~Scion of Vitu-Ghazi
:3mana::symw::symw:
Creature - Elemental
If you cast ~ from your hand, put a 1/1 white Bird creature token with flying onto the battlefield, then populate.
4/4
Y helo thar updated Geist-Honored Monk. I think it is a well-designed, elegant card.
But competitive? Hmmmm, 6/6 worth of creatures for 5 and potentially more. Cannot be reanimated well, but gives you something if it is countered (a 1/1 and a populate effect). Looks underwhelming, but could see a bit of consideration.
Although it cannot be blinked, either...meh. Probably doesn't do enough for my tastes, even with the support of a token on the battlefield.
The blink issue will be less important post-rotation. I think it looks pretty solid tbh, i've used GHM in more than a few builds, especially early on in the standard seasons. The potential to play this right after you flash Advent of the Wurm seems really good...
The blink issue will be less important post-rotation. I think it looks pretty solid tbh, i've used GHM in more than a few builds, especially early on in the standard seasons. The potential to play this right after you flash Advent of the Wurm seems really good...
I have also used the monk reasonably well...but I felt that Increasing Devotion ultimately contributed more to my overall deck, a card that is rarely seen in Standard.
But I agree that having support of 3/3 wolves and beasts (Garruk) and 5/5 wurms could make a difference in the right deck.
I really want to like this card, but it needs a great populate target to be good, which means it will sit in your hand the whole game if you don't have said target out.
Interesting that there's the condition clause, 'If you cast ~ from your hand'. It's not really as though there are ridonkulous shenanigans that could go off if this didn't have that.
The wording seems strange. Wouldn't the card be worded thus: "When ~ enters the battlefield, if you cast it from your hand, put a 1/1 white Bird creature token with flying onto the battlefield, then populate."?
There's one other way (that's used in Magic), but that's for replacement effects (e.g., 'enters the battlefield tapped if you cast it from your hand', 'enters the battlefield with 17 divinity counters on it if you cast it from your hand')
If you cast ~ from your hand, put a 1/1 white Bird creature token with flying onto the battlefield, then populate.
... or maybe this is supposed to work while the card is being played.
Yeah, Geist Honored Monk came immediately to mind, but Scion is actually a lot different. Firstly, it nerfs the ETB effect with a 'cast from hand' clause. So much for reanimator fodder. Also, it's stuck at 4/4, and doesn't pump like Monk when more dudes are in play.
On the plus side 'populate' is an added bonus that Monk doesn't have, but its just not good enough to make it better.
The final nail in the coffin is the Elemental subtype. I run Geist Honored Monk in my Human reanimator deck with Angel of Glory's Rise, and couldn't substitute an elemental.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"There's plenty of Youth in the world. What we need is a fountain of Smart."
The wording seems strange. Wouldn't the card be worded thus: "When ~ enters the battlefield, if you cast it from your hand, put a 1/1 white Bird creature token with flying onto the battlefield, then populate."?
It could have been worded that way, but this isn't designed as an ETB effect, it's designed as a trigger when cast. This makes the bird token and populate effect occur even if this spell is countered. I'm fairly sure an ETB effect would be preferred, as it is more breakable that way, but this is a pretty interesting design.
This might very well be my favourite card of the set! Almost enough to make me forget Emmara. Almost...
I've been talking a lot about how amazing it is in a Séance deck (which is conveniently what I'm playing.) I used Druid's Deliverance to populate all those tokens, but this guy is much better by itself than Druid's Deliverance. Using him to populate a Spark Trooper is amazing since you still have a 4/4 and a 1/1 flyer to defend yourself after. Populating a Craterhoof Behemoth while getting two more creatures for the second trigger will win the game more often than not.
Another very good populate target with this guy is the */* token from Voice of Resurgence. You can jump from having only a 1/1 to having three 4/4 and a 1/1 flyer for only 5 mana.
This card could see play because it curves out after Advent of the Wurm really, really well. A 4/4 and 2 1/1 flyers for 5 isn't great (it's not bad, either), but a 4/4, a 1/1 flyer and a 5/5 for 5 mana seems like a really good deal. Oh, and this is Rare because as an Uncommon it'd be very, very strong in Limited. Selesnya is already pretty good at slowing down a game, and being able to get multiples of this without too much trouble would probably be too strong for the Draft and Sealed tables.
