Temur mid vs Temur Ascendancy

Standard forum

Posted on Jan. 30, 2015, 8:30 a.m. by capriom85

Which deck do you think is stronger?

I have been playing a straight Temur Midrange strategy since before Khans spoiled with great success, but I like the idea of the Temur Ascendancy combo. I am already running Ascendancy in my list...think it's worth manipulating into the combo deck or is it stronger as just midrange? The combo doesn't seem that hard to get off...

Boza says... #2

Except that you cannot run any non-green cards in combo version (except maybe Singing Bell Strike). Ascendancy is just Mono green devotion with a light splash for just ascendancy and SB options.

These two are COMPLETELY different decks.

January 30, 2015 8:36 a.m.

Gidgetimer says... #3

There's a Temur Ascendency combo?

All I can find on mtgtop8 is 3 decks running it for normal value. Nothing really approaching even synergy level let alone combo.

January 30, 2015 8:56 a.m.

Ohthenoises says... #4

Something like this timer: Centaurs and Tigers and Hydras!

January 30, 2015 9:05 a.m.

capriom85 says... #5

Gidgetimer, the combo is Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx generating enough devotion to be able to bounce e Voyaging Satyr using Temur Sabertooth with Temur Ascendancy on board. It creates unlimited green mana. The possibilities here are using Polukranos, World Eater as a board wipe then swing for infinite damage or using it on a Genesis Hydra and digging for Nylea, God of the Hunt to swing infinite trample damage. It's not nearly as complicated as it looked written out.

Boza, thanks for restating that fact that we are talking about two different decks. Can you speak to which is stronger? Clearly when I asked if its worth it manipulate my midrange I was speaking to filling in the green pieces in place of the red and blue.

January 30, 2015 9:14 a.m.

capriom85 says... #6

Yes, Ohthenoises, something like that.

Which stronger? Temur combo or Temur mid?

January 30, 2015 9:16 a.m.

Gidgetimer says... #7

Ah I see. That is one of the better standard combos I've seen since it has redundancy. How does it fair post-board? It seems like it could be easily hated out by general creature removal or enchantment removal.

January 30, 2015 9:18 a.m.

Ohthenoises says... #8

Dunno yet.

I haven't had a chance to test it aside from against Mardu control. In that matchup I didn't even need to combo off, just casting a 7/7 genesis hydra and hunting for a ascendancy off of the "cast" trigger for haste.

The ascendancy gives you a nice card draw engine combined with Eidolon of Blossoms that a lot of decks can't keep up with.

January 30, 2015 9:25 a.m.

capriom85 says... #9

Gidgetimer, that's my concern with it. If it becomes a driving force people are going to have a few sideboard cards for it and it's really as simple as boring in something to kill/exile a component of it, or enchantment hate to stop it, or land gate to kill Nykthos, etc.

I would play it more GU with some Negate mainboarded to stop removal of key components.

January 30, 2015 10:51 a.m.

Gidgetimer says... #10

My problem just looking at it is that it doesn't take specific hate cards. Anything to keep you off of mana by keeping you off devotion works to disrupt the combo. Without the combo portion it seems like a sub par ramp deck. This is however coming from someone who doesn't play standard much, I'm used to legacy and modern shenanigans so a hasted 7/7 on turn 6 doesn't impress me much.

January 30, 2015 11:10 a.m.

Hjaltrohir says... #11

capriom85 you can also use Karametra's Acolyte + Singing Bell Strike with 7 dev for another infinite mana strategy in the combo deck.

January 30, 2015 12:11 p.m.

Ohthenoises says... #12

Timer. Turn 5 more like.

January 30, 2015 12:32 p.m.

capriom85 says... #13

Gidgetimer, 7/7?! Please...it's an infinite x/x on turn 7 or sooner. The combo us easy to disrupt, sure, but it's has so many ways to use it that it can rebound easily.

awesomeguy37, that's true. The combo has that way of going off, too. It's resilient for sure, but it can also play the midrange game, just not as well with all its resources dumped into the combo.

Hmmm...I'll probably just stick to temur monsters

January 30, 2015 12:35 p.m.

Gidgetimer says... #14

Ohthenoises Yeah for some reason I was counting an extra turn. I'm still not too terribly impressed with the deck after the combo gets hated out. It seems great in game 1s, but not so much post-board.

capriom85 I said after the combo gets hated out.

January 30, 2015 12:49 p.m.

Ohthenoises says... #15

A 7/7 just that turn though. The deck has the ability to play one of those every turn.

January 30, 2015 12:52 p.m.

Gidgetimer says... #16

The deck has the ability to play 1 on turn 5 without any disruption and one each turn thereafter assuming the same. It is a dangerous trap to fall into expecting your opponent to not interact with you.

January 30, 2015 1:03 p.m.

Ohthenoises says... #17

I get that, you are playing the dies to removal game timer lol. I'm not going to play that game cause there's a lot you can do as the Devo player to trump removal.

Temur Sabertooth is a good example. You wipe? or remove? I bounce and give indestructible.

January 30, 2015 1:05 p.m.

Gidgetimer says... #18

I'm not necessarily playing the dies to removal game as much as the crippled by tempo plays game. Everything dies to removal. Many decks can come back from a tempo deficit but I don't think this one can.

January 30, 2015 1:18 p.m.

capriom85 says... #19

I think a well aimed Genesis Hydra can give this deck some staying power.

January 30, 2015 4:10 p.m.

Hjaltrohir says... #20

Especially when the Genesis Hydra is very, very, very large as it was cast for infinite mana and can go get any permanent from your whole deck :)

January 31, 2015 1:45 a.m.

Hour of Need in the combo deck seems like a good time.

February 3, 2015 8:48 p.m.

capriom85 says... #22

ChrisHansonBiomancin, I'm a bit worried the deck wouldn't be able to produce the proper blue mana for that to be effective. It's in essence a mono green devotion build.

February 4, 2015 3:47 p.m.

This discussion has been closed