Actually, the planeswalker redirection rule only allows you to redirect damage that would be dealt to an opponent. You cannot bolt him, sorry
I have seen a couple comments about making his plus do 2 life. I play Oloro, who is incredibly overpowered as it is. This Planeswalker is very good for him. If he caused two loss to each opponent, that would be way too much. By turn five I usually have at least fifty life, now I start gaining an additional six per turn. I'm happy with him as he is...
Which brings up a question - can you kill your own planeswalker by for example pinging yourself and assigning the damage to him? I would assume yes, can you attack your own planeswalker? I guess no, although I think you should be.
No, you can't attack your own planeswalker, and you can't redirect damage that would be dealt to you to a planeswalker you control. If you could you would be able to do weird things with cards that damage their caster as a downside.
If this was in standard it would likely be playable as making a 5/5 flier when he enters for 2 life seems really good except against elspeth, sun's champion. In EDH he's sweet assuming you get the emblem as 5/5 vanilla fliers aren't that spectacular in that format.
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"Yawgmoth," Freyalise whispered as she set the bomb, "now you will pay for your treachery."
The one time where wizards could've printed an old walker like Leshrac and.. Freaking Ob Nixilis? I mean, I've wanted to see his planeswalker card but not really like this.
I wish my 4/4s with haste and first strike that acted as Goblin Warchiefs were better and didn't die to instants and overshadowed all other 4 drops in the format. And that they had evasion too, and some way to dodge wrath effects.
I'm confused why everyone is complaining about his power. His minus 2 ability immediately gives you a 5/5 flier to defend him and then gives you the possibility of more. For five mana, that's perfectly appropriate. The + ability is really just there to fuel the other two abilities (It is pretty much "does nothing"). If you hit ultimate, he becomes pretty backbreaking, though there's no real point to reaching for the ultimate when you can just keep making 5/5 fliers.
I can see why people are complaining he's not Leshrac, but Ob-Nixilis is still an "old" character attached to some cool cards a lot of people like. Many people didn't start playing when we did.
Well, if this product pays off I'm sure they'll be willing to cash in some more on the nostalgia and print Leshrac, Serra and others in subsequent products.
I'm not quite sure what to make of his abilities, he seems okay but I prefer any of Liliana's iterations for mono-black, and he doesn't seem great as a commander himself.
Liliana's first version would be broken as a general.
Well, if this product pays off I'm sure they'll be willing to cash in some more on the nostalgia and print Leshrac, Serra and others in subsequent products.
I'm not quite sure what to make of his abilities, he seems okay but I prefer any of Liliana's iterations for mono-black, and he doesn't seem great as a commander himself.
The one time where wizards could've printed an old walker like Leshrac and.. Freaking Ob Nixilis? I mean, I've wanted to see his planeswalker card but not really like this.
Exectly. That dude already got three cards and even without real storyline significance.
I like the flavor and abilities, but it feels like he should be 4 loyalty and 3B cmc
a bit too much overcosted in my opinion, especially since he doesn't even defend himself.
This happens every time a new walker gets released. He might be good, he might not be. I'm going to test with him before I make any judgments personally.
I'd much rather get someone like Leshrac or Tevesh Szat as the black planeswalker. I have no nostalgia for Ob Nixilis (hell, he got a new creature card in the more recent core set).
I guess i was thinking in terms of regular formats, Nixilis is underpowered for its cost, but i can see how the repeatable casting of commander PWs would need to have higher cmcs for their effect.
It just feels like the + ability doesn't protect him at all, and the - ability feels better suited for protection.
I'm not sure why so many people hate him. He's a 5/5 demon with flying for 5 mana, that makes the highly-played morinfen look like such a piece of crap!
Seriously, though, he's not that bad. His +2 is piss-weak but his -2 is quite strong (unlike certain new sorins I could mention). If you can defend him, he'll get some serious demon power on the board. And black is quite good at defending its planeswalkers. He plays very differently that freyalise (who will mostly be using her plus ability until she ults) but he's still rock solid imo. If he cost 4 he'd be kind of ridiculous.
I think Liliana just found her beau. (Dangit, I knew I should have guessed Ob!)
His +2 isn't why you'll be playing him. The -2 and emblem are the reasons to play him. And in a multiplayer commander game, his +2 will easily support the -2.
MTGS Wikia Article about "New World Order"
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
PSA to everyone who keeps forgetting about the Reserved List:
You're on a website dedicated to talking about MtG. You're only a few keystrokes away from finding out what cards are on the Reserved List. You're also only a few keystrokes away from finding out why some cards on the Reserved List got foil printings in FtV, as Judge promos, or whatnot, as well as why that won't happen again. Stop doing this.
In contrast to most people here I think his +2 is his most relevant ability.
