[New Card] Aven Mindcensor

[demonic effect]

   
« on: April 13, 2007, 11:57:42 AM »
Aven Mindcensor     2w
Creature - Bird Wizard  U

Flash
Flying
If an opponent would search a library, that player searches the top four cards of that library instead.
     
2/1

Assuming this is spoiled correctly as a static ability despite a cost of three seems very playable to me in Fish decks.  Puts the hurt on combo, fetch lands, makes ghost quarter almost a strip mine.   Worth thinking about, even though it isn't confirmed.

I just wanted to pose the same question that I asked on that post here to see if there would be any different responses...

The most commonly played decks like Gifts, and Long, as well as any deck that uses fetchlands to smoothe out mana bases are pretty much made unviable...  Most decks that exist now are either variants of these decks ordecks designed to beat these decks.  While some decks, like Ichorid, Oath, stax (when meta'd to the new meta) will still exist, they will look differently (besides Ichorid which is just stupid)...  The meta will probably adopt something along the lines of more draw, more reliance on sb wish, and less streamlined decks (no more 1 win condition or 1 answer to hate like a sole chains)...  This invariably leads to a slower, more diverse meta to which we have not experienced for many many years if ever (in terms of deck design)...

All of this is of course conjecture.  I'm assuming that a deck (Whether it is fish, or xc control, or some unknown deck) will find a way to abuse this card often enough and still be strong enough against other decks that it will become prominent.  And thus decks will be designed to hate that deck out etc...  Whether that happens or not, I don't know... I am merely trying to figure out what strategies should be taken about something that has a good chance of coming to fruition...

So please comment on
A.  What kind of decks you think will be able to abuse it the most/how much importance should be given to the card
B.  What the new meta will look like.  Basic deck archetypes like dragon, oath, ichorid, etc... and the basic strategies that will be viable
C.  Whether or not Aven Mindcensor is even viable at all... I know hate exists, but is it readily available in decks that it hurts the most?

I mean think of the basic implications... Even cards that have been staples in the format may change... Brainstorm/fetch/tutor so that you could look at the other cards and cycle out the ones not needed is no longer as viable!

[Imzakhor]

The only reason this card needs discussion is the 2W cost. 3 mana.... Not 2. At 2, it's a 4-of. At 3... I think it still is.

2 power flying for 3 is pretty good... Make that Flash, and it's a good deal, since it virtually has haste+evasion. Throw in the fact that it is a virtual white counterspell vs. ALL the bomb-searchers and mana-fixers, and you have an instant 4-of.

The 3 mana will make all fishermen say "pffft, coulda made my life easier by making it 2CC." Life is hard, play this card.

[Myriad Games]

This card will find a potential home in The Mountains Win Again. The quantity played will have to be determined by testing.

[desolutionist]

I think this would be really good in a powered (artifact mana) Fish deck.  The best part about this creature is that it negates any attempt to tutor for a solution for it.  It is almost a better True Believer/Meddling Mage.

[Bill Copes]

At least 2-3 will work their way into the maindeck of the stupid B/W workshop deck I always play.

The main problems I've had are not being able to prevent people from searching for answers to my lock, once I've established it, or not having enough answers for things like tinker.  If I'm reading this right, and the ability is static, then this is an absolute house for me.  Having the mere ability to make opposing fetchlands terrible is enough to warrant inclusion of this card in a prison deck.

If this becomes popular, I wonder how gifts is going to adapt.

[oneofchaos]

How will this interact with gifts ungiven?

Search 1 --> top 4 cards
Search 2 --> top 3 cards
etc?

or will it work like:

Search 1 --> ABCD
Search 2 --> BCDE
etc

Just a general question

[Sextiger]

When you cast Gifts you only search your library once, so I imagine if Aven Mindcensor is in play you just look at your top 4 cards and hopefully nab something. 


I've been testing Aven Mindcensor in a lot of different decks, even in the most tutorless decks, he usually can screw up their fetchlands.  A 2/1 flyer EOT is pretty nice too. 

[Imsomniac101]

After my long hiatus from Vintage, I'm back into developing a new (Stackless) Stax list, running Ancient tomb instead of workshop to power out Aven Mindcensor and other enchantment goodies. I'll post it on here when I think it is good enough.

[wethepeople]

The problem I see with trying to use this in Fish is that it requires accel, meaning Moxen, to reach the board in time. This however causes an anti-synergy with your Null Rods, forcing you to replace them with Chalice of the Voids. I have tried making a deck abusing this several times, and have had the most luck with fully-powered UWb Fish.

[Imsomniac101]

Preliminary Decklist...

//NAME: 5c Stackless Stax w Mindcensor
        4 City of Brass
        1 Bazaar of Baghdad
        1 Gorilla Shaman
        1 In the Eye of Chaos
        3 Aven Mindcensor
        1 Strip Mine
        4 Ancient Tomb
        1 Mishra's Workshop
        1 Mana Crypt
        1 Duplicant
        1 Sundering Titan
        3 Null Rod
        1 Trinisphere
        3 Sphere of Resistance
        3 Crucible Of Worlds
        4 Tangle Wire
        1 Barbarian Ring
        4 Wasteland
        1 Sol Ring
        1 Mox Sapphire
        1 Mox Ruby
        1 Mox Pearl
        1 Mox Jet
        1 Mox Emerald
        1 Mana Vault
        1 Demonic Tutor
        1 Black Lotus
        1 Balance
        1 Ancestral Recall
        1 Tinker
        3 Goblin Welder
        1 Crop Rotation
        1 Tolarian Academy
        1 Imperial Seal
        1 Vampiric Tutor
        3 Gemstone Mine
//  Sideboard:
SB:  3 Tormod's Crypt
SB:  2 Ray of Revelation
SB:  2 Rack and Ruin
SB:  2 Swords to Plowshares
SB:  4 Chalice of the Void
SB:  1 Red Elemental Blast
SB:  1 Pyroblast


I took Chang's list, cut 3 WS, stuck 4 Ancient Tombs in it's stead. The Tombs also have the added advantage of being able to actually use mana from it to cast coloured spells. Life loss is obviously a worry, but because the Tombs add to the consistency of the deck, I think it is a worthwhile tradeoff. At first, I was thinking of going about via the Uba Stax route, but I decided to stick with 5c Stax as it was what I was most familiar with. Besides, nowadays, the faster decks run so much tutoring that I decided Mindcensor>Uba. I've also added Null Rod, since I haven't played it in so long, I was getting nostalgic about the days of Fish. I wouldn't be surprised if this list shifted toward a more Cron style list that I might end up with a cross between Cron/Uba Stax.

I think that people are severely underestimating the power of Aven Mindcensor. The whole format revolves around tutoring, that it's effect cannot be overlooked. From Fetchlands to the Restricted Tutors to Gifts + Intuition. People are limiting the possibilities they see in the card, because they see the 2/1 creature and automatically assume it goes in an aggro deck. I believe that a deck in somewhat the same vein as the one I've posted is the key to abusing it.