[LOR] Scrye: 5 full cards including Galepowder Mage and Packmaster

[Darth Bunny]

Nice. Just one thing though:

If Fodder Launch is black, shouldn't it cause the opponent to lose life instead of damage? I recall reading somewhere that wotc was making that distinction between black and red.

And yes, champion an elf is the worst name for a mechanic since...since...hmm...get back to you all on that...

[Sakura]

Wrens Run Packmaster (Prerelease giveaway)
3
Creature- Elf Warrior
5/5
(Rare)
Champion an elf (when this comes into play, sacrifice it unless you remove another elf you control from the game. When this leaves play, return that card to play.)
2: Put a 2/2 green wolf creature token into play
Each wolf you control has deathtouch.

The keyword is oddly worded, but I can get used to it easy enough.

I actually love the Champion ability. Holy dodge removal batman. Tribal format just got more intresting now that you have more ways to dodge mass removal. This guy is good too.

Epic Proportions
4
Enchantment- Aura
(Rare)
Flash
Enchant Creature
Enchanted Creature gets +5/+5 and has trample.
From mite to mighty.

Meh. Fun for Limited and will see casual play.

Fodder Launch
3
Tribal Sorcery- Goblin
(Uncommon)
As an additional cost to play Fodder Launch, sacrifice a Goblin.
Target creature gets -5/-5 until end of turn. Fodder Launch deals 5 damage to that creature's controller.
Leave it to a Boggart to come up with a projectile as disgusting as it is deadly.

This is pretty good. I hate the art. There should be a Boggart wrapped up in that Booger.

Fallowsage
3
Creature- Merfolk Wizard
2/2
(Uncommon)
Whenever Fallowsage becomes tapped, you may draw a card.
Memories of ages past are said to swim the minds of lounging fallowsages.

This is actually no to bad. As long as you tap it once it replaces itself. Add Arcane Teachings, toss this into an Opposition deck. Not very constructed viable but loads of fun potential.

Galepowder Mage
3
Creature- Kithkin Wizard
3/3
(Rare)
Flying
Whenever Galepowder Mage attacks, remove another target creature from the game. Return that card to play under it's owner's control at end of turn.

Wow this is stupid good. Im putting these in a deck with Eternal Witnesses and Extalted Angels. Its only flaw is needing the attack step really. This will see play and likely get a deck built around (or evolved around) it.

[urzassedatives]

Originally Posted by pokerbob1

Those are some sweet cards. I really like the Galepowder Mage. great way to abuse 187 creatures or to break a limited creature stall.

I really really like that card, and it seems that MaRo's article had quite a bit of hints, as this seems to be Lorwyn's take on the 'Gustcloak' creatures of Onslaught block.

Originally Posted by WarEmblem

Overall this first batch of cards doesn't give me that icy, sinking feeling in my gut I usually get that a set is going to suck, so that's good. "Champion a <whatever>" does sound bad, but whatever.

BTW, anyone feel like they're dangerously close to running out of names? Mythic Proportions

It is a reference to the similar Onslaught card.

Originally Posted by PriestsofGix

So what's the flavor behind Champion an Elf? It seems to be that an ordinary elf evolves into the Wren Packmaster guy. Still confusing as hell flavorwise though, why isn't the Packmaster a legend? and why does he devolve back to his weak form after being killed?

Seems very reminiscent of split creatures and Offering, as someone pointed out.

It seems just like it is a way of evolving creautures. The way I want to play with this is just put the creature physically over the other creature.
I like the ability, I like these cards, I am not disappointed as I usually am with card previews in a magazine.
They will be in the spoiler in a bit.

Is it just me, or can the 'champion an XX' mechanic cause an infinite loop?

[Pfisiar]

The Merfolk has sick interaction with Azami, Lady of Scrolls

[Sigismond0]

I just have a couple of problems with the packmaster.

Why is it worded "Each Wolf you control has deathtouch", rather than the way everything else is, ie "Wolves you control have deathtouch"?

Also, the Championing ability's last line of text seems a bit goofy. Shouldn't it say "Retrun that creature to play" rather than "That creature returns to play"?

But, the card itself is stupendous. I could see this being a big fat finisher for some sort of G/U control build, with the only other creatures being Llanowar Elves and Teferi.

Originally Posted by urzassedatives

Is it just me, or can the 'champion an XX' mechanic cause an infinite loop?

The rules text says remove <i>another</i> elf you control from the game.

[kbx41]

damn good cards

glad i prepaid for lorwyn when i still had money

being unemployed for the win!!!!!!

...or not

[Shiri]

Originally Posted by urzassedatives

I really really like that card, and it seems
Is it just me, or can the 'champion an XX' mechanic cause an infinite loop?

Nah. It reads, "blah blah, sacrifice it unless you remove a blah blah." That means you get the option to sacrifice it instead of removing something, so the infinite loop isn't mandatory and legally have to cancel out of it.

[Atwa]

I really like them.

I was also one of the people who were affraid the whole tribal theme was going to suck, however it look pretty good. I hope the whole set has cards of this powerlevel (idle hope, I know), it would make Standard a little crazy, but there should be some interesting cards for Legacy in it.

Too bad they didn't pick a planeswalker for a pre-release card. You should expect them to promote them a little more. On the other hand, I can see why they want to keep info regarding them secret for a little longer.

[Elheirst]

Gotta make an ElfQuest deck when Lorwynn comes out (Loved the comics and having elves and wolves should be easy with Lorwynn)

[charlequin]

Nice, thanks as always Ravensect!

