Well, the restriction to creatures is kinda disappointing, but 2 mana 1/1s can still be played if the deck needs them.
Rarity is quite obviously for limited reasons: all-fixing manadorks at uncommon or lower might make Five-Color Green a bit too powerful.
I initially assumed it would be 5C vs colorless, but it seems more like the basic 2C decks with some options for splashes into a third color or just some additional sources in a 3rd color to power up converge. Under that assumption, the rarity makes sense.
From a pure power level standpoint I am not impressed with this card so far.
This guy isn't really that bad. The restriction is kind of odd, but fits the flavor of the name I guess. He'll fit right into a midrange creature deck. He also goes well with evolutionary leap.
I'm guessing no Lotus Cobra reprint then? This card will be pretty in foil.
Hes rare because green having haste is supposed to be a rare thing. But that restriction kills him for me. We were finallygoing to get a good mana dork to go with rattleclaw but no.He'll do fine, he'll get played, but he could have been so much better without that restriction. I guess that sums up the set so far. It could have been better without changing much
I'm definitely not horribly bummed... sorta like Sylvan Caryatid, but without defender or hexproof, with haste, and a restriction on mana use ("Use this mana only to cast creature spells"). Could have been worse.
I mean, I can see why it'd be rare - tapping for one mana of any color, having haste allowing you to either attack, or tap it for mana from the get-go, and for a spalshable 1G (even if the mana is restricted in usage).
Welcome back to MTGS Spoiler Season, where every card is Great Wall or Black Lotus and there is absolutely zero middle ground whatsoever!
That said, BfZ is a little underwhelming, especially compared to RtR, but then again I hated Zendikar block originally, so not a lot of love lost from me.
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"I hope to have such a death... lying in triumph atop the broken bodies of those who slew me..."
You don't call "dying to removal" if the removal is more expensive in resources than the creature. If you have to spend BG (Abrupt Decay), or W + basic land (PtE) to remove a 1G, that is not "dying to removal". Strictly speaking Goyf dies to removal, but actually your removal is dying to Goyf.
Clearly this is all leading to a five color ally deck that no one will likely employ. It's weird with the Converge ability on some non-creature spells that the restriction (at very least they could have limited it to creatures and planeswalkers) is on this card. It's also weird in light of that restriction that this is a rare card This is an undebatable uncommon card. But I can pretty much guarantee I am going to use this card with great regularity
Stellar logic. All decks that will ever be tier 1 or 2 have already been discovered. Might as well lock up the forum here and stop brewing everyone. Format solved.
The haste is nice, the ancient zigarot clause is kinda meh when shaman of forgotten ways and somberwald Sage already exist and do this but better. This'll still find a spot in my animar edh deck though.
Honestly, I really like this dork. He adds any color mana early game and has haste late game (when all those fun rally triggers go off and make him not a 1/1, for at least the turn he ETB). Haste on an Ally is a huge bonus I don't think everyone is taking into consideration. If he weren't an ally, he'd be utter garbage (well, in the grand scheme of mana dorks anyways; sometimes you just need another dork and he does do that ... kind of): Consequently, if you aren't putting him in an ally deck, you probably wish you had something better to replace him with.
Now the real question: How many/has there been spoiled any converge creatures to take even fuller advantage of his cobra abuse?
Bah, even the whining is tired. You're trying too hard to be flowery in your insults.
The card is a mana elf with haste. Might works its way in modern.
The card is a cheap ally with haste. Will be played in ally decks.
The card produces mana of any colors. Will be played in creature-centric deck with high color requirements.
The card has a combination of abilities yet unseen. It's not a BoP, it's not a llanowar elf. It's different. If you want a 1 CMC mana dork elf, got buy yourself a case-load, they're cheap and numerous. I prefer that Wizards prints new card with new combo of ability and see what comes out.
The fact is, if you improved the card on any axis, it would be busted. 1CMC instead of two? Duh, you'd be able to chain 4 of them. Cast any spell? It would be auto-include in all decks all year long in standard and probably in many modern decks, too. I think with its combo of abilities, it was about the only viable alternative, otherwise it would be either too good and a functional reprint.
I feel that the haste on this is actually fairly deliberate and interesting. Consider this: Wizards has said they feel that 1 mana dorks are too powerful for a standard environment. The only thing that separates a 1 mana dork and a 2 mana dork ultimately is the ability to play a 3 drop on turn 2 so I am going to make the assumption that Wizards feels 3 drops on turn 2 is the only significant reason 1 mana dorks are too strong.
With this in mind, the 2 drop dork with haste makes perfect sense. It won't cast 3 drops on turn 2, but on any other turn of the game its only a -1 on your mana making it exactly the same thing as a 1 drop.
