Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
This.
Card/Deck Single Card Spotlight
- Thread starter Dom Harvey
- Start date
Well, I think first off your cube needs to be at a power level in which a baseline 3cmc mana rock is serviceable. Which I'm guessing is the easiest trapping for Inspiring Statuary in other's cubes. It's going to be closer to the baseline or maybe a worn powerstone fairly frequently...if that's worth the hurdle for your cube, then it could be worth it. I wouldn't run worn powerstone in my cube because it supplies too much mana too quickly for my needs...so Statuary is a real option as a restrictive mana rock that you can actually build around. Whenever an ancillary card can offer buildaround potential, I get pretty excited.
Once you're good with the baseline, you obviously want to run some density of clue, servo, treasure generating cards:
etc
The non artifact spells are obviously great to cast off improvise and fuel it. Improvise is a fairly awkward mechanic imo and these cards are pretty important to increasing its utility
as well as a fairly healthy artifact section in general.
Equally important is that you include a suite of curve toppers that either scale or can be pitched if you don't reach that critical mass of mana:
or cards that can be binned and used later
I like statuary quite a bit and think it's worth exploring if you temper your expectations and have an accommodating power level
I completely forgot to mention a new favorite card of mine in talking about the validity of Inspiring Statuary:
I completely forgot to mention a new favorite card of mine in talking about the validity of Inspiring Statuary:
I have been eye-balling this card as well and looking through decks that try and enable it in constructed. The key seems to be cards like Chromatic star and similar cantrips, Omen of the Sea. My cube is packing a lot of these. Does anyone have experience with the dance?
I like the idea of this guy. It ties together all of white's themes in my cube: artifacts (in this case equipment, it is itself a human and buffs knights and soldiers.
In draws without equipment, the card is embarassing. I could test it and if this weakness of the card comes up a lot I could change the qualifier to As long as you control an artifact ...
Thoughts?
I think the card is a bit questionable. After all, it has two and a half restrictions (Only certain creatures, you need an equipment and it must be equipped to it) to save 1 mana on a good but not great effect. I just wonder if it wouldn't be just better to run a more traditional card like Glorious Anthem that works with several different decks.
Dance of the Manse is a bit of a luxury card. The real powerhouse behind it is Doom Foretold. Manse is just a finisher.
Dance of the Manse is a bit of a luxury card. The real powerhouse behind it is Doom Foretold. Manse is just a finisher.
Freyalise: I see the Arena Cube includes this cardI remember it being a house in DOM limited. In it's spot I currently have Jiang Yanggu, Wildcrafter. After considering Rishkar, Peema Renegade I settled on Yanggu because he provides multicolor fixing and a "type" in the yard for delirium. Song of Freyalise also ends up in the yard and grants +1/+1 counters which many green decks can capitilize on. Is it just an Overrun though? I also have a [cryptolith rites[/c] sitting in my trade binder. So many choices.
I'm also wondering about the phantom general for white. This seems like a good inclusion as white can make a ton of tokens, but they are all different "tribes". There is also eternalize, embalm etc. Some solid payoffs include lingering souls, Migratory Route, Battle Screech as well as Secure The Wastes. Is an intangible virtue stapled on to a Tolarian Scholar too lackluster?
Flamespeaker always read MUCH better than it actually played. The dream is to generate card advantage repeatedly, but the reality is that this gets blocked all day long by many cards in the 3 CMC+ range. It will hardly ever do anything on its own, but there are cute lines that can be opened up with other cards. The issue is that you're relying upon a combination of cards every time to maximize the impact from this one. I think we've come far enough with red impulse effects that Flamespeaker isn't much of a contender for its effect.
Also, there have been a LOT of great 3 cmc options for Red since this was printed. Back then the slot was mostly barren. Unless there's something very specific you're aiming for in a given environment, there are probably other cards that would better serve your cube in that slot.
Also, there have been a LOT of great 3 cmc options for Red since this was printed. Back then the slot was mostly barren. Unless there's something very specific you're aiming for in a given environment, there are probably other cards that would better serve your cube in that slot.
