It's better than Mother of Runes for low power since it's easily removable, but it still has the somewhat troublesome protection for other creatures. I would say it's not good for actual low-power cubes, but I think mid-power environments can accommodate it readily.
Does this scale well to a lower power level? Seems like it's a nuisance until it gets removed, but maybe that isn't so bad?
Card/Deck Single Card Spotlight
- Thread starter Dom Harvey
- Start date
I've run all those 1cmc white removal spells in my cube and they've been non-embarassing.
It blanks all removal, allows creatures to become unblockeable and can make another creature tank a huge threat. That's a lot for one mana. Like Trainmaster says, it can fit in a mid-power cube but it's not low power at all.
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
The power level of the effect sits somwhere between a flagbearer and mom. It's a very good one drop, but in my experience it's not obnoxiously strong in my lower power cube. What I like about it is that it's a good reason to move into white, because it is a strong card without being as overwhelmingly oppressive as Mother of Runes, which needs two removal spells in the same turn by default.
Chris Taylor
Contributor
Benevolent Bodyguard et al can fill the same role quite well depending on your removal density.
A lot of these cards ask your opponent the same question: "Discard a removal spell"
I guess the gameplay difference between Benevolent Bodyguard and Giver of Runes is blocking when your opponent doesn't have a removal spell?
I think she's fine
A lot of these cards ask your opponent the same question: "Discard a removal spell"
I guess the gameplay difference between Benevolent Bodyguard and Giver of Runes is blocking when your opponent doesn't have a removal spell?
I think she's fine
Chris Taylor
Contributor
Absolutly. Those are the reasons I run it over bodyguard, for eg, but the gap between it and mom is HUGE.
The gap between Giver and Bodyguard is closer than I'd thought at first.
I'd say the bodyguard is much worse because you have to decide if it's worth pulling the trigger. Sure, if they try to kill your 2-drop you'd rather lose the bodyguard, but then you wont be able to protect your 3-drop. And it's not just removal, with the giver you can chump block for ever, make creatures unblockable sgain and again, and in some environments it is also a huge upside to survive a ping and/or be able to block tokens.
How good is this
Oh, I remember there was a video now. Guess that's why I was primed to word the question that way 
But it doesn't really answer the question completely - both times in the video it was powered out by Stitcher's Supplier, which was the Modern combo. I wonder how it fare without it, in an environment where filling the graveyard is harder.
But it doesn't really answer the question completely - both times in the video it was powered out by Stitcher's Supplier, which was the Modern combo. I wonder how it fare without it, in an environment where filling the graveyard is harder.
I think still pretty good. Even without delve, it is a 8/8 Siege Wurm that can be cast over and over again from your graveyard. And black decks can play it too!
And then it has delve too! I don't think it's a lower power card.
And then it has delve too! I don't think it's a lower power card.
I feel like, even if it comes down a turn or three later, a 0 mana 8/8 is going to be a pretty bomby card in most environments. Exceptions being if your removal density is high enough to be able to keep it stranded in your opponent's hand/graveyard.
Except you can't spend mana to cast it
Man I looove skyfisher.
- Great baseline evasive aggro body
- Reuse an etb creature
- Can bounce itself for multiple cast triggers: clarion spirit, vengevine, shrine of loyal legions, etc
- Can bounce sagas
- Can trigger landfall
- Reuse an etb land like the hideaways
- Returning a land has fringe value with land counting effects like tithe and can fuel retrace
- Bounce a cycle land played earlier to net a card
- Bounce an artifact like birthing pod for multiple uses
- Reset a planeswalker
- Reset your smokestack or tangle wire
+more
I mean it does everything
- Great baseline evasive aggro body
- Reuse an etb creature
- Can bounce itself for multiple cast triggers: clarion spirit, vengevine, shrine of loyal legions, etc
- Can bounce sagas
- Can trigger landfall
- Reuse an etb land like the hideaways
- Returning a land has fringe value with land counting effects like tithe and can fuel retrace
- Bounce a cycle land played earlier to net a card
- Bounce an artifact like birthing pod for multiple uses
- Reset a planeswalker
- Reset your smokestack or tangle wire
+more
I mean it does everything
This seems like the general sentiment but it never felt like it did anything. This was a longgg time ago, however.
That list only has a couple of things that Flickerwisp, etc, doesn't have.
Dom Harvey
Contributor
Picking up Adventure creatures or the DFC lands for another use is great too.
Flickerwisp has basically everything too and that's why the two of them together are the cornerstone of any white section I'd want to build; I don't see them as in competition.
Flickerwisp has basically everything too and that's why the two of them together are the cornerstone of any white section I'd want to build; I don't see them as in competition.
I guess I'm having a hard time figuring where I prefer it to Charming Prince or Flickerwisp without feeling like it's an odd scenario. I do have every reasonable Ninja that isn't a $50 Clone in a similar role, but those feel like they come down with added value. Skyfisher makes me feel like I'm getting a really poorly priced blink.
Looking at these scenarios, compared to Prince:
It's a good body, but there's better bodies that don't potentially set you back.
I also did a pack of a draft with your cube and saw a ton of top tier ETBs, so I can see how rebuying such powerful effects for 1W would be worthwhile.
Not trying to argue that it's bad, but I genuinely don't understand why it feels like people regard it as a staple when it only seems to excel in corner cases vs the ETB blinkers.
Looking at these scenarios, compared to Prince:
I could blink Oracle. I can get only one investigate off Bishop rather than building my own Azure Mage. I can only tap two creatures instead of paying 4WWWWW to tap four. Doesn't feel like it's doing much here.Very last game I played this weekend, my board was this:
In my hand:
Oh boy. I can't comment inside the quote. Ok.
It's a good body, but there's better bodies that don't potentially set you back.
This is just blink.
This is kind of nice. I do run the first two there and I'm considering Bloodsky Berserker and could pay 1WB to Extort. Still, 2WW: Make a Spirit and/or get +2 counters once a turn is just alright.
This is alright, but I have a hard time feeling like I'd want to do this before turn 7-10. Also, quite a few Sagas really want to hit their final phase.
Another one where I'd only want to set myself back later in the game or if I had a really aggro Wx landfall deck.
Don't personally have these except for Vivid.
Another one that only feels relevant late game. Is that the point? Is this secretly like a 7 drop?
See above. Prince's scry can yield similar card quality.
Could blink it with 'wisp. Would cost 6W and 6 life to double dip with 'fisher.
Unclear whether I'll run this kind of stuff, but 'wisp can, too.
I run a few adventures for my ninjas and I'm staying away from DFCs.
I also did a pack of a draft with your cube and saw a ton of top tier ETBs, so I can see how rebuying such powerful effects for 1W would be worthwhile.
Not trying to argue that it's bad, but I genuinely don't understand why it feels like people regard it as a staple when it only seems to excel in corner cases vs the ETB blinkers.
I really don't know if anyone considers it a staple in 2021. Kor Skyfisher is rarely amazing, but it's never a card you're unhappy to have in your White creature-based deck. It has a lot of neat angles that drafters can try to exploit.
It's just a solid filler card that can contribute value to several different strategies.
Anybody have any experience with: