MTG Salvation

https://twitter.com/karsten_frank/status/852189318307135489

By Force XR
Sorcery (U)
Destroy X target artifacts.
"Dissent? Your gods can't even begin to comprehend the dissent that's about to happen here!"
- Chandra Nalaar

Is it better than Shattering Spree?

HOLY HOLY HOLY. Shattering Spree's wife.

Oooo it's a story spotlight.

I thought I was excited enough for this story just because of Bolas, but this card - and today's HUGE reveal in the story - have put me on the edge of my seat.

Magali Villanueve continues to crank out awesome art

Awesome art by Magali Villenueve, as usual.

So how's about that one-sided vehicles sweeper?

Quote from Raptorchan »

Is it better than Shattering Spree?

At least in modern I think it is, as it allows non-heavy red decks to run it. Most decks were you'd want to side this card in against aren't running counters anyways, so replicate isn't that relevant.

EDIT: NVM, Shattering Spree is better, kills an artifact for R, while this requires 1R

Ooh

A standard version of vandalblast

Quote from jshrwd »

Oooo it's a story spotlight.

I thought I was excited enough for this story just because of Bolas, but this card - and today's HUGE reveal in the story - have put me on the edge of my seat.

I'm tense at work and it's not good. This is all before Bolas shows up again. It's more of them accidentally helping him out due to where this story is going. This card is great. I was complaining about removal but they're bringing it.

Seems pretty good. I really like that flavor text.

Quote from Raptorchan »

Is it better than Shattering Spree?

Not strictly better. Shattering Spree makes copies, which would have to be countered individually. This only takes a single counterspell to stop.

Quote from Raptorchan »

Is it better than Shattering Spree?

Nope. With Spree, you can target one thing more than once. With this, you cannot. Also, Spree is also basically uncounterable, while this is not. But decent uncommon nonetheless.

Quote from Raptorchan »

Is it better than Shattering Spree?

You can cast shattering spree for 1

This might be good in standard, considering how much play Release the Gremlins has had, but then again it does compete with gremlins which generates significantly more board advantage at twice the cost. Even with as many artifacts are in the format I think I'd usually rather spend 3 to get a 2/2 and nuke 1 artifact, and spend 5 to nuke two and get two 2/2s, compared to nuking 2 or 4 artifacts and getting no creatures. At instant it'd be closer. As is I feel like its mostly standard SB material that may not even make the cut, and in older formats (Modern, Commander, Legacy) it is only arguably better than Shattering Spree and Vandalblast.

Storywise...Chandra knows what she's about, I guess. Makes sense so far that the Gatewatch will try to Revolt once again, but I think/hope/believe our last story spotlight card will show the team getting smacked down by Hazoret or Bolas since they have 0 support here for their revolution.

Quote from Raptorchan »

Is it better than Shattering Spree?

Maybe? This one isn't nearly as color restrictive which is great for decks running 3 colors. But Shattering Spree makes separate copies so if the opponent is running countermagic you can still kill something and it will always be one more artifact destroyed.

This is part of the PUSH THE CURRENT BLOCK formula.
It's why the green naturalize cycler is only artifact and not enchantment removal, they're pushing enchantments.
Say goodbye to the gremlins they were so cute.

Quote from Desertwalk »

Quote from Raptorchan »

Is it better than Shattering Spree?

At least in modern I think it is, as it allows non-heavy red decks to run it. Most decks were you'd want to side this card in against aren't running counters anyways, so replicate isn't that relevant.

EDIT: NVM, Shattering Spree is better, kills an artifact for R, while this requires 1R

But this kills 2 artifacts for 2R, while Shattering Spree requires RR. And 3 for 3R vs RRR. And so on. Depends on the deck I suppose

I suppose some people are going to replace Release the Gremlins in their Standard sideboards in favor of this card.

Okay, so I just texted a friend of mine about this card, telling him that it should "shut down vehicles and colossus" but I accidentally used the wrong vowel. *laugh* Yes, I suppose it will do that, too.

Release the Gremlins is still good because you get gremlins out of the deal. I don't think RtG will be replaced.

Quote from Courier7 »

I suppose some people are going to replace Release the Gremlins in their Standard sideboards in favor of this card.

Okay, so I just texted a friend of mine about this card, telling him that it should "shut down vehicles and colossus" but I accidentally used the wrong vowel. *laugh* Yes, I suppose it will do that, too.

Pretty sure you can say 'shot' on the forums.

Quote from Sefrael »

so the gatewatch is doing another revolution? -.-

So its like Arab spring. First Kaladesh, now Amonkhet.

Quote from Fiveod »

Quote from Desertwalk »

Quote from Raptorchan »

Is it better than Shattering Spree?

At least in modern I think it is, as it allows non-heavy red decks to run it. Most decks were you'd want to side this card in against aren't running counters anyways, so replicate isn't that relevant.

EDIT: NVM, Shattering Spree is better, kills an artifact for R, while this requires 1R

But this kills 2 artifacts for 2R, while Shattering Spree requires RR. And 3 for 3R vs RRR. And so on. Depends on the deck I suppose

It's situationally more efficient than Vandalblast when X=2 or X=3, since Vandalblast is cheaper for a single target (as long as you don't control it) and turns into a onesided boardwipe for the same mana it'd cost to By Force for 4.

Still it's efficiently designed and splash friendly, I think it's a solid Shatter variant all things considered.

Quote from goblin_welder »

Quote from Sefrael »

so the gatewatch is doing another revolution? -.-

So its like Arab spring. First Kaladesh, now Amonkhet.

Only problem with that is Kaladesh is based on Indian culture, not Muslim culture

Quote from Sefrael »

so the gatewatch is doing another revolution? -.-

They might try, but the gatewatch has 2 major problems.

1) Most of the population probably doesn't want to revolt, and it would take something dramatic to get them to oppose Bolas.

2) The name of the next set is "Hour of Devastation"

Has such a simple card really never been printed before? That's shocking.

Quote from Sefrael »

so the gatewatch is doing another revolution? -.-

Ha, that was my first thought too.
Like, who the **** do the gatewatch think they are? I mean okay, they saved zendikar and innistrad, so now we get two sets where they show up and break the status quo for reasons? Id hate to live on those planes