I play the coating in my Kiki Jiki deck because that deck has tons of artifact removal. It does, in fact, draw a ton of hate nowadays whenever I play it. For good reason though, it's very powerful if you can turn Manic Vandal into Angel of Despair and reuse that ETB with Kiki. Granted, the hate I receive is probably really more to do with Kiki Jiki himself more than the coating, but even if I have no visible creature that's uses an ETB to destroy artifacts, everyone always fears the Shatter in my hand. The hate I draw from it is far more common than the political power, but that shouldn't stop you if you have a lot of ways to put it to use. Although with Damia, I'd think you'd have more reliable ways to deal with permanents that would force you to dip into coating.
I don't believe we have met before. But I'll explain:
Ignorance is no excuse for being wrong.
And you seem to get off on telling people they're wrong, and good on you there buddy. My entire point was that you can look at that picture and very clearly tell he's not a woman and looks far more like a man. The details of this vorthos crap is something no one will ever care about nor will it stop anyone from referring to him as a her or him. This tangent has gone way too far though, so good day.
Bro, I made it very clear I said this was an apearanced based judgement call. And no one is ever going to use the pronoun dur and zed or whatever to refer to anyone or anything. I don't really care about the Lorthos, or some random dudes tumblr, I was only referencing Ashiok's appearance.
They have made it VERY clear that Ashiok does not define itself as anything because Ashiok is a mind annihilating horror and not a race that has gender.
Beyond lore articles that I haven't followed, just judging by appearances of the card, I think it's very fair to assume that Ashiok is male, or at the very least, far from being female.
Too severe! I'd put it like this: If her +2 ability doesn't do anything for your deck, don't run her. But if she'd otherwise be a role player in your deck, her ultimate gives her a very powerful upside once in awhile.
In other words, it's likely not worth it to put the card into your deck JUST to Relic of Progenitus and Identity Crisis everyone else... because it'll take 4 turns to do it assuming no one attacks her (unlikely). But, board stalls can and do happen...
She's clearly worse than Domri Rade but she's a lot like him in that Domri's ultimate is awesome in most decks but you don't run him unless your deck can make good use of the +1 ability.
Overall, clearly she is NOT an EDH card for competitive players.
Ashiok is very clearly male. Minor thing, but whatever.
But I think people are underestimating his -x and his cost. He comes down for three mana and goes up to five loyalty. That's pretty beefy, and if you have him out on turn three, he's going to very quickly get high in loyalt. Mind you, probably not up to ult range without some serious defense or proliferation/doubling season manipulation, but just one or two ticks should be able to get you any creature you want. +2 is a lot, especially at three mana. They're going to have to devote some serious resources to shut him down. I'm not saying he's the best thing ever, but I think a lot of people aren't really only seeing bad mill and an ult that they think will never happen and not really looking at the whole picture.
I'd also like to say I don't think his ult is impossible to get off. I get Venser's off very regularly without any proliferation or double season BS, and although Ashiok takes another tick, he comes down two turns earlier. Granted UW is more controlly than UB, I don't think the difference is all tha significant.
I'd also like to add, a probably controversial opinion, that Ashiok's ult is even more game ending than Venser's.
I think Venser is the more interesting to make. Talrand is easy, just play Talrand with a bunch of counter spells and you're done. Venser you can be more creative(and evil) with.
one returns cards to your hand. One allows you to replay them and have them exiled if they would hit your graveyard again that turn.
Usable in the same and yet different scenarios. Just because you can use a screwdriver to pound in a nail
, doesnt mean it is right for the job
You're splitting hairs. They serve the same function, essentially. It's perfectly fair to compare the two. Reciting the cards doesn't change the fact that they want to do the same thing.
This is probably the best play ever made with Tainted Strike.
When you said "the best play ever made" I was kind of expecting something funny or epic, but this is what Tainted Strike just tends to do whenever you cast it. Or it just sits in your hand. Using it the way Sheldon suggest sounds interesting and makes me want to reconsider putting it back in my Grimgrin deck, but I imagine that scenario isn't typically worth a card, or if I want that effect, I might just rather play Tragic Slip
Cannibalize is a less good Ashes to Ashes, but still gets the job done. Enslave is a thing too. Dark Impostor for more instant speed exile. Any number of edicts.
Moldgraf I'm a bit unsure simply because it says two random creatures and you have to exile it. Blade is also slow unless you have a vampire out.
The blade is a boss if you have a sac outlet with recurrable creatures. It's an all star in my Grimgrin deck. But counters accumulate very quickly in just a normal gamestate with multiple people. Creatures die.
That doesn't quite work -- you're still going to be unprotected for a turn cycle before Barren Glory wins you the game. Barren Glory won't even trigger if the Confinement exists at the beginning of your upkeep, no matter how you stack the triggers, because it's worded as an intervening if.
Unless you sacrifice at the end of he turn before yours. The suggested renounce is an instant.
And you seem to get off on telling people they're wrong, and good on you there buddy. My entire point was that you can look at that picture and very clearly tell he's not a woman and looks far more like a man. The details of this vorthos crap is something no one will ever care about nor will it stop anyone from referring to him as a her or him. This tangent has gone way too far though, so good day.
Bro, I made it very clear I said this was an apearanced based judgement call. And no one is ever going to use the pronoun dur and zed or whatever to refer to anyone or anything. I don't really care about the Lorthos, or some random dudes tumblr, I was only referencing Ashiok's appearance.
Beyond lore articles that I haven't followed, just judging by appearances of the card, I think it's very fair to assume that Ashiok is male, or at the very least, far from being female.
Ashiok is very clearly male. Minor thing, but whatever.
But I think people are underestimating his -x and his cost. He comes down for three mana and goes up to five loyalty. That's pretty beefy, and if you have him out on turn three, he's going to very quickly get high in loyalt. Mind you, probably not up to ult range without some serious defense or proliferation/doubling season manipulation, but just one or two ticks should be able to get you any creature you want. +2 is a lot, especially at three mana. They're going to have to devote some serious resources to shut him down. I'm not saying he's the best thing ever, but I think a lot of people aren't really only seeing bad mill and an ult that they think will never happen and not really looking at the whole picture.
I'd also like to say I don't think his ult is impossible to get off. I get Venser's off very regularly without any proliferation or double season BS, and although Ashiok takes another tick, he comes down two turns earlier. Granted UW is more controlly than UB, I don't think the difference is all tha significant.
I'd also like to add, a probably controversial opinion, that Ashiok's ult is even more game ending than Venser's.
You're splitting hairs. They serve the same function, essentially. It's perfectly fair to compare the two. Reciting the cards doesn't change the fact that they want to do the same thing.
that's hands, not top of the library. Lantern of Insight does that.
When you said "the best play ever made" I was kind of expecting something funny or epic, but this is what Tainted Strike just tends to do whenever you cast it. Or it just sits in your hand. Using it the way Sheldon suggest sounds interesting and makes me want to reconsider putting it back in my Grimgrin deck, but I imagine that scenario isn't typically worth a card, or if I want that effect, I might just rather play Tragic Slip
The blade is a boss if you have a sac outlet with recurrable creatures. It's an all star in my Grimgrin deck. But counters accumulate very quickly in just a normal gamestate with multiple people. Creatures die.
Unless you sacrifice at the end of he turn before yours. The suggested renounce is an instant.
More protection options, Pemmin's Aura and Vanishing are neat. And Deadeye Navigator, but he kills your enchantments. Bruna is deinfitely the best though.