(New Card Discussion)Thada Adel, Acquisitor

[Blackening]

Thada Adel, Acquisitor: 1UU
Legendary Creature - Merfolk Rogue (rare)
Islandwalk
Whenever Thada Adel, Acquisitor deals combat damage to a player, search that player's library for an artifact card and exile it. Then that player shuffles his or her library. Until end of turn, you may play that card.
2/2

So, when I read about this little spoiler earlier today on MTG Salvation, I was shocked to see the reaction of most of the players towards it, without considering formats.

If this card is as printed, it could easily be the most important non-Dredge creature added to vintage since Dark Confidant.

Against most Vault/Key based decks, this little guy can easily blow out after just one swing, not only removing their combo pieces from their deck, but CASTING it ontop of that. It can also present a major problem to Stax, Painter, and to a lesser extent, Oath and Tendrils.


Maybe I'm hyping this one up too much, though, what do you think?

[sassfactor4]

Yeah this is pretty...pretty....pretty good.

2/2 effectively unblockable, with sad sack + play the stolen card?  for 3CC? insane.  Bringing the fish back to the fish decks.  A huge threat for just about every non dredge deck.

[Will]

At worst it seems like this guy gets your opponents Lotus.  Seems pretty insane, this is almost definitely the guy Ken Nagle was talking about that Smemmen was creaming his pants over.  If fish wasn't already good enough in the current meta it will be now.  It looks like Tezz might be a little bit worse now that this guy is coming out to change things up.  Something smells fishy.

[policehq]

It belongs in a hate deck, and the name is an anagram of Hate A Lad.

[greggg230]

I think you play this card even in Tezzeret.  At least in sideboard.  Against a deck running time vault, it's just too good, and even against Stax, it's not horrible - worst case you get a moxen or something to up your permanent count.

[MirariKnight]

This card really solves the Time Vault problem, if you think there is one. I think Worldwake is awesome for Vintage in that it should totally balance out the meta:

This card will make Fish really able to compete with Tezz
Tezz will still be good but will be weakened
Dredge has to deal with one more hate card, which is ok since Bloodghast was so good
Shops will be insane with Lodestone
Oath and combo are probably unchanged, still quite playable

I could be totally wrong but I think this card has the potential to end Tezz's run as "best deck" or whatever. It makes Time Vault just another strategy rather than THE strategy.

[tito del monte]

Wow - a very cool card! The ability, plus the islandwalk on this critter make him so much fun for vintage. Just ordered a playset! My first thought is, he could replace Selkie in Noble Fish builds, but as he's legendary are there better ways to build around him if you want to run four of him? Say mono-blue with chrome moxen?

Either way, this card will see some serious play...

[Xequecal]

This card is amazing for Fish. Not only does it stop Time Vault, but depending on what the game state is like you can also go get rid of their Giant Artifact Guy (Colossus/Titan/Leviathan) so they can't kill you with Tinker, either.

[Vegeta2711]

Rootwater Thief {1U}
Creature -- Merfolk Rogue
U: Rootwater Thief gains flying until end of turn. / Whenever Rootwater Thief deals combat damage to a player, you may pay 2. If you do, search that player's library for a card and exile it, then the player shuffles his or her library.
1/2

Just saying. Certainly not the exact same, but this guy has a very similar effect and sure hasn't resurrected Fish.

[zeus-online]

So....Another annoying beatstick for fish? I'll join the vegeta club and say....So what? I don't think this guy is all that much better (If better at all) then the current fish creatures.

[greggg230]

This guy is WAY better than Rootwater Thief.  If he connects just twice, the fish player gets infinite turns.  That's 400 times more powerful than extracting twice.

[Bone]

Yay, another card for my t1 merfolks

Creatures:
3 Thada Adel, Acquisitor
4 Cursecatcher
4 Lord of Atlantis
2 Merrow Reejerey
4 Silvergill Adept

3 Daze
1 Echoing Truth
4 Force of Will
1 Misdirection
3 Null Rod
2 Spell Pierce
4 Standstill
3 Stifle

3 Flooded Strand
8 Island
1 Mox Sapphire
3 Mutavault
2 Polluted Delta
1 Strip Mine
4 Wasteland

[honestabe]

I really hope this doesn't kill ALL if the artifact based drain decks...

