[mtgnexus] Random Card of the Day - North Star

[Jemolk]

I love the flexibility, and even more how it can do so many things at once. Also, in the decks I'd play it in, holding up 6 mana is not a particularly big ask. I still run Time Stop -- why not Sublime Epiphany?

[pokken]

It's pretty rare I'll put a 6 mana instant in a deck but this one is pretty massively powerful. Single cards that deal with Emrakul, the Promised End are always high on my list, most of my control shells running Summary Dismissal for that too and sometimes even Time Stop.

I keep finding myself drawn toward the idea of retooling Ephara a bit in the reactive direction and this would probably go well in that.

[wildfire393]

Sometimes you just want to windmill a 6+ mana counterspell that just totally wrecks someone's day - Spelljack, Aethersnatch, Overwhelming Intellect, Time Stop, Gather Specimens, etc.

It might not be the competitive play, but that doesn't mean it's not fun and powerful in a battlercruiser type meta.

[hyalopterouslemur]

Five modes, but only one is worth four mana.

It's better than Counterlash?

[onering]

Bare minimum is the most used cryptic command combo of countering a spell and drawing a card, but why stop there? You might as well bounce something while your at it, and copy something of your own. Hell, if the spell being cast triggered an ability, you could even hit all five modes at once.

There's just a lot of value here, and it's worked well for me as a top end card. It's an all star in my flash tribal deck, and I imagine in any deck that wants to draw and go. To expensive for cEDH, but that's all. This thing is always a huge swing, and it changes games.

[toctheyounger]

Theres not much this doesn't do, I just look at the mana cost though and cringe. Do you get your mana's worth? I don't know, I've always been too hesitant to find out.

[Guardman]

Theres not much this doesn't do, I just look at the mana cost though and cringe. Do you get your mana's worth? I don't know, I've always been too hesitant to find out.

In my experience you usually are. Most of the time you are choosing four of the five modes. It's one of those cards that is deceptively powerful, and can put you way ahead, as it just does so much.

[Dunharrow]

Card is amazing. Anyone who says otherwise hasn't played it enough. In a 4 player game at minimum you are casting for 3 modes, usually 4, and sometimes 5.
I got a couple of them, I know one is in my Maelstrom Wanderer. I have a few counterspells in that deck that I am okay with cascading into.

I know the mana cost is high so not all decks should play this over cheaper interaction, but if you are able to play a 6 mana instant, you should play this one.

[Melua]

Thinking of getting a copy for Mizzix.

[3drinks]

Sunday, February 6th, 2022; Sarkhan the Masterless

[BeneTleilax]

Just waiting for that superfriends+dragons deck to come together.

[Melua]

Seems like a good finisher for superfriends, but the static ability seems weak in those decks. Dragon tribal doesn't want him at all though, Sarkhan, Fireblood or Sarkhan, Dragonsoul are the walkers you want in those decks. The latter is still mediocre unless you can ult him the same turn you drop him, but the former provides great card filtering and ramp while having an innocuous ultimate that isn't threatening which means he can stick around.

[hyalopterouslemur]

Acid-Spewer Dragon being the most obvious choice.

[Sinis]

Sunday, February 6th, 2022; Sarkhan the Masterless

Among the best 'fair' WAR Walkers. I really like this guy; protects himself with a dragon, defrays token armies with that dragon, is happier with more dragons and walkers around around. Just a really cool card, IMO.

I think, however, the deck this card finds its home in is probably best not focused on dragons. There's probably a few changelings about, and a handful of walkers, but not much other synergy.

Acid-Spewer Dragon being the most obvious choice.

Venomous Changeling and Moonglove Changeling are pretty good/efficient alternatives.

[hyalopterouslemur]

Fair. Always forget changelings.

And Skittles to deal with indestructible.

[wildfire393]

I like it as a Superfriends wincon that doesn't just depend on windmill slamming Doubling Season/Vorinclex/Deepglow Skate and ultimating stupid walkers and doing stupid things with a Tamiyo emblem or something. If you're playing a "fair" superfriends build he can help protect your walkers from chip damage and can turn a board of walkers into a swarm of threats rather easily. He requires a bit of support in the form of other dragons if you want to make him into a complete wall, but he's cool regardless.

