[Assorted][Daily] SecretInfiltrator's SecretBase

[M00NSIDIAN]

I definitely like the idea that the samurai is going with in terms of giving samurai a less narrow mechanical identity. I kinda feel like I'd be hard-pressed to pin down a specific identity for samurai aside from "warriors of presumably Japanese origin with katana, or otherwise lightly curved single-bladed weapons." I mean, the same basic idea could represent tsujigiri (albeit on different stats...), if in black. It's nice to see some work being done with this, though.

Sandstorm Trooper is a solid design that I'm surprised hasn't really been used yet. There are very few instances of two-point flowstone-style shifting in either direction, Multiform Wonder being the only* one that gives itself the ability to shift its stats in either direction.

*black-bordered

[SecretInfiltrator]

Card of the Day 2020-02-20 >

Migrating Saproling {G}
Creature – Saproling (U)
As you create one or more tokens, you may also put ~ from your hand onto the battlefield. When you do, draw a card.
1/1

[Krishnath]

Migrating Saproling is an interesting design that I am, quite frankly, surprised hasn't been done yet. I like it, it's a good card for Selesnya/token decks in general as it provides a little card draw.

[M00NSIDIAN]

This would be a good card for a first "as you create one or more tokens" effect -- that text hasn't been used yet. In fact, there are no triggered abilities specifically on creating a token at this point, as far as I know (just Doubling Season effects, which are replacement effects).

[BOVINE]

Can you drop a playset from your hand at once from a single token creation?

[Morpic_Tide]

Can you drop a playset from your hand at once from a single token creation?

As written, yes. And that's remarkably stupid, as any deck that makes any kind of token can run it. It'd very quickly become a new Gitaxian Probe, where it needs banned because of just how utterly totally it's an auto-include, bolstering the consistency and power of far too much of the possible decks for no real cost at all, if not negative cost. Gitaxian Probe costs life, this is an addon to making a token, which should be a sound action on its own.

Now, the value of a 1/1 creature compared to knowing your opponent's hand is obviously in favor of the latter. But it's a huge life swing in comparison. Not only are you not paying life to cycle for no mana, you actively gain an additional blocker to prevent further life loss. Probe, and the other Phyrexian-only cards, promote aggro by reducing the bar to lethal. This thing mangles a lot of aggro reach by giving card-neutral chump-blockers, if you can generate any token in the entire game.

Sure, not many Modern dominating deck archetypes have on-demand tokens. But how many substitutes are there that are almost good enough, if only they cycled when you used them, or had an extra 1/1? What's the value proposition on Abstruse Interference when it digs through a card in your deck? How many more decks would run Lazotep Plating as their go-to anti-removal over Gods Willing if they could use it for this?

So this thing is essentially 5-8 mana of value (3-5 for the 1/1, another 2-3 for the draw, going by the prices for non-card-consuming access to that), for the mild deckbuilding restriction of having tokens. Oh, and as a Saproling in particular, they can turn into a surprising number of other forms of value, on top of all the other sac outlets.

This isn't bemoaning that it's a vast amount of power. It really isn't, not without a lot of focus, much like Gitaxian Probe. What it is, however, is cheap power (nearly) on its own (again, this sort of effect can be expected to cost 4-7 mana if it's card-free and recurrent, which this pretty much is), and that's a bigger problem for the metagame, because there's not much reason not to use it. So it's in practically all the decks, and taking four deck slots that could be used for anything else in the game. It's why they banned Gitaxian Probe. Not because it was overpowering the metagame, but because the lack of cost meant it was everywhere.

[SecretInfiltrator]

In fact, there are no triggered abilities specifically on creating a token at this point, as far as I know (just Doubling Season effects, which are replacement effects).

Small note: this is not a triggered ability, but a static ability just as Doubling Season has.

Can you drop a playset from your hand at once from a single token creation?

Yes.

It'd very quickly become a new Gitaxian Probe

Happy to see someone taking the power level into consideration. I'm trying to follow your deliberations, but you lose me at some of the ideas you propose. If this card causes players to re-evaluate previously sub-optimal cards to add token creation to a deck, then that is part of the intention. That is part of a cost, I consider a bit higher than you are - and definitively a reason some decks might choose not to play this.

