In general, you would prefer a 3-to-cast/2-to-equip piece of equipment over the reverse, because you're likely to pay the equip cost more than once. But there is one case where 2-to-cast/3-to-equip might be preferable and that's when you're looking to curve out by equipping a one drop. I don't think that No-Dachi is going to be that great even in Isamaru, Hound of Konda/Zurgo Bellstriker/Hope of Ghirapur, but those are the decks where I am most likely to try it.
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.
Phantom Centaur has one +1/+1 counter fewer, costs 2 less, and has pro-black, so, outside of Ghave, that's one. (Pro-black also protects him from Vampire Hexmage and Pestilence.) Phantom Flock is only a 0/0 with three +1/+1 counters, but it has flying, and it's monowhite, so it can be used with Alesha. Phantom Nantuko has instant synergy with Seedborn Muse. Phantom Nishoba ETB with seven +1/+1 counters and has "lifelink before it was lifelink".
The main thing Phantom Wurm has is that it curves perfectly with Doubling Season. Nishoba has that advantage too, though.
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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 ran Phantom Centaur in my Vorel deck, and even there it was a pet card rather than a powerful inclusion. I didn't even consider running the Wurm. If he had trample, maybe.
Well, at least the art is cool, so is the flavor text (kinda)
Maybe some fringe use is a counters deck? Like Ghave, Guru of Spores or Daghatar the Adamant
But why not just play the green gearhulk if that's what you're doing...
A pretty good card as far as hand disruption goes. 3 mana everyone discards one and you get a body to go with it - one that can be clamped and flies - is not bad. Of course, the discard not being random and reanimator being quite a thing in EDH does hold it back.
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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.
Feels like it should earn itself a slot in most Alesha builds and any B/x deck that wants to wheel and do the whole Waste Not/Liliana's Caress/Geth's Grimoire train. Yes, filling an opponents graveyard can backfire in this format but the cost is pretty low.
Someday we will get a Tribal Specter Commander, and the Reckoning will Begin. For now, Lili's specter is a solid little 5/10 card imo.
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Sufferer of EDHD
Commander - Currently Playing: RCRDaretti: Superfriends Forever RCR WGBDoran: Ent-mootWBG GGGMultani: Group Bear HugGGG GB(B/G)The Gitrog Monster: Dredgefall DurdleGB(B/G) RGWGahiji, the Honored Group Hug MonsterRGW UB(U/B)Yuriko, Ninja Trinket AggroUB(U/B) WUBRGAtogatog: Assembling a OHKOWUBRG
[quote from="Hawk7915 »" url="http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/commander-edh/657975-random-card-of-the-day-lilianas-specter?comment=4860"]I feel like Liliana's Specter deserves way more respect than it gets. A 2/1 flier ain't nothing, making all opponents discard on EtB is nice, and it is clampable and easily recurred via Alesha, Who Smiles at Death, Reveillark, Karador, Ghost Chieftain, Havengul Lich, and other effects.[/card]
Sun Titan came to mind for me. The fact that it does all this and is clampable is really good. The real issue is competition.
6/10 Also, Cackling Fiend officially has nothing to laugh about.
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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 just reminded me to check if this card was in my Athreos WB discard, based mostly around things that are relatively cheap, don't mind dying... and make people discard. So, in it goes because like a daft I'd forgotten this one
Also I think I need that Game Day art, it's rather pretty.
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X Hope of Ghirapur Swordpile W Ghosty Blinky Anafenza U Nezahal- Big, Blue and HERE! B Gonti Can Afford It R Etali, Primal 'Whatjusthappened?' G Polukranos Wants More Mana WU The Exalted Vizier Temmet WB Home, Athreos WR Basandra, Recursive Aggression WG Karametra, Momma of Lands UB Wrexial Eats Your Brains UR Arjun, the Mad Flame UG The Fable of Prime Speaker BR Hellbent, Malfegor Style BG Jarad, Death is Served RG Running Thromok WUB Varina and ALL the Zombies WUBYennett, the Odd Pain-Train WUR Zedruu the Furyhearted WUG Arcades' Strategy, Shmategy, Sausage and Spam WBR A Case of Mathas' Persistent F*ckery WBRLicia's League of Legendary Lifegain Layabouts WBG The Karador Advantage PackageWRG Gahiji Rattlesnake Collection UBR Jeleva... does... things UBG Damia's Just Deserts URG Yasova's Has More Power Than Sense BRG Wasitora, Bad Kitty WUBRBreya, Eggs, Breya'd Eggs WUBG Tymna and Kydele, Extended Borrowing WURG Kynaios and Tiro, Landfall Impersonations WBRG Saskia Pet Card EnchantressUBRG Yidris of the Chi-Ting Corporation WUBRG Tazri's Amazing Allies
It looks pretty good. Easily clamped, passes various cmc and power/toughness matter tests, evasive body to carry a sword or something and has a good etb effect. Outside of double black in mana cost I see nothing wrong with it.
If you go heavy discard, you are either playing stax or some way to counter graveyard strategies (like running reanimates of your own to steal stuff from their yards or Leyline and relic to just remove threats). Throw the specter into a random deck and it can burn you by helping a graveyard strategy, but in a deck that is dedicated to discard it won't be a problem and in a deck that seeks to abuse etb creatures you'll have answers.
