Coldsnap T4 Cards

[RaZe]

These are the cards that I belive deserve consideration into peoples T4 Stacks. While some would work only in specific builds, some are pretty much auto-includes.

*I=IceMana

I didn't put in the casting cost as it doesn't really matter for T4.

Cover of Winter

Snow Enchantment   
Cumulative upkeep I (I can be paid with one mana from a snow permanent)
If a creature would deal combat damage to you and/or one or more creatures you control, prevent X of that damage, where X is the number of age counters on Cover of Winter.
I : Put an age counter on Cover of Winter.

Makes you and your creatures immune to other creatures. Makes Mortify and Dismantling Blow so much more important.

Sunscour

Sorcery   
You may remove two white cards in your hand from the game rather than pay Sunscour's mana cost.
Destroy all creatures.

I'm a lil iffy on this card as it's alt.CC is quite hard to pull off and creatures are still able to regenerate after. But it's still a board sweep, so it shouldn't be overlooked.

Commandeer

Instant   
You may remove two blue cards in your hand from the game rather than pay Commandeer's mana cost.
Gain control of target noncreature spell. You may choose new targets for it. (If that spell is an artifact or enchantment, the permanent comes into play under your control.)

If you don't add this to your Stack list, WTF!?!

Controvert

Instant   
Counter target spell
Recover 2UU (When a creature is put into your graveyard from play, you may pay 2UU. If you do, return this card from your graveyard to your hand. Otherwise, remove this card from the game.)

Gonna be another favourite pick. Auto-include. And don't forget to recover it whenever a creature dies. It'd be a waste.

Survivor of the Unseen

Creature - Human Wizard   
Cumulative upkeep 2 (At the beginning of your upkeep, put an age counter on this permanent, then sacrifice it unless you pay its upkeep cost for each age counter on it.)
Tap: Draw two cards, then put a card from your hand on top of your library.

Can give you awesome card advantage if it lasts long enough. I wonder if it's better than Azami, Tommorow's Familliar

Chill to the Bone

Instant   
Destroy target nonsnow creature.

Better than Hero's Demise, Dark Banishing, Terror. But who runs those jank anyways?

Phyrexian Etchings

Enchantment   
Cumulative upkeep B: (At the beginning of your upkeep, put an age counter on this permanent, then sacrifice it unless you pay its upkeep cost for each age counter on it.)
At the end of your turn, draw a card for each age counter on Phyrexian Etchings.
When Phyrexian Etchings is put into a graveyard from play, you lose 2 life for each age counter on it.

Might be too slow. Might hurt too much. Depends on how psycho your players are.

Fury of the Horde

Sorcery   
You may remove two red cards in your hand from the game rather than pay Fury of the Horde's mana cost.
Untap all creatures that attacked this turn. After this main phase, there is an additional combat phase followed by an additional main phase.

I personally don't run Relentless Assault in my build. But there are times I wish I did. The double-red RFG is steep, but maybe just maybe

Icefall

Sorcery   
Destroy target artifact or land.
Recover RR (When a creature is put into your graveyard from play, you may pay RR. If you do, return this card from your graveyard to your hand. Otherwise, remove this card from the game.)

If only it wasn't a sorcery...dammit

Magmatic Core

Enchantment   
Cumulative upkeep 1 (At the beginning of your upkeep, put an age counter on this permanent, then sacrifice it unless you pay its upkeep cost for each age counter on it.)
At the end of your turn, Magmatic Core deals X damage divided as you choose among any number of target creatures, where X is the number of age counters on it.

Slow, but it gets better the longer it stays.

Arctic Nishoba

Creature - Cat Warrior   
Cumulative upkeep W or G
Trample
When Arctic Nishoba is put into a graveyard from play, gain 2 life for each age counter on it.

6/6

Average beater. Better than a few vanilla creatures some people still run in their builds

Hibernation's End

Enchantment   
Cumulative upkeep 1
Whenever you pay Hibernation's End's cumulative upkeep, you may search your library for a creature card with a converted mana cost equal to the number of age counters on Hibernation's End and put it into play. If you do, shuffle your library.

Slow. But just imagine being able to ramp it up to 7+. The mayhem it would cause.

Mystic Melting

Instant   
Destroy target artifact or enchantment.
Draw a card at the beginning of the next turn's upkeep.

With all the enchantments Coldsnap is bringing to the format, another better disenchant is always welcome.

bDeepfire Elemental

Creature - Elemental   
XX1: Destroy target artifact or creature with converted mana cost X.

4/4

Finally a creature worthy enough to cut Smokespew Invoker for.

Garza Zol, Plague Queen

Legendary Creature - Vampire   
Flying, haste
Whenever a creature dealt damage by Garza Zol, Plague Queen this turn is put into a graveyard, put a +1/+1 counter on Garza Zol.
Whenever Garza Zol deals combat damage to a player, you may draw a card.

5/5

I like Fungal Shambler. But this Queen is so much better since she has haste and flies.

