i will say, the flavor and mechanics of rakdos in this set go perfectly with the Rix Maadi guildmage. if you can get enough cards with unleash it puts you opponents in a scary position.
Reminds me of kithkin in their day. If you were playing defensively you were doing it wrong. That's what Rakdos is pushing again only on much scarier bodies instead of swarms. Basically it says trade punches with me. Either they block and you crush their defenses or you get through and burn them for more. Seems like fun.
The elemental seems really neat, but I can't think of times when I wouldn't want my spells to actually go off. The idea of canceling them out to make him a bigger beater... I don't know, I can see where it would be useful, but I think it will take more playing around to know for sure.
I can't believe more people aren't excited about the elemental in this thread. Shouldn't be sleeper status, it's versatility and power are quite apparent to me anyway. Never underestimate a 1 drop that can be a threat throughout the game. I mean it's not even hard to pump. 1 spell, and you have a permanent 3/3. They're counters people, it isn't just a cheap boost trick. Do people realize that?
That's because a lot of players are looking at their 1cc creatures like this: "if it's not a mana dork, a Delver or an important combo piece, it's useless."
I can understand why players look down on the elemental, though: you need to spend mana and a card in order to pump it, and most players immediately look down on that, specially when they look at the Golgari pump creature, Lotleth Troll, who requires just the card, no mana, and the card isn't exiled (its growth isn't as fast, though).
The status of a blue 1cc creatures causes the Nivmagus Elemental to be immediately compared to Delver, who has evasion and doesn't cost the player a card (or mana) to grow. Being a red creature, on the other hand, causes it to be compared to other red 1cc beaters such as Stromkirk Noble and Goblin Guide, who also offer power at no additional cost. Basically, most people are unwilling to spend cards and mana to make the Elemental big because they don't want to risk being 2-for-1'd should the opponent have removal at hand for it.
One thing is for sure, though: right now, Nivmagus Elemental has a useful niche as a hate card against Hive Mind decks, as it can eat the Pacts' copies the opponent gives you.
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The card nearly every spoiled Magic player dreams of:
Jace's Trolling ---
Instant
Split Second
Exile target spell, then return Jace's Trolling to its owner's hand.
"Yeah, sure... when pigs fly."
-Mark Rosewater about printing this card
That Nivmagus elemental is just another reason Izzet is going to be owning standard. I really didn't want to go with them, but they're looking like the only good choice.
EDIT: Although Golgari have some good interactions too, so we'll have to see what happens.
Imps is strictly for limited, where it is admittedly a huge bomb. Red really doesn't want something like this in constructed though. We don't have the ramp to pump it out early enough, and it doesn't have haste besides. Would it have too much to ask for a 4/3 flying trampler for 3 instead? That we would be excited about. However:
The imps are NOT vanilla! They have at a minimum flying and more likely trample as well! Vanilla means no abilities.
Maybe, buy I don't see it in standard anyways. Maybe a modern delver/elemental deck, where if you don't see your delvers at least you've got the elemental as back up? Kinda screws with your snapcaster plan though.
I don't know, I kinda plan on having my spells resolve...
And you're not killing them with your 20 copies of grapeshot because? This is not a good storm deck card. Storm wants to kill with storm, not grow a giant creature and wait an extra turn.
in todays magic, i would qualify a creature with only flying and trample that costs SIX, as vanilla.
i dont know what is the fascination with people wanting to play all these creatures that dont have actual abilities. they're just dudes with keywords on them.
Well, when I first saw that cycle of uncounterables spells, I was thinking to myself that Izzet might have a way to jack spells to deal with that. Seeing that elemental strengthens that thought. 'Jack your Aupreme Verdict than exile it'.
in todays magic, i would qualify a creature with only flying and trample that costs SIX, as vanilla.
i dont know what is the fascination with people wanting to play all these creatures that dont have actual abilities. they're just dudes with keywords on them.
