Messages

1

General Magic / Re: Blasting Station question

« on: June 05, 2017, 11:24:08 pm »

I stand corrected.  Thank you Interfector.  I would hate to be wrong on this in the future.

2

General Magic / Re: Mephidross and Metallic Mimic

« on: June 03, 2017, 03:24:30 pm »

Mephidross Vampire type changing text is a static effect and is being continuously applied.  In your described case Walking Ballista will enter the battlefield as a Vampire Artifact and will ETB with 1 additional +1/+1 counter because of Metallic Mimic.  It will gain a +1/+1 counter when it deal's damage (Not just combat damage) to a player but you have to let the trigger resolve before you can get the +1/+1 counter and if it dies before the trigger can resolve then it will not get the counter.

Example:  Walking Ballista with 1 +1/+1 counter will not be able to survive if you remove the 1 counter because State Based Actions will have it put in the graveyard for having 0 toughness.  Walking Ballista with 2 +1/+1 counters will survive as long as you do not let its toughness get below 1.   In this case it would be:  Remove a +1/+1 counter to deal 1 damage to your opponent, after the damage is dealt, you will get a trigger that says "Put a +1/+1 counter on Walking Ballista" you have to allow that trigger to resolve before your Walking Ballista will get that +1/+1 counter.

3

General Magic / Re: Essence of the Wild question

« on: June 03, 2017, 03:07:57 pm »

At the time that Purphoros, God of the Forge enters the battlefield will determine if he is a creature or not.  If, when he ETB, he is not a creature then he will not become a copy of Essence of the Wild.  Below is the relevant gatherer ruling

9/15/2013   If a God enters the battlefield, your devotion to its color (including the mana symbols in the mana cost of the God itself) will determine if a creature entered the battlefield or not, for abilities that trigger whenever a creature enters the battlefield.

4

General Magic / Re: Blasting Station question

« on: June 03, 2017, 03:04:26 pm »

Assemble the Legion has those tokens enter the battlefield all at the same time. So you couldn't sacrifice one token then have another untap blasting station.  You could sacrifice a creature you already control in response to Assemble the Legion's trigger and then Blasting Station will untap once those tokens enter the battlefield.

Basically the tokens are all entering the battlefield simultaneously so there isn't a chance for you to sacrifice one and have blasting station untap when the others enter the battlefield.

5

Deck Reviews / Re: [Modern] Mono-White Humans

« on: May 04, 2017, 09:09:52 pm »

I would main deck those Knight of the White Orchid and Student of Warfare for Mardu Woe-Reaper and Soldier of the Pantheon.  Both Knight and Student provide more in terms of board presence then Mardu or Soldier provides in life gain.  I would swap them 1 for 1 and pick up 1 more Knight and 1 more Student personally.  You might even consider adding a few of the Swords to your sideboard as well.  Sword of Light and Shadow, Sword of Fire and Ice, and Sword of Feast and Famine are all powerful additions that can turn the tide in the right matchup.

6

General Magic / Re: Amonkhet Spoilers

« on: April 11, 2017, 06:47:05 pm »

Here are a few of the spoilers from earlier today



That new Nissa is really interesting... First Planeswalker with an X casting cost?  I can't think of one.  She scales well into the late game and her Abilities are really useful for almost any stage of the game.

Rhonas the Indomitable is exactly what I think people were expecting at this point.  His attack/block requirement is fairly easy to fulfill... this one feels a lot like Nylea, God of the Hunt.

Lord of the Accursed really drives home the Zombie tribal theme.  Second zombie anthem in this set and a few of these cards might make it into my Zombie deck maybe even an Esper list

7

General Magic / Re: Amonkhet Spoilers

« on: April 11, 2017, 02:42:59 am »

Oketra the True is the best looking for so far, to me. Neheb, the Worthy makes me wonder if they're going to try and get the RB Minotaur deck going again. That'd make me happy, since it was the first deck I homebrewed in standard when I came back to Magic.