Dark Depths

Legendary Snow Land   
Dark Depths comes into play with ten ice counters on it.
: Remove an ice counter from Dark Depths.
When Dark Depths has no ice counters on it, sacrifice it. If you do, put an indestructible legendary 20/20 black Avatar creature token with flying named Marit Lage into play.

Enough has been said about this card.

[Anusien]

What about Hibernation's Edge?
Hibernation's End {4G} |Enchantment| Cumulative upkeep 1 / Whenever you pay Hibernation's End's cumulative upkeep, you may search your library for a creature card with converted mana cost equal to the number of age counters on Hibernation's End and put it into play. If you do, shuffle your library.

[Limbo]

Deepfire Elemental

Creature - Elemental   
XX1: Destroy target artifact or creature with converted mana cost X.

4/4

Finally a creature worthy enough to cut Smokespew Invoker for.

Smokespew invoker can't be missed. Destroy is so much different from -3/-3 it isn't funny. DSC will laugh at the face of this one while it trembles in the presence of the Invoker...

[Mr. Type 4]

I agree that you can't just cut Smokespew Invoker, he gets a lot of guys that are hard to kill, including Merit Lage.

Here' the list of stuff i want to try:
Commandeer (obv awesome, this will quickly be a favorite)
Dark Depths (I'm still not sure if this guy is ok)
Controvert (amazing)
Deepfire Elemental (amazing)
Flashfreeze
Garza Zol (Good enough?  It has haste, so that's pretty good.  I like this guy because she encourages some aggressiveness)
Mystic Melting (good cards that cantrip are great cards)
Sunscour (obvious inclusion)
Icefall (I'll give it a try, might be weak)

Cards I want to incluide not mentioned above:

Vanish into Memory  2UW
Card Type: Instant
Rules Text (Printed): Remove target creature from the game. You draw cards equal to that creature's power. At the beginning of your next upkeep, return that card to play under its owner's control. If you do, discard cards equal to its toughness

This is going to be sick.  I can RFG a creature you are trying to kill and draw cards.  I can abuse comes into play abilities.  I can get your guy out of the way so I can deliver the deathblow, and when you're dead I won't have to discard.  Pretty hot.


Panglacial Wurm  5GG
Card Type: Creature — Wurm
P/T: 9/5
Rules Text (Printed): Trample
While you're searching your library, you may play Panglacial Wurm from your library

I guess there are only so many cards that let you search your library without playing a spell (Planar Portal, Survival, etc.) but that's a pretty unique ability on a pretty large monster with trample.  And the art is cool.

Flashfreeze 1U
Card Type: Instant
Rules Text (Printed): Counter target red or green spell.

I like these limited counters, they get ya thinking.

Grim Harvest 1B
Card Type: Instant
Rules Text (Printed): Return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.
Recover  (When a creature is put into your graveyard from play, you may pay . If you do, return this card from your graveyard to your hand. Otherwise, remove this card from the game.)


I'm surprised this one wasn't posted earlier, because it seems amazing. Your guys never die.  They hit the yard, you get this back.  This will be really awesome on utility creatures like Mystic Snake. Recover = good

Rimescale Dragon 5RR
Card Type: Snow Creature — Dragon
P/T: 5/5
Rules Text (Printed): Flying
2S: Tap target creature and put an ice counter on it. ( can be paid with one mana from a snow permanent.)
Creatures with ice counters on them don't untap during their controllers' untap steps.

This seems pretty solid.  That "remains tapped" clause can actually be important against creatures that have activated abilities that require a tap, like Arcanis.  It's also a 5/5 flyer, not too shabby.



So that's what I'm trying out.  I'mafraid these cumulative upkeep enchantments will just take too long or be destroyed before they become any good.  Fury of the Horde seems like it would be better if more creature combat occurred in my stack, but creatures just don't live that long in my stack.  Cover of Winter seems weak compared to the wealth of other options that can be used, that combat damage stipulation really makes it narrow compared to something like Combat Medic.  Survivor of the Unseen is outclassed byt the other card drawers in my stack, and I really don't think I need more effects like Chill to the Bone but if you still run something like Terror, it's an obvious upgrade.



 

[Mr. Nightmare]

Vanish into Memory  2UW
Card Type: Instant
Rules Text (Printed): Remove target creature from the game. You draw cards equal to that creature's power. At the beginning of your next upkeep, return that card to play under its owner's control. If you do, discard cards equal to its toughness

This is going to be sick.  I can RFG a creature you are trying to kill and draw cards.  I can abuse comes into play abilities.  I can get your guy out of the way so I can deliver the deathblow, and when you're dead I won't have to discard.  Pretty hot.

It's also worth noting that this nukes Marit Lage and draws you 20 cards in the process.

[RaZe]

@ Anusien

I belive I already included Hibernation's End in my list.

@ Smokespew Invoker vs Deepfire Elemental

Cards Smokespew can kill, Deepfire can't.

