Bruizar's All Seeing Eye looks at Scars of Mirrodin

[Wagner]

Grand Architect seems pretty good in Painter.

Good call!

Well... more or less, you need a lot of creatures to make this good, and preferable some expensive stuff to cast, because a 1/3 and a 2/4 are pretty average. Painter + aggro + big robots seems a weird mix, but hey, why not.

[brianpk80]

The intended use for Grand Architect seems to be powering out and activating Equipments.  Turn 1, Mox / Cursecatcher.  Turn 2 Architect, Tap cursecatcher for Umezawa's Jitte, tap Architect to equip Umezawa to Architect.  I think it's going to be significant in Standard w. the Stoneforge Mystic. 

[BruiZar]

Another 5 power 4 mana stick.

[BruiZar]

The intended use for Grand Architect seems to be powering out and activating Equipments.  Turn 1, Mox / Cursecatcher.  Turn 2 Architect, Tap cursecatcher for Umezawa's Jitte, tap Architect to equip Umezawa to Architect.  I think it's going to be significant in Standard w. the Stoneforge Mystic.  

Grand architect gives infinite life, infinite colorless mana and infinite tokens with Thopter Foundry / Sword of the Meek



Edit: Even with Sword of the Meek banned in Extended, I think Thopter Foundry can be playable. You can sacrifice extra Mox Opals to Foundry without screwing your Metalcraft or wasting your mana (Tap mox for Mana of any color, tap Architect for Foundry, Sack Mox, gain 1 life, gain 1 thopter, play untapped Mox). You can quickly ramp mana and attack with an army of 2/2 Flying thopters. With 3 or 4 thopters you can already start topdecking Mindslaver and activate it the turn it comes into play.

[BruiZar]

The planeswalkers



Here's my analysis so far.

By definition, Koth is a card that you want to play in a mono colored deck, or one that capitalizes on Moon effects. In standard, we don't have duals with landtype mountain nor do we have moon effects. Even though this looks to be the most powerful Planeswalker in Scars at the moment, I think his value has a lower roof than other planeswalkers, because it's limited to mono red. I don´t think Elspeth Tirel is going to stay expensive. 3 1/1´s is not enough to defend yourself against those big bombs that are printed. Venser can make creature unblockable so it can simply take Elspeth out, ignoring her army of 1/1's. Koth comes down a turn sooner which means that ones he hits his ultimate, Elspeth and her tokens are simply dead.

The Koth versus Elspeth matchup:
If Elspeth makes tokens first, she will have 2 loyalty, and must spend 2 turns gathering loyalty for her ultimate. In the meantime, Koth will simply level up to ultimate and kill all her tokens alongside Elspeth herself, before she reaches ultimate.

If she doesn´t make tokens, she will go to 6 loyalty, Koth will animate a mountain and stomp Elspeth in the ground with a mountian, down to 2 loyalty. Koth will be on 5 Loyalty when he passes the turn. Elspeth can go back to 4 loyalty but it's going to be too late as Koth will ultimate all up in her face.

If Koth reaches 4 loyalty, the player can add   to his mana pool on turn 5. This should be enough to ruin the party for everything on the board, since red is the color of artifact destruction and direct damage, and direct damage takes care of planeswalkers and there are plenty of artifacts to go around. The speed at which Koth can come down could overwhelm / players. Koth is a must-counter because he can lead to degenerate plays in standard.

Venser and Gideon
Venser, the Sojourner is still an interesting Planeswalker. Mostly because he can reset Gideon Jura to 7 loyalty (This is a lot), while Gideon Jura can protect him. Gideon Jura can animate himself and take planeswalkers out when combined with Venser (Unblockable Gideon Jura deals 6 to planeswalkers). Otherwise, the plan is to have Gideon pull aggro while Venser levels to ultimate by resetting the loyalty of Gideon to 7. Once you reach ultimate, simply exile everything, including mountains that are affected by Koth's emblem.

Elspeth versus Venser
Elspeth has the edge here, because her ultimate will go off sooner. As long as Gideon doesn't show up to spoil the party for Elspeth, she can nuke the board, rinse and repeat.

Venser's greater synergy with Gideon makes me predict that his value will stick.


Elspeth and Venser
Elspeth can ultimate and Venser can blink out. This is probably strong, but I like Gideon's ability to protect and snipe planeswalkers in 1 attack more. Gideon can also just kill tapped creatures, while Elspeth can't.

Jace, the Mindsculptor
Still a strong card, but Koth hates this guy out effectively. They are both 4CC, but Koth can immediately throw a 4/4 mountain in Jace's face. This mountain can't be bounced because its a creature until end of turn, and Jace can only bounce as a sorc. Jace is somehwat soft to Koth.

