it's looking like the Allies are a 5 color cycle, and this card in particular while not bad per se, has limited stamped all over it.
In the current environment, a non-evasive 2/3 with a one shot ability isn't above the curve, it's not even in the middle.
Burrenton Bombardier is a 2/2 flyer for the same cost. Ballynock Cohort is a 2/2 with first strike and a conditional pump for the same mana.
Yesterdays preview was Jhonny-tastic, even if it wasn't for the Spikes. This one is a good solid possibility for a limited deck but that's really about it.
Changelings are allies obv, they are all creature types. This card could be really good if there is allies with flash, otherwise it just is a way to get more damage through in limited. My guess is that there wont be enough allies to make a GOOD allie deck until the whole block is done, so this card will be jank for awhile.
Not a fan of the feral hydra at all, its too easy to deal with a single creature. If you want a green deck to maximize your mana every turn and blow out with an overrun stick to the ant queen. Especially with a coat of arms on the table.
For fun with hyrdas have you considered a G/W build? Ranger of eos tutors up 2 protean hydras and harm's way is a nice, safe way to grow them while protecting something else in the process. Seems like you could come up with a pretty powerful casual deck built around those pieces.
I would appreciate seeing the daily event write up. I spend most of my time in the casual room because I usually spend my minuscule amount of tickets on a new pauper deck. As a result, I haven't partaken in any of the Pauper weekend challenges or other events.
Would it have been too much to ask for it to be able to hit creatures too. If I can't play it until my opponent is hitting me over the head with a Baneslayer Angel, the last thing I want to do is point a drain life at my opponent.
I mean from a flavor standpoint, shouldn't a trap designed to hurt vampires be able to kill a vampire. This card can't even hurt Sorin Markov
In order to make this consistent you need a way to make sure your opp will gain life in your own deck, like grove of the burnwillows. Strictly as an answer this looks really subpar.
Quote:
Sometimes I hold back my plays because I'm afraid winning too easily is going to annoy my opponent. Sometimes I don't use a Creeping Mold on a land because I fear my opponent will complain about LD. Sometimes I lose games because of those actions. Is this dumb? I think it is.
end Quote
No it isn't because I do exactly the same sometimes. Well okay, maybe it is dumb but now you know that you're not alone :).
Yeah... I'm not sure about standard singleton. The plus side is that it will have a very low buy-in.
I imagine its appeal will be a price level between block and standard. You pretty much have to go two colors for power, much more than that starts to cause consistancy issues I think. I'll have to play with the format a bit before I know for sure though.
The exception *might* be WW, as it should have redundant creatures and spells. But again, it will need to be tested.
Yeah... I'm not sure about standard singleton. The plus side is that it will have a very low buy-in.
I imagine its appeal will be a price level between block and standard. You pretty much have to go two colors for power, much more than that starts to cause consistancy issues I think. I'll have to play with the format a bit before I know for sure though.
The exception *might* be WW, as it should have redundant creatures and spells. But again, it will need to be tested.
Yeah... I'm not sure about standard singleton. The plus side is that it will have a very low buy-in.
I imagine its appeal will be a price level between block and standard. You pretty much have to go two colors for power, much more than that starts to cause consistancy issues I think. I'll have to play with the format a bit before I know for sure though.
The exception *might* be WW, as it should have redundant creatures and spells. But again, it will need to be tested.
Yeah... I'm not sure about standard singleton. The plus side is that it will have a very low buy-in.
I imagine its appeal will be a price level between block and standard. You pretty much have to go two colors for power, much more than that starts to cause consistancy issues I think. I'll have to play with the format a bit before I know for sure though.
The exception *might* be WW, as it should have redundant creatures and spells. But again, it will need to be tested.
I don't play a ton of competitive Standard, but I do follow it in articles and tournament recaps. Agree with StealthBadger and tempesteye, it seems too conditional to be good, with removal pretty much always being superior when it's a creature causing the life gain. It may be a foil for non-creature life gain, but with only 15 sideboard slots, it feels like there would have to be a very specific and unusual metagame for it to see competitive sideboards.
Johnny might find some ways to have fun with it, but I'm doubtful that Spike will adopt this card.
I block lots of people for complaining about non-casual decks or for quitting without a word. The casual-fanatics or the I-complain-about-non-casual-decks-but-the-real-problem-is-I-don't-like-to-lose bunch usually get blocked by me because they're spoiling *my* fun.
Sometimes I hold back my plays because I'm afraid winning too easily is going to annoy my opponent. Sometimes I don't use a Creeping Mold on a land because I fear my opponent will complain about LD. Sometimes I lose games because of those actions. Is this dumb? I think it is.
Magic is a trading card game. Great part of the fun is being able to use any card you own. People should be able to build all kinds of decks and play them without the fear of being annoyed.
For me, the only exception, on the Casual Room, is Tier One decks. If you play with a Tier One deck, built for Tier One purposes (winning at all costs), you should go and play on the Tournament Practice Room. But even if I have to play against a Tier One deck on the Casual Room, I won't complain, as its not that common.
it's looking like the Allies are a 5 color cycle, and this card in particular while not bad per se, has limited stamped all over it.
In the current environment, a non-evasive 2/3 with a one shot ability isn't above the curve, it's not even in the middle.
Burrenton Bombardier is a 2/2 flyer for the same cost. Ballynock Cohort is a 2/2 with first strike and a conditional pump for the same mana.
Yesterdays preview was Jhonny-tastic, even if it wasn't for the Spikes. This one is a good solid possibility for a limited deck but that's really about it.
Right now they are not allies.
Changelings are allies obv, they are all creature types. This card could be really good if there is allies with flash, otherwise it just is a way to get more damage through in limited. My guess is that there wont be enough allies to make a GOOD allie deck until the whole block is done, so this card will be jank for awhile.
