MTG Salvation

Two conflicting things.

- The bottom left shows CS2, or Conspiracy: Take the Crown which had it at rare, which lines up with the little golden halo thing at bottom center of the card.

- the set logo is silver, which makes me think uncommon.

hmm hmm hmm.

I think that perhaps the spoil websites are making mock-ups of the blurry pictures that were shown at the convention. Like.. photoshopping the set logo onto a not-blurry card from some previous set.

The mtgs-spoiler has Indulgent Tormentor at uncommon !

And it's a Dmon!

I'm not sold on it.

You have to pass through 4 turns for it to (EDIT: potentially) draw you more cards than Phyrexian Gargantua.

How do you count to get to four? And unless it dies to instant speed removal, you get the first trigger that same turn you run it out.

Quote from JovianHomarid »

How do you count to get to four? And unless it dies to instant speed removal, you get the first trigger that same turn you run it out.

Uh, it is an upkeep trigger? How is this supposed to work? I think leadfeather was simply also counting the turn on which you play it since that is still an additional turn compared to Gargantua's immediate effect. (I am still interested in the card regardless, mind you.)

Ag. I mis-remembered the card as having an end-step trigger. Then I get the four-count. But on at least one of those turns you might not even be able to play the Gargantua at all, since you don't have the mana.

I think the demon is strong, but it does sort of represent those "answer it or die" threats, which tend not to lead to my most favourite kind of gameplay.

Glad that Indulgent Tormentor snuck in (and I just realized the connection between it and a few 'Torment' cards in HOU). It's not a slam-dunk staple but I think it's definitely playable.

Will also test Hoarding Dragon and Heroes' Bane, with pretty low expectations.

Probably put a CE Mahamoti Djinn into the 'maybe' binder. And a Corpsejack Menace in the same binder section as Abzan Falconer and friends.

Heroe's Bane is not good enough imho. Yeah you can make it huge, but it gets jump blocked all day unless you've got extra trample or unblockable. There are so many great green 5s, why should we play this?

Corpsejack Menace is nice, but it's not a direction I want Golgari to go.

Which art for Tormentor, Bane, and Corpsejack?

Wait... DID we get Charmbreaker Devils?

Your card tag rates it as rare

https://www.reddit.com/r/magicTCG/comments/6z2zj1/ima_rarity_shifts/ and https://www.mtggoldfish.com/articles/iconic-masters-cards-live-update-thread say its uncommon but :|

Monastery Swiftspear looked like a common in the photos, but it doesn't seem to be. We'll have to wait to know for sure if Devils are uncommon or not.

Oh cool, Illusory Ambusher in the set means foil copies.

So the black cards that work with +1/+1 counters are incredibly underwhelming. I'm currently running Carrion Feeder, Sinuous Vermin, and Undying Evil, and among the available options I would re-consider Thrill-Kill Assassin or Thriving Rats if they helped support something, maybe Butcher Ghoul. But those are all two drops, and Black's two-drops are full of evasive creatures for the sake of aggro/skies decks already. Most of the other things that work with +1/+1 counters are bad bad bad sac archetype cards or tribal based.

Which is really sad because I've been looking for more of an identity for Golgari beyond midrange value after finding both Spider Spawning and Worm Harvest underwhelming as graveyard enablers.

Extra sad because Oona's Blackguard is like the best +1/+1 counter "lord."

Keepsake Gorgon kinda counts, but it will be turn one million before you get any of the counter synergies off it.

Another issue: How bad is it that Menace costs 4, will it be "too late" in many games for its ability to trigger a significant number of times?

I also think it takes a lot less for Menace to be significant. A single Nessian Asp will result in 8 counters with Menace, and only 5 with the counter snake. Also, I think 4 is a fine point in the curve for this kind of effect. The turn after Curse of Predation, the turn before Ridgescale Tusker.
Also, should I run Triskelion if I run this guy? I think I should.

I'm currently running -1/-1 counters matters, alongside BUG spider spwaning, in golgari in my cube. Mixture of the lorwyn, persist, wither, proliferate and amonkhet cards along with general -1/-1 good stuff like skinrender. I like it a lot.

I also include a +1/+1 counter unleash/bloodthirst aggro for BR so Jund ends up supporting a slower midrange proliferate deck with volt charge, contagion clasp, grim affliction and spread the sickness.

womp womp

Damn. I guess just Hoarding Dragon and Indulgent Tormentor for me. I guess I'll add Hero's Bane and Mahamoti Djinn to the maybes stack.

I'll definitely test Tormentor, the Dragon I am on the fence about... I guess at a bare minimum I get a foil Ambusher

Quote from majikian »

Full spoiler link: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/card-image-gallery/iconic-masters

My show of faith in ordering a foil Innistrad Charmbreaker Devils was not paid off...

I know that feeling, _i0

Really happy about a few of these. A few are completely unplayable, but I'm happy with the few I want. Mahamoti Djinn, Indulgent Tormenter i'm most excited about. I love that Curse has a foil version, but, I like to run copies of cards in their correct rarity. :/