Essential Questions for Shards of Alara

[TheAbe]

I think we can also pull Farseek. It's the only two mana sorcery that gets just one land, and although it gets a duel land, it sucks compared ot the others. Reach gets two lands, Tusker gets a land and a card, Journey of Discovery can entwine, STE is a creature so it can block befoer saccing or wield a Clamp or Jitte later, Crop Rotation and Scrying get you anything, Land Tax gets a lot, Wayfarer gets anything, Solemn and Elder have established uses as mana smoothers, Living Wish can get a land to smooth your mana, Treefolk Harbinger can get a Forest or a Doran or a Crib Swap, Birds and Skyshroud Elf can get you many types of mana, Joiner Adept and Prismatic Omen fix your mana in an uber way, and so forth. Farseek is poor compared to all of that.

<font color="#C0C0C0" size="1">[ October 05, 2008 07:12 PM: Message edited by: TheAbe ]</font>

[TheAbe]

I like Jaya Ballard, but maybe its time for a three mana 2/2 with tap abilities, one of which is virtually never used to get the axe.

[TheAbe]

I think its time to pull Skyshroud Elf as well, as I look more at the massive amount of mana smoothing this deck has. Besides, frankly, Quiron Explorer is a batter card and its not even in the deck.

So, my current recommendations:

Pull:

Spite/Malice
Farseek
Skyshroud Elf
Jaya Ballard


Add:

Fireblast Dragon
Jund Charm
Wooly Thoctar
Hellkite Overlord

We pulled two creatures and added three. That's good to know. One creature pulled was a 1/1 that only made and smoothed mana, and the second was a 2/2 that was only used for its tap abilities. It is replaced by two good flyers and a vanilla 5/4 for three.

[TheAbe]

Oh, and I'd change one basic to a Mountain too.

[TheAbe]

As I look more at the list of included artifacts, I want to find space for Tez even more. Top, Mox Crystal, Sol Ring, Sword of Fire and Ice, Sunforger, and even Orrery or Coffin if you want to kill Tez or you gave it some counters.

[kerbythepurplecow]

I am comfortable with the suggested changes. Good call on all the outs. Sometimes it's hard to part with the ones we love ever so much. Seeing Skyshroud go will be sad just because I love my mod so much [img]biggrin.gif[/img]
I'm certainly willing to give the HK Overlord a shot. I haven't played with or against him, so I've just got to take all of the word that he's amazing.
As for Tez, it may take me some time to get around to acquiring one. Mostly due to the expense. So, during the interim, we can see how he does for everyone else. That could make a sway.

As for the cards still in the deck, nothing screams out to me for removal. We should probably think ahead about weak performers. The only thing that's been especially weak as of late is Planar Portal. It only really works with 12 mana open. 6 to cast, 6 to use. That's an expensive tutor. And, if you can't cast and tutor, it has a minuscule chance of surviving to be used (or used again). With those drawbacks, I'm starting to feel that PP may not be worthwhile anymore.

[md22mdrx]

Only ever expect HKO to ever hit once. He doesn't even last until the next turn in a release event. Still, I think he's worth trying out and is a potential HOUSE if someone doesn't have removal in grip.

[kerbythepurplecow]

No removal dodge does hold him back a bit. The regeneration helps, but doesn't stop all the removal that's already there for Akroma, DS, and kin.

[kerbythepurplecow]

I wasn't trying to use that as a justification for non-inclusion. I was just stating the only real weakness he has.

Also, last night I dreamt Planar Portal was in my hand. I noticed the casting cost was only 2. I thought, damn I was wrong on that. Not so bad after all. Then I read further and found the activation cost was also 2.

[TheAbe]

Originally posted by kerbythepurplecow:
No removal dodge does hold him back a bit. The regeneration helps, but doesn't stop all the removal that's already there for Akroma, DS, and kin.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">The fact that he does not dodge much removal (although some, like Rend Flesh, Eyeblight's Ending and such via regen) is not a reason alone not to play him. He ends games more quickly than Akroma.