Biggest change between the letters is that the girl's name is Lorelei, who is the daughter of the Mayor of Hanweir in one of the letters given out at the party.
and the different account along with the date? at the top of the second one.
google for Rircarothma brings you to a russian webpage spoiling innistrad prerelease/special event cards and at the end of the message is another email address - [email]rircarothma@mail.ru[/email]
email to this gets you
32-й день Месяца Охотника, год Авацин 719-й
Я знаю, что так было нужно, я знаю, что именно этого хотел бы Питре. Отрубить голову - единственный способ предотвратить превращение, и не было никакого способа проверить, покусали его или нет. Но его кровь теперь навсегда на моих руках, и лишь Авацин дарует мне очищение.
По этой причине, и по многим другим, я молю вас принять меня в ваш смиренный орден. Для меня больше нет смысла оставаться здесь, в Гэйвони.
С верой в Авацин, ваша сестра,
Лорелей
--------------------
google translate go
32-Day Month-Hunter, year Avatsin 719 th
I know that it was necessary, I know that this is what I would like to Pitre. Off with his head - the only way to prevent the conversion, and there was no way to verify it or not bitten. But his blood is now forever in my arms, and only gives me Avatsin purification.
For this reason, and for many others, I pray you take me in your humble order. For me, there are no more sense to stay here in Geyvoni.
With faith in Avatsin, your sister,
Lorelei
which is basically the same message as the english one but comes from a different account named DayNight.
There should definately be an ARG thread
I would do it myself, but I'm not diehard enough to keep continually editing my post and sifting through all the information.
thats where I'm sitting - i can spare some time here and there to look at things - but don't have the time to be the central compiler.
Assuming this is for an actual card, I'll wager it relates to the art of the woman carrying the holy symbol on a stick with a church behind her in a dreary landscape. I don't think it's for a legendary human (we have one).
@Owlswater: The fact that the email in question is displayed on an official WotC article (Rosewater's kickoff to previews on dailymtg.com), and that the email is both related to letters handed out to Innistrad party attendees, as well as an auto-reply to that email...
Yeah, smells of sneaky semi-ARG, semi-viral preview. Like how they sneak one in Customer Service from time to time, except more elaborate. *goes to check CS, come to think*
do we want to start collecting this information somewhere? one of the twitter accounts linked to by the account previously mentioned had screenshots of all the letters...
Which is linked to the videos from earlier. I think I called this right! It is totally an ARG, or at least has ARG like qualities.
so it seems this twitter account is following people who were at pax. Seems likely this might be ARG related. I pinged the email account but no response yet.
so there are a few things that can make mono green viable.
1. Dismember - having access to good instant speed removal is something green isnt used to having. dismember is a great gift to green
2. Beast Within - see #1. It's not as good as dismember but it deals with things green has a problem with (see planeswalkers) and makes them easier to deal with (3/3). Also can be used at the end of your own turn for another attacker.
3. Garruk 2.0 - he is the answer to mass removal. He just keeps spitting out beasts until he is dealt with.
4. Utility creatures and ways to fetch them - Fauna Shaman/Green Sun Zenith are great fetchers for things like Acidic Slime/Thrun/Bop/whatever you need.
Biggest Issue? Lots of utility but no iconic finisher. Primeval titan isn't as fun without Valakut. Wurmcoil is OK but not great (and not fetchable). Overrun effects aren't reliable. You're trying to use death by attrition. If there were a few more midrange beaters that were efficient (thinking Kitchen Finks) then this might work. I don't think Dungrove Elders fit that because they take a while to ramp up. But after you hit 4 forests they are gold. Vengevine is a good card but it seems all of the good creatures are 4+.
If good removal wasn't so prevalent then I'd give this deck a chance. I think Sword of Feast and Famine and caw blade in general - wreck this.
If I were to try this - I might try to go mono green infect with Garruk 1.0. Add lots of 2 drop artifact creatures/Inkmoth and continue the "overrun" idea.
so after testing a variety of the decks heres where i put them
I want to win fast - WG aggro build - lots of splicers and heroes with utility at the top and elesh to finish off
I want options - WBG - b/g exarchs, slimes, archons, metamorph still, basically lots of good 1 offs.
