It's been a very odd summer for me, but I've taken some time off to focus on a few projects, like Operation Double Mono-Color, and as you might expect, it spiraled way out of control. So if you're wondering what happened to UL, well, I've been stuck between having a million things to play and test, and not having enough opponents and hours in the day to get everything focused and centralized.
Anyway, I found a PokeCenter, got fully healed, and we'll begin the end of the TGZ calendar year (our 2-year anniversary is around the corner) with a new-but-not-really segment I'm thrilled to begin called, "Common/Uncommon Sense."
R.I.P. SPIN IT INTO MYTH
For you long-time readers, C/U Sense is just a re-labeled, re-structured version of Spin It Into Myth, my corner of the blog where I tell you about all the chaffy, nonsensical cards that I've been playing from one article to the next.
Most of this won't change. I'll still be throwing non-stop jank, so as to see if it sticks in whatever design I'm working on.
However, to keep this more aligned with the shiny new title and a more disciplined angle, C/U Sense will be focusing more on looking for tech to facilitate Pauper Commander and trim the financial burden that comes with relative competitiveness in the format by seeking cheaper, more creative alternatives.
While I don't know if I'm going to come up with a fixed number of cards to show each episode, I hope to make this article more interactive by adding fun surveys and polls to supplement the articles.
So now that our blocky mission statement is out of the way, let's get moving.
COMMONS
Solemn Simulacrum is naturally the beginning of this, but even sub-optimal versions can be helpful in certain decks.
Pilgrim's Eye is in the conversation for starting roles along 70-80% of my artifact, flyer, and ETB-based decks because of the widespread success of Solemn. Sure, it is not as good, nor will it ever be, but it offers solid value in recursion and great support- especially if you tend to play a couple more lands to avoid missing land plays.
As a flyer, Pilgrim's Eye best difference and inherent advantage (if that's a thing) over Solemn. The ability to chump evasive blockers has made it a nice complement in some of my decks, like Glissa, the Traitor, where I recur it at an alarming rate, and Animar, where I get to cast it for free and continue to spread out damage. Pairing this guy up with the new Bident of Thassa or a new old school favorite, Larceny, provides some additional incentive to attack if you need it.
Generally, I think this is something that is not to be too overlooked and overestimated. At worst, it's Skullclamp-able, if you're looking to build your own Solemn Simulacrum imitation.
For even more value, Mystic Restraints has found insane additional value in one of my newest decks- Mono-Blue Thassa.
I know this isn't removal, and it's not being done any favors with more attention being given to enchantments because of the Gods. Still, I've found this is an adequate way to handle some of the games more annoying, more Indestructible threats, this is a nice piece of tempo that has nice things going for it.
In Pauper, this is a card that has huge potential. I used to play a super sweet Simic Guildmage Pauper deck that would put a serious damper on our opponent's biggest threat- presumably, an Ulamog's Crusher. Even though they aren't optimal, Mystic Restraints has a few similar doppelgangers in Claustrophobia and Bonds of Quicksilver, which seems to be pretty effective to in my playtesting with the Thassa deck.
Recently, I've been testing an Isamaru deck with a basic core of Swords and Equipment. Although I've enjoyed sharpening my ability to manage combat, I realize that this deck needs to have a little more wittyness, a little more flexibility, and that extra little design flair that makes it "a Landdrops deck" versus a culmination of things I liked about other people's lists, turning it into the ultimate net-deck.
Shelter is a card I came across when I thought I might leave out the Swords package, and just give it an eclectic set of Hipster equipment. I figured the Instant speed protection would essentially be like having counterspells.
I'm really excited to get Shelter amongst the handful of other cards I'm currently running in my Isamaru list: Razor Barrier, Apostle's Blessing, and Ajani's Presence. In addition to having the more heinous Orim's Chant/Silence package, a protection cantrip Imprinted on an Isochron Scepter would be an incredible advantage for a silly white deck that really doesn't have a foothold on card advantage.
UNCOMMONS
So many plans are bad, and so many can go wrong. One of the things I've gotten better at as I continue my deck designing is that I've adapted benchmarks for acceptable outcomes in my strategies. That's an elaborate way for a very basic, fundamental notion of best/compromising/worst outcomes, if you need me to spell this out a little better.
In context, Isamaru really likes this piece of jank over others. Being cheap to play, cheap to equip, and Isa having a knack for being re-castable, putting pressure on your opponents to block the damage once he gets through a couple of times ensures a pretty healthy stream of cards.
Conversely, should your opponents decide to not give you the satisfaction of drawing cards, or even having to re-cast Isa, this card turns into the cheapest evasion on the market until we all get that nice vat of Hot Soup.
I've found, however, that combined with Karmic Guide, Reveillark, and other Blink Effects, Nevermaker really prefers the Azorius colors.
Early playtesting with this particular strategy has lent itself to some powerful incremental advantage. And I'm not even playing a dedicated, beat-me-over-the-head, Flicker package. A few blink spells, a Restoration Angel, and a Galepowder Mage got me several miles of card advantage with Nevermaker. With a flying toolbox commander in Isperia the Inscrutable, this is all pretty doable.
Glasses of Urza has the potential to be one of the more interesting cards I've dredged up. The advantage on this is insane, even in multiplayer, where not much is going to be left to your imagination.
How I missed this card in my thorough quest for constructing the ultimate Trinket Mage package, I don't know. I feel like Professor Oak, a so-called Pokemon Authority, yet I sent out a 12-year-old to go catch me a Moltres.
I know it goes without saying that Urza's Glasses are only going to get you to that G.I. Joe half of the battle. However, knowing exactly what your opponent has every turn or every other turn for one colorless means this slots effectively into a lot of decks- so much, I'd be surprised if it wasn't at least as good as Moltres, and probably more on par with Zapdos, easily the best Legendary Bird.
That's all we've got for this one. Below is something new I'm going to start doing here on TGZ. Audience Poll. This is a simple way to give us feedback if you don't have any comments.
Which Card Are You Most Likely To Play?
Pass Turn.
-UL
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