New cards from M11

[morgan_coke]

four M11 cards that will also be in Archenemy were spoiled today via Twitter:


Reassembling Skeleton 1B
Creature - Skeleton Warrior
1B: Return ~ from your Graveyard to the battlefield tapped.
Though you may see the same bones, you'll never see the same skeleton twice.
1/1

Plummet 1G
Instant
Destroy target creature with flying.
"You are the grandest of all," said the archdruid to the trees. They became so proud of bark and branch that they suffered no creature to fly overhead or perch upon a bow.

Sorcerer's Strongbox 4
Artifact
2,T: Flip a coin. If you win the flip, sacrifice ~ and draw three cards.
Simun the Quiet filled the chest with his most precious thoughts. But in a fit of paranoia he locked up the memory of where he hid the key.

Chandra's Outrage 2RR
Instant
~ deals 4 damage to target creature and 2 damage to that creatures controller.
"Her mind is an incredible mix of emotion and power. Even if I could grasp it, I couldn't hold it for long."
- Jace Beleren, on Chandra Nalaar

I think the Skeleton is the only one with Legacy potential - some kind of recurring sacrifice engine maybe? But its probably not good enough outside of casual. Maybe Stax or Pox or something, but the 1/1 stats probably make it irrelevant in those.

EDIT: also, as long as I'm posting spoilery stuff, for those who haven't heard, the next DD is Elspeth vs. Tezzeret. No idea what cards will be included as support for them.

[sunshine]

The skeleton is somewhat interesting. Mostly because it lacks the "play this ability any time you could play a sorcery" clause.

[Finn]

Thanks for the info. None of this is going to cut it IMO.

[whienot]

Haha, Plummet might as well read "Destroy target Iona."

[4eak]

I don't like that is comes into play tapped from recursion; it would be a better defensive tool otherwise. Without the "at your upkeep" or "sorcery" clause, it is pretty cool though. I really love strong graveyard mechanics (and I don't consider such things unfair given the impressive array of hate for it). Sadly, it is not efficient enough for the cost. A straight CC and activated ability would have made it perhaps playable in my eyes.

It does break the symmetry of Innocent Blood effects, but I believe there are already many tools which perform that role quite effectively.




peace,
4eak

[(nameless one)]

At first, I thought of Reassembling Skeleton for Dredge, then I realized that it costs 2 mana to reanimate it.

[the Thin White Duke]

The Strongbox is cool. I like to see coin flippin' back in Magic. We need more of that action. And while they're at it, bring back Chaos Orb!!
Anyway, the new duel deck is very interesting. It almost looks like Wizard's "doesn't care about the secondary market" like they try to tell us time after time.

[Aggro_zombies]

I don't like that is comes into play tapped from recursion; it would be a better defensive tool otherwise. Without the "at your upkeep" or "sorcery" clause, it is pretty cool though. I really love strong graveyard mechanics (and I don't consider such things unfair given the impressive array of hate for it). Sadly, it is not efficient enough for the cost. A straight CC and activated ability would have made it perhaps playable in my eyes.

It does break the symmetry of Innocent Blood effects, but I believe there are already many tools which perform that role quite effectively.




peace,
4eak

Yeah, but if it didn't come into play tapped, it would be really, really obnoxious. Like a wall that you can almost never get rid of, basically.

[jrsthethird]

My reaction to the new DD was to put both of my Elspeths on ebay. There's a reason why Ajani Vengeant hasn't experienced the same huge price jump that she has. (Also why Emrakul isn't a $40 card).

Also I can't wait for the Orb of Insight. I need to search 'Baneslayer' and decide if I want to sell mine or not.

[Ciberon]

I don't like that is comes into play tapped from recursion; it would be a better defensive tool otherwise.

You could allways block and return it on the same turn, after blocking. Then it'd be allways untapped to block.
I do not disagree with you, though. Just offering a "solution".

