[New Card Discussion] - Baloth Cage Trap

[Diakonov]

Baloth Cage Trap     

Instant - Trap     Uncommon
If an opponent had an artifact enter the battlefield under his or her control this turn, you may pay    rather then pay Baloth Cage Trap's mana cost.
Put a 4/4 green Beast creature token onto the battlefield.


Much like Hidden Guerillas, but better.  Borderline playable I think, but worth discussing, and definitely worth knowing about.

[Wagner]

If an opponent had an artifact enter the battlefield under his or her control this turn, you may pay    rather then pay Baloth Cage Trap's mana cost.
Put a 4/4 green Beast creature token onto the battlefield.

I smell bad grammar, not saying this is fake thought, but it definitively isn't a final version.

Still, good thing about Guerillas is that they come on turn 1, before any Mox hit the board, this seems jank and doesn't like Confidant.

[Diakonov]

If an opponent had an artifact enter the battlefield under his or her control this turn, you may pay    rather then pay Baloth Cage Trap's mana cost.
Put a 4/4 green Beast creature token onto the battlefield.

I smell bad grammar, not saying this is fake thought, but it definitively isn't a final version.

Still, good thing about Guerillas is that they come on turn 1, before any Mox hit the board, this seems jank and doesn't like Confidant.

Well, I think it's certainly better than Guerillas, since it does not give your opponent the ability to choose.  Regardless, I'm not necessarily insisting that this card isn't janky, but it's too early for me to tell for certain.  I'd be willing to bet that an opponent at a competitive Vintage event probably plays on average 1 artifact every three turns, possibly more frequently if the metagame is heavy control (which it often is).  Keep in mind that if you are going first and play a mox, you could be swinging with a 4/4 on your next turn.  It sometimes takes Tarmogoyf a few turns to really get rolling.

[Troy_Costisick]

It could be a budget substitute for Goyf.  It can be case off a Land and an ESG, so it has some surprise value.  I was really hoping for something that would blow up artifacts, though.

[Guli]

Still a 4/4 body for 2 mana doesn't sound that impressive. Solid at most.

[Diakonov]

Still a 4/4 body for 2 mana doesn't sound that impressive. Solid at most.

This is true.  I've even skeptical as to how playable Tarmogoyf is right now.  Anyway, it was something that I figured might see some play, so I thought it was worth mentioning.

[urweak]

Baloth Cage Trap     

Instant - Trap     Uncommon
If an opponent had an artifact enter the battlefield under his or her control this turn, you may pay    rather then pay Baloth Cage Trap's mana cost.
Put a 4/4 green Beast creature token onto the battlefield.


Much like Hidden Guerillas, but better.  Borderline playable I think, but worth discussing, and definitely worth knowing about.

This card is not better then Hidden Guerillas. Hidden Guerillas is much better then this, it serves a similar mental effect that Mystic Remoria does. While its in play, it makes your opponent think twice about playing an artifact and by doing so creates tempo. All the trap card does is catch your opponent off guard. Also, if you are running green, your most likely going to run Tarmogoyf, and having enchantment that can go into your graveyard is much better then just another instant card.

[RecklessEmbermage]

What deck would want a 4/4 vanilla beast and be comfortable with holding 1G open in case the opponent plays an artifact?

Didn't think so.

[pierce]

Still a 4/4 body for 2 mana doesn't sound that impressive. Solid at most.

This is true.  I've even skeptical as to how playable Tarmogoyf is right now.  Anyway, it was something that I figured might see some play, so I thought it was worth mentioning.

it's unreal good.

[Diakonov]

This card is not better then Hidden Guerillas. Hidden Guerillas is much better then this, it serves a similar mental effect that Mystic Remoria does. While its in play, it makes your opponent think twice about playing an artifact and by doing so creates tempo. All the trap card does is catch your opponent off guard. Also, if you are running green, your most likely going to run Tarmogoyf, and having enchantment that can go into your graveyard is much better then just another instant card.

The problem, though, is that they will take whichever path is more sensible at the time.  For example, with Remora, normally the best path is to sacrifice your tempo and wait it out.  With Guerillas, it can really depend a lot more on the game state, making the card worse.  If they are at 20 and can see a path to winning, they will play out their mana and ignore it; if not, they will simply wait.  In either case, they get to decide if it looks more like a Chalice at 0 or a creature.  With this card, there is no option, and it is always a creature.

If you are gaining tempo off Hidden Guerillas, that means that they must be afraid of it (and assuming your opponent isn't a bad player).  In that situation, it would just be better to have a creature. 

I think the only advantages that this has over Tarmogoyf are the fact that it will generally have a higher starting power on the first few turns, and that it can sometimes be played as an instant blocker.  However, I would agree that Tarmogoyf is generally the safer choice.