Really? LOUSY SPOILERS?!? Did you want Tarmogoyf to be reprinted(for Standard)!?
Jeez. I'm thankful for any spoilers, regardless whether they are fodder or not.
This is just a taste of what's to come, I'm sure there will be some stupid, ridiculous, dumb card that will scream USE/ABUSE ME AND WIN! card waiting to be shown, though I honestly hope that's not the case.
The Gods are neat, not broken, overpowered, or winwinwin designed.
Just for the record, Hundred-Handed One may be the best card ever printed, ever in the history of ever, funny, flavorful and hilarious. All at the same time.
BTW, Hundred-Handed One's flavor text should just read: Mine mine mine mine mine mine mine mine mine mine mine...
Okay, I've read everything posted since my last post in here, and first of all, thanks EZY, after that long rant I almost comtemplated just simply stating that point lol.
Second...I'm handing my opponent a free Dismember?! Hell, I HOPE my opponent is playing Dismember against RDW.
Against RDW, Dismember reads, at least in my eyes: Lose 4 life, kill my fodder, thanks for saving me a burn spell.
But I see what you are saying, I lose a creature, they lose 4 life. But they keep Dismember, so they can lose 4 more life a turn or two later against another threat, right?
Okay, I'm just going to come out and say it: This card is good, and if you think otherwise, YOU ARE WRONG. I don't know what there is to argue about.
I've read all the arguments. Blah blah, bad topdeck, Blah blah, gets chumped, Blah blah gets removed, Blah blah, bad late game. Blah blah gives opponent choice. You know what, that's all fine, I'm not here to flame anybody.
In RDW, that's the entire goal. Either you take four now, or waste cards on it later. I spent one mana, how much are you going to spend to get rid of it? And really, late game? RDW doesn't WANT to go to late game. If RDW goes to late game, then chances are it already failed. RDW wants you dead three weeks ago.
Otherwise, this is yet ANOTHER threat that MUST be dealt with, and when it gets dealt with, I still got more Devils, and any or ALL of the following: Stromkirk Noble, Stormblood Berserkers, Hellrider, Hero of Oxid Ridge, Archwing Dragon, maybe even Inferno Titan and/or Wurmcoil Engine to throw down. Not to mention whatever burn spells I have in my hand. That's just in Standard, mind you. I'm not going to even get into other formats.
Am I saying RDW is going to be the best deck ever or in Standard? No, I'm not. But I am positive that it won't be a dead deck. And I'm also positive that when it shows up somewhere, Vexing Devil will be right there with it.
THEN, you have the possibility, if not reality, that this gets used in U/R Delver. I don't think it would have as much of an impact in Delver, but I could, and in fact, hope that I'm dead wrong.
Let's face it: If this card would have been printed in the same period(M10) that Baneslayer Angel first came out, everbody would have been whining and crying about Baneslayer AND Vexing Devil, cries of power creep.
Honestly I don't know how a 4/3 for R with what can't even be considered a negative drawback could be even be seen as nothing less than a good card, if not great.
Here's some suggestions without taking out the Demon:
Biggest thing is Crossway Vampire HAS to go.
You could take the three Crossways plus a Hellrider out and add another Fling, Reap, Volley, and Berserker.
Honestly, I kinda like the idea of ditching 4x Diregraf Ghoul for 4x Gravecrawler.
Pros for Gravecrawler:
Attacks, looks evil, hits for 2. Even if Gravecrawler is the only Zombie in the deck, cast one, then cast another from grave. Only cast it if you have the mana to cast more from the grave. Unless it's the first one of course. But you get the idea. A recurring threat is a recurring threat.
Cons for Gravecrawler:
Doesn't block, missing half of torso: So it doesn't block. Only downside.
If you're going balls-out aggro, you shouldn't really be worrying about blocking and more about turning guys sideways as quick, as much, and as many as possible. Sure you can hold back a blocker if you really feel threatened, but if you're playing well, they probably won't have too many creatures to threaten you with.
Here's some suggestions with taking out the Demon:
Still, Crossway HAS to go. So taking out 3x Crossway and 4x Demon gives 7 open slots.
If the Demon did have flying, he would have been a no-brainer, but with no flying, he's kinda meh, only for the drawback purposes.(not porpoises)
Honestly, you have enough sources of black mana that you should be able to cast Geralf's Messenger easily enough. So let's say out 4x Demon, in 4x Messenger. Plus if you go the Gravecrawler route, BOOM!, synergy.
