[mtgnexus] Random Card of the Day - Runechanter's Pike

[Mookie]

Growth Spiral is quite solid, and definitely an improvement over Explore. Instant speed is a significant upgrade, since you can hold open mana for other things. I also like it more than Rampant Growth and most other two mana ramp spells. It's potentially worse, because you aren't guaranteed to have an extra land to play out with it, which makes it less consistent ramp. However, cantripping makes it significantly better than other ramp spells in the lategame when you already have enough lands. It's a pretty easy slot into Simic decks, since 'ramp and draw cards' is pretty much their core identity. It does have the slight downside over Explore of only playing lands from hand (so you can't benefit from Crucible of Worlds effects), but that's pretty niche.

Somewhat interesting to compare to Coiling Oracle, but I'd usually pick Growth Spiral if I didn't have a bunch of creature synergies. Being able to ramp from hand is way more consistent than being restricted to ramping off the top of the deck, which makes it a better early game play.

Anyway, I'm currently running it in Tasigur. Not the most exciting card for opponents to give back, but not terrible either. Judging by how much impact it has had on Standard, I don't think I'm alone in being a fan.

[folding_music]

I was really taken aback when I read this card in the Rav Allegiance spoiler. it breaks the rules of the game way harder than Explore did.
on the other hand I don't rate this in Commander when the power level dictates everyone should lower their land count for rocks and tutors. you'll see it a lot and not want to cast it for fear of it just being ug Draw a card.

[DirkGently]

I was really taken aback when I read this card in the Rav Allegiance spoiler. it breaks the rules of the game way harder than Explore did.
on the other hand I don't rate this in Commander when the power level dictates everyone should lower their land count for rocks and tutors. you'll see it a lot and not want to cast it for fear of it just being ug Draw a card.

I don't get any of this. We've had instant-speed ramp before (Harrow, Natural Connection), we've had loads of cards that put lands into play from hand, so idk how it breaks the rules of the game (or how explore did, or why this would be "more").

I don't think it's "more competitive" to cut lands for rocks, if you're missing land drops and paying mana for rocks instead that's super counterproductive. Lands generally aren't the things you should be cutting for ramp or tutors - if you want to ramp, it's probably all the more important to not miss land drops. And if you're a low-curve hyper competitive deck you're probably not running any 2cmc ramp anyway, just the broken stuff.

And as far as being competitive - well, sure, it's no sol ring because the rate isn't broken, so it definitely doesn't go into every UG deck, but it lets you keep up answers to competitive nasty things while still letting you advance your game plan. Even if it's just a cycle that's not the worse fail case - it's why the effect is much better than your normal Rampant Growth in the late-game. If I wanted to ramp and play control while playing UG, this would likely make the cut.

[ironic gesture]

I run it in Rashmi to good effect (and in addition to rampant growth and farseek). But it doesn't make the cut in my other 3 decks that could run it as 1 is Edric which has little to no ramp and the other 2 are 5 color where the ramp often needs to find a specific color.

[Sinis]

Sunday, August 9th, 2020; Growth Spiral

Oh boy. This lil guy was just in all the news. It's kinda a rampant growth. Kinda an explore. You're pretty happy to see this, right?

It's just instant-speed Explore.

But, I was already playing Explore in a lot of decks, so... I guess I like Growth Spiral, too?

I'm not generally afraid of it whiffing the land drop; "Cycling " isn't the worst thing.

[folding_music]

I was really taken aback when I read this card in the Rav Allegiance spoiler. it breaks the rules of the game way harder than Explore did.
on the other hand I don't rate this in Commander when the power level dictates everyone should lower their land count for rocks and tutors. you'll see it a lot and not want to cast it for fear of it just being ug Draw a card.

I don't get any of this. We've had instant-speed ramp before (Harrow, Natural Connection), we've had loads of cards that put lands into play from hand, so idk how it breaks the rules of the game (or how explore did, or why this would be "more").

I don't think it's "more competitive" to cut lands for rocks, if you're missing land drops and paying mana for rocks instead that's super counterproductive. Lands generally aren't the things you should be cutting for ramp or tutors - if you want to ramp, it's probably all the more important to not miss land drops. And if you're a low-curve hyper competitive deck you're probably not running any 2cmc ramp anyway, just the broken stuff.

And as far as being competitive - well, sure, it's no sol ring because the rate isn't broken, so it definitely doesn't go into every UG deck, but it lets you keep up answers to competitive nasty things while still letting you advance your game plan. Even if it's just a cycle that's not the worse fail case - it's why the effect is much better than your normal Rampant Growth in the late-game. If I wanted to ramp and play control while playing UG, this would likely make the cut.

Harrow was more risky than Growth Spiral, and I remember Domain vs Domain matches with both players siding out all the Harrows because walking them into counterspells was so ruinous. Growth Spiral is way safer and costs one less mana and thanks to its specific colours, pushes one combination above the rest!

on teh land count thing you probably play Commander way more often than me, but I've been playing around on Arena and finding that even the big tap-out control decks with 29 lands in them can miss on Growth Spiral often enough that it's noticeable, and you can say that rocks shouldn't replace lands but so many of the lists on this site are on around 33-39 land and 5-9 mana artifacts. a way lower land ratio than being played elsewhere.

