[mtgnexus] Random Card of the Day - North Star

[Toshi]

I've played the birdy to great effect in my former Alesha, Who Smiles at Death list, which was pretty flyer-heavy. Keeping mana open usually scared anyone but go wide token lists away. As mentioned, even small flyers amount to considerable amounts of mana over time.

It was also part of my initial Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle list. But it wasn't as stellar there. There are plenty of cards that reanimate Weenies for less mana, dozens with faster influence on the game and plenty that don't come with requirements for saccing.

The real problem for this guy is, he's Soul Snare #2

Not exactly. Soul Snare can only exile creatures attacking you/PWs you control, which is a very limiting factor - especially when you telegraph it, being an enchantment and all.
Lieutenant Kirtar has a lot more political value, since he can exile any attacking creature. You can even assign him as a blocker for one attacking creature, then exile another one before combat damage is dealt.

[3drinks]

Sunday, March 8th, 2020; Vessel of Nascency

I actually quite like this. Does a lot, and the cost is right. Also a permanent for when that matters.

[Toshi]

This flew below my radar initially, but Muldrotha, the Gravetide, Tasigur, the Golden Fang and Sidisi, Brood Tyrant all changed my mind when i saw them run rampant with it.
Of the Vessels i like this one best and it's not even close.

[hyalopterouslemur]

If you're in green and you're playing with the graveyard, this can be fun. It's good for the same reason Mulch is good, more for what goes in your graveyard than anything.

In completely different decks, it passes the Sun Titan test.

[Serenade]

T1 This or Font of Fertility
T2 Femeref Enchantress
T3 profit!

Makes me wish there were more enchantress cards that profited from sacrificing your enchantments.

[Sinis]

Sunday, March 8th, 2020; Vessel of Nascency

I played it a lot in Iskhanah, Grafwidow.

It's an enchantment for delirium, dumps stuff in the yard, gets a thing... there's a lot to like. I'm not sure I would play it over Grisly Salvage or Satyr Wayfarer unless I specifically wanted enchantment-action (like, in some constellation pile). Though, if I'm playing those other two, I'm probably playing this.

[folding_music]

my confession is that I keep taking Vessel of Nascency out of my decks; it seems like exactly my sort of card but I end up resenting it for being the least good dig option and always replace it with a card that can block or interact with something. Just took one out of Siona, a deck which contains Femeref Enchantress and Starfield Mystic! but maybe that's because it's not a big mana deck - a lot of the deck costs less than Siona does so finding two idle mana can be tough.

[3drinks]

Monday, March 9th, 2020; Gift of Immortality

I like this. How good is it really though?

[pokken]

I've had very good experience with it. Over the years I have played it in enchantress voltron decks as alternatives to hexproof commanders (jenara, tuvasa), jammed it in all kinds of sun titan decks, and played it in alela, artfful provocateur as just a way to protect her.

The sun titan combo is very powerful and compact, in particular.

I am always looking for opportunities to play this and its weirder brother angelic renewal. I usually prioritize renewal because it doesn't get 2-for-1'd by removal in response to the cast though.

[The_Hittite]

It works well with commanders that can sacrifice things as a cost. I like it in Brion Stoutarm. I almost got it on a Bearer of the Heavens once to make everything explode forever, but I had to leave that game early.

[Hermes_]

I've used to keep Daxos,and my akiri line slinger commanders around

[bobthefunny]

When it first got released, I put it on a burnished hart. I did nothing else for the first 6 turn rotations. Sakura Tribe Elder is a better target, if available, but I've also managed to get it onto a Solemn Simulacrum with a sac outlet out, which demanded to be answered immediately.

A bit of a better play though, I've put it on a Spike weaver. That drew a fair amount of hate around the table.

[Sinis]

Monday, March 9th, 2020; Gift of Immortality

I cant be pretty wild if it's unanswered, and I've had great fun with Sakura-Tribe Elder. I bet it would be fun on something like Bounty Agent or Saffi Eriksdotter.

[3drinks]

...I almost got it on a Bearer of the Heavens once to make everything explode forever, but I had to leave that game early.

Doesn't this not work, because Bearer has a delayed trigger?

