No one has mentioned Torment of Hailfire. For 2 mana you either get rid of a card, get rid of board presence, or they take 3 and the value just keeps going up for every other mana you pump in to it. I think I may try it in a list like... this.
4 Liliana of the Veil
3 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
2 Sorin, Solemn Visitor
4 Bitterblossom
4 Lingering Souls
3 Thoughtseize
2 IoK
4 PoE
3 FP
2 Torment of Hailfire (Test option... My argument is that one card can take either a hand down to zero, take a field down to minimal, or hit to the face exponentially. If they have no hand or field after the initial cost every mana spent is 3 dmg to the face. That's Black Lightning right thurr.)
For 2 mana, Torment of Hailfire doesnt do anything but go to your graveyard. I think this is the official ruling I saw elsewher. It take 3 mana for it to do anything once, and then at that point your opponent can take the better of 3 options. It is an EDH card, maybe see some play in standard.
They made another red 1 drop with prowess....is Wizards serious? no haste, but 4 are going into my Burn deck. there really needs to be an excellent counterspell in this block, the stupid powerful threats are getting almost boring. that card is on a similar level to Swiftspear. I have played with Swifty plenty, Burn is my primary deck, and haste is not the most important thing on it. the dream is this t1, then Swifty and Bolt t2
I could see this being a sideboard hard in RDW or Burn, but even finding room for Grim Lavamancer maindeck is always a challenge, and I argue Lavamancer is the better card in most applications.
The only way I see this getting maindecked over other cards is in some sort of counters matters deck. I don't know, Volt Charge or something comes to mine.
I think people are trying to be a little original, and not just copy paste the affinity deck with some tweaks. The Abzan version has actually produced some results, which gives it a bit more credit for the moment.
Going all in on artifacts arguably leaves the deck to be a slightly weaker affinity deck, especially with the +1/+1 counters matters theme, Hurkyl's Recall and similar cards can be even more devastating.
If you watched his matches, you notice how key Hardened Scales and Winding Constrictor were. He luckily didn't face too much artifact hate (some of his wins were quite fast), but he commented how those permanents not having the artifact type was an advantage against typically affinity hate.
Vault Skirge is nice, but possibly might slow down his deck too much. Same with Cranial Plating, but not sure, it needs to be tested and I will believe with results. With Memnite, you have a better shot of getting Mox Opal to trigger turn 1 and drop a hardened scales, which makes turn 2 Walker or Ballista that much stronger.
Here is what I have been playing on MTGO last few days. Been single games, so no sideboard really yet, but probably build it out this weekend and work on full matches.
Watching the videos, I was also less than impressed with the deck. Not consistent enough. If you can't keep or get out a scales/constrictor, or over really on the ballista, you get mowed over.
This deck is rather different though, it even has a copy of Bioshift.
While I would change some things, I think this deck has a bit more going for it. It has some aggro edge to really on which I think is key.
When I see Dromoka's Command in these lists, I wonder if squeezing in Predator Ooze is possibly. It would be a strain on the mana base possibly. Command and Narnam Renegade seem like too good of a combo as well, since the deathtouch is relevant.
I play the non-artifact version of this deck, but Rakdos Cackler is a solid card also if you feel you need more aggro. Can come down as a 3/3, and fits the counter theme.
Design -
(1/3) Appeal: Timmy kind of likes this card; this card can potentially have a very big, random effect.
Johnny also kind of likes this card, yet it is a little unwieldy to meaningfully build around.
Spike dislikes this card. While it is circumstantially game-breaking, it would be a stretch to say that this card does so skillfully.
(2/3) Elegance: Make no mistake, this is card is inelegantly complicated; it could potentially have memory issues as well. To put it mildly, neither protection nor token copies of nontokens have ever been particularly elegant effects. (Also, see Quality.)
Development -
(1/3) Viability: The effect of this card is primarily blue, but it could also be black and blue.
The two main problems that this card suffers in regards to this particular criterion are a misappropriated rarity (this card should be mythic rare) and that protection is no longer an evergreen ability. Tangentially, after the banning of Emrakul, the Promised End, I am unsure as to when another official card with protection may see the light of day.
