LOTR Tales from Middle Earth: Our Burden To Bear Is a Purple Gandalf the Gray

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

https://i.imgur.com/UzF5dC7.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/UFpMezv.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/kicRaTK.png

[PirateKing]

I like the idea of the basic lands, but the execution in the form of "baby's first use of the crop tool" is a disappointment on what I expect will be a deep level.

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

I like the idea of the basic lands, but the execution in the form of "baby's first use of the crop tool" is a disappointment on what I expect will be a deep level.

I've felt this way about most full arts as they added bigger bars around the names, and now on basics the text too.

That said the planes is really good compared to the other 4.

[rufus]

Not that it's likely to matter much in legacy, but the ring can get out of hand in combination with Mind over matter. Maybe there's some weird possibility with Dross Scorpion,Clock of Omens or Paradox Engine.

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

I really liked the Shire plains, and Gray Havens Island is fine, but the rest are kind of dumb.

Also the Ring not being an equipment that gives equipped creature some form of invisibility is obviously stupid

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

I really liked the Shire plains, and Gray Havens Island is fine, but the rest are kind of dumb.

Also the Ring not being an equipment that gives equipped creature some form of invisibility is obviously stupid

A planeswalker choosing to give the ring to some rando they summoned instead of keeping it themselves is stupid.

[Zoid]

A planeswalker choosing to give the ring to some rando they summoned instead of keeping it themselves is stupid.

Equip target player, hobbit, kithkin, gnome or other smallish non-hobbit hobbit race.

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

Equip target player, hobbit, kithkin, gnome or other smallish non-hobbit hobbit race.

Again, why are you giving anyone but yourself the ring?

[Zoid]

Again, why are you giving anyone but yourself the ring?

To tank the curse and wrath of Sauron obviously.

They could have just planeswalked to the mountain is a whole new meme level.

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

To tank the curse and wrath of Sauron obviously.

They could have just planeswalked to the mountain is a whole new meme level.

I get the feeling you didn't read the book

[Zoid]

I get the feeling you didn't read the book

Only the book on shitposting :)

[Wrath of Pie]

Only the book on shitposting :)
I always forget that dril wrote a book.

[jmlima]

I like the idea of the basic lands, but the execution in the form of "baby's first use of the crop tool" is a disappointment on what I expect will be a deep level.

Mordor is anything but a swamp.

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

A planeswalker choosing to give the ring to some rando they summoned instead of keeping it themselves is stupid.

Ignoring that planeswalkers aren’t a thing in Middle Earth, if the idea is that the player is supposed to be wearing the ring then it should make them invisible. That’s still overthinking it, though.

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

Mordor is anything but a swamp.

Yeah that’s a weird choice if Wizards wants to keep insisting black isn’t the evil color

[PirateKing]

Yeah that’s a weird choice if Wizards wants to keep insisting black isn’t the evil color

Well yeah, Mordor isn't an evil place, Sauron and Morgoth before him just had... a different point of view, is all.
The whole thing just gets blown out of proportion really

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

Ignoring that planeswalkers aren’t a thing in Middle Earth, Wait for more spoilers

if the idea is that the player is supposed to be wearing the ring then it should make them invisible. That’s still overthinking it, though.
Invisible, like not being able to be Damaged, Enchanted, Blocked, or Targeted by anything when you put it on?

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

Well yeah, Mordor isn't an evil place, Sauron and Morgoth before him just had... a different point of view, is all.
The whole thing just gets blown out of proportion really

There was this old Soviet retelling of LOTR from the Mordorian prospective where everything we know about middle earth is propaganda spread by the other countries and that Mordor was just mechanizing or soemthing. I don't know I didn't fully read it.

[Lava Snacks]

There was this old Soviet retelling of LOTR from the Mordorian prospective where everything we know about middle earth is propaganda spread by the other countries and that Mordor was just mechanizing or soemthing. I don't know I didn't fully read it.

There's this classic from The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2014/dec/12/tolkiens-myths-are-a-political-fantasy).

https://i.imgur.com/1xQh8qW.jpg

[Barook]

http://mythicspoiler.com/ltr/cards/reprieve.jpg

Better, white Remand. Yep.

[TsumiBand]

http://mythicspoiler.com/ltr/cards/reprieve.jpg

Better, white Remand. Yep.

Based af, I've always felt like Remand would have made more sense in White

Granted it probably won't actually do anything, but like... hooray it exists

[PirateKing]

I'm going to stick it on an Isochron Scepter, not even Abrupt Decay can stop me now!

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

I'm going to stick it on an Isochron Scepter, not even Abrupt Decay can stop me now!

Curses! The dreaded second decay that was actually the first decay

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

Wait for more spoilers

Invisible, like not being able to be Damaged, Enchanted, Blocked, or Targeted by anything when you put it on?

For one turn?

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

http://mythicspoiler.com/ltr/cards/reprieve.jpg

Better, white Remand. Yep.

This does make me happy

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

There's this classic from The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2014/dec/12/tolkiens-myths-are-a-political-fantasy).

https://i.imgur.com/1xQh8qW.jpg

More human nations are allied with Sauron than oppose him. Largely because Gondor was an oppressive imperialistic power before their decline, as evidenced by helping the Rohirrim commit genocide on the Dunlendings and Druedain and steal their land.

[Whoshim]

Would Reprieve be worth it in a storm deck to recast the Grapeshot or something? Or is it generally just easier to build storm count instead of working in the extra mana?

[Zoid]

Would Reprieve be worth it in a storm deck to recast the Grapeshot or something? Or is it generally just easier to build storm count instead of working in the extra mana?

