Here's a thought: Charge us an annual fee. It seems that most here would rather stay on MTGSalvation, and if it means we need to pay a few dollars to keep it alive it seems like a better option than the forums dying.
Reminds me of when IMDB closed its boards. We need somewhere to go but there won't be an option that is good enough.
It's still a terrible name!
Grizzly Bears became Runeclaw Bear to make it singular, which is more appropriate.
It is usually creative that pushes to make functional reprints. They have many reasons. You can try ask this question to Doug Beyer.
Some people really care a lot about the flavour of the cards. Vorthoses matter to Wizards. Rib Cage Spider is a dumb name. Spiders do not have endoskeletons. But, let's say - this is a magical spider with a rib cage - Shouldn't it be "Rib Caged Spider"? If I want to put a flying Rhino creature into the game, I might called it Winged Rhino, but I won't call it Wing Rhino. Sounds dumb. Furthermore, what is cool about a spider with a rib cage? I think a spider with claws is more interesting.
Maybe that's enough to warrant making a new creature. I don't know. Brand and Creative care a lot about a new player opening their first booster, and a bad name is a bad name. They put research into this, and, at the end of the day, they determined (correctly or incorrectly) that making a new creature with a new name was worth more to the Magic: The Gathering than possibly bugging a few heavily enfranchised players who remembered Rib Cage Spider.
I have an Altar of Dementia, but I run Undercity Informer over it. The fact that I can tutor it so easily with things like Birthing Pod, and that it is pretty good at sacrificing 1/1s and actually milling makes it pretty good. I would be happier if it was free to activate, but with my low curve I often have free mana.
The fact that Greater Good, at worst, mills me for three, makes it more interesting than Altar for me.
I guess I'll have to buy the enchantment, and make a cut somewhere. I have been wanting an additional sac outlet, so it will probably replace... ah man, this is impossible. I could make a Karador deck with all the good cards I've cut from Karador.
I keep seeing Greater Good in peoples lists. It seems good for getting Karador out, and for enabling dredge or the odd Animate Dead.
Power of Creatures in my deck:
0 power - 2
1 power - 15
2 power - 10
3 power - 5 (+ Karador)
4 power - 3
5 power - 4
6 power - 3
x power - 1 (Lifeblood Hydra)
I only have 9 creatures that would actually sac for card advantage. For this reason, I have never considered using it. But it occurs to me that a sac outlet that says "Sacrifice a creature, mill 3" is not so bad. I play Undercity Informer, but it doubles as a win condition when I make infinite mana. Sacrificing Wood Elves to draw 1 and discard 3 seems decent, but I'm not sure, as Greater Good is not really a win condition any more than my other sac outlets. I also only have two dredge spells - Stinkweed Imp and Life from the Loam
So, my main question is: Is Greater Good worth running if you almost always sacrifice 1 and 2 power creatures?
Thank you in advance, my fellow Karador players!
Also, Carrion Feeder if you have an attack step.
I also play Netherborn Phalanx, which can be returned by Reveillark, and can also win the game. Or it can tutor Sun Titan/Austere Command/Yosei, the Morning Star.
Something like:
Karn, Silver Golem - artifact deck
Kozilek, butcher of truth - ramp into eldrazi, reprint Ashnod's Altar
Child of Alara - control, manlands
Reaper King - reprint Conspiracy
Scion of the Ur-Dragon - this card is way too expensive. Could reprint some good old-border dragons and some of the other dragons that have gotten out of hand.
or maybe a Sliver deck somewhere in there.
I know that with Wall of Roots, you can make put a fifth -0/-1 counter on it and use the mana to activate Birthing Pod, and sacrifice the Wall of Roots. I believe this is possible because state-based effects are not checked while a spell/ability is on the stack, and you add mana to your mana pool as part of casting a spell. (something along these lines.. and that mana abilities do not use the stack).
So, if I have a Dimir Guildmage, an Ashnod's Altar, and 3 lands in play, can I sacrifice the Dimir Guildmage for mana to activate one of its abilities?
Thank you!
There are things like Puca's Mischief and Perplexing Chimera. Knowledge Pool.
Pitch cards - Force of Will, Foil.
Spellshapers are good too. Dawnstrider, Silverglade Pathfinder, Stronghold Biologist, Stronghold machinist, etc.
For spells that don't necessarily synergize: Recoil, Shriekmaw, Pernicious Deed.... can't really think of much pre-Zendikar.
Truth be told, I never thought Necrotic Ooze was a good candidate for Karador. Karador wants to recast things from the graveyard.
Unless you are playing Nekusar every game, Forcefield seems better. If you are playing Nekusar every game, I suppose you could play Dissipation Field but it does not seem that great. Every Wheel of Fortune will still trigger 7 times.