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

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Mookie
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Post by Mookie » 2 years ago

My general heuristic is that 3 mana for a tutor is fair, assuming it's flexible enough. The transmute cards are all a little narrow in what they can grab, but they are three mana to transmute, so it doesn't take much to push them into playability. That said, I don't quite think that Clutch of the Undercity makes the cut - most decks won't have many 4-drops to fetch, and a bounce effect at four mana is pretty overpriced. I'd go with Dimir House Guard most of the time, assuming that having a sac outlet was relevant.

...of course, the only transmute card I actually play is Muddle the Mixture - it's pretty hard for countermagic to be bad, and my blue decks have plenty of two-drops to fetch. I should probably consider it for even more decks... Even just a split of Cyclonic Rift // Lightning Greaves (or save it as a Counterspell) covers a lot of bases.

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Post by onering » 2 years ago

Clutch directly competes with Dimir House Guard, a card that is actually fairly useful on its own. Clutch hits any permanent, so it can occasionally be a blowout (bouncing Elesh Norn or Akroma's Memorial or any important combo piece in response). There's also the living the dream corner case of "burning" someone for their last 3 life. Dimir House Guard, however, is a free, repeatable sac outlet, that protects itself, and is an evasive body to boot. Having your sac outlet be able to wear sword of feast and famine and only be blockable by colorless creatures is pretty sweet.

As for the other transmute cards, all the 2 drops are worthwhile even if none are as good as muddle. Shred Memory is solid gy hate, while dimir infiltrator is a nice evasive creature. The 3 drops are mediocre. Perplex is a strange counter spell that is going to be cancel most of the time and suck when it really matters. Dimir Machinations is much better 1v1 and a pretty mediocre way to hose top of the library tutors. Drift of Phantasms OTOH is a mono blue tutor that is a decent enough role player in certain decks, namely Arcades the Strategist. Dizzy spell is a mono blue tutor that grabs 1 drops, which is relevant, even if it's only ever going to be a tutor. Hilarious if you ever prevent just enough infect or commander damage with it though. Out of the more expensive mana cost ones, Grozoth can be an MVP in the right decks but the others suck.

I would actually like to see more transmute cards at some of the higher costs, specifically getting a 7 and an 8 drop and new 5 and 6 drops. At those costs, tutors are less efficient (you can feasibly transmute a 4 drop and cast it the same turn, but a 7 drop nah), and there are fewer auto grab cards at those costs, so you can put a little more value into the actual card. Wizards was too conservative with the 5 and 6 drops the first time around. Ideally, these cards should have a meaningful choice between casting and transmuting, but having the cast be something you can reasonably see yourself doing as a fail safe should be the minimum. There's a lot of fair, splashy, interesting designs possible at 7 and 8, and less splashy but still cool designs for 5 and 6.

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hyalopterouslemur
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Post by hyalopterouslemur » 2 years ago

This is arguably slightly more useful than Guard, which is just an evasive 2/3 that also functions as a sac outlet. But a bounce at the right time is great in Nekusar. (I use Arcane Laboratory to keep my opponents from casting too much. Also plays in to Price of Knowledge and friends.)
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Post by Legend » 2 years ago

In my experience, transmuting tends to be less alarming than tutoring.
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Post by Dunharrow » 2 years ago

I love the way transmute cards can warp your deckbuilding a bit. I could see playing 4cmc transmute cards in a deck that wants to get Fires of Invention right away (kenrith, for example). But, once you have fires, the ability to tutor other relevant cards is important. Maybe you play Utter End over Anguished Unmaking for example.
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Post by umtiger » 2 years ago

Being a virtually uncounterable tutor is worth something. I figure it goes up when you have stuff like Cavern of Souls or Boseiju.

I play all the transmute cards in my type 4 stack.

Tolaria West is tops of course since you're uncounterably tutoring for an uncounterable asset.

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Post by 3drinks » 2 years ago

Monday, November 22nd, 2021; Mana Web



Note the oracle text makes this affect all opponents.

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Post by Melua » 2 years ago

A fun card designed solely for doing fun things.

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Lifeless
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Post by Lifeless » 2 years ago

Thought this was Tsabo's Web at first and got excited because I love Tsabo's Web. I like this too for similar reasons - it's inevitably going to disrupt someone's gameplan. Might not be worth pissing off the control player, but it's a potent effect.

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Post by Dunharrow » 2 years ago

Not good enough at what it does. A UGx player can still tap their forests, play stuff on their turn, then leave up islands for countermagic.

War's Toll I think does this better. I think there are other options too.
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Post by Sharpened » 2 years ago

You could use Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth and/or Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth to ensure that it taps all their lands, so there is that.

But I still think there are better options.

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Post by Wallycaine » 2 years ago

Dunharrow wrote:
2 years ago
Not good enough at what it does. A UGx player can still tap their forests, play stuff on their turn, then leave up islands for countermagic.

