[mtgnexus] Random Card of the Day - Leonin Shikari

onering
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Post by onering » 2 years ago

The one benefit of it being shuffled when it does is that is synergistic with the Brainstorm effect. It sort of punishes your opponents for imme removing it by getting rid of the cards you put on top, then further letting you scry 2. Otherwise it's fairly weak. Having other shuffle effects on hand makes it act more like a draw 3 on a 5/5 flier for 5 which is nice, but that means you need support to make it just viable. I'm pretty sure even blue blink decks have better targets. Compare to Mulldrifter, which doesn't dig as deep and is smaller but also nets you +2 cards instead of +1 without support, is easier to cast, and can be evoked for 2U (which blink decks can then abuse), and reanimated.

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Mookie
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Post by Mookie » 2 years ago

I've been meaning to try out Cavalier of Gales in my Thada deck. My general heuristic for the fatties I play is two out of three of [evasion, card advantage, and protection], which Cavalier fulfills. Definitely plausible that it doesn't actually make the cut, if only because I don't have nearly enough shuffle effects to take advantage of the Brainstorm, but still a card I'd like to test. Iymrith, Desert Doom is the other card I'm looking to test out in that slot, but beyond that... the '5 mana blue beater' slot (and aggressive creatures in general) isn't something that gets heavily discussed.

The obvious point of contrast is Mulldrifter, which I cut from that deck a while ago - its 2/2 body just isn't enough, and drawing two cards for five mana is a pretty poor rate. Mulldrifter really wants to be in a deck that can either flicker it or otherwise cares about creatures.

Anyway, if your deck doesn't care about attacking opponents (read: most blue decks) and instead leans towards combo / control finishers, Cavalier is a pretty easy skip - it goes down a lot in value when you don't care about the body, and blue has more powerful options if you're looking for pure card advantage.

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hyalopterouslemur
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Post by hyalopterouslemur » 2 years ago

This is a card for either blue-green fatties (where you have ramp spells to shuffle after the Brainstorm), self-mill, or just card draw doublers, because of the Brainstorm. That can justify triple blue if you have some way to blink or bounce it. And you're in blue, so you should.
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Jemolk
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Post by Jemolk » 2 years ago

Aminatou topdeck manipulation likes this card, too. But otherwise, yeah, pretty niche.
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3drinks
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Post by 3drinks » 2 years ago

Wednesday, September 8th, 2021; Grafdigger's Cage



This does not stop Living Death. This does not stop Living Death. This does not stop Living Death. This does not stop Living Death. This does not stop Living Death.This does not stop Living Death. This does not stop Living Death. This does not stop Living Death.

Things I tell myself when I consider adding this card to every deck. :fuming:

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Post by umtiger » 2 years ago

After being recently hit by a truck, I'm grateful to be able to post that I play this in my Sai deck. Unfortunately, I've only gotten to play it once since COVID appeared.

For some reason, I really don't like "unfair" stuff on commander.

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Lifeless
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Post by Lifeless » 2 years ago

I sure wish this prevented creatures from coming into play from exile, but alas the Primal Surges and Living Deaths of the world remain unscathed. As is I often add this as a Trinket Mage target and usually cut it. When I pack it I'm happy to have a solid answer to Muldrotha, the Grave Tide and Meren of Clan Nel Toth.

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3drinks
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Post by 3drinks » 2 years ago

umtiger wrote:
2 years ago
After being recently hit by a truck, I'm grateful to be able to post that I play this in my Sai deck. Unfortunately, I've only gotten to play it once since COVID appeared.

For some reason, I really don't like "unfair" stuff on commander.
You okay? Was it a bad wreck?

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WRKellan, the Fae-Blooded // Birthright Boon (local secret santa gift)
RTorbran, Thane of Red Fell (Red Deck Wins)
WBRAlesha, Who Smiles at Death (Slivers)
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ISBPathfinder
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Post by ISBPathfinder » 2 years ago

I love what Grafdigger's Cage does but my issue comes down to how it only affects the board so long as it lives. I often run graveyard hate that will exile the grave over this psudo hatebear effect because of the fact that as soon as someone has removal for its impact has been zeroed. I guess it comes down to a question of how long you expect it to live and how much slow down that will cause on the board. It can be amazing if it can stick a long time but my meta is so heavy in spot removal these days that I want a guarantee that my card is going to have impact leading me to prefer cards like Relic of Progenitus / Soul-Guide Lantern in most cases.
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Mookie
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Post by Mookie » 2 years ago

Grafdigger's Cage doesn't stop Sharuum the Hegemon either! Well, at least when recurring noncreature artifacts. It's also a card that people almost never read correctly - they intuitively understand that it shuts down graveyard and library shenanigans, but that's a much broader category of cards than it actually affects.

Anyway... this pulls double duty, in that it hates on both reanimation effects and cheating stuff into play from deck with cards like Birthing Pod. However, there are some big gaping holes in its abilities - there are a lot of effects that dodge it entirely, often because they pass the card through exile (ex: Living Death, Mizzix's Mastery, cascade). Losing the effect entirely when the card is inevitably blown up is also a downside - it's a lot safer to just exile graveyards permanently with something like Relic of Progenitus.

