When the commender precons rolled out, I appreciated the Vow cycle, but disliked the strictness of them; I much prefered cards like Edric, Spymaster of Trest which were so much more subtle about their politics. And now we get the Curse of Stalked Prey:
How does everyone feel about this? Do you think the +1/+1 counters make a strong enough incentive to mark someone else for death? Or do you think that singling someone out for pain makes you too much of a target (especially for that guy, who can't hit himself for counters, and may have a reason to dislike you)?
Red's not much of a power color in EDH, and I don't have a lot of decks running it, but I can't wait to try it out.
Might be playable in zedru... but overall, seems weak. Red is not known for ways to abuse +1/+1 counters and the extra +1 may or may not make a difference to other opponents.
While I like the idea behind it and the aggressive cost, I just don't think this will have the impact you are hoping for. To me, it seems like more of a group hug card. It doesn't really further your game much but does help (almost) everyone else at the table. And even if they do killed the cursed person, you then have to deal with all those counters you provided.
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"You are what you pretend to be, so you must be careful what you pretend to be" from Mother Night
The way I see it, is that I don't care if my opponents get +1 counters, because they won't be attacking me. It also seems like a good card if someone has been picking on you, shutting you down all game, so that you can sit back and watch them collect the love.
Red also has a fair number of wrath effects to clean up afterward, although white does that bit better.
I suppose that I should add my philosophy on giving people choices.
Cards like moat deny your opponents the opportunity to hit you. It's a great defensive card, the player will resent the inability to hit you, even if he wasn't going to hit you to begin with, because you have taken that choice away. If it ever goes away, you may be smacked just on principal, or as a retaliatory, 'better do this while I can'. Think also of Sygg, River Cutthroat as people will mark you a target, just so you on't gain advantage on their actions.
Cards like Edric (when not your general, threat issues there) give your opponents a positive reinforcement for going elsewhere; so long as you are not overly threatening, it does the exact same as moat, nobody is hitting you. The end difference being though, that people will like you for it.
This will be a cool/cute card for the super casual circles, and pretty much irrelevant everywhere else.
1. The incentive isn't that huge. People will prefer to attack the "prey" in a vacuum, but it's not likely going to force them to attack someone they clearly shouldn't be attacking.
2. Creature-focused strategies just aren't domiant in this format, so many decks won't feel much effect from this card at all.
3. It's red, which is a problem right there. If it were in token colors like green or white we might be talking.
As a connoisseur of fun, interesting matches, I still to this day have not been able to craft that "perfect deck"; the deck that I can play and have fun over time, doesn't get boring, but simultaneously is fun to play against. I honestly don't think it exists. It's like a unicorn. A ninja unicorn.
I have at least one deck idea that I plan to build someday that would love this. Basically involves giving everyone tokens, turtling up behind Ghostly Prison effects, and dropping something like Avatar of Slaughter.
Emmara is like the worst parts of Legends and Homelands got pregnant, aborted the fetus, tossed it in the trashcan, set it on fire and wrapped the corpse in a Dragon's Maze pack wrapper.
This seems pretty good to me in an Animar, Soul of Elements build, assuming that you can get it early. My Animar deck is built to either kill/have an overwhelming advantage by turn 5-6, so I'll definitely try it there.
Naya colors have a couple different generals known for tokens: Rith and Hazezon. Red-Green by itself can make use of Wort, like you mentioned, as well as Ulasht. Red-White is the weaker combo but has Jor Kadeen as a fairly strong commander who enjoys tokens alongside him.
I'm sorry, but this card sucks. If you hit someone with 20 1/1s theyd be dead the next turn anyway. If they are hitting you multiple times with small creatures they could of just played a 2 drop instead of this card and deal the same amount of damage. 90% of the time you could deal more damage with a 2 mana burn spell than this card and have have a card thats useful as removal too. The only value in this card is political in which case its as good as your opponents are greedy.
I have at least one deck idea that I plan to build someday that would love this. Basically involves giving everyone tokens, turtling up behind Ghostly Prison effects, and dropping something like Avatar of Slaughter.
Is it a Karona deck? Because I've toyed with something similar.
