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Author Topic: Bitterblossom in T1: Single Card Discussion..  (Read 2286 times)
Lazer
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« on: March 06, 2009, 01:14:42 am »

Ok, its been a while and I've come under several different aliases in the past 7 or so years, regardless, I was curious about the T1 communities' thoughts on Bitterblossom.  With several new strategies added to black in the last couple of years such as "Dark Confidant" and "Thoughtseize" etc.. I was wondering if there was the possibility of a new style of aggro / control (either or)  build using some of these synergistic pieces.  Stax has "Smokestack"... Black has "Braids, Cabal Minion".  Old-school Pox decks ran "Pox"... Now there is "Smallpox".  With Bitterblossom now on the scene, I feel I can see two decks (maybe a combination of both) possibly hold their own.  Ideas?  Nether Void? CotW? Duress? Negator? This could get ugly...?  or No?

Feel free to chime in!

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andrewpate
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« Reply #1 on: March 06, 2009, 01:46:48 am »

CotW?  I know of only one card that fits that abbreviation:  Call of the Wild.  I don't think this is what you meant.  Chalice of the Void, probably, or Crucible of Worlds?  Either is one keystroke off and both could potentially fit in a prison deck like you seem to be suggesting.

For aggro prison, I see nothing Mono Black has to offer over various multicolored Fish builds.  Why would I trade Tarmogoyf, for example, in exchange for a lot of cards with {B} {B} in the cost?  Adding even one more color, like in SS, will grant superior disruption, better lock parts, and a faster clock.  If I had to pick a single reason why Suicide Black died, it would be that fetchlands got printed and now the disruptive aggro decks have three colors instead of one.  And as for including Bitterblossom in Fish, it doesn't seem that good in a format without mass removal.  Wrath of God and Volcanic Fallout are the two best arguments for using Bitterblossom in Standard.

As for a Braids deck or whatever, how would that be better than Stax?  This is clearly the other place where Bitterblossom could potentially shine, but I'm not sure what it really has to recommend it.  You could try it in a black-heavy Stax build, potentially with Smokestack and maybe not Braids at all.  This would let you leave the Smokestack on one counter and basically pay 1 life per turn instead of sacking to it, or even let you ramp to two counters relatively painlessly.  It would also provide a sort of slow clock in the absence of a robot.  Still, if Stax is indeed subpar right now, I don't think that a lack of ways to make Smokestack asymmetrical or a lack of ways to generate a clock have anything to do with it.
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Roat17
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« Reply #2 on: March 08, 2009, 01:44:18 pm »

Bitterblossom is a great card.  I think that the biggest problem in trying to 'break' it is that it would be best used in slow decks.  It needs time to get the full effect.  In doesn't fit in a typical SUI style deck because they want to be balls fast and disrupt, neither of which Blossom is.  IMO you need to give the card a prison or a heavy control shell.  If I ritual out a Negator first turn, second turn I want to either be refreshing my hand or disrupting my opponent. 

This card is similar to smokestack in that it doesn't do anything as soon as you cast it.  That being said, I feel like this card does belong somewhere because of how great it is in general against every deck (not great against combo, but could be made with other effects).  I was originally thinking of a SS type deck that ran this, Cliques, Spellstutter, and the 1 mana counter critter (name eludes me atm, will edit it in) and using perhaps a singal coastal piracy, although that is probably win more.  Anyhow, in that deck, it's a u/b control deck with a TONNE of disruptiona and a relatively slow clock.  IMO this is acceptable however because 90% of my non land cards disrupt, even if they are critters.  If you can resolve one of these you can fly overtop with clique against aggro while holding off a goyf every turn, leave mana open against combo after you resolve a blossom for stifles and counters, or just land go for a while while this is down against control. 

Well, maybe not great examples but you understand.
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