meh... i dont wanna pay 4 mana for a 1/1 lifelink mythic that gives me a 1/1 token with lifelink on its base
is this really supposed to be mythic level ?
i think she should either be a 3 mana creature or at least be a 2/2
this feels like a another missed opportunity. this will be another super cheap mythic. why not make it decent. i mean one of the above changes (3 cmc or 2/2) wouldnt make her broken or unbalanced...would make her just fair
compare it with pia nalar... she is a 3 mana 2/2 (so both and just 1 color) and has also 2 other abilities
pia and kiran nalar would be another example for 4 mana (still just 1 color)
SO WHY IS THIS MYTHIC ? even worse than vona ...(maybe i am just disappointed cause i was looking forward to this card)
I cannot agree more...
A Mythic Legendary Creature, from my point of view, has three requisites:
1.- A Keyword ability for each one of its colors or types, and must fit with the Lore
2.- Power/Toughness equal to or bigger than half of the Converted Mana Cost, rounded up
3.- A Unique ability for this Legendary Creature, and must fit with the Lore
Now, let's see Elenda, the Dusk Rose :
1.- It is White, so Lifelink fits the color but also that she is a Vampire. For Black... Nothing? Deathtouch and Intimidate come to my Mind... Maybe Flying because she is a Vampire... But... Nothing? Seriously? Did I just splashed a color or made a two colored deck to fit this card to get nothing?
2.- Well, at least she will have a good body so she can survi... A 1/1 for FOUR Mana? Seriously? It is not what I expected...
3.- Let's see if she has a nice ability... Oh, well. It does something... particularly interesting... But it is a mechanic that requires something to build around. And "build around me" cards are cards I do not like... I like cards that have sinergy with the cards that are related to...
Let's compare her to Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca :
1.- Well, it has no keywords for none of its colors...
2.- What? Power/Toughness above average? For 3 CMC I get a 2/4... That is wonderful! It is not as offensive as a 3/3, but it can survive almost any RedSpellRemoval in Standard. Now THAT is Legendary.
3.- I Hope it compensates no Keywords with some ability... Unblockable? Draws Cards? Buffs all your merfolk permanently even if it leaves the Battlefield? Now this is MORE than a Lord! It is not a "build around me" card, it is a card that you put in a Merfolk deck and makes the deck even better. This card NEEDS to be answered ASAP.
Is this even worse than Archangels light ?
Mayne . . . My compassion 4 all da poor souls openin dat.
That is right, not even in Limited... If the trigger was "Whenever another Creature leaves the Battlefield..." instead of "Whenever another Creature Dies...", for instance, for that CMC, I would accept it a little more... But it has such a small body...
According to Mavren Fein's tale and Planeswalker Guide to Ixalan (Part 2) Elenda was supposed to be nine feet tall and a great warrior, having defeated all by herself Apostatine Princes' army on Torrezon. She was in addition the one who brought vampirism on the continent, being in fact the ancestor of all vampires on Ixalan.
So, a deadly quite-tall fighter and a "progenitor". Neither of these two traits are appropriately shown on the card. She's only a 1/1 with no combat abilities (first strike, deathtouch, some -X/-X tricks) that dies in almost every clash: and this is in my opinion the biggest flavor fail. In addition, to create vampires (the "ancestor" side I suppose) she must die, while it would have been more appropriate if one of her main abilities had been to turn creatures into vamps like both Olivia'scards do (in fact Elenda brought vampirism, not vampires, back home).
Ultimately the card, while not that weak in the right build (anthems and equipments to increase her power are always a thing), it's all but memorable, anonymous I would say, for the fact that the same abilities would have fitted any other WB vampire in the set. Yeah, I know Vorthoses can't always get what they want, but they can hope.
Having said that, I'm also positive Elenda will get a better treatment in the story. Let's wait and see.
Very well explained...
Now, furthermore, if it is the ancestor... Why is it weaker than any other Vampire of the set?
I prefer Mavren Fein, Dusk Apostle even above her... That creates Vampires!
