I think the abilities are actually listed in seasonal order, actually.
+1/+1 Counter: Spring
(For growth and new life)
2 Damage To Flier: Summer
(For "The Hunt", you know, like hunting birds and things)
Gain 3 Life: Autumn
(For the harvest, which does happen in the Autumn, after all)
Four Graveyard Cards To Library: Winter
(For giving honour to ancestors and lost friends, usually in hopes of blessings or good luck in the next year)
Posted By:
Ataraxiom
(9/18/2013 4:04:29 PM)
Like our beloved Jaya, this is like a Planeswalker for enchantment :D
Posted By:
Cyberium
(9/17/2013 5:55:24 PM)
It's not bad as a mana sink. It doesn't quite have the versatility of being able to create card advantage or snap blockers like Trading Post. It also doesn't directly activate Angelic Accord. At the same time, it makes blocking a hard decision and can slow and outright stop some mill. It is well priced. The base and first tap ability alone makes it great in big Green creature decks.
Posted By:
Majikthise
(9/19/2013 7:51:58 AM)
Oh the fun for Enlightened Tutor decks. The utility this provides is absurd.
Ability #1: Pump a creature. This will probably be the least used of the abilities in an ET deck, but in standard should see plenty of work.
Ability #2: Kills Delver. Who doesn't want to kill Delvers?
Ability #3: Serious time gain and stabilization. End of turn gaining three and then potentially gaining three more during your own turn, this means you've gained time do whatever it is you need to do.
Ability #4: Probably the most underrated. You can take away your graveyard to be used as fuel for your opponent's Deathrite Shaman and shrink their Tarmogoyf. The potential also remains to just get your own spells back in your hand, but mostly you're using this to prevent your opponent from abusing your graveyard.
The biggest negative against this is that it is vulnerable to Abrupt Decay. However, that ... (see all)
Posted By:
GhostCounselor
(9/23/2013 6:55:41 AM)
No, I don't think it's season based at all. I think it has more to do with the hunt itself.
Step 1: arm the bow (+1,+1)
Step 2: fire the bow (2 dmg)
Step 3: gather your food (+3 life)
Step 4: celebrate the hunt and scavenge what is left(graveyard ability).
Posted By:
ubravoxes
(9/28/2013 3:28:29 AM)
It looks like the developers were very careful about ensuring this did not become Umezawa's Jitte. They did this in a number of ways:
1. Double green in the cost and colored activation
This ensures that it isn't used willy-nilly in any deck like Jitte was. By forcing green, it discourages splashing green just to use it.
2. A mana activation cost
One of the most devastating things about Jitte was its ability to be activated for no additional mana cost.
3. It only allows you to damage a flyer
Jitte was devastating because it could kill regenerators, and could hit just about any creature.
4. It has to tap to activate
Jitte could be activated multiple times a turn since you got two counters, and only needed one to activate its abilities. Having it tap, and giving it a mana cost to activate, makes it much less broken.
5. It gives deathtouch only to attackers
While this is a pretty nice ability, it is less devastating than Jitte on ... (see all)
Posted By:
Equinox523
(11/21/2013 7:54:19 AM)
@doitpow
I can't help but think you're missing a crucial point on this card, it only gives deathtouch to Attacking creatures. On a 1/1 that essentially means it is unblockable whenever you don't need it to be and probably will never see that 7/7.
Mechanically, if not flavourfully this means that Green is better served by using this with its big creatures that it is known for, or more specifically: big creatures with Trample. (Which Nylea herself provides)
Posted By:
Tacia
(10/23/2013 8:06:14 AM)
Interesting. It strikes me that Wizards are experimenting more and more with versatility over power. We've seen things like Crushing Vines in Innistrad and all of the charms in RtR. Two options, then three, then this one makes four. It's like they're subtly pushing the experiment to see how far it'll go. Next time round we'll get a mythic with five options.
Posted By:
OrgasmandTea
(9/18/2013 8:48:16 AM)
In all honesty, holy shit. The tokens. THE TOKENS.
Just imagine. Every single Saproling, deathtouch.
Also, it's cheap, and has a ton of usable activated abilities. Gaining life is always a good thing to dump extra mana in.
Posted By:
NARFNra
(9/17/2013 8:09:53 PM)
Enormously cluttered design, but a nice swiss army knife for EDH either way.
Posted By:
James_Kernaghan
(9/17/2013 11:59:53 PM)