MTG Salvation

ACTUALLY they say that Red is most the color of loyalty. The color that will die for you not out of honor but out of love.

That could be a red card.

I always thought red had the buddy drawback ie. Mogg Flunkies and Ember Beast and black had the loner theme like Demonic Taskmaster and Homicidal Seclusion

The loner theme was an AVR construct. Red has examples of both types of drawback.

What threw me off was cards like Ember Beast, Goblin Cohort, Mogg Flunkies and Blind-spot Giant.

What does loyalty/love have to do with attacking alone?

Think of any instance where someone strong defended his lover or friend or town.
Think "I gotta protet the one thing I care about"
Think of the Iron Man 3 trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEIVPiTuYkQ

Oh so a kind of "hold on guys, step back, I got this" kind of attitude? It's an interesting mix of W, R, and B, depending on the motive.

Mhm, white usually gets it but Red never does. Despite it being mentioned over and over as the kind of color that would.

Exalted plays in the same design space, but with a different thematic reasoning behind it (we're all behind you, buddy; go get'em).

I think red (at least at the common/uncommon level) has more of a blind anger/destructive attitude. They need something to point at what they should kill, because they don't care about what the target is, or too stupid to make their own decisions. Also, red cares less about its own safety; self preservation is low on the priorities list.

Self preservation is low on the priority list, but it is stated time and time again (I can link articles if you like) that red is the most loyal, do anything for you, color.
It just is never represented on a card.

The artistic side isn't really shown either, for that matter.

@Leelue: I am inclined to believe you, but I feel loyalty is more of a white trait. If you search for cards with the name "Loyal," they are all white cards with the exception of Legion Loyalist, which is a Boros card, and is pretty close.

Red also has "forced loyalty" effects like Act of Treason and such.

http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/daily/mr133

"In addition, while black is very solitary, red can be very social. Red follows its emotions. These emotions include love, lust, camaraderie, and friendship. Red cares about others. At least the ones to which it has some emotional ties. And red will go to great lengths to help or protect its loved ones."

Just read the 5 articles. Pretty interesting. It may influence me in more ways than one. The white/black interaction is probably the most interesting. Also, Simpsons references.

The man knows his stuff. His podcasts are worth listening to as well. His voice... eesh... but you get over it when he starts hitting you with knowledge.

Ya I've heard a few of them. The 3 fundamental parts of magic series was very interesting. Planar chaos was cool too.

Want
Schoolyard Bully 2B
Creature - Human
Extort
Extort
1/3

Up WW
Sorcery
Put two 1/1 white Spirit creature tokens with flying onto the battlefield.
///
Down 2BB
Sorcery
Each player sacrifices 2 creatures.
Fuse

Victory 1WW
Sorcery
Creatures you control get +2/+2 until end of turn.
///
Defeat 1BB
Sorcery
All creatures get -2/-2 until end of turn.
Fuse

...and how much would an Elesh Norn effect normally cost?

Super Zealous Persecution 3WB
Instant
Creatures you control get +2/+2 until end of turn.
Creatures you don't control get -2/-2 until end of turn.

I like both of those, particularly the first one! It makes sense that the closest thing to a wrath effect in peasant would need to be white and black both.

A strictly better barter in blood? That has roadblocks or is one sided? No way in the world.

Why not? It's obviously pushed, but if 5 mana can get you edict + bounce with Far//Away, then 6 mana with two sets of double colors for a double edict doesn't seem impossible.

The cost got a little too scary at 3BB or 1BBB. Can't we just consider it pushed, like Toil // Trouble?

Well, Sudden impact is a bad card by our standards. Barter in blood is worth picking up in the first couple of rounds in a rotisserie.

I think I would still play it at 3BB. I think you could get away with WW for 3 grounded 1/1s if that makes you feel better (even more one sided).

If you want to increase the overall CMC, I'd make Up cost 2W before messing with the black side. 4BBW is a little pricey for fusion, but still a card I'd play and it'd fit easier in Esper or other tri-color control decks.

You're ok with such a strictly Massive upgrade on barter in blood? Cuz that makes no sense at uncommon to me.