You need to consider that with him as your commander you're playing mono black. And that means you play discard, you destroy things... you want to play more of a control match.
Your creatures too often bite the dust with your own Damnation. But he's a plainswalker, so he stays in most cases.
Moreover, his lifegain supports your Phyrexian Arena and Night's Whisper while slowly draining your opponents.
But being slow also means he's no immediate thread, so his chance of staying isn't the worst. And once the board is cleared and maybe one or two playery are already deafeted he can produce you a little demon army.
To evaluate him you have to consider what type of strategy you can play with mono black and he's good in something controllish...
In contrast to most people here I think his +2 is his most relevant ability.
You need to consider that with him as your commander you're playing mono black. And that means you play discard, you destroy things... you want to play more of a control match.
Your creatures too often bite the dust with your own Damnation. But he's a plainswalker, so he stays in most cases.
Moreover, his lifegain supports your Phyrexian Arena and Night's Whisper while slowly draining your opponents.
But being slow also means he's no immediate thread, so his chance of staying isn't the worst. And once the board is cleared and maybe one or two playery are already deafeted he can produce you a little demon army.
To evaluate him you have to consider what type of strategy you can play with mono black and he's good in something controllish...
While I am really liking these new Planeswalkers and definitely enjoy Ob, I am getting the inclination that these needed something extra if played as the Commander. If you use a Planeswalker as you commander, then you are completely robbed of winning the game through commander damage, which can be extremely relevant when playing a life gain deck. Maybe the trade off is versatility over a win-con, but that doesn't feel very good.
While I am really liking these new Planeswalkers and definitely enjoy Ob, I am getting the inclination that these needed something extra if played as the Commander. If you use a Planeswalker as you commander, then you are completely robbed of winning the game through commander damage, which can be extremely relevant when playing a life gain deck. Maybe the trade off is versatility over a win-con, but that doesn't feel very good.
Most generals with power <5 don't have a reasonable way to commander damage someone out, so I don't see why this makes them any different.
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Check out the thread for my cube if you have the time, and tell me how terrible it is.
Generals meant to be drafted first in a single pack of 6 cards.
And here is the actual cube, meant to be drafted in 4 regular sized packs. (60 card decks)
While I am really liking these new Planeswalkers and definitely enjoy Ob, I am getting the inclination that these needed something extra if played as the Commander. If you use a Planeswalker as you commander, then you are completely robbed of winning the game through commander damage, which can be extremely relevant when playing a life gain deck. Maybe the trade off is versatility over a win-con, but that doesn't feel very good.
Trust me, once you combo his Ulti with his minus ability and start to draw 5 cards and gain 5 life every two turns, I'm sure finding a way to win the game is not going to be an issue.
Honestly, I like him, and the real challenge with Ob Nixilis seems getting to the point where you can stabilize the board and fire off his Ultimate safely. So yeah, I agree with everyone that said that Ob is a very good Mono-Black control Commander. I'm still not 100% sure about that 1st ability, but 5/5 flying Demons were still good last time I checked. And as Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver and Æther Vial has proven us, getting creatures without actually investing mana is actualy really, really good.
Anyone guessing Promise of Power in his deck? I wonder if they would bother to make a double Demon token with one side being 5/5 and the other */*? Also, Harvester of Souls is totally in there, it works so well with the creature sacrifice they'll obviously have going on.
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MTGS Wikia Article about "New World Order"
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
PSA to everyone who keeps forgetting about the Reserved List:
You're on a website dedicated to talking about MtG. You're only a few keystrokes away from finding out what cards are on the Reserved List. You're also only a few keystrokes away from finding out why some cards on the Reserved List got foil printings in FtV, as Judge promos, or whatnot, as well as why that won't happen again. Stop doing this.
I love this card. I'll be setting up for that ultimate, and maybe sac one of those Demons he makes. In my playgroup, no one runs Hero's Downfall for some reason, so he'll be fairly safe.
I have seen a couple comments about making his plus do 2 life. I play Oloro, who is incredibly overpowered as it is. This Planeswalker is very good for him. If he caused two loss to each opponent, that would be way too much. By turn five I usually have at least fifty life, now I start gaining an additional six per turn. I'm happy with him as he is...
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No, you can't attack your own planeswalker, and you can't redirect damage that would be dealt to you to a planeswalker you control. If you could you would be able to do weird things with cards that damage their caster as a downside.
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I can see why people are complaining he's not Leshrac, but Ob-Nixilis is still an "old" character attached to some cool cards a lot of people like. Many people didn't start playing when we did.
Liliana's first version would be broken as a general.
I'm not quite sure what to make of his abilities, he seems okay but I prefer any of Liliana's iterations for mono-black, and he doesn't seem great as a commander himself.
