Single Card Discussion: Razormane Masticore, better than the

[Jacob Orlove]

And if anyone said this before me, no, I didn't read the rest of the thread.  I wanted to include my unbiased opinion before I was shifted from my position by someone else's thoughts.

This is the problem with discussing new cards in general and with this thread in particular. Almost everyone has an opinion, and almost no one has actually tested anything.

[psyburat]

This is the problem with discussing new cards in general and with this thread in particular. Almost everyone has an opinion, and almost no one has actually tested anything.

I'm personally a bigger fan of more Prison-aligned decks, so in my mind this is not a card for that mindset.  However, if I were to place this in the sideboard of a wMUD, etc. deck, what decks would you side it in against?

[Klep]

I'm personally a bigger fan of more Prison-aligned decks, so in my mind this is not a card for that mindset.  However, if I were to place this in the sideboard of a wMUD, etc. deck, what decks would you side it in against?

Aggro ones.  Specifically decks like U/G Madness and Fish, which can be stopped or seriously slowed by the presence of big fat on the other side of the table.

[Dozer]

And 5 really isn't that much for workshop decks, or control decks that want to drain into him. I don't know where else either would see play anyway.

RM Masticore in control decks seems like an intriguing idea. A 5/5 First Striker with built-in Bolt for 5 Mana is a bargain. Still, I don't see the need. It is a BIG blocker, and smashes for good, but I don't see the matchup where this is necessary - yet. U/G and other classical aggro strategies are easily stopped by FTK/ Exalted Angel, so this is not the place where you need it. Also, the discard is a serious barrier that IMO prevents the RM Masticore from getting "just thrown in".

Where I can see a necessity for an 8-damage blocker in a control deck shaping up is against Slaver executing the 7-men plan. FTK doesn't look so hot there, and having a hopefully permanent blocker which can remove most of the threats is intriguing and probably worth the card-disadvantage. Still, it not a sure inclusion. The vulnerability is high, and 5 mana is slow compared to Workshop acceleration.

Against Tog, it might screw their game plan, but so do the cheaper and less vulnerable Angels by raising the cards needed to kill by two with every hit.

Anything else (even Wurms and Roars) is manageable without the additional risks of RMM by sticking to ones guns. If it has a place in a Control deck remains to be seen, for now, I am pessimistic.

Dozer

[Toad]

Razormane Masticore is a great creature for an aggroish Workshop deck, while Masticore is probably better in a Controlish one. I've been testing RM in Slavery's sideboard as part of the 7-m-p and I'm kind of disappointed. I'll still stick to the 2 Platinum Angel 2 Triskelion plan for the moment.

[glenchuy]

I think it will be a great replacement of FTK in the drain slaver sideboard. It will be a great help in the aggro matchup. The beatdown with your fat works better with it.

is razormane really better than FTK against the aggro matchup in drain slaver?  in workshop slaver, i could imagine it being used, but in drain-slaver?  it's 5CC and i have enough troubles slipping FTK fast enough especially when i don't get mox+land in the opening play.  against madness i still prefer FTK since you don't have to block to nuke a wurm- is this better than duplicant? (also once they drop wonder, it makes playing razormane look silly)  they're both serve totally different purposes, but there can only be so much SB slots open-  i don't think it's posssible to fit in 2 FTK, 2 duplicant, 2 razormane in the SB of control slaver- so obviously, one of those has to go- anybody else done enough testing on it? because whenever i board in FTKs, i never onced wished it was razormane instead.

[Eddie]

is razormane really better than FTK against the aggro matchup in drain slaver? in workshop slaver, i could imagine it being used, but in drain-slaver? it's 5CC and i have enough troubles slipping FTK fast enough especially when i don't get mox+land in the opening play.

No, it is not. As Morefling already pointed out to me. I've tested several games with it, and at first it seems to go well. Then I tested it with the choice of FTK and razormane, starting from the same situation. In almost all the cases FTK came out on top. The only advantage razormane has is that you can weld it back in after it's gone. But that is also true for other fat in the deck (especially pentavus). And the card discarding does give the control player a BIG disadvantage. Yes, you should be able to leave the control play, and start the beatdown with it. But it is just not strong enough in a field full of artifact hate. FTK gives a better option to play the beatdown, and you still have something up your sleave when you can keep the cards in hand.

The 5CC has never troubled me though (edit: at least not more than the 3R). On the contrary, it can be played faster against certain decks if they block your red (not mentioning the welding you can do). I feel both need to be drained into, and the razormane does not have that big R in the casting cost.

And yes, duplicant is also a better choice in the side. Please, correct me if I'm wrong.

[glenchuy]

1.) I've tested several games with it, and at first it seems to go well. Then I tested it with the choice of FTK and razormane, starting from the same situation. In almost all the cases FTK came out on top.

2.) The only advantage razormane has is that you can weld it back in after it's gone. But that is also true for other fat in the deck (especially pentavus).

3.) And yes, duplicant is also a better choice in the side. Please, correct me if I'm wrong.

1.) same results with mine.
2.) yes but then again, the added disadvantage that it's artifact and can be oxidized when you absolutely need to block that arrogant wurm next turn.  other than the already aforementioned fish, i can't see any reason why i'd rather use razormane instead of dupes/FTK- and i don't really see much fish being played here-
3.) my thoughts too- so does this mean that razormane is useful only in workshop-slaver builds since it can lay it down earlier?