So I have this theory that each keyword mechanic is getting a mono colored rare in this set.
So far to back my theory
we have
Evolve...Renegade Krasis
Bloodrush...uhhh, something-something Goblin (too lazy to go look it up real fast, you know the one, the one that just got spoiled)
So I have this theory that each keyword mechanic is getting a mono colored rare in this set.
And now we have this guy for Populate.
If I may throw a Theroy out there...
theres aslo the populate common. I'm thinking we'll see at least one of each keyword in each rarity minus mythic. or maybe Just common and rare.
He doesn't have an ETB only ability because something like Progenitor Mimic or Cackling Counterpart could make it a token which populates itself.
I'm positive thats why too, infinite loop game breaker with mimic, counterpart they must have realised. Nice work designers.
As it is, doubt ill use it. Too clunky for my taste trostani (and now advent) top my curve apart from 2 armada wurm bombs. You need a wurm out to make him super efficient. Though he's still good to be sure.
If you ever hold back on a game winning play, make sure to gloat about it loudly, often, and in excruciating detail; you'll feel like a bond villain (just don't be suprised when and if you're killed in an embarrassing or dumb manner).
The same 'if this creature isn’t a token' rider from Progenitor Mimic would've had the same effect. It'd be equally as clunky, but marginally more playable.
What are you talking about? Progenitor Mimic wouldn't go infinite if it was just 6 mana Clone?
I really want to like this card, but it needs a great populate target to be good, which means it will sit in your hand the whole game if you don't have said target out.
on the contrary. he brings you 6 power (2 flying) in 3 creatures when you have 0, and for 5 mana that's a decent price. but it's the work he does with advent of the wurm and voice of resurgence that push him into playable territory.
The "populate" clause on this guy makes interesting: if you have an empty board it's 6 power for 5 but it could easily be much more than that if you have a 3/3 centaur token for example; gets out of control if you have one of those 5/5 trample wurms or Voice of the Hose.
If I may throw a Theroy out there...
theres aslo the populate common. I'm thinking we'll see at least one of each keyword in each rarity minus mythic. or maybe Just common and rare.
With the spoil of Dragonshift, we now have a multicolored overload card.
So, I guess maybe they're not restricting it to just mono colors.
Edit:
The more I think about my theory, the more I realize there's really not much keyword mechanic representation in this set.
Aside from two cards showcasing populate, no two other cards seem to share any keyword mechanics.
So I'm going to revise my theory to saying each keyword mechanic is getting at least one rare representation. The populate common suggests they each might get a common representation. Which would make sense for limited anyway.
which leaves us with no rares for the following mechanics: Cipher and Extort.
Considering the pattern of this mono color cycle. We'll get a blue rare that has cipher, and a black rare that has extort, completing the cycle of monocolored rares that have the mechanics of the block.
It would also finish off the rare for each mechanic theory.
:3mana::symw::symw:
Creature - Elemental
If you cast ~ from your hand, put a 1/1 white Bird creature token with flying onto the battlefield, then populate.
4/4
Y helo thar updated Geist-Honored Monk. I think it is a well-designed, elegant card.
But competitive? Hmmmm, 6/6 worth of creatures for 5 and potentially more. Cannot be reanimated well, but gives you something if it is countered (a 1/1 and a populate effect). Looks underwhelming, but could see a bit of consideration.
Although it cannot be blinked, either...meh. Probably doesn't do enough for my tastes, even with the support of a token on the battlefield.
I have also used the monk reasonably well...but I felt that Increasing Devotion ultimately contributed more to my overall deck, a card that is rarely seen in Standard.
But I agree that having support of 3/3 wolves and beasts (Garruk) and 5/5 wurms could make a difference in the right deck.
The wording seems strange. Wouldn't the card be worded thus: "When ~ enters the battlefield, if you cast it from your hand, put a 1/1 white Bird creature token with flying onto the battlefield, then populate."?
