RUG Control with a Vengeance SB. Tailsmans for ramp and protection with Huntmaster as the midgame plan.
I second this. I have dreams of running Huntmaster alongside Snapcaster. Finally, a DFC I want to flip over and over. I'll probably try a curse deck too, just for the lulz.
The set is oozing with flavor, trying to show the desperate times for the humans in this world. Everything from the fateful hour mechanic to undying are all interesting. The interactions, especially in limited, are going to be complex and amazing. Just think of how Undying affects cards like Travel Preparations or how tense combat scenarios will be when you don't quite have enough to kill him, while he has some fateful hour guys on board. Even the non traditional DFCs are interesting, like Soul Seizer and Elbrus. The power level might be lacking a bit, but people have said that plenty of times and been wrong. Give it time and let the flavor sink in a bit. Theres plenty of good stuff for everyone, even constructed. I say, bravo to MaRo on another brilliant set.
I love this guy; he won't be particularly good, but he is a persistent beater that does happen to mill 5-10 cards. I see him more as a 5/5 that forces 2 kill spells as opposed to just a mill creature. Particularly powerful after an Undead Alchemist (which was already mentioned). Terrible with Havengul Runebinder though (since you put a +1/+1 counter on him, getting rid of Undying).
Or will it still get overlooked because it's in the coveted 4 slot?
I would say it's overlooked partially because of the 4 slot and partially because it's win-more/doesn't do anything when it comes in. Oh also, it's a terrible top deck. It's unfortunate, but do-nothing enchantments that win more just don't have a place like they used to.
Honestly I think this card is better than the "absolute junk" response. For one, it's reusable and doesn't cost mana to activate. It can always grab a 1 or 0 power creature, permanently, and steal exponentially from there. It generally has the about the same risk and investment as Mind Control (costs the same and playable competitive creature kill usually kills almost any creature, outside burn).
It does need to untap and is very specific about what it can steal though. I could see it being used with instant token generators like Midnight Haunting. Maybe SB only, but the ability can be powerful enough to take note of it.
If I make a Grimgrin Necrotic Ooze deck, this seems really good against tokens. Steal one, sac to Grimgrins ability, untap Ooze (with this ability). Rinse, repeat, until all are dead and or stolen.
I like it quite a bit in a more controlling build of Tezzeret (for Standard, of course). Vault Skirge, Pristine Talismans to ramp, a couple of these, some Batterskulls and Wurmcoils at the top end. Once flipped, it seems like a fairly tough card to race, especially since you were at 30+ life. If anything it's a more relevant artifact than most put into their Tezzeret decks.
I'd maybe go with UW instead of green. It'd give you access to better splicers, better removal in the form of Dispatch, Oblivion Ring and Day of Judgment and would let you use Venser for maximum pwnage.
What about Akuta, Born of Ash? Maybe against quicker decks where you need to block a lot early game? Seems like he would be good with Life from the Loam too and he's a Vengevine like body.
Seems pretty lame for such a large company to do away with yet another reward that goes to the people who play the game that has proven to be their most profitable year after year.
As far as cost, you can't just figure in the cost of the manufacturing; it takes some design effort to design the graphics used on that pin as well. Not to mention the cost of organizing the project, mailing the pins to each PTQ location, etc. Still seems so cheap compared to so many other things they create.
The purpose of this deck is fairly straight forward: to create tons of Goblins to swarm your opponents, which is different then most Wort decks. There's still a smattering of powerful spells and effects in this deck to abuse with Conspire, as well as some Commander favorites. By far though, my favorite cards in this deck are a few jank gems:
Skirk Fire Marshal - This guy can wipe out everyone in no time. Just sit back and watch as your opponents cringe to see you with 10-15 goblin tokens with this guy out. It's the embodiment of someone walking into the middle of a fight with a grenade pin already pulled.
Goblin Pyromancer - God this guy is powerful. Overrun on a Goblin? Sign me up. Especially with the fact that you can give him haste pretty easily and also grab him with Tooth and Nail. My favorite sequence has got to be with Wort on the table, cast Tooth and Nail, conspire it, grab Magus of the Moon + Ib Halfheart first, sac all my lands in between the 2nd TnN, then grab Goblin Chieftain + Goblin Pyromancer. Nothing like swinging in with 10-15 hasted 5/2s So what if you have no lands and no Goblins left when the dust clears?! It'll be fun as hell while you do so!
