All cards from Commander 2014 are up for discussion, but special mention goes to Dualcaster Mage because its cost/efficiency ratio seems right up Legacy's alley at first glance.
Dualcaster Mage 1RR
Rare
Creature - Human Wizard
Flash
When Dualcaster Mage enters the battlefield, copy target instant or sorcery spell. You may choose new targets for the copy. "It has been my experience that disasters like this strike in pairs."
2/2
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Legacy-playable? If so, which decks would love to try and break this card?
Let's see how well Dualcaster Mage fares in Jund, Imperial Painter, and Dragon Stompy:
All decks:
Copy opposing cantrips/draw/tutors: Nabbing Treasure Cruise is swell, nabbing Ponder is decent, nabbing Intuition is sweet...
Copy opposing Swords to Plowshares: Beaning one of their guys is pretty good...unless they're on UW Miracle Control and conveniently don't have creatures, or they're on Patriot Thresh and all they have is a True-Name Nemesis.
Copy opposing counterspells: Protecting your cheap drop is fairly swell...if you can afford the mana.
Dragon Stompy:
Copy your...uh...: Shucks, Dragon Stompy doesn't consistently play instants or sorceries maindeck. Post-board, their spells are fairly likely to cost 3 mana, so Dualcaster won't be very good there (hitting 6 mana is a slight pipe dream there).
Jund:
Copy your removal: Copying Bolt is achievable, if underwhelming. Copying Decay and PK Fire get more difficult. Good luck copying Maelstrom Pulse.
Copy your discard: Hands start looking a little small on Turns (3-)4+. Copies of discard may start looking useless.
Get Cascaded into by Bloodbraid Elf: Dualcaster is a fairly sucky Cascade, especially when you tap out for BBE.
Imperial Painter:
Copy your REB: That's pretty sweet but rather situational.
Get tutored for by Imperial Recruiter: Tutoring for your very own rattlesnake is nice.
Maybe the other cards excite me more... Feldon of the Third Path looks like he can reanimate some scary stuff in Imperial Painter. Reanimate your dead/countered Goblin Welder and REANIMATE ALL THE ARTIFACTS! (Just tap the Welder token to exchange itself with, say, Grindstone!) And Recruiter can tutor for him! Might there be a deck where Feldon reanimates Griselbrand? Of course, that tap cost on his activated ability hurts, as does the 3-mana costs...
Unstable Obelisk is an expensive mana rock (costs 3 mana to ramp 1 mana) that at least can blow itself up for 7, t to blow up target permanent. ...Too little upside for MUD, right?
Jazal Goldmane has an only-counts-attacking-creatures Hoof pump on him (without the Trample) for 3WW, and is a First Strike 4/4 for 2WW. ...Still too underwhelming for stuff like Maverick, right?
It's noteworthy that Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath is the first mono-black walker who can make tokens. They're pretty fat--5/5 flying Demon tokens! Ob Nixilis Walker is a 3-turn clock who costs 3BB (-2 and make a token, +2 as if it matters, -2 and make another token, do something)...too expensive for Legacy, or super-fringe play in controlling decks?
I said it in the actual Rumor Mill thread, but double red and 3 CMC makes it only playable in very high concentrated red decks like Burn. If only they made it 1R to complete the cycle. If that were the case I'd consider dusting off my Zoo deck and giving it a whirl. The ability to protect my Goyfs from Force of Wills and copy Lightning Bolts, etc. would be nice. Probably not enough to revive the deck though.
Humorously, I did propose that exact card (as 1R) in previous discussions on these forums. I was glad to see it spoiled and then saw the CMC :(.
It does however give Aggro decks some game against Storm. After all the storm triggers, you can copy a single Tendrils and survive. Same with (as others noted) copying a ton of Angels. That was why I proposed a similar card. It opens up so many plays and gives pure Aggro some life.
