Commander 2014 thread

[Barook]

People said the same about Spirit of the Labyrinth and I can't see it putting up serious numbers despite being one mana cheaper than this Snapcaster variant.

Spirit desperately needed flash. This has flash, so big difference.

Besides, Spirit needs to stay in play to be effective, while this only needs to resolve to get value out of it.

Comparing it with Spirit doesn't make sense.

No it is not, if it was a littlecheaper I'd jam it into my Elves deck right now, at least in the sideboard.

How are here effects better than other green Walkers, especially Garruk, Primal Hunter? Free Llanowar Elves with summoning sickness is pretty meh, especially at 5 mana. At 4 mana, it would be alright, but the Naturalize effect, while nifty, isn't to great, either.

[Cire]

I personally think SOL may be given a second chance now that cruise is out. Before it wasn't playable because it only really affected on card: brainstorm, and it often came out too late to affect BS. However Cruise is slightly slower, and offers another target for SOL.

[Gheizen64]

I think he's right though. A 2/2 body coming down on T3 does basically nothing in this format, where even 1 cmc creatures just avoid it (Delver), or are fatter (Monastery Swiftspear). And fork has never been played in modern magic tbh. Compare him to snapcaster, snapcaster can choose the card he clone, and while he's marginally more costly, it's also way more flexible in what u can choose to play, and when to.
Snapcaster can also be played as a surprise blocker and still use his flashback ability, while this will waste his etb ability. I think snapcaster's a better card. This cost also double red, which while i appreciate in a vacuum, it means it's a bit worse playability wise. In general i fear the conditionality of it will just make it unplayable.
He's decently pushed but the fork effect is extremely unconsistent to be played imho.

[Namida]

I like the card; I just don't know where it goes. Are there any decks right now that are comfortable reaching the point where they would play this to copy their own spells? (Read: What deck wants to intentionally be in a place where you can generate 1RR plus another spell?) Is there a deck that actually plays enough red to support this card but also would want to keep the three mana open to use this against an opponent's spells?

[apple713]

I personally think SOL may be given a second chance now that cruise is out. Before it wasn't playable because it only really affected on card: brainstorm, and it often came out too late to affect BS. However Cruise is slightly slower, and offers another target for SOL.

this times a thousand. everyone is bitching about how amazing treasure cruise is... well in the event of SOL its now a dead card and you are getting hit with 3 damage a turn.

I like the card; I just don't know where it goes.

thats the problem, it doesn't go anywhere. spells that other decks cast don't necessarily benefit you... think about what you would copy

treasure cruise - the only really beneficial card everything else sucks

show and tell
glimpse of nature
ad nauseum
burning wish
brainstorm - 3 mana draw a card?
swords to plowshares what if you are the only one with creatures...
force of will? no this is not an effective way to win a force of will war...

[iamajellydonut]

force of will? no this is not an effective way to win a force of will war...

Why not? 3cc 2/2 Counter target spell. How is that "not an effective way" to win a counter war? It's not like you have to pitch a card to copy it.

This guy is amazing. Does he have an automatic home? No, not really except for maybe a new UR variant. But to say his effect isn't useful? Seriously? This guy's ability is amazing. Yes, if you're playing him for the body, you're going to have a wonky time. But any deck that can be even moderately instant-centric has the ability to abuse the shit out of this.

[Barook]

I personally think SOL may be given a second chance now that cruise is out. Before it wasn't playable because it only really affected on card: brainstorm, and it often came out too late to affect BS. However Cruise is slightly slower, and offers another target for SOL.

D&T people are definitely picking up Spirit now. I'm currently running 3 in the MD and just 4-0'ed a daily event with it. The funny part is that it currently has more impact in more matches than Revoker, hence moving one Revoker to the sideboard for the third Spirit.

If it had flash, it would have been an amazing card, but as it stands, it's just kinda alright in the current meta. Brainstorm --> Vial --> Spirit blowouts are far too rare.

[bruizar]

Dualcaster Mage will be a legacy staple. One of the better applications for this card is that you can resolve your copy of Treasure Cruise before your opponent's Treasure Cruise resolves. This allows you to dig for a Force of Will, which is really, really good. In case you don't find force of will, you still have 3 cards and a 2/2 compared to your opponent's 3 cards.

EOT Fireblast Dualcaster Mage is 10 damage after your first attack. That's a huge life total swing.

I can also see this card ending up in Imperial Painter builds, as a protection spell, an extra defensive Counterspell, or an extra REB/Pyroblast as well as being able to benefit from blue draw spells.

It could also bring new life into Ancestral Visions

[TsumiBand]

Everyone should come to terms with NONE of these planeswalkers being Legacy playable. I realize asking the internet to be reasonable is a losing battle, but none of them are going to make waves in Legacy if Wizards is trying to keep them from making waves in Commander.

