Although for 3 mana, I'd still rather play Cancel than Frightful Delusions. Stopping the spell I do see in front of me is more important that hopefully stopping whatever spell of my opponent's choice that they have in their hand (assuming they even have a hand).
Hard to tell if the counterspell would give you some sort of advantage. Against an empty hand and something that you need to counterspell NAO(!) Cancel would be better. I don't think the odds would be with you when you try to counter their spell AND make them discard something.
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To the people that say that a card needs to be a higher rarity because of Limited... I hate you guys so much. I present to you with this.
Frightful Delusions has possibly interesting applications in a U/B control deck that features heavy discard already. It just adds another aspect to the whole "play your hand out quickly to avoid discard, but beware counters". Between this and Mana Leak you force them to play around counters by waiting for more mana, but you are also making them discard in the meantime, so it makes for interesting choices.
This just adds to that by making the "bait the counter while holding your real spell" another risky proposition. Sure, probably not constructed playable, but still an interesting spell. It actually works best with hard counters, ones that people have to play around even late game -- this plus cancel in the late game can make for very tough choices for your opponent.
Like I said, probably not playable, but still interesting.
Oh, I thought he was talking about playing a spell that is countering a spell with counters on it as it comes into play, but I see you guys were just discussing whether he was flashing a creature with flash in order to flash a flashback or just flashing a creature with flash but not needing flash in order to flashback a spell without flash.
Some facts of magic:
-Terror is an emotion which, when experienced, results in death.
-The pox was a disease notorious for having killed one-third, rounded up, of Europe’s population. Smallpox, on the other hand, killed only a single person.
-A person riding a horse cannot be stopped by foot soldiers, large animals, walls, archers, or even catapults.
Alright, some more Limited cards to discuss (and I mean that; I love Limited!).
Also, anyone complaining about how weak these are in constructed can go away now. These are for Limited. Like the vast majority of all cards in every. single. set.
Avacynian Priest1W
Creature - Human Cleric (C)
:1mana:, :symtap:: Tap target non-Human creature.
1/2
Nice, tappers are good. Note that the white removal we've seen so far can't hit humans. Unless we're missing another white common removal spell that can (unlikely!), this is something to keep in mind, as every color has some humans.
Frightful Delusion2U
Instant (C)
Counter target spell unless its controller pays :1mana:. That player discards a card.
It's a counter. It's borderline playable... Runeboggle isn't terrible, but this is clearly worse, especially with graveyard shenanigans in the set. If you're really desperate, it could be combined with another spell to provide a discard outlet for yourself.
Abattoir Ghoul3B
Creature - Zombie (U)
First strike
Whenever a creature dealt damage by Abattoir Ghoul this turn dies, you gain life equal to that creature's toughness.
3/2
Seems good. Very hard to attack into profitably on the ground, hard to block.
Burning Vengeance2R
Enchantment (U)
Whenever you cast a spell from your graveyard, Burning Vengeance deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
Hooray for gimmick decks! They're the sprinkles on top of the cupcake of a draft format.
Darkthicket Wolf1G
Creature - Wolf (C) 2G: Darkthicket Wolf gets +2/+2 until end of turn. Activate this ability only once each turn.
2/2
Great common. Unlike most Rootwallas, this one is on-curve without its pump effect. I also like how it can curve right into its activation. Wolf is a very nice creature type to have (benefits from Werewolf tribal effects, but doesn't get hit by Slayer of the Wicked effects). Gives werewolf-oriented decks something very strong to do with their mana without casting any spells. Well-designed common all around.
Trepanation Blade3
Artifact - Equipment (U)
Whenever equipped creature attacks, defending player reveals cards from the top of his or her library until he or she reveals a land card. The creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn for each card revealed this way. That player puts the revealed cards into his or her graveyard.
Equip
Pretty bad. Here's how it breaks down against a limited deck, on average:
Mill 1, +1/+0: ~42%
Mill 2, +2/+0: ~24%
Mill 3, +3/+0: ~14%
Mill 4, +4/+0: ~8%
And so on. (I've simplified the math a lot by assuming that each card is milled from a random assortment containing 42.5% land [normal for limited], but there's not much point in trying to be more accurate; this gives a good enough picture).
So compare to Greatsword, a bad card that wasn't totally unplayable. This costs 1 less to equip, gives a slightly smaller boost on average, can give a larger boost, gives an inconsistent boost that makes it harder to plan your attacks, and most importantly, does nothing on defense. It also mills, but that's pretty sketchy in this set, with all the ways of exploiting one's graveyard. It does have a neat interaction with Grasp of Phantoms, though, even if it's a lot of work to get it going.