Yeah that was the first thing I thought when I saw Neheb, the Worthy.  Listening to the fans.  That should make anyone looking for a Minotaur tribal deck or EDH deck happy.  3 drop, first strike anthem, and (slightly better) hellbent bonus

Oketra, the True is the most "open and play" of the Gods so far.  Double Strike and Indestructible is an interesting keyword combo for sure.

8

General Magic / Re: Amonkhet Spoilers

« on: April 06, 2017, 10:52:07 pm »

Special mentions

Obvious reasons, whilst we've had no real good playable Sphinx' recently, I really rate this one! Lots of potential for a 4/4 flyer for (4) mana! Scry when you cycle, is like a mini Glimmer of Genius, without the energy.
God-King Bolas! - tokens = improvise = tapped creatures = DAMAGE SON!

These cards were a surprise to be sure.  That Sphinx slots right into Modern Living End decks.  Its exactly what they want 1 mana cyclers that have a good body.  This one has scry stapled to it though after it hits the battlefield that should almost be moot.

Throne looks like it will slide into Modern Elves very easily not to mention all the other wide aggro decks.  I like it.  Chord of Calling likes it too

9

General Magic / Re: Amonkhet Spoilers

« on: April 06, 2017, 09:19:19 pm »

As Fortold is interesting to me becuase its a massive tempo swing, but is actually card disadvantage (since it doesn't actually do anything the turn it comes into play). This card has potential to go completely nuts, but will need to be carefully built around.

Maybe a Modern Simic deck?  Ramp into it on t2.  Leyline of anticipation (from firegriff) is a pretty good idea but what about Prophet of Kruphix?  Untaps lands and flash creatures seems like a decent place for it.  I think it is as much card disadvantage as Aether Vial though to be fair Aether vial is a t1 play.

ANyway, the new Gideon seems a bit insane... mainly because it's a 3 mana planeswalker, which are ALWAYS incredible (modern more than Standard). I can imagine a Green/White modern planeswalker deck that plays a T1 Mana dork, T2, this with emblem, then goes nuts with Gideon, Ally of Zendikar, and Gideon Jura. sprinkle in some Oaths, Ghostly prison, Deploy the Gatewatch, and some removal, and you get a solid Green/ White control deck with planeswaker win cons.

I like the idea of Prison BW Planeswalker deck or Esper Planeswalker deck using this.  Mono-W Devotion might not be a bad place since this on t3 with Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx works out great.  If you had a 1 and 2 drop this could ramp you up to 8 on t4 which is enough for Avacyn, Angel of Hope or Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite.  Shoot its even enough for Planar Bridge (if you felt so inclined)

Edit: Did my math wrong... Forgot about Nykthos activation fee.... Still works for Planar Bridge

10

General Magic / Re: Amonkhet Spoilers

« on: April 06, 2017, 02:55:47 am »

PS: NEW SPOILER

The unstoppable Aether Vial , better or worse?

The "or less" is what really makes this card playable.  On first look it can cast Ancestral Vision any time and after 2 upkeeps you won't have to worry about keeping mana up for 1 counter a turn.  After that its starts getting crazy.  I think what matters most is the 3 cmc is that going to be too slow?  Turn 5 casting this with AV in hand almost sounds broken and even without AV this really sets up the long game which is where control wants to be.  I like it a lot and will sleeve up some proxies and see were it leads.

11

General Magic / Re: Amonkhet Spoilers

« on: April 05, 2017, 07:32:53 pm »

New Gideon



So that emblem is kind of crazy.  There are some hard to kill Gideons out there and this one can stick around for a while just preventing damage.  Modern has answers to the planeswalker card but the emblem can easily turn any top decked Gideon into an impossible wall to overcome.  What do you guys think about it?

