Black's answer to Blastoderm

[FoundationOfRancor]

I recall YellowJacket once commenting that the black Evil Eye had finally found a use; Blocking that damn pokemon-wanna-be.
...but it wasnt reprinted in 7th! Damn you Wotc for screwing black over?

At least that what I thought, untill I relized Black didnt need that Evil Eye, it has a much better substitute.

Wall of Bone.

Its Cheaper, its splashable, and it can regenerate. Plus, at 1/4, its a fine enough wall to consider normal play. Can this be blacks solution to blastoderm? I hope so!

 

[Ura]

Hmm, didn't some people think that Urborg Skeleton could be a black solution to blastoderm too? It can regenerate just like the wall of bone. It can come out faster then the wall of bone though and it can attack though you have to kicker or enchant it to deal any damage.
I think there was another black critter too from one of the sets that was a 1/1 could regenerate and if it damaged the opponent they had to toss a card. Or something like that.
Since the skeleton and oter thing weren't really answers to Blastoderm, I don't see how the wall could be either.
sorry

 

[Duel]

Actually, I think the best solution is either Ostracize, or splashing another color...

"I can't wait until the derm is gone, forever!"

 

[Mundungu]

The black familiar is a good answer in B/U or B/R or BRU decks.

It regenerates, and it is a Zombie...

 

[Zadok001]

Unfortunately, the reason to play Evil Eye went beyond the simple "Oooh! Blocks 'Derm!" logic. It's a 3/6, which is formidable in most circles. On defense, it kills Idols, blocks everything else, and does some great damage to the attacker in hopes of you finishing it with burn. But it also attacks for 3. That's a 7 turn clock - 4 turn if you can drop two, as you usually can in a 3 color deck with blue for card drawing. Furthermore, the Eye costs only one black mana, leaving it open on furture turns so you can cast other things. The Wall makes you tap mana every turn so it'll live, and it will only rarely kill an attacker. And it will NEVER kill your opponent. Not really a competition, in my opinion.

 

[Mr_Pestilence]

Yep, I have to agree about Blastoderm. I had to totally abandon my R/B deck, because without Perish it just can't beat Fires. It can still beat everything else, but 3rd turn, 5/5, untargetable monsters unaffected by summoning sickness are just too much to handle.

[sarcasm/] Thanks, WotC. Thanks a whole lot [/sarcasm].

 

[Ransac]

Hmmmm, well, MrPestilence, R/B still has void to kill those damn derms(it kills them late, though). AND, if you were to splash in some blue, you would have vodalian zombie in, too.



Ransac, cpa trash man

 

[Duel]

right... so instead of a 3-mana spell that kills derm, all the elves and birds, and shivan wurm, and Kavu titan, and jade leech, we have a 5cc two-color spell that kills derm, leech, and maybe flametongue....

 

[Chaos Turtle]

I think it's funny how, when Blastoderm came out, nearly everyone thought it was great that green ot a decent fattie that was big but not broken. Now, it seems like nearly everyone can't wait to see it go away.

EL-OH-friggin-EL.

 

[Zadok001]

Agree with CT on this one. Derm is a funny card, since its seen such a swap of opinion. In my opinion, the REAL problem is Saproling Burst, which neither Wall of Bone OR Eye Evil can deal with. It's Fires, man. All about Fires. If it wasn't for Fires, Black could deal - But all the good removal is sorcery speed!

People say Void. Well, with Void, a Hasted Derm is 2GG for a 5 damage burn spell. I'll take that deal. Leech? Ditto. Saproling Burst? Oh, that's 4G for 12 damage. Nothing big. I mean, GOD! Void on your turn, take out all the Saprolings - Fine, you just took twelve, and that game's probably gonna end with you on the wrong end of a Ghitu Fire. It's just not right. Void off a Derm, not so bad - You only took five. But you haven't dealt with Idols or Bursts, and those are still coming. Fortunately, Fires has a very 4-heavy curve. Unfortunately, Wurm and Burst are good enough to win games on their own - Especially when you can haste them!

Blasty is a great Fatty. He shouldn't have Haste, sorry. Hate him with a vengeance, especially since mono-black now has NO resort except blocking. That's right, nada. Well, Pestinence (great, take 10 instead of five and pay 2BBBBBBB to kill him - Lovely!). And discard, which doesn't stop him effectively at all. Nothing else. Sheesh.

 

[Duel]

Respectfully Disagree. Black has ALWAYS been plagues by enchantments, so burst is nothing new. Derms are.

Again, though, it is the fires. Burst or Derm without Fires are both powerful, but not necessarily game winning, it's the hasted 12 damage, or the ability to attack for the full 20, instead of 15, that wins.

 

[Istanbul]

Respectfully agree s'more.

Black has no way to deal with Blastoderm without resorting to substandard cards, that's true. And black simply has no way to deal with Burst. But it shouldn't.

See, Fires is such an explosive deck because it combines the strength of two colors. Red gives haste and direct damage in-flavor, and green provides mana acceleration and beef. Mono-black loses because it doesn't use that same diversification.

I believe that any self-respecting black deck should play three Ostracizes. In such a creature-heavy environment, Ostracize will often have a target. I also believe it should go dual-color. Black/blue allows for countermagic to deal with cards like Saproling Burst and Blastoderm, and black/red allows for direct damage, or possibly cards like Void. It should also run cards like Ensnaring Bridge; I find that few Fires decks have any way to deal with artifacts pre-sideboard.

 

[Duel]

Yes. Actually, I agree completely.

I know. I'm shocked too....