That's what I love about the card of the day, I never even realized this was a card.
While he's not as immediately playable as his cousin Spike Weaver , I could definitely see Spike Tiller being a decent card in a few decks, and he would probably be an all star in a +1/+1 Counter Combo Tribal deck.
Spike weaver and Spike cannibal are the only spikes that are still decent enough today. Spike Feeder has mostly been outclassed by Kitchen Finks and some other cards that just outdo that sort of niche. Spike Tiller isn't even that strong in draft or sealed, so it's a shame that he couldn't be the powerful lynchpin that the tribe needed. They have pretty cool art though, weird combinations of slugs, spiders, and Kraid.
Spike weaver and Spike cannibal are the only spikes that are still decent enough today. Spike Feeder has mostly been outclassed by Kitchen Finks and some other cards that just outdo that sort of niche. Spike Tiller isn't even that strong in draft or sealed, so it's a shame that he couldn't be the powerful lynchpin that the tribe needed. They have pretty cool art though, weird combinations of slugs, spiders, and Kraid.
This one's actually from Time Spiral. It's possibly playable, but Time Spiral's thallids get more love.
Spike Feeder works better than Kitchen Finks in the Archangel of Thune combo; you don't need a free sac outlet to go infinite. Spike Rogue can take pesky +1/+1 counters off undying creatures, which can be useful. (Ghave, Guru of Spores can do it as well, but if you have Cathars' Crusade already out, it's a bit of a nonbo.) But yeah,it's hard to justify spikes, since Ghave does their bit better. That leaves Spike Breeder (which Ghave also does better), Spike Hatcher (really just a beater with regen), Spike Soldier (another beater), and the spikes we've previously mentioned.
So, 5 spikes out of 11 (or really 4 out of 10, since I doubt spike decks are going to include Spike Cannibal) have some use. And yeah, it's funny that these cards appeal to Johnny and...Spike.
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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 see this in a deck that doesn't mind saccing the lands.
Really expensive though. In Gitrog it at least draws you a card in addition to it's two effects, and if you have Titania out you get a 5/3 for your trouble. I actually have this card in a crap cube, and I've seen the entwine happen once to decent effect, but in EDH I feel like this is just way too slow and costly.
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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!
The Gitrog Monster says "one or more lands", so only one card as it is "one or more lands" in one action. Titania, Protector of Argoth conversely says "whenever a land" so you'd get three 5/3 elementals.
Instant speed recursion is a premium thing, but in my experience decks that run Gitrog usually have to be EXTREMELY stingy with non-land, non-creature spells so I wouldn't run this. You get good value only if you have multiple triggering effects out and juicy targets. I'd be on board for one less mana.
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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 briefly considered this for Lord Windgrace, but there were way too many better options for it to earn a place in the deck. If it was 1 cmc less, the flexibility it offers might convince me to give it a try in place of Beacon of Unrest, especially given the potential Titania interaction, but as is there are probably a couple of dozen other cards I'd try out before giving this one a shot.
Honestly, the effect of the spell does feel very 3BB. I mean, it’s a really expensive kill spell, except you aren’t casting this unless you can return a creature. Way too many variables. Cool design though. Probably the only place I’d play this is Kresh, the bloodbraided, simply because I can recur a creature that can sac itself to get counter from both modes, at instant speed.
This card has been spectacular in Kess, Dissident Mage. Mid-game cast it for whichever side is best, and late game get both effects and ditch some excess lands.
In a vacuum, the three-land sacrifice is probably too huge a drawback I'd rather play Yawgmoth's Vile Offering. I'm aware there's a sizable number of differences (1 mana less, sorcery speed, any graveyard, Legendary requirement, planeswalker option...) that they aren't that close, but at the same time drawback is large enough that regular "major" differences like casting speed matter slightly less (unless you want it solely as a combat-removal trick, but at that point we'll be comparing different cards already).
That being said, like plenty of pointed out here, it's easy for the right deck to turn a drawback to an advantage and in those decks... this is passable. I wouldn't say all-star (I have 5C lands deck but simply lack the luxury of space for cards like these) since even removing the largest drawback doesn't change the details of all the smaller differences and those might add up depending on the context. If someone somehow had a lands+planeswalker deck, it'll still be a more solid argument for Vile Offering over this assuming they had to fight for that 1 slot.
