[C14] - Containment Priest

[TVand]

Containment Priest 1W
Creature - Human Cleric
Flash
If a nontoken creature would enter the battlefield and it wasn't cast, exile it instead.
2/2


Well, they've finally created a hatebear that hoses Show and Tell.  I'm really interested in this card.  It has most of the same applications as Grafdigger's Cage against dredge, stops Tinker -> Blightsteel and Oath -> Grisel, but also stops S&T -> Grisel.  And having Flash is just gravy.

[MaximumCDawg]

Hah, I was just coming here to post this.

I suspect that, in Vintage anyway, this is probably worse than Grafdigger's cage.  Show and Tell is not as large of a player here, and Cage gives you some measure of protection against Dredge in addition to Oath.  What makes me hesitate is that this has Flash, meaning it's potentially a counterspell in the same way that Mindcensor can be.  Using it after they've committed resources to resolving their Oath or whatever is not bad at all.

In Legacy, this is probably GANGBUSTERS.  It gives D&T an incredible weapon against Sneak and Show.

EDIT: From the visual spoiler, shockingly, it looks like the Blue deck might be the worst of all of them in terms of eternal play-ability.  I guess someone was taking notes on TNN, huh?

[TVand]

It's definitely less widely applicable than Grafdigger's Cage in Vintage.  I think in certain decks (white trash, humans) it could serve as additional Cages + protection against S&T as an alternate route for Oath.  It does have the nice advantages of not being missteppable, or counterable at all if you have a Cavern.

Also, I agree that it will be much better in Legacy.

[zimagic]

You also can't Forgemaster or Welder creatures into play (nice offensive use of Welder), stops Narcomeba coming into play off Dredge if anyone still plays those, Sneak Attack in Legacy, any blink effect now exiles the creature.

Big positive is that Flash gives you responses to the spells rather than being a static preventative measure that your opponent can figure into his plays as a given.

[bactgudz]

It's a little more than half a cage on a stick (prevents the critters entering from more zones, but misses the casting), with flash!!...I think this will see a good deal of play and require dredge to once again shift their protection (a bit more towards dealing with critter space).  Aegis of the Gods has seen a little bit of play, and this guy seems better to me than him...still protecting from oath, 1 more toughness, non-enchantment, flash, trading dealing with discard and minor tendrils protection for dealing with s&t, nacro, ichorid, ghast, and minor dread return protection.

[Saya]

OMG,arms and legs grow on Cage and blow me.Help!

In general,Aven will surpass this priest.But her lighter cost and species are valuable in certain situations.

[msg67183]

This card makes me sad.

[xouman]

Not only narcomoebas, aldo bloodghasts and ichorids: nice hate. Oath. Tinker robot. Welder. Kuldotha. show and tell. Restoration angel. GSZ.  Natural order. Sneak attack. Reanimator deck. Vial. And many other less played cards.

Beside it, playing 4 of this allows "stupid combos" like phasing opponent's creatures into oblivion. But the card has potential itself to be playable without bad cards.

Great addition.

[hashswag]

I love this card in control.

How does Oath answer it? Bringing in Decays or other removal out of the board G3 after seeing it G2? Seems a great way to weaken the maindeck. Jace? They've even given it flash to drop straight back into play as soon as Jace bounces it. Show and Tell is a huge pain in some of the recent Oath lists I've played against.

It's a lot stronger than it seems against Dredge, too. Stops Bloodghast, Narcomoeba, Fatestitcher, Dread Return and Ichorid. That basically just leaves Bridge tokens (which Cage can't do much about anyway) and hardcast creatures if you can protect this guy from Darkblast and Chain of Vapor. Some split of 6-7 RIP and Containment Priest (probably 3/4) should be plenty against Dredge.

(Correct me if I'm wrong about any of that. I've never played on the Dredge side of the table before, but it all seems to make sense).

[Demagoguery]

This card is awesome and I need a bunch of them.

It stops Oath, it stops Tinker bots, and hates on Dredge... Also, how exactly does Dredge deal with this since they mostly run Dark Blast to kill all the x/1 hate dudes.

[Greg]

Another fine printing that neatly and consistently negates Vintage-only strategies. Nicely done, Wizards.

[Saya]

under this creature Parallax Wave simply kills 5 creatures

[TVand]

under this creature Parallax Wave simply kills 5 creatures

Yeah, I saw someone point out elsewhere that with this card, Flickerwisp becomes Swords on a stick.  Definitely applicable to Legacy DnT (with the exception of this shutting down your own vials, but maybe you board them out for this), not sure if anything similar is good enough for Vintage.  I can't think off the top of my head of any flicker effects that are good enough for this format on their own.

[hashswag]

Poor Norin.

[Stormanimagus]

Wow!!! Finally my Human list is complete. Join me, and together we can rule the galaxy as father and son! This is probably the best printing for Vintage from this set. By FARRR! This will make the Oath and Tinker menace something of the past for my human deck. Gonna start testing this right away!

-Storm

[MaximumCDawg]

Oh man, didn't even think about the fact that this makes Flicker effects into Vindicates. 

Legacy is going to cream their shorts over this lovely lady.

[vaughnbros]

Wow.  This shuts down oath, S&T, everything dredge does, forgemaster into dude, tinker bot.  It's basically grafdiggers with legs.

[TVand]

Oh man, didn't even think about the fact that this makes Flicker effects into Vindicates. 

