Dat errata, you're actually right. Even if it does kinda ruin the "retcon" flavor.
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Card advantage is not the same thing as card draw. Something for 2B cannot be strictly worse than something for BBB or 3BB. If you're taking out Swords to Plowshares for Plummet, you're a fool. Stop doing these things!
Because you only retcon that Doctor Doom was really a Doombot a few issues later. Surprise is required.
I mean, this still leads to a lot of weird interactions, but it has had weird interactions since the beginning. (You still discard a card if Hippy hits you, for instance.)
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Card advantage is not the same thing as card draw. Something for 2B cannot be strictly worse than something for BBB or 3BB. If you're taking out Swords to Plowshares for Plummet, you're a fool. Stop doing these things!
I use this in my Bontu the glorified/ pestilence deck when I do a bunch of pestilence damage to everything then use simulacrum to put all the damage I took onto Bontu.
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Well, there's supposed to be another E in there. Nuckelavee supposedly means "devil (cf. Old Nick) of the sea".
This was one of those "do one thing if you're in the first color, do another if you're in the second color, do both if you're in both" cards that we tend to see a lot in gold blocks to make limited run more smoothly. But it really does wonders in hybrid, since they make even more sense if they are both colors. Plus, hybrid design space is the intersection of both colors' design space. There are other ways to use hybrid besides just two colors (and no, not three-color hybrid; I'm talking about things like Alara Reborn), but hey, every color has access to "If you control two or more plains, destroy target enchantment.", "Target creature gets -X/-X, where X is the number of Swamps you control.", "If you spent U to cast CARDNAME, you may return target nonland permanent to its owner's hand.", "Green creatures you control get +3/+3 until end of turn.", "CARDNAME deals X damage to target creature, where X is the number of red creatures you control.", etc., since unless you're in that color, it won't do anything. It's just WOTC usually limits it to that color, allied colors, or colors of the same faction in sets where the factions are in different colors.
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Card advantage is not the same thing as card draw. Something for 2B cannot be strictly worse than something for BBB or 3BB. If you're taking out Swords to Plowshares for Plummet, you're a fool. Stop doing these things!
Before this, all you really had that could grab both instants and sorceries was Izzet Chronarch. Now, you also have Mnemonic Wall, Archaeomancer, Ghitu Chronicler and Salvager of Secrets, all of which aren't bound by colour restrictions unlike ol' Nucklavee. Nucklavee can still grab 2 cards but is rather specific about what it can get back, limiting its usefulness compared to the other cards.
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My Commander decks:
Chandra, Torch of Defiance - Oops! All Chandras.
Prime Speaker Zegana - Draw for Power.
Pir & Toothy - Counterpalooza.
Arcades, the Strategist - Another Brick in the Wall.
Zacama, Primal Calamity - Calamity of Double Mana.
Edgar Markov - Vampires Don't Die.
Child of Alara - Dreamcrusher.
hybrid design space is the intersection of both colors' design space.
Hybrid design space is meant to be the intersection of both colors' design space. They frequently did not succeed. If you can't reasonably conclude "this card could have been mono-{color1} or mono-{color2}", then it oughtn't be hybrid. That's not to say all hybrids are failures of the intent behind the hybrid concept, but plenty enough of them are to levy criticism.
Nucklavee can still grab 2 cards but is rather specific about what it can get back, limiting its usefulness compared to the other cards.
Too bad it's not blue sorcery and red instant (which would have been an interesting inversion of the Anarchist/Scrivener dichotomy). Clearly I need recursion for Part the Waterveil/Radiate combo!
Before the Planeswalker legendary changes, and the introduction of Legendary spells I would have rated this card pretty low. However after Dominaria I have to say I like this card.
Most of the Legendary Sorceries are quite powerful effects, and in Commander you almost always have access to a legendary and you can nab a walker with it as well.
Yeah, with the legendary changes, this bad boy got infinitely better. Having a tutor like this in a color that’s usually pretty limited in terms of CA, it usually makes the cut if it has a fair number of targets. Obviously, that’s the key, targets. But, being able to grab what you need and a respectable body usually leaves this in most Wx lists I have.
I currently run this card in only two decks, Adriana knights tribal and Odric, Lunarch Marshal keyword tribal. The Lancers have been very good in both decks. CMC 5 is a very competitive spot on my mana curves, but I am considering running it in more decks just for the tutor value, as I have several decks where being able to fetch up the right legendary creature or planeswalker at that point in the game could well be a game-winning play. If nothing else, it would be a nice back-up to Sisay - or a way of more reliably getting her - in Gahiji.
2W for a 4/4 first strike body isn't too bad a deal (taking Time of Need as a 1C cost), even if sizes are often less-than-value for their CMCs in the format. In decks that can run both, it isn't too shabby as a second copy for redundancy (or third copy, but I always think of Captain Sisay as either a whole different tier and/or is usually the Commander of a deck that runs both Time of Need and Lancers).
Then there's me, who runs Lancers in Karador without Time of Need (but of course still with Sisay) because I do have a Legendary subtheme but it isn't that important over the general usefulness of a creature over a noncreature in a Karador deck.
