Simic and Friends

T

Terentius

Guest
This is basically a combination of the two Simic pre-con decks, with cards I really want to use but don't have any other place for them*.

Creatures: 27
4x Gyre Sage - http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?multiverseid=366289
2x Zameck Guildmage - http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?multiverseid=366454
3x Shambleshark - http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?multiverseid=366478
2x Elusive Krasis - http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?multiverseid=366279
1x Vorel of the Hull Clade - http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?multiverseid=369045
2x Sapphire Drake - http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?multiverseid=366421
1x Master Biomancer
3x Renegade Krasis
4x Cloudfin Raptor
1x Prime-Speaker Zegana
2x Simic Manipulator
2x Simic Guildmage

Enchantments: 5
2x Bred for the Hunt - http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?multiverseid=368953
3x Forced Adaptation - http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?multiverseid=366336

Instants/Sorceries: 14
2x Bioshift - http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?multiverseid=366299
1x Give // Take - http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?multiverseid=369097
2x Mutant's Prey - http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?multiverseid=368988
4x Plasma Capture
2x Rapid Hybridization
3x Naturalize

Lands: 21
6x Forest
7x Island
4x Simic Guildgate
2x Simic Growth Chamber - Simic bounceland
2x Novijen, Heart of Progress - http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?multiverseid=97099

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67 cards


I have at least 1 more copy of most of the creatures in the deck, as well as Experiment Kraj, Simic Manipulator, and Fungal Behemoth, none of which I've tried yet. Sadly, based on my current playtesting, the creatures that are least pulling their weight are... the sub-rare Simic Evolve creatures. But I feel like I'd not only be betraying the theme if I took them out, I'd be making the deck disjointed.

Next in line to be cut would be Cephalid Constable; I've been trying to build a deck around him forever. Here, Green supplies the power so I only need one shot, and blue has plenty of evasion; I don't have much in this deck, though I thought I wouldn't need it.

Forgotten Ancient, Primordial Hydra, and Prophet of Kruphix usually dominate. I've seen people say Sapphire Drake sucks, but he's done fine as a finisher for me.

What say you, Oversoul et al?
 

Oversoul

The Tentacled One
I've never been very good about keeping track of Simic cards, even the old ones, although I remember some of them. As for the new ones, think I've played against two Simic decks based around cards from RTR block, but I'm a little fuzzy on the details right now. I'll have to look most of these cards up to get a better idea of what's going on, but my initial suspicion is along the lines of what you've already said: a lot of the creatures using the "Evolve" mechanic are very situational in their potency, and other cards might be more reliable...
 
T

Terentius

Guest
Put up some links/notes on the Simic cards for ya. Can we get the thing that does this automatically for forums?
 

Oversoul

The Tentacled One
I remember now. The "new" Simic decks I've faced have been based around either Biovisionary (which is actually pretty dangerous in a control deck) or, in the other case, Renegade Krasis (cute, but not immune to Pestilence, as my opponent discovered). Anyway...

I would cut some of the evolve creatures. I wouldn't make cuts strictly from that category, but I'd trim the number down. I don't think it ruins the theme, although that's open to interpretation. The power behind the mechanic is that your creatures keep getting bigger, but only if you're playing creatures that are bigger than your creatures on the battlefield already are. Drawing more evolve creatures, especially the little ones, becomes very underwhelming very quickly, and that's the nature of the mechanic, so there's really nothing to be done about it. This could be mitigated by things like Master Biomancer and, to a lesser extent, stuff like Bioshift. Maybe. But the issue is ultimately always there once the density of evolve creatures passes a threshold. My guess is that you're past that threshold, which is why the evolve creature seem underwhelming.

I'd cut creatures in general and use other types of spells to make the deck a bit more controlling (and less like a precon, I suppose). Countermagic could be especially helpful, allowing you to either protect your creatures or stop threats that might otherwise kill you. It synergizes with Forgotten Ancient, because you get to stop an opponent from doing something while also getting two more +1/+1 counters.
 
T

Terentius

Guest
I would cut some of the evolve creatures. I wouldn't make cuts strictly from that category, but I'd trim the number down. I don't think it ruins the theme, although that's open to interpretation. The power behind the mechanic is that your creatures keep getting bigger, but only if you're playing creatures that are bigger than your creatures on the battlefield already are. Drawing more evolve creatures, especially the little ones, becomes very underwhelming very quickly, and that's the nature of the mechanic, so there's really nothing to be done about it. This could be mitigated by things like Master Biomancer and, to a lesser extent, stuff like Bioshift. Maybe. But the issue is ultimately always there once the density of evolve creatures passes a threshold. My guess is that you're past that threshold, which is why the evolve creature seem underwhelming.
Yup, pretty much. I saw Adaptive Snapjaw and I thought it was both bad and ugly, even though he'd function well with Evolve.

I'd cut creatures in general and use other types of spells to make the deck a bit more controlling (and less like a precon, I suppose). Countermagic could be especially helpful, allowing you to either protect your creatures or stop threats that might otherwise kill you. It synergizes with Forgotten Ancient, because you get to stop an opponent from doing something while also getting two more +1/+1 counters.
How about
-1 Battering Krasis
-1 Elusive Krasis
-1 Crowned Ceratok
-1 Sapphire Drake
-1 Cephalid Constable
-1 Simic Guildgate
-1 Gyre Sage

That puts it at 60. Gyre Sage is a fine card, but isn't realizing its potential in this deck. By the time it's good, its moment has passed.

If I wanted to add countermagic, I'd probably go +4 Mana Leak. Prophet of Kruphix would dominate with countermagic in general... starting to want to split the deck into just Simic and just Friends.
 
T

Terentius

Guest
I decided I'd shift this deck to more of a controllish-fighter. It's not going to be a flood of creatures, and they won't be super powerful, but I think the point of these Simic guys is to keep your opponent off balance, and let your creatures gets stronger, mostly on their own, while you hang out in the mid range and disrupt, attacking when able; the creatures almost favor a control-type deck. Also I took out all the "friends" for another deck.

-4 Elvish Mystic - He may come back and split space with Gyre Sage.
+3 Gyre Sage
+2 Shambleshark - Flash complements countermagic, yes? Plus a decent Evolver.
-2 Battering Krasis
-3 Cephalid Constable
+1 Vorel
-2 Crowned Ceratok
-4 Forgotten Ancient
-1 Fathom Mage
-2 Prophet of Kruphix
-1 Trikelion
-1 Primordial Hydra
+1 Master Biomancer
+3 Renegade Krasis
+4 Cloudfin Raptor - I underestimated this one. Super easy to Evolve, with built in evasion on a one-drop.
+1 Prime-Speaker Zegana
+2 Simic Manipulator
+2 Simic Guildmage

-2 Hindervines
+4 Plasm Capture
-1 Mutant's Prey
+2 Rapid Hybridization
+3 Naturalize

-1 Forest
-1 Island
-1 Temple of Mystery

Still need to trim, but I may try to work in Voidslime also. Any insight on how effective this style can be?
 

Oversoul

The Tentacled One
Hey, I finally got around to checking out this thread again. The new decklist looks a lot better, even if it's not using Forgotten Ancient anymore. As for Voidslime, I've generally found it to be too slow for my purposes, but your mileage may vary.
 
T

Terentius

Guest
It is better, and the control is nice, but Evolve still sucks lacks the punch that I'm used to in my offense-oriented decks.
 
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