Unfortunately your post didn't help me to pinpoint the level at which this card needs to be instead. While creating the card I figured the effect as just a 1/1 that sometimes is free is just a lesser Memnite, so I want something in that spot. Card draw iss the utmost edge of what I could see pushing this ability to, and it will be fine in Limited either way.

The question is what is the utmost benefit I can put there that is not a problem in Constructed. And it's hard to tell, because it depends on whether putting token creation into your deck is as easy as you claim.

What I want in that spot is something that offsets the card disadvantage of putting the card into play effectively gaining you a free token for asking on the deck building restriction. But that doesn't mean free card draw per se. I could imagine a free token that is functionally a Clue or "When you do, return a Saproling card from your graveyard to your hand." which will not allow for cheating the card disadvantage from the beginning of the game, but only as you proceed to play more copies of this card.

Another safety valve I consider is restricting the type of toen this can "latch onto" to other Saprolings. Either way I welcome more conversation on how far I need to throttle this card's power level.

How many more decks would run Lazotep Plating as their go-to anti-removal over Gods Willing if they could use it for this?

That's my question exactly. How many?

---

Card of the Day 2020-02-21 >

Guruthes, Disciple of Xenagos {R}{G}
Legendary Creature – Satyr Cleric (R)
Haste
Inspired — Whenever ~ becomes untapped you may pay {R}{G}. If you do, create a number of 2/2 red and green Satyr creature tokens with haste equal to the number of your opponents.
"A new God has risen, stoking the embers in our hearts to a blaze that will consume all darkness."
2/2

[Krishnath]

Ok, ignoring that Inspired is a terrible mechanic, that is at least a decent iteration of it, as the card is cheap enough to get out really early (turn 2 in most cases) and the haste gives it the chance to attack and not get blocked and killed at least once. It is clearly better in multiplayer formats than in 1v1, but unless you have a way to keep it alive, it won't get much use, which keeps it from getting abusive. A good niche rare.

[Morpic_Tide]

Apologies for not suggesting a fix on the Saproling, but the issue is the costless draw. One thought would be splitting the draw into something like "When Migrating Saproling enters the battlefield, you may pay . If you do, draw a card". Maybe even . That way, the card draw is still available if you have to play it from hand, and you still need to pay for that upside if you have it enter for free, or clone it, or flicker, or whatever.

Then it's a serious curve aid, being a 1 drop if you have some serious value to use it on hand, a 2 drop if you need to get to whatever you're packing it for, or making any token generator playable for a little more, but doesn't essentially remove cards from your deck because it still costs something to get that draw. A no-mana 1/1 for a card should be fine, because that's spending a card to get it.

The comparison point to look for would be Memnite and Ornithopter, which are also 0-cost 1/1s, seeing play in some Modern artifact decks as 0-mana triggers, or perhaps the 0-mana equipments that make the "Cheerios" deck go off. The problem of this rests on being a 0-mana draw, and that's a problem on the deckbuilding level, rather than so much a problem on the gameplay level. Again, not a lot of power, but cheap power.

[SecretInfiltrator]

Card of the Day 2020-02-22 >

Threatening Scarecrow {3}{G}
Artifact Creature – Scarecrow (C)
{1}{G}, Sacrifice ~: Destroy target attacking creature with flying.
2/4

[void_nothing]

Works for me. "Attacking creature with flying" feels old-school for green. Femeref Archers.

[M00NSIDIAN]

In fact, there are no triggered abilities specifically on creating a token at this point, as far as I know (just Doubling Season effects, which are replacement effects).

Small note: this is not a triggered ability, but a static ability just as Doubling Season has.

Whoops, my bad. Still new but easily-grasped templating.

Card of the Day 2020-02-21 >

Guruthes, Disciple of Xenagos {R}{G}
Legendary Creature – Satyr Cleric (R)
Haste
Inspired — Whenever ~ becomes untapped you may pay {R}{G}. If you do, create a number of 2/2 red and green Satyr creature tokens with haste equal to the number of your opponents.
"A new God has risen, stoking the embers in our hearts to a blaze that will consume all darkness."
2/2

This is a pretty solid card that I'd enjoy playing as a commander, and would probably end up as the most potent card with Inspired.

