I mean...Shrapnel Blast is still a card? Ghostfire Blade is a pretty reasonable card, but there weren't enough colorless...*coughartifactcough*...creatures to do anything with it. Maybe it works with something along those lines? I'm not seeing it unless they reprint something like Steel Overseer. Yanno tho, it does work off any counters, so I guess you could cast it for 2 and then buff it with Ajani, Mentor of Heroes or the like. Yeah...still not doing it for me.
This will at the very east be a good card against the control match-up. Puts a clock that they have to figure out an answer to. Mainboard possibly but very good sideboard IMHO.
It's too behind the curve. Obviously broken at X but it's bad at XX. Perhaps just tap to put the counter on but 1 mana makes it prohibitive as it's going to put you off your curve.
Limited bomb.
Pretty much. One of the big killers for X spells in Constructed is their inefficiency. Fireball is outstanding in Limited because efficiency is less important there, but Constructed it's bad because it's bad value for any given value of X. This is kind of the same thing, except it's XX so it's even worse.
Is it possible to play this for 0 and then give it a +1/+1 counter when it enters the battlefield through Graft or maybe Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit, or will it die to state based action before it can get the counter?
If the latter allies: Are there any Cards that let creatures enter the battlefield with +1/+1 counters?
No on both cases. The Hangarback Walker would die as a state-based action and will leave the battlefield before the triggered ability is able to resolve. Zameck Guildmage, however, can give this guy a counter even if it comes in for 0.
Is it possible to play this for 0 and then give it a +1/+1 counter when it enters the battlefield through Graft or maybe Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit, or will it die to state based action before it can get the counter?
If the latter allies: Are there any Cards that let creatures enter the battlefield with +1/+1 counters?
it will give you an amount of power equal to mana invested on it as it enters the battlefield...
in two steps, and half of it will be flying power.
it uses spare mana.
it's a good blocker.
2 bodies for 2 mana isn't bad...
it grows up for 1 mana each turn, and then generates additional bodies on death.
if you have stuff to give this dude additional +1/+1 counters he could be really great.
it's one of those weird cards with X on it's cost that may actually be better at early game than late.
I don't think this dude will shake constructed formats at all, it's probably not even playable.
but it's interesting enough for me to think about it.
I mean...Shrapnel Blast is still a card? Ghostfire Blade is a pretty reasonable card, but there weren't enough colorless...*coughartifactcough*...creatures to do anything with it. Maybe it works with something along those lines? I'm not seeing it unless they reprint something like Steel Overseer. Yanno tho, it does work off any counters, so I guess you could cast it for 2 and then buff it with Ajani, Mentor of Heroes or the like. Yeah...still not doing it for me.
Number Crunch still allows for Steel Overseer *fingerscrossed*
Overseer would be a welcome addition to the Standard pool. It also falls into the '+1/+1 counter' philosophy they've adopted of late. Also Eldrazi possibilities in BFZ could be artifact-centric. But I digress. Back to this card...
Maybe even something like Grave Strength? Satyr Wayfinder > 1/1 Hangarback Walker > Grave strength...I mean, we're not breaking any formats, but you could wind up with a 3/3 or 4/4 pretty reliably on T4 that spits out a few fliers when it dies. Throw in some cards like Deathmist Raptor, Den Protector, Bloodsoaked Champion, and the new Evolutionary Leap...Starts to look like a brew bubbling in the ol' pot.
Sweet design. Whether it'll be constructed playable (in any format) remains to be seen. And even if it isn't initially it might get some help in coming sets. Who knows, this this could be the thopterevolution.(pun intended)
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
You're as good or as bad as you think you are.
-Me
Through the Breach > Protean Hulk > 4X Disciple of the Vault > 4X Hangarback Walker = 16 damage + 6 from Protean Hulk attack. Can also use some number of Blood Artists, Ornithopter, Memnite, and Viscera Seer for redundancy. Footsteps of the Goryo as another way to abuse Protean Hulk for lethal.
Seems like a decent start to a modern combo deck. Can also abuse both the new Liliana and Liliana of the Veil for disruption. And of course you could potentially just cast this for 2-4 and sac it a bunch of times instead of using it to combo.
