(I can't get the image to work while I'm at work.)
I need someone to sell me on Winter Orb. It's never chosen very highly and when it's played, it hasn't performed. What is its main purpose? What is its ideal deck? What are we doing wrong? I'm looking to cut an artifact and WO might just be the winner.
(I can't get the image to work while I'm at work.)
I need someone to sell me on Winter Orb. It's never chosen very highly and when it's played, it hasn't performed. What is its main purpose? What is its ideal deck? What are we doing wrong? I'm looking to cut an artifact and WO might just be the winner.
Winter Orb has two main lines of play.
First, its used by decks intending upon a short game in order to prevent the opposing deck from playing its higher mana cost cards fast enough to stabilize. Think of it as in the same vein as Armageddon, Tectonic Break, Nether Void and the like. Sure, it slows your development, but your deck is built to basically have no long term development so it doesn't matter.
Second, it is used by decks with a plethora of non-land mana sources where Winter Orb is crippling to its opponents, but only mildly irritating to itself.
More rarely, a deck might have a gimmick where they create a situation where Winter Orb is only in active on the opponent's turn. This was popular under the Winter Orb's previous rules where it did not take effect while it was tapped. As most people play under the current rules, this doesn't fly anymore. I'm not sure what cards people cube that may still enable such plays, but they probably exist.
More rarely, a deck might have a gimmick where they create a situation where Winter Orb is only in active on the opponent's turn. This was popular under the Winter Orb's previous rules where it did not take effect while it was tapped. As most people play under the current rules, this doesn't fly anymore. I'm not sure what cards people cube that may still enable such plays, but they probably exist.
Goblin Welder can keep Winter Orb online for your opponents every turn at the cost of having it on half of yours.
I agree with what the other posters said. I first-pick Winter Orb all the time. It's pretty absurd if you set it up correctly. While best in aggro, it can be good in other decks as well. I've used it successfully in GX midrange decks with lots of mana dorks and manafacts.
It's one of the most highly picked artifacts in the cube. It can seal games by casting it right after gaining board control, and it can be used as a utility card to starve your opponent when you have artifacts and creatures that produce mana and they don't.
It does make me kind of sad it doesn't do the whole "turn off when tapped" thing anymore (6th ed errata) so you can't combo people with icy manipulator
Like 2 power 1 drops, geddons are essentially something you want as many as you can find.
Some are worse than others, but winter orb is quite good because it's colorless and effective enough.
I haven't personally tried tectonic break, but it seems like it might be on the weaker side. Geddons are so powerful, and red benifits from it so much it might be worth a shot
Dandy_Lions;9911941']It does make me kind of sad it doesn't do the whole "turn off when tapped" thing anymore (6th ed errata) so you can't combo people with icy manipulator
It combos with the new 4cmc durdle artifact Trading Post very well. Sac it on your opponents turn to draw, then on your turn sac a dude to get it back and cast it.
Okay wow. I'm going to make a point of playing it myself if I get the chance. Thank you for the responses. Unfortunately that doesn't solve my "find room forMox Diamond" issue. I'm going to post a list in this or that of possible other cuts.
Winter orb is insane. Colorless, cheap, and comparable to Armageddon... I wish we had more cards like this for aggro (and ramp, where it can also be fantastic). Would play at 180, no question.
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.
My experiences are similar. This card is on a par with Armageddon, with the added bonus that it only costs two mana. It's often played on turn four, much like 'geddon, but you can play an extra piece of disruption or another creature the same turn.
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You're playing aggro and play a few dudes in the first 3 turns. They're playing mid-range or control and tap out for a baller 4-drop. Then on your turn, you Doom Blade it, and play Winter Orb. GG. It's not a hard or uncommon setup at all.
Or you can play it on turn 2 or 3 as long as you have 2 power 1 drop on turn 1 and forced some nasty damage through. It's not quite gg, but midrange or control will have a great time recovering from that.
Crazy powerful card. One I am not allowed to run. My playgroup hates it.
Hang on let me get my old man cane..... OK back in the day when there was no four card limit and people played ironman Magic for ante, this card was one of the most broken and hated cards - ever. This is because artifacts (Continuous Artifacts, in fact) SHUT OFF WHEN TAPPED. So the deck was Winter Orb and Icy Manipulator. By tapping the Orb in your opponents end step you could untap your lands first in your untap step and then untap the Orb. This ugliness was then combined with The Tabernacle at Pendrell ValeStasis and Sol Ring to make a brutal and un-fun deck to play against. Even though the icy orb combo no longer works, the card gets groans when it's even seen on my table - so I skipped this one in the Cube.
