Articles

To Opt or not to Opt

Q. Does your IBC deck have access to Blue mana?
A. Probably yes. More than 50% of IBC decks I've tested against have access to Blue mana.

Q. Does your IBC deck use Opt?
A. Probably not. But have you asked yourself why not?

Q. Does your IBC deck use Yawgmoth's Agenda and have access to Blue mana?
A. Possibly. There is no excuse for not using Opt if this is the case.

Here's the card text from the Wizards of the Coast Spoiler:

Opt
U
Instant
Look at the top card of your library. You may put that card on the bottom of your library. Draw a card.
"We need alternatives, Hanna," yelled Gerrard. "Now!"

The flavour text sums up the situation quite admirably in my opinion. Opt is the card you want in your hand when you need to find an alternative card to what you already have in hand. Whether you are looking for another land, an answer to an opponent's threat(s) or a threat of your own, Opt can be used to go looking.

An Opt in my starting hand I consider to be the top card of my library that I just haven't drawn yet. For the mere cost of U, you can draw that top card and if it isn't what you wanted draw the next card instead. Admittedly you won't know what to expect from the next card but compared to your opponent, by playing Opt you have seen two more cards from your deck. If your cards are weight for weight as powerful as your opponent's cards then you are already ahead in terms of card advantage.

If your deck intends to play Yawgmoth's Agenda in the mid to late game and has access to Blue mana, there is absolutely no reason not to include 4 copies of Opt (and Fact or Fiction) in your deck. Yawgmoth's Agenda will net its owner huge card advantage if their graveyard is reasonably full of quality spells. Having Opt in the graveyard is simply another card in your hand that you haven't drawn (during your opponent's turn) yet. I've seen many opponents shrug and comment "whatever" as I've cast Opt during their turn. But they rarely make the same comment the second time I cast Opt from my graveyard and increase my hand size again.

Opt smooths out your land draws and thins your deck at the same time, meaning that you are that much more likely to draw the spell you wanted from the top of your library while having the mana base to be able to cast it also. In an environment which has very few exciting plays on turn 1, Opt is a one-drop spell that fits the slot perfectly.

If you're running 4 copies of Fact or Fiction in your IBC deck, I suggest that you should also have 4 copies of Opt in there too. I consider myself to be lucky if I reveal an Opt as part of a Fact or Fiction split because my opponent has no idea exactly what card the Opt will transform into when used. Often opponent's undervalue the Opt at the time of splitting cards for Fact or Fiction, which is again part of the card advantage generated by what is an excellent card.

Sure, Opt won't kill your opponent. But my experience with testing IBC decks is that one of either tempo control (usually aggressive) or long-term card advantage (usually control) will be the decisive factor in determining who will win.

Comments and criticisms are most welcome.

Jason Whitby
j.whitby@pgrad.unimelb.edu.au