Blue Sun's Zenith
Modern forum
Posted on July 30, 2013, 8:16 a.m. by HarbingerJK
I would love to have Sphinx's Revelation in a deck, but I don't have the $60 to drop on a set of them. Blue Sun's Zenith is basically the same thing but without the life gain so I'm just wondering if more experienced players would say it's worth throwing into a deck.
I'm not a control player (the only blue card I ever play is Phyrexian Metamorph ), but I'd be suspicious.
The cost (basically) and the card draw are the same, but that lack of lifegain can be a killer. I'm sure you're aware that control decks even in Standard so often need the lifegain to have time to stabilize, and the situation's only going to be worse in the more powerful Modern format.
Few control decks use a set of Sphinx's Revelation . Most commonly, it's 1 or 2. But even before Sphinx's Revelation was printed, Modern control decks were not using Blue Sun's Zenith . That means to me that while it's worth it to dedicate 1 or 2 slots to X-costed card draw plus life, it's not worth it to dedicate those slots to just X-costed card draw.
I'd say that if you can't get a set, then consider at least getting half a set or, if that's also not possible, look for something else to use (depending on what other colors you play, if any).
July 30, 2013 9:49 a.m.
HarbingerJK says... #4
Really? It seemed like every control deck in Dragon's Maze was running Sphinx's Revelation
July 30, 2013 10:12 a.m.
I love BSZ. Not only can you use it to draw cards, but it says "target player" meaning you can use it as an alternate win con to draw out your opponent. I'd say toss a pair in your deck and test it out.
July 30, 2013 10:15 a.m.
HarbingerJK says... #6
hmm I have a casual modern control deck and I've used Jace, Memory Adept as an alternate win con to mill out my opponent, so Blue Sun's Zenith would work well with that
July 30, 2013 10:17 a.m.
USZ in Modern isn't really so hot. UUU to draw cards at instant speed isn't so strong. Control decks tend to go for Think Twice before USZ because it is when you want it.
It has been OK in a RUG Run Ramp deck though.
July 30, 2013 10:33 a.m.
HarbingerJK says... #8
Think Twice is my card draw spell of choice, if you run 4 you're essentially running 8 : D
July 30, 2013 10:44 a.m.
@HarbingerJK...I'm not sure what was misunderstood there. Most UWx control decks in Modern are running Sphinx's Revelation since it was printed, but few are running 4. It's just not a big part of the deck the way it is in Standard.
The point was that when they do have access to them, control players aren't running a set of Revelations (only 1 or 2). When they didn't have access to them, they just went in other directions from USZ.
July 30, 2013 11:55 a.m.
The type of modern deck that wants a big draw spell is likely going to require many cards that make revelation look cheap.
July 30, 2013 12:02 p.m.
USZ isn't the best draw spell in modern. There are tools that can do it more efficiently.
I'm not familiar with pure control in modern, but I know that esper will usually run the full gifts package, dumping Unburial Rites and Iona, to act as a win-con. When you can just rites an Iona on turn 5 and lock down an opponent, USZ seems slow in comparison.
July 30, 2013 6:36 p.m.
For a 3cmc+x spell, I think Invoke the Firemind would be better. Has great utility value but comes with a high cmc.
TurboFagoot says... #2
Depends on the deck's ability to handle a triple blue cost. Also it's matchup against aggro, where the life gain would be relevant. Also the format, of course.
Of note: Blue Sun targets, so if you go infinite, it's a wincon.
July 30, 2013 8:32 a.m.