I think this guy might have legs (wings?) in a shell running some combination of Young/Seasoned Pyromancer and Saheeli, Sublime Artificer. Letting you convert surplus 1/1s into 2 flying power apiece seems like something I would be willing to test at least.
Well, if you were already trying to make Bolas' Citadel work in modern, this probably can't hurt. I'm sure there's some at least moderately busted use for this card that will turn up at some point.
So I firmly believe there is room for a card that is less powerful than MoR, but good enough to be played. Yes, it doesn't blank every bit of targeted removal your opponent has for the whole game, but it's a one-drop, it doesn't need to be that powerful to see play. The fact that your opponent has to spend their first removal spell on your one-drop no matter what else you have in play is definitely useful.
So I think that some of what this set is also trying to do is preemptively put some answers to potential degenerate future shenanigans. Like Force of Negation might not have a home right now, but that's fine. The fact that it now exists and is a card that can be played will (hopefully) act as a check on other things.
I freaking LOVE this card. They recognized the 2 ways force of will is used (stopping some BS unfair crap, or helping protect an early threat like delver), and made a card that only stops the unfair shenanigans...brilliant.
So...depending on how far the jank train you want to go, Primeval Light from Guildpact is AFAIK the only way to destroy all enchantments another player controls, making it a one-sided total boardwipe with Enchanted Evening in play.
Thing is, 250 for the Jace and Ugin alone is solid. Throw in the rest of the 8 and then 24 packs of WAR on top of it, and those are 12,000 $250 lottery tickets that are all winners
Thank you, I've always thought the linked abilities rules are kind of wonky when it comes to copying abilities, and I think the new Bolas makes for some of the oddest interactions yet.
And not to sound like a smartass, but this is why banding is in the lost box of forgotten ancient MtG mechanics, never to return, because could you imagine explaining this all to a newer player?
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Now a quick follow-up, if he has cards exiled due to either of those abilities, and Karn Liberated say, gets flickered, would the -14 bring those exiled cards back, or would they not as it's technically a new ability?
Just a quick double-check, his static ability giving him all PW loyalty abilities doesn't change whether abilities are linked, correct? In other words, if you tick him up and your opponent exiles a card to his +1, if you later -14 him to use Karn Liberateds ultimate, you don't get that card, correct?
I sometimes wish Wizards could patch cards without needing to ban them. I feel like KCI would be reasonably alright if either its ability was not a mana ability or if it had LEDs timing restriction of only being able to activate it when you could cast an instant. Oh well.
To be fair, Summer Bloom is kinda busted with karoo lands even without Amulet of Vigor. Sure, the Amulet makes it more broken, but Bloom still easily lets you hit 6 mana turn 3 with just lands without it.
So after playing a few pre releases, Simic seemed top tier. The fact that your guild mechanic is built-in flood insurance is FANTASTIC in the slower sealed format.
Edit: The only MODERN legal way, I should say.
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