This is Magic, so it's always possible to name a situation in which one card is better than another. I think AmbivalentDuck's example (a three card combo which involves giving the opponent three cards) is a pretty good argument for the fact that Ensnaring Bridge is likely just better to have in this deck. I am personally experimenting with two in my WUG Nobel Fish deck.

-mike

Do you think Ensnaring Bridge would be a better solution? I realize it doesn't have good synergy with Cold-Eyed Selkie, but a lot of their threats have power greater than your hand size anyway. It seems like in a pinch you could easily play out your hand to stay under whatever they've got out. I think it'd be better than Forcefield. What do you think?

-mike

I am playing in a creature-heavy meta. I see a lot of following:

Exalted Angel
Augury Adept
Lodestone Golem
Juggernaut
Sundering Titan
Nullstone Gargoyle
Platinum Emperion

And am pretty sure I can expect to see plenty of this:
Platinum Angel
Darksteel Colossus
Inkwell Leviathan
Sphinx of the Steel Wind

I am looking for cards to improve my match up with them. This essentially amounts to improving one's match up against Oath, I suppose. Regardless of whether or not those creatures are coming from Oath I think many of the same cards that deal with these creatures will improve the match up with Oath.

Here are the cards I'm considering:

Ensnaring Bridge: This one is great. It's 3cc, so a little slow. It handles not dying to all of the above mentioned critters. It does not handle the problem of getting your guys through, but Selkie's islandwalk and Predator's flying might be able to make up for this.

Goldmeadow Harrier: Also very promising. It fills out the 1-drop slot which often only contains Hierarch and the 1cc is reserved for Stifle and sometimes Spell Pierce, which I'm not running. This creature allows for my critters to get through as well as keeping 1 attacker at bay. It does not answer Inkwell, however, which is a big problem. It's an attacker itself.

Swords to Plowshares: Classic and simple. This has the benefit of handling Goblin Welders, Dark Confidents and other threats that don't really attack to cause you pain. Doesn't handle Inkwell like the Bridge does. Not a creature so won't attack.

Tariff: Doesn't allow for a choice, but gets Inkwell. Costs more than StP. Not a creature so won't attack.

Azurious Guildmage: A bit on the expensive side compared to Goldmeadow. Can, unlikely, tap two critters. Has the extra benefit of being able to counter activated abilities. It's an attack itself.

Sea Singer/Preacher: Stealing the creatures is an interesting point raised by serracollector. This handles critters like Welder and Dark Confidant as well as. Does not work against Inkwell.

Rune Halo: Protection for one card is very interesting. This could give all sorts of decks like Tendrills a problem as well. It only protects against that one creature that's out, unlike ensnaring bridge which can keep all creatures away. It's hard to get rid of though, being an enchantment rather than an artifact.

Thoughts?

-mike

Hey everyone. I just started playing this deck. I made a list for myself of all of the creatures that have been mentioned in this thread so that I could have a quick guide for decisions. Here's the list. The ones with numbers are listed based on how often they were played in a tournament that Storm posted about.

Creatures played in the tournament posted by Storm, ordered by frequency of play:

96 Noble Hierarch, G, 0/1, T: add W,U,G
75 Qasali Pridemage, WG, 2/2, 1 sac: disenchant
73 Cold-Eyed Selkie, 1{U/G}{U/G}, 1/1, on combat draw cards equal to the damage
68 Meddling Mage, WU, 2/2, named card cannot be played
64 Tarmogoyf, 1G, */1+*, power toughness equal to card types in graveyards
42 Trygon Predator, 1UG, 2/3, on combat damage, disenchant
13 Cursecatcher, U, 1/1, sac: forcespike an instant or sorcery
10 Vendilion Clique, 1UU, 3/1, flash, flying, card in opponents hand back to library and they draw
8 Ninja Of The Deep Hours, 3U, 2/2, ninjutsu 1U, on combat damage draw a card
7 Aven Mindcensor, 2W, 2/1, flash, flying, players search their top four cards, not libraries
3 Kataki, War's Wage, 1W, 2/1, artifacts gain upkeep 1
3 Gaddock Teeg, GW, 2/2, spells with CMC >= 4 can't be cast
2 Knight Of The Reliquary, 1WG, 2/2, +1/+1 for lands in your graveyard, T sac forest or plains, crop rotaition
2 Vexing Shusher, {G/R}{G/R}, 2/2, uncounterable, {G/R}: target creature is uncounterable
2 Elvish Spirit Guide, 2G, 2/2, pitch for G

Creatures not played in that one tournament, but none the less, mentioned in this thread:

Cephalid Constable, 1UU, 1/1, on combat damage, bounce that many permanents
Ronom Unicorn, 1W, 2/2, sac: destroy enchantment
Glowrider, 2W, 2/1, noncreature spells cost 1 more
River Boa, 1G, 2/1, islandwalk, G: regenerate
Augury Adept, 1{U/W}{U/W}, 2/2, on combat damage, reveal top card, gain CMC life, draw it
Rafiq of the Many, 1WUG, 3/3, exalted, creatures attacking alone get double strike
Ethersworn Canonist, 1W, 2/2, players can play only one nonartifact spell a turn
Kataki, War's Wage, 1W, 2/1, artifacts have upkeep of 1
Windborn Muse, 3W, 2/3, flying, must pay 3 for each creature attacking you.
Rootwater Thief, 1U, 1/2, U: flying, 2: after combat damage, exile on card in library
Erayo, Soratami Ascendant, 1U, 1/1, flips to counter the first spell of a turn
Azorius Guildmage, {U/W}{U/W}, 2/2, 2W: tap creature, 2U: counter activation
Esperzoa, 2U, 4/3, flying, upkeep: bounce an artifact you control
Sower of Temptation, 2UU, 2/2, flying, control magic while he's in play
Children of Korlis, W, 1/1, sac to gain life you lost this turn. hates tendrils
Sage of Epityr, U, 1/1, reorder your top three cards
Voidmage Prodigy, UU, 2/1, UU sac wizard to counter a spell
Thada Adel, Acquisitor, 1UU, 2/2, islandwalk, on combat search opponent's library for artifact and play it

My own additions that I've thought about. Though they haven't been mentioned in this thread yet, so they're likely terrible:

Eternal Witness, 1GG, 2/1, regrowth when enters battlefield
Neurok Transmuter, 2U, 2/2 Turns things into artifacts to combo with Predator, Qasali, and Null Rod
Patron Wizard, UUU, 2/2, tap a wizard to force spike
Giltspire Avenger, WUG, 2/2, exalted, destroys creatures that deal you damage.
Goldmeadow Harrier, W, 1/1, WT: tap target creature.

-mike