I'm not sure if changelings count as allies yet as I was unable to find a single instant of any creature with the type ally.
Allies appear to be sort of like slivers, except that instead of permanent boost effects, you get "enter the battlefield" effects.
I think they will probably be great in limited and block constructed, but less than stellar in other formats.
Of course this is all speculation based on the fact that the only allies that currently exist are changelings....
Ouch. That's too bad about Vanguard being phased out. I guess I should stop looking forward to the upcoming Zendikar avatars :(
oops for some reason i thought it was 4 mana
Not a fan of the feral hydra at all, its too easy to deal with a single creature. If you want a green deck to maximize your mana every turn and blow out with an overrun stick to the ant queen. Especially with a coat of arms on the table.
For fun with hyrdas have you considered a G/W build? Ranger of eos tutors up 2 protean hydras and harm's way is a nice, safe way to grow them while protecting something else in the process. Seems like you could come up with a pretty powerful casual deck built around those pieces.
sigh another month of not coming close to tier 8 or 9.
i have a bunch of points for lifetime now where are the prizes!
I would appreciate seeing the daily event write up. I spend most of my time in the casual room because I usually spend my minuscule amount of tickets on a new pauper deck. As a result, I haven't partaken in any of the Pauper weekend challenges or other events.
Would it have been too much to ask for it to be able to hit creatures too. If I can't play it until my opponent is hitting me over the head with a Baneslayer Angel, the last thing I want to do is point a drain life at my opponent.
I mean from a flavor standpoint, shouldn't a trap designed to hurt vampires be able to kill a vampire. This card can't even hurt Sorin Markov
ummm the mana cost is the exact same as the spider you were running, one colorless, and one green
In order to make this consistent you need a way to make sure your opp will gain life in your own deck, like grove of the burnwillows. Strictly as an answer this looks really subpar.
Look at me! I'm using the internet!!! Way to quituple post, hammy!
Quote:
Sometimes I hold back my plays because I'm afraid winning too easily is going to annoy my opponent. Sometimes I don't use a Creeping Mold on a land because I fear my opponent will complain about LD. Sometimes I lose games because of those actions. Is this dumb? I think it is.
end Quote
No it isn't because I do exactly the same sometimes. Well okay, maybe it is dumb but now you know that you're not alone :).
LE
I will try it. This of course doesn't mean that I'm going to like it (and maybe I will) but at least I will give it a try.
LE
Yeah... I'm not sure about standard singleton. The plus side is that it will have a very low buy-in.
I imagine its appeal will be a price level between block and standard. You pretty much have to go two colors for power, much more than that starts to cause consistancy issues I think. I'll have to play with the format a bit before I know for sure though.
The exception *might* be WW, as it should have redundant creatures and spells. But again, it will need to be tested.
Yeah... I'm not sure about standard singleton. The plus side is that it will have a very low buy-in.
I imagine its appeal will be a price level between block and standard. You pretty much have to go two colors for power, much more than that starts to cause consistancy issues I think. I'll have to play with the format a bit before I know for sure though.
The exception *might* be WW, as it should have redundant creatures and spells. But again, it will need to be tested.
Yeah... I'm not sure about standard singleton. The plus side is that it will have a very low buy-in.
I imagine its appeal will be a price level between block and standard. You pretty much have to go two colors for power, much more than that starts to cause consistancy issues I think. I'll have to play with the format a bit before I know for sure though.
The exception *might* be WW, as it should have redundant creatures and spells. But again, it will need to be tested.
Yeah... I'm not sure about standard singleton. The plus side is that it will have a very low buy-in.
I imagine its appeal will be a price level between block and standard. You pretty much have to go two colors for power, much more than that starts to cause consistancy issues I think. I'll have to play with the format a bit before I know for sure though.
The exception *might* be WW, as it should have redundant creatures and spells. But again, it will need to be tested.
Im completely sick of singleton formats...seriously, its just not that revolutionary. I really liked vanguard, but they needed to do more with it.
I don't play a ton of competitive Standard, but I do follow it in articles and tournament recaps. Agree with StealthBadger and tempesteye, it seems too conditional to be good, with removal pretty much always being superior when it's a creature causing the life gain. It may be a foil for non-creature life gain, but with only 15 sideboard slots, it feels like there would have to be a very specific and unusual metagame for it to see competitive sideboards.
Johnny might find some ways to have fun with it, but I'm doubtful that Spike will adopt this card.
Thanks for the preview!
Mostly because of the small card pool, all the decks will look entirely the same. There is probably not enough cards to make mono-colored decks.
Extended Singleton would be much much more interesting, and have enough cards to allow for variation between the top decks.
I know this to be true because I was an avid Classic Singleton player before the format got the axe.
About blocking...
I block lots of people for complaining about non-casual decks or for quitting without a word. The casual-fanatics or the I-complain-about-non-casual-decks-but-the-real-problem-is-I-don't-like-to-lose bunch usually get blocked by me because they're spoiling *my* fun.
Sometimes I hold back my plays because I'm afraid winning too easily is going to annoy my opponent. Sometimes I don't use a Creeping Mold on a land because I fear my opponent will complain about LD. Sometimes I lose games because of those actions. Is this dumb? I think it is.
Magic is a trading card game. Great part of the fun is being able to use any card you own. People should be able to build all kinds of decks and play them without the fear of being annoyed.
For me, the only exception, on the Casual Room, is Tier One decks. If you play with a Tier One deck, built for Tier One purposes (winning at all costs), you should go and play on the Tournament Practice Room. But even if I have to play against a Tier One deck on the Casual Room, I won't complain, as its not that common.
Is anybody remotely enamoured with the idea of playing singleton standard? I really can't imagine that being a very interesting format.