I want to lock out my opponent - WUG - My personal favorite right now - the phantasmal images make this deck nuts.
I want to play combo in a different shell - RUG - Its a very good deck and the 2nd most powerful of the 2.
Those are the decks ive tested (and variations of each). I've put mimic vat in a few. Venser in the U/W/G. etc. all of them have "something" going for them. WUG is convertable - bring in gideon and some counters and suddenly its very controllish.
The pod decks are okay against Caw, but there is a huge variety among the Pod decks currently and no consensus on a best list (or even the best colors). Personally, I've seen a ton of really bad lists that I think are underdogs to Caw (as played by a competent player), and a ton of lists where I'm not at all sure.
i agree that Pod is very good against caw... as long as it's a good pod build. RUG with twin is tough to caw to beat as a resolve pod becomes a huge threat and it can go off at nearly anytime
its not useless in a control matchup if you have access to black. (pseudo locks with entomber exarch/slime/specter if you run it).
that said it's mostly useless outside of that because it's already a slowish/mana intensive deck. It's nearly completely useless against vamps/rdw/tempered steel.
just not the right deck for it. If there were more 1/2/3 cmc creatures with very good to great cip abilities and self sacrifice outlets - it would be worth it.
706.2. When copying an object, the copy acquires the copiable values of the original object’s characteristics and, for an object on the stack, choices made when casting or activating it (mode, targets, the value of X, whether it was kicked, how it will affect multiple targets, and so on). The “copiable values” are the values derived from the text printed on the object (that text being name, mana cost, card type, subtype, supertype, expansion symbol, rules text, power, toughness, and/or loyalty), as modified by other copy effects, by “as . . . enters the battlefield” and “as . . . is turned face up” abilities that set characteristics, and by abilities that caused the object to be face down. Other effects (including type-changing and text-changing effects), status, and counters are not copied.
Example: Chimeric Staff is an artifact that reads “{X}: Chimeric Staff becomes an X/X artifact creature until end of turn.” Clone is a creature that reads, “You may have Clone enter the battlefield as a copy of any creature on the battlefield.” After a Staff has become a 5/5 artifact creature, a Clone enters the battlefield as a copy of it. The Clone is an artifact, not a 5/5 artifact creature. (The copy has the Staff’s ability, however, and will become a creature if that ability is activated.)
Example: Clone enters the battlefield as a copy of a face-down Grinning Demon (a creature with morph {2}{B}{B}). The Clone is a colorless 2/2 creature with no name, no types, no abilities, and no mana cost. It will still be face up. Its controller can’t pay {2}{B}{B} to turn it face up.
706.5. An object that enters the battlefield “as a copy” or “that’s a copy” of another object becomes a copy as it enters the battlefield. It doesn’t enter the battlefield, and then become a copy of that permanent. If the text that’s being copied includes any abilities that replace the enters-the-battlefield event (such as “enters the battlefield with” or “as [this] enters the battlefield” abilities), those abilities will take effect. Also, any enters-the-battlefield triggered abilities of the copy will have a chance to trigger.
Example: Skyshroud Behemoth reads, “Fading 2 (This creature enters the battlefield with two fade counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a fade counter from it. If you can’t, sacrifice it.)” and “Skyshroud Behemoth enters the battlefield tapped.” A Clone that enters the battlefield as a copy of a Skyshroud Behemoth will also enter the battlefield tapped with two fade counters on it.
Example: Striped Bears reads, “When Striped Bears enters the battlefield, draw a card.” A Clone enters the battlefield as a copy of Striped Bears. The Clone has the Bears’ enters-the-battlefield triggered ability, so the Clone’s controller draws a card.
706.6. When copying a permanent, any choices that have been made for that permanent aren’t copied. Instead, if an object enters the battlefield as a copy of another permanent, the object’s controller will get to make any “as [this] enters the battlefield” choices for it.
Example: A Clone enters the battlefield as a copy of Chameleon Spirit. Chameleon Spirit reads, in part, “As Chameleon Spirit enters the battlefield, choose a color.” The Clone won’t copy the color choice of the Spirit; rather, the controller of the Clone will get to make a new choice.
