No, it isn't unfair. As someone else already mentioned, as a wincon, it's kind of boring, but if someone can pull off a win with it, cool, move on to the next game, and if that player is winning with it consistently, then the playgroup really needs to work harder at putting pressure on that player.
No. 6 mana, wait a whole turn, need the required life total...no it requires work.
Especially since it's not like you can't get a player down to 20 or less in five turns with just a third-rate monored deck.
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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!
If people are sick of reading about stuff just stop taking part. You have 100% control over what you read. Simic Ascendancy isn't going to get banned just because you didn't tell someone to shut up on the internet.
Yeah, it (and Test of Endurance) exist, but they're boring, and it all boils down to "Who has removal?" You can use Chalice of Life/Chalice of Death or Divinity of Pride or extort or bloodbond in your lifegain deck to mix things up, and even my Oloro likes playing what I loosely call my air force. (I say loosely because the cards are all evasive, and most have flying, but they don't all have flying per se. Most have lifelink.) or Pestilence with Akroma's Memorial.
You'll usually find those other win conditions at least make lifegain decks somewhat easier.
(If I ever get around to building Ikra Shiddiqi and Bruse Tarl, I want to include Tamanoa and Searing Meditation in that deck.)
But that's how I play: A couple win conditions that act in synergy, and a combat win condition as a failure mode.
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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've lost to Felidar Sovereign - I admit it. I've never lost to it twice to the same deck. It's been a pretty effective gotcha when I don't take a player seriously. I've never lost to it against an opponent I thought was worthy. It's totally fair. It punishes me for waiting for a final, one round alpha strike for all the damage vs taking safe, incremental swings in the rounds prior.
I don't understand why some claim this card is boring. Interacting with your opponent's hand, board, library, graveyard, exile and the stack is one of the best parts of MtG. I find games with no interaction aside from combat interaction boring.
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Modern:UB Taking Turns Modern:URW Madcap Experiment Pauper: MonoU Tempo Delver
Banned not so much but house ruled to 50 or 60 life I dont think would be a bad thing. One of the weird "one card" I win things that requires some set up And a reasonable board state to actually do anything I dont think is banworthy in of itself.
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EDH BRGKresh the BloodbraidedBRG, A box of lands and ideas.
Modern: RG Titanshift. A deck made of cards too stupid for EDH.
Retired: Lots. More than I feel you should suffer through or I should type out.
Like all specific life total-based cards, it should be receive errata for EDH purposes.
Ditto Serra Ascendant? No they're not going to change the literal wording because of a tabletop format. If your playgroup cares, they can 'houserule' a different life total. They won't change anything but rules/reminder texts/rarity on cards.
I know they’re extremely unlikely to, let’s just say. But I do believe it *should* be done.
Numbers in relation to 20 are not the same in relation to 40. Simple as that.
By that logic, we need Lightning Bolt to deal 6 damage...
Maybe it should. Red doesn't scale up to edh properly.
Cards like felidar sovereign and serra ascendant are design mistakes. They should read "X higher than your starting life total".
I don't understand why some claim this card is boring. Interacting with your opponent's hand, board, library, graveyard, exile and the stack is one of the best parts of MtG. I find games with no interaction aside from combat interaction boring.
"Do you have a removal spell" is not interesting gameplay to many
Unfair is a strong word. It is not unfair, it is lame in Commander. And cards like it are lame. Someone could easily play a dual land (gain 1 life) and get that card out turn 3 or 4 (Sol ring or other ramp or both) and win the game with literally zero thought or skill.
And with commanders like oloro, where you gain two life each turn, it's doubly lame.
Buuuuut, there are many cards like it in magic. I don't think it's worth banning. But I don't think it represents someone's skill or genius in commander either. You start with the health you need...
If someone wins with it, oh well. But I personally wouldn't be taking the loss hard or with any ounce of salt or giving them kudos for designing such a spectacular win condition.
Especially since it's not like you can't get a player down to 20 or less in five turns with just a third-rate monored deck.
On phasing:
It is worse when people flash it in, but its not a card I enjoy seeing.
You'll usually find those other win conditions at least make lifegain decks somewhat easier.
(If I ever get around to building Ikra Shiddiqi and Bruse Tarl, I want to include Tamanoa and Searing Meditation in that deck.)
But that's how I play: A couple win conditions that act in synergy, and a combat win condition as a failure mode.
On phasing:
Just one Weasley zap of a 40 life total you just countered it
Not to mention counter spells and removal
its fine.
RBGLiving EndRBG
EDH
UFblthpU
BRXantchaRB
BGVarolzGB
URWZedruuWRU
Modern: URW Madcap Experiment
Pauper: MonoU Tempo Delver
My EDH Commanders:
Aminatou, The Fateshifter UBW
Azami, Lady of Scrolls U
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed B
Edric, Spymaster of Trest UG
Glissa, the Traitor BG
Arcum Dagsson U
BRGKresh the BloodbraidedBRG, A box of lands and ideas.
Modern:
RG Titanshift. A deck made of cards too stupid for EDH.
Retired: Lots. More than I feel you should suffer through or I should type out.
Maybe it should. Red doesn't scale up to edh properly.
Cards like felidar sovereign and serra ascendant are design mistakes. They should read "X higher than your starting life total".
"Do you have a removal spell" is not interesting gameplay to many
Two Score, Minus Two or: A Stargate Tail
(Image by totallynotabrony)
Unfair is a strong word. It is not unfair, it is lame in Commander. And cards like it are lame. Someone could easily play a dual land (gain 1 life) and get that card out turn 3 or 4 (Sol ring or other ramp or both) and win the game with literally zero thought or skill.
And with commanders like oloro, where you gain two life each turn, it's doubly lame.
Buuuuut, there are many cards like it in magic. I don't think it's worth banning. But I don't think it represents someone's skill or genius in commander either. You start with the health you need...
If someone wins with it, oh well. But I personally wouldn't be taking the loss hard or with any ounce of salt or giving them kudos for designing such a spectacular win condition.
Retired EDH - Tibor and Lumia | [PR]Nemata |Ramirez dePietro | [C]Edric | Riku | Jenara | Lazav | Heliod | Daxos | Roon | Kozilek