I didn't get too much testing in with Late For The Kill--everyone has 'lives' all of a sudden--but I was still able to get some games in yesterday against a mono-B goblins deck and a U/W flicker/detain deck and those matchups taught me a few things I wasn't expecting at all.
The goblin games were quick: mana flood on his part and no removal meant that when I dropped the Dueling Grounds, he had no recourse. My creatures rapidly became bigger and harder to block than his and it went pretty fast after that.
The UW games were more complex, including one mistake for me that worked out. I was attacking with a 6/6 Aven Squire when it was hit with Azorus Charm, putting it on top of my library. I sighed, put it on top and passed the turn. That's when I noticed Bant Charm in my hand, which could have countered that spell.
But on his turn he tapped out to cast Archon of the Triumvirate. I was able to use Bant Charm to hide that gnarly beast and my Squire came out next turn to add to a mighty swing from a second Aven Squire.
Better lucky than good, I suppose and I went on to win that matchup.
Here's what I learned:
First: Sovereigns of Lost Alara don't fly. I know it looks like they ought to, with the clouds and the wispy art but they don't. So there was a tactical mistake that I made in the goblins game that I won't make again.
Second: Covenant of Minds will draw three cards. I was able to play this spell three times and each time my opponent said: Take 'em. There was never even a question of allowing me to draw five unknowns. This may change, the more matchups I play but I have a feeling it won't. Still, 5 mana for 3 cards isn't a bad deal, with Concentrate and Inspiration as counterpoints. But one isn't splashable and the other isn't that great of a deal. So I'll stick with it for now.
Third: I never wanted Sovereigns of Lost Alara. Whenever I drew it, I just felt like: What is the point of this? I need something else to help me overwhelm people and the Sovereigns, who were there to help fetch Eel Penumbras can be something equally useful and less expensive, I'm sure of it.
I don't know, I still feel like sovereigns could have a home in that deck. If you're just fetching Eel Umbras, yeah, that's not much value, but if you add a single celestial mantle, or armored ascension, or angelic destiny, or hell, a rancor just to make some trampling happen, you're getting potentially a _lot_ of value out of that exalted trigger.
ReplyDeleteI think what is going on, for me, is that those Sovereigns don't belong in this deck. This one isn't maximizing their value and, at 6 mana, I really want to just win the game once I play one. But the Eel Umbras hold value because I have to put my eggs in one basket due to the presence of Dueling Grounds. Short of -1 abilities to toughness or exile effects, those Umbras can cheaply save creatures and I can still play them if I draw them. That can't be said of Celestial Mantle (which, no doubt, is a brilliant pick.)
DeleteSo it's one or the other. I have a deck that does the 'get crazy enchantment on a creature and swing' effect and they might find a home there, or in a more aura focused UW deck.