If you can ultimate with a planeswalker, it shouldn't really matter if the bairn dies, and since most walkers can ulti with double loyalty, theres no need for another activation.
The untapping requirement enables more shenanigans so I actually prefer it. Bairn is never used because its too slow for modern and legacy I can only assume. And Vorel, lacking pw support, is as such way too slow for standard imo.
You can get Vorel out on turn 2 and put his ability to use on turn 3 in modern. In standard he's another tool to beef up Simic creatures.
And Simic is already like a wall against aggro in standard. Vorel makes the wall sturdier.
Turn 1: Drop Cloudfin Raptor
Turn 2: Drop Young Wolf, triggering Raptor's evolve. Cast Rapid Hybridization on Young Wolf, Young Wolf re-enter, triggering Raptor's Evolve. The 3/3 Frog Lizard resolves, triggering Raptor's evolve.
You now have a 2/2, a 3/3 and a 3/4 flier on turn 2.
Turn 3: Drop Vorel
Turn 4: Simic shenanigans kick into overdrive, Vorel complimenting pretty much every Simic strategy already in play in Modern and Standard.
Gilder Bairn does nothing better than Vorel except boost 'walkers, but like I said, it sees no use even in that role. Gilder Bairn is a non-starter. And it's not a non-starter because it's too slow. It's a non-starter because it's highly situational and only moderately useful.
thats the real challenge with Borel Vorel, because theres literally nothing to see here. I read him multiple times, mumbling to myself "did I miss something?" Nope... still a worse gilder bairn.
He's objectively better than Gilder Bairn. Gilder Bairn has to untap to use its ability, meaning it either has to survive combat or be manipulated by a spell or another creature to use it's ability more than once or twice.
Both are subject to removal, but Vorel's ability is cheaper, more reliable and only slightly less useful.
If Gilder Bairn's wider effect on permanents was so useful for 'walkers then why is it never used?
Vorel is catching a lot of flack, but he's another great tool for making Simic decks hard to deal with. So many people seem to be of the view that if a card can't have entire decks built around it, doesn't introduce an entirely new mechanic or doesn't break the game that that card is trash.
Vorel is a very solid card that easily earns a spot in standard.
No, the original Ravnica was much more balanced. There were more classic-type control strategies that you could play. Counters were much more powerful.
What's weird though is that the shift in design focus has still left pretty the same number of guilds in mediocre territory. They're just different guilds this time around.
It seems like they would have a more balanced standard if they allowed each color to have unique niches instead of designing around forcing a specific type of play and then inevitable designing around countering that type of play now that it's so pervasive.
Why is Advent of the Wurm both green and white? Or, conversely, why is the token that it generates only green? Should not he color(s) of the spell and the color(s) of the token be exactly the same? And is that spell even very good? It seems to me that it is not as efficient as it could be; while 5 mana for a 5/5 creature may see to be appealing at an initial glance, Isamaru, Hound of Konda costs 1 mana for a 2/2 creature, watchwolf costs 2 mana for a 3/3 creature, and woolly thoctar and leatherback baloth both cost 3 mana for a 5/4 creature and a 4/5 creature, respectively, and I am also certain that there are token-generating instants that are more efficient, as well, so Advent of the Wurm is not nearly as efficient as they are, in my mind.
It costs 4cmc, not 5. And it's a 5/5 wurm with flash and trample, essentially.
Anyone else think that advent of the wurm is one of the most boring rares they've ever seen? To see that we'll be going from restoration angel to this on rotation makes me die a little inside.
... it's basically a huge wurm with flash and trample for 4CMC. It has so many uses in standard and modern.
Gilder Bairn is almost entirely outclassed by Vorel. GB requires surviving combat or forces you to use a spell or other creature to tap it before you can use the ability. The untap mechanic is much more situational and thus more restrictive than Vorel's ability.
Vorel is not a weak card. It's just not amazing. You guys need to stop acting like any card that doesn't break the game or add an entirely new mechanic is lousy.
His singular ability forces him to tap. If you're not using his ability every turn then you're not making proper use of him. That means he's purely utility.
