Forcefield Tech

[MaximumCDawg]

I play in weekly sanctioned vintage out here in Colorado, and for the last two weeks,  I stuck a Forcefield into my sideboard in a typical (if slightly top heavy with 6 3cc creatures) Noble Fish build.  While I originaly did it for the LOLs, I actually found myself sideboarding it in almost every match and I was always hoping to draw it.  Partly, this was because sanctioned means unpowered rogueness out here, but the more I think about it, the more I wonder if it isn't a tech solution to the tinker bots and MUD creatures Fish has a problem with.  In particular, it plugs Noble Fish's big hole: creatures are only formidable when attacking and cannot block for crap.

Here's a run down of this week's matches:

Round 1 - Elephant Oath

Game 1 - We play the back and forth game for awhile, I lock him out of mana, but can't make a creature stick and resort to beating down with spirit tokens.  Game goes so long he gets to hard-cast Terrastadon.
Game 2 - I board in my answer suite, including Curfew, Tariff, Recall, and Forcefield.  The idea behind the diversity is to get around Iona.  I start with a bunch in my hand.  Unfortunetly, he draws into no less than two Force of Wills, three Duresses, and a Thoughtseize in the early game, and I just can't protect my answers.  Eventually he Oaths up Iona and gets there.

Round 2 - Domain Zoo

Both games go about how you would expect; I focus on mana denial to try to keep him under control, game goes long, but I simply cannot deal with his creatures being bigger than mine.  I also cannot find that forcefield I sided in, though I desparetly needed it.

Round 3 - Green Stompy OLD SCHOOL

We're talking Ghazban Ogre and Rancor, baby.  Games 1 and 3, I am just overwhelmed with bigger creatures.  However, game 2 I stick a Forcefield and cower behind it until my fliers seal the deal.  Forcefield was absolutely key.

Round 4 - Dredge

This was the only match where I did not want Forcefield all day.  Played out typically, with the dredge player losing the hate war in games 2 and 3 but managing to get ghasts into play who go the distance.

I was duly impressed with Forcefield.  In a meta like this one, obviously it's better than in one filled with Tezz and TPS.  And, of course, if you run field you cannot run Null Rod.  But the fact that it is an answer to any number of large creatures seems really good... anyone else have experiences with it?

[Sextiger]

It seems like an reasonable sideboard choice except that it costs 3 mana, doesn't work under Rod and is not pitchable to Force like Hurkyl's Recall. I would be more concerned with your overall list if Stompy and Zoo are knocking you down. 

[AmbivalentDuck]

Most of my experience with the card comes from EDH where it's quite powerful until your opponent finds artifact removal.  Both artifact removal and non-combat win conditions appear to abound in Vintage.

The immediate comparisons are Control Magic and Maze of Ith.  Maze of Ith sucks up a land drop (identical to having to spend colorless each turn), but completely negates an opponent's largest attacking threat.  Control Magic costs the same 4 mana to get an effect, and allows you dominate a few combat steps by virtue of 2-for-1ing their best attackers.  Both are considerably harder to remove than an artifact.

[TopSecret]

Island Sanctuary might be better against Stax since it costs less mana and doesn't get hit by Nullrod or artifact removal, although it does not stop Sphinx or Inkwell.

[serracollector]

Forcefield doesn't stop inkwell either Im pretty sure.

[Sextiger]

Errata does not mention the word target whatsoever, it simply says a creature of "your choice."  It is odd wording but it should work. 

[MaximumCDawg]

Forcefield doesn't stop inkwell either Im pretty sure.

I think it does, which is actually the only reason FF has any edge over Maze of Ith.  Both are actually fairly simple for a Vintage deck to remove by getting a Wasteland or Artifact removal, but of course, more decks run the latter than the former.  I realize there are some real handicaps to FF.  But no one was expecting it, and I won every game it dropped in.  Dark Depths in particular is really shut down by an active FF.

[serracollector]

Sorry, it was erratd to target, now it does not.  Its simply an unblocked creature of your choice does no damage for the cost of 1 and 1 life.  Sorry about that.

[dskippy]

Do you think Ensnaring Bridge would be a better solution? I realize it doesn't have good synergy with Cold-Eyed Selkie, but a lot of their threats have power greater than your hand size anyway. It seems like in a pinch you could easily play out your hand to stay under whatever they've got out. I think it'd be better than Forcefield. What do you think?

-mike

[bun]

I can't think of any instance where I'd rather have forcefield over bridge.

[AmbivalentDuck]

I can't think of any instance where I'd rather have forcefield over bridge.

You're tapped out.  Opponent has Blightsteel on the board, Darkblasts it, and casts Ancestral on you.

[Eastman]

I can't think of any instance where I'd rather have forcefield over bridge.

You're tapped out.  Opponent has Blightsteel on the board, Darkblasts it, and casts Ancestral on you.

You're tapped out?  How are you activating FF then?  I'd rather have a sedge troll in that situation, which could block and prevent the poison, particularly if they have a swamp.

[dskippy]

This is Magic, so it's always possible to name a situation in which one card is better than another. I think AmbivalentDuck's example (a three card combo which involves giving the opponent three cards) is a pretty good argument for the fact that Ensnaring Bridge is likely just better to have in this deck. I am personally experimenting with two in my WUG Nobel Fish deck.

-mike

[Killane]

bridge should be fine with selkie. It's already attacking by the time it gets the exalted triggers.

[psyburat]

... in my WUG Nobel Fish deck.

Groooooaaaaan.  That misspelling has been a plague to me my entire life.

I guess I need real content.  3-drop non-creatures lack tempo.  We are a tempo deck.  Just sleeve some Nature's Claims and your favorite W exiler of choice and you should be fine.  It's a lot easier to fire back with a permanent answer rather than something that they themselves can answer.  If it's gotten to the point where Emrakul is staring you down you were probably doomed anyway.