[mtgnexus] Random Card of the Day - North Star

[toctheyounger]

Yeah I've even been in pods where the standard rule is 5 and 0, which seems stupid but what you gonna do.

I'll usually weigh in a little and I'm quick to commend someone on their pile choices. I also generally don't just choose the noob either. I'm more likely to pick someone who might be a potential ally or whom might benefit from me getting my jam on. I'm more likely to get the split fall in my favor that way, but either way, its never just 'pick the greenest guy at the table' for me.

In actual fact I'm more likely to pick someone I know less about so that I can learn more about how well they pilot. If I'm not sure I'm sitting across from a shark, this interaction will tell me one way or the other.

[Crazy Monkey]

As an abuser of Unesh, Criosphinx Sovereign as an engine, I always offer my first piles to the players most familiar against my deck and make sure that unfamiliar players know they can discuss it because the cards are revealed.

Admittedly, the choice of opponent is mostly so that I don't slow the game down too much when I slam out 3 sphinxes into a pair of Unesh.

RE: Epiphany at the Drownyard; I don't like the reverse FoF effects in large quantities. With FoF, you can always get the best card. When opponents chose the piles, you always get the worst possible of those cards.

[Rumpy5897]

I really like Fact or Fiction and view it as one of the flagship spells of the format. Historically powerful, quite fun and engaging in multiplayer. There was once a game where I got FoF'd, and my correct line was to 5-0 them, and their correct line was to begrudgingly bin the 5. I wish I remembered more details as to this. As for FoF-like cards, I enjoy Fortune's Favor and the increased level of mind games it brings. The reverse FoFs where you split the piles and they do the picking never really stuck in my group.

[pokken]

There was once a game where I got FoF'd, and my correct line was to 5-0 them, and their correct line was to begrudgingly bin the 5.

Was it Nekusar, the Mindrazer effect related?

..not nekusar, umm, Storm Seeker or Black Vise adjacent is what I was thinking of

[Mookie]

Fact or Fiction is a sweet card. Epiphany at the Drownyard.... not so much. As a general rule, giving your opponents options is bad, and giving yourself options is good, so the person ultimately making the choice is going to be in a stronger position than the person making the split. It is theoretically possible to get the better of your opponents by making use of hidden information - if you have a card in hand that vastly increases the value of a card, your opponents may misevaluate the relative value of the piles... but that's generally pretty difficult to pull off.

More broadly, I think that the numbers just work out better for Fact or Fiction - it's arguably the single best four mana draw spell. At a baseline, you dig five cards deep for four mana at instant speed, and you're guaranteed a minimum of three cards, making it a better Concentrate. On the other hand, at X=3, Epiphany digs one card less deep, and you can only guarantee two cards (which won't necessarily even be good, if you only hit one relevant card). It also scales much worse than other X spells like Pull from Tomorrow and Blue Sun's Zenith, since only half the cards end up in hand.

Still, I will believe that Epiphany at the Drownyard has its place in the format - specifically, in decks that care less about pure card advantage and more about filling the graveyard. It does dig deeper than any other X spell for the same mana - X cards deep for X mana, instead of for X+2 or X+3 with Pull from Tomorrow / Blue Sun's Zenith. I could see myself running it in Kess, since she can make direct use of the milled cards.

re: strategy for choosing who to split, I often default to whoever is physically closest. Other than that, it often depends on what is revealed and what peoples' board states are like - if you reveal a board wipe, the player with a bunch of creatures is probably going to value it higher than a player with no creatures, for example.

[plushpenguin]

No respect for Pull from Tomorrow huh? If you wanted a basic draw X instant that is the go-to these days.

[TheAmericanSpirit]

I don't really like the whole shibboleth of FoF in EDH communities. "Target the worst player" makes sense from a strategic perspective, but it also generally means putting the new guy on the spot, and sometimes even the choice of targets conveys an insult. This is compounded by some experienced players viewing it as some test of character, and raging at the target if they get it wrong (or just take too long).

I don't ever target the worst player with fof, I target the most fun player with fof. I'll also prioritize choosing a player who chose me to split their fof, because it's a fun minigame and a good turn deserves another. I'm sad your experiences with it have not been as enjoyable, because it's a card that always makes me smile and I think brings more joy to others than some generic Concentrate variant.

[pokken]

No respect for Pull from Tomorrow huh? If you wanted a basic draw X instant that is the go-to these days.

I've become very attentive to the amount of pips in my spells. And epiphany can be spent as a cantrip to find lands a little easier if needed (x=3 stands a good chance of finding a land whereas draw 2 discard 1 is much worse for 4 mana).

I think pull is better in a generic draw deck tho I think epiphany has more utility in gy heavy decks since it sees more cards.

I also think In a generic draw deck there are lots of better options than either - mystic remora rhystic study manifold insights fof dig through time treasure cruise for example.

[hyalopterouslemur]

It's bad, but more because of how it looks next to Pull from Tomorrow or Stroke of Genius. I can still think of ways to separate cards to my advantage (recurring the combo piece, having cards that are good in my hand or my graveyard, separating one versus four, or just knowing I still get at least +1 with four or more cards split in two piles, or playing Laboratory Maniac or Thassa's Oracle).