When was the last time you have seen Remand in storm?

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

For one turn?

Correct, you shouldn't wear it for very long.
WOTC nanny state protects planeswalkers.

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

When was the last time you have seen Remand in storm?

In modern? The answer is the last time I saw storm, a handful of months before MH2
In Legacy? I don't think ever.

[jmlima]

Well yeah, Mordor isn't an evil place, Sauron and Morgoth before him just had... a different point of view, is all.
The whole thing just gets blown out of proportion really

Indeed, as this book correctly advocates, the all orcs and Sauron thing are fantasy written by the victors to demonize their opponents.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Ringbearer

[rufus]

In modern? The answer is the last time I saw storm, a handful of months before MH2
In Legacy? I don't think ever.

IIRC Remand was very occasionally played in High Tide decks back in the stone age.

I do think that one of the issues with color balance is that blue has way too much control over the stack relative to the other colors, and that I like seeing stuff like reprieve that pushes against that.

[jmlima]

IIRC Remand was very occasionally played in High Tide decks back in the stone age.

I do think that one of the issues with color balance is that blue has way too much control over the stack relative to the other colors, and that I like seeing stuff like reprieve that pushes against that.

But isn't this going to be essentially used in blue based decks?

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

Indeed, as this book correctly advocates, the all orcs and Sauron thing are fantasy written by the victors to demonize their opponents.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Ringbearer

That's the one I was talking about!

[TsumiBand]

IIRC Remand was very occasionally played in High Tide decks back in the stone age.

I do think that one of the issues with color balance is that blue has way too much control over the stack relative to the other colors, and that I like seeing stuff like reprieve that pushes against that.

I used to play it in Spring Tide lmao, it felt good at the time. Sometimes it was a counter, sometimes it let you go Brain Freeze into Remand into Brain Freeze if you wanted to go off with a lower Storm count... I played around Gaea's Blessing with it once, I felt pretty okay about that

[BirdsOfParadise]

I think the goal is that, say, black/white decks could have stack interaction that feels black/white, just like blue and green get creature removal like Prey Upon and Unsummon.

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

When was the last time you have seen Remand in storm?

2008 roughly

So like, fair enough

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

It has always been very dumb that only one color can meaningfully interact with the stack so the more they change that the better

[dte]

But isn't this going to be essentially used in blue based decks?

No, you do have the exact same card in blue (better for manabase and FoW), which so little play.

It could offer some nonU decks stack interactions. The trouble is to have a non U deck that do not want to tap out on its turn. That would require more/better instant that bring threats. Even a card like collected company (if it were better) is counterproductive, as it pushes you to want creatures in your deck (tap out during your turn).
The closest I could think of strategy wise would the old astral drift, which definitely does not want this kind of card.

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

The issue is you want redundancy with counters, all the more so with a short term counter, so the card by itself won't likely see much Legacy play, but if it signals a widening of counterspells into white then it could have significant impact combined with other cards. Maybe.

It could also end up being a meta answer to a card like Supreme Verdict or something, I suppose.

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

https://twitter.com/wizards_magic/status/1654571925941911552?s=20

Call of the Ring
:1::b:
At the beginning of your upkeep, the Ring tempts you.
Whenever you choose a creature as your Ring-bearer, you may pay 2 life. If you do, draw a card.


The Ring Tempts You:
As the Ring tempts you, you get an emblem named The Ring if you don't have one. Then your emblem gains its next ability and you choose a creature you control to become or remain your Ring-bearer.

The Ring

Your Ring-bearer is legendary and can't be blocked by creatures with greater power.
Whenever your Ringbearer attacks, draw a card, then discard a card.
Whenever your Ringbearer becomes blocked by a creature, that creature's controller sacrifices it at end of combat.
Whenever your Ringbearer deals combat damage to a player, each opponet loses 3 life.



NOTE:

The Ring can tempt you even if you don't control a creature.
The Ring gains its abilities in order from top to bottom. Once it gains an ability it has that ability for the rest of the game.
Each time the Ring tempts you, you must choose a creature if you control one.
Each player can have only one emblem named The Ring and only one Ring-bearer at a time.

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

The ring is alll upside, baybe.

But thankfully doesn't auto advance like Initiative and just moves around as a trigger.

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

Also Sauron is here
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FvY3UEeaAAEjF7z?format=jpg&name=small

[Zoid]

Hooray for perpetual spoiler season.

Can't wait for the ring to be the next initiative.

[Wrath of Pie]

Hooray for perpetual spoiler season.

Can't wait for the ring to be the next initiative.

Spoiler season tempts everyone you.

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

The spoiler tempts you
You buy a card and lose five dollars.

[Wrath of Pie]

The spoiler tempts you
You buy a card and lose five dollars.

Seems too good, five dollars is rather cheap for a spoiled card.

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

"Black isn't just the color of evil!"

Sauron, an explicitly fire and metallurgy themed character driven by a desire to create a world of perfect order free from entropy and decay:

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

Delighted Halfling
G
1/2
Creature- Halfling Citizen
T: Add C
T: Add one mana of any color. Spend this mana only to cast a legendary spell, and that spell can’t be countered

Well this card is going to be really fucking dumb

[Barook]

Delighted Halfling
G
1/2
Creature- Halfling Citizen
T: Add C
T: Add one mana of any color. Spend this mana only to cast a legendary spell, and that spell can’t be countered

Well this card is going to be really fucking dumb
What's the worst thing you can do with it? Casting uncounterable Uros or Planeswalkers?

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

What's the worst thing you can do with it? Casting uncounterable Uros or Planeswalkers?

T2 teferi?

