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Author Topic: Mnemosyne's Top 10 Core Set 19 - Standard Playable Cards  (Read 402 times)

Mnemosyne

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Mnemosyne's Top 10 Core Set 19 - Standard Playable Cards
« on: July 22, 2018, 04:28:36 pm »
Hi there, all you standard players!
I'm here to give you my opinion on the top 10 most playable cards in standard.

Let's start! (Note: I am not including reprints from any previous sets)

10 Vivien Reid



Card suppliers seem to hate this card, enough for it to be one of the most inexpensive planeswalkers in the set. This underestimated card is retailing at $5, a steal, even less expensive than its planeswalker deck counterparts.

What is not to like about this card? This has to be in the sideboard, at least, if you are playing green. This planeswalker, whilst being a CMC 5 mana card, does so much! It even comes in with 5 loyalty. Its initial ability whilst not being able to protect it, allows you to impulse, for a land or a creature. Giving you more options, the turn after. The minus 3 ability does allow Vivien to protect herself by removing a flyer from your opponent's board, or an opponent's Seal Away that is currently exiling a creature of yours. It even allows you to remove a pesky artefact, I'm naming Aethersphere Harvester and Heart of Kiran, that are still being played in top 8 decks.
Lastly, her minus 7 emblem is a win more ability. If you haven't won, you will! Especially, when all your creatures are indestructible and have +2/+2 trample and vigilance.

Nine Tezzeret, Artifice Master



A very strong planeswalker, better than Vivien Reid, which is saying something! His +1 allows you to generate Thopters to protect Tezzeret and acts as a mechanism for your to generate artefacts that work in an affinity/improvise, strategy. Not to mention that those Thopters can fly! Currently Goblin Chainwhirler does ruin this strategy, but perhaps after rotation, things will be different?
His 0 ability, is probably the most overpowered of his abilities. Drawing up to two cards (of course you have artefacts) is an incredible advantage. Finally, his minus 9. Whilst hard to ultimate, it is a powerful finisher. 'Any permanent' is something that will win you games. Nicol Bolas, the Ravager? Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh? No sweat!

Eight Sai, Master Thopterist



At eight, we see Sai, Master Thopterist. Works in any blue themed artefact deck. I'm thinking of that disgusting Paradoxical Outcome deck, that makes use of Improvise and 0 mana costed artefacts to storm into your win condition: Aetherflux Reservoir.
Either way, cast triggers on Sai, make him a powerful 3 drop that has another ability that grants you a card advantage by sacrificing another two artefacts. Not a bad trade, considering that you can use this in response to Goblin Chainwhirler coming down, and wiping out your thopter fleet.

Seven Lightning Mare



You are thinking, why this below the likes of Tezzeret and Sai? There is a simple answer to this. Red Decks Win. They win for a reason. Fast, low-cost aggro. This is a card that will annoy blue players, that Essence Scatter they've been saving for an early threat, is now redundant. 3/1 is not something to be sneezed at. With its ability, that is reminiscent of Lightning Berserker, you can be sure this will do some damage before it's removed.

Six Plague Mare



The black counterpart is another great addition to your black deck. It acts like Blazing Volley, but with negative toughness, which gets around damage prevention. It also will harass white opponents with its unblockable ability.

Five Demanding Dragon



Whilst expensive at 5 mana, this dragon might replace Glorybringer after rotation. I say might, because whilst it lacks haste its ETB trigger will most definitely force your opponent to sacrifice a creature. If it has one, especially one that is indestructible, it will be a tough decision.

Four Remorseful Cleric



You were wondering if I'd get to white? Well here we are at 4 you have Remorseful Cleric. Whilst not as good as Selfless Spirit, having the ability at exiles a player's graveyard is very relevant in standard right now, (Scarab God, God-Pharaoh's Gift) and on a 2/1 flyer and at instant speed, this is a utility card that should most definitely see play.

