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

User avatar
Sinis
Posts: 2034
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: Unlisted
Location: Toronto, Canada

Post by Sinis » 2 years ago

wildfire393 wrote:
2 years ago
Sisay is one of those cards that seems like she could be interesting until you sit down to actually play her and then she's just the same boring %$#% every game because that's how tutor commanders work.
Tutor generals are definitely sad that way. One of my first generals was Zur the Enchanter way back in 2008-9, and even though I was playing with thrown-together stuff, it was all so very broken.

User avatar
Mookie
Posts: 3460
Joined: 4 years ago
Answers: 47
Pronoun: Unlisted
Location: the æthereal plane

Post by Mookie » 2 years ago

As others have noted, Sisay, Weatherlight Captain is an extremely powerful commander - tutoring up random legends is a very powerful ability, and the ability to fetch hate / protection pieces like Narset, Parter of Veils, Ashiok, Dream Render, or Shalai, Voice of Plenty at instant speed can make her difficult to interact with. Definitely a kill-on-sight commander. Even just fetching up legendary lands to ramp is pretty strong. On the other hand, the fact that she is limited to legends means that there aren't a lot of viable builds for her - most of them will end up looking (and playing) somewhat the same.

....I'm still somewhat annoyed that planeswalkers being made legendary caused Captain Sisay's price to spike - I was hoping to pick up a copy at some point for my Samut deck, but now she's out of budget.

User avatar
Crazy Monkey
Arcane Themes
Posts: 571
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: he / him
Location: New Mexico, US

Post by Crazy Monkey » 2 years ago

Sisay, Weatherlight Captain is a commander that frustrates me for being a bit more powerful that I want it to be, but the perfect option for a 5 color "legendary tribal" deck. For context, I like to introduce myself to new players in my metagame with legendary tribal if I don't know what type of games they prefer. Sisay fit right into the commander role for it when she was printed, but keeping the deck reasonable as an introductory deck has taken some work. Limiting the deck walks a line between slowly trying to set up excessive legendary-only combat wins and going straight for "whoops, my deck is in play".

Sisay can definitely be kill on sight, depending on the deck build.
Commander Decks


Kemba | Kytheon | Talrand | Unesh | Teferi | Geth | primer Zada | Krenko | Torbran | Patron Orochi | Ghalta | Gargos | Medomai | The Count | Xenagos | Nikya | Jaheira, Artisan | Trostani | Athreos | Jarad | Ivy | Nin | Krark & Sakashima | Feather | Osgir | Gisela | Roon | Chulane | Sydri | Ertai | Mairsil | Vial & Malcolm | Prossh | Marath | Marisi | Syr Gwyn | Riku | Riku | Animar | Ghave | Tasigur | Muldrotha | Rayami | Zedruu | Yidris | Kynaios & Tiro | Saskia | Tymna & Kydele | Atraxa | Akiri & Silas | Sisay | Ur Dragon | Bridge | Horde | Najeela | Genju | Traxos



onering
Posts: 1226
Joined: 4 years ago
Answers: 1
Pronoun: Unlisted

Post by onering » 2 years ago

I hate this absolute mistake of a card. Part of the period of wizards not understanding how to make 5 color activated abilities not broken.

User avatar
hyalopterouslemur
Posts: 3218
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: he / him

Post by hyalopterouslemur » 2 years ago

BeneTleilax wrote:
2 years ago
Kill on sight. It's Lin Sivvi, but 5 color and insufferable. If you want to run this, run Lin Sivvi and don't have everyone hate you.
So, so much. It's actually a big problem with anything that lets you search your library as an activated ability.
Thanks to Feyd_Ruin for the avatar!

User avatar
duducrash
Still Learning
Posts: 1198
Joined: 3 years ago
Pronoun: he / him
Location: Brazil

Post by duducrash » 2 years ago

I run Captain Sisay on my Kethis, the Hidden Hand legendary & taxes card and I think its alright because it isnt combo oriented, so I don't have a pattern of always playing the same cards over and over again. Overall tutor commander are kinda boring. I built a Oswald Fiddlebender and turns out playing the same cards over and over again is kinda boring

User avatar
Myllior
Posts: 229
Joined: 4 years ago
Answers: 1
Pronoun: he / him

Post by Myllior » 2 years ago

Yeah, Sisay can be quite obnoxious. She has so much inevitability that you do have to stop her every time she's played or she'll run away with the game; a prime reason for including Cursed Totem or Stranglehold effects in your decks. Perhaps if she'd needed to tap as part of her activated ability, or if Jegantha, the Wellspring hadn't been printed, she wouldn't be so overbearing, but the plethora of legends that provide answers to practically any question make it very difficult to handle her once she sticks.

