Isn't that the only intimidate creature in Theros anyway (and Pseudamma the only one in BNG)?
There'll certainly be decks that lack ways to get through, but I'd rather be bringing him in than having to take him out I think. Big efficient-but-not-evasive guys never feel like that high of an upside to me, and even when there's no evasion you can't attack with him unless you have stalling blocks up with the rest of your board.
Mogis's Marauder is also a very relevant intimidate consideration.
@Jermo: It's pretty shocking to me that you've only faced an intimidate creature once in Theros block...while not an all-star, Lampad is very playable, and not terribly uncommon as a finisher for black decks. If instead you mean you've only faced that one creature multiple times: sure, but as a common, it's still quite relevant.
At any rate, for now I agree that this is something that'll be starting in the board for me...we'll see if that opinion changes as the format unfolds.
We also start to get akroan line breaker, bladetusk boar, and dreadbringer lampads now. I'm just saying there's a ton of evasion and the idea i get to play this thing and get it past summoning sickness and then swing out enough times that i either win or force profitable chump blocks without the opponent being able to deal combat damage to me seems improbable. Maybe we'll find that you only really need to swing once or twice for it to be worth running or that it combos so well with fall of the hammer or something that it's worth it anyway, but until i get it in a few games my gut is leaning towards it being more trouble than it's worth.
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Isn't that the only intimidate creature in Theros anyway (and Pseudamma the only one in BNG)?
There'll certainly be decks that lack ways to get through, but I'd rather be bringing him in than having to take him out I think. Big efficient-but-not-evasive guys never feel like that high of an upside to me, and even when there's no evasion you can't attack with him unless you have stalling blocks up with the rest of your board.
Mogis's Marauder is also a very relevant intimidate consideration.
@Jermo: It's pretty shocking to me that you've only faced an intimidate creature once in Theros block...while not an all-star, Lampad is very playable, and not terribly uncommon as a finisher for black decks. If instead you mean you've only faced that one creature multiple times: sure, but as a common, it's still quite relevant.
At any rate, for now I agree that this is something that'll be starting in the board for me...we'll see if that opinion changes as the format unfolds.
No, only one creature. Not only once. He claimed there are a few playable Intimidate creatures. Not that Lampad is really all that powerful. I've gone plenty of draft events in a row without ever playing it or seeing it.
There are still only two once you include Bladetusk Boar. The rest are pretty terrible. The other three intimidate creatures I can think of in the format are awful.
Mogis's Marauder certainly counts in this context, and is quite good. At any rate, the point is that lots of decks in a variety of colors have access to some form of evasion or another. Swarmborn not having to worry about evasive creatures is the exception, not the rule, and I think as such you're much better off bringing it out of the board when you see a good match up rather than assuming it'll work out well.
I'd enjoy some statistics on what percentage of board states will be able to freely swing into him and kill him within a turn or two of him coming onto the battlefield. I think it's far less common than you think. Even some of the times it is, it'll still act as an expensive pseudo-fog for a bit of value.
I did forget about Marauder, though, although that's an uncommon from one pack. The percentage of times that you play a Giant and they respond with a Marauder are absolutely miniscule.
The number of fliers/evasive creatures in the format are certainly worth noting, but to simply sideboard this card straight away is, IMHO, a serious undervaluing of the card. There are certainly plays your opponent can make that will make this guy a dead card, but that is true of just about anything in Magic. Fall of the Hammer is terrible if your opponent bounces or removes your guy at instant speed, so I guess that's only sideboard material unless you're not playing UB or BR? And yet it's a first pickable card in BTT draft because it's so powerful. Now, obviously this is a big, dumb green thing and Fall is a premium removal spell, but any card looks bad in its 'worst possible scenario.'However, for every time that your opponent is able to punish you with this card, you have an equal chance to dominate their board with him.
In draft, I'd say his pickable in the 4-6 range, and highly playable in Green decks with a nice curve. Just at common he plays very nicely with Sedge Scorpion, Leafcrown Dryad, Voyaging Satyr, Time to Feed, Nyxborn Wolf, Nessian Courser, and Nessian Asp. And he pairs well with the removal in Blue, Black, and Red, as those colors have efficient answers to early evasive threats. I'm definitely running him in my base Green decks, and will happily side him out for Shredding Winds if the matchup dictates that I should.
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Mogis's Marauder is also a very relevant intimidate consideration.
@Jermo: It's pretty shocking to me that you've only faced an intimidate creature once in Theros block...while not an all-star, Lampad is very playable, and not terribly uncommon as a finisher for black decks. If instead you mean you've only faced that one creature multiple times: sure, but as a common, it's still quite relevant.
At any rate, for now I agree that this is something that'll be starting in the board for me...we'll see if that opinion changes as the format unfolds.
No, only one creature. Not only once. He claimed there are a few playable Intimidate creatures. Not that Lampad is really all that powerful. I've gone plenty of draft events in a row without ever playing it or seeing it.
There are still only two once you include Bladetusk Boar. The rest are pretty terrible. The other three intimidate creatures I can think of in the format are awful.
I did forget about Marauder, though, although that's an uncommon from one pack. The percentage of times that you play a Giant and they respond with a Marauder are absolutely miniscule.
In draft, I'd say his pickable in the 4-6 range, and highly playable in Green decks with a nice curve. Just at common he plays very nicely with Sedge Scorpion, Leafcrown Dryad, Voyaging Satyr, Time to Feed, Nyxborn Wolf, Nessian Courser, and Nessian Asp. And he pairs well with the removal in Blue, Black, and Red, as those colors have efficient answers to early evasive threats. I'm definitely running him in my base Green decks, and will happily side him out for Shredding Winds if the matchup dictates that I should.
RBGLiving EndRBG
EDH
UFblthpU
BRXantchaRB
BGVarolzGB
URWZedruuWRU