[PCH2] Baleful Strix

[LotusHead]

Goblin Welder have long awaited a utility card like this, to weld in and out with Sensei's Diving Top (previous it was Ichor Wellspring). I want 2-4 in my collection NOW!

No guarantees that it's really good though.

<==--- played little vintage in last year. not by choice.

[Oath of Happy]

I thought the planechase cards weren't legall in Vintage.  Is this not the case?  There is a card that taps to roll the planar die...

[bluemage55]

I thought the planechase cards weren't legall in Vintage.  Is this not the case?

WotC has announced that the new cards will be legal in Eternal formats. 

There is a card that taps to roll the planar die...

I assume that ability will do nothing then.

[Grand Inquisitor]

While the card might be alright objectively, all he does is cycle and stall.  Isn't it better to be working on a proactive game plan?

This will be the pivot of whether the card is used or not.  However, if the metagame stays like it is (creature based, midgame, diverse), I could definitely see a deck emerge that uses welders and maybe TezzAoB.  The midgame control decks with versatility can really abuse this card.  It's not like it's hard for them to splash TinkerBotTVKey to give them some aggro to go with the grind.

[bisamratte]

I'd play this card in a controlboard against MUD and Creaturedecks.

[John Jones]

This will never see play in mud mainly because its not brown. Just because it's an artifact doesn't mean anything with reference to decks that run workshop, ancient tomb, and wasteland as 4 ofs.

The UB in the costing means it is essentially a 3 drop. It is also sorcery speed, if it had flash it would be a lot better than drawing a card but wouldn't that 1G snake dude just be as good? (ambush snakeman?) idk the name.

so for UB i think I would rather just play doomblade.

There could be potential in a welder deck, but those suck right now so idk.

[Prospero]

This will never see play in MUD, mainly because it's not brown.  Just because it's an artifact doesn't mean anything with reference to decks that run Workshop, Ancient Tomb, and Wasteland as four of's.

The UB in the costing means it is essentially a 3 drop.  It is also sorcery speed; if it had flash it would be a lot better than drawing a card but wouldn't that 1G snake dude just be as good? (Ambush Snakeman?) Idk the name.

So for UB I think I would rather just play Doom Blade.

There could be potential in a Welder deck, but those suck right now, so idk.

I agree with virtually everything that you've said, John.  Outside of the comment about Welder decks sucking right now, we're of the same opinion.

[Blue Lotus]

I think its pretty good against MUD as its resisted by sphere but not thorn and lodestone, and will always 2 for one them. Incremental advantage is the most consistent way to beat a prison deck without a draw engine.

[msg67183]

... I see this and im sad I cant play it in MUD

[gkraigher]

this card is really weak.  i get the initial reaction to it, but lets get serious, its a 2 mana 1/1 that doesn't destroy target artifact or target creature.  you are never going to kill your opponent by attacking with this.  its good that its blue, but the black casting cost makes it weak.

The only deck i see it being played in is a goblin welder based deck, so if it wanted to be good, it needs to cost UR, or have a phyrexian mana cost. 

Why would anyone want to play this in mud, the only deck this card is actually good against is against mud.  That makes it very limited for play, because the other archetypes laugh this guy off.

[Commandant]

Meh. How does this card improve my match ups as a blue pilot?

[Grand Inquisitor]

I understand the skepticism and I don't think this card is a slam dunk.  However, I think this is exactly the kind of card that can reactivate old strategies, making it harder to peg.  Key questions for new cards to T1:

1) Is it blue?
2) is it an artifact?
3) Does it cost 3 or less?
4) Does it draw cards?
5) Does it do anything else relevant?

I'm going to give it a chance for a while.

[bisamratte]

I think its pretty good against MUD as its resisted by sphere but not thorn and lodestone, and will always 2 for one them. Incremental advantage is the most consistent way to beat a prison deck without a draw engine.

That's the point. As an U/B controldeck you just want to stall MUD, ramp your mana and cast Hurkyl's. Strix dodges 8 spheres, cycles and stalls an early Lodestone Golem until you are able to generate advantage by let's say Dark Confidant. I don't see what's bad about this.

[Saya]

It's a tough wall against MUD,if i pressed i would say that feel a bit uneasy for "UB"double simbol.On the metagame,decrease of Triskelion is also favorable terms for the bird,which kills toughness 1 creatures so easily

[hvndr3d y34r h3x]

It's a tough wall against MUD,if i pressed i would say that feel a bit uneasy for "UB"double simbol.On the metagame,decrease of Triskelion is also favorable terms for the bird,which kills toughness 1 creatures so easily

With cavern seeing the amount of play it sees, I'd imagine triskellion is on its way back into MUD.

