Much debates between this and Extirpate, which I really appreciate. But there is Cremate now. What do? I actually like Surgical Extraction over extirpate bcs I find myself out of mana more often then facing an opponent with countermagic. But my deck really likes drawing cards instead instead of saving myself one B. Plus, when you side board this in your deck, there is a good chance you also want to draw other useful cards, which this helps you achieve. Any thoughts?
Posted By:
CG1248
(4/5/2013 2:17:15 PM)
It's tempting to play this over Extirpate in Modern now that Second Sunrise was banned, meaning there would be one fewer use for split second.
Also, you can't do a discard/exile-all-copies combo on T1 with Extirpate. The only problem with casting this after a Thoughtseize T1 is you are down 3 cards in hand 4 life and they're down 1 card in hand and 3 in their deck at most. Of course, you'd be down 2 cards and 2 life just with a Swamp and Thoughtseize...
Posted By:
j_mindfingerpainter
(5/29/2013 6:33:57 PM)
I am attempting to create a tournament-quality Modern Mill deck.
It initially started as such, but slowly transformed into a stall and strategy-ruining deck.
My most proud moment came when I combo'ed Ghostly Quarter (destroy their T1 Shockland), Archive Trap, and then Surgically Extract their most powerful spell... all for 0 mana.
This always screws over combo decks with cards like Grapeshot, Pyromancer Ascension, Second Sunrise, or Living End. You are at the mercy of whether you dig through 13 of their cards, only to miss their most important spell, but when it works, it completely shuts down their deck.
Other spells I play in there include Mesmeric Orb, Hedron Crab, Thought Scour, Extirpate, Relic of Progenitus, and Mind Sculpt. Si... (see all)
Posted By:
Ferlord
(7/28/2013 9:14:50 AM)
Between this and Extirpate I prefer this. Here me out: all of my reasons are because of the phyrexian mana which means it can be used:
-T0, meaning it can hose a deck like Oops, a dark-rit reanimator target like Iona, Shield. Nearly nothing else can outside of blue or Leyline of the void. Can even nail a T1-storm by exiling a Rite of Flame before they can cast a second. It's chancey, but at least you get a chance to not-lose.
-When tapped out;, meaning no tempo-loss, your opponent can't predict you'll do it, and meaning you don't have to predict *when* something bad will happen. You can use it as a reaction to a strategy if you main-deck it too. Say they counter your spell. Eat that playset of counters.
-to allow brutal T1 Cabal Therapy's by exiling a fetchland. You see their hand, nix 2-3 lands in their deck (potentially land screwing them) and might nix a land from their hand. Even better, you see their hand so you can... (see all)
Posted By:
blurrymadness
(7/30/2013 2:40:19 PM)
Think of this as an Extripate in Blue. It's a proactive counterspell against the biggest threats.
Posted By:
sincleanser
(8/9/2013 10:40:06 AM)
This is one of the best spells I've ever seen. I don't play Magic all that much but just from one look at this card I can think of so many uses and combinations with it. How about: Turn 1 cast duress, make them discard one of their best cards, surgically extract every copy out of the game for only 2 life? Yes please!
It even makes your opponent more susceptible to mana floods as their deck will have a much more unbalanced land to spells ratio.
The fact that it can be played in the first turn along with another spell and in any colored deck just makes it that much more amazing.
Posted By:
DC-Chaos
(8/22/2013 9:43:19 AM)
So I got into a Kiki Jiki mirror match and sided this in. Second game, my opponent starts: Island/Serum Vision. Man, the look on his face when I said "at the end of your turn" with no lands on my side. Bye-bye, Serum Vision. I'm also sorry I messed up your Scry.
Posted By:
rockywm
(9/8/2013 10:22:38 AM)
Silence then Surgical Extraction on Force of Will.
Posted By:
Dryten
(9/12/2013 5:24:12 PM)
Oh, you discarded a Grapeshot?
Lemme take that.
Posted By:
Jitteryowl
(10/27/2013 7:34:12 PM)
Best luck I've had with this is using two in conjunction with a Chancellor of the Spires. I crippled my opponent's deck before the game had even begun.
Posted By:
Madarakita
(11/7/2013 6:17:20 PM)