[mtgnexus] Random Card of the Day - North Star

[Legend]

If only it had shroud.

[Sinis]

You probably really hate the Orb.

<inference that casual EDH player hates stax piece>

Very astute.

[Venedrex]

Are we hating on Winter Orb? Lemme hop in for a quick sec.

*TIBALT'S FRIDAY TIRADES RAGE THREAD* WINTER ORB, OH IS THIS A WELL DESIGNED MAGIC CARD. YOU WANTED TO ACTUALLY CAST SPELLS AND PLAY A CARD GAME WHERE YOU GET TO PLAY THE GAME? HAHAHA WRONG TABLE BUDDY. THIS CARD IS HERE TO MAKE SURE WE CAN ALL ANGRILY STARE AT EACH OTHER WHILE "PLAYING" THE MOST MISERABLE AND WORTHLESS GAME OF MAGIC YOU'VE EVER SEEN. COUGH. I GUESS I'LL UNTAP ONE MORE LAND. IN 4 TURNS I CAN CAST ONE SPELL. OH BOY MAYBE IN 40 TURNS WE CAN HAVE A BOARDSTATE. OR I COULD JUST PLAY A GAME THAT'S ACTUALLY FUN AND NOT THE EQUIVALENT OF WALKING OVER HOT COALS SPRINKLED WITH BROKEN GLASS. IF SOMEONE PLAYS THIS CARD, I'LL QUICKLY WATCH THE EXTENDED EDITION OF THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY, ALL THREE PARTS AND COME BACK JUST IN TIME TO REALIZE I STILL CAN'T PLAY THE GAME. WOW, MAYBE NEXT TIME SOMEONE WILL JUST GO INFINITE INSTEAD OF DRAGGING ME INTO THE MOST MISERABLE EXPERIENCE OF MY MTG PLAYING CAREER. OH NO SOMEONE JUST REMOVED THE ONE SPELL I CAST IN 4 TURNS. SEE YOU IN ANOTHER 4 TURNS. I THOUGHT THE POINT OF A GAME WAS TO HAVE FUN. I'D RATHER GO TO THE DENTIST THAN PLAY IN A GAME WITH WINTER ORB. AT LEAST THE TRIP TO THE DENTIST WOULD BE PRODUCTIVE, AND IT'D PROBLABLY BE OVER IN THE SAME BLOODY AMOUNT OF TIME. ITS TOP OF THE EDHREC SALT SCORES TWO YEARS RUNNING BECAUSE IT'S A PIECE OF FILTH THAT SHOULD BE RIPPED INTO SHREDS AND BLENDED. THANK GOODNESS CONCEDING IS INSTANT SPEED SO I CAN RESPOND TO THIS BY SCOOPING SO I CAN PLAY 4 MORE GAMES OF EDH IN THE TIME IT TAKES FOR THE REMAINING VICTIMS OF THIS GARBAGE TO PLAY THAT MANY SPELLS. EVERY TIME I SEE WINTER ORB I HAVE FLASHBACKS. MAKE IT STOP PLEASE LET ME LEAVE THIS NIGHTMARE. I'D RATHER PLAY FOR ANTE THAN ENDURE THIS NONSENSE. MAYBE WE CAN DOWNLOAD AND COMPLETE EVE ONLINE WHILE WE DRUM OUR FINGERS. PERHAPS A PLAY BY MAIL ROUND OF DIPLOMACY CAN OCCUR WITHIN THE TIME. AND FURTHERMORE......... *INCREASINGLY INCOHERENT RAGE*

[3drinks]

Tuesday, July 12th, 2022; Brainstealer Dragon

Honestly, I'm just glad I finally got a card to discuss. Random gods clearly did not like me for how many draft trash cards I got before. I'm excited to play this classic old style dragon in Kaalia.

[Sinis]

Are we hating on Winter Orb? Lemme hop in for a quick sec.

