I have a question...could Dictate of Kruphix open up a new argument for non turbo-fog and owling mine based decks (potentially out of the sideboard)? You are effectively gaining a card over your opponent with the way the card can be played optimally, so...is it still highly frowned upon to increase the rate of drawpower on both sides even if you benefit first? Is there a method of strategic thinking that justifies the card outside of "The cards I am drawing are clearly better than what I know my opponent has"
Because this might be a very good sideboard card in some blue control/tempo decks if the pros and cons are understood fully. I mean Mystical Teachings might find means to play this as a 1-of in their sb. Faeries might find this a useful alternative to tapping out for jace beleren (highly unlikely, but I'm keeping my mind open to it). UWR control could accelerate their draw a bit better and control their resources easier. Delver might not play it (or might, simply because young pyromancer can help bury the opponent to the point where it doesnt matter)
Given that I ditch most of the cards that I flip with Dakra Mystic in testing, yes, increasing the draw rate of both sides at the same rate by busting a card is still frowned upon.
Blood Moon with Flash and the Dictate of Kruphix triggers would be worse overall than plain old Blood Moon, IMO, because it would increase the chance that opponents would be able to break out of the lock.
Just highlight to them that it has Flash and thus you can get first dibs.
Getting first dibs fixes everything about using Howling Mines as anything but a means to mill the opponent.
You kidding me? I love the **** out of Ajani. A five drop that is in a color with the best mana accel? YES! Granted, I tend to approach cards from a Johnny quirky point of view, but I am already dreading the price I will have to pay for this card.
I think this card is for standard. At least all the cute interactions I can think of are in standard.
Reminds me of Venser, the Sojourner, another card that generates a lot of value with many possible creatures. Venser does not see play in any competitive modern deck either. For 5 mana, and let's assume some 3-mana creature that interacts well with it, what else I can do with 8 mana? For most decks, they can win the game with 8 mana worth of cards, or less. Two-card combos, fast aggro, even prison...
I think that its place is in Standard, not here (though it does have an infinite combo in Standard, so yay). What do you think that you would use it in?
I would argue that the card doesnt have a place in Standard either at least not until RTR rotates.
Of course it will take a bit of time and dozens of lost games against the top tier decks like Mono-Black for people to finally realize this.
Let's see, it is a 5 mana planeswalker. The only other one of those that sees Modern play is Gideon Jura, and he sees play only in Control decks, which Ajani is not suited for. Every deck that could play him has better options.
I am somewhere on the fence between these two points. TDW is absolutely right that Ajani is really, really good. And Valanarch is right in that he's probably too expensive, but I don't think it's safe to say he's way too expensive. At 4, he's too good. At 5, it's debatable. In the right deck, I'm sure he's going to be incredible, but does that deck exist right now? Is it the fabled Modern Superfriends deck? It doesn't seem quite right for a GW or Bant aggro/midrange shell, because Elspeth (or BSA) just fits the beatdown game plan a heck of a lot better. I love it, and it's good, and I want it to work; but where?
Him being expensive would be fine if he didn't reek of a "dig for an Elspeth and pump her tokens every subsequent turn" agenda.
I look at his title, Mentor of Heroes, and that disgusting saying comes to mind "those who can, do; those who cannot, teach." Thanks, Theros. I'm just drowning in all the flavor here.
It's not his fault, though. There's only so much room to work with Johnny to acknowledge his encroaching into Green while respecting his identity as the PW who gains life and/or plops +1/+1 counters on creatures.
...would it have been too dangerous to make his second +1 a Captain Sisay tutor effect that could also snag Planeswalkers?
Eidolon of the Great RevelRR Enchantment Creature - Spirit
Whenever a player casts a spell with converted mana cost 3 or less, Eidolon of the Great Revel deals 2 damage to that player.
2/2
IS THIS THE RED 2 DROP WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR??
Even if you kill him, he's still a Shock/Duress combo for RR. If you don't kill him, his damage just adds up too quickly. He's aggressively costed, has the bob/snapcaster body, and he directly screws with a ton of Modern strategies. On top of that, he's a real beating against Snapcaster. If you use Snappy to flashback removal, that's a free Fireblast right there to the opponent. I am absolutely loving this card.
