So, I'm defining Staple for the purposes of this discussion as a card one can usually expect to see played (with good reason) in decks of the associated color. Demonic Tutor, for example, should be and most likely is in any deck containing black in this format so I'd consider that to be a staple.
Some of the cards that are on my list are maybe controversial, people might disagree and so I encourage people to bring up cards that are not on the list that should be or maybe make a case for why one should be removed. Or maybe cards should be added. This thread is for discussing what cards are necessary for making a deck run efficiently.
White:
Faith's Fetters - Enchants any pernement, disables creatures and all activated abilities and randomly makes you not lose to burn.
Land Tax - Fixes mana, thins deck, and gives the white player excellent hand advantage, a strong move before armageddon.
Enlightened Tutor - Fetches Top, combo pieces, or a lot of good answers as an instant.
Swords to Plowshares - Removes almost anything from the game for W at no real gain to your opponent.
Wrath of God - Gives great card advantage when it kills multiple creatures, helps control to stabilize.
Armageddon - Prevents control from stabilizing, disables a lot of strong decks. Stops bombs from being played. Usually assures victory once you have a superior board position.
Ravages of War - A second chance at drawing Armageddon.
Decree of Justice Uncounterable "put X tokens into play" at instant speed, you may draw a card. An excellent control finisher. It isn't bad when hardcasted and is deadly with cards like mana drain.
Jotun Grunt - An aggressive creature that heckles decks trying to capitalize on their graveyard. Efficient against Loam, Mindslaver, things you suspect will be Regrown, genesis, gigapede, or feeding cards back into your library you can tutor for.
Exalted Angel - 4/5 Flying Lifelinker that can feasibly come out on the fourth turn. It's an unfair advantage in the damage race, is a good control finisher and is good at outracing control decks.
Austere Command - Probably the best 'bad' wrath of god. It's very versatile and frequently will be the answer you need.
Disenchant - I find 'disenchants' always have a worthwhile target in highlander games.
Mirror Entity - It's hard to build tribal in highlander, so this fills in a lot of gaps, being a changeling, and makes creatures that were weenies in the early game much bigger to finish the game.
Blue
Mana Drain - Steals a turn and a card out of their hand, and gives you mana to set up for a win on the next turn.
Fact or Fiction Because it only has one blue in the casting cost, decks that only use blue for splash can play this amazingly powerful hand and graveyard filler. There is almost never a way for an opponent to separate a fact or fiction that won't give you a ridiculous advantage.
Deep Analysis A draw spell that can be played twice, netting 4 cards.
Dissipate - Things like to come back from the graveyard in highlander, so this counterspell is almost necessary for anyone trying to use blue for control.
Cryptic Command - A hard counter/targeted removal/turn-stealer/cantrip.
Misdirection - Changes removal targets, throws uncountable burn spells and Mind Twist back at the caster's face, counters counterspells, retargets drawspells... it's a sneaky and important move in a format where blue cannot have four force of will.
Back to Basics - If you're mana base is in vast majority basic, punishing most of the format for playing mostly nonbasics is the thing to do. It's a one-sided stasis against 90% of highlander.
Treachery- Frequently a two-for-one, is also a win condition if you steal a good enough creature.
Bribery - Denies them their card, puts a bomb into play under your control.
Intuition A good tutor that gets a life from the loam engine online, dumps genesis, gigapede, or mindslaver, and is necessary for running reanimator.
Gifts Ungiven - Good for the same reasons intuition is.
Trinket Mage - Top, Engineered Explosives, Phyrexian Furnace, pithing needle, zuran orb, and cursed scroll are all strong targets for him in this format.
Capsize Can steal multiple turns, is often "blue vindicate."
Morphling - Strictly good as a control finisher, though he's a fundamental include for any blue-based control decks in that he's an excellent blocker, attacker, has evasion, and can't be targeted.
Thirst for Knowledge - An instant speed drawspell that is good in reanimator or decks with plenty of artifacts.
Personal Tutor - Wrath, Decree, Ancient Craving, Upheval, or some red X-spell are all good targets for this card in this format. Sadly, Mystical tutor is banned but this does its job.
