your "just almost there" cards
Standard forum
Posted on March 6, 2014, 12:52 p.m. by amishrambo
everybody has a card in standard that they immensely enjoy and WANT to play them but you know its just not gonna work out but you do know its JUST ALMOST THERE right on the border of playability and in your mind you thought up of hundreds of ways to tweak it just a little to nudge just right into standard worthy and I for one have a huge bucket list of those kinda cards
Gruul War Chant this thing just oozes playability for me and actually im working on a G/R blitz with this as its finisher
Bogbrew Witch and her combo cards I tried her for ages and she just didn't click right sigh its a shame to it was quite a hoot to play
Pontiff of Blight great wall amazing ability but that just isn't enough
Triad of Fates ~ if only it put counters on things when it ETB or something. This card could be so good but so far the only way I've made it do anything fun is in an EDH deck that uses infinite mana and untaps.
March 6, 2014 1:21 p.m.
I really wish there were some way I could play Armada Wurm and not be disappointed by it :(
Also, Mana Bloom . I love the art and the potential utility, but it just get's outclassed quickly.
March 6, 2014 1:25 p.m.
Dalektable says... #8
Artisan of Forms and Pain Seer . Both have so much potential, in practice neither are great.
March 6, 2014 1:27 p.m.
Rasta_Viking29 says... #9
Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver ... I've had him exile a Stormbreath Dragon or Polukranos, World Eater and cast it turn 4 against me with mana open to kill my 4 drop many times in testing. Hardly ever see him played.
March 6, 2014 1:37 p.m.
SharuumNyan says... #10
Archangel of Thune . Such a great card that had such a short life in Standard. Theros really killed her potential.
March 6, 2014 1:44 p.m.
Fathom Mage hands down. If she were (1)(U)(G) I would break the shit out of her. Unfortunately (2)(U)(G) is just too much to handle for that 1/1 body. That 4 CC slot is very important too
March 6, 2014 1:55 p.m.
Archangel of Thune has been seeing play in U/W control, jammed into the 75 like +2 months ago, granted that's not a deck build specifically for thune, the card is still seeing some play. I'd argue it see's enough play right now to categorize it as a card that has 'gotten there' and therefore couldn't be allowed on this list. Cards like Pontiff of Blight and Bog brew witch and Gruul War Chant are all cards under the radar, like, WAAAY under, Thune is not even close to their level. Just sayin, of the like +1,000 cards that are currently standard legal, Archangel of Thune should not have been your go-to 'under-played' card, considering it has literally been a part of Top Placing deck list's over the past few months.
March 6, 2014 2:01 p.m.
SharuumNyan says... #13
Behgz Thanks for telling me what my opinion should be... Wow, that was arrogant.
Thune is a great card that I enjoy that just misses the mark in Standard. How does that not fit the description of this thread?
I played Thune in Standard before Theros was released. The card has become blah since then. It's "just almost there" in terms of being a good rare that could be played in competitive decks. I haven't seen it played in UW Control, where typically the only creature in the deck is AEtherling .
March 6, 2014 2:16 p.m.
Thune's actually mythic, and is literally in the 75 of decks that are taking first place, how is that 'just almost there' and not 'full on got there'.
March 6, 2014 4:13 p.m.
Feb 16th 2014, Kansas City IQ, Link 4x copies of Archangel of Thune in the 75 of the U/W deck that took first place, this was only 18 days ago.
March 6, 2014 4:17 p.m.
Possibility Storm i think this enchantment has its potential if you fix you top by using scry or something simillar
March 6, 2014 4:22 p.m.
Rasta_Viking29 says... #17
Underworld Cerberus is another card that is close in my opinion. 6/6 for 5mana in R/B with a minor draw back against some decks and he's pseudo un-blockable. He would be great against control if Detention Sphere was absent from the meta.
March 6, 2014 4:24 p.m.
amishrambo says... #18
also Ruric Gutter Grime another "almost there" 5 mana enchantment while it was in standard I LOVED that card but it just never worked the way I wanted to
March 6, 2014 4:25 p.m.
Underworld Cerberus ! I'm hoping for a post rotation boom for this card, maybe even after JiN drops. So close to being great!
March 6, 2014 5:31 p.m.
Gorgosaurusrex says... #20
Pyromancer's Gauntlet . I really tried to make this card work. If only it cost 3 mana instead of 5, and maybe didn't affect damage caused by Planeswalkers. Than it would be pretty awesome in burn decks.
I even tried making a R/U control deck with the Gauntlet, Ral Zarek , and Chandra, Pyromaster as the win conditions. It didn't work out so well.
March 6, 2014 5:46 p.m.
SharuumNyan says... #21
Yeah Behgz, it's a sideboard card at best. Being a sideboard card fits the definition "on the border of playability", at least to me. Hell, I run 3 in my GW sideboard. It won't fit into the main board of any deck though - but it's close.
March 6, 2014 5:54 p.m.
@SharuumNyan Your GW brew/sideboard didn't take first place at an IQ in the last 18 days, so that's a bad comparison/doesn't take away from the fact that Archangel of Thune was included as a 4-of in the 75 of a U/W deck that Did take first place at an IQ in the last 18 days, and has done so multiple times over the past 4-8 weeks by multiple players.
