Spin It Into Myth: Monstrous Results From The Theros Bargain Bin

Happy Tuesday Zoners-

I got pretty busy today, but I wanted to give you an update from our last installment of Spin. So let's get it started.

COLOSSUS OF AKROS

I'm not going to tell everyone to put this into their decks. Our big soldier Golem friend needs big mana, tutelage, potentially ways to cheat him into play.

In my Braids deck, Colossus really thrives. It's a defense when my opponents have a bigger fish to play, and it's another similar late gamer like its Brother from another Mirrodin, Darksteel Colossus.

Unlike it's kin though, CoA plays a lot more like Ulamog's Crusher once Monstrous. Its indestructibility and huge swing ensure that you're going to eat most of your opponent's biggest threats, putting your opponent on the defense.

All in all, it's a big, goofy fun card, which is an exception to most cards I like.

GIFT OF IMMORTALITY

Gift of Immortality was the initial inspiration for a Saffi Eriksdotter deck I just finished recently. I was looking at Theros spoils and thought I'd be able to create a way to make an infinite combo with this and her, but it wasn't the case.

Obvious flavor fouls and rules misinterpretations aside, this card is a house. We all know how good ETB triggers are, and how much card advantage is generated by the Black Reanimator decks.

GoI can actually be worse. In multiplayer, cards like Sakura-Tribe Elder can provide such an incredible mana advantage that it's almost insurmountable. Combined with useful sac outlets, this is a total house. With Greater Good and a big dude, it's extra cards on your opponent's turn.

It protects threats and forces so much removal if it doesn't. Seriously, you want to play this card. This Aura is too good to avoid.

PROGNOSTIC SPHINX

Last card on the docket today is another new Braids addition. Prognostic Sphinx.

One of the common issues I had in my deck was the space between Merfolk Looters and 6-cost flyers like Consecrated Sphinx. It wasn't necessarily a curve problem as much as it was trying to find something I'd want to hard cast in a worst-case situation.

I really liked this guy out of the gate. All of his abilities have been really handy in key situations with this deck. The card advantage has been really useful in tight situations later in the game where my deck is the threat and I need a counterspell to answer.

I've made some pretty nifty plays with him too. Cloning him with a Quicksilver Gargantuan has so far been my favorite. There's nothing like having a bigger version of this card, as well as multiple scry triggers.

Overall, solid card. Definitely a workhorse that can really mind the gap, if your deck needs one.

The cool thing about these cards is that they're all cheap, available, and probably looking for a good home. So if you find a few sitting in trade binders, snag 'em. These puppies deserve a good home.

Sorry about the mix-up last Thursday. Looks like Johnny's got his new segment ready to roll out, so be sure to check that out this week. I don't think it'll disappoint.

Until next time, don't let Nick Cage talk you into stealing the Declaration of Independence.

Choose your own Adventure.
-UL

Spin It Into Myth: Theros Tech I Like

Well hey there Zoners!

The past week or so has felt weird, but I think we're getting back to schedule.

So it's time for America's favorite ongoing segment about all the Jank Hipster Tech I'm trying out, so get out your Grandmother's old sewing wheel, or your Grandad's old record player- It's time to figure out if I'm playing stuff that's worth anything.

Maybe someday we'll be able to stop talking about Theros on this blog. However, that dawn is still coming.

Still, I think this one's going to impress. My preorder stuff showed up in the mail yesterday afternoon, so I figured I'd share some of my bad cards.

But first, we gotta clear the old clutter out of the way. 

LAST TIME, ON SPIN...

White cards seemed to be the theme last time, and it made sense. My Lin Sivvi deck was getting off the ground, and I was also trying to get desperately inspired by a creatureless Tajic deck that was a little rough on the self-esteem.

Still, I had some pretty big winners.

WINNERS

Nevermore

In the right hands, this card is gigantic value. Truthfully, there were several opportunities I've had to completely shut down Voltron decks and other Commander centric decks, but I let my sympathy bones get the best of me, and decided to play it on something else or pitch it.

I really like this card though. I know because of Theros people will be packing more enchantment hate than ever, but it's still an obstacle. There are several decks that have very few ways to interact with it, most notably red, black, and blue, and this card has the potential to hose people if their deck is flimsy. It's a bad card that punishes bad players with the word of a bird. What's not to like?