Opportunity -Because games tend to be long in highlander, it's feasible to cast this at the end of an opponent's turn most games and really cannot be replaced by any other card as far as something that's going to significantly increase the number of cards in your hand as an instant- Maybe stroke of Genius, however, Opportunity is cheaper costed at six.
Black:
Demonic Tutor - It's not banned yet!
Damnation - Another Wrath of God
Phyrexian Negator - Most highlander decks are too slow to handle this card.
Chainer's Edict - Removal you can play twice!
Entomb - Tutors for anything that's good in your graveyard, can be comboed with Regrowth. Necessary in reanimator.
Duress - Disrupts control, takes important burn spells, spot removal, or combo pieces.
Thoughtsieze - Good for the same reasons Duress is.
Skeletal Scrying - A really efficient instant-speed draw spell.
Withered Wretch - A low-cost threat that disrupts graveyards, good for the same reasons Jotun Grunt is.
Stinkweed Imp - Its deathtouch makes it kill things that might not be killable with spells or activated abilities or wraths, and it comes back from the dead, dumping goodies into your graveyard as it does.
Unearth A sneaky thing to do in an aggro deck, I think. It also reanimates some really big creatures like Psychatog, terravore, or tarmogoyf. Can cycle if unneeded.
Mind Twist - A really good disruption spell that just got unbanned! Watch out for misdirection.
Red:
Grim Lavamancer - Recurring burn that can come out early.
Shattering Pulse - Recurring artifact destruction. It always has a target in highlander.
Ruination - Played for the same reason Back to Basics is.
Magus of the Moon - Played for the same reason Back to Basics is.
Blood Moon - Another nonbasic hoser.
Price of Progress - A really good game finisher in this format.
Banefire - Uncounterable X damage.
Demonfire - Uncounterable X damage.
Rolling Earthquake - Red wrath of god that deals X damage.
Goblin Welder - Combos with mindslaver, sundering titan, Smokestacks, and other silly artifacts that destroy one's opponent.
Viashino Heretic - Recurring artifact destruction that deals punishes the artifact's controller and is a small threat.
Countryside Crusher - helps you draw into burn, and he gets really big real fast.
Kird Ape - Too good for any red/green aggro deck not to play.
Pillage - There are a lot of artifacts and lands that need to be destroyed, like Maze of ith, Tabernacle, Library, Masticore, and vedalken shackles. Because it's versatile I think any red deck can play it, lando or not.
Green:
Llanowar Elves/fyndhorn elves - Puts you a turn ahead manawise, and is a creature threat.
Birds of Paradise - Another card that sets you a turn ahead.
Regrowth - Lets you play any effect multiple times.
All Sun's Dawn - Gives excellent hand advantage of quality cards.
Eternal Witness - Played for the same reason regrowth is.
Krosan Grip - Uncounterable disenchant effect.
Mirri's Guile - Played for the same reason Sensei's Divining Top is.
Garruk Wildspeaker - Can untap gaea's cradle, constantly produce threats, and overrun for the kill. Essentially costs 2 because of its first ability.
Call of the Herd - A threat you can play twice.
Life From the Loam - Recurs wasteland, is a draw engine with the cycling lands, and dredges important graveyard-based cards.
Gigapede - Cannot be maze of ithed, is not a worthwhile bribery target, cannot be thwarted with counterspells, and forces opponents to sacrifice creatures with they attack or block. Is strong with life from the loam and intuition.
Sylvan Library - Played for the same reason top is, improving green's consistency and giving hand advantage the color usually does not have.
Genesis - Constantly recurs creature threats from your graveyard.
Crop Rotation - Fetches Library, forbidden orchard, maze of ith, bazaar of baghdad, wasteland, dustbowl, tabernacle, or fixes your mana.
Desert Twister - In decks without black/white, the cost of desert twister is well worth the while of its caster for "destroy target pernement." Mono green does not have many ways of killing creatures apart from this and bad abilities like deathtouch. I see this card get played to good effect and is often a necessary draw for the decks that run it.
