This really is my favorite card of all time. Small wonder I have such an affinity for Blink...
MasterOfEtherium
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.6/5.0)(5 votes)
Mystic Stylez
cHoolwHipoflightning
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(7 votes)
BEST CARD EVER. I have a whole deck based on him and you know what. He almost never loses. Don't remember last time I actually did mono a mono. BOOM. DONE.
True_Mumin
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(13 votes)
Grizzly Bears + Counterspell. This creature embodies everything that is UG. 5/5
Uril
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(7 votes)
@ True_Mumin:
Win
i wish theyd reprint this guy and make him standard legal...make my u/g deck beast as hell
True_Smog
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
My favourite multicolored creature and one of the best creature in whole Magic.
Discoduck
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(12 votes)
Dear Wizards,
Please reprint.
Thanks, MR
Zulp
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(11 votes)
Is it just me, or does U/G have a bit of a snake subtheme going on? This, Lorescale Coatl, Winged Coatl, Vedalken Heretic (not a snake, but there is a snake there), Snakeform, Coiling Oracle. Ohran Viper could have been U/G, when you look at its abilities. River Boa has islandwalk. Alright, I'm stretching it, but you see my point. Seems like the groundwork for a pretty decent U/G snake deck.
Guided Passage deck, a counter-burn deck uses ONLY this creature, ensures there's a counterspell whenever you want it.
spectermonger
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(5 votes)
counterspell with a body...it beats undermine and absorb out of the water, because of it's ability to recur
Duskdale_Wurm
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(2 votes)
One of the best multicolor creatures...
5/5 straightaway.
dberry02
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I love to bounce this back to my hand and play it again! This also doubles up as a chump blocker/win condition.
ClockworkSwordfish
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(11 votes)
Very efficient when you consider that it is EXACTLY a Bears stapled to a Counterspell.
ratchet1215
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(5 votes)
One of the coolest creatures ever printed. It's cards like this that make Momentary Blink one of my favorite cards ever.
Demonic_Math_Tutor
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
This card amkes me feel bad that i didnt buy any time spiral packs or singles.
(Note to self: buy more cards)
GracefulInferno
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(6 votes)
It's an Ashcoat Bear stapled to a Counterspell. Good on it's own, great in a U/G Snake tribal deck.
Gabriel422
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Nowadays it's Grizzly Bears + Cancel - 1. Getting an extra 2/2 for G is always good, but this is best when combo'ed with Momentary Blink. That's THREE hard counterspells for two cards and 1GUU, 1W and 3U!
__Silence__
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Very efficient when you consider that it is EXACTLY a Bears stapled to a Counterspell, but the snake knows how to flash...
DacenOctavio
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
One of the best flash creatures ever printed.
Marlo12345
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@ ClockworkSwordfish you are mostly right but this is a bit more then a counterspelling bear. Its also got a splash of Winged Coatl since you can surprise block with it when applicable.
This card plus Winged Coatl will give you some major disruption.
Lyoncet
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Sure, I'd play Cancel for an extra {G} if it was also a 2/2.
@Zulp, I'm right there with you. If you run playsets of those four with a few other good green snakes (there are many), add Overrun and 4x Sosuke's Summons, maybe spice it up with a few Parallel Lives and add some card draw, it's starting to resemble a deck ... The mana curve should be about right too.
edster
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Enough is Enough! I have had it with these mystic-UG-snakes on this counterspelling plane!
I woke up today feeling like I couldn't live aymore without one of these pretties. Next thing I'm doing is going to the card shop to pick up a few. I bet I'm going to have lots of fun times with this and Lurking Predators or Intet, the dreamer in my Commander deck.
DoragonShinzui
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
This is what Voidslime should have been, especially with Simic.
I mean, creature counterspells. So hilarious.
I don't know about this card. It's kind of expensive to cast. I'm not a pro by any means, but I figure the a good use might be to block a toughness=2 or less attacking creature as the opponent is casting an instant to increase its power at a key point in the game (though I'm not sure if this would work under the rules after blockers are declared and damage is being calculated and a power increasing instant is cast at that point.)
@Kirbster - Even with Hunting Grounds, you have to meet the seven creatures in your graveyard Threshold, which is presumably relatively late in the game.
I figure it would be great combined with Elvish Piper already in play to make it cost just G to cast, or perhaps both Elvish Piper and Fauna Shaman in play to make it cost just GG to cast from your library (if I understand the rules correctly).
Otherwise it seems expensive for this surprise defense strategy I described (if it even works). However, I'm sure there are far more slick ways to use it that folks with a library of MtG cards fresh in their memory could devise. There's probably some single card out there somewhere that does what Fauna Shaman and Elvish Piper do together but restricted to summoning Snakes or something that expand its effectiveness or potential uses.
pedrodyl
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I dub thee Counterbear Also if you use this with Deadeye Navigator, you are a terrible person
/facepalm The decks that seriously run this are control decks. is very playable for them. How is 4 cmc "expensive" in a control deck? This is not RDW.