- sacrifice or otherwise watch your giant die. giant's end step trigger is set up.
- gift triggers, returning your giant to the battlefield.
- move to end step, place both gift return trigger and giant's on the stack in whatever order you choose...
- by the time your giant blows up everything, Gift is on board, enchanting giant.
- another delayed trigger is staged, this one going off on the next turn.

Ok, I was wrong it "works" in function, but you're not winning with this. You're just drawing the game out with no end nevermind you have a 10/10 every turn to attack with because giant comes back after each trigger.

Sometimes we just have to talk these scenarios out I guess.

[3drinks]

Tuesday, March 10th, 2020; Deadeye Tracker

I feel like we've done this card. Have we seen it? If so, how has it changed as the power gradually creeps upward in terms of it's playability? I've always likes the effect while simultaneously feeling like I'm paying a premium for this, if that makes sense?

Also, pirates > ninjas, #micdrop

[Dragoon]

I'm only using it in my Golos deck, as this is the only gravehate effect with a random element stapled onto it. It's ... okay? If not for deckbuilding restrictions, I would play one of the myriad of other gravehate effects black has to offer. It's slow, the counters don't really matter without evasion and the draw is not efficient compared to other black options. If only it didn't need to tap to do its thing, it would be miles better.

Also, pirates > ninjas, #micdrop

I respectfully disagree.

[Dunharrow]

I would play it in a GB deck that plays Seedborn Muse. Like Vhati il-Dal.

[ilovesaprolings]

Kinda %$#% pirate, but it's the only one that does graveyard hate

[hyalopterouslemur]

Kinda %$#% pirate, but it's the only one that does graveyard hate

I think they were going for "He could grow big." gaining maybe one +1/+1 counter a turn.

[materpillar]

Also, pirates > ninjas, #micdrop

My changeling tribal runs these three ninjas. It runs 0 Pirates. I'm sorry but I have empirical evidence that you're wrong.


This guy only continues the trend of Pirates being worse because this guy is really bad, he doesn't even make the cut in my Shirei, Shizo's Caretaker deck which has 40 0/x or 1/x creatures. If you want graveyard hate, you want to be able to hit more than 2 cards. You also want it at instant speed/not affected by summoning sickness.

[Mookie]

Deadeye Tracker doesn't quite live up to its name, in terms of power level. As grave hate goes, two cards for two mana is roughly at-rate - see Tymaret, Chosen from Death, Withered Wretch, and Scavenging Ooze. And while Explore trigger is a bit high-variance, it is still a bit of incidental card advantage 40% of the time (assuming no topdeck manipulation). I don't value the +1/+1 counter at all, given that the base body is a 1/1 with no keywords.

That said though... needing to tap to activate makes it significantly weaker, and holding open two mana is a pain. I could see some uses as part of a Ranger of Eos / Ranger-Captain of Eos package, but you'd need to be going pretty deep for it to be worth it. There aren't a lot of options for grave hate on 1-mana creatures, but I guess it is better than Heap Doll? Hmmm....

Anyway, I'd generally favor Withered Wretch / Nihil Spellbomb / other options over Deadeye Tracker.

edit: on the Pirates vs Ninjas front, I lean towards Ninjas, mostly because Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow is a sweet card. Pirate tribal support options are pretty lacking, and they don't really have a consistent mechanical theme, which makes it hard to build a deck around them.

[toctheyounger]

Flavour wise, pirates > ninjas, but it's a close thing. Playwise ninjas are stronger, but that's not the point - you literally get swag points for running pirates (pun intended, I'd be a fool not to).

The card itself is ok. Explore is a strange mechanic that doesn't suit every deck, although it's not without it's uses. For a low cost card the ability is fine, although it doesn't quite live up to Withered Wretch or Scavenging Ooze which are probably the best functional comparisons. It's not entirely useless though, if it's on theme and your build likes stuff in the yard he could be useful.

[ilovesaprolings]

Kinda %$#% pirate, but it's the only one that does graveyard hate

I think they were going for "He could grow big." gaining maybe one +1/+1 counter a turn.

Eh. Pirates need evasion, not big bodies

[DirkGently]

Who would have guessed that a navigator would be so much more powerful than a tracker?

[3drinks]

Who would have guessed that a navigator would be so much more powerful than a tracker?

Ha! wut u did thar. i c it. 👀