What deck was Winter Orb used in? That must've been a fun metagame.
It was key in the old school 'prison' decks. Kismet + Winter Orb + Icy Manipulator = hard lock. You could also shut off the Orb with the Icy in old rulings, which has been mentioned.
It was played in the world championship semi-finals with the green stompy deck. It was mono-green hard aggro with free spells and Quirion Ranger to make the effect asymmetrical.
Does anyone know why Howling Mine got errata to be turned off via tapping while other ABU continuous artifacts like Winter Orb did not?
Howling Mine was reprint. So when the text changed, it got to keep its original functionality.
Winter Orb, on the other hand, are world's doom if reprint. As such, they probably don't have any intention of reprinting it outside products like FTV, which who knows will come out.
Because it's a text not written on the card, and that could caused confusion, they just go with it.
I need someone to sell me on Winter Orb. It's never chosen very highly and when it's played, it hasn't performed. What is its main purpose? What is its ideal deck? What are we doing wrong? I'm looking to cut an artifact and WO might just be the winner.
Winter Orb has two main lines of play.
First, its used by decks intending upon a short game in order to prevent the opposing deck from playing its higher mana cost cards fast enough to stabilize. Think of it as in the same vein as Armageddon, Tectonic Break, Nether Void and the like. Sure, it slows your development, but your deck is built to basically have no long term development so it doesn't matter.
Second, it is used by decks with a plethora of non-land mana sources where Winter Orb is crippling to its opponents, but only mildly irritating to itself.
More rarely, a deck might have a gimmick where they create a situation where Winter Orb is only in active on the opponent's turn. This was popular under the Winter Orb's previous rules where it did not take effect while it was tapped. As most people play under the current rules, this doesn't fly anymore. I'm not sure what cards people cube that may still enable such plays, but they probably exist.
Goblin Welder can keep Winter Orb online for your opponents every turn at the cost of having it on half of yours.
Sword of Feast and Famine is really good under normal circumstances, and absurd under a Winter Orb.
I played it in RB aggro. Played T1 Goblin Guide, T2 Oona's Prowler, T3 Tangle Wire, T4 Winter Orb. My opponent cast 1 spell and then promptly died. Basically the best case IHMO.
Cheers,
rant
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Like 2 power 1 drops, geddons are essentially something you want as many as you can find.
Some are worse than others, but winter orb is quite good because it's colorless and effective enough.
I haven't personally tried tectonic break, but it seems like it might be on the weaker side. Geddons are so powerful, and red benifits from it so much it might be worth a shot
It combos with the new 4cmc durdle artifact Trading Post very well. Sac it on your opponents turn to draw, then on your turn sac a dude to get it back and cast it.
Won a bunch of games from this combo.
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Might not be the best use of the card, but it does put your opponent in a tough spot especially if you have more mana rocks.
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If you're determined to make 'griefer' a strong and viable cube archetype.
Winter Orb is one of my favourite cards in the cube, and one that would really like a foil reprint with some new art.
On spoiled card wishlisting and 'should-have-had'-isms:
We will most likely get it in the new FTV 20, unfortunately it will probably use the horrible holiday cube art.
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Winter Orb in FTV 20 would be sicked.
It'll also be cool if we can move to future border from future sight. That's the coolest looking border ever, in my opinion.
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I remember seeing it in weenie decks quite often. And in decks with a lot of mana elves.
Winter Orb was nothing. Stasis was were the fun was at:evillol:
I feel compelled to repeat everything I hear
Hang on let me get my old man cane..... OK back in the day when there was no four card limit and people played ironman Magic for ante, this card was one of the most broken and hated cards - ever. This is because artifacts (Continuous Artifacts, in fact) SHUT OFF WHEN TAPPED. So the deck was Winter Orb and Icy Manipulator. By tapping the Orb in your opponents end step you could untap your lands first in your untap step and then untap the Orb. This ugliness was then combined with The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale Stasis and Sol Ring to make a brutal and un-fun deck to play against. Even though the icy orb combo no longer works, the card gets groans when it's even seen on my table - so I skipped this one in the Cube.
It was key in the old school 'prison' decks. Kismet + Winter Orb + Icy Manipulator = hard lock. You could also shut off the Orb with the Icy in old rulings, which has been mentioned.
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Howling Mine was reprint. So when the text changed, it got to keep its original functionality.
Winter Orb, on the other hand, are world's doom if reprint. As such, they probably don't have any intention of reprinting it outside products like FTV, which who knows will come out.
Because it's a text not written on the card, and that could caused confusion, they just go with it.
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