Theros block has had a significant impact on the Commander format. Entirely new decks have been born to take advantage of the Devotion mechanic, as I discussed at length last week. Today, I will follow up on that article by sharing what I call a conversion chart. Every time a new set comes out, I comb through the spoilers for the cards that I believe will make immediate entrances into my favorite formats. These cards are usually updated versions of older cards, being either stronger, cheaper, or more versatile than their spiritual predecessors. To clarify I will present an easy example, sans context.
Triton Shorethief shares the same mana cost, but adds a second relevant sub-type and increased toughness. For all intents and purposes, Merfolk of the Peal Trident is strictly worse, effectively being obsoleted by the printing of Shorethief. So as a new set is released I will look to obtain copies to replace Merfolk of the Pearl Trident wherever I was using it. The conversion chart is the complete list of all such replacements that I want to make for a given set, but it is important to note that I don't only replace older cards with newer ones. As I will demonstrate, it is important to think about how new cards will affect the standing of other related cards. Specifically, the God cards in Theros block made certain kinds of removal less desirable so I will look to replace them with more effective alternatives from previous sets in response to the new threats.
If you're thinking this is pretty basic, you're right. These types of changes have already been detailed by Magic writers and thinkers all over the internet. This isn't new or unique, merely a collection of my own thoughts, scribbled into one space for others to share. For reference the obsolete card is on the left, the card replacing it will be on the right. Some cards that fit the theme of 'spiritual sequels' have been intentionally left off because the format hasn't yet reached saturation with this type of effect and both it and its predecessor will be played alongside one another. E.g. Courser of Kruphix and Oracle of Mul Daya. Also, this is by no means an exhaustive list. If you think something deserves mentioning, make sure to let me know in the comments below. Share the tech, share the wealth. That's quite enough preamble. Let's look at the chart:
These cards fit the role of being Black token hosers and, while they individually only see very limited play in Commander, it is worth noting that superior options have become available. Although, I feel obligated to point out that in both cases the flavor text has gotten DECIDEDLY worse.
Both Day of Judgment and Hallowed Burial are cards that have been on the fringe of playability in my decks for quite some time, despite being generally accepted by the format at large. Now, with the addition of serious pressure to build around the Gods, I have found myself with no real choice in the matter. I simply MUST play Hallowed Burial because it can answer the Gods and I can't afford to play Day because it doesn't.
I have made a habit of including Vengeance in decks for a long time as s way of hedging my bets. I despise playing situational answers. I want to know my opponents and have the right answers for their threats. In most cases that means just playing more general, more versatile removal. The Cycling ability adds extra flexibility for when I don't need a sweeper. Unfortunately, now I have other things to worry about. Specifically, I am more worried about being able to answer the Gods than I am about incidentally answering random Artifacts and Enchantments.
I want to note, I don't actually play Naturalize in any deck, this is more of a general commentary: I am going to discontinue playing all Artifact/Enchantment removal that can't answer God cards in play. I already dedicate very few slots in any given deck to this type of effect and I can't afford to waste them on cards that aren't going to be effective against the format's threat du jour.
Similarly, I am much more worried about answering a God card in play than I am about busting peoples chops for taking to much time to rearrange their library with Sensei's Divining Top. I always felt cheaky and clever when I 'got' people with Grip, but things have changed and so must my decks. At least for the time being...
This is mostly a consideration for Pauper, where I will be switching in copies of Fall of the Hammer in both Commander decks and my Pauper Cube.
Again, this is a general commentary about moving away from niche removal. At this point I would rather have a worse card that can at least interact with the Gods in some way, even if it isn't ideal.
Well, there you have it Zoners. Those are the general changes I making in my decks to combat the new tech in BotG. I hope you enjoyed the look inside of your old Grandpa Growth's decks. If you have thoughts on these changes or if you want to talk about the changes you are making in your own decks, share your thoughts in the comments. Till next week Zoners!
-GG
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