The main draw of Mystic Snake is the ability to perform shenanigans with bounce spells and effects like Crystal Shard. Without that capability, this card isn't quite as exciting. I don't see it finding a place in most cubes, but I've been wrong before.
Compared to Mystic Snake, I think not actually being a creature is a bigger drawback than its mana cost. It loses a lot of opportunity for reuse through bounce and creature recursion.
An expensive counter in a traditionally non control color pair? I don't think its worth it. Against maybe half the decks you face the opportunity to be 4/4 or more will be rare.
I disagree. its obviously worse than mystic snake because of the lack of shenaningans, but there is slots in Simic. SSS, edric, trygon, mystic. After this, nothing is spectacular and better than this imo. Signet if you play it.
I'm not saying its something extraordinary, but its decent, and it may be enough in some cubes.
I'm in deep love with this card and want it to make me sweet, sweet oozey love.
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When I see Healing Salve, I'm often like "Oh girl, I wish I could turn every card into this." Thanks they removed the gain life part, otherwise this would have been broken.
A slightly worse Draining Whelk that has to fight with other Simic cards for the few slots that each cube has for those. Not great, but larger cubes could give it a try.
expensive and hard to cast kind of mitigate eachother
4RGWU is a lot easier to cast when you get there then RGWU now progenitus doesnt get that benefit but most expensive cards it doesnt matter, like griselbrand.
How would this spell fare alongside Mystic Snake? Run both? It could be time to retire Cold-Eyed Selkie in my Cube
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I'm not saying its something extraordinary, but its decent, and it may be enough in some cubes.
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It's the worst of both worlds :p, expensive like whelk, and hard to cast like the snake
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4RGWU is a lot easier to cast when you get there then RGWU now progenitus doesnt get that benefit but most expensive cards it doesnt matter, like griselbrand.
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=484979