Lay Claim

Monkeynutts85
Monkeynutts85 Posts: 46 Just Dropped In
in MtGPQ General Discussion
Is this card just annoying like Exert Influence was/is, or even more so because it's an uncommon and the AI can get to it just a as fast with certain cards and it's more accessible and works with certain PWs.

I've had several run ins with this card. Some of the time you have a charged or semi-charges kill spell ready that you can kill the creature that was stolen, but other times the AI cascades into it or hits a couple of New Perspectives and you are all of a sudden staring at your own creatures coming back at you from almost no where.

It doesn't hurt in normal events, but in enraged ones it really hurts the most, especially on turn 6 on wards (2x Damage).

Comments

  • Steeme
    Steeme Posts: 784 Critical Contributor

    I find the issue is the recent rampant use of RishkarEx + Harvest Season + new Green gem changers.  It's like everyone just picked up those cards recently.  Doesn't matter if it chains into Lay Claim or some other nonsense, it's very easy to get overrun.

    Enraged events do not help.

    Enraged events where you have to take X or less damage AND kill X or more creatures at the same time are painful.

    Enraged events where you have to accomplish the above objectives AND the matchmaker is pitting you up against these "I have all the cards" decks is, well, making my job more entertaining than this game.

  • GrizzoMtGPQ
    GrizzoMtGPQ Posts: 776 Critical Contributor
    Lay Claim is more annoying that Exert. Exert has a major limitation in that it does not work unless you have 2 or less creatures. Since the AI would typically fill the board it didn't get cast against you very much and it never seemed to prioritize casting it. Lay Claim seems to be specifically coded to get cast but I think that is because the algorithm for the AI prioritization is to cast the most expensive card it has access to.
  • Furordraco
    Furordraco Posts: 142 Tile Toppler
    I find that most time when the Ai uses this card, he fills it to half mana, then changges its position with other monsters or spells. On the other hand, i use it with my Jace Unraveler and it does a really nice job (not always due to its 21 mana cost) Dunno about you guys but many time this card annoys me cause of its cycle...i dra 3 in a row and cant discard them cause it only drains my mana just to draw again :blush:
  • Ohboy
    Ohboy Posts: 1,766 Chairperson of the Boards
    Furordraco said:
    I find that most time when the Ai uses this card, he fills it to half mana, then changges its position with other monsters or spells. On the other hand, i use it with my Jace Unraveler and it does a really nice job (not always due to its 21 mana cost) Dunno about you guys but many time this card annoys me cause of its cycle...i dra 3 in a row and cant discard them cause it only drains my mana just to draw again :blush:

    That's how cycle was supposed to be. 
  • Furordraco
    Furordraco Posts: 142 Tile Toppler
    Ohboy said:
    Furordraco said:
    I find that most time when the Ai uses this card, he fills it to half mana, then changges its position with other monsters or spells. On the other hand, i use it with my Jace Unraveler and it does a really nice job (not always due to its 21 mana cost) Dunno about you guys but many time this card annoys me cause of its cycle...i dra 3 in a row and cant discard them cause it only drains my mana just to draw again :blush:

    That's how cycle was supposed to be. 
    Its a nice mechanic, it can combo with a lot of things. But wouldnt work so well on decks that arent blue or green due to the lack of drawing combo mechanics
  • Sirchombli
    Sirchombli Posts: 322 Mover and Shaker
    I can attest that lay claim is pretty brutal in a kiora deck with a million gem converters. I've been playing an autopilot kiora deck a lot lately. It does exactly 2 things. It ramps out fat and it draws lots and lots of cards. I actually took lay claim out because I don't really have to worry about creatures when I've used her ult thrice and have a hundred power worth of heart of kiran on turn 4.

