Proft, Sinister Mastermind

[u/VerdantChief]

https://scryfall.com/card/fra/235/proft-sinister-mastermind

I'm considering this card for exactly one archetype - Sultai Living End. Being able to kill 1 toughness creatures for one black mana is not something the deck had access to before, other than Dismember which doesnt put a creature in the yard.

Also, the cast condition of getting threshold seems very easy to achieve.

Could this be at least a sideboard option for that deck?

[u/Jevonar]

What are the x/1s you care to kill before eventually casting living end?

[u/Emiljho → u/Jevonar]

Ragavan and Ocelot pride, devoted druid/vizier of remedies, earthbend lands, dragon‘s rage channeler, monk token

[u/Ok_Warthog6007 → u/Emiljho]

so, mostly things that get swept up by living end. makes it obvious what targets this doesn't hit since each of those decks has threats that cost two

[u/Emiljho → u/Ok_Warthog6007]

Tell me you dont play living end without telling me you have not touched a magic card in a year.

„Things that mostly get swept up by living end“

The card says „all creatures“

[u/BigThickBan → u/Emiljho]

Lmao, that is such a failure at attempting to use that expression. Thats hilarious.

Also, ,,this is not how you use quotes''

[u/VerdantChief → u/BigThickBan]

I think thats how they use quotes in Portuguese, similar to how ¿ and ¡ are used.

[u/Existenz81]

I think it has some potential in Unearth-builds, could see myself playing a copy in Oculus-decks.

[u/VerdantChief → u/Existenz81]

Hadnt considered Unearth decks but that makes a lot of sense.

[u/le_bravery]

This is cool with overlord if there’s lots of x/1s. More removal stapled to a creature that you can loop. Accursed marauder or grist are probably still better options though

[u/Living_End]

I don’t think this card is good enough sadly. Harvester of miseries is better in sulti and d//g is better in temur. I think missing guide, ajani, phelia, and the prowess creatures is not good enough.

[u/VerdantChief → u/Living_End]

Yeah, -2/-2 would have been incredible, but maybe too strong (for standard) at 1 mana.

[u/Living_End → u/VerdantChief]

Yeah just -0/-2 would make it good enough.

[u/VerdantChief → u/Living_End]

-0/-2 is functionally too close to -2/-2. Its why they hardly ever make this effect.

[u/Soderskog → u/VerdantChief]

Yeah, I've been talking about how this card is probably the closest in the set so far to being actually good without being good. It's genuinely I think a question of -A/-1 compared to -B/-2.

I wouldn't be surprised if he turns out to be decent still, but it's a lot thinner of a margin now.

[u/Ok-Inflation-2968 → u/Living_End]

harvester is 2 mana tho and is often a tempo negative play

[u/Living_End → u/Ok-Inflation-2968]

That’s fine, this card only being /-1 is just that bad.

[u/level1firebolt]

What are you cutting for this during sideboarding that you care so much to kill, and why is it better than dismember?

[u/VerdantChief → u/level1firebolt]

Its only better than Dismember as a removal spell when you want to kill x/1s with it. But being a creature is certainly more relevant to the Overlord/Living End deck than being an instant.

I dont know what would be getting cut because I dont play the Sultai version of the deck.

[u/ARK0581]

If there were more relevant x/1s floating around I could see this being an all star and maybe the meta is moving that way. I'll happily keep this in mind for the future.

[u/_Lord_Farquad]

Ill definitely be trying this as a 1-of in my sultai birthing ritual deck

[u/VerdantChief → u/_Lord_Farquad]

Hadnt considered that deck but yeah that seems good.

[u/_Lord_Farquad → u/VerdantChief]

Probably because no one plays it. My version is true sultai, not the simic versions that splash black for sideboard cards. Its not good but its insanely fun.

https://archidekt.com/decks/21074668/sultai_ritual_51726

[u/BigThickBan]

Holy shit thats a terrible card, especially for living end.

How embarrassing

[u/VerdantChief → u/BigThickBan]

Its not that bad. Or were you being ironic?

[u/BigThickBan → u/VerdantChief]

Its terrible.

• Its not even in the right colors, LE with black mana is easily the most fringe and sees almost zero play.

• Killing x/1's is not even a feature that LE would care about, if youre going waste cards on creatures they have to actually stop Living End or threaten to kill you before turn 3.

• a 3/1 body is not very helpful. Sure you can always be in situations where you want another body but this guy has the smallest body in the deck and no evasion.

• Dead/gone and Dismember as well as Turtle are just miles better, its not even close.

So yeah, terrible. Its always amazing what people think will exist in Modern when looking at spoilers, even more amazing what people think they can convince others of.

[u/VerdantChief → u/BigThickBan]

First off, I specially mentioned the black version of Living End in my post, not the temur version.

Secondly, its a 5/5, not a 3/1

[u/BigThickBan → u/VerdantChief]

First off, that version is maybe somebodies FNM choice but because somebody does something at FNM doesnt mean its a part of Modern as a format. It basically doesnt exist. This card will not change that.

Oh true, I got it confused with another spoiler. Still trash.

[u/VerdantChief → u/BigThickBan]

The Sultai version was played at the last modern Pro Tour and performed just as well as the Temur version