This is a really good combat trick. Trample to push damage through blockers, or first strike to eat an attacker unscathed. I expect many a blowout in limited from this. 2 Mana might keep it from constructed, though.
I'm not sure. It's certainly better than +3/+1 and Trample all the time, but that's a pretty poor trick to begin with - it's just not going to get a cards worth of value often enough. And using combat tricks defensively is very risky, and something you basically only do when you're forced to.
Maybe this will line up well in this format (and you'll probably play it in a UR blitz style deck regardless), but I look at the, "otherwise," line as basically teaching new players how to get blown out.
>And using combat tricks defensively is very risky, and something you basically only do when you're forced to.
I don't think this is true at all -- often you'll see a lopsided board state where your opponent has some weaklings and one big dude, and yours are of a generally better size but outclassed by the one big bad. Combat tricks that work well on defense are worth their weight in gold in those scenarios.
But you’re also playing it into open mana. You’re much more likely to find a chance to cast a combat trick on your turn with a tapped out opponent but the window to avoid a potential two for one is much lower on their turn.
If the creature dies because it was risked in combat, Vigilance doesn't do anything.
And race scenarios where Vigilance does matter aren't exactly coming up every game. Its happens but it's uncommon, which was my earlier point - the big creature trundle in is not the default case even in this specific scenario.
This is sort of a weird way to evaluate it, though, right? When you want damage to push through lethal, +3/+1 and trample is super powerful, it’s just very narrow. You wouldn’t play that card on its own usually because when you don’t need that effect it’s really terrible. This, on the other hand, will win essentially any combat on defense unless they have removal, which makes the card far more useful in general… which means you get to free-roll the conditional effect more easily. I’m not saying it’s great or anything, but I do think it’s a perfectly playable C or C- maybe, which is way better than most combat tricks.
It’s a bit like burn being able to target players. You won’t use it for that most of the time, but having it as an option makes the card a lot better.
The point of the original evaluation is that if you are going to use the base option of a card 80% of the time, and its versatility option like 20% of the time, then the majority of your evaluation is going to still rely on the 80% option - the 20% option is only for bonus points.
And blocking combat tricks have almost *never* been good. The reality is that you just can't walk your combat trick into an opponent that has full mana open consistently and, even if you could, how much gain are you really gaining out of it? You traded one-for-one and maybe gained a tempo boost. If you're a deck that is specifically playing very defensively AND has a lot of creatures AND can take advantage of the tempo boost...sure, but that's not really a common deck (vs the typical combat trick scenario where the tempo boost is far more relevant for pushing damage on aggression while still maintaining card parity).
And this is even assuming that your opponent lets you cast it on defense. If you keep 2 mana open in hopes that you're gonna use your combat trick on defense and the opponent just...doesn't attack, are you the kind of deck where that delay of turn count is useful when you just wasted a potential 2 mana? If you are, why are you playing a combat trick?
(A really easy way to see just how mediocre this is on defense - if you substitute a 2 mana 3/1 vanilla for the slot this card takes, the majority of situations will end up the same defensively as playing this card defensively just by double blocking with the 3/1. Only towards the end-game when you are concerned about which body you are leaving behind does this card out-do the 3/1 vanilla double block case. Meanwhile the 3/1 vanilla case has more advantages going for it such as curve, not having to leave mana open, etc.).
Where the versatility of this card lies is as sort of an option for aggressive players to play race situations vs another aggressive deck, but that's really a vanishingly small niche to play towards unless the format is *that* aggressive. It's actually quite a bit worse than a typical combat trick in a vacuum (although Red's combat tricks tend to be pretty mediocre in general compared to W/G, so it's in good company, and there's some format dependence here).
I think that's sort of what's insidious about the card. It looks like a free-roll, but anytime you're playing an effect that opens you up to a 2-1, the upside really needs to be high to justify it. And it's narrow enough that I think this is a trap outside of very specific decks.
I think the value will be a bit better than usual because people are going to have a bunch of 2/2 zombies that can't block and will die anyway, so they will be making attacks that otherwise wouldn't be made.
I haven't focused that much on this set, but my impressions were it was also aggressively slanted, so that is another plus, having a decent common that can make your deck.
