efficient and all around better than spiketail hatchling. why would you pay 1 for flying when you can use your open mana for a counterspell?
Zoah
★☆☆☆☆ (1.8/5.0)(8 votes)
A pity I don't know all that many people who use sorcerys or instants that early in the game... Overall, if only it didn't say "sorcery or instant" Although, I guess it would work to protect against counters for when you summon your first big creature. Other than that I can't think of a use for it (and this is coming from an uber counter-psychopath of the century)
Overall though its a nice one cost, one power, one toughness for blue which are sort of rare. It's also a wizard and a merfolk which open numerous possibilities. It's just not for me though. It seems far too unlikely that it will ever actually counter something so much as just force you opponent to play creatures instead of instants. Although, I guess you never know...
And for the record, yet spike tailhatching is much better. (it can counter creatures too)
Except Spiketail Hatchling costs 2, and this is only one. Since not many 1st turn Counterspells, but 2 mana is Mana Leak, Counterspell, etc. It's a nice one-drop.
Pwnsaw
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(4 votes)
This card is meant to slow down playing spells, but probably not stop most of them. The effect is good enough, but I perceive the merfolk wizard creature type as more important than his ability.
boneclub
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
@All about Spiketail Hatchling: Notice how this guy has much more relevant Tribes?
it's good in Legacy (and better than Hatchling) because it negates a lot of players T1 gameplans which is what Magic is all about: messing with the opponets tempo and mojo. There are basically 2 types of T1 gameplans: the ones that play Kird Ape, 'Wild Nascatl, Goblin Lackery etc. and the ones that play T1 Ponder, Brainstorm, Duress, Entomb, Careful Study, Dark Ritual etc. Cursecatcher stops the latter. There's nothing more annoying than to keep a medicore hand because there is a Ponder in it only to see Cursecatcher hit the table. Hatchling cannot do any of this. It also protects yourself against a T2 Stifle and forces opponents with FoW or Daze in hand to keep mana open in the late game. Consider this scenario; your opponent has a FoW in hand and is on the draw, you play Cursecatcher and on the next turn Mutavault and Stand Still. That's a pretty powerfull play and he cannot do anything about it because of Cursecatcher.
Dreki
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(3 votes)
@zoah if you ever come back and read this. Sorry to say but if you don't know people who play instants / sorceries early game you are probably playing with noobs which makes it likely that you are a noob and completely makes the statement "(and this is coming from an uber counter-psychopath of the century)" seem likes it's coming from someone who plays blue control very badly.
Wraique
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Since it's part of paying the cost of the ability, can you sac this guy without having to target a spell?
@wraique: you'd have to have a spell on the stack to target before you could even pay the cost (in this case a sac).
Areps
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(4 votes)
fails to cancel
Robface
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
@stille_nacht Aether Vial? As an instant or sorcery? You might want to check up on that.
NotoriousLynx
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Looks like someone got the ugly half of being a merfolk.
stille_nacht
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
guh, guys, forget about lightning bolt
duress force of will thoughtseize counterspell ad nauseum dark ritual
etc. etc. there are plenty of early threats you want to delay...
oops about aether vial xD
Kragash
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
"fails to cancel " - Areps
"Cavern of Soul'ed!!! Trololololol" - Kragash
Hermeezey
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
one-mana drop, synergizes with lullmage mentor, can chump block, and is good burn-bait. 4/5
Subbak
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
The new Return to Ravnica Judge's Familiar is easier to cast and flies, but lacks relevant tribes... Don't really know which one is better.
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This seems like a nice card. I doubt it will be countering anything though. But it will slow down your opponents game and make him wait one more turn.
Spiketail Hatchling also has flying, and can counter anything. They both are fantastic cards, and well costed.
Jokergius
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
N00BS!! N00BS EVERYWHERE!! "Spiketail Hatchling is better!!" Yeah, if you're using it as a body with evasion, then YES, it is better. But to distrupt you opponents turn one??? Priceless. Plus it's GREAT with Aether Vial. "It would be great if it didn't just target instants and sorceries!!" Really??? Again, tempo changer. Dark Ritual??? Suuure, just pay one more!!
Overall a great card, especially in Merfolks. ;3
blurrymadness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Let's remember that spiketail hatchilng can also counter creatures. Countering a Goyf or some such while tapped out (say.. countering something else) is quite valuable. This guy or Judge's Familiar can screw with free counterspells and other mean instants, but Spiketail still has a place given that he can kill *any* win condition (or at least.. help.)
Onion01
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I originally misread this guy's sac ability as "counter target spell unless controller pays 1"...I hadn't noticed it applied to instants and sorceries only. Since then, this little guy has gone down a few points for me
Aquillion
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Judge's Familiar is better if you're not playing merfolk (and especially if you're playing white / blue -- or just white and no blue at all, when this isn't even an option.)
This is good if you're doing Merfolk or (I suppose) Wizard tribal. Pretty straightforward.
Needs a reprint. There really aren't that many viable 1 drops for wizard tribal. The others I can think of are Wingcrafter, Sage of Epityr, delver of secrets, realmwright and cosi's trickster, all but one of which shove you into a certain deck type fairly hard. This sitting at $9 is just such a pain. It's not even like it would break anything, given that Judge's Familiar is quite a bit better for everything except tribal.
Comments (30)
Overall, if only it didn't say "sorcery or instant" Although, I guess it would work to protect against counters for when you summon your first big creature. Other than that I can't think of a use for it (and this is coming from an uber counter-psychopath of the century)
Overall though its a nice one cost, one power, one toughness for blue which are sort of rare. It's also a wizard and a merfolk which open numerous possibilities. It's just not for me though. It seems far too unlikely that it will ever actually counter something so much as just force you opponent to play creatures instead of instants. Although, I guess you never know...
And for the record, yet spike tailhatching is much better. (it can counter creatures too)
So:
Base rating: ***
counter power: + */4
slight combo potential + */4
If only it could also counter creatures...
Sorry to say but if you don't know people who play instants / sorceries early game you are probably playing with noobs which makes it likely that you are a noob and completely makes the statement "(and this is coming from an uber counter-psychopath of the century)" seem likes it's coming from someone who plays blue control very badly.
Disrupt can't be pinged, draws a card, and doesn't announce itself to your opponent. It also can't attack or block. Meh, toss up.
Of course, Force Spike is just better.
Aether Vial?
As an instant or sorcery? You might want to check up on that.
duress
force of will
thoughtseize
counterspell
ad nauseum
dark ritual
etc. etc. there are plenty of early threats you want to delay...
oops about aether vial xD
"Cavern of Soul'ed!!! Trololololol" - Kragash
Spiketail Hatchling also has flying, and can counter anything. They both are fantastic cards, and well costed.
N00BS EVERYWHERE!!
"Spiketail Hatchling is better!!" Yeah, if you're using it as a body with evasion, then YES, it is better. But to distrupt you opponents turn one??? Priceless. Plus it's GREAT with Aether Vial.
"It would be great if it didn't just target instants and sorceries!!" Really??? Again, tempo changer. Dark Ritual??? Suuure, just pay one more!!
Overall a great card, especially in Merfolks.
;3
This is good if you're doing Merfolk or (I suppose) Wizard tribal. Pretty straightforward.
3/5 Stars