[3drinks]

on teh land count thing you probably play Commander way more often than me, but I've been playing around on Arena and finding that even the big tap-out control decks with 29 lands in them can miss on Growth Spiral often enough that it's noticeable, and you can say that rocks shouldn't replace lands but so many of the lists on this site are on around 33-39 land and 5-9 mana artifacts. a way lower land ratio than being played elsewhere.

Don't follow the herd. If everyone is on rocks, bring back Null Rod and beat 'em to the punch. If they're on dorks, then bring back Cursed Totem. That's what I'm doing. Rise above the herd and join the pre-boarded movement. Your future W/L will thank you.

[Myllior]

I find Growth Spiral to be a lacklustre card. If I'm aiming to ramp, I'd much rather pull a land directly from my deck for potential colour-fixing; if I'm aiming to cantrip, then there are vastly better options available at a lower CMC. Unless I really want to be playing on opponents' turns (e.g. Rashmi) then this is an easy pass for me.

And if you're a low-curve hyper competitive deck you're probably not running any 2cmc ramp anyway, just the broken stuff.

Pretty much every cEDH deck without green has about five 2CMC rocks (not including Grim Monolith); lists with green that have chosen to eschew mana dorks for whatever reason tend to show the same. (The numbers vary for mono-colour decks due to a lack of signets and talismans). These decks only need a handful of mana available to function, so cutting lands for additional rocks lets them execute their game plans sooner.

[3drinks]

Monday, August 10th, 2020; Hide // Seek

The random gods must hate me for the sheer number of times I had to hit the button to get something that wasn't a token, basic land, lava axe esque card or ogre gatecrasher. Ha.

So, I like this card for the first half as a deglamer effect you don't need g for. Can't say I ever used the other half though.

[tstorm823]

Seek being an instant is pretty good for messing with tutors. I've used it in response to Tooth and Nail to pull out the Craterhoof Behemoth, and I've used it after an end step Mystical Tutor, exiled something totally unrelated, and then made them shuffle away what they wanted.

[MeowZeDung]

Seek seems great, especially in a meta you're familiar with since you likely know tutor targets, combo pieces, engine cards, etc of other decks. Instant speed makes it super.

[Sinis]

Monday, August 10th, 2020; Hide // Seek

I've only played this card a couple of times, but, I think it's a hidden gem. For Seek, it's realistically gain 7-8 life except for the most low-to-the-ground decks, and it can potentially bungle some combo player's game.

Hide is a totally reasonable removal spell. Realistically, you'll probably get good use out of either mode in a game.

The only disadvantage with it is that Seek is awkward via webcam Magic.

[DirkGently]

If it was somehow mono-red or mono-white it'd be solid. Problem is, with any 3c card, there are so few decks it can even go in - and those decks have a lot of options.

I like multi-functional control cards but I don't think this is strong enough to justify in colors that already have such good options. I guess if you know you're playing against some specific combo then maybe it's ok, but as someone who plays against new decks constantly I'd be very unsure of my ability to get a card's worth of value out of Seek, or even know who to target with it. Especially in multiplayer, reacting as late as possible is VERY important, and where Thoughtseize and co are pretty terrible, this is an order of magnitude worse. Hide is fine, but it's mostly just disenchant which doesn't generally make the cut in 3c.

Another issue with this kind of card is that, especially in circumstances like mine where I'm not intimately familiar with the decks I'm playing against, it can take a long time to resolve. I mean you're basically trying to figure out their whole gameplan to determine the most important target. Meanwhile the rest of the table is bored out of their mind.

[Hawk]

This is a Sunforger-able split card, a rare treat given the CMC rules on split cards, and so I'd definitely give it a look for any Mardu deck trying to use the 'forger.

The problem though, as pointed out, is that the "Hide" side is a bit under rate. A mono-white Deglamer or even a Boros Deglamer might see some play, but being in Mardu makes this compete with a lot of powerful removal. Utter End, Anguished Unmaking, Mortify, Despark, and Bedevil are all Sunforger-able as well alongside traditional staples like Chaos Warp. Orim's Thunder, Return to Dust, Generous Gift, and Wear // Tear (not a great Sunforger target but still).

I'd say 5 years ago, this was still an autoinclude for Mardu Sunforger toolboxes, but every year has brought more powerful spells (Unmaking, Bedevil, Gift, Despark, and also stuff like Teferi's Protection) that make the competition just a little stiffer.

That means you have to be really excited about the Seek side of Hide // Seek. In my experience, a targeted effect like that is a huge buzzkill, and the times where the effect is amazing are pretty slim - you either need a powerful enough metagame that it breaks a deck's back to get hit by seek because they can't win without Laboratory Maniac or whatever, or a slow enough meta that exiling Craterhoof Behemoth or Akroma's Memorial and gaining 7+ life is hugely relevant. That's not impossible, but the logistical issues are not inconsiderable.

If I didn't have Sunforger, I can't see running it. Maybe someday we get a Mardu Spellslinger commander but even then this card just has a lot of stiff competition.

