Startle

Instant

Target creature gets -2/-0 until end of turn. Create a 2/2 black Zombie creature token with decayed. (It can't block. When it attacks, sacrifice it at the end of combat.)

Draw a card.

Tokens

• Zombie 2/2 B w/ Decayed

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Alchemy	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Arena	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Brawl	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Pauper Duel Commander	Legal
Pauper EDH	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Pre-release	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Standard	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (2)

thesilentpyro on Pervasive Footprints

1 year ago

Out: Twisted Image

In: Luxurious Libation

• Luxurious Libation is the first 1-mana targeted token maker, and it's an instant to boot. The cut for this one was hard, but Twisted Image got the axe because it has a chance of killing a number of creatures with Spawning Breath making 0/1s and Fleeting Distraction and Startle (and technically Dizzy Spell) reducing power, plus it has anti-synergy with power boosting effects like Fists of Flame. It's very possible the cut should have been Mythos of Illuna (as the most expensive token maker) instead of a draw spell, but ultimately creature count is what makes the deck go and Mythos is versatile, so I decided to cut what I think is the worst draw spell instead and we'll see how it plays.

thesilentpyro on Pervasive Footprints

2 years ago

Out: Besmirch

In: Nothing, there were 101 cards in the deck because I didn't finish cutting last time.

• A wincon that relies on combat (even if it's pretty well guaranteed) that doesn't further the gameplan is a hard sell. If the goad is relevant at all it means you didn't go off hard enough.

Out: Dovescape

In: Dizzy Spell

• Dovescape is a hilarious card that does win you the game, but six mana is too much when it doesn't immediately do something. Dizzy Spell for Nivmagus Elemental is often going to be better.
• The one-mana slot has gotten very versatile, and a you can always just nab Kick in the Door to get things started if you don't need something specific like Crop Rotation or Nivmagus Elemental. It's also a targeted spell if you want to just trigger mentors or Storm-Kiln Artist.

Out: Feather, the Redeemed

In: Kick in the Door

• Feather is cute, but slow and win-more; we should win the turn we're casting a bunch of spells and its three mana is better spent doing exactly that.
• Kick does little bits of everything we want: gives treasures, makes tokens, and draws cards, with some random lifegain and scry thrown in. None of these effects are as efficient as the cards that are focused on them, but you're never sad to have Kick. Four creatures on the board is enough to complete Lost Mine of Phandelver for a little benefit, and at five you can work on Dungeon of the Mad Mage and accelerate the combo. When there's seven+ the card's gold.

Out: Gods Willing

In: Tamiyo's Safekeeping

• Protection is not as good as indestructible when multiple Pongify/Beast Within-type cards are in the deck. I'm only leaving in Apostle's Blessing as the sole protection from color card because the colorless cost is more relevant than scry when we can already draw a million cards and having some ability to protect from targeted non-destroy removal is good. The hexproof from the blessing is very relevant to protect from opposing targeted removal of any kind, and the lifegain isn't irrelevant either.

Out: Leyline of Anticipation

In: Storm-Kiln Artist

• Leyline is too expensive to not do anything itself and the concentration of instant-speed cards is just getting higher. Dizzy Spell for Crop Rotation for Emergence Zone is pretty similar if you are really worried about timing, and the Crop Rotation can be done at instant speed itself or held to fetch Gaea's Cradle when going off.
• The rulings on Storm-Kiln Artist dictate that every copy makes another treasure. Four mana might actually make this win-more considering how many other bonkers mana generators there are, but it's really hard for me to resist how explosive this is. It's an easy way to burn someone out with Electrodominance, hitting more than one player with Regrowth and Eternal Witness.

Out: Mercy Killing

In: Startle

• Using Mercy Killing as a radiated forced sacrifice is bad as we can't protect with indestructibility. Losing instant-speed multiple tokens is a hard sell, though, and it's amazing when Nivmagus Elemental or Flusterstorm are available. This might still make it back in if only to use as a regular removal spell that is also a token generator. You need things to have at least two power to net tokens, but there's accidental synergy with all the random power buffs in here. I've gotta think on it.
• Startle is probably now the best targeted spell in the deck; it's instant speed tokens AND draw for two mana.

Out: Quasiduplicate

In: Croaking Counterpart

• Croak is a targeted copy maker that gets opponents' creatures at three mana with flashback. Don't need to say anything else. It sucks that it doesn't hit its own tokens when you flash it back, but that won't come up much as the flashback isn't necessary so getting opponents' creatures up front is better than getting more of your own with a second cast. Hilariously, it doesn't hit Rapid Hybridization tokens.

Out: Reliquary Tower

In: Boseiju, Who Endures

• I've never liked Reliquary. It was only in as a remnant from when the deck was slower and we were more likely to run out of mana. Now we should win on the same turn we draw a million cards, and the colorless mana can be relevant when the curve is so low.
• Boseiju, Who Endures is an untapped colored source that is also uncounterable removal for problematic permanents. I don't anticipate ever taking it out.

Out: Rite of Replication

In: Mythos of Illuna

• This should always have been Mythos. Having the option to hit the occasional doozy of a non-creature is pretty great, and while it's rare that you want it the removal is always an option. The kicker on Rite is and always was win-more that just makes the table groan.

Out: Swell of Growth

In: Sudden Breakthrough

• Swell is a good card, but one treasure per creature is better than being limited to the number of lands you have. It's possible Scale the Heights is the right cut instead.