One of those cards that you saw around M14's release, until people recognized it really isn't all that good, even in zombie tribal.
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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.
I always felt this should have been Lifebane Zombie with flipped P/T and vise-versa. It made the cut in quite a few decks, actually, until SOI/EDM that is. The only thing this has going for it is you get a 2/2 zombie even when connecting on an empty hand.
I like specter variants, so this has gotten some play from me just for that. I think the fact that its got deathtouch still keeps it in the realm of playability. It gives it a pseudo-evasion against a lot of decks that don't want to lose their big beats, and can supply steady card advantage in those situations.
These days it seems fine in Gisa and Geralf, as recurring deathtouch is absolutely far from a bad thing.
Meh, it's no Sword of Feast and Famine, but it isn't 'bad' bad. Its biggest problem is the lack of evasion.
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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 think what really killed this in standard was 3 toughness in the same environment as Lightning Strike and Anger of the Gods. In EDH, it's probably not going to be a high target for removal, but it's not really going to do much either.
Yeah, I've got a pretty foil one of these, and try it out in - sure enough - zombie tribal. It just ends up lingering in my hand while I'm too busy casting better cards. It needs something like Whispersilk Cloak to help it get through, but by then you're going to equip a better creature. Still, it's a good lightning rod for removal because it reads scary.
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Stonebrow costs 5 though. Commander tax doesn't apply when triggering Dragon Breath.
[/quote]Whoops, my bad on that one. For some reason I thought he was 6, despite having had him as a commander for a year or so (or more).
I think the big issue is that as an effective creature, it's not big enough in EDH - It doesn't challenge the power plays, and it gets challenged by a lot of the utility chaff, such as a Solemn Simulacrum with a Skullclamp.
Furthermore, as a token producer, it just goes too slowly, as building up an extra zombie per combat won't really get there before it gets removed as incidental damage in a global wrath effect.
Overall, a good collection of effectiveness and abilities that looks good on paper, but that unfortunately just falls short in practice.
I begin to wonder if people just skip past that whole deathtouch portion of the text. It trades up very well, and while you want it on offense, it makes for a solid blocker until something opens up.
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.
For some reason it really bothers me that this has an activation cost. You've already got to commit a ton of mana to make this useful and then they dick you out of another mana to use it.
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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
I begin to wonder if people just skip past that whole deathtouch portion of the text. It trades up very well, and while you want it on offense, it makes for a solid blocker until something opens up.
If I want a deathtouch blocker, I'd rather have something cheaper.
For some reason it really bothers me that this has an activation cost. You've already got to commit a ton of mana to make this useful and then they dick you out of another mana to use it.
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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.
I played this in my Intet the Dreamer deck that has all kinds of top-of-deck manipulation. It lasted a while, but without some way of casually abusing (tapping) it, it's way too slow. Without haste, you play it, you untap, you attack, and then you untap again.
So, like, two full turns? Too clunky, too hard to extract value.
Actually, the best way I can think of to use this would probably be with Earthcraft or Springleaf Drum or something like that, and then some q cards. Janky, but doable.
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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 could swear there was a constellation card that tapped a creature, but I guess that would have been too good with this. From a basic gatherer search, it looks like the best cards to go with this are Thassa's Ire, Mind over Matter, or Hidden Strings (on an Invisible Stalker or something). Combine with Sphere of Safety for a really janky and annoying pillowfort.
I run it in one deck, just because I like the card. I look at it as a medium sized flyer that might have upside. If I get free stuff, awesome, if not, that's ok too.
I like that card, I had it in my Phenax, God of Deception pillowfort deck. Tap with Phenax to mill 5 cards, untap to get another creature which can mill even more.
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Stonebrow costs 5 though. Commander tax doesn't apply when triggering Dragon Breath.
One of those cards that you saw around M14's release, until people recognized it really isn't all that good, even in zombie tribal.
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.
These days it seems fine in Gisa and Geralf, as recurring deathtouch is absolutely far from a bad thing.
On phasing:
Stonebrow costs 5 though. Commander tax doesn't apply when triggering Dragon Breath.
[/quote]Whoops, my bad on that one. For some reason I thought he was 6, despite having had him as a commander for a year or so (or more).
I think the big issue is that as an effective creature, it's not big enough in EDH - It doesn't challenge the power plays, and it gets challenged by a lot of the utility chaff, such as a Solemn Simulacrum with a Skullclamp.
Furthermore, as a token producer, it just goes too slowly, as building up an extra zombie per combat won't really get there before it gets removed as incidental damage in a global wrath effect.
Overall, a good collection of effectiveness and abilities that looks good on paper, but that unfortunately just falls short in practice.
Retired EDH - Tibor and Lumia | [PR]Nemata |Ramirez dePietro | [C]Edric | Riku | Jenara | Lazav | Heliod | Daxos | Roon | Kozilek
this card is awful in any format where shatterskull giant is awful
Except this trades with Kozilek, Butcher of Truth.
I begin to wonder if people just skip past that whole deathtouch portion of the text. It trades up very well, and while you want it on offense, it makes for a solid blocker until something opens up.
Meh. At least Trinket Mage and Salvage Station work with it, I guess.
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.
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
Two Score, Minus Two or: A Stargate Tail
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Beating Face with Bane
Beatrice, the Golden Witch
Currently Playing:
Multiplayer EDH Lists (click italics for a link to the thread!)
[Primer] Lord of Tresserhorn - Don't Tell Me What I Can't Do[Primer] Roon of the Hidden Realm - Rhino Blink
5 Color Tribal Guide (Slivers, Atogs, Allies, Spirits)
Also Playing (most decklists can be found on my profile)
MarathGeistKamahlGrenzoBolasThassaGitrog
PiratesZurVial Smasher&ThrasiosYennettJhoira(cEDH)Strix(Pauper)
Legacy: Maverick
Modern:
Melira PodRIP 1/19/15GWHatebearsCool card, but not ideal in most 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.
So, like, two full turns? Too clunky, too hard to extract value.
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Actually, the best way I can think of to use this would probably be with Earthcraft or Springleaf Drum or something like that, and then some q cards. Janky, but doable.
On phasing: