[mtgnexus] Random Card of the Day - Golgari Thug

[Serenade]

Borrowing the East Wind reprint when?

EDIT: Sorry, read it wrong and forgot about Rolling Earthquake.

[Hawk]

1 damage is a pittance for most decks, but 2 damage isn't that impressive either and only hitting attacking creatures generally stops this from being good against mana dorks and utility creatures. It isn't that reliable against tokens either, since most players will be pumping those tokens up. I'd find this pretty suss even for mono-green decks that have very few options.

Enrage is a synergy that makes this more interesting, but every good enrage deck has Red added to it (Vrondiss, Rage of Ancients, Gishath, Sun's Avatar, Atla Palani, Nest Tender) at which point you've got a million other options.

[TheGildedGoose]

Pretty good if you really hate your own mana dorks.

[PrimevalCommander]

Pretty good if you really hate your own mana dorks.

I don't play mana dorks

Rarely anyway.

[Dunadain]

I'm not lie, I can't imagine running this card...

[3drinks]

Friday, February 24th, 2023; Worldspine Wurm

Man I love that thing exists. Probably due for a reprint cause I can't imagine paying $15 for it. That is more than Tarmogoyf|tsr money.

[Mookie]

Worldspine Wurm is sweet. It was less than Tarmogoyf until a week or so ago, but Indomitable Creativity had a good showing at the Pro Tour - Worldspine Wurm (+Xenagos, God of Revels) is the finisher of choice in that deck (in Pioneer - Archon of Cruelty sees more play in the Modern version).

...anyway, I don't think you want to hardcast Worldspine Wurm ever - eleven mana is a lot, and a 15/15, while certainly respectable, is still outclassed by topend finishers like Genesis Wave. Where it excels is being cheated out - it's great to play off Sneak Attack, Through the Breach, Elvish Piper, or Natural Order, and it leaves behind a bunch of wurm tokens if it dies. It does compete with Kozilek, Butcher of Truth, Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre, Blightsteel Colossus, and other fatties though.

Obligatory Baru, Wurmspeaker mention.

[3drinks]

Worldspine Wurm is sweet. It was less than Tarmogoyf until a week or so ago, but Indomitable Creativity had a good showing at the Pro Tour - Worldspine Wurm (+Xenagos, God of Revels) is the finisher of choice in that deck (in Pioneer Archon of Cruelty sees more play in the Modern version).

Wow, Creativity started playing the Wurm huh? Guess that makes sense, they stopped getting got by burn's Skullcrack, though they still lose to D-Palm. Hmm, I'm not sure I'd make that call, but then I'm not the creativity player, I'm the burn player.

[Sinis]

JFC the price on Creativity. I bought a playset at 75c each at the end of 2019 and it's *nuts* now.

[3drinks]

And here I've been sitting on a copy I thought was bulk because it was a "r Genesis Wave".

[PrimevalCommander]

JFC the price on Creativity. I bought a playset at 75c each at the end of 2019 and it's *nuts* now.

SELL SELL SELL

I gifted a Worldspine Wurm to a friend along with most of a deck's worth of cards to build a Trostani, Selesnya's Voice deck. It was cheap at the time. Funny how I don't remember a card until it becomes worth money . Oh well, I still don't think I have a good place to play it anyway. Really cool fatty though.

[RedCheese]

Timmy in heart, i love this card. Just bizarre tha Ravnica of all places has this monster

[Sinis]

JFC the price on Creativity. I bought a playset at 75c each at the end of 2019 and it's *nuts* now.

SELL SELL SELL

I bought exactly a playset so I could play with it. I don't generally spec on cards, though I sometimes insulate myself against speculators if I think a card can be crazy good (like Creativity).

I gifted a Worldspine Wurm to a friend along with most of a deck's worth of cards to build a Trostani, Selesnya's Voice deck. It was cheap at the time. Funny how I don't remember a card until it becomes worth money . Oh well, I still don't think I have a good place to play it anyway. Really cool fatty though.

D'aww, that's so nice! It's such a fun Timmy card. I'm sure the joy from your gift is better than the dollars it's worth.