Vile offering is better, even if nit strictly better. This card really calls for a specific deck where you are not only planning on getting both modes every time you cast it, but on getting value from saccing the lands. The problem is I don't think the decks that would want it, like Gitrog, have room for it. A Fresh deck that animates all lands though, that would be funny.
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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!
Vile offering is better, even if nit strictly better. This card really calls for a specific deck where you are not only planning on getting both modes every time you cast it, but on getting value from saccing the lands. The problem is I don't think the decks that would want it, like Gitrog, have room for it. A Fresh deck that animates all lands though, that would be funny.
Exactly. My Gitrog deck is a bit more "undergrowth-y" than the average list I think, but what would I cut for this? My nonland noncreature slot needs to either be hyper-efficient removal spells (as I'm frequently not super ahead on mana with sacrifice triggers going off) or cards I simply can't imagine living without like Life from the Loam, Exploration, and Crucible of Worlds. If I actually have six mana kicking around, I want to spend it on a bonafide game-ender like Rampaging Baloths, not a cute trick that is going to set me even further behind. I don't own Titania, but even if I did and could get that sick 15/9 power out, I don't think I'd be running this over Putrefy, Tragic Slip, Shriekmaw, etc.
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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
Vile offering is better, even if nit strictly better. This card really calls for a specific deck where you are not only planning on getting both modes every time you cast it, but on getting value from saccing the lands. The problem is I don't think the decks that would want it, like Gitrog, have room for it. A Fresh deck that animates all lands though, that would be funny.
Exactly. My Gitrog deck is a bit more "undergrowth-y" than the average list I think, but what would I cut for this? My nonland noncreature slot needs to either be hyper-efficient removal spells (as I'm frequently not super ahead on mana with sacrifice triggers going off) or cards I simply can't imagine living without like Life from the Loam, Exploration, and Crucible of Worlds. If I actually have six mana kicking around, I want to spend it on a bonafide game-ender like Rampaging Baloths, not a cute trick that is going to set me even further behind. I don't own Titania, but even if I did and could get that sick 15/9 power out, I don't think I'd be running this over Putrefy, Tragic Slip, Shriekmaw, etc.
Could we just stop totaling toughness the way we do power? With power, there's a case to be made for doing so: Each time I alpha strike, my opponents' life total is reduced by the total power of unblocked creatures (adding again the unblocked creatures with double strike, and instead giving poison counters for each creature with infect). With toughness? A 15/9 doesn't die to Mizzium Mortars or Wildfire; three 5/3s do. (Or the example I always use, Precursor Golem. Three 3/3s...which die to a metalcrafted Galvanic Blast.) The only time I can think of where I'd total toughness involves Doran, the Siege Tower. And Titania is not for him.
And I say this as someone who regularly uses Titania as Armageddon insurance and to get more mileage out of fetchlands, Strip Mine, and the like.
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!
Could we just stop totaling toughness the way we do power? With power, there's a case to be made for doing so: Each time I alpha strike, my opponents' life total is reduced by the total power of unblocked creatures (adding again the unblocked creatures with double strike, and instead giving poison counters for each creature with infect). With toughness? A 15/9 doesn't die to Mizzium Mortars or Wildfire; three 5/3s do. (Or the example I always use, Precursor Golem. Three 3/3s...which die to a metalcrafted Galvanic Blast.) The only time I can think of where I'd total toughness involves Doran, the Siege Tower. And Titania is not for him.
Woah, friend. You're forgetting about banding. You clearly didn't realize your Doran deck was playing Nature's Blessing.
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Zedruu: "This deck is not only able to go crazy - it also needs to do so."
This is the sort of card I really hate, but there's a place for it in the format to deal with certain decks.
Setting one guy down to 10 is very, very griefy. With this, and Sorin, you are really just putting one person into the red zone without doing anything to anyone else. This is better than Sorin because you can blink it, reanimate it, etc, making it better as a win con that deals with the table rather than just a way to flip one person off. Putting someone at 10 life from one spell doesn't necessarily kill them of course, but it does make them very easy to kill, whether with chip damage from creatures, with cards like Blood Artist or Purphoros, or from their own Mana Crypt.
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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!
If Sorin and this set someone at half their starting life, I wouldn't mind as a good failsafe against insane lifegain decks. Now I hate it.
