Its useful for something like Zahid, Djinn of the Lamp. As all this djinn needs is an artifact out to tap to pay for his alternate cost so it serves as the equivalent of a 0cmc Sol Ring or a Mana Crypt with no drawback for cheating him as its 3U vs 5U in costs which equates for 2. Throw in some bounce for protection of Zahid and you can where this is going.
But for a deck using one of the theros gods like Purphoros, God of the Forge, it frankly stinks and does nothing. That is unless you either achieve devotion or have other legendary creautures/planeswalkers to make use of this mox.
It's completely changed the math and dynamics of my Captain Sisay and the Paradox Engine deck I have. I can combo off with only a single mana producing artifact or creatures. It's bonkers for that deck!!!
I play Zurgo Bellstriker in Duel-Commander. I for one am quite happy to play my commander and suspend a Rift Bolt before you make your first land drop. And then threaten a 3drop on t2 so......................
As most said, needs a specific deck, but there’s a Rhys the Redeemed deck locally that has been kicking butt with this thing, and I think I will test it in my Vial Smasher the Fierce/Thrasios, Triton Hero deck. I expect partner commanders to be able to more reliably use Mox Amber.
As most said, needs a specific deck, but there’s a Rhys the Redeemed deck locally that has been kicking butt with this thing, and I think I will test it in my Vial Smasher the Fierce/Thrasios, Triton Hero deck. I expect partner commanders to be able to more reliably use Mox Amber.
My thoughts exactly. This seems decent to me with low curve partners, especially Thrasios. It's another way to ensure that you'll be able drop Thrasios on turn 2 and get a turn 3 activation.
It seems like it would be at its best with a 1-3 mana commander where most of the deck is played after the commander. It has the problem with higher cost commanders that if you get it in your opening hand it wont ramp you into your gameplan and generally speaking mana rocks fall off the later you draw them. Overall, I think its a fairly niche card as to where you would want to run it.
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I have officially moved to MTGNexus. I just wanted to let people know as my response time to salvation decks being bumped is very hit or miss.
But exploration and burgeoning, and this is key, accelerate your mana early, while outside of the cheapest commanders, Mox Amber does not. Burgeoning would suck, flat out, if it didn't come online until turn 4-5 for most decks. Same with Exploration. You'd need a specific set of circumstances to make them good, either a way to make them viable turn 1-2, or strong synergies that they can interact with. Mox Amber is in that boat. It works well with artifact synergies, storm, and legend decks, and works like a Mox should work by accelerating early mana with cheap commanders, but it will suck, flat out suck, in something like Prossh. That doesn't mean its a bad card, in fact I think its a pretty great card, but only in the right decks. There are plenty of cards that are pretty great but only in the right circumstances.
I’m not really trying to draw a direct comparison of Mox with Exploration et al, but I don’t agree with the idea that they suck after Turn 4. In my playing decks that include them, they are about the top of the list of cards I want to see when I draw 7+ cards from a card like Greater Good. They are often as good or better than Reliquary Tower and friends in taking the ceiling off of the advantage you get from drawing out your deck. They cost 1 mana, then let you drop all the land out of your hand and onto the board where they go to work for you.
To repeat, there is nothing worse than the second to last land card in your hand. That fact can stand on its own in what makes Moxes good. They don’t need to be strong early. It’s just a question of how costly their condition is. Granted if you are playing a deck that only wants to cast its commander once a game, or rarely, and you have no other creatures, then the condition is too hard to meet. But, I was just adding that point in response to the posters who claim that Moxes are only good because of the early acceleration. That is what they are known for in Constructed 60-card, but they are actually very worthwhile to be drawing off your deck in the later game too.
I got an opportunity to try it out in my Dralnu build the other day, and the assessment of it being less useful for commanders above CMC 3 is fairly accurate. It's decent with a commander on board, but it's way too conditional in a deck with a reasonably specific plan. I'm going to try it out in my Glissa build next and see how that goes.
Baral, Chief of Compliance is always happy to see it. I agree with ISB that it's really best when you're casting your commander really early before playing your deck.
But exploration and burgeoning, and this is key, accelerate your mana early, while outside of the cheapest commanders, Mox Amber does not. Burgeoning would suck, flat out, if it didn't come online until turn 4-5 for most decks. Same with Exploration. You'd need a specific set of circumstances to make them good, either a way to make them viable turn 1-2, or strong synergies that they can interact with. Mox Amber is in that boat. It works well with artifact synergies, storm, and legend decks, and works like a Mox should work by accelerating early mana with cheap commanders, but it will suck, flat out suck, in something like Prossh. That doesn't mean its a bad card, in fact I think its a pretty great card, but only in the right decks. There are plenty of cards that are pretty great but only in the right circumstances.
I’m not really trying to draw a direct comparison of Mox with Exploration et al, but I don’t agree with the idea that they suck after Turn 4. In my playing decks that include them, they are about the top of the list of cards I want to see when I draw 7+ cards from a card like Greater Good. They are often as good or better than Reliquary Tower and friends in taking the ceiling off of the advantage you get from drawing out your deck. They cost 1 mana, then let you drop all the land out of your hand and onto the board where they go to work for you.
