Why Spike should have been banned - Comments

[Comment Bot]

Why Spike should have been banned

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Dieses Thema wurde automatisch erstellt, um dieses Deck zu diskutieren.

[Kingcreeper]

I might be reading something incorectly but since Mikaeus pumps non-humans walking balista would stay alive even with no +1/+1 counters and therefore the combo would not work. Also you could not win on turn one without dark ritual or on turn 2 without ritual or sol ring because paying all the life for spike and all 4 cards would equal 40 life.

[ApothecaryGeist]

While Spike is legal in Commander (for a few more weeks), the announcement from the Commander Rules Committee specifically called out Spike, Tournament Grinder and called out the fact that rule #13 exists.  This is rule #13 from mtgcommander.net, the official Rules Committee website. 

Rule #13: Abilities which refer to other cards owned outside the game (Wishes, Spawnsire, Research, Ring of Ma'ruf) do not function in Commander without prior agreement on their scope from the playgroup.

In short, Spike's activated ability officially does nothing in a Commander game.

Side Note: if your playgroup permits sideboards (or wishboards) in Commander games, then your rant would be more appropriately addressed just to them. 

[Morganator 2.0]

Go rule 13! Way better than rule 34.

My rant was in vain, but whatever. The temporary legality of Un-sets makes me think that the commander committee is testing the waters, to see if un-sets can be permanently legal, something that I do not want.

And to reply to Kingcreeper, you have to sacrifice Walking Ballista to Viscera Seer. I should have made that more clear. Also, after activating Spike's ability 4 times, and paying for her, you will have 4 life left (4X8+2X2=36).

[ApothecaryGeist]

Assuage your fears Morganator.  Sheldon Menery (THE king of the Commander Rules Committee) has stated that this is NOT testing the waters.  It is just for funsies with the release of Unstable.

[LaTroyHawkins]

More of an argument why walking ballista should be banned everywhere tbh, way too exploitable

[Endurr]

4 life to cast spike t2 + 36 life to get the combo pieces = 40 life. Earliest you can go off without acceleration is t3.
still a sweet deck though.

[Morganator 2.0]

Alright, let's walk through the math.

Spike has 2 phyrexian mana symbols in her casting cost. Each one costs two life, so paying life for both will cost 4 life, and then two generic mana to cast Spike.

Her ability has 4 phyrexian mana symbols. Because each one cost two life, the total cost for activating her ability is 8 life.

Now let's walk through this. Casting Spike will cost 4 life. If you activate her ability once, you will have lost 12 life total. Activate it again, and you have lost 20 life so far. Activate a third time, and that makes 28 life. After a fourth time, you will have lost a total of 36 life, leaving you with 4 life left.