Your opponent will lose. Nice thinking! I'm a moron.
Concerning red: I was really hoping for a few Vampires to fall into place for some kind of monored Vampire aggro, but that really didn't happen.
Not true, if the tree dies from having 0 toughness, the ability will check for a toughness on a non-existant creature and your life total. since theres noting to exchange your life total with, it'll simply do nothing.
I can definitely see him seeing play alongside Lili in a rock/junk type of deck. I've written up a few lists already and it seems like there are a lot of useful interactions you can get ouy of him and the source of his curse. When you take into consideration that Mentor of the Meek, Solemn, Acidic Slime, Thrun, GSZ, Gideon, Sun Titan, Vengeful Pharaoh, Fiend Hunter and various removal spells can ALL be realistically played in a deck together with the help of the new duals, I'd expect to see such a list surface within the next few months. Not sure how strong it'll be, or how it'll affect the game, but I', sure someone out there will try it, and that someone will probably be me.
I'm probably crazy, and also probably posting this in the wrong area (TECHNICALLY, it isn't standard legal... yet) but I'm currently working on a list that utilizes Vess and other "good cards." There's literally no way to determine how strong this, or any other deck, will be at this point with an undefined metagame, so this is more for fun than anything. I wrote the list this morning, and no new soilers have been shown at time of writing, so if something in Innistrad that's spoiled afterwards, and appears good, isn't in here, simply because I haven't seen them.
Am I the only one here who thinks Liliana is amazing? Seriously, she doesn't appear to be strong because of the "double discard," and she clearly isn't suited for every deck. She's a solid, control-oriented planeswalker, who can definitely steal games away. Aggressively costed, able to protect herself, and her +1 only gets stronger and stronger as the game goes by.
As for the white guy, I LOVED Faceless Butcher in standard, and this seems strictly better. Excellent spoilers today.
I ALMOST agree. I'd put Beleren one spot above Koth, but then the rest are perfect. Reason being that card advantage s absolutely key in just about any metagame, in this standard format. Koth doesn't really net you CA, but gives great board position, which is almost, but not quite as good.
The Phyrexian mana design, as a whole is a really good one, imo. In terms of flavor, it shows nicely the spread of the phyrexian invasion throughout the 5 colors, and how it's become more universal among them. As a card, Dismember fits right in there. It's very flavorful, and very good as a standalone card, which is what I believe it was meant to be, from a design perspective. Sure, it allows other colors to do what they shouldn't be able to do, but isn't that the point? Doesn't the spread of Phyrexia, in its own way manipulate the indigenous culture of Mirrodin, in a sense where those on Mirrodin, affected by the oil/curse/whatever (hence the nonblack player losing 4 life) can do things they otherwise shouldn't?
I think it was an absolute design success, in both flavor, and application.
This walker is interesting, but not really that powerful. His most powerful ability is the +1, which is 100% upside, barring something dumb flipping into the graveyard. The 0 is very weak or very powerful based on context. Mill 10 is not very strong on its own, it needs some additional support to be worthwhile, with nothing that flat hoses it (see Leg. Eldrazi)
If Innistrad is a graveyard based set, that makes the 0 more awkward. Milling yourself has very rare positive connotations to it, unless your deck is narrowly based around that plan. Even milling your opponent in that situation seems poor, since it can enable cards that could have never seen play. Leyline of the Void seems to be the best pair up with this ability.
The ultimate feels like a trap. This is going to either enable combo, or feel wasted. 1 in 25 activations it will kill someone by making them draw from a sub-20 library. 1 in 4 of those times it will be the player that activated it.
Activating anything but the +1 without a plan around it is going to be sub-optimal, but the card is decent just for "At the beginning of your main phase, draw a card and mill someone."
I totally agree. I never said he was very powerful, but he isn't total crap, either. He'll have a home, somewhere. I expect him to fetch 10-15$ in the end. Possibly a bit more because of the name attatched to it.
