Lol, if people are hardcasting enchantments for 10 mana and killing with door to nothingness, this can work as well.
Door isn't a combo. It's entirely playable in any ramp deck if you're willing to play lots of duals (which you can easily do, because the format has no nonbasic punishment). Omniscience combos with absolutely everything.
Edit: It's not a function of speed, people. It's a function of having a "combo" consisting of two cards that are mediocre in standard outside of your "combo," one of which is a 5-mana enchantment that does absolutely nothing.
Door isn't a combo. It's entirely playable in any ramp deck if you're willing to play lots of duals (which you can easily do, because the format has no nonbasic punishment). Omniscience combos with absolutely everything.
Edit: It's not a function of speed, people. It's a function of having a "combo" consisting of two cards that are mediocre in standard outside of your "combo," one of which is a 5-mana enchantment that does absolutely nothing.
The enchantment is the win-con. In this deck, the spell should read: 4[MANA]B[/MANA: I win the game. It does not need any other function.
The Guildmage is perfectly passable as a creature without the combo, but of course, you normally do no play it until you know you can go of. The rest of the deck will be filled with cards that slow the game down, drawing it out untill you can stick the combo...or just bleed the opponent out with extort or the Ghost Council if you want to.
Door isn't a combo. It's entirely playable in any ramp deck if you're willing to play lots of duals (which you can easily do, because the format has no nonbasic punishment). Omniscience combos with absolutely everything.
Edit: It's not a function of speed, people. It's a function of having a "combo" consisting of two cards that are mediocre in standard outside of your "combo," one of which is a 5-mana enchantment that does absolutely nothing.
[CARD]
Exquisite Blood[/CARD] does actually make Extort give twice as much life so it is not useless without the guildmage. Besides which it doesn't have to be the focus of the deck it can be an alternate win-con.
Yeah you win if they have:
-no pithing needles
-no creature/enchantment removal whatsoever
-no skullcrack
-no slaughter games
-it's turn 6 and both of these cards stuck for the turns before
-you're not dead
-they can't kill you in response
Pretty solid win con in limited if you happen to get slipped an AVR pack.
Otherwise terrible in every other format.
(Not the guildmage just that combo)
The point is that you don't need to play relying 100% on this combo, the Guildmage and Exquisite Blood are decent without the combo on the type of deck that would do this. So they're good cards for the deck strategy, that if happens to be together wins you the game.
And they even might lead to wrong sideboarding strategy, where the opponent might want to shut off the combo without really defending himself against the deck itself.
People should just make their BW or Esper deck as they would do and add these two, now they have not only 2 cards that works well with the deck strategy, but a 2 card combo.
Edit: It's not a function of speed, people. It's a function of having a "combo" consisting of two cards that are mediocre in standard outside of your "combo," one of which is a 5-mana enchantment that does absolutely nothing.
Mediocre cards outside of the deck strategy.
With all the extort and drain provided by Orzhov, these cards are no longer outside of the game plan as it would be on the current standard.
Why would they do this when we have that card out in standard? It creates an infinite combo trigger by turn five.
I don't see how you can do it on turn 5 since you need to pay for the mage's ability. If you have 3 mana open, Exquisite Blood and Vizkopa Guildmage in play, and the ability to deal damage and your opponent cannot stop any of these, then yes the combo wins. That hardly seems irresponsible of development.
The ability is a bit expensive. I could see it working with EB (as fifty people have said), but that's about it. I don't think any other lifegain stuff is actually going to be viable.
I think it can (potentially) have a significant impact, even if a deck can't assemble the Exquisite Blood combo.
With extort, etc., there should be decent life gain sources that combine well with this guildmage.
That said, those combinations might fall short of the impact of this guildmage combining with Exquisite Blood.
Also, skullcrack is a obstacle that a deck could easily face.
Giving your Alms Beast lifelink offsets the life your opponent gained. Also, if you hit 6 mana, even if your opponent blocks, your Alms Beast will always do damage, though I'm not sure it's worth the Upkeep (then again if your opponent doesn't block you don't have to pay the upkeep, and if your opponent does you will get a free card out of him and you can still choose not to pay the upkeep).
Yes. But in that regard, it has dis-interaction with alms beast as opposed to a vanilla 6/6. In fact, the only time your Vizkopa Guildmage would have exceptional interaction with Alms Beast is when the Alms Beast is controlled by an opponent.
I hear combos based on 5-mana enchantments that don't affect the board are super-reliable.
Hive Mind has been viable in modern and legacy, costs one more mana, and also doesn't affect the board. yet it's a two-card combo that basically wins instantly, much like the combo in question (if built around correctly). there are always exceptions to the rule. i wouldn't write this off just yet.
It's to close to the Orzhov Guildmage. Vizkopa Bank, while not the guild hall, is an extremely relevant structure to the Orzhov.
First ability is way Overcosted compared to Alabaster Mage. They should have given it deathtouch as well, but that second ability is great.
The first ability is overcosted because it comes with the second ability. Do you want wizards to hand you a win on a platter, or do you want to play the game?
That, and you know what they say. If Wizards started shipping $100 bills in boosters tomorrow, people would scream and cry and whine that they were folded the wrong way.
i dont think you want to sphinx revelation for 3 less to do a small amount of damage especially in the decks you want to play sphinx revelation in.
True (unless the opponent is at an amount of life that lets you finish him or her that way), but my intended point was that there is other relevant life gain out there.
(I updated my post to exclude this particular example to express the point better.)