Multicolor
Pernicious Deed - The most efficient wrath spell in Magic, it will stop you from losing to aggro.
Army Ants - For three, this creature turns any of your lands into strip mine.
Psychatog - It's been a format wrecker in every MTG format since it was printed, and highlander is no exception. He's a terrific early game blocker and late game he's a three-costed phaige the untouchable. When he's untapped, he's Moat, when he's tapped, he's the Abyss. Any deck loaded with draw spells and protection should capitalize on this card.
Fire/Ice - either a two-for-one or a turn-stealer.
Vindicate - Well, I tried to make a case for Desert Twister. However, this is clearly the best card that "destroys target permanent."
Stormbind - It turns cards into damage, which, when aggro decks go on topdeck, this card is good for all the reasons cursed scroll is.
Figure of Destiny a one-drop that catches up with the pace of the game as you pay mana. Is a strong threat at any point in the game.
Putrefy - Instant-speed burial of any creature, or artifact destruction. Kills Swords or mana accelerators.
Mortify Instant-speed burial of any creature, or enchantment removal. Removes faith's fetters, sylvan library, or other obnoxious enchantments.
Lim-Dul's Vault The format does not have Vampiric Tutor, so this is the next best thing.
Hull Breach - A disenchant with a possible two-for-one.
Terminate - Buries any creature.
Artifact
Sensei's Divining Top
Oblivion Stone
Fellwar Stone
Mind Stone
Coalition Relic
Sword of Fire and Ice
Sword of Light and Shadow
Phyrexian Furnace
Engineered Explosives
Scroll Rack
Crucible of Worlds
Masticore
Land:
Library of Alexandria
Mishra's Workshop
Bazaar of Baghdad
Tolaria West
Onslaught Fetches
Mirage Fetches
Krosan Visage
Manlands
Karakas
Maze of Ith
Thawing Glaciers
Dust bowl
Wasteland
Reflecting Pool
*Edit: Definitions added, "yavimya ants" changed to "army ants"
Some background info would be nice. Why did you make this list? What is its purpose and so on? How do you define a staple?
In my eyes Desert Twister and Fissure for example are far from staple.
Yavimya Ants????
Did you mean Army Ants?
This sure could use a little more text, rather than just these lists.
There are few cards there that are far from being staples, and others that you don't list.
Yep! Thanks for the suggestions, I'm working on writing descriptions for why these cards are staples, it takes a while But you know. I'll get there. ;p
i dont know what kind of meta you play, but the phrase:
Phyrexian Negator - Most highlander decks are too slow to handle this card.
I aggree with most of the cards. Of course it depends wheter you're going aggro (negator is fine) or more control oriented (then negator is not fine, but you can use phyrexian totem).
Cards that i dont consider to be staple:
- morphling
- opportunity
- capsize
- shattering pulse
- desert twister
Things to add: aggro creatures like savana lions, isamaru, mogg fanatic, etc...
eladrmi call
and probably the biggest "misses" Survival of the fittest and oath of druids in green. And recurring nightmare in black.
But like i said, it's really hard to make a staple list: isamaru is a staple in WW but hardly a staple in UW control, for example...
If I was gonna make the list, I'd define "stable" as a card in its color that I should always at least consider playing when playing that colour. Personal preference should have little effect in those decicions though. I, for example, don't like Survival and Krosan Grip too much, but they are really widely played and I do always consider them when building a deck with green. A card with unique effect for its colour is not a stable if no one ever plays it (nor should).
If I was gonna make the list, I'd take a look into my binder.
Seriously, everyone has their own understanding of cards that are stable. If one isn't going to bother harvesting deck lists and grep data to form statistics what is played and what is not, no-one here is entitled to say what's stable and what is not. And that's just my opinion.
See right panel called "Recent statistic" at morphling.de to see what I mean.
for me a staple in a mono red deck is goblin charbelcher, this card has single handedly won me many a game
Mm, Goblin Charbelcher; dunno. I do happen to have it in my one RDttW deck but that's really largely to have a non-red source of damage dealing (I am considering adding Ghostfire as well).