War's Toll I think does this better. I think there are other options too.
Worth noting that only works if they're willing to not get any mana from their dual lands, since tapping any of them would tap their islands. That said, war's toll does do the job more effectively, though at a slightly higher cost.

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pokken
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Post by pokken » 2 years ago

I don't particularly like these "everyone plays at sorcery speed" effects. What it does is sneaky - it makes everyone tap out to play aggressive stuff and you are now responsible for all interaction.

Much like Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir and Teferi, Time Raveler, they're extremely risky.

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hyalopterouslemur
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Post by hyalopterouslemur » 2 years ago

Lifeless wrote:
2 years ago
Thought this was Tsabo's Web at first and got excited because I love Tsabo's Web. I like this too for similar reasons - it's inevitably going to disrupt someone's gameplan. Might not be worth pissing off the control player, but it's a potent effect.
Not as good as it looks, since tapping is a free action so they can tap any lands while Mana Web's ability is on the stack, but it does mess with them. You want to summon a creature? No combat tricks or counterspells for you! Really good with Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth or Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth (since then literally all lands produce mana of the same color). Can also be cute with Rule of Law or Arcane Laboratory, since it breaks the symmetry: You can play one spell on everyone's turn, but they can only play one spell from one of their untap steps to the next. (Barring something like Seedborn Muse, which should also be part of any Stax deck featuring green.)

Yeah, this is one of those cards that can really say "screw you" or can be absolutely ineffective.
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Post by illakunsaa » 2 years ago

You can combo this with stuff that taxes people like Smothering Tithe, Rhystic Study, Propaganda etc. and stuff reduces land untapping like Winter Orb or Static Orb.

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Post by 3drinks » 2 years ago

Tuesday, November 23rd, 2021; Master of the Wild Hunt|a25



Why is this card still $15.

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Post by BeneTleilax » 2 years ago

wolfs

Melua
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Post by Melua » 2 years ago

3drinks wrote:
2 years ago
Tuesday, November 23rd, 2021; Master of the Wild Hunt|a25



Why is this card still $15.
If that price drops I'm getting it in my Tolsimir, Friend to Wolves deck.

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Post by onering » 2 years ago

Well let's see, it's a repeatable token generator for a relevant tribe AND repeatable removal. It's gotten worse overall since back in the day, but as wolves have become more relevant it's become stronger in that aspect. Slow on its own but will definitely knock skulls in wolf decks, and also most werewolf decks as they run a fair amount of wolves.

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Post by TheAmericanSpirit » 2 years ago

This was hands down the coolest card in M10. I remember pulling one at the time and being beyond hyped to play it. Effect is cool and flavorful, and it's a great facelift to an OG card.
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Post by Sinis » 2 years ago

Tuesday, November 23rd, 2021; Master of the Wild Hunt
I never get to untap with this clown. I've stopped playing it, even in wolf-token themed decks.

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Mookie
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Post by Mookie » 2 years ago

Master of the Wild Hunt is cool, but yeah, I think it's a bit too slow to play in EDH outside dedicated wolf tribal decks. It could be strong if you're in a very removal-light meta and expect it to stick around for a while, but otherwise, it's pretty telegraphed - you need to wait an entire turn cycle before you get the first token, and tapping it to have a 2/2 fight isn't capable of killing many things. Works well with Saryth, the Viper's Fang though.

Still, seems like a reasonable inclusion if you are running a wolf tribal deck, like Tolsimir, Friend to Wolves. Not sure if I'd run it in Tovolar, Dire Overlord // Tovolar, the Midnight Scourge or other werewolf decks though - there are some mixed tribal synergies like Immerwolf, but I think there are enough actual werewolves to fill out the deck these days.

Outside EDH, I think Master of the Wild Hunt is a sweet card for Cube - creature-based value engines tend to be much stronger there, and the creatures are generally smaller. I suspect that may be part of what is driving the price (outside miscellaneous casual appeal)... but ultimately, I think it's probably just because it's a mythic from an old set, so there isn't much supply, and its additional reprint didn't make much of a dent either.

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Post by umtiger » 2 years ago

3drinks wrote:
2 years ago
Tuesday, November 23rd, 2021; Master of the Wild Hunt|a25



Why is this card still $15.
is 10x the price. And not as good or even as cool.

So this is a deal...? Like are you saying that it should be even more expensive... /s

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Post by hyalopterouslemur » 2 years ago

Obvious MVP with this is Wolfir Silverheart. Rot Wolf and Pestilent Wolf can ensure something dies too.

I'd consider this a 7? It was great at the time, but green gets real removal on a regular basis now.
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Post by Guardman » 2 years ago

It's a card that I would love to put in several decks I own, but not at $15 when its effect, while powerful, is pretty replaceable nowadays. It it ever gets below $5, now we are talking.

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