An Exercise In Ignoring Evidence

I've actually gotten a heap of games in with Skalor, because I built it a few weeks before I wrote about it. I've been trying to hone it whenever I can but it's been an exercise in frustration because I steadfastly refuse to do what needs to be done, at least so far.

In this game against Fuz, my response to Cabal Therapy was: well, this is going to suck.

And it did.

The problem with Killing Wave is that it's helpful if I can get out to a good start: for the most part, nobody wants to trade life for creatures when they've already taken 8.

Now, I don't know if it's because I'm riding the wrong horse right now but I have found myself facing a lot of decks with lifegain. Paying 3 or even 5 life per creature isn't so bad when you're up to 34 life.

I kept looking at Vengeful Pharaoh; a 5 mana creature that is challenging to cast, deprives me of a draw when it does what I want it to and seems even more difficult to actually position so that the Pharaoh DOES do what I want.

Every time I lost a game, to this zombies deck, a U/B mill, or a white Soul Sisters (lifegain) deck, I kept thinking the same thing: I need creature removal. Something that I can just do and call it good.

So naturally, I'm replacing Vengeful Pharaoh with Mindslicer. This seems dumb but why not? I want a creature I can cast sooner and when it dies does bad things and this does fit the bill.

Sounds awesome. Plus: with Gutter Grime, my creature dying doesn't mean I will no longer have threats on the board. Basically, Mindslicer interacts with things in a way that hopefully my opponent doesn't want me to, so I want to give it a run.

But it doesn't kill creatures. I may have to change my ways, but not today.