For , you get a 2/2 creature, good enough for the cost. For , you get Counterspell,one of the best counter ever printed. (well, besides Force Of Will or Mana Drain)
The flash effectively makes this a 2-for-1 instant.
If you run both shaman AND piper just for this card in a deck, you're taking up 2 slots (could have been some sweet counters) and getting nowhere.
Do you think threshold can only be attained late-game? People can achieve threshold by the 2nd turn, by doing self-mill or by discarding from their hand.
CaptainBlue
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It's feels really awesome to follow this up with an Aether Mutation on turn five.
itsandycapp
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
One of the few good snakes. Why do so many snakes fail in mtg? And on that note, why did I make a foil snake deck?
blurrymadness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Ghostly Flicker = Annoyed opponent.
Best thing is that works really well with Coiling Oracle, Graft, and this deck could abuse it further being in color with Thragtusk. Having nice synergies like that can really make a deck great while not relying on any one card.
Generate advantage, smother your opponent over time. Sosuke's Summons work well with both this and Coiling Oracle, and if you're desperate for a 1-drop, throw in wasteland viper
Zachrin
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@ Havrekjex
I think you could reprint this just fine and not break anything, considering a vanilla 2/2 for G wouldn't be playable in modern. Tape a cancel onto that, and you're golden.
Reishyn
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I only realised today that this thing is legal in Modern. Damn that deceptive Timeshifted border! Anyway, time to get myself a playset for my Bant blink deck!
Rifts980
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
they simic would staple a grizzly bears and a counterspell together, then mutate it into a snake.
Also your opponents face when creature their doom blade is priceless.
UNATCO
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
With Cavern of Souls, it's basically a 2/2 creature with flash, and a counter spell that in turn can't be countered. Now THAT'S powerful!
Fat_Corgi
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Someone got Grizzly Bears on my Counterspell!
questionflanger
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Pretty unbelievable way to protect Master Biomancer. Counter a removal spell that targets her, drop a creature that gets +1/1 counters' worth of Biomancer's power.
Wizards, begging you for an awesome Theros-enchantment-creature styled new art reprint of this card. You've made snakes look so mystic lately, but no love for the OG?
Comments (47)
Win
i wish theyd reprint this guy and make him standard legal...make my u/g deck beast as hell
Please reprint.
Thanks,
MR
and yeah, please reprint this!
Guided Passage deck, a counter-burn deck uses ONLY this creature, ensures there's a counterspell whenever you want it.
5/5 straightaway.
(Note to self: buy more cards)
This card plus Winged Coatl will give you some major disruption.
I like the green/blue snakes (this, Coiling Oracle, Lorescale Coatl and Winged Coatl), and I hope there will be more in the future.
@Zulp, I'm right there with you. If you run playsets of those four with a few other good green snakes (there are many), add Overrun and 4x Sosuke's Summons, maybe spice it up with a few Parallel Lives and add some card draw, it's starting to resemble a deck ... The mana curve should be about right too.
I mean, creature counterspells. So hilarious.
I like resetting this and Coiling Oracle with Nulltread Gargantuans :P
@Kirbster - Even with Hunting Grounds, you have to meet the seven creatures in your graveyard Threshold, which is presumably relatively late in the game.
I figure it would be great combined with Elvish Piper already in play to make it cost just G to cast, or perhaps both Elvish Piper and Fauna Shaman in play to make it cost just GG to cast from your library (if I understand the rules correctly).
Otherwise it seems expensive for this surprise defense strategy I described (if it even works). However, I'm sure there are far more slick ways to use it that folks with a library of MtG cards fresh in their memory could devise. There's probably some single card out there somewhere that does what Fauna Shaman and Elvish Piper do together but restricted to summoning Snakes or something that expand its effectiveness or potential uses.
Also if you use this with Deadeye Navigator, you are a terrible person
/facepalm
The decks that seriously run this are control decks.
For
For
The flash effectively makes this a 2-for-1 instant.
If you run both shaman AND piper just for this card in a deck, you're taking up 2 slots (could have been some sweet counters) and getting nowhere.
Do you think threshold can only be attained late-game? People can achieve threshold by the 2nd turn, by doing self-mill or by discarding from their hand.
Best thing is that works really well with Coiling Oracle, Graft, and this deck could abuse it further being in color with Thragtusk. Having nice synergies like that can really make a deck great while not relying on any one card.
Generate advantage, smother your opponent over time. Sosuke's Summons work well with both this and Coiling Oracle, and if you're desperate for a 1-drop, throw in wasteland viper
I think you could reprint this just fine and not break anything, considering a vanilla 2/2 for G wouldn't be playable in modern. Tape a cancel onto that, and you're golden.
Also your opponents face when creature their doom blade is priceless.
Wizards, begging you for an awesome Theros-enchantment-creature styled new art reprint of this card. You've made snakes look so mystic lately, but no love for the OG?