There's one other way (that's used in Magic), but that's for replacement effects (e.g., 'enters the battlefield tapped if you cast it from your hand', 'enters the battlefield with 17 divinity counters on it if you cast it from your hand')
... or maybe this is supposed to work while the card is being played.
On the plus side 'populate' is an added bonus that Monk doesn't have, but its just not good enough to make it better.
The final nail in the coffin is the Elemental subtype. I run Geist Honored Monk in my Human reanimator deck with Angel of Glory's Rise, and couldn't substitute an elemental.
It could have been worded that way, but this isn't designed as an ETB effect, it's designed as a trigger when cast. This makes the bird token and populate effect occur even if this spell is countered. I'm fairly sure an ETB effect would be preferred, as it is more breakable that way, but this is a pretty interesting design.
Currently Playing:
Standard: Bant Tokens / Jeskai Tutelage
Modern: Temur Twin / GR Tron
Legacy: Miracles / Grixis Delver
I've been talking a lot about how amazing it is in a Séance deck (which is conveniently what I'm playing.) I used Druid's Deliverance to populate all those tokens, but this guy is much better by itself than Druid's Deliverance. Using him to populate a Spark Trooper is amazing since you still have a 4/4 and a 1/1 flyer to defend yourself after. Populating a Craterhoof Behemoth while getting two more creatures for the second trigger will win the game more often than not.
Another very good populate target with this guy is the */* token from Voice of Resurgence. You can jump from having only a 1/1 to having three 4/4 and a 1/1 flyer for only 5 mana.
And it is obviously very powerful in limited.
So far to back my theory
we have
Evolve...Renegade Krasis
Bloodrush...uhhh, something-something Goblin (too lazy to go look it up real fast, you know the one, the one that just got spoiled)
And now we have this guy for Populate.
If I may throw a Theroy out there...
theres aslo the populate common. I'm thinking we'll see at least one of each keyword in each rarity minus mythic. or maybe Just common and rare.
It's Hip to be a Square
I'm positive thats why too, infinite loop game breaker with mimic, counterpart they must have realised. Nice work designers.
As it is, doubt ill use it. Too clunky for my taste trostani (and now advent) top my curve apart from 2 armada wurm bombs. You need a wurm out to make him super efficient. Though he's still good to be sure.
It seems much more likely it reads, "whenever etb and is cast from your hand".
Now you got at least an uncounterable token + proliferate effect.
Edit:
The more I think about it, the more certain I am that the current phrasing is wrong.
At the bare minimum this is a 3 body 6 flying power for 5. That alone is very strong.
Next to that it can give you even more power if you have a bigger token into play.
But the fact that it also supposedly gives you at least 2 uncounterable spirits makes me seriously doubt it.
Give irony and sarcasm, when ignorance and stupidity is found.
The whip is kept for special occasions
What are you talking about? Progenitor Mimic wouldn't go infinite if it was just 6 mana Clone?
on the contrary. he brings you 6 power (2 flying) in 3 creatures when you have 0, and for 5 mana that's a decent price. but it's the work he does with advent of the wurm and voice of resurgence that push him into playable territory.
Pretty cool but not very exciting
This aint your girlfriends meta! This is a man's meta! TURBO META.
With the spoil of Dragonshift, we now have a multicolored overload card.
So, I guess maybe they're not restricting it to just mono colors.
Edit:
The more I think about my theory, the more I realize there's really not much keyword mechanic representation in this set.
Aside from two cards showcasing populate, no two other cards seem to share any keyword mechanics.
So I'm going to revise my theory to saying each keyword mechanic is getting at least one rare representation. The populate common suggests they each might get a common representation. Which would make sense for limited anyway.
So far we have.
Evolve - Renegade Krasis
Bloodrush - Pyrewild Shaman
Populate - Scion dude here
Overload - Dragonshift
Unleash - Exava
Batallion - Tajic
Detain - Lavinia
Scavenge - Varolz
which leaves us with no rares for the following mechanics: Cipher and Extort.
Considering the pattern of this mono color cycle. We'll get a blue rare that has cipher, and a black rare that has extort, completing the cycle of monocolored rares that have the mechanics of the block.
It would also finish off the rare for each mechanic theory.