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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 have put this in a number of decks.. Inevitably, I try to find room for new cards and this falls out. It's a good card but not very impactful. Good for grindy decks, but then those decks have better options.
Lifegain that does nothing but gain life is rarely good in this game. This is no exception.
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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.
"pure lifegain" spells in Commander tend to need to gain a truly stupid amount of life to be worthwhile. Congregate, for example, gains a ludicrous amount of life for one less mana and I still wouldn't necessarily auto-include it even in a life-loving commander like Karlov of the Ghost Council or Oloro, Ageless Ascetic. The issue lifegain faces in normal 60 card magic is compounded further here - you are usually 1 vs Many so the need to make strong tempo plays that develop the board is even greater, most casual groups default to a "bombard the player with the most life" strategy in absence of a better target, you start with 40 points of life so you rarely need to buy more time in the early/mid-game, and in most playgroups regardless of skill/competitiveness level, it is quite common for players to win with Infect, Commander Damage, massive 50+ damage haymakers from an overrunning swarm, or an infinite combo, so life is less likely to actually save you from dying.
That this only really works in Mono-white is the final nail in the coffin. Sadly 0/10. Would at least maybe be 1/10 if there was a monowhite Ageless Entity Commander.
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Sufferer of EDHD
Commander - Currently Playing: RCRDaretti: Superfriends Forever RCR WGBDoran: Ent-mootWBG GGGMultani: Group Bear HugGGG GB(B/G)The Gitrog Monster: Dredgefall DurdleGB(B/G) RGWGahiji, the Honored Group Hug MonsterRGW UB(U/B)Yuriko, Ninja Trinket AggroUB(U/B) WUBRGAtogatog: Assembling a OHKOWUBRG
I remember liking this as I slowly learned the game through Lorwyn-Zendikar. It does gain you a huge chunk of life. But the life gain isn't enough for 5 mana.
Would be good if you want to dabble in Voltron with Glissa, the Traitor.
There are probably other equipments you want before though.
There's better Phantoms around.
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.
Phantom Centaur has one +1/+1 counter fewer, costs 2 less, and has pro-black, so, outside of Ghave, that's one. (Pro-black also protects him from Vampire Hexmage and Pestilence.)
Phantom Flock is only a 0/0 with three +1/+1 counters, but it has flying, and it's monowhite, so it can be used with Alesha.
Phantom Nantuko has instant synergy with Seedborn Muse.
Phantom Nishoba ETB with seven +1/+1 counters and has "lifelink before it was lifelink".
The main thing Phantom Wurm has is that it curves perfectly with Doubling Season. Nishoba has that advantage too, though.
On phasing:
Two Score, Minus Two or: A Stargate Tail
(Image by totallynotabrony)
Glissa already has first strike. I'd rather just pay the extra 1 and play Loxodon Warhammer.
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
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Maybe some fringe use is a counters deck? Like Ghave, Guru of Spores or Daghatar the Adamant
But why not just play the green gearhulk if that's what you're doing...
BGGRock
Modern
BRGJund
BBGRock
A pretty good card as far as hand disruption goes. 3 mana everyone discards one and you get a body to go with it - one that can be clamped and flies - is not bad. Of course, the discard not being random and reanimator being quite a thing in EDH does hold it back.
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.
The last one. This one is an okay value card in plenty of black decks. Pairs nicely with Mimic Vat.
Feels like it should earn itself a slot in most Alesha builds and any B/x deck that wants to wheel and do the whole Waste Not/Liliana's Caress/Geth's Grimoire train. Yes, filling an opponents graveyard can backfire in this format but the cost is pretty low.
Someday we will get a Tribal Specter Commander, and the Reckoning will Begin. For now, Lili's specter is a solid little 5/10 card imo.
RCRDaretti: Superfriends Forever RCR
WGBDoran: Ent-mootWBG
GGGMultani: Group Bear HugGGG
GB(B/G)The Gitrog Monster: Dredgefall DurdleGB(B/G)
RGWGahiji, the Honored Group Hug MonsterRGW
UB(U/B)Yuriko, Ninja Trinket AggroUB(U/B)
WUBRGAtogatog: Assembling a OHKOWUBRG
Two Score, Minus Two or: A Stargate Tail
(Image by totallynotabrony)
Sun Titan came to mind for me. The fact that it does all this and is clampable is really good. The real issue is competition.
6/10 Also, Cackling Fiend officially has nothing to laugh about.
On phasing:
Also I think I need that Game Day art, it's rather pretty.
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!
In Karador, Ghost Chieftain, I switched it for Mindslicer, for example.
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
Lifegain that does nothing but gain life is rarely good in this game. This is no exception.
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.
That this only really works in Mono-white is the final nail in the coffin. Sadly 0/10. Would at least maybe be 1/10 if there was a monowhite Ageless Entity Commander.
RCRDaretti: Superfriends Forever RCR
WGBDoran: Ent-mootWBG
GGGMultani: Group Bear HugGGG
GB(B/G)The Gitrog Monster: Dredgefall DurdleGB(B/G)
RGWGahiji, the Honored Group Hug MonsterRGW
UB(U/B)Yuriko, Ninja Trinket AggroUB(U/B)
WUBRGAtogatog: Assembling a OHKOWUBRG