I guess it says something about the erratic quality of FNM promos that a card like this should be picked even though it warrants little comment. Was it even played in Standard?
I guess it says something about the erratic quality of FNM promos that a card like this should be picked even though it warrants little comment. Was it even played in Standard?
Yes, very popular card actually in decks. In qualifiers, it sat typically within the top 8.
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 had mixed feelings about this when it came out. On the one hand, it's nice that they realize you need vigilance to make defensive abilities relevant. On the other, it still falls into the "color-shift, swap out flying with reach" trope that too many spiders have.
I'd rate it 4/10 with a "shows improvement". The real problem for it in Commander is, we live in the world of Baneslayer Angel and Herald of the Host.
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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 like this card on principle, because vigilance and reach compliment each other so well. It's not good enough for edh, but was fine in draft, which is true for Serra Angel as well. It's a combination I'd like to see more often.
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The Meaning of Life: "M-hmm. Well, it's nothing very special. Uh, try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations"
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Whether its blue players countering your spells, red players burning you out, or combo, if you have a problem with an aspect of Magic's gameplay, you can fix it!
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
I might run this in an Ishkanah deck. Extremely doubtful anything else. I was unaware Skysnare Spider even existed until now. Definitely not good enough to compete at the CMC = 6 slot in anything except maybe Ishkanah, and even there seriously doubtful, but still interesting.
I keep wanting to sell the Ishkanah I pulled, its price has to fall down any minute. Every time a GB spider comes up, somebody's all "meh, maybe in Ishkanah." If all the spiders are blah, what's the point getting excited for spider tribal? Until spiders get their own Olivia / Gary / Tiago, maybe we can put the arachnid tribe on the back burner.
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How you guys gonna build an Ishkanah deck around spider tribal? All you get out of playing your crappy french vanilla creature is one extra lifeloss per activation, that's pathetic! Spiders need something like Greatbow Doyen to really justify making a tribal deck.
I like the Manifest mechanic. It allows for a lot of strategic tricks and sneaky plays, even if the cost might well be too high. Which is the case with this card. 4R for a vanilla 4/4 is a poor deal. Unless you have topdeck manipulation, you don't get to guarantee a nice little cheat - and even if you do, you're essentially paying a 4R kicker cost for two +1/+1 counters and you don't get an ETB effect either.
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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.
Wildcall's better in almost every way. Different color, slightly more weighted (and it's a sorcery, so that's only beneficial if you're using Phosphorescent Feast), but you're paying four mana for two +1/+1 counters (and can scale by paying more or less mana). At worst, Wildcall is a bad Endless One. And if you're in green, Sylvan Library is great with forests manifest.
At the same time, Wildcall isn't available to Jeskai, so if your Narset deck isn't trying to take every turn, you can't use it.
2/10 There were some cool manifest cards. This one's stuck in the dangerous situation of being in a color not known for library manipulation or blink effects.
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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!
This is interesting in Marchesa, the Black Rose. Manifest is strong in the deck... I play Sultai Emissary and the sac outlet that makes manifests. They are powerful. You get to cheat extra permanents into play as long as you have a way of putting +1/+1 counters (attacking with dethrone usually does it) and a sac outlet. Cheating out an early Mikaeus, the Unhallowed is sweet.
Fierce Invocation is considerable in a version of Marchesa that is trying to cheat things like Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker into play a few turns early.
Cloudform and Lightform are strong performers in Brago. Can generate bodies every turn that can evolve into fatties or mana sources with a blink. Fierce Invocation seems a lot more difficult to justify.
I was never really a fan of manifest as a mechanic.
My biggest problem (besides the weirdness of instants and sorceries on the battlefield but it's okay gaiz bc thar critters) was Maro's love of puns. Seriously
Cloudform was my favorite of the "form" auras, by the way.
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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!
Another one of those cards often found in "Timmy's First EDH deck" and often a big threat at tables like that, given that it does give you usually at least 12 power for 6 mana in mono-green. And it does keep growing. Gets exponentionally worse the more colours you add, but in Mono-Green, as far as "Dumb Fat" goes, you could do a lot worse.