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

T2 teferi?

Narset/Uro/Teferi into Omnath

[Captain Hammer]

4 Delighted Halfling
4 Minsc and Boo
4 Uro
4 Dress Down
4 Dreadnought
+ Xerox Shell

[jmlima]

4 Delighted Halfling
...
+ Xerox Shell

Ubiquitous legacy deck building.

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

4 Delighted Halfling
4 Minsc and Boo
4 Uro
4 Dress Down
4 Dreadnought
+ Xerox Shell
Don't dox (https://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/showthread.php?33564-Primer-Six-Shades-of-Dressnought-aka-Vaka-Nought&p=1104310&viewfull=1#post1104310) me

[BirdsOfParadise]

"Black isn't just the color of evil!"

Sauron, an explicitly fire and metallurgy themed character driven by a desire to create a world of perfect order free from entropy and decay:
Black isn’t the color of evil! It’s just the color of having no regard for community or others’ well-being while using death and slavery as primary means of gratifying its own self-interest and increasing its power. Big difference.

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

Black isn’t the color of evil! It’s just the color of having no regard for community or others’ well-being while using death and slavery as primary means of gratifying its own self-interest and increasing its power. Big difference.

I swear in one of those old color pie articles Maro said something like, "Black isn't just the color of evil- it's also the color of capitalism" completely unironically

[morgan_coke]

http://mythicspoiler.com/ltr/cards/reprieve.jpg

Better, white Remand. Yep.

10 FUCKING YEARS LATE, they finally print the card WGR Astral Drift truly needs to take over after they killed damage on the stack.

off the top of my head:

Creatures: 8
2x Eternal Dragon
2x Eternal Witness
4x Drannith Stinger

Sorceries: 10
4x Edge of Autumn
4x Sweltering Suns
2x Life from The Loam

Instants: 10
4x Reprieve
3x Wilt
2x Radiant's Judgment
3x Zenith Flare

Enchantments: 8
4x Astral Drift
4x Lightning Rift

Lands: 24
2x Emeria, the Sky Ruin
4x Jetmir's Garden
4x Flagstones of Trokair
1x Heliod's Hall of Generosity
3x Savannah
3x Plateau
2x Plains
1x Forest
1x Mountain
3x Wasteland

I mean, there's an absolute ton of other directions you can go here and I'd honestly prefer a colorshifted Memory Lapse (for 2 mana, not 3 which is unplayable) over Reprieve, but I'll take what I can get. Getting a playable counter in white is just such a huge upgrade for any white/not blue controllish deck. WGB, WRB, WGR, all just got dramatically stronger here.

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

Damage on the stack was dumb and I'm glad it's dead.

[morgan_coke]

Damage on the stack was dumb and I'm glad it's dead.

Agreed, but it was one of the big things Slide had going for it, letting stuff like Eternal Witness trade favorably.

[the Thin White Duke]

10 FUCKING YEARS LATE, they finally print the card WGR Astral Drift truly needs to take over after they killed damage on the stack.

off the top of my head:

Creatures: 8
2x Eternal Dragon
2x Eternal Witness
4x Drannith Stinger

Sorceries: 10
4x Edge of Autumn
4x Sweltering Suns
2x Life from The Loam

Instants: 10
4x Reprieve
3x Wilt
2x Radiant's Judgment
3x Zenith Flare

Enchantments: 8
4x Astral Drift
4x Lightning Rift

Lands: 24
2x Emeria, the Sky Ruin
4x Jetmir's Garden
4x Flagstones of Trokair
1x Heliod's Hall of Generosity
3x Savannah
3x Plateau
2x Plains
1x Forest
1x Mountain
3x Wasteland


I'm totally building something like this for Modern. Just when I thought I was done with that format, this puts a smile on my face.

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

There's this classic from The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2014/dec/12/tolkiens-myths-are-a-political-fantasy).

https://i.imgur.com/1xQh8qW.jpg

I prefer the Existential Comics (https://existentialcomics.com/comic/175) take, personally, which is also genuinely pretty consistent with the themes of the stories

(Also it’s kind of telling to imply that none of the human nations that are largely aligned with Sauron, like the Easterings, Southrons, and Dunlendings are actually human)

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

10 FUCKING YEARS LATE, they finally print the card WGR Astral Drift truly needs to take over after they killed damage on the stack.

off the top of my head:

Creatures: 8
2x Eternal Dragon
2x Eternal Witness
4x Drannith Stinger

Sorceries: 10
4x Edge of Autumn
4x Sweltering Suns
2x Life from The Loam

Instants: 10
4x Reprieve
3x Wilt
2x Radiant's Judgment
3x Zenith Flare

Enchantments: 8
4x Astral Drift
4x Lightning Rift

Lands: 24
2x Emeria, the Sky Ruin
4x Jetmir's Garden
4x Flagstones of Trokair
1x Heliod's Hall of Generosity
3x Savannah
3x Plateau
2x Plains
1x Forest
1x Mountain
3x Wasteland

I mean, there's an absolute ton of other directions you can go here and I'd honestly prefer a colorshifted Memory Lapse (for 2 mana, not 3 which is unplayable) over Reprieve, but I'll take what I can get. Getting a playable counter in white is just such a huge upgrade for any white/not blue controllish deck. WGB, WRB, WGR, all just got dramatically stronger here.

This seems bad and is also a Zenith Flare/Rifter deck, not a Slide deck.

Also a good rule of thumb is that if it’s trivially easy to splash a card, like Remand, and it’s never been tempting, then that card getting color shifted isn’t likely to be a defining change

Also seriously no Cast Out or Renewed Faith?

