Yeah. Mutilate. Almost every creature in the game has the purpose of forcing damage through and winning the game especially when they have a huge body like this. Don't get me wrong they can be used for other things, but my focus is going to be: "how do I get this guy through". So I understand just fine.
If you're playing against people who play both halves of a Lingering Souls into an opponent with sweepers, no wonder Desecration Demon is doing well for you.
If you think every creature is about forcing damage through, you must have missed Wall of Omens. Unlike Desecration Demon, with Alms Beast you can sit back and block their largest creatures (3/3s and 4/4s) when they try to rush you. Then you can finish them off with your own large creatures. Alms Beast is an efficient blocker with a drawback that's negligible when you're playing a control deck.
Giving life is much less important than having superior board position.
Imagine you have any 4cmc Standard creature (or tusk) and opponent has beast. He beats you easily unless you have another card to deal with it.
And it's not that many common removal below 3 cmc deal with it.
If you're playing against people who play both halves of a Lingering Souls into an opponent with sweepers, no wonder Desecration Demon is doing well for you.
If you think every creature is about forcing damage through, you must have missed Wall of Omens. Unlike Desecration Demon, with Alms Beast you can sit back and block their largest creatures (3/3s and 4/4s) when they try to rush you. Then you can finish them off with your own large creatures. Alms Beast is an efficient blocker with a drawback that's negligible when you're playing a control deck.
Wait wait. First it was Lingering Souls tokens. Suddenly 3/3s and 4/4s appear out of nowhere, but somehow my removal can only effect the tokens. Hmm. Ok then.
If you're getting rushed by 3/3s and 4/4s. I'd don't care what your 4 drops is. You probably have the same chance of winning.
We are being bombarded with absolute trash rares in this set. Man, RTR spoiled me. Elusive Mutant is miles ahead of this guy, and that is an uncommon. Blarg
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My favorite flavor text: Time of Heroes
Feel free to tell me yours!
Great flavor, but sort of limited use in constructed. If it had trample it might actually be playable. As is, it's likely to be a turn 3 play in a GBW deck, which, to it's merit, isn't a terrible thing to have around on your turn 3. If the opp has something to throw at it, it still might be worth the trouble. Might be kind of fun in a deck with silverblades and smiters.
Also: Man if this was a 5/5 for 3cc instead....hubbahubba
If you're playing against people who play both halves of a Lingering Souls into an opponent with sweepers, no wonder Desecration Demon is doing well for you.
If you think every creature is about forcing damage through, you must have missed Wall of Omens. Unlike Desecration Demon, with Alms Beast you can sit back and block their largest creatures (3/3s and 4/4s) when they try to rush you. Then you can finish them off with your own large creatures. Alms Beast is an efficient blocker with a drawback that's negligible when you're playing a control deck.
People played Wall of Omens because it cantripped, was 2CMC, and allowed you to get to T4 relatively unscathed, especially in a format that also had Wall of Denial, never mind the great targeted removal that was available at the time.
Wait wait. First it was Lingering Souls tokens. Suddenly 3/3s and 4/4s appear out of nowhere, but somehow my removal can only effect the tokens. Hmm. Ok then.
Um, yes, it's Lingering Souls tokens when I'm choosing what to sac to Desecration Demon. The player of Alms Beast actually gets to pick what dies to his 4-mana 6/6. That's what makes it a better card.
You're playing mono-black control demon tribal. Sweet deck, bro.
People played Wall of Omens because it cantripped, was 2CMC, and allowed you to get to T4 relatively unscathed, especially in a format that also had Wall of Denial, never mind the great targeted removal that was available at the time.
You're comparison is pretty poor.
No, you are comparison is poor!
Seriously, if you want to make a literal comparison obviously the cards are different. So is the meta they exist in. Wall of Omens blocked the vast majority of aggressive creatures in its format. So does Alms Beast. My point was that the cards both exist as walls to certain strategies, not that Alms Beast is a 2-mana 0/4 that draws you a card.
Um, yes, it's Lingering Souls tokens when I'm choosing what to sac to Desecration Demon. The player of Alms Beast actually gets to pick what dies to his 4-mana 6/6. That's what makes it a better card.
You're playing mono-black control demon tribal. Sweet deck, bro.
No, you are comparison is poor!
Seriously, if you want to make a literal comparison obviously the cards are different. So is the meta they exist in. Wall of Omens blocked the vast majority of aggressive creatures in its format. So does Alms Beast. My point was that the cards both exist as walls to certain strategies, not that Alms Beast is a 2-mana 0/4 that draws you a card.