    Luckily, lay claim costs a lot of mana. It's definitely an annoying card, but so is every other form of removal. This one just adds insult to injury. 
  • Gilesclone
    Gilesclone Posts: 735 Critical Contributor
    In the cycling decks that most commonly use Lay Claim, the AI hardly ever saves enough mana to cast it.  Even when it does, you almost always have answers by the time it does. 
  • Corn_Noodles
    Corn_Noodles Posts: 477 Mover and Shaker
    I replaced Exert with Lay Claim in my Kiora PVP deck due to Exert not being able to replace creatures.
  • Phillmoore
    Phillmoore Posts: 207 Tile Toppler
    I play Lay claim with swarm intelligence and a cheap spell on Kiora deck. With shefet to boost mana also to get out third ability. the rest of the deck is fraying insanity and drain essence or galeforce so even if I don't get to use lay claim it's useful to have 
  • Gormhaus
    Gormhaus Posts: 190 Tile Toppler
    Lol. The AI used lay claim on my massive heart of kiran stack on my saheeli deck. Was going to win but got stomped! Was the first time i have noticed the AI use the card.
  • Ohboy
    Ohboy Posts: 1,766 Chairperson of the Boards
    And next time, you'll learn not to leave yourself open like that.

    It's a learning process. There's nothing wrong with it. Like that first time you learned that energizing the board might not be a good idea when your opponent suddenly puts down a gonti heart. 
  • Monkeynutts85
    Monkeynutts85 Posts: 46 Just Dropped In
    That's just a dumb answer.
    If people are replacing Exert for it and it can take any creature if choose if it doesn't have hexproof, which most creatures these days then there's an issue.
  • Ohboy
    Ohboy Posts: 1,766 Chairperson of the Boards
    It's not a dumb answer really. If you put 20 enchantments on your one creature in the paper version and it gets stolen, it's not control magic's fault. It's yours. 
  • Corn_Noodles
    Corn_Noodles Posts: 477 Mover and Shaker
    If playing against green: Prepare for Gaea's Revenge
    If playing against blue: Prepare for Lay Claim
  • fiirst
    fiirst Posts: 438 Mover and Shaker
    Corn Noodles said:
    If playing against green: Prepare for Gaea's Revenge
    If playing against blue: Prepare for Lay Claim
    against white: Hixus
    against black: Creul Reality
    against red: ?????? Demolish
  • Mainloop25
    Mainloop25 Posts: 1,982 Chairperson of the Boards
    Monkeynutts85 said:
    That's just a dumb answer.
    If people are replacing Exert for it and it can take any creature if choose if it doesn't have hexproof, which most creatures these days then there's an issue.
    It's not a dumb answer at all. If you're that worried about your creatures getting stolen, pack a charged kill spell in your hand. What's the issue? 
  • Gunmix25
    Gunmix25 Posts: 1,442 Chairperson of the Boards
    Monkeynutts85 said:
    That's just a dumb answer.
    If people are replacing Exert for it and it can take any creature if choose if it doesn't have hexproof, which most creatures these days then there's an issue.
    Ask yourself this, if you are okay with being able to destroy with Slaughter Pact or Unlicensed Disintegration, "any creature [they] choose if it doesn't have hexproof, which most creatures these days," then why is Lay Claim an issue? and if so how are they different?
  • Thésée
    Thésée Posts: 243 Tile Toppler
    fiirst said:
    Corn Noodles said:
    If playing against green: Prepare for Gaea's Revenge
    If playing against blue: Prepare for Lay Claim
    against white: Hixus
    against black: Creul Reality
    against red: ?????? Demolish
    against red : haste creatures 
  • shteev
    shteev Posts: 2,031 Chairperson of the Boards
    Playing against Lay Claim isn't too bad, you just need to think carefully about the game, make optimal moves in each situation, and build the most powerful deck you can.

    However, while doing this, don't forget that playing cycling optimally is really dull and/or painful, so at the same time remember to not think too carefully about the game, don't play optimally, and don't build the most powerful deck you can.

    It's just a game. Have fun!

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