And I mean I love Eternal Dragon more than I think anyone else alive but you should probably just play Timeless here

Also lack of Mox Diamonds is egregious it’s like you just want to lose

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

Like legitimately you’d be better off cutting four random cards from a 2005 Rifter or Rabid Wombat list and sticking them in there

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

I prefer https://existentialcomics.com/comic/175]the ( [url) Existential Comics[/url] take, personally, which is also genuinely pretty consistent with the themes of the stories

(Also it’s kind of telling to imply that none of the human nations that are largely aligned with Sauron, like the Easterings, Southrons, and Dunlendings are actually human)

This post is the Most Left meme ever.
First you have to do homework to fix the link (you embedded the url within the url)
Then you're treated to a short satirical essay.
And then there's a second short essay about who the people in the first essay are.
And it's all to tell a joke that needed four panels.

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

This post is the Most Left meme ever.
First you have to do homework to fix the link (you embedded the url within the url)
Then you're treated to a short satirical essay.
And then there's a second short essay about who the people in the first essay are.
And it's all to tell a joke that needed four panels.

If a joke is based around being an essay and you reduce it to a rage comic length meme then you’re usually telling a different joke. A modest proposal isn’t the same as just “let’s eat the poors (/s)”

I guess sorry for the broken link? I’m phone posting and have fat thumbs

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

If a joke is based around being an essay and you reduce it to a rage comic length meme then you’re usually telling a different joke. A modest proposal isn’t the same as just “let’s eat the poors (/s)”

I guess sorry for the broken link? I’m phone posting and have fat thumbs

Brevity is the soul of witt.

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

Brevity is the soul of witt.

Everyone loves this line from Shakespeare so much they forget it’s from Polonius, a pompous buffoon full of deliberately bad advice, and also that Shakespeare did indeed write full length comedic plays that are still beloved to this day (although comedy always loses more in translation than tragedy.)

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

Everyone loves this line from Shakespeare so much they forget it’s from Polonius, a pompous buffoon full of deliberately bad advice, and also that Shakespeare did indeed write full length comedic plays that are still beloved to this day (although comedy always loses more in translation than tragedy.)

Oh word? People remember the one-liner more than anything else?

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

Brevity, which is to say a speaker's efficacy when retelling an anecdote or crafting a jape is the very essence, often referred to as the "soul" of the work in question...

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

Oh word? People remember the one-liner more than anything else?

Yes that's totally the informed take away I was going for and that you should have, that the one thing people remember Shakespeare's Hamlet for is that line about brevity being the soul of wit. It's extremely notable how true that is and not the most insane thing on Earth to say

[TsumiBand]

I feel the most important takeaway here is that Reprieve is gonna hoist my Legacy Kithkin deck from Bad Tier to Chad Tier, just you fuckers wait

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

8-mand and rule of law

[morgan_coke]

This seems bad and is also a Zenith Flare/Rifter deck, not a Slide deck.

Also a good rule of thumb is that if it’s trivially easy to splash a card, like Remand, and it’s never been tempting, then that card getting color shifted isn’t likely to be a defining change

Also seriously no Cast Out or Renewed Faith?

And I mean I love Eternal Dragon more than I think anyone else alive but you should probably just play Timeless here

Also lack of Mox Diamonds is egregious it’s like you just want to lose

Are you seriously trying to lecture ME about cycling decks? Jesus. E.Dragon is there over timeless because you're 99% of the time recurring it with Emeria, not Eternalize or the self return to hand ability. It leans on Rift/Zenith more than slide because you have to win the fucking game, and unless you want to go full Teferi/Chant, you really can't lock people down like that anymore, because wizards is always printing ever stupider shit. Splashing a fourth color carries real costs and it's a lot, lot better to have the effect spell in your main color.

Faith isn't in there because it does nothing and it's not 2006 anymore.

EDIT: to be clear, i threw that deck together in about 28 seconds after I saw the card, but its a fuckload better than whatever Krosan Tusker monstrosity of failure you want to pretend is good.

[Wrath of Pie]

Wow, sets are so bad that debates over some optimal Astral Drift pile are more interesting.

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

Are you seriously trying to lecture ME about cycling decks?

Yes. Honestly, who do you think you're talking to?


Jesus. E.Dragon is there over timeless because you're 99% of the time recurring it with Emeria, not Eternalize or the self return to hand ability.

...and?

Also hard to overstate how bad that is.


It leans on Rift/Zenith more than slide because you have to win the fucking game, and unless you want to go full Teferi/Chant, you really can't lock people down like that anymore, because wizards is always printing ever stupider shit. Splashing a fourth color carries real costs and it's a lot, lot better to have the effect spell in your main color.

I understand the argument for not focus in sliding creatures, but then it's not a slide deck. Why even play slide at that point? Just cut the rift and your token witnesses and focus on the effects you actually want, which is a board-control focused Loam deck.


Faith isn't in there because it does nothing and it's not 2006 anymore.

You're playing Radiant's Judgment and trying to use Emeria to bring back E Dragons, you don't get to lecture anybody about what year it is.


EDIT: to be clear, i threw that deck together in about 28 seconds after I saw the card, but its a fuckload better than whatever Krosan Tusker monstrosity of failure you want to pretend is good.

Seriously what year do you think this is lmao

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

Also Krosan Tusker would objectively be far better than Edge of Autumn in that pile ftr. Like what the hell you don't even have anything to do with that mana.

