[DTK] Collected Company

[fsecco]

Collected Company
3G
Instant
Look at the top six cards of your library. Put up to two creature cards with converted mana cost 3 or less from among them onto the battlefield. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.

So, Wizards has been trying out this kind of effect a lot lately. I feel this one could really do something in Humans. It's a real card advantage card. I know, I know, it costs 4 (or 5 with Thalia out) so it's not THAT juicy, but man, it's an instant! I like it but have no idea how really viable it is in Humans.

[Varal]

I wonder if there are other creatures than Phyrexian Dreadnought that are better when they enter play simultaneously.

[Stormanimagus]

I could see this card being nifty in a GUW Mentor deck as well as a way to pump out mentors and/or Trinkets.

-Storm

[fsecco]

I don't think Dreadnought works with this. I really think this could shine in Humans and probably not much more. Mentor would rather play Gifts, I guess. In Humans this effect seems tremendously strong, though.

[Stormanimagus]

I don't think Dreadnought works with this. I really think this could shine in Humans and probably not much more. Mentor would rather play Gifts, I guess. In Humans this effect seems tremendously strong, though.

The issue is that this doesn't interact with Cavern so it will get flustered all day long or forced.

-Storm

[mueller]

costs as much as gifts

[MaximumCDawg]

Hey old me, what do you think about green cards that dig for creatures?

We've seen this effect before, and Wizards keeps jacking it up in terms of power.  Green has been getting "look at the top X cards and draw one / two of them of this type" for awhile.  Lead the Stampede was quite good, but not quite good enough to see any play. 

...

Stay tuned, because Green is probably going to keep getting these kind of cards, and it could easily become playable once the die rolls the right way.   

Thanks, past me.  I think you're totally right.  Wizards keeps pushing green card advantage by making cards that dig into a significant chunk of your deck for specific kinds of cards.  This particular card has the strongest EFFECT yet printed because it slams the dorks you find into play.  Thus, it generates MANA as well as cards.  If you hit two 2 drops, then you basically cast them from your library.  Sweet!

Even so... I don't think this is quite there yet in eternal.  The problem is that it costs 4 mana and is green.  It does not line up nicely with any creature-centric decks that see play right now.  I suspect that GW hatebears could use a card like this, but that hasn't been a thing in a hundred years.

If it cost 1G and dug 6 deep for a single 2cc creature and put it into play, I actually that that would be far MORE playable. But, we're getting close!

[xouman]

If it cost 1G and dug 6 deep for a single 2cc creature and put it into play, I actually that that would be far MORE playable. But, we're getting close!

Sure, that card would probably be more playable.
 
This is no gifts, but costs the same. However it puts the creatures just into play, so it's saving mana, and allows skipping unneeded lands (if you can pay for this, you don't need lots of lands I'd say).

Very cool card, but hard to find a place nowadays.

[tito del monte]

Insert Quote
I wonder if there are other creatures than Phyrexian Dreadnought that are better when they enter play simultaneously.

Does it work if you hit Hushwing Gryff and Dreadnought together? Kind of a counter intuitive direction to go with this card, as for the mana investment, it would be nice to hit creatures with ETB abilities for value, but yeah - if it works, it's an idea.

Maybe this card could find a home in some kind of Bant-y midrange/control deck - bigger than straight up Noble Fish, as per some of the builds Brian DeMars touted in the past. Certainly, it's a cool card - and even if isn't the green card advantage homer, then Wizards are at least very much in the ball park now.

[Guli]

Interesting with a Canonist online when they cast their 1 spell. You can respond with this and put 2 new threats on the table that could even counter whatever they are doing. I would not utilize Thalia, Containment Priest or Teeg in the creatures base with Company in my deck.

My picks are Canonist, Aven Mindcensor, Spirit of the Labyrint, Aegis of the Gods, Dryad Millitant, Venser, Sylvan Safekeeper, Hushwing Gryff, Meddling Mage, ...

Put into PLAY is what made me comment on this card. It has merit.


Other cards that are relevant are: Phyrexian Metamorph, Phyrexian Revoker, Grand Arbiter August, Reclamation Sage, ...

[xouman]

Good points Guli. I'd also play noble hierarch plus deathrite shaman. Both on green, and this card demands lot of mana.

[fsecco]

Other cards that are relevant are: Phyrexian Metamorph, Phyrexian Revoker, Grand Arbiter August, Reclamation Sage, ...

Guli, the card counts CMC 3 or less, so Metamorph, Augustin and Venser are out. I see your point anyway.

I think what this card has going is that it puts creatures into play, so it's a huge development for 4 mana. And it's an instant. If you play it in Noble Fish so you have FoW backup... man this could be really something (although you probably need a few more creatures for this to work).

[Guli]

Other cards that are relevant are: Phyrexian Metamorph, Phyrexian Revoker, Grand Arbiter August, Reclamation Sage, ...

Guli, the card counts CMC 3 or less, so Metamorph, Augustin and Venser are out. I see your point anyway.

I think what this card has going is that it puts creatures into play, so it's a huge development for 4 mana. And it's an instant. If you play it in Noble Fish so you have FoW backup... man this could be really something (although you probably need a few more creatures for this to work).