Exectly. That dude already got three cards and even without real storyline significance.
This happens every time a new walker gets released. He might be good, he might not be. I'm going to test with him before I make any judgments personally.
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It just feels like the + ability doesn't protect him at all, and the - ability feels better suited for protection.
My Decks:
All my Decks are budget
EDH:GRWHazezon TamarGRW, RKazuul, Tyrant of the CliffsR, BMikaeus, the UnhallowedB, UTalrand, Sky SummonerU, GRXenagos, God of RevelsGR, BGPharika, God of AfflictionBG
Standard:BMono Black Control(devotion)B- retired
Casual:UWHeroicUW, UGWall tribalUG, BPhylactery LichB
Modern:UBAbyssal PersecutorUB, WKnight TribalW
Seriously, though, he's not that bad. His +2 is piss-weak but his -2 is quite strong (unlike certain new sorins I could mention). If you can defend him, he'll get some serious demon power on the board. And black is quite good at defending its planeswalkers. He plays very differently that freyalise (who will mostly be using her plus ability until she ults) but he's still rock solid imo. If he cost 4 he'd be kind of ridiculous.
EDH Primers
Phelddagrif - Zirilan
EDH
Thrasios+Bruse - Pang - Sasaya - Wydwen - Feather - Rona - Toshiro - Sylvia+Khorvath - Geth - QMarchesa - Firesong - Athreos - Arixmethes - Isperia - Etali - Silas+Sidar - Saskia - Virtus+Gorm - Kynaios - Naban - Aryel - Mizzix - Kazuul - Tymna+Kraum - Sidar+Tymna - Ayli - Gwendlyn - Phelddagrif 4 - Liliana - Kaervek - Phelddagrif 3 - Mairsil - Scarab - Child - Phenax - Shirei - Thada - Depala - Circu - Kytheon - GrenzoHR - Phelddagrif - Reyhan+Kraum - Toshiro - Varolz - Nin - Ojutai - Tasigur - Zedruu - Uril - Edric - Wort - Zurgo - Nahiri - Grenzo - Kozilek - Yisan - Ink-Treader - Yisan - Brago - Sidisi - Toshiro - Alexi - Sygg - Brimaz - Sek'Kuar - Marchesa - Vish Kal - Iroas - Phelddagrif - Ephara - Derevi - Glissa - Wanderer - Saffi - Melek - Xiahou Dun - Lazav - Lin Sivvi - Zirilan - Glissa
PDH - Drake - Graverobber - Izzet GM - Tallowisp - Symbiote Brawl - Feather - Ugin - Jace - Scarab - Angrath - Vraska - Kumena Oathbreaker - Wrenn&6
His +2 is so weak in EDH.
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His +2 isn't why you'll be playing him. The -2 and emblem are the reasons to play him. And in a multiplayer commander game, his +2 will easily support the -2.
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
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You need to consider that with him as your commander you're playing mono black. And that means you play discard, you destroy things... you want to play more of a control match.
Your creatures too often bite the dust with your own Damnation. But he's a plainswalker, so he stays in most cases.
Moreover, his lifegain supports your Phyrexian Arena and Night's Whisper while slowly draining your opponents.
But being slow also means he's no immediate thread, so his chance of staying isn't the worst. And once the board is cleared and maybe one or two playery are already deafeted he can produce you a little demon army.
To evaluate him you have to consider what type of strategy you can play with mono black and he's good in something controllish...
This. I may have found the commander for my second deck. This guy plays well in a few-creature control build. I can see myself running him alongside Bloodghast,Reassembling Skeleton and Nether Traitor. Combine it with some heavy all player discard spells like Liliana of the Veil and Necrogen Mists and you've got yourself a really cool control shell. Homicidal Seclusion ftw.
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Most generals with power <5 don't have a reasonable way to commander damage someone out, so I don't see why this makes them any different.
Generals meant to be drafted first in a single pack of 6 cards.
And here is the actual cube, meant to be drafted in 4 regular sized packs. (60 card decks)
Trust me, once you combo his Ulti with his minus ability and start to draw 5 cards and gain 5 life every two turns, I'm sure finding a way to win the game is not going to be an issue.
Honestly, I like him, and the real challenge with Ob Nixilis seems getting to the point where you can stabilize the board and fire off his Ultimate safely. So yeah, I agree with everyone that said that Ob is a very good Mono-Black control Commander. I'm still not 100% sure about that 1st ability, but 5/5 flying Demons were still good last time I checked. And as Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver and Æther Vial has proven us, getting creatures without actually investing mana is actualy really, really good.
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
-Commander-
UBGMill, Sidisi, and Other ShenanigansGBU
WUBRGShingeki no TazriGRBUW