EDIT: WOOPS! 2 damage not 3. Okay so he's not the second coming of Goblin Piledriver, but he's still awesome
I don't think Ajani fits with any current archetype, but I would not be shocked at all if a new deck got built around it. green to ramp, white to stall. Nykthos is part of a reasonable new deck, just because it isn't t1 doesn't mean something cool couldn't happen. someone mentioned an infinite combo in Standard. the combo is also in Modern and we have more goodies to make it work
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Project Booster Fun makes it less fun to open a booster.
Eidolon of the Great RevelRR Enchantment Creature - Spirit
Whenever a player casts a spell with converted mana cost 3 or less, Eidolon of the Great Revel deals 3 damage to that player.
2/2
IS THIS THE RED 2 DROP WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR??
Even if you kill him, he's still a Lava Spike/Duress combo for RR. If you don't kill him, his damage just adds up too quickly. He's aggressively costed, has the bob/snapcaster body, and he directly screws with a ton of Modern strategies. On top of that, he's a real beating against Snapcaster. If you use Snappy to flashback removal, that's 6 damage right there to the opponent. I am absolutely loving this card.
Only real drawback is that it indiscriminately Lava Spikes anyone wait it's just 2 damage, it's that silly enchantment from Scourge that does that thing with the triggers and yeah this is just that on legs.
At any rate it's still above average for Theros block in terms of interesting cardboard.
Eidolon of the Great RevelRR Enchantment Creature - Spirit
Whenever a player casts a spell with converted mana cost 3 or less, Eidolon of the Great Revel deals 2 damage to that player.
2/2
IS THIS THE RED 2 DROP WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR??
Even if you kill him, he's still a Shock/Duress combo for RR. If you don't kill him, his damage just adds up too quickly. He's aggressively costed, has the bob/snapcaster body, and he directly screws with a ton of Modern strategies. On top of that, he's a real beating against Snapcaster. If you use Snappy to flashback removal, that's a free Fireblast right there to the opponent. I am absolutely loving this card.
EDIT: WOOPS! 2 damage not 3. Okay so he's not the second coming of Goblin Piledriver, but he's still awesome
Well, I'm not quite sold on him. Seems like he would hose Storm fairly well but that's about it. The body without the text box is overcosted and the text box depends entirely on your opponent's actions, not your own.
EDIT: Actually, he hurts you too. And since he'd likely be in a sligh type of deck, that's bad since most of your spells would fall into his effect.
Eidolon of the Great RevelRR Enchantment Creature - Spirit
Whenever a player casts a spell with converted mana cost 3 or less, Eidolon of the Great Revel deals 2 damage to that player.
2/2
IS THIS THE RED 2 DROP WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR??
Even if you kill him, he's still a Shock/Duress combo for RR. If you don't kill him, his damage just adds up too quickly. He's aggressively costed, has the bob/snapcaster body, and he directly screws with a ton of Modern strategies. On top of that, he's a real beating against Snapcaster. If you use Snappy to flashback removal, that's a free Fireblast right there to the opponent. I am absolutely loving this card.
EDIT: WOOPS! 2 damage not 3. Okay so he's not the second coming of Goblin Piledriver, but he's still awesome
No because it pings you as well. There aren't many decks that actually want this dude. It's the same type of decks that would probably be playing Chalice of the Void and such. Even burn doesn't want it because it hurts yourself just as much. Aside from Skred Red what deck in modern wants it?
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Currently Playing:
Modern: UWUW TronUW
Legacy: WDeath N TaxesW CEldrazi C
If you couldn't tell I hate greedy blue decks.
No because it pings you as well. There aren't many decks that actually want this dude. It's the same type of decks that would probably be playing Chalice of the Void and such. Even burn doesn't want it because it hurts yourself just as much. Aside from Skred Red what deck in modern wants it?
Any deck that would play this card should be ahead with their life total. And any deck that would play this card would be able to output more damage with a spell than they would take from the Eidolon. Most decks can't ignore him once he's out because they take too much damage. Sure, they can kill him, but you've gained at least 1 Shock from the exchange. They wait too long or miss the first removal, they probably take 4 from him.
