Banish Soul1WW
Instant
Exile target creature or creature spell.
Tax1W
Sorcery
Create two treasure tokens.
Embargo2W
Instant
Create X treasure tokens where X is the number of players.
Excise3W
Sorcery
Create X treasure tokens where X is the number of lands target opponent controls.
Eminent Domain1W
Sorcery
Destroy target land. That land's controller may search their library for a basic land card and put it onto the battlefield tapped. Create a treasure token.
Manifest Destiny2W
Sorcery
Search your library for a plains card and put it onto the battlefield tapped. Create a treasure token.
Tax Man1W
Creature - Human Pirate
When Tax Man enters the battlefield, create X Treasure tokens, where X is the number of artifacts and enchantments your opponents control.
1/2
Tithe Collector1W
Creature - Human Soldier
First Strike
Whenever Tithe Collector deals combat damage to a player, create a treasure token.
2/1
All good advice, though I'll definitely push against point #3 from Juice. While you'll invariably become better over time piloting one sort of deck, branching out into other sorts will yield a surprising amount of value. For example if you tend to play control and branch out into aggro, you might notice certain play patterns you can exploit later when you play against aggro the next time. Particularly relevant to EDH, if you try out combo even though its not your thing you'll quickly realize which cards are important to interact with and when.
Since you've done the legwork of narrowing down what the issue is, allow me to just say it: He's probably just a much better player.
What you're feeling is frustration at being outplayed, and there's only two real courses of action available to you. Do you...
A) Get angry and allow it to make you bitter, or...
B) Strive to improve so that you can compete with him.
My advice to you is to spend more time watching him when you're playing, and if something seems peculiar or deliberate and you don't understand why he's doing it, just ask. Most good players are more than happy to explain their thought process and play patterns. Chances are, he's just better at sequencing to maximize his mana, or has better threat assessment and as such doesn't waste cards when he doesn't need to, or hell maybe he's just subtly politicking his way through games and you're not catching it.
Whatever the case, the best thing you can do is figure out why you're losing and attack it instead of worrying about how it makes you feel. Don't address the symptoms, address the cause.
I don't particularly like the "but it is dead lategame" argument either. That argument is true for most ramp effects, yet they still see plenty of play. The benefits clearly outweigh the drawback in this case.
The difference between traditional ramp and this card in the late game being that traditional ramp can at least play other cards, power out X spells, allow you to multi-spell, thin your deck, etc. Lotus does literally one thing. Which is a strong thing, sure, but the average case for it is going to be 'dead card in hand' since any given card is much more likely to NOT be in the opener. That's a really bad floor to risk for the ceiling offered.
Again, I like the card. I'm happy it exists. I'll be playing a couple in decks that can abuse it.
Its incredibly overrated though, and nowhere near worth its current price tag. $100+ is laughable for not even the best card in the set, in a set that will be opened probably more than any set in recent history. The foil full-art saw ebay listings of $800. People need to calm the hell down, cuz Black Lotus this ain't.
Yeah I definitely think Lotus is overrated but I can't get behind the argument that turboing out your commander isn't a good thing. YMMV, but usually you want that thing in play asap (w/ protection if possible but yolo).
So I have an Etrata, the silencer deck for which this is perfect, although letting opponents use black against me is still worth me being about to blink and bounce her as part of my deck construction.
That's a very cute use for this lol, I like it. Reminds me that this card would have been dramatically better with the 3 and 1 swapped.
You know, I ALWAYS forget she doesn't have flying and I can't be the only one.
Its intellectually dishonest to claim that the entire reason you're wrong is intellectually dishonest, just saying
It is VERY relevant that Lotus is a dead draw later in the game. It is not just some throwaway downside, it is huge. Lotus Petal, Dark Ritual, et al. are still useful if you didn't use them to get out to an explosive lead. This really is not, which is the entire problem with it.
Is Lotus powerful in the opener if your general can use 3 of the same color and can generate you enough of an advantage to offset archenemy status? Absolutely, and I personally have a couple such generals and will be trying this out.