The only two cards that I immediately include in any new HL deck build are Sensei's Divining Top and Wasteland (maybe Dust Bowl now also).
The problem with staples is that there aren´t many of them (isamaru is a god example) most cards aren`t auto inclued in every deck of that colour. Aggro or Control make a big difference.
Saying the obvious at its best^^
I did not fully read this article, but spending two minutes on it, made me realize I had to make at least one comment:
Phyrexian Negator is NOT a Highlander Staple
A staple is a card - per definition - that will be played in any deck who runs the colours. Phyrexian Negator will def. not be played in any black Highlander deck. Far from. It's a very far out corner card who can only be played in the agro versions of black. No control deck would play it
As short as I could
Hi, I wanted to give you a summary over the Highlander Metagame. I searched http://mtgpulse.com/events-highlander for the true played cards in 181 Highlander-decks which made Top8. This gives a true impression of the metagame as a whole, and you see which cards are a staple in Highlander.
White:
Swords to Plowshares 115/181
Stoneforge Mystic 112/181
Path to Exile 105/181
Oblivion Ring 99/181
Elspeth, Knight Errant 84/181
Aven Mindcensor 80/181
Mother of Runes 61/181
Mirran Crusader 51/181
Baneslayer Angel 45/181
Gideon Jura 45/181
Parallax Wave 41/181
Sun Titan 38/181
Reveillark 36/181
Ranger of Eos 35/181
Loam Lion 32/181
Wrath of God 27/181
Hero of Bladehold 24/181
Tithe 19/181
Academy Rector 18/181
Day of Judgment 17/181
Armageddon 16/181
Karmic Guide 16/181
Journey to Nowhere 15/181
Serra Avenger 15/181
Mana Tithe 14/181
Wall of Omens 12/181
Disenchant 11/181
Isamaru, Hound of Konda 10/181
Savannah Lions 10/181
Blue:
Mana Drain 83/181
Jace, the Mind Sculptor 82/181
Bainstorm 80/181
Vendilion Clique 77/181
Force of Will 74/181
Phantasmal Image 67/181
Venser, Shaper Savant 66/181
Fact or Fiction 65/181
Bribery 63/181
Trinket Mage 61/181
Mana Leak 61/181
Snapcaster Mage 59/181
Counterspell 58/181
Daze 58/181
Glen Elendra Archmage 58/181
Preordain 53/181
Ponder 47/181
Ancestral Vision 46/181
Jace Beleren 44/181
Cryptic Command 41/181
Sower of Temptation 37/181
Treachery 36/181
Remand 33/181
Back to Basics 31/181
Mental Mistep 30/181
Spell Snare 30/181
Pestermite 30/181
Miscalculation 28/181
Intuition 27/181
Spell Pierce 27/181
Force Spike 26/181
Stifle 26/181
Thirst for Knowledge 25/181
Gifts Ungiven 25/181
Control Magic 23/181
Consecrated Sphinx 22/181
Serendib Efreet 22/181
Condescend 22/181
Into the Roil 17/181
Upheaval 17/181
Compulsive Research 16/181
Mulldrifter 16/181
Looter il-Kor 14/181
Personal Tutor 13/181
Impulse 13/181
Repeal 13/181
Mystical Teachings 13/181
Tezzeret the Seeker 13/181
Man-o'-War 12/181
Memory Lapse 12/181
Black
Demonic Tutor 92/181
Shriekmaw 59/181
Tainted Pact 55/181
Dark Confidant 50/181
Thoughtseize 42/181
Duress 39/181
Inquisition of Kozilek 38/181
Bitterblossom 29/181
Dismember 25/181
Necromancy 25/181
Bone Shredder 24/181
Recurring Nightmare 20/181
Go for the Throat 19/181