You need to learn what terms mean... and keywords are abilities that have been shorted for convenience. If you call it vanilla that means it's a beat stick with nothing but flavor text (some times creatures are vanilla if they don't do anything while they're in play like a Comes into play ability that isn't relevant after it's in play)
and im really amazed the u/r 1 drop is getting so much attention.... nobody talked about guttersnipe anywhere near as much as this guy.... and he seems much better for "comboing off"
in todays magic, i would qualify a creature with only flying and trample that costs SIX, as vanilla.
i dont know what is the fascination with people wanting to play all these creatures that dont have actual abilities. they're just dudes with keywords on them.
And that pretty much sums up the Magic mindset of today's players. A flying trample 6/6 just doesn't cut it anymore.
You need to learn what terms mean... and keywords are abilities that have been shorted for convenience. If you call it vanilla that means it's a beat stick with nothing but flavor text (some times creatures are vanilla if they don't do anything while they're in play like a Comes into play ability that isn't relevant after it's in play)
i've been playing magic since prophecy, i know what the term means.
imo the way creatures have been the past few years, the term needs to be updated. when you play this guy, i dont have to worry about anything new, other than you have a creature in play. your creature doesnt do anything but attack(or block if you dont unleash it) that seems PRETTY vanilla to me.
i've been playing magic since prophecy, i know what the term means.
imo the way creatures have been the past few years, the term needs to be updated. when you play this guy, i dont have to worry about anything new, other than you have a creature in play. your creature doesnt do anything but attack(or block if you dont unleash it) that seems PRETTY vanilla to me.
Then you're part of the problem with magic today. Cards have to do more and be more but when they make those cards people complain that they weren't busted enough to be useful and wish they'd just been Flying trampling beat sticks instead.
Then you're part of the problem with magic today. Cards have to do more and be more but when they make those cards people complain that they weren't busted enough to be useful and wish they'd just been Flying trampling beat sticks instead.
what "problem" is this? is this casual talk? nobody who plays competitive magic wishes for more vanilla "beatsticks" instead.
would YOU play a 7/6 flying trampler for 6 in todays t2?
what do you want? a 6cmc utility creature? yeah cause those all see tons of play.... (titans don't really count cause those were admittedly too powerful)
and im really amazed the u/r 1 drop is getting so much attention.... nobody talked about guttersnipe anywhere near as much as this guy.... and he seems much better for "comboing off"
True,guttersnipe seems more combo-y then the element.but the element will see more play in tempo/aggro style decks.sure the snipe can be in tempo too but it isn't a one drop.
what do you want? a 6cmc utility creature? yeah cause those all see tons of play.... (titans don't really count cause those were admittedly too powerful)
are you trolling me? 6+ CC with some kind of utility are THE ONLY CREATURES that see play.
wurmcoil, consecrated sphinx, massacre wurm, brutalizer, norn, etc etc.
even the 6 drop legends in this set that are on the weaker side of utility are better than "vanilla" 6+ drops.
And that pretty much sums up the Magic mindset of today's players. A flying trample 6/6 just doesn't cut it anymore.
Amazing. Just amazing.
I know you like to complain about people complaining but can you honestly say with a straight face that what is essentially a Shivan Dragon will see T2 play? When was the last time such a creature was T2 playable, last decade?
Ramp decks want big dudes that can stabilize or garner some kind of CA almost immediately. This card can't do either if unleashed and is basically a Shivan Dragon unleashed.
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i'm surprise to see nobody mention anything about the interaction between Misthollow Griffin and Nivmagus Elemental...\nothing to see here...move along, didn't read the card properly...
Reminds me of kithkin in their day. If you were playing defensively you were doing it wrong. That's what Rakdos is pushing again only on much scarier bodies instead of swarms. Basically it says trade punches with me. Either they block and you crush their defenses or you get through and burn them for more. Seems like fun.
Because Misthollow isn't an instant or sorcery....
What interaction is that?
Protection From Everything
Thats because the Elemental only works with instants and sorceries, not creatures
I'm almost sure yes.
