I'd also rather see some different type of equipment. The Swords are great cards, of course, but now that we've had five of them, I think it's time for something else.
Is it just me, or does this cards wording let you exile your own planeswalker?
I'm pretty sure it's just you.
Exile target creature that's attacking you or a planeswalker you control.
It doesn't say "target creature that's attacking you or planeswalker you control" (like Disenchant saying "target artifact or enchantment"). It says "target creature that's attacking you or a planeswalker you control" so it simply targets a creature that's either attacking you or attacking a planeswalker you control.
Pacifism only targets something as it comes into play.
It's worth noting that this isn't quite true (though it's pretty close). Auras like Pacifism only target while they're on the stack (which they usually are just before they enter the battlefield). If an aura enters the battlefield without being on the stack (such as by Enduring Ideal or Zur the Enchanter) it doesn't target and could, for example, be attached to a creature with shroud and would provide no opportunity for Turn Aside to counter it.
Agreed. As iceage4life said, this guy's ability just feels like an invitation to overextend. I'd much rather gain Pelakka Wurm's 7 life than an opportunity to do something foolish.
Storm is a triggered ability that triggers "when you cast this spell". When you conspire, you simply copy the spell; you don't cast the copy. Compare the text for conspire (which I've quoted below) to the text of Isochron Scepter which does allows you to cast its copies.
702.37a Storm is a triggered ability that functions on the stack. "Storm" means "When you cast this spell, put a copy of it onto the stack for each other spell that was cast before it this turn. If the spell has any targets, you may choose new targets for any of the copies."
702.75a Conspire is a keyword that represents two abilities. The first is a static ability that functions while the spell with conspire is on the stack. The second is a triggered ability that functions while the spell with conspire is on the stack. "Conspire" means "As an additional cost to cast this spell, you may tap two untapped creatures you control that each share a color with it" and "When you cast this spell, if its conspire cost was paid, copy it. If the spell has any targets, you may choose new targets for the copy." Paying a spell's conspire cost follows the rules for paying additional costs in rules 601.2b and 601.2e-g.
Correct. Effects like Condemn look at the creature's toughness after all modifiers are applied. If there are -1/-1 counters on it, you will gain less life; if you control Tempered Steel, you will gain 9 life.
i'm pretty sure most any trigger that is triggered "when attacks" is triggered right after attackers are declared... is there any point at which you can respond before the trigger takes effect?
Certainly. A triggered ability like [B]Primeval Titan[/c]'s triggers as soon as it attacks and goes on the stack before blockers are declared (as soon as its controller finishes declairing attackers.) While it's on the stack, you have a chance to respond to it just like any other spell or ability on the stack.
like if someone sets a primeval titan to attacking, and the lands that ETB would kill me via valakut so i lightning bolt the other player is response, causing them to go to 0 life, and i would win teh game? or would the fetch happen first?
As long as you cast your Lightning bolt in response to the triggered ability, your opponent will go to zero life and lose the game before he searches for land. In this case, you could also win by responding to the Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle triggers for the same end result.
the real reason i'm asking though, has to do with condemn. when is it too late to condemn an attacking creature? once the second main phase has occurred? would it be possible to deal damage, then condemn an attacking creature?
You can cast Condemn during any time up to and including the end of combat step. This means that you can let a creature deal combat damage and then Condemn it. Once the post combat main phase begins, there are no longer any attacking creatures so it's too late.
While my gut says to take Koth of the Hammer, there is a lot to be said for pile 3. It doesn't fit especially well with what we've taken so far (though Hearth Kami would fit nicely in red-black aggro) but it gives us a lot of options and some very good artifact killers. magicmerl has been keeping his options open and taking a lot of artifacts so I don't think taking the pile with Hearth Kami and [c]Wickerbough Elder
[/c] is a bad idea at all.
Hmmm. I was actually thinking just yesterday about trying to add Vanguard support to my cube, just to mix things up a little. One thought I had was printing proxies and mixing a number of the MTGO vanguard avatars with a number of the physical vanguard cards but picking the ones from each that I want to use is going to be a bit of a hassle. Does anyone have any thoughts or recommendations on the online avatars?
Thanks for the hard work on this analysis, ropebreezy!
I took a quiz that said I belonged to the Selesnya Conclave... Didn't see that coming. I always thought I was more of a Gruul or Rakdos affiliate.
That's why I never bother with those quizzes; I know my personality and mental outlook infinitely better than any website with a multiple choice quiz ever could.
As for me, I'm definitely Izzet. I'm intelligent, creative, emotional and a bit of a mad scientist when you come right down to it.
Eh, it wouldn't have to be worded like that. If it just didn't say "another", you could hit the same duder with both.
Which is exactly the difference and why I pointed the other wording out. Arc Trail says "another" and requires different targets. Seeds of Strength does not say "another" and can target the same creature multiple times.
According to an old thread I Googled up, he Portal sets became tournament legal on October 20th, 2005.
Also, what Altaurus321 calls "Portal block" isn't a block in the way people typically use the term. There was not connectivity or overarching themes to the design; they were just three unrelated* sets designed to ease beginners into the game.
*Besides the names and general concept, of course.
It doesn't say "target creature that's attacking you or planeswalker you control" (like Disenchant saying "target artifact or enchantment"). It says "target creature that's attacking you or a planeswalker you control" so it simply targets a creature that's either attacking you or attacking a planeswalker you control.
No, you would still gain 7. Marked damage doesn't reduce a creature's tougness. A 7/7 with 2 damage marked on it is still a 7/7, not a 7/5.
You can cast Condemn during any time up to and including the end of combat step. This means that you can let a creature deal combat damage and then Condemn it. Once the post combat main phase begins, there are no longer any attacking creatures so it's too late.
[/c] is a bad idea at all.
Pile 3.
Thanks for the hard work on this analysis, ropebreezy!
As for me, I'm definitely Izzet. I'm intelligent, creative, emotional and a bit of a mad scientist when you come right down to it.
If it let you target one creature multiple times, its wording would be more akin to Seeds of Strength.
According to an old thread I Googled up, he Portal sets became tournament legal on October 20th, 2005.
Also, what Altaurus321 calls "Portal block" isn't a block in the way people typically use the term. There was not connectivity or overarching themes to the design; they were just three unrelated* sets designed to ease beginners into the game.
*Besides the names and general concept, of course.