Simon Says #58: Theros Theories (THS 8-4)

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Simon Goertzen

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  1. March of the returned, fate fortold, and scourgemark are better than you give credit for because of all the chumping in the format and the importance of having the biggest creature. Better than horizon scholar, vipers kiss, and pharika’s cure (which have less synergy with the devotion / fatty plan). Though kiss and cure are better against faster decks.

  2. Interesting that you used the Whip as an argument against searching for Islands in M1G2 because I saw it as a good reason to ignore the octopus. My plan would have been to race it with Horizon Scholar and Nimbus Naiad.

  3. @Nuegun I think with the whip you can get a island in combination with the “elk” from graveyard, so you don’t need to search an island. You force the opponent to use the monstrous-abillity of the octopus, so he can attack you. I see no need in forcing the damage-race. And later Simon race him very easy. Always let your opponent work ;)

    But I really don’t understand the second pick of the draft. Why not take the triton tactics over the white alseid? I mean it’s very likely you will be in blue, because of the kraken. Why take the risk and go for a white card, if there is a “premium” blue card? And anyway blue-white decks really want to play fast heroic, so the kraken isn’t the best in this kind of decks. In blue there aren’t many good tricks except triton tactics, nobody plays around it because it cost only one blue mana!

    Your analysis of the “bounce-spells” is not really clear! Because you “time-walk” against a creature with monstrosity, same situation as you sad in the draft: “hey I know you have a trick, but I don’t care and “time-walk” you!”
    And “bounce-spells” against a huge creature with +1/+1-counters and some bestow-guys attached is like a removal. Because most decks can handle a few 2/2 and 3/3 bestow-guys if they are alone and not attached to each other. And sometimes a 1/1 Hopefull Eidelon is just really bad, but Eidelon on a Wingsteed Rider is really good!

  4. Round 2 is a perfect example of what you were talking about in your opening discussion. I would love to know how many creatures he had in that red/white deck, but we sure saw lots of removal and tricks and auras!

    Great content as always, Simon! Keep it flowing!

  5. I don’t agree with Observant Alseid over Hopeful Eidolon. I would have agreed with you at the start of the format, but Eidolon really is not a creature – it is a +1/+1 Lifelink Aura. And in a format of racing and chumping it is always an incredible draw. I want one in my opening hand in every single White deck, and I cannot say the same for Observant Alseid.

  6. While a good card, triton tactics is not “premium”. It is one of the better tricks, but is hardly better than any creature with bestow (might be an exception to this, but not alseid).

  7. I love how you are able to draft these slow, grindy control decks in just about every format, and do so successfully.

  8. I got Triton Tactics in pack where were last 5 cards so it’s kind of overlooked (imho I love this card). So I think there was a chance for wheeling.

    Great videos, Simon!

  10. @random. Triton tactics isn’t a premium blue spell. It’s best in uw heroic, but you’d still rather have the bestow creature in that deck.

  11. Thanks again for another great video Simon. I tune in every week, not only for your drafts, but for your incredibly informative insights on the format. It’s refreshing to hear from someone who is not just parroting received wisdom, but is obviously looking deeply and intelligently at the format in ways that I find extremely educational.

    I don’t usually leave comments, but you can be assured that I’m always watching them and am appreciative of the work you put into these videos.

  12. I really think you should have drafted straight up B/G. You were getting passed some strong green cards and the blue wasn’t all that exciting. Had I been B/G, I think I would’ve splashed for the red god you opened pack 3. Maybe a bit greedy but I think it is worth it and the god is fine on the splash.

  13. I’m tellin’ ya, Burnished Hart wins games. playing one at board parity with a bunch of 6 drops in hand feels great, the best they can do is spend the turn killing it.

  15. @DaveC Triton Tactics can be played in any deck, it can save your creatures, it gives tempo. It’s a really good tempo card, because you can attack with all your creatures, and then play it to block your opponents creature(and if they don’t die, they stay tapped). And only the +0/+3 effect is really good, because some games are really hard on a fight big creature against creature plus trick and then you can save yours with the tactics.
    And the fact that tactics is uncommen vs the common alseid. In the end he didn’t play white so this was a misspick! And if he goes to white, the UW-Heroic Deck loves triton tactics!
    I think an alseid is not a sign for white open, so I really like to stay on color. And tactics is better than alseid. The probability to get a alseid later is higher than a tactics. And wheeling shouldn’t happen! Okay it happens when the set was new, because it seems a really complicated card.
    The tactics is an exception to the “rule” every card with too much text is bad ;)

  16. Personally I do not like the approach of some people to take just heroic enablers and completely neglect bounce/removal spells. When drafting a blue deck I always want to have at least two bounce spells. No matter how good and synergic your deck is, you can always lose to
    one drop -> ordeal
    or
    Wingsteed Rider -> Hopeful Eidolon
    plays.

  17. I think there’s a few reasonable red commons that get overlooked easily because everyone gets so focused on the mediocre burn spells (esp. Rage)

    Minotaur Skullcleaver is pretty dang painful if you’re looking to be the beatdown, and Two-headed Cerberus carries tricks really well – suddenly those Dragon Mantles and Titan Strengths are a huge threat.

    I also think that Nessian Courser should get a nod… a vanilla 3/3 for 3 just does so much work and I would not be unhappy running 4 of them in any green deck.

  19. i think getting passed the 5th pick reaper would have caused me to go heavily into b/g especially because nemesis of mortals was in the pack as well. at that point, u know you’re getting fed green cards as well as the black. ditching the kraken hurts a little but it’s important to keep in mind that green is the color w/ fixing as well so splashing blue isnt out of the question. cracking the whip in pack 2 makes b/g even more intriguing because it works so well with commune w/ the gods (yes it fetches enchantments) + the 4/3 gravedigger dude. playing reanimator in limited is pretty much the best feeling ever. trust me