We're on Issue #4 of The Stack. TGZ's now Four writers strong. As a result, we've cut our heavy three-card regimen to one each for each typical Stack-isode. So everything's square.
And for no particular reason, we've got a fairly familiar Shard-colored collection of cards here today. We're rockin' Bant colors this week.
So come and stay with us at the Big House in Banty-Land.
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| Don't worry. We informed ol' Stephen it's alright. |
Alright, It's Response Time! Here's This Week's Stack!
JOHNNY CONFIDANT'S PICK
Please allow me to indulge my fondness for this overlooked dollar rare. EDH is a game that promotes metagame politics combined with threat assessment. What I mean by this is that while everyone is building their armies (assuming you're playing mutiplayer) you're communicating about threats both on the field and what you might remember from another game. This is where the strength of this card comes into effect, mixing the obvious, and prevalent, "tuck" effects that are so popular with general removal with mid-game politics.
This card fits nicely with "return to your hand" or "counter target spell" by creating a rarely touched blue mechanic "return to library spells" and printing it on its debut creature card.
Enough about its benefits. Let's talk about what quells this Jellyfish-elemental's power. Summoning sickness is a problem, so ETB triggers will still work. Naturally, shroud/hexproof are also big problems. The tap ability can also be a setback. Haste or haste-like abilities such as Thousand-Year Elixir, or ability doubling with Illusionist's Bracers and Rings of Brighthearth boost his abilities to hopefully overcome the flaw.
Uncle Landdrops- THUMBS UP
I think I actually got my first copy of this from VJ. Found it in his trade binder and realized it was basically a Gomazoa you could target, which was a card I played a lot back when I was throwing down U/W control in Zenny (Zendikar, for you non-hood rats). It's been good to me. So much, in fact, that I've actually Transmuted my Muddle of the Mixture for him in a tight spot a few times. And it takes a lot for me to Transmute a Muddle.
Venser's Journalist- THUMBS UP
This card definitely has a leg up on the old Gomazoa without actually being a jellyfish creature. One of the best things about this card is that it can tuck someone's general away in his or her library, which in my experience is more annoying than you could possibly imagine, especially if a Mindlock Orb is also out on the battlefield.
Grandpa Growth- THUMBS UP
This is slightly underpowered, but totally awesome. A card that should definitely exist. I don't know how deep we really need to go to go...getting cute to try and double his effect? How 'bout we slap a Splinter Twin on him...that oughtta' do the trick. All 'nanigans aside, the game needs more jellyfish. A lot more. Like 400 more. It is a crime that the creative department didn't give it my favorite creature type. A crime that won't soon be forgotten Brady Dommermuth...
UNCLE LANDDROPS' PICK
Here's some more unique tech from the Kiyomaro build.
I know I don't talk about this deck a whole lot, but it's been actually very good. Change of Heart has single-handedly saved me from Zur and Annihilator triggers. The best part of the card though is the look on someone's face when they're told they aren't allowed to attack with their Titan. It works cause I try not to play a lot of spells, so when I do, I'd like to have it back. It's awesome in the early and the late when you've got a bunch of mana.
Venser's Journalist- THUMBS UP
A great deal of magic players nowadays have forgotten how incredibly valuable something like buyback can be, and outside of Capsize, Buyback cards haven't been too prevalent in most deck builds. This card is certainly a stall card for the ages, one that certainly ranks among gems like Feeling of Dread.
Grandpa Growth- THUMBS UP FOR FLAVOR
Back in the day they would put important story moments on cards and it would all make sense with the art and the mechanics. Here we see Karn confronting the Sliver Queen inside Volrath's Stronghold. He touches her mind and convinces her not to destroy the Weatherlight and its crew with a GIGANTIC SLIVER ARMY OF DESTRUCTION. Flavor. Duh. Buyback is also one of my favorite mechanics. Totally broke, but oh well.
Johnny Confidant- THUMBS UP, (Buyback), THUMBS UP AGAIN!
Buyback is first with Flashback as second as a favorite spell mechanic as far as EDH is concerned. Sure flashback got its second sunrise in Innistrad, but where will Buyback return? Ask Mark Rosewater. Okay, back to the card. The drawback and the strategy behind EDH is the restriction of one of each card, so finding functional reprints and spells with Buyback add the reliability of "60-card" constructed decks. Seriously Mark, lets have some more Buyback.
