Antonius
10-15-2010, 01:23 PM
Calcite Snapper
1UU
Creature - Turtle
Shroud
Landfall — Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may switch Calcite Snapper's power and toughness until end of turn.
1/4
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So, what decks could possibly run this? Well, CB-top. He's a good blocker that stops most of the smaller Zoo creatures from getting at you and can even stall some Lhurgoyfs before sorcery or enchantment hits the yard. He protects himself, survives firespout and is a reasonable clock on an open board. Granted, Goyf is all-around better as a blocker and finisher but Goyf only has protection in the form of CB...and turtle fits into a different slot altogether.
At 3cc and blue, the only other card that can be compared to Turtle is Clique. I think Turtle might have a few advantages over Clique:
Turtle can stem the bleeding if you're facing down a couple of cats on your 3rd turn. At that point, Clique can't help you stabilize or even trade because of opposing bolts.
Clique gives you a form of reverse-card selection by hosing your opponent's hand when it ETB. Turtle generates card advantage by forcing your opponents to play more Cats into your firespouts.
Turtle is 1 turn faster as a clock, provided you can make the land drops (something you generally want to do, turtle in play or not) but Clique has evasion.
Clique is legendary. Multiple turtles makes any kind of Nacatl beatdown impossible because Firespout just becomes too vicious. Multiple turtles also swing for game quickly.
Where the turtle is awkward:
versus Goyf - Clique doesn't help you there either
versus Piledriver - again, no help from clique
versus Islandwalk - ditto
versus Gatekeeper - but you're going to sack Clique anyways...unless you'd rather sack Goyf?
versus Clique - turtle can't protect Jace from the opposing clique...but it can race if you get the land drops. On the flipside, legend-rule on the opposing clique also kind of sucks since you don't get to hose their hand as they did to you.
versus Elspeth -- Yeah, evasion makes Clique the best at sniping planeswalkers. Turtle can bash Jace, however, because of his shroud...but the board has to be open.
Overall, I think the turtle could be worth testing in some 4c Goyf/Jace lists, but I think he would really be great in UWx Jace lists. UWx often runs more removal and counters in their 2cc spots instead of Goyfs, and as such can get rid of any creatures that crowd out the turtle, while either parking it in front of Jace/Elspeth then either going for ultimate or bouncing/spouting opposing dudes and swinging for game with fetchlands.
1UU
Creature - Turtle
Shroud
Landfall — Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may switch Calcite Snapper's power and toughness until end of turn.
1/4
----
So, what decks could possibly run this? Well, CB-top. He's a good blocker that stops most of the smaller Zoo creatures from getting at you and can even stall some Lhurgoyfs before sorcery or enchantment hits the yard. He protects himself, survives firespout and is a reasonable clock on an open board. Granted, Goyf is all-around better as a blocker and finisher but Goyf only has protection in the form of CB...and turtle fits into a different slot altogether.
At 3cc and blue, the only other card that can be compared to Turtle is Clique. I think Turtle might have a few advantages over Clique:
Turtle can stem the bleeding if you're facing down a couple of cats on your 3rd turn. At that point, Clique can't help you stabilize or even trade because of opposing bolts.
Clique gives you a form of reverse-card selection by hosing your opponent's hand when it ETB. Turtle generates card advantage by forcing your opponents to play more Cats into your firespouts.
Turtle is 1 turn faster as a clock, provided you can make the land drops (something you generally want to do, turtle in play or not) but Clique has evasion.
Clique is legendary. Multiple turtles makes any kind of Nacatl beatdown impossible because Firespout just becomes too vicious. Multiple turtles also swing for game quickly.
Where the turtle is awkward:
versus Goyf - Clique doesn't help you there either
versus Piledriver - again, no help from clique
versus Islandwalk - ditto
versus Gatekeeper - but you're going to sack Clique anyways...unless you'd rather sack Goyf?
versus Clique - turtle can't protect Jace from the opposing clique...but it can race if you get the land drops. On the flipside, legend-rule on the opposing clique also kind of sucks since you don't get to hose their hand as they did to you.
versus Elspeth -- Yeah, evasion makes Clique the best at sniping planeswalkers. Turtle can bash Jace, however, because of his shroud...but the board has to be open.
Overall, I think the turtle could be worth testing in some 4c Goyf/Jace lists, but I think he would really be great in UWx Jace lists. UWx often runs more removal and counters in their 2cc spots instead of Goyfs, and as such can get rid of any creatures that crowd out the turtle, while either parking it in front of Jace/Elspeth then either going for ultimate or bouncing/spouting opposing dudes and swinging for game with fetchlands.