[mtgnexus] Random Card of the Day - Journeyer's Kite

[materpillar]

In black if you want card draw Necropotence, Black Market Connections, Phyrexian Arena, Syphon Mind, Bolas's Citadel, Sign in Blood, Night's Whisper , Midnight Reaper, Morbid Opportunist, Liliana, Dreadhorde General, Vilis, Broker of Blood, and Yawgmoth, Thran Physician are all better.

That's a pretty hot take, most of these cards aren't really that comparable. For example, if you're doing a hard control, creature-light deck Liliana of the Dark Realms is going to put more work than Yawgmoth, Thran Physician despite him being a significantly more pushed card.

Sure the floor on Liliana of the Dark Realms is draw a swamp gain 4 life which is worse than Night's Whisper. More likely Liliana of the Dark Realms is going to be closer to 2BB draw 3 swamps which is kind of a toss-up compared to Night's Whisper.

There's a good chance Liliana of the Dark Realms is going to be pretty close to Phyrexian Arena without the life loss with the flexibility of a removal spell strapped on. Sure that's not Bolas's Citadel "vomit my entire deck onto the field" or Necropotence one of the best black draw spells of all time but it's definitely good enough for more chill metas.

[Chromaticus]

I play her in Carth the Lion where she threatens to Lake of the Deadify all my swamps on the second rotation.

For anyone who has never gotten to ultimate their planeswalkers outside of Doubling Season shenanigans, I can't recommend Carth the Lion as a deck enough. I will regularly end the game with multiple emblems / ultimate effects.

Incidentally, she survives her Defile effect when Carth is out.

[3drinks]

Monday, October 16th, 2023; Imodane, the Pyrohammer

Is this really good, at the four slot? How does it compare to Torbran, Thane of Red Fell? Or, like, even Zurgo Bellstriker/Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer/Kari Zev, Skyship Raider at just being an early harbinger of "damage is coming" for such a theorized burn deck?

[TheAmericanSpirit]

Monday, October 16th, 2023; Imodane, the Pyrohammer

Is this really good, at the four slot? How does it compare to Torbran, Thane of Red Fell? Or, like, even Zurgo Bellstriker/Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer/Kari Zev, Skyship Raider at just being an early harbinger of "damage is coming" for such a theorized burn deck?

I think this is worse than Torb overall, but superior in creature-infested metas. Turning something like Unholy Heat into removal + 6 damage across the board for one mana is pretty good, but if you have no targets, it's just a 4/4. It's certainly a wincon for monored spot removal tribal if that's a thing.

[materpillar]

I think this is worse than Torb overall, but superior in creature-infested metas. Turning something like Unholy Heat into removal + 6 damage across the board for one mana is pretty good, but if you have no targets, it's just a 4/4. It's certainly a wincon for monored spot removal tribal if that's a thing.

If I'm reading her right, even if you have no targets you can still bolt her and it'll burn your opponents.

[DirkGently]

Pretty insane rate on a lot of burn-based removal. Burn-based removal is fairly weak in commander but casually tacking on double-digit player damage is kind of a crazy amount of upside. I'm personally not a fan of decks that deal player damage indiscriminately, though. I want to be able to choose where my damage is going. Which is too bad since otherwise "play removal, win game" fits pretty nicely into the sort of thing I like to do.

[Igzex]

Gotta respect the "Oh right Blasphemous Act is a thing" clause on the card.

[LazyPidgey]

I really enjoy that she deals the damage to each opponent herself. Giving her Lifelink, would feel so nice... giving her Infect, would feel so evil

[TheAmericanSpirit]

Gotta respect the "Oh right Blasphemous Act is a thing" clause on the card.

I wish that was the template. It only pays off for single target burn though.

[3drinks]

Wednesday, October 18th, 2023; Vanquisher's Banner

Man this card has a lot of prints and it's still holding strong on that $4 price floor. I never thought it was that good, beyond generic tribal enabler. Guess tribal is popular among the casual demo though.

[TheAmericanSpirit]

Wednesday, October 18th, 2023; Vanquisher's Banner

Man this card has a lot of prints and it's still holding strong on that $4 price floor. I never thought it was that good, beyond generic tribal enabler. Guess tribal is popular among the casual demo though.

A very decent tribal card. I'm no big tribal guy, but I think colorless enablers like VB are good at bridging the gap to playable for less supported tribes.

Edit: I think we're supposed to call it 'typal' now for some reason. Kinda behind on why, but that's what EDHrec etc are calling it now.