Legacy is going to cream their shorts over this lovely lady.

Sorry, I originally said Vindicate but it's really more of a swords, since you can only get creatures this way. Still a neat combo.

[Commandant]

I doubt it will totally crush but add yet another thoughtless roadblock. My biggest issue is less the impact hate bears have, since historically they haven't done too much to stop certain strategies, rather that WotC continues to think this is a good way to approach problems. Regardless of what this card actually does I really wish the powers that be would understand that attempting to fix "problems" through direct printings does nothing but stifle diversity.

[enderfall]

All we need is Null Rod on legs and pretty much the totality of all hateful effects will have been printed on bears.

[JarofFortune]

All we need is Null Rod on legs and pretty much the totality of all hateful effects will have been printed on bears.

So they can finally stop printing this stream of cardboard filth? I'd welcome that.

[vaughnbros]

I doubt it will totally crush but add yet another thoughtless roadblock. My biggest issue is less the impact hate bears have, since historically they haven't done too much to stop certain strategies, rather that WotC continues to think this is a good way to approach problems. Regardless of what this card actually does I really wish the powers that be would understand that attempting to fix "problems" through direct printings does nothing but stifle diversity.

All we need is Null Rod on legs and pretty much the totality of all hateful effects will have been printed on bears.

So they can finally stop printing this stream of cardboard filth? I'd welcome that.

Couldn't disagree more.  This ability is one of the most unique ones printed in this set so far.  It will see competitive play as a control card, and casual play as a combo card.

[Demagoguery]

Isn't this potentially a better Cage? I don't mean in all cases, but in terms of what you want to play against since Mental Misstep and Cavern are all real things, in addition to Show and Tell.

Plus, I feel like decks have more answers to Cages than they do to creatures like this currently. 

[gribdogs]

Yay another white hatebear attempt from WoTC to enrage the eternal communities.  

[vaughnbros]

Isn't this potentially a better Cage? I don't mean in all cases, but in terms of what you want to play against since Mental Misstep and Cavern are all real things, in addition to Show and Tell.

Plus, I feel like decks have more answers to Cages than they do to creatures like this currently.  

In decks with access to white, yes.

[boggyb]

Would you play this in your sideboard over Yixlid Jailer? Jailer's better than this against Dredge, of course, but I wonder if the broader power this card possesses would bump it out.

Like, a sideboard starting
4x Grafdigger's Cage
3x Containment Priest

Would that effectively handle both Oath and Dredge? Or not quite?

[MaximumCDawg]

Isn't this potentially a better Cage? I don't mean in all cases, but in terms of what you want to play against since Mental Misstep and Cavern are all real things, in addition to Show and Tell.

Plus, I feel like decks have more answers to Cages than they do to creatures like this currently.  

I think Cage is better in a vacuum, but in a world where Mental Misstep is the norm, I don't know.  Note that Cage also hoses Snapcaster and Yawg Will.  That's a negative if you're on defense, but a positive if you want to run Snappys in your own UW control deck.

Would you play this in your sideboard over Yixlid Jailer? Jailer's better than this against Dredge, of course, but I wonder if the broader power this card possesses would bump it out.

Like, a sideboard starting
4x Grafdigger's Cage
3x Containment Priest

Would that effectively handle both Oath and Dredge? Or not quite?

Hm.  Can Dredge do anything with this in play?  Originally, I was thinking "they'll still get tokens," but actually they do not; the creatures get exiled.  They can't Dread Return anything.  Narcomebias dont get there.  Bloodghast can't get back.  Hm.....

So if the choice is between her and Jailer, I think she's better.  She does everything Jailer does except die to Darkblast.

[Demagoguery]

Would you play this in your sideboard over Yixlid Jailer? Jailer's better than this against Dredge, of course, but I wonder if the broader power this card possesses would bump it out.

Like, a sideboard starting
4x Grafdigger's Cage
3x Containment Priest

Would that effectively handle both Oath and Dredge? Or not quite?

Is Jailer really that much better, if at all? Sure, it stops dredging as a while and disables things like Bridges and Cabal Therapy, but at the same time it dies to Dark Blast which Dredge can play without much consequence.

Isn't this potentially a better Cage? I don't mean in all cases, but in terms of what you want to play against since Mental Misstep and Cavern are all real things, in addition to Show and Tell.

Plus, I feel like decks have more answers to Cages than they do to creatures like this currently. 

I think Cage is better in a vacuum, but in a world where Mental Misstep is the norm, I don't know.  Note that Cage also hoses Snapcaster and Yawg Will.  That's a negative if you're on defense, but a positive if you want to run Snappys in your own UW control deck.

To be fair Cage doesn't stop things like Show and Tell, which Oath does run in order to drop a Griseldaddy into play after using Oath to essentially tutor it up.  Dredge also runs things like Ingot Chewer and as we've come to terms with Mental Misstep is super common in the format.

Another thing to note is that with the increased play of Treasure Cruise and even Dig, it's a lot easier to board in graveyard hate such as Nihil Spellbomb and people are running less copies of Snap and Will than they were before.

[MaximumCDawg]

My thoughts continue to evolve.

This girl dies to Darkblast if the Dredge player has 2 black sources in play.  They just do the double blast trick.  How often that will be a possibility, I dunno.

[hashswag]

What happens if you blink it?