706.7. If a pair of linked abilities are copied, those abilities will be similarly linked to one another on the object that copied them. One ability refers only to actions that were taken or objects that were affected by the other. They can’t be linked to any other ability, regardless of what other abilities the copy may currently have or may have had in the past. See rule 607, “Linked Abilities.”
706.7a If an ability causes a player to “choose a [value]” or “name a card,” and a second, linked ability refers to that choice, the second ability is the only ability that can refer to that choice. An object doesn’t “remember” that choice and use it for other abilities it may copy later. If an object copies an ability that refers to a choice, but either (a) doesn’t copy that ability’s linked ability or (b) does copy the linked ability but no choice is made for it, then the choice is considered to be “undefined.” If an ability refers to an undefined choice, that part of the ability won’t do anything.
Example: Voice of All enters the battlefield and Unstable Shapeshifter copies it. Voice of All reads, in part, “As Voice of All enters the battlefield, choose a color.” and “Voice of All has protection from the chosen color.” Unstable Shapeshifter never had a chance for a color to be chosen for it, because it didn’t enter the battlefield as a Voice of All card, so the protection ability doesn’t protect it from anything at all.
Example: A Vesuvan Doppelganger enters the battlefield as a copy of Chameleon Spirit, and the Doppelganger’s controller chooses blue. Later, the Doppelganger copies Quirion Elves. The Elves has the ability, “{T}: Add one mana of the chosen color to your mana pool.” Even though a color was chosen for the Doppelganger, it wasn’t chosen for the ability linked to the mana ability copied from the Elves. If that mana ability of the Doppelganger is activated, it will not produce mana.
706.8. Copy effects may include modifications or exceptions to the copying process.
706.8a Some copy effects cause the copy to gain an ability as part of the copying process. This ability becomes part of the copiable values for the copy, along with any other abilities that were copied.
Example: Quirion Elves enters the battlefield and an Unstable Shapeshifter copies it. The copiable values of the Shapeshifter now match those of the Elves, except that the Shapeshifter also has the ability “Whenever a creature enters the battlefield, Unstable Shapeshifter becomes a copy of that creature and gains this ability.” Then a Clone enters the battlefield as a copy of the Unstable Shapeshifter. The Clone copies the new copiable values of the Shapeshifter, including the ability that the Shapeshifter gave itself when it copied the Elves.
706.8b Some copy effects specifically state that they don’t copy certain characteristics and instead retain their original values. These effects use the phrase “except its [characteristic] is still [value]” or “except it’s still [value(s)].” They may also simply state that certain characteristics are not copied.
706.8c Some copy effects modify a characteristic as part of the copying process. The final value(s) for that characteristic becomes part of the copiable values for the copy.
Example: Copy Artifact is an enchantment that reads, “You may have Copy Artifact enter the battlefield as a copy of any artifact on the battlefield, except it’s an enchantment in addition to its other types.” It enters the battlefield as a copy of Juggernaut. The copiable values of the Copy Artifact now match those of Juggernaut with one modification: its types are now artifact, creature, and enchantment.
706.8d When applying a copy effect that doesn’t copy a certain characteristic, retains an original value for a certain characteristic, or modifies the final value of a certain characteristic, any characteristic-defining ability (see rule 604.3) of the object being copied that defines that characteristic is not copied.
Example: Quicksilver Gargantuan is a creature that reads, “You may have Quicksilver Gargantuan enter the battlefield as a copy of any creature on the battlefield, except it’s still 7/7.” Quicksilver Gargantuan enters the battlefield as a copy of Tarmogoyf, which has a characteristic-defining ability that defines its power and toughness. Quicksilver Gargantuan does not have that ability. It will be 7/7.
706.9. To copy a spell or activated ability means to put a copy of it onto the stack; a copy of a spell isn’t cast and a copy of an activated ability isn’t activated. A copy of a spell or ability copies both the characteristics of the spell or ability and all decisions made for it, including modes, targets, the value of X, and additional or alternative costs. (See rule 601, “Casting Spells.”) Choices that are normally made on resolution are not copied. If an effect of the copy refers to objects used to pay its costs, it uses the objects used to pay the costs of the original spell or ability. A copy of a spell is owned by the player under whose control it was put on the stack. A copy of a spell or ability is controlled by the player under whose control it was put on the stack. A copy of a spell is itself a spell, even though it has no spell card associated with it. A copy of an ability is itself an ability.