Mogg Infestation - This card with conspire in a Goblin token deck is absolutely absurd. Mix it with Doubling Season and yeah you can see where this is going.
Airdrop Condor - A mana sink late game that can fling your Goblins after they get blocked in combat. Mix this with Shared Animosity and the game gets over very quickly.
Grimgrin is such a cool general. There's just so many interactions and ways to abuse him. I'm working through a decklist at the moment but the amount of combo potential with this guy is absurd. Even some sweet little interactions with cards like Amulet of Vigor and Faces of the Past. Especially Amulet of Vigor in combination with other key Grimgrin cards like Army of the Damned and Reassembling Skeleton. Then things like that snowball into other ideas with cards like Opposition...
Let's say I have 1 Mirror-Mad Phantasm in my 60 card deck. I have it in play and I have 2UU open.
What happens when I activate it's ability once, retain priority and then activate it again?
Would the first trigger happen, find the one-of Mirror-Mad Phantasm, then the second trigger would happen, but not shuffle my "new" Phantasm in the library (because it left play and therefore can't reference the original Mirror-Mad Phantasm), thus milling my whole library?
I think the more important question is... When are douchebags going to stop wearing flatbrimmed hats off to the side and barely on their head?
It's as if they're saying, "OMG the wind almost blew this hat off my head, but I so reckless that I'm not even going to bother putting it back on my head. I'm so badass. "
My sleeper picks are Moorland Haunt and Bloodgift Demon. The Haunt becomes a staple in any UW control deck with Wrath effects. Ditch those creatures you're never going to get back for some 1/1 flying spirits, during opponent's EOT. All on a land that doesn't take up card slots.
Bloodgift Demon seems like a great top end for a mono-black deck. Gives you extra gas and is a wincon. He puts on pressure for your opponent like none other. 4 toughness can be a magical number too, even though Dismember still hits it.
Mirror-Mad Phantasm isn't necessarily a sleeper since people are looking at him, but I think he's better than people give him credit. A Flying 5-power creature for 5 in blue is decent, and while he's fragile, he dodges so much removal at instant speed. Bounce/kill any opposition and he's a 4-turn clock. Not bad for a 5 drop that protects himself.
Eon Hub seems like a match made in heaven for Karona, since it gets rid of the ability for other opponents to gain control of it. Plus it messes with the game state.
I second this. I have dreams of running Huntmaster alongside Snapcaster. Finally, a DFC I want to flip over and over. I'll probably try a curse deck too, just for the lulz.
Because every RG limited deck is going to have access to 1 out of the 10 possible mythic cards in the set.
I would say it's overlooked partially because of the 4 slot and partially because it's win-more/doesn't do anything when it comes in. Oh also, it's a terrible top deck. It's unfortunate, but do-nothing enchantments that win more just don't have a place like they used to.
It does need to untap and is very specific about what it can steal though. I could see it being used with instant token generators like Midnight Haunting. Maybe SB only, but the ability can be powerful enough to take note of it.
If I make a Grimgrin Necrotic Ooze deck, this seems really good against tokens. Steal one, sac to Grimgrins ability, untap Ooze (with this ability). Rinse, repeat, until all are dead and or stolen.
As far as cost, you can't just figure in the cost of the manufacturing; it takes some design effort to design the graphics used on that pin as well. Not to mention the cost of organizing the project, mailing the pins to each PTQ location, etc. Still seems so cheap compared to so many other things they create.
