I cant believe everyone talking about what the equip can and cant do hasn't mentioned that it seems to be good anti-control tech!
Counter-Control: Granted you need to get the equip and a creature past the counterspells, but once you do, it allows you to slip creatures into play without playing them. So many cards these days have the "you may play this card without paying its mana cost" clause that we might be overlooking this. By putting the creature directly into play, you are avoiding counterspells.
Sweep-Control: Against *** and Damnation, people will have to choose whether to take on the creature in play or risk a possibly much more powerful creature coming into play from your hand.
I think this card will find its way into any competetive non-control deck (or sideboard) just to put a hurdle in control's path.
The problem with it is you need to have a critter out, have 6 manna up, and have a critter in hand. This will swing and miss on occasion.
No. Over two turns the equip never costs more than 4 a turn.
1) Play Equip = 4
2) Equip on critter = 2 - attach, critter dies, play critter from hand for free.
This equipment is a no brainer for cards like Ball Lightning, Groundbreaker and Spark Elemental, or the token generating machine that creates little elementals... It reduces the card disadvantage related to the dies at end of turn critters. It makes Spark elemental a 5/2 for R2 - which is almost ball lightning AND it brings in the crimson hellkite for free at end of turn... This is abusable, not in the broken sense, but in post-combat/combat ricks sense.
Edit: WIth the mana producing elemental - having six mana - some for equip, some for elemental is going to be easy.
In T2 - Nantuko Husk, Sac Critter, Bring in Fattie, yes it is 3 cards, but before you combo it, you beat-down so it isn't it card that is a dead draw if you don't have the fattie yet. Plus in Lorwyn their are Gobbo's with sac affects so you don't have to wait til combat to use the artifact as an aether vial.
It is still a 6 manna investment. If you drop it at 4 manna you can use it earlier yes, but you also open yourself up to allow your opponent more of a chance to anwser it. Having 6 manna and being able to drop, equipt and use all at once would be preffered.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
All the kids who played the blues
Would learn my licks with a bottle neck slide
What're you talking about maybe? I mean, first of all, it's a one drop, which isn't that bad of a reason to include it in the first place.
The Merfolk like that (and Sea's Claim, which is gone now :frown:) are one of the reasons why LoA is so great. Unlike Goblin King (ok, unless perhaps you have a Blood Moon out) or Elvish Champion, your islandwalking fishies can be an unblockable horde without needing your opponent to be an Island user.
And blockers are a problem for Merfolk (at least, for mono-blue; UW merfolk will have less problems) since blue is kinda short on removal.
Not to mention it could potentially have other uses (I'm mainly imagining using it to color screw an opponent during their upkeep). But mostly it's to give them islands for you to walk over.
At least, I think I'd have to see some pretty good alternatives before I'd exclude it from my deck, since guaranteeing that LoA's islandwalk ability is relevant is quite helpful.
There may be a deck that springs up built around the equip, but honestly, I can't think of many situations in a creature based deck where I'd rather have that than a warhammer (at the same cost for cast/equip, and warhammer can come down as a blank 3 drop if you don't have a better play, as opposed to a 4).
I'm sure there will be lots of decks abusing this bad boy come October. Definitely has my thoughts churning. By the way, what's the ruling on this and Enduring Renewal? I'm thinking guys like Timbermare will benefit from this, when you can skip the Echo, and just pump another creature into play. Fun stuff.
I'm kind of sad that the double strike isn't red... For some reason, it always seemed more of a red ability to me. (despite the numerous white leonin creatures with it)
Oh well, I doubt it will see serious play, but you never know when something says "Double this creature's overall damage".
the main thing I saw about the blue gile ws the ability of countering was better early game b the cost of finisher meant you missed ability.So this artifact is a solution to speed it up but not by much. artifact +spiketail hatchling=Blue Guile
That equipment might be a tad sick when paired with Fecundity. The four mana cost is a little restrictive for extended but no one ever said you couldn't get by that in many ways since it is colorless... but still pretty nasty to go through your deck and fill your grave like that.