Wait how do you get to pick? Last I check, this is not yugioh and u don't directly attack their dudes. Your elephant as much likely hood smashing into a token as the demon. This guy is just as irrelephant (see what I did there xD) as the demon.
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This aint your girlfriends meta! This is a man's meta! TURBO META.
As usual, leaving aside the extremely optimistic and pessimistic scenarios, this is what we've got:
He's a 6/6. That means he can survive combat against every relevant creature currently known in the format, including Thragtusk and Angel of Serenity. This means your opponent must trade it with his top-tier removal, or incur in card disadvantage.
He's large enough to kill most planeswalkers in the format on one swing, and constitutes a threat to your opponent's life total on its own. In other words, it's relatively overextension-safe.
His drawback is minimized when chump-blocked (your opponents gain minimal life) and when you're on the defensive (it takes out the largest attacker, and you don't particularly care about them gaining life).
He has no evasion, but his drawback can be sidestepped by granting him First Strike, Double Strike, Trample or any of the evasive mechanics. Rancor and Silverblade Paladin work wonders with it, and Restoration Angel can be used to lure an unwary opponent into blocking the wrong creature.
He tests your skill at using your removal. Knowing when to clear a blocker and when bulldoze over it and save your spell to deal with bigger fish will require planning.
He does not play well with other smaller attackers, as his drawback will effectively blank their power even if they go unblocked. In order to deal significant amounts of damage, you want the rest of the creatures on your side of the board to hit for more than two damage.
He thrives on an empty board.
Given all of these facts, I can see several potential uses for Alms Beast.
One is to use it in a midrange deck alongside Thragtusk, and other creatures with power 4 or greater, and use Rancor and Silverblade Paladin as a way to punch through chump blockers and deal massive damage with as small board commitment as possible. Its drawback a bit risky in this strategy, but it can be used to force your opponents into making wrong choices when blocking, and once you attain a good board position, it will be very difficult for your opponent to compete.
The other possible use is as a complement to Obzedat and Thragtusk in sweeper-heavy control decks, and sidestep its drawback by keeping the board as clear as possible, and outright not caring about giving your opponent life. It remains to be seen if the one-mana discount offsets its increased frailty when compared to the five-drops, and whether Gideon proves a superior choice.
Wait how do you get to pick? Last I check, this is not yugioh and u don't directly attack their dudes. Your elephant as much likely hood smashing into a token as the demon. This guy is just as irrelephant (see what I did there xD) as the demon.
Since you haven't read anything I've written...you're using Alms Beast defensively. You DO get to pick what you block, last I checked?
I know we don't always see eye to eye,
but that seriously just made my day.
I'm still in a bit of disbelief over this as a Rare...
Where is the Orzhov Abrupt Decay?
The Dimir Dreadbore?
The number of good Rares shown so far is alarmingly low.
Momir Vig, Simic Visionary
Melek, Izzet Paragon
Oona, Queen of the Fae
Bruna, Light of Alabaster
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
Rhys the Redeemed
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
Sen Triplets
The Mimeoplasm WUBRGSliver OverlordGRBUW WUBRGSliver Hivelord(Superfriends)GRBUW
As a complete stranger and thus a neutral party, I will say that your posts were not really enjoyable to me. You appeared to be very aggressively telling people just how bad this card was. You also downright refused this card had any flavour whatsoever and that it made no sense at all in orzhov. No arguments provided.
I understand you think this card is terrible. In your context of card evaluation (only Standard), it probably is. Does that mean nobody is allowed to like it? Or think it has a good flavour? Orzhov is a cutthroat business that disguises itself as religion. They're all about win-win situations and keeping up appearances. The art, name and flavor text (definitely more to a lot of people than 'just random text', thank you very much) all work together to give off a combined vibe that I personally think oozes Orzhov. They're giving out alms which might appear noble, but in reality it just shackles them to the Orzhov even more. This is translated to game mechanics through the lifelink clause.
This card plays very true to it's nature in limited. Not many creatures can withstand it, and you can pretty much bet on it that it will be the strongest creature on the field in turn 4. By a pretty significant margin. Removal isn't always available in limited as you undoubtedly know, so then they stare down a 6/6 monster that ends the game in 4 turns. All they can do is throw a few chumps they have at it. They're getting alms for it in the form of a few points of life, but they know they got the poor end of the deal there. Very Orzhov. Very strong, too.
In constructed, it's most likely unusable. But in all sincerity, how many constructed playable cards does the average magic expansion hold anyway? No reason to get dem jimmies rustled over a very well-designed and flavourful card, just because it's bad in your game of magic. You're not the only one playing this game.