When you make her a 1/1 without an ETB that at least gives her a single pump when played, she's too far below rate. Something like 'when blah blah enters the battlefield give one creature -x,-x where x is the number of vampires on the battlefield.
That would have been a great idea for a Vampire that kills its prey... I like that.
Legion Lieutenant is why she's a 1/1. They build from common up, seems like the reason. Still think 2/2 makes it Mythic or an ETB -x/-x or both.
Not good enough...
It will ETBF as a 2/2...
But Settle the Wreckage, which is (In my opinion) the best removal in Standard at the moment, completely dismantles this strategy....
Looking at new spoiled card Profane Procession//Tomb of the Dusk Rose and at its flavor text provided by cyberium_neo (Vona seeks the conqueror, Maiven seeks the savior, when they found the person...//...she is resting in her glorious tomb) Elenda third ability makes now more sense.
Another Mana expensive card for Black-White, that does not work very well with Elenda, the Dusk Rose...
Again, we can see all the Love that WOTC has for Green and Blue, and they leave Black-White and Black-Red aside...
ALWAYS, the worst for those color combinations...
Why don't you give players what they want, WOTC?
I find the Mana curve too high for my taste, with only two 4 Mana ramping spell, that only searches for Nissa at that point... CMC 1: 6 Cards CMC 2: 7 Cards CMC 3: 11 Cards CMC 4: 4 Cards CMC 5: 5 Cards CMC 6+: 4 Cards
TOTAL: 37 Cards
I see that you have too many high CMC spells, that will see too much late play
I might want to add some Removal spells: If you want to teach somebody to play, you should teach them how to deal with the cards of your opponent, even if it is only a 1 for 1 card. If you go for the budget way, maybe a Divine Verdict, Immolating Glare or Rebuke.
I do not see that much Life gain to have an excuse to have Felidar Sovereign. I know it is a Cat Tribal deck, but that is the card that does not fit the theme as much.
Also Nissa and the spell to search for her does not fit the theme...
Also, the deck dies to evasion Creatures (Flying)
I would add some Creatures to help against this strategy: Qasali Ambusher if you want to teach the Keywords Reach and Flash Leonin Skyhunter cheap both in Mana and money for a Cat with evasion Kemba's Skyguard if you want to add some Life gain for the Sovereign Skyhunter Skirmisher if you want to teach what Fist Strike and Double Strike is
If you do not want to go through the Life gain route, Savannah Lions is much better than Sacred Cat, and you get rid of the new ability, Embalm, that might confuse the new player
Just some ideas
Please, feel free to dismantle them and tell me why they do not fit what you wanted for this deck
Edit: Added the bars to represent better the Mana Curve
Instead of haste you might want to focus on the first strike. Something like Kight of the Meadowgrain or Leonin Shikari would give another first strike + lifelink creature. Whats the budget for this? Jitte would be amazing here.
I have the same thoughts...
First Strike is better for the Lifegain of the Lone Rider
And Bonesplitter is better First Strike than with Haste, I agree that Sai of the Shinobi is better with Haste...
But I feel that the First Strike approach is better, and it fits the theme of the Lone Rider
1
I cannot agree more...
A Mythic Legendary Creature, from my point of view, has three requisites:
1.- A Keyword ability for each one of its colors or types, and must fit with the Lore
2.- Power/Toughness equal to or bigger than half of the Converted Mana Cost, rounded up
3.- A Unique ability for this Legendary Creature, and must fit with the Lore
Now, let's see Elenda, the Dusk Rose
1.- It is White, so Lifelink fits the color but also that she is a Vampire. For Black... Nothing? Deathtouch and Intimidate come to my Mind... Maybe Flying because she is a Vampire... But... Nothing? Seriously? Did I just splashed a color or made a two colored deck to fit this card to get nothing?
2.- Well, at least she will have a good body so she can survi... A 1/1 for FOUR Mana? Seriously? It is not what I expected...
3.- Let's see if she has a nice ability... Oh, well. It does something... particularly interesting... But it is a mechanic that requires something to build around. And "build around me" cards are cards I do not like... I like cards that have sinergy with the cards that are related to...
