According to WoTC, Mirrodin block was the closest Magic got to dying thanks to its absurd power level. That shows that increased power level has, if anything, a detrimental effect on the health of the game.
This is no Mind Rot in the right deck, it's closer to being a situational Fugue. You wouldn't be able to sacrifice a creature in response to removal spells, but I think it could be worth it if you can reliably force your opponent to discard 3+ cards before their third turn.
So, I've been recently thinking about Magic theory - particularly the notion of card advantage. So, while looking through the Journey to Nyx spoilers, I encountered this thing:
Tormented Thoughts - 2B Sorcery
As an additional cost to cast Tormented Thoughts, sacrifice a creature.
Target player discards a number of cards equal to the sacrificed creature's power.
===
So, modest looking card. But it occurred to me that so long as you have something with at least 3 power to sacrifice, you're getting a potentially huge return on this card (at the cost of some tempo), and what's more it comes down early enough that you will usually hit the stipulated number of cards and potentially cripple your opponent's late game.
And then some mid-late game threats, possibly Athreos.
The whole idea is ensuring you have a 3+ power creature by turn 3, and resolve Tormented Thoughts. Ideally this cripples your opponent's mid-late game which I understand is usually the biggest problem for an aggressive deck. One of the best hands is a turn 2 Ordeal of Erebos on a turn 1 Favored Hoplite - popping the ordeal and following it up by sacrificing the Hoplite will almost always empty your opponent's hand before their third turn.
Do you guys think there may be potential for a deck here? I'm curious to hear your thoughts.
I was looking through some cranial insertion articles when I found something I wasn't aware of. According to the article, when an ability refers to something like a "named card," or a "card exiled with this," so long as it's a separate ability, it doesn't care which ability named or exiled the card, so long as it's the same object which did the respective action. This got me to start looking around for ways to exploit this, since I already have Artisan of Forms. I came upon something, but I wanted to ensure it worked.
I actually just thought of one more question involving Possibility Storm.
If, in response to Possibility Storm, I exile the spell in question with Nivmagus Elemental, when Possibility Storm resolves is the exiled spell still put on the bottom of the library? Is it still considered to have been exiled by Possiblity Storm even if Possibility Storm was not specifically what exiled it?
1. If a player has no other cards in their library that shares a type with a spell they cast, is nothing cast? (e.g. I have two Possibility Storms in my deck and no other enchantments - if one is already out, does casting another one just essentially force me to shuffle my library?)
2. Does Perplexing Chimera have any kind of interesting interaction with Possibility Storm?
I just thought of something that's interesting in theory, but would probably be instantly banned in any black border format. I'm curious what you think about it.
Enchant Permanent
At end of game, exchange ownership of Transcendent Kleptomania and enchanted permanent.
===
Exceptionally difficult to use and results in both card disadvantage and major tempo loss during the game (since it does nothing for you during the game.) Probably very unfun, but I think it might be fair. Such a card would likely be quite valuable, since it can theoretically "become" the most valuable card within a respective format. It is the "exchange" that makes me think that it may actually be fair. Since its virtual value is as high as the most valuable permanent in the format, the original owner of Transcendent Kleptomania will at best be making an even trade.
One, for the huge amount of +1/+1 counter related abilities, there are surprisingly few cards that are synergistic with such abilities. Seeing how Kruphix will only have a relatively short impact on RTR-THS Standard, I don't think it's unlikely that whatever he does will have something to do with +1/+1 counters.
Alternatively, they may take this opportunity to try to explore new blue/green territory. There's one prominent area in Green/Blue's field that has never been touched on. Aluren/Dream Halls. I don't think it's unreasonable that their first ever legendary Green/Blue enchantment will take inspiration from the most legendary green and blue enchantments in Magic's history.
Kruphix, God of Mysteries - 3GU Legendary Enchantment Creature - God
Indestructible
As long as your devotion to Green and Blue is less than seven, Kruphix isn't a creature.
Rather than pay the mana cost for a spell, you may discard a card that shares a color with that spell.
The problem is that his activated ability can speed up his devotion count faster than even BTE does.
Only if you have a creature with 3 or more mana symbols on top of your library. At 7 Devotion, a turn 2 Burning-Tree Emissary into Zhur-Taa Druid results in a turn 3 Xenagos with 6 devotion. Using your next turn to either use the ability or play a RG creature, making Xenagos a creature, seems pretty reasonable compared to the speed of Gruul Aggro decks in the past.
I had been discussing with my friends what Xenagos could possibly do, and I think I'm close (with one caveat).
Xenagos, God of Revelry - 2RG Legendary Enchantment Creature - God [mr]
Indestructible
As long as your devotion to red and green is less than 7, Xenagos is not a creature.