At least for Shrine versions, maybe the incoming Shrines in NEO will dilute the deck and make it somewhat more palatable to play against? Shrines are one of the weakest things you can be doing with her, other than just intentionally running a bunch of bad legends.
Kefnet Voltron | Ayli Reanistocrats | Derevi Pod | Kodama//Ishai Blink | Jetmir Hatebears | Kess Storm | Smasher//Sakashima Control

User avatar
Hermes_
Posts: 1760
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: he / him

Post by Hermes_ » 2 years ago

Myllior wrote:
2 years ago
, other than just intentionally running a bunch of bad legends.
First i thought 5c soldiers but now I wanna do this
The Secret of Commander (EDH)
Sheldon-"The secret of this format is in not breaking it. "

User avatar
Mookie
Posts: 3460
Joined: 4 years ago
Answers: 47
Pronoun: Unlisted
Location: the æthereal plane

Post by Mookie » 2 years ago

Hermes_ wrote:
2 years ago
Myllior wrote:
2 years ago
, other than just intentionally running a bunch of bad legends.
First i thought 5c soldiers but now I wanna do this
Did someone say bad legends?

....Legends tribal sounds both terrible and hilarious.

User avatar
Hermes_
Posts: 1760
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: he / him

Post by Hermes_ » 2 years ago

Mookie wrote:
2 years ago
Hermes_ wrote:
2 years ago
Myllior wrote:
2 years ago
, other than just intentionally running a bunch of bad legends.
First i thought 5c soldiers but now I wanna do this
Did someone say bad legends?

....Legends tribal sounds both terrible and hilarious.
RIP tax refund lol no love or is it hate for Stangg

EDIT: now to make an actual decklist thread
The Secret of Commander (EDH)
Sheldon-"The secret of this format is in not breaking it. "

User avatar
Outcryqq
Posts: 441
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: he / him
Location: Indiana, USA

Post by Outcryqq » 2 years ago

Mookie wrote:
2 years ago
Did someone say bad legends?

....Legends tribal sounds both terrible and hilarious.
I actually have a decent Kenrith, the Returned King, which is activated ability legendary tribal.
....and it was at this point I realized you were talking about the set Legends, and not legendary creatures. I'll show myself to the door.

User avatar
3drinks
Kaalia's Personal Liaison
Posts: 4831
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: he / him
Location: Ruined City of Drannith, Ikoria

Post by 3drinks » 2 years ago

Friday, January 28th, 2022; Silverglade Pathfinder


Modern
R{R/W} 87guide Burn
Commander
WRKellan, the Fae-Blooded // Birthright Boon (local secret santa gift)
RTorbran, Thane of Red Fell (Red Deck Wins)
WBRAlesha, Who Smiles at Death (Slivers)
WBRKaalia HQ

User avatar
TheAmericanSpirit
Supreme Dumb Guy
Posts: 2194
Joined: 4 years ago
Answers: 1
Pronoun: he / him
Location: IGMCULSL Papal Palace

Post by TheAmericanSpirit » 2 years ago

Brace yourselves; they're printing more shrines in Neon Dynasty. That Sisay shrine deck you haven't seen in months? It's gonna be all over your lgs like the IRS on capital gains fraud.

Back to Nature might be a nice thing to have for a month or so after release.
There's no biscuits and gravy in New Zealand.
(Except when DirkGently makes them!)

User avatar
PrimevalCommander
Posts: 872
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: he / him

Post by PrimevalCommander » 2 years ago

I've picked up most of the "good" spellshapers, but never seem to find a good place to put them. I usually would rather pay the same mana value creature with an ETB that does a similar thing. Haven't played many decks that really care about the discard. Though I did just make a budge Sefris of the Hidden Ways deck that could make use of the Disenchant spellshaper in white to discard fatties for reanimation.

User avatar
Hawk
Slayer of Threads
Posts: 1165
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: he / him
Location: Salt Lake City, UT

Post by Hawk » 2 years ago

Spellshapers bring back fond nostalgia for me, but rarely get played - they are just a bit too slow, durdly, and fragile. As Magic has evolved, and the amount of high-power creatures with EtB and Death triggers has grown, it gets tough to justify casting a usually very small and weak creature that hs to wait a whole round AND costs you a card and mana to do anything useful. For Silverglade Pathfinder. for instance - at printing this was competing with Wood Elves and since printing we've got Sakura-Tribe Elder and Farhaven Elf as just the best competition giving way more immediate and reliable impact at a similar mana value.

