Scars of Mirrodin

[Lysyc12]

Hey all!  It's that time of year and we've already got a new card that I know I'll be adding to my stack:

Quicksilver Gargantuan  

Creature - Shapeshifter

You may have Quicksilver Gargantuan enter the battlefield as a copy of any creature on the battlefield, except it's still a 7/7

7/7

This.  This will be happening.

[spcleddy]

As long as it doesn't target--> copy Greater Morphling

[Delha]

As long as it doesn't target--> copy Greater Morphling

It doesn't say "target", so it doesn't.

[Mr. Type 4]

Have you guys seen Geth yet? I think it's way too good to include =(



I play a lot of graveyard removal in my stack, but he's still concerning.  What if someone has a Masticore?  Then everyone with even a small creature in their yard is dead.  And hell, what if there's only one creature in one guy's yard?  I wouldn't be surprised if Geth didnt just find another couple dudes while unearthing the first one, leading to a chain reaction that kills everyone anyways.   

[spcleddy]

Geth is pretty much autowin as printed. Would need to tap or once per turn house rule. Not a very elegant solution.

[Mr. Type 4]

Like he even gets artifacts... way too good.  he's probably better than Nezumi Graverobber which easily won the game everytime and was rermoved from my stack after about two appearances.  Fireball might be more fair =)

[Metamind]

I would have played Geth if he didn't mill. As is, he is way too strong.
I like the blue shapeshifter. Seems fun and having the abilities of an existing creature on board is useful. Is it as good as gaining control of that creature? I guess not, but he doesn't target, can be reanimated and has a use even in an empty board. Copying abilities like flying, haste, trample, shroud or vigilance should be easy enough to create a solid beatstick if everything else fails.

Steady Progress    2u
Instant    Common
Proliferate.

Draw a card.
"More of that strange oil...it's probably nothing."
Illus. Efrem Palacios #45/249

Depends how useful proliferate is, it can see play. I suspect that keyword doesn't have enough uses, but I will check this claim.

Platinum Emperion   8
Artifact Creature - Golem    Mythic Rare
Your life total can't change.
#193/249   8/8

Unlike Plat. Angel, he is an 8/8 and keeping your life total above zero is better than having a negative one. IMO it is a really cool ability. I really like this guy, I think it will be a hit here.

[Mr. Type 4]

I would have played Geth if he didn't mill. As is, he is way too strong.

If you want infinite reanimation try nezumi Graverobber.  he doesnt return artifacts, but his ability is absurdly powerful as is.  We cut him after a couple games being way too good.

I agree that Platinum Emperion is a major upgrade over Platz.  I have cards like Magister Sphinx in my stack, so it can be useful.  Sadly I just dont think he would live long enough to do anything in my stack, so he probably won't make the cut, but a cool card for sure.  he has a minor drawback if you're holding Force of Will and play with "alternate casting cost is a free play", or "no mana cost = free play" 

[Metamind]

We have been playing Nezumi Graverobber for the last year and a half. I would have absolutely loved another one that could also return artifacts. It won some games, but it didn't win more than Teferi, Glarecaster, Memnarch etc. It isn't overpowered for us.

To be clear, I don't currently play Plat Angel. I don't have a real FoW yet either, so no drawback for us

Magister Sphinx and Sorin Markov are bombs here (some of their potency is due to our play format, which is not FFA) if it's relevant to Emperion's performance.

[Wagner]

A lot of rares are out already, so far it's an underwhelming set...

Geth is obviously broken, but I like the new Platinum, protects you while he's there and swings for much. He will most likely prevent you from getting attacked until you swing with him.

Not a big fan of Quicksilver Gargantuan, cute, but not sure if his cloning will be that useful, we'll see.

Myr Battlesphere is pretty decent, some still play Dozen eyes, and it's mostly better than that.

Wurmcoil Engine is also solid since it survives removal, kills everything and gives you life, but probably still a little sub-par.

[spcleddy]

What about repurposing Geth: pay X in life, not mana. Turns it into gy hate instead of busted wincon. Still can win as part of combo with lifegain. I would be comfortable with that.

[Metamind]

What do you think about the new Masticore? In a lot of situations it would burn for 12 or 16 outright and regeneration is a solid way to defend it for a while.

[Wagner]

What do you think about the new Masticore? In a lot of situations it would burn for 12 or 16 outright and regeneration is a solid way to defend it for a while.

