[mtgnexus] Random Card of the Day - North Star

[Igzex]

There's an elegant simplicity to Haughty Djinn that I kinda love...

[DirkGently]

The hottie and the nottie.



Considering we've seen the effect on a 2-drop, I don't mind seeing it on a 3-drop when the upside is a potentially-decent body. That's the sort of tradeoff that promotes more board-based games and cuts down on combos.

Of course, that's why the djinn is in 7K decks and Goblin Electromancer (despite being 2-color) is in 53K. Sigh....

[PrimevalCommander]

I like the Djinn and bought one for my brothers spell deck. He likes to swing, and having a "mana dork" that can do other relevant things was right up his alley. I agree with Dirk that making utility dudes just slightly more mana value (read more, not +) but look a little stickier on the battlefield makes for more interesting games. And maybe those creatures look a little less appealing to Inferno Titans and Massacre Wurms.

[3drinks]

Thursday, March 30th, 2023; Niko Aris

Okay, but what do you do with it?

[3drinks]

Imo the game would be best if the only fixing lands were guildgate-tier. There's very little cost to additional colors in this format so monocolor is usually awful unless the commander is super busted.

Sonavacrap Hell I mean Bolas' Meditation Room has froze over if this guy and I are on the same page. Pretty sure this means we're about due for a total lunar eclipse...

It's no secret I am so damn tired of how easy and effortless it is to fix your 3-5c pile. Perfect mana is a privilege, not a right, and it should be treated as such. wubrg shouldn't be some trivial cost to hit, I shouldn't be able to "splash" Inspired Ultimatum with Cruel Ultimatum, yet this is the world we live in.

Yes, I went back days to find this because I meant to reply to it then.

[Sinis]

Okay, but what do you do with it?

Trigger Constellation X times, and protect itself with Sphere of Safety, I think.

I think this card is pretty unremarkable. All the abilities on it are serviceable, but, I can't really see it doing anything but the two things I mentioned. Maybe it dunks a tapped creature, sometimes, I guess.

[3drinks]

Okay, but what do you do with it?

Trigger Constellation X times, and protect itself with Sphere of Safety, I think.

I think this card is pretty unremarkable. All the abilities on it are serviceable, but, I can't really see it doing anything but the two things I mentioned. Maybe it dunks a tapped creature, sometimes, I guess.

It might be the third planeswalker ever people don't ever bother attacking into (first two being Nissa Revane and Vraska the Unseen with her +1: "stare menacingly at your opponent" ability).

[Dunadain]

Okay, but what do you do with it?

Trigger Constellation X times, and protect itself with Sphere of Safety, I think.

I think this card is pretty unremarkable. All the abilities on it are serviceable, but, I can't really see it doing anything but the two things I mentioned. Maybe it dunks a tapped creature, sometimes, I guess.

It might be the third planeswalker ever people don't ever bother attacking into (first two being Nissa Revane and Vraska the Unseen with her +1: "stare menacingly at your opponent" ability).

Nah, I find people go wild the second Vraska the Unseen hits the table, the ult is so timmy that it terrifies the average player in my experience.

[folding_music]

Niko Aris is a great toolbox guy imo, try pairing him with Barrin, Tolarian Archmage. i happen to have a wizardy recursive bouncy deck so I've tried Niko and he's amazing, albeit not playing at all like a trad planeswalker

[Sinis]

Okay, but what do you do with it?

Trigger Constellation X times, and protect itself with Sphere of Safety, I think.

I think this card is pretty unremarkable. All the abilities on it are serviceable, but, I can't really see it doing anything but the two things I mentioned. Maybe it dunks a tapped creature, sometimes, I guess.

It might be the third planeswalker ever people don't ever bother attacking into (first two being Nissa Revane and Vraska the Unseen with her +1: "stare menacingly at your opponent" ability).

In my experience, walkers that don't have game-ending ults don't get attacked as much. My problem with Niko is that they don't seem to do anything. Like, the abilities are... yeah, they're abilities. But, I don't think I've ever drawn a card and thought "Gosh, I wish this was Niko."

[onering]

Nice way to get in damage and rebut etb effects, and the shards fuel his removal ability (which is still really bad BUT will probably catch people off guard).

[Igzex]

Niko identifies as a them, actually. That's the only interesting thing about this card however...

[DirkGently]

Niko is at a nice power level for limited. He can generate a little immediate swing with his damage ability, can generate some very slow CA, and can very very slowly get through blockers, if you're really out of ideas. And it's got a pumpable mana cost so he scales into the late game.

Of course, "nice power level for limited" doesn't typically indicate commander playability.

