Posted on Dec. 16, 2013, 2:35 p.m. by hiddengibbons
What is the best creature in standard?
Voice of Resurgence is great, but it requires two colors and isn't seeing a lot of play at the moment (at least I haven't seen many).
AEtherling is excellent, but effectively requires 7 mana (1 extra to activate its exile ability to avoid dying right after it comes into play), and is shut down by Pithing Needle .
Desecration Demon has skyrocketed in popularity, seeing a lot of play in Black Devotion decks. A 6/6 Flier for 4 mana is ridiculous, but it doesn't have hexproof or indestructibility.
Blood Baron of Vizkopa for obvious reasons.
Obzedat, Ghost Council is a game changer, but with more instant speed kill spells and being difficult to cast, it seems to have lost relevance.
So whats the consensus?
I don't know if I would call it the best, but Nightveil Specter is certainly having the greatest impact.
It sees play, and fuels devotion, in two of the most popular decks in the current meta. It's immunity to the common kill spells has warped the format's removal to the likes of Devour Flesh
and Last Breath
. And its ability to slowly generate card advantage, even if it's just playing their lands - let alone high impact spells, can't be ignored.
December 16, 2013 2:52 p.m.
ShadowLand says... #4
They all have their ups and downs, but I have a soft spot for Obzedat, Ghost Council with his interaction with Whip of Erebos he is so hard to kill. And Blood Baron of Vizkopa is excellent unless he gets countered, because he can't be lost through removal. But is easily lost to things like Celestial Flare or Devour Flesh if someone isn't careful.
One that's not on your list but sees tons of play is Stormbreath Dragon , and that card is a pain. But so good.
December 16, 2013 2:53 p.m.
@Jimhawk LOL!
How about Worldspine Wurm , Thassa, God of the Sea , Purphoros, God of the Forge (just for fun)?
December 16, 2013 3:54 p.m.
Actually, bringing up Thragtusk is a good point. AEtherling is a pain to deal with but he takes a skilled pilot to make it go down right, whereas with thragtusk, literally any player can play that card right. Count 5 green mana, slam down the swagtusk. Much easier to pilot than an Aetherling.
December 16, 2013 4:05 p.m.
hiddengibbons says... #9
Funny you mention Worldspine Wurm . Last friday at FNM I hardcasted it and won game 2 against Azorius Control. My opponent won games 1 and 3, but wow, hardcasting Worldspine for the win against control. It was epic. The look on his face was priceless.
December 16, 2013 6:01 p.m.
And against Azorius? I'm surprised it didn't get d sphere or Azorius charm! Sounds like an epic smash to the face!
December 16, 2013 7:54 p.m.
detentionsphere says... #11
I would say Mutavault , but it's technically not a creature. Other than Vault, Nightveil Specter is probably the best, with Pack Rat a contender as well.
If you told me three months ago that I'd be saying that Nightveil Specter and Pack Rat would be the best creatures in Standard, I would have immediately decided that you had no card evaluation skills whatsoever. How times have changed, lol.
December 17, 2013 1:50 a.m.
notamardybum says... #12
I'd say Pack Rat + Mutavault is wicked. I personally really like Desecration Demon and Stormbreath Dragon is also a game changer in the right match up
December 17, 2013 3:21 a.m.
Some1TookMyName says... #13
Reaper of the Wilds . Sure its not as popular and didnt find as much play until a Jund deck won an SCG Open, but its easily the most underrated card if anything. Like aetherling, she takes some piloting... but the potential is insane. With a board wipe you can filter your deck to the card you need which I've done plenty of times. Evades two popular removal spells without hexproof. Doom Blade, Mizzium Mortars and Abrupt Decay. Maybe with the new sets coming out I wouldnt be surprised to see a lot more Reapers coming out... of the wilds :|
December 17, 2013 4:56 a.m.
Nightveil Specter is one of the best... but the only reason he's played is on account of other cards like Gray Merchant of Asphodel and Master of Waves , so he's not good in the way Thragtusk or Olivia Voldaren was. You could slap Thragtusk into any green deck without a second thought, but Nightveil Specter plays a sort of "support role" if you will.
December 17, 2013 7:21 a.m.
MadDreams you have a good point about Reaper of the Wilds , one of the better players at my LGS runs 4x Reaper of the Wilds in a midrange Junk deck and he consistently goes 4-0.
December 17, 2013 8:50 a.m.
harrydemon117 says... #17
Reaper of the Wilds for most underrated creature in standard, but I have a soft spot for Angel of Serenity .
She's SOOO versatile and can be used as removal or else to gain back some of your creatures. What other creature in standard can boast that they have the ability to remove multiple creatures (including the gods) simultaneously? She even has built in evasion!!!
GREAT whip target too I might add ;)
December 17, 2013 10:11 a.m.
harrydemon117 I love Angel of Serenity but I think she suffers because of how prevalent black is at the moment it has the killer combo of: good resources to draw from, great creatures, and lots of spot removal. It's the wide array of spot removal that hurts her value.
December 17, 2013 10:56 a.m.
harrydemon117 says... #19
Soooo....why not go Orzhov? Black devotion splashing white for Sin Collector (for Esper decks/monoblack), Obzedat, Ghost Council (perfect whip target), and Angel of Serenity ?
Seems like you'd have a HUGE advantage vs monoblack, and your Esper matchup improves exponentially.
December 17, 2013 1:57 p.m.
ShadowLand says... #20
@ harrydemon117, that's what I've been trying to work on for forever now
December 17, 2013 2:02 p.m.
harrydemon117 says... #21
@ShadowLand haha ! Want to see one I've been working on? Granted it's for a 2 headed giant Standard deck, but the concept is the same:
December 17, 2013 2:07 p.m.
Some1TookMyName says... #22
I think Elvish Mystic deserves an honorable mention. He's a dork, an accelerator, a one drop, a chump block. Me and my friends nicknamed him Brother. And on occasion he swings.
Demarge says... #2
Mutavault is the best creature in standard. You see it in almost literally every archetype that doesn't have 3+ colors.
And if vault doesn't count due to it being a land then I'd have to say this standard isn't like the standards in the past few years that center around a few powerful creatures but rather it's more focused on how multiple cards interact with one another, only AEtherling has the game ending feel and only when cast on the correct turn.
December 16, 2013 2:47 p.m.