Definitively a late game must counter, but I doubt it's worth keeping around 1 turn and discarding after, it's more like a very good burn card that opponents will want to counter since it doesn't target right away. I'd play it.

[Nefarias]

We have been playing Nezumi Graverobber for the last year and a half. I would have absolutely loved another one that could also return artifacts. It won some games, but it didn't win more than Teferi, Glarecaster, Memnarch etc. It isn't overpowered for us.

To be clear, I don't currently play Plat Angel. I don't have a real FoW yet either, so no drawback for us

Magister Sphinx and Sorin Markov are bombs here (some of their potency is due to our play format, which is not FFA) if it's relevant to Emperion's performance.

Do you play with cards like Bosh, Siege-Gang Commander, or Voidmage Prodigy?

[Metamind]

Do you play with cards like Bosh, Siege-Gang Commander, or Voidmage Prodigy?

Yep, we play all three. There are a few factors that reduce his brokenness here. First, my stack is rather large at 400 cards so the chance the see the cards mentioned above is lower. Second, we do not do a normal booster draft so you have a harder time to get both pieces together. Third, I can honestly say I have seen players lose after recurring all three of those creatures (with SGC and Bosh it involves a rule that doesn't exist in FFA. Are you interested in hearing about that format we play yet?).

Maybe these are the reasons that it played fair here and not in your stacks. It's still a frightening creature that is usually countered, it does win some games but it's not teferi or glarecaster.

[Mr. Type 4]

Finally one worth talking about:

Molten-Tail Masticore    
Artifact Creature - Masticore 
At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice Molten-Tail Masticore unless you discard a card.

 , Exile a creature card from your graveyard: Molten-Tail Masticore deals 4 damage to target creature or player.

 : Regenerate Molten-Tail Masticore.
4/4

So it turns dead creatures into direct damage, wouldn't be that great if it just hit creatures, but it throws them at player's too - pretty nasty.  the art is also pretty cool:

[Rubik_3x3x3]

Slice in Twain
Instant
Destroy target artifact or enchantment.
Draw a card.

Instant speed card draw with destroy attached. Uncommon.  Probably a staple.

[Mr. Type 4]

Slice in Twain
Instant
Destroy target artifact or enchantment.
Draw a card.

Instant speed card draw with destroy attached. Uncommon.  Probably a staple.

easily replaces something, prob pne of the best disenchants.  not quite d-blow, but close enough.

[Metamind]

Slice in Twain is an instant staple.

Stoic Rebuttal   1uu
Instant    Common
Metalcraft - Stoic rebuttal costs 1 less to cast if you control three or more artifacts.
Counter target spell.
Obsessed with the pursuit of knowledge above all else, vedalken can appear to be cold and emotionless.
Illus. Chris Rahn #46/249

A new hard counter, can't have enough of those.

Volition Reins   3uuu
Enchantment - Aura    Uncommon
Enchant Permanent
When Volition Reins enters the battlefield, if enchanted permanent is tapped, untap it.
You control enchanted permanent.
"Glorifying the will is a mistake. It is simply one more force to be mastered."
Illus. Svetlin Velinov #53/249


IDK how good it is but many stacks play Control Magic and other steal effects that only target creatures. This is a good upgrade above them.

[Lysyc12]

How about this one, fellas?

Tower of Calamities   

Artifact

  : Tower of Calamities deals 12 damage to target creature.

A new tower to ponder.  Eons and Fortunes are both definitely better, but I think this one is better than Murmurs and Champions.  Playable but probably not strong enough for my stack.

[Metamind]

I like the new tower with Glarecaster/Stuffy Doll. I'd definitely play that

A new card that I am really excited about:

Necrotic Ooze    2BB
Creature - Ooze

As long as Necrotic Ooze is on the battlefield, it has the activated abilities of all creature cards in all graveyards.

3/4

[Mr. Type 4]

Necrotic ooze seems really good.  Probably easy to get into play and will probably have a lot of abilities unless the game just started or someone has trashing the graveyards.  Almost like a type 4 yawgmoth's will.  It might be Glarecaster AND Masticore, lol.  

The tower of Calamities is probably not quite good enough for my stack, but isn't bad by any means.  it hints that there are probably more towers we haven't seen yet, hopefully there will be a real winner among them.  

here's another one to file under "Probably not quite good enough, but not bad"

Argentum Armor   6
Artifact - Equipment  
Equipped creature gets +6/+6.
Whenever equipped creature attacks, destroy target permanent.
Equip 6

Requires you to have a live creature that's attacking to work - could be a tall order.