(0/3) Balance: This card is definitely unbalanced. Regardless of this card certainly being under-costed, there are plenty of effects which allow one to circumvent the randomness that this card presents. As just one example, at instant speed, one could combine Griptide (or similar) with this card for both removal and a shiny new creature. With protection and artifact synergy.
Any format, sanctioned or otherwise, which is slow enough for such an effect to be reliably playable could potentially suffer due to the existence of this card were it to be official. I apologize.
Creativity -
(2.5/3) Uniqueness: This card is True-Name Nemesis plus Villainous Wealth, powered by mill and improvise with other potential artifact synergy. Despite this, the card certainly does look unique when blended together.
(2.5/3) Flavor: This card is certainly flavorful, taking away an opponent's creature in order to turn it into something frighteningly nightmarish (and metallic). Although, just who is 'Noz Banin'?
Polish -
(0/3) Quality: I sincerely apologize, but there is no way to salvage the second line of rules text without almost completely rewriting it. I would rewrite it like this:
'Target opponent exiles the top X cards of his or her library. Choose a creature card exiled this way. Create a token that's a copy of it, except it's an artifact in addition to its other types. It gains protection from that opponent. (That creature can't be blocked, targeted, dealt damage, or enchanted by anything controlled by that opponent.)'
(2/2) Main Challenge: Main challenge met!
(2/2) Subchallenges: Both subchallenges met!
Total: 13/25
Final thoughts: I thought that Kaladesh was a steampunk plane, not a cyberpunk plane. So, would programming actually be an activity that could actually take place on Kaladesh?
I understand judgement can be varied. While I agree with some of the comments of my card, I disagree with other parts, and the comments seem to be inconsistent with each other.
My card was called, and paraphrasing from the comments linked above, "unwieldy to build around", and 'a stretch...to gamebreak...consistently'. I can see how this could be too inconsistent of a card to be reliably strong, and would require a build around to be useful (not unlike a lot of rares we see.)
But then under balance he notes there are cards like griptide which can make this card easily breakable. Next I won't be able to create something like Sun Titan, because Unburial Rites exists. I find cards that rely on multiple cards (especially those that costs 4+ as an example), not exactly unbalanced. This is my strongest criticism of the judging, which is in itself is knocking me in multiple areas for conflicting advice. Is the card inconsistent and not able to be built around, or is it easy breakable by griptide of all cards? I get knocked in appeal because it is too inconsistent and lacks consistent ability to game-break, and in balance it is too powerful and easy to manipulate! No advice is offered to remedy this apparent contradiction.
The rarity posted is rare, the judge says mythic....not sure. The effect is inconsistent as mentioned, and as the judge mentions, is basically a weaker True-Name Nemesis, a rare. Also it is much more limiting in the cards (card) it can grab like villainous wealth. While I disagree that it needs to be mythic, I can see an argument for Mythic.
Any format, sanctioned or otherwise, which is slow enough for such an effect to be reliably playable could potentially suffer due to the existence of this card were it to be official. I apologize.
So a format where this card to be actually a good card, would be too good? Basically this implies this is a casual card, because it is inconsistent and only occasionally effective, but given enough time and luck could be VERY good. It sounds like I am getting knocked for not making something strong enough for standard, modern or legacy, but something that might be just a little too good for casual.
Regarding uniqueness, he mentions if feels like a mix of multiple cards and abilities, but 'despite' this 'looks unique when blended together'. Somewhat harsh, but I got the highest score from the judge for uniqueness, so if one can take their coffee without sugar and cream, it will work.
The rules text re-write offered might be better, I take that as fair criticism.
The protection point is debatable for sure. It is one thing to give a creature protection, its another thing to give Emrakul protection. I think there is a big playbility cliff between Petrified Wood-Kin and Emrakul, the Promised End. Wizards nowadays might print more risky cards anyways with their ban-hammer being more active and under a different schedule (as they have noted.)
The judge, then notes in the review after mine:
Final thought(s): I like simple cards such as these. They tend to score well, and are not too terribly time-consuming to judge!
I see now. One can't help feel a bit slighted because a judge put out his reviews many hours after they were due, and consequentially the easy and predictable cards get the quick good score. Message sent.
Forgive my rambling, but I find this judging inconsistent and rushed. I have gotten reviews in the past, and have always taken the comments to learn from. This time, I just feel there was some inconsistent comments within my own judging, and leaves me in a position unable to learn from (except hope not to get a particular judge.)