Then you must not have read everything I posted. I got a little out of hand once people got extreme with me, but I always tried to back up what I was talking about. If you would have actually saw my posts the first one I mentioned as to why I thought the card was bad was simply because it negates Extort entirely. The point of Extort is to bleed your opponents down in life and this just gives them life. Its not well designed, I understand its flavorful but as for well designed it is not sir, as I just mentioned earlier this has been the only guild card to singlehandly negate the guild ability which is not flavorful at all.
Ding ding.
This guy is much better than desecration demon. He is vaguely the same, but the drawback of giving your opponent some life when he probably doesn't need it is mostly a nonissue, while a 6/6 pseudovanilla that can neither attack nor block when you want to is an extreme drawback.
Neither card is playable in constructed by a mile.
It doesn't take much to be better than demon, mass of ghouls is almost on par with him.
Demon is a 6/6 with negative evasion, don't let the flying fool you, he can be blocked by tapped creatures or creatures that can't block, and can't block either.
A plain jane 6/6 gives you better board position, and lifegain is rarely something that matters in decks that aren't lifegaining themselves, so its a minor drawback.
This guy is a mile better than demon, but demon is five miles worse than persecutor which was ten miles behind titans.
Your argument is pretty poor. Even if desecration demon is tapped he killed a guy to get tapped. In effect he "blocked" a guy like the elephant thing (because if this guys blocks something it will probably kill it). He difference is that they don't gain life with the demon. Additionally, the demon has better synergy with other cards in his own colors (Blood Artist, Skirsdag High Priest, Reaper of the Abyss, any morbid card) where as this guy has NO support, and actually makes your job harder and harder. Any deck that can play this either 1) doesn't have a very high threat density [case for control] with strong power so giving them more and more life is just making your life harder or 2) Wxx aggro which also suffers since the life gain is contrary to what you want. The only time the life gain does not matter is if you plan on winning via something like mill or if you have old Sorin (your life is ten-.-). And if you say the life gain is negligible then you sir are crazy.
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This aint your girlfriends meta! This is a man's meta! TURBO META.
Your argument is pretty poor. Even if desecration demon is tapped he killed a guy to get tapped. In effect he "blocked" a guy like the elephant thing (because if this guys blocks something it will probably kill it). He difference is that they don't gain life with the demon. Additionally, the demon has better synergy with other cards in his own colors (Blood Artist, Skirsdag High Priest, Reaper of the Abyss, any morbid card) where as this guy has NO support, and actually makes your job harder and harder. Any deck that can play this either 1) doesn't have a very high threat density [case for control] with strong power so giving them more and more life is just making your life harder or 2) Wxx aggro which also suffers since the life gain is contrary to what you want. The only time the life gain does not matter is if you plan on winning via something like mill or if you have old Sorin (your life is ten-.-). And if you say the life gain is negligible then you sir are crazy.
The life gain is negligible....nope still sane.
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Many thanks to DNC at Heroes of the Plane Studios
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If you're playing against people who play both halves of a Lingering Souls into an opponent with sweepers, no wonder Desecration Demon is doing well for you.
If you think every creature is about forcing damage through, you must have missed Wall of Omens. Unlike Desecration Demon, with Alms Beast you can sit back and block their largest creatures (3/3s and 4/4s) when they try to rush you. Then you can finish them off with your own large creatures. Alms Beast is an efficient blocker with a drawback that's negligible when you're playing a control deck.
Standard: W/R Aggro
Imagine you have any 4cmc Standard creature (or tusk) and opponent has beast. He beats you easily unless you have another card to deal with it.
And it's not that many common removal below 3 cmc deal with it.
Wait wait. First it was Lingering Souls tokens. Suddenly 3/3s and 4/4s appear out of nowhere, but somehow my removal can only effect the tokens. Hmm. Ok then.
If you're getting rushed by 3/3s and 4/4s. I'd don't care what your 4 drops is. You probably have the same chance of winning.
Another thing about DD, Cavern of Souls. Which lets you cast the subboss(DD), the final boss(Bloodgift Demon), and the secret hidden boss(Griselbrand)
Feel free to tell me yours!
Also: Man if this was a 5/5 for 3cc instead....hubbahubba
Though that would completely defeat the point/drawback of the card.
Club Flamingo Wins: 1!
People played Wall of Omens because it cantripped, was 2CMC, and allowed you to get to T4 relatively unscathed, especially in a format that also had Wall of Denial, never mind the great targeted removal that was available at the time.
You're comparison is pretty poor.
