Again, during the example I've stated, Esper has to get specific with its removal. Yes a Spell Shrivel is the best case it can hope for and a good answer, otherwise:

- Fatal Push never hits it.
- Anything less than 2 relevant removal spells and the mana to pay for them falls flat. BTW, most of them cost
- If this resolves, one copy will take 4 pieces of removal to die in most cases.

Lets use Kefnet in this light on the play instead. T3 you cast it, he eats Censor. If he resolves, your opponent can cast Dec in Stone or Unmaking on him before you untap. If the best thing that can be said about Kefnet is him being countered T3 allowed me to put my opponent's mana behind, that says something about the card.

Yup there are several answers in that can deal with his birdness. I do see your point Keeper brings a fair bit of potential card advantage to the table.

Will that card advantage be enough to finish your opponent, maybe but I still kind of doubt it as they were planning on removing several creatures anyway. So instead of several creatures now it's one that requires quadruple the effort to extinguish.

I think he could be pretty sweet in a midrange deck. Opposing esper has already used a few removal cards and then comes down keeper, now they are in trouble if no counter was in hand and it's less likely they are ready with 2 removal cards that weren't named after a hit Salt and Pepper song.

Exactly. Bird brain goes "hurrr durr imma God exile me pls" in a mirror. If Esper starts running Cast Our or Never//Return (very likely) to save for PWs, then all that exile is primed for targets that require it to stay down. Namely, indestructible statues with conditional swings.

Lol, so after all of this, I now expect Kefnet to be very good, and for some reason the sphinx to be very bad. /jk (or am I?)

The scenarios aren't quite right with GK, btw. Anything that can target it removes the protection, and then it dies. So for example you can push and then dec it - not a good play, but reasonable if you are Control (it's not like you were able to draw out push with you other threats, that don't exist). If you are Aggro there are many cards that can tap, or touch it somehow, and then it dies to damage, destroy, exile, etc... and of course a 3 butt isn't stopping much against an Aggro deck - sure I'll trade my voltaic brawler for your 5 drop (or even worse a Scrounger).

It's a good card, this isn't Kozilek levels of failed evaluation, but keep in mind that after it's protection layer is removed, it's a paper giant. Lots of abilities can target it. (And can you really tap out twice to Aggro?)

I'm not saying it'll be OP, this is just a very "me" card, but it's better than people are giving it credit for and I think better than Kefnet will be as a finisher. Kozilek was a massive miss, I don't think the floor on this card is very hard to hit at all.

I like it too, I'll be playing it in midrange decks alongside the 4cmc sphinx.

Blue really needed both of those cards!

Kefnet, well we'll just have to see. Someone will try it, and then we'll know.

At the end of the day Kefnet is his own best removal, you play threats that need answers then he's warming the bench forever.

Hmm, Glyph Keeper is still soft to all but the weakest sweeper, which will be more prevalent due to the token heavy set I think.

That's not entirely true. Kefnet can also shut down most threats by simply being a 5/5 indestructible flier, so you have some choice in the matter as the control player - answer the threat, or answer the threat a different way. Plus Kefnet causes a lot of potential confusion in the opponent, in the sense that they won't know what your line is likely to be - they just see Kefnet, and then they need to start counting cards/mana etc... great ability to bluff.

I think you are seriously underselling the card in comparison to GK. Both have their justification - at least to try.

Especially since we got Pull From Tomorrow; Kefnet will easily be online if you're running that.

You don't need two removal spells. You just need one removal spell and one other way to target it.

+1 with Jace, then Grasp or something would do it, too.

Yeah, let's take the counters out of the draw-go decks! That'll work!

Dammit Lawyer!

Also, semi-unrelated, but why are so many people talking up Commit//Memory? That card kinda blows.

You blow...all your money...on hookers and blow...or somethin'...

On a srs note, I'm happy for you to sit in your Esper castle, you can have that relic.

Literally just piloted a weird combo-y Grixis deck to a 3-4 spot in the Xbox tournament.

Vertie's got range, bay-bay.

Yea...range...

Some crazy notion about a combo, that won't work, and is weak in any case. /shrug

That one will get tested, and go straight to the bin.

The combo is trash, this is Mill insurance baby.

Also know as generally Card disadvantage.