[caiomarcos]

If there is a way to untap lands, generate some mana or bounce something whenever the skeleton is sacced or comes into play, it could be a combo engine. I'm just to lazy to look for something like that.
The interesting part is that it is an ability that can only be Stifled and can be played anytime, very hard to stop once it gets going.

[morgan_coke]

Intruder Alarm + Ashnod's Altar with some Dryad Arbors maybe? The main problem with it as a combo enabler is that it needs like 3-4 pieces to work, which is pretty tough to pull off in any kind of reasonable time frame.

[hi-val]

Aside from the playability of these cards, they are all really COOL. Part of the enjoyment of M10 was the fun of a full-on classic fantasy setting, like oldschool D&D. Djinn of Wishes is a great example of that kind of flavor. Cards like the Reassembling Skeletons and the Strongbox are just really, really neat. I can see a player saying "if I win the flip on my Strongbox, I bet I'll draw that creature I need!" in a casual game of scrubby Magic.

[4eak]

Yeah, but if it didn't come into play tapped, it would be really, really obnoxious. Like a wall that you can almost never get rid of, basically.

I love rich combat phases. Outside of he who should not be named, Mother of Runes, and very specialized hatebears, I'd like to see more defensive creatures in Legacy. It would require a major leap in the power levels of Walls and other defensive creatures; I don't think WotC will though. My experience in gaming is that developers trend away from control archetypes/abilities/functions/mechanics over time, as there will always be whiners who can't accept a full defensive side of the strategy spectrum. I still cross my fingers hoping WoTC will continue to develop cards like Reassembling Skeleton, only stronger.



peace,
4eak

[Nihil Credo]

It would require a major leap in the power levels of Walls and other defensive creatures; I don't think WotC will though. My experience in gaming is that developers trend away from control archetypes/abilities/functions/mechanics over time, as there will always be whiners who can't accept a full defensive side of the strategy spectrum. I still cross my fingers hoping WoTC will continue to develop cards like Reassembling Skeleton, only stronger.

They printed Wall of Denial in Alara Reborn and people really, really fucking hated it. According to multiple high-level pros, it was half of the reason for Alara block being a terrible format with way too little interaction (the other half of course being Cascade).

The current design rule seems to be that cheap throwaway chumpers are fine (Wall of Cantrip, Khalni Garden, Elvish Visionary, Eldrazi Spawns...), but resilient dedicated stallers are to be developed with great care. It's no coincidence that Bloodghast got the "can't block" clause - apparently the playtest feedback from playing against defensive decks with 4x Nether Spirit On Crack was pretty harsh.

[TheD4edalus]

Plummet makes me sad.

Ionee can't name white and green. :(

[Phoenix Ignition]

Plummet makes me sad.

Ionee can't name white and green. :(

Good thing no one is going to ever run it in legacy then, right?

[alderon666]

Good thing no one is going to ever run it in legacy then, right?

Sure gonna game my Valakut Ramp pile better against Baneslayer... =p

[4eak]

@ Nihil Credo

They printed Wall of Denial in Alara Reborn and people really, really fucking hated it. According to multiple high-level pros, it was half of the reason for Alara block being a terrible format with way too little interaction (the other half of course being Cascade).

The current design rule seems to be that cheap throwaway chumpers are fine (Wall of Cantrip, Khalni Garden, Elvish Visionary, Eldrazi Spawns...), but resilient dedicated stallers are to be developed with great care. It's no coincidence that Bloodghast got the "can't block" clause - apparently the playtest feedback from playing against defensive decks with 4x Nether Spirit On Crack was pretty harsh.

I wasn't talking about non-Legacy formats. With regards to Legacy, very defensive creatures (besides a few exceptions which usually are capable of effectively switching from the control to beatdown role) have little impact. I think very defensive creatures can be developed in such a way that they would promote interactivity and depth of strategy in Legacy as well. Even a Bloodghast that could block would not be OP in Legacy (I'd gladly have accepted a warped/boring T2 for it, hehe); although, I'd probably be running Relic main more often in such a world.




peace,
4eak

[Malchar]

The skeleton could be useful with Contamination