Dispatch is great for Quest-based decks. A drawback-less swords/path is awesome for those who can use it.
Chained Throatseeker makes me sad. We were told previously that one color lost infect in Development, and this card means that it was red. Sadly, we'll never see an infect version of Puncture Blast :-( EDIT: I was wrong, it's proliferate, not infect. Bring on the infected burn!
Are there really that many LGSes that are hurting for business that Wizards has to herd us to them for prereleases? All I know is that my LGS is busy enough that they have to turn away people for pre-release, and I can't imagine the chaos that will ensue once the regional ones go away. This + the death of player rewards makes it seem like Wizards thinks that forcing people to go to LGSes will improve the health of the game, rather than discourage people from going due to lack of space at smaller venues.
This is probably horribly broken and templated, but:
Teferi, Phyrexian Praetor 2:sympu::sympu::sympb::sympb:
Legendary Creature - Praetor
Whenever you cast a creature spell, for each colored mana symbol in that spell's mana cost, you may pay 2 life instead of 1 mana of that color.
Whenever an opponent casts a creature spell, he or she must pay 2 life for each colored mana symbol in that spell's mana cost.
2/4
I can see how that looks like a gun. Although I guess it could be anything. A limb, or a part of some machine.
Given that the art is probably for blue Phyrexia, the object is most likely some kind of anal probe. What I want to know is why it's being held by the Bride of Frankenstein.
Anytime I have a deck that makes tokens I keep 3 of the appropriate ones in the deck box with it. They make it so much easier to keep track of what's what. I don't bring any that I'm not using with me though. At drafts, I usually grab a poison counter and a germ token from the pile if I need them. The germ ones really help, since (a) it ends memory issues over if the living weapon is still alive or not, and (b) I'm always forgetting that the germ is black and not colorless, so the token is a nice reminder.
As for the clothes argument, Brutalizer Exarch begs to differ. I do not see anything that is "clearly Mirran' at this card. The sinister look of both the rider and the mount suggest Phyrexia to be the more probable option.
Ok, I was wrong about the clothes. I was thinking of creatures like Priests of Norn and forgot about compleated Phyrexians like Glissa. But I still don't see a Phyrexian, compleated or vat-grown, wearing such heavy, hooded clothing like that.
As for the "sinister" look, the art direction in general is getting more sinister as a whole in this set. Just look at the comparison between Dispense Justice and the new mask guy art a few posts up. The Mirrians are being beaten, and they have to get a lot more vicious to survive.
If nothing else, the shining suns in the background are what make it feel Mirrian to me. The other arts for this set that we've seen with shining suns, like Sphere of the Suns and that darksteel angel, are all Mirrian. On the other hand, the Phyrexian art with the suns, such as the new looks-like-an-etched-thingy, the suns are muted and hazed.
The teeth are what really convince me it's Phyrexian, as well as the way the rider is reaching out.
So what, Mirrian creatures are all vegetarians? The teeth mean nothing other than to make the creature look more fierce. The composition is very bright, unlike the rest of the Phyrexian cards we've seen. The flying snake has a "natural" look to it rather than being something cobbled together and doesn't have the mix of flesh and metal that so many other phyrexian creatures have. And the rider is wearing CLOTHES. Phyrexians don't wear clothes. The card is clearly Mirrian.
These arts are awesome, long live Phyrexia! Going in the arcana order, I see:
Guy with explody Mirroden in his hands - Box/Promotional art. We've seen it a billion times before, it's not on a card.
Flying metal snake - Mirrian card, the coloring and the *clothing* on the rider are give aways. Probably just some random flyer.
White doctor - Definitely a white Phyrexian card, for some reason it feels like a cleric to me. I'm thinking some kind of twisted Samite Healer variant.
Green woman with Phyrexians - I'd say a green creature that has something to do with tokens, either makes them when etb or some other ability.
Karn reaching - EDIT - apparently it's the fat pack art. Not a card.
Sneaky Tezz - U,B, or UB spell, look at an opponent's hand/library and do something?
Metal guy hunched over - Jin-Gitaxais, Core Augur (the blue Preator)
Glissa pointing - It's Glissa, pointing. Obviously she's ordering the horde to attack. Most likely an Overrun variant.
White cocoon land - If Mystifying Maze wasn't in M11, I'd say this is a Maze of Ith variant, but I doubt they'd print 2 such cards so close together. Most likely some kind of non-basic land, but it'd be really freaky if it turned out to be a basic plains.
Phyrexian knight - Screams "paladin" to me, I'm guessing it'll be a white knight (but not White Knight), possibly something like "Elesh Norn's Champion" or some such.
Angel p'wned - Reminds me of Slave of Bolas, the obvious answer is a Mind control variant, but I don't know how they can make it different from Corrupted Conscience and still make it feel Phyrexian.
Big Scary Needle - Blue card, but I'm not getting a creature vibe from it since the focus seems to be on the needle. Maybe switch target creature's P/T and give it a -1/-1 counter?
Karn Land - Doesn't have to be a land, could be an enchantment instead. Notice the guys in the lower right.
Black Phyrexian Warrior - Phyrexian Etched-Something, will refer to all 5 colors somehow.
Phyrexian Unlife - Already spoiled.
Guy w/ Sword - Interesting close-up composition, we don't get too many of these anymore. Some kind of Mirrian Legend perhaps? Mask Guy, Resistance Leader - Northern Paladin against infect creatures!