I REALLY like the idea of marking another player for death, I really do. I might even play this in a meta heavy on token and aggro decks. But in ALL the red decks I've ever built, in a deckbuilding vacuum, I can honestly say there isn't a single card I'd be happy cutting to throw in this card. It just doesn't go the distance.
It might see casual play in groups where there's some guy running Ulasht or Wort. That's about it.
I'm sorry, but this card sucks. If you hit someone with 20 1/1s theyd be dead the next turn anyway. If they are hitting you multiple times with small creatures they could of just played a 2 drop instead of this card and deal the same amount of damage. 90% of the time you could deal more damage with a 2 mana burn spell than this card and have have a card thats useful as removal too. The only value in this card is political in which case its as good as your opponents are greedy.
What two drops or burn spells are you playing that are going to equal the buffs on a few little dudes? The only burn I can think of off the top of my head that sees any EDH play is Price of Progress, and the efficiently costed two drop beaters are generally not good in this format outside of niche roles like in Sygg, River Cutthroat. If you get in two or three times with a couple little guys, you're seeing some extra damage. Add in that this lives through wraths to buff the next wave and plays a political role, and you've got a solid card.
It's not going to break the format, and not every deck with red wants it, but it's better than you're giving it credit for.
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[Pr]Jaya | Estrid | A rotating cast of decks built out of my box.
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How does everyone feel about this? Do you think the +1/+1 counters make a strong enough incentive to mark someone else for death? Or do you think that singling someone out for pain makes you too much of a target (especially for that guy, who can't hit himself for counters, and may have a reason to dislike you)?
Red's not much of a power color in EDH, and I don't have a lot of decks running it, but I can't wait to try it out.
Retired EDH - Tibor and Lumia | [PR]Nemata |Ramirez dePietro | [C]Edric | Riku | Jenara | Lazav | Heliod | Daxos | Roon | Kozilek
First posted EDH deck: Hakim, Beardmaster
Red also has a fair number of wrath effects to clean up afterward, although white does that bit better.
I suppose that I should add my philosophy on giving people choices.
Cards like moat deny your opponents the opportunity to hit you. It's a great defensive card, the player will resent the inability to hit you, even if he wasn't going to hit you to begin with, because you have taken that choice away. If it ever goes away, you may be smacked just on principal, or as a retaliatory, 'better do this while I can'. Think also of Sygg, River Cutthroat as people will mark you a target, just so you on't gain advantage on their actions.
Cards like Edric (when not your general, threat issues there) give your opponents a positive reinforcement for going elsewhere; so long as you are not overly threatening, it does the exact same as moat, nobody is hitting you. The end difference being though, that people will like you for it.
Retired EDH - Tibor and Lumia | [PR]Nemata |Ramirez dePietro | [C]Edric | Riku | Jenara | Lazav | Heliod | Daxos | Roon | Kozilek
1. The incentive isn't that huge. People will prefer to attack the "prey" in a vacuum, but it's not likely going to force them to attack someone they clearly shouldn't be attacking.
2. Creature-focused strategies just aren't domiant in this format, so many decks won't feel much effect from this card at all.
3. It's red, which is a problem right there. If it were in token colors like green or white we might be talking.
R Citizen Cane (Feldon of the Third Path)
R Citizen Cane (Feldon of the Third Path)
Is it a Karona deck? Because I've toyed with something similar.
I REALLY like the idea of marking another player for death, I really do. I might even play this in a meta heavy on token and aggro decks. But in ALL the red decks I've ever built, in a deckbuilding vacuum, I can honestly say there isn't a single card I'd be happy cutting to throw in this card. It just doesn't go the distance.
It might see casual play in groups where there's some guy running Ulasht or Wort. That's about it.
RRRHeartless Hidetsugu: The Ogre for TrollsRRR
BBBSeizan's Perverted VicesBBB
What two drops or burn spells are you playing that are going to equal the buffs on a few little dudes? The only burn I can think of off the top of my head that sees any EDH play is Price of Progress, and the efficiently costed two drop beaters are generally not good in this format outside of niche roles like in Sygg, River Cutthroat. If you get in two or three times with a couple little guys, you're seeing some extra damage. Add in that this lives through wraths to buff the next wave and plays a political role, and you've got a solid card.
It's not going to break the format, and not every deck with red wants it, but it's better than you're giving it credit for.