Sarkhan the Mad
I don't really know where to place this. He would have been great with Venser, if not for the 4 color build that you have to run. There is Mox Opal to fix mana though, but it still seems like a longshot. Sarkhan the Mad could see some action in conjunction with Koth, but you would have to splash black for it or go the 4x Mox Opal route. Koth can animate a mountain, beat with it the same turn, and Sarkhan can turn it into a 5/5 dragon that will stick, effectively converting your topdeck mountains into 5/5 dragons. Sarkhan can cantrip itself when its low on loyalty, and it can end the game immediately with his ultimate.

4 damage from mountain, convert to dragon
14 damage from mountain(4) and dragon(5), Sakhan's ultimate (5)
= 18 damage

If you have a Mox Opal and 4 mountains you can play Koth AND Sarkhan the Mad in the same turn (turn 4). Koth can power out Contagion Engine on turn 5 and use the double proliferate to sweep the board (-3/-3 on all our opponent's creatures) and double proliferate to regain the 2 loyalty you lost. If you double proliferate the next turn (Ramp Koth to 6, and kill any remaining threats through proliferate) you can use his ultimate and keep Koth on the board.

I think Elspeth prices will decline (there are enough good alternatives in white), Koth will be expensive and Venser will follow.

• Koth of the Hammer
• Venser, the Sojourner
• Elspeth Tirel

Mox Opal will not decline much, if it's going to decline at all. Unlike Chrome Mox, Mox Opal doesn´t have card-disadvantage in the traditional sense. Drawing multiples can be seen as such, but in legacy you will probably just eat it with Ravager. In extended you could eat it with Thopter Foundry. Multiple Mox Opals become Lotus Petals and those are pretty good I hear. Mox Opal will be an important pillar in standard where it will give multicolor decks and green metalcraft decks some much needed tempo.

[Phele]

Grand architect gives infinite life, infinite colorless mana and infinite tokens with Thopter Foundry / Sword of the Meek

I am not sure, what I am missing. But doesnt Thopter say "Sacrifice nontoken artifact". So some infinite engine won't be possible. And it is important to underline, that Grand Architect doesn't enable colorless mana. You can tap blue creatures for artifact mana (cast/activate).

[BruiZar]

Grand architect gives infinite life, infinite colorless mana and infinite tokens with Thopter Foundry / Sword of the Meek

I am not sure, what I am missing. But doesnt Thopter say "Sacrifice nontoken artifact". So some infinite engine won't be possible. And it is important to underline, that Grand Architect doesn't enable colorless mana. You can tap blue creatures for artifact mana (cast/activate).

Sacrifice Sword of the Meek to Thopter Foundry -> Get a 1/1 Blue Artifact Token, gain 1 life, Sword of the Meek returns equipped on your token. Tap the Blue artifact token with Grand Architect's ability to add  , usable only on artifacts and activated abilities of artifacts. Use that mana to sacrifice Sword of the Meek to Thopter Foundry, rinse, repeat.

[stacker]

same reason that thopter sword was never incorporated into affinity; the +1/+1 is a replacement ability, the sword will never return from the gy as the tokens come into play as 2/2s

[BruiZar]

Oh right, it get's pumped too. I wonder if the lord effect was put on Grand Architect just for this reason. it seemed a bit obvious to go with Thoptersword.

[BruiZar]

WTH is with the big creatures? This card should go in legacy Sneak Attack / Eureka decks. Especially sneak attack.

[zimagic]

WTH is with the big creatures?

8 is the new 6 (which was the new 5)

The mythic no-one wants to open.......

[BruiZar]

Another nice card. Bet it will be seeing play in T2. He has enough toughness to be blocking creatures with a basilisk collar, as long as they don´t have infect..

[Lemnear]

kemba is the imba mono white EDH general!

@Liege of the tangle: I said it in another topic on the board, that this expansion is the most overcosted fatty edition I can remember. Why da hell does a 8/8 tample creature create more 8/8 creatures AFTER combat?? Like Geth and others this is a total overkill creature for silly mana cost

[RecklessEmbermage]

The mono white "cats with equipment" build from mirrodin never came together properly. With a few more solid cards like this one, those of us who care will have a fun and playable white/green (after loam lion and qasali pridemage) wheenie deck on our hands. Crossing my fingers for a one-drop that survives clamp.

[FlyFlySideOfFry]

Another nice card. Bet it will be seeing play in T2. He has enough toughness to be blocking creatures with a basilisk collar, as long as they don´t have infect..

