[ELD] Oko Thief of Crowns

[Marquis]

Looks to be the Planeswalker deck version



edit never mind it looks like the borderless versions have different collector numbers

[Simto]

3 mana, 4 loyalty, planeswalker is pretty sick. The +1 is really good too against big threats.
No idea what a food token is yet, but looks like a good card to me.

[TheMagicWord]

I dunno what food token does but its making me hungry. Hopefully the token cards have delicious art.

[Dusk]

Given the number I want to say this is a walker deck card. However, as we've not been given the exact number of cards in the set this could be wrong. Interesting to see a cheap walker deck card if it is.
EDIT: We also don't know (or at least I don't) how the alt frame/art versions are going to be numbered.
EDIT2: apparently this is his in set card: https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurenorsi ... b568a33088

[Raptorchan]

Beast Within is a good spell.
Cavalier of Dawn's ability is quite useful.
But as planeswalker's +1 ability tjhis is just nuts. I guess if they wanted to make him a chase mythic, this is a success,
A collector's number makes me wonder - is this supposed to be a planeswalker deck card? Or maybe Brawl deck card? These different art treatment Eldraine premium cards are so confusing...
Also I kinda dislike how they print tokens without abilities printed on the same card (started in M20 with Treasure tokens). This is confusing. Or perhaps Food is going to become evergreen too?...

[CubJay]

Why doesn't the food token have any other types?

[void_nothing]

Why doesn't the food token have any other types?

Because like a Treasure token it's presumably a colorless artifact with a sacrifice ability. Presumably lower rarity cards will have explanatory reminder text.

[Mookie]

Referencing Rapacious Dragon, this appears to be the new templating for specific tokens - the full text of the token is in the reminder text, and doesn't have to be spelled out on the card explicitly. (and reminder text can be left off of wordier cards, such as Planeswalkers)

Time for rampant speculation on what food is! If I had to guess, it's an artifact of some sort (although eating an artifact would be sort of weird) - seems natural that the three abilities on Oko would synergize. Make a food, transform a thing, then trade your food for their elk. Alternatively, make a food token, then turn the food into an elk, meaning you can create a 3/3 token every other turn - not bad for a 3-mana walker.

Otherwise... Oko seems reasonable, but hard to evaluate without knowing what else is in the set (especially without knowing what food does). Can't do the (-5) immediately, but can do so the turn after he comes down. Also, a 3 mana walker that immediately goes up to 6 loyalty is very hard to kill. Beast Within is alright, but this isn't nearly as versatile. Sorcery speed also means he can't really protect himself, but having a creature capable of blocking a 3/3 isn't difficult.

Somewhat interesting from an EDH perspective - there are a lot of decks that can benefit from a repeatable token generator, even if it is just food. Somewhat fewer in Simic, but they do still exist. Transforming an enemy general into a vanilla elk is also a pretty amusing way to shut down some decks, especially any decks that don't have sac outlets or flickering to reset their general.

[5colorsrainbow]

Yay another simic walker tp join with Kiora and the sometimes Nissa and Tamiyo.

Food does play a part in many fairy tales so I wonder what the mechanic is.

While his +1 is nice, I've never had much luck with using transform removal.

[Arkmer]

Total speculation!! Food is +1/+1 counters or until end of turn, sac for free (or 1) to use it, green artifact. At a minimum, I think it grows creatures in some way.

Makes some sense as a +2 on a 3cmc 4 loyalty walker.

[void_nothing]

Total speculation!! Food is +1/+1 counters or until end of turn, sac for free (or 1) to use it, green artifact. At a minimum, I think it grows creatures in some way.

Makes some sense as a +2 on a 3cmc 4 loyalty walker.

I think pump is a good call. Maybe it's a counter, maybe it's +2/+2 until end of turn.

[Guardman]

So after thinking about it I think I have an idea of what the Food token is supposed to do. Food reverts a creature or artifact back to its original state.

Here is my thought process.

1. His ultimate is meant to be used to exchange Elks he creates.

2. Exchanging a creature or artifact you control for a creature an opponent controls is powerful, but with the power 3 or less restriction it is not especially useful, especially to just get a 3/3 Elk.

3. But using a Food token to undo a transformation after exchanging control of an object seems a lot more like an ultimate. Even with the extra hoops to jump through.

4. There is a lot of transforming, cursing, disguising, and glamours in Arthurian and Fairy Tales. I could see it being a theme. And every theme needs a way to interact with it and what better way to interact with it than being able to undo the transformation/curse/glamour/granny-pajamas. Hence food tokens.

[void_nothing]

So after thinking about it I think I have an idea of what the Food token is supposed to do. Food reverts a creature or artifact back to its original state.

I don't think that'll be the case because the most sensible mechanical way to do that is with blink. And that doesn't really fit with the flavor of, well, food.

[5colorsrainbow]

Food are artifacts. This make Oko a lot more fun and flavorful. Turn some breadcrumbs into an elk and/or switch it out for something fun on your opponents side. Very trickster feeling.

[Hawk]

Food would have to be a drawback like "at the beginning of your upkeep tap an untapped land you control", for this not to be pretty good. +1 to Beast Within is gross, and worst case scenario you can swap food for Elk with your ultimate, for a power play. This card is bananas.

[The N82O Molecule]

all I kept thinking about was how many abs this guy has

but now that I'm understanding "food token" I think im liking this card. it seems very outside the box and I support that.

more importantly simic wins here which is great.

[theMarc]

So, is WotC switching from rg to gu to be the color pair that gets saturated with 'walkers?

At least we haven't gotten to Samut, the Tested levels of dull in gu yet, I guess.

[Jace]

I like the main set art for him a lot more.
Not feeling these extended art planeswalkers.

4 loyalty and a +2 are really impressive on a 3 cmc card

[motleyslayer]

the +2 is rather lackluster but the other 2 abilities are cool

I guess its a 3cmc walker though

[CalebLost]

Food would have to be a drawback like "at the beginning of your upkeep tap an untapped land you control", for this not to be pretty good. +1 to Beast Within is gross, and worst case scenario you can swap food for Elk with your ultimate, for a power play. This card is bananas.

His +1 is a little less useful than a Beast Within or similar effect because you can destroy a threat and then bounce the token to have a definitive answer. Now your opponent get a 3/3 that you can't bounce because he can just summon back the original threat, even if you can +1 again it's still more "permanent"

[Rumpy5897]

I'd say it's debatable. Popping this +1 on a commander is a lot more annoying to deal with.

[vandertroll]

Would it be too OP if they increased CMC by one and elimianated the power limitation on the minus ability?

[Odin_]

Excellent utility PW. CC should be at 4 or lower starting loyalty.

[Hawk]

Now that we know what Food does, this seems powerful.

Play it on turn 3, +2 to make a Food, and leave opponents in a bad spot:

- If they don't attack into Oko, you will -5 to give them the (generally weak) Food and steal a 3-power dude or artifact.

- If they do attack into Oko, they're unlikely to kill him with that massive 6 loyalty. You can just keep churning out food and effectively fogging ahead.

- If they play a massive threat you can't steal, you can just +1 to turn it into a Elk.

- God forbid you played Oko onto an empty board (perhaps because Gilded Goose ramped you into it turn 2?), as opponents will basically be unable to play anything successfully or safely.