I am currently trying Silverglade Pathfinder in Nethroi, Apex of Death reanimator - it is a discard outlet, ramp engine, and a non-human mutate target all in one package. That deck has only been played a few times, and Pathfinder was decidedly "meh" the one game it was played, but on paper it seems good?

In general, unless you are Jaya Ballard, Task Mage (whose triple spellshaping, legendary status, and fan-favorite lore position set her apart), I feel like that's the sort of triple intersection you need for a spellshaper to be good - your deck needs to not only be pretty into the effect of the shaper, it also needs some tribal relevancy and/or value out of discard.

User avatar
hyalopterouslemur
Posts: 3218
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: he / him

Post by hyalopterouslemur » 2 years ago

This one is kind of interesting, since Fog on its own is a bad card. This one is not as good as Spike Weaver for your fog machine needs, but if you can keep the cards up, she's still quite useful.
Thanks to Feyd_Ruin for the avatar!

User avatar
DirkGently
My wins are unconditional
Posts: 4538
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: he / him

Post by DirkGently » 2 years ago

Repeatable ramp is nice and all, but this is way too slow and doesn't give any card advantage either. If it didn't cost a card to activate it'd be okay. But there's so few points where this is actually good. If you ramp on 3 and 4 you don't have any extra mana until turn 5, by which point there are so many other ramp spells you could have used that would have been more effective - like Explosive Vegetation and its clones would cost 2 less mana in total, and 2 fewer cards, for the same ultimate result. Flexibility is nice but there's a limit to the inefficiency it can justify.
hyalopterouslemur wrote:
2 years ago
This one is kind of interesting, since Fog on its own is a bad card. This one is not as good as Spike Weaver for your fog machine needs, but if you can keep the cards up, she's still quite useful.
someone thought they knew the card and didn't actually read it XD
Perm Decks
Phelddagrif - Kaervek - Golos - Zirilan

Flux Decks
Gollum - Lobelia - Minthara - Plargg2 - Solphim - Otharri - Graaz - Ratchet - Soundwave - Slicer - Gale - Rootha - Kagemaro - Blorpityblorpboop - Kayla - SliverQueen - Ivy - Falco - Gluntch - Charlatan/Wilson - Garth - Kros - Anthousa - Shigeki - Light-Paws - Lukka - Sefris - Ebondeath - Rokiric - Garth - Nixilis - Grist - Mavinda - Kumano - Nezahal - Mavinda - Plargg - Plargg - Extus - Plargg - Oracle - Kardur - Halvar - Tergrid - Egon - Cosima - Halana+Livio - Jeska+Falthis+Obosh - Yeva - Akiri+Zirda - Lady Sun - Nahiri - Korlash - Overlord+Zirda - Chisei - Athreos2 - Akim - Cazur+Ukkima - Otrimi - Otrimi - Kalamax - Ayli+Lurrus - Clamilton - Gonti - Heliod2 - Ayula - Thassa2 - Gallia - Purphoros2 - Rankle - Uro - Rayami - Gargos - Thrasios+Bruse - Pang - Sasaya - Wydwen - Feather - Rona - Toshiro - Sylvia+Khorvath - Geth - QMarchesa - Firesong - Athreos - Arixmethes - Isperia - Etali - Silas+Sidar - Saskia - Virtus+Gorm - Kynaios - Naban - Aryel - Mizzix - Kazuul - Tymna+Kraum - Sidar+Tymna - Ayli - Gwendlyn - Phelddagrif - Liliana - Kaervek - Phelddagrif - Mairsil - Scarab - Child - Phenax - Shirei - Thada - Depala - Circu - Kytheon - GrenzoHR - Phelddagrif - Reyhan+Kraum - Toshiro - Varolz - Nin - Ojutai - Tasigur - Zedruu - Uril - Edric - Wort - Zurgo - Nahiri - Grenzo - Kozilek - Yisan - Ink-Treader - Yisan - Brago - Sidisi - Toshiro - Alexi - Sygg - Brimaz - Sek'Kuar - Marchesa - Vish Kal - Iroas - Phelddagrif - Ephara - Derevi - Glissa - Wanderer - Saffi - Melek - Xiahou Dun - Lazav - Lin Sivvi - Zirilan - Glissa - Ashling1 - Angus - Arcum - Talrand - Chainer - Higure - Kumano - Scion - Teferi1 - Uyo - Sisters
PDH - Drake - Graverobber - Izzet GM - Tallowisp - Symbiote
Brawl - Feather - Ugin - Jace - Scarab - Angrath - Vraska - Kumena
Oathbreaker - Wrenn&6

