Raven's Crime Virtual Card Advantage: Retasking

Kytep · Joined: 21 May 2006 Posts: 96

I've been toying around with Raven's Crime recently, and it seems better than I originally thought it might be. The reason is that it can give a new source of card advantage, which I'll call "Retasking."

The concept - at least with Raven's Crime - goes like this:

As we all know, lands which don't turn into creatures or do other "special" things do nothing by themselves. They only become useful when they are used to cast spells or power other things. Thus, if my mana curve tops out at, say, 4 mana, when I run out of cards, drawing a 5th land is usually a "wasted" draw.

Raven's Crime Retasks each land beyond what you need into a Mind Peel, allowing it to trade one-for-one with a card in your opponent's hand (assuming they have one), which is much better than dropping the land and then never needing it.

Here's where the Virtual Card Advantage comes in:

To the extent that I can trade for my opponent's cards on a one-for-one basis, and to the extent that my opponent needs (or at least drops) more lands than I do, I gain card advantage. For example, if I can run on 3 land but they need 5, and I can neutralize their cards in hand with Raven's Crime or other discard or neutralize their side of the board with Nameless Inversion, Cruel Edict, etc., then I have 2 more useful cards than they do.

Granted, my opponent may be able to gain card advantage back with things such as Ancestral Vision, Spectral Procession, etc., but it seems that when Retasking allows me to use my resources more efficiently than my opponent, I am gaining advantage from it.

For deck construction, I'm currently trying a low-curve discard deck which mainly leaves discard to one-for-ones' like Raven's Crime (which Retasks, see above) and Funeral Charm, rather than trying to get fancy with higher-cost cards like Stupor and Mind Shatter. The deck allows me to pitch everything beyond 3 lands (some versions, 2 lands). The kinks aren't worked out yet, and maybe there are better Retasking cards out there, but it's fun to explore this new kind of card advantage.

Constructive comments welcome.

Thanks,
Kytep

Engrishskill · Joined: 15 Jan 2007 Posts: 454

Good call for the most part, but there have been cards that did the same thing: Undead gladiator, compulsion and some other cards that don't come to mind at the moment. They might not have said "discard a land" specifically, but that is pretty much one of the chief ways they were activated.

It's cool that you have coined a term for the function of those cards in regards to card advantage, etc and I think it is a accurate name for sure, but something a little less stale would have a way better go at catching on.

Just my thoughts anyway.

R3wind · Joined: 24 Jul 2006 Posts: 972

I get the idea. I really think that it will have it's place in standard. Really the card shines in ext and legacy. Life from the Loam meens on turn three you are ripping out their hand.

1 Raven's Crime
2 Land, Retrace Crime
3 Land, Retrace Crime x2
4 deal with anything that they may have played.
5 Drop QD or 'Goyf, play Loam, retrace Crime
6 play loam, retrace crime 3x

That's an ideal setup for sure.

As for standard, the best you can do is Crucible of Worlds. You will want to play a support color like blue. Blue gives you card filtering and drawing. Green gives you really great creatures that are supper fast like Tarmogyf and Quirron Dryad. QD can be nuts with Raven's Crime, other retrace cards, and flashback.

I would really like to see a list that you may have. The support color would make the deck or make it suck. You don't have to post a list. If you would like to pm it to me that would be sweet.

TekNique · Joined: 19 Mar 2008 Posts: 157

I only warn you about colossus, because that is the reason why mono-black doesn't work in the meta that well. I would suggest maybe that be an easy splash of discard in any deck, not so much focusing on it.

jdf121 · Joined: 21 May 2005 Posts: 195

I would def go with Thoughtseize over Funeral Charm. The fact that you can take ur pick rather that them choosing could dramatically help. This is a really cool way to look at this. Good job.

Daffie999 · Joined: 08 Jun 2008 Posts: 13

Is there a reason you are trying to call this "retasking"? It's retrace, a new ability with EVE. It doesn't take much thought to realize that it turns lands into spells in your GY... that's what it does. You don't need to rename it.

ACM · Joined: 03 Jan 2008 Posts: 122

After all, turning lands into spells WAS the whole concept of retrace, so starting to call it "retasking" seems a little bit weird.

Vedrfolner · Joined: 04 Apr 2006 Posts: 1442

The thing with Mind Shatter and Stupor, is that they trade 2 for 1 or better. Funeral Charm trades 1 for 1, and Crime can only be a late-game threat vs decks that tries to win by card advantage. Retrace seems like a good ability, but even though your curve stops at 4, 4 lands isn't enough. You would want to be able to play multiple spells per turn later in the game.

One useful trick which most magic-players know, is to feign threats/answers in hand by not playing excess lands. If I have a card in hand which I don't want to play immediately, and topdeck an excess land, I still don't play that land. The reason for this is that if I don't draw a land next turn, I would be at the same amount of lands, and if I do draw another land, I can play one of them and still have no use for that extra land until the turn after.

If you are going to use Retrace, you will either lose out on the option of bluffing (which can be game-deciding), or you will have to include cards that lets you re-use Retraced lands later on, like Tilling Treefolk or Crucible of Worlds.

Kytep · Joined: 21 May 2006 Posts: 96

Kytep · Joined: 21 May 2006 Posts: 96

Kytep · Joined: 21 May 2006 Posts: 96

Kytep · Joined: 21 May 2006 Posts: 96

Stucco · Joined: 14 Mar 2005 Posts: 563

I am glad you brought this card up. I've been messing around with it since I had access to a decent patch. I like that I can use it turn 1, then ignore it for awhile until I want to use it again. I've been toying with the idea of a B/W control deck due to helpful utility cards like Oblivion Ring and Runed Halo as well as Tarmorack with Raven's Crime. It certainly seems to have potential as a recurring discard outlet.

LordHawk · Joined: 12 Dec 2006 Posts: 17

this is the list ive been running for the last week or two. Its not that good but it does run Raven's Crime.

+

For the most part, this list is budget friendly, as im not a millionaire . Any help you guys can give is greatly appreciated.

TekNique · Joined: 19 Mar 2008 Posts: 157

-4 dream fracture
-1 Corrupt
-2 Tendrils of corruption

+4 Nameless inversion
+3 Mistbind Clique

I don't get how its budget with BB in it