Apparently back then they felt like 2/2 was as big as they'd let their tokens get, because this guy was so bad he didn't even pump his tribe. There isn't even a printed card which has him as his proper creature type (Zombie). He isn't totally useless though, because you can use Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth to make all zombies unblockable (yes all, so you have to be careful to not have this backfire).
To be fair, if you're playing Zombies, you'll most probably have a Swamp on the battlefield regardless, so Zombie Master is likely to backfire on you as long as there's a Zombie on the opposing side(s), regardless of whether Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth is around or not. In fact, in multiplayer, since Urborg makes all other players equally vulnerable to Zombies, it makes it less likely to backfire on you.
The regeneration part is where it gets annoying when it comes to backfiring.
I actually like this card a lot, (a good chance of) unblockable and regeneration seems like a fair trade-off for a mere +1/+1 most lords give (and Zombies have plenty of others to supply them P/T anyway).
I'm surprised to see people knocking this guy. He gives regeneration to your other lords, which is a big deal. And unblockable is often the ideal ability for your token swarm. The fact that he helps your opponents zombies is so rarely important, unless you happen to be playing against another zombie tribal deck. It's not a big deal to help out their one random zombie, when you are also helping out your entire field.
His only real downside is the swinginess of landwalk. I feel like if he just said "Zombies are unblockable," he would have been regarded as too strong. But the truth of the matter is that, on a game-by-game basis (at least in 1v1), he either grants regeneration and unblockable, or he just grants regeneration. Landwalk is such a frustrating mechanic and I'm glad they're getting rid of it.
Not the best lord, but still gives zombies regeneration and landwalk, which is nice. I wouldn't run him over the pump lords, but this guy is alright. Of course, with Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth in play it's almost like playing merfolk.
"Landwalk has many of the same issues as intimidate... but even more severe. What do you do against a landwalk creature if you're playing the appropriate land? Not play your basic lands? Magic games are best when there is some interaction, and landwalk was not clearing the bar."
"Landwalk has many of the same issues as intimidate... but even more severe. What do you do against a landwalk creature if you're playing the appropriate land? Not play your basic lands? Magic games are best when there is some interaction, and landwalk was not clearing the bar."
Err....surely the answer to that question is that you counter/discard/destroy/exile/bounce the creature with landwalk? You know, you interact with it....
I like how the relative utility of this trio increases as the color becomes less focused on creatures. Lord of Atlantis is cheaper than Goblin King, and this guy doesn't even offer the +1/+1.
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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!
"Landwalk has many of the same issues as intimidate... but even more severe. What do you do against a landwalk creature if you're playing the appropriate land? Not play your basic lands? Magic games are best when there is some interaction, and landwalk was not clearing the bar."
Err....surely the answer to that question is that you counter/discard/destroy/exile/bounce the creature with landwalk? You know, you interact with it....
I think MaRo puts it a little awkwardly, but basically I agree with him. The interactivity issue is that there's nothing practical that you can do to shut off the landwalk. You have to neutralize the creature instead, just as you would against an unblockable creature. That would be fine if the creature was actually unblockable. Instead, it has "unblockable against ~40% of decks," which, in my opinion, is not a great way to do balancing.
I'd never cut this guy in Grimgrin. The regen makes Grimgrin even more obnoxious, as does the unblockable. It's real easy to tutor up Urborg when needed. In a deck where I often need to put together a combination of creatures to really be effective the regen is very, very good.
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EDH playing competitive Magic cast away
Current Decks GTitania midrange RGThromok tokens/goodstuff | UB Grimgrin zombie tribal GW Sigarda enchantress | R Godo voltron U Braids aggro | WR Kalemne punisher RU Mizzix storm | BUG Mimeoplasm competitive reanimator | UG Ezuri infect
It's not every day white gets a counterspells, so seeing this card was new for me. I think I'm going to have to pick this up and try it out at some point.
It's neat for being a white counterspell, but I can't see running this over white's much better enchantment/artifact destruction. I guess if my meta involved more insta-win combos.
It definitely has some very potent uses. You can nab a Mindlsaver or similar, while a Disenchant would just let them activate in response. There are plenty of artifacts with ETB/LTB effects like Wurmcoil Engine and Solemn Simulacrum. It can stop your opponent from using Mana Reflection or Caged Sun if they have more than six lands.
It's not a slam-dunk staple, but it's definitely a unique effect with some strong applications. I'd give it at least a 3/5, maybe 3.5/5
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I'm just not sure what type of deck you would want this effect in. If you're playing blue, there are a ton of catch-all counterspells to run over this, and a non-blue deck is going to have a much harder time playing draw-go style. It seems like it would be annoying to have to leave mana up for a counterspell as narrow as this, since there's a good chance your opponents are going to be casting things you can't counter. I would much rather run disenchant effects, sweepers, or broader oblivion ring type answers to deal with artifacts/enchantments. The only reason I would run this over them would be if I had a specific reason to do so, like continuously running up against Mindslaver locks or other effects that those other cards don't deal with.
