[mtgnexus] Random Card of the Day - Samwise the Stouthearted

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3drinks
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Post by 3drinks » 4 years ago

SocorroTortoise wrote:
4 years ago
3drinks wrote:
4 years ago
Similarly, I guess in any deck with Con Sphinx.

edit: Actually, we're all wrong. It appears most often in Elesh Norn............

Weird.
It's in 1 Elesh Norn list and 29 Phelddagrif lists on that site, so I'm not sure where you're getting that. Hermes_ listed out the top 3.

I don't think white is so hard up for card draw that this is an actual good option. I'd relegate it to niche lists where you're both trying to get your opponents to draw cards (though it doesn't force the draw, so it's not even particularly good at that) and you're in white, which probably cuts the potential list down to almost nothing.
The first number listed isn't the number of deck lists it appears in? I have no idea what all their symbols without text mean.

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SocorroTortoise
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Post by SocorroTortoise » 4 years ago

3drinks wrote:
4 years ago
The first number listed isn't the number of deck lists it appears in? I have no idea what all their symbols without text mean.
That window is links to individual decklists. The numbers beneath each general are card type counts. Scroll down to the first section that says top commanders and check the numbers underneath each of those.
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hyalopterouslemur
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Post by hyalopterouslemur » 4 years ago

lyonhaert wrote:
4 years ago
Yeah, I'm taking the two cards every time. But also "holy terse rules text, batman" - my brain needed to read that an extra couple of times.
Your brother could use the life, Robin. If you weren't busy off on some other planet with the Titans and...the Titans.

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Rumpy5897 wrote:
4 years ago
I wonder if anybody in the history of the game ever took the life.
I did once when I was playing Oloro, Ageless Ascetic. I drew one card and gained 2 life, triggering my Drogskol Reaver.

You'll also draw one card and gain 2 life if Chairman Meow is present. And you'll take the life every time if Necropotence or Yawgmoth's Bargain is present.
SocorroTortoise wrote:
4 years ago
3drinks wrote:
4 years ago
Similarly, I guess in any deck with Con Sphinx.

edit: Actually, we're all wrong. It appears most often in Elesh Norn............

Weird.
It's in 1 Elesh Norn list and 29 Phelddagrif lists on that site, so I'm not sure where you're getting that. Hermes_ listed out the top 3.

I don't think white is so hard up for card draw that this is an actual good option. I'd relegate it to niche lists where you're both trying to get your opponents to draw cards (though it doesn't force the draw, so it's not even particularly good at that) and you're in white, which probably cuts the potential list down to almost nothing.
Monowhite usually uses artifact card draw, just like any nongreen deck uses artifacts for mana. A token deck can use Mentor of the Meek, but not if it expects to regularly boost power above 2 (except if it's by Cathars' Crusade). A Voltron deck can should use Puresteel Paladin or Kor Spiritdancer and Mesa Enchantress, but you really don't profit; they just turn single cards into cantrips. You can profit off Dawn of Hope as a mana sink.

But you'll find yourself using artifacts. One reason Book of Rass still sees play is because white can use it. Sword of Fire and Ice is nice, though. So is Mask of Memory. And of course Skullclamp for token decks.
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3drinks
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Post by 3drinks » 4 years ago

Tuesday, September 17th, 2019; Cathedral of War


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Post by Rorseph » 4 years ago

I loved Cathedral of War in my Gisela Voltron deck. It took her from 3 swings to 2 all by itself. When the math works out, it can do some good work in Voltron decks.
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Post by materpillar » 4 years ago

I currently play it in Gishath, Sun's Avatar. More because it amuses me to think of an Exalted Dinosaur than optimization. However, it does let Gishath dig one card deeper when he donks someone and that extra card has turned into an extra Dino a handful of times.

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Post by Outcryqq » 4 years ago

I like Cathedral of War, even though I do not run it myself. I've been dunked a handful of times from a buddy's Rafiq of the Many deck that uses this and other exalted cards to one-shot people.

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Post by Sinis » 4 years ago

3drinks wrote:
4 years ago
Tuesday, September 17th, 2019; Cathedral of War
It turns 6-power generals into 3-turn clocks, and 5-power generals into 4 turn clocks, which is not insignificant. Speeding up a general damage clock on a land is definitely something.

Edit: My elementary school grammar teacher would be ashamed.
Last edited by Sinis 4 years ago, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by Mookie » 4 years ago

I see Cathedral of War most often in voltron decks, to pump the commander. It's not a bad choice - you don't need to pay anything for the pump, so it's a lot easier to use than something like Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion or Kessig Wolf Run. On the other hand, it is a tapped colorless land, so I wouldn't run it unless the pump was going to be relevant. I'll throw out Forge of Heroes and Opal Palace as similar effects. I think I would run them before the Cathedral, but it can be better if you care about attacking with your other creatures too.

