There's definitely a LOT of potential in her, especially if she truly costs just WB. I've foolishly dismissed cards like this way too often in the past ,so I think I stock up on a few if shes real, just in case.
Besides being a very promising build-around-me commander, I'm very surprised to see a white and black Kor. Might this be a possible hint for a corrupted white and black Nahiri as well?
I'm SO SICK of the "too strong for Standard" argument. It's the new "Dies to removal". We can have a two mana 4/4 with a zillion abilities, but we can't just have Accumulated Knowledge. Makes sense.
Talk about a powerful 2 drop. Good to see they're giving love to the smaller creatures. I seem to be more stoked over seeing 4 cards than I was when Battle for Zendikar was getting it's spoilers slow-rolled.
I'm just very glad they gave it the commander wording for that second ability. People would have been rightly pissed if it was another serra ascendant.
I feel this is almost better than Karlov, although you would probably use them both in the same deck. I feel like white and black have easier times making dudes than gaining life, at least with cards like Mobilization and Sacred Mesa.
This will be played in standard. At the very least as a sideboard card against Aggro strategies. Could also see play in some kind of aristocrats-build, depending on what other cards are in OGW and the new Innistrad.
Looks like a good card to me, especially against aggro and midrange decks. Not sure about how easy it is to turn on the second ability, at least in standard.
Wow . . . thats quite a lot for just 2 mana. Hello Abzan. 2 Mana 2/3 Deathtouch is oK. Aggro bodies cant penetrate throuth that 3 booty & bigger creatures are afraid of Deathtouch. first ability is quite nice. it lets your blockers & your creatures who are bout to get hit by removal still yield you something & work towards 30 life. Though im afraid Aliy will need much more support to get to 30 life. last ability is comparable to Serra Ascendenti guess. Instead of a big evasive lifelink body, you get Removal. Great card. not overpowered.
The strongest thing it has going for it is deathtouch, to be honest, that way your opponent probably will have to lose a card to deal with it (either a removal spell or a bigger creature attacking or blocking). But the fact that it is legendary and has to pay to sacrifice things makes it almost a bad Cartel Aristocrat. You can't have multiple copies on the table, and the second effect probably isn't going to be used that often. Maybe if you sac a pumped nantuko husk to gain a lot of life, but even then you will have to have some sacrifice fodder afterwards. Seems rough.
I don't like it for commander either, I think it is very weak for duel and just o-kay in multiplayer. Not excited.
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Set number also is high enough that it's likely early in the alphabet
Just a little correction - Ayli, not Alyi. Formerly Kamsa's cleric.
Also, she is not an Ally, but that makes 100% sense flavorwise (seeing her involvement in the UR above)
I am inclined to agree that it is Ayli as the last spec you can see of the glared out part of the name is a diamond shape like the dot from an i later in the name, and the spec of the letter in front of it matches the shape of the top of an l from later in the name too.
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All your base are belong to us!
RIP Batman guy. I hope somebody picks up the slack now that you are gone. Sick children need their Batman.
Besides being a very promising build-around-me commander, I'm very surprised to see a white and black Kor. Might this be a possible hint for a corrupted white and black Nahiri as well?
Mark Rosewater said another Nahiri was an if and not a when in the next seven years. Meaning we probably (most probably) wont see her in shadows.
I don't think that really means much. He always answers questions like he doesn't know what's coming. If Nahiri is going to be a plot point (I don't think it's going to be Nahiri=Avacyn) they will keep it as a surprise. He may actually know or just know that it's something Creative will resolve.
They way that Nahiri was left as Sorin's next quest makes me pretty sure we will know what happened much sooner than 7 years. Especially with the two block structure.
Dammit man, they seem positively *addicted* to making WB Commanders that don't pilot the kind of deck I want to build
EDIT: Okay, while she doesn't directly support a Life Drain deck, she does work pretty well with one. Stax too.
A single casting of Debt to the Deathless should bring her online in most group games,
and I could see a reprint of Exsanguinate to help her in 2HG Limited.
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
I'm skeptical that the exile ability will come into play in constructed, but this card is encouraging to see after all of the overcosted garbage in BFZ.
this one is good enough to be a 2-of in any abzan, even if you don't cater to life gain. I think you can sac a would be dying critter in combat? being a 2 drop 2/3? that's better than half a rhino lol even without 2 nice abilities. $4 card or more
Wow another super pushed abzan card. Its a great card, dont get me wrong, but can we also get some cards this powerful in ANY non abzan combonation please! Its getting boring playing against only abzan decks in standard. Im not saying get rid of this card by any means, because its an awesome card. But can we please not waste another mythic on a card like Akoum Firebird in non abzan colors then make extreme value cards like this in the most overplayed color combo of the last year and a half. Spread the pushed cards love to blue and red too wizards
I realized just now that the blue thing she is wearing emulates Ulamog's bony sideburns. Nice touch and another nice reference to the UR she is featured in.
