Commander 2016 Spoiler Thread

[rufus]

Except Shallow Grave + activating Magus still costs 5 mana, requires a setup of getting Magus into the yard and finding the Shallow grave. Might as well just play Past in Flames.

The fact that Will gives access to artifact mana like LED and lotus petal can be a huge difference.

[Darkenslight]

Doesn't seem good, but a wacky White card:



Orzhov Advokist
Creature - Human Advisor
At the beginning of your upkeep, each player may put two +1/+1 counters on a creature he or she controls. If a player does, creatures that player controls can't attack you or a planeswalker you control until your next turn.
1/4

[H]

Ah, you are beginning to see what we in Vintage have long known. Welcome, Children, to the world of YawgWin.

I know the power of the Dark Side.

I played Vintage for years before ever picking up Legacy. I know the joys of Yawgmoth's Will. Took it to some kids at last year's Eternal Weekend who learned that REBs and Flusterstorms are a joke to Will plus Vault and Key.

[MaximumC]

The fact that Will gives access to artifact mana like LED and lotus petal can be a huge difference.

And the fact that you get 4x LEDs in Legacy... well.... that's just not fair at all. Those are at maximum power level when you're just casting crap out of your yard. In Vintage, we have to tutor up our Lotus and be happy with that.

[rufus]

And the fact that you get 4x LEDs in Legacy... well.... that's just not fair at all. Those are at maximum power level when you're just casting crap out of your yard. In Vintage, we have to tutor up our Lotus and be happy with that.

Yeah. Even so, most of these 'from the graveyard' plans tend to end up being 'bad reanimator' or 'bad dredge' anyway.

[H]

Orzhov Advokist
Creature - Human Advisor
At the beginning of your upkeep, each player may put two +1/+1 counters on a creature he or she controls. If a player does, creatures that player controls can't attack you or a planeswalker you control until your next turn.
1/4

What a curious card.

There is a way to use this that nets the opponent nothing in Death and Taxes (because you can Flickerwisp their creature), but in the end two +1/+1 counters probably aren't really worth it.

[rufus]

What a curious card.

There is a way to use this that nets the opponent nothing in Death and Taxes (because you can Flickerwisp their creature), but in the end two +1/+1 counters probably aren't really worth it.

The trigger is optional, so it's a choice card.

[H]

The trigger is optional, so it's a choice card.

Right, so either you get two "free" +1/+1 counters or you get to Fog them. Still not sure it'd be worth it a good deal of the time.

[MaximumC]

The trigger is optional, so it's a choice card.

I dunno if I'd be so quick to judge. Sure, they can opt out, but then you're growing creatures by 2 each turn. That's a better rate of damage growth than Bitterblossom.

Flickerwisp / Eldrazi Displacer handle the symmetry, and if they go for the counters, then you're earning time to push your lock pieces or get their blocker removed. Two counters on ANY of your creatures is very good; it's basically horizontal growth, which is far superior to vertical growth.

I'm not sure there's room in D&T for a card that does nothing on its own, but this is more interesting than you give it credit for.

[rufus]

Hmm... Divergent Transformation can work as a mass polymorph clone for combos.

Divergent Transformation
6R
Instant

Undaunted (This spell costs 1 less to cast for each opponent)

Exile two target creatures. For each of those creatures, its controller reveals cards from the top of his or her library until he or she reveals a creature card, puts that card onto the battlefield, then shuffles the rest into his or her library.

E.g. Mogg Alarm+Divergent Transformation -> Emrakul, The Aeons Torn + Xenagos, God of Revels.

[Poron]

Buried Alive

Necrotic Ooze
Griselbrand
Will's Mage

Reanimate on Ooze

go off from there

[Barook]

That's still 6 mana and a lot of card disadvantage/risk compared to Sneak Attack, even if it doesn't one-shot. And it dies like a bitch to Terminus.

[Poron]

Hmm... Divergent Transformation can work as a mass polymorph clone for combos.



