One of the things I really love about Mythgard is how many constructed playable cards there are. This means, despite there only being a core set, we have a plethora of options when it comes to deckbuilding. However, sometimes we make the wrong choice. Very few cards should be in all decks of their colour. There are a lot of cards that are amazing in one deck, but pretty terrible in the next. In this article I am going to examine some of the cards I think are currently overplayed.
One thing to keep in mind here is that a lot of these cards aren't bad. They are either in the wrong deck, or in the wrong quantities in the right deck.
Seven Ring Ritual
This is the poster child for "wrong deck". This is a very good card, but it does not belong in an aggro deck. Playing expensive cards in your aggro deck promotes bad lines of play.
It leads to burning cards when you should be playing them.
The burn mechanic does let you sneak a few more expensive cards into your deck, but going to seven is far too much. Remember, all your cards should always fit your gameplan.
Yes, I'm sure you've won a game by top-decking it, but how many have you lost?
Brainstorm
This is probably the worst card on the list. But how can that be? Drawing cards it good right? The problem with Brainstorm is the cost. For a game like Mythgard where tempo is so important, it is very difficult to take a turn off to gain one card.
I would only play this when no other draw options exist. So, no, Blue can't do everything. It sucks at drawing cards. (Which must seem weird to anyone that has played any amount of Magic)
Kushiel the Unforgiving
A lot of people really like this card. I do not. When it comes to playing expensive minions I want them to do something right away. This helps negate the tempo loss if they are immediately removed.
It is at its best when your opponent has a full board, but that is also when you can get punished the hardest by a removal spell.
Its stock has improved slightly since the Temptation nerf, but I'm still not willing to buy in.
Temptation
This is an incredibly powerful card that can seal a lot of victories by peeling a blocker and going face. This is an Aggro card that has an application in some midrange decks.
It is not a control card. Control cards do not care about going face. I know the power level of the card is tempting, but deckbuilding is always about choosing the right card for the job.
Kara Mourningwives
Don't throw this card into every blue deck just because it is Mythic.
Does your deck want a big minion? Then this one is pretty good.
Do you have Valkyrie synergy? Reads the type.
Are you likely to be behind early? Can you give it evasion( Overrun, Agile, Swift)? Maybe look elsewhere. Stat-sticks are fine, but they can't do it alone.
Seal of Exile
Sometimes control decks need a card that can hit anything, which this does. But it is very costly, effectively costing two cards to remove one. It is very tough to support more than two of these in a deck.
For aggressive Orange decks you are also certainly better off playing Conviction or Dark Passenger, both of which are far cheaper and without card disadvantage.
If you are playing this card, it should be for a specific purpose.
Grinning Kolobok
This is a very high variance card. Some people, like myself, will always draw this turn two, and quickly remove it from their deck.
Others, those living in Magical Christmas Land, always draw it turn one, and get to both ramp and trade with another one-drop.
Due to the variance, make sure it is actually giving your a real benefit when it ramps, and that you have a way to handle the disadvantage of drawing it late, or having it eaten by a trapezist.
Detained/Deported
This is one of my favourite cards. Its versatility allows it to be played in many different decks.
The problem with this card is not where it's played, but how many make it into a list. This is not automatically a 4-of in every green deck.
It works bet in spells-matter decks, or when your deck is applying enough pressure that a bounce spell is basically removal. Play the card, just really be aware of what its role is in the deck.
Shinobi of Wind
This minion is understatted for its cost, and though it has stealth, everybody knows what it really is. It is very poor when playing from behind.
However, it has amazing snowball potential when you are ahead. Look to include it only when you expect to be ahead early in the game.
Yes, you can do great things with Impel, but it isn't free, and if you are constantly impelling to make use of this minions, you might find yourself falling behind as your opponent starts playing bigger minions.
The goal of this article is really to get you thinking about why you are playing certain cards in your deck. We often get too attached to certain cards and automatically add them to our decks because, "they are good and we are playing that colour." Maybe you are missing out on another card that would be more powerful in your particular list?
Stay tuned for the partner article where I will be examining some cards that I think are currently being underplayed.