Dissident Dream ShaperUB
Creature - Aetherborn Artificer (R)
You may look at the top card of your library. (You may do this at any time.) UB, Discard a card: Reveal the top card of your library. If the revealed card is a creature or artifact card, create a token that's a copy of the revealed card except it's an artifact in addition to its other types.
"I no longer create the dreams of tyrants, but nightmares for the free"
2/2
Nightmare in the MachineXUB
Instant (R)
Improvise (Your artifacts can help cast this spell. Each artifact you tap after you're done activating mana abilities pays for 1.)
Target opponent exiles the top X cards of his or her library. Create a token that is a copy of a creature card among the exiled, except it has protection from that opponent and is an artifact in addition to its other types. "I don't know your greatest fear, but I know one of them, and building it into a machine programmed to kill you is good enough for me." -Noz Banin
Dissident Dream ShaperUB
Creature - Aetherborn Artificer (R)
You may look at the top card of your library. (You may do this at any time.) UB, Discard a card: Reveal the top card of your library. If the revealed card is a creature or artifact card, create a token that's a copy of the revealed card except it's an artifact in addition to its other types. "I no longer create the dreams of tyrants, but nightmares for the free"
2/2
Finished an online tournament going 2-2 with my work-in-progress list (I played about 30 games on MTGO before doing the tournament so you may have seen this deck out there). Beat Affinty and Grixis Control, but lost to Jund and Merfolk. Every match was a grind, I might have beaten Merfolk if I had made better plays and mulliganed.
Cards like Stromkirk Noble probaby will drop from sideboard. I should have dropped it for the tournament, but it was a nice side against soldier and company decks that play a ton of humans when I was testing. Hugely situational, but you would be surprised how many humans are in decks when you look carefully.
For 2 mana, Torment of Hailfire doesnt do anything but go to your graveyard. I think this is the official ruling I saw elsewher. It take 3 mana for it to do anything once, and then at that point your opponent can take the better of 3 options. It is an EDH card, maybe see some play in standard.
I could see this being a sideboard hard in RDW or Burn, but even finding room for Grim Lavamancer maindeck is always a challenge, and I argue Lavamancer is the better card in most applications.
The only way I see this getting maindecked over other cards is in some sort of counters matters deck. I don't know, Volt Charge or something comes to mine.
Still, Arcbound a great card. Quick idea for constructs only (cavern of souls should be in there.)
4 Arcbound Ravager
4 Walking Ballista
4 Hangarback Walker
4 Memnite
4 Metallic Mimic
4 Winding Constrictor
3 Arcbound Worker
2 Steel Overseer
1 Slag Fiend
4 Hardened Scales
4 Mox Opal
2 Postmortem Lunge
Land 20
3 Cavern of Souls
I think people are trying to be a little original, and not just copy paste the affinity deck with some tweaks. The Abzan version has actually produced some results, which gives it a bit more credit for the moment.
Going all in on artifacts arguably leaves the deck to be a slightly weaker affinity deck, especially with the +1/+1 counters matters theme, Hurkyl's Recall and similar cards can be even more devastating.
If you watched his matches, you notice how key Hardened Scales and Winding Constrictor were. He luckily didn't face too much artifact hate (some of his wins were quite fast), but he commented how those permanents not having the artifact type was an advantage against typically affinity hate.
Vault Skirge is nice, but possibly might slow down his deck too much. Same with Cranial Plating, but not sure, it needs to be tested and I will believe with results. With Memnite, you have a better shot of getting Mox Opal to trigger turn 1 and drop a hardened scales, which makes turn 2 Walker or Ballista that much stronger.
4x Arcbound Ravager
4x Arcbound Worker
4x Hangarback Walker
4x Steel Overseer
4x Walking Ballista
4x Winding Constrictor
2x Metallic Mimic
1x Scavenging Ooze
4x Hardened Scales
4x Mox Opal
2x Thoughtseize
2x Fatal Push
1x Tezzeret's Gambit
1x Animation Module
Land 19
1x Blinkmoth Nexus
4x Blooming Marsh
4x Darksteel Citadel
1x Forest
1x Llanowar Reborn
1x Verdant Catacombs
4x Llanowar Wastes
2x Spire of Industry
1x Swamp
While I would change some things, I think this deck has a bit more going for it. It has some aggro edge to really on which I think is key.