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

lmao I just processed that you're running Loam *and* a cycling deck but *not* any cycling lands

And no the triomes don't count

[Zoid]

https://media.tenor.com/s2mZ90GpB_YAAAAC/simpsons-fight.gif

[TsumiBand]

If we get to talk about Astral Slide decks can I also start a thread for the 2023 version of Teen Girl Squad or Zombie Bidding

What about Balancing Tings, I've always wanted to force a game loss by putting my opponent to sleep

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

Everyone post your favorite deck from before 2002

[Wrath of Pie]

Everyone post your favorite deck from before 2002

Invincible Counter Troll

[Zoid]

Anyone else a bit surprised with WotC casting Idris Elba as Aragorn?

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

Anyone else a bit surprised with WotC casting Idris Elba as Aragorn?

The worst people Online are very mad about it.

[Zoid]

The worst people Online are very mad about it.

Initially I thought he reminded me of a de-balded Teferi, but he looks so much like Elba it's uncanny.
Took me way too long to realize.

While I don't mind and it doesn't seem to go against the source material, playing race-roulette with every character in every set seems a inconsistent and vitrue-signally.

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

playing race-roulette with every character in every set seems a inconsistent and vitrue-signally.

Yeah no shit that's the point. Brand knows they can engage with more people if Brand includes people of different races.

[Zoid]

Yeah no shit that's the point. Brand knows they can engage with more people if Brand includes people of different races.

There is a difference between doing that consistently and naturally versus the planeteers and the diversity squad every set.

The Visions block was an african themed in 97.
Prophecy was a whole set dedicated to the same setting defending themselves against a white bred-for-war super humans, coming for their oil.
The original Kamigawa tells japanese-inspired stories, Ixalan very much a perspective of native americans during the spanish conquest.

What doesn't empower or represent anyone is race-swapping, or gender-swapping for that matter, an existing character.
That is just lazy.
You can either let people from different backgrounds tell their stories or having characters have their own story.
Teferi is a prime example.

Anyway, I won't pursue this further as it's not going anywhere./rant

[H]

That is just lazy.

Lazy art and story in MTG? No way!

OK, on a more serious note, this card seems maybe decent?
https://i.imgur.com/0Pa6Dl1.jpeg

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

There is a difference between doing that consistently and naturally versus the planeteers and the diversity squad every set.

No there's not, lol.

[PirateKing]

So does Orcish Bowmasters only trigger once each turn, or for each draw?
Is Brainstorm from the opponent now also a Lightning Bolt & 3/3 for you?

[H]

So does Orcish Bowmasters only trigger once each turn, or for each draw?
Is Brainstorm from the opponent now also a Lightning Bolt & 3/3 for you?

Each Draw, plus one trigger for ETB. Hypothetically, flashed in in response to a Brainstorm, it would be 4 damage and a 4/4 Orc Army, plus the 1/1 Bowmaster.

[morgan_coke]

So it's 1B for a slightly weaker Underworld Dreams + token generation, all on a Flash creature? No pushed cards here. Just surprised its rare instead of Mythic.

[Zoid]

These orcs are pretty insane.
Even in response to a draw 1 it's 3 power and 2 damage for 2.

Other interesting bits:

https://mythicspoiler.com/ltr/cards/minastirith.jpghttps://mythicspoiler.com/ltr/cards/boromirwardenofthetower.jpg

https://mythicspoiler.com/ltr/cards/aragorntheuniter.jpghttps://mythicspoiler.com/ltr/cards/frododeterminedhero.jpg

Unsurprisingly mono W/hoomans get some pretty strong cards.

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

These orcs are pretty insane.


Saurumon sure knew how to build them

[PirateKing]

Slightly weaker in that it misses the draw step, so I guess honest to goodness fair decks can just ignore it.
But holy moly, against cantrip decks, especially in multiples, this thing will put in work

[morgan_coke]

Slightly weaker in that it misses the draw step, so I guess honest to goodness fair decks can just ignore it.
But holy moly, against cantrip decks, especially in multiples, this thing will put in work

craziest thing is the damage pings are "any target", not just drawing player

[Pittplayer]

craziest thing is the damage pings are "any target", not just drawing player

This card actually looks amazing! Seems around Opposition Agent level of power. Not a must play but I am sure this will see some niche play in Legacy for sure.

[adrieng]

it is just weaker than spirit of the labyrinth, so i don' t think it is good enough

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

it is just weaker than spirit of the labyrinth, so i don' t think it is good enough

This both kills Spirit and is Asymetrical.

[PirateKing]

You sure? This has flash and puts 3 damage divided over 3 sources when it comes into play, so a 3/1 is breaking even at minimum.

This thing is on a short list of cards to flash in response to Teferi, Time Raveler and spoil their day. Bouncing the Bowmaster leaves behind a 1/1 that will clean up not even counting Bowmaster coming down again on your turn, bouncing the token just kills the Teferi, they could only really go for a +1 which is super anemic.

Just seems there are fewer decks this isn't good against than decks that not.

[adrieng]

it is just weaker than spirit of the labyrinth, so i don' t think it is good enough

This both kills Spirit and is Asymetrical.

I mean agaisnt a cantrip deck I prefer spirit of the labyrinth than this card, spirit stops all their cantrips while this card just deals damage

you don't want to give your opponent the choice to draw a card, also it has also to be compared to faerie mastermind
which does card advantage which it think is better

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

I mean agaisnt a cantrip deck I prefer spirit of the labyrinth than this card, spirit stops all their cantrips while this card just deals damage

you don't want to give your opponent the choice to draw a card, also it has also to be compared to faerie mastermind
which does card advantage which it think is better

What’s the most played card in the format? Against a Brainstorm, getting a 4/4 and distributing 4 damage among any number of targets is way better than genetic draw a card, and only one of these has the possibility to straight up win the game in response to Griselbrand or Echo or Peer or Enter the Infinite

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

You sure? This has flash and puts 3 damage divided over 3 sources when it comes into play, so a 3/1 is breaking even at minimum.

