[mtgnexus] Random Card of the Day - Transmutation Font

[3drinks]

Wednesday, February 14th, 2024; Helm of the Host|brr

I challenge that this isn't actually a good card, but players see it played in one particular combo deck and ascertain it to be good enough to force it into every deck. #3drinksHotTake

[3drinks]

Wasteland can also be recurred by sun titan, plus it has other utility in producing mana whereas fulminator mage's other utility (or lack thereof) is that it's a Goblin Hero.

You did a terrific job downplaying the whole response by ignoring that I called it a "wasteland that can also pick up a blade", instead choosing to call out that Wasteland can also come back with Sun Titan. If we're gonna do this back and forth, the least you could do is take the full context of the comments, rather than cherry pick to suit your own particular narrative.

I get it, you don't see value in the ability to just attack when you need to attack, you don't weigh that as worth a card. Sometimes you just need to attack for 2. Sometimes you just need to take the monarch. You play to your outs, and sometimes the out is "strap the blade to the body". Even if you don't attack, combat is a very viable strategy. Having combat options intertwined with utility sacs is great to not dilute threat density and still maintain the requisite level of answers you need in the deck.

[Dunadain]

Helm of the Host is a good card, but not the staple many players seem to think it is.

I think the logic is, "my deck is built around my commander, having multiple copies of my commander would make those payoffs even better, therefore, Helm is good in my deck" problem is that logic doesn't take into account the whopping mana investment and the need to have the first copy in order for Helm to do literally anything.

Also just a bit of a win-more card. If you have a creature that is worth to make a copy of, you're probably doing pretty well already.

Having said all that, it is really good in the right decks, and it's a unique effect amongst equipment.

👍

[3drinks]

That. It's got the same problem as Sunforger in needing an exorbitant cost to get the first activation. So what you get had better be worth it. And sometimes it is. That doesn't account for the other times you spend 5 to value clone a Loran of the Third Path/Flametongue Kavu|pls though which absolutely sucks.

[Guardman]

I run Helm of the Host in my Etali, Primal Storm deck were if I get one token out of it I am usually winning. I also had it in my Adrix and Nev, Twincasters deck when I had it together. But anything that could make nonlegendary copies of them, no matter the mana investment, tends to do crazy things.

[Hermes_]

Best memory with this card: I put it in a deck with Godo, Bandit Warlord not realizing the combo until another player said "well that's game"

[DirkGently]

Wasteland can also be recurred by sun titan, plus it has other utility in producing mana whereas fulminator mage's other utility (or lack thereof) is that it's a Goblin Hero.

You did a terrific job downplaying the whole response by ignoring that I called it a "wasteland that can also pick up a blade", instead choosing to call out that Wasteland can also come back with Sun Titan. If we're gonna do this back and forth, the least you could do is take the full context of the comments, rather than cherry pick to suit your own particular narrative.

Damn bro calm down, we're just talking about cards. I didn't even directly respond to you. Election years, I guess?

Goblin Hero can pick up a sword exactly as well as fulminator mage so idk why you think I ignored that point. They have literally the same utility in that regard.

I get it, you don't see value in the ability to just attack when you need to attack, you don't weigh that as worth a card.

I'm not sure what you mean by this. There are many creatures that nobody, yourself included, would consider viable commander cards even though they can still attack.

It's not a worthless feature. Fulminator mage is definitely better than if he had defender + shadow. But the ability to trade for a land is fairly low value imo, so for that sort of card to entice me it better have a pretty significant additional benefits. Wasteland is worse than a basic if you don't ever sacrifice it, but a basic is a playable card so a land that taps for colorless is usually pretty close to a card, with the remaining value being made up with the LD ability. Goblin hero, by contrast, is a very unplayable card, so unless you value the LD effect very highly fulminator mage probably doesn't clear the threshold of viability without some sort of specific synergy.

Sometimes you just need to attack for 2. Sometimes you just need to take the monarch. You play to your outs, and sometimes the out is "strap the blade to the body".

Sometimes a goblin hero is sufficient to win a game of commander, but that doesn't mean that it's a card you should put in your deck.

