One star from me, rather than 0.5 ignominy, since it can hypothetically be better than Prodigal Pyromancer in a deck with artifact creature token producers. That's still something of a reach though.
Does if bother anyone else that red creatures have been portrayed as dumb and liable to fail at their one job since day one? It just reinforces the negative and pernicious stereotype that Red = Stupid. Bah.
Guest57443454
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(4 votes)
At least this card didn't have an upkeep restriction...without the tap this could be excellent...
Shiduba
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(5 votes)
It's a horrible card, but could be ok if your deck had a way to make multiple artifacts... 1/5
achilleselbow
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Dude, that's because red creatures are mostly goblins and orcs. What the hell do you want, a Goblin Genius card?
Mostly useless, but at least you can sac an artifact in response to some other effect trying to kill it.
Oh, and yeah, I've never really like the whole "red is stupid" thing either. Red may be primal, angry, and likely to act before thinking, but that is not the same as being a bunch of idiots who rarely succeed at anything.
Opined_Fluke
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Wow, this card has some hateful comments for a comparatively useful Antiquities card. Sure it'd be better if he was a Grey Ogre stat wise, but artifact decks love sacrificing their artifact tokens for damage. I'd run this guy alongside Nuisance Engine in casual, totally. Most of the antiquities era cards would also make you sac land or tear up your own cards or something dumb, but this guy could have put on a goblin nose and joined the Krark-Clan.
I'm also not sure what you're getting at saying he's dumb or bad at his job - he's a mechanic that works a catapult, it flings your artifacts at your enemies. Is Brion Stoutarm dumb because he kills the guys he throws? I actually think it's kind of neat to see a catapult in Magic where the creature is the guy manning the catapult, rather than the war-machine itself. Makes sense to me.
majinara
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I don't think this guy is as bad as some people say. Shocking creatures and players over and over is pretty awesome. Apart from the already mentioned stuff in other comments, solemn simulacrum is no bad sac fodder either. Play this guy on turn 3, solemn on turn 4, block some attacker, and then sac the solemn after blocking, to kill some utility creature and draw a card. Or sac spellbombs if their effect is currently not needed, and draw cards of them. Or a spine of ish sah. There are many uses, and shocking stuff is nice.
2.5/5
Tommy9898
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Just had the mental image of using it with grapeshot catapult. Effectively firing a catapult out of a catapult amuses me.
Congratulations, you've managed to throw a catapult from a catapult, which is throwing a catapult which is shooting at a flying creature.
You've just dealt 5 damage total for 9 mana.
Aquillion
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I love how complicated the original wording had to be in order to basically say "sacrifice X to do this." Seriously, compare that printed text to the oracle text.
SeriouslyFacetious
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Interesting old card... my only question: what is up with that silhouette of a robed figure in the background? Frickin' sinister!
Comments (12)
Does if bother anyone else that red creatures have been portrayed as dumb and liable to fail at their one job since day one? It just reinforces the negative and pernicious stereotype that Red = Stupid. Bah.
Oh, and yeah, I've never really like the whole "red is stupid" thing either. Red may be primal, angry, and likely to act before thinking, but that is not the same as being a bunch of idiots who rarely succeed at anything.
Sure it'd be better if he was a Grey Ogre stat wise, but artifact decks love sacrificing their artifact tokens for damage. I'd run this guy alongside Nuisance Engine in casual, totally.
Most of the antiquities era cards would also make you sac land or tear up your own cards or something dumb, but this guy could have put on a goblin nose and joined the Krark-Clan.
I'm also not sure what you're getting at saying he's dumb or bad at his job - he's a mechanic that works a catapult, it flings your artifacts at your enemies. Is Brion Stoutarm dumb because he kills the guys he throws?
I actually think it's kind of neat to see a catapult in Magic where the creature is the guy manning the catapult, rather than the war-machine itself. Makes sense to me.
Or sac spellbombs if their effect is currently not needed, and draw cards of them. Or a spine of ish sah. There are many uses, and shocking stuff is nice.
2.5/5
Congratulations, you've managed to throw a catapult from a catapult, which is throwing a catapult which is shooting at a flying creature.
You've just dealt 5 damage total for 9 mana.
Also this lil fella has gotten better with time... Don't fret the low P/T when his job is to chuck Ichor Wellsprings and Mycosynth Wellsprings!