This thing is on a short list of cards to flash in response to Teferi, Time Raveler and spoil their day. Bouncing the Bowmaster leaves behind a 1/1 that will clean up not even counting Bowmaster coming down again on your turn, bouncing the token just kills the Teferi, they could only really go for a +1 which is super anemic.

Just seems there are fewer decks this isn't good against than decks that not.

This is a great point too

[PirateKing]

They Reanimate into Griselbrand and then draw 7 and then in response they're dead

Even if not Reanimate, the Griselbrand is dead and you have an 8/8 to swing back with? Yes please

Also kind of gets glossed over, but this card is black, all the counter examples of white and blue cards are neat and all, but does miss some deck building core concepts.
This like rubs shoulders with Chains of Mephistopheles, which is kind of wild

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

You sure? This has flash and puts 3 damage divided over 3 sources when it comes into play, so a 3/1 is breaking even at minimum.

This thing is on a short list of cards to flash in response to Teferi, Time Raveler and spoil their day. Bouncing the Bowmaster leaves behind a 1/1 that will clean up not even counting Bowmaster coming down again on your turn, bouncing the token just kills the Teferi, they could only really go for a +1 which is super anemic.

Just seems there are fewer decks this isn't good against than decks that not.


They Reanimate into Griselbrand and then draw 7 and then in response they're dead

Even if not Reanimate, the Griselbrand is dead and you have an 8/8 to swing back with? Yes please

Also kind of gets glossed over, but this card is black, all the counter examples of white and blue cards are neat and all, but does miss some deck building core concepts.
This like rubs shoulders with Chains of Mephistopheles, which is kind of wild

It does provide extra appeal to Sign in Blood too

[TsumiBand]

It does provide extra appeal to Sign in Blood too

lol I love this

Play it with Burning Inquiry and Winds of Change because who gives a shit, give 'em the ensuing 9/9 Orc beatdown

This card slaps

[Zoid]

Also, it explicitly only excludes the draw in their draw step not just the first card they draw.
That means it can't be soft dodged by drawing a card in your turn.

This has a lot of hoops but doesn't return EOT:

https://cards.scryfall.io/large/front/8/e/8ebd8813-4aaf-48bf-9243-3ec4099b8372.jpg?1685501714

Fodder for the hammer time deck:

https://cards.scryfall.io/large/front/5/6/56274b88-6e3f-4538-bb0c-eb5e52a58ef3.jpg?1685543706

[Pittplayer]

Also, it explicitly only excludes the draw in their draw step not just the first card they draw.
That means it can't be soft dodged by drawing a card in your turn.

This has a lot of hoops but doesn't return EOT:

https://cards.scryfall.io/large/front/8/e/8ebd8813-4aaf-48bf-9243-3ec4099b8372.jpg?1685501714

Fodder for the hammer time deck:

https://cards.scryfall.io/large/front/5/6/56274b88-6e3f-4538-bb0c-eb5e52a58ef3.jpg?1685543706

Recur Kaldra equip Kaldra for free? Seems decent in SFM decks.

[adrieng]

They Reanimate into Griselbrand and then draw 7 and then in response they're dead

Even if not Reanimate, the Griselbrand is dead and you have an 8/8 to swing back with? Yes please

Also kind of gets glossed over, but this card is black, all the counter examples of white and blue cards are neat and all, but does miss some deck building core concepts.
This like rubs shoulders with Chains of Mephistopheles, which is kind of wild



So you expect your opponent to be terrible to win right ? They can just go for atraxa, archaon or not draw with griselbrand and win with 7/7 lifelink beatdown



What’s the most played card in the format? Against a Brainstorm, getting a 4/4 and distributing 4 damage among any number of targets is way better than genetic draw a card, and only one of these has the possibility to straight up win the game in response to Griselbrand or Echo or Peer or Enter the Infinite


Against echo i prefer let them draw 0 cards than draw 7 deals 7 damage, that's not enough to kill them.

You get a 3/3 in resp to a brainstorm, but again if you play against a combo deck, that doesn't quite matter, cause it doesn't shut down their ability to find pieces of the combo (doomsday, show and tell here spiri is better again). And if you play against control/tempo, they might have a lot of removals for your dude, or just draw cards to find them, here spirit is again way better.

[Pittplayer]

So you expect your opponent to be terrible to win right ? They can just go for atraxa, archaon or not draw with griselbrand and win with 7/7 lifelink beatdown



Against echo i prefer let them draw 0 cards than draw 7 deals 7 damage, that's not enough to kill them.

You get a 3/3 in resp to a brainstorm, but again if you play against a combo deck, that doesn't quite matter, cause it doesn't shut down their ability to find pieces of the combo (doomsday, show and tell here spiri is better again). And if you play against control/tempo, they might have a lot of removals for your dude, or just draw cards to find them, here spirit is again way better.

I actually agree with most of what you are saying. But I do want to bring up a couple points. First, Spirt does not have flash. So your move with that is telegraphed. Archers, like Opposition Agent, can catch opponents by surprise and create huge tempo swings. Second yes usually Spirit is better, but that does nothing to discount what a value engine Archers is. It does not need to end the game to make a creature responding to brainstorm providing a 1/1, a 4/4, and dealing 4 damage to any amount of targets, at instant speed, for 2 mana, good...

[BenBleiweiss]

Looks like dinner is back on the menu!https://i.redd.it/hrinmmxw0d3b1.png

NOTE: Triggers off ANY Goblin hitting, not just itself!