GRANDPA GROWTH'S PICK
Uncle Landdrops- THUMBS UPI hear too many people say, "Okay," in games where I use this card, or its "white" brother-from-another-mother Lapse of Certainty. This card will always be a big freaking deal. It's worth every nickel you're going to spend on it. Unless your brain is an actual puzzle falling apart, you should be playing this card. This message approved by Flavor Judge.
Grandpa Growth- THUMBS UP
A lot of people seem to think that Magic is fun to play. Chances are they don't play against this card that often. Most people don't seem to think it is much fun to play a game when you're losing. I am not going to strictly disagree, but I like losing to cards like this. When it happens I feel like Bob Peck at the end of Jurassic Park. Cue video:
Johnny Confidant- THUMBS DOWN
Isochron Scepter and this will make me cry for days to come, while I enjoy the 2 CMC counterspells i'd have stay with the original UU Counterspell. The fact that my opponent can still draw and play the card next turn puts this card on the back burner for me. I will acknowledge its benefits as a hindrance to my opponent in both mana and tempo it's just not something I would run in my meta.
Venser's Journalist- THUMBS UPJohnny Confidant- THUMBS DOWN
Isochron Scepter and this will make me cry for days to come, while I enjoy the 2 CMC counterspells i'd have stay with the original UU Counterspell. The fact that my opponent can still draw and play the card next turn puts this card on the back burner for me. I will acknowledge its benefits as a hindrance to my opponent in both mana and tempo it's just not something I would run in my meta.
This card is essentially a Counterspell without the drawback of needing two blue mana to cast it, and it will certainly work just like a counterspell if you run a little bit of mill in your deck. Codex Shredder, anyone?
Time to get silly, planeswalkers. This is one of the rarest EDH picks that I've seen, as it certainly isn't a guaranteed win con, nor is it even feasible unless you happen to have seventeen different infinite mana loops in your deck. Ways to make the card work are overshadowed by threats of Paraselene, Back to Nature, and Austere Command, to name a few. But, it is a rare honor to have lost to Helix the Cat, so I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt for now.
Johnny Confidant- THUMBS UP
I'm a fan of alternate win conditions in EDH and Helix Pinnacle might be the thing to do it. Proliferate from the Scars of Mirrodin cycle would help here bringing in Corpsejack Menace, Inexorable tide, and Contagion Engine alongside the usual green ramps and mana elves can make these counters matter *cough* Seedborn Muse *cough*. I'm even excited that this has a self protection but wish it could have been "hexproof" so that I could target it with Gilder Bairn. Me personally, I'd run this as a win con in the right deck of course.
Uncle Landdrops- THUMBS UP
Personally, this one was a bit of a toss up, but in the spirit of being decisive, I put it to a vote. Since the voters I chose were the same panel that kept Average Joe's Gym from being eliminated in the final match of the Vince Vaughan film, Dodgeball, ol' Helix is getting the nod from the magic thumb of guest judge and world-class badass Chuck Norris. So I'd play this card, but not because I said so. Cause Norris did.
Infinite Mana isn't the only way to get counters on this guy either. Definitely a build-around-me combo, but one that feels hilarious and fun. Elf-Ball and Druid-Ball could use this as a backup plan, as they generate a bunch of mana and often get Wrathed to oblivion because people get scared of the Horde. Doubling Season would also help to accelerate your chances. And of couse, Seedborn Muse would help you in multiplayer settings if you're playing less instant heavy colors or decks. That's where I see it really shining.
Grandpa Growth-THUMBS DOWN
Am I dumb enough to try this? Sadly, yes. Has it ever worked out? No. The fact is, if you have the resources and time to kill your opponent with this, you could have killed them with a banana peel. Losing to this is the pinnacle of embarrassment.
Well, that's all we got this week. It's time to wrap her all up and shut Banty-Land down.
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| We know Stephen. We know. |
Anyway, stay tuned for Sunday. Grandpa Growth's spitting mad game theory as part of his "In General" Article series.
Looking further into the week, we've got some good stuff coming, including Johnny Confidant's first article on Thursday and the next issue of The Stack, where we'll be talking about 5 of the Guild Champions as we gear up for the Hunger Games. I mean, Triwizard Tournament. I mean, Dragon's Maze.
I'll get it right some day, when the price is right.
Till then, be sure to have your Dragons spayed and neutered, if you can swing it.
-UL
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