From what I heard, 4CC planeswalkers tend to be too powerful... JTMS, Elspeth, Sarkhan Vol, Koth, Garruk (to a lesser extent). Hence, WOTC are trying to gear toward 5CC+ planeswalkers.
So we'll see Jace 3.0 (w/5 CC), Gideon reprint, Sorin reprint, Chandra (new or reprint of 5 or 6CC?), and new Garruk.
You do have a point, but Sarkhan was hardly too powerful, and I don't believe Koth is either. Jace TMS and Elspeth were nutty, but all of the other 4CC PW's have been relatively well done, without being too broken. However, now that Mindsculptor's gone, could this be Tezzeret's time to shine? Who knows...
Back on topic: Goldmane, Nissa, Sarkhan, Garruk, Koth, Tezzeret, Vengeant (am I missing one?) haven't exactly broken the borders, or drastically altered metagames.
abilities are amazing but it's 5 mana with no way to protect itself, not to mention you rarely want to +1 it...I just can't see his ultimate ever going off
Actually, the +1 loyalty to draw is pretty significant, even as a 5-mana walker. The shining ability is clearly the Glimpse effect, but the +1 isn't awful either. In my opinion, he's already been valuable enough if you get to untap with him, since he'll likely draw you 2 cards and soak 5+ damage, so I have no complaints about him. Sure he isn't epic, but he's much more balanced, and is much closer to what a walker should be, in my honest opinion.
I recently built Vhati, as well, and I play quite a few different things than you do, since I'm much more focused on Vhati himself, than doing much of anything else, but I probably have 60 or so of the same cards as you do.
If you have a sac outlet on board with Woodfall Primus and Melira, it's pretty much game. Phyrexian Plaguelord is the creature of choice, here, since it literally wipes out everything on board except your stuff. Another thing, is with the Pupeteer clique as well, you can swing with an opponent's entire graveyard, which is always fun. Necropede is another consideration as well, but he's not the be-all end-all of the deck, though he has been good to me from time to time.
Look, if a banning were to happen, I don't think any one card, specifically would be banned, since it would tip the scales too far any any one direction for "the next best" deck to dominate in caw-blade's shoes. I would say that there is an unhealthy balance of power already, with Jace/Stoneforge being played in the same deck. I know a lot of players would hate me for saying this, but it may be the only real way to balance out the format.
Ban all three: Jace, Stoneforge Mystic and Valakut simultaneously.
If Jace alone gets Banned, Valakut will run wild and destroy everything in its path. If Valakut alone gets banned, Caw-blade and GW aggro will be the only real decks in the format, and will just be a pissing contest to see who's stoneforge mystic is better. If Stoneforge Mystic alone gets banned, Splinter Twin and Valakut will completely annihilate the format as well.
I think it may be the fairest thing to do. Although, I highly douby any bannings will happen at all. If they do ban one card, though i fear it will tip the scales too far in favor of another dominant deck, which is exactly what they don't want.
Not true, if the tree dies from having 0 toughness, the ability will check for a toughness on a non-existant creature and your life total. since theres noting to exchange your life total with, it'll simply do nothing.
oops, seems i was a bit late lol.
I'm going to pretend I didn't read that...
When John finkel casts terminate, you go to the graveyard.
John Finkel has the Last word
Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas's oracle text says Tezzeret, Agent of Jon Finkel.
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn is to Jon Finkel as Llanowar Elf is to Progenitus.
John Finkel can respond to Sudden Shock.
John Finkel can planeswalk without a spark.
When Jon Finkel Reanimates Phage the Untouchable, you lose the game.
Jon Finkel wins games of Magic with a Euchure deck.
Jon Finkel goes 2-0 in a match with a game loss.
Jon Finkel doesn't miss triggers. Triggers miss Jon Finkel.
Jon Finkel can turn islands sideways. For real.
he's just dead.