[Fox]

Barrow-Blade might see play as the first playable card red can use to begin to deal with Kaldra.

[Zoid]

Ponderable Orb:


Palantir of Orthanc {3}

Legendary Artifact

At the beginning of your end step, put an influence counter on Palantir of Orthanc and scry 2. Then target opponent may have you draw a card. If that player doesn't, you mill X cards, where X is the number of influence counters on Palantir of Orthanc, and that player loses life equal to the total mana value of those cards.

[PirateKing]

Watching Brian Coval play some donation deck that was Ninjas/Death's Shadow combo with a handful of Shadow of Mortality as fun hits off Yuriko, you could achieve the same thing with this as a one card combo. Show and Tell or Reanimator binning a few Gridelbrand or Emrakul to finish the game seems like a easily accessed pivot.

[Barook]

lol I love this

Play it with Burning Inquiry and Winds of Change because who gives a shit, give 'em the ensuing 9/9 Orc beatdown

This card slaps
It's worth noting that one copy of Bowmaster + Sheoldred + any draw 7 is already exactly 20 damage for the instagib (14 from Sheldred, 6 from Bowmaster since the first card doesn't count; not counting the initial ping from Bowmaster).

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

Palantir of Orthanc
3
Legendary Artifact
At the beginning of your end step, put an influence counter on Palantir of Orthanc and scry 2. Then target opponent may have you draw a card. If that player doesn't, you mill X cards, where X is the number of influence counters on Palantir of Orthanc, and that player loses life equal to the total mana value of those cards.

[Zoid]

It's worth noting that one copy of Bowmaster + Sheoldred + any draw 7 is already exactly 20 damage for the instagib (14 from Sheldred, 6 from Bowmaster since the first card doesn't count; not counting the initial ping from Bowmaster).


... whenever an opponent draws a card except the first one they draw in each of their draw steps...

It doesn't ignore the first draw in general, just the first one in their draw step.
You can't dodge it by drawing a card during your opponents turn like Narset.

[Barook]

It doesn't ignore the first draw in general, just the first one in their draw step.
You can't dodge it by drawing a card during your opponents turn like Narset.
My bad, I should RTFC.



Palantir of Orthanc
3
Legendary Artifact
At the beginning of your end step, put an influence counter on Palantir of Orthanc and scry 2. Then target opponent may have you draw a card. If that player doesn't, you mill X cards, where X is the number of influence counters on Palantir of Orthanc, and that player loses life equal to the total mana value of those cards.
A shame your opponent can always choose, otherwise it would be a kill with Congregation at Dawn at two counters. Might still be interesting with something like Stronghold where you can threaten to mill a fatty every turn.

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

My bad, I should RTFC.



A shame your opponent can always choose, otherwise it would be a kill with Congregation at Dawn at two counters. Might still be interesting with something like Stronghold where you can threaten to mill a fatty every turn.

It's a preordain, so (especially) at the first counter if you top a card they almost assuredly mill it....so uh, emrakul them.

[Zoid]

https://mythicspoiler.com/ltr/cards/floweringofthewhitetree.jpg

More Thalia.dec fodder

[Barook]

It's a preordain, so (especially) at the first counter if you top a card they almost assuredly mill it....so uh, emrakul them.
I wonder how good this is going to be in Workshops. It has the perfect mana cost for that and played early, it guarantees you lots of draws and filtering, given that it isn't really feasible to risk not giving the draw after a certain amount of counters.

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

Pretty sure there’s better ways to draw a card a turn that aren’t conditional and don’t require running bad cards.

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

Pretty sure there’s better ways to draw a card a turn that aren’t conditional and don’t require running bad cards.

IMO it isn't conditional. Like dredge slams this down you can't ever let them do the mill. Even if they brick on lands those lands have CMCs now and you paid 6+ life for the privledge. They hit a Creeping chill you just lose 7 life to stop 1 card?

[Whoshim]

Dredge really doesn't get to 3 mana reliably enough to make this part of the game plan. Even at 2 mana, it would be hard to fit in (Tolarian Winds is just not good enough, even in the newer Blue Gaze lists, and Glimpse the Unthinkable isn't used either).

[PirateKing]

Again I'd say Palantir of Orthanc is more in line for Sneak & Show or Reanimator.
Letting either decks draw extra cards is bad but you're running the risk of letting them stack runner runner CMC 7-8 creatures and just dome you for 15 after the second turn it's out.

Like, S&S plays Ancient Tomb, Lotus Petal, Palantir. Maybe you Force but they Force back. Whatever, that's 5 cards out of their hand, could have been worse. End of their turn, one influence counter and scry 2. Do you let them draw an extra card? Mill 1 sure, it's a Show and Tell, ha, got em, you're no chump, you lose 3 life. You play out your Delver or whatever, pass to them, they draw, play Island, cast Brainstorm. End of turn, two influence counters and scry 2. Maybe Emrakul + Force are on top and you're just dead? Just letting them draw 2 a turn won't end well for you, so what do you do?

[Zoid]

Wouldn't any stompy, post or prison deck want this as well?
They are notoriously starved on CA and run decently high average mana cost cards.

I don't think you want to play this unless you're planning to go for the long run anyway.

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

Wouldn't any stompy, post or prison deck want this as well?
They are notoriously starved on CA and run decently high average mana cost cards.

I don't think you want to play this unless you're planning to go for the long run anyway.

I thought about it in post, but then I thought my op would force it and wasteland my tomb so I spent 3 cards and skipped my turn to just have a tapped monolith in play and it made me sad so I didn't do it.

