Chancellor of the Annex

[TinkerRobot]

Chancellor of the Annex - 4WWW
Creature - Angel
You may reveal this card from your opening hand. If you do, when each opponent casts his or her first spell of the game, counter that spell unless that player plays 1.
Flying
Whenever an opponent casts a spell, counter it unless that player plays 1.
5/6


This card seems to have potential.
Having one in your opening hand seems pretty strong against Chalice, and could give some decks a fighting chance against Shops on the draw. Though you'd want to play 4 to maximize the likelihood of having one in your opening grip, and it's almost always a bad topdeck.

Also might be useful in dredge since it's free, and is a decent Dread Return target.

Thoughts?

[madmanmike25]

Yeah it does seem kinda useful game 1 for Dredge.  As far as a Dread Return target it's fairly weak.  Games 2 and 3 it will probably also be weak since it does nothing to stop a Leyline.

I'm not sure about the wording on this card.  Do you have to give them the heads up that you have this card immediately after keeping or do you get to snipe their first spell as they cast it?

[Mr. Type 4]

i dunno man, just having one Mox pretty much invalidates this guy's effect, against Shop it's even worse because they play 4-8 lands that make more than one mana (not counting Shop which I'm assuming you can't use to pay this tax).  

To put four 7 mana flying monsters in my deck just to maximize my chances of Dazing my opponent's first spell (and they know for sure they need to play around it) sounds pretty retarded.  I'd rather have the one that puts a raging goblin token into play.    

Yeah it does seem kinda useful game 1 for Dredge.

If there's any deck that doesn't need help in game 1, it's Dredge, lol.

[madmanmike25]

True enough, Dredge doesnt need help g1, they need help winning tournaments.

I'd rather have the one that puts a raging goblin token into play.

Actually that seems like a good card for dredge because its nice in your opening hand and makes a decent Dread Return target. 

[TinkerRobot]

i dunno man, just having one Mox pretty much invalidates this guy's effect, against Shop it's even worse because they play 4-8 lands that make more than one mana (not counting Shop which I'm assuming you can't use to pay this tax).  

I could very well be wrong about any potential this card has, but in testing I've come upon many situations where the Shop player would want to play a Workshop turn one, and Chancellor could buy a non-Shop player enough time to get at least one additional land drop before they are able to drop a Lodestone or Sphere off Workshop. Again, there are probably better ways to do this but this could be an option for some decks, especially those without access to FoW, but this card stops a lot of broken Shop openings on the play.

[TheWhiteDragon]

FoW also stops nutty turn 1 plays...and it doesn't suck at any other point in the game.  The fact that it is a daze the opponent KNOWS he needs to play around, and sucks in your hand for the rest of the game makes this guy a bust.

[Wagner]

I feel I'd much rather play another mana source instead of this guy against Stax.

[Delha]

I read this card largely as Leyline of Time Walk. Even against Shops, you'll very often slow them by a turn. Sure, they've got 4-8 lands that let them still play cards on the first turn, but there's still very solid odds that they didn't have one of them. Also, anyone that kept a hand based around T1 Golem probably has to go to plan B now.

I'm kinda suprised nobody's suggested Oath for this guy. You almost never WANT a fattie in your opener, but since it's inevitably going to happen at some point, at least he isn't as worthless as say having Iona in your grip. Or, to continue the Leyline analogy above, Oath just happens to be a deck where any copies still in your deck aren't entirely useless. I'm don't really think he's worth in-play power loss relative to the alternates, but I'd at least like to hear if other people agree or disagree.

[Mr. Type 4]

If it was like "if ~this~ is in your hand you may exile it, if you do counter target spell unless its controlled pays 1" that card would awesome.  This is barely a Time Walk at all.  It's more a "Leyline of your first Mox costs 1 mana"  Probably not good enough for Standard.

The reason Daze is good at all is that you sometimes have to play around it when you're not sure if they have it, and sometimes you have to risk playing into it and you get punished when they have it.  Knowing I have to pay an extra 1 for my first spell essentially invalidates the effect.  The opportunity cost of playing this card is far too high for an effect that does almost nothing.  

To be honest, I dont know if I'd even play this card if it straight countered the first spell my opponent played - they'd still just throw something out there that they didn't need and you'd still be stuck playing a deck with 4 suck-ass creatures in it.  But at least that hypothetical card would be worth talking about.  

[Meddling Mike]

If it was like "if ~this~ is in your hand you may exile it, if you do counter target spell unless its controlled pays 1" that card would awesome.  This is barely a Time Walk at all.  It's more a "Leyline of your first Mox costs 1 mana"  Probably not good enough for Standard.