I see, was thinking on power 3 or less. Ok. Thanks for pointing it out.

[serracollector]

Im bringing back Zoo with Serendib Efreet Goyf and Ball Lightning.

[KanaKaishou]

Card is good. Good enough is another question altogether. My initial thought is to try and get mentor and trinket mage, but the card doesn't seem reliable until you have ~20 creatures in the deck, which is very high for vintage.

[Guli]

Cards like Canonist and Grand Abolisher and Eidolon of Rethoric are cards that can push through any non creature spell.

Every time I see a card that says 'look at top x' cards , find a creature, I have a feeling that something similar has to exist and probably was not good enough.

But isn't Collected Company unique? So we can not really compare then... Green Sun's Zenith is a staple in many decks, but Company puts 2 things into play and, as pointed out, it can be done after a board sweeper or just at the end of turn (you can also cast it at end of combat step so they would have to use their mana drain mana in the second main).

You can also play Eternal Witness, and get back Collected Company to do it again. If you can catch an opponent with shields down, you can do an EOT Company, get a Witness + Aven, follow it up with a second Company, get a Spirit and Canonist. This reminds me a lot of how blue decks can quickly refill their hands with Snap/Recall lines of play. Your main goal is board presence anyway, not hand size.


So with the clausule of 3cc or less, you could also bring back Alesha, and Alesha can bring back creatures that died.

I don't know how all these idea's would work out in real game, or if it will be smooth enough. But Company seems like an insane way to establish (or re-establish) a value&hatebear board presence with the right creatures in the deck.

[fsecco]

Exactly Guli. It seems to me it's the card advantage Human decks sometimes lack. I was thinking this is really good with Grand Abolisher, Vexing Shusher, Boseiju and the Canonist/Eidolon you pointed out. I don't know, I see some potential here.

[tito del monte]

Having slept on this more, I'm pretts sure some kind of bigger Noble Fish deck is where this belongs as Snapcaster, Shardless Agent and Eternal Witness allow you to this card into creatures + spells, meaning you can take advantage of it's instant speed in plenty of nice ways. Of course, it's expensive - we don't see many "Fact or fiction in response" type plays these days. But with Hierarchs or Deathrites, it's not beyond the realm of possibility.

Kudos to R&D for a pushed and interesting card anyway - hope it finds a home somewhere.

[MaximumCDawg]

Instant-speed two creatures in a deck where the creatures are disruptive elements is potentially good.  I'm still skeptical about this, but I sure would like to revive Noble Fish...

[sirgog]

Any time I see something like this I immediately think "Modern with Congregation At Dawn to fire off a combo".

I don't yet know *what* the combo will be. I just know I want it to work.

All I can say is turn 1 Bird of Paradise, turn 2 Congregation into Kiki-Jiki, 2x Pestermite, turn 3 draw KJ, then cast Collected Company, turn 4 Cavern - KJ is pretty darn insane. Not going to happen often, but insane.

[MaximumCDawg]

Any time I see something like this I immediately think "Modern with Congregation At Dawn to fire off a combo".

I don't yet know *what* the combo will be. I just know I want it to work.

All I can say is turn 1 Bird of Paradise, turn 2 Congregation into Kiki-Jiki, 2x Pestermite, turn 3 draw KJ, then cast Collected Company, turn 4 Cavern - KJ is pretty darn insane. Not going to happen often, but insane.

Ive always been a big fan of Congregation, but I'm struggling to see how a combo that costs you 7 mana over two turns and uses cards which, while theoretically useful, do not accomplish anything on their own.  Many people are talking about it for Modern, but I gotta figure there are better ways to win in that format.

[serracollector]

I want to just cast this during opponents draw step and get sin collector to steal thier draw. Just once. Just cuz I can.

[sirgog]

Any time I see something like this I immediately think "Modern with Congregation At Dawn to fire off a combo".

I don't yet know *what* the combo will be. I just know I want it to work.

All I can say is turn 1 Bird of Paradise, turn 2 Congregation into Kiki-Jiki, 2x Pestermite, turn 3 draw KJ, then cast Collected Company, turn 4 Cavern - KJ is pretty darn insane. Not going to happen often, but insane.

Ive always been a big fan of Congregation, but I'm struggling to see how a combo that costs you 7 mana over two turns and uses cards which, while theoretically useful, do not accomplish anything on their own.  Many people are talking about it for Modern, but I gotta figure there are better ways to win in that format.

Oh, I don't think it will be tier 1, but it is an all-instant speed (except for the uncounterable Kiki-Jiki) way to win. And it can probably be done better than that too.

[xouman]

I want to just cast this during opponents draw step and get sin collector to steal thier draw. Just once. Just cuz I can.

If you want to steal their draw, try the new Kolaghan's Command

Kolaghan's Command    1 R B
Instant
Choose two —
• Return target creature card from graveyard to hand
• Target player discards a card
• Destroy target artifact
• Kolaghan's Command deals 2 damage to target creature or player


While this is an instant, Blightning is at least on pair and has seen 0 play.