This one would be really annoying:

Painful Quandry    
Enchantment  
Whenever an opponent casts a spell, he or she loses 5 life unless he or she discards a card.

It probably makes the whole table hate you.  Would be really nice in a team type 4 game where pissing all the opponents off is ok.

How about this:

True Conviction   
Enchantment 
Creatures you control have doublestrike and lifelink.

That's a pretty potent effect, if anything you have gets through it's going to be good.  I don't know if players really like playing this type of card in type 4, though.  It would probably go last pick in drafts.

[Wagner]

This has been spoiled, and I think it's a serious contender.

Nim Deathmantle
   
Artifact - Equipment    Rare
Equipped creature has +2/+2, intimidate and is a black Zombie in addition to its other colors and types.

Whenever a nontoken creature is put into your graveyard from the battlefield, you may pay 4. If you do, return that card to the battlefield under you control and attach Nim Deathmantle to it.

Equip 4

It basically makes all your creatures unkillable by normal means and gives you a small boost and evasion to boot. It combos stupid good with Bosh, SGC and other sacrifice creatures. Also it makes them a zombie!!! Protection from Cruel Revival! Yes!!!

[Mr. Type 4]

Nim-Deathmantle sounds decent - it's a combo enabler with anything that can kill your own "CIP ability" creatures.

Deathmantle+Masticore+lots of stuff = infy combo.

Comes down to how much of that sort of thing you want to promote in your stack.  I'm not sure I want there to be more infy combos in my stack, but that's just my opinion.

Asceticism   
Enchantment 
Creatures you control can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.

1 : Regenerate target creature.

Sometimes the protection stuff is actually the best.  Regenerate and untargetability might give your dudes some legs.

[Lysyc12]

This is certainly an interesting card:

Genesis Wave        
Sorcery
Reveal the top X cards of your library. You may put any number of permanent cards with converted mana cost X or less from among them onto the battlefield. Then put all cards revealed this way that weren't put onto the battlefield into your graveyard.

It's definitely powerful (likely too powerful), but I think it can add a unique tension as to how much mana is too much mana to put into it.  It's likely best to put most of your deck into play, but you have to gauge how many more turns you'll need to win, and if anyone can delay you enough you'll deck yourself if you've overcommited.  Then again, it'll all be kinda moot if you assemble an infinite combo off it.

[Mr. Type 4]

Genesis Wave really toes the line of what's too good to have.  It reminds me of Tooth and Nail which often lead to a two-card combo win, but is obviously less broken as it doesn't dump every permanent from your deck into play - it's really more on the level of something like Biorhythm, in which it's a card that someone just has to counter everytime it gets played. 

This could be good if your stack is mostly fair and it isn't feasible to just win everytime it resolves.  It would probably be overpowered in such a stack.  It's real home is probably in a stack where everything is so uber-powerful that resolving anything could mean the end of the game. 

[Wagner]

Well, full spoiler out, I didn't see anything else really worthy. A couple of great card and even some overpowered ones...

[Metamind]

Hoard-Smelter Dragon   4RR
Creature - Dragon    Rare
Flying
3R: Destroy target artifact. Hoard-Smelter Dragon gains +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is the artifact's converted mana cost.
5/5

I think the dragon is solid. Also this is playable:

Dispense Justice   2w
Instant    Uncommon
Target player sacrifices an attacking creature.
Metalcraft- That player sacrifices two attacking creatures instead if you control three or more artifacts.

[Wagner]

Hoard-Smelter Dragon   4RR
Creature - Dragon    Rare
Flying
3R: Destroy target artifact. Hoard-Smelter Dragon gains +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is the artifact's converted mana cost.
5/5

I think the dragon is solid. Also this is playable:

Dispense Justice   2w
Instant    Uncommon
Target player sacrifices an attacking creature.
Metalcraft- That player sacrifices two attacking creatures instead if you control three or more artifacts.

Oh right, I saw the dragon, forgot about it, def playable, probably better than Kong. Dispense Justice is just meeeeeh. Bad removal, so many better ones.

[spcleddy]

Just got my first copy of Venser, the Sojourner. Best Type 4 planeswalker? Heck, one of the only playables for the format.