Hi All,
A quick reminder on a couple of things I see people forgetting.
Firstly, a reminder that if you have cards you want to move, but really can't be bothered going through them, even just to seperate the value from the bulk, you can ship them or deliver them to us and we'll sort them, grade them, and price them and get back to you with an offer on them of cash, store credit, or even a mix of both :).
The second is more for those in Christchurch. But if you have a folder you want us to flick through, pull out what we are interested in taking and then pricing up, similar to if you'd met us at an event or a store, we are very much open to doing that, just contact us and we can arrange a time for you to pop around.
Anyway, with that out of the way, here is todays main topic.
So today I want to talk about a new card from MH3, Vexing Bauble. But to talk about Vexing Bauble, I have to talk about Trinnisphere. And to talk about Trinisphere I have to talk about MUD.
Those who have played legacy a while are probably familiar with my MUD deck to some extent, I don't believe anyone else plays it in NZ, in fact there are only a handful of us in the world. It's one of those decks that is in fact not a "good" legacy deck, but in the hands of a pilot who knows it inside and out it can be quite powerful.
At it's core it's a Cloudpost/Metalworker Ramp deck, that locks opponents out of the game with Chalice of the Void, Trinisphere, and Lodestone Golem, while going over the top with cards like Ugin, the Spirit Dragon and Blightsteel Colossus.
Here's a list from 2021 (the most recent list I could find on MTG Top8) https://www.mtgtop8.com/event?e=30566&d=438429&f=LE
Anyways, with the intro out of the way lets discuss Trinisphere and it's roll within MUD. Trinisphere is a 3-mana Artifact that when it is Untapped all spells costing less than 3 cost a minimum of 3. So 0-2 mana spells cost more. Force of Will cost 3 mana in addition to paying it's alternate cost. Same with the MH2 Pitch Elementals. Delve gets around it because you are still paying the 3, you are just doing so by exiling cards in your graveyard.
If you are ever confused by Trinisphere, just remember that Trinisphere always goes last. So if there is a lodestone golem in play making the card cost 3, then there is no Trinisphere tax. Only after everything else is apllied, if the mana paid is still less than 3, only then does Trinisphere kick in.
So in MUD, a deck that tends to go over the top, I usually side out Trinispheres in matchups where having it in play doesn't just stop your opponent from playing magic. Decks like Control, Delver, Stoneblade, Midrange etc...
In these matchups you resolve a Trinisphere but your opponent keeps playing magic. Murktide and Delver still get cast, and you still get attacked while you are taking damage from Ancient Tomb trying to develop your board/mana.
Matchups like Burn, or Combo, I love the card. While it's in play, it's often your opponent just stops playing the game for a number of turns. But in those more fair matchups, I just want a card that is more impactful.
This is where Vexing Bauble comes in. It's basically a Trinisphere in the Matchups you don't want Trinisphere. It's a 1-mana artifact that counters spells if no mana was spent to cast them.
You would want Trinispheres against delver to shut off cards like Force of Will, or pitch elementals. And you don't need to worry about being stuck under your own Trinisphere while your opponent Wastelands you out of the game.
AND Most importantly you can fetch it with Urza's Saga. Urza's Saga being the card that made MUD remotely playable again. AND if for some reason the Vexing Bauble is getting in your way you can sac it to draw a card.
The card seems obscene to me. It also works as a hate piece in most of the matchups you do want Trinisphere, though in those matchups you need more stax pieces than just Vexing Bauble.
Anyways, that's my thoughts on this one new card.
- Rose Willis
