Oh, finally. A card that wasn't made to blatantly make Red+Black or Bant better.
I love it when I see the words "Protection from Green".
Just the novelty is heartening for an old Magic player.
I'm hoping this set won't turn into another Dissension or Eventide; where they stuff the set full of jank but float one or two power rares in it.
This non-legendary artifact Akroma is pretty cool though. It has one fatal flaw...IT IS TOTALLY PRONE TO ALL WHITE REMOVAL (even that damned Celestial Purge kills it, creating yet ANOTHER Nicol Bolas).
On the bright side, it is immune to Terminate courtesy of Pro-Red, and its ability set is one of the best possible (First Strike Lifelink AND Vigilence? It costs 8 for a reason folks). Sure faeries chump block it as always, but the Lifelink and Vigilance sweetens what is normally a rough deal.
Hey, don't forget that vigilance and lifelink are significantly stronger mechanics in multiplayer, especially when combined with first strike and protection. Akroma v4.0 here does a nice job as a rattlesnake too. "Attack me and I'll gain 6 life and eat one of your dudes before you even get to damage me." Just because Esperkroma attacks for 6 doesn't mean it can't play deterrent as well--see Dread.
Yeah, but the best rattlesnakes do stuff when they die, this one just sits there and looks impressive, which is bad in EDH. Rattlesnakes have to involve punishing the player that removes it. Which this thing just doesn't do.
so then, you don't play with the Legendary Dragons from the Kamigawa Block since they don't have "good 'come into play'" abilities, only "goes to graveyard" abilities? Or how about any of the other hundreds of cards that are good without having "comes into play" abilities. For example, in my EDH deck I play with Avatar of Woe, and Blood Tyrant, neither of them have comes into play abilities, are they thus "dull"?
Also, perhaps we should continue this discussion either in the EDH forum, or via PM...
But those cards do something neat. Woe has fear and pops creatures, Blood Tyrant eats people, the dragons have great (well, most of them) death effects which are neat and make you reluctant to kill them. This guy? Well, hes big and scary, but like has been said hes kinda dull. Good, but dull.
Anyway, about him, Seein him Im hopin theres more sphinxes in this set cause I think a sphinx EDH might be neat, but with only like 12 or somethin to pick from its not a great list.
Also really hopin for a good RGW legendary in this set, I dont really care for the general options Ive got currently. Though I am going to try Johan for a bit and see if I like him.
But those cards do something neat. Woe has fear and pops creatures, Blood Tyrant eats people, the dragons have great (well, most of them) death effects which are neat and make you reluctant to kill them. This guy? Well, hes big and scary, but like has been said hes kinda dull. Good, but dull.
Anyway, about him, Seein him Im hopin theres more sphinxes in this set cause I think a sphinx EDH might be neat, but with only like 12 or somethin to pick from its not a great list.
Also really hopin for a good RGW legendary in this set, I dont really care for the general options Ive got currently. Though I am going to try Johan for a bit and see if I like him.
The thing about the Sphinx cards is that MOST of them are REALLY REALLY good in EDH. I mean from belltower onward they tend to be impressive.
What we're doing here is akin to taking the text of Moby Dick, locating specific words therein, rearranging them to create a passage from Fight Club, and concluding from this evidence that Tyler Durden is based on Ahab.
Yeah no one directly pays the cost for artifacts see tinker and master transmute like above post says. I like this version of akroma flavorwise a lot more and flying, vigilance, first strike, and lifelink pack a very nasty punch in multiplayer
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"Yawgmoth," Freyalise whispered as she set the bomb, "now you will pay for your treachery."
Yeah, but the best rattlesnakes do stuff when they die, this one just sits there and looks impressive, which is bad in EDH. Rattlesnakes have to involve punishing the player that removes it. Which this thing just doesn't do.
Well it makes up for maybe not being the best rattlesnake by also being a gorilla that gains life and beats for 6. It's crazy good on offense and defense--you attack for 6, gain 6 life, and what are they gonna do? Attack you back, into your 6/6 first strike lifelink, so you gain 6 more? And it really only dies to white removal spells, so that's almost 80% of decks that won't be able to easily kill it. Besides, it punishes the player who removes it by making them expend a card on it. It's absolutely a great multiplayer creature.
How is this mythic at all? It's just big dumb fat, which is cool, but not mythic.
same way Hellkite Overlord, and Godsire are mythic??? In fact it could be said this card is a continuation of that cycle since those also cost 8 mana to play.
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"As the size of an explosion increases, the number of social situations it is incapable of solving approaches zero." -- Varsuvius, Order of the Stick
I was going to say that Bitterblossom > this sphinx, but I've since realized that's wrong. The life swing is way too huge - if you drop this against a bitterblossom, you still win the game in the ensuing race, even if you never get through.
This is really good, and it's going to see play.
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If God spoke to you, and commanded you to kill your own children, would you do it?
