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TMP: Bitterblossom = Smokestack
Posted On 01/23/2008 22:56:39 by reubs11

Here's what I think: Bitterblossom is going to be to Type 2 Faeries/Rogues as Smokestack is to Stax.

 

Whenever I play in a Legacy tournament against Stax, I hope beyond hope that thier turn 2 play is Smokestack (thanks to Ancient Tomb, City of Traitors and friends, for those of you who don't play a lot of the older formats). Why? Because it doesn't DO anything.

 

Let's say you cast Smokestack. What happens the turn Smokestack comes into play?

 

Nothing.

 

How about during your opponent's next turn?

 

Nothing.

 

During your next turn with Smokestack in play?

 

Still nothing.

 

Finally, on the FOURTH turn of it's existence, what does it do?

 

Misguided Rage. 'Grats.

 

I get the same vibe from Bitterblossom. If I sit down from a player and they go first turn Nightshade Stinger I'm not going to be all that happy, but if they follow it up with second turn Bitterblossom? I'm counting my lucky stars.

 

What happens the turn you cast Bitterblossom?

 

Nothing.

 

Your opponent's next turn. What do you think happens?

 

Nothing.

 

During your next turn (third overall)? You get a 1/1 flier... that cannot yet attack.

 

During thier next turn? Maybe that measly little 1/1 holds off a Kithkin Banneret or something, but it's just as likely that they have an x/2 to attack with.

 

Now, FINALLY, during Bitterblossom's FIFTH turn of existance, you get the offensive benefit of Bitterblossom for the first time.

 

The funniest part is that everyone is going to be all like "but Reuben, the Innovator wrote about Bitterblossom in his article on that other website about the Prowl deck, and whatever escapes his lips is the gospel!"

 

Incorrect. Bitterblossom sucks.

 

Reubs 

Tags: Morningtide Magic Tmp The Main Phase Bitterblossom Smokestack



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Viewing 1 - 10 out of 10 Comments

02/01/2008 09:19:51
Pardon my typos.  I'm at work and trying to get other things done at the same time. 


02/01/2008 09:17:29

The real problem with this blog is it is not really well thought out AT ALL. Apparently it's only good for blocking, completely disregarding any other interactions it might have with any of the other cards in the format.  Stax is a horrible analogy.  You can play smokestck very easily on turn one in Vintage backed up with counter spells, thus making it more useful by coming online on your next turn (it's 3rd turn of existence, i guess  :/ ).  Making your opponent's 2nd turn hard since they now have to sac their land/mox.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but the current Standard environment has no way to cast bitter blossom on the first turn.  

  It sounds like you're trying to make blossom into an aggro card, but it's not really.  You argue that its first token becomes a blocker.  Why is that a bad thing?  It gives me a couple turns to establish board control.  Damnation all the other pesky creatures on the board, make token next turn, drop bomb.  It helps with Faeries.  Others have listed some of the interactions already (Thx.)  

 You're blog comes off as arrogant and disjointed.  Your comment to rebuke some of the other posters, was more thought out.   

"The card is not...awful %100 percent of the time. "
"Bitterblossom sucks."
Which is it??
A card that sucks IMO is one that won't ever get played.  Period.   Not one that is good in certain decks but doesn't make the cut in "aggro fae or mono black rogues."  "Bitterblossom is fine in UB control Faeries or some midrange..."  You totally contradict yourselfbetween your blog and your comment.

I understand it's a blog.  blah, blah, blah.  But work on your argument and your analogies.  And put something a little more comprehensive, complete, and coherent.  (I love alliteration!!)

 

Out. 



01/29/2008 14:22:02
Totally from left field, but mid range decks like Doran have been testing bitterblossom as a pseudo-form of anti-faerie/rogue tech. It gives them a black, flying rogue every turn that can chump the faerie assault, essentially slowing down the clock on them. I'm not too sure how well it has been working out for those that have been trying it, but it is something to note.


01/28/2008 10:08:56
Also, I'm counting turns as total turns taken by both players like on MWS or in 'extra turns' in a tournament. So turn 1 play it (do nothing), turn 2 sits there (opponent's turn), etc.


01/26/2008 20:19:14

I do not like having to quote my own post to make a point clear, but here goes:

 

Bitterblossom is going to be to Type 2 Faeries/Rogues as Smokestack is to Stax.

 

Bitterblossom is fine in UB control Faeries or some midrange miscombobulation, but in the decks that people are talking about putting it in, Namely aggro fae or mono black rogues, the card is cuts.

 

The card is not, as some people have misconstrued my meaning, awful %100 percent of the time. My point is that there are plenty of other cards I would rather play in the Rogue or Faerie archetype (Oona's Prowler and Oona's Blackguard come to mind).

 

I think most everyone got that, but for those of you who didn't I hope this clears things up. 



01/26/2008 03:16:43
You do know your comment comes off making you sound like a complete douche, right? Okay, just making sure. Bitterblossom is over-hyped, does it suck, maybe not. And if I wanted to I could list X amount of cards that do certain, yet very limited things better.


01/25/2008 14:28:43

This post is incorrect. Bitterblossom does not suck.

I'm not really sure where your math is coming from on "fifth turn it does something."  Why that turn? Why is the faerie blocking the turn before that, but not on the fifth turn? That makes no sense.

You do realize that it counts as a Faerie for Spellstutter and Mistbind, right?

You do realize that Faeries actually spends parts of its midgame casting 1/1s that can't block, right? How is this not a better mid-game top-deck?

You do realize that Legacy is an infinintely more powerful format than Standard, and that "doing nothing" for multiple turns is more costly there than in a format occasionally defined by 9-mana sorceries, charge lands and 7-mana morph costs, right?

You do realize that Scion of Oona makes this non-disenchantable, right? (Not to mention makes the tokens 2/2s)

You do realize that it doesn't HAVE to go in a faeries deck, right?

I suppose not. Otherwise you wouldn't have written this blog. Maybe it makes the cut in standard, maybe not...but sucks? No. 



01/25/2008 14:21:23
FINALLY.. I've heard alot of hype out of Bitterblossom.. and I honestly don't see why.. Yes it could help out Spellstutter Sprites later in the game, but for what the B/U Faerie decks are doing now, they don't need to be in an attrition war.. and 1/1 flyers are not worth it..


01/24/2008 12:59:48

If your opponent starts chump blocking with Bitterblossom token they are in trouble. Bitterblossom probably isn't standard viable but the simple fact that it combos with the blackgaurd to create Hyppies every turn for free makes it exploitable. Exploitable isn't the same as a tier one strategy, after all I once watched my opponent "exploit" Hypergenisis... but they still lost the game. That said, its mere presence increases the threat level of the environment, because it can be such a powerful engine.

 

Cloudthresher looks better every day.  



01/24/2008 11:47:25
I agree that Bitterblossom doesn't belong in a hyper agressive deck like prowl, but I do think that it can be very powerful in an incremental mid-range deck like Rock or Mannequin. 




*** MyTCGplayer ***