Have all of them.
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This is correct since the pay or lose clause is tied to the spell resolving.
That's because a lot of players are looking at their 1cc creatures like this: "if it's not a mana dork, a Delver or an important combo piece, it's useless."
I can understand why players look down on the elemental, though: you need to spend mana and a card in order to pump it, and most players immediately look down on that, specially when they look at the Golgari pump creature, Lotleth Troll, who requires just the card, no mana, and the card isn't exiled (its growth isn't as fast, though).
The status of a blue 1cc creatures causes the Nivmagus Elemental to be immediately compared to Delver, who has evasion and doesn't cost the player a card (or mana) to grow. Being a red creature, on the other hand, causes it to be compared to other red 1cc beaters such as Stromkirk Noble and Goblin Guide, who also offer power at no additional cost. Basically, most people are unwilling to spend cards and mana to make the Elemental big because they don't want to risk being 2-for-1'd should the opponent have removal at hand for it.
One thing is for sure, though: right now, Nivmagus Elemental has a useful niche as a hate card against Hive Mind decks, as it can eat the Pacts' copies the opponent gives you.
Jace's Trolling ---
Instant
Split Second
Exile target spell, then return Jace's Trolling to its owner's hand.
"Yeah, sure... when pigs fly."
-Mark Rosewater about printing this card
EDIT: Although Golgari have some good interactions too, so we'll have to see what happens.
My art blog
Claims:
The kicker variant in WWK will be "Kicker without a kicked effect." - proven wrong Jan 2010 : 2 wrongs
Decks:
:symu::symb: Bloodchief Ascension - Modern
:symb::symr: Rakdos, the Defiler - EDH
:symu::symb::symw: Sharuum the Hegemon - EDH
:symw::symu::symb: Zur the Enchanter - EDH
in todays magic, i would qualify a creature with only flying and trample that costs SIX, as vanilla.
i dont know what is the fascination with people wanting to play all these creatures that dont have actual abilities. they're just dudes with keywords on them.
You need to learn what terms mean... and keywords are abilities that have been shorted for convenience. If you call it vanilla that means it's a beat stick with nothing but flavor text (some times creatures are vanilla if they don't do anything while they're in play like a Comes into play ability that isn't relevant after it's in play)
And that pretty much sums up the Magic mindset of today's players. A flying trample 6/6 just doesn't cut it anymore.
Amazing. Just amazing.
i've been playing magic since prophecy, i know what the term means.
imo the way creatures have been the past few years, the term needs to be updated. when you play this guy, i dont have to worry about anything new, other than you have a creature in play. your creature doesnt do anything but attack(or block if you dont unleash it) that seems PRETTY vanilla to me.
Then you're part of the problem with magic today. Cards have to do more and be more but when they make those cards people complain that they weren't busted enough to be useful and wish they'd just been Flying trampling beat sticks instead.
would YOU play a 7/6 flying trampler for 6 in todays t2?
what "problem" is this? is this casual talk? nobody who plays competitive magic wishes for more vanilla "beatsticks" instead.
what do you want? a 6cmc utility creature? yeah cause those all see tons of play.... (titans don't really count cause those were admittedly too powerful)
True,guttersnipe seems more combo-y then the element.but the element will see more play in tempo/aggro style decks.sure the snipe can be in tempo too but it isn't a one drop.
are you trolling me? 6+ CC with some kind of utility are THE ONLY CREATURES that see play.
wurmcoil, consecrated sphinx, massacre wurm, brutalizer, norn, etc etc.
even the 6 drop legends in this set that are on the weaker side of utility are better than "vanilla" 6+ drops.
In a ramp deck? Absolutely.
I know you like to complain about people complaining but can you honestly say with a straight face that what is essentially a Shivan Dragon will see T2 play? When was the last time such a creature was T2 playable, last decade?
Ramp decks want big dudes that can stabilize or garner some kind of CA almost immediately. This card can't do either if unleashed and is basically a Shivan Dragon unleashed.