Outside of the context of a game in progress, I'd agree that *** kills creatures equally. However, if the spell actually functioned that way in a game, no one would use it. *** is incredible not only because it can destroy multiple creatures (that you don't control) for a VERY cheap cost, but also that you end up destroying more of your opponent's creatures than your own. While it may sometimes be a wise play to cast *** in a 2 player game where both players have 4 creatures, its used FAR more often when you're holding 1 or more creatures in your hand and your opponent has 1, 2, or even 3 more creatures out than you do. When you look at it that way, you're murdering your own creatures in order to decimate your opponents. Though there is a lot of philosophy and semantics involved, I do think that it makes perfect sense for *** to be black, and very, very little sense for it to be while.
This is bordering a little on a political and philosophical discussion, but is it "murder" when a general sends a soldier into a situation he knows is probably suicide but will ultimately end up saving lives? That's how I see ***. In a movie like Outbreak when they plan to blow the whole town off the map to prevent the disease from spreading out of control and wiping out all of humanity, is that a white act or a black act? Murdering your own creatures is only one way of looking at it. The other is that those creatures are nobly sacrificing themselves for a greater cause or to prevent a greater evil.
Yes, the loss of creatures is unbalanced, it's supposed to be because your opponent was being aggressive and now you have to restore the balance back to what it was (ie both sides have no creatures).
Here, I think, is the logic that made *** black in the first place - All creatures are destroyed by God. God is good (white), so *** must be white. But, what this is really implying is that murder is acceptable depending on who's doing the killing
Again not wanting to get into a huge religious or philosophical discussion here, but if you look through the Old Testament there a number of examples of large scale destruction and loss of life caused by acts of God. So I'm not sure what your point is.
Perhaps. But what color would such an indiscriminate god be aligned to? White tries to impose order. But imposing order on the land by eliminating all life within it is sort of like curing a disease by killing the patient. Does that sound like white's philosophy?
Actually it does sound like white to me. If White is losing I can easily see it sacrificing it's own creatures for the greater good. White is the colour of organized groups (including military, governmental and religious organizations), all of which are quite familiar with the concept of sacrificing pawns when necessary.
The difference between black and white isn't that black is willing to sacrifice it's own creatures and white isn't. It's that black is *happy* to sacrifice it's own creatures if it gains any sort of advantage out of it. White may be reluctant, but willing if it is absolutely necessary for "the greater good".
So what exactly do you think white's slice of the pie should be?
Very interesting article, though I disagree with Wrath of God statement of course.
I like what they've been doing with White recently. Lifelink makes a ton of sense and is a useful ability. So is plain old lifegain as long as it's either 1. In huge amounts or 2. A little bonus on an otherwise good card.
White is about fairness, order, balance, rules, and law. This would be why white ends up with all the knights, soldiers, and religious types. Organized groups that care about order, policing, control, and protection.
If white is about preserving order, then it makes sense for white to get effects that prevent the opponent from doing things. Pacifism-type effects, Tappers (ie Loxodon Mystic, Goldmeadow Harrier), Mana Tithe-type hard counters (taxation), and other cards that punish the opponent for attacking (ie Condemn, Hail of Arrows), all make sense in white. White should have the second best creatures of all the colours with access to protection, pump effects (because white is organized), and abilities that (can) represent advanced training (ie Flanking, First strike, Bushido). Vigilance of course, always being ready to play defense no matter the situation, is a very white ability.
I also think thematically white could get removal in a Cradle-to-Grave type effect, cards that have come into play since last turn and disrupted the balance. Since white likes to make laws and rules it also makes sense for the colour to get a good amount of global enchantment love and enchantment removal.
The biggest problem with white is that all of it's hallmark abilities (protection, damage prevention, lifegain) are reactive instead of active and don't actually help you win, they just help you not to lose. And this is the point where white's creatures should be picking up the slack. My personal feeling is that this is where white has been lacking. Outside the weenie strategy, white's creatures have just not been up to snuff to get the job done. Hopefully this will be improved in Lorwyn and future.
Sacred Prey is changing from a Beast to a Horse, which is crazy. There are two creatures in its art, a horse and a generic-looking beast, both sort of glowy. If they insist on making it a Horse it should at least retain the Beast type. This is the only Beast in the game besides Skyshroud Ridgeback that costs just G!
Look at the art again. Notice the name of the card is "Prey". Guess which creature in the picture it's referring to.
Bird Maiden is not a bird (as printed) or a maiden (as printed and as it is now). It's a human. THAT makes NO sense.
It makes perfect sense. Look at the picture. She is clearly not a bird.
- Reveka, Wizard Savant is now a Human Wizard. Just one problem, though - her flavor text (not to mention the Homelands backstory) makes it clear she is a Dwarf.
That to me sounds like a genuine oversight and one that will hopefully be fixed.
Anyway, I suppose the question is, if Kraj can use the abilities of an artifact creature planeswalker, does it have the same per turn/timing restrictions?
Well even if you use Mycosynth and March of the Machines, then Kraj to copy a Planeswalker's abilities, I would think it would fizzle.