Is Lotus worth a card at any other point in the game barring decks that make use of 0 cmc do-nothing artifacts? Unequivocally no.
Card is fine, people are going to overpay for it and be really sad that its not nearly worth the hype and continue to spit death-threats at WotC one way or another.
Greaves and Boots see more play because A) they're dramatically cheaper, B) they've been printed into the ground in Commander products so everyone has them, and C) new players are obsessed with protecting the queen at all costs. Not because they're better. If the swords were cheaper and/or reprinted more, they'd absolutely rise to the top.
If our discussion is about what sees more play (which I was unaware of that turning point in the conversation) then yes, Plate will probably see more play for the same reasons I mentioned above.
From a raw power-level perspective (which is the position I was arguing from) there really isn't much argument against swords just being dramatically better.
I'll concede that colorless decks on a budget may get some use out of it, that's a good point. Would still absolutely run every sword first given the option.
So you put a Sword of Feast and Famine on your commander, and they Swords your commander. Way to go.
Making any mono-colored commander extremely hard to get rid of or block makes for an excellent card in decks that want to equip their commander.
So you attempt to equip your commander with plate and they swords it. Way to go.
The floor on this card is the same as the floor on swords: You get nothing.
The ceiling, and the average case even, on a sword is much MUCH MUCH higher.
How did they Swords my equipped mono-black commander?
Unless you're saying Swords in response to equip, in which case every equipment ever is terrible because you can always respond to the equip, making it pointless.
Once the card is equipped, I'd wager players would be much happier with "Protection from 4+ colors" than "Do this kind of decent thing only if you manage to land damage and protection from 2 specific colors".
On a different note, this exact conversation is why people need to have what type of Magic they play somewhere on their profile. If you play CEDH, and therefore 99.999999999999% of all cards printed will never see any play whatsoever because it doesn't combo kill the board on Turn 5 with Force of Will to back it up, then cards like this are terrible. So are the swords. And every equipment ever made except for maybe Skullclamp.
Absolutely could not disagree more.
Your position that this is "Protection from 4+ colors" is ONLY relevant in 0-1 color decks. On average this is protection from 2-3 colors and no other value which is, objectively, dramatically less useful than protection from 2 colors AND getting two triggers worth of value off a sword. If the triggers weren't bonkers good on swords, they wouldn't be as popular as they are, so its really suspect to remove them from the equation.
I'll concede that colorless decks on a budget may get some use out of it, that's a good point. Would still absolutely run every sword first given the option.
So you put a Sword of Feast and Famine on your commander, and they Swords your commander. Way to go.
Making any mono-colored commander extremely hard to get rid of or block makes for an excellent card in decks that want to equip their commander.
So you attempt to equip your commander with plate and they swords it. Way to go.
The floor on this card is the same as the floor on swords: You get nothing.
The ceiling, and the average case even, on a sword is much MUCH MUCH higher.
I'll concede that colorless decks on a budget may get some use out of it, that's a good point. Would still absolutely run every sword first given the option.
A large and unimpressed 'meh' for this one. Not the worst equipment in the world, but very much not actually good.
Are you kidding me? It only costs 1 then 3 (or 5) to equip. Of course, it loses it's effectiveness with multicolored generals, but still, most decks are 2-3 colors so it will always protect from 2-3 colors at the least! The +3/+3 bonus is just gravy....
Going straight into my Urza, Lord High Artificer deck.
No? The protections are not the important part of swords. The triggers are. Maybe mono-white is desperate enough for this I guess, but I can't think of a good reason for anyone else to bother.
Spell Tithe 1W
Instant
Counter target spell unless its controller pays 3.
Spell Tariff 1WW
Instant
Counter target spell. Create a treasure token.
Banish Magic 1W
Instant
Exile target non-creature non-planeswalker spell.
Banish Soul 1WW
Instant
Exile target creature or creature spell.
Tax 1W
Sorcery
Create two treasure tokens.
Embargo 2W
Instant
Create X treasure tokens where X is the number of players.