[3drinks]

Saturday, February 25th, 2023; Mystic Snake|tsb

[materpillar]

I run a copy in my high CMC deck. My favorite memory with this card is playing against Phenax, God of Deception and getting "milled out" end of then while having Heretic's Punishment on the battlefield. This looped into my library (with help from Progenitus) and sat on top of my library while I burned him out.

It does some pretty good work in that deck. It's one of the better things for Esika, God of the Tree // The Prismatic Bridge to hit and 11mana is surprisingly cast able if you're in a battlecruiser enough meta.

[TheAmericanSpirit]

Mystic snake is solid value. Nothing about it is particularly stellar, but the answer + body formula has cranked out a fair amount of hits over the past 30 years.

[Mookie]

Grizzly Bears + Counterspell = Mystic Snake. That's just basic math.

I think Mystic Snake is fine, but it has definitely been pushed out of the format by power creep - by the Lizard Wizard most explicitly, but also by other value countermagic like Voracious Greatshark, Overcharged Amalgam, and Archmage's Charm. The 2/2 body doesn't justify paying two extra mana outside the most dedicated of creature decks.... and given that I cut it from my Animar deck in favor of Stratus Dancer ages ago, maybe not there either. Maybe in flicker-based decks like Roon of the Hidden Realm? It is nice to assemble a softlock with Deadeye Navigator or some other flicker engine, but probably too slow there too.

[Hawk]

One of my all-time favorite cards and the reason I'm a dirty Simic player - "dude + value EtB" is my favorite flavor. I own a playset of original printings, including one foil. I jammed this EVERYWHERE in Standard when it was legal, and in 60 card casual when I could.

But like others have said, it wasn't that great even at the dawn of EDH and even in a dedicated Flicker or "Crystal Witness" deck, and its utility has fallen off hard since. We've got a lot great, stronger Counterspell dudes, and for 4MV value counters a 2/2 body is rarely going to be as good as a card off of Cryptic Command or Dismiss (and I don't jam this as often these days either). I tellingly don't play this in Volo, Guide to Monsters and of course it doesn't get played in Phelddagrif either. Probably worth it in dedicated Snake Tribal?

[DirkGently]

@materpillar lol I was scratching my head over that one for a minute. "Why is materpillar running mystic snake is his high mv deck, and what is he talking about with milling out?"

On topic, Mystic snake is hard to flicker for value and it's certainly not worth 2 extra mana on a counterspell for a 2/2 in 2023. I don't like high cost answers with value because it pushes you to fire them off at subpar targets to unlock the value.

Niche playable at best.

[umtiger]

I used to play Mystic Snake in my Momir Vig (elf+wizard tribal) deck.

I would still play it, because I do not cut cards due to power creep. I still play a lot of the older cards because I like to use original borders.

However, Frilled Mystic being both an elf AND!!! a wizard overwhelmingly lead me to cut Mystic Snake.

[materpillar]

@materpillar lol I was scratching my head over that one for a minute. "Why is materpillar running mystic snake is his high mv deck, and what is he talking about with milling out?"

XD
Didn't see the updated card post.

My brother really loves Mystic Snake. It was one of his favorite cards of that set. Consequently I hate it because I've seen the stupid thing too many times even this many years later. I think someone once resolved Deadeye Navigator when that was one of the best cards in the format. There's definitely homes for the snake and places to abuse it. Pretty sure I hate it anyway though.

[Sinis]

Mystic Snake is pretty baller. Always fun when it ends up on the Mimic Vat. Right guys? Guys?

[3drinks]

Sunday, February 26th, 2023; Zendikar Resurgent

[3drinks]

Mystic Snake is pretty baller. Always fun when it ends up on the Mimic Vat. Right guys? Guys?

[Treamayne]

At 7 CMC, Zendikar Resurgent is a bit of a win-more/combo card; but oh can it be fun. I run this in Gahiji, Honored One Beasts, since the average CMC for creatures is 6. It's also important to note that the extra mana is "washed," which can be good or bad. If you really need Snow mana - the extra mana from this won't be snow even when tapping a snow land. But if you really need, say Swords and your only source is Cavern of Souls the extra mana won't have the creature type restriction. . .