don't think it's been mentioned yet, but i'm pretty sure DiSalvo from Infestation barked for Cryptopsy for an album or two while Lord Worm went to work at a beer company or something. but he came back   

Cryptopsy fucking rips

meh. twenty-four hour clock?

After reading njx's article a little while ago on Parfait, I saw that he was running Seal of Cleansing, but not Disenchant. I also remember seeing some Stax decks running Seal and not Disenchant. Why? They cost the same, but Seal can be Stifled, can't it? Is it to have another permanent to sac to Smokestack if it isn't needed? Does it cause mind games by staring your opponent in the face, as opposed to being a potential in your hand? I started a new thread instead of dropping in on a WW  one with this question because of said Stax decks...I was hoping for a little broader perspective. Why do people run Seal instead of Disenchant?

ps - I'm not questioning the merits of either, I'm just trying to understand for myself.

I think I'm gonna hang a 24-hr clock around this thread's neck.

Modified it again. SHOULD it be an enchantment, or is it ok as is? Would it be better as an enchantment? Not necessarily in terms of playability, but, as Matt pointed out, more in flavor with what the thing does? If it does indeed remain a creature, what should the creature type be? Angel? Cleric? Spellshaper? Something else? Apparently my original one doesn't work  .  Now that I'm thinking about it, maybe it would be better as an enchantment, seeing as how Matt (again, you little bugger...) and Dandan pointed out, there are already creatures that are almost functionally identical to her, except for the trample thing. And then there's always the bane of Defiant Elfs everywhere, Netter en-Dal, which does more or less the same thing for the same CMC in the same color (the only diff being activation cost). Yeah...the more I think about it, the more I realize that this thing is a piece of dog poo. And it's clearly a reflection on me as a person. So...now that I've driven my self-esteem completely free from my dry, withered shell, please feel free to close this thread, which in itself will be reminiscient of the empty clang that will be heard when I close the windows on my feebly crying, though already clearly dead, heart. I feel like Ronald Reagan's libido.


Brain fart...what if I made it more aggressive and added the clause that "whenever ~this~ deals damage to an opponent, put a (something) counter on it. Whenever ~this~ blocks, you may choose to remove a (somethng) counter to untap target creature blocked by ~this~ and remove it from combat. That creature neither deals nor receives combat damage this turn." Or is that way too much text/stuff to remember for a playing card? I want a creature card, dammit, and I'll try everything I can think of to make it one. It will probably suck incredibly, but at least it'll be a creature  .

@ asmoranomardicodais - I think Defender without all those abilities is a good idea, but that would still allow you turn her into a Crude Rampart that can't be Shocked to get rid of it. I know that I personally never liked attacking into a Crude Rampart, especially one that can't be damaged.

@ Slay - Is 0 damage still damage? I don't know, I'm asking someone who does. If 0 damage really isn't doing damage at all, that could be a very neat thing to incorporate. Like a delicate little flower.

@ Matt - I could easily see it being something like that, except something to the effect of "deals no damage this turn" instead of "is considered blocked this turn". If my Llanowar Elf blocks a DColossus, the Colossus is still considered blocked, correct? Very nit-picky, but to clear up any potential confusion about trample or the "~this~ is unblockable" junk like Escape Artist. Maybe like an enchantment version of Maze of Ith that doesn't require a land drop, isn't Wasteable, and isn't affected by things like Root Maze.

----------------------------

Overall, I think the reply I could see this turning into the most is Matt's, if nothing else than because of the simple fact that no one seems to like that combination of abilities. As I was making it, I kept visualizing someone dropping Sicken or Lose Hope on it and just making it wither away. Or something as punky as Festering Goblin taking her down in an undignified manner. I had really wanted to make it a creature, but maybe that just isn't in the cards for this one.

@ Creature Type - yeah, I know. I was feeling a bit nostalgic when I did the post. Figured it would be changed to Angel or something right away.