Excise 3W
Sorcery
Create X treasure tokens where X is the number of lands target opponent controls.
Eminent Domain 1W
Sorcery
Destroy target land. That land's controller may search their library for a basic land card and put it onto the battlefield tapped. Create a treasure token.
Manifest Destiny 2W
Sorcery
Search your library for a plains card and put it onto the battlefield tapped. Create a treasure token.
Tax Man 1W
Creature - Human Pirate
When Tax Man enters the battlefield, create X Treasure tokens, where X is the number of artifacts and enchantments your opponents control.
1/2
Tithe Collector 1W
Creature - Human Soldier
First Strike
Whenever Tithe Collector deals combat damage to a player, create a treasure token.
2/1
What you're feeling is frustration at being outplayed, and there's only two real courses of action available to you. Do you...
A) Get angry and allow it to make you bitter, or...
B) Strive to improve so that you can compete with him.
My advice to you is to spend more time watching him when you're playing, and if something seems peculiar or deliberate and you don't understand why he's doing it, just ask. Most good players are more than happy to explain their thought process and play patterns. Chances are, he's just better at sequencing to maximize his mana, or has better threat assessment and as such doesn't waste cards when he doesn't need to, or hell maybe he's just subtly politicking his way through games and you're not catching it.
Whatever the case, the best thing you can do is figure out why you're losing and attack it instead of worrying about how it makes you feel. Don't address the symptoms, address the cause.
The difference between traditional ramp and this card in the late game being that traditional ramp can at least play other cards, power out X spells, allow you to multi-spell, thin your deck, etc. Lotus does literally one thing. Which is a strong thing, sure, but the average case for it is going to be 'dead card in hand' since any given card is much more likely to NOT be in the opener. That's a really bad floor to risk for the ceiling offered.
Again, I like the card. I'm happy it exists. I'll be playing a couple in decks that can abuse it.
Its incredibly overrated though, and nowhere near worth its current price tag. $100+ is laughable for not even the best card in the set, in a set that will be opened probably more than any set in recent history. The foil full-art saw ebay listings of $800. People need to calm the hell down, cuz Black Lotus this ain't.
That's a very cute use for this lol, I like it. Reminds me that this card would have been dramatically better with the 3 and 1 swapped.
You know, I ALWAYS forget she doesn't have flying and I can't be the only one.
It is VERY relevant that Lotus is a dead draw later in the game. It is not just some throwaway downside, it is huge. Lotus Petal, Dark Ritual, et al. are still useful if you didn't use them to get out to an explosive lead. This really is not, which is the entire problem with it.
Is Lotus powerful in the opener if your general can use 3 of the same color and can generate you enough of an advantage to offset archenemy status? Absolutely, and I personally have a couple such generals and will be trying this out.
Is Lotus worth a card at any other point in the game barring decks that make use of 0 cmc do-nothing artifacts? Unequivocally no.
Card is fine, people are going to overpay for it and be really sad that its not nearly worth the hype and continue to spit death-threats at WotC one way or another.
If our discussion is about what sees more play (which I was unaware of that turning point in the conversation) then yes, Plate will probably see more play for the same reasons I mentioned above.
From a raw power-level perspective (which is the position I was arguing from) there really isn't much argument against swords just being dramatically better.
Absolutely could not disagree more.
Your position that this is "Protection from 4+ colors" is ONLY relevant in 0-1 color decks. On average this is protection from 2-3 colors and no other value which is, objectively, dramatically less useful than protection from 2 colors AND getting two triggers worth of value off a sword. If the triggers weren't bonkers good on swords, they wouldn't be as popular as they are, so its really suspect to remove them from the equation.
So you attempt to equip your commander with plate and they swords it. Way to go.
The floor on this card is the same as the floor on swords: You get nothing.
The ceiling, and the average case even, on a sword is much MUCH MUCH higher.
No? The protections are not the important part of swords. The triggers are. Maybe mono-white is desperate enough for this I guess, but I can't think of a good reason for anyone else to bother.