Grim Lavamancer was kinda sketchy for me at first, but then I realized the only things coming back from the grave constantly would be Gravecrawler.
3 slots left, so why not add another Volley, Berserker, why not 1-of Archwing Dragon. It beats face, then runs like a little girl. Most of the time.
I would look into Archwing Dragon as an alternate/SB/or compliment for Hellrider, as it doesn't seem godawful as most dragons tend to be nowadays.
Well, that's all I got for now, I'm more suited to mono-colored decks, but hopefully some of this information will be useful to you, and remember:
Crossway Vampire HAS to go.
I've played monblack in the current standard, timed right, it can beat valakut, as long as you have Tetonic Edge, and Cawblade does give it trouble, but the version I run runs so much removal that it can beat Cawblade. But yes Cawblade is definitely the bane of this deck. Or was, haha, banhammer.
BTW, I've scoured the rumor mill...what the hell is Bloodgift Demon?
Lightsteel Colossus 12
Artifact Creature - Golem
Trample
~ is indestructible.
Whenever a creature with infect attacks you, you may untap ~ and have it block that creature. ~ gains: "~ cannot have counters placed on it until the beginning of the next end step".
If ~ would be put in the graveyard from anywhere, reveal and shuffle it into it's owner's library instead.
11/11
Wow, Infest and pseudo-Bloodchief Ascension on a 6/6 body. I like it, and more than likely will pick one up for EDH. Wish it had some form of evasion, or even infect. Nevertheless, I'm really looking forward to seeing the artwork for it. Hoping the name is cool and not just "Phyrexian Wurm". That would be lame.
The living weapon mechanic I think I have to agree with everyone else on, it's kinda being used on jank cards.
I really hope it's not a mythic as some people are saying. I'd hate to see ANOTHER Blue shapeshifter at Mythic, with the gargantuan fail that was QSG from Scars.(Pun intended.)
If spoiled correctly, seems like a pretty powerful card.
As the concrete for the deck, I would say auto includes are Hand of the Praetors, Phyrexian Crusader, Plague Stinger and Skythiryx. I also, in my opinion, think that Phyrexian Vatmother belongs in this deck as well, as a 4 of. It's really good. Mirror match you board it out, obviously.
Protection does not let them evade the -1/-1 counters from Zenith. They get them just the same, as protection specifically states that it can't be dealt damage, targeted, or blocked by anything of the color stated by protection. Counters are not dealing damage, and the ability isn't targeted.
And yes, IMHO, BlaSuZe ruined my thoughts about building Knights.
Um...I don't know how I feel about Inkmoth Nexus yet. It's yet another rehash, but still interesting...and it's a land...it might be good it might not be, but I think I like it. Plus it turns into an artifact creature? I think you can sign me up.
Knowledge Pool is...um, interesting to say the least. Definitely adds some flavor to the rehash theme. Tastes like garlic...mmm...
Jeez. I'm thankful for any spoilers, regardless whether they are fodder or not.
This is just a taste of what's to come, I'm sure there will be some stupid, ridiculous, dumb card that will scream USE/ABUSE ME AND WIN! card waiting to be shown, though I honestly hope that's not the case.
The Gods are neat, not broken, overpowered, or winwinwin designed.
Just for the record, Hundred-Handed One may be the best card ever printed, ever in the history of ever, funny, flavorful and hilarious. All at the same time.
BTW, Hundred-Handed One's flavor text should just read: Mine mine mine mine mine mine mine mine mine mine mine...
Second...I'm handing my opponent a free Dismember?! Hell, I HOPE my opponent is playing Dismember against RDW.
Against RDW, Dismember reads, at least in my eyes: Lose 4 life, kill my fodder, thanks for saving me a burn spell.
But I see what you are saying, I lose a creature, they lose 4 life. But they keep Dismember, so they can lose 4 more life a turn or two later against another threat, right?
I've read all the arguments. Blah blah, bad topdeck, Blah blah, gets chumped, Blah blah gets removed, Blah blah, bad late game. Blah blah gives opponent choice. You know what, that's all fine, I'm not here to flame anybody.
In RDW, that's the entire goal. Either you take four now, or waste cards on it later. I spent one mana, how much are you going to spend to get rid of it? And really, late game? RDW doesn't WANT to go to late game. If RDW goes to late game, then chances are it already failed. RDW wants you dead three weeks ago.
