why did they change this card's effect actually in the oracle to an activated ability? sounds much more like a triggered ability to me: "During your upkeep, you may sacrifice a creature. If you do, destroy target artifact."
stygimoloch
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
ARG! Another one! Whoever designed Antiquities clearly had a bizarre fetish for playing abilities in the upkeep. I agree with Mode, it flows much better the way you worded it than as an activated ability.
Guest57443454
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Why the Upkeep got so much attention during Antiquities will forever be unknown, this like the Dwarven Weaponsmith probably would have seen more play had the upkeep restriction been removed...
makochman
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Underrated card. With Bitterblossom one could potentially destroy an artifact a turn.
Funny how black used to have access to artifact destruction back in the day. It actually makes perfect sense given Yawgmoth's hatred of artificers.
AgesofThunder
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
the only black card i'm aware of that has any sort of artifact destruction. Too bad it requires a creature and the deck i need it for runs only 7 creatures. Still a decent card, I just wish black had more artifact destruction.
Selez
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
Wow. Black artifact destruction. MONO-black artifact destruction. This is sick.
Etregan
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Phyrexian Tribute is the only other monoblack artifact destruction that I know of and still requires sacrificing creatures.
Well, there's Rats of Rath, but only if you want to destroy your own stuff.
metalevolence
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Even if it wasn't the only playable artifact removal in its color, it would still be great. GATE TO PHYREXIA WE LOVE YOU
Radagast
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
I've never understood really why Black cannot handle artifacts. Okay, I know in the first few sets how Black focused more on the manipulation of life-force, and artifacts lack lifeforce (much like enchantments), so they could not be affected.
However, the moment it was clear that Black was the color of Phyrexia - a twisted world of evil artifacts - that restriction stopped making any real sense to me.
I'm not saying Black should be able to destroy artifacts easily or get a lot of cards that can do it, but still, I think there only about 2 Black cards in the whole game that can destroy a specific non-creature artifact. That just seems odd to me.
Oh, well. This card is hard to use, but very unique, which makes it worthwhile.
Kryptnyt
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
@Mode; They word it the way it is, I believe, to give the defender a chance to respond after you sacrifice, rather than before you choose to sacrifice. World Queller works much in the opposite way as this card. A good card to point out where this would matter is Sensei's Divining Top. Assume the Top is the only artifact in play. World Queller's controller puts his triggered ability on the stack. The top controller has no way of knowing he is going to pick artifact, and has to make a decision of whether or not to put the Top on his library and draw a card. If this card worked the way you describe, Gate's controller would target the top, and if the top's controller drew a card instead, wouldn't have to sacrifice a creature.
Not that I think that would be such a bad thing, though. I agree with you. They made Sylvan Library a triggered rather than activated ability. Why not this?
gasimakos1
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
i love the flavor of this card. especially the name "gate to phyrexia." reminds me of some crazy HP lovecraft story where there's a dimension of pure chaos that one can travel to via fell magic. send a thrull on a suicide mission to steal an artifact and dive into the inter-dimensional gate with it in tow, ultimately destroying both. so awesome.
The_Stray
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Ah, nostalgia time. Here we have the first ever glimmer of Phyrexia, the big bads of the Magic universe.
Comments (13)
sounds much more like a triggered ability to me:
"During your upkeep, you may sacrifice a creature. If you do, destroy target artifact."
Funny how black used to have access to artifact destruction back in the day. It actually makes perfect sense given Yawgmoth's hatred of artificers.
Well, there's Rats of Rath, but only if you want to destroy your own stuff.
However, the moment it was clear that Black was the color of Phyrexia - a twisted world of evil artifacts - that restriction stopped making any real sense to me.
I'm not saying Black should be able to destroy artifacts easily or get a lot of cards that can do it, but still, I think there only about 2 Black cards in the whole game that can destroy a specific non-creature artifact. That just seems odd to me.
Oh, well. This card is hard to use, but very unique, which makes it worthwhile.
They word it the way it is, I believe, to give the defender a chance to respond after you sacrifice, rather than before you choose to sacrifice.
World Queller works much in the opposite way as this card.
A good card to point out where this would matter is Sensei's Divining Top.
Assume the Top is the only artifact in play. World Queller's controller puts his triggered ability on the stack. The top controller has no way of knowing he is going to pick artifact, and has to make a decision of whether or not to put the Top on his library and draw a card. If this card worked the way you describe, Gate's controller would target the top, and if the top's controller drew a card instead, wouldn't have to sacrifice a creature.
Not that I think that would be such a bad thing, though. I agree with you. They made Sylvan Library a triggered rather than activated ability. Why not this?
"Rally!" she cries to her Elite Vanguard. "Rally the Troops, and alert General Jarkeld that this Foul Presence will soon be Purged from the Living Lands!"
"Death or Glory!"