Why is this card so high? What makes it so good? it seems mediocre at best as it only gets 1-5 counters on it and I know I'm missing something so help?
Blow up all tokens and 0cmc artifacts for 2 mana? Yes, please.
Wrath half/all of your board for 3-4 mana. Yep.
Destroy your Blood Moon with my UW control deck? Sure.
etc.
Basically, it's tailor-made removal for many different problems that can fit into any two-or-more color control deck.
It's similar to Ratchet Bomb but it's a couple of turns faster. It can't kill high CMC stuff but that doesn't really matter since the only thing you're going to be using it for is to kill aggro decks.
It gives Blue a sweeper. Really that is the best part.
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In case I didn't tell you, I don't care about your opinion I just want your facts. And not the facts that make you seem smart. I want the ones that are actual facts.
If you want to blow up 2-cmc stuff now, Engineered Explosives is way, way better. It costs as much as Wrath of God in that situation and does its stuff just as fast, while Ratchet Bomb can only blow up 2-cmc stuff two turns after it ETB.
If you want to blow up 1-cmc stuff now, EE still wins because of its immediacy.
If all you're doing with it is blowing up tokens, it's a tie.
If you want to blow up 2-cmc stuff now, Engineered Explosives is way, way better. It costs as much as Wrath of God in that situation and does its stuff just as fast, while Ratchet Bomb can only blow up 2-cmc stuff two turns after it ETB.
If you want to blow up 1-cmc stuff now, EE still wins because of its immediacy.
If all you're doing with it is blowing up tokens, it's a tie.
If you're just blowing up tokens, ratchet bomb is strictly better (assuming token decks don't run spell snare).
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To post on this forum you must...
1. Have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.
2. Stubbornly argue for at least 1 page of posts.
3. Regurgitate things you read on Starcitygames or Channelfireball.
4. Hate all netdeckers
5. Claim your 2nd place FNM deck broke the format and Delver is not even that good.
6. Tell everybody that MBC is coming back every time a new black card is released.
If your opponent is playing aggro and has a bunch of one-drops in his hand, and you play an EE for 1 on the table, what does he do? Does he put 2-3 of them on the table and get blown out? Does he start running out 2-3 drops and getting shut down by counterspells or spot removal? Does he play one threat at a time, letting you EoT draw a bunch of cards and set up shop? Where does he find a balance between all of these?
It's also insane when it's used properly and blown up EoT, instead of in combat. If you're facing aggression and they swing with that Steppe Lynx, you take the damage and then pop it EoT. Sure, I'll take 4. Now, are you going to pay something which I can trade efficiently with using countermagic/spot removal in your second main phase, or are you going to give me a 2-for-1 by playing another 1-drop after combat, or are you going to be a pansy and let the pressure down by not casting anything? One way or another, EE is winning me this tempo fight. Good luck, aggro deck.
And if you're thinking, "But I don't want to waste 4 life points! What do I do?" I recommend you man up and start treating your life total as a resource. If it gets attacked, board some CoP: Reds or Death's Shadows and show that aggro deck who's boss.
It also doesn't hurt that EE is a Wrath effect which removes planeswalkers, Cranial Plating, Lotus Blooms, an entire Empty the Warrens (or any other army of tokens) by itself, Delvers for just the activation cost, and most anything else that actually stays on the table after leaving the stack. Basically, if you aren't playing an aggro deck, you should be thinking about running this somewhere in your 75. Even if you find better cards for the job or if EE is affecting the metagame enough to make itself inefficient (which eventually happens, as with Spell Snare or Spell Pierce), you should still be considering its use.
If you're just blowing up tokens, ratchet bomb is strictly better (assuming token decks don't run spell snare).
That's totally not true at all. Both of these cost 2 mana total to blow up an army of tokens. The difference is that you spend the 2 mana when you activate EE, so you can play it for 0 and keep mana open to do whatever you want. Which would you rather do: invest 2 mana immediately and possibly get blown out by something's resolution, or invest it as late as possible whenever its convenient to you?
That's totally not true at all. Both of these cost 2 mana total to blow up an army of tokens. The difference is that you spend the 2 mana when you activate EE, so you can play it for 0 and keep mana open to do whatever you want. Which would you rather do: invest 2 mana immediately and possibly get blown out by something's resolution, or invest it as late as possible whenever its convenient to you?
Yeah, you're right, leaving 2 mana up is so much better than having to pay two mana initially. /sarcasm
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To post on this forum you must...
1. Have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.
2. Stubbornly argue for at least 1 page of posts.
3. Regurgitate things you read on Starcitygames or Channelfireball.
4. Hate all netdeckers
5. Claim your 2nd place FNM deck broke the format and Delver is not even that good.
6. Tell everybody that MBC is coming back every time a new black card is released.
Yeah, you're right, leaving 2 mana up is so much better than having to pay two mana initially. /sarcasm
Are you actually serious? What part of "I don't pay any mana to put this on the table" don't you understand? What part of "I don't tap out in my main phase" don't you understand? Quit trolling.
