I'm sure this has already been addressed but the "infinite" stops as soon as the first token is made. The Meathook Massacre ONLY gives -X/-X when it enters the battlefield. It only affects the creatures that were on the board at the time of the Massacre. Anything created afterwards will have survived the Massacre.
Yes, it has been addressed, and you're looking at it wrong. Chatterfang doesn't care about Massacre's -X/-X ability. You can play Massacre first, you can play it for X=0. The second ability is what goes infinite with Chatterfang and Pitiless Plunderer.
Chatterfang's activated ability costs 1 mana and 1 Squirrel. And when that squirrel dies, Plunderer gives you a Treasure, which makes Chatterfang give you another squirrel, which incidentally is exactly the cost to activate Chatterfang again. Just keep activating it over and over, and each time, Massacre throws another trigger on the stack that says "each opponent loses 1 life." Once you have enough triggers to kill all your opponents, stop activating and let the stack resolve. You win.
So, it's not really that it goes infinite with Chatterfang and a Plunderer, more that there is an established infinite loop there already. What is important unlike Blood Artist, and Zulaport Cutthroat is that this can't be targeted with creature removal and unlike Bastion of Remembrance it has mana value 2.
Other than the fact that the whole thing is fairly mana intensive it might be worth thinking about. (3 for Chatterfang, 4 for the Plunderer, 2 for the Massacre and at least 2 more to create the first squirrel and kick off the chain).
Ah, but what if we had a way to turn all those tokens into Mana and cards and could spin our deck multiple times a turn. Sure, I know it's a lot of hoops but we know how unfun infinite loops are in the game and Modern keeps on getting them accidentally.
Seems Wizard's can't win. Either a set I'd too careful or they have to ban at least 1 card and everyone complains about that instead. As the old saying goes, they could put $100 bills in packs...
Woah that's a RARE? I thought "it better be common for that level of crappiness". Sure, i re-trigger ETB, but sorcery? Really?
And what's funny is the WU flashback uncommon that draws cards and gains life is so much better than this rare. I do not get rarities in this set but I'm not sure complaining about good cards at uncommon is a good look either.
Well there's your middle finger to mill decks after the core of them (ROGUES!) are leaving standard. Cute design. And it triggers for EACH land, not just one or more. Will it amount to anything? Ehh, maybe? Well, with those "discard a card to do X" cards (usually lands) will become more valuable alongside this.
I guess Book of Exalted Deeds could use this as a buffer against land hate (Faceless Haven et al!) once it becomes legal in Standard following rotation.
Makes you wonder what mechanics we'll see in Crimson Vow and upcoming releases thereafter.
'buster
I feel like Mill will still have many of their key pieces from Zendikar?
The enforcer is the real hit as it was pretty much a 4 of in every build but I can see the deck surviving - if a little hobbled - with just the Zendekari rogues. As for the other cards I don't know that they were all that consistent across builds and I'm fairly sure they can be replaced.
It continues to surprise me how many cards in recent sets have the "once per turn" rider. Would this be totally broken if you got three clues after a wrath?
Really, the restriction is there to stop infinite loops in older formats. Project X is already a thing, why give it new toys?
And a question. Since this is the backside of a DFC does it copy the front or back of the copied card, if that card is a DFC? Ideally, if it copied the back side and triggered that cards transform trigger there may be some value there.
When not on the battlefield/stack only the front face is seen for characteristics, so this won't copy a back-sides transform tigger. Though IIRC some older cards had front-sides with transform triggers as well.
That said, this won't trigger any transform triggers anyway with the currently proposed wording since the copy effect itself is a triggered ability, so the copied abilities will only be there once the transformation is completed - possibly one of the reasons this doesn't start at 0/0 either.
Yeah, that does make sense. Then I'm really left scratching my head as to when I would want this over Body Double.
Well there's your middle finger to mill decks after the core of them (ROGUES!) are leaving standard. Cute design. And it triggers for EACH land, not just one or more. Will it amount to anything? Ehh, maybe? Well, with those "discard a card to do X" cards (usually lands) will become more valuable alongside this.
I guess Book of Exalted Deeds could use this as a buffer against land hate (Faceless Haven et al!) once it becomes legal in Standard following rotation.
Makes you wonder what mechanics we'll see in Crimson Vow and upcoming releases thereafter.
'buster
I feel like Mill will still have many of their key pieces from Zendikar?
People have been playing Reveillark with Karmic Guide forever, so why not squish them into one card and tweak for power level? (I joke, ofc... But still a fine Mythic)
Since most of the most desirable expensive creatures are valued because of their ETB effects I'm having a hard time visualizing what one might want this to transform into. Any suggestions?
And a question. Since this is the backside of a DFC does it copy the front or back of the copied card, if that card is a DFC? Ideally, if it copied the back side and triggered that cards transform trigger there may be some value there.
It's considerably harder to abuse this Willow Geist in Modern than it is to abuse some other 1-2-drops. This guy needs to combo with repeated graveyard removal such as Wrenn and Six, Relic of Progenitus, and Scavenging Ooze. A one-shot card like Endurance, Nihil Spellbomb, or Unearth is only going to pump it once.
And since it's only your Graveyard it seems a little, unorthodox (?) to Relic Yourself.
Okay I revise my initial estimate but still, if not Deaths Shadow good still not a bad card. Trample, mana value 1, and the life gain make it much better than Quirion Dryad and it's ilk.
So, it's not really that it goes infinite with Chatterfang and a Plunderer, more that there is an established infinite loop there already. What is important unlike Blood Artist, and Zulaport Cutthroat is that this can't be targeted with creature removal and unlike Bastion of Remembrance it has mana value 2.
Other than the fact that the whole thing is fairly mana intensive it might be worth thinking about. (3 for Chatterfang, 4 for the Plunderer, 2 for the Massacre and at least 2 more to create the first squirrel and kick off the chain).
Seems Wizard's can't win. Either a set I'd too careful or they have to ban at least 1 card and everyone complains about that instead. As the old saying goes, they could put $100 bills in packs...
And what's funny is the WU flashback uncommon that draws cards and gains life is so much better than this rare. I do not get rarities in this set but I'm not sure complaining about good cards at uncommon is a good look either.
The enforcer is the real hit as it was pretty much a 4 of in every build but I can see the deck surviving - if a little hobbled - with just the Zendekari rogues. As for the other cards I don't know that they were all that consistent across builds and I'm fairly sure they can be replaced.
Really, the restriction is there to stop infinite loops in older formats. Project X is already a thing, why give it new toys?
Yeah, that does make sense. Then I'm really left scratching my head as to when I would want this over Body Double.
I feel like Mill will still have many of their key pieces from Zendikar?
And a question. Since this is the backside of a DFC does it copy the front or back of the copied card, if that card is a DFC? Ideally, if it copied the back side and triggered that cards transform trigger there may be some value there.
And since it's only your Graveyard it seems a little, unorthodox (?) to Relic Yourself.
Okay I revise my initial estimate but still, if not Deaths Shadow good still not a bad card. Trample, mana value 1, and the life gain make it much better than Quirion Dryad and it's ilk.
https://youtu.be/NfuiB52K7X8