Thune's not just close, she's In like Flynn. Undeniably.
March 6, 2014 6:07 p.m.
SharuumNyan: I'm not going to enter the debate going on of whether or not your choice was "valid", but I do want to just say that I feel like cards being a part of a sideboard doesn't exclude them from "playable" cards. In many decks, cards in the sideboard are more important than those in the mainboard. A control deck, for example, can really trick an opposing player by making them believe they should board out all their removal and then bringing in creatures that NEED to be removed such as Archangel of Thune . Additionally, there are certain cards in modern such as Leyline of Sanctity or Grafdigger's Cage that are some of the most important cards after boarding. Sure, they aren't there in game 1, but there will always be just as many or more games played with access to the sideboard than those without.
All in all, I feel like Archangel of Thune is beginning to see play and therefore is beginning to be playable. It's all centered around the shifting meta.
March 6, 2014 6:09 p.m.
SharuumNyan says... #24
I wasn't comparing my deck to the IQ deck. I was making a point that I play it in a sideboard, even though I think it's a near-miss as a mainboard card. That's how I interpreted the thread. Your arrogant response is just out of line no matter what.
March 6, 2014 7:10 p.m.
Accept that you were ill-informed going into this thread, and multiple users, myself included, have enlightened you on Archangel of Thune and her usage over the past few weeks. No one was arrogant accept maybe you for assuming you weren't incorrect.
March 6, 2014 7:37 p.m.
I had no idea that an opinion can be flat out incorrect. Personally I don't pay heed to the top tier competitive decks unless people are playing them at my LGS. Therefore my view of what's "almost there" may not match yours. Does that make me flat out incorrect? No, but it does mean that I may be incorrect to others.
Anyway, onto the topic of the thread. I completely agree with the Pontiff of Blight . When it first came out I saw it as a Sublime Archangel for Extort. Too bad it cost too much for what it did.
March 6, 2014 7:43 p.m.
amishrambo says... #28
acbooster casted Pay No Heed that's what I thought of pontiff to and it did have moderate success with Trading Post goats
March 6, 2014 7:46 p.m.
Gleam of Battle is a really cool uncommon I wish I could build around and do well with.
March 6, 2014 9:07 p.m.
Haha wow Behgz you are acting like an arrogant turd. Behgz pls. Stahp.
OT: Siren of the Fanged Coast . Limited bomb. Wish I could use her in some kind of deck. Can't justify cutting Mirko Vosk, Mind Drinker
March 6, 2014 10:24 p.m.
SharuumNyan, sorry to burst your bubble, but she's played in the main of my deck! Your endstep, flash 50/49 Trample Flying, uh GG? :D
But about cards that I wish were good enough, I wish Ral Zarek was played more, if was white blue and his second ability was like a bounce or something as opposed to burn, with the same -2 cost, not like JTMS, lol, he could probably be a lot better.
March 7, 2014 12:24 a.m.
Chromanticore , Five-Alarm Fire , Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord , Prophet of Kruphix , Duskmantle Seer , Blightcaster , Spark Trooper (yes, i know it sees play in boros burn, but that deck isn't huge right now), Liliana of the Dark Realms , Bred for the Hunt , and Whip of Erebos . A few of the cards on this list i actually think have great potential: Whip of Erebos , Prophet of Kruphix , Liliana of the Dark Realms , Duskmantle Seer and Chromanticore in particular, but just haven't seen any competitive play. Stuff like Blightcaster is just a bit too slow and unimpactful. If they put an enchantress in Journey into Nyx, then i think i could make an esper enchantment control with Blightcaster , Detention Sphere , and similar cards, but now it's just a bit clunky.
March 7, 2014 1:40 a.m.
I wish I could use tezzeret (either one) in modern and still be competitive. Sigh, not yet.
March 7, 2014 2:37 a.m.
NotSoLuckyLydia says... #34
@Blakkhand, you can always try Tezzerator. In the current meta, it only has one bad matchup, and you can alleviate that in the sideboard. It's a fun control deck that attacks at a different angle than most decks.
March 7, 2014 3:06 a.m.
APPLE01DOJ says... #35
Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts 7CMC in non-ramp colors is a lot to ask.
March 7, 2014 3:22 a.m.
Some1TookMyName says... #36
I want to agree with Archangel of Thune but one of my personal favorites (used well in my brew that I consistently go x-0 or x-1) would be Reaper of the Wilds if only one of her abilities were free or just something extra. I constantly side her out but she's well worh piloting.
March 7, 2014 5:19 a.m.
NotSoLuckyLydia says... #37
You guys do realize that Archangel of Thune is now seeing maindeck play in one of the top decks of the modern format? Melira Pod plays it to combo with Spike Feeder .
March 7, 2014 5:32 a.m.
KingSorin im agree with you on Five-Alarm Fire ive been using it on my MRD andworks really well and even more with doublestrikers, i do get to use its ability very often it lets you suicide attacks just to get the bonus and blow your oponents, and the fact that it remains in play after usaing the ability is great even thou 95% of the time i just need to use it once to win
March 7, 2014 6:43 a.m.