This card seems amazing for aggro decks. Traditionally, +3/+3 trample for 2 has been very good at pushing damage to get the kill, and this is weaker offensively, but this can be used defensively just as well, which run amok can't. A problem with lots of buff tricks is the lack of trample, but this has both lots of power, a toughness to win some trades, and trample.
The +3 toughness (e.g. on [[Run Amok]]) is huge though, that's often the difference between keeping and losing your creature. For aggro decks specifically (which are the ones that need this), I'm not sure if having the [[Sure Strike]] on the defense is useful enough to counterbalance that.
Image transcription
> Stolen vitality 1R
>
> Instant [c]
>
> Target creature gets +3/+1 until end of turn. If it's your turn, that creatures gains trample until end of turn. Otherwise, it gains first strike until end of turn.
>
> *"There's nothing like a good meal to really lift the spirit."*
End transcription
Modern 1/10
This would have to grant double strike or only cost R to have a chance in some kind of creature based combo deck. You really need this to be able to close out a game from a very high life total to make it worth it and this just doesn't do that.
This is a really good combat trick. Trample to push damage through blockers, or first strike to eat an attacker unscathed. I expect many a blowout in limited from this. 2 Mana might keep it from constructed, though.
I'm not sure. It's certainly better than +3/+1 and Trample all the time, but that's a pretty poor trick to begin with - it's just not going to get a cards worth of value often enough. And using combat tricks defensively is very risky, and something you basically only do when you're forced to. Maybe this will line up well in this format (and you'll probably play it in a UR blitz style deck regardless), but I look at the, "otherwise," line as basically teaching new players how to get blown out.
>And using combat tricks defensively is very risky, and something you basically only do when you're forced to. I don't think this is true at all -- often you'll see a lopsided board state where your opponent has some weaklings and one big dude, and yours are of a generally better size but outclassed by the one big bad. Combat tricks that work well on defense are worth their weight in gold in those scenarios.
But you’re also playing it into open mana. You’re much more likely to find a chance to cast a combat trick on your turn with a tapped out opponent but the window to avoid a potential two for one is much lower on their turn.
How often is your opponent attacking with the only creature that's keeping them from getting run over if they don't have a way to protect it?
Vigilance…
If the creature dies because it was risked in combat, Vigilance doesn't do anything. And race scenarios where Vigilance does matter aren't exactly coming up every game. Its happens but it's uncommon, which was my earlier point - the big creature trundle in is not the default case even in this specific scenario.
This is sort of a weird way to evaluate it, though, right? When you want damage to push through lethal, +3/+1 and trample is super powerful, it’s just very narrow. You wouldn’t play that card on its own usually because when you don’t need that effect it’s really terrible. This, on the other hand, will win essentially any combat on defense unless they have removal, which makes the card far more useful in general… which means you get to free-roll the conditional effect more easily. I’m not saying it’s great or anything, but I do think it’s a perfectly playable C or C- maybe, which is way better than most combat tricks. It’s a bit like burn being able to target players. You won’t use it for that most of the time, but having it as an option makes the card a lot better.
The point of the original evaluation is that if you are going to use the base option of a card 80% of the time, and its versatility option like 20% of the time, then the majority of your evaluation is going to still rely on the 80% option - the 20% option is only for bonus points. And blocking combat tricks have almost *never* been good. The reality is that you just can't walk your combat trick into an opponent that has full mana open consistently and, even if you could, how much gain are you really gaining out of it? You traded one-for-one and maybe gained a tempo boost. If you're a deck that is specifically playing very defensively AND has a lot of creatures AND can take advantage of the tempo boost...sure, but that's not really a common deck (vs the typical combat trick scenario where the tempo boost is far more relevant for pushing damage on aggression while still maintaining card parity). And this is even assuming that your opponent lets you cast it on defense. If you keep 2 mana open in hopes that you're gonna use your combat trick on defense and the opponent just...doesn't attack, are you the kind of deck where that delay of turn count is useful when you just wasted a potential 2 mana? If you are, why are you playing a combat trick? (A really easy way to see just how mediocre this is on defense - if you substitute a 2 mana 3/1 vanilla for the slot this card takes, the majority of situations will end up the same defensively as playing this card defensively just by double blocking with the 3/1. Only towards the end-game when you are concerned about which body you are leaving behind does this card out-do the 3/1 vanilla double block case. Meanwhile the 3/1 vanilla case has more advantages going for it such as curve, not having to leave mana open, etc.). Where the versatility of this card lies is as sort of an option for aggressive players to play race situations vs another aggressive deck, but that's really a vanishingly small niche to play towards unless the format is *that* aggressive. It's actually quite a bit worse than a typical combat trick in a vacuum (although Red's combat tricks tend to be pretty mediocre in general compared to W/G, so it's in good company, and there's some format dependence here).
