MTG Salvation

I'm having trouble updating Cockatrice via oracle. Is there a direct link for the cards.xml anywhere?

Quote from DokuDokuH »

beyond disappoint that they let her terrible art into this set. Would have loved to see alt art on so many other angels by more talented artists that wizards has taken on since dropping her =/

I think it's fantastic that Wizards continues to use an artist whose art is unique and flavorful, not to mention elegant, rather than more and more CG.

I could be alone in this: I believe the fantasy genre is a huge universe and it can offer more than just characters with dramatic posture or splashy spell effect. Classic MtG art have its up and downs, but I truly appreciate the feel. Rob Alexander, for one, did many wonderful pieces for Ice Age that brought the era's desolation to live, where the new Coldsnap expansion couldn't with its modern arts.

Oona, Queen of the Fae is quite disliked in my group, mostly because people hate to have their cards exiled before they get to use them (like how commander tuck is whined about). Beaten down by an army of flying tokens was never part of the complaints. I'm ok with Oona personally, more frightened by other combos in her deck.

Quote from bcorn »

Seems reasonable, but are there many black cards that offer extra turns? Feels more like a UB card to me.

Black has all kinds of effects, including it's usually not so good artifact removal (Phyrexian Tribute). The thing about black is that as long as the player is willing to sacrifice enough stuff, he or she can extend its color pie, the same way red gets its Final Fortune.

I believe this card is fine as it is as black.

I like it, because it's easy to get out and brings versatility to the table. With Food Chain and Fierce Empath you can cast Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre in the same turn (I consider it a Synchro Summon :D). I'd use Bellower in a Marath deck for sure.

Self-Mutilation
4BB
Sorcery

As an additional cost to cast Self-Mutilation, sacrifice any number of nontoken permanents.
For each permanent you sacrificed while casting Self-Mutilation, draw a card, gain 2 life, and put a 2/2 black zombie creature token onto the battlefield. Then, if your opponents control at least 15 more permanents than the number of your nontoken permanents, take an extra turn after this one.

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Try to create a black-flavor card that could work for both 1v1 and multiplayer games. The card vindicates black's "power at any cost, and greater power at greater sacrifice" theme. It is less likely that you will take an extra turn after in a 1v1 but in multiple player it would be much easier, and also less broken due to you having more than one opponent.

Although if you are willing to sacrifice enough, you might even many it work in 1v1... and that's how black works.

Quote from schweinefett »

i'm hoping theyre gonna come up with more interesting generals to build from; i.e. not just all upside creatures, things that you really need to stop and think about how to deploy them correctly. or at least have SOME that are like that.

its not that i didnt like playing with kaalia and her ilk, but it gets a little tiresome having the general dictate deckbuilding so much. i'd wanna see some dudes like the original elder dragons or lord of tresserhorn type trip-ups that makes players have to think about how to use the cards to the best.

You have no idea how much I agree with you!

Black cards of recent years are mostly such; discard, destroy, blah blah blah, but very few cards hold the "play with danger" feeling that a black card should have since the dawn of MtG. Same with legends, which at one point they were suppose to convey flavor yet now they have to be "playable" to be printed. Origin is one of the "rare" set that actually make cards out of flavor, not power level alone, which is pleasing.

I want more dangerous cards! A commander that can risk you losing the game would be awesome, like Kothophed, Soul Hoarder

An example card could be:

Self-Mutilation
4BB
Sorcery

As an additional cost to cast Self-Mutilation, sacrifice any number of nontoken permanents.
For each permanent you sacrificed while casting Self-Mutilation, draw a card, gain 2 life, and put a 2/2 black zombie creature token onto the battlefield. Then, if your opponents control at least 15 more permanents than the number of your nontoken permanents, take an extra turn after this one.

New themes, or revisit of less popular theme would be nice for these decks.

I agree that Izzet would probably be the artifact theme they haven't explored since Ravnica (their guild artifact, Mizzium Transreliquat, kinda shows that point).

I want WR to be something noncombat related commander, perhaps explores the theme of life-damage relationship like Searing Meditation and Balefire Liege, but at the same time spell-slinging, like Soulfire Grand Master, or redirect effect like Captain's Maneuver.

Simic has always been very creature oriented. I wonder if a lockdown type commander would be possible, either bounce (Temporal Spring) or tap (Opposition + tokens).

Orzhov has enough life related commanders, I'd like to see more Triad of Fates type of commander or destruction centered commander similar to Desolation Angel. After all, black and white both have global destruction theme in them.

Golgari is a tough call, because it has already been quite diverse; graveyard, token, lands, discard, artifact, enchantment, and semi-voltron if you count Varolz, the Scar-Striped. Perhaps a mana-through-sacrifice like [c]
Cadaverous Bloom[/c] would be a nice commander to have.

Noticed by the Rumor Mill

http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/magic-fundamentals/the-rumor-mill/621675-commander-2015

Source: http://wpn.wizards.com/en/products/commander-2015

Enemy color commanders, yeah baby.

Quote from hyalapterouslemur »

In red, it's actually a lot harder to be truly a mother****er, because you don't have nearly as many tutors. Gamble, Prototype Portal, and what else?