Other creatures you control have haste. 2RG: Exile the top card of your library. If it's a creature or land card, put it onto the battlefield instead.
7/7
Here's why:
7/7 - Red/Green creatures are consistently larger than their mono-green counterparts. Nylea is a 6/6, so Xenagos will almost definitely be somewhat larger.
Other creatures you control have haste - Fires of Yavimaya. If Wizards wants to make an exciting red/green enchantment, and with Xenagos being the figurehead of the block, it certainly seems likely. Here's where the caveat lies; since Hammer of Purphoros already grants your creatures haste, it does seem strange to have to major cards with that effect.
2RG: Exile the top card of your library. If it's a creature or land card, put it onto the battlefield instead - As an ascended planeswalker, it seems more than likely at least one of his abilities will be somehow related to his planeswalker self, Xenagos, the Reveler. Might as well base it off his ultimate. In addition, the ability is comparable to Call of the Wild and the activation cost is similar to the other gods.
Devotion 7; Red and Green: Some analysis revealed that Red or Green made hybrid cards practically necessary to be able to reach devotion. Xenagos already provides 2 himself, and we have found that burning-tree emissary plays resulted in a ridiculously early Xenagos; so much so that I would expect it to be format warping. I arrived at 7 to make it slightly more difficult, yet still reasonable.
I'm curious what your thoughts are on this. I feel like I'm pretty close.
Oh noooo! That misunderstanding cost me the game!
Thanks for the explanations everyone. I'm glad to know it now.
I'm still a little confused about when precisely Prince of Thralls triggers. It's as they are entering the graveyard? I hadn't realized players received priority at that point. Or does it trigger once it enters the graveyard? It seems weird to me that the triggers see everything entering the graveyard.
Edit: I should specify, I'm referring to the last question. If triggers only trigger while the permanent is in play, wouldn't the Prince of Thralls be in the graveyard when everything else dies and be unable to trigger?
Thanks Vorthosspike, that's precisely what I wanted to know. That's actually how I guessed it to work, but everyone was confused because it's kind of unintuitive.
I apologize for the ambiguous opening post, I was typing on my phone and couldn't be very articulate.
I have a further question.
So, after Tempt with Reflections resolved, my opponent across from me chose to make a reflection. So, I (Say, Player A) had three Princes of Thralls and the opponent across from me (Player C) had one.
Then, on Player B's turn, he cast Endless Cockroaches.
In what situations would Player B's Endless Cockroaches return to it's hand when it dies?
Finally, eventually Player C cast Savage Twister for 7 during his turn. I couldn't recall whether Prince of Thralls triggers from the graveyard or not. Does it? Who gets what?
According to WoTC, Mirrodin block was the closest Magic got to dying thanks to its absurd power level. That shows that increased power level has, if anything, a detrimental effect on the health of the game.
Tormented Thoughts - 2B
Sorcery
As an additional cost to cast Tormented Thoughts, sacrifice a creature.
Target player discards a number of cards equal to the sacrificed creature's power.
===
So, modest looking card. But it occurred to me that so long as you have something with at least 3 power to sacrifice, you're getting a potentially huge return on this card (at the cost of some tempo), and what's more it comes down early enough that you will usually hit the stipulated number of cards and potentially cripple your opponent's late game.
My thoughts were something resembling this:
Favored Hoplite
Tormented Hero
Gnarled Scarhide (the 2/1 bestow minotaur)
Daring Skyjek
Spirit of the Labyrinth?
Oreskos Swiftclaw?
Sightless Brawler?
Ordeal of Erebos
Scourgemark
Tormented Thoughts
And then some mid-late game threats, possibly Athreos.
The whole idea is ensuring you have a 3+ power creature by turn 3, and resolve Tormented Thoughts. Ideally this cripples your opponent's mid-late game which I understand is usually the biggest problem for an aggressive deck. One of the best hands is a turn 2 Ordeal of Erebos on a turn 1 Favored Hoplite - popping the ordeal and following it up by sacrificing the Hoplite will almost always empty your opponent's hand before their third turn.
Do you guys think there may be potential for a deck here? I'm curious to hear your thoughts.
Thanks. This article was quite old - bummer, I was really excited to bend some rules. I don't remember them ever mentioning that rule.
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/articles/16253-cranial-insertion-attack-of-the-doppelgangers
If I have an Artisan of Forms copying a Dryad Militant, and later have the Artisan become a copy of Nightveil Spectre, does that allow me to cast any of those spells again?
If, in response to Possibility Storm, I exile the spell in question with Nivmagus Elemental, when Possibility Storm resolves is the exiled spell still put on the bottom of the library? Is it still considered to have been exiled by Possiblity Storm even if Possibility Storm was not specifically what exiled it?
Edit: Thanks especially to lrmo for that detailed analysis.