Example: A player casts Fork, targeting an Emerald Charm. Fork reads, “Copy target instant or sorcery spell, except that the copy is red. You may choose new targets for the copy.” Emerald Charm is a green instant that reads, “Choose one — Untap target permanent; or destroy target non-Aura enchantment; or target creature loses flying until end of turn.” When the Fork resolves, it puts a copy of the Emerald Charm on the stack except the copy is red, not green. The copy has the same mode that was chosen for the original Emerald Charm. It does not necessarily have the same target, but only because Fork allows choosing of new targets.
Example: Fling is an instant that reads, “As an additional cost to cast Fling, sacrifice a creature” and “Fling deals damage equal to the sacrificed creature’s power to target creature or player.” When determining how much damage a copy of Fling deals, it checks the power of the creature sacrificed to pay for the original Fling.
Rules regarding copying objects -
relevant for what we are talking about - it retains the copied creatures mana cost not the original - so the phatasmal illusions/metamorphs are CMC = to what they copy.
I posted my list a couple pages back but nobody commented on it. I've been doing really well with it on MWS but haven't yet had the chance to bring it to a real tournament so I suppose you can consider it "untested". It is, however, about 7-1 in matches vs. Caw-Blade, about 3-1 vs. U/B, and X-0 vs. the Pod mirror on MWS. It's also 1-X vs. Valakut and about X-X vs. Twin, though, so fair warning.
1) Since the deck doesn't have a lot of silver bullet-type cards, it doesn't need Birthing Pod to function so you don't need to mulligan for it.
2) Turn 2 Birthing Pod is sick. But you knew that already.
3) Against most decks, the plan is to play as many Acidic Slimes as possible and wreck their manabase. Sometimes you want to play Inferno Titans though. Make sure you have a plan.
4) Some sideboarding notes:
Nature's Claim is vs. decks with Torpor Orb, Tezzeret, Twin, or Tempered Steel. It is NOT for the mirror.
Cunning Sparkmage is for decks with a lot of X/1s. The mirror, Caw-Blade, and Tempered Steel.
Wall of Omens is untested. The idea is to bring it in vs. red decks.
Manic Vandal and Oxidda Scrapmelter are for decks that run a lot of problem artifacts that are not Torpor Orb. Tezzeret and Tempered Steel are the main ones.
World Queller is for decks with planeswalkers. Also Torpor Orb.
Is Queller any better then Archon of Justice? The Archon flies and exiles and then fetches you a titan/wurmcoil. vs the nonflying queller that gets rid of things a tad bit earlier...
I think you should be running 2 Archons, 2 Acidic Slimes, and a Viridian Corrupter mainboard, and that you should have 4 Nature's Claim and Day of Judgment > Creeping Corrosives in the Sideboard if you ever want to make it out alive against Tempered Steel.
Anyway, I would cut Cobra and Phantasmal Image, and put in some Spellskites, Llanowar Elves, and like I said put more Archons and Slimes in. I dunno, your deck just doesn't look all that solid to me.
Phantasmal Image is nuts if you recur it with sun titan. That said I agree with adding skites and possibly removing cobras. Play Emissary over Cobra as the permanent mana is better.
Ooze - Mirror Mad Phantasm - Unburial Rites - Labratory Maniac?
http://twitter.com/#!/McCoreman/media/slideshow?url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwitpic.com%2F6c9o8f
and the different account along with the date? at the top of the second one.
google for Rircarothma brings you to a russian webpage spoiling innistrad prerelease/special event cards and at the end of the message is another email address - [email]rircarothma@mail.ru[/email]
email to this gets you
32-й день Месяца Охотника, год Авацин 719-й
Я знаю, что так было нужно, я знаю, что именно этого хотел бы Питре. Отрубить голову - единственный способ предотвратить превращение, и не было никакого способа проверить, покусали его или нет. Но его кровь теперь навсегда на моих руках, и лишь Авацин дарует мне очищение.
