[Card Discussion] Ranger of Eos

[Versus]

Maybe I should just stop and realize for myself that the inevitable answer is going to be, "It costs 4 mana.", but I'm feeling saucy so I'll rattle on.

I haven't seen much mention of the card except a few posts about it appearing in the Zoo deck at Chigago. I've also seen a few posts saying they needed to look it up to see what it was.

Obviously the sucess of card in Standard means very little about it's relevance in Legacy, but I think this card should possibly be reevaluated.

First off, just in case:

http://resources.wizards.com/Magic/Cards/ALA/en/Card174823.jpg

For some reason I'm a retard and can't figure out how to get Gatherer to look up just 1cc critters, so I'll just post a short list of Legacy playables from memory.

Fanatic
Mongeese
Ornithoptor
Arcbound Worker
Kird Ape
Isamaru
Wild Nactyl
Disciple of the Vault
Mom
Lackey
BoP
Welder
Xantid Swarm

That's not even bothering with the likes of Martyrs, mana elves, weenies, and Wardens, which I realize aren't played, but worth mentioning at the very least. I'm sure I forgot a few as well.

Anyway, splashable, CA, utility on decent sized body that dodges counterbalance (although I suppose what you tutor up won't) seems pretty good to me. Even if it does cost 4 mana. However, does it do anything useful that doesn't already get the job done here? Just curious what everyone elses opinion was on Ranger and if he has any business being in Legacy or finding a deck either based around him or just as an inclusion?

[Skeggi]

I've seen him in a soldier deck but he got replaced by Enlistment Officer for being alot better...but ofcourse, that was a soldier deck, which was fun, but sucked.

To see him in, let's call it 'Weird Zoo', surprised me. The entire deck surprised me. But it looks like alot of fun at least :smile:. But I really can't think of anything else it would be good in, unless Wizards prints some new broken 1 drop creature.

I guess, in most decks, Imperial Recruiter is simply better.

[rufus]

There are some other potentially interesting critters:
Skyshroud Elite
Figure of Destiny
Wild Dogs/Sandbar Merfolk
Sphinx's Herald/Behemoth's Herald
Mongoose
Spark Elemental/Lightning Serpent
Flamekin Harbinger/Treefolk Harbinger
Feral Hydra
Shrieking Drake
Sacred Guide

Preeminent Captain can cheat it into play.

If you go to starcitygames, they have a CMC filter which will allow you to search for critters with CMC 1 or less.

[Poesjuh]

Or just use this: http://magiccards.info/search.html

[Isamaru]

I've been using him for a while with Proclamation of Rebirth, Promise of Bunrei, and one of my favorites: Loyal Sentry (Alaborn Zealot)

[GreenOne]

There's also Elvish Lyrist or Elvish Scrapper For added artifact and enchantment protection. Obviously if those artifact are not Chalice@1 and Counterbalance (and Deed, and EE, etc)

There are also the non-elvish equivalents of the 2 if you mind Engineered Plague.

Figure of destiny might be a good target: this guy is 4 CC so you're likely having already 4+ mana.
So, play this guy, next turn play Figure of Destiny, make it 2/2, play the other tutored creature too (Nacatl, Ape, or even Lavamancer), next turn you can tap 3 mana and swing with a 4/4.

[Shugyosha]

...
Disciple of the Vault
Mom
Lackey
...


I LOL'ed

@Topic: Fetching 3/3 dudes (Geese, Nacatl) is usually the best case for aggro. So you get 9 power for 6 mana which is not very impressive at first but:
1. Three guys a much harder to fight against than one with decks that don't run mass removal.
2. If a deck has mass removal a Ranger after Wrath of God is a bomb.

Really good targets are Lavamancer and Figure because they can do much more damage than Nacatl for example. Depends on the deck and situation though.

[technogeek5000]

This probably isnt too good but grabbing behemoth's herlad and a red creature would be a cool way to get out godsire. I think that could work cuz you could have like 2 of's of each and then you could also play kird ape and wild nacatl for other goodies and basically be a zoo deck with a game turning synergy if you need it.

[Forbiddian]

Wow, it's like the 6th or 7th post and nobody's followed his bait.

Ok: It costs 4 mana.
Also, it's white.


Compare to Goblin Ringleader, which digs consistently better Goblins, and usually nets you 3, and it has Haste. Of course Ringleader is amazing, but it's a decent comparison: Ranger of Eos is much worse in every category (except 3 power, but Haste is much more important).

