Nah Outlaw01, that wasn't done for "arkward ice age language" reasons. Actually your Oracle alternative is quite what this ice age card read back then. (Although i never noticed the word "bury" and "sacrifice" on one card, i supposed "sacrifice" was introduced to replace "bury" effects for your own permanents)
This was changed because otherwise you could use its abilities even if you don't sacrifice a plains before it goes to the graveyard.
The same was done with Lotus Vale for the same reasons as well.
(This wasn't done with the newer Ravnica common duals like Boros Garrison for instance since these enter the battlefield tapped.)
Posted By:
Mode
(10/28/2009 4:19:19 AM)
This is one of those cards that revolutionized Magic when it came out.
5/5
Posted By:
Vorthosian
(7/4/2009 9:40:52 PM)
I like it better then Forbidding Watchtower
Posted By:
JL_Weber
(5/5/2009 6:45:25 PM)
Bury could also mean "destroy, can not be regenerated," so bury isn't exactly the same as sacrifice. It was decided on a card by card basis.
Posted By:
Elysiume
(11/10/2009 12:59:56 PM)
It really should read
"When ~ enters the battlefield you may sacrifice a plains. If you don’t, sacrifice ~."
But I guess they want to stay as true to the awkward ice age language as possible.
This card was freaking awesome back in the day btw. In casual play people would scoop when they saw it come down, and never want to play with you again.
@Mode - I understand why they did it, but they wouldn't today create a card with that wording, and instead write it like I did above.
Posted By:
OutlawD1
(4/25/2010 8:44:32 AM)
This card was absolutely glorious and still is. While I hesitate to give it a 5/5 as I have to sacrifice a plains (thereby limiting the kinds of decks it might go in efficiently), you can churn out soldier tokens with these outposts on the field and that is very valuable. Great way to help fill the board after a sweeper and it doesn't commit additional cards to the field.
Posted By:
Talcos
(8/23/2010 6:28:45 AM)
this is the first card i've seen with both sacrifice and bury printed on it..
maybe they thought saying 'When KO comes into play, sacrifice a plains or sacrifice KO' would be a little confusing or redundant sounding.
Posted By:
BastianQoU
(6/22/2011 2:35:49 AM)
Sac a tapped Plains. Makes it hurt less.
Posted By:
NeoKoda
(8/16/2011 5:56:04 PM)
Absolutely love this card. Have a legacy soldier deck that runs with it.
As someone else said, sac a land you already tapped for mana. That way, you get some use out of it before it goes. As well, this land taps for mana AND doesn't CIP, so you aren't a land behind on THAT turn. After that, barring you actually tapping out, you can use it to make chump blockers all day long. And with enough lords out, they come out even bigger than 1/1s!
Posted By:
endersblade
(10/18/2011 10:38:32 AM)
Pretty much the original fortify card. Didn't get a proper revisit to the idea until Future Sight.
Posted By:
TPmanW
(12/11/2011 2:33:17 PM)