Otherwise, this is yet ANOTHER threat that MUST be dealt with, and when it gets dealt with, I still got more Devils, and any or ALL of the following: Stromkirk Noble, Stormblood Berserkers, Hellrider, Hero of Oxid Ridge, Archwing Dragon, maybe even Inferno Titan and/or Wurmcoil Engine to throw down. Not to mention whatever burn spells I have in my hand. That's just in Standard, mind you. I'm not going to even get into other formats.
Am I saying RDW is going to be the best deck ever or in Standard? No, I'm not. But I am positive that it won't be a dead deck. And I'm also positive that when it shows up somewhere, Vexing Devil will be right there with it.
THEN, you have the possibility, if not reality, that this gets used in U/R Delver. I don't think it would have as much of an impact in Delver, but I could, and in fact, hope that I'm dead wrong.
Let's face it: If this card would have been printed in the same period(M10) that Baneslayer Angel first came out, everbody would have been whining and crying about Baneslayer AND Vexing Devil, cries of power creep.
Honestly I don't know how a 4/3 for R with what can't even be considered a negative drawback could be even be seen as nothing less than a good card, if not great.
Biggest thing is Crossway Vampire HAS to go.
You could take the three Crossways plus a Hellrider out and add another Fling, Reap, Volley, and Berserker.
Honestly, I kinda like the idea of ditching 4x Diregraf Ghoul for 4x Gravecrawler.
Pros for Gravecrawler:
Attacks, looks evil, hits for 2. Even if Gravecrawler is the only Zombie in the deck, cast one, then cast another from grave. Only cast it if you have the mana to cast more from the grave. Unless it's the first one of course. But you get the idea. A recurring threat is a recurring threat.
Cons for Gravecrawler:
Doesn't block, missing half of torso: So it doesn't block. Only downside.
If you're going balls-out aggro, you shouldn't really be worrying about blocking and more about turning guys sideways as quick, as much, and as many as possible. Sure you can hold back a blocker if you really feel threatened, but if you're playing well, they probably won't have too many creatures to threaten you with.
Here's some suggestions with taking out the Demon:
Still, Crossway HAS to go. So taking out 3x Crossway and 4x Demon gives 7 open slots.
If the Demon did have flying, he would have been a no-brainer, but with no flying, he's kinda meh, only for the drawback purposes.(not porpoises)
Honestly, you have enough sources of black mana that you should be able to cast Geralf's Messenger easily enough. So let's say out 4x Demon, in 4x Messenger. Plus if you go the Gravecrawler route, BOOM!, synergy.
Grim Lavamancer was kinda sketchy for me at first, but then I realized the only things coming back from the grave constantly would be Gravecrawler.
3 slots left, so why not add another Volley, Berserker, why not 1-of Archwing Dragon. It beats face, then runs like a little girl. Most of the time.
I would look into Archwing Dragon as an alternate/SB/or compliment for Hellrider, as it doesn't seem godawful as most dragons tend to be nowadays.
Well, that's all I got for now, I'm more suited to mono-colored decks, but hopefully some of this information will be useful to you, and remember:
Crossway Vampire HAS to go.
BTW, I've scoured the rumor mill...what the hell is Bloodgift Demon?
I, personally, think this card is quite nice. Free Extirpate w/o split second sounds fun for me.
Lightsteel Colossus 12
Artifact Creature - Golem
Trample
~ is indestructible.
Whenever a creature with infect attacks you, you may untap ~ and have it block that creature. ~ gains: "~ cannot have counters placed on it until the beginning of the next end step".
If ~ would be put in the graveyard from anywhere, reveal and shuffle it into it's owner's library instead.
11/11
Wow, Infest and pseudo-Bloodchief Ascension on a 6/6 body. I like it, and more than likely will pick one up for EDH. Wish it had some form of evasion, or even infect. Nevertheless, I'm really looking forward to seeing the artwork for it. Hoping the name is cool and not just "Phyrexian Wurm". That would be lame.
The living weapon mechanic I think I have to agree with everyone else on, it's kinda being used on jank cards.
If spoiled correctly, seems like a pretty powerful card.
Besides, Black deserves a mythic too...
Because you seem to be having one.
Or a renamed Memory Lapse with Taking and Time in the card title?
It actually ties in with the hints that you're giving us...
This leaves one mythic rare left to be spoiled, and I will be sorely disappointed if it isn't black.
And yes, IMHO, BlaSuZe ruined my thoughts about building Knights.
Knowledge Pool is...um, interesting to say the least. Definitely adds some flavor to the rehash theme. Tastes like garlic...mmm...