What to do with Monstro
We're getting another 8-Cost card! Well, kinda. Just like Death, you're basically never going to pay full cost for Monstro. Can we discount him enough that he feels worth it? Can his informational advantage give him the boost he needs to make it into some decks? Here's everything I want to try with Monstro!
How Does He Work?
Monstro will be discounted by the same amount of Energy as the top card of your deck costs. He doesn't show you the card, but if you know your deck list and have built without a lot of the same cost, you'll often be able to figure it out. He does count current cost, not base Cost, but there aren't a ton of cards that affect cost in deck beyond Phastos, Zabu, and Pixie, etc.
The Information “Advantage”
How much does knowing the top card of your deck actually help? It depends on the deck you're playing. We've had similar cards before. Howard has an Ongoing ability that lets you take a peek – no guesswork required. Jubilee and Iron Lad not only show you what's there, they immediately get that effect into play. Howard has never felt valuable enough to actually justify his place in tight 12-card decks. Monstro is better because he can give you similar information while also giving you an above-rate body to play out. He can also work in tandem with Iron Lad and Jubilee to guarantee benefit in a way that never felt quite worth it with Howard.
However, I'm not very high on this type of ability for a few reasons. First, the “Cube equity or retreat equity” it provides is real, but mainly allows you to retreat games you should have been retreating already anyway. If you don't have your key card in hand and your opponent has snapped, you shouldn't be cope staying on the off chance that you draw it anyway. In some percentage of games, Monstro will allow you to stay in these games, but he doesn't guarantee you'll win them. Second, there aren't that many decks in the game so built around a single high-cost card that you want this effect that badly. Negative certainly can't use him, for example, and Sera control has fallen out of the meta since even before the tech-pocalypse.
Monstro’s informational effect is certainly positive. But is it powerful enough to take up one of your precious 12 card slots? Monstro is likely to have fans that swear by him, but I expect him to be replaceable in most decks.
What's a High-Cost card I NEED to see?
Hela springs immediately to mind. Monstro will absolutely let Hela decks stay in games they might otherwise retreat. Zombie Galactus is another deck where Monstro can help you stay in fully winnable games. He could also have a place in ramp decks that wants one of their big 6 (or 7!) costs or alongside classic Galactus.
Scott's Day One Monstro Decks
Hela Monster
Hela lists are honestly pretty tight. You could include both Monstro and Death, but space is honestly too tight to fit an extra 8-Cost card in this style of Hela deck. Perhaps it would work better in a M.O.D.O.K. build, though.
Galacti
Galacti is basically a solitaire deck, unless your opponent plays an unexpected Cosmo. This deck knows when it's going to win and Monstro can help clue you in to that some fraction of additional games.
Wiccan Top End
This is one of the more enticing uses of Monstro. You can Snap or retreat on Turn 3 if you see that Wiccan (your only 4-Cost) is on top of your deck. Those are games you would otherwise have to retreat from an opposing bully Snap, or hold you Snap for Turn 4, therefore chasing most smart opponents off. Plus, Monstro can be played out for 3, 2, or 1, while telling you exactly which of your top end cards is coming up.
Ramp into 5s
This is our second deck that can give us both early and late info. If we don't have any of our Ramp cards in our Hand on Turn 2, this deck can feel a little nerve-wracking. But with Monstro, we'll know we're alright. Plus, we can tell if we're going to get our Infinaut late, a truly key piece of information for this deck.
Arishem
Arishem can occationally back itself into corners where it needs a great top decks on the last couple of turns. Monstro can help inform our Snapping and retreating better, while also being a 1/8 if Arishem or Foom are on top!
Sera
The heightened importance of Shadow King could bring Sera control decks back into the meta. Monstro can help you identify if you're going to draw your Sera in time. It would be nice to run this with a single 5-Cost to make Monstro's info more reliable, but CGR is too important to leave out.
Weapon H
The forgotten 7-Cost card in the game, Weapon H, fits into a deck where we would love more information about our draws. With just a single 4, 5, 6, and 7 Cost each, we can reliably know if we're drawing into our top end cards. There are other decks that use Weapon H, like Black Knight decks, but they aren't as thirsty for information as this deck is and Monstro would just get in the way.
Mole Man Shenanigans
Look, you know you've gone too far when you feel like you need to include Magik for your deck to perform it's basic function, but Monstro is undeniably the best Mole Man synergy we've had added to the game since his release, we can't not try it.
Is He Worth It?
As another seafood-reminicent character once said: “It's a trap!” If you get this card because it's quirky and weird, and you have a ton of resources, then fine. Maybe there's something weird you're itching to try out. But don't expect it to have a major impact for you, statistically if you're not a Hela or Galacti enthusiast.
Be sure to come back tomorrow for exhaustive previews of Jeff the Baby Dolphin and Venus with oodles of deck lists!