По этой причине, и по многим другим, я молю вас принять меня в ваш смиренный орден. Для меня больше нет смысла оставаться здесь, в Гэйвони.
С верой в Авацин, ваша сестра,
Лорелей
--------------------
google translate go
32-Day Month-Hunter, year Avatsin 719 th
I know that it was necessary, I know that this is what I would like to Pitre. Off with his head - the only way to prevent the conversion, and there was no way to verify it or not bitten. But his blood is now forever in my arms, and only gives me Avatsin purification.
For this reason, and for many others, I pray you take me in your humble order. For me, there are no more sense to stay here in Geyvoni.
With faith in Avatsin, your sister,
Lorelei
which is basically the same message as the english one but comes from a different account named DayNight.
also links to http://twitter.com/#!/semen_nikolaev
thats where I'm sitting - i can spare some time here and there to look at things - but don't have the time to be the central compiler.
do we want to start collecting this information somewhere? one of the twitter accounts linked to by the account previously mentioned had screenshots of all the letters...
so it seems this twitter account is following people who were at pax. Seems likely this might be ARG related. I pinged the email account but no response yet.
1. Dismember - having access to good instant speed removal is something green isnt used to having. dismember is a great gift to green
2. Beast Within - see #1. It's not as good as dismember but it deals with things green has a problem with (see planeswalkers) and makes them easier to deal with (3/3). Also can be used at the end of your own turn for another attacker.
3. Garruk 2.0 - he is the answer to mass removal. He just keeps spitting out beasts until he is dealt with.
4. Utility creatures and ways to fetch them - Fauna Shaman/Green Sun Zenith are great fetchers for things like Acidic Slime/Thrun/Bop/whatever you need.
Biggest Issue? Lots of utility but no iconic finisher. Primeval titan isn't as fun without Valakut. Wurmcoil is OK but not great (and not fetchable). Overrun effects aren't reliable. You're trying to use death by attrition. If there were a few more midrange beaters that were efficient (thinking Kitchen Finks) then this might work. I don't think Dungrove Elders fit that because they take a while to ramp up. But after you hit 4 forests they are gold. Vengevine is a good card but it seems all of the good creatures are 4+.
If good removal wasn't so prevalent then I'd give this deck a chance. I think Sword of Feast and Famine and caw blade in general - wreck this.
If I were to try this - I might try to go mono green infect with Garruk 1.0. Add lots of 2 drop artifact creatures/Inkmoth and continue the "overrun" idea.
I want to win fast - WG aggro build - lots of splicers and heroes with utility at the top and elesh to finish off
I want options - WBG - b/g exarchs, slimes, archons, metamorph still, basically lots of good 1 offs.
I want to lock out my opponent - WUG - My personal favorite right now - the phantasmal images make this deck nuts.
I want to play combo in a different shell - RUG - Its a very good deck and the 2nd most powerful of the 2.
Those are the decks ive tested (and variations of each). I've put mimic vat in a few. Venser in the U/W/G. etc. all of them have "something" going for them. WUG is convertable - bring in gideon and some counters and suddenly its very controllish.
i agree that Pod is very good against caw... as long as it's a good pod build. RUG with twin is tough to caw to beat as a resolve pod becomes a huge threat and it can go off at nearly anytime
RUGtwinPod
WUGPod
WBGPod
RGPod
BGPod
WGPod (aggro and util)
RBGPod
Too many decks/choices for one thread. Would help if these finally got forumed.
that said it's mostly useless outside of that because it's already a slowish/mana intensive deck. It's nearly completely useless against vamps/rdw/tempered steel.
just not the right deck for it. If there were more 1/2/3 cmc creatures with very good to great cip abilities and self sacrifice outlets - it would be worth it.
706.2. When copying an object, the copy acquires the copiable values of the original object’s characteristics and, for an object on the stack, choices made when casting or activating it (mode, targets, the value of X, whether it was kicked, how it will affect multiple targets, and so on). The “copiable values” are the values derived from the text printed on the object (that text being name, mana cost, card type, subtype, supertype, expansion symbol, rules text, power, toughness, and/or loyalty), as modified by other copy effects, by “as . . . enters the battlefield” and “as . . . is turned face up” abilities that set characteristics, and by abilities that caused the object to be face down. Other effects (including type-changing and text-changing effects), status, and counters are not copied.
