This isn't as bad as Rakdos Ringleader with it's anti-synergy of abilities. Flash and hybrid mana are decent enough for limited, and it still bashes for 4 and triggers evolve for most other critters. Really should've been 4/3 with islandwalk or some other small benefit though for the uncommon slot.
Posted By:
grynning
(1/24/2013 10:15:32 AM)
I'm sorry, but when I first saw this card I was like all of you; hating this card and cursing it's uselessness. When I played with it at the prerelease however, my mind changed.
It is meant for limited. It's a surprise blocker that usually pumps your Evolve guys. It swung several bad combat situations in my favor. Is it expensive for it's use? yes. Though it definitely doesn't deserve all this hate it is getting. For sealed and draft, it's a nice inclusion for simic decks and I guarantee it is a solid pick that will cycle through the table during drafts.
2 1/2 stars.
Posted By:
ultratog1028
(2/9/2013 4:03:07 PM)
In mono-green, Yeva, Nature's Herald is strictly better.
Posted By:
HuntingDrake
(2/12/2013 9:57:24 PM)
I suppose 1.0 is the right rating, if you save 0.5 for the truly bad cards (like SonorhC's example, Break Open), but it still seems high for a card that could've been awesome (at least for mostly casual players like me).
It's such a shame too - the art is awesome, the flavour text is a clever way to bring Merfolk back into Ravnica, and there is so much potential for a 6-mana creature with flash at uncommon.
Ultratog1028 mentions potential value in limited, but even in limited a 6-mana combat trick is too obvious to actually 'trick'. 6 mana is enough to cast almost any card you could possibly have, so leaving up the 6 but still having a card in hand is a huge giveaway.
Even by restricting our choices to: creature + evolve worthy + no rares, and ignoring the bonus mill effect, at the top-end of the curve Mind Eye Drake gives us better evolve (with its 5 toughness), a better blocker, AND evasion, for less mana! And the following are even better:
* Sapphire Drake
* Leyline Phantom... (see all)
Posted By:
beyond_malachi
(2/18/2013 11:10:53 PM)
Hey guys, it's me.
The guy who defends casual, non-competitive cards?
Yeah, well, even I can't vouch for this.
Posted By:
Dabok
(1/24/2013 10:54:04 AM)
Two things to note here:
1)Consider the environment this card is in and how it's meant to be played. They designed this card with this cost because they knew Evolve was in the set. No he's not worth it as a single card with just his stats and flash, but the probability of making several of your creatures larger in the process? Yeah, I'd say that he's worth it.
2)Subpar cards must exist.
Posted By:
Flyheight
(1/23/2013 1:07:06 PM)
And we all thought Rakdos Ringleader was overcosted...
Posted By:
Moxxy
(1/22/2013 9:18:21 PM)
Why? Just... why?
Why is this an uncommon? Why did such a cool concept have to be so bad?
Posted By:
Abl
(1/22/2013 2:42:33 PM)
Well... at least they look cool....
Posted By:
the_sixth_degree
(1/22/2013 3:28:19 PM)
This has a ways to go to match the truly bad cards like Break Open. This is a perfectly respectable, if a bit boring, card on the face of it. Its only flaw is just that it's overcosted. That still leaves it a lot better than a card that's just plain bad.
Posted By:
sonorhC
(1/29/2013 7:58:19 PM)