Greg Staples is an awesome artist. I can't wait to see his work for the priest.
Also Frightful Delusion has an odd design. Blue counter-discard. I like it, but it's still weird for blue. I'd think a card being milled from the opponent's deck would make more sense.
Trepanation Blade... I really hope the art is that helix sword we've seen.
The enchantment seems sort of fun but the rest is meh. Looking forward to that blade for le self-mill.dec
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GGive Freyalise Your Lands:EDH BYargle and Friends:EDH WURShu Yun, One Punch Man:EDH
A lie is a lie if everyone believes it. The truth is the truth if no one does.
Common reasonably priced reverse cantripping counterspell can be a bit too good, if timed right.
Raymond Swanland doing burn spell art is always awesome.
The 3/2 first striker is pushing zombie aggro a lot. I can actually see this as a white card.
Rootwalla a turn earlier with higher activation cost is (stating the obvious here) going to be better in shorter games, so fits with the aggressive werewolves in limited. The fact that it's a wolf only helps because of Mayor of Avabruck.
The millblade is terrifying on an invisible man, but will help in digging out those patches of land cards hiding in limited decks for your opponent, since that always happens.
I once farted during the final match for prizes at an FNM. It was a tense moment, everything was quiet, control vs control, I was about to mana leak, thought about it.. and farted. Then mana leaked.
Blade is bad, especially in a format with Swords. Counterspell should cost UB.
Overall, seems like an average set, the awfulness of Transform being made up for by some really solid, fun designs (Heartless Summoning is just plain cool).
Since Greatsword we all know how good a +3/+0 equipment is in Limited, and with a bit of luck this can give +4/+0 or +5/+0 instead. It's a very random effect of course, but it will definitely win games.
Of course there is no application for it in Constructed.
It's applications with the Mindshrieker bird could be quite entertaining.
What I don't like: Instant discard, and there is a mana sapping component. You'd think that it would be prudent to test a spell that saps mana or destroys a land at the same time as forcing a discard, before trying all of this on an extremely splashable counterspell.
*sigh*
Spell's probably weak, but, jeez, when will they learn to be safe where they can be safe?
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Awesome avatar provided by Krashbot @ [Epic Graphics].
The Sword of Mill and Draw doesn't just get rid of pesky stuff your opponent has waiting, but it also can thin out their land.
I'll take four of them, four Invisible Stalkers, and maybe an Undead Alchemist or two.
the sword doesn't draw cards. only mills a couple cards, nothing if land is on top of the deck. sword of body and mind does milling much better, offers protection, and has power when defending. no reason to run this over body and mind.
if it hits land right away, you just did them a favor most of the time.
Voila: Burning vengeance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SY8h2vp5Xis
This just adds to that by making the "bait the counter while holding your real spell" another risky proposition. Sure, probably not constructed playable, but still an interesting spell. It actually works best with hard counters, ones that people have to play around even late game -- this plus cancel in the late game can make for very tough choices for your opponent.
Like I said, probably not playable, but still interesting.
-regarding Snapcaster Mage.
Ya, that's bad, so is the Sword.
Thanks to Heroes of the Plane Studios for the amazing sig.
NO RUG: Primer
Tempo Thresh: Primer
4 Treasure hunt
4 Burning Vengeance
48 Mountain
Manlands, halimar depths, ghost quarter, blah blah blah.
-Terror is an emotion which, when experienced, results in death.
-The pox was a disease notorious for having killed one-third, rounded up, of Europe’s population. Smallpox, on the other hand, killed only a single person.
-A person riding a horse cannot be stopped by foot soldiers, large animals, walls, archers, or even catapults.
More facts of magic
Also, anyone complaining about how weak these are in constructed can go away now. These are for Limited. Like the vast majority of all cards in every. single. set.
Avacynian Priest 1W
Creature - Human Cleric (C)
:1mana:, :symtap:: Tap target non-Human creature.
1/2
Nice, tappers are good. Note that the white removal we've seen so far can't hit humans. Unless we're missing another white common removal spell that can (unlikely!), this is something to keep in mind, as every color has some humans.
Frightful Delusion 2U
Instant (C)
Counter target spell unless its controller pays :1mana:. That player discards a card.
It's a counter. It's borderline playable... Runeboggle isn't terrible, but this is clearly worse, especially with graveyard shenanigans in the set. If you're really desperate, it could be combined with another spell to provide a discard outlet for yourself.