@ Random Abilities - I was going for something that A) couldn't die to plain old damage, whether it be combat, Trike, bolt, etc.,
----B) didn't allow you to pump the bejeezus out of it with random equipment/other creature pump, as an indestructible with >3 power could be a somewhat convincing argument for not attacking into it. As it is, the only way I can see to make it get bigger is with global enchantments like Crusade (or does this target all white creatures or something?) and then only in multiples will it serve to put the opponent on something scarier than a 20 turn clock with only this out.
----I was also going for C) something that was very difficult for the opponent to remove. Mass removal is more or less the only way I can see except for something like Edict. Against things that have access to removal like Swords, it allows them to target it, but at the cost of 7 life. It's not exactly hard to get around, either, as if it's your only creature out and your opponent has more, they can just swing with everything and have only one thing get stopped.
-----The more you look at it objectively, the more it looks like a mere annoyance than anything else. Also, remember the origin I mentioned. It's not meant to win any games, it's more or less meant to help contain creature rushes.

hmmm. Yeah, I suppose that could be a useful bit of information. What with all the rules against cheating floating around.


p.s - for a second I was tempted to inquire about why the Dragon combo still works, but then I realized that I have the magic IQ of Forrest Gump.

Lady Amalthea
 
Creature - Loved One
0/1
Flying
Prevent all damage that would be dealt to Lady Amalthea. Lady Amalthea cannot be the target of spells or abilities you control. If Lady Amalthea becomes the target of a spell or ability, the controller of that spell or ability loses 7 life.

She was radiant; not of gold or silver, but of something much more dazzling and pure."


-----------------

Extremely simplistic, I know. Spawned from a friend of mine wishing for a '0/1 flying, indestructible, cannnot-be-trampled over, cannot be protected from' wall. What say you?



--------------------------
Lady Amalthea
 
Creature - Cleric
0/1
 0: Untap target creature blocked by ~this~ and remove it from combat. That creature neither deals nor receives combat damage this turn.
In an instant, the crush of the leviathan became the awkwardness of a fawn.

There was a guy in my area that had a Sneak Attack deck that utilized Survival of the Fittest and a toolbox of creatures with cool abilities. If you tried to cast a spell he didn't like for whatever reason, he'd Survival out a Squee and get a Mystic Snake and Sneak it in before the spell resolved; or Survival out Squee, get a Keldon Vandal/Aven Cloudchaser, sneak it in and kill some artifact or enchantment that was bothering him. After said critter had performed its duty, the guy Snuck in Wizard Mentor and targeted the utility creature, so it never died. It took a couple turns to set up, but it was vicious when it got rolling. If you were going to take a more controllish route, i.e. with a toolbox and Mentor, you could also do something like Highway Robber or Goretusk Firebeast at their EOT for the win. He had a Great Whale in there so he could go infinite and send in the Robber 16543003234 times in response to you cracking a fetchland.

move this to the Humor forum...i can't post there cuz I suck.

http://www.live4metal.com/cradleoffun.htm

another overdone list, but metalheads should get a kick out of it. references will probably be lost on the rest of you lesser mortals, though    :shock:


xXxExtreme Til Death, MufukkerxXx!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First off, I've been reading these forums for a while, and I realize that topics like this have popped up. Just bear with me, though. Please?

Buying power. There. I said it. 
 
Everyone knows the drill...college, relative newcomer with few cards that mean anything, limited financially, etc. My local shop recently closed (RIP), and now the nearest place I've found to play is about 1.5 hours away, which isn't that much, I realize, but gas money seems to make the wallet a little lighter these days. My current meta consists mainly Darksteel Reactor combo, 5C aggro (Lay of the Land is tech), and BerserkMurlodont.dec, which has left my Wild Mongrel more or less unable to procreate (...)

I've been goldfishing decks like MeanDeath and Draw7 for a while now, and I love how they work, but I just don't think I'll ever be able to get out of the proverbial basement, as Magic is not exactly an essential ingredient in my life right now.

My question to you is a)for those of you that have shared my situation and gone through with buying/acquiring power, what made you choose that route? What made you make the decision to purchase? Did you just grit your teeth and go for it? Did you tool it out over X years? and b) for those of you in my situation that chose NOT to acquire power by some other means than winning it, what made you decide to stay away? What was the logic you used? What arguments went on in your respective heads? Or were you so staunch in your belief that you didn't have this crisis of conscience?

Note that I'm not looking to be convinced one way or the other, nor am I looking for a simple "buy it, it's worth it" answer. To be honest, your answers won't sway me much, just the same as they shouldn't have had that much say in anyone else who asked this kind of question, but that's not to say that it isn't important. Because you've been where I'm at now, I value your opinion and welcome any advice.

Why did you choose the path you did?