Not that we needed any more juiciness from Alara Reborn, but I think one card that got lost in the mix was Sovereigns of Lost Alara. Here's why.
The first thing you think of when you read Sovereign's rules text, "Whenever a creature you control attacks alone..." you immediately try to think of what creature you might have have in play to best abuse the ability. Uril was a commonly mentioned go-to guy in the rumor mill. But that cheapens with gimmicks what this card really is. Let's take a closer look.
The creature is 6 mana for a 4/5 with exalted, and it's fat butt can help it stick around long enough for it to really shine. If you manage to swing with the Sovereigns of Lost Alara and rummage through your deck for a copy of Steel of the Godhead to stick to it for free, now that unimpressive creature just became a 7/8 lifelinking unblockable monster. Those stats cost just 6 mana. And it doesn't require you to dilute your deck with a playset of Steel of the Godhead, just 1 or 2 will do just fine.
So yeah, it could get pathed and terminated and terrored and probably even death capsuled (lol), but if you wait to put it down until you know it is safe, it might just be one of the best bargains in Magic. And that Uril buff is really just a side benefit.
Okay, you may all resume talking about Bloodbraid Elf now, I'm done.
but if you wait to put it down until you know it is safe,
Nothing is really safe in the current format. The stuff that is safe is the few finishers of a control deck, which isn't going to waste cards to make their one creature slightly bigger.
it might just be one of the best bargains in Magic.
Eh? There's like 20 better bargains in this set alone...
Nothing is really safe in the current format. The stuff that is safe is the few finishers of a control deck, which isn't going to waste cards to make their one creature slightly bigger.
Eh? There's like 20 better bargains in this set alone...
Meh. It will only occasionally be a waste of cards, it will usually just play as a sub-60 card deck. Fact is 6 mana for a 7/8 unblockable lifelinker is really good. The meta will determine if it gets played as it does with anything, but that is a very efficient creature.
Meh. It will only occasionally be a waste of cards, it will usually just play as a sub-60 card deck. Fact is 6 mana for a 7/8 unblockable lifelinker is really good. The meta will determine if it gets played as it does with anything, but that is a very efficient creature.
6 mana and 2 cards for a 7/8 unblockable lifelinker is not really good. You'd be better off with two Rhox War Monks. Not unblockable, but harder to kill and into play easier/sooner.
6 mana and 2 cards for a 7/8 unblockable lifelinker is not really good. You'd be better off with two Rhox War Monks. Not unblockable, but harder to kill and into play easier/sooner.
It doesn't really cost you two cards, since Sovereigns searches up its own aura. And who says whatever deck this is in won't already play Rhox War Monks?
/nitpick
If you have counterspell backup for two turns to protect it from spot removal, you can always drop a Clout of the Dominus on it the second time it attacks.
In an environment which already had Path to Exile and now gains Terminate, putting all your eggs into one basket like this just isn't worth it. If you really wanted to play with this the first thing that you should get is Protective Bubble and that requires it living long enough to actually get in an attack. Uril is much better because he has the protection part built in.
People aren't understanding your point at all I do and it intrigues me.
Its...
1) Not a 2-for-1 at all, period
2) A very aggressively costed beater with a misers copy of an enchantment or two
3) A deck thinning tool
I don't know if this is archetype material, but it very well could be. Steel on a pancake flipper is ridiculous too. Hell... Finks, Mycoid Shepherd, Warmonks, Sledge, Sovereigns, Hierarch, Escort, Wilt-Leaf... we may have a solid midrange deck brewing.
The more important thing to remember is that its an Exalted enabler for anything. It needs to wait a turn (barring giving it haste) before it could aura up, but by the time you're dropping it, you should have a decent Exalted army built up already and even your, oh, say Ethercaste Knight can swing in, grab a Steel of the Godhead on his way, then connect unblocked for a bare minimum of 5 points lifelinked.
EDIT: This also helps "solve" the removal aspect. Assuming they have PoE, Terminate, whatever, what do they point it at? Kill the Sovereigns and you still have a Steeled Ethercaste Knight. Kill the Knight and the Sovereigns just aura up whatever other creature you deign to attack with next turn. Yes yes, Damnation/Wrath kills everything, but even for that there's Shield of the Oversoul. SLEEP DEPRIVED EDIT #2: Or the above-mentioned and amazing Dauntless Escort.
Or perhaps they just kill Sovereigns before you actually attack ?
In which case they still have to deal with whatever exalted guy you have coming into the red zone this turn. Example: maybe a Jhessian Infiltrator with Noble Hierarch and Rafiq of the Many in play? You kill my Sovereigns and I swing for 8 unblockable? Okay, fine.
So basically the idea is a version of the current Bant aggro decks but to slow the whole thing down in order to facilitate an expensive but vulnerable creature which "might" manage to do some very cool things with aura's.
