[mtgnexus] Random Card of the Day - North Star

[3drinks]

I don't think this card is good. I want to try it in Phylath, World Sculptor anyway.

(Do we know why it's 3x?)

Looks to me like it fulfills the same role as a Predator Dragon or Preyseizer Dragon would, but not reliant on a certain tribe nor requiring a mass sacrifice to leverage, such as Voracious Dragon.

[Serenade]

Those or Soulblast don't play as well with Rishkar's Expertise!

[BeneTleilax]

You also don't get absolutely %$#% by countermagic like Soulblast

[3drinks]

Saturdy, December 10th, 2022; Voice of Resurgence|2xm

Man, I remember when this came out in RTR. It was the bee's knees that defined it's standard season. I never really see it talked about anymore. Hell, it got downshifted from Mythic to Rare.

[TheAmericanSpirit]

This is up there with Tarmogoyf for biggest fall from grace in 60 card constructed. It can %$#% out a lot of tokens in the right EDH meta though. Selesnya is a very good aggro color combo and having some control hate is a good way to force damage through.

[folding_music]

I adore Voice of Resurgence now it's less than three dollars >:3 think I'd enjoy playing this with Mycoloth, Cadira, Caller of the Small, etc.

[3drinks]

Sunday, December 11th, 2022; Ziatora's Envoy

Man, just how good is this totally-not-legendary creature but instead just a flagbearer of good, sound midrange beats.

[Serenade]

I feel like this guy wouldn't like how many words are on his card.

[Venedrex]

I feel like this guy wouldn't like how many words are on his card.

I mean, he looks like he's reading a document, so maybe he's surprisingly literate.

[Serenade]

I more meant like how we feel when we see all of the text on the Transformers cards.

The other art, though, feels like a blockhead with excellent style.

[3drinks]

Monday, December 12th, 2022; Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer

Having played this as commander I both loved having access to it t1, and hated not really having a defined direction. I think it's reputation draws a bit of unfair hate at t0, even when lame autopilot simic garbo like Tatyova, Benthic Druid|dmr is present, and that's a bit sad for just a efficient one drop red guy. Of course in a 1v1 setting having this on t1 is just absurd, but there's a reason no one plays 1v1 commander so.....

[TheAmericanSpirit]

Is this banned in French Duel Commander? I feel like this would break that format in twain.

It's too good in 1v1 60 card for sure. As a commander, I think it probably falls off pretty hard after t4, which is not so terribly bad if the table can stabilize.

[Mookie]

Is this banned in French Duel Commander? I feel like this would break that format in twain.

It's not just banned as commander - Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer is actually banned outright.

DC Ragavan Ban

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There were heavy debates upon which Magic The Gathering card, out of any context, was the best play for a one-mana, turn one play. Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer currently ended those debates. Even though it's still totally feasible to play against it, the pressure, the need for an answer, the additional resources provided still make it usually turn the tides in favour of whoever slammed it on their first turn. The structural reason why it was initially banned as a commander still applies to the one-shot opportunity of starting with it.

As it is not even a dead card on the late game (though way less of an oppressing one), Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer always held its position of a very fine aggression start for many decks, starting with mono-red aggressive builds. Though this can be a little subtle to spot (it still remains a permanently-dead 2/1 after all), the advantage it gives when not handled in time creates too much difference in favour of whoever played it first on an average, also solving a construction problematic for such aggressive decks.

Anyway, I don't think Ragavan is quite as banworthy in multiplayer - higher life totals + more board wipes mean its cheap, aggressive body isn't quite as relevant in the lategame. That said, it is still an extremely powerful turn 1 play - it's pretty common for at least one player to not have any blockers in the first few turns, enabling it to snowball into an early lead. It's not quite as consistent as Elvish Mystic or other mana dorks, but stockpiling treasure for a big play later on can certainly be relevant. The impulsive theft-draw is a little more niche, but any additional value you do get is pretty solid, even if it is just a mana rock or cheap cantrip.

More broadly, Ragavan is yet another problematic card that combines ramp and card advantage, so I'm not that surprised that it has caused issues in several formats.