1. If a player has no other cards in their library that shares a type with a spell they cast, is nothing cast? (e.g. I have two Possibility Storms in my deck and no other enchantments - if one is already out, does casting another one just essentially force me to shuffle my library?)
2. Does Perplexing Chimera have any kind of interesting interaction with Possibility Storm?
Thanks!
===
Transcendent Kleptomania - 10
Legendary Enchantment - Aura [mr]
Enchant Permanent
At end of game, exchange ownership of Transcendent Kleptomania and enchanted permanent.
===
Exceptionally difficult to use and results in both card disadvantage and major tempo loss during the game (since it does nothing for you during the game.) Probably very unfun, but I think it might be fair. Such a card would likely be quite valuable, since it can theoretically "become" the most valuable card within a respective format. It is the "exchange" that makes me think that it may actually be fair. Since its virtual value is as high as the most valuable permanent in the format, the original owner of Transcendent Kleptomania will at best be making an even trade.
One, for the huge amount of +1/+1 counter related abilities, there are surprisingly few cards that are synergistic with such abilities. Seeing how Kruphix will only have a relatively short impact on RTR-THS Standard, I don't think it's unlikely that whatever he does will have something to do with +1/+1 counters.
Alternatively, they may take this opportunity to try to explore new blue/green territory. There's one prominent area in Green/Blue's field that has never been touched on. Aluren/Dream Halls. I don't think it's unreasonable that their first ever legendary Green/Blue enchantment will take inspiration from the most legendary green and blue enchantments in Magic's history.
Kruphix, God of Mysteries - 3GU
Legendary Enchantment Creature - God
Indestructible
As long as your devotion to Green and Blue is less than seven, Kruphix isn't a creature.
Rather than pay the mana cost for a spell, you may discard a card that shares a color with that spell.
6/6
Only if you have a creature with 3 or more mana symbols on top of your library. At 7 Devotion, a turn 2 Burning-Tree Emissary into Zhur-Taa Druid results in a turn 3 Xenagos with 6 devotion. Using your next turn to either use the ability or play a RG creature, making Xenagos a creature, seems pretty reasonable compared to the speed of Gruul Aggro decks in the past.
Xenagos, God of Revelry - 2RG
Legendary Enchantment Creature - God [mr]
Indestructible
As long as your devotion to red and green is less than 7, Xenagos is not a creature.
Other creatures you control have haste.
2RG: Exile the top card of your library. If it's a creature or land card, put it onto the battlefield instead.
7/7
Here's why:
7/7 - Red/Green creatures are consistently larger than their mono-green counterparts. Nylea is a 6/6, so Xenagos will almost definitely be somewhat larger.
Other creatures you control have haste - Fires of Yavimaya. If Wizards wants to make an exciting red/green enchantment, and with Xenagos being the figurehead of the block, it certainly seems likely. Here's where the caveat lies; since Hammer of Purphoros already grants your creatures haste, it does seem strange to have to major cards with that effect.
2RG: Exile the top card of your library. If it's a creature or land card, put it onto the battlefield instead - As an ascended planeswalker, it seems more than likely at least one of his abilities will be somehow related to his planeswalker self, Xenagos, the Reveler. Might as well base it off his ultimate. In addition, the ability is comparable to Call of the Wild and the activation cost is similar to the other gods.
Devotion 7; Red and Green: Some analysis revealed that Red or Green made hybrid cards practically necessary to be able to reach devotion. Xenagos already provides 2 himself, and we have found that burning-tree emissary plays resulted in a ridiculously early Xenagos; so much so that I would expect it to be format warping. I arrived at 7 to make it slightly more difficult, yet still reasonable.
I'm curious what your thoughts are on this. I feel like I'm pretty close.
Thanks for the explanations everyone. I'm glad to know it now.
I'm still a little confused about when precisely Prince of Thralls triggers. It's as they are entering the graveyard? I hadn't realized players received priority at that point. Or does it trigger once it enters the graveyard? It seems weird to me that the triggers see everything entering the graveyard.
Edit: I should specify, I'm referring to the last question. If triggers only trigger while the permanent is in play, wouldn't the Prince of Thralls be in the graveyard when everything else dies and be unable to trigger?
I apologize for the ambiguous opening post, I was typing on my phone and couldn't be very articulate.
I have a further question.
So, after Tempt with Reflections resolved, my opponent across from me chose to make a reflection. So, I (Say, Player A) had three Princes of Thralls and the opponent across from me (Player C) had one.
Then, on Player B's turn, he cast Endless Cockroaches.
In what situations would Player B's Endless Cockroaches return to it's hand when it dies?
Finally, eventually Player C cast Savage Twister for 7 during his turn. I couldn't recall whether Prince of Thralls triggers from the graveyard or not. Does it? Who gets what?