Though it's not so surprising based on my general Commander philosophies to see this particular trend, the more I asked myself "Why?" the more I came to this probably controversial conclusion:
Lightning Greaves is really not as good as any of us think it is.
I'm not saying Greaves isn't a good card. There are few Equipment that beat it for overall value, from monetary, CMC, and functional perspectives.
What I'm saying is that both the perceived value as its controller, and an opponent's perceived value as a threat, couldn't be more wrong.
The easiest way to analyze Greaves and explain my case is by examining each of its abilities and coloring in the gaps with helpful examples. Sorry I don't have cleverly labeled charts for you visual learners. Trips to Kinko's aren't included in the TGZ budget yet, and I'm not really enthused with the color swatch options I have in the latest Microsoft Word Tables and Charts update.
So let's get examining.
Argument #1- Haste Is A One-Turn Window
I'm going to make a wild generalization, but I think for Magic Players, haste is a word we'd love to see on everything in Magic. Tempo is basically my favorite word apart from value, and haste has the innate property to generate both quickly, surprising your opponent for unaccounted damage.
This is one of the nicest qualities of LG. Turning Titans and late-game threats sideways cuts your opponent's ability to draw an answer by a whole turn usually, which means less top-decking, more desperation, and in most cases, more misplays, which is the ingredient most people don't think about when the concrete for your road to victory is being poured.
Still, haste isn't valuable all the time in Commander. It's a very opportunistic ability that isn't always relevant in a format where the game scales regularly, and throwing the first punch almost always means getting hit back twice as hard.
The reality is that quick swings aren't enough. Quick, relevant swings are what it takes to win the game, and though Lightning Greaves will give you a few chances to get your timing right, it's still not going to put enough pressure on your opponent if it's just sitting on the table.
Argument #2- Shroud Isn't Anyone's Friend
I know. Most Voltron deck builders would probably consider Greaves "necessary," as it helps said Commander avoid Tuck Effects and other messy Combat Step removal.
However, Shroud really isn't in the best interest of a Commander trying to become the Defender of the Universe. Most solid Voltron decks play a variety of protection, and really want to be going to search up a premium Sword instead, possibly even Swiftfoot Boots or Champion's Helm over LG.
The reality though is that most players will play Greaves, and end up doing the "Equipment Musical Chairs," and undermining the very reason it's in the deck in the first place. It's just flat out counter-intuitive to a deck that wants to be getting their Commander big quick, and it doesn't matter how low the Equip cost is in this case- there's still moments where LG won't be doing its job, and if you respect your opponents ability to recognize moments for well-timed removal, LG just isn't better than having counterspell or even something like Rebuff the Wicked.
The emergence of Hexproof has also changed Greaves. Though slightly more costly, Swiftfoot Boots is probably a better option in Voltron decks.
As for LG in other decks, it mostly promotes overextension and bad playing. If you've got a threat, and it's already protected by Greaves, the logic is that having another one will end the game quicker. And if you're actually ahead and your opponent can't do a thing about it, this is probably true. However, this usually not the case you are going to find yourself in if your opponent is any good and the game is still competitive. Lightning Greaves doesn't give you free permission to continue to play aggressively no matter how comfortable the lead feels. LG simply works to prevent losing what you already have, though it seems to suggest otherwise.
Argument #3- Removal Spells Don't Have To Aim
Equip costs, again, are still Sorcery slow. So in most situations, Greaves is either going to speed up a response that is already going to take place, or it's going to resolve, and it won't matter anyway, due to great removal that doesn't target creatures.
Most every color has a trick to bend their way around this card. Wing Shards and Celestial Flare are super inexpensive and cheap to cast options. Diabolic Edict is a real card. Even straight up removing Greaves is effective.
It's almost always worth it to have one of these spells than it is to have a Lightning Greaves too. At some point, your opponent is going to have to play something good to try and win, and extra disruption or an extra threat of your own is usually better than Greaves, which is bound to be misused and/or put an unnecessary target on your back.
Well, that's all I got for today. Feel free to disagree with me or talk about this in the comments below. I'm interested to hear if people feel the same or not.
Until next time, don't find yourself on the wrong side of town without your news team. I heard it can escalate quickly.
-UL
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