First strike is rarely useful since there's almost no 5/X flying creatures that have seen play. In constructed, she's basically a 5/5 flying lifelink for 5. It's not the most ridiculous ever.
For a 5/5 with flying? I only play Modern, so I went through an looked from the fliers that have a toughness less than 6, and a Power greater than 4 (this being the range of creatures where blocking with Baneslayers makes the most sense) that are actually played (even occasionally) in Modern: Keiga, the Tide Star Sigarda, Host of Herons Yosei, the Morning Star
GoST Token
Not many. You can expand that a lot when you look at casual or legacy, but Legacy is never going to play BSA, and casual is so wide open in what it plays that it almost doesn't matter.
First Strike is great, First Strike on a fat flier is almost never relevant.
Are you seriously picking baneslayer as your poorly designed undercosted creature card to rant about?
Not goyf, stoneforge, snapcaster, bob.... nope baneslayer.
I will join you in this rant. Damn werebear bloody thing has bear arms
First, please do not mock me by mentioning werebear, as I am attemtping to be serious about this subject.
Second, what about phyrexian obliterator? Does it not share the company of those cards, as is completely overpowered and undercosted, as well?
Third, all of those cards are indeed very powerful, but they do not bother me as much as does baneslayer angel, because of how she outclasses Serra Angel, nor do I consider them to be truly unbalanced (apart from the obliterator).
Fourth, this is not the thread to discuss one particular card; we can start a thread to discuss baneslayer angel in greater detail, but I wish to keep the discussion on this thread focuses on Modern Masters, if that is possible, please.
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“Those who would trade their freedoms for security will have neither.”-Benjamin Franklin
“When the people fear the government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.”-Thomas Jefferson
“A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of its user.”-Theodore Roosevelt
“Patriotism means to stand by one's country; it does not mean to stand by one's president.”-Theodore Roosevelt
Second, what about phyrexian obliterator? Does it not share the company of those cards, as is completely overpowered and undercosted, as well?
Did you somehow miss that it costs BBBB to cast PO? This makes him incredibly hard to cast, even though technically he is still 4 cmc. He is far from undercosted.
Which abilities are "pointless?" I can understand that her protection abilities have limited use, but flying, first strike, and lifelink are all immensely useful, in my mind.
[quote]
Yeah, I was talking about her protection abilities. Her first strike ability is fine. It's not worthless like others are saying, but it's not amazing either. Flying is great, lifelink is good.
I mean, Baneslayer is fine, but I can't imagine why you would choose her over something like Oversoul of Dusk, Sigarda, or many other more potent 5-drops.
[QUOTE=DemonDragonJ;/comments/11996918]
I suppose that I am simply upset over the fact that she is almost completely superior to Serra Angel and much more mana-efficient than is Akroma, who are my two favorite angel creatures in the game, and thus, by extension, two of my favorite cards overall. I do not like seeing some of my favorite cards so outclassed by another card.
And, yes, it outclasses Serra Angel. But console yourself with the thought that Serra still has a home in a white control deck that needs to be able to use her to block as well as dish it out.
I started playing in 1995, so I feel your pain. But we get over it and play with good cards, or we go play retro league.
For a 5/5 with flying? I only play Modern, so I went through an looked from the fliers that have a toughness less than 6, and a Power greater than 4 (this being the range of creatures where blocking with Baneslayers makes the most sense) that are actually played (even occasionally) in Modern: Keiga, the Tide Star Sigarda, Host of Herons Yosei, the Morning Star
GoST Token
And half of those are Dragons, so you can't say First Strike matters more than the protection ability on them.
Did you somehow miss that it costs BBBB to cast PO? This makes him incredibly hard to cast, even though technically he is still 4 cmc. He is far from undercosted.
It costs 4 mana to summon, but has 5 power and toughness, which, combined with a very nasty ability, definitely makes it overpowered, in my mind.
Private Mod Note
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“Those who would trade their freedoms for security will have neither.”-Benjamin Franklin
“When the people fear the government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.”-Thomas Jefferson
“A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of its user.”-Theodore Roosevelt
“Patriotism means to stand by one's country; it does not mean to stand by one's president.”-Theodore Roosevelt
It costs 4 mana to summon, but has 5 power and toughness, which, combined with a very nasty ability, definitely makes it overpowered, in my mind.
It costs 4 of one color of mana to summon, making it wildly impractical in most decks, and the ability is only a problem if the only way you have of taking it out is damage.
EDIT: If it were as overpowered as you claim it is, I think it would actually see play in some decklist, but of all the black decks I've checked out, I haven't seen it in one. Maybe in a mono-black control list somewhere though.
First Strike can be very significant on the block
Keiga, the Tide Star
Sigarda, Host of Herons
Yosei, the Morning Star
GoST Token
Not many. You can expand that a lot when you look at casual or legacy, but Legacy is never going to play BSA, and casual is so wide open in what it plays that it almost doesn't matter.
First Strike is great, First Strike on a fat flier is almost never relevant.
Reprint Opt for Modern!!
FREE DIG THOROUGH TIME!
PLAY MORE ROUGE DECKS!
LOL, yea my mind was not making that connection. It is still very big for a first striker.
Reprint Opt for Modern!!
FREE DIG THOROUGH TIME!
PLAY MORE ROUGE DECKS!
First, please do not mock me by mentioning werebear, as I am attemtping to be serious about this subject.
Second, what about phyrexian obliterator? Does it not share the company of those cards, as is completely overpowered and undercosted, as well?
Third, all of those cards are indeed very powerful, but they do not bother me as much as does baneslayer angel, because of how she outclasses Serra Angel, nor do I consider them to be truly unbalanced (apart from the obliterator).
Fourth, this is not the thread to discuss one particular card; we can start a thread to discuss baneslayer angel in greater detail, but I wish to keep the discussion on this thread focuses on Modern Masters, if that is possible, please.
“When the people fear the government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.”-Thomas Jefferson
“A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of its user.”-Theodore Roosevelt
“Patriotism means to stand by one's country; it does not mean to stand by one's president.”-Theodore Roosevelt
Reprint Opt for Modern!!
FREE DIG THOROUGH TIME!
PLAY MORE ROUGE DECKS!
Damn Werebear, you scary...
Who cares if Serra Angel is outclassed? Juzam Djinn was my creature of choice back during Serra's run. It's completely outclassed now too. Big deal.
Creatures got better. Suck it up.
And, yes, it outclasses Serra Angel. But console yourself with the thought that Serra still has a home in a white control deck that needs to be able to use her to block as well as dish it out.
I started playing in 1995, so I feel your pain. But we get over it and play with good cards, or we go play retro league.
And half of those are Dragons, so you can't say First Strike matters more than the protection ability on them.
It costs 4 mana to summon, but has 5 power and toughness, which, combined with a very nasty ability, definitely makes it overpowered, in my mind.
“When the people fear the government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.”-Thomas Jefferson
“A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of its user.”-Theodore Roosevelt
“Patriotism means to stand by one's country; it does not mean to stand by one's president.”-Theodore Roosevelt
It costs 4 of one color of mana to summon, making it wildly impractical in most decks, and the ability is only a problem if the only way you have of taking it out is damage.
EDIT: If it were as overpowered as you claim it is, I think it would actually see play in some decklist, but of all the black decks I've checked out, I haven't seen it in one. Maybe in a mono-black control list somewhere though.
My wife was on MTV with this video.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUutIZg2EpU