When I see Dromoka's Command in these lists, I wonder if squeezing in Predator Ooze is possibly. It would be a strain on the mana base possibly. Command and Narnam Renegade seem like too good of a combo as well, since the deathtouch is relevant.
I play the non-artifact version of this deck, but Rakdos Cackler is a solid card also if you feel you need more aggro. Can come down as a 3/3, and fits the counter theme.
(1/3) Appeal: Timmy kind of likes this card; this card can potentially have a very big, random effect.
Johnny also kind of likes this card, yet it is a little unwieldy to meaningfully build around.
Spike dislikes this card. While it is circumstantially game-breaking, it would be a stretch to say that this card does so skillfully.
(2/3) Elegance: Make no mistake, this is card is inelegantly complicated; it could potentially have memory issues as well. To put it mildly, neither protection nor token copies of nontokens have ever been particularly elegant effects. (Also, see Quality.)
Development -
(1/3) Viability: The effect of this card is primarily blue, but it could also be black and blue.
The two main problems that this card suffers in regards to this particular criterion are a misappropriated rarity (this card should be mythic rare) and that protection is no longer an evergreen ability. Tangentially, after the banning of Emrakul, the Promised End, I am unsure as to when another official card with protection may see the light of day.
(0/3) Balance: This card is definitely unbalanced. Regardless of this card certainly being under-costed, there are plenty of effects which allow one to circumvent the randomness that this card presents. As just one example, at instant speed, one could combine Griptide (or similar) with this card for both removal and a shiny new creature. With protection and artifact synergy.
Any format, sanctioned or otherwise, which is slow enough for such an effect to be reliably playable could potentially suffer due to the existence of this card were it to be official. I apologize.
Creativity -
(2.5/3) Uniqueness: This card is True-Name Nemesis plus Villainous Wealth, powered by mill and improvise with other potential artifact synergy. Despite this, the card certainly does look unique when blended together.
(2.5/3) Flavor: This card is certainly flavorful, taking away an opponent's creature in order to turn it into something frighteningly nightmarish (and metallic). Although, just who is 'Noz Banin'?
Polish -
(0/3) Quality: I sincerely apologize, but there is no way to salvage the second line of rules text without almost completely rewriting it. I would rewrite it like this:
'Target opponent exiles the top X cards of his or her library. Choose a creature card exiled this way. Create a token that's a copy of it, except it's an artifact in addition to its other types. It gains protection from that opponent. (That creature can't be blocked, targeted, dealt damage, or enchanted by anything controlled by that opponent.)'
(2/2) Main Challenge: Main challenge met!
(2/2) Subchallenges: Both subchallenges met!
Total: 13/25
Final thoughts: I thought that Kaladesh was a steampunk plane, not a cyberpunk plane. So, would programming actually be an activity that could actually take place on Kaladesh?
I understand judgement can be varied. While I agree with some of the comments of my card, I disagree with other parts, and the comments seem to be inconsistent with each other.
My card was called, and paraphrasing from the comments linked above, "unwieldy to build around", and 'a stretch...to gamebreak...consistently'. I can see how this could be too inconsistent of a card to be reliably strong, and would require a build around to be useful (not unlike a lot of rares we see.)
But then under balance he notes there are cards like griptide which can make this card easily breakable. Next I won't be able to create something like Sun Titan, because Unburial Rites exists. I find cards that rely on multiple cards (especially those that costs 4+ as an example), not exactly unbalanced. This is my strongest criticism of the judging, which is in itself is knocking me in multiple areas for conflicting advice. Is the card inconsistent and not able to be built around, or is it easy breakable by griptide of all cards? I get knocked in appeal because it is too inconsistent and lacks consistent ability to game-break, and in balance it is too powerful and easy to manipulate! No advice is offered to remedy this apparent contradiction.
The rarity posted is rare, the judge says mythic....not sure. The effect is inconsistent as mentioned, and as the judge mentions, is basically a weaker True-Name Nemesis, a rare. Also it is much more limiting in the cards (card) it can grab like villainous wealth. While I disagree that it needs to be mythic, I can see an argument for Mythic.