*TIBALT'S FRIDAY TIRADES RAGE THREAD* WINTER ORB, OH IS THIS A WELL DESIGNED MAGIC CARD. YOU WANTED TO ACTUALLY CAST SPELLS AND PLAY A CARD GAME WHERE YOU GET TO PLAY THE GAME? HAHAHA WRONG TABLE BUDDY. THIS CARD IS HERE TO MAKE SURE WE CAN ALL ANGRILY STARE AT EACH OTHER WHILE "PLAYING" THE MOST MISERABLE AND WORTHLESS GAME OF MAGIC YOU'VE EVER SEEN. COUGH. I GUESS I'LL UNTAP ONE MORE LAND. IN 4 TURNS I CAN CAST ONE SPELL. OH BOY MAYBE IN 40 TURNS WE CAN HAVE A BOARDSTATE. OR I COULD JUST PLAY A GAME THAT'S ACTUALLY FUN AND NOT THE EQUIVALENT OF WALKING OVER HOT COALS SPRINKLED WITH BROKEN GLASS. IF SOMEONE PLAYS THIS CARD, I'LL QUICKLY WATCH THE EXTENDED EDITION OF THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY, ALL THREE PARTS AND COME BACK JUST IN TIME TO REALIZE I STILL CAN'T PLAY THE GAME. WOW, MAYBE NEXT TIME SOMEONE WILL JUST GO INFINITE INSTEAD OF DRAGGING ME INTO THE MOST MISERABLE EXPERIENCE OF MY MTG PLAYING CAREER. OH NO SOMEONE JUST REMOVED THE ONE SPELL I CAST IN 4 TURNS. SEE YOU IN ANOTHER 4 TURNS. I THOUGHT THE POINT OF A GAME WAS TO HAVE FUN. I'D RATHER GO TO THE DENTIST THAN PLAY IN A GAME WITH WINTER ORB. AT LEAST THE TRIP TO THE DENTIST WOULD BE PRODUCTIVE, AND IT'D PROBLABLY BE OVER IN THE SAME BLOODY AMOUNT OF TIME. ITS TOP OF THE EDHREC SALT SCORES TWO YEARS RUNNING BECAUSE IT'S A PIECE OF FILTH THAT SHOULD BE RIPPED INTO SHREDS AND BLENDED. THANK GOODNESS CONCEDING IS INSTANT SPEED SO I CAN RESPOND TO THIS BY SCOOPING SO I CAN PLAY 4 MORE GAMES OF EDH IN THE TIME IT TAKES FOR THE REMAINING VICTIMS OF THIS GARBAGE TO PLAY THAT MANY SPELLS. EVERY TIME I SEE WINTER ORB I HAVE FLASHBACKS. MAKE IT STOP PLEASE LET ME LEAVE THIS NIGHTMARE. I'D RATHER PLAY FOR ANTE THAN ENDURE THIS NONSENSE. MAYBE WE CAN DOWNLOAD AND COMPLETE EVE ONLINE WHILE WE DRUM OUR FINGERS. PERHAPS A PLAY BY MAIL ROUND OF DIPLOMACY CAN OCCUR WITHIN THE TIME. AND FURTHERMORE......... *INCREASINGLY INCOHERENT RAGE*

I just wish that if people were to play stax, that they would play Stasis like they meant it.

Tuesday, July 12th, 2022; Brainstealer Dragon

Honestly, I'm just glad I finally got a card to discuss. Random gods clearly did not like me for how many draft trash cards I got before. I'm excited to play this classic old style dragon in Kaalia.

I kind of like this guy. If unanswered, it'll seriously close out the game with both the triggers. I feel like there's mojo with the second trigger anyway; like if you animate an opponent's creature, this will deal them damage.

[Dunharrow]

I love the rate at which we get large Black creatures. I would consider this in Rakdos, Lord of Riots. See if I open one. I wouldn't say it is an auto-include since there are so many good creatures that could fit int.

[onering]

I don't like the idea of extra upside, making opponents lost life if you play their permanent spells. A better design, and more fitting with black, would have made you lose the life, but in exchange the dragon would have been cheaper, smaller, and allowed you to cast the exiled cards even if the dragon was removed (perhaps by placing a counter on the exiled cards, and being a 4/4 for 5). As it stands, it's better suited to being cheated out and will offer suffer from dying immediately and being a crappy card to hardcast, but being yet another ez mode splashy card that requires no thought if it actually sticks. A version you're actually likely to hardcast but that has a drawback would have played better.