Why can't they just fucking ban time vault?!?!?

[ELD]

While it is a powerful effect, I can definitely see the LULZ when a fish player assembles your own Vault Key combo for you, and you respond with a Rebuild and a Thank You!

[Troy_Costisick]

If this card is as printed, it could easily be the most important non-Dredge creature added to vintage since Dark Confidant.

I don't know.  Tarmogoyf has been pretty significant.

While it is a powerful effect, I can definitely see the LULZ when a fish player assembles your own Vault Key combo for you, and you respond with a Rebuild and a Thank You!

You can still use Hurkyl's to return them to your hand.  I'm liking Rebuild less thanks to Lodestone Golem.

[Cyberpunker]

Wait...


I HOPE this is not the correct wording.

So Wizards is really trying to nerf Time Vault decks eh? First there was Iona and Bloodghast. Then Lodestone Golem and now this crazy fish.

Okay we get it Wizards.

[honestabe]

Wait...


I HOPE this is not the correct wording.

So Wizards is really trying to nerf Time Vault decks eh? First there was Iona and Bloodghast. Then Lodestone Golem and now this crazy fish.

Okay we get it Wizards.

The best part is when they realize Tezz is still the best deck

[hismastersvoice]

Rootwater Thief {1U}
Creature -- Merfolk Rogue
U: Rootwater Thief gains flying until end of turn. / Whenever Rootwater Thief deals combat damage to a player, you may pay 2. If you do, search that player's library for a card and exile it, then the player shuffles his or her library.
1/2

Just saying. Certainly not the exact same, but this guy has a very similar effect and sure hasn't resurrected Fish.

Because he can't steal Vault or Tinker up a huge robot from your opponent's deck. It's essentially a blue Dark Confidant, Tinker and Extract rolled up into one 3 mana creature that's unblockable 80%* of time. I don't think they're really in the same league.

Oops, reading really is tech.

*I've just made up that 80% so don't try to argue this.

[FlyFlySideOfFry]

I think this is the type of card that looks amazing at first, then it seems terrible when you think about it, then turns out solid after playtesting.

Any 3 casting cost creature that wins in 2 swings against most of the field is definitely solid. I mean that's what Tinker does and it is restricted. Between stealing Vault/Lotus/Top/Crucible(vs Stacks I can't imagine anything better in general)/Shop Aggro creatures (probably forces a standstill)/godly equipment (SoFI/Jitte vs Aggro)/RFGing Tinker targets it really covers all bases. The problem with Rootwater Theif is that it is basically only useful against Tezz and Combo where as this card will likely do something against all decks. Also if you want to use Thada as just an extract it doesn't cost you 2 mana, which is huge if you want to just keep dropping lock pieces/creatures. While it can't hit Tendrils it can still hit Jar, their Robot, and Lotus against combo.

In the very worst absolutely most terrible situation it steals a Mox every turn, which is still decent acceleration.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say this is the best mono-blue fish creature ever printed for the Time Vault metagame.

[BruiZar]

WS Aggro doesnt run islands so it will never ever connect unless you run tech in the form of View From Above. This card is most comparable to Cold Eyed Selkie en Cephalid Constable, if you can attack twice with selkie, you have pretty much won as well. The difference is, with this guy you will have won for sure.

[FlyFlySideOfFry]

WS Aggro doesnt run islands so it will never ever connect unless you run tech in the form of View From Above. This card is most comparable to Cold Eyed Selkie en Cephalid Constable, if you can attack twice with selkie, you have pretty much won as well. The difference is, with this guy you will have won for sure.

I meant it more in the sense that WS Aggro will have to make sure they have an untapped guy on your turn as long as Thada is out. Not to mention the fact that Hurkyl's/creature removal can allow this guy to punch through at an opportune moment and start making big dudes for you.

[Grand Inquisitor]

Any 3 casting cost creature that wins in 2 swings against most of the field is definitely solid.

