Angelic Vanguard

[latviathan]

Angelic Vanguard
2WW
Creature - Angel Warrior
Flying, Vigilance
4WW: Angelic Vanguard gains first strike until end of turn.
4/3

Serra Angel which used to be the stones is now outdated for sure... I'd like to see a take on it done like this though.
Edit: Removed Flash.

[Anusien]

4 mana generally gets you a 2/3 or a 3/3 flyer.  5 mana gets you a 3/3 flyer with a good ability.  4 mana certainly shouldn't get you a 4/3 flyer with two extremely relevant abilities and a weak but relevant ability.

[latviathan]

I think it would be fine... those are limited power curves you're talking about. And yes, they are exactly accurate. I took my cue in part for this card also from Calciderm. Yes, it was a planeshifted Blastoderm. Yes, that set was supposed to bend the color pie. But I think what comes out of that are revelations of possible permanent changes as well as the 'what if'. That card filled a spot on white's curve that has usually been terrible in constructed. What we're getting into here, I think, is that I think white and green, creature power curves need to be adjusted to have the same spikes in power level, but less extreme. Green should have better at 1 and 2 and white should have better at 3 and 4. Green doesn't get Savannah Lion, but I think it should have its Pouncing Jaguars, Basking Rootwallas, and Albino Trolls. And white should not have a complete blank hole between bears and dragons/angels.
Just my two cents.

[Anusien]

In what way is a 5/5 with a neutral ability and a huge downside equivalent to 4 abilities that are all entirely upside?

Also, I think you're wrong.  White is basically intended to have good weenies and be a good color at angels, but to have a weaker middle.  You can tell because they keep printing things like Isamaru and Serra Angel for White, but the midrange creatures for White tend to be defensively oriented, like Descendant of Kiyomaro, or be there in a large part for their special abilities (Glowrider for one).  Green gets the threes and fours, white gets the ones, twos, and fives.

[latviathan]

Looking at it again, maybe Flash on top of everything is a bit much. I guess it wouldn't be fun to have U/W casting this at end of turn and sitting back on counters. That change I'll make.

[Anusien]

Please check the CCF rules; in particular keep the original card text up and edit in a current wording version.