Narset Transcendent

Modern forum

Posted on April 20, 2015, 2:17 p.m. by APPLE01DOJ

Modern worthy? I vote yes! Anybody come across her on the battlefield yet? If so what deck? Opinions & other thoughts? I really like the card.

Narset Transcendent

ChiefBell says... #2

I havent yet but I still love her for the ability to draw cards and create soft locks. I think esper control might become big so we'll see.

April 20, 2015 2:18 p.m.

kmcree says... #3

I love her. Just not quite sure what the right shell is. I've been playing UWR for about 6 months now, and she might fit in there. But I actually think Esper could be a stronger fit. She definitely has potential, just a matter of where she lands.

April 20, 2015 2:20 p.m.

APPLE01DOJ says... #4

Esper would be my vote as well but maybe would be a good home too.

April 20, 2015 2:28 p.m.

APPLE01DOJ says... #5

She fits into a /x shell quite nicely.

April 20, 2015 2:29 p.m.

lemmingllama says... #6

I've actually seen a really cool list that splashes blue for her in a B/W Tokens deck. All your creatures are instants and sorceries, so you can get a decent amount of card draw. Plus rebounding a Spectral Procession is wonderful.

April 20, 2015 2:31 p.m.

ChiefBell says... #7

Oh shit. That's beautiful.

April 20, 2015 2:40 p.m.

Rayenous says... #8

I like how she interacts with Lingering Souls.

Cast with rebound... cast as rebound... cast with flashback.

6x 1/1 flying Spirits for 5CMC.
Not as good as 6 for 3CMC with Spectral Procession... but very nice, and only requires 1x and 1x (on 2 different turns), unlike the 3x for Spectral Procession to be only 3CMC.

April 20, 2015 3:02 p.m.

ChiefBell says... #9

You guys are disgusting.

April 20, 2015 3:04 p.m.

Rayenous says... #10

You think that's discussing...

I'm going to put her in my combo deck.

Polymorph a token into a Blightsteel Colossus...
Next turn, rebound the Polymorph targeting the Blightsteel Colossus, which doesn't due to Indestructible,... getting another Blightsteel Colossus or an Emrakul, the Aeons Torn.

It will work nicely, since the most common issue with the combo is that my opponent kills the Polymorph target (usually a Myr token from Master's Call)... now if they do, I get another chance next turn... with mana up for Remand and/or Mana Leak.

April 20, 2015 3:18 p.m.

Rayenous says... #11

ha ha... auto correct...
'discussing' = 'disgusting'

April 20, 2015 3:22 p.m.

Bewmz says... #12

I've actually played against her once so far, a player in my meta is trying her as a one-of in UWR. I swear if I hadn't been packing threats out of the sideboard (playing Scapeshift) I would have just died to it because he dropped her ultimate on me. I was damn sure that I had lost lol

April 20, 2015 3:24 p.m.

Rayenous says... #13

Nevermind.... I don't get an extra attempt to rebound the Polymorph if they remove the target. - Rebound spells have to resolve to be 'exiled' to rebound. :(

April 20, 2015 3:28 p.m.

APPLE01DOJ says... #14

I'm loving the token deck ideas.

April 20, 2015 3:32 p.m.

PValBlanc says... #15

I was about to say: No. Narset doesn't belong in modern, but maybe... Just maybe y'all are on to something. I'll stay skeptical until I see a solid list, but I have been having unrealistic hopes esper might become a thing in modern again.

April 20, 2015 4:34 p.m.

LampeShades says... #16

I have been playing 2 in my Esper superfriends deck.

Like mentioned, awesome with Lingering Souls.

Since I play superfriends (lots o' 'walkers) I have been having fun with Narset Transcendent + Savor the Moment

2 extra turns for 3 mana ;) (not untapping hardly matters with 2 or 3 planeswalkers on the field)

April 20, 2015 5:30 p.m.

DrFunk27 says... #17

Esper Tokens, BG Tokens w/ Sorin and Esper lists she is just dirty. I agree with APPLE01DOJ she fits nicely into GBx.

April 22, 2015 3:25 p.m.

DrFunk27 says... #18

That's also supposed to read BW tokens...thanks Android.

April 22, 2015 3:26 p.m.

ChiefBell says... #19

She doesn't really fit into GB/x in that she costs WB so you'd end up playing 4 colors, her +1 misses over 50% of the deck (24 lands and over 10 creatures is standard), and just the fact that Siege Rhino is better.

April 22, 2015 3:28 p.m.

APPLE01DOJ says... #20

I was thinking she'd be sick with a Courser of Kruphix online

April 22, 2015 7:36 p.m.

DrFunk27 says... #21

I was being totally facetious. Lol

April 23, 2015 12:50 a.m.

