So I had Kiora working quite well as a bounce deck prior to the standard. Picked up moon toward the end. My problem now is that all my bounces and kills are gone now, as I was using return to top-deck things such as Gone Missing.
I switched to some bounces that aren't efficient at all. Aether Tradewinds and Disperse. Both are bad. I don't have anchor to the ether nor do I have frog.
I do have Thopter Spy Net and Sphinx's tutelage + draw (Padeem), which is how I had been winning. With those bounces being inefficient I'm at a bit of a loss. A lot of times I just stall out and the AI gains momentum on me making my win rate maybe 50%.
I've been trying out those bounces with Rishkar as my bounce creature when I have to tradewind, since he'll buff when he enters. It's all very inefficient.
Any suggestions? I dont' have a huge collection, but some. I'm trying to keep to standard only since it's easier for me to just have a standard as my deck.
I think you're in a challenging spot, right now. It might be worthwhile to add some cycling cards from Amonkhet, if you have them. Could help you get your bounce cards quicker, plus would work with Tutelage. There is another Common creature-based bounce effect in Origins, Separatist Voidmage - it has the same effect as Disperse, but it at least puts a creature on the board for you.
Other than that, you'll have to hope to get some of the other bounce cards:
- Origins has Anchor to the Aether, and a rare creature-based bounce, Harbinger of the Tides.
- Amonkhet also has a few Common and Uncommon blue bounce cards, both spells and creatures, though I'm not sure if they've been already released or are part of the upcoming mini-release.
@julianus Thanks, I forgot about Separatist Voidmage, I'll try that out.
@Gilesclone That would be a good card, as soon as I get that one I'll replace probably the tradewinds.
So should I stick with TSN + Sphinx + Padeem for the win plan?
Should I drop Rishkar for something else once tradewinds won't bounce him?
Does anyone have a somewhat different gameplan with her?
Kyokudai said: @julianus Thanks, I forgot about Separatist Voidmage, I'll try that out. @Gilesclone That would be a good card, as soon as I get that one I'll replace probably the tradewinds.So should I stick with TSN + Sphinx + Padeem for the win plan?Should I drop Rishkar for something else once tradewinds won't bounce him?Does anyone have a somewhat different gameplan with her?
I use a somewhat similar approach with my Kiora, but I think I have more bounce/removal cards than you and I use Baral, so it may not be comparable. The extra mana and draws from Baral create a lot of flexibility and additional options.
I don't have Sphinx's Tutelage, so I don't have a good sense of how effective it is at locking down the opponent - it seems like it could be a bit of a tricky combo to land consistently. Do you have other cards in your deck for draw? If not, maybe add Jhessian Thief or Sigilled Starfish, or other efficient draw options (or cycling).
A secondary win condition for Kiora that doesn't require any specific cards is using her third loyalty ability - do you think this is practical thing to shoot for? If you find that you usually don't need to use her first two abilities to set up your board, it might be worth consideration. You could add in some additional gem conversion to help get cascades, if you can do that without hurting your current deck build.
As to Rishkar, look at what you have to replace him and how that fits into your deck strategy(s). Ideally, each card should have a role in you overall plan. He seems like a decent card and does a bunch of stuff, but he's a bit pricey at 16. I can see how that could contribute to you getting stalled. Is it possible to get the same benefits he provides, but with a few individual but cheaper cards?
Just a few thoughts, sorry if it's scattered.