You'll probably get a lot of endorsement for Decree, but I'm simply not a fan. It's too expensive to cast and too unimpressive to cycle. My rant about it from my own cube thread when asked to compare it to Elesh Norn:
We cut Decree for Elesh Norn, so obviously I value Elesh a bit higher. The thing about Decree was that it just wasn't played here anymore, so cutting it for any impressive white finisher wasn't that big of a deal for us. To compare them more directly, look at what you get from Elesh at seven mana and what you get from Decree at seven mana. Elesh gives me a pseudo Wrath (for just my opponent), an amazing Anthem, and a 4/7 that's almost impossible to kill in combat thanks to her -2/-2 effect. If I invest seven mana (actually six) into Decree of Justice, I'm able to create one (1!) 4/4 angel. Alternatively, if I cycle it, I get four 1/1 soldiers. In the case of the 4/4 angel, I'd much rather have Elesh Norn in my hand. The effect she provides has a much higher impact on the game and she's much harder to deal with, barring targeted black or white removal. For the 1/1 soldiers... I don't know... four bodies on the field is definitely notable, but I think I still value Elesh's effect higher. I like Elesh Norn because she's a seven mana spell and DoJ (I hate that Day of Judgment ****ed up this abbreviation) tends to be more of a ten to twelve mana spell. It's because of this that my players were quick to leave it in their sideboards. They (we) even prefer Martial Coup as an X token maker. It just provides more value at a cheaper price. Wiping the board and leaving myself with five to seven 1/1 tokens is much better than just giving myself a bunch of tokens. The only value DoJ has in this instance is it's uncounterability and, thanks to Stifle (which is awesome btw), that's also questionable among my group. Also, being uncounterable isn't very high on this list of reasons to include a card. It's more of an added bonus to an already awesome card. Decree was really good in ramp decks, specifically Mirari's Wake decks where it wasn't unheard of to "make five *****es" or drop 10-20 dudes on the table at instant speed. But as a control finisher is was rarely played and was lacking in comparison to other options due to the enormous mana investment. Beyond that it was hardly ever even considered for aggressive decks as a token maker. It's certainly not a bad card, but I don't think we're gonna miss it.
I don't have much more to say about Decree that wasn't already said in the wall of text above. The TL;DR version would that we feel that Decree was unimpressive when compared to other finishers for control decks and wasn't considered for aggressive decks. It was only really good when combined with Mirari's Wake or when it was top decked on turn 15 during a stalemate. In both instances, I feel like Elesh Norn will simply provide more value.
Alternatively, if I cycle it, I get four 1/1 soldiers. For the 1/1 soldiers... I don't know... four bodies on the field is definitely notable, but I think I still value Elesh's effect higher.
This evaluation shows a bit of bias because it leaves out important information. You get four soldiers and a card at instant speed. That makes this spell a combat trick that can also give your tokens pseudo-haste through an end-of-turn cast. It provides additional value to Decree in much the same way as Elesh Norn's pseudo-wrath.
This evaluation shows a bit of bias because it leaves out important information. You get four soldiers and a card at instant speed. That makes this spell a combat trick that can also give your tokens pseudo-haste through an end-of-turn cast. It provides additional value to Decree in much the same way as Elesh Norn's pseudo-wrath.
Ya, and with a single Anthem Effect it grants you 8 power, and it's also uncounterable.
Ya, and with a single Anthem Effect it grants you 8 power, and it's also uncounterable.
It's fair to note that I didn't account for the cantrip, but I don't think Anthems are relevant to the spell. I feel like a spell should be good on its own. If Decree made 2/2s it'd be a staple.
It's fair to note that I didn't account for the cantrip, but I don't think Anthems are relevant to the spell. I feel like a spell should be good on its own. If Decree made 2/2s it'd be a staple.
How can you say that Anthems are irrelevant to the spell? Lots of cards require other cards to push them from being average to being amazing. And there's a whole archetype that revolves around making tokens and pumping them.
How can you say that Anthems are irrelevant to the spell? Lots of cards require other cards to push them from being average to being amazing. And there's a whole archetype that revolves around making tokens and pumping them.
I guess because the spell was just never played that way here. It was a control finisher. The end. And it required you sink a ton of mana into it. So it was great when I could sink 10+ into it. And mediocre when I could only sink 6-8 into it.
I'd prefer Martial Coup as a token maker and Elesh Norn as a late game finisher. I might, however, bring Decree back in if my cube were to go up to say 630-720.
I like it and still run it at 500 cards. However, I consider it really expendable and it is unlikely to survive my next update or two. It's good but is slow and outclassed these days.
When looked at as a control finisher, it's a pretty mediocre card. As a card that gets used to thin the deck and sometimes provide a few instant speed 1/1s, it starts looking a lot better already.
I don't have room for it in 450 anymore, and I might not re-add it if I'd go up to 500, but any larger and it'd probably come back in. It's not often very good, but it's never bad [outside aggro].