By the time you have 3W out, you probably are looking to draw endgame cards. There aren't too many one-drops that have a big impact late-game.


But maybe a 3c or 4c Zoo deck could use him as endgame fuel (like what happened).

[georgjorge]

This guy could be decent with Aether Vial (like so many others).

It doesn't have to be compared with Ringleader, because if it will be played it will obviously be in a deck which doesn't have 30+ Goblins.

I have a hard time imagining situations where I wouldn't want Mystic Enforcer if the deck can reach Threshold fast (like the deck which was so successful at the GP). There are decks out there that can reach 4+ mana easily, but none of the would want to tutor up small creatures, since they are all control. Zoo with 22-23 lands? I don't know. The only Aggro deck I could imagine having the mana is Angel Stompy, which, playing Chalice, probably doesn't have those kind of creatures.


Maybe he did well despite and not because of the Ranger :wink:.

[hi-val]

Ranger is a killer topdeck when you can cast it. Grabbing something like Figure or Nacatl looks nice. It's definitely a card I'd compare to Siege-Gang, since it brings an entire army with it. That said, I'm not entirely sure what deck it'd get played in.

You can also snag two Martyr of Sand, or Burrenton Forge-Tender against Goblins.

[bowvamp]

EDIT: NOT!

well I'll contribute anyways. He would be better with ninjitsu. Great in standard tho.

[rufus]

With Vial you could also pull two Dreadnoughts.
Planar Guide recycles the CITP effect.
Tidal Visionary opens up the White and Black Heralds
Warbreak Trumpeter
Welder & Ornithopter

[dahcmai]

I'm convinced the card is amazing right now in standard and will eventually have his place in Legacy, but not right now. Any card that can net you two others isn't too shabby, I don't care what it is. Getting a 3 for 1 is never bad.

His fetching ability is just a tad underpowered right now due to the fact of your search options. It's kind of like saying, hey here's a creature than can go get two other cards for free! They have to suck though, sorry.

If there ever comes a day when there's an absolute amazing one drop similar to Figure, he'll be a card to dredge up out of memory for sure. His ability to make a comeback is nice and similar to the Goblin mentioned, but not quite since he doesn't get end game style cards.

He will eventually be damned amazing in Legacy, but his time is not right yet.

[hi-val]

I kind of wonder if you can support Ranger in a UW Fishy-style deck with Stifles and like, one Dreadnought to go get with him.

Also, this guy gets Mother of Runes, which is certainly something.

[mercenarybdu]

You could add these to your list...

Dreadnaught
Figure of Destiny
Carnophage

[Versus]

Thanks rufus and Poesjuh for the better filtering options. Gatherer always goes wonky whenever I try advanced searches for some reason.


Figure of destiny might be a good target

Definitely one the best as far as Standard is concerned, but can FoD become a Legacy viable creature. Could Ranger make it more viable?


This probably isnt too good but grabbing behemoth's herlad and a red creature would be a cool way to get out godsire. I think that could work cuz you could have like 2 of's of each and then you could also play kird ape and wild nacatl for other goodies and basically be a zoo deck with a game turning synergy if you need it.

Huh, never even thought of that. I don't play T2 anymore, but if I did I wouldn't mind bringing something like to the table once or twice.


Ok: It costs 4 mana.
Also, it's white.


HAHA, thanks for not letting me down! :wink:

To everyone that mentioned Naught, that was one of the things that I had originally thought of although left off the list for some reason?? I guess Trinket Mage already gets you one and is 1 mana cheaper, but the abilty to get both with Stifle in hand seemed really good to me.

Other Legacy uses that crossed my mind were D&T. The abilty to vial him in looked nice atter a Cataclysm, however fetching 2 Isamaru probably isn't the best thing is the world and I don't even think D&T plays Cataclysm anymore, anyway.

Also, and I know it's janky and uneeded, but I was thinking about something Affinityish. Being able to grab either two Thopters/Workers to up the artifact count or two Disciples with a Ravager in play could be pretty good. Then I realized that you'd be adding a 4cc nonartifact white creature to a deck that doesn't want that.

He seems really good on paper, but just wanted to get some imput (and basically a reality check) on why that doesn't necessasrily translate to being good in reality.



He will eventually be damned amazing in Legacy, but his time is not right yet

I hope that's true. For some reason it's one of the few cards from most recent sets that really interests me. Maybe it's viable or maybe it just falls into the danger of cool things catagory. I don't want to have to put him in my binder next Deranged Hermit.