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

Again I'd say Palantir of Orthanc is more in line for Sneak & Show or Reanimator.
Letting either decks draw extra cards is bad but you're running the risk of letting them stack runner runner CMC 7-8 creatures and just dome you for 15 after the second turn it's out.

Like, S&S plays Ancient Tomb, Lotus Petal, Palantir. Maybe you Force but they Force back. Whatever, that's 5 cards out of their hand, could have been worse. End of their turn, one influence counter and scry 2. Do you let them draw an extra card? Mill 1 sure, it's a Show and Tell, ha, got em, you're no chump, you lose 3 life. You play out your Delver or whatever, pass to them, they draw, play Island, cast Brainstorm. End of turn, two influence counters and scry 2. Maybe Emrakul + Force are on top and you're just dead? Just letting them draw 2 a turn won't end well for you, so what do you do?

In what matchup is this going to be better than Defense Grid, which costs one less?

[PirateKing]

A resolved Ensnaring Bridge comes to mind. They'll let you draw, dig faster for the Brazen Borrower out you need.
Do decks play Ensnaring Bridge anymore?

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

A resolved Ensnaring Bridge comes to mind. They'll let you draw, dig faster for the Brazen Borrower out you need.
Do decks play Ensnaring Bridge anymore?

Aren’t there better ways to draw cards tho, if that’s all you’re doing?

Like imagine the strictly better version of this card that just says at the end of your turn, scry 2 and draw

Would that come to your mind as an answer to bring in against decks running Bridge

[Zoid]

I thought about it in post, but then I thought my op would force it and wasteland my tomb so I spent 3 cards and skipped my turn to just have a tapped monolith in play and it made me sad so I didn't do it.

To be fair, that sounds like a sad time regardless of what you're trying to do.
Also, in this case your opponent is also down 3 cards.


A resolved Ensnaring Bridge comes to mind. They'll let you draw, dig faster for the Brazen Borrower out you need.
Do decks play Ensnaring Bridge anymore?

Why would you want to draw cards at the end of your turn with Bridge?
Worst case is you allowing yourself to be attacked with 1/X dudes.
That's why modern lanterns plays Bottled Cloister.

[Barook]

Wouldn't any stompy, post or prison deck want this as well?
They are notoriously starved on CA and run decently high average mana cost cards.

I don't think you want to play this unless you're planning to go for the long run anyway.
Stompy definitely benefits from running the high CC pitch elementals and high CC double-sided lands. Stuff like Emeria's Call hitting for 7 WILL hurt.

[Zoid]

https://mythicspoiler.com/ltr/cards/thebattleofbywater.jpghttps://mythicspoiler.com/ltr/cards/hornofthemark.jpg

3 mana pseudo wrath and more aggro refueling fodder.

[the Thin White Duke]

https://mythicspoiler.com/ltr/cards/thebattleofbywater.jpghttps://mythicspoiler.com/ltr/cards/hornofthemark.jpg

3 mana pseudo wrath and more aggro refueling fodder.

So they make a battle after the set they introduced battles, with battle in the title, but it's not a battle?

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

So they make a battle after the set they introduced battles, with battle in the title, but it's not a battle?

Correct. It's a battle, but not a BATTLE

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

https://mythicspoiler.com/ltr/cards/elvenfarsight.html
Scry 3, then you may draw if the top cards is a creature..

[Wrath of Pie]

So they make a battle after the set they introduced battles, with battle in the title, but it's not a battle?
It's Schrodinger's battle.

[BirdsOfParadise]

https://mythicspoiler.com/ltr/cards/elvenfarsight.html
Scry 3, then you may draw if the top cards is a creature..
Ehhh, I’m not sold. Natural Selection can still target the opponent and you can choose to shuffle their library.

[Zoid]

https://mythicspoiler.com/ltr/cards/elvenfarsight.html
Scry 3, then you may draw if the top cards is a creature..

Nobody gave a shit about Adventurous Impulse so I doubt this will see any play.

Is this playable?

https://mythicspoiler.com/ltr/cards/sarumanthewhitehand.jpg

[H]

Is this playable?

https://mythicspoiler.com/ltr/cards/sarumanthewhitehand.jpg

Hmm, it is very comparable to Chrome Host Seedshark.

Generally Seedshark going wide is probably better than Saruman going tall, but there could be cases where that isn't the case maybe. But Sarumon costing 4 versus 3 for Seedshark might be the biggest difference.

Ultimately, I'd guess this is probably about as playable as Seedshark really, which is to say, fringe or so?

[dte]

Nobody gave a shit about Adventurous Impulse so I doubt this will see any play.



Ehhh, I’m not sold. Natural Selection can still target the opponent and you can choose to shuffle their library.

Natural selection is unplayable as it is carddisadvantage.

https://mythicspoiler.com/ltr/cards/elvenfarsight.html
is also much better than Adventurous Impulse: Impulse only potentially replace itself with a creature, while farsight allows you to additionally filter your top, eg find your second land an/or ensuring live draws.

So farsight is like advanturous Impulse + scry 2, a very large improvement. Additional bonus, it can still draw you a card if the first creature card is the fourth from top. I don't know if these two bonuses are enough for it to be played though.

[Whoshim]

However, Elven Farsight is worse than Adventurous Impulse vs. Narset, Hullbreacher, and Faerie Mastermind due to being a draw effect. It also doesn't let you draw a land. I think the scry of EF is strong though, so it will probably see some play in creature-heavy decks.

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

https://i.imgur.com/aV3fS62.jpeg
The era of slip out the back is over, The era of Gladriels Dismissal is now.