Considering that Limited was one of the main concerns, I have a hunch this being rare has a lot to do with such things as Lotus Bloom (CMC 0) also being in the set.
Posted By:
SkyknightXi
(6/5/2013 9:44:43 AM)
Let's consider what cards in MM this guy can dig up:
Court Homunculus
Dispeller's Capsule
Executioner's Capsule
Aether Spellbomb
Aether Vial
Arcbound Worker
Bonesplitter
Chalice of the Void
Engineered Explosives
Lotus Bloom
Paradise Mantle
Pyrite Spellbomb
Relic of Progenitus
Runed Stalactite
He might be pretty underwhelming at first glance, but he's a huge combo enabler, allowing for reuse of creatures, repeat draw, burn, removal, bounce, etc. And all of this is very much possible with the use of a handful of commons. From a drafting standpoint, this guy turns a pile of commons into a pile of gems. A reusable spellbomb/capsule is the BEST kind of spellbomb/capsule.
Not to mention he's a solid b... (see all)
Posted By:
Krysto
(6/5/2013 1:25:50 PM)
I'm going to make this quick and easy to understand.
This set was made for Drafting or Limited.
If you draft this and any of the other low-cost common/uncommon artifacts (Pyrite Spellbomb and Executioner's Capsule particularly), you'd have a continuous means of destroying creatures and/or dealing damage. In limited, that is beyond amazing. Your opponent has to somehow exile the artifact and also kill the Salvager.
If this was uncommon, drafts would become one-sided. Even though drafting some huge rare is also one-sided, you can usually only get 1 of that card. I've seen people (myself included) drafting 3-4 of the same uncommons. That's just amazing.
Posted By:
Ferlord
(6/11/2013 7:57:43 AM)
Gatherer Community: "Why is this a Rare?"
Auriok Salvagers himself: "So...I just won the Largest Tournament in History. Why aren't I a Mythic?"
http://wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/eventcoverage/gpveg13/welcome
A word to the unwise today, that they may be wiser tomorrow: Don't. ever. ***. with Bonesplitter. o.O
Posted By:
ParallaxtheRevan
(6/24/2013 10:12:29 PM)
I have a terrible nightmare where I open a Modern Masters box and this is in all of my rare slots...
Posted By:
flavioal28
(6/4/2013 5:19:37 PM)
Wait, are you all for real?
I am skeptical about it's casting cost, but I am sure WOTC carefully drafted the Set. And carefully weighed other conditions, like 'what message does this send about future Core Sets?'
This guy IS a kind of jank Rare, BUT, I think considering that his activation cost is very low, and has a lot of potential, it is maybe what Stoneforge Mystic should have been.
If you lower his CMC by 1 or 2, but keep all his stats the exact same, how much does that change your opinion?
OBVIOUSLY lowering CMC is going to make every card better, but Some things that show up in Rules Text boxes -can't- be allowed unedited or without rarity shifts or whatever. This guy's rules text box is actually very attractive, which is not something every card can say. Some cards, lowering mana cost or raising mana cost doesn't do enough to fix their brokenness or enough to make them good.
MM isn't just for Spike, people.
MM is supposed to be, like, practically ... (see all)
Posted By:
DarthParallax
(6/5/2013 9:23:27 AM)
It's a decent card, and playable in specific strategies at the kitchen table. People tend to forget, that just because MM is a promotional set, it doesn't mean every rare should be more valueable than the booster itself.
3.5/5
Posted By:
Nikeyeia
(6/5/2013 6:37:25 AM)
Hmm... it's possible he did some nasty stuff back in the day, or could've done had Affinity not gone nuts. I can see him doing terrible, terrible things with the right artifacts, so let's just think on that. For example, Ratchet Bomb? Any of the ten spellbombs?
And artifact creatures... oh. I get it. He turns Memnite and Ornithopter into Reassembling Skeleton and his flying buddy. Huh...
He's actually quite powerful. I wonder what his current price is...
Posted By:
psychichobo
(6/12/2013 5:25:31 PM)
Dear Wizards, here are some other white creatures that the entire Magic community would rather see in its rare slot:\
Field Marshal
Mirror Entity
Isamaru, Hound of Konda
Preeminent Captain
Paladin en-Vec
Emeria Angel
Squadron Hawk (with new art)
Serra Avenger
Mirran Crusader
Weathered Wayfarer
World Queller
Serra Ascendant
and many more
Posted By:
NuckChorris
(6/5/2013 8:58:05 AM)
One of the worst reprints of the set. Doesn't see play in Modern, and they INCREASED its rarity so that it's a junk rare now. I don't see the logic behind this in any way, shape, or form. .5/5. I'll rate the other version a 3/5 because that's what the card deserves, but this version is a mockery of a competitive format.
Posted By:
Doaj
(6/4/2013 4:58:21 PM)