The only other commander in red that allows you to draw cards like that is Zirilan of the Claw, and that's once; plus it doesn't give you any mana. I'm sure it's not too hard to find something to do with 20 cards and the mana to cast them.
The difference is is that Ezuri doesn't cost Mana, where as Vorel does. Vorel also has to put counters on somehow to get the ball rolling (Like with Mycoloth on a previously empty field) where as Ezuri keeps on trucking.
A T2 Vorel into a T3 Fathom Mage means you have to wait till T4 to get a card while both sit there for a turn, where as T3 Ezuri T4 Fathom Mage nets you a card that turn (Cast Fathom Mage for Exp Counter, enter combat, put counter on Fathom)
Vorel is best used with infinite/big mana and untap effects. Also once he no longer has summoning sickness you can activate him at instant speed. Which can be relevant. Also, the whole doubling counters on lands and artifacts is hugely relevant.
New Ezuri is good, but replacing Vorel with him in a "counters matter" deck? No.
As someone with experience with Vorel, yes, I am telling you you should in a Counters Matter deck.
Lands: Unless you're using Storage Lands, not that relevant.
Artifacts: The only three artifacts you will ever target with Vorel are Astral Cornucopia, Darksteel Reactor, and Eternity Vessel. Anything else is a waste of time.
Vorel can be activated at instant speed, but he's reliant on having counters in the first place. With Vorel, it's play Vorel, play Chasm Skulker, put a counter on Chasm Skulker, wait till next turn/give Vorel Haste, and then spend mana/tap on T12. With Ezuri, it's play Ezuri, play Chasm Skulker, enter combat, BOOM, 8 counters T12.
Vorel may be bigger, but Ezuri is far more experienced in doing the deed
As Alhammarret's Archive both doubles the life you gain and the cards you draw, if you would gain life under a Lich effect, would you draw cards equal to four times the amount of life you would have originally gained?
If I target my opponent with Word of Command and that opponent cannot take an action that isn't instant speed, am I only able to cast instant spells from their hand?
If I Command my opponent and cast a spell from their hand, can I put punisher effects on the stack above that spell and force my choice on my opponent? Can I put normal effects that they control on the stack above that spell (say, an activated ability)?
If The Chain Veil leaves the battlefield after being activated and then a planeswalker enters the battlefield, can that planeswalker activate a loyalty ability an additional time?
Player A controls a Teferi, Temporal Archmage emblem and Gideon Jura. Player A activates the +1 ability of Gideon. Player B is forced to attack Gideon and does so. After attacks are declared, Player A activates the 0 ability of Gideon, turning him into a creature. Does damage resolve (and as such get prevented) on Gideon? Would he lose loyalty?
On a related note, is it only Sarkhan the Dragonspeaker that cannot lose loyalty while he's a creature, a byproduct of being indestructible, or a property that all planeswalkers possess?
603.3. Once an ability has triggered, its controller puts it on the stack as an object that's not a card the next time a player would receive priority. See rule 116, "Timing and Priority." The ability becomes the topmost object on the stack. It has the text of the ability that created it, and no other characteristics. It remains on the stack until it's countered, it resolves, a rule causes it to be removed from the stack, or an effect moves it elsewhere.
603.3a A triggered ability is controlled by the player who controlled its source at the time it triggered, unless it's a delayed triggered ability. To determine the controller of a delayed triggered ability, see rules 603.7d–f.
If I control two permanents that read 'At the beginning of each player's draw step, X' do I control the order of the triggered abilities on the stack during my opponents draw phase?
If I control two or more permanents that say 'At the beginning of each player's draw step do X' would I be correct in assuming that by rule 603.3
603.3. Once an ability has triggered, its controller puts it on the stack as an object that's not a card the next time a player would receive priority. See rule 116, "Timing and Priority." The ability becomes the topmost object on the stack. It has the text of the ability that created it, and no other characteristics. It remains on the stack until it's countered, it resolves, a rule causes it to be removed from the stack, or an effect moves it elsewhere.
and rule 603.3a
603.3a A triggered ability is controlled by the player who controlled its source at the time it triggered, unless it's a delayed triggered ability. To determine the controller of a delayed triggered ability, see rules 603.7d–f.
I can choose the order whereby these abilities go on the stack during each other player's turn?
Now, I pride myself on my knowledge of cards, but it's definitely not as vast as that of the collective, and some of the choices I've made (Jaya, I'm looking at you) are obvious filler. Can anyone suggest cards that might work better than the options listed?
What red, green, and blue creatures are worth cheating into play?
I think I've gotten the obvious ones (Jin, Terastodon), but red seems to have a dearth of 'unfair' fatties and I'm sure you guys can think of more green and blue creatures than I can (I have two so far.)
During my precombat main phase, I activate The Chain Veil and then activate a loyalty ability of a planeswalker I control twice (one free activation and an extra activation from Veil). During combat, both that planeswalker and The Chain Veil both leave and return to the battlefield. I activate The Chain Veil again. Am I correct in my assumption that because walkers 'inherit' Veil activations that I could activate a loyalty of the planeswalker that left and returned to the battlefield three times during my post combat main phase? (Once for the turn, one inherited activation and once for the most recent activation of Veil)?
The only other commander in red that allows you to draw cards like that is Zirilan of the Claw, and that's once; plus it doesn't give you any mana. I'm sure it's not too hard to find something to do with 20 cards and the mana to cast them.
Grafted Wargear seems the worst of the sac outlets, because you need two creatures + Teshar to 'go off' instead of one with Demonmail Hauberk.
Conjurer's Bauble lets you save your graveyard from graveyard hate that isn't a Relic of Progenitus effect, and cantrips as well.
I find mono-white to be a color that makes for incredibly linear and anemic decks, but this - this gets the johnny in me going.
Tangle Wire, Lux Cannon, and Magistrate's Scepter all seem pretty good to double. You also overlooked that Vorel syergizes cleanly with a heck of a lot more cards than Ezuri does - permanent based twiddlers (Prophet of Krupix, Quest for Awakening, and Seedborn Muse), Liquimetal Coating, etc.
Also, what is this turn 12 garbage? Vorel costs three mana; that's not particularly difficult to get on turn two.
Sure, Ezuri and Vorel may be the same colors, and maybe they both say 'counter', but they're pretty different animals.
If I Command my opponent and cast a spell from their hand, can I put punisher effects on the stack above that spell and force my choice on my opponent? Can I put normal effects that they control on the stack above that spell (say, an activated ability)?
On a related note, is it only Sarkhan the Dragonspeaker that cannot lose loyalty while he's a creature, a byproduct of being indestructible, or a property that all planeswalkers possess?
The creatures created by Kormus Bell are still lands, so Linvala can't detain them.
If I control two permanents that read 'At the beginning of each player's draw step, X' do I control the order of the triggered abilities on the stack during my opponents draw phase?
and rule 603.3a
I can choose the order whereby these abilities go on the stack during each other player's turn?
and in the sideboard
Now, I pride myself on my knowledge of cards, but it's definitely not as vast as that of the collective, and some of the choices I've made (Jaya, I'm looking at you) are obvious filler. Can anyone suggest cards that might work better than the options listed?
'When a player doesn't pay Thought Lash's cumulative upkeep, that player exiles all cards from his or her library.'
Eon Hub compels me to skip my upkeep step, making it impossible to pay for Lash. Am I required to exile my library?
I feel like this is an easy one but I can't figure it out with any reasonable degree of certainty.
I think I've gotten the obvious ones (Jin, Terastodon), but red seems to have a dearth of 'unfair' fatties and I'm sure you guys can think of more green and blue creatures than I can (I have two so far.)