Lightning Bolt is a 4-of in any Red deck for a reason. Kills DRS, YP, Delver, SFM, Mentor, Merfolk, Hatebears, Metalworker, Elves, Bob; basically anything that isn't TNN, Angler, most Goyfs, or cheat fatties. Bolt is playable even if it's "dead" because it still hits the face.
Strangler does all this too, except instead of the face-option, it leaves behind a 3/2 body. Not a huge body by any means, but easily tradeable with any of the things it kills. It's a classic 2-for-1. Basically Flametongue Kavu for 3 mana.
That said, it's good, but remember, they will be dirt cheap while BFZ is in Standard due to Expedition frenzy, so no need to stock up now. If it proves to be a dud, or at the least, doesn't fit in a tier deck, than you don't need to waste your energy, nor is it smart to really spec on them either.
Yeah but you're treating a 3 cmc card like it's a lightning bolt. I see some pretty big flaws here.
And a 7/5 Annihilator 2 for 7 at Uncommon. Kinda interesting how Annihilator polled poorly enough that they nixed it, yet stuck an almost identical (arguably better) version of it on an Uncommon.
Not so sure what to think of this set. The draft environment looks like it could be interesting, but from a Constructed standpoint...wow, there's hardly anything to really get excited about. Bring to Light, Serene Steward, Retreat to Coralhelm, and a bunch of boring rare Standard staples (e.g. Scatter to the Winds) are really the only things of real interest, and that's mostly in a "Eh, this might slot into a Modern deck..." Ob Nixilis will be fun to jam in Black EDH decks, I guess...
Agree wholeheartedly with the folks saying expeditions are a cynical ploy to mask the stink of this set.
Which are what creatures exactly? Nekrataal?
I'm not saying the card's going to be the cream of the crop, but it's a universally applicable effect at an aggressive cost with a condition that is easily achieved by the decks that would want to run it.
I like this comparison a lot.
The body that sticks around is better than the ability to hit players. I'm talking about the range and versatility of the card, which you seem to miss.
Plays interestingly well with Tidehollow Sculler too. Fits great into a Deadguy shell.
Annihilator being the trademark Eldrazi ability was a little boring. A one-of is fine, and a bonus because it synergizes with the Processor cards.
Yeah, and all the other temporary exile stuff, from Oubliette on forward. Chained to The Rocks,Banishing Light andBrain Maggot will be standard legal.
You guys still talking about Legacy? This guy is literally a Skinrender for 3 that has a conditional EtB ability (well, at least Skinrender's counters stay on the creature, so you can do something to hurt Tarmogoyf/Tasigur/whatever).
It's like I'm in crazytown here. No, Tidehollow Skuller does not break this card.
For reference, there are many conditional EtB kill creatures or creatures that can kill things that are likely better than this guy:
Shriekmaw
Gatekeeper of Malakir
Big Game Hunter
Bone Shredder
Skirsdag Flayer (lol)
Banisher Priest OMG also combos with this new guy!!
Fiend Hunter
In what aspect are they "better"? Half of them can't kill Deathrite Shaman. All of them except for Shriekmaw have a lower p/t. Gatekeeper costs three black mana. Big Game Hunter can't kill anything that's relevant.
By sharp contrast, this is efficient targeted creature kill with a relevant body, minor conditional, and no drawback. I'm not sure what your problem with the card is. Yeah, sure, if you wanna toss it into BUG Delver you're probably gonna have a bad time, but any Rock-esque deck would be thrilled to have this.
Shriekmaw is 5 mana if you want the body, and Terror without. BGH kills a couple things, but leaves behind a stinky 1/1 body. The madness is cute, but ultimately irrelevant. Gatekeeper also is not targeted. Not good in this era of all the Pyro/Mentor tokens. Bone Shredder and Flayer just suck. Bad white guys are bad. Just play Oblivion Ring if you're in white. Yeah it synergizes but they're still bad cards. Fling synergizes with Dark Depths but card is bad.
Sculler doesn't "break" the card. It synergizes well with this line of midrange cards, and is completely playable on its own. It does dirty stuff with Flickerwisp too.
It's great in Deadguy/Rock/Junk decks. Decks that live off of incremental advantages, 2-for-1s, and internal synergies.
I don't really think so. Rock-type decks have a choice of cards which play a similar role: grindy removal. Liliana, Punishing Fire, Kolaghan's Command... you name it. Even if Strangler turns out to be slightly better than some of those options - and I think it unlikely - it's going to be a minor improvement at best. I think it would have been awesome and very playable a few years ago, but today Legacy isn't friendly towards midrange decks trying to win wars of attrition.
I expect that - paradoxically - Modern will get a big boost from this set, because new-ish players will want to escape both faster rotation and having to buy into a fairly weak set, and will be able to take advantage of the relatively low prices of fetches and shocklands.
I think the biggest thing is the deep seeded emotional understanding that the right play is the right play regardless of outcomes. The ability to make a decision 5 straight times, lose 5 times because of it, and still make it the 6th time if it's the right play. - Jon Finkel
"Notions of chance and fate are the preoccupation of men engaged in rash undertakings."
I'm pretty sure that's not Sorin. Look at the beard. Sorin is always clean-shaven.
http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Sorin]
Good comparison. FtK doesn't see any play in Legacy. I'm with Phoenix Ignition on this.
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