I almost want to play a couple copies. Not every deck plays multiple answers to threats, and having additional design support through Peek effects or other discard can really make this card that much stronger. It's a lot better than I thought it was.

Shinen of Life's Roar

One of the craziest suggestions we had for a senior prank back in high school was to get an elephant and stick it in a classroom on the second floor with a bunch of mice running around. Apparently, elephants are terrified of them.

To this day I don't know how we thought that was realistic, but the image is a pretty good illustration of what Shinen can do. Swaying chump blocks in combat is usually relevant in green, and is a different kind of way of interacting if you're sick of being the "Overrun Guy."

Yavimaya Hollow also helps keep this thing alive.

CONTINUING QUESTIONS

This time around I don't have cards that are pure flops. I'm still unsure, but we're still going to get them out of the way anyway.

Gideon, Champion of Justice

I've had this guy out in several games now, and I've come to the conclusion no one, understands this card, including me. It's clear that Gideon's power was seriously quelled in development, making him very niche-y, favoring token matchups to get his counters on.

After this, I've been fairly lost. To me, he's just not a threat. There's no way that you'd have incentive to exile the entire board state in Commander, even if you did get enough counters on it to go off and start swinging. So in regards to restarting, it's worse than Karn.

Still, he tends to draw attacks on the table. I got kinda heated in a particular game where my opponent's felt this was a threat in the early game, killing him in two turns, only to let my Elspeth Knight-Errant stay resolved for about 3 turns after that. It wasn't about drawing attackers either. It was about the fact that simply because he was a Planeswalker, it made people scared.

Overall, it's just been really odd, which has made for an interesting case study. I hope to find a conclusion here at some point though.

Skyship Weatherlight

Tajic was an indestructible man, but I didn't like the deck. Unfortunately, that means the ol' Weatherlight, like me, is currently doing the job hunt. I really do like this card.

It's a nostalgia pick, but I might have room for it in when I finish putting together Daxos. We'll have to see.

THE NEW STUFF

Alright, we've reached the main event.

BEHOLD! GOOFY THEROS RARES!

Colossus of Akros

GG had an article a while back based on Sam Stoddard's Concepts of Threats.

This is surely not a premier threat like Emrakul, Kozilek, or Ulamog, but it's about as far as I venture Wizards will go when they print a potential Trample/Indestructible 20/20.

I'm trying this card out in Blue Braids, where all my overcosted Timmy cards go. At the very least, it's intriguing to see if I can get him swinging. If I can't, at least I have a big blocker.

Gift of Immortality

Obvious flavor fouls aside, I think GG was a little rough in the Set Review on this one.

This is a card I like quite a bit. Decks with proper sacrifice outlets and ETB/Dies triggers really like the value adding here. I have a new trigger happy deck that is going to abuse the tar out of Gift, and I'm excited about it.

Prognostic Sphinx

Braids is getting another nice addition to its small Sphinx subtheme.

It's not much of a threat, but having a castable threat that will contribute to getting card advantage goes a long way in longer games.

More importantly, I'm excited at the chance to re-invigorate a deck I really haven't been playing a lot of games with.

Unlike KFC's terrible marketing campaign
for their new wings, this little spell
seems pretty tasty. Don't eat it though.
Hashtag, I Read The Bones

Read the Bones

This one isn't nearly as sketchy of a pick. I picked this cause all the other black cards I'm going to play are pretty obvious- Erebos, his Whip, and Hero's Downfall.

Read the Bones is a really nice budget option for every deck, and is another great Pauper option. I got a playset of this card. I can't wait, and neither can Greel or Glissa T's.

Reaper of the Wilds

Speaking of Glissa T's- she got a billion playable goodies from Theros.

Aside from the relevant God Weapons, this is one of the better fits for GB decks in general. All of the good Golgari Legends like to kill things. Reaper of the Wilds not only makes those triggers worthwhile, but also the ability to chunk damage and force trades with big blocks.

Five toughness keeps it from dying to other midrange dudes in the same size, and bonus- when it does die it will trade with something probably bigger than it.

It's a nice one. Play it. Love it.

Well, that's all I got. Feel free to share your favorite new tech with me as we begin to play new Theros tech. I'd love to hear about it.

Until then, keep the world turning by doing some Spinning. Make everything a myth.

-UL