Deckstats Forum
English-language Forums => Commander Discussion => Topic started by: Aetherium Slinky on September 15, 2021, 01:39:50 pm
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Apologies in advance if this topic is something we've discussed before but I couldn't figure out any good searches to find out.
On to the topic itself: what cards do you think used to be really popular but aren't that popular anymore?
OP starts: Mind's Eye (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Mind%27s+Eye) used to be a staple in many decks. It draws a decent amount of cards but the downside is that it is expensive to cast, does nothing when it comes in and requires surprising amounts of mana to use properly. Since curves have become leaner it's just prohibitively mana hungry and has been replaced with cheap stuff like Esper Sentinel (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Esper+Sentinel) or burst draw that gets you going right now instead of tomorrow or the day after.
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This may go back a ways, like several years but 3 mana rocks like Coalition Relic (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Coalition+Relic) and Chromatic Lantern (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Chromatic+Lantern) outside of specific decks that want them. The game has sped up and with the Talisman and Signets, 3 mana rocks just have lost a place in the game. I can’t remember the last time I saw a Relic and I hardly ever see Lantern anymore.
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This may go back a ways, like several years but 3 mana rocks like Coalition Relic (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Coalition+Relic) and Chromatic Lantern (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Chromatic+Lantern) outside of specific decks that want them. The game has sped up and with the Talisman and Signets, 3 mana rocks just have lost a place in the game. I can’t remember the last time I saw a Relic and I hardly ever see Lantern anymore.
I think the then-ubiquitous Darksteel Ingot (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Darksteel+Ingot) goes on this list as well. More recently Kodama's Reach (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Kodama%27s+Reach) and Cultivate (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Cultivate) have also seen a decline (unsure about the stats - Morg!) due to being outclassed by two mana ramp.
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Condemn (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Condemn) and a few others were staples before the tuck rule got changed. Why give your opponents the chance to send their commanders to the CMZ when you can put dozens of cards in the way?
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Off the top of my head...
Return to Dust (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Return+to+Dust): Outclassed by Crush Contraband (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Crush+Contraband) and Heliod's Intervention (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Heliod%27s+Intervention)
Krosan Grip (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Krosan+Grip): Outclassed by Nature's Claim (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Nature%27s+Claim), Force of Vigor (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Force+of+Vigor), etc.
Explosive Vegetation (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Explosive+Vegetation) (Veggies): Outclassed by Migration Path (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Migration+Path), Circuitous Route (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Circuitous+Route) and many others
Darksteel Ingot (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Darksteel+Ingot): Outclassed by the strictly better Skyclave Relic (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Skyclave+Relic) and by 2-mana ramp (Arcane Signet (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Arcane+Signet)...)
Vindicate (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Vindicate): Outclassed by Generous Gift (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Generous+Gift), Spark Harvest (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Spark+Harvest) and Anguished Unmaking (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Anguished+Unmaking)
Also, most black removal will soon be outclassed by Infernal Grasp (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Infernal+Grasp)...
Last year, The Command Zone made an entire video on the subject: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Z9qaRJFuVA&t=2s
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No one bringing up Solemn Simulacrum (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Solemn+Simulacrum)?
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We have literally had this conversation every week for the past month at my LGS Commander Night. It often starts with "Remember when Gilded Lotus (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Gilded+Lotus) was good."
And then we discussed Krosan Grip (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Krosan+Grip). Darksteel Ingot (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Darksteel+Ingot), and even Sensei's Divining Top (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Sensei%27s+Divining+Top).
No one bringing up Solemn Simulacrum (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Solemn+Simulacrum)?
This one came up too. But we did conclude that it still has use in non-green, non-blue decks (so Mardu and subsets). Especially those with recursion.
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We have literally had this conversation every week for the past month at my LGS Commander Night. It often starts with "Remember when Gilded Lotus (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Gilded+Lotus) was good."
And then we discussed Krosan Grip (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Krosan+Grip). Darksteel Ingot (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Darksteel+Ingot), and even Sensei's Divining Top (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Sensei%27s+Divining+Top).
I suppose SDT might be less useful for UBG, where you might slot straight draw effects instead, but low-cost card selection is nice for mono-W, mono-R, and Boros. Gets you land when you need it, spells when you don't, enhances "exile (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Exile), play" effects (and Verge Rangers (https://cards.deckstats.net/magiccard.php?utf8=1&lng=en&card=Verge+Rangers)).
I've seen posts about people hating it for "taking too long", but I don't think it seems any more egregious than the green player ramping and shuffling, or players cracking fetches and shuffling, etc. It doesn't take long to spin once you're accustomed to it.