I don't know that any deck that is red enough to reliably pay the cost of Dualcaster Mage wants to be in a position where card shines; including this card in your deck means that you intend to frequently be in positions where you have 1RR plus the ability to cast another spell to copy, or for some reason you are a red deck that is okay with keeping three mana open in hopes of using the card to copy your opponent's spells.
Is there any deck that is red and wants to hit four mana/never wants to tap out on its own turn?
It seems like a 1-2x in Burn, mainly for Fireblast. I don't think any other deck plays enough Mountains to cast it reliably.
If your going to play 3cc for a Fork (in Burn) it would be better to play Howl of the Horde so you can Fireblast x3. I do like the 2/2 shell but I'm not sure burn would use the card, especially when fork is 2cc... If Dualcaster Mage was 2cc, then maybe... but I have my doubts because burn players are not using fork... and not too many are even thinking Howl of the Horde.
I think he is probably overcosted so I don't think he'll make a big splash. I am very excited about Titania, Protector of Argoth though. Yes she costs too much to put in anything other than Lands or NicFit (especially Scapeshift version), but in those decks she rewards you immensely for doing what you were already going to do.
There are exactly 0 competitive decks in Legacy that want to hit double-red but also want to sit around with three mana open. Card just isn't worth it.
I have heard vague rumors of a moustache-dispensing vending machine in a distant laundromat, across the street from a tattoo parlor. However, this information is shaky, and time is of the essence.
Malicious affliction is limited due to the BB cost but it has great potential. I like it a lot personally unsure where it would go though.
Snapcaster costs 3+ mana and is a very powerful card. Dualcaster is basically a snapcaster in red that doesn't use the graveyard but instead of that can copy opponents' spells as well as your own. I like it in UR delver cruise decks for sure right now as copying your opponents cruise, drawing force of will, and forcing their cruise is obscene. There are so many targets for this guy. I'd be shocked if it didn't see considerable legacy play. Someone is very likely to copy a fireblast attempting lethal on you to lethal your opponent instead I suspect.
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"Yawgmoth," Freyalise whispered as she set the bomb, "now you will pay for your treachery."
I had to read Dualcaster a few times to understand my dreams really weren't true. I think this would be good in the SB for Burn as a replacement for Vexing Shusher. But even then, it's not that great, because Counterbalance is a card.
A single copy. It has to be CAST to storm. If the copies had storm.. just one storm would trigger infinite storm.. think about it... because storm is a COPY ability...
Yeah. Duelcaster is a terrible card and is not going to see ANY legacy play. But if you want to have fun with it.. do it up.
I think there might be enough incidental value in copying your opponent's things to warrant a slot or two in decks that are already casting Fireblast (this is the only card that Dualcaster interacts with favorably enough to be viable). Copying a Cruise or an Entreat is obviously absurd, and it does some work with suspended Rift Bolts if you need it to. It has the fringe upside of blanking (and sometimes totally hosing) a Zealous Persecution that would kill your Pyromancer tokens. I see it as similar to Notion Theif, in that there's a lot of variance involved in how good it is, but the upside is high enough that it's playable as a 1x.
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Thanks to Gabgabdevo for the awesome sig image!
I'm always looking for foil Madcap Skills and Ghitu Fire-Eater, [trade thread link forthcoming]
Should we start talking about the impact of that red goblin planeswalker in Painter decks?
And MUD decks? Daretti does look like he's worth a shot--he effectively has Haste compared to Goblin Welder, doesn't die to creature removal, costs 4 mana instead of 1, can't be found by Imperial Recruiter, isn't countered by Chalice at 1, can't be made uncounterable with Cavern of Souls, and is a dig engine instead of a measly 1/1 if you have nothing worth reanimating yet. He can't reanimate artifacts on consecutive turns unless you loot beforehand or you ulted him. He also has a hard time protecting himself. Still, if Imperial Painter sometimes plays Chandra, Pyromaster...