Eidolon of the Great RevelRR Enchantment Creature - Spirit
Whenever a player casts a spell with converted mana cost 3 or less, Eidolon of the Great Revel deals 2 damage to that player.
2/2
IS THIS THE RED 2 DROP WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR??
Even if you kill him, he's still a Shock/Duress combo for RR. If you don't kill him, his damage just adds up too quickly. He's aggressively costed, has the bob/snapcaster body, and he directly screws with a ton of Modern strategies. On top of that, he's a real beating against Snapcaster. If you use Snappy to flashback removal, that's a free Fireblast right there to the opponent. I am absolutely loving this card.
EDIT: WOOPS! 2 damage not 3. Okay so he's not the second coming of Goblin Piledriver, but he's still awesome
No because it pings you as well. There aren't many decks that actually want this dude. It's the same type of decks that would probably be playing Chalice of the Void and such. Even burn doesn't want it because it hurts yourself just as much. Aside from Skred Red what deck in modern wants it?
Might consider running it in Boros.
Might.
I think that, in a game where every spell cast by one player is a free shock for their opponent, the deck with more burn spells in it gains the upper hand.
Or something.
I dunno, but the card definitely has the markings of something worth hoarding. Time will tell if it actually works or not in Modern.
No because it pings you as well. There aren't many decks that actually want this dude. It's the same type of decks that would probably be playing Chalice of the Void and such. Even burn doesn't want it because it hurts yourself just as much. Aside from Skred Red what deck in modern wants it?
Any deck that would play this card should be ahead with their life total. And any deck that would play this card would be able to output more damage with a spell than they would take from the Eidolon. Most decks can't ignore him once he's out because they take too much damage. Sure, they can kill him, but you've gained at least 1 Shock from the exchange. They wait too long or miss the first removal, they probably take 4 from him.
Okay that's the ideal, but there's not many cards that out damage the potential from the eidolon. Most aggro decks will take just as much damage from his as the opponent will.
Its powerful, but its very narrow. It wants to be in an aggressive deck with lots of spells that cost 4+, which are... rare.
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Currently Playing:
Modern: UWUW TronUW
Legacy: WDeath N TaxesW CEldrazi C
If you couldn't tell I hate greedy blue decks.
Okay that's the ideal, but there's not many cards that out damage the potential from the eidolon. Most aggro decks will take just as much damage from his as the opponent will.
Its powerful, but its very narrow. It wants to be in an aggressive deck with lots of spells that cost 4+, which are... rare.
Most of the aggro decks in this format are winning around turn 4, including Burn. So in the aggro vs. aggro contest, as long as your spells are more efficient at damaging an opponent (like Burn), then Eidolon basically guarantees that you get ahead and stay ahead. Drop this on turn 3 after playing your own burn spell and your opponent is in a very bad position.
As for the slower decks, the only deck that can reliably play around this card is Pod. Basically every other deck needs to answer him quickly or they just start taking too much damage.
In a metagame that was too aggro heavy, I might not put too many of these cards in the maindeck (but he's still strong sideboard material). Eidolon makes it hard as an aggro player to pick whether you are playing beatdown or control in a matchup. But in a more balanced metagame (like most GP and MTGO metagames), there are a lot of decks that don't want to see this on the other side of the table on turn 2-3.
Pyrostatic Pillar is played in Legacy Burn decks. It's easy to break the symmetry if your spells deal direct damage and theirs do not. It's also easy to break the symmetry when your opponents are playing Shocklands, Thoughtseize, Gitaxian Probe, etc. At the same time, it is annoying that the Eidolon trigger resolves and deals damage to you before you deal damage to them.
Modern sees more 4cmc+ cards than Legacy does, however. Engine combo like Storm cares, but it's not a big deal for decks like Splinter Twin. Delver decks actually find this effect miserable. On the other hand, the opponent doesn't mind too much if they Lightning Helix and Electrolyze it.
As far as red two-drops go, I'm convinced Young Pyromancer is of a higher power level than this card, but Eidolon is very effective against particular decks. At the very least, Burn can sideboard him in against Storm decks.
Eidolon of the Great RevelRR Enchantment Creature - Spirit
Whenever a player casts a spell with converted mana cost 3 or less, Eidolon of the Great Revel deals 2 damage to that player.