He's going into my Simic deck as soon as I can get my hands on him, but he's a utility card that they slapped legendary status on.
If he's boring, I don't understand what 'exciting' means in magic anymore. He gives exponential growth. And there are a ton of ways to abuse it. He's not an amazingly powerful card, but he screams "Commander" to me.
He has the same drawback as almost every combo creature ever - vulnerable to removal. I know we're not supposed to invoke that, but it IS an especially important drawback on build-around creatures; your deck has to be GOOD without him, because he's never going to stick around once your opponent figures out what you're up to.
Legendary creatures are just expected to either serve multiple roles or do something that dramatically changes the battle when they're played. Vorel is a utility card. They could have easily made the same card as a non-legendary mythic and had a hit on their hands. But since he's a legendary and a guild champion people were expecting something more dynamic.
I love Simic. My Simic(standard) deck is probably the most fun deck I've ever built. But... Vorel is boring to me. Boring art, boring flavor, boring flavor text, and he's purely utility.
That's what Simic Charm is for.
He's both, meaning Vorel can target him.
You can get Vorel out on turn 2 and put his ability to use on turn 3 in modern. In standard he's another tool to beef up Simic creatures.
And Simic is already like a wall against aggro in standard. Vorel makes the wall sturdier.
Turn 1: Drop Cloudfin Raptor
Turn 2: Drop Young Wolf, triggering Raptor's evolve. Cast Rapid Hybridization on Young Wolf, Young Wolf re-enter, triggering Raptor's Evolve. The 3/3 Frog Lizard resolves, triggering Raptor's evolve.
You now have a 2/2, a 3/3 and a 3/4 flier on turn 2.
Turn 3: Drop Vorel
Turn 4: Simic shenanigans kick into overdrive, Vorel complimenting pretty much every Simic strategy already in play in Modern and Standard.
Gilder Bairn does nothing better than Vorel except boost 'walkers, but like I said, it sees no use even in that role. Gilder Bairn is a non-starter. And it's not a non-starter because it's too slow. It's a non-starter because it's highly situational and only moderately useful.
He's objectively better than Gilder Bairn. Gilder Bairn has to untap to use its ability, meaning it either has to survive combat or be manipulated by a spell or another creature to use it's ability more than once or twice.
Both are subject to removal, but Vorel's ability is cheaper, more reliable and only slightly less useful.
If Gilder Bairn's wider effect on permanents was so useful for 'walkers then why is it never used?
Vorel is a very solid card that easily earns a spot in standard.
That block had some real cluster****ed art...
What's weird though is that the shift in design focus has still left pretty the same number of guilds in mediocre territory. They're just different guilds this time around.
It seems like they would have a more balanced standard if they allowed each color to have unique niches instead of designing around forcing a specific type of play and then inevitable designing around countering that type of play now that it's so pervasive.
It costs 4cmc, not 5. And it's a 5/5 wurm with flash and trample, essentially.
If that's the color of your urine you should see a doctor.
... it's basically a huge wurm with flash and trample for 4CMC. It has so many uses in standard and modern.
So it is objectively less useful than Vorel. Being able to manipulate more types of permanents is great, but it comes at a much higher price.
Then it can still be blocked and killed. Untapping it doesn't take it out of combat.
Vorel is not a weak card. It's just not amazing. You guys need to stop acting like any card that doesn't break the game or add an entirely new mechanic is lousy.
His singular ability forces him to tap. If you're not using his ability every turn then you're not making proper use of him. That means he's purely utility.
He's going into my Simic deck as soon as I can get my hands on him, but he's a utility card that they slapped legendary status on.
Legendary creatures are just expected to either serve multiple roles or do something that dramatically changes the battle when they're played. Vorel is a utility card. They could have easily made the same card as a non-legendary mythic and had a hit on their hands. But since he's a legendary and a guild champion people were expecting something more dynamic.
I love Simic. My Simic(standard) deck is probably the most fun deck I've ever built. But... Vorel is boring to me. Boring art, boring flavor, boring flavor text, and he's purely utility.