Momir Vig, Simic Combonary
Commander / EDH*
SCORE: 55 | 51 COMMENTS | 26277 VIEWS | IN 32 FOLDERS
Amonkhet Cards! (Edited) —April 19, 2017
Removed: Azusa, Lost but Seeking, Nissa, Vital Force, Cryptic Command
Added: Vizier of the Menagerie, Nissa, Steward of Elements, Prowling Serpopard (to SB), Commit / Memory (testing)
Notes: I'm going to talk about the Nissas first, since I have a lot to say about the Vizier. Nissa, Vital Force has always been a fantastic card for me. She protects herself (and you) by making a 5/5, she's a Nature's Spiral when you need it, and she ults just the turn after coming down. You can't lose the game after getting "Landfall: Draw a card" as an emblem unless you're actively trying to do so. Five mana was always difficult to stomach for all of that though. She is definitely designed for a slower deck, though definitely useful. I'm quite sorry to see her go, and will try to find room for her again if the new Nissa proves unworthy, or if there's another card I can cut.
Nissa, Steward of Elements is an interesting card. Most people would say that her flexibility affords her to be good both early and late in the game. I believe that varies a little. With the extra topdeck manipulation I've put into the deck lately (Ponder and Brainstorm, which now adds onto Top, Sylvan Library, Scroll Rack, and incidentally Oracle/Vizier, and of course Momir Vig), I will be able to make better use of her. The most valuable loyalty you can have her at is probably 3, or 5 as a catch-all. 3 hits the majority of cards in the deck (lands, and creatures at CMC <4). A turn 3 Nissa should usually +2 to set up the draws for the next turn, and allow you to flip into lands you need to ramp up faster. For now, I will continue to test her, but she seems to be quite useful.
Notes on Vizier of the Menagerie. This card is almost certainly one of the best cards printed for Momir Vig probably since Prophet of Kruphix (RIP). I was upbeat on Rashmi when she came out, but this card is the real deal. Vizier allows you to use green creatures effectively as UG creatures when Vig is on the field. To give an example, normally after casting Vig, I would like to get and cast Prophet when she was still legal. In order to set up the Prophet effect now, I have to get Seedborn and then Teferi. Seedborn only puts Teferi on top of my library, and when I untap, I don't have access to him, and end up wasting a whole turn cycle with Seedborn just sitting there, because I can't flash things in. Vizier gets around that problem for me.
One of the most deadly combos in the deck is Vizier and Aluren. If I have a Cradle or Nykthos on the field (or Crop Rotation/Tolaria West in hand to get them) and I've just successfully resolved Vizier and Aluren with Vig on the field, I will win this turn. Otherwise, I can just flood the board immediately with just about any creature I want, or all of my creatures if I want.
Vizier's last ability can also prove incidentally useful. Often, early on in the game I've had access to 3 blue sources, but a Mystic Snake and a counterspell up. Wanting to be able to use both counters, Vizier lets me cast Mystic Snake without having to worry about the UU cost. More importantly, I can make infinite mana with Palinchron/Phantasmal Image without having to worry about hitting 4x U or more. While this ability isn't always relevant, being able to cast a Palinchron you just tutored for with just a Cradle activation has its uses. This card has earned a permanent spot in the deck, unless they (somehow) manage to print something objectively better.
Azusa, Lost but Seeking was cut because she was always an iffy card. Very good in the early game, or when I was lucky enough to have her + Crucible + fetchland, she would be an otherwise dead draw late game, 9/10 times just being read as "2G: Activiate Momir Vig's green trigger."
Prowling Seropopard has earned a spot in the sideboard. I don't always want uncounterable creature spells (if I'm playing against non-blue decks) but if I do, I can go get it with Living Wish. It will probably go into the deck if the players don't want me playing with a sideboard (and I have to take Living Wish out).
And finally, I am testing Commit//Memory over Cryptic Command. The goal of using counterspells in this deck is to protect my combo, or to ensure others can't combo of so that I can. To that end, as long as I can get rid of their threat for a little bit, I can take the time to set up to win the game. Cryptic gives me an opportunity to counter + cantrip most of the time. This spell does essentially the same thing (minus the cantrip) but also allows me to bounce nonland permanents and tuck them. Cryptic doesn't let me do that. I also save on colors, as this requires only 3U to cast, whereas Cryptic costs 1UUU.
Notice that I have yet to mention the Aftermath part of this card. It's important to evaluate the first half of the card alone, and compare it to Cryptic. If the card ONLY had "Commit" on it, then I wouldn't play it over Cryptic. However, it also offers the incidental chance to get a Timetwister effect if you need it. So I will be testing this card to see where it takes me. I may be very unimpressed, but I may also be very impressed.