Still, this makes Chairman Meow uncomfortable, and also gets around Spirit of the Labyrinth and Underworld Dreams. And for that, it has my respect.

[cheonice]

I really like those interactive, mindgame-y cards. Always wanted to build a commander, who utilizes these effects.

[onering]

This takes the drawback of Gifts and adds it to Stroke of Genius in exchange for shaving off 2 mana. Gross.

[TheAmericanSpirit]

This takes the drawback of Gifts and adds it to Stroke of Genius in exchange for shaving off 2 mana. Gross.

Wait, gross as in how? As in sick nasty or actually disgusting? Curse the lack of inflection in the written word!

[onering]

As in actually disgusting and belonging in the trash.

[3drinks]

Friday, November 12th, 2021; True Conviction

This still the gold standard anthem?

[Mookie]

I was in a game the other day where the Liesa, Shroud of Dusk player ran out Bolas's Citadel, burnt 30 life on it, then dropped True Conviction to gain it all back the turn before I could cast Flood of Tears to bounce all their free stuff. They ended up winning that game. Probably says more about the power level of Bolas's Citadel than True Conviction, but...

Anyway, definitely one of the stronger anthems in the format, at least in white - Dictate of Heliod providing +2/+2 is bigger for 1/1s, but as soon as you start playing bigger creatures, the double strike adds a lot more damage. Throw in lifelink and you're effectively quadrupling the life swing - instead of dealing X damage, you instead deal 2X damage and gain 2X life. I'm generally not a big fan of anthems in my decks, but True Conviction is certainly a potent force multiplier.

As for other options... most of white's anthems are pretty small (only +1/+1). Jazal Goldmane can do a decent Craterhoof Behemoth impression, but I'm not sure what other big mass pump effects I would recommend. Hmmm....

[Dunharrow]

I think it is hard to judge this card. It either wins the game or does very little, unless you have synergy (swords for example).
I put it into my new Zurgo Helmsmasher deck because that's a big life swing and I play swords.
But there are many decks where turning 8 damage to 16 damage on the board is not that great for 6 mana.
So is it win-more card most of the time?

[pokken]

Old staple that has mostly got left behind, news at 11

I will say that static buffs in the age of everyone playing tons of removal are significantly worse than they used to be. Super easy to get absolutely blown out when you depend on Eldrazi Monument for a profitable attack and then die when it gets removed.

[3drinks]

Old staple that has mostly got left behind, news at 11

I will say that static buffs in the age of everyone playing tons of removal are significantly worse than they used to be. Super easy to get absolutely blown out when you depend on Eldrazi Monument for a profitable attack and then die when it gets removed.

Hey now, I use monument in Ayula because what's better than an army of bears but the...BEARforce. But, sad face when they take away the jetpacks I strap to the bears with a simple disenchant.

[pokken]

Hey now, I use monument in Ayula because what's better than an army of bears but the...BEARforce. But, sad face when they take away the jetpacks I strap to the bears with a simple disenchant.

One of my favorite things to do with cards like that is to Unexpectedly Absent them - then everyone knows the bears are getting their jetpacks back but it's now their problem because I've done my part to ground the bearforce.

[TheAmericanSpirit]

Bleh. This has a super high ceiling and bottomless pit of a floor. 6 mana needs to do sun titan things, not this. Overrated then, probably still now.

[Ruiner]

Big fan of this one. The lifegain on a half decent board can be significant when you are falling behind or when facing the usual X finisher spells. It either eats removal or has game ending potential. I'm rarely disappointed with it if my deck is planning to turn sideways.

[EonAon]

Its one of those good but bad cards. So many timing issues on this card. You want it early but it comes in usually so late that its basically a empty slot in your deck. They either wrath to keep you out of your advantage or nuke the enchantment immediately.

[3drinks]

Hey now, I use monument in Ayula because what's better than an army of bears but the...BEARforce. But, sad face when they take away the jetpacks I strap to the bears with a simple disenchant.

One of my favorite things to do with cards like that is to Unexpectedly Absent them - then everyone knows the bears are getting their jetpacks back but it's now their problem because I've done my part to ground the bearforce.

Those poor bears. Don't make me go call PETA on you! 👀

[toctheyounger]

I like it for being the only way to get double strike on an entire board. The lifelink is nice too, but it is expensive to cast. Being what it is its probably really restricted to use in mono white or Boros these days, and there's no other permanent that does global double strike in these colors that I'm aware of.

Happy to be proved wrong though, Bruna would appreciate the drop in CMC.

[3drinks]

I like it for being the only way to get double strike on an entire board. The lifelink is nice too, but it is expensive to cast. Being what it is its probably really restricted to use in mono white or Boros these days, and there's no other permanent that does global double strike in these colors that I'm aware of.

Happy to be proved wrong though, Bruna would appreciate the drop in CMC.

Rage Reflection and Berserkers' Onslaught have entered the chat.