I'd prefer Martial Coup as a token maker and Elesh Norn as a late game finisher.
Why choose, when Decree can be both?
Vindicate. I prefer Swords when killing creatures, Sinkhole when killing lands, and Disenchant when killing artifacts/enchantments. Therefore what good is it? That's an extreme example, but the idea is the same. Decree is a token maker and a late game finisher. And it doesn't wrath all your other tokens away or die to Doom Blade. I like Norn better too, but the point is that Decree has multiple roles.
For those of you who still have Decree of Justice in your cubes, I suggest straight up cutting it for Entreat the Angels.
Granted, Decree of Justice's cycling mode is uncounterable and cantrips, but Entreat's upper ceiling is MILES higher, and combos with way more than just Anthems (Brainstorm, Vampiric/Mystical Tutor, etc), and in its basic mode, it makes dudes for 1 mana less (granted, WWW instead of 2WW, but I think its easily worth it).
I would fully support Decree over Entreat if Martial Coup and friends were in the same cube - supporting the White Tokens in control like that is a sweet archetype.
I feel like something is going wrong if you are never casting Decree to make angels. People did the same thing in standard when it was legal, because they never knew when to pull the trigger on playing a threat/avoid the 'value' trap of cycling it and getting soldiers.
I feel like something is going wrong if you are never casting Decree to make angels. People did the same thing in standard when it was legal, because they never knew when to pull the trigger on playing a threat/avoid the 'value' trap of cycling it and getting soldiers.
-AA
In game, it is just usually better to have 5-6 1/1 instant speed soldiers plus a card than two sorcery speed 4/4 fliers.
I hardcasted the Decree probably 15-20% of the time it was played. And I cubed the card forever. Sometimes you just need to make Angels with it to get around blockers.
Decree is the control mirror breaker, the only card I can think of that might be better is Nephalia Drownyard, and that is quite a bit more narrow.
When both decks are threat light and have several counters, the games will draw out to where you'll each get 10-12 mana easily (especially with signets etc). Its a fantastic answer to many planeswalkers in this match, as your counter magic can be better served for something else.
I absolutely love this card is multicolor control decks with counterspells, and I probably would never cut it.
It is an iconic card. But is it outclassed these days?
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This evaluation shows a bit of bias because it leaves out important information. You get four soldiers and a card at instant speed. That makes this spell a combat trick that can also give your tokens pseudo-haste through an end-of-turn cast. It provides additional value to Decree in much the same way as Elesh Norn's pseudo-wrath.
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Ya, and with a single Anthem Effect it grants you 8 power, and it's also uncounterable.
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It's fair to note that I didn't account for the cantrip, but I don't think Anthems are relevant to the spell. I feel like a spell should be good on its own. If Decree made 2/2s it'd be a staple.
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How can you say that Anthems are irrelevant to the spell? Lots of cards require other cards to push them from being average to being amazing. And there's a whole archetype that revolves around making tokens and pumping them.
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I guess because the spell was just never played that way here. It was a control finisher. The end. And it required you sink a ton of mana into it. So it was great when I could sink 10+ into it. And mediocre when I could only sink 6-8 into it.
I'd prefer Martial Coup as a token maker and Elesh Norn as a late game finisher. I might, however, bring Decree back in if my cube were to go up to say 630-720.
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I don't have room for it in 450 anymore, and I might not re-add it if I'd go up to 500, but any larger and it'd probably come back in. It's not often very good, but it's never bad [outside aggro].
You should try playing it that way.
Why choose, when Decree can be both?
Vindicate. I prefer Swords when killing creatures, Sinkhole when killing lands, and Disenchant when killing artifacts/enchantments. Therefore what good is it? That's an extreme example, but the idea is the same. Decree is a token maker and a late game finisher. And it doesn't wrath all your other tokens away or die to Doom Blade. I like Norn better too, but the point is that Decree has multiple roles.
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Granted, Decree of Justice's cycling mode is uncounterable and cantrips, but Entreat's upper ceiling is MILES higher, and combos with way more than just Anthems (Brainstorm, Vampiric/Mystical Tutor, etc), and in its basic mode, it makes dudes for 1 mana less (granted, WWW instead of 2WW, but I think its easily worth it).
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In game, it is just usually better to have 5-6 1/1 instant speed soldiers plus a card than two sorcery speed 4/4 fliers.
Usually, but occasionally it's better to make angels.
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Exactly what I mean. Sometimes, having 2 4/4 fliers kills them when soldier tokens would do close to nothing.
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When both decks are threat light and have several counters, the games will draw out to where you'll each get 10-12 mana easily (especially with signets etc). Its a fantastic answer to many planeswalkers in this match, as your counter magic can be better served for something else.
I absolutely love this card is multicolor control decks with counterspells, and I probably would never cut it.
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