Obviously the correct use is to equip Mogg Fanatic, attack for three, then sac it at the end of your opponent's turn. Bring in Wort, on upkeep return the fanatic, attack for five... Or you could just put your Gargadons directly into play.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Everything is true in some sense, false in some sense, meaningless in some sense, true and false in some sense, true and meaningless in some sense, false and meaningless in some sense, and true, false, and meaningless in some sense. Repeat this 666 times and you will reach enlightenment.
In some sense. The only good fnord is a dead fnord.
Yeah, with creatures that benefit from everything except a steep cost, this could be nasty. I'm also curious as to what these other merfolk are? They are just starting to show some promise, especially since we have a lot more to go on for the other races. The legend is also solid.
I'm guessing they are just going to reprint Reef Shaman if it's "basic land type". I would have preferred Tidal Warrior.. =( That was one of my favorite merfolk back in the day... Awesome art and flavor text too... *sigh. Oh well, let's hope for a 1/1 instead of a 0/2...
The equipment is all well and nasty, but it's a bit expensive. It'll certainly be a bomb in limited, but I doubt it will be good enough for constructed. The part I'm actually most excited about is the whole tradewind rider merfolk concept. I was kinda depressed about the quality of the merfolk so far, because they seemed set up for brokenness, but without anything to do. They have this whole manipulation thing going, but they didn't really have any good manipulators. Tradewind rider's certainly a good and useful ability that goes along with the flavor of the whole merfolk thing, and I will be pleased if they do a good job with it.
MTGS stats (won/played)
As scum - 3/5
As town - 5/7
As neutral - none
(I really have been scum a lot)
I'm now writing for Eye of the Vortex, come check out MTG articles and other geek culture
I also moderate the MTG forum, so register (it's free) and voice your thoughts.
deathrender wins with 2 mogg fanatics for unlimited damage, darkheart slivers or bottle gnomes for infinite life, composite golem for infinite mana, nantuko husk for a huge creature, and hidden horror works very well, because it allows you to keep saccing it so you win with it and a fanatic, and it allows you to discard another creature to reanimate. spiketail hatchlings create a solid lock, mindless automiton for unlimited draws, acrum dagson can help get it out. martyr of sands, while not infinite can gain rediculous amounts of life, and this isnt even including whatever lorwyn has. I think with cards like rite of flame, lotus bloom, llanowar elves, boreal druid, magus of the vineyard, this card will definantly see play, probably in a RU, or RB deck maybe with a G splash for more mana accel, that can search out the artifact and win with mogg fanatic, and another sac outlet like nantuko husk or hidden horror, or mindless automition or anything that sacs for free, and run bottle gnomes for infinite life and to help fight down agro. overall it seems very constructed worthy, making the only real threat a deck that runs krosan grip and extirpate.
Edit:sorry, read the card wrong, you need to add like enduring renewal or 2 gravediggers, either way, still very breakable
I wonder if the equpment works well with two Myr Retriever and a Clan Krark Ironworks???? However, the gargadon will love this card.
Hey Hydro, it's OK to show us more cards. What? I'm not the one who must give you the OK...:p
Edit:
deathrender wins with 2 mogg fanatics for unlimited damage, darkheart slivers or bottle gnomes for infinite life, composite golem for infinite mana
You only got two damage because the mogg are sent to the graveyard not to your hands, same thing with the other cards, maybe if you add a coupple of Fecundity.
I was really excited about combining the First Strike part of Battle Mastery with Viper's Deathtouch variant . . . until I reread the card. Oh, well. It probably wouldn't have been worth it anyway, since Auras suck the big one in the face of removal.
deathrender wins with 2 mogg fanatics for unlimited damage, darkheart slivers or bottle gnomes for infinite life, composite golem for infinite mana, nantuko husk for a huge creature, and hidden horror works very well, because it allows you to keep saccing it so you win with it and a fanatic, and it allows you to discard another creature to reanimate. spiketail hatchlings create a solid lock, mindless automiton for unlimited draws, acrum dagson can help get it out. martyr of sands, while not infinite can gain rediculous amounts of life, and this isnt even including whatever lorwyn has. I think with cards like rite of flame, lotus bloom, llanowar elves, boreal druid, magus of the vineyard, this card will definantly see play, probably in a RU, or RB deck maybe with a G splash for more mana accel, that can search out the artifact and win with mogg fanatic, and another sac outlet like nantuko husk or hidden horror, or mindless automition or anything that sacs for free, and run bottle gnomes for infinite life and to help fight down agro. overall it seems very constructed worthy, making the only real threat a deck that runs krosan grip and extirpate.
