Still, I'm glad that Wizards is continuing to come around to understanding that making green the only color with french vanilla 6/6 for 6 and 8/8 for 8 doesn't make green "the color that's got good creatures"
This might be true. Wizards have sloooooowly changed what the mythic rarity means. When it came out they promised it wouldn't be a fourth rarity just to sell packs. It would simply feel cooler. They also showed us the math and promised mythic rare cards wouldn't be any more rare than rare cards. Now they are indeed more rare then rare cards. And more than half of Magic: The Gathering's player base is new players who never saw Wizards of the Coast's promise to the players. I guess mythic rares could be seen as a fourth rarity now.
Being both artifact and creature has its weakness, but 5 mana for a malleable creature that is at least 4/4 trample is powerful.
One obvious weakness: Removal and possibly boardwipes? If Creeping Corrosion or Shatterstorm is reprinted, I wouldn't be surprised. And of course more "Shatter plus" or "like Disenchant/Naturalize but" variants. This is an artifact set, albeit one showing the more "red" side of artifacts (flavorwise), so you do need something to keep them in check.
Counter removal could also be a thing. Æther Snap comes to mind because so many tokens and +1/+1 counters in this set.
That said, this guy is fairly typical. Kalonian Hydra, Terra Stomper...There's no ridiculous "Corpsejack Menace into Kalonian Hydra swing with a 24/24 trampler lol" type thing.
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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!
Being both artifact and creature has its weakness, but 5 mana for a malleable creature that is at least 4/4 trample is powerful.
One obvious weakness: Removal and possibly boardwipes?
"Dies to removal" is usually a bad argument, but that is always relative depending on the cards. As an artifact creature, Gearhulk is vulnerable to two kinds of removal, therefore it's safe to consider it a slight flaw. (See Hammer of Purphoros for similar comparison)
Standing taller than many of the buildings that grace Ghirapur's skyline, the Gearhulks are among the grandest creations you'll see on display in the Fair. We challenged five teams of expert designers to build automatons of an extreme scale, with the added stipulation of incorporating a single element of the Aether Cycle into their design. From inspiration to reclamation, the flow of aether governs both invention and life on Ghirapur, so we felt this an appropriate and exciting challenge.
We were more than pleased with the results. Each design expresses the individual creativity of its team and captures the essence of their assigned step of the Aether Cycle. From the living foliage in the chassis of the Verdurous Gearhulk, which inspires all who gaze upon it, to the crackling reserves of liberated aetheric energy that sparks on the hands of the combustible gearhulk, these magnificent creations invite all to stop and ponder what it means to be part of the cycle of invention.
This card will immediately replace dragonlord atarka as a turn 4 play, without needing to ramp more than one turn. Plus you either get an 8/8 trample super early or a 4/4 trample and a *+4/*+4 haste creature or a 4/4 trample and a bunch of buffed haste creatures etc....but it doesn't feel mythic?! Even its picture screams mythic; this card is almost completely broken even at mythic status. Queue the "dies to removal" arguments. I remember the same silly arguments for voldaren pariah, until it showed up on pro tour and everyone acted like they "always knew it was good". But hey, look at all those decks playing artifact hate, I mean is their even one deck using any artifact removal. To those saying its a boring card, remember that green currently has the best draw, best filtering, best reanimation, cost reduction through duskwatch recruiter, best efficiency regarding cmc to power, and now it can create giant creatures with psuedo haste out of small creatures; but people are complaining about how green is getting a "vanilla" mythic. Wake up people, green cannot be the best color at every single aspect of the game
It's a nice card, I'm just tired of limited being an excuse for upshifting rarity on everything. In this limited environment I can't tell how far off this is from Armament Corps which was an uncommon. Two extra counters make it an iffy rare. I basically see trample taking it from rare to mythic.
Uninspired and powerful. That's pretty much all I have to say on the card, honestly. (It's basically both uninspired, but powerful and powerful, but uninspired, except I can't be bothered to bring myself to complain about it nor could I be considered to be excited about it either.)
I would rather they print the power creep as interesting cards. This is so boring and I will hate it if this thing is $50+ out of the price of a good standard deck.
Say hello to Polukranos 2.0 in the sense of I doubt we'll see anything this efficient in green until this rotates. 5 mana for a 4/4 with trample is a good creature. 8/8 trample for 5 is amazing. Yes we have Terra Stomper but it's his versatility that makes it so good. As someone mentioned, this may also read put a 4/4 with trample and a 4/4 with haste on to the battlefield. Pretty good for 5 mana. It's clear they wanted this to see constructed play which is fine, as long as the other colors version are just as good in their own way.
Like red's could be a 4/3 flier with haste that does 4 damage to a creature when it enters the BF. Blue's could be a 3/5 which counters the first spell that targets it per turn. Black 3/4 first strike deathtouch. Opp looses 3 life ETB trigger. White's could be 3/3 with vigilance which creates 2 2/2 fliers, one with vigilance and one with lifelink. I'm sure I could fine tune it but those seems on the same power level.
Like red's could be a 4/3 flier with haste that does 4 damage to a creature when it enters the BF. Blue's could be a 3/5 which counters the first spell that targets it per turn. Black 3/4 first strike deathtouch. Opp looses 3 life ETB trigger. White's could be 3/3 with vigilance which creates 2 2/2 fliers, one with vigilance and one with lifelink. I'm sure I could fine tune it but those seems on the same power level.
White gets pretty ridiculous 5 drops with Baneslayer Angel , which ironicly doesnt pull its weight in constructed anymore.
The powerlevel for a 6 drop is also through the roof, if we take into account that Wurmcoil Engine sets the bar for "artifacts" in any color (and that card is downright stupid powerful).