Another "two legendary" Stax combo I like is Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite and Kamahl, Fist of Krosa. This land is my land, that land is going to the graveyard. You can do it several ways, but this one doesn't require a third card to boost your land's toughness. You can also Tooth and Nail.
Card advantage is not the same thing as card draw. Something for 2B cannot be strictly worse than something for BBB or 3BB. If you're taking out Swords to Plowshares for Plummet, you're a fool. Stop doing these things!
Behind a bit, so commenting in order on what I can:
Simulacrum = HO-LEE CRAP! I did not realize that had been errata'd, but after a friend of mine and I went over the original text, it makes sense in a more clear cut way. Now I need to find my copies and slot them into some decks that could use them(not sure if it should go into Merieke, but Thrax and Edgar for sure!). Great response when someone decides to swing wide...even better when you can flash in a creature for it to target. LOL, in fact that's such a hilarious mental image!
Thalia's Lancers = I am seeing more and more that I should have paid better attention to what was going on in Innistrad 2.0. I missed a number of great cards that deserved spots in my deck, case in point. 5 is a bit much for a sorcery tutor, but like most, I think the body justifies it. Add in the legendary rule change, and...welp! Definitely need to get this as well.
Nucklavee = I have a copy, but...bweh? Combos are obviously there, but not for me.
Fireshrieker = I think this is too often a card that looks like it should be an all-star, and just...fizzles. It's got a reasonable CMC, a fair equip cost, but...does it maybe telegraph too much? I don't know...my experience against it has always been that it makes it onto the field, MAYBE onto a creature for a swing, and then...gone.
This is one of those cards that is not the strongest thing ever, but its a clean way to get an ability into the colors that generally lack it.
It's just a bit too fair. Though, this still remains the easiest, simplest way without hoops to jump through or time durations, to grant double strike even after all these years.
Too bad it's not blue sorcery and red instant (which would have been an interesting inversion of the Anarchist/Scrivener dichotomy). Clearly I need recursion for Part the Waterveil/Radiate combo!
Wait, how does this combo? Part the Waterveil doesn't target, what is Radiate targeting here? You can't use Time Warp either because that would have the net effect of everyone taking infinite turns.
Wait, how does this combo? Part the Waterveil doesn't target, what is Radiate targeting here? You can't use Time Warp either because that would have the net effect of everyone taking infinite turns.
I am not sure if it works this way, buuut the awaken part of the spell does target so with Radiate and the Awakened spell it might copy once for each land you control?
Dat errata, you're actually right. Even if it does kinda ruin the "retcon" flavor.
On phasing:
On the other Hand, having it actually gain you life gives you lots more interaction with other mechanics.
Dragons of Legend, Lead by Scion of the UR-Dragon
The Gitrog Monster
Gonti, Lord of Luxury
Shogun Saskia
Hive World
Atraxa hates fun
Abzan
Why didn’t they errata this to be like Pariah?
Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR Voltron Control
Temmet, Vizier of Naktamun WU Unblockable Mirror Trickery
Ra's al Ghul (Sidar Kondo) and Face-Down Ninjas
Brudiclad, Token Engineer
Vaevictis (VV2) the Dire Lantern
Rona, Disciple of Gix
Tiana the Auror
Hallar
Ulrich the Politician
Zur the Rebel
Scorpion, Locust, Scarab, Egyptian Gods
O-Kagachi, Mathas, Mairsil
"Non-Tribal" Tribal Generals, Eggs
Because then in would function very differently. You'd have to play it before damage.
Because you only retcon that Doctor Doom was really a Doombot a few issues later. Surprise is required.
I mean, this still leads to a lot of weird interactions, but it has had weird interactions since the beginning. (You still discard a card if Hippy hits you, for instance.)
On phasing:
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Uhhhh... Ghostly Flicker Brass's Bounty..... no wait... Turnabout Twinflame... whatever. The name is weird.
This was one of those "do one thing if you're in the first color, do another if you're in the second color, do both if you're in both" cards that we tend to see a lot in gold blocks to make limited run more smoothly. But it really does wonders in hybrid, since they make even more sense if they are both colors. Plus, hybrid design space is the intersection of both colors' design space. There are other ways to use hybrid besides just two colors (and no, not three-color hybrid; I'm talking about things like Alara Reborn), but hey, every color has access to "If you control two or more plains, destroy target enchantment.", "Target creature gets -X/-X, where X is the number of Swamps you control.", "If you spent U to cast CARDNAME, you may return target nonland permanent to its owner's hand.", "Green creatures you control get +3/+3 until end of turn.", "CARDNAME deals X damage to target creature, where X is the number of red creatures you control.", etc., since unless you're in that color, it won't do anything. It's just WOTC usually limits it to that color, allied colors, or colors of the same faction in sets where the factions are in different colors.
On phasing:
Chandra, Torch of Defiance - Oops! All Chandras.
Prime Speaker Zegana - Draw for Power.
Pir & Toothy - Counterpalooza.
