Conflux and Essentials

**anonymos** · February 5th, 2009, 06:22 PM

I agree that Martial Coup deserves a place. My issue with it is that for it to be a wrath effect, it costs 7+ mana.

I'm gonna say something blasphemous, but how about the Decree of Justice slot? It's a soldier generator at it's heart, and while Martial Coup doesn't draw a card when was the last time you made Angels with Decree? I have once...ever. I usually use Decree to cycle and make 6-7 guys. Half the time it's for chump blockers while I look for a missing answer. Having the answer while MAKING the 6-7 guys sounds like the perfect slot.

You forgot Magus of the Disk on your list as well. Which is kinda iffy as one to think about. Sure he blows everything up, but he's also really fragile as a critter.

And an extra wrath effect as a bonus.

What about knollspine dragon instead of avatar of fury. Avatar will cost RR almost always. You won't always have dealt more than 2-3 damage in a given turn before playing the dragon and you usually have more cards in hand than that from what I've seen. Sure, he's a great topdeck when you've got an empty hand, but so is Avatar at that point.

I agree on Nicol Bolas. He seems overcosted. Sure, his abilities are amazing, but you may as well take a neon light with a bullseye on it and put it through the card, cause you're really only gonna get one use out of him unless the game is already under your control. Even if the game is a stalemate, people will fear his ultimate hitting their face and go all ape shit on your face just to make it go away.

While I agree that Knight of the Reliquary is a house, I don't think you have enough plains/forests to push him over that edge. I counted 9 with a passing glance. Yes, that does make him huge and will get you some amazing lands out of it, but it is still really fragile to the types of removal that tend to fly at our table.

**kerbythepurplecow** · February 6th, 2009, 05:33 PM

I have acquired:

Meglonoth
Shard Convergence
Martial Coup
Path to Exile
Conflux
Knight of the Reliquary

and because they were $1 and not due to Essentials inclusion:
Magister Sphinx
Inkwell Leviathan

So know for placement....
Ideas? Abe?

And on an aside, nice pointing at the Knollspire that may be a good spot. As for DoJ it is instant speed fix-y. Martial Coup is not.

**kerbythepurplecow** · February 7th, 2009, 01:58 PM

Okay, so Jason and I looked since Abe is not adding any ideas. So here are the proposed changes.

Planar Portal -> Conflux
Journey of Discovery -> Shard Convergence
Crib Swap -> Path to Exile
Cauldron of Souls -> Martial Coup
Knollspine Dragon -> Meglonoth
Cold-Eyed Selkie -> Knight of the Reliquary

So, I'm going to try this a bit. If you have better suggestions, I'd like to hear them *coughabecough*

**TheAbe** · February 7th, 2009, 10:58 PM

Crib Swap was, until now, the second best pinpoint removal spell in the game after Swords. Now its third. Yo're pulling it but not something like Rend Flesh? Crib Swap is an answer to both Akroma and Darksteel, Rend Flesh to neither.

**anonymos** · February 7th, 2009, 11:11 PM

I'm aware of the speed difference in decree. I was just emphasizing that they generally would serve the same purpose, with Martial Coup filling a secondary role that was really useful instead of just making chump blockers and drawing a card. Either way is fine.

I have to agree with Abe on the Crib swap thing though.

Why are you dropping a card drawing creature for what is essentially a blocker until it gets HUGE? Aren't there any other sub-par fatties to drop for Knight instead?

**kerbythepurplecow** · February 8th, 2009, 10:20 AM

Nice point on the Crib Swap. I hadn't even thought about Rend Flesh. That is an easy change to fix.

We did give it a shot. Path to Exile already sent a DSC out. That worked nicely. Martial Coup was amazing. With Knight of the Reliquary I only really considered the search ability. The fact that he gets bigger didn't seem like it would have as much impact. However, I dropped him as an 8/8. It wasn't long into the game. It seems like lands easily find their way into the yard and he'll rarely come in as a 2/2. Selkie is fragile and will draw a card or two, but is it as good. Think of another spot for the Knight and we can debate that.

**jrr** · February 8th, 2009, 01:27 PM

I agree with the rend flesh suggestion, but I still think selkie out and knight in. With the number os sac type lands in the deck, its going to rarely be a 2/2 and even if you only use it once or twice to pull out a stronghold or ith, its definitely done its job.

**kerbythepurplecow** · February 9th, 2009, 04:13 PM

Originally Posted by jrr

I agree with the rend flesh suggestion, but I still think selkie out and knight in. With the number os sac type lands in the deck, its going to rarely be a 2/2 and even if you only use it once or twice to pull out a stronghold or ith, its definitely done its job.

I was going to point that out myself, but you beat me to it.

**anonymos** · February 11th, 2009, 11:30 PM

I got a foil conflux tonight. I'm in love. It's so pretty.

The land that taps for whatever your opponents can make is sexy too.

B=========D~~

**jrr** · February 12th, 2009, 12:30 AM

Ok, so out of my one box, the only things I didn't get that i still want is a Conflux and a Meglonoth. Fortunately, those cards are worth about $5 combined.