[toctheyounger]

Incredibly pushed and just great value in general. It's one of those cards that if you're in colors the only real reason not to play it, at least if we're talking optimal builds, is it's cost.

I'd love to pull the trigger on a copy myself, but honestly, $100+ is too much for a rectangular piece of cardboard. I can wait to see if it gets banned in any other formats/gets reprinted in the next couple years.

[PrimevalCommander]

Ah yes, the fuel + the payoff on one card. And a one-drop no less. How could this ever be playable? Wizards knows what they are doing with cards like this. How else do you guarantee a product is successful in non-rotating formats but to make it far and away more powerful than anything else in said format? The biggest problem is that they went so far over the power creep line with Modern Horizons as to trigger multiple bans and Modern Horizons alone having 9 out of 10 of the most played cards in Modern. Mission accomplished I guess...

On topic, cool little card in Commander, but not something I am even remotely close to wanting for $70 at the power levels I play at.

[Dunadain]

Monkey go brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[TheGildedGoose]

Doesn't have haste without Dash. 0/10.

[Sinis]

I could not bring myself to buy a copy of it. It's just too low to the ground when I like playing stompy stuff. Basically, it's not stompy enough.

[3drinks]

I donated plasma to buy my Ragavan, so literally I have blood equity in this thing. I don't regret it. Definitely wouldn't recommend it unless you have a lot of discretionary income burning a hole in your pocket though.

[TheAmericanSpirit]

I donated plasma to buy my Ragavan, so literally I have blood equity in this thing. I don't regret it. Definitely wouldn't recommend it unless you have a lot of discretionary income burning a hole in your pocket though.

Talk about blood, sweat, and tears. Maybe I should start doing this. I'd probably buy fewer cards if it cost me a pint or two every time instead just reaching into the ol' mattress and seeing what falls out.

[3drinks]

I donated plasma to buy my Ragavan, so literally I have blood equity in this thing. I don't regret it. Definitely wouldn't recommend it unless you have a lot of discretionary income burning a hole in your pocket though.

Talk about blood, sweat, and tears. Maybe I should start doing this. I'd probably buy fewer cards if it cost me a pint or two every time instead just reaching into the ol' mattress and seeing what falls out.

I probably wouldn't do it just for magic. But it does feel nice to know you're making a difference in something. Still, what's it say about the state of the game that players are selling plasma just go "buy in"?

[illakunsaa]

I got a foil one from a booster and sold it for 100€.

[3drinks]

Tuesday, December 13th, 2022; Chef's Kiss

Just once I wanna grab a Banefire with this.........................

[PrimevalCommander]

This card looks really fun. If you squint and look at it sideways it will act as a pseudo Cancel for any targeted removal at your stuff. But this effect is so much better on Wild Ricochet for one more mana. But mana value is important for reactive spells like this since you don't know exactly when we will need to use this. Adds that little touch of chaos that Red likes, but without as much of the backfire effect since it cannot hit your stuff with the random.

The best part about Redirect effects is to steal opponents big blue spells like Blue Sun's Zenith, which this cannot do.

[Hawk]

This card suffered from "Too Long, Didn't Read" syndrome at release due to the flood of product. Reading it now, @PrimevalCommander is right on - while this is functionally a red Cancel for removal only, it's rare to find a deck that wants it. Mana value matters, sure, but Wild Ricochet is so much more for 1 more and both are Sunforger-able. Bolt Bend and Deflecting Swat are also better if mana matters to you, since as Primeval mentioned they're as good at protecting you and your stuff from removal while also being better at stealing Blue Sun's Zeniths.

I'm surprised at how much play this sees tbh (over 9000 decks). I imagine part of that is budget (this is cheaper obviously than Swat and surprisingly cheaper than Bolt Bend due to bend being underprinted and this being abundantly printed). Notably it's funny in "chaos" decks and also good in any magecraft-y decks like Parnesse, the Subtle Brush so I imagine that helps. Combine that with being obligatory in Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar for Vorthos reasons and I guess I see it? Still surprising.