i normally hate dragons. anyone who was around during dragons of tarkir when i was binge drinking can attest to that.
this thing though... it ticks a ton of boxes for me. i already brewed up a list that looks super fun. the potential to parallel lives and then plop down a terror of the peaks or a scourge of valkas? or how about just copying miirym with spark double and then pooping out any dragon. or teferi's time twist something to avoid removal and net another dragon in the process.
they're big, they're stupid, they're dragons. lots and lots of dragons for easy.
there's been a bunch of similar things printed and they just don't see play for whatever reason
this will work out great to pressure ramp strategies and combo builds, but i have major doubts it'll actually see play anywhere. even in token builds. its a step in the right direction though.
its also just aggressive enough, without being overly so, where you'll probably really piss off that mana screwed guy in the corner with no boardstate because you're incidentally pressuring him too. but he's stuck on 4 lands and thats nothing for damage you'll say, to which he'd say he's literally doing nothing and now he's being ganged up on because he's the easy target, even when its collateral damage and small amounts. we should also be real here and acknowledge you're exploiting the myriad trigger too so its not like he's likely to get hit with just one copy.
i keep seeing this compared to hoof and i just do not agree that its as ubiquitous or as strong.
the thing with hoof is that when it hits play, even if it gets removed, you're still getting the bonus. you can also cheat it back into play (and this has saved my ass constantly) through reanimation, or natural order style effects. it makes it a real surprise at any moment. its also a 5/5, and i've had games where with nothing else on board i've hoofed just to smash someone down
this... its strong. but without those ways to cheat it into play, at 8 mana, and requiring you to go to combat, and have other creatures in play... i just don't see it as universally powerful.
its still a fantastic card and will be ridiculous when set up right. i mean, who doesn't love the idea of mirror box in play with an elesh norn, or like an avenger of zendikar and a doubling season... i just think its going to take a little more work and be a little more open to disruption - which means its close but not quite on par with hoof.
there's also a lot to be said about making the assumption this will come down early. in most cases it won't, and myriad wood elves or coiling oracle of whatever on turn 6+ isn't terrible but its not as impactful as copying a terror of the peaks or something higher in cmc - so there is some board stability and setup required too
again, not a bad card by any stretch, just not an auto-include on par with hoof as everyone seems to suggest.
its about as powerful as anything else in this format. its not going to break games or run away with them. there are tons of existing lands that are just as strong or stronger. it helps out gate builds, which honestly could use some help anyway.
i loathe the toxicity that is group hug and kingmaker strategies in edh more than any other strategy or aspect of the format.
i love the art and flavor of this card, i just hate the kingmaking group hug aspect of it so much that any game against this thing (or anything like it) you will immediately become the target just to keep you from dictating who is allowed to win on YOUR merit over their own.
this thing though... it ticks a ton of boxes for me. i already brewed up a list that looks super fun. the potential to parallel lives and then plop down a terror of the peaks or a scourge of valkas? or how about just copying miirym with spark double and then pooping out any dragon. or teferi's time twist something to avoid removal and net another dragon in the process.
they're big, they're stupid, they're dragons. lots and lots of dragons for easy.
if you're flooding/starving you didn't shuffle enough or your mana base is wonky.
slots are too competitive in decks these days to waste one on this effect and gaining some negligible life.
this will work out great to pressure ramp strategies and combo builds, but i have major doubts it'll actually see play anywhere. even in token builds. its a step in the right direction though.
its also just aggressive enough, without being overly so, where you'll probably really piss off that mana screwed guy in the corner with no boardstate because you're incidentally pressuring him too. but he's stuck on 4 lands and thats nothing for damage you'll say, to which he'd say he's literally doing nothing and now he's being ganged up on because he's the easy target, even when its collateral damage and small amounts. we should also be real here and acknowledge you're exploiting the myriad trigger too so its not like he's likely to get hit with just one copy.
the thing with hoof is that when it hits play, even if it gets removed, you're still getting the bonus. you can also cheat it back into play (and this has saved my ass constantly) through reanimation, or natural order style effects. it makes it a real surprise at any moment. its also a 5/5, and i've had games where with nothing else on board i've hoofed just to smash someone down
this... its strong. but without those ways to cheat it into play, at 8 mana, and requiring you to go to combat, and have other creatures in play... i just don't see it as universally powerful.
its still a fantastic card and will be ridiculous when set up right. i mean, who doesn't love the idea of mirror box in play with an elesh norn, or like an avenger of zendikar and a doubling season... i just think its going to take a little more work and be a little more open to disruption - which means its close but not quite on par with hoof.
there's also a lot to be said about making the assumption this will come down early. in most cases it won't, and myriad wood elves or coiling oracle of whatever on turn 6+ isn't terrible but its not as impactful as copying a terror of the peaks or something higher in cmc - so there is some board stability and setup required too
again, not a bad card by any stretch, just not an auto-include on par with hoof as everyone seems to suggest.
i love the art and flavor of this card, i just hate the kingmaking group hug aspect of it so much that any game against this thing (or anything like it) you will immediately become the target just to keep you from dictating who is allowed to win on YOUR merit over their own.
i mean, you could run both i guess, but that kind of redundancy isn't always efficient given the cost that needs to be sunk into it.
if it was highest power that might be more interesting to me, meh.