Let's compare her to Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca
1.- Well, it has no keywords for none of its colors...
2.- What? Power/Toughness above average? For 3 CMC I get a 2/4... That is wonderful! It is not as offensive as a 3/3, but it can survive almost any Red Spell Removal in Standard. Now THAT is Legendary.
3.- I Hope it compensates no Keywords with some ability... Unblockable? Draws Cards? Buffs all your merfolk permanently even if it leaves the Battlefield? Now this is MORE than a Lord! It is not a "build around me" card, it is a card that you put in a Merfolk deck and makes the deck even better. This card NEEDS to be answered ASAP.
That is right, not even in Limited... If the trigger was "Whenever another Creature leaves the Battlefield..." instead of "Whenever another Creature Dies...", for instance, for that CMC, I would accept it a little more... But it has such a small body...
Very well explained...
Now, furthermore, if it is the ancestor... Why is it weaker than any other Vampire of the set?
I prefer Mavren Fein, Dusk Apostle even above her... That creates Vampires!
That would have been a great idea for a Vampire that kills its prey... I like that.
Not good enough...
It will ETBF as a 2/2...
But Settle the Wreckage, which is (In my opinion) the best removal in Standard at the moment, completely dismantles this strategy....
Another Mana expensive card for Black-White, that does not work very well with Elenda, the Dusk Rose...
Again, we can see all the Love that WOTC has for Green and Blue, and they leave Black-White and Black-Red aside...
ALWAYS, the worst for those color combinations...
Why don't you give players what they want, WOTC?
1
TOTAL: 37 Cards
I see that you have too many high CMC spells, that will see too much late play
I might want to add some Removal spells: If you want to teach somebody to play, you should teach them how to deal with the cards of your opponent, even if it is only a 1 for 1 card. If you go for the budget way, maybe a Divine Verdict, Immolating Glare or Rebuke.
I do not see that much Life gain to have an excuse to have Felidar Sovereign. I know it is a Cat Tribal deck, but that is the card that does not fit the theme as much.
Also Nissa and the spell to search for her does not fit the theme...
Also, the deck dies to evasion Creatures (Flying)
I would add some Creatures to help against this strategy:
Qasali Ambusher if you want to teach the Keywords Reach and Flash
Leonin Skyhunter cheap both in Mana and money for a Cat with evasion
Kemba's Skyguard if you want to add some Life gain for the Sovereign
Skyhunter Skirmisher if you want to teach what Fist Strike and Double Strike is
If you want to go through the Life gain route, my advise is to add more Creatures that give you Life, like Kemba's Skyguard, Healer of the Pride or Ajani's Sunstriker
If you do not want to go through the Life gain route, Savannah Lions is much better than Sacred Cat, and you get rid of the new ability, Embalm, that might confuse the new player
Just some ideas
Please, feel free to dismantle them and tell me why they do not fit what you wanted for this deck
Edit: Added the bars to represent better the Mana Curve
1
I have the same thoughts...
First Strike is better for the Lifegain of the Lone Rider
And Bonesplitter is better First Strike than with Haste, I agree that Sai of the Shinobi is better with Haste...
But I feel that the First Strike approach is better, and it fits the theme of the Lone Rider
I believe that Knight of Meadowgrain or Mistmeadow Skulk with a Bonesplitter could work
(I believe @Kumlekar meant Sunspear Shikari, not Leonin Shikari; which equipped is a Knight of Meadowgrain)
Also, Basilisk Collar with First Strike can trigger a lot of times your Lone Rider
Maybe Hidden Dragonslayer or Glory-Bound Initiate, which can single handle flip your Lone Rider
Or Moment of Heroism or Mortal's Ardor (Prepare // Fight, if you are not on budget), if you want to use combat tricks
Grafted Wargear is very flavourful with Lone Rider, I like it a lot
Edit: If you have any thoughts on my ideas or you can correct me in something, I would feel very glad if you could tell me so I can learn. Thank you