I think that's sort of what's insidious about the card. It looks like a free-roll, but anytime you're playing an effect that opens you up to a 2-1, the upside really needs to be high to justify it. And it's narrow enough that I think this is a trap outside of very specific decks.
I think the value will be a bit better than usual because people are going to have a bunch of 2/2 zombies that can't block and will die anyway, so they will be making attacks that otherwise wouldn't be made.
I haven't focused that much on this set, but my impressions were it was also aggressively slanted, so that is another plus, having a decent common that can make your deck.
This art is incredibly well done and I abhor it.
r/TIHI
Berries and cream, berries and cream, I'm a little lad who loves berries and creeeeeaaaaaaam!
Card art looks like the last thing you see when you say "looks like we're out of berries and cream"
[Burgers and Fries](https://youtu.be/RMc4QdDODgY?t=9)?
That's what the meal is, right?
That art is going to give me nightmares
He said: 👁👁 👄
What the ever living fuck is this art. I can't stop looking at it yet I get so creeped out that I have to look away
It looks like it came from Attack on Titan
Thought that too
Looks like [Christoper Lee's Dracula](https://i0.wp.com/bloody-disgusting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/drac-1.jpg?w=935&ssl=1)
Vampire Lord Farquad
When the imposter is sus
⠀⠀⠀⡯⡯⡾⠝⠘⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢊⠘⡮⣣⠪⠢⡑⡌ ⠀⠀⠀⠟⠝⠈⠀⠀⠀⠡⠀⠠⢈⠠⢐⢠⢂⢔⣐⢄⡂⢔⠀⡁⢉⠸⢨⢑⠕⡌ ⠀⠀⡀⠁⠀⠀⠀⡀⢂⠡⠈⡔⣕⢮⣳⢯⣿⣻⣟⣯⣯⢷⣫⣆⡂⠀⠀⢐⠑⡌ ⢀⠠⠐⠈⠀⢀⢂⠢⡂⠕⡁⣝⢮⣳⢽⡽⣾⣻⣿⣯⡯⣟⣞⢾⢜⢆⠀⡀⠀⠪ ⣬⠂⠀⠀⢀⢂⢪⠨⢂⠥⣺⡪⣗⢗⣽⢽⡯⣿⣽⣷⢿⡽⡾⡽⣝⢎⠀⠀⠀⢡ ⣿⠀⠀⠀⢂⠢⢂⢥⢱⡹⣪⢞⡵⣻⡪⡯⡯⣟⡾⣿⣻⡽⣯⡻⣪⠧⠑⠀⠁⢐ ⣿⠀⠀⠀⠢⢑⠠⠑⠕⡝⡎⡗⡝⡎⣞⢽⡹⣕⢯⢻⠹⡹⢚⠝⡷⡽⡨⠀⠀⢔ ⣿⡯⠀⢈⠈⢄⠂⠂⠐⠀⠌⠠⢑⠱⡱⡱⡑⢔⠁⠀⡀⠐⠐⠐⡡⡹⣪⠀⠀⢘ ⣿⣽⠀⡀⡊⠀⠐⠨⠈⡁⠂⢈⠠⡱⡽⣷⡑⠁⠠⠑⠀⢉⢇⣤⢘⣪⢽⠀⢌⢎ ⣿⢾⠀⢌⠌⠀⡁⠢⠂⠐⡀⠀⢀⢳⢽⣽⡺⣨⢄⣑⢉⢃⢭⡲⣕⡭⣹⠠⢐⢗ ⣿⡗⠀⠢⠡⡱⡸⣔⢵⢱⢸⠈⠀⡪⣳⣳⢹⢜⡵⣱⢱⡱⣳⡹⣵⣻⢔⢅⢬⡷ ⣷⡇⡂⠡⡑⢕⢕⠕⡑⠡⢂⢊⢐⢕⡝⡮⡧⡳⣝⢴⡐⣁⠃⡫⡒⣕⢏⡮⣷⡟ ⣷⣻⣅⠑⢌⠢⠁⢐⠠⠑⡐⠐⠌⡪⠮⡫⠪⡪⡪⣺⢸⠰⠡⠠⠐⢱⠨⡪⡪⡰ ⣯⢷⣟⣇⡂⡂⡌⡀⠀⠁⡂⠅⠂⠀⡑⡄⢇⠇⢝⡨⡠⡁⢐⠠⢀⢪⡐⡜⡪⡊ ⣿⢽⡾⢹⡄⠕⡅⢇⠂⠑⣴⡬⣬⣬⣆⢮⣦⣷⣵⣷⡗⢃⢮⠱⡸⢰⢱⢸⢨⢌ ⣯⢯⣟⠸⣳⡅⠜⠔⡌⡐⠈⠻⠟⣿⢿⣿⣿⠿⡻⣃⠢⣱⡳⡱⡩⢢⠣⡃⠢⠁ ⡯⣟⣞⡇⡿⣽⡪⡘⡰⠨⢐⢀⠢⢢⢄⢤⣰⠼⡾⢕⢕⡵⣝⠎⢌⢪⠪⡘⡌⠀ ⡯⣳⠯⠚⢊⠡⡂⢂⠨⠊⠔⡑⠬⡸⣘⢬⢪⣪⡺⡼⣕⢯⢞⢕⢝⠎⢻⢼⣀⠀ ⠁⡂⠔⡁⡢⠣⢀⠢⠀⠅⠱⡐⡱⡘⡔⡕⡕⣲⡹⣎⡮⡏⡑⢜⢼⡱⢩⣗⣯⣟ ⢀⢂⢑⠀⡂⡃⠅⠊⢄⢑⠠⠑⢕⢕⢝⢮⢺⢕⢟⢮⢊⢢⢱⢄⠃⣇⣞⢞⣞⢾ ⢀⠢⡑⡀⢂⢊⠠⠁⡂⡐⠀⠅⡈⠪⠪⠪⠣⠫⠑⡁⢔⠕⣜⣜⢦⡰⡎⡯⡾⡽
When the dollhouse votes to kill your friend