Part of the cost of playing any of the abilities is Loyalty and creatures don't have Loyalty. More specifically the rules state that loyalty tokens are applied to "this planeswalker", and Kraj is not a planeswalker, hence he can't have loyalty tokens added to him. Or that is my assumption at least.
* The cost to play a planeswalker's ability is represented by an arrow with a number inside. Up-arrows contain positive numbers, such as "+3"; this means "Put three loyalty counters on this planeswalker."
Tribe lands seems to be pretty powerful... I can't wait to see how these play out in standard.
Problem is, if some of the tribes are useless (like giants), their tribe land might be hard to use unless you play with Changelings. I wonder what the elemental tribe land will be like...
I'm guessing there won't be one since the articles mentions that not all tribes will be getting a custom tribe-land.
With Elementals being spread over all five colours that makes them a logical choice to not get one.
It also mentions that they're designed to benefit more weenie aggro decks. So Giants and Treefolk may be left out as well.
Deathrender + Deadwood Treefolk is actually a pretty cool combo. Treefolk dies, return a guy, put it into play. I believe that's how it works if you stack it the right way. Never mind it takes two cards, three turns, and 12 mana, discounting other effects (or playing the Treefolk through Deathrender).
That's cool. I like the Deathrender + Nantuko Husk + Gravedigger(x2) for infinite power Husk as well.
This is bordering a little on a political and philosophical discussion, but is it "murder" when a general sends a soldier into a situation he knows is probably suicide but will ultimately end up saving lives? That's how I see ***. In a movie like Outbreak when they plan to blow the whole town off the map to prevent the disease from spreading out of control and wiping out all of humanity, is that a white act or a black act? Murdering your own creatures is only one way of looking at it. The other is that those creatures are nobly sacrificing themselves for a greater cause or to prevent a greater evil.
Yes, the loss of creatures is unbalanced, it's supposed to be because your opponent was being aggressive and now you have to restore the balance back to what it was (ie both sides have no creatures).
Again not wanting to get into a huge religious or philosophical discussion here, but if you look through the Old Testament there a number of examples of large scale destruction and loss of life caused by acts of God. So I'm not sure what your point is.
Actually it does sound like white to me. If White is losing I can easily see it sacrificing it's own creatures for the greater good. White is the colour of organized groups (including military, governmental and religious organizations), all of which are quite familiar with the concept of sacrificing pawns when necessary.
The difference between black and white isn't that black is willing to sacrifice it's own creatures and white isn't. It's that black is *happy* to sacrifice it's own creatures if it gains any sort of advantage out of it. White may be reluctant, but willing if it is absolutely necessary for "the greater good".
I like what they've been doing with White recently. Lifelink makes a ton of sense and is a useful ability. So is plain old lifegain as long as it's either 1. In huge amounts or 2. A little bonus on an otherwise good card.
White is about fairness, order, balance, rules, and law. This would be why white ends up with all the knights, soldiers, and religious types. Organized groups that care about order, policing, control, and protection.
If white is about preserving order, then it makes sense for white to get effects that prevent the opponent from doing things. Pacifism-type effects, Tappers (ie Loxodon Mystic, Goldmeadow Harrier), Mana Tithe-type hard counters (taxation), and other cards that punish the opponent for attacking (ie Condemn, Hail of Arrows), all make sense in white. White should have the second best creatures of all the colours with access to protection, pump effects (because white is organized), and abilities that (can) represent advanced training (ie Flanking, First strike, Bushido). Vigilance of course, always being ready to play defense no matter the situation, is a very white ability.
I also think thematically white could get removal in a Cradle-to-Grave type effect, cards that have come into play since last turn and disrupted the balance. Since white likes to make laws and rules it also makes sense for the colour to get a good amount of global enchantment love and enchantment removal.
The biggest problem with white is that all of it's hallmark abilities (protection, damage prevention, lifegain) are reactive instead of active and don't actually help you win, they just help you not to lose. And this is the point where white's creatures should be picking up the slack. My personal feeling is that this is where white has been lacking. Outside the weenie strategy, white's creatures have just not been up to snuff to get the job done. Hopefully this will be improved in Lorwyn and future.
Look at the art again. Notice the name of the card is "Prey". Guess which creature in the picture it's referring to.
It makes perfect sense. Look at the picture. She is clearly not a bird.
That to me sounds like a genuine oversight and one that will hopefully be fixed.
Posts merged. Please don't double post.
Well even if you use Mycosynth and March of the Machines, then Kraj to copy a Planeswalker's abilities, I would think it would fizzle.
Part of the cost of playing any of the abilities is Loyalty and creatures don't have Loyalty. More specifically the rules state that loyalty tokens are applied to "this planeswalker", and Kraj is not a planeswalker, hence he can't have loyalty tokens added to him. Or that is my assumption at least.
I'm guessing there won't be one since the articles mentions that not all tribes will be getting a custom tribe-land.
With Elementals being spread over all five colours that makes them a logical choice to not get one.
It also mentions that they're designed to benefit more weenie aggro decks. So Giants and Treefolk may be left out as well.
That's cool. I like the Deathrender + Nantuko Husk + Gravedigger(x2) for infinite power Husk as well.