Putrefy says... #22

Narset is not modern-viable, not in the current meta at least. She is a 4 drop with high loyalty yeah, that's awesome. But what does she do to win you the game? Drawing half a card per turn is not good enough for modern. I'd rather have Gideon Jura to close out the game or keep up Cryptic Command. So you cannot profitably run her in a control-shell.

Maybe play U/W/R burn? Yeah, but why would anyone want to play U/W/R burn - besides, burn usually kills you on T4, in rare cases even on T3, so no real gain there. Your arguments for her are: but when I use her -2 and then cast spell X she's super awesome. So basically what you're telling me: I will use my T4 to tap out for a no-impact-the-turn-it-enters-play-walker, draw 0,5 cards and then on T5 you have the perfect spell for the current board-state and you can use it twice! That's... great! But not realistic at all.

@LampeShades you say you play superfriends and when you have multiple walkers online her -2 + Savor the Moment is so sweet. I ask you: if you have multiple walkers online, is it really necessary to take 2 extra turns?! Shouldn't be multiple walkers online already be enough to let you win the game? Narset is a bad win-more card. It's not a useful card, when you're behind, and she's bad at cementing your advantage.

If she were as good as you all make her appear - then tell me please, why is nobody using her already?

April 23, 2015 3:10 a.m.

APPLE01DOJ says... #23

I didn't think about Gideon. ..I wasn't thinking a T4 play I was thinking a game 2+ card for the mirror which are traditionally longer games, it would incremental value which is what wins the mirror. Same reason Jund would run Chandra, Pyromaster

April 23, 2015 10:29 a.m.

APPLE01DOJ says... #24

The above comment was in regards to BG/x. I agree with the points you made Putrefy

April 23, 2015 10:32 a.m.

ChiefBell says... #25

Putrefy - Control runs Jace, Architect of Thought. She's not strictly worse than him. Though you are correct in pointing out that this is not a meta for control anyway.

April 23, 2015 10:36 a.m.

ChiefBell says... #26

I think being able to rebound removal spells when you're behind could potentially be EXTREMELY useful. I don't see how giving instants or sorceries rebound is necessarily a win-more mechanic at all. It could be winmore if you do it with card draw. It could be an equalising tactic if you use, say some kind of removal.

April 23, 2015 10:39 a.m.

Putrefy says... #27

@ ChiefBell in the current meta Jace, Architect of Thought is a beast. It nullifys Lingering Souls a troublesome card for control (the big beaters like goyf, can take a Path to Exile) and can dig you 3 cards deep. His card-draw ability is guaranteed to draw you cards. Also against Affinity and Infect his +1 is really strong. However, as you already mentioned - it's not a meta for control to shine. (I still think JAoT is stronger).

April 23, 2015 10:41 a.m.

Putrefy says... #28

Yet again I'd rather have Path to Exile, Snapcaster Mage, Path to Exile instead of -2 Narset, Path to Exile on my turn, give you information and mana-advantage.

April 23, 2015 10:42 a.m.

ChiefBell says... #29

Yeh, I feel it's debatable. Like card draw as a + ability is really strong just because you can sit there and do it forever. In a control deck you're going to hit a lot as well. I realise that Jace's isn't conditional though. Also her rebound option is more relevant against most things with removal but less relevant against tokens, as you pointed out. Narset will let you out value everything in Abzan except lingering souls. Jace will let you stall against souls forever but not anything else.

It is a tougher call than perhaps we're making out though. I don't think it's like 100% in favour of Jace and 0% Narset. To me, I'm like 75-25 in favour of Jace.

April 23, 2015 10:45 a.m.

LampeShades says... #30

@Putrefy Yes inevitability is definitely on one's side when he/she has multiple planeswalkers on the field, but why wait for inevitability? Narset's -2 plus Savor the Moment may seem like overkill, but why give your opponent a chance to potentially come back? I don't think taking two extra turns on turn 5 or 6 is winning-more, I think it's "cementing your advantage" and ending the game (kinda early by control standards).

Also when behind: yeah she's not the best card, but she can be clutch, using her -2 right out of the gate with a removal spell. Then she draws you extra cards for her +1 afterhand.

I am not saying she is the best card ever, or that she is a modern staple and she may never be, but I think used correctly she has a lot of potential to make a splash. I wouldn't use her as a build around me card, but I think she is a great 1-2 copy utility card. You can't judge how good a card is by "why is no one using her already" when she just came out; yeah she didn't make an immediate impact like Treasure Cruise and Dig Through Time, but look what happened to them in modern.

April 23, 2015 12:42 p.m.

APPLE01DOJ says... #31

Lol people (beyond pod) are just now starting to play Voice of Resurgence in modern...

April 23, 2015 1:34 p.m.

ChiefBell says... #32

VOR has been around for ages in modern. Since its release. It's always been in something.

April 23, 2015 1:35 p.m.

This discussion has been closed