Damnation 19/181
Animate Dead 17/181
Phyrexian Arena 15/181
Living Death 15/181
Grave Titan 14/181
Liliana of the Veil 14/181
Hymn to Tourach 12/181
Skinrender 11/181
Diabolic Intent 10/181
Vampire Nighthawk 10/181
Red
Lightning Bolt 101/181
Flametongue Kavu 94/181
Grim Lavamancer 75/181
Arc Trail 64/181
Chain Lightning 64/181
Magma Jet 50/181
Incinerate 39/181
Kird Ape 32/181
Magus of the Moon 31/181
Burst Lightning 30/181
Blood Moon 28/181
Goblin Guide 26/181
Price of Progress 25/181
Tribal Flames 25/181
Char 24/181
Firebolt 22/181
Koth of the Hammer 21/181
Inferno Titan 21/181
Staggershock 21/181
Volcanic Hammer 20/181
Sulfuric Vortex 19/181
Ruination 17/181
Rift Bolt 16/181
Hell's Thunder 16/181
Fire Ambush 15/181
Forked Bolt 15/181
Arc-Slogger 15/181
Hellspark Elemental 14/181
Cunning Sparkmage 13/181
Fireblast 13/181
Mogg Fanatic 12/181
Imperial Recruiter 12/181
Keldon Marauders 12/181
Stormblood Berserker 12/181
Molten Rain 11/181
Searing Blaze 11/181
Blistering Firecat 11/181
Hero of Oxid Ridge 11/181
Rhystic Lightning 10/181
Brimstone Volley 10/181
Ember Hauler 10/181
Slagstorm 10/181
Green
Birds of Paradise 113/181
Noble Hierach 109/181
Green Sun's Zenith 105/181
Tarmogoyf 103/181
Eternal Witness 92/181
Fauna Shaman 91/181
Scavenging Ooze 87/181
Garruk Wildspeaker 86/181
Llanowar Elves 86/181
Lotus Cobra 80/181
Birthing Pod 76/181
Sylvan Library 70/181
Thrun, the Last Troll 68/181
Fyndhorn Elves 65/181
Natural Order 58/181
Avacyn's Pilgrim 56/181
Primeval Titan 54/181
Acidic Slime 51/181
Arbor Elf 50/181
Wickerbough Elder 48/181
Worldly Tutor 47/181
Garruk Relentless 47/181
Dryad Arbor 45/181
Wall of Roots 44/181
Rancor 42/181
Wild Nacatl 41/181
Sakura-Tribe Elder 40/181
Skyshroud Elite 23/181
Beast Within 22/181
Obstinate Baloth 22/181
Crop Rotation 22/181
Wall of Blossoms 21/181
Regrowth 19/181
Matca Rioters 18/181
Skinshifter 17/181
Garruk, Primal Hunter 14/181
Protean Hulk 13/181
Pattern of Rebirth 13/181
Primal Command 12/181
Troll Ascetic 11/181
Vengevine 11/181
Master of the Wild Hunt 10/181
Viridian Emissary 10/181
Scryb Ranger 10/181
River Boa 10/181
Multicolored
Kitchen Finks 127/181
Qasali Pridemage 97/181
Eladamri's Call 93/181
Knight of the Reliquary 89/181
Lightning Helix 73/181
Ajani Vengeant 70/181
Bloodbraid Elf 63/181
Vindicate 61/181
Maelstrom Pulse 58/181
Vithian Renegades 47/181
Woolly Thoctar 37/181
Trygon Predator 37/181
Figure of Destiny 33/181
Rhox War Monk 31/181
Rafiq of the Many 27/181
Loxodon Hierarch 27/181
Boggart Ram-Gang 25/181
Putrid Leech 23/181
Watchwolf 23/181
Doran, the Siege Tower 23/181
Sarkhan Vol 20/181
Tidehollow Sculler 20/181
Edric, Spymaster of Trest 19/181
Pernicous Deed 17/181
Aven Mimeomancer 16/181
Tattermunge Maniac 16/181
Fire//Ice 16/181
Putrefy 16/181
Geist of Saint Traft 15/181
Bant Charm 15/181
Tin Street Hooligan 13/181
Progenitus 13/181
Firespout 12/181
Steward of Valeron 12/181
Shadowmage Infiltrator 11/181
Fiery Justice 11/181
Zur the Enchanter 10/181
Artifacts
Phyrexian Metamorph 114/181
Sword of Fire and Ice 113/181
Sensei's Divining Top 99/181
