Dies to Removal

Posted: **Sun Sep 01, 2013 8:32 am**

The flavor on those black cards is just crazy good. I love Read the Bones for both scry and draw.

Not sure about the Hammer of Purphoros

Legendary Enchantment Artifact
1RR
Creatures you control have haste.
2R, Tap, Sacrifice a land: Put a 3/3 colorless Golem enchantment artifact creature token onto the battlefield.

That seems rather unexciting. With all the other effects that grant haste already, this was what they thought of? Granted, it does help for when a red deck gets land flooded. I would rather it had a slightly higher activation that allowed you to destroy any land.
I think
it is pretty good. Remember that it hastes the golem token, so you're generating a 3/3 haste every turn your draw a land if you like.

My question here is about the interesting wording--"enchantment artifact". Looking at Celestial Archon--which can be cast as an aura on another creature rather than a creature itself--makes me wonder if this wording is going to tie into something more. Might there be another spell that allows enchantment permanents to be used another way? Or is this just an added weakness in that enchantment destruction/prevention would be a foil? I'm no rules guru by any means, but the word "enchantment" being attributed to all of these other permanent types tells me that there's something afoot.

I just took a gamble...$36 for a playset of Cerberus. I fear things may be such that it ends up around $5, but the fact that prices on it
on ebay are all over the map makes it seem a worthwhile gamble. If a few more enabling cards spoil, it will shoot up for at least a bit; if not, ah well...the flavor of these cards alone makes me want to have a set to put away.

I actually got chills when I noticed how masterfully they wove these abilities into the flavor of the mythos. Cerberus guards the gates of Hades, and thus none of the dead can escape while he's on the board--no Rescue from the Underworld, no reanimation, zip. When he leaves the battlefield, the gates go unguarded and all the souls in Hades escape and can be therefore returned to life on the battlefield. That to me is next-level design...so immersive!!

Posted: **Sun Sep 01, 2013 10:43 am**

Don't know if anyoone has noticed the skyrocketing popularity that red is seeing in standard on MTGO? According to http://mtgo-stats.com/, mono red is now the 2nd most popular deck in standard on MTGO. Such a good time to be a red mage.
Yeah, except that means card values on red cards rise... [/quote:
2spfpwob]
Don't sweat it, we spot all the good red cards before they come out, then buy them while cheap.

You got your playset of Boros Reckoners last year for $5 each, right?
Yeah, true. But red-based decks in general have been on the rise since then. If Reckoner came out now, I doubt it would be so undervalued as it was during Gatecrash preorders.

Posted: **Sun Sep 01, 2013 11:07 am**

People just don't understand card's value.
From biggest ones like Mind Sculptor and Bonfire.
To small ones like Blade Splicer and Hellrider.
They are dumb and lazy as they are just waiting for the first decks showing up in tournaments to get the decklist they will play.
I don't mind "netdecking". It's good for competetive. But not while not even thinking "what kind of cards I am playing".

Cerberus might be big. He has a drawback of returning our opponent's creatures as well, but his powerlevel makes up for that. As I'd look now onto RtR-Theros:
Boros: will be great for All-In. Anax and Cymae are some kind of enabler for this deck, converting pumps into reliable stats for whole team and fighting off the biggest threats on their own.
Rakdos: rakhammer will be nice. The best 4CMC cards (Exava) and dat Cerberus. Add up point removal (Dreadbore, Doom Blade, Mizzium Mortars) and disruption (
Thoughtseize) and we're on our way to pro tour.
Gruul: RDW basing on Burning-Tree Emissary. Using Ghor-Clan Rampager or Chandra in Hellrider's spot.

Posted: **Sun Sep 01, 2013 2:54 pm**

@Photo — I'm thinking that they tied the enchantment part to other types like creature and artifact to give each color different ways to interact with the cards. Otherwise, red and black would be unable to remove these powerful enchantments. Black still struggles vs. straight enchantments, but it can kill creatures fairly easily. Likewise, red can kill creatures and destroy or even exile artifacts multiple ways.

So rather than give red and black abilities outside their colors, they redesigned enchantments in such a way to make them within the spheres of influence within those colors.