I keep wanting Rubblebelt Raiders to work in my monsters deck or a devotion deck, but it continually gets cut.
March 7, 2014 7:10 a.m.
SharuumNyan says... #40
Behgz, I guess The Doctor was right about you. I gave you the benefit of the doubt when he started that thread about you, but I clearly see what he means now.
Whether or not Thune is played in some decks, or as a sideboard card in a PTQ deck, it's the card that immediately sprang to mind for me based on my experiences. I've seen lots of people play Fathom Mage main board, including at Game Day last week, but no one jumped all over that suggestion - including me, because calling someone else's opinion (and this thread is asking for an opinion) flat out wrong is just rude. We all play in differemt metas, and what works for one person doesn't work for others.
NotSoLuckyLydia - I know about her use in Melira Pod, but this is more of a Standard discussion. She's also great in EDH because she's so combo-worthy.
March 7, 2014 7:13 a.m.
Scourge of Skola Vale , if only is was B and not tap to activate its ability
March 7, 2014 1:39 p.m.
APPLE01DOJ says... #43
Actually!!! thank u JenisPoke
I finally saw the brilliance in that card. It can be used as a somewhat standard legal Spellskite as any time a creature besides it is targeted u can sac it in response and while u do loose the body, u'll transfer it's toughness. That's actually pretty sweet. Think I'm going to SB at least 2.
March 7, 2014 1:59 p.m.
The Doctor says... #44
inb4 im right and everybody else is wrong so im going to be an ass regardless, blah blah blah i refuse to accept that others have different opinions.
March 7, 2014 2:49 p.m.
SharuumNyan says... #45
The Doctor I think what happened is he's running Thune's in his Standard deck that he copied from BBD (who never had much success with it). Instead of just saying something civil like "I would disagree since I run it in my main board, and here's why..." he got all butthurt and started being rude. Seems like the guy has really bad communication skills.
March 7, 2014 3:27 p.m.
The Doctor says... #46
Yeah that's pretty much what started the squabble between us. He was being a dick to a new member, so many others (including me) called him out on it. Apparently, this turned into US being dicks (according to him) and then the rest is just...meh.
March 7, 2014 3:48 p.m.
I don't have "just almost there" cards... or at least not for long.
I either find a way to make it get there, or I realize why it won't get there, and stop trying.
A recent example of this is Gift of Immortality .
My first deck with it was, Gift of the Accord. - It went 3-1 on it's first time out, but brought every match to 3 games... a hugely unexpected result for a Gift of Immortality / Brindle Boar combo deck. - It beat MDB, and was a close match for R/G Monsters.
From this deck I am certain that it can work. - Gift of Immortality is an almost guaranteed card advantage, as they must use multiple removal spells to work around it... with the exception of Merciless Eviction , and (if the enchanted creature is 3 or less power) Anger of the Gods .
I'm going to try a Turbo Fog version soon... Gift of the Fogging Accord.
If that does better... more tweaking. Otherwise I may switch to B/W, or Junk as there are a lot of good sac outlets in Black.
March 7, 2014 4:03 p.m.
amishrambo says... #48
so im just going to bring up my 2cents aboot Archangel of Thune the card on paper looks amazing a sort of white Kalonian Hydra and was looking up to be basic the Thragtusk of new standard buuuuuuut she wasn't in practice she just didn't work that well and for the longest time was just a swept under the rug(for as long as im concerned it still is under dat rug) but to some its getting somewhat of a resurgence in play but I haven't seen it
March 7, 2014 4:09 p.m.
I agree with Reaper of the Wilds , and have another one: Champion of Stray Souls . That card is awesome, but did they have to make its abilities cost an insane amount of mana in addition to their other costs? Five mana + Tap + Sacrifice X creatures? Maybe XBB tap sac X or something, but he already costs 6 mana, is easy to remove, and requires a tap. And the recovery is 7 mana and goes to the TOP OF LIBRARY. It doesn't even give you card advantage.
March 7, 2014 4:21 p.m.
SharuumNyan says... #50
amishrambo - my sentiments exactly. I love that card, and she's very powerful-looking on her own, but nothing really came along and worked well with her. I tried and tried to squeeze her into a Bant deck when Theros arrived, but nothing worked. It was always a little slow for the meta, but so close to being a good deck. I tried lots of different versions of that deck, and would go 2-2 regularly, but it never reached any higher.
She's just not a Restoration Angel , and I'm still bummed that Solar Flare isn't a viable deck in Standard anymore.
SavingLala says... #2
I'm running Spellheart Chimera in my burn deck, but it's rarely as good as I think it should be. I've also been gradually dropping down to fewer and fewer Satyr Firedancer which seems like it should be amazing but is mostly a big target for removal spells.
I just pulled Servant of Tymaret out of my Black Devotion deck, love equipping him with a Herald of Torment but he's just not as powerful a creature as other things I'm running.
Sort of on the other end of the spectrum, Whelming Wave seemed cool but kind of cutesy, but has really been very effective in my deck running a playset of Archaeomancer .
This is a sweet topic.
March 6, 2014 1:06 p.m.