"Loreseeker Stone" costs as much as Staff of Nin, can't ping, but costs 3 mana (if Hellbent) to 6 mana (3 cards in hand) to 10 mana (7 cards in hand) and a tap to draw 3 cards. You can draw 3 cards per turn with it, potentially starting the turn you stick it (Forgemaster yay)...but will that cost make it too prohibitive for MUD?
"Flamekin Village" ETB tapped unless you play a lot of Elemental cards, taps for red mana, and gives any creature Haste for the low cost of R, t. Will it be any good at giving Welder and Forgemaster Haste?
Free win vs storm decks?
you don't cast ToA or EtW when you copy these. You put a copy on the stack. While your opponent is putting 10 goblins in play, you put... 2. while your opponent drains you for 20, you drain him for 2 (In that case, that may be relevant )
This is true, but after all storm triggers, you can cast this and save yourself with 2 life instead of being dead. Considering most Storm decks are hellbent, this might be enough to turn around the game and win.
I tried "Loreseekers' Stone" in 12-Post MUD against Merfolk on Cockatrice (against myself) and it was completely dirty. I usually tapped it for 3-5 mana, and it kept drawing me gas after gas. It's worth being the first rock cheated out by Forgemaster. It's especially dirty with Metalworker--tap Stone for 5 mana, draw 3 artifacts, and net 6 mana and more dudes! I want a second.
King kitty handles bolt really well and requires nothing more than attacking and blocking to make guys. I'm sure it'll be tested but for now I dont think the flying on the tokens will outweigh its other faults.
There's some chat in its Rumor Mill thread about Masterwork of Ingenuity being playable in Stoneblade. Trinket Mage (and SFM) finding it is a plus. Thing is, it copies an equipment, so it's dead if no one has equipment (and beware of people bouncing Batterskull in response). As made of win as double Batterskull is, and as nice as it is to copy that opposing Jitte, is Masterwork worth a card slot?
Dualcaster Mage 1RR
Rare
Creature - Human Wizard
Flash
When Dualcaster Mage enters the battlefield, copy target instant or sorcery spell. You may choose new targets for the copy.
"It has been my experience that disasters like this strike in pairs."
2/2
-----
Legacy-playable? If so, which decks would love to try and break this card?
-----The Legacy Flowchart-----
Tiny Leaders Overlord
All decks:
Maybe the other cards excite me more...
Feldon of the Third Path looks like he can reanimate some scary stuff in Imperial Painter. Reanimate your dead/countered Goblin Welder and REANIMATE ALL THE ARTIFACTS! (Just tap the Welder token to exchange itself with, say, Grindstone!) And Recruiter can tutor for him! Might there be a deck where Feldon reanimates Griselbrand? Of course, that tap cost on his activated ability hurts, as does the 3-mana costs...
Unstable Obelisk is an expensive mana rock (costs 3 mana to ramp 1 mana) that at least can blow itself up for 7, t to blow up target permanent. ...Too little upside for MUD, right?
Jazal Goldmane has an only-counts-attacking-creatures Hoof pump on him (without the Trample) for 3WW, and is a First Strike 4/4 for 2WW. ...Still too underwhelming for stuff like Maverick, right?
It's noteworthy that Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath is the first mono-black walker who can make tokens. They're pretty fat--5/5 flying Demon tokens! Ob Nixilis Walker is a 3-turn clock who costs 3BB (-2 and make a token, +2 as if it matters, -2 and make another token, do something)...too expensive for Legacy, or super-fringe play in controlling decks?
not x4, but solid x2 in some deck.
Humorously, I did propose that exact card (as 1R) in previous discussions on these forums. I was glad to see it spoiled and then saw the CMC :(.
It does however give Aggro decks some game against Storm. After all the storm triggers, you can copy a single Tendrils and survive. Same with (as others noted) copying a ton of Angels. That was why I proposed a similar card. It opens up so many plays and gives pure Aggro some life.
My Trade Thread
Current Decks:
Legacy:
GWR Punishing Maverick
UW Miracles
UR Sneak and Show
GWB Enchantress
Thanks to Gabgabdevo for the awesome sig image!