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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 have a Sphinx Tribal Sharuum deck, and run this card. I absolutely hate it, but it's a necessary evil against infinite/rampant life gain decks.
Though, the best had to have been when my buddy and I were 1v1 play-testing his Lord Windgrace deck and my Yennett, Cryptic Sovereign decks; he Chaos Warped me on turn 5 into a Magister Sphinx.
I do see Magister played, but very rarely. Master on the other hand, I never see played, even in the Kaalia decks that haven't been hated out in my LGS.
I used to play this in an earlier iteration of my Merieke deck, and I still fondly remember the one time I managed to T2 'cast' it with Reanimate. It is a gross card though...it's in all the right colors for the tools it needs to be obscene, and all you really need is some minor follow up to take advantage of its ETB. A preferable late-game card, but few can resist playing it as early as possible, I'm sure.
No says solemnity
While he's not as immediately playable as his cousin Spike Weaver , I could definitely see Spike Tiller being a decent card in a few decks, and he would probably be an all star in a +1/+1 Counter Combo Tribal deck.
Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR Voltron Control
Temmet, Vizier of Naktamun WU Unblockable Mirror Trickery
Ra's al Ghul (Sidar Kondo) and Face-Down Ninjas
Brudiclad, Token Engineer
Vaevictis (VV2) the Dire Lantern
Rona, Disciple of Gix
Tiana the Auror
Hallar
Ulrich the Politician
Zur the Rebel
Scorpion, Locust, Scarab, Egyptian Gods
O-Kagachi, Mathas, Mairsil
"Non-Tribal" Tribal Generals, Eggs
This one's actually from Time Spiral. It's possibly playable, but Time Spiral's thallids get more love.
Spike Feeder works better than Kitchen Finks in the Archangel of Thune combo; you don't need a free sac outlet to go infinite. Spike Rogue can take pesky +1/+1 counters off undying creatures, which can be useful. (Ghave, Guru of Spores can do it as well, but if you have Cathars' Crusade already out, it's a bit of a nonbo.) But yeah,it's hard to justify spikes, since Ghave does their bit better. That leaves Spike Breeder (which Ghave also does better), Spike Hatcher (really just a beater with regen), Spike Soldier (another beater), and the spikes we've previously mentioned.
So, 5 spikes out of 11 (or really 4 out of 10, since I doubt spike decks are going to include Spike Cannibal) have some use. And yeah, it's funny that these cards appeal to Johnny and...Spike.
On phasing:
I could see this in a deck that doesn't mind saccing the lands.
Really expensive though. In Gitrog it at least draws you a card in addition to it's two effects, and if you have Titania out you get a 5/3 for your trouble. I actually have this card in a crap cube, and I've seen the entwine happen once to decent effect, but in EDH I feel like this is just way too slow and costly.
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!
(U/B)(U/B)(U/B) JUMP IN THE LINE, ROCK YOUR BODY IN TIME
(R/W)(R/W)(R/W) RISING FROM THE NEON GLOOM, SHINING LIKE A CRAZY MOON
(U/R)(R/G)(G/U) STEALIN' WHEN I SHOULD HAVE BEEN BUYIN'
Instant speed recursion is a premium thing, but in my experience decks that run Gitrog usually have to be EXTREMELY stingy with non-land, non-creature spells so I wouldn't run this. You get good value only if you have multiple triggering effects out and juicy targets. I'd be on board for one less mana.
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
Honestly, the effect of the spell does feel very 3BB. I mean, it’s a really expensive kill spell, except you aren’t casting this unless you can return a creature. Way too many variables. Cool design though. Probably the only place I’d play this is Kresh, the bloodbraided, simply because I can recur a creature that can sac itself to get counter from both modes, at instant speed.
That being said, like plenty of pointed out here, it's easy for the right deck to turn a drawback to an advantage and in those decks... this is passable. I wouldn't say all-star (I have 5C lands deck but simply lack the luxury of space for cards like these) since even removing the largest drawback doesn't change the details of all the smaller differences and those might add up depending on the context. If someone somehow had a lands+planeswalker deck, it'll still be a more solid argument for Vile Offering over this assuming they had to fight for that 1 slot.
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!