I've been thinking about this card for a while. Is it too weak? Too strong? Any chance at all of being printed? Does it even work within the rules?
Reality Tether 2WU
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant Permanent
Enchanted permanent cannot be sacrificed.
If enchanted permanent would leave the battlefield, instead it doesn't.
I'm also not sure if WU is the best color combo for this (perhaps I'm being influenced by Reality Acid). WG might fit the effect better, or even mono-W.
I'd say that Elesh is the one doing the firing based on the position of her hand. It's posed as if she had just thrown something, such as a fistful of spikes. If she was under attack, the hand would be in a more defensive position with the palm out and the fingers pointing up or to the sides. The artist could have done a better job with the perspective, but Wizards did approve of it, so hopefully it'll make sense and look better on the actual card.
Chained Throatseeker makes me sad. We were told previously that one color lost infect in Development, and this card means that it was red. Sadly, we'll never see an infect version of Puncture Blast :-(EDIT: I was wrong, it's proliferate, not infect. Bring on the infected burn!I wish Shadowkill's demonic pet doesn't escape and kill us all.
Teferi, Phyrexian Praetor 2:sympu::sympu::sympb::sympb:
Legendary Creature - Praetor
Whenever you cast a creature spell, for each colored mana symbol in that spell's mana cost, you may pay 2 life instead of 1 mana of that color.
Whenever an opponent casts a creature spell, he or she must pay 2 life for each colored mana symbol in that spell's mana cost.
2/4
Next: Daughter of Autumn
Given that the art is probably for blue Phyrexia, the object is most likely some kind of
analprobe. What I want to know is why it's being held by the Bride of Frankenstein.I wish the music I liked was popular instead of the stuff they play on the radio.
Ok, I was wrong about the clothes. I was thinking of creatures like Priests of Norn and forgot about compleated Phyrexians like Glissa. But I still don't see a Phyrexian, compleated or vat-grown, wearing such heavy, hooded clothing like that.
As for the "sinister" look, the art direction in general is getting more sinister as a whole in this set. Just look at the comparison between Dispense Justice and the new mask guy art a few posts up. The Mirrians are being beaten, and they have to get a lot more vicious to survive.
If nothing else, the shining suns in the background are what make it feel Mirrian to me. The other arts for this set that we've seen with shining suns, like Sphere of the Suns and that darksteel angel, are all Mirrian. On the other hand, the Phyrexian art with the suns, such as the new looks-like-an-etched-thingy, the suns are muted and hazed.
So what, Mirrian creatures are all vegetarians? The teeth mean nothing other than to make the creature look more fierce. The composition is very bright, unlike the rest of the Phyrexian cards we've seen. The flying snake has a "natural" look to it rather than being something cobbled together and doesn't have the mix of flesh and metal that so many other phyrexian creatures have. And the rider is wearing CLOTHES. Phyrexians don't wear clothes. The card is clearly Mirrian.
Guy with explody Mirroden in his hands - Box/Promotional art. We've seen it a billion times before, it's not on a card.
Flying metal snake - Mirrian card, the coloring and the *clothing* on the rider are give aways. Probably just some random flyer.
White doctor - Definitely a white Phyrexian card, for some reason it feels like a cleric to me. I'm thinking some kind of twisted Samite Healer variant.
Green woman with Phyrexians - I'd say a green creature that has something to do with tokens, either makes them when etb or some other ability.
Karn reaching - EDIT - apparently it's the fat pack art. Not a card.
Sneaky Tezz - U,B, or UB spell, look at an opponent's hand/library and do something?
Metal guy hunched over - Jin-Gitaxais, Core Augur (the blue Preator)
Glissa pointing - It's Glissa, pointing. Obviously she's ordering the horde to attack. Most likely an Overrun variant.
White cocoon land - If Mystifying Maze wasn't in M11, I'd say this is a Maze of Ith variant, but I doubt they'd print 2 such cards so close together. Most likely some kind of non-basic land, but it'd be really freaky if it turned out to be a basic plains.
Phyrexian knight - Screams "paladin" to me, I'm guessing it'll be a white knight (but not White Knight), possibly something like "Elesh Norn's Champion" or some such.
Angel p'wned - Reminds me of Slave of Bolas, the obvious answer is a Mind control variant, but I don't know how they can make it different from Corrupted Conscience and still make it feel Phyrexian.
Big Scary Needle - Blue card, but I'm not getting a creature vibe from it since the focus seems to be on the needle. Maybe switch target creature's P/T and give it a -1/-1 counter?
Karn Land - Doesn't have to be a land, could be an enchantment instead. Notice the guys in the lower right.
Black Phyrexian Warrior - Phyrexian Etched-Something, will refer to all 5 colors somehow.
Phyrexian Unlife - Already spoiled.
Guy w/ Sword - Interesting close-up composition, we don't get too many of these anymore. Some kind of Mirrian Legend perhaps? Mask Guy, Resistance Leader - Northern Paladin against infect creatures!
Karn - Karn!
Reality Tether 2WU
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant Permanent
Enchanted permanent cannot be sacrificed.
If enchanted permanent would leave the battlefield, instead it doesn't.
I'm also not sure if WU is the best color combo for this (perhaps I'm being influenced by Reality Acid). WG might fit the effect better, or even mono-W.
I wish I could cook faster without affecting the quality or quantity of the meal.
I wish my phone battery never died.
I wish for an ABBA reunion tour.