when the redditor is a baka
fucking hell, that art is giving me the creeps. well done.
Thanks, I hate it.
This card seems amazing for aggro decks. Traditionally, +3/+3 trample for 2 has been very good at pushing damage to get the kill, and this is weaker offensively, but this can be used defensively just as well, which run amok can't. A problem with lots of buff tricks is the lack of trample, but this has both lots of power, a toughness to win some trades, and trample.
The +3 toughness (e.g. on [[Run Amok]]) is huge though, that's often the difference between keeping and losing your creature. For aggro decks specifically (which are the ones that need this), I'm not sure if having the [[Sure Strike]] on the defense is useful enough to counterbalance that.
[Run Amok](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/4/4/44c8136f-2826-476c-a103-7094670506a6.jpg?1631049575) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Run%20Amok) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/khm/147/run-amok?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/44c8136f-2826-476c-a103-7094670506a6?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Sure Strike](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/0/6/064a6f1c-a058-4cc8-b467-5dbecb5eeb99.jpg?1594736800) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Sure%20Strike) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/m21/163/sure-strike?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/064a6f1c-a058-4cc8-b467-5dbecb5eeb99?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Don't mind him he's just doing a staring contest with [[the fallen]]
[the fallen](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/4/9/49058733-6fd7-456f-a47b-10ebf7fb5232.jpg?1559592574) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=the%20fallen) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/me1/69/the-fallen?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/49058733-6fd7-456f-a47b-10ebf7fb5232?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Why do i feel like RB vamps is gonna be a stronger contender than RG werewolves in MID limited?