Exactly. My Gitrog deck is a bit more "undergrowth-y" than the average list I think, but what would I cut for this? My nonland noncreature slot needs to either be hyper-efficient removal spells (as I'm frequently not super ahead on mana with sacrifice triggers going off) or cards I simply can't imagine living without like Life from the Loam, Exploration, and Crucible of Worlds. If I actually have six mana kicking around, I want to spend it on a bonafide game-ender like Rampaging Baloths, not a cute trick that is going to set me even further behind. I don't own Titania, but even if I did and could get that sick 15/9 power out, I don't think I'd be running this over Putrefy, Tragic Slip, Shriekmaw, etc.
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
Could we just stop totaling toughness the way we do power? With power, there's a case to be made for doing so: Each time I alpha strike, my opponents' life total is reduced by the total power of unblocked creatures (adding again the unblocked creatures with double strike, and instead giving poison counters for each creature with infect). With toughness? A 15/9 doesn't die to Mizzium Mortars or Wildfire; three 5/3s do. (Or the example I always use, Precursor Golem. Three 3/3s...which die to a metalcrafted Galvanic Blast.) The only time I can think of where I'd total toughness involves Doran, the Siege Tower. And Titania is not for him.
And I say this as someone who regularly uses Titania as Armageddon insurance and to get more mileage out of fetchlands, Strip Mine, and the like.
Anyway, I would think of this as an instant-speed reanimator spell (which in modern times, typically costs five mana) with "Kicker—Sacrifice three lands." and "If CARDNAME was kicked, destroy target creature." As an instant, it has combat tricks, such as giving you three vanilla 5/3s (with Titania's help) and another creature of your choice from any graveyard. Still tough to see if I'd want to cut anything for it. Is it better than Demon of Dark Schemes? Sorin Markov? Nirkana Revenant? Massacre Wurm? Grave Titan? Skeletal Vampire? Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni? Mikaeus, the Unhallowed? Reaper from the Abyss? Wurmcoil Engine? Carnifex Demon? Archetype of Finality? Kokusho, the Evening Star? Noxious Gearhulk? Mephidross Vampire? Necropolis Regent? Contagion Engine? Dark Hatchling? Steel Hellkite? Harvester of Souls? Marionette Master? Salvaging Station? Pontiff of Blight?
On phasing:
Woah, friend. You're forgetting about banding. You clearly didn't realize your Doran deck was playing Nature's Blessing.
I feel like Nature's Blessing is more fun (see previous comment for context).
Setting one guy down to 10 is very, very griefy. With this, and Sorin, you are really just putting one person into the red zone without doing anything to anyone else. This is better than Sorin because you can blink it, reanimate it, etc, making it better as a win con that deals with the table rather than just a way to flip one person off. Putting someone at 10 life from one spell doesn't necessarily kill them of course, but it does make them very easy to kill, whether with chip damage from creatures, with cards like Blood Artist or Purphoros, or from their own Mana Crypt.
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!
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.
Torgaar, Famine Incarnate?
It's hard putting a card in your deck when you know it's worse than another card, though, even if it feels more fair.
Dragons of Legend, Lead by Scion of the UR-Dragon
The Gitrog Monster
Gonti, Lord of Luxury
Shogun Saskia
Hive World
Atraxa hates fun
Abzan
Isn't Master of Cruelties more cause for concern?
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
Though, the best had to have been when my buddy and I were 1v1 play-testing his Lord Windgrace deck and my Yennett, Cryptic Sovereign decks; he Chaos Warped me on turn 5 into a Magister Sphinx.
I do see Magister played, but very rarely. Master on the other hand, I never see played, even in the Kaalia decks that haven't been hated out in my LGS.
I used to play this in an earlier iteration of my Merieke deck, and I still fondly remember the one time I managed to T2 'cast' it with Reanimate. It is a gross card though...it's in all the right colors for the tools it needs to be obscene, and all you really need is some minor follow up to take advantage of its ETB. A preferable late-game card, but few can resist playing it as early as possible, I'm sure.
EDH decks: 1. RGWMayael's Big BeatsRETIRED!
2. BUWMerieke Ri Berit and the 40 Thieves
3. URNiv's Wheeling and Dealing!
4. BURThe Walking Dead
5. GWSisay's Legends of Tomorrow
6. RWBRise of Markov
7. GElvez and stuffz(W)
8. RCrush your enemies(W)
9. BSign right here...(W)