Posted: **Sun Sep 01, 2013 3:56 pm**

Don't know if anyoone has noticed the skyrocketing popularity that red is seeing in standard on MTGO? According to http://mtgo-stats.com/, mono red is now the 2nd most popular deck in standard on MTGO. Such a good time to be a red mage.
Yeah, except that means card values on red cards rise... [/quote:
2gezc1s6]
Don't sweat it, we spot all the good red cards before they come out, then buy them while cheap.

You got your playset of Boros Reckoners last year for $5 each, right?
I got mine for $3. My friends were so mad

Posted: **Sun Sep 01, 2013 4:02 pm**

Pip is such a weird name. Just sayin.
Short for Philippa.

I maintain my stance regardless of new information. Philippa is also fucking weird.

Posted: **Sun Sep 01, 2013 4:06 pm**

The flavor on those black cards is just crazy good. I love Read the Bones for both scry and draw.

Not sure about the Hammer of Purphoros

Legendary Enchantment Artifact
1RR
Creatures you control have haste.
2R, Tap, Sacrifice a land: Put a 3/3 colorless Golem enchantment artifact creature token onto the battlefield.

That seems rather unexciting. With all the other effects that grant haste already, this was what they thought of? Granted, it does help for when a red deck gets land flooded. I would rather it had a slightly higher activation that allowed you to destroy any land.

This card is really fucking good. Not Stonewright good but certainly a lot closer to Gore-House Chainwalker good.

You have to remember, red is losing a LOT of its
hastiness in rotation. Say goodbye to Lightning Mauler and Thundermaw Hellkite, as well as Flinthoof Boar if you're into that.

Turning lands into dudes is absurdly powerful when you flood. Did you guys not play with Koth? That card's +1 was arguably the best +1 I've seen on a planeswalker in a long time.

Posted: **Sun Sep 01, 2013 4:09 pm**

Don't know if anyoone has noticed the skyrocketing popularity that red is seeing in standard on MTGO? According to http://mtgo-stats.com/, mono red is now the 2nd most popular deck in standard on MTGO. Such a good time to be a red mage.
n
Yeah, except that means card values on red cards rise...
Don't sweat it, we spot all the good red cards before they come out, then buy them while cheap.

You got your playset of Boros Reckoners last year for $5 each, right?
I got mine for $3. My friends were so mad

I think I paid $14 for my set.

Posted: **Sun Sep 01, 2013 4:22 pm**

Don't know if anyoone has noticed the skyrocketing popularity that red is seeing in standard on MTGO? According to [url:
1nj6tfbk]http://mtgo-stats.com/[/url], mono red is now the 2nd most popular deck in standard on MTGO. Such a good time to be a red mage.
Yeah, except that means card values on red cards rise...
Don't sweat it, we spot all the good red cards before they come out, then buy them while cheap.

You got your playset of Boros Reckoners last year for $5 each, right?
I got mine for $3. My friends were so mad
I think I paid $14 for my set.

Me too.

Posted: **Sun Sep 01, 2013 4:24 pm**

I agree with Alex. Any kind of Furor with upside is good. Fires of Yaviyama anyone? And unlike Fires, this one actually does something when your board is empty and you ran out of gas.
It's difficult to find a place for this card - but if there'd be a deck with place for it, I'd include at least 2 of them.

In terms of Reckoners, I bought mine for 3$ as well. And I bought 10 of them. Living for a month thanks to some minotaur dudes was really, really nice.

Posted: **Sun Sep 01, 2013 5:01 pm**

Just realized that Reckoner can hang out with the new Minotaur lord.

Also, paid tree-fiddy for my Reckoners.

Posted: **Sun Sep 01, 2013 5:51 pm**

A few more observations...

-Ogre Battledriver into Underworld Cerberus is just dirty; or Hammer, though I like the extra damage on Ogre.

-Elspeth's +1 conveniently chumps Cerberus while her minus squashes him

-Wording on Cerberus's last ability is notable..."When Underworld Cerberus DIES..."; thus exile effects like Selesnya Charm will not trigger the graveyard exodus.

Posted: **Sun Sep 01, 2013 6:24 pm**

Theros is looking VERY exciting so far.

I can't believe we have a Minotaur lord. That's awesome. I really want to make some EDH all minotaur deck.

