The [mtg_card=Volcanic Hammer] comparison is reference to the fact that Hammer is a Sorcery, whereas [mtg_card=Ghostfire] and [mtg_card=Lightning Bolt] are instants. Also, because it's fun to tease wannabe Bolts.Chris Ingersoll said:His +2 ability is Ghostfire. No need to drag Volcanic Hammer into this.
By that logic JTMS's +0 ability is closer to Dream Cache than it is Brainstorm, and nobody actually thinks that.Encaen said:The [mtg_card=Volcanic Hammer] comparison is reference to the fact that Hammer is a Sorcery, whereas [mtg_card=Ghostfire] and [mtg_card=Lightning Bolt] are instants. Also, because it's fun to tease wannabe Bolts.Chris Ingersoll said:His +2 ability is Ghostfire. No need to drag Volcanic Hammer into this.
[mtg_card=Dream Cache] allows you to put cards on the bottom of your library, which JTMS doesn't allow. If it bothers you, though, feel free to substitute [mtg_card=Ghostfire] in for [mtg_card=Volcanic Hammer] on your next read-through! I promise I won't be offended.Chris Ingersoll said:By that logic JTMS's +0 ability is closer to Dream Cache than it is Brainstorm, and nobody actually thinks that.
He's not from the original list of Elder Dragons [http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?action=advanced&subtype=+[elder]+[dragon]], but I'm looking forward to learning more about him all the same!Dragonheart57 said:I was hoping Ugin would be a badass to rival Bolas, and I was not disappointed. He also looks a lot like Bolas. Maybe another Elder Dragon?
Neither Volcanic Hammer nor Lightning Bolt (nor any of over a dozen similar spells) can kill Master of Waves/Silver Knight/Kor Firewalker/et al; Ghostfire ? and thus Ugin ? can. The color (or lack thereof) of the effect is much more important here than the relative speed of casting it.Encaen said:[mtg_card=Dream Cache] allows you to put cards on the bottom of your library, which JTMS doesn't allow.Chris Ingersoll said:By that logic JTMS's +0 ability is closer to Dream Cache than it is Brainstorm, and nobody actually thinks that.
I'm quite happy to try and run him in a chief engineer powered artifact deck in Standard. Especially if I can get enough Grand Mentors to hopefully get me some tokens to convoke it inJoseph Hutzulak said:Honestly I think he needs to cost 7 to be a major player.
He's not an artifact. No convoking for him.pigeon_of_doom said:I'm quite happy to try and run him in a chief engineer powered artifact deck in Standard. Especially if I can get enough Grand Mentors to hopefully get me some tokens to convoke it inJoseph Hutzulak said:Honestly I think he needs to cost 7 to be a major player.
Oh god, I'm too used to colourless mana cards being artifacts.FriesWithThat said:He's not an artifact. No convoking for him.pigeon_of_doom said:I'm quite happy to try and run him in a chief engineer powered artifact deck in Standard. Especially if I can get enough Grand Mentors to hopefully get me some tokens to convoke it inJoseph Hutzulak said:Honestly I think he needs to cost 7 to be a major player.
Frankly I don't really see him having a place in standard. He's too slow for most decks at 8 mana. His +2 is nice, but when he comes out, the major threats are outside the range of 3 damage. His -X fucks you up as well as your opponent as it will invariably shit on your lands and creatures. His ult is pretty much a pussified version of Bolas' with less utility. It means he's pretty much wasted in any deck that isn't mostly permanents, although drawing 7 cards and gaining 7 life is pretty nice. The archetype I most likely see him in is Green Devotion since that runs mostly creatures and has the ramp engine to get him out quickly, but it's seeing less and less play as the current meta chugs along. I don't really think he's that good if I'm honest and I don't see him being played in any archetype in standard. I've been wrong before though.
Yeah Garruk doesn't see much play and he's actually more relevant in the standard meta than Ugin would be, from the looks of things. Mono decks do see some play, but it's pretty much only Mono-green devotion and the ever-present red-deck-wins that crops up in almost every standard. FRF actually has some really nice cards for RDW. Collateral Damage is just a lightning bolt with a sac cost, Wild Slash is a shock with a ferocious trigger that turns it into a mini skullcrack, and Mardu Scout will likely work wonders in decks running Purphoros with its RR casting cost that can trigger Purphoros' devotion and its 1R Dash that turns it into a reusable lightning bolt when the opponent's board presence is low and it allows Purphoros' EtB ability to trigger reliably turn after turn.pigeon_of_doom said:Oh god, I'm too used to colourless mana cards being artifacts.FriesWithThat said:He's not an artifact. No convoking for him.pigeon_of_doom said:I'm quite happy to try and run him in a chief engineer powered artifact deck in Standard. Especially if I can get enough Grand Mentors to hopefully get me some tokens to convoke it inJoseph Hutzulak said:Honestly I think he needs to cost 7 to be a major player.
Frankly I don't really see him having a place in standard. He's too slow for most decks at 8 mana. His +2 is nice, but when he comes out, the major threats are outside the range of 3 damage. His -X fucks you up as well as your opponent as it will invariably shit on your lands and creatures. His ult is pretty much a pussified version of Bolas' with less utility. It means he's pretty much wasted in any deck that isn't mostly permanents, although drawing 7 cards and gaining 7 life is pretty nice. The archetype I most likely see him in is Green Devotion since that runs mostly creatures and has the ramp engine to get him out quickly, but it's seeing less and less play as the current meta chugs along. I don't really think he's that good if I'm honest and I don't see him being played in any archetype in standard. I've been wrong before though.
I've not seen Garruk get much play, so a walker that costs one more than him is unlikely to either. And yeah, not seen many mono-decks around.
How exactly do you think that effect will wreck your lands? Other than Dryad Arbor and animated man-lands, lands are inherently colorless. Nykthos decks might not be fond of him, but other than that your non-Elf/Bird/Caryatid/etc manabase should be fine.FriesWithThat said:His -X fucks you up as well as your opponent as it will invariably shit on your lands and creatures.
By me not know that lands are inherently colourless. Ignore what I said, I was confused. I thought lands were the colours of the mana they produced. I feel less bad about his -X nowChris Ingersoll said:How exactly do you think that effect will wreck your lands? Other than Dryad Arbor and animated man-lands, lands are inherently colorless. Nykthos decks might not be fond of him, but other than that your non-Elf/Bird/Caryatid/etc manabase should be fine.FriesWithThat said:His -X fucks you up as well as your opponent as it will invariably shit on your lands and creatures.