[Card Discussion] Eyes of the Wisent

[madmanmike25]

From mtgstalvation:

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Eyes of the Wisent - 1G
Tribal Enchantment - Elemental (Rare)
Whenever an opponent plays a blue spell during your turn, you may put a 4/4 green Elemental creature token into play.
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Not too shabby.  If you are thinking this might find its way in some form of Green Stompy deck you are probably aiming too low.  Where might this card have an impact?

If this is the correct text, I think this card could be INSANE in a GAT mirror-match.  It has the very acceptable cc of 1G.  A 4/4 is nothing to scoff at, and multiple 4/4's to go along with a pumped dryad are even better.  Even if it is bounced EOT, the 4/4 triggers.  Thoughts? 

Is this card:
a.) Garbage
b.) Mediocre at best
c.) Decent enough to test in a SB.
d.) All of the above
e.) None of the above

I would say this card falls in the 'c' category for GAT decks.

Also,  does anyone think blue is played enough to warrant any deck using this card in the main?  Could this card complement Root Maze and Teeg decks?


Discuss(or dismiss)

Mike

[meadbert]

It seems to me that in the GAT mirror your opponent can just play their draw spells during their turn and then use its counter magic to protect their bombs.  In order for this strategy to work you must have a better bomb that they are forced to counter.

[shadowofrpgfreak]

At the very least, it forces them to play around it, lest they find themselves on the wrong side of an army of 4/4's. Stopping those annoying EoT Mystical Tutors, Brainstorms, Opts, not to mention getting a beatstick when they do anything blue in response, seems like this might be a nice card against GAT... then again, it might suck. Depends a bit on the GAT build I think, and a bit more on the GAT player.

One of the things that stands out to me about this though, is that it's a tribal enchantment... people seem to be aiming to play Goyf in said Root Maze/Teeg deck, and this makes him even bigger, as well as forcing blue to a semi-Sorcery speed. Maybe for a mirror match it's shaky but worth the testing, but it might deserve a maindeck slot in a Teeg deck, since a fast majority of the Vintage decks play blue, even if it is mostly just Force and EoT Recall that it'll hit, and if all else fails and it's useless, there's plenty of cards that can dumb it into the grave for Goyf.

I'd say it falls under C. It has potential... at the very least, even if it doesn't fit the current meta, it's worth keeping an eye on if the format changes around a bit again.

[Scott_Limoges]

The GAT mirror isn't about creatures, so this card would have a negative impact in that match.  The effect is also conditional giving the opponent a choice (cards that give an opponent the choice are usually aweful in T1, barring Gifts Ungiven).

[ErkBek]

This card sucks. If you cast it and it resolves either they don't have any counters or don't care about this card. Even if this card gets working Scroll for Echoing Truth cleans things up.

I think especially in the current metagame players can just play almost all their spells on their turn and if the opponent is about to play a game breaker, they'll FoW it and give you a long delayed 4/4 dude for that early 1G investment.

Hidden Gibbons sucks and this card is no better.

[madmanmike25]

It seems to me that in the GAT mirror your opponent can just play their draw spells during their turn

That's usually a good thing, having the other GAT player use their mana on his turn.

and then use its counter magic to protect their bombs. 

Which might leave your bombs unimpeded.  In a deck with 4 Merchant scrolls and 4 copies of Gush, is it going to be that hard for you to find a bomb of your own?

Consider the Ancestral Recall counter-war most GAT decks will have:  If you have this enchantment in play(or even 2) you will cast Recall on your turn and after protecting it(or losing it) you will most likely have betweeen 4-12 damage coming at the opponent next turn.  I'm not saying this scenario definitely warrants its inclusion, but it seems like a good fit in the Aggro-Control deck that is GAT.

One of the things that stands out to me about this though, is that it's a tribal enchantment... people seem to be aiming to play Goyf in said Root Maze/Teeg deck, and this makes him even bigger, as well as forcing blue to a semi-Sorcery speed.

Good eye on the Tribal, I noticed it but forgot to mention it.  I still am unsure if even a G/W Teeg + Goyf deck would want these main.  If you were playing at the TOP tables at a tourney(mostly U-based) then hell yeah, it would be great.  Against Gobbos/Stax/Ichy/Etc......not so hot MD.  But don't let my skepticism stop anyone, try putting 3 of them in a deck, that's not too many dead slots.  Don't forget that a Bazaar based G/W/X deck(Riftstone Portal anyone?) could filter this out and pump up the Goyf.

The GAT mirror isn't about creatures, so this card would have a negative impact in that match.  The effect is also conditional giving the opponent a choice (cards that give an opponent the choice are usually aweful in T1, barring Gifts Ungiven).

True, but aren't creatures the win condition?  Maybe this card *could* make aggro a bit more important post SB?  I don't know.  You are right about choices being bad, but again, the choice is:  Spend mana on my turn or spend mana on opponents turn.  This might make them a little more vulnerable if they tap out on their turn.  But it certainly is debatable.  I have my own doubts.  Does anyone else think this card will see any play at all?

This card sucks.......Hidden Gibbons sucks and this card is no better.

So that puts you in the 'a' category.  Gotcha.  For the record, Gibbons will only give you ONE 4/4, although I do admit that I have always enjoyed the flavor text on that card.

[ErkBek]

This card sucks.......Hidden Gibbons sucks and this card is no better.

So that puts you in the 'a' category.  Gotcha.  For the record, Gibbons will only give you ONE 4/4, although I do admit that I have always enjoyed the flavor text on that card.

Well, the reason I think Gibbons is better is it's when an opponent plays an instant, rather than a blue instant on your turn. It's really not all that hard to play your ancestral, gushes, or Brainstorms on your turn when you're running Empty Gifts or GAT.

I would think if you are casting 2 mana enchantments you'd be better off playing something that effects your opponent's gameplan, rather than giving you some alternate kill.

[madmanmike25]

I would think if you are casting 2 mana enchantments you'd be better off playing something that effects your opponent's gameplan, rather than giving you some alternate kill.

You may be correct.  But seeing as how using the attack phase is the primary kill, is this "alternate kill" really so far off your gameplan?

RE: Echoing Truth
That has always been an answer to EtW tokens, and yet I still have lost to them....and I'm positive that I'm not the only one.  I'm not comparing the 2 cards directly mind you, just pointing out the fact that bounce has always been around and will always be around.  Bounce is annoying to be sure, but won't stop people from playing permanents the same way Null Rod/Chalice @ 0 hasn't stopped people from playing with Moxen and friends.


Other viable GAT SB card:
Ok then, what about Seedtime?  Since it is in your hand, your opponent will likely cast Brainstorm on your turn without thinking and you can respond with this.  More beats for the Dryad?  Or another Garbage card for the mirror?  It's only a random thought I just had.
(This isn't really so off-topic because when I first saw Eyes, my first thought was that it has potential in a  GAT SB.)

[ErkBek]

But seeing as how using the attack phase is the primary kill, is this "alternate kill" really so far off your gameplan?

RE: Echoing Truth

Well, I'd consider it an alternate kill since your opponent can simply not cast a blue spell on your turn. It's a conditional kill condition.

Also, I think Echoing Truth is a much more viable stopper on this card since you control when the opponent get the tokens, instead of Warrens where the opponent makes them at their choosing.