[3drinks]

Typal? Is it related to "indigenous people day" as the new name for "columbus day"? I'd imagine that's a reasonable decision point, sure. Are you aware of how long this change has been in effect? I only just heard of it now.

[Dunharrow]

I believe Maro mentioned typal a few months ago. Internet search suggests they made the change in June. And yes, it is because they want to avoid any connotations associated to the word Tribal. They had consultants that pushed them to change the word.

[Igzex]

I wish that was the template. It only pays off for single target burn though.

I meant as in it specifies that it has to be a single target because they absolutely knew Act was a thing. Yeah should have been more clear

As for the Banner, I wouldn't call it a tribal staple by any means. The mana cost is not cheap, and at least Kindred Discovery is far more abusable to be worth the cost. I imagine it can put in work as a curve topper for Goblins, Elves, and other types that can't really use Kindred Discovery. Also Myr as they support artifacts.

[illakunsaa]

I'm not a huge fan of these kind of effects. Not only "do a thing draw a card" is pretty lame but they are kind trap cards. People think this provides card advantage but actually doesn't. At least you get some immediate value with the anthem.

[Dunadain]

I'm not a huge fan of these kind of effects. Not only "do a thing draw a card" is pretty lame but they are kind trap cards. People think this provides card advantage but actually doesn't. At least you get some immediate value with the anthem.

I mean, the number of cards in hand stays the same, but adding to the board without expending cards IS card advantage. In some situations, it's better than getting + 1 card in hand, as you don't need to expend additional mana to take advantage of the new card.

[Sinis]

For Vanquisher's Banner, I find I just choke on the 5 mana. It's just a lot for something you're going to play before you start laying out creatures of your chosen type. Sure, you get cards for things you cast. Sure you get +1/+1. I think these are powerful effects (c.f. The Great Henge), but... 5 mana.

When you look at other 5-mana things, it's clear they're somewhat skewed to finishers. Overwhelming Stampede, Berserker's Onslaught, Return of the Wildspeaker. I'm not saying cards that give you resources shouldn't be cast at 5; I play Shamanic Revelation in a lot of my decks, for example. It's that all the real value starts post-cast (at 5), and that's not particularly hot, IMO. YMMV, of course.

[Hermes_]

I don't think it makes the cut at least for my tribal decks ,i've never used it with that said i do believe it's in the Ur dragon percon but I haven't cast it.

[Serenade]

The five mana always feels high for me. I have tried it in merfolk (I could just use direct card draw), angels (who has more aggro-based card draw now), and I am sure something else, and I did not love the results. Is it better in bigger mana, smaller creature decks like elves?

[materpillar]

This card would have been a banger a decade ago. It's pretty underwhelming now with stuff like Beast Whisperer existing. Still I wouldn't raise an eyebrow if crab tribal or whatever cast it.

[NZB2323]

5 mana is a lot. I've done vampires, clerics, zombies, humans, minotaurs, and angels, and this card doesn't make the cut for any of them.

If you compare it to cards like Eldrazi Monument, Kindred Discovery, Battletide Alchemist, The Scarab God, Gray Merchant of Asphodel, Noxious Ghoul, Lyra Dawnbringer, ect. This card is pretty underwhelming.

And are we really supposed to say "Typal," instead of Tribal?

[Serenade]

If they changed the card type to Typal instead of Tribal and made more of them, I would use it. "Typal Sorcery - Kraken," fine, let's go. I didn't think they wanted to bring back that card type, though.

[PrimevalCommander]

Yes at 5 mana it is just a little high to be on my radar. And I have played my fair share of Staff of Nin, but not these days.

Herald's Horn and Horn of the Mark both look better for me. Lower ceiling, but about the same floor for less investment. I can start getting payoff from these two in the early game while I still develop my board. I have not played Horn of the Mark yet, but I think for an aggressive creature deck I don't see the condition being hard to meet, and digging 5 deep is actually a lot for a repeatable effect. In the reading it sounds like you can get multiple triggers if you have a enough creatures to send 2 at each player , making it's stock go way up.

[3drinks]

Thursday, October 19th, 2023; Voltaic Key|usg and functional reprint Manifold Key|tsr

[3drinks]

In the reading it sounds like you can get multiple triggers if you have a enough creatures to send 2 at each player , making it's stock go way up.

It's the same style interaction as Professional Face-Breaker, so yes this will proc twice if you attack two opponents with two bodies each.

I believe Maro mentioned typal a few months ago. Internet search suggests they made the change in June. And yes, it is because they want to avoid any connotations associated to the word Tribal. They had consultants that pushed them to change the word.

Huh, fascinating. And, good on them to be more inclusive then. That's never going to be a bad thing.