Goblins (20)
1 Skirk Prospector
1 Rabble-Rouser
1 Airdrop Condor
1 Tuktuk Scrapper
1 Goblin Pyromancer
1 Goblin Assassin
1 Skirk Fire Marshal
1 Tattermunge Witch
1 Vexing Shusher
1 Goblin Wizard
1 Battle Squadron
1 Goblin Matron
1 Goblin Recruiter
1 Goblin Ringleader
1 Feral Animist
1 Goblin Sharpshooter
1 Sensation Gorger
1 Gempalm Incinerator
1 Warren Instigator
1 Shrieking Mogg
Goblin Token Makers (6)
1 Warbreak Trumpeter
1 Goblin Marshal
1 Mogg War Marshal
1 Kiki-Jiki, Mirror-Breaker
1 Siege-Gang Commander
1 Ib Halfheart, Goblin Tactician
LD Goblins (3)
1 Goblin Grenadiers
1 Goblin Settler
1 Goblin Ruinblaster
1 Boartusk Liege
1 Goblin Warchief
1 Goblin Chieftain
1 Goblin Wardriver
1 Goblin King
Other Creatures (3)
1 Chancellor of the Forge
1 Voracious Dragon
1 Magus of the Moon
Spells (14)
1 Frenzied Tilling
1 Reap and Sow
1 Tooth and Nail
1 Parallel Evolution
1 Tribal Unity
1 Mogg Infestation
1 Goblin Offensive
1 Restock
1 Collective Unconscious
1 Tribute to the Wild
1 Relic Crush
1 Decimate
1 Comet Storm
1 Devil's Play
Enchantments (8)
1 Shared Animosity
1 Doubling Season
1 Parallel Lives
1 Goblin Warrens
1 Blood Moon
1 Boggart Shenanigans
1 Symbiotic Deployment
1 Perilous Forays
1 Cryptic Gateway
1 Mimic Vat
1 Meekstone
1 Skullclamp
PW (1)
1 Sarkhan Vol
Lands (35)
1 Rootbound Crag
1 Stomping Ground
1 Raging Ravine
1 Fire-Lit Thicket
1 Gruul Turf
1 Taiga
1 Mossfire Valley
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Mountain Valley
1 Forgotten Cave
1 Tranquil Thicket
1 Goblin Burrows
1 Keldon Necropolis
1 Contested War Zone
1 Kessig Wolf Run
1 Yavimaya Hollow
1 Terminal Moraine
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Evolving Wilds
11 Mountain
5 Forest
The purpose of this deck is fairly straight forward: to create tons of Goblins to swarm your opponents, which is different then most Wort decks. There's still a smattering of powerful spells and effects in this deck to abuse with Conspire, as well as some Commander favorites. By far though, my favorite cards in this deck are a few jank gems:
Skirk Fire Marshal - This guy can wipe out everyone in no time. Just sit back and watch as your opponents cringe to see you with 10-15 goblin tokens with this guy out. It's the embodiment of someone walking into the middle of a fight with a grenade pin already pulled.
Goblin Pyromancer - God this guy is powerful. Overrun on a Goblin? Sign me up. Especially with the fact that you can give him haste pretty easily and also grab him with Tooth and Nail. My favorite sequence has got to be with Wort on the table, cast Tooth and Nail, conspire it, grab Magus of the Moon + Ib Halfheart first, sac all my lands in between the 2nd TnN, then grab Goblin Chieftain + Goblin Pyromancer. Nothing like swinging in with 10-15 hasted 5/2s So what if you have no lands and no Goblins left when the dust clears?! It'll be fun as hell while you do so!
Mogg Infestation - This card with conspire in a Goblin token deck is absolutely absurd. Mix it with Doubling Season and yeah you can see where this is going.
Airdrop Condor - A mana sink late game that can fling your Goblins after they get blocked in combat. Mix this with Shared Animosity and the game gets over very quickly.
Let's say I have 1 Mirror-Mad Phantasm in my 60 card deck. I have it in play and I have 2UU open.
What happens when I activate it's ability once, retain priority and then activate it again?
Would the first trigger happen, find the one-of Mirror-Mad Phantasm, then the second trigger would happen, but not shuffle my "new" Phantasm in the library (because it left play and therefore can't reference the original Mirror-Mad Phantasm), thus milling my whole library?
It's as if they're saying, "OMG the wind almost blew this hat off my head, but I so reckless that I'm not even going to bother putting it back on my head. I'm so badass. "
And discuss.
Bloodgift Demon seems like a great top end for a mono-black deck. Gives you extra gas and is a wincon. He puts on pressure for your opponent like none other. 4 toughness can be a magical number too, even though Dismember still hits it.
Mirror-Mad Phantasm isn't necessarily a sleeper since people are looking at him, but I think he's better than people give him credit. A Flying 5-power creature for 5 in blue is decent, and while he's fragile, he dodges so much removal at instant speed. Bounce/kill any opposition and he's a 4-turn clock. Not bad for a 5 drop that protects himself.