[SCD] Huntmaster of the Fells

[Gheizen64]

Here is the card:

http://www.magicspoiler.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Huntmaster-of-the-Fells-Ravager-of-the-Fells-Dark-Ascension-Mythic.jpg

At first sight, i dismissed this card easily. However, looking a bit more deeply into it, i think this card has some potential.
Compare to Kitchen Finks. Here are some of the most important differences:

- Huntmaster cost 1 more
- Huntmaster immediately put two bodies into play, for 1 additional point of power
- Kitchen finks gain more life if killed and not exiled
- Huntmaster against StP leave u a wolf, Kitchen leave you with nothing


This is all assuming Huntmaster never flip. If it doesn't, Huntmaster is usually slightly worse than finks since having two bodies and other things don't make for the cheaper cost of fink.
However assume Huntmaster flip. Once flipped, Huntmaster deal 2 damage to a player and shock a creature they control. That's a pretty good effect. The 4/4 trampling body isn't anything bad, either.

But the best thing about this card is the incredible sinergy with an engine that is in its color: Punishing Fire. Play huntmaster, pass. On your next turn, do nothing, then cast punishing fires twice on your opponent turn via Grove of the Burnwillows, that, plus the double shock from Ravager ability is often a one-sided sweeper, and the card will flip into huntmaster the next turn. And given a bit of time, you can repeat this trick pretty easily.
Basically, Punishing fire plus groves give you a lot of control on the flip trigger ability. And both cards require the same colors.

The next question would be; which decks would like this combination? Well, i guess midrange controllish decks with punishing fires. I'm thinking about Punishing Maverick and Nice Fit with a red splash mostly, in the place of Finks as a slightly less defensive but more versatile lifegain creature.

What do you think?

[Skeggi]

I think 4 mana gets you Thrun, which is probably better. That said, 4 mana slots are very limited.

[boneclub24]

I've been LOVING it for standard. Makes for an extremely solid midrange deck alongside Thrun.

However, for legacy, I would rather have Bloodbraid Elf, who doesn't see play herself...

[Aggro_zombies]

However, for legacy, I would rather have Bloodbraid Elf, who doesn't see play herself...
I think this is the dealbreaker, here. There are some matchups - basically, versus spell-heavy blue decks - where the Huntmaster is just never going to flip, and then you have a pair of 2/2s and two life instead of a 3/2 haste and something else. Even when Huntmaster flips, the free Lunge you get out of it is far better than the 4/4 trample, and it's not hard to either flip him back or just get rid of him in this format.

[dahcmai]

My only problems with the card are these.

1. It doesn't kill much of anything when he flips. Since he can't target a player, it's going to have to hit some creature. Most of the time, this isn't going to kill much of anything. Confidants, Heirarchs, and such are about it's only targets. Anything aggressive, it's going to just tap on it's shoulder. Not even a Nacatyl is going to shrug much. People might say "He kills Delver though". Yeah, though even in that case a Delver has nailed you for 12 before this guy hits back. Ouch.

2. It's 4 mana! That's an oucher, especially for a guy who doesn't do a whole lot. It's competing against Bloodbraid as mentioned, Loxodon Heirarch which hasn't seen play in a while, Boartusk Leige, burning Tree Shaman, Wooly Thoctar, Rumbling Slum, Spellbreaker Behemoth, etc. Notice not many of those made it into anything. 4 mana is a killer for anything aggressive. It better do a heck of a lot to make me want it in a deck.

3. He's small. By Legacy standards even flipped, he's not getting past a typical Goyf, Knight, or other normal creatures that stand in the way for less mana. Unflipped, he's Punishing Fire/Lavamancer bait.

Sorry to say, he's cool, but I doubt he'll ever make the cut. Just not enough going for him.

[capitacom]

Bloodbraid elf has haste which means it do something the turn it comes into play other than just playing a creature. It is also immediate card advantage and doesn't get run over by daze. And bloodbraid elf isn't seeing any play either.

And thrun is extremely hard to get rid of and can't be countered either.

Good card for standard but doesn't bring enough for legacy.

[Malakai]

I think this card is playable. The problem is the other cards that it's competing with are all better:
-Elspeth
-Koth
-Thrun

[DragoFireheart]

I think this card is playable. The problem is the other cards that it's competing with are all better:
-Elspeth
-Koth
-Thrun

You forgot Jace.

[Malchar]

I guess the advantage of huntmaster is that you get a 4cmc bomb and you don't have to be playing blue or white. But why wouldn't you want to play blue or white? Unless you can find a way to cast huntmaster with a blood moon on the field, I don't think it's good in this meta. It's obviously good in a vacuum, and I wouldn't be disgusted to see someone playing it, but it's not going to become ubiquitous like noble hierarch or other such cards.

[Anusien]

In Standard, Huntmaster is awesome because it is a 4/4 for 4 with a little upside. In Legacy, Huntmaster is weak because it is only a 4/4 for 4 with a little upside.

[routlaw]

If there is a Jund Veteran Explorer deck, I can see this guy as a one-of card with Green Sun's Zenith alongside Thrun.

He's a powerhouse in standard where u/w decks have really bad removal and don't interact well with him.

He has potential as a one or two of in some kind of value (not combo) pod deck in Modern. He passes the test of being a high-power "good" drop on his own merits, and if you spend your turn podding into him and passing the turn , you get a 4/4 with all of the triggers.