To repeat, there is nothing worse than the second to last land card in your hand. That fact can stand on its own in what makes Moxes good. They don’t need to be strong early. It’s just a question of how costly their condition is. Granted if you are playing a deck that only wants to cast its commander once a game, or rarely, and you have no other creatures, then the condition is too hard to meet. But, I was just adding that point in response to the posters who claim that Moxes are only good because of the early acceleration. That is what they are known for in Constructed 60-card, but they are actually very worthwhile to be drawing off your deck in the later game too.
"You'd need a specific set of circumstances to make them good, either a way to make them viable turn 1-2, or strong synergies that they can interact with."
I'm pretty sure that covers your response. Drawing a ton of cards is a strong synergy that they can interact with late game, I would think. Also, and this is on me because it wasn't very clear, but I said they would suck if they didn't come online until turn 4-5, which means turn 1-3 you cannot play them, similar to Serra Avenger and, importantly, similar to Mox Amber in many, or most, decks. So, imaginge Burgeoning only working if you had a legendary creature. Yeah, being able to draw into it and drop lands is nice, but the real draw of the card is its use early game, being able to accelerate you several turns when it matters most. If you told me that you'd run Burgeoning to drop extra lands late game if it got errated to not work the first 3 turns of the game, you'd be lying. In most decks, that's basically what Mox Amber does. I'd counter you're maxim "there is nothing worse than the second to last land card in your hand" of with "there is nothing worse than having a land that you cannot use."
Nobody is denying that moxes, rocks, etc can be useful drawing late. What I'm denying is that they are not useful enough in that circumstance to be worth including if they did not also afford the opportunity to accelerate you early. THAT is their draw, THAT is where their power lies in this format, not in simply being OK late, that's just gravy. And being OK late and useless early is a sign that you should cut the card.
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But for a deck using one of the theros gods like Purphoros, God of the Forge, it frankly stinks and does nothing. That is unless you either achieve devotion or have other legendary creautures/planeswalkers to make use of this mox.
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Melira PodRIP 1/19/15GWHatebearsMy thoughts exactly. This seems decent to me with low curve partners, especially Thrasios. It's another way to ensure that you'll be able drop Thrasios on turn 2 and get a turn 3 activation.
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I’m not really trying to draw a direct comparison of Mox with Exploration et al, but I don’t agree with the idea that they suck after Turn 4. In my playing decks that include them, they are about the top of the list of cards I want to see when I draw 7+ cards from a card like Greater Good. They are often as good or better than Reliquary Tower and friends in taking the ceiling off of the advantage you get from drawing out your deck. They cost 1 mana, then let you drop all the land out of your hand and onto the board where they go to work for you.
To repeat, there is nothing worse than the second to last land card in your hand. That fact can stand on its own in what makes Moxes good. They don’t need to be strong early. It’s just a question of how costly their condition is. Granted if you are playing a deck that only wants to cast its commander once a game, or rarely, and you have no other creatures, then the condition is too hard to meet. But, I was just adding that point in response to the posters who claim that Moxes are only good because of the early acceleration. That is what they are known for in Constructed 60-card, but they are actually very worthwhile to be drawing off your deck in the later game too.
"You'd need a specific set of circumstances to make them good, either a way to make them viable turn 1-2, or strong synergies that they can interact with."
I'm pretty sure that covers your response. Drawing a ton of cards is a strong synergy that they can interact with late game, I would think. Also, and this is on me because it wasn't very clear, but I said they would suck if they didn't come online until turn 4-5, which means turn 1-3 you cannot play them, similar to Serra Avenger and, importantly, similar to Mox Amber in many, or most, decks. So, imaginge Burgeoning only working if you had a legendary creature. Yeah, being able to draw into it and drop lands is nice, but the real draw of the card is its use early game, being able to accelerate you several turns when it matters most. If you told me that you'd run Burgeoning to drop extra lands late game if it got errated to not work the first 3 turns of the game, you'd be lying. In most decks, that's basically what Mox Amber does. I'd counter you're maxim "there is nothing worse than the second to last land card in your hand" of with "there is nothing worse than having a land that you cannot use."
Nobody is denying that moxes, rocks, etc can be useful drawing late. What I'm denying is that they are not useful enough in that circumstance to be worth including if they did not also afford the opportunity to accelerate you early. THAT is their draw, THAT is where their power lies in this format, not in simply being OK late, that's just gravy. And being OK late and useless early is a sign that you should cut the card.
Onering's 4 simple steps that let you solve any problem with Magic's gameplay
Step 1: Identify the problem. What aspect of Magic don't you like? Step 2: Find out how others deal with the problem. How do players deal with this aspect of the game when they run into it? Step 3: Do what those players do. Step 4: No more problem. Bonus: You are now better at Magic. Enjoy those extra wins!