Gruul Spellbreaker
Gruul Spellbreaker
Riot (This creature enters the battlefield with your choice of a +1/+1 counter or haste.)
Trample
As long as it is your turn, you and Gruul Spellbreaker have hexproof.
She displays her scars with pride.
illus. Zoltan Boros # 179/259
Oracle Text
Riot (This creature enters the battlefield with your choice of a +1/+1 counter or haste.)
Trample
As long as it is your turn, you and Gruul Spellbreaker have hexproof.
But hexproof on your turn is meant to turn off Settle the Wreckage, Gifts Ungiven, and oddly enough, Risk Factor.
With unleash, getting a +1/+1 counter made it "CARDNAME can't block."
It plays well with Simic. Though I have to say, it's a bit strange to have hexproof only on your turn. And "You have hexproof." is really odd for Gruul, when that particular ability is usually white (because it hoses red and to a lesser extent Owling Mine decks).
The second part of the card that seems to be getting way under valued is how this card grants hexproof both to you and itself on your turn. This is a considerable kick in the balls to any deck that relies on instant speed removal spells and synergizes strongly with haste since it means your opponent is pretty much going to have to eat an attack from this thing whether he likes it or not and the fact it's body is above curve and has trample means even if your opponent has a way to successfully block it on T2 or T3 they are probably getting two for oned in the exchange.
The other thing people don't realize is just how devastating a tempo play this card is when you play it on a turn your opponent has left mana open on purpose for their removal. It means they must now either waste all their mana and not cast the removal spell this turn or they have to ignore your fat turn 3 drop and waste their removal on a small fry, assuming there is one. Against the sort of aggro deck you would play this in that is a devastating tempo loss.
Although their currently isn't a good shell for this card in standard, if there is enough good stuff to create a strong aggressive deck in these colors then this card will almost certainly be in it.
But then this having hexproof and giving it to you on your turn makes it insane, basically there is no way to stop this coming in except countering it. Makes It very good against path to exile in modern as well and being able to avoid lightning bolt and 3 damage sweepers if you want is pretty good.