[bisamratte]

With cavern seeing the amount of play it sees, I'd imagine triskellion is on its way back into MUD.

Can you explain this please?

[brianpk80]

With cavern seeing the amount of play it sees, I'd imagine triskellion is on its way back into MUD.

Can you explain this please?

The decks running Cavern of Souls play a lot of X/1 creatures and Triskelion is a strong play against them. 

[bisamratte]

The decks running Cavern of Souls play a lot of X/1 creatures and Triskelion is a strong play against them. 

Sure, but who plays Caverns? And: don't tribal decks play Null Rod/Silence?

[ErtaiAdept]

The decks running Cavern of Souls play a lot of X/1 creatures and Triskelion is a strong play against them. 

Sure, but who plays Caverns? And: don't tribal decks play Null Rod/Silence?

We've actually seen a good amount of cavern decks in my local meta game recently.  And they are quite good at beating the big blue counter-spell decks.  Yes some of them do run null for but not all. In my opinion if I were running shops I would certainly be adding trike back to my list.

[hvndr3d y34r h3x]

I've seen a lot of cavern running around, not all in straight forward tribal decks. This one I saw, that was actually very good, had a spit between wizards, clerics, and humans, with a smattering of cat overlap (cat tribal actually seems really viable). The deck had quite the tool box. I've also seen fairies and wizards being played as well as the more obvious goblins. the wizards/human/fairies of this tree are easily capable of running fow, that's not to say all others couldn't.
but the thing I've seen in common with these decks is an extremely high amount of x/1's. Cat's are the odd man out with  about even amount of 2/2's, but trike is still pretty good with that.
Not a single cavern deck I've seen runs null rod yet. they're all using uncounterable dudes to answer artifacts and deal with tempo.
Sorry, this is getting off topic, but that is why I wouldn't lean on strix against shop or be terribly excited about keeping it in.

[mmcgeach]

So I put together a list with birds, bobs, jaces and tezz 2.0 and a few counters tutors and restricted cards. Then my Heavy Petting Zoo teammate suggested mystic remora to shore up the control match so I tried that too. Did pretty well in our weekly event beating shops amd fish and losing to a more traditional jace/bob control deck. This bird is REALLY good against shops and fish. And so is tezz 2, incidentally. Also its pretty cool to play a deck where people have no idea how to sideboard against you.

Stony silence was a little bit bad, but tezz turns those dead artifacts into efficient beaters and game-ending drains.

[Daenyth]

Tezz 2 loves to see null rods and stony silences.

[TheProfessor]

I have been testing this card, and it has been pretty sweet even with out playing welders!  I tried it against some guy playing MUD and he laughed when I cast it, but it was great.  It went under thorn and lodestone, provided card draw, and kept him from attacking.  I like it and will continue to test with it.

[Onslaught]

I too have been trying to make this card work without Welder, just to see if it's possible. I have an UBG Gush with 3 Strix, 2 Jace, and 2 Tezz 2.0 that has some potential, but I'm not convinced yet that it has a reason to be played over something with Welder.

[Saya]

Sir Menendian have won a tournament with Strix+Welder vault

[Daenyth]

Sir Menendian have won a tournament with Strix+Welder vault

While I acknowledge his accomplishment, there's also some pilot bias there. Steve could win with many suboptimal decks, I think. I'd be more interested in strong showings with more than one person.

[Wagner]

Sir Menendian have won a tournament with Strix+Welder vault

Also, wasn't it a top 4 split?

[Tha Gunslinga]

Sir Menendian have won a tournament with Strix+Welder vault

Also, wasn't it a top 4 split?

Yes, of a 20-person tourney.

[GrandpaBelcher]

Sir Menendian have won a tournament with Strix+Welder vault

Also, wasn't it a top 4 split?

Yes, of a 20-person tourney.

And despite his numerous deserving accolades, he hasn't yet been knighted.

Anyway, I heard from Steve and from his opponents how effective Baleful Strix was at being a general pest toward opposing creatures, no matter their size (excepting Blightsteel of course). Teaming it up with Welder was just icing on the cake since it replaced itself with the card draw and then traded with something much larger.

[Smmenen]

Sir Menendian have won a tournament with Strix+Welder vault

Also, wasn't it a top 4 split?

Coerced top 4 split :p