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
Yep, I share Shamizy's experience with the card. Less good than it appears.
It doesn’t appear very good actually. It’s an attacking 2/3 by turn 4.
I could maybe see it being decent if you support Feather, the Redeemed which means (in some builds) you will already have a ton of buff spells.
I could maybe see it being decent if you support Feather, the Redeemed which means (in some builds) you will already have a ton of buff spells.
Is this absolutely unreasonable with the new Ikoria counters? It's already kind of unreasonable with +2/+2 counters, etc... And I suppose you could always make a list of allowed keywords or go by what the cards in your cube refer to. Has anyone tried it?
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
Now that you mention it, Flamespeaker might unironically be a lot better in my current cube than it was in the one I tried it in. Not only have I lowered my power level a bit since then, but I also properly support the Feather deck in my current cube! Maybe I do need to retest this?
It seems like the kind of card that's good with a buff, which was my original thought. Throw +7/+7 at it and go nuts with your trample.
Outside of when it's doing well, Velrun is probably right. It's a lame 2/3 with a double color cost for three.
Even if it's good, it's probably detrimentally high variance anyways.
Flamespeaker is quite good in a deck that seriously runs one-time-use buffs, especially instant speed. Back in Theros block I ran a red aggro deck for a while that utilized heroic and the flamespeaker alongside buffs, and it worked really well. And with the low curve, it wasn't crazy to be able to play both cards you got off the speaker, not to mention digging to the rare land drops in a 15-16 land deck really helped.
Some cards need to shine in a certain light, and in Theros that light was heroic and all of the support structure that went along with it. Titan's strength was an integral part of the deck, and I think dynacharge.
Some cards need to shine in a certain light, and in Theros that light was heroic and all of the support structure that went along with it. Titan's strength was an integral part of the deck, and I think dynacharge.
Chris Taylor
Contributor
Is this absolutely unreasonable with the new Ikoria counters? It's already kind of unreasonable with +2/+2 counters, etc... And I suppose you could always make a list of allowed keywords or go by what the cards in your cube refer to. Has anyone tried it?
Certainly a lot more choice, but I'm not sure it's unreasonable by any stretch.
Flying and Hexproof are about the most annoying things you can give a creature
Here's the available list BTW:
You still need an artifact or counter to start, you still need a lot of mana, etc. Should be fine, and a sweet idea. I say go for it
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
You can choose any counter when you sac an artifact, you don't have to actually have a permanent out with that type of counter on it
Chris Taylor
Contributor
Yup. I'm saying you need either a counter of some kind or an artifact to get this engine going.
You also don't have access to like a "Double strike counter" or an "Indestructible counter" or an "Annihilator 3 counter" because those don't exist.
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
Uhm...
You're right about one of them? o_O
Edit: And let's not forget about the "delightful"...
Chris Taylor
Contributor
Uhm...
You're right about one of them? o_O
Edit: And let's not forget about the "delightful"...
Oh of course. they put in some commander cards using the existing mechanic *Flips table*
Yeah okay maybe not. The other angle I haven't mentioned yet is nobody is going to draft this unless they know about specifically those 3 cards from a commander precon.
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
:') :') :')
But yeah, this pretty much ruins By Gnome Means, if it wasn't already ruined by the +2/+2 counters.
Thank you everyone. I was still willing to believe in By Gnome Means but the hexproof counter does make it slightly uglier. Is there a sane solution? I really like the card but I hate the idea of handing the players a piece of paper and saying "so these are the counters you're allowed to use."
Chris Taylor
Contributor
Make a custom card that manually lists out the counters you deep reasonable?
Hexproof is in ikoria as well, so it's not just the commander cards.
Also I feel like the +2/+2 counters are fine with this card, and you might even be okay with the double strike counters. You need to put in 5-7 mana before you get a counter out of it anyways
Dom Harvey
Contributor
idk about you but using By Gnome Means to put -2/-2 counters on Villain's best creature sounds delightful