E.g. Mogg Alarm+Divergent Transformation -> Emrakul, The Aeons Torn + Xenagos, God of Revels.

you already had Tooth and Nails for that and it doesn't require anything on the field

[Cire]

Hmm... Divergent Transformation can work as a mass polymorph clone for combos.

The cheapest non-creature token producer for 2 tokens are Raise the Alarm type cards. With Divergent Transformation plus a Raise the Alarm, and 2 "combo" creatures in your deck - you have a 2 card insta win combo for 6WR . . . which isn't that great. Why not just tooth and nail?

[H]

I dunno if I'd be so quick to judge. Sure, they can opt out, but then you're growing creatures by 2 each turn. That's a better rate of damage growth than Bitterblossom.

Flickerwisp / Eldrazi Displacer handle the symmetry, and if they go for the counters, then you're earning time to push your lock pieces or get their blocker removed. Two counters on ANY of your creatures is very good; it's basically horizontal growth, which is far superior to vertical growth.

I'm not sure there's room in D&T for a card that does nothing on its own, but this is more interesting than you give it credit for.

That's what I was getting at, yeah. I mean, of all the new three-drops available to D&T now, this one is easily the worst. Yet, putting two +1/+1 counters on Mirran Crusader is pretty filthy.

[Lemnear]

Well now, who's that sexy body? Sadly, I think the necessity of tapping it makes this little guy a bit hard to use. If it was a six mana Will, that would be gold. I see power, but I see problems too. It will take smarter players than I to work out where he goes.

6 mana Will would still be worse than PIF as it would require at least 9 mana to initiate a loop.

This card is as playable as Magus of the wheel. I would MIGHT consider it if the activation cost was 0 or if no tapping was involved

[Cire]

6 mana Will would still be worse than PIF as it would require at least 9 mana to initiate a loop.

This card is as playable as Magus of the wheel. I would MIGHT consider it if the activation cost was 0 or if no tapping was involved

But what about a 3 mana will, that simply has to survive for a turn. Like instead of basing a combo around the guy, shouldn't we be thinking about it like this:

2B
Creature
If you untap with this card on the battlefield, you win the game.
3/3

Now. . . obviously it's not that, we still have to make it work, and making it work is the hard part.

[Lemnear]

But what about a 3 mana will, that simply has to survive for a turn. Like instead of basing a combo around the guy, shouldn't we be thinking about it like this:

2B
Creature
If you untap with this card on the battlefield, you win the game.
3/3

Now. . . obviously it's not that, we still have to make it work, and making it work is the hard part.

Half of the reason to play a combo deck like storm is to blank certain angles of interaction like creature removal. This thing makes you more vulnerable to anything from Needle to Bolt to Plows to yardhate, with the later already being an issue ANT players need to get around

[Zombie]

One interesting thing about Magus is what removal sucks against it. Taxing counters, usually amazing against Storm, obviously suck.

But, removal? It doesn't die to Pyroclasm or Massacre or Golgari Charm or Zealous Persecution. Killing it in a timely fashion with Engineered Explosives or Ratchet Bomb is a bitch. Kozilek's Return doesn't kill it.

That is to say, most tools people would use to murder Goblins this doesn't care about. Terminus and Toxic Deluge work, and Lands players can cut their percentages against Mother of Runes by playing Firespout. But that's all expensive, apart from Terminus.

It actively says "you have to play spot removal". Sadly, spot removal sucks against hordes of Goblins.

This means you can play a three-way lottery of no creatures - goblins - Magus.

[MaximumC]

Right, so either you get two "free" +1/+1 counters or you get to Fog them. Still not sure it'd be worth it a good deal of the time.

No, it's better than that.

During your upkeep, each player chooses whether they want to put counters on their dorks. You and everyone else. If your opponent wants the counters, they can't attack you this turn cycle. But you? You're free to put the counters on regardless. I mean, technically you are also agreeing you cannot attack yourself this turn cycle, but that's impossible anyway.

So it's like this. Each turn, your creatures grow. Your opponents can choose to either grow their creatures or attack, but not both.