Champion is a great ability. (And I, at least, have no problem with the name.) A typical elf deck tends to produce tons of little elves, many of whom are unnecessary by the late game; this ability lets this guy slide out at a wicked cheap price and start making deadly wolves right away.

(I'm really expecting -- and not seeing any reason to doubt, thus far -- that each tribe has their own mini-themes and mechanics, Ravnica-style; I wouldn't be surprised if Champion is currently an elf-only mechanic.)

Tribal-the-type really is back, eh? I'm definitely a little surprised, but as I think about it, it really does make sense: just as I argued so many times, Tribal really isn't important enough to count, or be advertised as, a new type. It's been in the set the whole time and yet Rosewater still talked about how "the" new card type was cool! (I suppose this could also explain the fact that his hint got removed from that one article.)

Galepowder Mage looks fantastic and I look forward to seeing what clever stuff people come up with to abuse it.

Still ambivalent about the tribal theme itself, but the fact that three of the five cards aren't actually tribal at all at least helps me feel a little better about it not being an Onslaught-style anvil of unsubtle linearity.

[WarEmblem]

Originally Posted by mikekelley

No mate, I just think that it is completing that cycle, or adding to it. They aren't going to run out of names.

Originally Posted by urzassedatives

It is a reference to the similar Onslaught card.

We just had a nostalgia block. The time for making blatant references to the names of old cards has passed, IMHO.

[Night Child]

Originally Posted by Ravensect

Fallowsage
3
Creature- Merfolk Wizard
2/2
(Uncommon)
Whenever Fallowsage becomes tapped, you may draw a card.
Memories of ages past are said to swim the minds of lounging fallowsages.

This card combos nice with Mind over Matter and something to tap it to. You can deck someone out, inf pinning, draw out your deck. Fun. :P (note you can also use Mind over Matter to tap it but that's 2 cards for one)

[kontari dasou]

Originally Posted by Ravensect

Wrens Run Packmaster (Prerelease giveaway)
3
Creature- Elf Warrior
5/5
(Rare)
Champion an elf (when this comes into play, sacrifice it unless you remove another elf you control from the game. When this leaves play, return that card to play.)
2: Put a 2/2 green wolf creature token into play
Each wolf you control has deathtouch.

No one is ever actually going to say the word "champion," they're just going to put the Packmaster on top of their Llanowar. No need to get in a huff about something that will allow them to put more text on some ridiculous rare.

Originally Posted by Ravensect

Epic Proportions
4
Enchantment- Aura
(Rare)
Flash
Enchant Creature
Enchanted Creature gets +5/+5 and has trample.
From mite to mighty.

A little high for the mono-G curve.

Originally Posted by Ravensect

Fodder Launch
3
Tribal Sorcery- Goblin
(Uncommon)
As an additional cost to play Fodder Launch, sacrifice a Goblin.
Target creature gets -5/-5 until end of turn. Fodder Launch deals 5 damage to that creature's controller.
Leave it to a Boggart to come up with a projectile as disgusting as it is deadly.

Yay tribal as type and as theme! Yay ridiculous limited removal!

Originally Posted by Ravensect

Fallowsage
3
Creature- Merfolk Wizard
2/2
(Uncommon)
Whenever Fallowsage becomes tapped, you may draw a card.
Memories of ages past are said to swim the minds of lounging fallowsages.

I'm waiting for the card that says "Tap a Merfolk creature you control:..."

Originally Posted by Ravensect

Galepowder Mage
3
Creature- Kithkin Wizard
3/3
(Rare)
Flying
Whenever Galepowder Mage attacks, remove another target creature from the game. Return that card to play under it's owner's control at end of turn.

It's another Blink-tech tool! Yay!

Final verdict: I want more. I'm really loving the flavor of this set thus far.

[EvilDuck]

Originally Posted by Sakura

This is pretty good. I hate the art. There should be a Boggart wrapped up in that Booger.

Look close-lier. That's a boggart's head. There will be a spell that lets you fling Goblin heads at your opponents, and it's not that bad....

WHEEEE!

The Packmaster is pretty good, and contrary to all of you apparently, I like the way the ability is worded. You, the player, are championing(yes, thats a word) the lowly Llanowar mana dork to turn it into a rabid-wolf-spewing 5/5. I don't know how getting the original elf back makes sense, but I like it as anti-removal tech. Only downside is potential card disadvantage if they remove all your other elves before the champion ability can resolve. But yeah, winner all around.

Epic Proportions: Limited and casual, though I like the idea of a combat trick that sticks around.

Fodder Launch: What's not to love about wreaking destruction with the flung appendages of disgusting minions? Tribal might or might not be cool, but at least it will be better than the Spirit/Arcane mess of Krappigawa.

Fallowsage: Probably costs too much to do anything in Constructed, but you never know. It has a lot of potential.

Galepowder Mage: It's really good, expect stupid slide tricks.

And if there's enough good Tribal cards, then Tarmogoyf just got a little more ridiculous. Which is awesome on one hand because I like green, but it sucks because they're like 80 bucks a playset. *sigh*

[Drenik]

wow...those are really.

the wren's run packmaster might actually get me to the prerelease even though I have an important conflict....

like others, I don't like "champion an elf" but the effect is okay, so oh well.

the number on it is 247, I believe (or its 243), so that proabably means 50 (or 49) cards a color, assuming even color distribution, and 36 (41) other cards.

fallowsage is awesome. Yay for the return of merfolk!!!