After seeing this guy in action for a few matches, he's much less scary than I thought. It's fine, but not a kill it now or else you lose spoiler. It doesn't actually help at all against the cards you already have trouble with - like Polukranos.
On it's own it's basically just a 3/4 vigilance - the token gets blocked and dies 99% of the time. And if they aren't blocking the token, then they're killing something even more valuable.
The stats alone are enough to ensure that it will see play though. And it has great synergy with Spear of Heliod.
It doesn't directly affect your odds of hitting land drops, but it does kinda. Every time you have a land on top that you can play, you are effectively drawing a card. Because you are seeing more cards, you are seeing more lands. If you play this on turn 3 and wanted to draw a land on turn 4, you now have two chances to hit the land instead of one.
The effect is definitely powerful. Add in the life gain, the big body, and the low mana cost and you have an all-star.
maybe not straight burn, but correct me if I'm wrong but wouldn't some kind of RDW appreciate getting damage in while clearing the way for its creatures?
Sure, but the important thing to consider is that you would have to sacrifice one of your aggressive plays for this card. If the choice is Ash Zealot and attack or play this and hope to get value next turn with a burn spell, I think you are much better off with just Ash Zealot.
At one mana I think this card would be pretty good. At two mana it's competing with too many other crucial plays to be viable.
Instant speed reanimation is extremely powerful because it can wreck combat. Now make that creature indestructible and this will be gameover against a number of decks.
I think there's potential here, but on the other hand seven mana is a lot for a situational card so I wouldn't bet on it.
1. If you aren't ahead when you play the Chimera then they don't necessarily have any pressure to cast big stuff into it. In a competitive game it might be difficult to find an opening where you can tap out to drop this guy and not just get attacked for a bunch.
The 3/3 body certainly doesn't hurt though. But I really disagree with this assessment considering how Esper is a tier 1 deck and it's easy to come into this position post-Verdict.
2. Yes, exchanging your 3/3 for their spell is sweet...but then they get to do the same thing to you. Now that Jace/Elspeth/Revelation/whatever looks iffy.
Actually no. Not if you have Doom Blade/Hero's Downfall/etc. A removal spell pointed at it means that it will either die or your opponent will give it back to you. So as long as you are holding a removal spell, you are never at risk of trapping yourself into a bad situation.
I feel like either this is true, or this guy is unplayable. This is a really difficult card to evaluate without playing with it
I might throw a couple in my UG Prophet deck, as playing this guy as an instant seems like it could be the nuts
Why does playing him as an instant matter? This guy is so powerful specifically because he DOESN'T need to be played as an instant to be effective.
Think about it - even if I tapped out to play this, the absolute worst thing that can happen to me on your next turn is that I give you my 3/3 in exchange for your spell. That's a dream come true for a control deck.
This card is absolutely insane. I think right now this is the most powerful card in the set so far, possibly even the block so far.
A control deck can just tap out to cast this, steal any relevant spell that you play, or wait and let it sit around until you have to play something. Once it gets exchanged, they just Doom Blade it.
What is different about this card is that it can't be baited. The opponent can't just throw a random crap spell away and force it to be exchanged. Only a valuable spell will force the exchange to happen, so it can just sit around and deny you the one answer that you need to win the game. People will quickly learn to loath this card because it is just so unfair.
Best case scenario, I kill you on my turn because you made an awkward attack and tapped out to do nothing but draw cards. Worst case scenario, Doom Blade.
One mana 1/1 that stays a 1/1 unless you invest a card and lots of mana in it. At least Dryad Militant is always a 2/1. And Experiment One grows itself for free.
Phenax will never be a creature in a deck tailored for him. He seems like a great bomb in limited though.
A Haduken is basically the same as a punch to the face. Even the weakest fighters in the SF universe (the "regular guys") can eat plenty of them without getting knocked out.
Kamehamehas on the other hand leave craters in earth miles wide and would probably vaporize those "regular guys".
Its really weird to compare this card to Boon Satyr, they do not fit the same role AT ALL.
You would actually want both Boon Satyr and Fanatic in the deck because they work well together. Fanatic has trample, so the bestow is a great follow-up play.
This card has potential, but definitely more on the G/R Monsters side rather than the Devotion side. If you want to be swingy like this, I think you're basically ditching the Devotion angle completely.
I don't know if they will release Xenagos though as a god, since the color scheme of the other gods released correspond with the new dual color scry land color, and the gruul scryland was already released in theros. I could be completely off base though
Wasn't there a leaked card art that shows Xenogas in God form? Seems like a strong possibility.
On it's own it's basically just a 3/4 vigilance - the token gets blocked and dies 99% of the time. And if they aren't blocking the token, then they're killing something even more valuable.
The stats alone are enough to ensure that it will see play though. And it has great synergy with Spear of Heliod.
But to be realistic, it's nowhere near what Hero of Bladehold was.
The effect is definitely powerful. Add in the life gain, the big body, and the low mana cost and you have an all-star.
Sure, but the important thing to consider is that you would have to sacrifice one of your aggressive plays for this card. If the choice is Ash Zealot and attack or play this and hope to get value next turn with a burn spell, I think you are much better off with just Ash Zealot.
At one mana I think this card would be pretty good. At two mana it's competing with too many other crucial plays to be viable.
I think there's potential here, but on the other hand seven mana is a lot for a situational card so I wouldn't bet on it.
The 3/3 body certainly doesn't hurt though. But I really disagree with this assessment considering how Esper is a tier 1 deck and it's easy to come into this position post-Verdict.
Actually no. Not if you have Doom Blade/Hero's Downfall/etc. A removal spell pointed at it means that it will either die or your opponent will give it back to you. So as long as you are holding a removal spell, you are never at risk of trapping yourself into a bad situation.
Why does playing him as an instant matter? This guy is so powerful specifically because he DOESN'T need to be played as an instant to be effective.
Think about it - even if I tapped out to play this, the absolute worst thing that can happen to me on your next turn is that I give you my 3/3 in exchange for your spell. That's a dream come true for a control deck.
A control deck can just tap out to cast this, steal any relevant spell that you play, or wait and let it sit around until you have to play something. Once it gets exchanged, they just Doom Blade it.
What is different about this card is that it can't be baited. The opponent can't just throw a random crap spell away and force it to be exchanged. Only a valuable spell will force the exchange to happen, so it can just sit around and deny you the one answer that you need to win the game. People will quickly learn to loath this card because it is just so unfair.
Best case scenario, I kill you on my turn because you made an awkward attack and tapped out to do nothing but draw cards. Worst case scenario, Doom Blade.
Sorcery speed Evacuation *gag*. Not even close to Cyclonic Rift.
One mana 1/1 that stays a 1/1 unless you invest a card and lots of mana in it. At least Dryad Militant is always a 2/1. And Experiment One grows itself for free.
Phenax will never be a creature in a deck tailored for him. He seems like a great bomb in limited though.
Kamehamehas on the other hand leave craters in earth miles wide and would probably vaporize those "regular guys".
Even in limited it's not that good as far as bombs go.
Maybe they're actually going to build something that looks like it belongs in 2014 instead of 2004?
Doubtful, but I can dream right?
You would actually want both Boon Satyr and Fanatic in the deck because they work well together. Fanatic has trample, so the bestow is a great follow-up play.
This card has potential, but definitely more on the G/R Monsters side rather than the Devotion side. If you want to be swingy like this, I think you're basically ditching the Devotion angle completely.
Wasn't there a leaked card art that shows Xenogas in God form? Seems like a strong possibility.