I must be crazy. People are comparing this to Jeering Instigator, somewhat positively, and Zealous Conscripts, as almost "strictly worse". I see it as a more versatile, mostly better, Conscripts. I played with Conscripts a fair amount during Innistrad Standard and I can't tell you the number of times I had to just cast it for board presence, or sat with it dead in my hand on 3 or 4 mana. Red decks usually don't care to get to 5 mana, but like having something to do if you get there and this card is Conscripts fixed for that issue.
You might want to read Zealous Conscripts again. Yes, it does say "permanent". I don't know if you ever stole their Planeswalker who's about to go ultimate, their True Conviction or their Cavern of Souls with a relevant creature type, but trust me, Zealous Conscripts was and is an insane card. I'm not saying that this card is bad by any stretch (I valued it quite highly earlier on this thread) but it does require basically two "colors" and can only threaten a creature rather then a permanent. It can be cast for cheaper, but then it's a different card entirely. I'm not sure exactly how it balances each other in the end, but it does so in Zealous Conscripts favor.
Being a split card which can cast for 3 mana is a big deal though. And yes, it is nice to threaten a planeswalker, but in my experience that was rarely, if ever, what I used Conscripts for. I think being able to cast for 3 is a bigger deal than being able to steal a PW because it's more common.
Needing colorless mana could be the killer though. Colorless mana is actually tough to come by in a lot of decks.
I must be crazy. People are comparing this to Jeering Instigator, somewhat positively, and Zealous Conscripts, as almost "strictly worse". I see it as a more versatile, mostly better, Conscripts. I played with Conscripts a fair amount during Innistrad Standard and I can't tell you the number of times I had to just cast it for board presence, or sat with it dead in my hand on 3 or 4 mana. Red decks usually don't care to get to 5 mana, but like having something to do if you get there and this card is Conscripts fixed for that issue.
You might want to read Zealous Conscripts again. Yes, it does say "permanent". I don't know if you ever stole their Planeswalker who's about to go ultimate, their True Conviction or their Cavern of Souls with a relevant creature type, but trust me, Zealous Conscripts was and is an insane card. I'm not saying that this card is bad by any stretch (I valued it quite highly earlier on this thread) but it does require basically two "colors" and can only threaten a creature rather then a permanent. It can be cast for cheaper, but then it's a different card entirely. I'm not sure exactly how it balances each other in the end, but it does so in Zealous Conscripts favor.
I did say that I played with it a fair bit. Yes, that included stealing a Liliana of the Veil and ulting her and stealing a Collective Blessing and swinging for a crapton. It was far more common, however, for it to sit in my hand doing nothing and I wished it was just a Spike Jester instead.
Oooo watch out for these in limited, will end games out of nowhere
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The true mind can weather all the lies and illusions without being lost. The true heart can tough the poison of hatred without being harmed. Since beginning-less time, darkness thrives in the void but always yields to purifying light.
I invision a future where one is not mighty when he can silence a crowd with brutality,
but when he leaves them speechless with wisdom.
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
Yes. And yes, the life loss could be a real problem. If it wasn't, people would run painlands a lot more often than they do.
Yep.
That said, Blighted Gorge is also a thing that I don't hate at all in some RDW decks (Not the current atarka lists, just in general). So there are ways of producing the mana which aren't counterproductive to the game plan; equally, the fact that you can cast it for 3 without the effect makes a bit interesting. If you don't think you'll get to the mana, you can always just play it out as a 3/1 haster, which is pretty serviceable.
I honestly like it more as a comparison to Abbot than I do to other threaten creatures. Abbot is a serviceable creature that has an ability that you may or may not use, or may or may not be relevant. That said, you can play abbot out as a threat, and accept you won't get much value out of it, or you can hold off to get a good deal of value. I've whiffed off of Abbot plenty, but I've gone to value town plenty as well.
This dude is rather similar to that; you can cast him straight out for value, where it is a fine creature, or hold off. You aren't married to either direction. A 3 power haster for 3 isn't horrendously bad in RDW at 3(It's serviceable).
This is a solid little dude that should see plenty of play, even if it is only out of sideboards. On cast is great, costing 5 is not, but the base rate of 3/1 haste makes it not embarassing when you can't get full value. I actually like it more as a mirror breaker for eldrazi ramp than as a sideboard card for non-landfall red aggro decks in the way that threaten effects are traditionally used.
For those making the comparison to Zealous Conscripts, this guy is more different than worse, but still, he will never provide quite the blowout that ultimating your opponent's Tamiyo, the Moon Sage did, and conscripts got to coexist with Restoration Angel for full shenanigans. Conscripts also didn't require "2 colors" of mana. This guy's ability on the other hand is uncounterable which is nice, and 3 hasty power to go along with whatever you steal is exceptionally threatening.
what if I steal a Jace, Vryn's Prodigy and I trasform it into a planeswalker? :0
If there are five or more cards in your graveyard, exile Jace, Vryn's Prodigy, then return him to the battlefield transformed under his owner's control.
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Being a split card which can cast for 3 mana is a big deal though. And yes, it is nice to threaten a planeswalker, but in my experience that was rarely, if ever, what I used Conscripts for. I think being able to cast for 3 is a bigger deal than being able to steal a PW because it's more common.
Needing colorless mana could be the killer though. Colorless mana is actually tough to come by in a lot of decks.
Yes. And yes, the life loss could be a real problem. If it wasn't, people would run painlands a lot more often than they do.
I invision a future where one is not mighty when he can silence a crowd with brutality,
but when he leaves them speechless with wisdom.
"Instead of paying ~'s casting cost, you may pay one life and exile a colorless card from your hand.
If you do, counter target spell."
Oh, and it had Flash.
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
Yep.
That said, Blighted Gorge is also a thing that I don't hate at all in some RDW decks (Not the current atarka lists, just in general). So there are ways of producing the mana which aren't counterproductive to the game plan; equally, the fact that you can cast it for 3 without the effect makes a bit interesting. If you don't think you'll get to the mana, you can always just play it out as a 3/1 haster, which is pretty serviceable.
I honestly like it more as a comparison to Abbot than I do to other threaten creatures. Abbot is a serviceable creature that has an ability that you may or may not use, or may or may not be relevant. That said, you can play abbot out as a threat, and accept you won't get much value out of it, or you can hold off to get a good deal of value. I've whiffed off of Abbot plenty, but I've gone to value town plenty as well.
This dude is rather similar to that; you can cast him straight out for value, where it is a fine creature, or hold off. You aren't married to either direction. A 3 power haster for 3 isn't horrendously bad in RDW at 3(It's serviceable).
It's in the good column of threaten effects, with friends like Harness by Force and Zealous Conscripts.
I like it. The Aggro Eldrazi deck is filling out.
For those making the comparison to Zealous Conscripts, this guy is more different than worse, but still, he will never provide quite the blowout that ultimating your opponent's Tamiyo, the Moon Sage did, and conscripts got to coexist with Restoration Angel for full shenanigans. Conscripts also didn't require "2 colors" of mana. This guy's ability on the other hand is uncounterable which is nice, and 3 hasty power to go along with whatever you steal is exceptionally threatening.
Modern Affinity
Soul Sisters
Izzet Delver of Secrets
Mono Green Stompy
Modern Red Burn
Gruul Dragons
Mono Black Aggro
EDH Decks:
Trostani, Selesnya's Voice
Omnath, Locus of Mana
Prossh, Skyraider of Kher
Tiny Leaders:
Vorel of the Hull Clade