- Darksteel Colossus
- Myojins [B/W/G]
- Child of Gaea/Silvos/Rhox [I personally only have Child in my Stack]
- Spiritmonger
- Konda, Lord of Eganjo
- Lerit Mage

Cards Deepfire can kill, Smokespew can't

- Crooked Scales
- Jayemdae Tome
- Quicksilver Amulet
- Sword of Paruns
- Citanul Flute
- Mind's Eye
- Sunforger
- Planar Portal
- Moratorium Stone
- Tower of Fortunes
- Gleemax
- Vedalken Orrery
- Panoptic Mirror
- Aladin's Ring
- Mizzium Transreliquat
- Altar of Shadows
- Urza's Blueprint
- Legacy Weapon

I'll probably cut something else for Deepfire, but I would put it above Smokespew in terms of power level just because of a wider range of utility.

My bad for overlooking Grim Harvest. It's a pretty sick card.

I would consider Panglacial Wurm if playing him from your library is an alternate casting cost. :lol:

My problem with Grimscale dragon is the creatures untap after he dies. And removal is quite rampant in any stack build.

[Mr. Type 4]

Yeah, Deepfire kills a lot of Artifacts, which is pretty hott.  Artifacts are probably the most insane permanents, more powerful than 90% of creatures except for completely ridiculous ones like Chainer (which Deepfire eats just fine).  Like I've said, Gorilla Shaman is good, so this is amazing, not to mention that Deepfire is a healthy 4/4 beater on top of it all.  I mean, let's face it, cards like Planar Portal, Tower of Fortunes, Gleemax and Legacy Weapon are siiiiiiick.  Help with dealing with those things is often apreciated, eating creature as well is gravy.  I would be a lot more excited about this card excpet that they went ahead and printed a number of cards in this set that are far more insane (Comandeer, Depths and Controvert) 


If Smokespew is on the edge in your build, then the Dragon probably isn't good enough, as he doesn't kill anything.  I'm actually not sure he makes the cut in my build either, but I wanted to give it a try.  We really like Crowd Favorites, but  Crowd Favorites has "infinite ass" which makes him hard to kill. 

[Luiggi]

Isn't Controvert too busted? It seems like it would get really annoying really quickly. I'm hesitant to put it into my stack because I'm 90% sure it'd come out almost immediately.

I personally didn't put Sunscour into my stack, since it's ACC isn't manageable a large portion of the time (I believe White is the color with the least amount of cards in my stack), the whole regeneration problem, and that I already have a lot of board-sweepers.

I generally agree with Paul re: the cumulative upkeep enchantments, but Phyrexian Etchings seems really strong if it's not Disenchanted immediately, and Hibernation's End can be really good after a turn or two. I'm willing to give those two a shot; not so Cover of Winter.

Two other cards worth mentioning:

- Adarkar Valkyrie: especially good since you can steal an opponent's creature as it's dying. Once this is up-and-running it'll be really troublesome. Plus it's a 4/5 flyer with vigilance, which ain't too shabby.

- Blizzard Specter: yes, it's a 2/3, but it has evasion and two pretty great abilities. Its bounce ability seems really good in a format with as few permanents as Type 4.

Luis

[RaZe]

For the controvert issue, I pack a few graveyard hate in my Stack list just for those pesky graveyard tricks ppl like to pull.

Funeral Charm
Cremate
Fade from Memory
Moratorium Stone
Withered Wretch

It helps greatly against...

Volrath's Stronghold
Hunted Crossroads
Debtor's Knell
Oversold Cemetery
Genesis
Glory
Anger
Filth [Unblockable creatures are fun]
Eternal Dragon
Firemane Angel
etc...

It might not be enough options, but it's not without it's answers.

[Mr. Type 4]

Grave Hate in my stack off the top of my head:
Retio Lantern
Night Soil (not effective against Controvert and company, but worth mentioning)
Withered Wretch
Decree of Annihilation
Sway of the Stars (this card seems to always create some interesting gamestates)
Memonic Nexus (I hate this card, and think it is among the weakest cards in my stack, but everytime I think about removing it, it suddenly redeems itself)

I'm pretty sure that Controvert is conditional enough that it'll be ok.  We play with Spell Counter, which is tremendously more broken and seems to be mostly ok.  The guy with Spell Counter just gets a bull's eye painted on his forehead and you kill him first, or you quickly kill the idiot that keeps saying "spell" or "counter"

[RaZe]

Reito Lantern...now there's a good addition. Just have to find something to cut now.

[Mr. Type 4]

That list also doesn't include RFG counterspells which are another way to deal with Controvert.  I have the following:

Quash
Ertai's Meddling
Assert Authority
Dissipate
Hinder
EDIT: Time Stop -good call, Jimmy

Is that it?  that's all I can think of off the top of my head.

[LordHomerCat]

I thought you had Time Stop as well.

[RaZe]

TimeStop PWNS every spell being cast. Even Obliterate.