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Let this great clan rest in peace (2001-2011)
It amuses me more than it should that a character named Ayli isn't an Ally. Makes perfect sense with who the character is, but it's still funny.
And speaking as a casual player, yeah, I'll take a 2-mana 2/3 Deathtouch with upside. Especially since Deathtouch is weirdly valuable in my playgroup full of people that are really reluctant to trade creatures in combat - just that one keyword makes her really rattlesnake-y, and that in turn significantly increases my chances of staying at a high enough life total to be able to turn on her last ability reasonably quickly. I've been meaning to put together an Abzan tokens/aristocrats deck out of the cards I've got lying around, and if I happen to pull an Ayli she'll fit in nicely, I think.
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"The true measure of all heroes is not what they achieve, but who they inspire." —Triumph of Gerrard
If I'm not mistaken, she is our first white card allied with the Eldrazi (in terms of story). Maybe she will open the path to more, including white devoid cards.
66 black but nongreen cards with deathtouch.
29 green but nonblack cards with deathtouch.
Besides being a very promising build-around-me commander, I'm very surprised to see a white and black Kor. Might this be a possible hint for a corrupted white and black Nahiri as well?
Its a forced theme it will never lose (and its totally fine, especially if they keep printing cards for it, even in Limited).
Lifegain is usually such a bad mechanic, its good if it has more meaning.
WUBRG#BlackLotusMatterWUBRG
👮👮👮 #BlueLivesMatter 👮👮👮
I want to equip a viridian longbow to her for some extra lols.
Just a little correction - Ayli, not Alyi. Formerly Kamsa's cleric.
Also, she is not an Ally, but that makes 100% sense flavorwise (seeing her involvement in the UR above)
Let this great clan rest in peace (2001-2011)
The strongest thing it has going for it is deathtouch, to be honest, that way your opponent probably will have to lose a card to deal with it (either a removal spell or a bigger creature attacking or blocking). But the fact that it is legendary and has to pay to sacrifice things makes it almost a bad Cartel Aristocrat. You can't have multiple copies on the table, and the second effect probably isn't going to be used that often. Maybe if you sac a pumped nantuko husk to gain a lot of life, but even then you will have to have some sacrifice fodder afterwards. Seems rough.
I don't like it for commander either, I think it is very weak for duel and just o-kay in multiplayer. Not excited.
Read my other stories as well (some ongoing):
Reaper King (a horror story), Kaalia of the Vast (an origin story), Sequels for Innistrad (Alternative sequels for Inn), Grey Areas (Odric's fanfic), Royal Succession (goblins),The Tracker's Message (eldrazi on Innistrad) and Ugin and his Eye (the end of OGW).
I am inclined to agree that it is Ayli as the last spec you can see of the glared out part of the name is a diamond shape like the dot from an i later in the name, and the spec of the letter in front of it matches the shape of the top of an l from later in the name too.
RIP Batman guy. I hope somebody picks up the slack now that you are gone. Sick children need their Batman.
I don't think that really means much. He always answers questions like he doesn't know what's coming. If Nahiri is going to be a plot point (I don't think it's going to be Nahiri=Avacyn) they will keep it as a surprise. He may actually know or just know that it's something Creative will resolve.
They way that Nahiri was left as Sorin's next quest makes me pretty sure we will know what happened much sooner than 7 years. Especially with the two block structure.
EDIT: Okay, while she doesn't directly support a Life Drain deck, she does work pretty well with one. Stax too.
A single casting of Debt to the Deathless should bring her online in most group games,
and I could see a reprint of Exsanguinate to help her in 2HG Limited.
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
UR Blue-Red Control
Modern:
UBR Grixis Control
UWR Jeskai Control
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Currently playing Knight of the Reliquary - Retreat to Coralhelm Combo
Let this great clan rest in peace (2001-2011)
And speaking as a casual player, yeah, I'll take a 2-mana 2/3 Deathtouch with upside. Especially since Deathtouch is weirdly valuable in my playgroup full of people that are really reluctant to trade creatures in combat - just that one keyword makes her really rattlesnake-y, and that in turn significantly increases my chances of staying at a high enough life total to be able to turn on her last ability reasonably quickly. I've been meaning to put together an Abzan tokens/aristocrats deck out of the cards I've got lying around, and if I happen to pull an Ayli she'll fit in nicely, I think.