Dear Oust, 

<3

You used to be one of the choices for the flex slot in my UW control deck in Modern. I always had 2 slots to spare. Path to Exile was the prime removal in those times in Modern, and also was in that deck. Sometimes I played 2 Dissmember as Path to Exiles number 5 and 6, sometimes I played you, Oust. I always thought you were quite strong, but everyone always doubted you. Sometimes I did too. I shouldn’t have. 

I did play 4 copies of you in my Gifts Ungiven control brew that played 4 Spreading Sea’s. Path to Exile didn’t fit with the 4 Spreading Sea’s and 4 Tectonic Edge plan in that deck. I actually did pretty well with that deck, it was a lot of fun. You were perfect in that deck, I loved you in that deck, because I didn’t have to control the whole game, just stall it till I found room to cast a Gifts Ungiven to take over the game with either Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite or Iona, Shield of Emeria with the help of Unburial Rites. Stalling a creature for a couple of turns was exactly what that deck needed. 

The other day I was watching a LSV Vintage Cube draft video. He was having a rant about you. The good kind. He thinks you are actually very good in Vintage Cube. The case he was making is that putting an early creature, like a Birds of Paradise, second from the top to be drawn at a later point in the game when they are a bad draw, is exactly what he wants to be doing. I felt very validated to be still running you, after all these years, in my Peasant Cube. To be you were still, and always have been, just the 3rd best white uncommon removal ever printed for that Cube. A memory of those days playing Path to Exile numbers 5 and 6. But to LSV you are apparently number 2, and that made me smile. Thanks to LSV you are no longer Path to Exile numbers 5 and 6 to me, you are Oust. 

With love, 

Hanjo