Example: Chimeric Staff is an artifact that reads “{X}: Chimeric Staff becomes an X/X artifact creature until end of turn.” Clone is a creature that reads, “You may have Clone enter the battlefield as a copy of any creature on the battlefield.” After a Staff has become a 5/5 artifact creature, a Clone enters the battlefield as a copy of it. The Clone is an artifact, not a 5/5 artifact creature. (The copy has the Staff’s ability, however, and will become a creature if that ability is activated.)
Example: Clone enters the battlefield as a copy of a face-down Grinning Demon (a creature with morph {2}{B}{B}). The Clone is a colorless 2/2 creature with no name, no types, no abilities, and no mana cost. It will still be face up. Its controller can’t pay {2}{B}{B} to turn it face up.
706.5. An object that enters the battlefield “as a copy” or “that’s a copy” of another object becomes a copy as it enters the battlefield. It doesn’t enter the battlefield, and then become a copy of that permanent. If the text that’s being copied includes any abilities that replace the enters-the-battlefield event (such as “enters the battlefield with” or “as [this] enters the battlefield” abilities), those abilities will take effect. Also, any enters-the-battlefield triggered abilities of the copy will have a chance to trigger.
Example: Skyshroud Behemoth reads, “Fading 2 (This creature enters the battlefield with two fade counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a fade counter from it. If you can’t, sacrifice it.)” and “Skyshroud Behemoth enters the battlefield tapped.” A Clone that enters the battlefield as a copy of a Skyshroud Behemoth will also enter the battlefield tapped with two fade counters on it.
Example: Striped Bears reads, “When Striped Bears enters the battlefield, draw a card.” A Clone enters the battlefield as a copy of Striped Bears. The Clone has the Bears’ enters-the-battlefield triggered ability, so the Clone’s controller draws a card.
706.6. When copying a permanent, any choices that have been made for that permanent aren’t copied. Instead, if an object enters the battlefield as a copy of another permanent, the object’s controller will get to make any “as [this] enters the battlefield” choices for it.
Example: A Clone enters the battlefield as a copy of Chameleon Spirit. Chameleon Spirit reads, in part, “As Chameleon Spirit enters the battlefield, choose a color.” The Clone won’t copy the color choice of the Spirit; rather, the controller of the Clone will get to make a new choice.
706.7. If a pair of linked abilities are copied, those abilities will be similarly linked to one another on the object that copied them. One ability refers only to actions that were taken or objects that were affected by the other. They can’t be linked to any other ability, regardless of what other abilities the copy may currently have or may have had in the past. See rule 607, “Linked Abilities.”
706.7a If an ability causes a player to “choose a [value]” or “name a card,” and a second, linked ability refers to that choice, the second ability is the only ability that can refer to that choice. An object doesn’t “remember” that choice and use it for other abilities it may copy later. If an object copies an ability that refers to a choice, but either (a) doesn’t copy that ability’s linked ability or (b) does copy the linked ability but no choice is made for it, then the choice is considered to be “undefined.” If an ability refers to an undefined choice, that part of the ability won’t do anything.
Example: Voice of All enters the battlefield and Unstable Shapeshifter copies it. Voice of All reads, in part, “As Voice of All enters the battlefield, choose a color.” and “Voice of All has protection from the chosen color.” Unstable Shapeshifter never had a chance for a color to be chosen for it, because it didn’t enter the battlefield as a Voice of All card, so the protection ability doesn’t protect it from anything at all.
Example: A Vesuvan Doppelganger enters the battlefield as a copy of Chameleon Spirit, and the Doppelganger’s controller chooses blue. Later, the Doppelganger copies Quirion Elves. The Elves has the ability, “{T}: Add one mana of the chosen color to your mana pool.” Even though a color was chosen for the Doppelganger, it wasn’t chosen for the ability linked to the mana ability copied from the Elves. If that mana ability of the Doppelganger is activated, it will not produce mana.