Could easily see play in a Mardu Control list, if we ever see a commander for that. It counters the things that Red and Black have the hardest time dealing with; Enchantments.
Another point in its favor is, unlike Enchant Destruction, if someone thinks they can tap out to cast Omniscience and protect it from being blown up when it lands, this prevents that scenario.
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Oath of the Gatewatch; the set that caused the competitive community to freak out over Basic Lands.
It's good for what it does. At the time, it might not have been much. (Dammit, I want you to play your Phyrexian Dreadnought and then I destroy it.) But things have changed. I can't really use Disenchant on your Nihil Spellbomb or Moriok Replica, and I still have to contend with Wurmcoil Engine's 3/3 tokens.
I suppose white is secondary (well, more like tertiary, but there is no secondary) in counterspells, but I imagine it being more Memory Lapse and Delay, maybe Chancellor of the Annex (because it's really just a GAAIV variant; if it had flash, I would be less thrilled) or Equinox (counter spells targeting you or permanents you control).
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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!
Just as a heads up, I'm going to be away from the site for the next two weeks so unless another mod wants to step in while I'm gone, feel free to randomize amongst yourselves. Figured I'd give you a heads up before there was confusion in the ranks.
I'll take it over, if you want. I'm usually online at the usual New COTD post times anyway.
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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.
Might want to change the head topic if you do, I can't edit it as I'm not a mod in this section. Change the thread title to "See latest posts for today's card" or something.
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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.
To be fair, if you're playing Zombies, you'll most probably have a Swamp on the battlefield regardless, so Zombie Master is likely to backfire on you as long as there's a Zombie on the opposing side(s), regardless of whether Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth is around or not. In fact, in multiplayer, since Urborg makes all other players equally vulnerable to Zombies, it makes it less likely to backfire on you.
The regeneration part is where it gets annoying when it comes to backfiring.
I actually like this card a lot, (a good chance of) unblockable and regeneration seems like a fair trade-off for a mere +1/+1 most lords give (and Zombies have plenty of others to supply them P/T anyway).
His only real downside is the swinginess of landwalk. I feel like if he just said "Zombies are unblockable," he would have been regarded as too strong. But the truth of the matter is that, on a game-by-game basis (at least in 1v1), he either grants regeneration and unblockable, or he just grants regeneration. Landwalk is such a frustrating mechanic and I'm glad they're getting rid of it.
Whoa whoa whoa what?
http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/evergreen-eggs-ham-2015-06-08
Err....surely the answer to that question is that you counter/discard/destroy/exile/bounce the creature with landwalk? You know, you interact with it....
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I think MaRo puts it a little awkwardly, but basically I agree with him. The interactivity issue is that there's nothing practical that you can do to shut off the landwalk. You have to neutralize the creature instead, just as you would against an unblockable creature. That would be fine if the creature was actually unblockable. Instead, it has "unblockable against ~40% of decks," which, in my opinion, is not a great way to do balancing.
Current Decks
GTitania midrange
RGThromok tokens/goodstuff | UB Grimgrin zombie tribal
GW Sigarda enchantress | R Godo voltron
U Braids aggro | WR Kalemne punisher
RU Mizzix storm | BUG Mimeoplasm competitive reanimator | UG Ezuri infect
It's not every day white gets a counterspells, so seeing this card was new for me. I think I'm going to have to pick this up and try it out at some point.
Misc. EDH Stuff: Commander Cube | Zombies (Horde)
Resources:Commander Rulings FAQ | Commander Deckbuilding Guide
Follow me on Twitter! @cryogen_mtg
It's not a slam-dunk staple, but it's definitely a unique effect with some strong applications. I'd give it at least a 3/5, maybe 3.5/5
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Another point in its favor is, unlike Enchant Destruction, if someone thinks they can tap out to cast Omniscience and protect it from being blown up when it lands, this prevents that scenario.
Playtesting | Karador, Ghost Chieftain | Narset, Enlightened Master | Ephara, God of the Polis
Established | Gahiji, Honored One | Shirei, Shizo's Caretaker | Opal-Eye, Konda's Yojimbo | Rubinia Soulsinger
Retired | Medomai the Ageless | Diaochan, Artful Beauty
I suppose white is secondary (well, more like tertiary, but there is no secondary) in counterspells, but I imagine it being more Memory Lapse and Delay, maybe Chancellor of the Annex (because it's really just a GAAIV variant; if it had flash, I would be less thrilled) or Equinox (counter spells targeting you or permanents you control).
On phasing:
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.
Cool, thanks.
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.
Legacy - Solidarity - mono U aggro - burn - Imperial Painter - Strawberry Shortcake - Bluuzards - bom