I would have liked 3/3. I think it would have been fine. Also, as glad as I am it's an elf...merfolk seems like it would have been a better fit for the current standard environment?
As a former modern merfolk player, I would love for it to be a Merfolk. But sadly, I don't get what I want.
The only measure by which Mystic Snake is better is that its cost is less color-specific. It's not lower, it's just easier.
But the tradeoff of this having one more power and two relevant creature types (note the Riptide Laboratory interaction mentioned above than Snake doesn't get)... is a pretty good compensation for the bulkier color requirement.
2 power is also more important in certain interactions (in Commander at least)
Forgive me, because I am not used to playing this type of deck, but I have been intrigued by Vannifar (unsure if I'll be building her or putting her in the 99 of my Kraj deck); how do you win?
So I guess this is insane in every format? As a commander it is so good it's almost boring.
It's more or less as good as Birthing Pod was, with the caveat that it's more vulnerable to removal.
Also cannot be used on turn 4 like Pod, unless you have a haste enabler. Added bonus though is that if you DO have a haste enabler, and it's a creature, you can Pod that creature away.
As a former modern merfolk player, I would love for it to be a Merfolk. But sadly, I don't get what I want.
2 power is also more important in certain interactions (in Commander at least)
That's not going to do what you think it's going to do.
Still, super happy to see it. I like redundancy of this effect.
Also cannot be used on turn 4 like Pod, unless you have a haste enabler. Added bonus though is that if you DO have a haste enabler, and it's a creature, you can Pod that creature away.
That's actually a plus here, thanks to Vannifar. Magical Christmasland in draft, but I can dream.