706.8. Copy effects may include modifications or exceptions to the copying process.
706.8a Some copy effects cause the copy to gain an ability as part of the copying process. This ability becomes part of the copiable values for the copy, along with any other abilities that were copied.
Example: Quirion Elves enters the battlefield and an Unstable Shapeshifter copies it. The copiable values of the Shapeshifter now match those of the Elves, except that the Shapeshifter also has the ability “Whenever a creature enters the battlefield, Unstable Shapeshifter becomes a copy of that creature and gains this ability.” Then a Clone enters the battlefield as a copy of the Unstable Shapeshifter. The Clone copies the new copiable values of the Shapeshifter, including the ability that the Shapeshifter gave itself when it copied the Elves.
706.8b Some copy effects specifically state that they don’t copy certain characteristics and instead retain their original values. These effects use the phrase “except its [characteristic] is still [value]” or “except it’s still [value(s)].” They may also simply state that certain characteristics are not copied.
706.8c Some copy effects modify a characteristic as part of the copying process. The final value(s) for that characteristic becomes part of the copiable values for the copy.
Example: Copy Artifact is an enchantment that reads, “You may have Copy Artifact enter the battlefield as a copy of any artifact on the battlefield, except it’s an enchantment in addition to its other types.” It enters the battlefield as a copy of Juggernaut. The copiable values of the Copy Artifact now match those of Juggernaut with one modification: its types are now artifact, creature, and enchantment.
706.8d When applying a copy effect that doesn’t copy a certain characteristic, retains an original value for a certain characteristic, or modifies the final value of a certain characteristic, any characteristic-defining ability (see rule 604.3) of the object being copied that defines that characteristic is not copied.
Example: Quicksilver Gargantuan is a creature that reads, “You may have Quicksilver Gargantuan enter the battlefield as a copy of any creature on the battlefield, except it’s still 7/7.” Quicksilver Gargantuan enters the battlefield as a copy of Tarmogoyf, which has a characteristic-defining ability that defines its power and toughness. Quicksilver Gargantuan does not have that ability. It will be 7/7.
706.9. To copy a spell or activated ability means to put a copy of it onto the stack; a copy of a spell isn’t cast and a copy of an activated ability isn’t activated. A copy of a spell or ability copies both the characteristics of the spell or ability and all decisions made for it, including modes, targets, the value of X, and additional or alternative costs. (See rule 601, “Casting Spells.”) Choices that are normally made on resolution are not copied. If an effect of the copy refers to objects used to pay its costs, it uses the objects used to pay the costs of the original spell or ability. A copy of a spell is owned by the player under whose control it was put on the stack. A copy of a spell or ability is controlled by the player under whose control it was put on the stack. A copy of a spell is itself a spell, even though it has no spell card associated with it. A copy of an ability is itself an ability.
Example: A player casts Fork, targeting an Emerald Charm. Fork reads, “Copy target instant or sorcery spell, except that the copy is red. You may choose new targets for the copy.” Emerald Charm is a green instant that reads, “Choose one — Untap target permanent; or destroy target non-Aura enchantment; or target creature loses flying until end of turn.” When the Fork resolves, it puts a copy of the Emerald Charm on the stack except the copy is red, not green. The copy has the same mode that was chosen for the original Emerald Charm. It does not necessarily have the same target, but only because Fork allows choosing of new targets.
Example: Fling is an instant that reads, “As an additional cost to cast Fling, sacrifice a creature” and “Fling deals damage equal to the sacrificed creature’s power to target creature or player.” When determining how much damage a copy of Fling deals, it checks the power of the creature sacrificed to pay for the original Fling.
Rules regarding copying objects -
relevant for what we are talking about - it retains the copied creatures mana cost not the original - so the phatasmal illusions/metamorphs are CMC = to what they copy.
Is Queller any better then Archon of Justice? The Archon flies and exiles and then fetches you a titan/wurmcoil. vs the nonflying queller that gets rid of things a tad bit earlier...
Phantasmal Image is nuts if you recur it with sun titan. That said I agree with adding skites and possibly removing cobras. Play Emissary over Cobra as the permanent mana is better.