Codemn is pretty much the only reasonable white removal not in cube, which I guess says something. It's a cool card, but I think it's hayday has passed for the most part.
I would have agreed prior to the printing of Arcane Lighthouse. Now I think its value is going up a little. Still a borderline include, though.
Codemn is pretty much the only reasonable white removal not in cube, which I guess says something. It's a cool card, but I think it's hayday has passed for the most part.
I would have agreed prior to the printing of Arcane Lighthouse. Now I think its value is going up a little. Still a borderline include, though.
Oh good, so now it costs 2w?
Correct. But the key isn't in comparing W to 2W. It's in comparing non-Condemn instant speed answers plus an Arcane Lighthouse activation to Condemn+Lighthouse when thinking about dealing with hexproof/shroud problems.
If your meta is mostly Sharuum or Feldon combo decks (yes, Feldon is already a thing, at least in the local metagame) or Nekusar and Phenax sorts of threats, Condemn is probably less useful than yesterday's featured card.
This is demonstrably false in the case of Feldon, Nekusar, and Phenax.
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!
There are a few different enchantments that can counter spells, Hesitation and Decree of Silence being two big ones. This one is pretty neat because you can control the timing of it. Of course, without a way to recur it, I'd rather just have an instant instead.
Honestly, when it comes to enchantments that "Counter" spells, I prefer Standstill.
It doesn't counter it per say, but it stops people from casting non-essential spells, which allows you to cast your counterspell for the big ones. Alternatively, you can hope that someone draws into creature/artifact removal through the draw.
Having said all that, at least Lilting Refrain doesn't backfire when you DO need to actually counter something.
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Oath of the Gatewatch; the set that caused the competitive community to freak out over Basic Lands.
If you have Sun Titan or Hanna, Ship's Navigator or some other way to reuse it...I only use permanent counterspells if I have some way to reuse them. Mostly I like the surprise, the ability to bluff, that only instants (and creatureswithflash) provide.
Also, while on the topic, Vorel can't target it, but I know who can...
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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 don't even run this in Hanna. I ran Hesitation for a while and I was a little disappointed by it. I considered replacing it with Lilting Refrain but then, as someone upthread mentioned, I replaced it with Standstill and never looked back.
The face of that wall sends me into a fit of giggles. Just for that, it gets a .5/10 from me.
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My Commander decks:
Chandra, Torch of Defiance - Oops! All Chandras.
Prime Speaker Zegana - Draw for Power.
Pir & Toothy - Counterpalooza.
Arcades, the Strategist - Another Brick in the Wall.
Zacama, Primal Calamity - Calamity of Double Mana.
Edgar Markov - Vampires Don't Die.
Child of Alara - Dreamcrusher.
It looks like floe from progressive.
I would just run rolling stones instead.
Better name and helps all walls.
Point of fact, if a creature has defender but is NOT a wall, both cards do nothing
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pucatrade
big receipts
alpha mox emerald
beta time walk
4 goyfs received
3 liliana of the veil
4 karn liberated
3 force of will
4 grove of the burnwillows
snapcaster mage
3 horizon canopy
2 full art damnation
Back in the early days of the game, I put an awful lot of effort into trying to figure out how to make this card good, figuring there must be some way, or else why would it even exist. Lots of bad decks later, I finally figured out it was a "skill test" card, because it always sucked. Sure, you could use it to animate Wall of Fire, or instead you could just run a good creature rather than two sucky cards.
Including the giggle factor raised by LouCypher, I'll give it 1/10, just because of the possible niche interaction which would make it not entirely terrible. I have no idea what that would be, but there are enough walls in the game that I assume there must be at least one kinda-not-awful option by now.
Eh... It was okay back in '95 when you could slam it on an Illusionary Wall and go to town against your opponents' Serra Angels and Sengir Vampires... These days, not so much.
Eh... It was okay back in '95 when you could slam it on an Illusionary Wall and go to town against your opponents' Serra Angels and Sengir Vampires... These days, not so much.
Draw some arms and a face on it, and that even looks like the Animate Wall art.
I've used it in Shandalar on Wall of Swords. Every time, I end up cutting them both as soon as I have something better.
There are better walls than Swords there (and better-designed ones—a 3/5 with first strike?), but somehow I don't think I'll be animating any of them: Most of them are cantrips, cyclers, or have some cool non-combat ability like Mnemonic Wall or Wall of Roots.
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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 approve of today's card, both for the art and for the discussion reminding me about all of the bizarre walls from the early days. Why does Wall of Swords have flying? How does Illusionary Wall wall hit so hard, so fast? We may never know. Terrible card, but great face and good discussion starter.
Fond memory of the day: my brother and I didn't realize that walls couldn't attack if it wasn't on the card when we started playing around ice age. We also didn't know how cumulative upkeep worked so we assumed it meant that you had to pay that cost every turn, without ever increasing it. Illusionary Wall was a ridiculous card in our games.
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[Pr]Jaya | Estrid | A rotating cast of decks built out of my box.