Um, yes, it's Lingering Souls tokens when I'm choosing what to sac to Desecration Demon. The player of Alms Beast actually gets to pick what dies to his 4-mana 6/6. That's what makes it a better card.
You're playing mono-black control demon tribal. Sweet deck, bro.
No, you are comparison is poor!
Seriously, if you want to make a literal comparison obviously the cards are different. So is the meta they exist in. Wall of Omens blocked the vast majority of aggressive creatures in its format. So does Alms Beast. My point was that the cards both exist as walls to certain strategies, not that Alms Beast is a 2-mana 0/4 that draws you a card.
Standard: W/R Aggro
I don't know... what if it was, say a 20/20 for four? What's the point in which a vanilla 4 drop would actually get played?
Club Flamingo Wins: 1!
It should be bigger than any commonly played creature. Then even without abilities it would have a purpose in dominating a board.
Please list all commonly played Standard cards larger than a 6/6.
Standard: W/R Aggro
reason i say this is, they gain lifelink...first/doublestrike? if the creature blocking dies before it can do damage, they don't gain life
I think Wall of Reverence ****s all over this card.
Wait how do you get to pick? Last I check, this is not yugioh and u don't directly attack their dudes. Your elephant as much likely hood smashing into a token as the demon. This guy is just as irrelephant (see what I did there xD) as the demon.
This aint your girlfriends meta! This is a man's meta! TURBO META.
There is none with slim exceptions of evasive creatures that can ignore it on defense.
Aristocrat can race this though.
Personally I think this should be played unles suddenly there appears a cheap removal for this.
Given all of these facts, I can see several potential uses for Alms Beast.
One is to use it in a midrange deck alongside Thragtusk, and other creatures with power 4 or greater, and use Rancor and Silverblade Paladin as a way to punch through chump blockers and deal massive damage with as small board commitment as possible. Its drawback a bit risky in this strategy, but it can be used to force your opponents into making wrong choices when blocking, and once you attain a good board position, it will be very difficult for your opponent to compete.
The other possible use is as a complement to Obzedat and Thragtusk in sweeper-heavy control decks, and sidestep its drawback by keeping the board as clear as possible, and outright not caring about giving your opponent life. It remains to be seen if the one-mana discount offsets its increased frailty when compared to the five-drops, and whether Gideon proves a superior choice.
Since you haven't read anything I've written...you're using Alms Beast defensively. You DO get to pick what you block, last I checked?
Standard: W/R Aggro
Probably somewhere between eight and ten, and only then probably in a green deck so you can rancor it and make sure it can tramp.
We will rebuild.
I know we don't always see eye to eye,
but that seriously just made my day.
I'm still in a bit of disbelief over this as a Rare...
Where is the Orzhov Abrupt Decay?
The Dimir Dreadbore?
The number of good Rares shown so far is alarmingly low.
Reprint Stasis!
Control needs more love.
EDH:
Momir Vig, Simic Visionary
Melek, Izzet Paragon
Oona, Queen of the Fae
Bruna, Light of Alabaster
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
Rhys the Redeemed
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
Sen Triplets
The Mimeoplasm
WUBRGSliver OverlordGRBUW
WUBRGSliver Hivelord(Superfriends)GRBUW
Then you must not have read everything I posted. I got a little out of hand once people got extreme with me, but I always tried to back up what I was talking about. If you would have actually saw my posts the first one I mentioned as to why I thought the card was bad was simply because it negates Extort entirely. The point of Extort is to bleed your opponents down in life and this just gives them life. Its not well designed, I understand its flavorful but as for well designed it is not sir, as I just mentioned earlier this has been the only guild card to singlehandly negate the guild ability which is not flavorful at all.
Your argument is pretty poor. Even if desecration demon is tapped he killed a guy to get tapped. In effect he "blocked" a guy like the elephant thing (because if this guys blocks something it will probably kill it). He difference is that they don't gain life with the demon. Additionally, the demon has better synergy with other cards in his own colors (Blood Artist, Skirsdag High Priest, Reaper of the Abyss, any morbid card) where as this guy has NO support, and actually makes your job harder and harder. Any deck that can play this either 1) doesn't have a very high threat density [case for control] with strong power so giving them more and more life is just making your life harder or 2) Wxx aggro which also suffers since the life gain is contrary to what you want. The only time the life gain does not matter is if you plan on winning via something like mill or if you have old Sorin (your life is ten-.-). And if you say the life gain is negligible then you sir are crazy.
This aint your girlfriends meta! This is a man's meta! TURBO META.
The life gain is negligible....nope still sane.
Many thanks to DNC at Heroes of the Plane Studios