Also I think you're really overselling how many decks are running equipment. Especially since most decks that are going heavy on equipment would prefer to use it on their commander, and have (or should have) a plan to protect their commander to ensure it's available to wear said equipment.

Even if you don't attack, combat is a very viable strategy.

Who are you talking to right now? I have won practically every game of commander I've ever played by attacking. I think I'm one of the most combo-averse people on this forum.

Having combat options intertwined with utility sacs is great to not dilute threat density and still maintain the requisite level of answers you need in the deck.

Multifunctional cards in general improve the density of a deck, I'll agree with that. But I don't really think a goblin hero constitutes much of a threat in the year of our lord 2024. It's not zero utility, but it's not much.

I'm much more partial to something like, say, Beast Within as LD. The utility of being able to blow up any other permanent type is much more significant than a 2/2. If beast within could only blow up nonlands, it would still be extremely good, so the fact that it can blow up lands is pure gravy.

I will also say - I've run Strip Mine in many, many decks over the years and honestly? I rarely use it to blow up lands. I tend to imagine situations where a coffers or a cradle or a FotD get out of control, but in my actual experience that happens very, very rarely. I'm not convinced it's even worth running a colorless land to combat those situations they're so rare, let alone a goblin hero.

I challenge that this isn't actually a good card, but players see it played in one particular combo deck and ascertain it to be good enough to force it into every deck. #3drinksHotTake

It's very possibly overplayed, but I do think it's good where it's good. You really want to be ramping enough that you can pay the full 9 in one shot I think.

Also just a bit of a win-more card. If you have a creature that is worth to make a copy of, you're probably doing pretty well already.

I agree with the rest of what you said, but I think this particular line of logic is a holdover from 20-life formats that doesn't really hold up in commander. "Doing pretty well" is nice and all, but it's usually not enough to beat 120 enemy life and 3 enemy boards/hands. This is a format that rewards going massively over the top, hence why so many cards that get a "meh, too much setup cost" in other formats become all-stars in commander. 9 mana really isn't that crazy outside of very fast metas, as long as your deck is capable of capitalizing on it when you pull it off.

Incidentally, my favorite deck for this card will probably always be Kaervek the Merciless. "You cast a 5 drop, so I'll be dealing 25 damage now"

[Dunadain]

edit: how do I make the image bigger? width=200% isn't doing anything

[Mookie]

I haven't seen Helm of the Host played recently outside decks with Godo, Bandit Warlord. Nine mana for a Clone is pretty expensive, and I think that most decks that want an extra copy of their commander are better served with Spark Double or another nonlegendary copy effect. It is a cool card though, and a fun value engine if you have big stuff worth copying. Or you could just have Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist or another effect that gets around equip costs. At the very least, it makes for an interesting story.

[yeti1069]

I agree with the rest of what you said, but I think this particular line of logic is a holdover from 20-life formats that doesn't really hold up in commander. "Doing pretty well" is nice and all, but it's usually not enough to beat 120 enemy life and 3 enemy boards/hands. This is a format that rewards going massively over the top, hence why so many cards that get a "meh, too much setup cost" in other formats become all-stars in commander. 9 mana really isn't that crazy outside of very fast metas, as long as your deck is capable of capitalizing on it when you pull it off.

Yeah. It grates on me when I read card evaluations as "win more" due to they're improving an already decent situation. There are so many variables in Magic, but especially in multiplayer EDH that "winning" is often a meaningless concept until it becomes "won," or else is "controlling the game until won." I cannot count the number of games I've played where I, or someone else, exclaims that they only needed "one more turn" to win. I've played a multitude of games where the whole table was in that spot--"I had this combo ready for next turn," "I had lethal damage on you all next turn," "Here's my Craterhoof," etc... You need cards that will push you over the top in a real way, and cards that move a game state from "ahead" to "crushing," get overlooked or dismissed too often, I think.