Yeah you win if they have:
-no pithing needles
-no creature/enchantment removal whatsoever
-no skullcrack
-no slaughter games
-it's turn 6 and both of these cards stuck for the turns before
-you're not dead
-they can't kill you in response
Pretty solid win con in limited if you happen to get slipped an AVR pack.
Otherwise terrible in every other format.
(Not the guildmage just that combo)
I never understand why people assume that you would not ramp in the process of doing this combo. With all ten shocks available to us once this combo becomes standard legal you could easily play WBG and start with a T1 Arbor elf.
In doing so your play would be:
T1 Arbor Elf off any green shock.
T2 Far Seek, and ending with any two lands able to produce W or B.
T3 Cast Exquisite Blood
T4 Cast Vizkopa Guildmage, activate it's second ability and cast Bump in the Night with your one free mana.
Hive Mind has been viable in modern and legacy, costs one more mana, and also doesn't affect the board.
Hive Mind is not viable in Modern, because its success is based on Show and Tell with Force of Will as backup, and it combos with several zero-cost spells, not a 2-mana creature with a 3-mana activated ability (that also requires you to do something else to activate your "combo").
Door isn't a combo. It's entirely playable in any ramp deck if you're willing to play lots of duals (which you can easily do, because the format has no nonbasic punishment). Omniscience combos with absolutely everything.
Edit: It's not a function of speed, people. It's a function of having a "combo" consisting of two cards that are mediocre in standard outside of your "combo," one of which is a 5-mana enchantment that does absolutely nothing.
Standard: W/R Aggro
The enchantment is the win-con. In this deck, the spell should read: 4[MANA]B[/MANA: I win the game. It does not need any other function.
The Guildmage is perfectly passable as a creature without the combo, but of course, you normally do no play it until you know you can go of. The rest of the deck will be filled with cards that slow the game down, drawing it out untill you can stick the combo...or just bleed the opponent out with extort or the Ghost Council if you want to.
[CARD]
Exquisite Blood[/CARD] does actually make Extort give twice as much life so it is not useless without the guildmage. Besides which it doesn't have to be the focus of the deck it can be an alternate win-con.
I Stream MTGO on Twitch: broodwarjc
I also post recordings of those streams on Youtube: broodwarjcavidgamer
Standard Deck:
BUPirates
Modern Deck:
B8-Rack
The point is that you don't need to play relying 100% on this combo, the Guildmage and Exquisite Blood are decent without the combo on the type of deck that would do this. So they're good cards for the deck strategy, that if happens to be together wins you the game.
And they even might lead to wrong sideboarding strategy, where the opponent might want to shut off the combo without really defending himself against the deck itself.
People should just make their BW or Esper deck as they would do and add these two, now they have not only 2 cards that works well with the deck strategy, but a 2 card combo.
Mediocre cards outside of the deck strategy.
With all the extort and drain provided by Orzhov, these cards are no longer outside of the game plan as it would be on the current standard.
Yes.
I don't see how you can do it on turn 5 since you need to pay for the mage's ability. If you have 3 mana open, Exquisite Blood and Vizkopa Guildmage in play, and the ability to deal damage and your opponent cannot stop any of these, then yes the combo wins. That hardly seems irresponsible of development.
I think it can (potentially) have a significant impact, even if a deck can't assemble the Exquisite Blood combo.
With extort, etc., there should be decent life gain sources that combine well with this guildmage.
That said, those combinations might fall short of the impact of this guildmage combining with Exquisite Blood.
Also, skullcrack is a obstacle that a deck could easily face.
Bought 4 in advance
EDH: GW Sisay, UB Wrexial, WR Anax and Cymede (Coming soon)
Casual: GW Elephants
Yes. But in that regard, it has dis-interaction with alms beast as opposed to a vanilla 6/6. In fact, the only time your Vizkopa Guildmage would have exceptional interaction with Alms Beast is when the Alms Beast is controlled by an opponent.
of freaking.
Sands.
Hive Mind has been viable in modern and legacy, costs one more mana, and also doesn't affect the board. yet it's a two-card combo that basically wins instantly, much like the combo in question (if built around correctly). there are always exceptions to the rule. i wouldn't write this off just yet.
but more importantly,
Martyr.
of freaking.
Sands.
The first ability is overcosted because it comes with the second ability. Do you want wizards to hand you a win on a platter, or do you want to play the game?
//stat.rumandmonkey.com/tests/1/6/5261/20801.jpg">stat.rumandmonkey.com
True (unless the opponent is at an amount of life that lets you finish him or her that way), but my intended point was that there is other relevant life gain out there.
(I updated my post to exclude this particular example to express the point better.)
Hasn't it been stated before that the guild champions would be appearing in Dragon's Maze?
i was hoping for a new teysa or a reprint with cooler art
i hope thats true!
Check out Odds//Ends - My articles on Quirky Cards and Oddball Builds
Long-time PucaTrade member and sometime author. Send me cards!
Currently playing Knight of the Reliquary - Retreat to Coralhelm Combo
I never understand why people assume that you would not ramp in the process of doing this combo. With all ten shocks available to us once this combo becomes standard legal you could easily play WBG and start with a T1 Arbor elf.
In doing so your play would be:
Hive Mind is not viable in Modern, because its success is based on Show and Tell with Force of Will as backup, and it combos with several zero-cost spells, not a 2-mana creature with a 3-mana activated ability (that also requires you to do something else to activate your "combo").
Standard: W/R Aggro
Second ability is perfect.
me too.
I swear this game is like crack