Single Card Strategy : Orim's Chant

[Mundungu]

Orim's Chant
cc: W
Instant
Kicker W
Target player cant play spells this turn.
If you paid the kicker cost, creatures cant attack this turn.
-------------------------------------------------------

What does the card do ?
If played during you opponent's upkeep, that player can only respond to the casting of the chant or use abilities of permanents already in play.
With kicker, it is an extra holy day on top of it.
I know I repeat the card but think about it.

- think again -

and know read : pay WW, target player untaps all permanents, draws a card and may play a land. Take an extra turn after this one.

This is my translation of the Chant. Methink it is "some good"

Against control :
this card is a counter catcher. Should you have a key spell to cast, the control player will have to counter the chant, or you will be at liberty to play whatever you like.
In the worst case, you exchange a card against a counter.

Against Fire/creature rush.
The chant simply buys you a turn where the opponent only plays a land at best. The strength of Fire or rushing decks is to be quick. By buying yourself a turn, you basically negate their advantage.

Against combo.
Once again, The Chant gives you that extra turn you might need to survive and topdeck a solution, or go for the kill.

Where to play the Chant
I personally would put chants in any deck running white. But I am not very objective. If you play any type of control in your deck, then play with Chant. Only if you play crature rush yourself, then have it in you sideboard.

When to play the Chant.
Knowing you opponent's deck is definitly an advantage.
Play the chant on their "crucial turn" and they will be off.
Against Fire, for example, play the chant with kicker the turn he has 3 or 4 sparolings out. Next time they will be able to attack, all the token will be a bit weaker.

Against control, play it on your turn when you feel you can make a few plays that will stabilise you, or early in the game to slow the take of control.

Disclaimer - I'm certainly not a pro. But I find amazing that this card gets almost no attention, where I feel it is very powerfull. It is not a card that will create deck, but one that will see play in most decks running white, and potentially the most powerfull card in Planshift, or even in type II altogether.
I could see deck splashing white just for the Chant !

If I am wrong, you guys, with more experience, let me know. If you concur, please say so.

Thanks for reading.

 

[Gizmo]

You can think of a situation where Chant is useful against any deck, but in almost every other situation the card is poor in those matchups. Vs Fires the fog affect is poor because you can either Fog OR stop them playing spells on their turns, not both.

I think Chant is very poor.

 

[Mundungu]

Why cant you do both Giz ?

Both effects are culmulative. It doesnt say
If you paid the kicker cost, ..... instead.

So they dont get to play a spell AND skip their attack phase. Not like primal growth

 

[Spiderman]

Should we move this to General? I'll see what people say and maybe do it tomorrow... it doesn't have the feel of Decks or Variants, which is what this forum is usually for.

 

[Mundungu]

I know spidey but it doesn't really belong anywhere. It is not an issue, and is directly game related.

I wish we had a "single card strategy" forum in the "Game related" forum.

 

[rakso]

"Against control :
this card is a counter catcher. Should you have a key spell to cast, the control player will have to counter the chant, or you will be at liberty to play whatever you like.
In the worst case, you exchange a card against a counter."

--> Yeah, but why not simply play another threat card that you can use against other decks


"Against Fire/creature rush.
The chant simply buys you a turn where the opponent only plays a land at best. The strength of Fire or rushing decks is to be quick. By buying yourself a turn, you basically negate their advantage."

--> You both, in a sense, lose most of one turn each. However, you lose a card; he doesn't.

"Against combo.
Once again, The Chant gives you that extra turn you might need to survive and topdeck a solution, or go for the kill."

--> Since it doesn't draw you a card like Abeyance, putting in that extra card instead of Orim's Chant could be more useful.

"I personally would put chants in any deck running white. But I am not very objective. If you play any type of control in your deck, then play with Chant. Only if you play crature rush yourself, then have it in you sideboard."

--> Certainly not, though the creature rush could probably use this more than control decks.

"When to play the Chant.
Knowing you opponent's deck is definitly an advantage.
Play the chant on their "crucial turn" and they will be off.
Against Fire, for example, play the chant with kicker the turn he has 3 or 4 sparolings out. Next time they will be able to attack, all the token will be a bit weaker."

--> It's tough to know if you wasted a Chant to delay him in a turn when he'd not play anything anyway. In the case of decks where you know they will... well, in that example, wouldn't an extra Disenchant-type card do the same thing and better?

"Against control, play it on your turn when you feel you can make a few plays that will stabilise you, or early in the game to slow the take of control."

--> This would work if you have creatures out and want to get in the extra damage. But again, you lose a card.

 

[Duel]

Orim's chant is so much chit-chat.

It's good, yeah. Turbo-chant COULD be decent. IF gaea's blessing was legal. AND the chant was a cantrip. OR there was a combo to defend with it. But as it is, it's not the best rare in IBC.

Single card strategy for this is AWFUL, Orim's Chant, by itself, DOES NOTHING. It produces card disadvantage. No chance of otherwise. It CANNOT produce card advantage. And while there are good cards that produce card disadvantage, the most famous is Black Lotus, Followed by Ritual, Abeyance, lotus petal, etc... They must be REALLY good.

So, in combination, this card could be decent, and definately annoying, but not anything hugely effective. I traded mine off. I strongely suggest you do the same before they realize how weak it is. IF combo comes out, THEN chant could be good (Ironically, I think Fires has the best use of chant....). If you have no faith in WOTC, keep 2, just in case....

 

[Gizmo]

Apologies. For some reason my head fell off and I thought that they attacked in your turn.

Regardless, it still needs to be a cantrip to make it worthwhile.

 

[Spiderman]

I can make sure your head stays on with my permanent webbing...

Mundungu: I wasn't going to move it to CPA/Magic Issues, just to General. I agree that a new forum would better be suited, but until then, I'm thinking General is a sort of "catch-all" for stuff that doesn't fit elsewhere. I'll wait another day and see if another admin/Founder has an opinion...

Spidey, the neat freak (but only online )

 

[Killer Joe]

I know this "Trix killer" deck my on the outskirts now that it's nemesis has been tamed somewhat, but I think it can hold off a lot of combo decks with the Chant.

 

[Gizmo]

There are few combo decks left in XT anymore, besides - why play this over Abeyance?

 

[Mundungu]

What about formats wher you have access to both Abeyance and The Chant (extended esp).

Oh well Giz, I'll take your word for it but as a fervent White player I'll still hold on the 4 I have so far. (and trade the others away, got 6 so far)

History will tell

 

[rakso]

Abeyance is not card disadvantage.

In casual White Weenie, you could be looking at better cards.

Anyway, in something like Extended, some Beyond Dominia people were actually talking about how fun it is to now have 8 cards instead of 4 to force key permanents with.

But again, remember that Orim's Chant doesn't replace itself.

 

[Duel]

Right, that's a key point. That's THE key point in extended.

However, in T2, it's irrelevant. Even Abeyance wouldn't see too much play!

 

[BurlyBrute]

here's an extended Chant deck I've been toying with:

4 Orim's Chant........4 Savannah
4 Peace Talks.........4 Tundra
4 Tangle..............4 Tropical Isand
4 Gaea's Blessing.....4 Forest
4 Restock.............4 Island
4 Howling Mine........4 Plains
4 Wrath of God
4 Absorb
1 Millstone
2 Seal of Clensing
1 Jester's Cap

Restocking the Absorbs late game is so clutch.