As for Helm...I think it is over played. I've run it in a couple of decks. Ghired, Conclave Exile seemed like an ideal deck for it, since it specifically wanted to be making copies of valuable creatures, and had a fair amount of ramp to get to its big threats...and it just felt too slow and clunky. You need something worth copying, this other card, and either 9 mana in one turn or split over two turns with no interaction at the table for a telegraphed play. At this point, red, blue, and black all have a 3-mana copy effect for something already in play, and green has a couple of ways to copy creatures as they come in. Blue has a handful of 2-mana copier effects as well. There are just very few legendary creatures worth spending 9 mana to copy once, and if you aren't copying legends, there are multiple cheaper options available.

[Dunadain]

I said "just a bit" geez

[onering]

It's really good, it's just not really good everywhere. The baseline is that it's an expensive clone, but an expensive clone that pretty much needs to be immediately answered. It's 9 mana, but really being split in two does matter because you can split it over two turns, and more importantly each side can be much cheaper. There are several cards that help it equip for free, and while that is limited to certain decks there are also effects that reduce the cost to put it in play, of which Stoneforge is a staple that will tutor it up and put into play at instant speed for 1W. It's a card you can't just jam in anywhere, but it can dominate with mild support, and honestly sometimes you just have enough creatures that take over the game if equipped by it then it can be worth the cost.

[Ruiner]

I'm not a huge fan of this in Blue Decks as things like Sakashima the Impostor and other clone effects are generally far more efficient.

For non-blue decks though, it is pretty neat. I don't have any decks that it would be particularly useful in at the moment but it's a fun card.

[pokken]

So very tired of how many decks become "how many copies of my commander can I make?" tribal. :D This started the parade of that stupid non-legendary rider.

I wonder sometimes if they will eventually just get rid of the legend rule in general and invalidate all that crap.

[illakunsaa]

Helm is one of my favorite cards. It evokes this classic edh feel where you play this "do nothing" -card that some how provides massive value and wins you the game.

[Igzex]

Yeah its expensive and clunky but I love this card. I love slapping this on a dragon form Sarkhan the Masterless and I love my opponent looking over at my field on their turn when they calculate their attacks and immediately displaying the body language of "Oh F- no".

[Dunadain]

Yeah its expensive and clunky but I love this card. I love slapping this on a dragon form Sarkhan the Masterless and I love my opponent looking over at my field on their turn when they calculate their attacks and immediately displaying the body language of "Oh F- no".

That sounds really fun, though it'll cost you every turn since the equipment will fall off of him eot when he stops being a creature.

Still worth it though.

[DirkGently]

I said "just a bit" geez

And the punishment for this transgression shall be a swift and certain death.

[RxPhantom]

I run Helm of the Host in Yarok, the Desecrated for more ETB fun, and it's carried its weight.

[PrimevalCommander]

I run Helm of the Host in Yarok, the Desecrated for more ETB fun, and it's carried its weight.

Not to be a downer, but this sounds miserable for everyone else at the table. I guess it depends on the playgroup though.

[3drinks]

Thursday, February 15th, 2024; Kodama of the West Tree

[folding_music]

this guy is such a nerd compared to Chishiro, the Shattered Blade. perennial downvote on lords who refill your hand or ramp you, or whatever - I want momentum/sustain to look like more creatures immediately

[PrimevalCommander]

A+ card for any deck with counter synergy. I know some will say it needs too much set up to be useful as early game ramp, and they may be right, but I'm probably not banking on this as my only ramp. With any deck that is playing this can likely trigger this turn 4 since Kodama himself doesn't need to deal damage to trigger. An early Joraga Treespeaker or any early game dork with a counter can trigger this turn 3 if a player is open. Once online the mana advantage can be pretty devastating, and it gives your pumped creatures Trample, which is very valuable for decks that get your creatures 8/8+ but can't punch through those pesky saprolings, goblins, or soldiers.

[Dunadain]

I'm not really a fan of the "modified" mechanic. And I'm also reluctant to build my deck around successfully dealing combat damage with small/medium creatures.

👎

[PrimevalCommander]

I'm not really a fan of the "modified" mechanic. And I'm also reluctant to build my deck around successfully dealing combat damage with small/medium creatures.

👎

That's my PRIMARY way of building my decks Hello Ohran Frostfang, Toski, Bearer of Secrets, Akroma's Will and Moonshaker Cavalry