[MCD]Arcane Adaptation vs Maskwood Nexus

[Crazy Monkey]

Based on the recent discussion about forum feedback, I thought that I'd start a discussion about Maskwood Nexus, Arcane Adaptation, Conspiracy for off-tribal enablers. There was a similar thread on this topic, but it was more related to the types of decks that would run Maskwood Nexus, but didn't really compare it to the older tribal enablers.

The general question is how cards of this type have performed for others, and in what situations have you used them?

My specific context is that I have a monoblue sphinx tribal deck (Unesh, Criosphinx Sovereign) which wants to play may clone effects, and these cards allow the cost reduction to apply to the clones. The additional context is that I tend to run this deck into games with cEDH decks such as Krark-Sakashima and Winota, Joiner of Forces stax. This means that card types missing Swan Song can be relevant. In my case, I've been trying to increase the color density for Dream Halls, and reducing MV in a competitively oriented deck is always good. The counterpoint is that Scholar of the Lost Trove is limited to artifacts and the deck is typically trying to save its blue mana for clones.

This overall discussion may be somewhat limited because only Maskwood is colorless, and only Maskwood is useful in tribal tribal decks. So I guess in the scope of of discussion would be decks that can play the other options and aren't using the full changeling effect, but instead want to enable a specific tribal effect. I also, reading this post back, I suspect that the metagame/deck/power level combination that I'm asking this question in the context from is likely too narrow.

[pokken]

This type of card is just nowhere near my radar because if I'm building a tribal deck I'm wanting to play cards in that tribe. So why need something to fix tribes? Just...play the tribe?

If it's a combo piece I would rather just play a different combo.

I feel like the odds of these cards ever being actually stronger than an alternative are infinitesimal and they are actively negative flavor so they sit in a valley for me of being non flavorful cards that aren't strong enough for me to want to put in a deck that is going hard. So they are total duds for my play style. If I'm on a flavor deck I'll just play on theme cards.

[DirkGently]

I used arcane adaptation in Zur the Enchanter to make them rebels. Can't remember whose deck idea that was but it was pretty effective. Honestly maybe too effective, that deck shredded if it didn't get disrupted. Probably not cEDH viable though.

Rebels I think hit the sweet spot for that sort of effect since they have some really strong abilities but desperately need more diversity, which those effects can provide. Of course it's all pretty fragile.

I could see maskwood being strong in a pan-tribal deck, though it could be risky to rely too much on one card to make the deck work.

[illakunsaa]

I like the synergy with Mask and Winota. Turn all your nonhumans into humans and turn off Winota's attack trigger. Overall happiness has increased.

[3drinks]

These effects are best when you're in some sort of multi tribal strategy. The Party mechanic is a classic example, but also Kaalia, Zenith Seeker should entertain this idea as you're forced to lean into all three tribes evenly.

[materpillar]

Maskwood Nexus is one of the strongest cards in my Changeling Tribal deck. Arcane Adaptation isn't even remotely close in powerlevel. Say you want to be doing silly things with Skyshroud Poacher but so you play Arcane Adaptation and someone doom blades your poacher. Now you've just got a dead enchantment that doesn't do much of anything. Maskwood Nexus on the other hand will still be around for your next whatever tribal card to generate value. Also, Magda, Brazen Outlaw can tutor you Maskwood Nexus.

Arcane Artisan is probably better at dodging removal since it's an enchantment. It's probably better than the nexus for things like Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow or rebels because you only care about the one additional type.

Conspiracy is way worse than Arcane Adaptation because it overrides creature types it doesn't give them in addition. You need a very specific reason to be wanting that over giving additional typed but there are some really cute super niche combos with it that the other two can't do like infinitely flickering Restoration Angel with itself.

It also seems like you know which card you want for Unesh, Criosphinx Sovereign already. Do you want an artifact for Scholar of the Lost Trove or do you want a blue card for Dream Halls that's one cmc cheaper but more vulnerable to removal? I'd guess the 1cmc cheaper option because speed is so important in cEDH but you know your deck and meta better than I do.

[Jemolk]

Back when Yuriko was first released, I built a ninja tribal deck around her. Not the usual nonsense, I have no topdeck manipulation and no extra turns. Still very dangerous, just not completely abusive. There weren't enough ninjas to fill out the deck, though, so I wanted this effect. For flavor reasons, my opponents being surrounded by ninjas due to a Conspiracy seemed vastly preferable to running Arcane Adaptation, so that's what I went with. Didn't even run Adaptation as a backup. I've stuck with that, because the flavor is so perfect IMHO. But that flavor is really the one big reason to run Conspiracy. That, and redundancy for Adaptation. Maskwood Nexus can do quite a bit more, but if you're already interested in Adaptation, why not both?

[Hawk]

I've been too lazy to track down Arcane Adaptation and Maskwood Nexus for Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow but I do run Conspiracy and Xenograft. They've generally been good - Yuriko has to run a critical mass of "Flying Men" to get Ninjutsu online but all of them except Changeling Outcast and Mothdust Changeling aren't natively ninjas, so it can really help empower the army in the mid to late game.

I'm otherwise in agreement that I don't tend to think of these; if I'm playing a tribe I'd rather play the tribe then play goodstuff and hope to draw, land, and protect one of these to glue the deck together.

[hyalopterouslemur]

I have used Conspiracy with things like Requiem Angel. It was acceptable, but that means getting both cards.

[Dunharrow]

I would say that if you are playing a Sphinx deck then Arcane Adaptation is probably better at turning your Clones into sphinxes. It's cheaper. Now, if your pod has 3 swan songs and no vandalblasts then maybe the discussion changes, but that is really meta-dependant.

If you are playing a deck that wants multiple tribal benefits, then obviously the best option is maskwood nexus. Great for decks that care about multiple tribes.
Xenograft and Conspiracy are fine as 3rd and 4th copies. I plan on putting them in my Reaper King deck one day. But that is not meant to be anywhere near cEDH levels.

The other thing I would consider is what tutors you are running.
Monoblue has a better time tutoring artifacts than enchantments. Are you playing Drift of Phantasms ? Probably not.

If it were me I would play both of them. They help your deck go off and once you stick one of them you have so much card draw it doesn't really matter to have a dead draw.

[ISBPathfinder]

It depends a lot if your goal is to make everything a specific creature type or if you need everything to be everything. Maskwood Nexus is more powerful but if you just need all your creatures to be a specific type then saving a mana for Arcane Adaptation and having a slightly harder to remove permeant type (red has a lot of artifact only removal and some of these effects are actually playable where as most of white's enchant only removal isn't playable) is probably a small buff not to mention that there are some cmc recursion like Sun Titan that can recur the Adaptation.

I have on the other hand had times like with Magda, Brazen Outlaw who I run with Lathliss, Dragon Queen and Utvara Hellkite where being dragon dwarves matters. The big question mostly comes down to what do you need the effect to accomplish. There isn't a cut and dry answer of one being better than the other. The question mostly comes down to what your deck needs to do as to which effect you want and need.

[hyalopterouslemur]

Indeed. And remember, Conspiracy is probably best reserved for "non" tribal, as it's like the only one that works there.

[BaronCappuccino]

Like every other Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder player, I included Conspiracy, typically naming zombies, because while the deck punished creating thrulls, my lists often rewarded making zombies. I'd never make a tribal deck that didn't have enough native support without cards like these. I've never included a shapeshifter in a tribal deck yet.