The reason Daze is good at all is that you sometimes have to play around it when you're not sure if they have it, and sometimes you have to risk playing into it and you get punished when they have it.  Knowing I have to pay an extra 1 for my first spell essentially invalidates the effect.  The opportunity cost of playing this card is far too high for an effect that does almost nothing.  

To be honest, I dont know if I'd even play this card if it straight countered the first spell my opponent played - they'd still just throw something out there that they didn't need and you'd still be stuck playing a deck with 4 suck-ass creatures in it.  But at least that hypothetical card would be worth talking about.  

I agree with Paul on this one. It's like a Force Spike that your opponent knows about that doesn't pitch to Force of Will wrapped up in a terrible creature.

[Delha]

Maybe I'm just overly worried about nasty things happeneing before I get a turn, but I honestly feel that a much higher percentage of opening hands get significantly less scary when your opponent's turn becomes Land -> Mox -> Go instead of dropping a threat.

I really believe it's his lack of board presence that stops him from being viable in Oath. Do you guys agree with that part at least? It sort of sounds like you do, but wanted to ask explicitly.

[TopSecret]

I think this guy is sort of neat cause he doesn't cost a land drop or need blue. As far as playability goes, not totally sure, but I think he's an interesting bluff card. Like if you reveal him in your opening hand, I'm pretty sure your opponent is either going to assume scrubbage and be tempted to play like a fool or assume genius and be utterly afraid.

Also of note, is it me, or does having more than one of this guy in your opener absolutely blow?
Personally, that's why I'm most hesitant about him seeing play.

But I don't think it'd be impossible to be worth it if you could somehow get some of these guys into play once they're in hand. No effing clue how that'll happen though. Some new version of Dragon? Dredge? The ability itself is pretty much just a one sided sphere of resistance if the guy is somehow in play, but that plus the five power body, flying, and the huge butt is somewhat intriguing. Like, have one in opening hand into Bazaar, pitch, follow up with Reanimating it into play. Kind of neat. No clue about viability though.

[policehq]

These stack when you have more than one in your opening hand, right? That sounds really powerful.

[nataz]

two questions:

1) does it stack?

2) does it have to be in your hand when your opponent plays their first spell?

in other words could dredge win the roll, reveal the chancellor, and then bazaar it away and maintain the effect?

Not sure where you would find the four spare slots, or if the opportunity cost is work it, but I am curious. What an intriguing set. Bravo to wizards, lots of "cool" cards this time around. 

[GrandpaBelcher]

These stack when you have more than one in your opening hand, right? That sounds really powerful.

Sure, but they all trigger for the same spell. So instead of having to pay 1, your opponent will have to pay 1 twice (or three or four times). If your opponent is willing to waste a spell, it will negate all of them. Plus, then you'll be left with even more uncastable white cards in your hand.

For nataz's second question: It shouldn't have to be in your hand when they play their spell. You just have to reveal it from your opening hand.

[MaximumCDawg]

I'm fascinated about the idea of this being anti-shop tech.  I agree completely with Delha - that first turn is usually critical.  If you go behind on tempo, it gets progressively harder to climb out of the pit.  I would almost sideboard 4 of these just in case I win g1, in order to make sure I have some way of stopping the shop player on the play.  After maxing out Force of Will of course.  As a supplement to Force of Will, it is fewer cards than Leyline of Flash + Mox or Gemstone Caverns + Annul / Sabotage or whatever other jank lets you stop enemies on the play.

On the flip side, Shop or anyone else who wants a retarded turn 1 might use this offensively; if you're on the play, this card invalidates a first turn Force of Will.  Is that valuable?  How valuable is it?  Are there any decks that would be playable if they had no fear of a first turn Force?   If there is a deck that will consistently win t1 if it can block force, then this card is good.

Otherwise, the critical question everyone has posed and no one has answered is whether this card has any value after t1.  I'm having a hard time seeing it.  I wouldn't play this in Oath.  Oath targets should win or shut down the opponent on the spot.  A mini-sphere that hits for 5 isn't very good.  Too expensive for basically anything else.  No other deck is gonna want a big fattie to cast.      
So, lets see, if you’re not casting it, what use is a big expensive white creature:

(1) Makes Dralnu’s Pet into a crappier version of itself for about the same cost;
(2) Kindle the Carnage / Pyromancy MIGHT deal some damage;
(3) Toymaker makes one of your artifacts pretty huge for a turn;
(4) Volrath the Fallen gets big for a turn for about the same cost;
(5) Volrath’s Shapeshifter can copy it early;
(6) Pitches to case Reverant Mantra (your creatures get protection from chosen color);
(7) Pitches to Scars of the Veteran and Shining Shoal for damage prevention / redirection lols;
(8) Gets you halfway to pitching to Sunscour (wrath);

and um, thats it as far as I can tell from a trip through Gathererland.