From your hand, kid. Not from the yard.
It feels too slow I think for it to work. Aggro doesnt want something this clunky that doesnt win the game (warhammer), control doesnt have a creature it wants to sacrifice.
this artifact can empty your hand with a proper sac outlet (gargadon is one) or even your deck with fecundicity...
correct me if i'm wrong, but with a sac outlet again, you can make a small (but infinite) loop with cards like pit keeper or gravedigger... infinite powered natuko husk... stalking venegeance anyone?
correct me if i'm wrong, but with a sac outlet again, you can make a small (but infinite) loop with cards like pit keeper or gravedigger... infinite powered natuko husk... stalking venegeance anyone?
No, you need 2 of them.
Play gravedigger by saccing equipped creature, put his ability on the stack, choose targets. If you didn't have to choose targets right away you could respond to his ability going on the stack by saccing him, but that's just not how it works.
No, you need 2 of them.
Play gravedigger by saccing equipped creature, put his ability on the stack, choose targets. If you didn't have to choose targets right away you could respond to his ability going on the stack by saccing him, but that's just not how it works.
i know... cardS with an S.... and the warren pilferers from lorwyn also works (although the casting cost is much higher)...
Wow, Deathrender is nuts. It create an infinite loop with Enduring Renewable with any sac outlet.
Enduring Renewal and Deathrender giveinfinate sac targets.... Stack deathrender, then the renewal.. it goes back to your hand, and comes right back out again...
Deathrender looks pretty good, but the cost seems a little high, but it will definitely see play in some form or another-maybe with gargadon? Sac to suspended gargadon, put another gargadon into play from your hand, along with some other big guys. The merfolk tradewinder rider sounds good with everything else we have seen from merfolk so far, so I will be interested to see how that turns out.
Counter-Control: Granted you need to get the equip and a creature past the counterspells, but once you do, it allows you to slip creatures into play without playing them. So many cards these days have the "you may play this card without paying its mana cost" clause that we might be overlooking this. By putting the creature directly into play, you are avoiding counterspells.
Sweep-Control: Against *** and Damnation, people will have to choose whether to take on the creature in play or risk a possibly much more powerful creature coming into play from your hand.
I think this card will find its way into any competetive non-control deck (or sideboard) just to put a hurdle in control's path.
No. Over two turns the equip never costs more than 4 a turn.
1) Play Equip = 4
2) Equip on critter = 2 - attach, critter dies, play critter from hand for free.
This equipment is a no brainer for cards like Ball Lightning, Groundbreaker and Spark Elemental, or the token generating machine that creates little elementals... It reduces the card disadvantage related to the dies at end of turn critters. It makes Spark elemental a 5/2 for R2 - which is almost ball lightning AND it brings in the crimson hellkite for free at end of turn... This is abusable, not in the broken sense, but in post-combat/combat ricks sense.
Edit: WIth the mana producing elemental - having six mana - some for equip, some for elemental is going to be easy.
In T2 - Nantuko Husk, Sac Critter, Bring in Fattie, yes it is 3 cards, but before you combo it, you beat-down so it isn't it card that is a dead draw if you don't have the fattie yet. Plus in Lorwyn their are Gobbo's with sac affects so you don't have to wait til combat to use the artifact as an aether vial.
Would learn my licks with a bottle neck slide
The Merfolk like that (and Sea's Claim, which is gone now :frown:) are one of the reasons why LoA is so great. Unlike Goblin King (ok, unless perhaps you have a Blood Moon out) or Elvish Champion, your islandwalking fishies can be an unblockable horde without needing your opponent to be an Island user.