Really, what kind of T1 do you play?  Because that sounds woefully slow to me.  I think if you run vials and lots of disruption (instead of a fast clock) he could change the dynamic for fish v. oath/tez/storm, but he seems really vulnerable and overcosted.  Even at u2 he'd be that much easier to accelerate out.

[Razvan]

Dredge has to deal with one more hate card, which is ok since Bloodghast was so good

I am not sure how this card hates dredge. What am I missing?

Also, it would be amusing to have then assemble the combo for you, then you rebuild and replay it next turn. I mean, that will only work once, afterwards, they will just not play it, but still would be funny.

[Doomsday]

I think he meant the dredge decks that use 2 Sharuum + Altar of Dementia

[Stormanimagus]

I really think this could find a home in Noble Fish, but I need to Tinker with the proper list. When I saw Matt Elias's recent 4th place list from NYSE I was intrigued by his approach to defeating Dredge. He used 4 LotV and 2 Serum Powder in the SB as his Dredge plan. My question is: Do you think Noble Fish can be tailored to have better than a 50/50 match-up vs. Dredge? One of the main reasons I abandoned the deck was because of its terrible match-up against Dredge. Could a new version deal with this problem. This new Merfolk definitely sparks my deck-building juices.

-Storm

[voltron00x]

I really think this could find a home in Noble Fish, but I need to Tinker with the proper list. When I saw Matt Elias's recent 4th place list from NYSE I was intrigued by his approach to defeating Dredge. He used 4 LotV and 2 Serum Powder in the SB as his Dredge plan. My question is: Do you think Noble Fish can be tailored to have better than a 50/50 match-up vs. Dredge? One of the main reasons I abandoned the deck was because of its terrible match-up against Dredge. Could a new version deal with this problem. This new Merfolk definitely sparks my deck-building juices.

-Storm

FYI, I think I should've had a 3rd Serum Powder for that plan to give me enough of a % jump for games 2 & 3, since losing G1 is almost automatic (you need to be on the play, Stifle the Bazaar, the hit it with a Wasteland or Strip and have them not have another Bazaar, OR they need to mulligan to 1 and have it not be a Bazaar, OR they have to get cocky and Dredge below 3 cards and lose to Recall, in order for the deck to win G1).

The only problem is that you have no GY removal for other match-ups, and Needle actually has applications in other match-ups.  I may try a different plan the next time I run the deck.

[FlyFlySideOfFry]

Any 3 casting cost creature that wins in 2 swings against most of the field is definitely solid.

Really, what kind of T1 do you play?  Because that sounds woefully slow to me.  I think if you run vials and lots of disruption (instead of a fast clock) he could change the dynamic for fish v. oath/tez/storm, but he seems really vulnerable and overcosted.  Even at u2 he'd be that much easier to accelerate out.

If I was to run this guy I would run him as a finisher instead of a disruption piece. I don't see why you would need to run terrible cards like Vial to justify this card. It doesn't require you to build your deck around it. This is just blue's Tarmogoyf. Drop your lock pieces and then clean up whats left in as few swings as possible. Why does this have to be "drop it ASAP and let your opponent goldfish"?

Not to mention when was the last time a Fish deck that wasn't just "lots of disruption" was competative? I'd love to see Savannah Lions race Key/Vault. Why are you imagining this card in some new monstrosity with Vials? Am I simply just getting your message wrong because you seem to be suggesting that I'm picturing this card for some random aggro deck rather than Fish.

[MirariKnight]

Dredge has to deal with one more hate card, which is ok since Bloodghast was so good

I am not sure how this card hates dredge. What am I missing?

I was speaking about Worldwake in general, the "one more hate card" was the Tormod's Crypt land.

[gkraigher]

im very happy that they made him a rogue.  i am still holding out hope that one day they print enough good rogues that earwig squad and Oona's Blackguard become better in type 1.

[Jo84]

This card only steals vault/crucible etc. if you can pay it´s mana cost.
If you could play the exiled artifact without mana cost it would be obviously awesome for vintage, but this way. Well, first if your opponent holds hurkyl's recall you just tutored them a combo piece.
Secondly, you need to pay the cost, and create an opening for your enemy by tapping out.

I don´t think this card will make it in vintage.