Sword of Feast and Famine 97/181
Batterskull 77/181
Æther Vial 66/181
Enginered Explosives 52/181
Winter Orb 42/181
Mox Diamond 38/181
Spellskite 34/181
Tangle Wire 33/181
Figure of Destiny 33/181
Vedalken Shackles 28/181
Wurmcoil Engine 26/181
Crucible of Worlds 24/181
Pithing Needle 23/181
Coalition Relic 22/181
Sword of Light and Shadow 12/181
Crystal Shard 11/181
Chrome Mox 11/181
Ankh of Mishra 11/181
Expedition Map 10/181
Grim Monolith 10/181
Cursed Scroll 10/181
Lands
Misty Rainforest 153/181
Flooded Strand 150/181
Scalding Tarn 150/181
Windswept Heath 147/181
Arid Mesa 143/181
Wooded Foothills 141/181
Marsh Flats 141/181
Verdant Catacombs 140/181
Polluted Delta 135/181
Bloodstained Mire 128/181
Savannah 101/181
Tropical Island 86/181
Temple Garden 86/181
Tundra 83/181
Taiga 81/181
Plateau 77/181
Breeding Pool 76/181
Bayou 71/181
Hallowed Fountain 65/181
Scrubland 65/181
Underground Sea 62/181
Volcanic Island 61/181
Stomping Ground 60/181
Overgrown Tomb 53/181
City of Brass 51/181
Sacred Foundry 50/181
Badlands 47/181
Razorverge Thicket 43/181
Copperline Gorge 30/181
Godless Shrine 26/181
Watery Grave 26/181
Steam Vents 20/181
Flooded Grove 19/181
Seachrome Coast 18/181
Wooded Bastion 18/181
Sunpetal Grove 13/181
Hinterland Harbor 12/181
Yavimaya Coast 12/181
Brushland 11/181
Utility-Lands
Wasteland 172/181
Maze of Ith 91/181
Karakas 91/181
Treetop Village 88/181
Tectonic Edge 72/181
Horizon Canopy 55/181
Stirring Wildwood 54/181
Mishra's Factory 46/181
Volrath's Stronghold 39/181
Celestial Colonnade 35/181
Creeping Tar Pit 31/181
Mutavault 29/181
Gaea's Cradle 29/181
Tolaria West 26/181
Raging Ravine 26/181
Dust Bowl 23/181
Barbarian Ring 21/181
Bojuka Bog 20/181
Academy Ruins 19/181
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth 18/181
Rishadan Port 16/181
Riptide Laboratory 13/181
Faerie Conclave 12/181
Teetering Peaks 12/181
Ghitu Encampment 11/181
Intrsting to see this list .. thx for the work goblin!
+1
good work Jochen!
just a minor thing ... the fetchlands aren't in order of their occurrence
no surprise that U/W, U/G, U/R are played most (150+ of 181) and W/G is the most common dual followed by U/G
on the other hand B/R fetch and dual have fewest hits
this correspond with 100+ entries on white and green and Kitchen Finks are the most played non-land-card of that 181 top-lists :o Quasli Pridemage and Eladamri's Call still have more hits than any Blue or Black card
Gotta love the fact that Temple Garden sees more play than any Revised dual excluding Savannah and Tropical (which is tied with the TG).
But yeah, interesting facts. Gives some food for the thought.
How on Earth Mana Drain finished above Brainstorm and Jace? I can imagine a deck running Mana Drain and no Jace and vice versa (I actually have both of these decks built), but I cannot positively imagine a deck playing either one but no Brainstorm.
Kitchen Finks finished above all spells, beating everything except Waste and fetchlands. I had to look up for Matca Rioters. And what is up with 30 Pestermites and no Kiki-Jiki?