Posted: **Sun Sep 01, 2013 6:29 pm**

So will Rakdos Charm start seeing more MB play? It has the obvious synergy with the new Cerberus, but with all these enchantment artifacts coming out, it looks like it just increases in value there as well.

Posted: **Sun Sep 01, 2013 6:38 pm**

So will Rakdos Charm start seeing more MB play? It has the obvious synergy with the new Cerberus, but with all these enchantment artifacts coming out, it looks like it just increases in value there as well.

Great minds, wraspy...I was thinking that we may even see a meta where we want Rakdos Charm in our main for G1. The new sideboard rules make it possible from multiple approaches; I know that it's heresy to play more than 60 cards, but the option is there to start at something like 62/13 with all of the scry and draw options.

Posted: **Sun Sep 01, 2013 8:56 pm**

You don't want it. Gods are indestructible, most of artifact enchantments are unplayable now (Hammer is cool, Bow is meh, Bident is terrible). There are no reanimation sheningans available now. So as overall, big nah. It's still awesome SB card - but dreams about it being maindeckable should stay as dreams.

Posted: **Sun Sep 01, 2013 9:08 pm**

No reanimation shenanigans? We already have Rescue from the Underworld (instant reanimation) and Commune with the Gods (get stuff into graveyard) spoiled...

Posted: **Sun Sep 01, 2013 9:10 pm**

If you want actually good shitty anime Kaze: Toradora, Sakuraso whatever. Shit's so sweeeeet.

Sakuraso no pet na Kanojo?

Have you seen Durarara or Hetalia? I've heard about them at length but not necessarily if they're good or not.

That last question posed to anyone.

Posted: **Sun Sep 01, 2013 9:20 pm**

Ye, Sakuraso no pet na Kanojo. It's awesome.
Durarara is awesome. One of the most interesting cast of characters ever. I mean, it gets so absurd it's amazing. Giant russian black guy who sells (russian) sushi. XV irish walking omen of death who currently rides around the town on cool motorbike... and is looking for her head. And Izaya. As overall - anime is great except of ending. THere's also great, older anime done by the same guys - Baccano.
Hetalia... all the episodes are short as hell. I wouldn't say it's amazing but it's "fun and educative" as it has lots of information value about history (with strong emphasis on Europe). I'm not a fan, but whatever floats your boat.

But if you want to watch something really valuable... Steins Gate. It's probably not only the best anime I've ever seen but the best TV show/movie... whatever. As long as you will get trough first few episodes, you'll see amazeballs
story about relative physics with timeline romance included. It's just beautifull.
Death Note seems like pretty meh stuff compared to Steins Gate.

No reanimation shenanigans? We already have Rescue from the Underworld (instant reanimation) and Commune with the Gods (get stuff into graveyard) spoiled...

Do you know what actually broke Unburial Rites as reanimator tool? Fact that you could mill it and still use it. When you will cast Commune with the Gods and it will show you 1/2 reanimation cards instead of reanimation targets you will be pretty fucked up. Also, for Rescue... it'd be amazeballs with Lingering Souls in format. Now it shouldn't be considered as reliable card. It's instant-speed doesn't mean anything as it can't be considered as combat trick. It has EOT clausule.

Posted: **Sun Sep 01, 2013 9:30 pm**

Ye, Sakuraso no pet na Kanojo. It's awesome.
Durarara is awesome. One of the most interesting cast of characters ever. I mean, it gets so absurd it's amazing. Giant russian black guy who sells (russian) sushi. XV irish walking omen of death who currently rides around the town on cool motorbike... and is looking for her head. And Izaya. As overall - anime is great except of ending. THere's also great, older anime done by the same guys - Baccano.
Hetalia... all the episodes are short as hell. I wouldn't say it's amazing but it's "fun and educative" as it has lots of information value about history (with strong emphasis on Europe). I'm not a fan, but whatever floats your boat.

But if you want to watch something really valuable... Steins Gate. It's
probably not only the best anime I've ever seen but the best TV show/movie... whatever. As long as you will get trough first few episodes, you'll see amazeballs story about relative physics with timeline romance included. It's just beautifull.
Death Note seems like pretty meh stuff compared to Steins Gate.