The real issue is the +1. It's really bad. There aren't many creatures that you're dying to get through for damage AND want to return to your hand. And on top of that, attacking and spending your mana recasting the same creatures is not a very effective way of protecting a planeswalkers typically. Certainly it's not something you usually want to do very often, so it being a +1 is really hard to work with. If their +1 was to make a shard and the unblockable bounce ability was a 0 or -1 it would be a much better card.

[Treamayne]

The real issue is the +1. It's really bad. There aren't many creatures that you're dying to get through for damage AND want to return to your hand. And on top of that, attacking and spending your mana recasting the same creatures is not a very effective way of protecting a planeswalkers typically. Certainly it's not something you usually want to do very often, so it being a +1 is really hard to work with. If their +1 was to make a shard and the unblockable bounce ability was a 0 or -1 it would be a much better card.

I think the best usage for Niko Aris that I've seen was a Jeskai deck that leaned hard into this - with all the Ball Lightning variants, Sneak Attack, etc.

I don;t even recall who the General was, just that the interaction was interesting when I saw it.

[3drinks]

Friday, March 31st, 2023; Liquimetal Torque

Great rock. Love these kinds of multi-faceted rocks that have a lot of ancillary purposes baked in that aren't immediately visible to others especially inexperienced players.

[Guardman]

Friday, March 31st, 2023; Liquimetal Torque

Great rock. Love these kinds of multi-faceted rocks that have a lot of ancillary purposes baked in that aren't immediately visible to others especially inexperienced players.

Probably one of the best colorless mana rocks around. There are so many artifact synergies nowadays that many decks, especially mono-colored, have some, if even incidentally. But in a dedicated artifact deck, this becomes the bee's knees. For example, I can't tell you how many times it has played a pivotal role in my Armix, Filigree Thrasher & Rebbec, Architect of Ascension artifact aggro deck. People don't just expect random artifact Rebbec.

[Igzex]

"No Red can't shatter enchantments!"
"Haha Liquidmetal Torque goes sideways!"

Also is a 2cmc rock so that's cool too.

[Mookie]

Liquimetal Torque is a cool card, but I haven't found a slot for it in any of my decks. It's a bit tricky to justify running a colorless mana rock over Arcane Signet or other fixing in multicolor decks, while many of my other decks prefer something like Mind Stone or Thought Vessel. Still, it can be useful if you have Vandalblast or other artifact-only removal... or even if you have Disenchant effects and want them to be able to hit creatures / planeswalkers. Maybe I should throw it in Brago to boost Angel of the Ruins / Act of Authority? Hmmm...

Beyond that, it's great if you have artifact synergies of your own - protecting Padeem, Consul of Innovation or saving your stuff from Their Name Is Death is pretty sweet.

[Toshi]

Maybe I should throw it in Brago to boost Act of Authority?

Daaamn! Thanks for pointing out that synergy.
I've been playing both cards in my Brago, King Eternal list ever since MH2 dropped and never realized that interaction! It can also turn Touch the Spirit Realm (which i love for its versatility as well) into Banishing Light/Borrowed Time...

[3drinks]

Saturday, April 1st, 2023; Lunar Mystic

I get the impression people sleep on this because it doesn't look like a bomb, but turning all your non-permanent spells into cantrips is worth +1 imho. Should probably see more play in these kinds of decks.

On an unrelated note, I was today years old when I learned sponge was a genuine creature type. Not silver bordered, not errata'd out, this is still on the books. Walking Sponge and that just tickles me. Happy April Fool's.

[void_nothing]

Instants only does limit it, but this can indeed be a sneaky draw engine.

[3drinks]

Instants only does limit it, but this can indeed be a sneaky draw engine.

Whoops. I had visions of casting Demonic Tutor for 2b to draw a card as well with my cursory glance. Well, casting lightning bolt|sld or Unholy Heat for 1r to add "draw a card" to them is pretty strong too.

[Mookie]

I think Lunar Mystic is strictly outclassed by Archmage Emeritus these days. I'm also not a fan of adding taxes to my spells - I've cut Mentor of the Meek, Lifecrafter's Bestiary, and Trail of Evidence from many decks.

[Sinis]

I get the impression people sleep on this because it doesn't look like a bomb, but turning all your non-permanent spells into cantrips is worth +1 imho. Should probably see more play in these kinds of decks.

I feel like Lunar Mystic never saw play. That one mana, it turns out, is quite a bit on top of 4. Archmage Emeritus definitely put the nail in the coffin for that guy.

On an unrelated note, I was today years old when I learned sponge was a genuine creature type. Not silver bordered, not errata'd out, this is still on the books. Walking Sponge and that just tickles me. Happy April Fool's.

Thought Sponge is the only other sponge in the game, and it's pretty playable, IMO.

[DirkGently]

SpongeBob SquarePants secret lair confirmed.