And to celebrate the birthday, I'm going to break the rules and NOT choose a random card. Instead, I'm choosing a pet card of mine, something that you would be likely to find on the Hidden Gems thread. Without further ado, I give you:
Ok, I admit it. I don't play this in every blue deck. In fact, it rarely makes the cut because there are so many better counterspells out there. But I freaking love the concept of it. Catch them offguard and it is a overpriced Mana Leak. But boy oh boy, you catch them with their pants down and you got a counterspell AND a free card. I first found this card when a guy in our group decided his Teferi deck (dubbed "Buthurt") needed more play. I was looking for cycling cards to get around Teferi's ability, and hit this puppy. I've used it a few times, and was quite pleased with the results. As I said earlier, there are plenty of better choices, but if you want to load up on counters, or you want to build a weaker deck that doesn't run all the staples, I encourage you to give this card a try.
I did actually select a random card out of curiousity, so if you feel the compulsive need, go ahead and talk about Spoils of Blood as well.
We've gone an entire year and STILL no card that begins with a "Y". Every other letter in the alphabet, but no Y.
I love the art of Complicate, and it's one of those cards I think about running, but never do. However, it gets around Teferi, which isn't nothing. It's also cheaper than Decree of Silence, but far less definitive as a cost.
Spoils of Blood is something that I haven't gotten to test yet. I think I have in Gisa because it's basically a reset button after my zombies get wrathed. That's the theory anyway.
Complicate - cute, but I'd probably never play it.
Spoils of Blood - I got to play this card for the first time last night, and it does what you think it would: give someone a nasty surprise after a wrath. In my case, it turned out to be a 22/22. Pretty significant. Would play it again.
Oh good, so now it costs 2w?
Retired EDH - Tibor and Lumia | [PR]Nemata |Ramirez dePietro | [C]Edric | Riku | Jenara | Lazav | Heliod | Daxos | Roon | Kozilek
Standard: lol no
Modern: BG/x, UR/x, Burn, Merfolk, Zoo, Storm
Legacy: Shardless BUG, Delver (BUG, RUG, Grixis), Landstill, Depths Combo, Merfolk
Vintage: Dark Times, BUG Fish, Merfolk
EDH: Teysa, Orzhov Scion / Krenko, Mob Boss / Stonebrow, Krosan Hero
This is demonstrably false in the case of Feldon, Nekusar, and Phenax.
But yeah, it's too meta-heavy. I imagine it being useful if you have some answer to hexproof and your opponent's playing Voltron. Even then, I would probably spend a lot of my time casting Revoke Existence, Erase, Disenchant, etc. on everything that grants hexproof, or having Glaring Spotlight or Archetype of Endurance or Arcane Lighthouse ready. Alternately, for non-Voltron builds, Bident of Thassa.
On phasing:
There are a few different enchantments that can counter spells, Hesitation and Decree of Silence being two big ones. This one is pretty neat because you can control the timing of it. Of course, without a way to recur it, I'd rather just have an instant instead.
Misc. EDH Stuff: Commander Cube | Zombies (Horde)
Resources:Commander Rulings FAQ | Commander Deckbuilding Guide
Follow me on Twitter! @cryogen_mtg
Otherwise, unless you're playing it just to show other people that it actually exists, it's just one of dozens of bad counters.
EDH:
RNorin the WaryR <-Link! (Primer - Mono Red Control)
GUEdric, Spymaster of TrestUG <- Link! (Mini-Primer - Dredge)
Duel Commander:
WUGeist of Saint TraftUW <- Link! (Aggro-Control)
BGSkullbriar, the Walking GraveGB <- Link! (Aggro)
BUGDamia, Sage of StoneGUB <- Link! (Extinction Control)
Church of the Wary
It doesn't counter it per say, but it stops people from casting non-essential spells, which allows you to cast your counterspell for the big ones. Alternatively, you can hope that someone draws into creature/artifact removal through the draw.
Having said all that, at least Lilting Refrain doesn't backfire when you DO need to actually counter something.
On a tangentally related note, clade is a real word:
clade
klād/
noun
a group of organisms believed to have evolved from a common ancestor, according to the principles of cladistics.
Origin
1950s: from Greek klados ‘branch.’
Cheers!
Krichaiushii on PucaTrade.
Retired EDH - Tibor and Lumia | [PR]Nemata |Ramirez dePietro | [C]Edric | Riku | Jenara | Lazav | Heliod | Daxos | Roon | Kozilek
Also, while on the topic, Vorel can't target it, but I know who can...
On phasing:
The go to 'animate my wall' card.... right after Rolling Stones, Wakestone Gargoyle, or Warmonger's Chariot. This card didn't even make the cut in my awful Doran tribal wall deck.
Misc. EDH Stuff: Commander Cube | Zombies (Horde)
Resources:Commander Rulings FAQ | Commander Deckbuilding Guide
Follow me on Twitter! @cryogen_mtg
Chandra, Torch of Defiance - Oops! All Chandras.
