Found this guy at the LGS today and was amazed. Cheap 2 drop that has some serious ramping potential while screwing up some control strategies. Didn't see it mentioned in the hidden gems and only found it mentioned once in the multiplayer deck selection.
Anyone have some experience with this guy or is it not well known for a reason?
...Huh. Wow, that's some SERIOUSLY good tech in every GU and RGU deck I've seen. Definitely gotta get me some of those, especially for Riku and Edric.
He's going into my Momir deck I've been piecing together, but yeah going in Edric seemed like a no-brainer to me, which is why I am so surprised to not see it in any of the lists. It's also on the reserved list
If you are threatening an attack with him, and they don't have a blocker to prevent it, they would usually just tap out their mana at the end of the pre-combat main phase so that you would essentially be swinging with a vanilla bear. It does open the door for a more secure second main phase if you are worried about counters or whatever.
(mana empties at the end of each phase, and no mana burn so he is much weaker these days)
Actually it is fairly bad now adays. If you attack someone without blockers they will just tap all their lands in the declare attackers step if they can not block.
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Actually it is fairly bad now adays. If you attack someone without blockers they will just tap all their lands in the declare attackers step if they can not block.
This. Plus, it's not great in Edric as Edric mostly wants colored mana for one drops, and it has to skip dealing damage to get the Drain Power effect, meaning you miss an Edric trigger.
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I'd say it's even better, because it adds the mana to your mana pool as well, letting you ramp up to something big in your second main phase. It's definitely not for every deck, but it's absolutely worth using and abusing anywhere it can be.
If I ever decide to make Edric or anything that has U/ Pygmy Hippo and Xantid Swarm make the list. They have 2 back breaking abilities that make you re-think your plays.
Pygmy Hippo is awesome. Turn 3 ramping into something your opponent might not currently be able to answer is always good.
I just wish i could find my few copies.
I'd say it's even better, because it adds the mana to your mana pool as well, letting you ramp up to something big in your second main phase. It's definitely not for every deck, but it's absolutely worth using and abusing anywhere it can be.
It adds no mana, they'll just tap their lands in response. Did either of the last posts bother reading the card?
It still empties their mana pool into yours. If your opponent does't immediately spend the mana on something, then you get ramp.
I think the key part is
where X is the amount of mana emptied from defending player's mana pool this way.
So if they tap out to deny you mana, you won't get what's left in your pool because their mana wasn't emptied via Pygmy Hippo. The card is not very good. You don't see people playing Xantid Swarm in EDH.
So if they tap out to deny you mana, you won't get what's left in your pool because their mana wasn't emptied via Pygmy Hippo. The card is not very good. You don't see people playing Xantid Swarm in EDH.
This isn't the problem. Hippo still empties the mana pool of everything they put into it. The problem is that it drains at the end of every step, meaning your opponent can tap out when you declare attackers if they can't block, and they'll have nothing to drain by the time Hippo's ability actually triggers.
It's also kind of a nonbo with Swords because it prevents combat damage. It leads to kind of a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation with tapping their lands down, but that's it.
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So if they tap out to deny you mana, you won't get what's left in your pool because their mana wasn't emptied via Pygmy Hippo. The card is not very good. You don't see people playing Xantid Swarm in EDH.
Only if they tap out before the combat damage step. Which, yes, will happen in most cases, but it's still a nice bonus if they don't.
What opponent wouldn't tap themselves out? Their choices are 'tap out' or 'tap out while giving my opponent mana'. It's not a hard choice.
Well, if the hippo is carrying a Sword of Feast and Famine, it becomes a choice between "Tap out, let my opponent untap, discard a card, and take 4" and "Tap out and let my opponent get my mana".
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You guys would be surprised what your opponents let you do after a few beers and never seeing a card like this before. They'll read it and the tap out before you get it part won't always click.
Hold on..
I say, "Declare my intent to move to attack phase"
Opponent 1 - Tap all lands pre combat
Opponent 2 - Tap all lands pre combat
Opponent 3 - Tap all lands pre combat
Attack phase begins
No attackers declared
Main 2 - Cast w/o worrying of most counters
On the other hand
If they tap after moving into attack phase, and I attack with little hippo, I get their mana (assuming all else happens that needs to happen).
