Sigarda, Host of Herons

[MaximumCDawg]

Okay, Avacyn was a disappointment.  This beauty, spoiled at PAX East today, is potentially the real deal.



(Updates from PAX over here http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=406327&page=3)

This card excites me for a few reasons. It invalidates just about every sort of removal that operates in Vintage.  The only thing dealing with this girl is a bigger girl, or a wrath effect.  It can't be targeted, so all your pinpoint removal, bounce, and control magic stuff is out.  It can't be sacrificed, so Edict effects are out - Balance too!  It survives Pyroclasm and Massacre.  I can only think of ONE card in Vintage that answers her: Phyrexian Metamorph.

So, we've got an evasive creature that is very difficult to kill.  That might mean Oath target, and there are better options for Oath.  But, she only costs five mana... and in a potentially very potent color combination.  People experimenting with GW(b?) decks ramping quickly with Sprite and Hierarch -- this angel is definitely worth a look.

Will she see play?  I have no idea.  Maybe her cost is just too prohibitive and she'll be relegated to legacy only. But there is no other creature like her printed so far.  That alone makes her very exciting.

[Wagner]

Meh, GW usually are not too worried about seeing their stuff getting sacrified, except maybe for Smokestack. This is basically a counterable but unanwerable that gives the opponent a 4 turn clock, and that costs 5.

It doesn't deal with Time Vault, it doesn't deal with Tinker, it doesn't deal with Dredge, it doesn't deal with Oath, it doesn't deal with Storm. It's good against aggro, but so are a billion other things that cost less than this.

In a format where Goyf is a standard 4-5 power creature for 2 that sees little play, this is way too expensive and too slow for the basically nothing it gives you.

[MaximumCDawg]

She reminds me alot of Oversoul of Dusk; comparable power and evasion, but this one is a bit tougher.  I ran into a few beatz decks that ran Oversoul here in Denver over the last few years, and whenever it dropped, it was pretty devastating.  NOTE: It did not drop in most games.

[boggyb]

Also dies to Perish and Virtue's Ruin, relatively common SB cards these days. The only benefit I can see for this over like Geist of Saint Traft or heck even Thrun is that it also blanks Smokestack, but good luck casting this under spheres, dude.

[Guli]

Double white and total mana of 5. That is too much in vintage. Splash in 1 for fun times but I can't take a risk like that for serious play.

[mikekilljoy]

I mostly like this card as a sideboard option against Smokestack, but not much else.

[Wagner]

I mostly like this card as a sideboard option against Smokestack, but not much else.

It costs 5! If you have 5 mana sources against stacks, I think you're already doing pretty ok to deal with Smokestack.

Just play Sacred Ground if you want to hose Smokestack.

[DubDub]

[MaximumCDawg]

This is not much like Preserver.  Preserver is a Smokestack hoser in a world without Smokestack.  Heron-girl is a big beefy flier that dodges almost all of the removal used in the format.  Like I said before, she's like a better version of Oversoul of Dusk, not a Preserver.

[DubDub]

This is not much like Preserver.  Preserver is a Smokestack hoser in a world without Smokestack.  Heron-girl is a big beefy flier that dodges almost all of the removal used in the format.  Like I said before, she's like a better version of Oversoul of Dusk, not a Preserver.

Oh, I understand now.  'Better than Oversoul of Dusk' qualifies discussion?

[MaximumCDawg]

This is not much like Preserver.  Preserver is a Smokestack hoser in a world without Smokestack.  Heron-girl is a big beefy flier that dodges almost all of the removal used in the format.  Like I said before, she's like a better version of Oversoul of Dusk, not a Preserver.

Oh, I understand now.  'Better than Oversoul of Dusk' qualifies discussion?

No, but "cusp of reasonably priced, evasive beater that is very difficult to kill" just might.  And if this isn't your cup of tea, how about Grislebrand? Draw 7 etb?

[Prospero]

It's got some nice flavor, and that's cool and all, but this card kind of stinks against Shops.  I'm confused, you're supposed to be able to hit five mana (which is really six, seven, or eight) against a Shop deck that runs Wastes, Strip, Wires, Lodestones, Spheres, etc.?   

[Klep]

This card is too expensive and in the wrong colors for Vintage.

[twault]

Sideboard option in Oath vs Stax?

[Qasur]

Sideboard option in Oath vs Stax?

Terratodon would like to have a word with you.

Seriously, turning 3 perms in Stax into 3/3 Elephants is all you need. Will let you trigger Oath again next turn too so you can fetch up what ever other creatures you were using (Iona/BSC/Emrakul).