KTK - Monastery Swiftspear

[Protoaddict]

This seems really good to me. It already fits into delvers shell, with gushes this thing can have really explosive turns, and can function as a delver substitute when you don't get him in hand (delver 5-8.) It provides haste which that deck does not currently have so it can also steal some wins, and can attack and block in the mirror so it makes a really scary on board presence for unflipped delvers.

If vintage had a burn deck like legacy I am sure this would be in it, but that seems to be a pipe dream, but it seems to me this has a lot of application in delver.

[JarofFortune]

I can't think of any variation of delver that would run this. It doesn't do enough. If you are trying to chain a bunch of spells in a turn, you'd be better of with Pyromancer, Kiln Fiend, or just plain old storm. Besides, if you chain gushes and cantrips, you are already favored to win anyways, and this card is only good if you do that.

[MaximumCDawg]

When we got Kiln Fiend, Talrand, and more critically Pyromancer, we have had discussions about cards that work with a storm build and invert the normal way of counting your spells.  Of those cards, the only ones who have mattered are those that build up value over time - Pyro and more rarely Talrand.

Kiln Fiend didn't do anything.  I don't know if forcing you to pay R on the same turn you try to go off makes it worth this.

[Saya]

I like this card.She has relatively high clock without any negative effects,slight tolerance against removements,and some synergies with cards like sensei,repeal or snapcaster.The problem is,therefore,nonentity of burn in vintage.

[MaximumCDawg]

I disagree that she presents any real kind of clock.  In a Delver style deck, many of your spells are reactive or you give you more benefit to use them at times other than combat or precombat main (end of opponent's turn, when they fetch, in response to duress, etc).  Unlike Pyromancer, who gives you incremental advantage whenever you did anything, this card only functions if you're barfing out spells before combat damage.  And what do you get?  A measly one point of damage.  Big woop. 

If the Prowess pump was 2 or if her starting power was 2 I would say it was playable.  As a hasty 1/2, this card is probably a standard all star, probably finds a home in Modern, and sucks a big bag of you-know-what in Vintage. 

But please do prove me wrong

[Protoaddict]

I think that in a delver list, what this does do is provide a body that is arguably as good as delver, if not different with its own upsides.

Pyromancer is great because it puts bodies on the ground but it costs more mana. Delver has some match ups where all it wants to do is land a delver and control the hell out of the board until the delver wins. Having only 4 delvers means that you may not get one in your opener which hurts. This allows you to basically have 5 to 8 one drops in the list that serve similar function to delver itself.

This thing can perform a limited alpha strike as well, which may be able to steal games every so often that delver cannot.

[Saya]

UR Delver w/4x Swiftspear came in first at TMD open.Now i revise the evaluation of her.

[Protoaddict]

Is there a list anywhere, would love to see it?

This card more than any other from this set I think is going to change decks and formats.

In modern and legacy it fits the delver shell, as well as going into burn like a champ (it may be better than goblin guide.) There are rumblings of it going into things like storm/beltcher as well because for 1 mana you can open into this and then start storming and put the game away with this + grapeshot/storm elemental/empty the warrens.

I think in vintage its application is a bit more limited to delver decks since burn is not a thing and storm has options those other formats do not, but its probably the most efficient 1 drop creature for red ever made.

[MaximumCDawg]

I'm still skeptical in Vintage.  Like I said initially, I see this as a role player in Modern.  Apparently it's also good enough for Legacy, which surprises me.  I guess upgraded Kiln Fiend is good enough in an aggressive deck, but honestly I think the point here is that it gives Delver another quality one-drop to make sure they use the first turn's mana.

[boxian]

A UR Delver list with 4x of this and 4x of Treasure Cruise also won the latest Legacy SCG Open wherever the one not in Indy was this past weekend.

I underestimated it personally in my spoiler reviews with friends, but I think there is potentially a place for it in a Pyromancer/Swiftspear deck where you have two threats that pay you for doing the same thing in two separate ways. Young Pyromancer compares favorably to Jace and Tarmogoyf because it is a horizontal threat. Monastary Swiftspear compares favorably because it is a proactive vertical threat in the same way they are, though it's power varies from turn to turn. The biggest thing to me that strikes me as a big sign saying to investigate is that Delver wants you to have a significant number of instant and sorceries in your deck, as well as Young Pyromancer, as well as this new Monastary Swiftspear. That is just elegant at that point - all the cards are pointing you in the same direction which ought to give the deck significant power and speed to overrun people.

[JarofFortune]

The deck that won the event was an archetype that blurs the line between tempo and burn, leaning towards either side depending on the list. Swiftspear was a replacement for Goblin Guide in that deck. I'm sure a similar deck wouldn't be bad in Vintage, but I don't think you gain enough by sacrificing counter spell and draw spell density to run chain lightnings and forked bolts. It doesn't fit into other Delver decks and Gush decks at all. Besides, Delver doesn't want to run another four one-drops if they are as mediocre and low impact over the course of the game as this one. This card doesn't seem bad in Burn and tempo/burn hybrids, but I don't think it has a real place in Vintage.