Wouldn't it be better to just make it like normal using Rafiq of the Many?
Isn't it just "whenever a creature you control attacks alone"? Why all this talk about waiting a turn? If you play this, chances are you already have a War Monk out...swing with that and slap on a Shield of the Oversoul or something...I am a big fan of this card.
but you know, is it loss of card advantage when it tutors out of your deck? i would only think so if you were planning on using it through your hand or if your up against mill of some kind. It does make some of them vaiable, Also, does it say target creature? it could get around shroud right?
so maybe that would be something to watch for.
Isn't it just "whenever a creature you control attacks alone"? Why all this talk about waiting a turn? If you play this, chances are you already have a War Monk out...swing with that and slap on a Shield of the Oversoul or something...I am a big fan of this card.
The wait a turn part is if you want the Sovereign to get an aura(like Protective Bubble) to help it survive against all the targetted removal around at the moment.
The biggest problem I have with the card is the cost, because in a good bant deck you should have won by then(or have been Wrath'd, in which case there probably wouldn't be a creature in play to attack with when you play this). The bant exalted aggro deck is the only standard deck which would really want this and a deck which aims to do things like 1st turn Noble Hierarch, 2nd turn Shorecrasher Mimic, 3rd turn Rafiq of the many attacking with a 7/5 trampling doublestriking Mimic, 4th turn playing another UG spell and attacking for leathal.
I like the concept of the card but I think the place for it is in limited if you get the auras, as well as in casual and as a nice extra in Zur the Enchanter EDH decks.
yeah this isn't exactly zur the enchanter who could summon forth an o-ring or a pacifism and hence acted as spot removal and a decent flier. The card is cool, but like Glamer Spinners enchantment manipulation has yet to really find anything as good as simic guildmage, still it could also have clout of the dominous thrown on it to give it shroud and then its put ability goes around the shroud. I still am interested though.
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If Kresh had more than 3 toughness, I'd say he'd see play too. But 5 mana for a 3/3 makes him so vulnerable to basic removal that its really not a great investment. I know everything dies, but not everything dies equally
I like this card because it can drop auras on OTHER creatures that attack. i.e. Steel of the Godhand on a Deft Duelist that has Shroud, which is awesomesauce.
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my mouth is full of winsome lies -
and eyes are full of death besides
but luckily the soul is wise -
it sees beyond my blindness and
forced failure makes a better guise,
so as i come again alive,
it feels like life's a decent plan
Yes, you don't actually need all 4 Epic Proportions. But simply having 2 them in your deck turns this guy into a gigantor 2-turn clock. 10/10 trampler first attack, 15/15 trampler second attack. Of course, before that, search for Clout of the Dominus to get shroud (before your opponent knows what you're up to). Also, note that the card reads "an Aura that could enchant that creature." So, no Shroud shenanigans.
Also, note that the card reads "an Aura that could enchant that creature." So, no Shroud shenanigans.
As far as I understand, that clause only makes clear that you cant seach for Enchant Land or Enchant enchantment or whatever and use it on your creature. It must be a creature enchantment.
You should be able to put enchantments on shrouds guys without problems as the effect does not target.
As far as I understand, that clause only makes clear that you cant seach for Enchant Land or Enchant enchantment or whatever and use it on your creature. It must be a creature enchantment.
You should be able to put enchantments on shrouds guys without problems as the effect does not target.
Ironically, I actually contradicted myself in my post. You're most likely right. Anyway, could Sovereigns + Epic Proportions see play?
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What would you attempt... if you knew you could not fail?
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The first thing you think of when you read Sovereign's rules text, "Whenever a creature you control attacks alone..." you immediately try to think of what creature you might have have in play to best abuse the ability. Uril was a commonly mentioned go-to guy in the rumor mill. But that cheapens with gimmicks what this card really is. Let's take a closer look.
The creature is 6 mana for a 4/5 with exalted, and it's fat butt can help it stick around long enough for it to really shine. If you manage to swing with the Sovereigns of Lost Alara and rummage through your deck for a copy of Steel of the Godhead to stick to it for free, now that unimpressive creature just became a 7/8 lifelinking unblockable monster. Those stats cost just 6 mana. And it doesn't require you to dilute your deck with a playset of Steel of the Godhead, just 1 or 2 will do just fine.
So yeah, it could get pathed and terminated and terrored and probably even death capsuled (lol), but if you wait to put it down until you know it is safe, it might just be one of the best bargains in Magic. And that Uril buff is really just a side benefit.
Okay, you may all resume talking about Bloodbraid Elf now, I'm done.
Nothing is really safe in the current format. The stuff that is safe is the few finishers of a control deck, which isn't going to waste cards to make their one creature slightly bigger.
Eh? There's like 20 better bargains in this set alone...