And blockers are a problem for Merfolk (at least, for mono-blue; UW merfolk will have less problems) since blue is kinda short on removal.
Not to mention it could potentially have other uses (I'm mainly imagining using it to color screw an opponent during their upkeep). But mostly it's to give them islands for you to walk over.
At least, I think I'd have to see some pretty good alternatives before I'd exclude it from my deck, since guaranteeing that LoA's islandwalk ability is relevant is quite helpful.
I'm sure there will be lots of decks abusing this bad boy come October. Definitely has my thoughts churning. By the way, what's the ruling on this and Enduring Renewal? I'm thinking guys like Timbermare will benefit from this, when you can skip the Echo, and just pump another creature into play. Fun stuff.
I'm kind of sad that the double strike isn't red... For some reason, it always seemed more of a red ability to me. (despite the numerous white leonin creatures with it)
Oh well, I doubt it will see serious play, but you never know when something says "Double this creature's overall damage".
Art Page
Alters for sale
In some sense. The only good fnord is a dead fnord.
I'm guessing they are just going to reprint Reef Shaman if it's "basic land type". I would have preferred Tidal Warrior.. =( That was one of my favorite merfolk back in the day... Awesome art and flavor text too... *sigh. Oh well, let's hope for a 1/1 instead of a 0/2...
Art Page
Alters for sale
MTGS stats (won/played)
As scum - 3/5
As town - 5/7
As neutral - none
(I really have been scum a lot)
I'm now writing for Eye of the Vortex, come check out MTG articles and other geek culture
I also moderate the MTG forum, so register (it's free) and voice your thoughts.
Edit:sorry, read the card wrong, you need to add like enduring renewal or 2 gravediggers, either way, still very breakable
Hey Hydro, it's OK to show us more cards. What? I'm not the one who must give you the OK...:p
Edit:
You only got two damage because the mogg are sent to the graveyard not to your hands, same thing with the other cards, maybe if you add a coupple of Fecundity.
I was really excited about combining the First Strike part of Battle Mastery with Viper's Deathtouch variant . . . until I reread the card. Oh, well. It probably wouldn't have been worth it anyway, since Auras suck the big one in the face of removal.
From your hand, kid. Not from the yard.
It feels too slow I think for it to work. Aggro doesnt want something this clunky that doesnt win the game (warhammer), control doesnt have a creature it wants to sacrifice.
No, you're not reading it right. The proposed card says you put a creature into play from your hand, not from your graveyard.
If it was your graveyard, you wouldn't even need a second copy. Simply reanimate whatever dies, immediately.
"Whenever equipped creature goes to the graveyard, put a creature card from your graveyard into play and equip it with this."
Instant infinite win combo with like 80 different cards out there. No, they wouldn't print that.
correct me if i'm wrong, but with a sac outlet again, you can make a small (but infinite) loop with cards like pit keeper or gravedigger... infinite powered natuko husk... stalking venegeance anyone?
as it is, its timmy fodder with a good ability
looks breakable though
No, you need 2 of them.
Play gravedigger by saccing equipped creature, put his ability on the stack, choose targets. If you didn't have to choose targets right away you could respond to his ability going on the stack by saccing him, but that's just not how it works.
i know... cardS with an S.... and the warren pilferers from lorwyn also works (although the casting cost is much higher)...
Enduring Renewal and Deathrender giveinfinate sac targets.... Stack deathrender, then the renewal.. it goes back to your hand, and comes right back out again...
Yarr, like Mogg Fanatic. Avast, ye scurvy Johnnies!
Nay!
Turn 1: Moutain, Mogg Fanatic
Turn 2: Moutain, Emberwilde Augur, Suspend Gargs
Turn 3: Moutain, Rite of Flame, Deathrender
Turn 4: Equip Deathrender, Swing with Fanatic, Sac it, Hello turn 4 Hamletback Giant!
I can dream right?
my have/wants list: :http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=95773