Curious Obsession

Enchantment — Aura

Enchant creature

Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has "Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, you may draw a card."

At the beginning of your end step, if you didn't attack with a creature this turn, sacrifice Curious Obsession.

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Arena	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Freeform	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Historic	Legal
Historic Brawl	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Modern	Legal
Modern Beyond Horizons	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Planar Constructed	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (48)

TheVectornaut on Improbable Alliance

2 weeks ago

I don't have a ton of experience in second draw / second cast decks, but I do know that you'll probably get more value out of threats that come down early and start accruing permanent advantage. Bloodhaze Wolverine fails the latter check, and Steelgaze Griffin fails both. I'd look at cards that get counters (Knowledge Seeker, Faerie Vandal, or even Kraum, Violent Cacophony with built-in card draw) and/or I'd look at making tokens (Mischievous Mystic, Emrakul's Messenger, Homunculus Horde, or Thopter Fabricator) In your colors, I might consider Irencrag Pyromancer for the removal too. The next step is to make sure you have a reliable source for drawing every turn. Looting with Evie Frye and Merchant of the Vale is fine but comes with a heavy upfront cost. I'd prefer to consolidate the deck around cheap fliers or other even more evasive creatures to play into cheaper Coastal Piracy effects like Curiosity and Curious Obsession. Faerie Mastermind is another great include if you don't mind a little bit of symmetry. With or without Improbable Alliance itself, there are a lot of powerful faerie-themed cards available to the strategy. It could be worth going into black or full pivoting to dimir for other tribal staples like Bitterblossom, Bitterbloom Bearer, Spellstutter Sprite, Vendilion Clique, Obyra, Dreaming Duelist, Scion of Oona, etc. This also makes cards like Banner of Kinship way better. If you prefer to stay in red though, and given the types of Tormenting Voice and cantrip effects you're running, you may get better mileage out of just committing to a spellslinger strategy that temporarily pumps a few big hitters. Monastery Swiftspear, Kiln Fiend, and Nivix Cyclops come to mind from older decks I've seen. Toss in some Assault Strobes and the like and lethal shows up fast. White also has some interesting magecraft creatures from Strixhaven that could fit the strategy. In summary, I'd either focus on swapping out some of your instants/sorceries for more consistent draw sources and payoffs (probably involving faeries) or I'd do the opposite by switching up your creature lineup to better payoff the spells you currently have.

Evolvereaver on New to Pioneer. *HELP*

6 months ago

I've played a lot of UB spirits even back in the day of Rakdos MDR and KarnDevotion. I believe that we've received a few quality of life support in the most recent sets.

Enduring Curiosity yes it is a four drop but you're a tempo-agro deck and this card even if it dies comes back as an enchantment. I'd recommend just running two in the main. Refills your hand and allows you to press the advantage that you worked so hard to gain.

No More Lies is better than Lofty Denial in my experience. It doesn't require you spending all your resources protecting your early drops just so you can send a card they wanted into the graveyard anyway. Sure it might seem better on game two, but adding in three RIPs against decks in the format that can consistently get graveyard use in the early game. 4 No More Lies in game 1 and adding in the RIPS afterward give you a better chance.

Malcolm, Alluring Scoundrel helps a lot is a 2/1 flash flying and has helped me draw many cards after enduring curiosity is down. I atmost recommend one of (it is not a spirit but it sure does come in clutch)

Sheltered by Ghosts gives +1/+0 ward 2 and lifelink also exiles a nonland permanent with no CMC restrictions.

I also have been experimenting with Seam Rip it's nice to be able to at least lock up the following

Cori-Steel Cutter Fear of Missing Out Artist's Talent Blade of the Oni Emberheart Challenger Heartfire Hero Manifold Mouse

to name a few that it has helped me out against.

Cards that I think that can be cut out or eventually phased out

Lofty Denial we just lack worthwhile early game spirits with enough protection to have the flying clause to be fulfilled. Sure it can stop a turn 2 play, but they could just pass and wait to kill your next creature.

Curious Obsession I used to love this card but at most I might leave it as a 1-2 of split with enduring curiosity. It provides no protection and the +1/+1 and forcing you to attack just makes some awkward situations. I got curious obsession I need to attack with at least a creature

raptor101299 on Oooooooh So Spooky

7 months ago

Sideboard Skyclave Apparition instead of Curious Obsession and put in Bygone Bishop

Balaam__ on Cowards Can't Block Warriors

1 year ago

How about capitalizing on those spineless cowards’ inability to block with some guaranteed card draw in the form of Curious Obsession?

Craeter on EDH Jorn, God of Winter

1 year ago

Your list looks very well optimized, nice work! Do you own it in paper? I'd love to play against it with my Isu deck via Spelltable. That would be a Snowy battle for the ages.

Isu works best with as many Snow permanents as possible for his top deck dig ability, but I also built mine for Control and Landfall. I'm going to see if I can tweak it a bit though to get a few more Snow permanents in it.

Jorn seems more flexible since he's not as locked to the number of Snow permanents in the deck. He doesn't have the built in Draw that Isu has, so I see you're getting that elsewhere.

Since you're concerned about Jorn getting his attacks through, I could recommend Curious Obsession / Curiosity / Aqueous Form. Not Snow cards, since TBH the Snow card pool is pretty limited. But those are highly useful Dimir style Unblockable / Draw Auras. And I'd imagine you're keen for as much Draw as possible since Jorn lacks that.

The Great Henge is also a possibility, it's not hard to get a Snow creature with 7+ power. Then it provides mana, life, buff, draw, seems like it could be great for both our lists. My deck is based off Icewind Dale so it could represent the great tree of Kuldahar. I know you've got Tribute to the World Tree which is also a great card, but perhaps this one is even better?

Balaam__ on New to Pioneer. *HELP*

1 year ago

Ah, many thanks BioProfDude, I’ll take all the help I can get.

I’m glad you suggested Cavern of Souls—I originally intended to include it, but (long story short) when I added it to the deck it got flagged as illegal so I took it out. Idk the cardpool yet and I was reading mixed things, but it’s good to have confirmation.

Thanks for the sideboard suggestions too—I’ll roll with them until I get a feel for what I’m up against, and what works/doesn’t.

I will say Curious Obsession has been holding up well. I was running out of steam too soon and a set of those more or less put an end to that problem. I feel like I want to continue running them until something better comes along.

Get Lost and Sheltered by Ghosts are both new to me; I can see value in both, but between all the countermagic and faux removal (Skyclave Apparition etc) do you think they’re still necessary?

Balaam__ on New to Pioneer. *HELP*

1 year ago

Thanks a bunch, K4nkato. I completely overlooked Curious Obsession and it’s pretty much exactly what the deck needs. It’s outclassed in other formats so it never even entered my mind, but I’m grateful you pointed it out!

I’ve not seen No More Lies until now, and it looks solid, but is it better than Lofty Denial in this shell? It’ll exile stuff which is ok I guess, but Lofty Denial is practically guaranteed to set them back another {4} vs No More Lies’ {3}, as every creature I have is a flyer. I don’t know whether the exile bit outweighs the more secure counter effect. Regardless, I see your point about dropping the axe on Absorb and Disallow, and I have a good idea where to go from here.

Thanks again for the input.

K4nkato on New to Pioneer. *HELP*

1 year ago

I play a lot of Pioneer.

You want a playset of No More Lies. The Wandering Emperor is great for more range, but if budget is a consideration, I recommend good old Curious Obsession.

Cut all your Absorbs and 2-3Disallows, as the spells is really slow if you’re on the draw.