If your answer is "No," then your morality does not come from God's commandments.
If your answer is "Yes," then please, please reconsider.
The argument of "it dies to white removal" is getting quite old already. Nowadays, 95% of the creatures die to one or more of the great white removal cards in standard, so it neither proves or disproves the worth of a card. Now, when you get a card that ONLY dies to the white removal, we're talking of something good because not everyone plays white and not everyone playing white packs more than 4 or 8 maximum of those removal spells, meaning that they need both to draw it just in time and then use it on this creature. So sure, if your deck sucks and this sphinx is the only worthy creature on it, with a bit of luck they can match each of its copies with one copy of their removal and then you are screwed. But if you have a good deck with lots of threats, well this guy just ate the removal that your other guys cannot evade.
Or, since you are playing blue you may just counter their removal? As many others have pointed, this card only costs U at instant speed, so you should have plenty available mana.
I'm calling it right now- worst rare in the set. Even good limited players will find better bombs at common and uncommon no sweat. Worst. Episode. Ever.
I really do predict this to be our worst rare in set award winner. I'd be happier opening a jar of eyeballs, so I think anything worse is highly unlikely. This card wont just have zero constructed potential, but not be significantly better than a mass of ghouls in a draft.
I'll just not read pages 7-9 because I'm sure it's more of the same: People going back and forth about how this dies to Path to Exile...
Almost EVERYTHING dies to Path to Exile. Wall of Reverence dies to Path to Exile. Plumeveil dies to Path to Exile. Mistbind Clique dies to Path to Exile. Demigod of Revenge dies to Path to Exile. Broodmate Dragon dies to Path to Exile (sure it leaves a token behind, but the token isn't Broodmate Dragon. It's just Red Dragon Token, so suck it up). All of the creatures in BW Token and RW Lark DIES to Path to Exile, even the little tokens!
This **** argument is moot. Not to mention more than half the creatures I mentioned also die to Terror and a couple of them die to Celestial Purge. Even Ajani Vengeant dies to O-Rings and Celestial Purge.
All of Kithkin's creatures and RW Lark and most of BW Tokens creatures and ALL of Faeries' creatures die to Shriekmaws! (Forget Blossom tokens).
The argument, I repeat, is moot. This whole "dies to removal" argument should have died AGES ago.
Why not change the excuse for once?
The card is a solid Limited finisher. it's a nice card for budget players to try out in Standard. It has great synergy with Master Transmuter shenanigans.
But in a tournament? You will probably die before you plop this down. Even if you do get to play it and survive? You might lose it and then be done. A reason why Broodmate Dragon is so good right now. Comes down 6th turn and can either win games, stall games or 2 for 1 your opponent.
However, the card is not a card to be dismissed so eagerly, especially with your *dies to removal* argument.
In fact? There are quite a few creatures that don't die to targeted removal. Troll Ascetic and Silppery Boggle. Do they see play? Guess not. If people were so worried about removal, Troll Ascetic would see more play. If everyone were so afraid of Terrors and Eyeblight's Endings people would run Troll Ascetic and Chameleon Colossus.
Lifelink is really strong when you're racing, esp on a creature with vigilance. Non-legendary seems to be a plus also, and being an artifact can also be a benefit. So we can break them both down to:
Akroma
Angel 5WWW
1. Flying
2. Trample
3. First strike
4. Vigilance
5. Haste
6. Pro red and black
7. 5/5
8. Only one in play
Sphinx of the Steel Wind
Sphinx 5WUB
1. Flying
2. Any number in play
3. First strike
4. Vigilance
5. Lifelink
6. Pro red and green
7. 6/6
White removal owns it, but outside that very little. Protection from Terminate and most artifact removal may matter if we'll see a meta shift. But if it's still White everywhere, this probably won't see real play.
First of all 8 cost is fine in the slow environment.
2nd its easily playable even with restrictive color due to the environment.
3rd dodges artifact removal, broodmates, threshers, all damage sweepers, terminate, terror esque cards, (artifact, and black), White is unfortunaely the strongest removal in the environment, so cheat it into play EOT then have counter back up
Asking out a girl is like trying to cast a first turn Necropotence. Sometimes the other player will have the Force of Will to say no. You shouldn't let that stop you from trying it.
Nice. So we have a new Akroma? 6/6 with lifelink and vigilance is nice, if not blocked, she makes a difference fof 12 life. IF blocked and she survives, which I guess you'd make sure, she'll probably kill a mob and gain you 6 life. After attacking, you still have a 6/6 blocker that wil gain you life if she does damage. Overrunning with weenee is a lot less effective with the 12 life gain. And she has flying. Pfieuw.
Good flavour text too btw ^^
But I'm just a casual player, so maybe my standards are lower.
I love it when I see the words "Protection from Green".
Just the novelty is heartening for an old Magic player.