The only advantage I can see of ratchet bomb over EE (and I vastly prefer EE in majority of decks) is that you can adjust the effect after it hits the board. I'll grant you that such a situation suggests that you misplayed a hypothetical EE, but it does represent flexibility for the bomb nonetheless.
Ratchet bomb is better in strictly mono-colored decks, but those are pretty rare (and would often benefit from a splash anyway).
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Sig by Dark Night Cavalier at Heroes of the Plane Studios!
If you want to blow up 2-cmc stuff now, Engineered Explosives is way, way better. It costs as much as Wrath of God in that situation and does its stuff just as fast, while Ratchet Bomb can only blow up 2-cmc stuff two turns after it ETB.
If you want to blow up 1-cmc stuff now, EE still wins because of its immediacy.
If all you're doing with it is blowing up tokens, it's a tie.
Exactly. The only other difference you missed is that EE is bad against Teeg. In almost every other metric EE wins.
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Modern (I collect the format):
WURDelver
[/MANA]MANA]R[/MANA]GTron WDeath and Taxes WSoul Sisters RWG Pod Combo URSplinter Twin URStorm RBurn
Lets keep the personal attacks under control. Keep the discussion about the merits cards.
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Out of the blackness and stench of the engulfing swamp emerged a shimmering figure. Only the splattered armor and ichor-stained sword hinted at the unfathomable evil the knight had just laid waste.
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Engineered Explosives
Modern:
UWThe End ForetoldUW
Modern:
UWThe End ForetoldUW
Wrath half/all of your board for 3-4 mana. Yep.
Destroy your Blood Moon with my UW control deck? Sure.
etc.
Basically, it's tailor-made removal for many different problems that can fit into any two-or-more color control deck.
Cockatrice username: Blackcat77
Blue always love versatility.
none
Modern
UBG B/U/G control
BBB MBC
WUR Control
WWW Prison
RRR Goblins
Legacy
BBB Pox
UBG B/U/G Control
UWU StoneBlade
UW Miracle Control
Not that Bomb is better. More like they're closer in quality than you'd think at first glance.
If you want to blow up 1-cmc stuff now, EE still wins because of its immediacy.
If all you're doing with it is blowing up tokens, it's a tie.
If you're just blowing up tokens, ratchet bomb is strictly better (assuming token decks don't run spell snare).
1. Have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.
2. Stubbornly argue for at least 1 page of posts.
3. Regurgitate things you read on Starcitygames or Channelfireball.
4. Hate all netdeckers
5. Claim your 2nd place FNM deck broke the format and Delver is not even that good.
6. Tell everybody that MBC is coming back every time a new black card is released.
It's also insane when it's used properly and blown up EoT, instead of in combat. If you're facing aggression and they swing with that Steppe Lynx, you take the damage and then pop it EoT. Sure, I'll take 4. Now, are you going to pay something which I can trade efficiently with using countermagic/spot removal in your second main phase, or are you going to give me a 2-for-1 by playing another 1-drop after combat, or are you going to be a pansy and let the pressure down by not casting anything? One way or another, EE is winning me this tempo fight. Good luck, aggro deck.
And if you're thinking, "But I don't want to waste 4 life points! What do I do?" I recommend you man up and start treating your life total as a resource. If it gets attacked, board some CoP: Reds or Death's Shadows and show that aggro deck who's boss.
It also doesn't hurt that EE is a Wrath effect which removes planeswalkers, Cranial Plating, Lotus Blooms, an entire Empty the Warrens (or any other army of tokens) by itself, Delvers for just the activation cost, and most anything else that actually stays on the table after leaving the stack. Basically, if you aren't playing an aggro deck, you should be thinking about running this somewhere in your 75. Even if you find better cards for the job or if EE is affecting the metagame enough to make itself inefficient (which eventually happens, as with Spell Snare or Spell Pierce), you should still be considering its use.
That's totally not true at all. Both of these cost 2 mana total to blow up an army of tokens. The difference is that you spend the 2 mana when you activate EE, so you can play it for 0 and keep mana open to do whatever you want. Which would you rather do: invest 2 mana immediately and possibly get blown out by something's resolution, or invest it as late as possible whenever its convenient to you?
Yeah, you're right, leaving 2 mana up is so much better than having to pay two mana initially. /sarcasm
1. Have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.
2. Stubbornly argue for at least 1 page of posts.
3. Regurgitate things you read on Starcitygames or Channelfireball.
4. Hate all netdeckers
5. Claim your 2nd place FNM deck broke the format and Delver is not even that good.
6. Tell everybody that MBC is coming back every time a new black card is released.
Are you actually serious? What part of "I don't pay any mana to put this on the table" don't you understand? What part of "I don't tap out in my main phase" don't you understand? Quit trolling.
Ratchet bomb is better in strictly mono-colored decks, but those are pretty rare (and would often benefit from a splash anyway).
WURDelver
[/MANA]MANA]R[/MANA]GTron
WDeath and Taxes
WSoul Sisters
RWG Pod Combo
URSplinter Twin
URStorm
RBurn