Without further ranting, here's the list:
3 Viridian Emissary
3 Glissa, the Traitor
3 Fiend Hunter
2 Thrun, the Last Troll
1 Bloodgift Demon
1 Acidic Slime
2 Sun titan
1 Viridian Corrupter
1 Day of Judgment
1 Black Sun's Zenith
1 Garruk, Primal Hunter
4 Liliana of the Veil
2 Green sun's Zenith
3 Go for the Throat
2 Ratchet Bomb
2 Oblivion Ring
1 Sunpetal Grove
4 Woodland Cemetery
3 Isolated Chapel
6 Forest
4 Swamp
2 Plains
1 Day of Judgment
4 Despise
2 Memoricide
1 Black Sun's Zenith
1 Viridian Corrupter
1 Garruk, Primal Hunter
2 Celestial Purge
3 Creeping Corrosion
Any thoughts?
As for the white guy, I LOVED Faceless Butcher in standard, and this seems strictly better. Excellent spoilers today.
I ALMOST agree. I'd put Beleren one spot above Koth, but then the rest are perfect. Reason being that card advantage s absolutely key in just about any metagame, in this standard format. Koth doesn't really net you CA, but gives great board position, which is almost, but not quite as good.
I think it was an absolute design success, in both flavor, and application.
I totally agree. I never said he was very powerful, but he isn't total crap, either. He'll have a home, somewhere. I expect him to fetch 10-15$ in the end. Possibly a bit more because of the name attatched to it.
You do have a point, but Sarkhan was hardly too powerful, and I don't believe Koth is either. Jace TMS and Elspeth were nutty, but all of the other 4CC PW's have been relatively well done, without being too broken. However, now that Mindsculptor's gone, could this be Tezzeret's time to shine? Who knows...
Back on topic: Goldmane, Nissa, Sarkhan, Garruk, Koth, Tezzeret, Vengeant (am I missing one?) haven't exactly broken the borders, or drastically altered metagames.
Actually, the +1 loyalty to draw is pretty significant, even as a 5-mana walker. The shining ability is clearly the Glimpse effect, but the +1 isn't awful either. In my opinion, he's already been valuable enough if you get to untap with him, since he'll likely draw you 2 cards and soak 5+ damage, so I have no complaints about him. Sure he isn't epic, but he's much more balanced, and is much closer to what a walker should be, in my honest opinion.
That being said, I have a few suggestions:
Black Sun's Zenith - Mass removal that helps you do Vhati's thing as well.
Melira, Sylvok Outcast - Mostly used for combo shenanigans, but works amazingly with the above card as well.
Green Sun's Zenith Also really good. Reusable tutor for Fauna Shaman, Arty-hate guys, etc.
Pupeteer Clique - Excellent value card.
Contagion Clasp and Contagion Engine - pretty self-explanatory.
Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon - Alternate win condition, potentially.
Carnifex Demon - Awesome card for this deck. Total house...
Tower of the Magistrate - Hoses a lot of Voltron strategies. Also, lots of fun.
Screams from Within Kind of serves as a bit of redundancy, but is excellent in this archetype.
and last but not least:
Glistening Oil Bad card is bad, but very funny, and it's recurrable when you use Vhati.
If you have a sac outlet on board with Woodfall Primus and Melira, it's pretty much game. Phyrexian Plaguelord is the creature of choice, here, since it literally wipes out everything on board except your stuff. Another thing, is with the Pupeteer clique as well, you can swing with an opponent's entire graveyard, which is always fun. Necropede is another consideration as well, but he's not the be-all end-all of the deck, though he has been good to me from time to time.
Ban all three: Jace, Stoneforge Mystic and Valakut simultaneously.
If Jace alone gets Banned, Valakut will run wild and destroy everything in its path. If Valakut alone gets banned, Caw-blade and GW aggro will be the only real decks in the format, and will just be a pissing contest to see who's stoneforge mystic is better. If Stoneforge Mystic alone gets banned, Splinter Twin and Valakut will completely annihilate the format as well.
I think it may be the fairest thing to do. Although, I highly douby any bannings will happen at all. If they do ban one card, though i fear it will tip the scales too far in favor of another dominant deck, which is exactly what they don't want.