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3drinks
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Post by 3drinks » 4 years ago

I always liked it in Skithiryx for the two turn clock.

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Post by hyalopterouslemur » 4 years ago

Good in Voltron, bad elsewhere since it's a tapland that produces colorless mana. It takes Gisela and Skithyrix to two, it takes any primordial to three, it's positioned just right.
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Post by 3drinks » 4 years ago

Wednesday, September 18th, 2019; Quicksmith Rebel


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Post by Sharpened » 4 years ago

It makes a machine gun with Soliton or Staff of Domination, although it hardly seems like the way to abuse the staff. There are a few artifacts that can turn it into a modified Goblin Sharpshooter, like Salvaging Station.

It's just a card that underwhelms unless you work hard to exploit it, and even then, you're working hard to accomplish something you could do with less effort in other ways.

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Post by ilovesaprolings » 4 years ago

The idea for the card is nice, but the power level is really low
What about a version that cost 6 and gives that ability to every artifact you control? That would be cool

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Post by hyalopterouslemur » 4 years ago

Some untappers and something like Ichorclaw Myr?

It's not too bad, you at the very least get to tap something like a Ruby Medallion to shock people.
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Post by ISBPathfinder » 4 years ago

The fact that it has Rebel in its name but is not a rebel...... that gets me.
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Post by 3drinks » 4 years ago

Thursday, September 19th, 2019; Stranglehold


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Post by Dunharrow » 4 years ago

It's a good card, but I would like to see more redundant pieces in red.
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Post by lyonhaert » 4 years ago

One of my favorite cards for its middle finger to other colors and its metal flavor text. :D
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Post by Sinis » 4 years ago

3drinks wrote:
4 years ago
Thursday, September 19th, 2019; Stranglehold
I have a copy, but never play it. Most people in my group aren't taking extra turns, and only have the occasional tutor

Honestly, it feels really clunky. At 4 mana, I feel like I should be doing more, but this just feels like do-nothing the vast majority of the time for me.

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Post by Sharpened » 4 years ago

It's not that it should do more. For what it does, it's really powerful. And it is an awesome effect that needs to exist.

It's just so conditional. When the conditions aren't right, it's a 4 mana blank card. Even when the conditions are right, it can give the illusion of being a blank because you often don't see what it strands.

There are ways to abuse it with symmetrical effects or cards with drawbacks that it negates - Assassin's Trophy or Scheming Symmetry or even Timesifter, but they mostly feel like too much work for not enough payoff.

I don't think you could safely put the no-search effect on a cheaper card, but maybe if it cycled, or was on a creature that could attack, or tied to something with a more proactive ability as well, it would be more likely to entice people into using it.

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Post by umtiger » 4 years ago

Sharpened wrote:
4 years ago
It's not that it should do more. For what it does, it's really powerful. And it is an awesome effect that needs to exist.

It's just so conditional. When the conditions aren't right, it's a 4 mana blank card. Even when the conditions are right, it can give the illusion of being a blank because you often don't see what it strands.

There are ways to abuse it with symmetrical effects or cards with drawbacks that it negates - Assassin's Trophy or Scheming Symmetry or even Timesifter, but they mostly feel like too much work for not enough payoff.

I don't think you could safely put the no-search effect on a cheaper card, but maybe if it cycled, or was on a creature that could attack, or tied to something with a more proactive ability as well, it would be more likely to entice people into using it.
Uh...they decided to put the "no search" effect on a 3cmc planeswalker as a static effect + staple graveyard hate along with it.

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Post by vandertroll » 4 years ago

The first hate card I bought when I started playing EDH. Always happy to draw it in red decks.
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Post by onering » 4 years ago

Should be a staple. It's worth it for the no search clause alone. Shuts down tutors. Shuts down land based ramp. Shuts down fetches. Breaks symmetry or removes drawbacks on numerous good cards. Then stopping extra turns is just gravy.

Just think about it. Playing this means the blue player can't cast their extra turn spells, the green player is stuck with their cultivates, nature's lores, and more being dead draws, the black player is sitting on a demonic tutor she can't use, and if your spells like Path to Exile become better. Hell, run Maralan in your deck and cackle when you combo her with this.

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Post by hyalopterouslemur » 4 years ago

Well, this hits ramp, combo, 3+ color decks that use things like landcycling (or ramp) for mana fixing, and any sort of infinite turns shenanigans right in the balls. Good times. 10/10 Would recommend.
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