Modern Horizons 2 Previews

[Fox]

That's right Blade decks, no more wasting SB slot on Manriki-Gusari. Now you get to waste that slot on Grip of Phyresis.

[Hanni]

Nahiri, the Lithomancer becomes playable now in Stoneblade decks?

[FTW]

Yeah, I agree the higher cast and equip costs are drawbacks. But realistically how often does Batterskull get hardcast or re-equipped? It happens in some grindy games, but most of the time it's a 4/4 lifelink vigilance flash creature for 1W. If you expect SFM to get killed or the need to re-equip, you usually get Sword or Jitte instead. Batterskull is for when you expect to untap with SFM and need a blocker or fast clock, and Batterskull backfires too when SFM dies. This does fill that role, with some advantages and some weaknesses.

You lose the bounce ability, but both the token and equipment are indestructible so it's only vulnerable vs white spells (having SFM kind of insulates you vs Edict effects).

"First strike, exile attacking or blocking creature" is relevant text. Marit Lage can't block this without dying. Griselbrand would die without gaining 7 life.

Edit: One of Batterskull's weaknesses was that it could get outclassed by a bigger fair creature like Goyf, Angler, Knight. It could also get chumped to stall, and instant tricks could prevent the lifegain. Trample gets through chumps and the exile ability gets rid of any bigger creatures. Overall this is much harder to stop on the board, at the cost of needing more enabling.

[H]

Not to derail, but another new card:

[Fox]

Master of Death seems pretty good with Bazaar and Force effects.

[H]

"First strike, exile attacking or blocking creature" is relevant text. Marit Lage can't block this without dying. Griselbrand would die without gaining 7 life.

Yeah, but why would they block it? Unless they are at exactly 5 life, they'd likely win outright (with Lage) or out race you (with G-Bees). Of course there are mitigating factors, but I'm not sure presuming we have a stacked board is the right way to consider if Kaldra is the "optimal" go to. I think considering the opposite is actually more illuminating, generally speaking.

Not that Batterskull really helps you versus Marit Lage or Griselbrand though, of course.

[H]

This is awful (but funny to me):

[FTW]

Not to derail, but another new card:

Pretty funny that in the mirror you can't attack the other with a stolen creature (protection from corruption) and you can corrupt the other to get protection from it.

[Fox]

Pretty funny that in the mirror you can't attack the other with a stolen creature (protection from corruption) and you can corrupt the other to get protection from it.

Kinda tragic this can't steal a PW for a turn (i.e. steal opponent's Dihada and sacrifice it to the legend rule). Oh wait....

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

I think the 3 mana bounce-back-to-hand makes Batterskull a more resilient threat, but Kaldra will close games faster. Without lifelink it won't be the big swings that create inevitability in 'fair' matchups, but it is indestructible, which is relevant against combo/unfair decks that are banking on Abrade/artifact removal to buy time. One fairly big downside is that it makes you all-in on protecting SFM, because the likelihood of hardcasting this in time to matter is probably close to zero. Thinking about the decks that play SFM, I think the most likely candidate for this is Maverick. They have the mana-boosting that can legit hard-cast it and they have other big threats that soak up removal (Knights mostly.)

EDIT: It gives the creature indestructible, too. That means you can't Abrupt Decay the germ to make it useless. So the only real removal will be Swords to Plowshares or if Disenchant effects turn to exile/shuffle back into library styles (Revoke Existence, Shattering Blow, Unravel the Aether, Deglamer)

Without a bounce and an equip cost of 7 the best answer I've seen is Archmage Charm.

[Fox]

Without a bounce and an equip cost of 7 the best answer I've seen is Archmage Charm.

How bout we just uptick Karn and throw a chump in front of the 7/7 for a turn?

[H]

So some Green 'yard hate?

[Barook]

Kaldra and Batterskull serve different purposes.

Batterskull is a defensive powerhouse with its lifelink + vigilance combo.

Kaldra, however, is an offensive powerhouse that will relentlessly beat your ass until you die. The combo of indestructible + haste + first strike + super deathtouch is pretty neat (you still have to assign full combat damage to the target before you can assign trample damage, though, right?). Main problem I see here that it's pretty much dead in the water without SFM or if the token gets bounced/exiled/flickered.

So some Green 'yard hate?

Green got enough powerful cards, it doesn't have to be an amazing pitch card. Still rock-solid, though. 3 mana for a 3/4 with reach and flash is still pretty good to fuck Delvers over.

[H]

Green got enough powerful cards, it doesn't have to be an amazing pitch card. Still rock-solid, though. 3 mana for a 3/4 with reach and flash is still pretty good to fuck Delvers over.

Oh, I wasn't saying it was bad, just not the effect I'd have guessed would be on it.

[Fox]

So some Green 'yard hate?

Yeah uhh....I don't think 3/4 is supposed to have flash and only cost 1GG lol. Pretty funny you can find this off of OUaT though; rip Faerie Macabre.

[Barook]

Yeah uhh....I don't think 3/4 is supposed to have flash and only cost 1GG lol.

It can act as pseudo-removal against alot of attacking creatures and can be played as early as T2 with a mana dork. Wouldn't be surprised if this becomes a staple of green decks, especially with Uro and Delver running rampant.

Edit: Depending on the deck, this could also prevent Oracle from winning.

[Fox]

It can act as pseudo-removal against alot of attacking creatures and can be played as early as T2 with a mana dork. Wouldn't be surprised if this becomes a staple of green decks, especially with Uro and Delver running rampant.

It's also pretty hilarious against Drown....Grindstone....JTMS ult....mill in modern I guess....and maybe able to kill a Goyf (if the Endurance player can exile their own GY with card like Cling and send trigger at opponent).

Importantly it can be played by non-creature decks who wish Kaheera companion to hand.

[Barook]

That's an interesting design.

[Fox]

That's an interesting design.

First half kills Hexdrinker phase 2, second half kills Progenitus-types. To UBw Landstill we go.

[H]

Well, I guess that is one way to hate on 'Walkers...