Card advantage is not the same thing as card draw. Something for 2B cannot be strictly worse than something for BBB or 3BB. If you're taking out Swords to Plowshares for Plummet, you're a fool. Stop doing these things!
I don't think it's that bad per say but it certainly is slow and awkward. Potentially you can cast it for 2, wait a turn and block and tap it to hopefully trade as a Bear and gain 2 1/1 fliers. That's decent value for 3 mana. The 2 mana do-nothing creature is a bit sad though.
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
Modern - UG Mana Denial GU
. . . . . . .
WBG Melira Pod GBWCommander - BR Olivia Voldaren RB Vampire Tribal
. . . . . . . . . WUB Sharuum the Hegemon BUW Not-Broken Artifact Midrange
. . . . . . . . . WUG Rafiq of the Many GUW Voltron
. . . . . . . . . . .UB Oona, Queen of the Fae BU No-combo Tempo-Mill
. . . . . . . . . WUB Oloro, Ageless Ascetic BUW Pillow Fort
Pretty much. One of the big killers for X spells in Constructed is their inefficiency. Fireball is outstanding in Limited because efficiency is less important there, but Constructed it's bad because it's bad value for any given value of X. This is kind of the same thing, except it's XX so it's even worse.
Graft (Plaxcaster Frogling for reference) and Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit are triggered abilities, so it'll die as a SBA before it gets the counter.
Effects that allow it to enter with counters would work, such as Master Biomancer.
it will give you an amount of power equal to mana invested on it as it enters the battlefield...
in two steps, and half of it will be flying power.
it uses spare mana.
it's a good blocker.
2 bodies for 2 mana isn't bad...
it grows up for 1 mana each turn, and then generates additional bodies on death.
if you have stuff to give this dude additional +1/+1 counters he could be really great.
it's one of those weird cards with X on it's cost that may actually be better at early game than late.
I don't think this dude will shake constructed formats at all, it's probably not even playable.
but it's interesting enough for me to think about it.
I like this card.
It's bananas on limited, of course.
Number Crunch still allows for Steel Overseer *fingerscrossed*
Real question is, why the hell is Wizards pushing thopter tribal so hard?
UBBreya's Toybox (Competitive, Combo)WR
RGodzilla, King of the MonstersG
-Retired Decks-
UBLazav, Dimir Mastermind (Competitive, UB Voltron/Control)UB
"Knowledge is such a burden. Release it. Release all your fears to me."
—Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver
Maybe even something like Grave Strength? Satyr Wayfinder > 1/1 Hangarback Walker > Grave strength...I mean, we're not breaking any formats, but you could wind up with a 3/3 or 4/4 pretty reliably on T4 that spits out a few fliers when it dies. Throw in some cards like Deathmist Raptor, Den Protector, Bloodsoaked Champion, and the new Evolutionary Leap...Starts to look like a brew bubbling in the ol' pot.
Renowned Weaponsmith
Springleaf Drum
Hardened Scales
Thopter Spy Network
Shrapnel Blast
Collateral Damage
Life's Legacy
Pia and Kiran Nalaar
Evolutionary Leap
Ensoul Artifact (permanent +5/+5)
Oh yeah, this is plenty abusable, even just in standard
-Me
Seems like a decent start to a modern combo deck. Can also abuse both the new Liliana and Liliana of the Veil for disruption. And of course you could potentially just cast this for 2-4 and sac it a bunch of times instead of using it to combo.
Not really. Green could just use a card like Creeping Corrosion or Bane of Progress. Oh wait, yeah, I forgot, Plummet exists because Doom Blade can't kill Baneslayer Angel.
On phasing:
I don't think it's that bad per say but it certainly is slow and awkward. Potentially you can cast it for 2, wait a turn and block and tap it to hopefully trade as a Bear and gain 2 1/1 fliers. That's decent value for 3 mana. The 2 mana do-nothing creature is a bit sad though.
Increasing Savagery would have made this one fun.
It is just that it is the white blue archetype theme.
And the red blue archetype theme.
And the white red archetype theme.
Seems like the intersection between artifacts, flying, and going wide is exactly Thopters.
none
Modern
UBG B/U/G control
BBB MBC
WUR Control
WWW Prison
RRR Goblins
Legacy
BBB Pox
UBG B/U/G Control
UWU StoneBlade
UW Miracle Control
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