Abattoir Ghoul 3B
Creature - Zombie (U)
First strike
Whenever a creature dealt damage by Abattoir Ghoul this turn dies, you gain life equal to that creature's toughness.
3/2
Seems good. Very hard to attack into profitably on the ground, hard to block.
Burning Vengeance 2R
Enchantment (U)
Whenever you cast a spell from your graveyard, Burning Vengeance deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
Hooray for gimmick decks! They're the sprinkles on top of the cupcake of a draft format.
Darkthicket Wolf 1G
Creature - Wolf (C)
2G: Darkthicket Wolf gets +2/+2 until end of turn. Activate this ability only once each turn.
2/2
Great common. Unlike most Rootwallas, this one is on-curve without its pump effect. I also like how it can curve right into its activation. Wolf is a very nice creature type to have (benefits from Werewolf tribal effects, but doesn't get hit by Slayer of the Wicked effects). Gives werewolf-oriented decks something very strong to do with their mana without casting any spells. Well-designed common all around.
Trepanation Blade 3
Artifact - Equipment (U)
Whenever equipped creature attacks, defending player reveals cards from the top of his or her library until he or she reveals a land card. The creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn for each card revealed this way. That player puts the revealed cards into his or her graveyard.
Equip
Pretty bad. Here's how it breaks down against a limited deck, on average:
Mill 1, +1/+0: ~42%
Mill 2, +2/+0: ~24%
Mill 3, +3/+0: ~14%
Mill 4, +4/+0: ~8%
And so on. (I've simplified the math a lot by assuming that each card is milled from a random assortment containing 42.5% land [normal for limited], but there's not much point in trying to be more accurate; this gives a good enough picture).
So compare to Greatsword, a bad card that wasn't totally unplayable. This costs 1 less to equip, gives a slightly smaller boost on average, can give a larger boost, gives an inconsistent boost that makes it harder to plan your attacks, and most importantly, does nothing on defense. It also mills, but that's pretty sketchy in this set, with all the ways of exploiting one's graveyard. It does have a neat interaction with Grasp of Phantoms, though, even if it's a lot of work to get it going.
Also Frightful Delusion has an odd design. Blue counter-discard. I like it, but it's still weird for blue. I'd think a card being milled from the opponent's deck would make more sense.
The enchantment seems sort of fun but the rest is meh. Looking forward to that blade for le self-mill.dec
BYargle and Friends:EDH
WURShu Yun, One Punch Man:EDH
A lie is a lie if everyone believes it. The truth is the truth if no one does.
Raymond Swanland doing burn spell art is always awesome.
The 3/2 first striker is pushing zombie aggro a lot. I can actually see this as a white card.
Rootwalla a turn earlier with higher activation cost is (stating the obvious here) going to be better in shorter games, so fits with the aggressive werewolves in limited. The fact that it's a wolf only helps because of Mayor of Avabruck.
The millblade is terrifying on an invisible man, but will help in digging out those patches of land cards hiding in limited decks for your opponent, since that always happens.
...man that would be a cool deck
I'll take four of them, four Invisible Stalkers, and maybe an Undead Alchemist or two.
Overall, seems like an average set, the awfulness of Transform being made up for by some really solid, fun designs (Heartless Summoning is just plain cool).
Art Page
Alters for sale
It's applications with the Mindshrieker bird could be quite entertaining.
Signature courtesy of Rivenor and Miraculous Recovery
EDH Altered Cards by Galspanic (Seriously, this guy's awesome.)
My Pauper Cube
Tapped-Out Simulator
My Trade Thread
-Decks-
Commander:
GWR Rith, the Awakener RWG
U Kami of the Crescent Moon U (Flagship Deck)
BW Teysa, Orzhov Scion WB
Under Construction:
UBR Crosis, the Purger RBU
Cube:
WUBRGX Pauper XGRBUW
hah! yeah =)
hadn't thought of that one. could either be completely busted or really rubbish.
it would certainly make for fun games!
Yus.
What I don't like: Instant discard, and there is a mana sapping component. You'd think that it would be prudent to test a spell that saps mana or destroys a land at the same time as forcing a discard, before trying all of this on an extremely splashable counterspell.
*sigh*
Spell's probably weak, but, jeez, when will they learn to be safe where they can be safe?
Awesome avatar provided by Krashbot @ [Epic Graphics].
the sword doesn't draw cards. only mills a couple cards, nothing if land is on top of the deck. sword of body and mind does milling much better, offers protection, and has power when defending. no reason to run this over body and mind.
if it hits land right away, you just did them a favor most of the time.
I'm sorry, but Mill decks didn't need this. This should never be run over SoBaM for equipment milling.