A note on equilibrium: one advantage it has over Cloudstone Curio is that it works with artifact creatures, and there's a solid amount of 0 cost artifact creatures to loop with this spending just 1 mana each time. It also lets you rebuy artifact creatures with powerful etbs, like the gearhulks.

[TheAmericanSpirit]

Eot draw 3 on a 6/6 is pretty good, even if you aren't drawing your cards. Nice little 7 drop.

[Mookie]

Not gonna lie: I didn't even notice the 'opponents lose life' text on Brainstealer Dragon until now. I've been focused on the sweet, sweet card advantage. Makes me want to slurp up my opponents' brai decks like some sort of tasty, nutritious goop. Yum.

Anyway, as a seven mana creature, Brainstealer Dragon carries a pretty high cost. It also doesn't directly kill your opponents - instead, it provides a value engine if it sticks around for a while... which your opponents will probably try to stop. Obviously better if you can cheat it out / reanimate it, and it competes against other fatties like Sepulchral Primordial and Toxrill, the Corrosive. 'Drawing' three cards a turn is pretty good, but it is somewhat dependent on your opponents' decks - I generally value stolen cards lower than cards from my own deck due to synergy. Still, quantity does certainly have a quality all its own.

I think the most noteworthy thing about Brainstealer Dragon is actually its templating, which is quite generous. It triggers at end step, so you'll usually get some value immediately (assuming your opponents don't kill it at instant speed). It also doesn't need to stick around to cast the cards - they're yours forever, and you can even play lands. You don't get the random perk of Gonti, Lord of Luxury's facedown exile, but that's pretty minor. So yeah, seems good - you get value even if it doesn't live a full turn cycle, which is certainly relevant in metas heavy on board wipes.

[Crazy Monkey]

Brainstealer Dragon is a battlecruiser bomb, with reasonable combat stats while adding direct life loss onto all similar theft effects. It obviously gets better in a dedicated theft deck like Captain N'ghathrod, but I have had it do well even without support.

[hyalopterouslemur]

I just wish that if people were to play stax, that they would play Stasis like they meant it.

I just like Clock of Omens or Seedborn Muse to break it, that's all.

Anyway, I gotta say, the mana cost for Brainstealer Dragon is a bit high, even though the effect is pretty funny, including life loss that doesn't really do much, but feels more painful.

[Igzex]

I'm a guy who likes his dragons, but dislikes playing against spell stealing so this card just feels like a straight up troll to me. Well it would feel more like a troll to me if it was a card I'd even run. The casting cost and that I get the cards during the end step take it out of the highly contested dragon creature slot in any dragon tribal build.

Though yeah builds like Kaalia where this card is just suddenly cheated in and sprung upon everyone will likely find use in it.

[aliciaofthevast]

Tuesday, July 12th, 2022; Brainstealer Dragon

Honestly, I'm just glad I finally got a card to discuss. Random gods clearly did not like me for how many draft trash cards I got before. I'm excited to play this classic old style dragon in Kaalia.

Ooh! I think I need to get me some mind flayer dragon 😍

[Mookie]

I'm a guy who likes his dragons, but dislikes playing against spell stealing so this card just feels like a straight up troll to me. Well it would feel more like a troll to me if it was a card I'd even run. The casting cost and that I get the cards during the end step take it out of the highly contested dragon creature slot in any dragon tribal build.

Meanwhile, I enjoy stealing my opponents' stuff and dislike dragons. I had to check, and the only dragons currently in any of my decks are Shimmer Dragon, Niv-Mizzet, Parun, and Steel Hellkite (and Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker, arguably). That said, I am hoping to test out Brainstealer Dragon in a few decks as soon as I pick up a copy or two. I definitely prefer the horror-y, card-stealing half to the dragon-y life loss half though.

[3drinks]

Wednesday, July 13th,2022; Marisi, Breaker of the Coil

I hope this comes up in our community build-a-deck project tbh.

[Serenade]

Everyone is going to immediately target you, right? I was super-excited when this guy came out then realized he would lead to unfun games.

He also only exists as a foil, so that's a no in my book.