Seriously? So it's so good it makes Death Note look lame?

Because I really liked Death Note.

Posted: **Sun Sep 01, 2013 9:32 pm**

I did as well. Believed that DN was the only anime which could be compared in terms of it's maturity to "serious" TV Shows. And then Steins Gate blowed up my fucking mind. So... really, go watch it KazeBro. You will not get disappointed. I fucking promise.

Posted: **Sun Sep 01, 2013 9:44 pm**

I shall do so!

Posted: **Sun Sep 01, 2013 9:51 pm**

Glad to hear that.

Posted: **Sun Sep 01, 2013 10:13 pm**

Cerberus 1RR
Double Strike
1/2

Yeah. Mirran Crusader. Almost.

Posted: **Sun Sep 01, 2013 10:21 pm**

Cerberus 1RR
Double Strike
2/2

Fun Fun Fun!

I think it's a 1/2, unfortunately

Posted: **Sun Sep 01, 2013 11:28 pm**

That Hammer is absurd.

Posted: **Sun Sep 01, 2013 11:33 pm**

Sample hand from a draft that me and 2 other people did at 430 in the morning and promptly 3-0d with:

Divination, divination, divination, divination, barrage of expendables, mountain, mountain.

Dismiss into dreams, elixir, archaemancer, zephyr charge, trading post, land, land.

Second hand is a snap keep. First hand...probably a keep. Our deck did indeed have 4 divinations, along with an opportunity. The plan was not die while chaining card draw until we hit our young pyro/dismiss into dream/barrage of expendable engine while air servant, pitchburn devils, elixir of immortality, and trading post served as a distraction and or otherwise kept us in the game.

Turns out dismiss into dreams is unbeatable. We played it, our UG opponent plays primeval bounty, and whenever he played a removal/combat trick, basically any non-creature spell, the bounty's +2/+2 trigger made him kill one of his own creatures. Some of the most
enjoyable magic I've ever played especially when you factor in the fact that me and my friends are all tired and arguing in front of a computer trying to make the right play and simultaneously racing the modo clock because our deck was SO durdly. We basically had to 2-0 opponents if any of the games went long because our deck was SOO slow.

1/2 doublestriker for 3 is likely unplayable, but I don't know what the format looks like.

Hammer is amazing in limited, competes with the bow for best artifact enchantment. Possibly very good in constructed, likely jank or sideboard tech. Delightfully midrangy.

Posted: **Sun Sep 01, 2013 11:34 pm**

I wouldn't be that positive on it. It's strong but situational. Casting this card against aggro means little to nothing. Casting it against Midrange is suicide. But Control matchup, khe khe khe. My team is hasty = cool. I can start to spawn 3/3 creatures from my lands? Hasty 3/3 creatures? Even cooler.

Posted: **Sun Sep 01, 2013 11:39 pm**

I'm pretty sure a Midrange or Control Red wants 1 or 2 of that Hammer in the MD - might be good SB tech for Aggro too.

Posted: **Sun Sep 01, 2013 11:42 pm**

That's some pretty crummy logic.

3/3s are great against aggro; they're fine against midrange (at least what midrange looks like right now). You're only hurting against aggro if you're badly behind on the board, but I would hope you can build a deck with common scenarios in mind. Hammer obviously doesn't go into an all-haste deck; it fits into a midrangey red deck where you're going to have an excess of lands going long anyway. Turning every land you draw into a 3/3 haste is great in every matchup.

Posted: **Sun Sep 01, 2013 11:43 pm**

^what 'thirst said. Chandra plus Magma Jet plus Mutavault plus Hammer is a lot of late game power for a red deck.

Posted: **Sun Sep 01, 2013 11:47 pm**

Playing T3 do-nothing is not acceptable while racing/containing aggro or trying to get trough wall of blockers midrange usually has.
You can't consider pulling out 3/3 creatures with Hammer as "standard course of play". Most of the time it will be Fervor with upside of having a job while board is empty.
That's why I still think it's pretty awkward in aggro/midrange matchups. But still, this card can easily win control matchups. That's why I'm really into it!

In terms of decks where it's gonna play - I agree. Midrange was looking for this kind of card for a while.