Three Runic Armasaur



At three, Runic Armasaur is a beast, 2/5 for 3 mana that acts in a similar way to Harsh Mentor. Instead of on a 2/2 body, this is unlikely to be removed by anything less than Fight with Fire or a straight up Revolt - Fatal Push.
Meaning that your opponent is going to have to assess whether this is worth a removal spell. Which is important as instead of damage (like Harsh Mentor) this is a great card drawing engine. There are so many activated abilities on creatures and lands right now: Azcanta, the Sunken Ruin, Hazoret, the Fervent, Bomat Courier... etc.

Two Resplendent Angel



This is number two, and with good reason. 3 CMC 3/3 flyers are great on its own. But its life triggered ability makes this card a major threat once played. Generating 4/4 Angels might be tough to do, but with its 5 mana activated ability, it is possible. With Shali, Voice of Plenty, and Lyra Dawnbringer it is more than possible to do.

One Thorn Lieutenant



I was debating this one, whether instead to put  Elvish Clancaller up over it. Then I thought, there aren't enough elves to support that particular archetype right now. Thorn Lieutenant, whilst being an elf is a great card, two mana and not solely in green, for a 2/3 with a triggered ability that if targeted replaces itself with a 1/1 elf. In a ramp deck, this can be overlooked as a threat, until you have enough mana to use its 6 mana ability to give it +4/4 until end of turn.

I hope you enjoyed the list! Let me know if you have any additions you think should be on the list, and why! Thanks!  ;)
« Last Edit: July 22, 2018, 06:24:29 pm by Mnemosyne »

Firegriff

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Re: Mnemosyne's Top 10 Core Set 19 - Standard Playable Cards
« Reply #1 on: July 22, 2018, 09:11:31 pm »
What about Talons of Wildwood?  Trample, stat boost, and you can reuse it if tge original target goes MIA?  Very useful, particularly if you get stuck in a stalemate.

Mnemosyne

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Re: Mnemosyne's Top 10 Core Set 19 - Standard Playable Cards
« Reply #2 on: July 24, 2018, 04:00:21 pm »
What about Talons of Wildwood?  Trample, stat boost, and you can reuse it if tge original target goes MIA?  Very useful, particularly if you get stuck in a stalemate.

Hmm, you mean poor man's Rancor:P

Personally, I never include enchantment auras, on the principle, that you can easily be (2 for 1'd) with a single spell. Unless you are putting it on a creature with hexproof. (There are too many sweepers in standard as it is. - Settle the Wreckage/ Fumigate/ Hour of Revelation/ Cleansing Nova/ Dusk // Dawn/ Sweltering Suns/ Bontu's Last Reckoning... etc.)
Additionally whilst you can return it to your hand, you will have to pay (2G) mana. That's a lot, considering you would probably want to play a creature for that cost.
You also have to consider whether the 1/1 with trample ability isn't worth replacing with a creature that gives better value. An example would be Untamed Kavu, which is a 1G - 2/2 with vigilance and trample. Isn't that better than an enchantment aura that as soon as it is equipped to a creature will simply drop off, when a creature is targeted by a spell, like Fatal Push? Or, in response to the equip trigger a Magma Spray?

Either way, if you are going to use that enchantment you are going to have to consider the type it deck it goes into. It is very specific to a certain archetype (G/W auras) for example. The cards on my list, whilst they can be specific to a certain deck, they are versatile in their use.

Don't believe that I think it isn't a good card, because as enchantment auras go, it is useful. It's just probably not going to appear in many Standard decks! Just my opinion, anyway.  ;)

Firegriff

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Re: Mnemosyne's Top 10 Core Set 19 - Standard Playable Cards
« Reply #3 on: July 24, 2018, 05:02:15 pm »
I already have it in a mono green fatties ramp deck.  Turn 3 Gigantosaurus with turn 4 Talons of Wildwood or Prodigious Growth is very nice indeed.  But I understand your point of it being poor man's Rancor.  Of course, Rancor is not in Standard.