[Spoiled] Lorwyn Cards

[CynicalSquirrel]

It seems a bit early, but we already have our first Lorwyn card, and it seems very good. http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/attac...1&d=1184637069

Shriekmaw 4B
Creature -- Elemental (U)
Fear
When Shriekmaw comes into play, destroy target nonartifact, nonblack creature.
Evoke 1B (You may play this spell for its Evoke cost. If you do, it's sacrificed when it comes into play.)
3/2

Seems really good to me, particularly in Survival. It's definitely worth testing over Bone Shredder in RGb Survival and any other variant with black as the answer to Tarmogoyf and other creatures out of FTK range. The evoke mechanic in general seems really intriguing, and could give Survival the boost it needs.

[raharu]

I like it. Very nice, but if they don't watch it, they might accidentally but survival over the top... Scary thought.

[scrumdogg]

The fact that you can Survival it up & play it as an instant is nice, but as a creature it is fairly expensive (and fragile). How many decks play hasty Tarmogoyfs that this becomes significantly better than Bone Shredder (which hangs around to chumpblock & flies)?

[Atwa]

I'd propably play it in my Goyf list (for testing).

You basicly have a terror with kicker to give you a 3/2 with fear. I've seen worse cards.

[Windux]

I don't see any word, which says that the creature or the ability Evoke has Flash.
So it's still at sorcery speed ;)

I don't think it's too good. You got BoneShredder which is 1 mana more expensive.
So nothing really newand over the top.

[scrumdogg]

Until we get the official wording on Evoke we won't know but there are several strong indicators that you will be able to Evoke at instant speed. One is the card that this emulates, Terror, is an instant & would be significantly worse as a sorcery. Flash is it's own ability, they aren't going to keyword a keyword, if you see what I'm saying. Secondly, there is a precedent for having sorcery speed cards with instant abilities - the equipment cycle from the Mirrodin Block. Horny Hat, Cranial Plating & the others could be equipped for colorless as normal equipment or be instantly attached for a colored mana requirement....pretty much the same scenario as Evoke, imo, which could make Evoke a very cool ability if all the creatures/hosts aren't completely overcosted for their 'normal' incarnation (we also get to see it over the entire block, which is nice).

@atwa: Bone Shredder has flying, Phyrexian Terror Boy here has (apparently) Fear. Six of one, half dozen of the other in terms of evasion but if I have to use it as a blocker I would much prefer to have flying.

[Atwa]

You are right, I read it a little too hasty

[Tao]

Windux is right, I think. Alternate costing and casting mechanisms didn't gave any spell or creature spell flash in the past. See Convoke, Flashback, Morph.

[scrumdogg]

Windux is right, I think. Alternate costing and casting mechanisms didn't gave any spell or creature spell flash in the past. See Convoke, Flashback, Morph.

He may very well be correct, but I suspect (and hope) that he is not. Also, of your examples: Convoke merely goes to cost - why would it speed up the spell as well? Flashback would be a serious headache (and would have been much heavier costed) if it allowed sorceries to be instant speed in the graveyard. Morph does essentially allow the actual creature to appear 'instantly'...at the risk of having to spend to drop it into play beforehand. One more point in support of Evoke being (hopefully) at instant speed, the creature may CIP but you have to sac it....essentially making it either spell analogue or forcing you to have ways around the sac requirement (spending more resources for....how many Evoke cards).

[tivadar]

I think it's far more likely to be sorcery (or "creature") speed. Assuming the image is the actual card image, I know wizards is bending over backwards to not have confusing text on their cards (ala all the old rules restorations). I can't imagine them printing a ruling that would allow a creature to be played as an instant, have reminder text on the card, and not have the words "at any time you could play an instant". Sorry guys, but sorcery speed terror, which isn't to say it's completely terrible.

[Atwa]

Being at sorcery speed alone doesn't make it awefull.

Remeber that Chainer's Edict also sees play, but I've only once seen it's flashback played. Still some people are playing it over Diabolic Edict.

[greenmage]

Is a nice spell on its own and combos nicely with genesis.

I think it might see play somwhere.

[RoddyVR]

At first i'd have assumed like scrumdogg that that ability gives flash to the card, but just realized that in that case this thing is just a purely better version of terror, and since terror hasnt exactly been phased out for being underpowered its unlikely they'd make a strictly better replacement.

As a Sorcery Terror with the ability to give you a creature to boot if you can afford it, it seems more equal in powerlevel. If Evoke gave the things flash, then a lot of them would have to be overcosted to make the cards fair, and they wouldnt be able to put sorcery speed cards/effects onto these things without horribly overcosting them...

[SpatulaOfTheAges]

How many decks play hasty Tarmogoyfs that this becomes significantly better than Bone Shredder (which hangs around to chumpblock & flies)?

If you pay 2B + 2B for echo...

Also, his clock is 3 of Bone-Shredder's.

[Tacosnape]

Bone Shredder sticks around to flashback a Cabal Therapy, too.

[scrumdogg]

If you pay 2B + 2B for echo...

Also, his clock is 3 of Bone-Shredder's.

You obviously only block that turn unless you are really desperate....but the fact that you have a disposable blocker (or a very nice flashback Therapy target as Tacosnape noted) is fine as you've reached 4 mana with an active SotF, which means your opponent playing creatures should be in a world of hurt from there on out.

[Peter_Rotten]

Depending on what other Envoke cards they print, Living Wish may turn into the new Burning Wish.

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

This actually isn't difficult at all. You can play a turn two survival, then tutor this up and play it turn three. You cannot do this with Bone Shredder without Birds. Erego, this one is better.

Also, the ability clearly works at sorcery speed, nor is there reason to suspect that, after just deciding to reprint Terror in a core set, they would want to obsolete it.

Also, Crystal Shard for the win?

[tivadar]

Hmm, something's odd here...

"You may play this spell for its Evoke cost. If you do, it's sacrificed when it comes into play."

Is it just me or would Wizards word this "Sacrifice it when it comes into play"? Was this supposed to be the actual card? Where's the source?

[Pinder]

Also, Crystal Shard for the win?

Please. There has to be something better than that to bounce it with. I mean, really. And I highly, highly doubt that the ability is inherently instant speed. We don't actually have rules text, but from what's up there it just says that you can play the spell for the evoke cost. Think of it like Suspend. Just like you can only suspend something when you could play the spell, I'm also assuming that you can only evoke something when you could play the spell.

Also, this seems pretty nifty with things that trigger on creatures coming into play. I mean, with a Pandemonium (perhaps not the most viable example, but you know). 3 damage plus nuke a dude isn't half bad for 1B, eh?

edit: Do we not have the mana symbols, anymore?