Meh. It will only occasionally be a waste of cards, it will usually just play as a sub-60 card deck. Fact is 6 mana for a 7/8 unblockable lifelinker is really good. The meta will determine if it gets played as it does with anything, but that is a very efficient creature.
6 mana and 2 cards for a 7/8 unblockable lifelinker is not really good. You'd be better off with two Rhox War Monks. Not unblockable, but harder to kill and into play easier/sooner.
It doesn't really cost you two cards, since Sovereigns searches up its own aura. And who says whatever deck this is in won't already play Rhox War Monks?
/nitpick
If you have counterspell backup for two turns to protect it from spot removal, you can always drop a Clout of the Dominus on it the second time it attacks.
Machius proudly supports R_E's right to Rumour!
Its...
1) Not a 2-for-1 at all, period
2) A very aggressively costed beater with a misers copy of an enchantment or two
3) A deck thinning tool
I don't know if this is archetype material, but it very well could be. Steel on a pancake flipper is ridiculous too. Hell... Finks, Mycoid Shepherd, Warmonks, Sledge, Sovereigns, Hierarch, Escort, Wilt-Leaf... we may have a solid midrange deck brewing.
---
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Dauntless Escort
4 Kitchen Finks
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Rhox Warmonk
2 Sovereigns of Lost Alara
4 Wilt-Leaf Liege
---
4 Hindering Light
4 Path to Exile
2 Shield of the Oversoul
2 Steel of the Godhead
Obviously not great but it has potential.
---
BRG Prossh, Skyraider of Kher
WUB Sharuum, the Hegemon
UGEdric, Spymaster of Trest
EDIT: This also helps "solve" the removal aspect. Assuming they have PoE, Terminate, whatever, what do they point it at? Kill the Sovereigns and you still have a Steeled Ethercaste Knight. Kill the Knight and the Sovereigns just aura up whatever other creature you deign to attack with next turn. Yes yes, Damnation/Wrath kills everything, but even for that there's Shield of the Oversoul. SLEEP DEPRIVED EDIT #2: Or the above-mentioned and amazing Dauntless Escort.
In which case they still have to deal with whatever exalted guy you have coming into the red zone this turn. Example: maybe a Jhessian Infiltrator with Noble Hierarch and Rafiq of the Many in play? You kill my Sovereigns and I swing for 8 unblockable? Okay, fine.
Edit because I fail at card tags.
Wouldn't it be better to just make it like normal using Rafiq of the Many?
Machius proudly supports R_E's right to Rumour!
so maybe that would be something to watch for.
The wait a turn part is if you want the Sovereign to get an aura(like Protective Bubble) to help it survive against all the targetted removal around at the moment.
The biggest problem I have with the card is the cost, because in a good bant deck you should have won by then(or have been Wrath'd, in which case there probably wouldn't be a creature in play to attack with when you play this). The bant exalted aggro deck is the only standard deck which would really want this and a deck which aims to do things like 1st turn Noble Hierarch, 2nd turn Shorecrasher Mimic, 3rd turn Rafiq of the many attacking with a 7/5 trampling doublestriking Mimic, 4th turn playing another UG spell and attacking for leathal.
I like the concept of the card but I think the place for it is in limited if you get the auras, as well as in casual and as a nice extra in Zur the Enchanter EDH decks.
Machius proudly supports R_E's right to Rumour!
"I feel like I haven't done my job unless somebody says, 'How the hell is that supposed to work?'" - Mark Rosewater
Collecting Islands need:
Unhinged & Unglued
Arena: Donato Giancola, Tony Szczudlo, Anson Maddocks, John Avon (ravnica)
European Land Program: Ben Thompsom, Eric Peterson, Ben Thompson
Fifth Edition J. W. Frost Islands foil
Location: Bangkok
[/quote]
and eyes are full of death besides
but luckily the soul is wise -
it sees beyond my blindness and
forced failure makes a better guise,
so as i come again alive,
it feels like life's a decent plan
Step 2: Attack x4
Step 3: Fetch:
Epic Proportions
Epic Proportions
Epic Proportions
Epic Proportions
Step 4: ???
Step 5: Profit!
Yes, you don't actually need all 4 Epic Proportions. But simply having 2 them in your deck turns this guy into a gigantor 2-turn clock. 10/10 trampler first attack, 15/15 trampler second attack. Of course, before that, search for Clout of the Dominus to get shroud (before your opponent knows what you're up to). Also, note that the card reads "an Aura that could enchant that creature." So, no Shroud shenanigans.
As far as I understand, that clause only makes clear that you cant seach for Enchant Land or Enchant enchantment or whatever and use it on your creature. It must be a creature enchantment.
You should be able to put enchantments on shrouds guys without problems as the effect does not target.
Ironically, I actually contradicted myself in my post. You're most likely right. Anyway, could Sovereigns + Epic Proportions see play?