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A 3GG 8/8 trampler wouldnt really do anything relevant in constructed, at least this puts the counters on other creatures, which helps to make small 1/1 flyers or mana creatures suddenly relevant for the late game.
In short, this offers a lot for its mana, but its still very niche in terms of constructed, as this has to compete against a field that has a ton of removal and planeswalkers.
As is this, so green mages can still complain about limited. #SorryNotSorry (Seriously, what is it with design and "can't have a big common trampley thing in the color of big trampley things because TEH COLOR PIEZ!!!!1!1one"?)
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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 get the feels this is slightly overrated. At least in a GW shell I think I would still rather have avacyn. Its a big tramply dork if you have no bros on board. I dont think its bad by any stretch, I think it might be homeless initially however.
So, at the very worst, this card is a 5-mana 8/8 with trample. And most of the time in creature decks it will largely ignore any of your opponents' removal. That's amazing. Seriously though, how is this not overpowered but Lightning Strike is?
It's a good card as long as the person playing it isn't going against a black deck. Green has always been weak to black removal, which is why Blossoming Defense is a good piece of sideboard tech.
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1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
So, at the very worst, this card is a 5-mana 8/8 with trample. And most of the time in creature decks it will largely ignore any of your opponents' removal. That's amazing. Seriously though, how is this not overpowered but Lightning Strike is?
Lightning Strike isn't overpowered. The development team likes to vary the power level of different things to create different environments, in the same way design varies mechanics. We will see Lightning Strike again.
This is reminding me most of a monocolored Shivan Wurm (in that set, with Flametongue Kavu and Thornscape Battlemage, the bounce was almost always a huge UPside).
Still, I'm glad that Wizards is continuing to come around to understanding that making green the only color with french vanilla 6/6 for 6 and 8/8 for 8 doesn't make green "the color that's got good creatures"
Obligatory pushed vanilla mythic cuz JOTC. Thanks rosewater.
Mythic are supposed to be exciting. This card is incredibly exciting to Timmys everywhere. Hence, it is justifiable at Mythic.
Artifact destruction disagrees wih you
Give irony and sarcasm, when ignorance and stupidity is found.
The whip is kept for special occasions
One obvious weakness: Removal and possibly boardwipes? If Creeping Corrosion or Shatterstorm is reprinted, I wouldn't be surprised. And of course more "Shatter plus" or "like Disenchant/Naturalize but" variants. This is an artifact set, albeit one showing the more "red" side of artifacts (flavorwise), so you do need something to keep them in check.
Counter removal could also be a thing. Æther Snap comes to mind because so many tokens and +1/+1 counters in this set.
That said, this guy is fairly typical. Kalonian Hydra, Terra Stomper...There's no ridiculous "Corpsejack Menace into Kalonian Hydra swing with a 24/24 trampler lol" type thing.
On phasing:
"Dies to removal" is usually a bad argument, but that is always relative depending on the cards. As an artifact creature, Gearhulk is vulnerable to two kinds of removal, therefore it's safe to consider it a slight flaw. (See Hammer of Purphoros for similar comparison)
Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR Voltron Control
Temmet, Vizier of Naktamun WU Unblockable Mirror Trickery
Ra's al Ghul (Sidar Kondo) and Face-Down Ninjas
Brudiclad, Token Engineer
Vaevictis (VV2) the Dire Lantern
Rona, Disciple of Gix
Tiana the Auror
Hallar
Ulrich the Politician
Zur the Rebel
Scorpion, Locust, Scarab, Egyptian Gods
O-Kagachi, Mathas, Mairsil
"Non-Tribal" Tribal Generals, Eggs
-Chandra Nalaar
We were more than pleased with the results. Each design expresses the individual creativity of its team and captures the essence of their assigned step of the Aether Cycle. From the living foliage in the chassis of the Verdurous Gearhulk, which inspires all who gaze upon it, to the crackling reserves of liberated aetheric energy that sparks on the hands of the combustible gearhulk, these magnificent creations invite all to stop and ponder what it means to be part of the cycle of invention.
Like red's could be a 4/3 flier with haste that does 4 damage to a creature when it enters the BF. Blue's could be a 3/5 which counters the first spell that targets it per turn. Black 3/4 first strike deathtouch. Opp looses 3 life ETB trigger. White's could be 3/3 with vigilance which creates 2 2/2 fliers, one with vigilance and one with lifelink. I'm sure I could fine tune it but those seems on the same power level.
White gets pretty ridiculous 5 drops with Baneslayer Angel , which ironicly doesnt pull its weight in constructed anymore.
The powerlevel for a 6 drop is also through the roof, if we take into account that Wurmcoil Engine sets the bar for "artifacts" in any color (and that card is downright stupid powerful).
----
A 3GG 8/8 trampler wouldnt really do anything relevant in constructed, at least this puts the counters on other creatures, which helps to make small 1/1 flyers or mana creatures suddenly relevant for the late game.
In short, this offers a lot for its mana, but its still very niche in terms of constructed, as this has to compete against a field that has a ton of removal and planeswalkers.
WUBRG#BlackLotusMatterWUBRG
👮👮👮 #BlueLivesMatter 👮👮👮
As is this, so green mages can still complain about limited. #SorryNotSorry (Seriously, what is it with design and "can't have a big common trampley thing in the color of big trampley things because TEH COLOR PIEZ!!!!1!1one"?)
On phasing:
We will rebuild.
Storm Crow is strictly worse than Seacoast Drake.
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
Lightning Strike isn't overpowered. The development team likes to vary the power level of different things to create different environments, in the same way design varies mechanics. We will see Lightning Strike again.
RUNIN: Norse mythology set (awaiting further playtesting)
FATE of ALARA: Multicolour factions (currently on hiatus)
Contibutor to the Pyrulea community set
I'm here to tell you that all your set mechanics are bad
#Defundthepolice