MTG Salvation

SLAM DUNK!!

Unlike Lutri, you actually have to jump through hoops to get one of the most absurd cards possible. Furthermore, unlike Lutri, this card is a super solid playable in any creature midrange or aggro deck. So you don't need to hit Companion for it to be good enough. I think that adds up to a card that I'm stoked to include. Won't be too good like Lutri, but has an incredibly high ceiling and a reasonable floor!

Edit: I missed restriction only cares about permanents. The restriction might be too easy to hit, and could certainly be too good. UGH.

Card's fantastic. Still insanely good, but at least the design restrictions actually mean something in this format. What you give up is significant, but nowhere near as significant as the upside, IMO. This card will be awesome.

Edit: Also, thread has no title, if you want to edit that real quick.

Mini sun titan is great!

I think it's still pretty difficult to assemble a deck where you can actually play this as a companion and it's an improvement over what you have to give up to get there. But it's extremely reasonable to just play this as a normal card, especially with the hybrid mana cost... tempting people to companion it is a nice bonus. Definitely going to consider this for inclusion.

ehhh, I don't really like this card.

I think you can P1P1 it and build a reasonable deck around it, but so many times it's going to impossible to build around in p2 or p3, or the sacrifices you'll have to make will be too large.

The perfect deck for it, should be very powerful though, so don't hate on anyone who would try to support it.

Edit: I neglected to consider you can just play this card in your deck :D, this card does seem on curve and sweet in a sacrifice strategy. Takes away from the narrowness issue I was bringing up when I first posted this.

My first thought is that this gets better in smaller Cubes where you can reliably draft Armageddon and Ravages. As it stands I think it’s pretty tough to build a deck that meets the companion criteria in my Cube. I will say that I hate that the mechanic only requires the deckbuilding restriction for the starting deck, because you could potentially board in a bunch of 3-4 drops in SB games...

Like LucidVision said, it’s an interesting card to consider without being used as companion.

This seems great to me. Way more interesting of a companion clause than Lutri but as noted also way more viable as just a card in the 40. Will probably cut Magister of Worth for it.

Great card on it's own, and has a build around that benefits decks that are lower to the ground. Slots into multiple decks, making it a slam dunk cube inclusion.

It feels wrong cutting Sorin, but it's either that or Vindicate. So long, Sorin.

With the Ikoria update, I'm planning to include one hybrid card for each guild. Very happy I no longer need to consider Stillmoon Cavalier. Very easy include. Card looks great.

card looks great in a large variety of decks. Definitely going to include and I dont think this one has nearly the same issues as the otter.

Quote from Patrunkenphat7 »

My first thought is that this gets better in smaller Cubes where you can reliably draft Armageddon and Ravages. As it stands I think it’s pretty tough to build a deck that meets the companion criteria in my Cube. I will say that I hate that the mechanic only requires the deckbuilding restriction for the starting deck, because you could potentially board in a bunch of 3-4 drops in SB games...

Like LucidVision said, it’s an interesting card to consider without being used as companion.

The companion mechanic cares about the starting deck for each game of the match, not the match overall. If you board into a bunch of 3-4 drops, then you can't use Lurrus as a companion anymore, as your starting deck for that game won't qualify.

As for sweet interactions, there's one obvious one:

Black Lotus

I play errated chaos orb in my cube (1: vindicate), and this is especially stupid with that.
While I think the companion mode is super narrow and will make 95% of decks worse that try to build around it,
I think it's worth testing as a card itself.

This will probably be banned in an eternal format at some point where you can build around it so much easier and really break it.

Yeah. Don't forget you can just slam it into your deck. You're not force to "Companion" it. The card is simply awesone!

This card is so insane. If you can build-around it early, it'll be busted as a companion. You have to give up a lot, but the ability to cast this card from your sideboard is bonkers, and will more than likely make up for what you're losing if you draft with it in mind.

If the companion cost turns out to be too taxing for your specific build ...Lurrus is still a great Magic card. A hybrid 3-power 3-drop with lifelink that replays permanents from your graveyard every turn? That's fantastic on its own.

So there are multiple ways to use this card. Draft early and engineer a build that can maximize the companion potential, or just put it into your deck as a good card. Either way, it's a winner.

jeez was looking at everything else this card does that i didnt even realize it has lifelink.

Great in aggro. There are enough decent high impact cards at 1-2cc for this to be crazy abusable. Selfless Spirit, Seal of Cleansing, Animate Dead.

Slam dunk for me.

I like that I can play it via Companion in a Deck with Stoneforge Mystic and Umezawas Jitte

Quote from Resarox »

I like that I can play it via Companion in a Deck with Stoneforge Mystic and Umezawas Jitte

Don't forget Shadowspear!

And Bonesplitter/Skullclamp.

This is such a cool creature. I could see building around its Companion mode if picked early, but it will still find its way into lots of decks if it's picked later, just for the value. Good in aggro, aristocrats, all sorts.

Bummed that you can't play all the O-ring variants with this, but it's still fantastic lol.

Off the top of my head here's some fun interactions in my cube - mind stone, sakura-tribe elder, hellspark, selfless spirit, & dauntless bodyguard.

I like that this card seems quite skill testing from a drafting, deckbuilding, and playing aspect. Say you draft this card early, are you going to pick Isamaru over Brimaz in the next pack? When building the deck, maybe you have enough 1s and 2s to build a 40 of without permanents cmc 3+, but are you going to not play Liliana of the Veil, Recurring Nightmare, and Sword of Fire and Ice just so you can companion this? At what point do you decide to include this in your maindeck instead of as your companion?

Play-wise also leads to interesting questions for you and your opponent. If this is your companion, your opponent will want to save their removal spell in-hand for it since they know about it, and it can blank their removal if used on another creature. But what if you don't play it turn 3? You could just continue to slam 1s, 2s and spells. Are they not going to use their removal for Dark Confidant because this is waiting threatening to bring it back? There can be a lot of questions on if you should cast this on turn 3, or wait until turn 4 or 5 to guarantee you bring something back. I really like some of the head games this can lead to.

I think there is a risk that the novelty of companion exaggerates this guy's Cubeability as a creature in your maindeck. Obviously, if it is in your Cube it will make some decks but if you take away the companion ability, would this still be a Cubeable creature?

Since it is largely speculative right now as to the how onerous the companion condition will prove to be (and how often it will even be feasible), I think a little reservation is called for.

Quote from Marl Karx »

I think there is a risk that the novelty of companion exaggerates this guy's Cubeability as a creature in your maindeck. Obviously, if it is in your Cube it will make some decks but if you take away the companion ability, would this still be a Cubeable creature?

Since it is largely speculative right now as to the how onerous the companion condition will prove to be (and how often it will even be feasible), I think a little reservation is called for.

I think it is cubeable for sure without companion. easy mana cost, so many important targets. whether its bitter blossom, survival of the fittest. comboing with selfless spirit to give indestructable to all your creatures each turn. card is super versatile.

Quote from wtwlf123 »

And Bonesplitter/Skullclamp.

Yeah Clamp, so true! Can't wait to clamp my stuff and get them back!