[Igzex]

Seems like a good finisher for superfriends, but the static ability seems weak in those decks. Dragon tribal doesn't want him at all though, Sarkhan, Fireblood or Sarkhan, Dragonsoul are the walkers you want in those decks. The latter is still mediocre unless you can ult him the same turn you drop him, but the former provides great card filtering and ramp while having an innocuous ultimate that isn't threatening which means he can stick around.

I'd say Sarkhan the Mad is the best Sarkhan for dragon decks. You're not really going to be protecting your planeswalkers ever because your dragons will always be in sideways positions (Or in the graveyard because that's just reality) so might as well just pop down Mad Boy and finish an opponent on the spot.

As for this card's role in dragon decks, I would consider it a dragon itself rather than a dragon support card due to its casting cost and activated abilities. As such, this card faces really steep competition especially nowadays with how crazy pushed this tribe has been getting. Still, I've had a ton of fun with this card and stuff like Spark Double and Helm of the Host.

[vandertroll]

It's effectively a 5cmc ''create a 4/4 Dragon'' in commander. Rather meh, I'd say.

[3drinks]

Monday, February 7th, 2022; Intimidation

[wildfire393]

Monday, February 7th, 2022; Intimidation

Well, that's certainly an effect. 5 mana seems a bit steep for something that's pretty narrow like this, especially given Cover of Darkness does something similar for 2 mana if you're in tribal. But at least it's triple black so it feeds devotion? IDK, I got nothing.

[TheAmericanSpirit]

The flavor of this card is perfect. I should grab a copy.

[vandertroll]

Amazing art, great flavor. That's all I have.

[Hawk]

Since I missed it, I wanted to say that Sublime Epiphany is the real deal at least in lower-powered 70%-ish metas. You are usually getting four choices, and so Counterspell + Disperse + Stunt Double + a cantrip is a back-breaker. I turned my nose up at it at first but saw it doing enough good work elsewhere to try it in Volo, where it's one of the few non-creature spells in the deck. I've never been sad to see it. Obviously worse the lower your creature count is - if your count is under 20, I probably wouldn't do it as then it starts looking really crummy next to Cryptic Command, Mystic Confluence, and even Dismiss. But in a creature-strong deck that still wants counters, this thing has been great.

For Intimidation - old school cool card and I ran it once in a Dimir Saboteur deck. 5 mana is a ton though and it isn't even guaranteed evasion. Looks like garbage compared to even humble Levitation nevermind tons of stronger cards in Dimir, but in monoblack or Rakdos there's not much competition. It's basically this, Cover of Darkness (stronger but tribal), and Eldrazi Monument (strong but at a cost too steep for the average deck), or I guess Akroma's Memorial (total battlecruiser nonsense). There's also Filth + Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth but as a two-card combo that isn't super reliable if your deck isn't chock-full of tutors to make it happen. Certain specific tribes have more (like Vampire Nocturnus in vamps or Lord of the Accursed for zombos) but in general this might still have a place in a brawly deck that wants to get creatures through.

EDIT: Cover of Darkness is $45? Yowza. Also notable then is that Intimidation is a budget-friendly choice, as every other card I listed could be a bank-breaker.

[hyalopterouslemur]

Five mana. And three in one color.

Green has Bellowing Tanglewurm which isn't quite this but does have a body and is 3gg. Probably closer to good. And there are a ton of ways to grant flying, landwalk, daunt, menace "can't be blocked by more than one creature", "can't be blocked by creatures with flying", protection, etc. Or just use Lure or Falter.

Oh, and Mirrorwing Dragon with Distortion Strike.

[3drinks]

Tuesday, February 8th, 2022; Trail of Evidence

Durdly generic Value Town™ three mv blue enchantment #27, question mark?

But srsly this is powerful enough while also giving you a mana sink, I'd play this. Better than spending $35 on a rhystic at least.