Which is better, Dark Confidant or Psychatog?

JonasToze · Joined: 16 Apr 2006 Posts: 10

Mage>Bob>Tog Very Happy

But bob is seeing a lot of play everywhere Very Happy

ReSurrected · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 1

It really depends on the state of the game to determine which one has more 'raw' power. For instance, in the early game, bob clearly has a more game defining position then tog, and the card advantage he generates should usually win you the game. However, as the game goes into the late game, Dark confidant is never a bad play but tog could just win you the game the very next turn.

Also, Bob is a way more flexible creature then tog could ever hope to be. Plays in all different style of decks from aggro-control, pure aggro or combo and is relevant in every format that he is legal in. Eventhough there is no 'bob deck' per se, any black deck (or splash) w/ a low curve an emphasis on drawing cards will run him.

thumbs · Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 6

I think that Bob hasnt been around for long enough to decide if it is better/worse/equal to Psychatog. Also, they do very, very different things. Is Birds of Paradise better than Mind's Desire? Desire wins the game, but Birds is an early card that gives you accel to win.

Alvin6688 · Joined: 02 Dec 2006 Posts: 1

I think the only argument that matters is format domination, and in order to do that you have to look at history. Psychatog has dominated every large format at one time or another. Psychatog has gotten cards banned (Gush). People have seriously talked about banning Psychatog itself in Standard (Invasion+Odyssey block) as well as Vintage (GroATog era). Psychatog has single-handedly shifted metagames, defined formats, altered WotC's mentality, and forced solutions made specifically for it.

Dark Confidant is cheap and flexible and very strong, but it has yet to dominate a format. Nobody has considered banning Dark Confidant anywhere. Sure it fits into lots of decks, but Tog fit into lots of decks too because every deck was a Tog deck.

In fact, I don't see Bob really all that popular in any format outside of Standard. In extended, what Tier 1 deck runs it? Flow-Deck-Wins has it and some strange Minority Boros builds may run it (but even most black-splash Boros decks don't). B/W Deadguy runs it. That's about it. None of those are the big guns of Extended that people metagame for.

In Legacy, it once again is an outsider looking in. Pikula and UBW Fish run it, but neither deck is anywhere as established as the big three of Threshold, Goblins, and High Tide.

In Vintage, of course lots of decks run Confidant, but using Vintage as an example is unfair because of this: Psychatog is obsolete as a finisher without Gush because Tendrils, Yawg's Will, and Tinker are just more broken. Psychatog, by design, has to compete with other broken finishers, while Dark Confidant, by design, only aids the drawing and casting of other broken cards. Thus, in Vintage, while Tog gets set aside for busted Type-1-only finishers, Confidant is used to find those finishers. It's not Tog's fault that Tinker is in the format, and it says nothing about Tog's power or lack thereof.

At this current moment, Dark Confidant is more played that Psychatog. But you can't ignore a near decade of history and just assume something like "I dont care about the past, just right now." That's like saying Derek Jeter > Babe Ruth.

In the end, Psychatog has risen beyond just "magic-card" status. It has become an icon. Maybe in 5 years Bob will achieve similar heights, but not yet. So right now, Psychatog > Dark Confidant.

Engrishskill · Joined: 15 Jan 2007 Posts: 249

For the amount of time that Bob has been out, he has seen alot of play in a huge variety of decks. Psychatog was played in Moreno madness thing, psychatog decks in type two from the days of yore and friggorid. Bob has been played in almost everything with a average cc of 3 or so and even a bit more. Per capita, Bob is kicking the tog's ass.

You state the question in poll differently than the topic question. Idiot.

"Better" does not mean the same as "which has been used more".

(directed to author of thread)