Quote from Tolsiimir »Quote from HurleyV »Quote from AnImAr_ »Why are these rare?! God...It couldn't cost one more and say "enters the battlefield or attacks?"
I find it humorous that this is a response to a 2 drop with the ability to give another creature +2/2 by simply being cast and another +4/4 while being a 4/4 body later (post removal) as bad since it's not "attacks" too or as the other guy suggested trample or haste...
Magic doesn't always need to be stronger and better than the previous set or cards to be fun or played. If you constantly increase power you will end up with a game that's unplayable.
I remember arguments about reprinting Savannah Lions and people saying never White Weenie would be too powerful. Than they printed a 2/2 with the drawback of being legendary. Than the once famous rare became an uncommon and now we print 2/1's with abilities because they were "good" enough.
Similarly when they printed a 3/3 for 2 manna people lost their minds with Watchwolf. Didn't take too much longer before we needed 3 power creatures with abilities to be considered playable.
In a format where you can go T1 2/1 into this swing for 4 and later swing for 6+ while making a 4/4 is somehow bad? Not good? Unplayable?
What do people want from WotC? Goyf creature in every set? Would this be playable as a 3/3 for GG? Would that make you happy? Perhaps a 3/2 with trample? I mean at what point do you say "okay that's enough".
Before you know it we're going to have to make a rule change on life totals because 20 isn't enough time to play a game of magic as too many games are done before turn 5 now of days. Kind of sad if you ask me.
I agree with you to some extent. But you also have to consider that people who buy packs are happier to open something exciting, rather than throw 99% of their opened cards into the garbage can. Cards like these in the rare slot just make everyone feel like they wasted their money.
I think the issue is that people are looking at this to be a complete package and want rares or mythics that can carry the game in their own. It's refreshing design similar to rhonas in that if you keep the battle field in check it's not super impactful, if you start falling behind then this keeps you on the back foot allowing the aggressor to cement themselves firmly in the role.
This is quite an absurd ability because the pump is affected by zombie lords if you return it and plastered on something hard to block could be a huge life swing from nowhere. It makes for swingy but interesting games if you manage the board state correctly. That sounds like a rare that leads to better engagement from both sides without being something like glorybringer in limited or goyf in constructed.
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Exactly! And not only that you're in red, you know, that color that ussually has the opponent down to pretty unsettling lvls of life in the first few turns. Taking the low danage in a bubble where you still have 20 life is fine, but what if you only have 12 left? What about 8? Do you risk the extra damage then knowing they still have another card to draw? I admit it when you're high on life this card pretty much reads take some to the face and mill your oponent 1. But the later the game goes you won't be risking that 1-3 extra damage unless it's a known bad trade (like giving them lightning bolt). Honestly devil is a great card.
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1.) There is more then one way to build Ezuri, Claw of Progress (Which will be stated in the next few points) so versatility is point number one.
2.) Infect rout. You can build Ezuri, Claw of Progress as an infect deck that's actually pretty damn strong, given you have things like Inkmoth nexus, Phyrexian swarmlord ect. Most infect creatures are at or under 2 power so this is quite doable. Not only that you don't have to build experience too high to achieve a win since infect stacks nicely and can't be healed away (Save Leeches)
3.) Artifact rout. This one takes a bit of toying with but there is a viable artifact build you can make out of Ezuri, Claw of Progress, especially with things like Memnite, ornithopter, etched champion, Shardless Agent and more. This has all the staying power of other artifact decks with the bonus of Ezuri's counters so things like Triskelion become all the more deadly.
4.) Elf rout. Ezuri, Claw of Progress is himself an elf so an elf build is very doable. Again elves have a built in power of 2 or less so this is again perfect for his ability, along with cards like Joraga Warcaller
5.) Token rout. Since Ezuri, Claw of Progress ability cares about 2 or less power creatures entering the battlefield and not being cast it's easily abusable with things like Mycoloth, doubling season, Hangarback walker, Chasm skulker and many other cards that befit of his ability
6.) Unblockable rout. As with many other versions of the Ezuri, Claw of Progress, unblockable creatures tend to have a power of 2 or less so again this fits right into his strategy.
7.) Ramp. This card also benefits greatly from early ramp, the faster you can get out Ezuri, Claw of Progress the more punishing he is (as far as I've found) and most mana dorks are at or under 2 power which again is beneficial.
8.) Combo. Ezuri, Claw of Progress also work a bit too well with things like Sage of Hours which can allow you to win a little too quickly.
9.) Staying power. One of the things I like about Ezuri, Claw of Progress and the other experience cards is their counters don't leave with them, so you never have to start over when they are killed. But unlike the others, he can have an immediate affect on the board state. As long as you have one other creature on the board when you cast him you can dump counters on it and start beating right away. Along with things like Master biomancer and Bloodspore thrinax allows for all subsequent creature casts to be game altering.
10.) Mixing it up. Every reason I've stated can be mixed and mashed together to become an effective deck, you can take the best parts from each and make a strong deck.
11.) Did i mention there is a Blue Green snakes general in there? SNAAAAAAKKEEESS!!!!!!!
12.) Low on the list but these colors have access to some amazing counters and tricks that are the reason many other EDH decks favor these colors over others (hello Cytoshape my favorite spell ever)
It's true all the other decks have good Comanders in them but Ezuri, Claw of Progress is incredibly flexible while the others have maybe 1-2 ways to build them, maybe 3. The Blue Green deck has after counting has between 5-7 different builds between the two new generals which is way more then the rest. Also while you have to play around all their abilities the other generals are far more restrictive as to what you can do with them (Enchantment based deck, life gain based, creature/permanent death based, spell based, large aggressive creature based, angle/giant build). The only real down side is no real wrath effects (Exile removal it has in the form of Curse of swine and Reality Shift) but with the speed this deck can muster that wont be a problem.
I tried and toyed with the others and nothing really came from them, I pretty much just cannibalized cards from the deck to better other decks I already have. Ezuri, Claw of Progress was one of the only ones I had to make a whole new deck around, and it's turned into one of my better ones (not as good as say my Sharuum the hegemon or Geth lord of the vault but it's damn close.)
my two cents on the subject.
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DAMN YOU SARCASM!!!
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Stacking the triggers appropriately with the right spells yields massive card advantage with large excesses of mana to boot, along with sizable beaters. It does not seem like it would be very difficult for this to accomplish, especially in modern with Serum visions, Thought Scour, Gitaxian Probe, Remand, Electrolyze, Cryptic Command, Sphinx's Revelation ect... A similar list could probably produced for standard.
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Beacon of immortality is an instant kill
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Also I am so glad I got my account back, first post in such a long time.
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first, I personally left the standard environment because for the last 2-3 years all I have seen is the same 2-3 decks getting played over and over in each new standard environment due to the increasing popularity of net decking... so seeing the same decks with the same cards is actually pretty damn common now a days
second both of them dying is not a down side. this is in part a strategy game, you do what is the most strategically advantageous to you. if that means turning a creature in your hand into a non targeting, incredible removal spell then damnit man you're going to turn that creature in your hand into a non targeting, incredible removal spell. denying your oponent advantage with on card is always worth it especially if it gets through all their instant speed "stop my creature from dying BS" because if they let your spell resolve their creature is just D. E. A. D. dead. Think of it like sacrificing the queen in chess for the chance at a winning board state, it's only a disadvantage if it does not work. THis just... uhg... it's so bad I can't even look at the rule any more it's hurting my eyes just reading it.