...I will note that its ability to stop cards from being cast from library is a pretty unique effect - there aren't many ways to stop Future Sight effects. As a result, I could see it as a tech card against Melek, Izzet Paragon / Elsha of the Infinite / Bolas's Citadel decks. Still pretty niche though.

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hyalopterouslemur
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Post by hyalopterouslemur » 2 years ago

It doesn't stop Jedi either.
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Post by NZB2323 » 2 years ago

Very playable card but I don't use it in any of my decks. If you're in Dimir colors I like Ashiok, Dream Render better, if you're in white I like Drannith Magistrate better. I don't have any artifact themed decks though.
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Post by 3drinks » 2 years ago

Thursday, September 9th, 2021; Champion of Lambholt


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R{R/W} 87guide Burn
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Jemolk
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Post by Jemolk » 2 years ago

Terrifying card in anything that goes wide or dumps +1/+1 counters on things. I don't have experience playing with it, but I certainly have experience playing against it, and if it lives, I know I don't. It's kill-on-sight for sure.
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Post by Wallycaine » 2 years ago

In the decks this is intended for, it very frequently gets into "my team is unlockable" territory *fast*. I'll also note that the 3 mana cost makes it very easy to explode out of "nowhere" and drop this and an army in a can in the same turn. The biggest downside is that it can get removed during combat and lead to a blowout, but it's relatively rare that you're crutching entirely on the unblockability to make an attack profitable.

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Mookie
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Post by Mookie » 2 years ago

Champion of Lambholt won me a game the other day that I'm pretty sure no other card could have - I was running my Animar, Soul of Elements deck, and an opponent was running Chulane, Teller of Tales Persistent Petitioners, and was using Aluren to chain them together.

On my turn, I'm almost out of cards in deck, but they let me go to my main phase. I cast Farhaven Elf, and in response they decide to try to finish milling me out.... so in response, I start sacrificing my creatures to Evolutionary Leap until I hit Champion of Lambholt and flash it out with Aluren. From there, I continue sacrificing creatures and flashing out what they evolve into until I grow it to an 8/8 or so, larger than any of my opponents' creatures. Stack eventually resolves, leaving me with no cards left in deck.... but Animar is big enough to deal lethal commander damage to the Chulane player, and I have enough raw power to take out the other player.

Speaking more broadly, Champion is a solid card in go-wide decks as a way to grant mass evasion - it can grow very large, very fast, at which point it both represents a ton of damage by itself and allows you to get in with the rest of your team. I suppose Managorger Hydra is another option for a large, semi-evasive green beater, but green doesn't have a lot of options for granting mass evasion. Bellowing Tanglewurm exists, but other than that, the most commonly used options are Overrun effects like Craterhoof Behemoth, which generally cost more than three mana.

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hyalopterouslemur
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Post by hyalopterouslemur » 2 years ago

I've played this in multiple decks. Token decks are generally the best bet, but human tribal is also an option, as are decks which feature +1/+1 counters.

Anthems can be fun. So can Cathars' Crusade and Ivy Lane Denizen. But, for example, if I have Dictate of Heliod out, she becomes a 3/3, meaning nothing with power less than 3 (so 2 or less, or 2½ in silver- border) can block my creatures, who all get +2/+2 as well. Until I play more creatures.
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toctheyounger
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Post by toctheyounger » 2 years ago

Are we doing Innistrad RCOTDs at the moment to celebrate spoiler season? Just wondering after Grafdigger's Cage yesterday too.

Anyway Champion is nuts. It combos with a ham sandwich, and doesn't even need to to be strong and win games. My favorite play at the minute with it is this plus The Ozolith plus alpha strike = win.
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ilovesaprolings
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Post by ilovesaprolings » 2 years ago

Amazing in a token deck. Kinda sad she's just a puny human and not some kind of fungus/beast/monstrosity. Feels weird to attack with a 15/15 human

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3drinks
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Post by 3drinks » 2 years ago

Friday, September 10th, 2021; Revivify


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)
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3drinks
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Post by 3drinks » 2 years ago

toctheyounger wrote:
2 years ago
Are we doing Innistrad RCOTDs at the moment to celebrate spoiler season? Just wondering after Grafdigger's Cage yesterday too.

Anyway Champion is nuts. It combos with a ham sandwich, and doesn't even need to to be strong and win games. My favorite play at the minute with it is this plus The Ozolith plus alpha strike = win.
Just doing what comes up and isn't lolwtf limited fodder.

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

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folding_music
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Post by folding_music » 2 years ago

they escaped Revivify's interesting possibilities a few too many times, would love to have had access to a white version of Shadow of the Grave. still really good at counterspelling Wraths or surviving yr own, potentially more interesting than Teferi's thingy. absurdly good right after you've cast God-Eternal Bontu/Plunge into Darkness, though, and most of the protection-oriented fast effects can't say the same

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Dunharrow
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Post by Dunharrow » 2 years ago

Wondering if I should play some of these effects in Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim.
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hyalopterouslemur
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Post by hyalopterouslemur » 2 years ago

Reminds me of Second Sunrise. You gain that dice roll requirement, and it doesn't affect noncreatures, but you gain the benefit of it being one-sided.
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Sinis
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Post by Sinis » 2 years ago

Friday, September 10th, 2021; Revivify
Just pay one more for Faith's Reward unless you're desperate to roll a die.

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