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CardName: Theros removal thoughts Cost: Type: Pow/Tgh: / Rules Text: On the interaction of monstrous cards and high-costed removal Flavour Text: Set/Rarity: Conversation None

Theros removal thoughts
 
 
On the interaction of monstrous cards and high-costed removal
Created on 12 Jan 2014 by Circeus

History: [-]

2014-01-12 18:31:31: Circeus created and commented on the card Theros removal thoughts

I'm surprised that R&D has the gals to pretend they upped the cost of the nonrare removal so that monstrous creatures get played more. Why? Because the skilled drafters are well aware that removal is still valuable. Worse, this higehr costing means that these removal spells (Divine Verdict, Griptide, Lash of the Whip, Sip of Hemlock, Portent of Betrayal, Sea God's Revenge, Vanquish the Foul) are liable to come out at the same time as monstrous creatures. Worse, they are often to high costed that they all too often can't be played at all until a monstrous creature has hit the board in the first place...

And at the same time, the rest of the removal suite (Destructive Revelry, Viper's Kiss, Magma Jet, Lightning Strike, Last Breath...) is IMO very good at dealing with the smaller threats, and in particular with pretty all the ramp cards that are supposed to let the players get to monstrosity faster in the first place.

Note that the high cost of common removal isn't new in Theros; it was the case in Return to Ravnica block as well. Trostani's Judgment, Angelic Edict, Explosive Impact, and so on. The reasoning I thought I'd seen for it was to make Draft pick choices more interesting than just "always take the removal". Any common removal that isn't extremely expensive will be rather restricted or conditional (Viper's Kiss, Smite, Mugging) or coloured-mana-intensive to restrict splashing (Annihilating Fire, Grisly Spectacle).

Yeah; I guess having "Do this and you'll at least stand a chance" advice was allowing too low a barrier of entry :(

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