Etrata, the Silencer2UB Legendary Creature - Vampire Assassin (R)
Etrata, the Silencer can't be blocked.
Whenever Etrata deals combat damage to a player, exile target creature that player controls and put a hit counter on that card. That player loses the game if they own three or more exiled cards with hit counters on them. Etrata's owner shuffles Etrata into their library. 3/5
For those curious, yes, you can do a variety of things to avoid actually shuffling her back into the deck while the shuffle trigger is on the stack. Plus its not limited to just sending her to the command zone instead.
Drawing from your own deck is a lot better than somebody else's. Grixis Control isn't going to get as much pulling an Arcbound Ravager, Ancient Stirrings, Hollow One, Street Wraith, etc. from someone else's deck as it would digging toward another K. Command in its own.
And Modern isn't exactly a friendly environment to random 2-toughness creatures without a good ETB or hexproof, especially over 2 mana.
YMMV, and go ahead and absolutely give it a shot, but I think RTR-THS's Devotion-heavy meta is making people think this dude has a better pedigree than history shows.
But you are also exiling those cards and the only one who can cast them, if they want to, is this specter's controller. Being able to exile threats like an Arcbound Ravager should be noteworthy as you are crippling their strategy everytime you hit those pieces.
When reading up on Rabiah the Infinite, I noticed there was a small section that talked of one of its shards known as Dark Rabiah. Stating basically "Rabiah, except as evil and sinister as Phyrexia". Simply curious if there is any more information about it as it sounds very intriguing.
With just this enchantment and the demon, you can Surveil up to 76 cards in Commander assuming you have taken no damage or lost any life. Which lets say its all on curve. That means there is only 11 cards in the deck you are not surveiling.
Sorry if this is a necro of the topic but i just recently pulled a Helm of the Host and want to know if it pairs well with Sen Triplets as Commander and Celestial Dawn to pay for casting all opponents spells. Throw in Grand Arbiter Augustin IV as a regular card in the deck to clone after you have enough Sen Triplets on the field for every player and basically all hands are your hands and only you may use them. Iona fits in as well due to being a white creature. Honestly i think Esper has the best time with this card besides the obvious endless combat phase cheesing of Godo.
Humility. It lets me focus on the most interesting parts of Magic without having to worry about those annoying creatures most people seem to end up playing.
As for Possibility Storm, I love it when I can make it asymmetric (e.g. in my Zada, Hedron Grinder deck). I'm much less keen on it when it's played "for the lolz".
it'll almost never connect. any commander that really needs to be cheated into play with this thing will immediately be apparent to the entire table and they will do anything and everything they can to stop it from hitting. it has no built in evasion, and don't even with the argument that you'll give it some form of evasion because now you're building around making this bad card good instead of building your deck around your commander. its toughness is nothing and its an artifact creature, the easiest thing in the format to kill.
Trample is literally printed on the card.
Edit: bold is my emphasis.
Yeah that trample is very relevant. It means that if it even survives only one turn, he will sure resolve his ability, unless all opponents got superfatty blockers, it's enough just 1 of his 5 damages to make magic happens.
And if it dies, blue don't care. Neither black actually. Artifacts creatures are the easiest thing to blow up? sure, but are also very easy to recur again from grave too.
The only goods ones to pick-up as a deck are the enchantment and the artifact ones, the other two are just singleton shopping. Like I really want Xantcha, Sleeper Agent, Treasure Nabber, and Varchild, Betrayer of Kjeldor for my five-color "Hugs and Slugs" deck but I can't justify buying Nature's Vengeance for just Xantcha.
A few ways Chromium can kill an opponent:
1) 3 hits over 3 normal turns.
2) Hatred to insta-gib one player.
3) Double strike to shave off one turn such as Battle Mastery or Fireshrieker
4) Extra turn shenanigans.
5) Quietus Spike to whittle an opponent's health down.
Among a plethora of other methods. Chromium is one of the most straight forward control finishers printed and yet it seems like some can't wrap their brains around it.
Bet nobody today was expecting a lesson in history and naming conventions of that time period for a planeswalker in a core set.
Believe it or not I knew about 95% of the information you shared. But its good for others that haven't been exposed to that information before.
That said, I still find her a dull planeswalker and would rather see Garruk fill that slot. Again, to each their own.
I'm glad you know as well. Sharing knowledge is a wonderful thing.
Mechanically I agree she could use much more interesting abilities. Like I was just spitballing but something more like:
+1: Create a 0/0 green Spirit creature token with two +1/+1 counters and "If it would be dealt damage, prevent it. Remove a +1/+1 counter from it."
-1: Put a +1/+1 counter on target spirit creature you control. Vivien, Spirit Ranger deals damage equal to that creatures power to target creature you don’t control.
-8: [emblem ultimate that works with spirits]
Legendary Creature - Vampire Assassin (R)
Etrata, the Silencer can't be blocked.
Whenever Etrata deals combat damage to a player, exile target creature that player controls and put a hit counter on that card. That player loses the game if they own three or more exiled cards with hit counters on them. Etrata's owner shuffles Etrata into their library.
3/5
For those curious, yes, you can do a variety of things to avoid actually shuffling her back into the deck while the shuffle trigger is on the stack. Plus its not limited to just sending her to the command zone instead.
Now for me, I find Mind's Dilation to be a rather fun card in a Sen Triplets deck.
1) 3 hits over 3 normal turns.
2) Hatred to insta-gib one player.
3) Double strike to shave off one turn such as Battle Mastery or Fireshrieker
4) Extra turn shenanigans.
5) Quietus Spike to whittle an opponent's health down.
Among a plethora of other methods. Chromium is one of the most straight forward control finishers printed and yet it seems like some can't wrap their brains around it.
Mechanically I agree she could use much more interesting abilities. Like I was just spitballing but something more like:
-1: Put a +1/+1 counter on target spirit creature you control. Vivien, Spirit Ranger deals damage equal to that creatures power to target creature you don’t control.
-8: [emblem ultimate that works with spirits]