12

General Magic / Re: Amonkhet Spoilers

« on: April 05, 2017, 07:25:48 pm »

Nest of Scarabs might just be insane... It makes a 1/1 token for each -1/-1 counter you put on a creature... I can imagine this with Black Sun's Zenith now... bow to my unending wave of 1/1 tokens 

I noted that a few of the spoiler creatures a player could cast with a lower cmc, the downside being a bunch of -1/-1 tokens bringing down the oversized-for-the-cost stats; then each turn you perform some action to remove one. Nest of Scarabs gives you a chump blocker for each -1/-1 counter on your creatures as well. I think that is neat.

I'm pretty new to the game; I know of some older cards that remove any kind of counters from your creatures, but unsure if any of them are in standard.

Thanks to all those posting spoilerish stuff!

Yeah that will work out for Nest of Scarabs in Standard.  I was talking about Modern specifically in my comment but you have the right idea behind how the card works.  I think Black Green counters will be a strategy going forward but will it be +1/+1 or -1/-1 that is the question...

13

General Magic / Re: Amonkhet Spoilers

« on: April 05, 2017, 12:32:17 am »

Here are the Spoilers I wanted to talk about:


I don't know what to think about Kefnet the Mindful.  On one hand he has a very hard to fulfill requirement, 7 cards is a lot to ask, on the other he is a flying, indestructible 5/5 for 3cmc... My first impression was wow... what a waste of a God card but since I've thought of a few places he is useful.  I can't imagine why it wasn't 5 or 6 cards.

Channeler Initiate and Exemplar of Strength are interesting cards.  They can be an undercosted creature by targeting something smaller for the -1/-1 counters or be useful and get stronger over time... I like the concept on these cards and hope they drop something else that plays nicely with -1/-1 counters.

Oketra's Monument is the best of the cycle imo followed closely by Rhonas's Monument.  More creatures for just casting other creatures... sounds like a plan

Nest of Scarabs might just be insane... It makes a 1/1 token for each -1/-1 counter you put on a creature... I can imagine this with Black Sun's Zenith now... bow to my unending wave of 1/1 tokens 

14

General Magic / Re: Amonkhet Spoilers

« on: April 05, 2017, 12:10:56 am »

On the Modern application of Open Heart vs Inquisition of Kozilek, I think turn 1 is way better then turn 2 when it comes to hand disruption.  While Open Heart is an upgrade (of sorts) for Distress it still sits at 2cmc and on t2 I would rather cast Inquisition of Kozilek and hold up Fatal Push/Spell Pierce/Spell Snare/Lightning Bolt/Path to Exile/ect or just cast Birds of Paradise/Noble Hierarch/Serum Visions/Ancient Stirrings/ect.

On Standard, it could have a place if some kind of Hellbent/discard fueled deck makes it way onto the scene.  With Archfiend of Ifnir, Hazornet the Fervent, Madness/Cycling cards it is only missing a few pieces.  Though the Legendary clause does cause it to miss out on a surprisingly high amount of problem cards already without the rest of Amonkhet spoiled.  Not to mention Aftermath and Embalm will be around for people to get value from graveyards.

Open Heart will, remove Heart of Kiran. Harsh Scrutiny and Transgress the Mind won't!

This is incorrect though.  Heart of Kiran is legendary.

15

General Magic / Re: Amonkhet Spoilers

« on: March 31, 2017, 06:07:38 pm »

Yeah I was kinda surprised to see Prowling Serpopard.  Looks like a sideboard card for mono-green devotion for sure at least in my list Makes we wonder if we are going to get some more blue control options in Amonkhet.. Why drop a can't be countered creature unless you expect counters?

Renewed Faith is a decent life gain card.  Instant speed and Cycling really help make it better then life gain cards we've seen in the recent past.

We also got the new Dual Lands for this set.



Wish they were 1cmc Cycling but not too shabby.  Takes the sting out of a top decked land in the late game and fixes on earlier turns (though always tapped really hurts)