Bombs and When To Detonate Them

[SpacerGal]

Okay, let's say you crack your packs, and you only see about 3 or 4 solidly playable Gearsmith cards, one of them being a H07 P3PP3R. Is this one of those times where it is worth throwing in some starting elitism just to take advantage of the pepper, or just let it slide? I often find myself being unreasonably influenced by exploitable cards, and was wondering what people's thoughts on the matter are.

I guess the actual question, without asking in an example, would be, "Is splashing a pack-weak color worth it for a semi-longshot game-winning bomb?"

**Note: The example above was the situation I was in at Winter Sealed, but I did have two Hamsters to couple with the P3PP3R.**

[wmorgan]

In Seed Sealed, if I open a Hot Pepper then I'm playing it. It could be my only Gearsmith card and I'd still play it.

[thegnomishone]

At winter limited, I splashed 1 thresh elitism for 4 cards (Runivoltaic Accumulator, 2 Runic Reinforcement and 1 P3pp3r 0f 1n54n17y)... and the faction. The H07 P3pp3r is actually a bad example. It's an amazing card, but anytime you start with 1 elitism, you gain the ability to play the Alliance of Handy Weirdoes. That's a huge advatange. Period. I might consider splashing for just a H07 P3pp3r because of the unbalancing effect that the Alliance can have on games, but maybe that's just me. Normally, though, I won't splash 1 thresh for less than 4 good cards (say, a Horrendous Behemoth, 2 Hamsters and an Encumber).

Edit: Oh, or if I have like 3 Karmic Cakes and can play 1 of the resource in deck along with 2 or 3 good 1 thresh cards..

[SpacerGal]

Oh, yeah. Handy Wierdos... I always forget the ridiculousness of that thing. I have gotten so locked into Moist Cave as a solid cycler of junk that I usually barely even give a second thought to the other faction options.

[Fry]

After all of the sealed practice I have gotten in, I am pretty sure I will splash one elitism to play Handy Weirdos, even if I don't have a single playable Gearsmith card. It is just that good.

[UtopiaTree]

Playing handy weirdos without and gearsmith cards seems AWFUL to me. Yes, the faction is great, but if you don't have any elitism cards to play, then you don't play it. You play tournament faction. An extra five influence is huge.

[SpacerGal]

It doesn't sound like a great idea, but if you stick to a curve, you are effectively "unblockable" thanks to the built-in combat trick. But I do agree, if I have no playable Gearsmith, I'm not gonna bank on the faction's star power to float to victory. I'll just go MCotDP for cycling or Drowned Catacombs for Covert fun. I know DC ain't the strongest, by any means, but I have sniped wins with it, usually by granting my opponent's blockers covert and comin' through.

I haven't been swayed by any of the factions just yet. If I happen to have a handful of playables that work well with particular factions, then I'll go for it, but then it's right back to when/what justifies running a color/faction when you have limited options within the trade?

[thegnomishone]

the first thing I do in a sealed even is separate into trades and then look at the threshes. If I only have 2 or 3 cards in a trade about 1 thresh, odds are I'm playing that trade at 1 thresh. Now, as far as playing the factions, let me break it down for you.

Drowned Catacombs: Only play it for fun, really. I wouldn't recommend it... ever... in a tournament you really want to win

Golden String: Not particularly good in limited. In Banker, where one of the best limited characters (Deck Warden) requires you to lose life, you'll probably be better off with the 25 life granted by the tournament faction

Hall of Great Justice: Solid in limited. Use if you have a strong Rage pool and are character heavy and removal light. It's not the most efficient removal (literally the same real cost of explosive fury) but if you have little other removal, then you can afford to play this.

Moist Cave of the Dark Pump: Very solid, good if you have a tricky resource base, a few absolute BOMBS or a large selection of Gamble cards (Flimflam man comes to mind). Certainly a good choice of factions.

Alliance of Handy Weirdoes: In my opinion, this is the best faction in limited. Play if any of the following are true: You have 3+ high quality cards in Elitism (preferrably 1 thresh, but 2 thresh is acceptable. Remember, the Velocious golem is still a 4/3/3 for 5 which is not bad in limited even if you only have 1 thresh. 3 thresh is pushing it unless you're in two trades and decide that you can start 1 and 1 resource-wise), or you have 1 of the following: Hot Pepper, Pepper of Insanity, Cowering Golem, Oddment Collector, Mysterious Invasion.

Tournament Faction: Play this if none of the above criteria for playing one of the other factions is true.

That's just my thought process anyway. Hope that helps.

[r0ck L337]

I really love Alliance of Handy Weirdos and Hall of Great Justice. Both are rediculously good in limited if you arent forcing them. The 5 life isnt a issue at all. Their third abilites give you a stupid card advantage by either saving your cards repeatedly. Or making them do alomst double damage.