[mtgnexus] Random Card of the Day - North Star

[onering]

It doesn't just redirect, it also copies. It's at least solid value when aimed at spot removal that targets your stuff, becoming a three for one by saving your thing and removing to other things. Unless I'm wrong it's fail state is better than other redirect effects because of the targeting restriction, so if there are no other legal targets it fizzles right?

[ukkuhrmakhai]

This can also target curses/enchantments which Wild Ricochet can't which is something.

I'll have to give it a try but it looks mediocre for the primary reason that other than single target red burn spells like Banefire (but not Comet Storm or Fireball it is an answer that can only answer other answers. But it misses a bunch of different answers including counter magic since it can't target a spell that targets another spell.

Wild ricochet let's you choose the targets and you can use it on instants and sorceries without targets if you just want the effects (Cyclonic Rift).

I want to live the dream and Chef's Kiss an Overwhelming Splendor but the number of single target spells that get cast in a single game is pretty low if exclude counter magic.

[onering]

Yea, it seems really meta dependant. I could see it being worthwhile in a meta with tons of spot removal as a way to protect your stuff that happens to generate value, or a meta where you know there's a lot of decks floating around that target things, particularly if there's X spells.dek or curses.dek running around. I'm usually against running cards specifically to counter a particularly deck in your playgroup, but when it's as janky and weird as this, and when the result would be as fun as turning a curse targeted at you into two curses targeted at your opponents, then it's not just fine but outright cool.

[3drinks]

Do people really see next to no targeted interaction? I can't fathom such an environment, it's either kids with their first commander deck, that player that thought loading 12 sweepers into a deck was a good thing, cDHers trying to pubstomp their way into a fast combo win, or the rest of us sensible players packing normal removal for normal threats.

Just an assessment of the state of the format from the discussion on this card.

[Igzex]

Having no responses in my hand is about as nerve-wracking as hearing the drowning music in a Sonic game. I can't imagine any deck not having a decent amount of interaction.

That said I'd probably run Chef's Kiss just for fun if it wasn't already competing with reliable interaction for space in the deck.

[Mookie]

Chef's Kiss is interesting, but a bit too inconsistent for my taste. 'Counter your Doom Blade, then throw it back double' sounds sweet, but the odds of hitting the right targets are somewhat low - if you hit two tokens or other inconsequential cards, then it looks like a three mana Avoid Fate, which... doesn't particularly excite me. As a result, I would generally favor something more flexible, like Reverberate, Wild Ricochet, or Wyll's Reversal.

[3drinks]

Wednesday, December 14th, 2022; Pashalik Mons

[Mookie]

Pashalik Mons seems fine in goblin decks like Krenko, Mob Boss, but otherwise doesn't particularly excite me. It is nice to have a Goblin Bombardment in the command zone, although you will need another sacrifice outlet to actually get make him consistent. I suppose he always functions as a bit of a rattlesnake against board wipes, at least.

[Sinis]

I like the flavour text nod, but this card is otherwise unremarkable and uninteresting.

[TheGildedGoose]

I was quite fond of a black/red goblin deck I ran that had Dralnu's Crusade and Goblin Warrens as a finisher. It sucked, but by God it was fun.

[3drinks]

One of the key cards when I ran Subira, Tulzidi Caravanner. Was never sad to see it.

[Hawk]

Do people really see next to no targeted interaction? I can't fathom such an environment, it's either kids with their first commander deck, that player that thought loading 12 sweepers into a deck was a good thing, cDHers trying to pubstomp their way into a fast combo win, or the rest of us sensible players packing normal removal for normal threats.

Just an assessment of the state of the format from the discussion on this card.

Most do run 5-7 targeted interaction spells, for sure, but I still don't love this for the same reason I'm not necessarily slamming something like Turn Aside or Avoid Fate or Undying Evil in every deck: it ends up feeling like a "tech card" that only works in narrow circumstances, and it's often easier to find a broader, more reliable, or more versatile solution. I used some extreme examples - those are all 1-for-1s, and this is theoretically a 3-for-1. I can for sure still see this in some mono-Red or Rakdos decks (and those appear to be the primary home) but even there - you can jam Lightning Greaves to protect key cards from removal even in mono-R, for instance. Or as mentioned - Wild Ricochet and Deflecting Swat can also protect you from targeted removal but have the added angle of stealing Blue Sun's Zenith or whatever and they hit what you want, no random chance involved.

