Dream Trawler2WWUU
Creature - Sphinx
Flying, Lifelink
Whenever you draw a card Dream Trawler gets +1/+0 until end of turn.
Whenever Dream Trawler attacks, draw a card.
Discard a card: Dream Trawler gains Hexproof until end of turn. Tap it.
3/5
I guess this is supposed to be the "Control Finisher"(TM) for this set?
Combat math and evasive body large enough to swing in and control a board or gain enough lifelink to offset the crackback
Card advantage or otherwise value engine that keeps asserting a dominant board state beyond just being a big dumb beater
Protection from removal you can use while tapped out or at low cost to be able to tap out for it and not just die 1:1 to a murder
Many have two of those factors. But how many have had all three? Chromium is a scary 7/7 flier that's hard to deal with, but if someone can just rush around him he's not going to develop more card advantage or gain life for you. Prognostic Sphinx can keep generating some value (not CA though) and protect itself, but its a 7 turn clock.
This poops card advantage, protects itself with no mana cost after you tap out for it, can swing big enough in the air to both close out a game and make that big life total swing like baneslayer angel, with the upside that it also might jump up to ~7 power when you add in draw spells.
Combat math and evasive body large enough to swing in and control a board or gain enough lifelink to offset the crackback
Card advantage or otherwise value engine that keeps asserting a dominant board state beyond just being a big dumb beater
Protection from removal you can use while tapped out or at low cost to be able to tap out for it and not just die 1:1 to a murder
Many have two of those factors. But how many have had all three? Chromium is a scary 7/7 flier that's hard to deal with, but if someone can just rush around him he's not going to develop more card advantage or gain life for you. Prognostic Sphinx can keep generating some value (not CA though) and protect itself, but its a 7 turn clock.
This poops card advantage, protects itself with no mana cost after you tap out for it, can swing big enough in the air to both close out a game and make that big life total swing like baneslayer angel, with the upside that it also might jump up to ~7 power when you add in draw spells.
does it really? Only in a very stretched definition of the terms. It doesn't really generate card advantage and it doesn't really protect itself and even to become an evasive body it needs to eat limited resources. Its a very slow card that needs to both tie up and eat a lot of your mana base to function. This you just slap it down with 1+ cards in your hand and you're able to untap and swing while playing the rest of your deck normally
The hexproof part is clearly what makes it at least an option to win a game.
Does a lot of "stuff" and all the "stuff" it does should do something.
----
But its a terrible blocker and if you block it probably just dies (as tapping out in a world with Embercleave and blocking doesnt seem to be a winning strategy ; but equipping Embercleave to this thing might do the trick ... ).
You could do worse than a 3/5 lifelink flying as a blocker but it does feel pretty desperate if you didn't just cast him. One big advantage of baneslayer angel was just how heavily it stabilized your board on the block, because an opponent swinging in with anything less than a 6/6 was going to lose 1 creature and shave off 6-10 damage, so even if they were still trying to run past you with a swarm of weenies the combat math would go against it. A 3/5 flying lifelink isn't as good as a 5/5 flying first strike lifelink but at least if you were desperate to hold it back after you untap with it, you could potentially use instant speed draw spells as combat tricks to make it a 4+/5 and kill off a 4/4.
Also, interesting design choices to urge players to be more aggressive in WU with this creature. T3feri will play alongside this and not like playing against this.
Lastly, callback to original Theros Prognostic Sphinx, now with flair.
This card is the second coming.
If consecrate/consume doesn't become a standard staple, I'll eat my shoe.
Baneslayer Morphidian.
AND the art is dope.
I was really hoping for a reason to ditch Guardmage and Citadel in Esper Hero (which the spoilers for this set have just screamed Wizards saying, "We want Hero to be good again') and this is it.
Dream Trawler 2WWUU
Creature - Sphinx
Flying, Lifelink
Whenever you draw a card Dream Trawler gets +1/+0 until end of turn.
Whenever Dream Trawler attacks, draw a card.
Discard a card: Dream Trawler gains Hexproof until end of turn. Tap it.
3/5
I guess this is supposed to be the "Control Finisher"(TM) for this set?
Decent abilities gets bigger for attacks since it draws and grows from draws
And discard for protection
Edit: whoops it’s not a legend but decent azorius card none the less
Tomorrow we should see the azorius legend
Nope. Not legendary.
consider cards like drogskol reaver, Ætherling, Chromium, the Mutable, Pearl Lake Ancient, consecrated sphinx, nezahal, primal tide, etc etc. How many of these have matched all the following criterion?
Many have two of those factors. But how many have had all three? Chromium is a scary 7/7 flier that's hard to deal with, but if someone can just rush around him he's not going to develop more card advantage or gain life for you. Prognostic Sphinx can keep generating some value (not CA though) and protect itself, but its a 7 turn clock.
This poops card advantage, protects itself with no mana cost after you tap out for it, can swing big enough in the air to both close out a game and make that big life total swing like baneslayer angel, with the upside that it also might jump up to ~7 power when you add in draw spells.
Lochmere serpent does all of them and then some more utility.
does it really? Only in a very stretched definition of the terms. It doesn't really generate card advantage and it doesn't really protect itself and even to become an evasive body it needs to eat limited resources. Its a very slow card that needs to both tie up and eat a lot of your mana base to function. This you just slap it down with 1+ cards in your hand and you're able to untap and swing while playing the rest of your deck normally
Does a lot of "stuff" and all the "stuff" it does should do something.
----
But its a terrible blocker and if you block it probably just dies (as tapping out in a world with Embercleave and blocking doesnt seem to be a winning strategy ; but equipping Embercleave to this thing might do the trick ... ).
WUBRG#BlackLotusMatterWUBRG
👮👮👮 #BlueLivesMatter 👮👮👮
on constructed, if there's a good azorius control deck this guy could be the finisher.....
This thing will crush tons of aggro decks
Also, interesting design choices to urge players to be more aggressive in WU with this creature. T3feri will play alongside this and not like playing against this.
Lastly, callback to original Theros Prognostic Sphinx, now with flair.
Art is excellent. Jesper Ejsing did a prognostic sphinx too hehe.
If consecrate/consume doesn't become a standard staple, I'll eat my shoe.
Baneslayer Morphidian.
AND the art is dope.
I was really hoping for a reason to ditch Guardmage and Citadel in Esper Hero (which the spoilers for this set have just screamed Wizards saying, "We want Hero to be good again') and this is it.