I'm always looking for foil Madcap Skills and Ghitu Fire-Eater, [trade thread link forthcoming]
Is there any deck that is red and wants to hit four mana/never wants to tap out on its own turn?
If your going to play 3cc for a Fork (in Burn) it would be better to play Howl of the Horde so you can Fireblast x3. I do like the 2/2 shell but I'm not sure burn would use the card, especially when fork is 2cc... If Dualcaster Mage was 2cc, then maybe... but I have my doubts because burn players are not using fork... and not too many are even thinking Howl of the Horde.
In his Second 100 days - Yawgmoth's Bargain is unrestricted in Vintage.
What is going to happen in the Next 100 days!!!
RGoblinsR
RWerewolf StompyR
URU/R DelverRU
RGBelcherGR
BThe GateB
GBLoam PoxBG
WGBNic FitBGW
UHigh TideU
UMerfolkU
UFaerieNinjaStillU
WBUAffinityUBW
GSquirrelsG
UWGSliversGWU
Modern Tallowisp Spirits - A Modern Tallowisp Deck UW
Eldrazi Ninjas - Summoning Octopus Jutsu YYYYAAAHHHH!
STANDARD
Naban Wizards
Snapcaster costs 3+ mana and is a very powerful card. Dualcaster is basically a snapcaster in red that doesn't use the graveyard but instead of that can copy opponents' spells as well as your own. I like it in UR delver cruise decks for sure right now as copying your opponents cruise, drawing force of will, and forcing their cruise is obscene. There are so many targets for this guy. I'd be shocked if it didn't see considerable legacy play. Someone is very likely to copy a fireblast attempting lethal on you to lethal your opponent instead I suspect.
Currently Playing:
Retired
Brainstorm
Ponder
Swords to Plowshares
Abrupt Decay
Counterspells
Free win vs storm decks
etc
Yeah. Duelcaster is a terrible card and is not going to see ANY legacy play. But if you want to have fun with it.. do it up.
Thanks to Gabgabdevo for the awesome sig image!
I'm always looking for foil Madcap Skills and Ghitu Fire-Eater, [trade thread link forthcoming]
And MUD decks? Daretti does look like he's worth a shot--he effectively has Haste compared to Goblin Welder, doesn't die to creature removal, costs 4 mana instead of 1, can't be found by Imperial Recruiter, isn't countered by Chalice at 1, can't be made uncounterable with Cavern of Souls, and is a dig engine instead of a measly 1/1 if you have nothing worth reanimating yet. He can't reanimate artifacts on consecutive turns unless you loot beforehand or you ulted him. He also has a hard time protecting himself. Still, if Imperial Painter sometimes plays Chandra, Pyromaster...
"Loreseeker Stone" costs as much as Staff of Nin, can't ping, but costs 3 mana (if Hellbent) to 6 mana (3 cards in hand) to 10 mana (7 cards in hand) and a tap to draw 3 cards. You can draw 3 cards per turn with it, potentially starting the turn you stick it (Forgemaster yay)...but will that cost make it too prohibitive for MUD?
"Flamekin Village" ETB tapped unless you play a lot of Elemental cards, taps for red mana, and gives any creature Haste for the low cost of R, t. Will it be any good at giving Welder and Forgemaster Haste?
This is true, but after all storm triggers, you can cast this and save yourself with 2 life instead of being dead. Considering most Storm decks are hellbent, this might be enough to turn around the game and win.
My Trade Thread
Current Decks:
Legacy:
GWR Punishing Maverick
UW Miracles
UR Sneak and Show
GWB Enchantress
Thanx to Bookworm10 for the Sig.
Check out my YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ThyrixSyx
Cockatrice: shadowkill
Rules Adviser
Thanx to Bookworm10 for the Sig.
Check out my YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ThyrixSyx
Cockatrice: shadowkill
Rules Adviser