Quote from: Nastaboi on 22-10-2012, 09:14:27 PM
How on Earth Mana Drain finished above Brainstorm and Jace? I can imagine a deck running Mana Drain and no Jace and vice versa (I actually have both of these decks built), but I cannot positively imagine a deck playing either one but no Brainstorm.
Mono-blue control or something, perhaps? Card needs fetches after all. At least the monoblue Stax played both Jace and Mana Drain, but no Brainstorm.
Quote from: Nastaboi on 22-10-2012, 09:14:27 PMAnd what is up with 30 Pestermites and no Kiki-Jiki?
Jeez. That I didn't even see. Some people seem to think it's a fine aggro dude (it's not). I could imagine a very controlling mono-blue fish deck running this and it being maybe playable, but without the combo this is just horrible 95% of the time.
Kiki-Jiki actually posts 9 results.
Quote from: Tiggupiru on 22-10-2012, 09:43:27 PM
Quote from: Nastaboi on 22-10-2012, 09:14:27 PM
How on Earth Mana Drain finished above Brainstorm and Jace? I can imagine a deck running Mana Drain and no Jace and vice versa (I actually have both of these decks built), but I cannot positively imagine a deck playing either one but no Brainstorm.
Mono-blue control or something, perhaps? Card needs fetches after all. At least the monoblue Stax played both Jace and Mana Drain, but no Brainstorm.
That monoblue Stax should just suck it up and splash Demonic with 7 fetchlands like everybody else. It probably already ran four ot them just to support Jace.
I corected the order of the Fetchlands. and I added a few cards:
Savannah Lions(10), Gifts Ungiven(25), Hell's Thunder(16), Hero of Oxid Ridge(11), Blistering Firecat(11), Figure of Destiny(33), Tidehollow Sculler(20), Bant Charm(15), Copperline Gorge(30), Razorverge Thicket(43), Seachrome Coast(18), Wooded Bastion(18), Sunpetal Grove(13), Hinterland Harbor(12), Yavimaya Coast(12), Brushland(11), Dust Bowl(23), Ghitu Encampment(11), Mulldrifter(16)
Why is Pestermite played so often(30) and Kikki-Jikki(9)so less?
Pestermite could be played as an agressive creature with flash which keeps counter mana open. So it could be played in true aggro decks with blue, in UG or UGR aggrocontrol decks. The mana cost of 2U makes it possibly to be played easily in a large amount of decks.
Kikki Jikki is so heavy red, it's always a problem to cast it probably. The case of Kiki + Combo is tried 6 times with Deceiver Exarch and Pestermite in UR and UGR.
Why is Mana Drain(83) over Jace, the Mind Sculptor(82) and Bainstorm(80)?
Mana Drain is almost too strong, it's so lureing to get the Drain Mana that the people think it's worth the UU mana cost try. If they succed they could turn the game instantly and make unbelievable strong plays. So it's true the best blue card in the game.
Jace over Brainstorm: Jace wins if he stays alive, several Brainstorm + Bounce in the right time is just better than a single Brainstorm. So 2 players decided more to play Jace TMS than too play Brainstorm.
Quote from: Nastaboi on 23-10-2012, 08:24:02 AMThat monoblue Stax should just suck it up and splash Demonic with 7 fetchlands like everybody else. It probably already ran four ot them just to support Jace.
Amen to that. Interestingly enough, there was a monoblue stax list that splashed for demonic, but still didn't play Brainstrom. I find this very, very wrong.
Quote from: GoblinPiledriver on 23-10-2012, 05:53:44 PMJace over Brainstorm: Jace wins if he stays alive, several Brainstorm + Bounce in the right time is just better than a single Brainstorm. So 2 players decided more to play Jace TMS than too play Brainstorm.
Well, yeah. Jace wins the game if it gets activated three times or something, but Brainstorm costs three less mana. It can give you some amazing comeback from a flood and it gives you immediate access to three new cards for one mana. At instant speed. Brainstorm is simply a better card than Jace. I could never cut that card from any blue deck where as Jace or Mana Drain are restricted by their double blue cost, so they can be excluded if you just splash for blue.