I really don't see what all the screaming and wailing is about. I mean, as has been said before, blue normally gets polymorph-type effects, so it's not like this breaks the color pie or anything. I'd certainly play this in my blue EDH, but Modern? Not a snowball's chance in Shiv. This actually two-for-ones yourself- you lose one card (Reality Shift), they lose one card (the creature you exiled), and they gain a card (their 2/2). And don't gimme that "It could flip their noncreature card" crap- Is Chronic Flooding good because it might mill away their good cards?
This guy looks to be very strong in whip as he's virtually unkillable- if he dies, you whip him back, exile him, then return him from exile and so on and so forth. Tapping someone's blockers down ain't half bad either. You're spending nine mana(and waiting three turns until you can actually attack again) by then, though.
What do you guys think?
You misunderstand; it's not the recurring that agitates me so much, it's the fact that it makes damage races almost impossible to lose. As someone who once played aggro, I've experienced firsthand how frustrating consistent lifegain is at the hands of Nyx-Fleece Ram and its ilk. Imagine your opponent can kill your creatures, pressure your lifetotal, and still be gaining life; that is what playing against a tempo deck with this card would be like. I think we all went a little nuts when we first saw it; the hype on the spoiler page can make it hard to think straight. Still, the fact remains: this card elongates the game with lifegain, then at the same time has an ability that works better the longer the game goes. I personally will get as many of these as I can find come release as insurance against a spike.
Yeah, I am being quite difficult here. I'm dubious of lifegain effects, so I am probably underestimating the value this new card provides. Though, to what extent I have yet to see.
Well, random lifegain effects like Heroes' Reunion are pretty janky; it's lifegain cards that gain you life while providing board prescence or tempo advantage that are so good. (See the Modern Soul Sisters deck; it's main lifegain engines, Soul Warden and Soul's Attendant, also by definition let you white-weenie swarm your opponent).
Overall I'm a tad iffy about this; either it'll shoot up to $30, or else it'll be $15 for a week from all the hype and then plummet down to the dollar bin.
@Mjelke You would use this in Jeskai Tempo. Good sir, you are getting attacked by my Mantis Rider, Seeker of the Way, and Grand Master. Block? Your creatures get Lightning Striked with buyback 2(U/R)(U/R), gaining life. Kill my creatures? Dig Through Time and find more. Try to race me? My Jeskai Charms are now Warleader's Helix. With buyback. See how fun and fair this is?
If you have all that mana to throw around, you can probably win without recurring your Lightning Strikes. Or for that matter, without the Grand Master at all. If your deck can reliably hit more than 5 mana to perform said shenanigans, why don't you simply play a Pearl Lake Ancient?
You misunderstand; it's not the recurring that agitates me so much, it's the fact that it makes damage races almost impossible to lose. As someone who once played aggro, I've experienced firsthand how frustrating consistent lifegain is at the hands of Nyx-Fleece Ram and its ilk. Imagine your opponent can kill your creatures, pressure your lifetotal, and still be gaining life; that is what playing against a tempo deck with this card would be like. I think we all went a little nuts when we first saw it; the hype on the spoiler page can make it hard to think straight. Still, the fact remains: this card elongates the game with lifegain, then at the same time has an ability that works better the longer the game goes. I personally will get as many of these as I can find come release as insurance against a spike.
@Mjelke You would use this in Jeskai Tempo. Good sir, you are getting attacked by my Mantis Rider, Seeker of the Way, and Grand Master. Block? Your creatures get Lightning Striked with buyback 2(U/R)(U/R), gaining life. Kill my creatures? Dig Through Time and find more. Try to race me? My Jeskai Charms are now Warleader's Helix. With buyback. See how fun and fair this is?
Unless Dragon Tribal gets more support, Stormbreath Dragon beats this out in standard. He is really cool in Bladewing the Risen EDH, and might even merit his own EDH.
I feel like he would have the best chance in a deck with 15 Gods, Chromanticore, and maybe a Prognostic Sphinx as a discard outlet. I'm not sure how competitive that deck would be though. He'll always have a place in say Mimeoplasm EDH.
As regards the manifest/morph cheating issue... I'll just carry 20 overlays around with me and smack those things right on top as soon as an opponent manifests or morphs.
I may as well post here to introduce myself, soo...
Yo. I just joined up with the forums. My playgroup mostly plays EDH and Standard, and we don't sink too much money into Magic (although we don't shy away from playsets of $10 cards, if the need strikes us). I do mostly casual FNMs, but I am trying to get a little more competitive.
Oh, and edit: I rabidly watch events. Literally any GP, MTGO Daily, hell, even an 8-player draft at my LGS, I will watch until I have to eat or sleep.
4x Tasigur's Cruelty
4x Despise
4x Thoughtseize
4x Brain Maggot
4x Mardu Charm
Win-Conditions:
4x Waste Not
2x Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
4x Anger of the Gods
4x Hero's Downfall
2x Bile Blight
Lands:
4x Nomad Outpost
4x Bloodstained Mire
2x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
2x Battlefield Forge
4x Temple of Malice
3x Temple of Silence
1x Temple of Triumph
2x Swamp
2x Mountain
This guy looks to be very strong in whip as he's virtually unkillable- if he dies, you whip him back, exile him, then return him from exile and so on and so forth. Tapping someone's blockers down ain't half bad either. You're spending nine mana(and waiting three turns until you can actually attack again) by then, though.
What do you guys think?
Well, random lifegain effects like Heroes' Reunion are pretty janky; it's lifegain cards that gain you life while providing board prescence or tempo advantage that are so good. (See the Modern Soul Sisters deck; it's main lifegain engines, Soul Warden and Soul's Attendant, also by definition let you white-weenie swarm your opponent).
Overall I'm a tad iffy about this; either it'll shoot up to $30, or else it'll be $15 for a week from all the hype and then plummet down to the dollar bin.
Your Lightning Strikes are Lightning Helixes! Your Dissolves have buyback! All from this absurd cashgrab mythic!
White:
Auriok Champion, which singlehandedly pumps the price of Soul Sisters up $30
Baneslayer Angel and/or Linvala, Keeper of Silence, because Angels
Blue:
Cryptic Command, which is outrageous at $50
Remand, which is annoying at $15
The Merfolk troupe (Lord of Atlantis,Master of the Pearl Trident,Cursecatcher,Silvergill Adept), just because they would be fun to draft
Black:
Dark Confidant, because Bob
Damnation, because
I need it for my EDHit's due for a reprintRed:
Goblin Guide , which is ludicrous at $17
Green:
Tarmogoyf, because well duh
Noble Hierarch, which is unbelievable at $70
Primeval Titan, because primetime
Multicolored:
Knight of the Reliquary, which would be awesome to draft
Fulminator Mage, which is absurd at $35
The Praetor cycle Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite, Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur, Sheoldred, Whispering One, Urabrask the Hidden, Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger, which would be awesome to draft
Artifact:
Mox Opal, which is stupid at $50
Arcbound Ravager, to make Affinity a draft archetype
Everflowing Chalice, to make ramp a draft archetype
Land:
The filterland cycle, which are frustrating at $10-$30
Cavern of Souls, to help tribal strategies
Yo. I just joined up with the forums. My playgroup mostly plays EDH and Standard, and we don't sink too much money into Magic (although we don't shy away from playsets of $10 cards, if the need strikes us). I do mostly casual FNMs, but I am trying to get a little more competitive.
Oh, and edit: I rabidly watch events. Literally any GP, MTGO Daily, hell, even an 8-player draft at my LGS, I will watch until I have to eat or sleep.