With enough mana (4UUU to be exact) you can have unblockable, untargettable, 8/1 and still have a 4/5 blocker) I think this can be better than morphing for the disadvantage of a turn later.
This card is pretty interesting, and the fact that it can just blink out of its controller's Wrath spells does make it very appealing. Seven mana is a lot to keep open though, so that you may cast it with protection, but it does have a lot more beef and power than the original Morphling.
I don't know, all the blue finishers are so different. Consecrated Sphinx is an engine that wins by burying your opponents in CA, Frost Titan locks them out of a resource and is hard to kill, Inkwell is a tinker target, and Keiga is just a big dragon that dissuades them from kiling her.
I think of the 4 i listed, Aetherling is probably better than all but Sphinx and only because Sphinx does something so unique.
If by physically damaging them to death, this guy will do it rather quickly but at a cost of mana per damage beyond the 4 point. In a vacuum of not needing resources for anything but this guy, he'll kill them the fastest.
I describe best "finisher" as not just a card that kills via damage but through other means as well. I'm probably still going to say it's Consecrated Sphinx even though it can't protect itself.
I must be a pessimist, but... you want 4UUU available to play and protect this, and even then, whenever you actually have to protect it it is gone for a turn, so when they need to stop it attacking or blocking for one turn, they just need any bounce or removal spell. This card is nowhere near Morphling, the way I see it. Morphling is good because it can attack and block on the same turn and because you can equip it but protect it against targeted removal. This card, on the other hand, is a finisher that will get the job of killing them done, eventually. It is a fragile ally in a race and if you really need a blocker.
It is, however, great with Upheaval, Wildfire and even Jokulhaups, so there is that. But playing this for six mana, leave U up to not have it killed, and then follow that up with another six mana spell better win you the game.
Konfusius, I totally agree with you on your points. The way I see it is that this guy is going to be a good way for a control deck to just close out a game quickly and use your other resources to protect this guy. I think he's going to be better than Frost Titan et al at doing that, but I don't think this guy will be the best blue creature by any means. He will be very good at getting the job of winning the game, from a damage perspective, done.
I think this guy is a monster. Hits so hard, almost unkillable, vigilance, wrath proof. Not a good reanimator target but great for ramp and control. It's a 7 drop, but that's not a particularly competitive place in blue and I think this guy is worth it. The guy looks unstoppable.
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.
This is quite accurate.
We have to see if he is better than Keiga/ Frost Titan. What are your opinions on this?
In terms of actually bashing and staying alive, he's going to be better at it than Keiga and Frost Titan. Both of these guys hit for less and try to dodge removal in different ways. Frost Titan makes spot removal cost 2 more and Keiga makes killing her a less than appetizing affair (depending on the quality of creature in opponents yard of course). Neither of these can dodge the actual removal spell and stay around, that warrants mentioning.
Aetherling also has "true" evasion in unblockable and that's a real ability.
In the end, they are all very unique in what they do and all warrant playing.
Keiga is highly splashable and a great reanimation target.
Frost Titan denies them of their most important resource/threat and charges a tax for targeting him.
Aetherling bashes for a ton and is VERY hard to deal with.
I really can't see if I could cut these 6 guys, I might just have to cut original Morphling for Aetherling.
The new Morphling, discuss.
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Far and away I would. Five flying damage has nothing on unblockable eight that dodges all possible wraths and can carry equipment.
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This, exactly this. I feel like the missed on this one pretty bad. (art that is)
Anyone going to get their AEtherling commissioned to look like Morphling?
I think this is actually the best finisher in blue now. am i wrong?
I think of the 4 i listed, Aetherling is probably better than all but Sphinx and only because Sphinx does something so unique.
I describe best "finisher" as not just a card that kills via damage but through other means as well. I'm probably still going to say it's Consecrated Sphinx even though it can't protect itself.
It is, however, great with Upheaval, Wildfire and even Jokulhaups, so there is that. But playing this for six mana, leave U up to not have it killed, and then follow that up with another six mana spell better win you the game.
"What am I looking at? Ashes, dead man."
In terms of actually bashing and staying alive, he's going to be better at it than Keiga and Frost Titan. Both of these guys hit for less and try to dodge removal in different ways. Frost Titan makes spot removal cost 2 more and Keiga makes killing her a less than appetizing affair (depending on the quality of creature in opponents yard of course). Neither of these can dodge the actual removal spell and stay around, that warrants mentioning.
Aetherling also has "true" evasion in unblockable and that's a real ability.
In the end, they are all very unique in what they do and all warrant playing.
Keiga is highly splashable and a great reanimation target.
Frost Titan denies them of their most important resource/threat and charges a tax for targeting him.
Aetherling bashes for a ton and is VERY hard to deal with.
I really can't see if I could cut these 6 guys, I might just have to cut original Morphling for Aetherling.
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