---------------
for Pashalik Mons I think he seems nice and underrated; his doom is that Krenko, Mob Boss has sorta cornered the market on mono-red Gobos and if you don't want Krenko, Muxus, Goblin Grandee and Zada, Hedron Grinder feel more fun. Pashalik is better in the 99 of a BR or GR Goblins deck.

[3drinks]

Thursday, December 15th, 2022; Spellbinder

Some day. Some day I'm going to make this work....................Cool art though.

[Dunadain]

I think it falls into the same boat as Magar of the Magic Strings and Chun-Li, Countless Kicks in that I can think of a lot of cool things to do with it, but imprinting a Seize the Day is just as easy as imprinting something like Tormenting Voice.

You could just refuse to run the combo, but, first of all some people won't believe you, and second of all, where do you draw the line? You only get one shot and the mana value doesn't matter, so you want to imprint the biggest think you can, but then you run into potential feel bads.

IDK, it certainly can be navigated, but I just don't feel like putting in that effort.

Edit: forgot it was instant only, but the same logic applies to things like Nexus of Fate

[Dunharrow]

maybe you play it in a color that doesn't have an infinite combo?
Green?

[Hawk]

Yeah this card is so ponderous (a total of 7 and card disadvantage plus you need to keep a body around) that it's awfully hard to justify being fun with it when you could just win with Savage Beating (the classic partner, from the same set!) or Nexus of Fate. Why would you mess around with Magma Opus or Decree of Savagery or whatever when you can just go infinite?

[folding_music]

dunno, going infinite might not be what your opponents want to face?

people seem to blast every cool trinket in the same way. the fun options yr imagining aren't as strong as the game-winning options i'm imagining so you should set aside yr dreams and join me in the real world kinda thing

[Sinis]

Some day. Some day I'm going to make this work....................

This is how I feel about it. I should probably get a copy, so I can actually give 'er a go.

I think the degenerate play is Nexus of Fate or Savage Beating. After that, we're into what amounts to less-powerful Isochron Scepter territory, where you can get a free removal or something each time.

So, what do we do with it? Teferi's Protection? Harrow? Second Harvest for token pile? Turnabout so we can pretend it's like Sword of Feast and Famine?

I feel like the card definitely has angles, and I just have trouble getting past the initial investment.

[3drinks]

Some day. Some day I'm going to make this work....................

This is how I feel about it. I should probably get a copy, so I can actually give 'er a go.

I think the degenerate play is Nexus of Fate or Savage Beating. After that, we're into what amounts to less-powerful Isochron Scepter territory, where you can get a free removal or something each time.

So, what do we do with it? Teferi's Protection? Harrow? Second Harvest for token pile? Turnabout so we can pretend it's like Sword of Feast and Famine?

I feel like the card definitely has angles, and I just have trouble getting past the initial investment.

Yeah, that 7 and needing to have a Tormented Soul adjacent body that isn't summoning sick is a very steep cost. Though you might do it in an Ebondeath, Dracolich deck.....but what are you copying? Demonic Tutour? Snooze. Hatred? Again, snooze. Maybe something WB so you can add redundancy to fetch it a la Stoneforge Mystic ...but now it's just the less good option in the toolbox. It's become some personal goal, like my need to make Scythe of the Wretched work outside of the Syrix deck in the community-build-a-deck.

That 4 to equip. That's kaldraquip territory. That's almost Helm of the Host and Worldslayer. Spellbinder clearly isn't offering what these massive equipments can for the same rate.

[Hawk]

Some day. Some day I'm going to make this work....................

This is how I feel about it. I should probably get a copy, so I can actually give 'er a go.

I think the degenerate play is Nexus of Fate or Savage Beating. After that, we're into what amounts to less-powerful Isochron Scepter territory, where you can get a free removal or something each time.