And Dualcaster costs too much to be played in Burn. And copying Entreat the Angels with it is a terrible idea...

I don't think the idea is to copy your Entreat the Angels. (It could be, maybe. but I think the point is to have a lulz answer to a big Entreat that can also just be used to copy your Sligh spells and shizz)

I'm not seeing a whole lot of downside to this guy, even at 3 mana. Red's best spells are cheap-as-free a lot of the time anyway; Bolts are cheap, Fireblast is cheap, heck even something dumb like a Shrapnel Blast or Reckless Abandon or whatever is not even the worst thing it could target. Putting a body on it just makes things interesting; it has the potential to be a mono-Red Mystic Snake, since it doesn't require you to control the spell you're copying. I like it.

[apple713]

Why not? 3cc 2/2 Counter target spell. How is that "not an effective way" to win a counter war? It's not like you have to pitch a card to copy it.

This guy is amazing. Does he have an automatic home? No, not really except for maybe a new UR variant. But to say his effect isn't useful? Seriously? This guy's ability is amazing. Yes, if you're playing him for the body, you're going to have a wonky time. But any deck that can be even moderately instant-centric has the ability to abuse the shit out of this.

for three mana, 2 of which MUST be red, you are happy to simply counter a spell? cards like pyroblast and red elemental blast would blow your mind!

what you are proposing is a new deck variant based on reaction. reaction isn't typically something red wants to engage it. red is an aggressive color.

just think about the red decks that exist, he is too expensive and out of place to fit into them.

even if you copy your own spells.... maybe a fireblast at best. for 4 mana you can copy a lightning bolt and get 6 damage in and swing for 2 following.

[Ace/Homebrew]

I do not play Painter's Servant combo.

Having said that... Mono-Red Painter is deep enough in red to hit reliably. It can tutor the card with Imperial Recruiter (so it'd probably only use 1 copy...). And worst-case it copies Blast to destroy/counter any target.

Am I doing it right?

[iamajellydonut]

Putting a body on it just makes things interesting; it has the potential to be a mono-Red Mystic Snake, since it doesn't require you to control the spell you're copying. I like it.

Speaking of Mystic Snake, I was actually thinking about a Flashy Punishing RUG. This guy. Punishing Fire. Snapcaster. Mystic Snake. Usual blue stuff. Never do a thing on your own turn.

[iamajellydonut]

just think about the red decks that exist, he is too expensive and out of place to fit into them.

I'm just happy to get a "playable" red creature with flash. Even if it's only eye candy.

[Ace/Homebrew]

I don't think the idea is to copy your Entreat the Angels. (It could be, maybe. but I think the point is to have a lulz answer to a big Entreat that can also just be used to copy your Sligh spells and shizz)

Maybe I don't know things?
If my opponent casts Entreat for X=4, and I summon Dualcaster targeting Entreat, does X=4 or 0?

My earlier response assumed X=0

[apple713]

Maybe I don't know things?
If my opponent casts Entreat for X=4, and I summon Dualcaster targeting Entreat, does X=4 or 0?

you copy the spell so x= whatever they paid. if it said you may cast it without paying its cost then x=0

[iamajellydonut]

Maybe I don't know things?
If my opponent casts Entreat for X=4, and I summon Dualcaster targeting Entreat, does X=4 or 0?

If you copy a spell with X or another variable, it copies that variable.

[bruizar]

Reef Wurm is interesting. If you can convert it's power into damage you could deal 18 damage. Think something along the lines of Pandemonium. Probably results in a crappy combo, but still deceptively lots of power wrapped up in this card.

[Richard Cheese]

Maybe I don't know things?
If my opponent casts Entreat for X=4, and I summon Dualcaster targeting Entreat, does X=4 or 0?

My earlier response assumed X=0

Had the same question and after looking around, I'm pretty sure it's 4, since it's copying the spell as it exists on the stack. FWIW, this also means copying a spell with Storm is pretty pointless since Storm triggers as a spell is cast, and copies aren't cast.

[iamajellydonut]

Reef Wurm is interesting. If you can convert it's power into damage you could deal 18 damage. Think something along the lines of Pandemonium. Probably results in a crappy combo, but still deceptively lots of power wrapped up in this card.

Reef Wurm is really cute, especially the art, but most things don't "die" nowadays and Pandemonium has been crappy Johnny bait for going on sixteen years now.

[apple713]

Reef Wurm is interesting. If you can convert it's power into damage you could deal 18 damage. Think something along the lines of Pandemonium. Probably results in a crappy combo, but still deceptively lots of power wrapped up in this card.

i agree, i think it actually fits nicely with cabal therapy. which would lend itself more towards nic fit than any other deck in the format right now. Its just a good beater really. trying to use it with pandemonium seems difficult and inefficient, especially since it falls short on damage 18 instead of 20.