Prime Speaker Zegana - Draw for Power.
Pir & Toothy - Counterpalooza.
Arcades, the Strategist - Another Brick in the Wall.
Zacama, Primal Calamity - Calamity of Double Mana.
Edgar Markov - Vampires Don't Die.
Child of Alara - Dreamcrusher.
Yes, it's why I chose that card image over the newer versions.
Misc. EDH Stuff: Commander Cube | Zombies (Horde)
Resources:Commander Rulings FAQ | Commander Deckbuilding Guide
Follow me on Twitter! @cryogen_mtg
I would just run rolling stones instead.
Better name and helps all walls.
Point of fact, if a creature has defender but is NOT a wall, both cards do nothing
pucatrade
big receipts
alpha mox emerald
beta time walk
4 goyfs received
3 liliana of the veil
4 karn liberated
3 force of will
4 grove of the burnwillows
snapcaster mage
3 horizon canopy
2 full art damnation
Including the giggle factor raised by LouCypher, I'll give it 1/10, just because of the possible niche interaction which would make it not entirely terrible. I have no idea what that would be, but there are enough walls in the game that I assume there must be at least one kinda-not-awful option by now.
Draw some arms and a face on it, and that even looks like the Animate Wall art.
Misc. EDH Stuff: Commander Cube | Zombies (Horde)
Resources:Commander Rulings FAQ | Commander Deckbuilding Guide
Follow me on Twitter! @cryogen_mtg
3WW
Flying
~ can't block creatures with power 2 or less.
When ~ enters the battlefield, discard a card.
5/6
There are better walls than Swords there (and better-designed ones—a 3/5 with first strike?), but somehow I don't think I'll be animating any of them: Most of them are cantrips, cyclers, or have some cool non-combat ability like Mnemonic Wall or Wall of Roots.
On phasing:
Fond memory of the day: my brother and I didn't realize that walls couldn't attack if it wasn't on the card when we started playing around ice age. We also didn't know how cumulative upkeep worked so we assumed it meant that you had to pay that cost every turn, without ever increasing it. Illusionary Wall was a ridiculous card in our games.
And to celebrate the birthday, I'm going to break the rules and NOT choose a random card. Instead, I'm choosing a pet card of mine, something that you would be likely to find on the Hidden Gems thread. Without further ado, I give you:
Complicate
Ok, I admit it. I don't play this in every blue deck. In fact, it rarely makes the cut because there are so many better counterspells out there. But I freaking love the concept of it. Catch them offguard and it is a overpriced Mana Leak. But boy oh boy, you catch them with their pants down and you got a counterspell AND a free card. I first found this card when a guy in our group decided his Teferi deck (dubbed "Buthurt") needed more play. I was looking for cycling cards to get around Teferi's ability, and hit this puppy. I've used it a few times, and was quite pleased with the results. As I said earlier, there are plenty of better choices, but if you want to load up on counters, or you want to build a weaker deck that doesn't run all the staples, I encourage you to give this card a try.
Misc. EDH Stuff: Commander Cube | Zombies (Horde)
Resources:Commander Rulings FAQ | Commander Deckbuilding Guide
Follow me on Twitter! @cryogen_mtg
Spoils of Blood is something that I haven't gotten to test yet. I think I have in Gisa because it's basically a reset button after my zombies get wrathed. That's the theory anyway.
RRRAshling, the PilgrimRRR
UUUThadda Adel, AcquisitorUUU
Spoils of Blood - I got to play this card for the first time last night, and it does what you think it would: give someone a nasty surprise after a wrath. In my case, it turned out to be a 22/22. Pretty significant. Would play it again.
Roon of the Pod People (Roon of the Hidden Realm)
Sydri, Super Genius (Sydri, Galvanic Genius)
Marchesa, the Black Rose
Lazav, Dimir Mastermind
Retired:
Grimgrin's Corpse-Beats (Grimgrin, Corpse-Born) | Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge | Varolz, the Scar-Striped (1v1) | Glissa, the Traitor
UR Melek, Izzet ParagonUR, B Shirei, Shizo's CaretakerB, R Jaya Ballard, Task MageR,RW Tajic, Blade of the LegionRW, UB Lazav, Dimir MastermindUB, UB Circu, Dimir LobotomistUB, RWU Zedruu the GreatheartedRWU, GUBThe MimeoplasmGUB, UGExperiment Kraj UG, WDarien, King of KjeldorW, BMarrow-GnawerB, WBGKarador, Ghost ChieftainWBG, UTeferi, Temporal ArchmageU, GWUDerevi, Empyrial TacticianGWU, RDaretti, Scrap SavantR, UTalrand, Sky SummonerU, GEzuri, Renegade LeaderG, WUBRGReaper KingWUBRG, RGXenagos, God of RevelsRG, CKozilek, Butcher of TruthC, WUBRGGeneral TazriWUBRG, GTitania, Protector of ArgothG