The only remotely useful combinations are probably with Toymaker, Shapeshifter, and maybe Mantra? 

Toymaker can drop t1 with accell or a 2-land, you stop the t1 play, then turn 2 you swing with a 7/7 mox....? Dunno, doesn’t seem like a good long-term plan.

Shapeshifter seems a little more promising.  Again, slow the enemy t1, try to roll out the shapeshifter turns 2 or 3 and activate to make their spells more expensive... but doesn’t seem better than early cursecatchers.  Plus, so slow that it doesn’t really take advantage of the t1 tempo boost.

As hilariously bad as it sounds, Reverant Mantra seems best to me.  No, seriously, hear me out.  So you’re running white weenie because, why not, and you need to land a critical turn 1 creature.  This protects your turn 1 creature in color, and then later can pitch to protect your creatures from spot removal or punch through non-MUD decks for an alpha strike.  I know this doesn’t seem particularly potent, but I suspect it’s the best that can be done with this dude.

[TopSecret]

You forgot Shining Shoal!

[MaximumCDawg]

You forgot Shining Shoal!

I most certainly did not!  How could I miss that game-winning combo?

[Wagner]

So the solution to running a bad card that does mostly nothing is to run more bad cards that have synergy with it?

[MaximumCDawg]

So the solution to running a bad card that does mostly nothing is to run more bad cards that have synergy with it?

What? No dude, I was brainstorming.  The point of my post was:

(1) This potentially protects a you from MUD tempo crisis on turn 1;
(2) This also potentially allows you to overextend t1 on the play without fear of FoW;
(3) But the options available for making use of the card after t1 seem pretty bad.

[Oath of Happy]

Can someone please explain how this is good against shops?  I don't get it

[Yare]

Can someone please explain how this is good against shops?  I don't get it

You can't use Mishra's Workshop to pay the 1. Whether this makes the card good is debatable.

[nineisnoone]

In my opinion people are overrating the importance of the first turn.  If you are on the draw, and your opponent plays a turn 1 sphere of resistance, is that suddenly game over?  Not really, and this card is significantly worse than a sphere in that scenario since it's only on the first spell and has no persistent effect.

[Mr. Type 4]

if you're on the play, this card invalidates a first turn Force of Will.

I'll admit that I missed this.  That's by far the best bullet point for this guy so far, although i dont think that helps it that much, but its something.  turn 1 reveal, play A-call seems strong, but random and unlikely to happen very often.  Too bad it doesn't have synergy with Ad Naus.  

This card also could have been good if it fit a Fish strategy somehow.  Like if it did the same "turn zero" effect but was a 1/1 for W with "Sacrifice ~this: counter target spell unless its controller pays 1" that card would be pretty solid.   

[Delha]

Could've sworn I'd included that when I first posted in this thread. Looking back, I guess I edited that out because I figured everyone was already taking it into account. But yeah, it goes a long way towards protecting your T1 Oath from either FoW or Claim. They can always dump a mox to eat the effect, but if I have to watch my Oath get nuked, at least this way it costs them 2 cards.

[Wagner]

Could've sworn I'd included that when I first posted in this thread. Looking back, I guess I edited that out because I figured everyone was already taking it into account. But yeah, it goes a long way towards protecting your T1 Oath from either FoW or Claim. They can always dump a mox to eat the effect, but if I have to watch my Oath get nuked, at least this way it costs them 2 cards.

But that also means you have to run very very bad creatures in Oath. How many games will you win because you got 1st turn Oath and you needed it protected by a Free Force spike? How many games will you lose because you Oathed into a 4 turn clock creature that offers seldom good disruption?

[meadbert]

So the solution to running a bad card that does mostly nothing is to run more bad cards that have synergy with it?

This is basically the foundation that Dredge and Mud are build on. 

[LordHomerCat]

So the solution to running a bad card that does mostly nothing is to run more bad cards that have synergy with it?

This is basically the foundation that Dredge and Mud are build on. 

a) MUD is not full of bad cards.  Slightly overcosted if you have to pay real mana, but very powerful anyway.
b) So drawing ~25 cards per turn in dredge because you are playing bad cards is the same as dazing their first spell, then getting to cast Shining Shoal?  Those bad cards are good together.  These bad cards are bad no matter what.

This card sucks.

[Bill Copes]

This card sucks.

Exactly. Why isn't this thread locked yet?

[meadbert]

Okay, so I think this might be playable in Hermit Druid.
Basically this card serves two purposes there.  First it can feed a Sutured Ghoul thus it is replacing other potential dead space.
Second, it slows your opponent slightly and means they cannot Force your turn 1 Druid, both of which are important to Hermit Druid.
In that sense this is sort of like Daze which some Hermit lists run.  Perhaps this can replace Misdirection or run in conjunction with it.