[Dunharrow]

I would probably stick to Wear // Tear, Forsake the Worldly, Anguished Unmaking, Despark, etc. in a mardu deck. Even Unexpectedly Absent.

Seek is just not going to be good enough often enough. I much prefer cards like Bitter Ordeal, Nightmare Incursion and Sadistic Sacrament for these effects because you can often ruin multiple combos.

[Mookie]

Hmmm, Hide // Seek looks interesting. I'd evaluate this card by assuming you would be casting Hide the majority of the time, with Seek being a bit more niche. Hide is.... fine. Two mana to deal with a thing semi-permanently, depending on how much tutoring / recursion your opponent is running. It suffers a bit from Mardu having so much access to premium removal - when you have access to Vindicate, Naturalize looks a lot worse. This also looks sort of underwhelming in comparison to Wear // Tear. Maybe if your opponent has a ton of recursion, but....

On the other hand, Seek has a lot fewer direct comparisons. There aren't nearly as many Jester's Cap effects available, and certainly not at instant speed. Snagging a key combo piece or messing up a topdeck tutor seems sweet, but it also requires a lot of knowledge of your opponent's deck. Again, it feels sort of narrow - this looks very difficult to use proactively, and I'd usually favor something like Sadistic Sacrament or Bitter Ordeal that hits more cards. Lifegain is a nice perk, at least.

Putting it together, I think the two halves are a bit too situational for me to want to run this card. Hide is fine, but also pretty outclassed in these colors. As a result, you want to have Seek be a relevant card to make up for it, which feels... unlikely in most metas.

[darrenhabib]

Probably a better card in competitive circles than one might think. Has "modes" and in cEDH taking an Underworld Breach or Thassa's Oracle from a deck can really make winning hard.
Then removing an Underworld Breach, Food Chain, etc from the board can be great as well.

[Cyberium]

Monday, August 10th, 2020; Hide // Seek

The random gods must hate me for the sheer number of times I had to hit the button to get something that wasn't a token, basic land, lava axe esque card or ogre gatecrasher. Ha.

So, I like this card for the first half as a deglamer effect you don't need g for. Can't say I ever used the other half though.

Like many cards at the time, it was designed for 1v1 in mind. I'd imagine in today's environment it'd cost 1~2 more on each side, but hits everyone.

[MeowZeDung]

Probably a better card in competitive circles than one might think. Has "modes" and in cEDH taking an Underworld Breach or Thassa's Oracle from a deck can really make winning hard.
Then removing an Underworld Breach, Food Chain, etc from the board can be great as well.

My first thought was actually re:cEDH too.Nab a Food Chain or a Doomsday and effectively get a PK for . Hide just keeps it from being a dead card once the combo piece is out.

Also, I've found Unravel the Aether effects to be better than advertised in a world full of Theros gods with indestructible. Bottom of library is better than shuffled in too.

[3drinks]

Tuesday, August 11th, 2020; Electrolyze

Not to be confused with all the vitamins that make up your Gatorade, electrolytes...I like this card. Instant, handles a couple threats, replaces itself, never sad to see this in xur decks.

[3drinks]

Also, I've found Unravel the Aether effects to be better than advertised in a world full of Theros gods with indestructible. Bottom of library is better than shuffled in too.

QFT. I've tried singing the praises of these effects for a long ass time to people precisely for this reason.

[Mookie]

Electrolyze is fine as a value card - best-case scenario, you kill two one-toughness creatures and draw a card, which is a fantastic deal. Even if you only kill one two-toughness creature, that's still pretty solid. However, I'm not really a fan of it. While you may be able to pick off a token, the odds of killing a creature actually worth spending a removal spell on are significantly lower. This feels like a 'jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none' card to me - it's both a removal spell and a cantrip, but neither is efficient enough to make the overall package that impressive.

Still, I won't fault those that do run it. It's a cool card, and can be reasonable against certain decks (ex: elfball). The baseline of cantripping means at least it isn't card disadvantage. If you're running Torbran, Thane of Red Fell or a similar effect, the ability to split up damage can go way up in value.

I'll call out Ral's Outburst and Prophetic Bolt as slightly bigger versions of this effect, Izzet Charm as a card that fills a similar role, and Fire // Ice if you want the effects individually. That said, 'damage + card draw' is a pretty common package for Izzet cards to have.

[DirkGently]

I used to love this card, but now it looks pretty mediocre to me. For the same price you could draw a second card pretty easily, so the question is, is an instant-speed Forked Bolt worth a card to you? And I think the answer is generally going to be no.

Sure, at some point in the game you'll probably have a good target, but are you going to let this rot in your hand until then?

As a general rule, I'd rather keep my draw spells draw spells, and my removal spells removal spells. Then I'm not motivated to fire them off at subpar targets just to draw something else. Plus the rate is almost always crap, and you get rekt by sac outlets.

[Serenade]

Pestilent Spirit likes it, I guess? That's a peculiar Grixis build, though.

[MeowZeDung]

Good vs tokens or mana dork decks I suppose. It would be great in an enrage deck, but I don't reckon there are many 4/5 color dino decks out there since U/B don't offer quite as much on that front.