Nice tits.

[Bill Copes]

Nice tits.

Reminds me of Howard the Duck.

[Anusien]

This doesn't quite work. I re-read it, and you missed something.

The tokens are 2/2!

Grand architect gives infinite life, infinite colorless mana and infinite tokens with Thopter Foundry / Sword of the Meek

I am not sure, what I am missing. But doesnt Thopter say "Sacrifice nontoken artifact". So some infinite engine won't be possible. And it is important to underline, that Grand Architect doesn't enable colorless mana. You can tap blue creatures for artifact mana (cast/activate).

Sacrifice Sword of the Meek to Thopter Foundry -> Get a 2/2 Blue Artifact Token, gain 1 life, Sword of the Meek returns equipped on your token. Tap the Blue artifact token with Grand Architect's ability to add  , usable only on artifacts and activated abilities of artifacts. Use that mana to sacrifice Sword of the Meek to Thopter Foundry, rinse, repeat.

[BruiZar]

I think they slapped on the lord effect specifically for this combo, judging from the fact that they recently banned hypergenesis and sword, it was probably well on their radar.

Some Orb of Insight information:
Metalcraft = 22
Proliferate = 7
Infect = 22
Myr = 41 <- Tribal Myr, here I come!

Glimmerpost: 2
Locus: 2
It seems Glimmerpost is a locus.

[Bibendum]

Leonin Arbitor

1W

2/2

Players Cant search libraries. Any player may pay 2 to ignore this effect until end of turn


I like it

[nineisnoone]

Leonin Arbitor

1W

2/2

Players Cant search libraries. Any player may pay 2 to ignore this effect until end of turn

I like it

There is a lot to like.  Time to make that Suppression Field deck again....

Picture

[Bibendum]

New masticore up as well. Not bad 4  mana for a 4/4 that pings hard

[Wagner]

New masticore up as well. Not bad 4  mana for a 4/4 that pings hard

Why would you not post the image or at least the card text?

Here, I'll do it now that I found it.




Pretty boring for a mythic, but I guess the Masticore name alone warrants that. Not bad, but no chance to replace Razormane or to be played at at, I'd still play the original one over this.

[sassfactor4]

Nice shock\bolt+1 you got there...

[Lemnear]

The masticore is a discard outlet for T2 vengevine but doesn't impress me much. You can trade a useless arbor elf for upkeep and additional 4 damage but the additional activation cost of 4 is to much to make it hot

[BruiZar]

I like the Art on masticore. He seems a little squishy for 4 mana, considering the power creep and all. 4/4 without evasion or shroud and an expensive, conditional ability to use. Turns every draw in a Psionic Blast though. Galvanic Blast is going to see a lot of play I think. It's never worst than a shock, and can be better than a lightning bolt.

[Troy_Costisick]

I like the Art on masticore. He seems a little squishy for 4 mana, considering the power creep and all. 4/4 without evasion or shroud and an expensive, conditional ability to use. Turns every draw in a Psionic Blast though. Galvanic Blast is going to see a lot of play I think. It's never worst than a shock, and can be better than a lightning bolt.

The Masticore does have regeneration.  Still not any good, tho.  Too bad Galvanic Blast has bad synergy with Shrapnel Blast.  I like the card, tho!

Peace,

-Troy

[Tobi]

Too bad Galvanic Blast has bad synergy with Shrapnel Blast. 

Actually it has very good synergy. Of course you need to play Galvanic before Shrap, but then it's 9 dmg for 3 mana.

[Guli]

Leonin Arbitor

1W

2/2

Players Cant search libraries. Any player may pay 2 to ignore this effect until end of turn

I like it

There is a lot to like.  Time to make that Suppression Field deck again....

Picture

You must know how happy this makes me. I was thinking about how to answer Tinker. Stopping it is nearly impossible, so it forces fish players to deal with a billion possible robots. The easy thing is to simply STOP 1 card, Tinker. Same goes for Oath, stopping the Oath itself is easier and better than actually dealing with the robot or fatty.

I want more stuff like this. A couple of potential strong 1 drops are welcome and at least 1 more hosing 2 or 3 drop.

[Malhavoc]

I do not think this stops Oath. Oath REVEALS cards from the top of library, it does not let the player search his library for a creature.

EDIT: sorry, found the above talking about Oath ambiguous , being close to the statement that this actually stops tinker.

[Guli]

I do not think this stops Oath. Oath REVEALS cards from the top of library, it does not let the player search his library for a creature.

LOL, nobody said it stops Oath... Read again. I was talking about the method of answering.