That's right Blade decks, no more wasting SB slot on Manriki-Gusari. Now you get to waste that slot on Grip of Phyresis.
Nahiri, the Lithomancer becomes playable now in Stoneblade decks?
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.
Not to derail, but another new card:
"The Ancients teach us that if we can but last, we shall prevail."
—Kaysa, Elder Druid of the Juniper Order
Master of Death seems pretty good with Bazaar and Force effects.
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.
"The Ancients teach us that if we can but last, we shall prevail."
—Kaysa, Elder Druid of the Juniper Order
This is awful (but funny to me):
"The Ancients teach us that if we can but last, we shall prevail."
—Kaysa, Elder Druid of the Juniper Order
So some Green 'yard hate?
"The Ancients teach us that if we can but last, we shall prevail."
—Kaysa, Elder Druid of the Juniper Order
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.
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.
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.
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.
That's an interesting design.
Well, I guess that is one way to hate on 'Walkers...
"The Ancients teach us that if we can but last, we shall prevail."
—Kaysa, Elder Druid of the Juniper Order
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