Of course this ignores the dumb creatures only restriction which I feel is pretty unnecessary on this card but that's not the point I was trying to make.
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The devil's in the detail. BSkithiryx, the Blight DragonB GAzusa, Lost but SeekingG
Now the real question: How many/has there been spoiled any converge creatures to take even fuller advantage of his cobra abuse?
Woodland Wanderer and Skyrider elf say "Hi." Skyrider, being an elf allly actually could be run along with this guy in oh Standard elves and Standard Allies. Woodland Wanderer is just a generic huge midrange threat. I'd expect to be playing skyrider+expert in a deck before choosing to run wanderer+expert.
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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.
- Manite
Tired of this creature only baloney lately. Bad enough losing mystic and sylvan, but they replace with this trash.
This is not a replacement for Mystic and Sylvan. The cards don't serve the same roles and won't be played in the same decks. We may not get a replacement for either Caryatid or Mystic.
Expert is not strictly worse Caryatid or strictly worse Mystic, it's "Strictly Different" and will be used for different things.
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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.
- Manite
It's also weird in light of that restriction that this is a rare card This is an undebatable uncommon card.
Like that 0/1 flyer or that 0/3 hexproof-defender, both tapping for any-1-color, were uncommon?
1/1 mana slivers; Gemhide Sliver and Manaweft Sliver are common and uncommon. And they can produce any mana without restriction. I'm not saying that this card should be uncommon. Just, rare is not an absolute indicator for such general card type.
Rarity is quite obviously for limited reasons: all-fixing manadorks at uncommon or lower might make Five-Color Green a bit too powerful.
I initially assumed it would be 5C vs colorless, but it seems more like the basic 2C decks with some options for splashes into a third color or just some additional sources in a 3rd color to power up converge. Under that assumption, the rarity makes sense.
From a pure power level standpoint I am not impressed with this card so far.
Would be good if it wasn't for the restriction.
I'm guessing no Lotus Cobra reprint then? This card will be pretty in foil.
Arrgh. I miss you Llanowar elf. Change is hard.
#seriously
Strangleroot Geist.
I mean, I can see why it'd be rare - tapping for one mana of any color, having haste allowing you to either attack, or tap it for mana from the get-go, and for a spalshable 1G (even if the mana is restricted in usage).
That said, BfZ is a little underwhelming, especially compared to RtR, but then again I hated Zendikar block originally, so not a lot of love lost from me.
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Shame the 5 cmc card the deck wants to be built around can't be ramped into with the mana dork in the decks tribal
Also it is a sorcery vs instant. I'll take the instant every day
Now the real question: How many/has there been spoiled any converge creatures to take even fuller advantage of his cobra abuse?
The card is a mana elf with haste. Might works its way in modern.
The card is a cheap ally with haste. Will be played in ally decks.
The card produces mana of any colors. Will be played in creature-centric deck with high color requirements.
The card has a combination of abilities yet unseen. It's not a BoP, it's not a llanowar elf. It's different. If you want a 1 CMC mana dork elf, got buy yourself a case-load, they're cheap and numerous. I prefer that Wizards prints new card with new combo of ability and see what comes out.
The fact is, if you improved the card on any axis, it would be busted. 1CMC instead of two? Duh, you'd be able to chain 4 of them. Cast any spell? It would be auto-include in all decks all year long in standard and probably in many modern decks, too. I think with its combo of abilities, it was about the only viable alternative, otherwise it would be either too good and a functional reprint.
With this in mind, the 2 drop dork with haste makes perfect sense. It won't cast 3 drops on turn 2, but on any other turn of the game its only a -1 on your mana making it exactly the same thing as a 1 drop.
Of course this ignores the dumb creatures only restriction which I feel is pretty unnecessary on this card but that's not the point I was trying to make.
BSkithiryx, the Blight DragonB
GAzusa, Lost but SeekingG
Woodland Wanderer and Skyrider elf say "Hi." Skyrider, being an elf allly actually could be run along with this guy in oh Standard elves and Standard Allies. Woodland Wanderer is just a generic huge midrange threat. I'd expect to be playing skyrider+expert in a deck before choosing to run wanderer+expert.
- Manite
Expert is not strictly worse Caryatid or strictly worse Mystic, it's "Strictly Different" and will be used for different things.
- Manite
I hope we can get a card of him playing football in a tuxedo with the other mana dorks...
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1/1 mana slivers; Gemhide Sliver and Manaweft Sliver are common and uncommon. And they can produce any mana without restriction. I'm not saying that this card should be uncommon. Just, rare is not an absolute indicator for such general card type.