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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.
Two bodies to sac to Greater Good is nice, but it's very pricey to get out. Not bad in a deck with a lot of ramp and not a lot of threats, but I think Dungrove Elder's lower cost and hexproof is a lot better.
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Yes, very popular card actually in decks. In qualifiers, it sat typically within the top 8.
Yes, those are eyes on its legs.
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.
Just play Silklash Spider. Stingerfling Spider even.
8.RG Green Devotion Ramp/Combo 9.UR Draw Triggers 10.WUR Group stalling 11.WUR Voltron Spellslinger 12.WB Sacrificial Shenanigans
13.BR Creatureless Panharmonicon 14.BR Pingers and Eldrazi 15.URG Untapped Cascading
16.Reyhan, last of the Abzan's WUBG +1/+1 Counter Craziness 17.WUBRG Dragons aka Why did I make this?
Building: The Gitrog Monster lands, Glissa the Traitor stax, Muldrotha, the Gravetide Planeswalker Combo, Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix + Sidar Kondo of Jamuraa Clues, and Tribal Scarecrow Planeswalkers
I'd rate it 4/10 with a "shows improvement". The real problem for it in Commander is, we live in the world of Baneslayer Angel and Herald of the Host.
On phasing:
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!
Outside of spider tribal, I don't see much potential.
I love this card in limited though.
BGGRock
Modern
BRGJund
BBGRock
I like the Manifest mechanic. It allows for a lot of strategic tricks and sneaky plays, even if the cost might well be too high. Which is the case with this card. 4R for a vanilla 4/4 is a poor deal. Unless you have topdeck manipulation, you don't get to guarantee a nice little cheat - and even if you do, you're essentially paying a 4R kicker cost for two +1/+1 counters and you don't get an ETB effect either.
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.
Wildcall's better in almost every way. Different color, slightly more weighted (and it's a sorcery, so that's only beneficial if you're using Phosphorescent Feast), but you're paying four mana for two +1/+1 counters (and can scale by paying more or less mana). At worst, Wildcall is a bad Endless One. And if you're in green, Sylvan Library is great with
forestsmanifest.At the same time, Wildcall isn't available to Jeskai, so if your Narset deck isn't trying to take every turn, you can't use it.
2/10 There were some cool manifest cards. This one's stuck in the dangerous situation of being in a color not known for library manipulation or blink effects.
On phasing:
Fierce Invocation is considerable in a version of Marchesa that is trying to cheat things like Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker into play a few turns early.
What about cheating Omniscience into play? Vampiric Tutor gets it on top of your library.
8.RG Green Devotion Ramp/Combo 9.UR Draw Triggers 10.WUR Group stalling 11.WUR Voltron Spellslinger 12.WB Sacrificial Shenanigans
13.BR Creatureless Panharmonicon 14.BR Pingers and Eldrazi 15.URG Untapped Cascading
16.Reyhan, last of the Abzan's WUBG +1/+1 Counter Craziness 17.WUBRG Dragons aka Why did I make this?
Building: The Gitrog Monster lands, Glissa the Traitor stax, Muldrotha, the Gravetide Planeswalker Combo, Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix + Sidar Kondo of Jamuraa Clues, and Tribal Scarecrow Planeswalkers
5 mana for a 4/4 that you might be able to flip for value(?)
I think I'll pass on this one.
BGGRock
Modern
BRGJund
BBGRock
My biggest problem (besides the weirdness of instants and sorceries on the battlefield but it's okay gaiz bc thar critters) was Maro's love of puns. Seriously
Cloudform was my favorite of the "form" auras, by the way.
On phasing:
Another one of those cards often found in "Timmy's First EDH deck" and often a big threat at tables like that, given that it does give you usually at least 12 power for 6 mana in mono-green. And it does keep growing. Gets exponentionally worse the more colours you add, but in Mono-Green, as far as "Dumb Fat" goes, you could do a lot worse.
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.