Ornithopter, for starters. Maverick Thopterist is easy to speed out with cheap artifacts. Would work pretty well with Inventor's Goggles; you tap the Goggles to help cast the Thopterist, then attach them to the Thopterist.
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MTGS Wikia Article about "New World Order"
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
PSA to everyone who keeps forgetting about the Reserved List:
You're on a website dedicated to talking about MtG. You're only a few keystrokes away from finding out what cards are on the Reserved List. You're also only a few keystrokes away from finding out why some cards on the Reserved List got foil printings in FtV, as Judge promos, or whatnot, as well as why that won't happen again. Stop doing this.
Aside from flavor reasons, why does this have flying and menace? Why not just make it unblockable?
I feel as though Unblockable is blue's evasion keyword, while here we have both Red and White evasion keywords. Also, flying and menace doesn't mean it's necessarily unblockable, it just means that it often will be harder to block.
I realize that menace + flying doesn't equal unblockable, thanks. How often will this be blocked in Standard though? Are there that many flyers around?
In terms of stuff being played right now? Thopter tokens.
Well that's just about the most evasive creature I've ever seen short of full on "can't be blocked."
Would probably rather it had Vigilance instead though, a flying Cerodon Yearling would be really nice.
Withengar is even more evasive without being unblockabe
Nice card though. I love bears with keywords.
Still few things beat "shadow" or "horsemanship"...
Stronghold Overseer is the only creature that can block Stronghold Overseer without the help of another spell or permanent. No other creature has been printed with both Shadow and Flying, which makes it very nearly unblockable.
I designed this card once or twice with exact the same abilities and mana cost but p/t 2/1 and people told me it was pretty aggressive. Now Wizards themselves printing it as 2/2.
I think they did this card since they wanted an aggro dino and looking through gather no recent design has menace and flying (Two-Headed Dragon and Wind Spirit combine them but of course before menace became a thing) so it was a box checked.
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“There are no weak Jews. I am descended from those who wrestle angels and kill giants. We were chosen by God. You were chosen by a pathetic little man who can't seem to grow a full mustache"
"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
I think they did this card since they wanted an aggro dino and looking through gather no recent design has menace and flying (Two-Headed Dragon and Wind Spirit combine them but of course before menace became a thing) so it was a box checked.
Now that I think about it if we ever see another two headed creature it can have the ability to block something with menace on its own. Hydras should be able to do that.
...Though I think Jhessian Infiltrator is better, but come on, he is in different (and mostly better) colors and they cause different combat shenanigans.
The problem with defining this format by what is "fun" is that everyone seems to define fun as what they don't lose to. If you keep losing to easily answered cards, that means you should improve your deck. If you don't want to improve your deck, then you should come to peace with the idea that you are going to lose because you chose to not interact with better strategies.
If you are in the camp of being upset over a pterosaur being called a dinosaur, take comfort in the fact that you get to be 'that guy' at your LGS who gets constantly remind people that its not actually a dinosaur.
Just because someone is upset about something or simply knows better doesn't mean they have to rub it in everyone's face, you know.
Personally, I can't say I'm too surprised, but I'm always a bit disappointed when a company decides to appeal to the ignorant masses. I understand their decision, but I don't agree with it.
...Though I think Jhessian Infiltrator is better, but come on, he is in different (and mostly better) colors and they cause different combat shenanigans.
It's better on attack only, however. This card is better than Jhessian Infiltrator when you're being attacked by an opponent's flying creature, though. Meaning there's a case for this being situationally better against other aggro decks with fliers in it.
I'm just dreaming of a sealed game where I drop this on turn 2 AND turn 3
This is a very good card that can chip a good chunk of opponent's life early, and chump anything later on.
With the name, I wish it was some mythic legendary Pterodactyl lord though!
I really wanted to see a Thunder Spirit for 1RW, but this is cool.
Yeah, they tend to break RGW up into something like RW aggro, GW midrange, RG ramp. In limited, it's better to go slower to some extent, since a 3/3 blocking a 2/2 is card advantage. But these evasive options give white some ways to keep up.
Now, of course, the ideal limited environment gives each pair two strategies and has a few sideways strategies that go across three or more colors, but that's not really the only option, it's just the one that gives the most legible signals while not being completely predictable.