2/2
IS THIS THE RED 2 DROP WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR??
Even if you kill him, he's still a Shock/Duress combo for RR. If you don't kill him, his damage just adds up too quickly. He's aggressively costed, has the bob/snapcaster body, and he directly screws with a ton of Modern strategies. On top of that, he's a real beating against Snapcaster. If you use Snappy to flashback removal, that's a free Fireblast right there to the opponent. I am absolutely loving this card.
EDIT: WOOPS! 2 damage not 3. Okay so he's not the second coming of Goblin Piledriver, but he's still awesome
That's incredibly good. Basically a reprint of Pyrostatic Pillar, right?
Four of these and four Ash Zealot is a start for a really dangerous red deck. I would definitely splash white for Thalia.
Given that I ditch most of the cards that I flip with Dakra Mystic in testing, yes, increasing the draw rate of both sides at the same rate by busting a card is still frowned upon.
Blood Moon with Flash and the Dictate of Kruphix triggers would be worse overall than plain old Blood Moon, IMO, because it would increase the chance that opponents would be able to break out of the lock.
Getting first dibs fixes everything about using Howling Mines as anything but a means to mill the opponent.
Is this the hero modern miracles deserve?
But not the one that it needs right now. .
Storm Crow is strictly worse than Seacoast Drake.
I think this card is for standard. At least all the cute interactions I can think of are in standard.
Fathom Mage: draw 3 every turn.
High Priest of Penance: make your own Phyrexian Obliterator
Simic Manipulator: gain control of a creature every turn... sort of...
Experiment One: one mana creature that regenerates... awesome...actually not really...
Gyre Sage: you already got 5 mana, you need more for what?
Reminds me of Venser, the Sojourner, another card that generates a lot of value with many possible creatures. Venser does not see play in any competitive modern deck either. For 5 mana, and let's assume some 3-mana creature that interacts well with it, what else I can do with 8 mana? For most decks, they can win the game with 8 mana worth of cards, or less. Two-card combos, fast aggro, even prison...
I would argue that the card doesnt have a place in Standard either at least not until RTR rotates.
Of course it will take a bit of time and dozens of lost games against the top tier decks like Mono-Black for people to finally realize this.
And way too expensive to see Modern play.
Storm Crow is strictly worse than Seacoast Drake.
BZZT. Wrong.
Let's see, it is a 5 mana planeswalker. The only other one of those that sees Modern play is Gideon Jura, and he sees play only in Control decks, which Ajani is not suited for. Every deck that could play him has better options.
Storm Crow is strictly worse than Seacoast Drake.
I am somewhere on the fence between these two points. TDW is absolutely right that Ajani is really, really good. And Valanarch is right in that he's probably too expensive, but I don't think it's safe to say he's way too expensive. At 4, he's too good. At 5, it's debatable. In the right deck, I'm sure he's going to be incredible, but does that deck exist right now? Is it the fabled Modern Superfriends deck? It doesn't seem quite right for a GW or Bant aggro/midrange shell, because Elspeth (or BSA) just fits the beatdown game plan a heck of a lot better. I love it, and it's good, and I want it to work; but where?
CG
Him being expensive would be fine if he didn't reek of a "dig for an Elspeth and pump her tokens every subsequent turn" agenda.
I look at his title, Mentor of Heroes, and that disgusting saying comes to mind "those who can, do; those who cannot, teach." Thanks, Theros. I'm just drowning in all the flavor here.
It's not his fault, though. There's only so much room to work with Johnny to acknowledge his encroaching into Green while respecting his identity as the PW who gains life and/or plops +1/+1 counters on creatures.
...would it have been too dangerous to make his second +1 a Captain Sisay tutor effect that could also snag Planeswalkers?
Eidolon of the Great Revel RR
Enchantment Creature - Spirit
Whenever a player casts a spell with converted mana cost 3 or less, Eidolon of the Great Revel deals 2 damage to that player.
2/2
IS THIS THE RED 2 DROP WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR??