Thing is, if you're swinging against a control player, whether or not they tap out in response is a moot point. Hopefully your second main phase is now clear to cast whatever you want without disruption. That to me is the only thing that makes this card somewhat playable, even though it'd really like a Whispersilk Cloak on it.
Found this guy at the LGS today and was amazed. Cheap 2 drop that has some serious ramping potential while screwing up some control strategies. Didn't see it mentioned in the hidden gems and only found it mentioned once in the multiplayer deck selection.
Anyone have some experience with this guy or is it not well known for a reason?
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WBRKaalia of the VastWBR
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He's going into my Momir deck I've been piecing together, but yeah going in Edric seemed like a no-brainer to me, which is why I am so surprised to not see it in any of the lists. It's also on the reserved list
GAzusa, Lost but SeekingG
WBVish Kal, Blood ArbiterWB
WBRKaalia of the VastWBR
UBGVorosh, the HunterUBG
WRGisela, Blade of GoldnightWR
WUGJenara, Asura of WarWUG
WBGTeneb, The HarvesterWBG
WUBRGHorde of NotionsWUBRG
(mana empties at the end of each phase, and no mana burn so he is much weaker these days)
This. Plus, it's not great in Edric as Edric mostly wants colored mana for one drops, and it has to skip dealing damage to get the Drain Power effect, meaning you miss an Edric trigger.
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I tap all my lands and let the mana drain. You get no mana.
It's already good to me. Yet another hate-bear for future decks!
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Sword of feast and famine and him... *vomits*
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When you absolutely, positively got to kill every permanent in the room, accept no substitutes.
I'd say it's even better, because it adds the mana to your mana pool as well, letting you ramp up to something big in your second main phase. It's definitely not for every deck, but it's absolutely worth using and abusing anywhere it can be.
That's the plan. Edric Null Rod-Aggro Stax w/ Show and Tell into Possessed Portal.
As Phil as already said, we have a stupid good meta, so jank just gets there. Perfect example; Witchbane Orb and Salvaging Station.
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I just wish i could find my few copies.
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It adds no mana, they'll just tap their lands in response. Did either of the last posts bother reading the card?
It still empties their mana pool into yours. If your opponent does't immediately spend the mana on something, then you get ramp.
WBG Karador, Ghost Chieftain
B Toshiro Umezawa
BG Pharika, God of Affliction - Necromancy and Politics
WWW The Church of Heliod
WBR Zurgo, Helmsmasher
RG Wort, the Raidmother
UBR Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge
UG Vorel of the Hull Clade
I think the key part is
So if they tap out to deny you mana, you won't get what's left in your pool because their mana wasn't emptied via Pygmy Hippo. The card is not very good. You don't see people playing Xantid Swarm in EDH.
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This isn't the problem. Hippo still empties the mana pool of everything they put into it. The problem is that it drains at the end of every step, meaning your opponent can tap out when you declare attackers if they can't block, and they'll have nothing to drain by the time Hippo's ability actually triggers.
It's also kind of a nonbo with Swords because it prevents combat damage. It leads to kind of a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation with tapping their lands down, but that's it.
Only if they tap out before the combat damage step. Which, yes, will happen in most cases, but it's still a nice bonus if they don't.
What opponent wouldn't tap themselves out? Their choices are 'tap out' or 'tap out while giving my opponent mana'. It's not a hard choice.
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Well, if the hippo is carrying a Sword of Feast and Famine, it becomes a choice between "Tap out, let my opponent untap, discard a card, and take 4" and "Tap out and let my opponent get my mana".
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GAzusa, Lost but SeekingG
WBVish Kal, Blood ArbiterWB
WBRKaalia of the VastWBR
UBGVorosh, the HunterUBG
WRGisela, Blade of GoldnightWR
WUGJenara, Asura of WarWUG
WBGTeneb, The HarvesterWBG
WUBRGHorde of NotionsWUBRG
Or any of the other posts on the way down for that matter.
I say, "Declare my intent to move to attack phase"
Opponent 1 - Tap all lands pre combat
Opponent 2 - Tap all lands pre combat
Opponent 3 - Tap all lands pre combat
Attack phase begins
No attackers declared
Main 2 - Cast w/o worrying of most counters
On the other hand
If they tap after moving into attack phase, and I attack with little hippo, I get their mana (assuming all else happens that needs to happen).
Seems like a great little dude.
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