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Card advantage is not the same thing as card draw. Something for 2B cannot be strictly worse than something for BBB or 3BB. If you're taking out Swords to Plowshares for Plummet, you're a fool. Stop doing these things!
I mean I don't necessarily know that this is an appeal to ignorance. Since there are technically no flying dinosaurs, they would need to avoid technical correctness to print this card as a dinosaur or ruin the tribal theme of the set.
They wasted the RW multicolor spot for this? oh god
I believe they always waste the WR slot, like they waste the UG slot. Like every other set.
It's a cool card for standard though, and I think the addition of Menace has something to do with the mirror MU. You can still race through an opposing Terror in the Skies, which makes original board states. There's also a ton of cheap flying Pirates in the set.
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Pioneer - A bunch of stuff Modern - Humans Legacy - Grixis Phoenix / Death & Taxes
Wwraaaah comrade!
Is hard to fly in track suit but is worth it.
"BIRD!!!! [shoots at bird] Tell giant metal friend Ivan coming!"
(Someone please get this reference.)
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COMMANDER DECKS
Gishath, Sun's Avatar
Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind
Surrak Presents: Snow-where to Run (A Temur Production)
Zurgo - Mardu Warrior Tribal
Gisa and Geralf
Jhoira's Artifacts
I mean I don't necessarily know that this is an appeal to ignorance. Since there are technically no flying dinosaurs, they would need to avoid technical correctness to print this card as a dinosaur or ruin the tribal theme of the set.
Technically, there are tons of flying dinosaurs. Modern birds are a group of theropod dinosaurs.
Somehow I don't think modern birds would fit the flavor as portrayed thus far. Though I mean if they want to retype all birds as dinosaurs, I'm not going to complain ;D
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
In terms of stuff being played right now? Thopter tokens.
Standard: BG Golgari Midrange
Modern: U Merfolk GWUBR 5 Color Humans UBW Esper Gifts GW Bogles
2023 Average Peasant Cube|and Discussion
Because I have more decks than fit in a signature
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"You can tell how dumb someone is by how they use Mary Sue"
Now that I think about it if we ever see another two headed creature it can have the ability to block something with menace on its own. Hydras should be able to do that.
Because I'm a curmudgeonly jerk.
Just because someone is upset about something or simply knows better doesn't mean they have to rub it in everyone's face, you know.
Personally, I can't say I'm too surprised, but I'm always a bit disappointed when a company decides to appeal to the ignorant masses. I understand their decision, but I don't agree with it.
"Everywhere where Threefold Sun shine, great wings soar."
-Emperor Apacek Intli III
Let this great clan rest in peace (2001-2011)
Well aren't you a fart smeller.. err smart feller. I get flying dinosaurs and that's what matters here lol.
I wish it was actually called Flying Menace
It's better on attack only, however. This card is better than Jhessian Infiltrator when you're being attacked by an opponent's flying creature, though. Meaning there's a case for this being situationally better against other aggro decks with fliers in it.
This is a very good card that can chip a good chunk of opponent's life early, and chump anything later on.
With the name, I wish it was some mythic legendary Pterodactyl lord though!
I really wanted to see a Thunder Spirit for 1RW, but this is cool.
Yeah, they tend to break RGW up into something like RW aggro, GW midrange, RG ramp. In limited, it's better to go slower to some extent, since a 3/3 blocking a 2/2 is card advantage. But these evasive options give white some ways to keep up.
Now, of course, the ideal limited environment gives each pair two strategies and has a few sideways strategies that go across three or more colors, but that's not really the only option, it's just the one that gives the most legible signals while not being completely predictable.
On phasing:
I believe they always waste the WR slot, like they waste the UG slot. Like every other set.
It's a cool card for standard though, and I think the addition of Menace has something to do with the mirror MU. You can still race through an opposing Terror in the Skies, which makes original board states. There's also a ton of cheap flying Pirates in the set.
"BIRD!!!! [shoots at bird] Tell giant metal friend Ivan coming!"
(Someone please get this reference.)
COMMANDER DECKS
Gishath, Sun's Avatar
Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind
Surrak Presents: Snow-where to Run (A Temur Production)
Zurgo - Mardu Warrior Tribal
Gisa and Geralf
Jhoira's Artifacts
Technically, there are tons of flying dinosaurs. Modern birds are a group of theropod dinosaurs.