This card is actually insanely powerful. On its own, it will usually just be the biggest thing on the battlefield with a built in kill spell. Combine it with Gargos, Vicious Watcher and you have a 12/12 recurring from the grave for just GB and a few cards. Combine it with The Wanderer and you have a Murder with legs. There are tons of ways to give it trample or first/double strike which would make the shrinking effect negligible and close out most games quickly.
I honestly don't get all the people yelling "WEAK" at this set. It might not have as many broken cards as War of the Spark, but there is power all over this set. There are common lands that have basic land types, the ability to come in untapped, and additional effects. This set has quite possibly the strongest mana dork we have seen since Deathrite Shaman from way back in Return to Ravnica. They basically have the best removal spell from Theros block, Hero's Downfall, a body. They gave us the most immensely skill testing punisher card I can think of since Desecration Demon. They stapled a wrath and a finisher together. They gave us a reusable wish effect on an above curve body. We have a free instant speed sacrifice outlet, which we haven't really had since Yahenni, Undying Partisan. There is a one drop with drain and recursion. The rare land cycle includes scrying, draw, ramp, team pumping and token making that you don't need spell slots for. The list goes on.
I consider this quite an improvement compared to Tocatli Honor Guard. It trades one point of toughness for flying, lifelink and preventing death triggers.
Was just going to google what "lip fetish" was called, but then remembered I am at work and probably shouldn't.
Wikipedia doesn't have a word for lip fetish, but it would be a form of partialism, which is fetishizing a specific body part.
Those two together become "Put any number of cards from the top of your deck into the graveyard, then put that many 1/1 insect tokens with flying and haste into play." If they put Ahmonket back into Arena, that would be somethingto keep an eye on.
This will be the sixth board wipe in 2020 Standard, and it has advantages over the other five. Citywide Bust only hits big creatures and Ritual of Soot only hits small creatures. Kaya's Wrath and Time Wipe are multicolored. Planar Cleansing costs more and kills planeswalkers as well, which is awkward in many control decks. This does have a big downside, if I am understanding adventures correctly, that it is only counted as a sorcery on the stack, and therefore can't be found by Augur of Bolas or Narset. I am not a good control player, so I don't know how to balance these, but it certainly seems like it is in the conversation.
Color hate that is less dangerous to maindeck? Sign me up! The downsides are significant, but not backbreaking. Sound Intrusion won't replace Thoughtseize, but it could push Inquisition of Kozilek for spots as Thoughtseize 5-8. The Green one is solid, if unspectacular, and the Red is meta-dependent, but usable.
DRS Ramps by taking advantage of the most integral part of any competitive deck, on both sides of the table. This isn’t even in the same zip code as DRS. And, you should feel very crazy.
... and this card ramps by creating a token with a very RELEVANT type. A rainbow mana dork that brings an artifact to the table, makes more artifacts, and provides life gain against aggro strats sounds fantastic to me. Not to mention that even if you bolt the bird, the egg hangs around for fun with urza, engineer, opal, and whir. I honestly expect this card to be heavily played in standard, and break into modern.
Not a chance. This is way too slow. Standard, obviously. But eternal formats? Give me a break lol. DRS wasn’t just good because it gained you life and ramped. It had relevant creature typing, was splashable to the point that every deck played it, gained life, dealt non-combat life loss, and most importantly, hated on GY’s. You weren’t supporting DRS. You have to support the golden goose.
Deathrite Shaman is the only 1-drop creature in Magic's history that can ramp you and gain you life and it is banned in Modern and Legacy. DRS isn't even self-fueling. I don't feel crazy for thinking this might end up as the most important card in the set.
I think the lack of "Wow Factor" for this card is because of two things. First and foremost, there is a lot of "Wow" getting spread around with this set. There just isn't enough to go around. Second, this effect sort of exists already on a Modern card that sees no competitive play. I think that once people realize how much better than Elvish Pioneer this is, it will get its due.
Strictly, and much, better Bone Splinters which has always existed at the edges of playability. This gives more targets, more fodder, and an alternative casting cost, all for the same base cost and rarity.
Turn two Rotting Regisaur
Turn three The Great Henge +?
That is a pretty ridiculous board relatively easily.
Goose is self supporting.