Posted: **Mon Sep 02, 2013 12:05 am**

Seems fairly mediocre vs. agro. If cast on curve and you're ahead, it's win more, if cast on curve and you're behind, it's terrible. If cast on curve and board state is neutral, you basically timewalked yourself. Then you either play something awesome on turn 4, or you lock yourself out of turn 4 making flinthoof boars instead of playing actual cards.

It's basically only good against agro when you're already winning. Against midrange, depending on what else gets spoiled, it's probably awesome and against control, you laugh at there pitiful attempts to keep up with your endless board presence and recursive threats(phoenix, possibly pyro tokens, Chandra, etc.)

Verdict: Outside chance of being maindeckable, staple sideboard card though.

Posted: **Mon Sep 02, 2013 12:07 am**

Rules question.

I have 3/4 goyf and domri on 2 counters, opponent has 4/4 knight of the reliquary.

If I minus 2 domri and have goyf fight Knight, will the goyf see domri in GY going to 4/5 before fight trigger resolves? I think it does, but I'm not sure.

Edit: HOlY BALLS BATMAN, Nythox might be playable as a 1-of in red decks if there's an awesome blaze type affect. Cackler, Chandra's phoenix, and Chandra net 2 mana. Give me demonfire or give me death.

Posted: **Mon Sep 02, 2013 12:12 am**

So why are you playing it on turn 3 vs aggro?

It's not dissimilar to Hellion Crucible in the old aggro mirrors; you aggressively 1-for-1 then kill them with the CA engine late.

Posted: **Mon Sep 02, 2013 12:38 am**

It's actually not like hellion crucible at all in any way shape or form. Crucible had almost zero opportunity cost when played in your deck as a 2-of and marginal cost for any copies past that since it's just a land that can be used to add value whenever.

Hammer costs actual slots in your deck where you could be playing other cards that serve the function of doing actual things the turn you play them

If you play hammer on 3 it does nothing unless you have something juicy for 4, on turn 4, it's likely wasting a mana, on five, you're hasting out a 2-drop? On 6 you actually get to make a 6 mana flinthoof boar which is SO exciting.

I'm being overly pessimistic, but the card looks mediocre to me and I don't imagine maindecking it in any red based deck. In a G/R deck...maybe because you have elves to play it
on 2 and to ensure that you still have mana to work with once you've thrown a bunch of lands away and green has actual beefy creatures that love haste.

Mono red though? I'll start with 2 in my board and go from there.

Posted: **Mon Sep 02, 2013 1:12 am**

It's a good card and you're almost never looking to cast it on curve. Good two of in big red deck.

Posted: **Mon Sep 02, 2013 1:14 am**

Jesus Christ wizards, BLUE IS NOT SUPPOSED TO GET POWERFUL REMOVAL SPELLS YOU FUCKTARDS:

Posted: **Mon Sep 02, 2013 1:17 am**

Fark. That's really good in some matchups, really meh in others I guess. Combines nice with ratchet bomb.

Posted: **Mon Sep 02, 2013 1:20 am**

It's actually not like hellion crucible at all in any way shape or form. Crucible had almost zero opportunity cost when played in your deck as a 2-of and marginal cost for any copies past that since it's just a land that can be used to add value whenever.

Hammer costs actual slots in your deck where you could be playing other cards that serve the function of doing actual things the turn you play them

If you play hammer on 3 it does nothing unless you have something juicy for 4, on turn 4, it's likely wasting a mana, on five, you're hasting out a 2-drop? On 6 you actually get to make a 6 mana flinthoof boar which is SO exciting.

nI'm being overly pessimistic, but the card looks mediocre to me and I don't imagine maindecking it in any red based deck. In a G/R deck...maybe because you have elves to play it on 2 and to ensure that you still have mana to work with once you've thrown a bunch of lands away and green has actual beefy creatures that love haste.

Mono red though? I'll start with 2 in my board and go from there.

By this logic, Dark Tutelage was awful in BR Vamps in Zen

It's a follow up card played off curve that provides a (sort of) lasting CA. It's not part of your nutdraw. You're not playing in preference to your actual aggro 3 drops or removal. You know, you actual calculate plays (I know you do, ice seen you write about it!).

Dies to Removal

[Fedoras of Salvation] - White Knights ITT