Arcades, the Strategist - Another Brick in the Wall.
Zacama, Primal Calamity - Calamity of Double Mana.
Edgar Markov - Vampires Don't Die.
Child of Alara - Dreamcrusher.
Too bad it's not blue sorcery and red instant (which would have been an interesting inversion of the Anarchist/Scrivener dichotomy). Clearly I need recursion for Part the Waterveil/Radiate combo!
Two Score, Minus Two or: A Stargate Tail
(Image by totallynotabrony)
What are your thoughts on ETBs, tutors, and legendary spells?
Two Score, Minus Two or: A Stargate Tail
(Image by totallynotabrony)
Most of the Legendary Sorceries are quite powerful effects, and in Commander you almost always have access to a legendary and you can nab a walker with it as well.
Dragons of Legend, Lead by Scion of the UR-Dragon
The Gitrog Monster
Gonti, Lord of Luxury
Shogun Saskia
Hive World
Atraxa hates fun
Abzan
Then there's me, who runs Lancers in Karador without Time of Need (but of course still with Sisay) because I do have a Legendary subtheme but it isn't that important over the general usefulness of a creature over a noncreature in a Karador deck.
Another "two legendary" Stax combo I like is Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite and Kamahl, Fist of Krosa. This land is my land, that land is going to the graveyard. You can do it several ways, but this one doesn't require a third card to boost your land's toughness. You can also Tooth and Nail.
But think about how fun this must be in Kaalia: Besides Brisela, Voice of Nightmares components, we have Iona, Shield of Emeria, Linvala, Keeper of Silence, Avacyn, Angel of Hope, Yosei, the Morning Star, Kokusho, the Evening Star, Oros, the Avenger, Ryusei, the Falling Star, Gisela, Blade of Goldnight, Rakdos the Defiler, Rakdos, Lord of Riots, Aurelia, the Warleader, Reya Dawnbringer, Razaketh, the Foulblooded, Ob Nixilis, Unshackled...And when Kaalia attacks, you don't even have to pay their mana cost.
But frankly, just about any deck featuring white can use this to some degree. Enchantress decks use it to get Serra's Sanctum. GWx tokens will use it for Gaea's Cradle and Growing Rites of Itlimoc, as well as for things like Kongming, "Sleeping Dragon", Dragon Throne of Tarkir and Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite and possibly Akroma's Memorial. (It depends. Ghave and Marath don't want Akroma's Memorial, but most token decks have use for it.) Lifegain (and any deck featuring blue, black, or green, for that matter) will use it for Alhammarret's Archive. Stax will start looking for legendary tax cards in white. (If they're not already your commander!) Cat tribal will use it for Konda's Banner and Raksha Golden Cub; other tribal decks have similar cards to use it for. (In fact, every tribal deck should probably run Konda's Banner.
On phasing:
This is one of those cards that is not the strongest thing ever, but its a clean way to get an ability into the colors that generally lack it.
Simulacrum = HO-LEE CRAP! I did not realize that had been errata'd, but after a friend of mine and I went over the original text, it makes sense in a more clear cut way. Now I need to find my copies and slot them into some decks that could use them(not sure if it should go into Merieke, but Thrax and Edgar for sure!). Great response when someone decides to swing wide...even better when you can flash in a creature for it to target. LOL, in fact that's such a hilarious mental image!
Thalia's Lancers = I am seeing more and more that I should have paid better attention to what was going on in Innistrad 2.0. I missed a number of great cards that deserved spots in my deck, case in point. 5 is a bit much for a sorcery tutor, but like most, I think the body justifies it. Add in the legendary rule change, and...welp! Definitely need to get this as well.
Nucklavee = I have a copy, but...bweh? Combos are obviously there, but not for me.
Fireshrieker = I think this is too often a card that looks like it should be an all-star, and just...fizzles. It's got a reasonable CMC, a fair equip cost, but...does it maybe telegraph too much? I don't know...my experience against it has always been that it makes it onto the field, MAYBE onto a creature for a swing, and then...gone.
EDH decks: 1. RGWMayael's Big BeatsRETIRED!
2. BUWMerieke Ri Berit and the 40 Thieves
3. URNiv's Wheeling and Dealing!
4. BURThe Walking Dead
5. GWSisay's Legends of Tomorrow
6. RWBRise of Markov
7. GElvez and stuffz(W)
8. RCrush your enemies(W)
9. BSign right here...(W)
It's just a bit too fair. Though, this still remains the easiest, simplest way without hoops to jump through or time durations, to grant double strike even after all these years.
Wait, how does this combo? Part the Waterveil doesn't target, what is Radiate targeting here? You can't use Time Warp either because that would have the net effect of everyone taking infinite turns.
Steel Sabotage'ng Orbs of Mellowness since 2011.
I am not sure if it works this way, buuut the awaken part of the spell does target so with Radiate and the Awakened spell it might copy once for each land you control?
Dragons of Legend, Lead by Scion of the UR-Dragon
The Gitrog Monster
Gonti, Lord of Luxury
Shogun Saskia
Hive World
Atraxa hates fun
Abzan