So a format where this card to be actually a good card, would be too good? Basically this implies this is a casual card, because it is inconsistent and only occasionally effective, but given enough time and luck could be VERY good. It sounds like I am getting knocked for not making something strong enough for standard, modern or legacy, but something that might be just a little too good for casual.
Regarding uniqueness, he mentions if feels like a mix of multiple cards and abilities, but 'despite' this 'looks unique when blended together'. Somewhat harsh, but I got the highest score from the judge for uniqueness, so if one can take their coffee without sugar and cream, it will work.
The rules text re-write offered might be better, I take that as fair criticism.
The protection point is debatable for sure. It is one thing to give a creature protection, its another thing to give Emrakul protection. I think there is a big playbility cliff between Petrified Wood-Kin and Emrakul, the Promised End. Wizards nowadays might print more risky cards anyways with their ban-hammer being more active and under a different schedule (as they have noted.)
The judge, then notes in the review after mine:
I see now. One can't help feel a bit slighted because a judge put out his reviews many hours after they were due, and consequentially the easy and predictable cards get the quick good score. Message sent.
Forgive my rambling, but I find this judging inconsistent and rushed. I have gotten reviews in the past, and have always taken the comments to learn from. This time, I just feel there was some inconsistent comments within my own judging, and leaves me in a position unable to learn from (except hope not to get a particular judge.)
4 Avatar of the Resolute
4 Experiment One
4 Ghor-Clan Rampager
1 Greenwheel Liberator
2 Magus of the Moon
4 Narnam Renegade
1 Rakdos Cackler
4 Scavenging Ooze
4 Strangleroot Geist
Planeswalker [2]
1 Domri Rade
1 Nissa, Voice of Zendikar
3 Hardened Scales
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Vines of Vastwood
1 Blossoming Defense
Land [20]
4 Copperline Gorge
4 Forest
1 Llanowar Reborn
1 Rootbound Crag
2 Stomping Ground
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills
1 Blasphemous Act
2 Chalice of the Void
3 Destructive Revelry
2 Dismember
1 Inspiring Call
1 Leyline of Punishment
2 Mistcutter Hydra
2 Molten Rain
1 Stromkirk Noble
Creature - Aetherborn Artificer (R)
You may look at the top card of your library. (You may do this at any time.)
UB, Discard a card: Reveal the top card of your library. If the revealed card is a creature or artifact card, create a token that's a copy of the revealed card except it's an artifact in addition to its other types.
"I no longer create the dreams of tyrants, but nightmares for the free"
2/2
Instant (R)
Improvise (Your artifacts can help cast this spell. Each artifact you tap after you're done activating mana abilities pays for 1.)
Target opponent exiles the top X cards of his or her library. Create a token that is a copy of a creature card among the exiled, except it has protection from that opponent and is an artifact in addition to its other types.
"I don't know your greatest fear, but I know one of them, and building it into a machine programmed to kill you is good enough for me."
-Noz Banin
Creature - Aetherborn Artificer (R)
You may look at the top card of your library. (You may do this at any time.)
UB, Discard a card: Reveal the top card of your library. If the revealed card is a creature or artifact card, create a token that's a copy of the revealed card except it's an artifact in addition to its other types.
"I no longer create the dreams of tyrants, but nightmares for the free"
2/2
Cards like Stromkirk Noble probaby will drop from sideboard. I should have dropped it for the tournament, but it was a nice side against soldier and company decks that play a ton of humans when I was testing. Hugely situational, but you would be surprised how many humans are in decks when you look carefully.
Decklist:
4 Avatar of the Resolute
1 Bloodhall Ooze
4 Experiment One
2 Ghor-Clan Rampager
1 Greenwheel Liberator
4 Narnam Renegade
2 Rakdos Cackler
4 Scavenging Ooze
4 Strangleroot Geist
Planeswalker [1]
1 Nissa, Voice of Zendikar
4 Hardened Scales
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Rancor
3 Vines of Vastwood
Land [20]
4 Copperline Gorge
6 Forest
1 Llanowar Reborn
1 Stomping Ground
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills
1 Ancient Grudge
2 Destructive Revelry
1 Dodecapod
1 Domri Rade
2 Ghost Quarter
2 Kitchen Finks
2 Mistcutter Hydra
1 Mutant's Prey
1 Pillar of Flame
1 Stromkirk Noble
1 Tormod's Crypt