[SecretInfiltrator]

Card of the Day 2020-02-23 >

Scion of Humanity {U}{R}
Creature – Human Scion (U)
When ~ enters the battlefield, draw a card, then discard a card.
When ~ dies, you may discard a card. If you do, draw a card.
In the end humanity's essence lay not in wisdom but in reflection, at times insightful, at times obsessive.
2/2

[M00NSIDIAN]

Not an amazing card, but a satisfying design due to its symmetry. "Humanity's essence lay in reflection" indeed! This is the design equivalent of those YouTube videos of extremely satisfying things, I think.

[Krishnath]

Well, I can tell you, if it was a real card, it would find a home in my Niv-Mizzet commander deck, because that deck thrives on card draw. It's a good, but not overly powerful card.

[SecretInfiltrator]

Card of the Day 2020-02-24 >

Sewer Stinger {B}{G}
Creature – Scorpion (U)
Flash, deathtouch
When ~ enters the battlefield, it gains indestructible until end of turn.
1/1

[Krishnath]

Point removal for black/green that only kills an attacker, I like.

[void_nothing]

That's very efficient. I don't think it's too good but it's a little scary in Limited. It's at least going to usually be a two-mana 2-for-1.

[Krishnath]

That's very efficient. I don't think it's too good but it's a little scary in Limited. It's at least going to usually be a two-mana 2-for-1.

True, but it is only really effective when you are going to be attacked. On the offense, it's not all that powerful unless it gets pumped a fair bit. And since it is a creature, it is technically something all colors can deal with fairly easily.

[SecretInfiltrator]

Card of the Day 2020-02-25 >

Crypt Prowler {2}{B}
Creature – Dauthi Scout (C)
When ~ enters the battlefield, you may sacrifice another creature or pay 3 life. If you do, draw a card.
The blood crypts always claim their price. Dauthi looters have learnt to leave the payment to others.
3/1

[Krishnath]

It's weird seeing a Dauthi without shadow, but that is a perception issue because I am used to see them with shadow. But they had to have come from somewhere before getting stuck in shadow, so that is not really an issue. It just feels weird. >.<

As for the card itself, I like it. It's about on par with similar black cards at common. Although the cost is a little higher, it is optional which makes it fine. I could see this finding a home in some commander decks (like Ayara, First of Locthwain), and it could probably make an impact in other constructed formats.

[M00NSIDIAN]

The Dauthi were originally from Dominaria before being pulled partway to Rath and being trapped in extraplanar space. Shadow Rider is implied to be a pre-Shadow Dauthi. They probably never left the Shadows, so this would be an interesting card for a set revisiting older lore (which is something I like the idea of... note to self to actually finish any part of my project/s revisiting old MTG sets...).

As a card, it does the job. Would play in sealed.

[void_nothing]

I really want Shadow Rider to get the Dauthi type in Oracle. It would cost nothing and mechanically affect basically nothing but it would "canonize" that elusive old Duelist article and give us a handle on what the Dauthi were "really" like; the ones of the Rathi Shadows had long since lost their minds and had been physically twisted to unrecognizability. Interesting to note that if the Rider is supposed to be a Dominarian Dauthi, then they have some association with shadow magic but not in the same sense as the Shadows or the keyword shadow.

Lot of things to enjoy about Crypt Prowler besides it being a "true" Dauthi. The different options in the ability cost add cleverness without adding complexity, the whole package really fits the Scout type, and the flavor text is just good.

[SecretInfiltrator]

Card of the Day 2020-02-26 >

Demonic Statue {1}{B}{B}
Artifact Creature – Demon Sculpture (U)
Menace, trample
~ isn't a creature unless a creature has been sacrificed this turn.
5/5

[Krishnath]

Re: The Dauthi. From flavor text during the tempest era, we can infer that the Dauthi and Solitari have always been at war, and that they and the Thalakos shared a homeworld before getting stuck in the shadowrealm of Rath. Just an interesting note.


As for Demonic Statue. I like it, it may be a tad to powerful for an uncommon, but I still like it. It's a fun build around me card that requires an environment with multiple sacrifice effects.