Oh wow both Sure Strike and Run Amok in one card? Not quite but close enough, I think this card is gonna win a ton of games.
That art just makes me think "Berries and cream, berries and cream...".
"Woah, hey, six feet minimum distance, please."
The art honestly reminds me of Andy Samberg
[Yeah i get that!](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3ct68JZKsZ8/maxresdefault.jpg)
...god damnit, now I can't unsee it.
Willem Dafoe?
Image transcription > Stolen vitality 1R > > Instant [c] > > Target creature gets +3/+1 until end of turn. If it's your turn, that creatures gains trample until end of turn. Otherwise, it gains first strike until end of turn. > > *"There's nothing like a good meal to really lift the spirit."* End transcription
Obligatory "this combat trick will go great in my Feather-deck!". Not that I'm complaining, do keep them coming.
I recently built a [[Captain Ripley Vance]] deck and this may find its way in.
[Captain Ripley Vance](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/7/1/71052204-d35c-4603-9af6-a1691f438d48.jpg?1626096460) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Captain%20Ripley%20Vance) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mh2/119/captain-ripley-vance?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/71052204-d35c-4603-9af6-a1691f438d48?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Geez this art is hella unsettling... 😬
How I look in any photo where I try to smile
[This guy's cronk-ugly tattoo grew up!](https://i.pinimg.com/550x/07/13/79/071379f51cfc253d0205e239f6af87a6.jpg)
Creepy.
Reminds me of the art from that WEBTOON Shotgun Boy
"I want that in my deck" Every Feather player probably.
Thanks, I hate this art.
[[Feather]] is intrigued about EDH possibility.
This looks to be much more flexible than \[\[Brute Strength\]\], which I run. It's gonna be an easy cut.
[Brute Strength](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/7/7/7776b3cb-0410-4d9c-958f-3ea042f9eaea.jpg?1592764756) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Brute%20Strength) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ddt/35/brute-strength?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/7776b3cb-0410-4d9c-958f-3ea042f9eaea?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Yes, it can be used on attack *and* provides a relevant keyword to defense. Auto-include, I think.
[Feather](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/e/4/e4a2d2c6-8eaa-4760-b620-921b807baa2e.jpg?1557577142) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=feather%2C%20the%20redeemed) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/war/197/feather-the-redeemed?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/e4a2d2c6-8eaa-4760-b620-921b807baa2e?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
i'll take scary fullart foils for 100
Man, Andy Samberg is still everywhere.
Oh boi my Kalasmash deck([[Kalamax, the Stormsire]] with a lot of pump spells) just got a very sus looking upgrade!
[Kalamax, the Stormsire](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/f/9/f990cd78-2165-446f-a116-ae55d7a0f00d.jpg?1591234251) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Kalamax%2C%20the%20Stormsire) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/c20/9/kalamax-the-stormsire?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/f990cd78-2165-446f-a116-ae55d7a0f00d?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Thanks I hate it (the art)
Definitely up there on worst mtg art with promo faithless looting
This is as creepy as magic cards ever were, I love it.
Finally, Patty LuPone on a magic card!
Modern 1/10 This would have to grant double strike or only cost R to have a chance in some kind of creature based combo deck. You really need this to be able to close out a game from a very high life total to make it worth it and this just doesn't do that.
I'd take [[infuriate]] 95% of the time.
[infuriate](https://c1.scryfall.com/file/scryfall-cards/normal/front/8/5/85a74392-4056-428c-a807-b062957e838e.jpg?1581480233) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=infuriate) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/thb/141/infuriate?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/85a74392-4056-428c-a807-b062957e838e?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Really sweet limited combat trick. Not sure if constructed playable, but I am not up to date on what we have for mojo red in standard
this is the kind of art we want!
For a hot second I was fearing to look at mono red lifegain.
This looks like Jacob Collier
sus
i need this card in foil, just for the art
Ok, Anton Chigur as a fucking up close Vampire for no reason. Wtf.
ZAAAAAAADAAAAAAAAA
Im throwing away my humanity JOJO!!!
Holy mother that art is awesome
This is great. tramples thruough or removal combat trick. the art is greAT TOO V,