Hello and welcome to Magic Strategy Wednesdays! This is a new blog filling in your mid-week with explorations of some of the less appreciated cards in the Postmodern format.
We’re opening with a bang, looking at a nice combo card which is really seeing a lot of play in top-tier Simic:
Wimal! How many of you opened this in sealed or draft and went eh, I’ll pass, it’s a 5/5 for like 7 without a relevant type. And in Limited, you’re absolutely right. But in the Postmodern environment, you’d be dead wrong not to at least consider it, because of this card:
Styr of Bist wist is one of those cards which are always slated for banning in modern, but never quite make the grade of brokenness, so instead they keep dominating competitive play until the metagame shifts.
The thing about Styr of Bist Wist is it’s cheap counter that comes with a huge drawback. It counters a spell, yes, but also puts a +1/+1 counter on that spell and, more importantly, phases a 4/2 greener Elemental creature. Phasing is one of these keywords you don’t see much nowadays, but basically in this context it means that if a 4/2 greener Elemental creature doesn’t exist, it starts existing under their control. Not only is this a 4/2 beater potentially stopping you from using this counterspell early on when you need it, it’s a relevant type, and it’s greener, which really matters for devotion.
The part a lot of people miss is the intervening if clause. Normally, it’s one, so the clause doesn’t matter. But if it’s more than two - crucially if it’s more than two at all, not just if your opponent is more than two - the trigger never goes off, making this counter way more high value. So if it’s extra two? Well, one plus two is three - making Styr of Bis Wist fantastic value.
Thank you all for reading, I hope you come back next week for more key Postmodern strategy and of course thanks to Rosewater for creating this wonderful game.