@Onering: Let me introduce you to a little card called Meekstone some time.
What's this in reference to?
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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!
That hexproof is almost useless in multiplayer, whereas the inability to cast noncreatures is brutal, at a 6/6 for 4 isn't really playable to begin with. Whereas in limited it's super hard to beat on t4.
But that one time you Chain of Smog someone and they throw it back at you and you put Ferox and Dodecapod into play, you feel the world's biggest high
I always have trouble evaluating these, because I think I undervalue tutoring for the partner card. These are all generally overcosted or not impactful enough for the format. I tend to see these and think that I wouldn't run either on it's own, and casting one overcosted creature and getting another just makes me think that I'm spending too much Mana twice, but the fact that these things have synergies with each other and are self contained sources of CA is significant. I'd be interested in hearing from people who actually have experience running these, beyond even this pair.
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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!
Sometimes I look at cards without remembering that you can play four of them each in most formats. This card and its counterpart Soulblade Renewer could be okay at the top of some 60 card deck's curve, provided that you can chain into 8 of them for value. By themselves in Commander they are extremely lacking, aren't they?
On another note, WOTC needs to print more limited-filler creatures that have triggered abilities when they block. It's always about when they attack.
Ignoring the partner effect, Mer-ek Nightblade is going to do a better job as it works on both attack and defense for 1 less mana, as well as being able to add extra counters to itself. So tutoring for Soulblade Renewer has to be worthwhile for this to be a good card. Unfortunately, it's not. 5 mana for two counters and an insignificant body is a poor deal in EDH, even if it doesn't cost a card. If the Renewer had a repeatable effect (e.g. support at the beginning of combat), it'd could be worth considering, but as is, nah.
I think the most card with the biggest delta between how good it is in commander vs how good it is in limited is (on the side of good in limited, bad in commander) is probably nullhide ferox. That hexproof is almost useless in multiplayer, whereas the inability to cast noncreatures is brutal, at a 6/6 for 4 isn't really playable to begin with. Whereas in limited it's super hard to beat on t4.
Anyway, the effect is niche and most of what you're paying for is the 2/4 flyer, which isn't very relevant in commander. Aura graft is a lot better for the same effect.
Well, GILBIC means bad in Constructed, but yeah. There's also the fact that the hexproof goes away for 2, and any player may activate this ability. The number of good rhystic cards can probably be counted on both hands. Most of them are counterspells. But this does make it slightly less OP in limited. (After all, this makes Dead Weight cost 2B and Collar the Culprit cost 5W.)
@Onering: Let me introduce you to a little card called Meekstone some time.
What's this in reference to?
Village Bell-Ringer does have some niche use. Especially if you play a lot of Stax, or someone you know does.
Anyway, I think I'll evaluate both halves of this pair. Soulblade Corrupter is basically a bad Mer-Ek Nightblade who can search for Soulblade Renewer anyway. There isn't really much to say beyond that, especially since bolster isn't that good at what this card needs when you can just use Cathars' Crusade or Titania's Boon or Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest to give everything the requisite +1/+1 counter to trigger. And bolster as an ETB trigger in a format known for blink effects is just a disaster.
To make matters worse, deathtouch plays very differently on offense or defense, and is usually better on defense. It also is better with low-power, high-toughness creatures (since high-power creatures make it irrelevant, looking at you Grave Titan, and low-toughness creatures make it, not irrelevant, but a one and done kind of deal).
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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!
There is something really audacious about a combo piece that also just spills out what you've drawn and you're drawing in front of the whole table. I kinda like that in a weird way.
I kind of miss abstract artwork in Magic a lot. This card will really punish you if you play it in (or against) the wrong deck.
Yes, but...I don't think they'll be hiring Harold McNeill again. The only reason they didn't commission new art for this one was because it would feel weird being the only timeshifted card in Time Spiral with new art.
Anyway, I like this card. It was a classic combo with Goblin Bombardment and Ornithopter. You can use Phyrexian Walker or Memnite instead if you want; I call this "the text box isn't very interesting, the card looks nonthreatening, but that's just a trick" type Johnny card, especially if they're so cheap, "cogs". Spellbombs and such can also be cogs, as can Robb Stark or Renowned Weaver or Golgari Grave-Troll, cards like that. (Kinda funny that all the non-artifact cogs I could think of were green. Well, there's Gitaxian Probe as an exception to that rule. And Shrieking Drake.)
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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 love Coldsteel Heart. I have played it in most of my mono black and mono red decks (never built mono blue). I also use it in Bladewing the Risen because that deck is super mana hungry and plays a ton of rocks. I never see it much in the wild, which I am a little surprised by.