[Dunharrow]

I am slowly building a Naya attacking matter deck, and put this guy as the general because I hate Gahiji, Honored One.
I wonder how much hate this will draw. They can't attack you, so they will have to attack other players, and they will need to defend themselves. So spending a removal spell on Marisi seems risky to me. I think the way to play this is to negotiate with players.

[hyalopterouslemur]

Everyone is going to immediately target you, right? I was super-excited when this guy came out then realized he would lead to unfun games.

He also only exists as a foil, so that's a no in my book.

I mean, to be fair, it is very flavorful, since he's an agent of Bolas, who was pitting everyone against each other to engineer a crisis while he walks away with all their mana or something.

I mean, he costs 1rgw, so what you really need is things that are hard (or impossible) to block. In green, you have Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth and anything with forestwalk. In red, you have Goblin Tunneler. And in white, you have various things having or granting protection from creatures. On top of Whispersilk Cloak and Prowelr's Helm. So, you have a few options.

[Crazy Monkey]

There are a lot of creature heavy decks that don't really intend to use them in combat, and Marisi, Breaker of the Coil can really capitalize on that. I run a sort of "flying men" semistax version that plans to use goad to protect itself from damage while forcing the Chulane, Teller of Taless of the metagame to beat each other to death. It works really well with blocking prevention, or having the creatures enter tapped. Mairisi also provides a lot of stack protection during combat, so he pulls a lot of weight with flash enablers while being much less abrasive than Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir.

I have also seen him lead Naya superfriends, because goad keeps attackers at opponents, protecting the walkers from being attacked. Overall, he does a lot for his Mana Value, so long as you run some cheap evasion.

[Serenade]

Oh, yes, this dude is excellent flavor.

[DirkGently]

This guy kinda annoys me because he renders a lot of other commanders a lot less interesting. Like, why would you take the risk of putting valuable counters on enemy creatures with Kros, Defense Contractor, or sac a ton of stuff to Laurine, the Diversion, when you can just hit them with one Tin Street Dodger and goad their entire board? And the commander only costs 4? And not that it makes much difference, but also has efficient stats for that cost?

To me, this is emblematic of a lot of precon card design at its worst. It feels very "we know this isn't going to be a relevant card in 1v1 formats, so we're throwing normal rates out the window."

Funny enough, in a lot of ways I think the "opponents can't cast spells during combat" is kind of a downside. If I'm sitting on removal and really need to not get goaded, normally I'd wait and see and use it if I need to. But since I can't cast it during combat, instead I'm going to use it on Marisi before he enters combat to prevent getting locked out. I suspect that line of text makes him die a lot more often than it keeps him protected.

[cheonice]

I build him as a Flyng Men Man[/card] tribal leader, which was fun for a while, He reminded me of Edrìc in a way, but not drawing cards is a factor. And if he get's handled... well, how good is a 1/1 flyer anyway? These kind of easily adressed politics work seldom. Fun on paper, stale in play.

[void_nothing]

Mah Reese's kicked off a nacatl civil war. His abilities are griefery and will probably get you killed by everyone not wanting to deal with them, but he IS flavorful.

[Myllior]

To make the most use of his goad ability, you want to lean into creatures that are pseudo-unblockable (i.e. Shadow and the like), which never excited me. I tried building him as a more generic Naya beatdown deck but didn't find it satisfying. May include him in a Naya hatebears deck I'm brewing though.

Speaking of...

I am slowly building a Naya attacking matter deck, and put this guy as the general because I hate Gahiji, Honored One.

May I introduce you to our Lord and Saviour Cat Demon Jesus?

[Dunharrow]

To make the most use of his goad ability, you want to lean into creatures that are pseudo-unblockable (i.e. Shadow and the like), which never excited me. I tried building him as a more generic Naya beatdown deck but didn't find it satisfying. May include him in a Naya hatebears deck I'm brewing though.

Speaking of...

I am slowly building a Naya attacking matter deck, and put this guy as the general because I hate Gahiji, Honored One.

May I introduce you to our Lord and Saviour Cat Demon Jesus?

Ya I know that one, but my deck is more about attack triggers, not about going wide.