Even if you kill him, he's still a Shock/Duress combo for RR. If you don't kill him, his damage just adds up too quickly. He's aggressively costed, has the bob/snapcaster body, and he directly screws with a ton of Modern strategies. On top of that, he's a real beating against Snapcaster. If you use Snappy to flashback removal, that's a free Fireblast right there to the opponent. I am absolutely loving this card.
EDIT: WOOPS! 2 damage not 3. Okay so he's not the second coming of Goblin Piledriver, but he's still awesome
Only real drawback is that it indiscriminately
Lava Spikes anyonewait it's just 2 damage, it's that silly enchantment from Scourge that does that thing with the triggers and yeah this is just that on legs.At any rate it's still above average for Theros block in terms of interesting cardboard.
Well, I'm not quite sold on him. Seems like he would hose Storm fairly well but that's about it. The body without the text box is overcosted and the text box depends entirely on your opponent's actions, not your own.
EDIT: Actually, he hurts you too. And since he'd likely be in a sligh type of deck, that's bad since most of your spells would fall into his effect.
Standard: lol no
Modern: BG/x, UR/x, Burn, Merfolk, Zoo, Storm
Legacy: Shardless BUG, Delver (BUG, RUG, Grixis), Landstill, Depths Combo, Merfolk
Vintage: Dark Times, BUG Fish, Merfolk
EDH: Teysa, Orzhov Scion / Krenko, Mob Boss / Stonebrow, Krosan Hero
No because it pings you as well. There aren't many decks that actually want this dude. It's the same type of decks that would probably be playing Chalice of the Void and such. Even burn doesn't want it because it hurts yourself just as much. Aside from Skred Red what deck in modern wants it?
Modern:
UWUW TronUW
Legacy:
WDeath N TaxesW
CEldrazi C
If you couldn't tell I hate greedy blue decks.
Vintage
WWhite Trash
Any deck that would play this card should be ahead with their life total. And any deck that would play this card would be able to output more damage with a spell than they would take from the Eidolon. Most decks can't ignore him once he's out because they take too much damage. Sure, they can kill him, but you've gained at least 1 Shock from the exchange. They wait too long or miss the first removal, they probably take 4 from him.
Might consider running it in Boros.
Might.
I think that, in a game where every spell cast by one player is a free shock for their opponent, the deck with more burn spells in it gains the upper hand.
Or something.
I dunno, but the card definitely has the markings of something worth hoarding. Time will tell if it actually works or not in Modern.
Okay that's the ideal, but there's not many cards that out damage the potential from the eidolon. Most aggro decks will take just as much damage from his as the opponent will.
Its powerful, but its very narrow. It wants to be in an aggressive deck with lots of spells that cost 4+, which are... rare.
Modern:
UWUW TronUW
Legacy:
WDeath N TaxesW
CEldrazi C
If you couldn't tell I hate greedy blue decks.
Vintage
WWhite Trash
Most of the aggro decks in this format are winning around turn 4, including Burn. So in the aggro vs. aggro contest, as long as your spells are more efficient at damaging an opponent (like Burn), then Eidolon basically guarantees that you get ahead and stay ahead. Drop this on turn 3 after playing your own burn spell and your opponent is in a very bad position.
As for the slower decks, the only deck that can reliably play around this card is Pod. Basically every other deck needs to answer him quickly or they just start taking too much damage.
In a metagame that was too aggro heavy, I might not put too many of these cards in the maindeck (but he's still strong sideboard material). Eidolon makes it hard as an aggro player to pick whether you are playing beatdown or control in a matchup. But in a more balanced metagame (like most GP and MTGO metagames), there are a lot of decks that don't want to see this on the other side of the table on turn 2-3.
Modern sees more 4cmc+ cards than Legacy does, however. Engine combo like Storm cares, but it's not a big deal for decks like Splinter Twin. Delver decks actually find this effect miserable. On the other hand, the opponent doesn't mind too much if they Lightning Helix and Electrolyze it.
As far as red two-drops go, I'm convinced Young Pyromancer is of a higher power level than this card, but Eidolon is very effective against particular decks. At the very least, Burn can sideboard him in against Storm decks.
That's incredibly good. Basically a reprint of Pyrostatic Pillar, right?
Four of these and four Ash Zealot is a start for a really dangerous red deck. I would definitely splash white for Thalia.
I love how disruptive that core is.