User avatar
Mookie
Posts: 3460
Joined: 4 years ago
Answers: 47
Pronoun: Unlisted
Location: the æthereal plane

Post by Mookie » 2 years ago

I've considered spellshapers for my Samut deck, but none of them have quite made the cut. There are certainly some interesting options - Jaya Ballard, Task Mage was in for a while, and I've tested Devout Witness.... but the fact that they are, at best, card parity makes their inclusion pretty difficult. If you want to play Rampant Growth or Disenchant, it's much simpler to just run the card directly, instead of a spellshaper. It is possible to take advantage of spellshapers if you have graveyard / discard synergies, or if you have some way to copy the ability, but... that's still pretty niche.

In general, the spellshapers feel like victims of power creep. I could see an argument for running them as a way to convert dead cards into something actually useful... but there are enough card advantage / filtering options that I don't think that is an issue outside Limited.

I will call out Frontier Guide as another version of this effect - more expensive to activate, but doesn't cost a card.

User avatar
hyalopterouslemur
Posts: 3218
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: he / him

Post by hyalopterouslemur » 2 years ago

Yeah. Brain fart. (I've had insomnia for the last couple nights.) I was thinking of Dawnstrider, pretty much the only green spellshaper I use besides Jolrael.

This one is just bad. But so is Llanowar Mentor. Both are too slow.

So, my list of good (or at least playable) spellshapers:
Thanks to Feyd_Ruin for the avatar!

wildfire393
Posts: 260
Joined: 4 years ago
Answers: 1
Pronoun: he / him

Post by wildfire393 » 2 years ago

Silverglade Pathfinder is one of those cards that would have really excited me in 2010, but these days feels like it just doesn't do enough. Repeated Rampant Growth is a strong ability, but having to discard a card each time is a pretty steep cost and makes this card neutral each activation. Maybe if it cost G so the first activation could hit on turn two, it'd be worth another look. As it stands, I could maybe see running this in a deck that really cares about discarding cards but also ramping, but that's a pretty narrow band.

User avatar
Serenade
UnderKing
Posts: 1408
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: he / him

Post by Serenade » 2 years ago

New spellshapers probably would remove the {t} for a once-per-turn cap. They'd see immediate play.

As they currently stand…I stay away.
Mirri, Cat Warrior counts as a Cat Warrior.

User avatar
folding_music
glitter pen on my mana crypt
Posts: 2236
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: they / them

Post by folding_music » 2 years ago

Whiteout
Silverglade Pathfinder
Intruder Alarm
Life and Limb
Concordant Crossroads
Heartstone
Snow-Covered Forest
Wheel of Sun and Moon

incredibly easy eight card landfall combo anyone could perform

edit: that doesn't work lol. ignore the Wheel, infinity is stupid in any case

User avatar
3drinks
Kaalia's Personal Liaison
Posts: 4831
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: he / him
Location: Ruined City of Drannith, Ikoria

Post by 3drinks » 2 years ago

Saturday, January 29th, 2022; Volcanic Offering



Five mana value but the price is right for a four for one in one colour, no?

Modern
R{R/W} 87guide Burn
Commander
WRKellan, the Fae-Blooded // Birthright Boon (local secret santa gift)
RTorbran, Thane of Red Fell (Red Deck Wins)
WBRAlesha, Who Smiles at Death (Slivers)
WBRKaalia HQ

User avatar
Serenade
UnderKing
Posts: 1408
Joined: 4 years ago
Pronoun: he / him

Post by Serenade » 2 years ago

This is often my 100th card when I cannot find something or am out of ideas. I often forget instant speed, too.
Mirri, Cat Warrior counts as a Cat Warrior.

User avatar
TheAmericanSpirit
Supreme Dumb Guy
Posts: 2194
Joined: 4 years ago
Answers: 1
Pronoun: he / him
Location: IGMCULSL Papal Palace

Post by TheAmericanSpirit » 2 years ago

Really good rate, but like all many-for-one cards, you may have to choose subpar targets to get full value (not to mention the potential for enemy collusion & mitigation with "of an opponent's choice").

Overall, I'd rather pay another mana and play my boi Wildfire. That's just the kind of man I am.
There's no biscuits and gravy in New Zealand.
(Except when DirkGently makes them!)

Post Reply Previous topicNext topic

Return to “Commander”