I'm hoping this set won't turn into another Dissension or Eventide; where they stuff the set full of jank but float one or two power rares in it.
This non-legendary artifact Akroma is pretty cool though. It has one fatal flaw...IT IS TOTALLY PRONE TO ALL WHITE REMOVAL (even that damned Celestial Purge kills it, creating yet ANOTHER Nicol Bolas).
On the bright side, it is immune to Terminate courtesy of Pro-Red, and its ability set is one of the best possible (First Strike Lifelink AND Vigilence? It costs 8 for a reason folks). Sure faeries chump block it as always, but the Lifelink and Vigilance sweetens what is normally a rough deal.
Yeah, but the best rattlesnakes do stuff when they die, this one just sits there and looks impressive, which is bad in EDH. Rattlesnakes have to involve punishing the player that removes it. Which this thing just doesn't do.
But those cards do something neat. Woe has fear and pops creatures, Blood Tyrant eats people, the dragons have great (well, most of them) death effects which are neat and make you reluctant to kill them. This guy? Well, hes big and scary, but like has been said hes kinda dull. Good, but dull.
Anyway, about him, Seein him Im hopin theres more sphinxes in this set cause I think a sphinx EDH might be neat, but with only like 12 or somethin to pick from its not a great list.
Also really hopin for a good RGW legendary in this set, I dont really care for the general options Ive got currently. Though I am going to try Johan for a bit and see if I like him.
The thing about the Sphinx cards is that MOST of them are REALLY REALLY good in EDH. I mean from belltower onward they tend to be impressive.
Yeah, I noticed that, but its hard to theme a deck around em if theres only a handful.
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Well it makes up for maybe not being the best rattlesnake by also being a gorilla that gains life and beats for 6. It's crazy good on offense and defense--you attack for 6, gain 6 life, and what are they gonna do? Attack you back, into your 6/6 first strike lifelink, so you gain 6 more? And it really only dies to white removal spells, so that's almost 80% of decks that won't be able to easily kill it. Besides, it punishes the player who removes it by making them expend a card on it. It's absolutely a great multiplayer creature.
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same way Hellkite Overlord, and Godsire are mythic??? In fact it could be said this card is a continuation of that cycle since those also cost 8 mana to play.
This is really good, and it's going to see play.
If your answer is "No," then your morality does not come from God's commandments.
If your answer is "Yes," then please, please reconsider.
Or, since you are playing blue you may just counter their removal? As many others have pointed, this card only costs U at instant speed, so you should have plenty available mana.
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Almost EVERYTHING dies to Path to Exile. Wall of Reverence dies to Path to Exile. Plumeveil dies to Path to Exile. Mistbind Clique dies to Path to Exile. Demigod of Revenge dies to Path to Exile. Broodmate Dragon dies to Path to Exile (sure it leaves a token behind, but the token isn't Broodmate Dragon. It's just Red Dragon Token, so suck it up). All of the creatures in BW Token and RW Lark DIES to Path to Exile, even the little tokens!
This **** argument is moot. Not to mention more than half the creatures I mentioned also die to Terror and a couple of them die to Celestial Purge. Even Ajani Vengeant dies to O-Rings and Celestial Purge.
All of Kithkin's creatures and RW Lark and most of BW Tokens creatures and ALL of Faeries' creatures die to Shriekmaws! (Forget Blossom tokens).
The argument, I repeat, is moot. This whole "dies to removal" argument should have died AGES ago.
Why not change the excuse for once?
The card is a solid Limited finisher. it's a nice card for budget players to try out in Standard. It has great synergy with Master Transmuter shenanigans.
But in a tournament? You will probably die before you plop this down. Even if you do get to play it and survive? You might lose it and then be done. A reason why Broodmate Dragon is so good right now. Comes down 6th turn and can either win games, stall games or 2 for 1 your opponent.
However, the card is not a card to be dismissed so eagerly, especially with your *dies to removal* argument.
In fact? There are quite a few creatures that don't die to targeted removal. Troll Ascetic and Silppery Boggle. Do they see play? Guess not. If people were so worried about removal, Troll Ascetic would see more play. If everyone were so afraid of Terrors and Eyeblight's Endings people would run Troll Ascetic and Chameleon Colossus.
CHANGE THE **** ARGUMENT!
[Should have read those pages. sarnathed much?]
Fixed. Sphinx of the Steel Wind is a 6/6
Fixed again. Akroma is also a 6/6.
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2nd its easily playable even with restrictive color due to the environment.
3rd dodges artifact removal, broodmates, threshers, all damage sweepers, terminate, terror esque cards, (artifact, and black), White is unfortunaely the strongest removal in the environment, so cheat it into play EOT then have counter back up
Yes it's not as good as Akroma, but it's not bad.
Well, it's a good card, at least. Lifelink in such a huge creature is really good.
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Good flavour text too btw ^^
But I'm just a casual player, so maybe my standards are lower.
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