How dose Vesuva work if you do not "choose a land in play"?
General forum
Posted on Nov. 20, 2013, 5:27 p.m. by Dookie1984
So i am trying to figure out how to put more Strip Mine in my deck and i was considering this card as an option but i dont understand why i would have the option to "choose a land in play" if the card dose not do anything else if you do not "choose a land in play". Please help me understand this. Also why dose this card cost so much when you could just go with Thespian's Stage at a fraction of the cost (other then you have to pay 2. Both cards require you to "Tap")? Thanks for you help
You're right, that Vesuva
is pointless if you don't choose any land in play or if there are no other lands in play already, which at that point I'd think you'd just keep it in your hand until there is something you'd like to copy.
As to why this card is designed this way? I have no idea, that would be a question for wizards. LOL! In my opinion Thespian's Stage
is a better card then Vesuva
so I have no idea other then rarity which would explain the price difference.
November 20, 2013 5:40 p.m.
Depending on the format of course. With what Devonin says, with competitive play Vesuva is far better if speed and mana is something that your concerned about.
November 20, 2013 5:42 p.m.
Have Chromatic Lantern down and it can produce mana! Lol I do that with Tabernacle in EDH all the time.
November 20, 2013 5:43 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #6
The Q&A handles rules questions. Moved to General.
November 20, 2013 5:50 p.m.
@Default404: Thespian's Stage has a lower price because it's only used as a singleton in one format: EDH. Even then, a lot of people don't play it. Vesuva is a Legacy staple in the deck 12-Post, which uses four Vesuva , four Cloudpost , and four Glimmerpost to drop turn two and three Primeval Titan s or Wurmcoil Engine s.
For an example, here is Greg Price's 12-Post MUD that got top four during Eternal Weekend. With Vesuva , the deck can reliably drop a turn two Grim Monolith , giving access to seven (ZOMG!) or more mana on turn three, and that's with a bad hand. If he played Thespian's Stage instead, that mana wouldn't be available until turn four.
But yeah, it's like you said, Vesuva is better for competitive play. The price, however, is more so because it's played in more decks as a four-of.
November 20, 2013 6:34 p.m.
infinitemana says... #8
sylvannos The part about Thespian's Stage only being played in EDH isn't exactly true. It's played in the legacy Lands deck and it is used to copy Dark Depths , and because it doesn't have any counters on it, it becomes a 20/20 indestructible flyer and usually wins the game.
November 20, 2013 7:03 p.m.
I forgot about that deck. Even then, it's not played as much as 12-Post.
November 20, 2013 7:11 p.m.
Samuel_The_Seer says... #10
Just think: somewhere out there someone, somehow is using Thespian's Stage in Standard...
Devonin says... #2
You have the option to choose, so that it is not completely unplayable if, say , there are no other lands in play. Sure it will do nothing on its own if there are no other lands. But say the only land in play is an Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth . If you copy it, one of them will have to go to the graveyard, but if you leave the Vesuva as a "nothing" it will still function as a swamp thanks to the tomb.
Or you have a creature with a powerful landfall ability that could win you the game right now if only you had a land to play!
Also, "Have to pay 2" is a MASSIVE disadvantage in any kind of competitive play. That's like asking why a Savannah is so much more expensive than a Temple Garden , after all, all you have to do is pay 2 life.
November 20, 2013 5:35 p.m.