Planar Portal? Although if you only need few cards to set up, Ring of Three Wishes should do fine, since you can also copy it with Prototype Portal.

Maybe a Portal theme EDH can be made too...

Tested out some of the Squee decks recommended, very very fun, although there's the expected problem of enchantment removal, which requires artifact to help out. Still working on Jaya's deck at the moment; Blood Moon is so evil.

I'm using Mac as well... damn.

Is there a cards.xml download where we can bypass the Oracle update?

Quote from Lithl »

I'll add another +1 for the Jaya recommendation. I currently have the following cards specifically synergizing with Jaya:

• Akroma's Memorial
  
• Anger
  
• Basilisk Collar
  
• Buried Ruin
  
• Chandra's Phoenix
  
• Charmbreaker Devils
  
• Crucible of Worlds
  
• Darksteel Plate
  
• Devil's Play
  
• Distorting Lens
  
• Fiery Temper
  
• Firewing Phoenix
  
• Haunted Fengraf
  
• Hell's Thunder
  
• Increasing Vengeance
  
• Magebane Armor
  
• Magma Phoenix
  
• Past in Flames
  
• Recoup
  
• Seize the Day
  
• Shard Phoenix
  
• Shield of Kaldra
  
• Skarrgan Firebird
  
• Squee, Goblin Nabob
  
• Sword of Fire and Ice
  
• Sword of War and Peace
  
• Violent Eruption

I also run several looting effects and wheels, since I already don't mind dropping cards in my graveyard.

Jaya can do some serious work if you're willing to drop cards from your hand. Especially with Basilisk Collar; a lifelinking Inferno usually sets me higher than any other deck at the table even hopes to get their own life total (gain 6 life per creature on the board plus 6 life per opponent; the 6 life you gain from yourself is canceled by the damage you deal to yourself).

You had me the moment you mentioned phoenix I have a UR Counter-Phoenix deck that utilizes discard, love to see that in EDH form.

So gather around the info, I realize artifact is more or less inevitable for a red deck, for both draw and removals. Red also turns discard into advantage, I like that also.

Assuming I uses Jaya as my commander with an artifact company:

1) Artifact tokens, such as the recent addition of Thopters, Hangarback Walker and its ilk.
2) Techno-voltron theme, such as equipment via Godo, Bandit Warlord either to protect Jaya, to generate combo like Skullclamp + tokens, or downright bring out Batterskull.
3) Discard-happy with Squee, Goblin Nabob, Crucible of Worlds, Chandra Ablaze, and phoenixes (Kuldotha Phoenix matches with the artifact theme as well). Definitely Gamble.
4) Recurring/reanimating with cards like Gobling Welder and Deretti, Scrap Savant, etc. Deretti's ability also go with the discard theme.
5) May have room for Karn, Silver Golem, Alhammarret's Archive, even Liquimetal Coating?

But it comes to the question of whether or not I should just use Deretti for such a deck. Jaya's repeated Inferno is quite tempting, and I don't mind killing Jace, the Mind Sculptor with R, but Deretti is also great with three on-theme abilities.

Quote from Ulka »

If you are looking at Voltron/Control may I recommend Tahngarth, Talruum Hero over Akroma because when People see Akroma they often expect voltron with big mana but with this Minotaur they'll see the voltron aspect but won't know what to expect.

The fact he has vigilance also means when you start voltroning you have some defense but pair with that is the fact that he doubles as removal can help you secure his position with voltron wins. I mean he doesn't have the protection from blue and white which one has a lot of removal Path to exile ect and the other bounces things yes but you can play Didgeridoo for style points! I mean you can also play Rageblood Shaman for the tribal boost! if only Kragma Warcaller was just red...

Otherwise cards such as Erratic Portal paired with Didgeridoo make him quite hard to remove permanently and red is the color of haste. Plus bonus points if you know the weather light saga at all: Getting to pitch Squee, goblin nabob every turn with him out.

But honestly Akroma, Angel of Fury is a really powerful commander and she is getting a new art so I understand if you want to go with her. She is really powerful.

You caught the problem I have with Tahngarth; Minotaur tribe is WBR, shame they lack a Minotaur commander of that color. (Zurgo voltron with army of Minotaurs?)

Akroma protects herself and I do enjoy the fact I can play her as a morph to reduce the tax (over two turns). I don't want to go with simple voltron of course, consider she is powerful enough to two shot an opponent even without additional support. I think combo Akroma with Warp World can be achieved when I ramp enough mana to cast Warp World then drop Akroma at the end as morph or otherwise. I guess the same can be done with Wildfire type of cards. I think back in the old days it's called Artifact Red or Big Red, play artifact ramping, get big nasties out, then kaboom.

Did I just say artifact? Damn, guess it's hard to escape it even in EDH.

Deretti and Alhammarret's Archive is quite tempting, quite so indeed. (And add Squee to it)

Quote from Silver_Spellthief »

This most certainly goes in Baseless Speculation.

But to answer your question, Ulamog is the only Eldrazi Titan on Zendikar. The other two have been stated to have left the world to munch on planes unknown. So, no, Kozilek will most likely not appear in Battle for Zendikar.

Where can I read about this?