A lot of people don't like Mill, I understand that, but I think he has potential to be bonkers.
If you're running this guy, you're probably running dedicated mill (which we've seen a lot of cards do so far for M12)
When you play him, I doubt it's going to be your first Mill spell of the game, he might even be a finisher. (I always prefer playing Traumatize before playing my Glimpse)
And, just like damage, not "getting there" is the same for Mill, if you don't do 20 damage, it doesn't matter how much you did do.
I like how he's not an "Auto-include" in every blue deck. I think that's how planeswalkers should be designed. He has a purpose, he'll find that purpose, and he'll be used for that purpose.
Unlike others, I think Venser's is the most broken.
It should come into play tapped, and probably only return creatures. Repeatable permanent bounce is pretty bonkers broken.
Garruk's Lair (as 1T, add GG) is just color fixing, which makes it pretty weak compared to the others. You're still tapping two lands and only getting 2 mana.
Karn's Prison, I also think should come into play tapped, 3 mana on turn 1 can be nuts. Potential 5 mana on turn 2 if playing any other mana accel.
I like Liliana's Den, makes for a good discard/madness outlet, and isn't terribly broken in that regard.
Elspeth's could probably be abusable as what said above. Soldiers are pretty cheap and it could be combo-able I'm just not seeing it atm.
At least you can't enchant him with it. Removing the built in whisper silk cloak would at least make him killable, an unblockable/untargetable General still makes for a short game.
You're aware if a general does 21 damage to an opponent, they lose the game?
Serpentine Hydra4GG
Creature - Hydra
~ Comes into play with 4 +1/+1 counters on it.
Thrive
Whenever ~ is dealt damage, prevent that damage and put that many 1/1 green Snake creature tokens onto the battlefield. Remove a +1/+1 counter for each damage prevented this way.
Other snakes you control get +X/+X where X is equal to the number of +1/+1 counters on ~.
How many times would you be expecting to shuffle it in? Chances are, large portions of cards will be milled before the colossus shows up again. When the deck gets thinner, he'll show up more frequently, but the shuffling would be taking much less amount of time to do.
Playing it out wouldn't take as much time as you might think it would.
Not that this gives the deck idea any merit, but running some Red Sun and Black Sun zeniths (reshuffling them)
Keeping the board clear of creatures, and burning your opponents face every turn doesn't seem like a BAD thing. And suddenly those land draws aren't the end of the world, they just charge up your X spells.
Callous Thief :3mana::symr:
Creature - Goblin Rogue (2/1)
Whenever ~ deals combat damage to a player, you may pay :2mana:, if you do you, may cast an artifact card from defending players graveyard without paying it's mana cost.
Can't wait to be running 8 Tumble Magnets on the board! Or Contagion Clasp, or Engine, or Wurmcoil, or any black creature to remove any black spot removal.
This guy is just so versatile, I'm not usually a fan of Clones, but the additional of artifact on it makes me think of silly ways to use him.
I, for one, am excited for this card, and like it very much. Gives you that extra boost of All-in-infect when you don't have that final green mana to push through for the win.
But, as far as bluffing your opponent, I don't think it'll make much difference.
Assume they have 1 green up, and palming a Giant Growth, how often do you consider that they're holding a giant growth? Maybe it's just me, but that's usually a risk I take regardless of the board state. Would rather them use it early game then late game.
My point is, I don't think too many people will consider it during combat, unless your opponent played 5 of them the previous game.
In constructed, your opponent will know what you're doing by turn 2 with a card like this in it.
I've actually made some werewolf cards myself and will post them up later.
That said, I think it's possible for this guy to be in INN, much like any card could be. This guy just sounds like he has an increased chance.
Did you mean to say "attacks" or when defending player takes damage?
I could see this be hilarious with some morph cards like Scornful Egotist
Equip for 0, morph, swing.
If you're running this guy, you're probably running dedicated mill (which we've seen a lot of cards do so far for M12)
When you play him, I doubt it's going to be your first Mill spell of the game, he might even be a finisher. (I always prefer playing Traumatize before playing my Glimpse)
And, just like damage, not "getting there" is the same for Mill, if you don't do 20 damage, it doesn't matter how much you did do.
I like how he's not an "Auto-include" in every blue deck. I think that's how planeswalkers should be designed. He has a purpose, he'll find that purpose, and he'll be used for that purpose.
It should come into play tapped, and probably only return creatures. Repeatable permanent bounce is pretty bonkers broken.
Garruk's Lair (as 1T, add GG) is just color fixing, which makes it pretty weak compared to the others. You're still tapping two lands and only getting 2 mana.
Karn's Prison, I also think should come into play tapped, 3 mana on turn 1 can be nuts. Potential 5 mana on turn 2 if playing any other mana accel.
I like Liliana's Den, makes for a good discard/madness outlet, and isn't terribly broken in that regard.
Elspeth's could probably be abusable as what said above. Soldiers are pretty cheap and it could be combo-able I'm just not seeing it atm.
At least you can't enchant him with it. Removing the built in whisper silk cloak would at least make him killable, an unblockable/untargetable General still makes for a short game.
You're aware if a general does 21 damage to an opponent, they lose the game?
So fetching any sort of global pump spell (Eldrazi Monument, Door of Destinies,Might Stone to name a few.) means someone is on a 4 turn clock.
Creature - Hydra
~ Comes into play with 4 +1/+1 counters on it.
Thrive
Whenever ~ is dealt damage, prevent that damage and put that many 1/1 green Snake creature tokens onto the battlefield. Remove a +1/+1 counter for each damage prevented this way.
Other snakes you control get +X/+X where X is equal to the number of +1/+1 counters on ~.
[0/0]
A bit wordier, but a bit easier to keep track of.
I like him. My Doran deck is mostly a treefolk/Fungus deck anyway, now I can just clear cut the Trees and work with the mushrooms.
Playing it out wouldn't take as much time as you might think it would.
Keeping the board clear of creatures, and burning your opponents face every turn doesn't seem like a BAD thing. And suddenly those land draws aren't the end of the world, they just charge up your X spells.
Sorcery
Destroy target land. It's controller takes 3 damage unless he or she sacrifices an artifact.
Next: Ambitious Hedge-Mage
Creature - Goblin Rogue (2/1)
Whenever ~ deals combat damage to a player, you may pay :2mana:, if you do you, may cast an artifact card from defending players graveyard without paying it's mana cost.
Can't wait to be running 8 Tumble Magnets on the board! Or Contagion Clasp, or Engine, or Wurmcoil, or any black creature to remove any black spot removal.
This guy is just so versatile, I'm not usually a fan of Clones, but the additional of artifact on it makes me think of silly ways to use him.
But, as far as bluffing your opponent, I don't think it'll make much difference.
Assume they have 1 green up, and palming a Giant Growth, how often do you consider that they're holding a giant growth? Maybe it's just me, but that's usually a risk I take regardless of the board state. Would rather them use it early game then late game.
My point is, I don't think too many people will consider it during combat, unless your opponent played 5 of them the previous game.
In constructed, your opponent will know what you're doing by turn 2 with a card like this in it.
No spirits were sacrificed, so it would deal 0 damage.
Devastating summons would read: As an additional cost to cast Devastating Summons, pay 1.
Put two 1/1 creatures onto the battlefield.