So, what do we do with it? Teferi's Protection? Harrow? Second Harvest for token pile? Turnabout so we can pretend it's like Sword of Feast and Famine?

I feel like the card definitely has angles, and I just have trouble getting past the initial investment.

If you aren't just going infinite, I think Teferi's Protection is funny as heck. Sublime Epiphany also seems interesting even though the counterspell bits don't work - you get a Clone, a card, and an unsummon. I think those are amongst the best targets; Hatred and Vitalizing Wind don't do what you want them to do, and Searing Wind or Explosive Welcome are just too clunky. I guess if you are on 5C, Unite the Coalition is really cool?

[Sinis]

Yeah, that 7 and needing to have a Tormented Soul adjacent body that isn't summoning sick is a very steep cost. Though you might do it in an Ebondeath, Dracolich deck.....but what are you copying? Demonic Tutour? Snooze. Hatred? Again, snooze. Maybe something WB so you can add redundancy to fetch it a la Stoneforge Mystic ...but now it's just the less good option in the toolbox. It's become some personal goal, like my need to make Scythe of the Wretched work outside of the Syrix deck in the community-build-a-deck.

That 4 to equip. That's kaldraquip territory. That's almost Helm of the Host and Worldslayer. Spellbinder clearly isn't offering what these massive equipments can for the same rate.

Well, you can't do Demonic Tutor. Spellbinder only likes Instants, so, like, I guess you could use Vampiric Tutor. I guess. Hatred doesn't work (unless you're a double-striker, which I suppose is possible, but you need to get through).

But, yeah, I would say the fundamental tension is that you're going to pay 7, and if you repeat something that's actually worth 7, you're playing something degenerate. Otherwise, it just feels like a very awkward Isochron.

If you aren't just going infinite, I think Teferi's Protection is funny as heck. Sublime Epiphany also seems interesting even though the counterspell bits don't work - you get a Clone, a card, and an unsummon. I think those are amongst the best targets; Hatred and Vitalizing Wind don't do what you want them to do, and Searing Wind or Explosive Welcome are just too clunky. I guess if you are on 5C, Unite the Coalition is really cool?

With a first striker and another creature or a single double striker, you can make Hatred or Vitalizing Wind work. I guess as a value proposition Sublime Epiphany is okay. Everything with it feels a bit clunky.

[DirkGently]

dunno, going infinite might not be what your opponents want to face?

people seem to blast every cool trinket in the same way. the fun options yr imagining aren't as strong as the game-winning options i'm imagining so you should set aside yr dreams and join me in the real world kinda thing

I think it depends on the card. Something like Soulfire Grand Master, if someone plays it, I'm going to assume time magic and kill it, or at a minimum be prepared to kill it. That's great that you're playing it with "the fun options" but from a strictly on-board threat assessment I'm going to treat it as a combo piece.

Spellbinder I think kinda avoids this issue because you imprint the only card it can cast when it first comes in. So if you put something janky on it, everyone can breathe easy. Unless it's revealed from your hand, nobody needs to worry about an infinite if you aren't playing it with one.

That said, for 7 total mana, needing a creature to get through, and risking a 2-for-1, I think it ends up being very underpowered in 2022, especially if you're not going infinite with it.

[3drinks]

Friday, December 16th, 2022; Dark Petition

[Mookie]

Demonic Tutor + Dark Ritual = ???

Dark Petition is alright, but I've been cutting tutors from my decks recently. My general heuristic is that three mana is about the price I'm willing to pay for a tutor, so if you can consistently get Dark Petition's spell mastery, it's worth consideration. It can be a bit clunky though - if you're planning to fetch Necropotence or some other spell you can cast off the bonus mana, great... but if you don't have a followup to actually make use of the mana, it goes down in value significantly.

[3drinks]

This is the kind of tutour I find to be healthiest. It's not undercosted like the busted tutours of yore, and while it's floor is worse than diabolic tutour, it's condition is fairly easy to hit and roughly, that makes it on par with Grim Tutour, powerwise.