why is Chasm skulker not played in modern?
Modern forum
Posted on July 30, 2018, 1:58 a.m. by Sunbrosoulaire
As the title says,"Why is Chasm Skulker not played in modern?" To me, he seems like he is just lacking the right shell. Right now, I am running a Mono-blue tempo deck and it runs 16 cards that cantrip in the deck while heavily controlling the opponent's plays. Does this sound like the right type of shell for it? Maybe I am just missing something, or overestimating him as a card. What do you guys think?
ToolmasterOfBrainerd says... #3
It is still banned. And I'm still a little bitter because I enjoyed modern a lot more when it was legal. Perhaps unbanning it wouldn't fix anything, but I can still hope that an unban of stoneforge mystic or twin would help the current state of modern.
I still play modern frequently and enjoy it. As a whole I'm liking it, but not loving it. A format this expensive should be easy to love.
July 30, 2018 3:19 a.m.
Why do you even give a shit if others dont like your deck?
If this is a problem for you you should prooably play something else.
Others have answered it. Skulker is just to slow and does t impact the board enough but if you have a mono blue control deck you could certainly give it a try.
July 30, 2018 5:34 a.m.
Basically everything ToolmasterOfBrainerd said...be careful with having too many cantrips..when it comes to being "competitive" or "not shit"... at least as far as Netdeckers/Tournament play is concerned... but if in a lax play group/friends or a typical LGS a Chasm Skulker/Lorescale Coatl brew could be tasty.
Have you considered going with help from Simic players like Plaxcaster Frogling and Fathom Mage? Have some guys out there with evolve like Cloudfin Raptor and then using Bioshift or maybe proliferate spells like Steady Progress?.... there are lots of ways to play higher mana spells sooner with things like Explore/Coiling Oracle and classic mana dorks/rocks like Llanowar Elves/Simic Signet.... Shielding Plax for protection?... Kiora, the Crashing Wave for the lulz?
July 30, 2018 8:46 a.m.
LiliTiddies says... #6
TypicalTimmy: you've got the wrong idea about minotaurs. its not that they're not good because they don't see play, its the other way around. they don't see play because they're not good. rakdos minotaurs basically functions as a weaker jund. both are just removal and beefy creatures, but minotaur creatures cost more mana and rely on lords to become big, and the deck has less space for removal spells because it needs more space dedicated to creatures. 5c humans is just one of many modern decks.
July 30, 2018 10:52 a.m.
AlternateWinner127 says... #7
I can’t say for sure, but you could try it in a blue white deck that revolves around card draw, Murder Investigation , and Chasm Skulker you could also then add maybe a thirteen combo to finish. Not sure
July 30, 2018 1:50 p.m.
It isn't played because it's a 3 mana 1/1. Modern is just too fast for this card. It's basically a worse hangarback walker that you have to build around to make it do really anything.
July 30, 2018 3:20 p.m.
EDH can be cheaper then modern and a lot stuff that's used in modern you can use in edh. Granted it's not as budget friendly as modern for homebrews but you can pick up $30-40 pre on put a few bucks into and start winning some games. It's a really fun format you should give it a chance TypicalTimmy
ToolmasterOfBrainerd says... #2
It's not played because it's really slow and also removal spells. 3 mana to play a 1/1 isn't great. If you wait until you can play and hold instant-speed cantrips to grow it, then you need to be at turn 5 or 6, and at that point it's still maybe a 3/3 or 4/4. That costs 3 mana and additional investment.
Okay, maybe you play it turn 4 holding an Opt. Then you can have it trade with their Goblin Guide and I guess make a 1/1 to block their Monastery Swiftspear the next turn? Doesn't seem efficient when you could flash in a Snapcaster Mage and have it flashback a Vapor Snag or another cantrip and get basically the same result, but on a more flexible card and at instant speed.
When the 'slow' deck, Tron, is playing Wurmcoil Engine or Karn Liberated on turn 4, Chasm Skulker pales in comparison.
The games where it actually has enough time to grow bigger than a 5/5 are when your opponent has Path to Exile and Supreme Verdict to deal with it.
What 16 cantrips are you playing? Serum Visions, Opt, Sleight of Hand, Thought Scour? Maybe Peek? Or are you counting something like Cryptic Command as cantripping (which I think is a valid thing to do)? I find it hard to stomach running more than 10 in modern (not counting cryptic command). I've toyed with 12 before but found it durdled too much. I'm imagining a hand of cantrips vs burn and it's not a happy thought.
Also Chasm Skulker lines up very poorly against Reflector Mage from Humans.
Basically, modern is a fast, brutal, unhappy place right now. It needs something powerful like Stoneforge Mystic or Splinter Twin to slow decks down and force more disruption and interaction.
July 30, 2018 3:06 a.m. Edited.