[Single Card Discussion] Compost

[Nevermore]

 Enchantment   1G 
Whenever a black card is put into one of your opponents' graveyards, you may draw a card

I was browsing through some old cards of mine and I came across compost.  This seems like a great sideboard card now that ichorid is on the rise.  If you can get it out first turn with a mox against ichorid, you are going to have a huge card advantage second turn.  It seems like it may be an excellent option in the sideboard for new GAT decks. 

I havent seen any one mention this card, is it simply too slow in vintage?

[zeus-online]

If there's alot of black cards going into the ichorid players graveyard that mostly means that you're going to die...I'd much rather have planar void, leyline of the void, yixlid jailer or tormod's crypt vs. ichorid.

[zulander]

Or it means you are that much closer to going off.

[Grand Inquisitor]

An important lesson here is whether sideboard cards, powerful or not in certain matchups, fit the tactical role you want in said matchup.  It's likely compost will draw you lots of cards against ichorid.  However, in this matchup, GAT most likely wants to take the controlling role.  Compost won't further this plan very well.

Compost may prove better against ichorid in something like Long or Flash.

[Spacebalzz]

I may be wrong here, flame me if I am =)

The oracle text of Compost reads:

"Whenever a black card is put into an opponent's graveyard, you may draw a card."

This implies that it affects EVERY black card that goes in their graveyard, from dredging, discarding or play.  If you can drop first turn Compost, which you most likely will (barring first turn chalice, which you still play it turn two) , you're looking at like 8 to 10 cards on a single turn.  Thats easily enough for most decks to find and answer or, for combo decks, simply kill the opponent next turn.  Combine this with Planar Void (which I'm under the impression that the cards still techincally go to the grave before being removed) and TCrypt, you're looking at both cutting off their kill and drastically helping yourself at the same time.

@GrandInquisitor: I agree with you.  As far as Compost is concerned, I don't think GAT is the deck in question.  I think the deck that it really screws Ichorid with is Long, Belcher, or even the new Gush Tendrils (GT already runs green for fastbond).  Against a fast (or relatively fast) Tendrils (or Belcher) based deck, it seems to me that Ichorid can't even start to flood the grave until Compost is bounced or destroyed. 

Moreover, I will maindecking this in a Ichorid-heavy meta.  Most will argue that in your non-Ichorid match-ups, it will prove a dead card (cause, God! It's Green.  Idiots!), but you can work it to your advantage.  In Game one, you can "feign death" for game one (figure out what their playing), concede before they see what you're playing and sideboard accordingly.  This gives you like an auto-win in game two, pretty much playing a deck thats built to beat your opponent, when they really have nothing but their maindeck answers for you.  Plus, the added "you're a scrub" factor, works to your advantage well.

Lastly, I think it has great possibilities to neutralize Ichorid.  Then Steve can write about something other than Gifts and Ichorid.

[Implacable]

Wait, what?  I'm sorry, but I admit to being confused by this whole post.  If they're putting oodles of cards into their yard, haven't you lost?  You are playing a card that is only good when the game is over, which is the exact opposite of what a good card is.

[Hi-Val]

Well, Fog is a green card too...

I can see applications of this, combined with something that will let you not lose to hasted Zombies that turn. Drawing 21 cards and not having an out to turn 2 zombification seems humiliating.

[EKM_Ichorid]

If you were to play say 4 Compost and 4 Echoing Truth, than maybe you have something.

[hauntedechos]

LOL @ Hi-Val, that's just too funny mate!..he he he "fog is a green card too"..rofl.

*and center*, ok so let's look at the situation.  We're talking about a card, not it's viability in GAT.
well, as it was stated, when Iky is dumping the trash into the bin, you're probly about to get taken to the cleaners.  However another good point was also brought up.  As you're ammasing(sp?) these cards, the hope is that you have mana untapped (assuming this is turn 2- 4) and that you actually have an answer in your deck (if you're counting on this happening, you should have a plan of what kinds of cards you want in your hand)...*ahem*..Fog would be nice here LOL!..or perhalps the mentioned echoing truth as well, if that is the case and you can fend off the attack, then you should have a whole whack of cards to power up your Tog, this is assuming he's already on the board of course.

Well after going through this rant in my head, it seems to me that it is *possible* to make use of it versus Ichorid, but it seems like too much work and feels situational-in terms of Tog already being on the board.  I agree that Tog wants to take the controling role and that developing that kind of CA at once, isn't really an answer, it's just a cute interaction with Ichord's mechanics.

I will say this however, I really like the thought behind it all.  Further to that, I'm very interested in testing it despite what my initial thoughts are.  If nothing else, as a SB card, it could greatly accelerate how fast you develope your yard and assuming that multiple Gush is drawn from this CA, there could be the potential -but nothing certain- to do something with the position you're in post dredging.  I think this is the best that GAT can hope to gain out of Compost.

Now as it was mentioned, Long could break this card in half in the matchup post board.  Even if Long only drew a few cards from it, it should be game for Iky.  Assuming that turn 2 Ichorid went about it's merry way of ripping your hand to shreds and shattering your dreams; then compost would be a smack in the face.

Well that's just my two cents, and I'm not an authority or anything.

cheers
Mike