One of the better 2 Mana rocks. Better than the diamonds except in mono color, where it's equal. Fellwar is better, but this can be better in certain metas (say, your playgroup rarely runs a color you need). Thought vessal is usually worse, it is like Reliquary Tower in that you'll rarely need the ability unless you build your deck to need it. If you're going to drawing a ton of cards and need to not discard to 7, play this. Otherwise, I'll take the color fixing over coming in untapped. Mindstone, otoh, is usually better, because being able to trade it in for a card is solid, an at only 1 Mana! Still, if you are running 3+ colors with heavy color requirements then cold steel is probably better, because color fixing goes way up in value. It's also good in mono color devotion style decks, where colorless ramp doesn't help as much and you have a limited selection of rocks. Also, snow,for whenever that matters (maybe more soon, if the rumors of a Norse set are true)
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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!
Strictly better than a diamond. Can be made better with "snow matters" cards, whatever those are. (Especially since the snow hosers focus on lands and are generally crap.)
Definitely worth putting in any mono deck. Or even a two-color deck. The real question becomes "How many signets can I run?"
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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!
Strictly better than a diamond. Can be made better with "snow matters" cards, whatever those are. (Especially since the snow hosers focus on lands and are generally crap.)
Definitely worth putting in any mono deck. Or even a two-color deck. The real question becomes "How many signets can I run?"
It's a good mana rock especially for mono colour decks, gets even better if you coughed up for a snow manabase. 9/10 in snow-mono-colour, 8/10 outside of 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.
What's this in reference to?
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!
But that one time you Chain of Smog someone and they throw it back at you and you put Ferox and Dodecapod into play, you feel the world's biggest high
This is one of my signature cards in Traxos! They never ever see it coming.
Steel Sabotage'ng Orbs of Mellowness since 2011.
All these creatures come with an extra card, and this one has an interesting buff for your side.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
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!
On another note, WOTC needs to print more limited-filler creatures that have triggered abilities when they block. It's always about when they attack.
Well, GILBIC means bad in Constructed, but yeah. There's also the fact that the hexproof goes away for 2, and any player may activate this ability. The number of good rhystic cards can probably be counted on both hands. Most of them are counterspells. But this does make it slightly less OP in limited. (After all, this makes Dead Weight cost 2B and Collar the Culprit cost 5W.)
Village Bell-Ringer does have some niche use. Especially if you play a lot of Stax, or someone you know does.
Anyway, I think I'll evaluate both halves of this pair. Soulblade Corrupter is basically a bad Mer-Ek Nightblade who can search for Soulblade Renewer anyway. There isn't really much to say beyond that, especially since bolster isn't that good at what this card needs when you can just use Cathars' Crusade or Titania's Boon or Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest to give everything the requisite +1/+1 counter to trigger. And bolster as an ETB trigger in a format known for blink effects is just a disaster.
To make matters worse, deathtouch plays very differently on offense or defense, and is usually better on defense. It also is better with low-power, high-toughness creatures (since high-power creatures make it irrelevant, looking at you Grave Titan, and low-toughness creatures make it, not irrelevant, but a one and done kind of deal).
On phasing:
There's a classic combo piece.
I had a Saskia swarm deck idea using all the non-blue partner cards to make combat more complicated, it was fun.
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
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
Yes, but...I don't think they'll be hiring Harold McNeill again. The only reason they didn't commission new art for this one was because it would feel weird being the only timeshifted card in Time Spiral with new art.
Anyway, I like this card. It was a classic combo with Goblin Bombardment and Ornithopter. You can use Phyrexian Walker or Memnite instead if you want; I call this "the text box isn't very interesting, the card looks nonthreatening, but that's just a trick" type Johnny card, especially if they're so cheap, "cogs". Spellbombs and such can also be cogs, as can Robb Stark or Renowned Weaver or Golgari Grave-Troll, cards like that. (Kinda funny that all the non-artifact cogs I could think of were green. Well, there's Gitaxian Probe as an exception to that rule. And Shrieking Drake.)
On phasing:
Choose your own diamond.
Not hiring crypto-Nazis is good policy.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝
amazingly epic sig courtesy of DarkNightCavalier at Heroes of the Planes.
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'
Definitely worth putting in any mono deck. Or even a two-color deck. The real question becomes "How many signets can I run?"
On phasing:
The only snow-matters card that should be ran that benefits from this is Scrying Sheets, though arguably you could also note Heidar, Rimewind Master as a commander and Mouth of Ronom but yea.
It's a good mana rock especially for mono colour decks, gets even better if you coughed up for a snow manabase. 9/10 in snow-mono-colour, 8/10 outside of it.
This remains one of the more powerful equipment, just in its gross violation of color identity.