This + Unsummon = gameshark cheat for levelers! Edit: Ouch, Splinter Twin indeed. Nice catch, Tommy9898!
SleetFox
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(6 votes)
Oh wow, Splinter Twin. Now I want to make a blue/red leveler deck.
DonRoyale
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(6 votes)
Perhaps the best common in the set as far as Constructed is concerned, because this and Training Grounds make levelers have some real potential.
Absurdly high pick in Limited. I'd probably draft this above most of the rares. It's that useful...
faisjdas
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(5 votes)
He teaches all of his leveler students that until they have facial hair as long and impressive as he does, that they will never be good cards.
ThadeGelna
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Just played a pre-release. And he was my MVP. Right deck, he's gold. And he was money today. But 5 stars is for the Jitte level cards... let's not get crazy. Keep the ranks honest.
WhiteyMcFly
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
2/2 for 3 and can level up everyone? nice.
xhillx
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
almost as broken as some Eldrazi cards this guy won me my games today hands down. 5/5
lukemol
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(1 vote)
If you go red/blue with this guy and Splinter Twin, Lord of Shatterskull Pass may also be a good card to throw in. At the pre-release, leveling him up to 6 the hard way he was a BIG bomb. Splinter Twin on this would have been fantastic with that. For even more fun, throw a Crab Umbra on the teacher too.
Szyx
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Opened two of these at the prelease. Knew exactly what kind of deck to play right then and there. My leveler deck went 8-6. I was pretty happy with it = )
I think this card really isn't that good.. it needs a leveler in play, and it doesn't do anything except help other creatures, aka its not a threat by itself. If you top deck it and have no levelers in play, then its 2/2 for 3 mana. It's sort of a variable card depending on your best and worst case scenario. Obviously a lot better if your deck is heavy leveling related.
coyotemoon722
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(5 votes)
Epic Beard Man ftw
suprflcn
★★★★☆ (5.0/5.0)(31 votes)
I vote Wizards rename this card to Rare Candy.
hugemanatee
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(7 votes)
Gives away 2 gifts to levellers? Looks like he's checked his list twice... ok I couldn't word tha in a clever waym he looks and acts like santa! and pretty cool
jugglingguy
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(3 votes)
@ suprflcn:
you just made my day
StreamHopper
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
He totally reminds me of Orca from the Wind Waker... Oh right, gotta add an opinion here.
I really don't know if I like the leveling system. I hope ROE is the only set that has level up cards. Sick card art, good ability, and he's a COMMON.
remember that this not just puts two level counters on a creature, but on every creature you control. I'm running four! If you can bounce this, it's even better - especially in a deck that focuses on levelers.
dadvk
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
question: each level up creature has a "maximum" level. Can you put more level up counters on it? Say Kabira Vindicator for example can be leveled up to 4, say you cast another venerated teacher, does it get more counters? I just know this will be an issue some day.
n00bmag1
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Use him to chump block with Aether Tradewinds.
Declare the block, then bounce him and an unblocked attacker.
klauth
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Followed Footsteps, if you're planning on running a mono blue with this guy
surewhynot
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Basically if you have a level-up deck without 4 of these in it...you're wasting your time.
Freaking Proliferate. Contagion Engine, and any combination of Planeswalkers, Quests, Ascensions, and critters that like +1/+1 counters. And levelers.
Ok, so I have 4 Lord of Shatterskull Pass. I have Doubling Season, and Contagion Engine, but none of the critters have counters on them yet. Watch the magic as I cast Venerated Teacher, leveling each creature twice! I then activate the engine, putting 2 more counters on each of them, and then doing it again! Bingo, I now have 4 level six Lords. They alll swing.
http404error
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Chiron!
Vogelairborne
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Use with Unsummon to get 4 level counters on all creatures with level-up.
Artscrafter
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
@dadvk: There's nothing stopping you from putting more counters on a level up creature than would be useful. The formatting of the last row on a leveler is shorthand for "As long as this creature has X or more level counters on it..."
Generally this won't be very useful, but it can have certain niche applications. The most relevant one I can think of in Standard would be with Cryptoplasm. If you have it copy a level up creature, you can put level counters on it, and if you have it become a copy of a different creature it will keep those counters. So let's say that because of heavy proliferate and/or Teacher use, you have a Cryptoplasm copying something like Halimar Wavewatch but it has 12 counters on it. If you drop a Transcendant Master and have it live long enough for Cryptoplasm to become a copy of it, it'll become a fully leveled Master.
Just don't try to build a deck around that.
Kryptnyt
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
"Mason, my friend...Tell me...What is left to believe in, when you are betrayed by your own? When all that you are, all that you have done, is buried beneath the lies and the deceit of corrupt men. I will die in this wretched place... The only thing that keeps me alive is the thirst for vengeance. They must be stopped, Mason. Dragovich...Steiner...Kravchenko...ALL MUST die..."
Endomarru
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Yes sensei...
GrimjawxRULES
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Almost forgot how a lot of the good levelers are humans. Interesting now that we've just been done with the Innistrad block.
acolyte_of_night
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Why is this a wizard? I think it should have been Human Advisor instead of wizard.
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This + Training Grounds was the glue that held my leveler deck together, RoE + Scars STD.
Arachnos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I'd go with Followed Footsteps. Although his main usefulness is really the coming into play effect, Footsteps is in the same color.
mattoxian
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Deadeye Navigator and your prerequisite training grounds.
EvilDarkVoid
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The main problem that I have with this guy is that levelers aren't really all that great in a deck together. When every creature you play needs you to pour mana into it to match your opponent's creatures, that's not working out. When you've got one creature which you can pour your mana into to get a really effective (if not efficient) card then its okay; when all of your dudes are crying out for tons of mana you're gonna have a tough time, even with all of the land acceleration Zendikar offers. The Teacher and Training Grounds help to circumvent this, of course, but the problem still exists then and if you don't draw either of them you're in trouble.
OlvynChuru
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@EvilDarkVoid
The main problem that I have with this guy is that levelers make you exile your library.
Comments (45)
Levelers can now see real play o/
Edit: Ouch, Splinter Twin indeed. Nice catch, Tommy9898!
Absurdly high pick in Limited. I'd probably draft this above most of the rares. It's that useful...
you just made my day
Oh right, gotta add an opinion here.
I really don't know if I like the leveling system. I hope ROE is the only set that has level up cards.
Sick card art, good ability, and he's a COMMON.
also for you level up fanatics: this + followed footsteps + doubling season
Declare the block, then bounce him and an unblocked attacker.
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker.
It's Master Roshi!
Freaking Proliferate. Contagion Engine, and any combination of Planeswalkers, Quests, Ascensions, and critters that like +1/+1 counters. And levelers.
Ok, so I have 4 Lord of Shatterskull Pass. I have Doubling Season, and Contagion Engine, but none of the critters have counters on them yet. Watch the magic as I cast Venerated Teacher, leveling each creature twice! I then activate the engine, putting 2 more counters on each of them, and then doing it again! Bingo, I now have 4 level six Lords. They alll swing.
Generally this won't be very useful, but it can have certain niche applications. The most relevant one I can think of in Standard would be with Cryptoplasm. If you have it copy a level up creature, you can put level counters on it, and if you have it become a copy of a different creature it will keep those counters. So let's say that because of heavy proliferate and/or Teacher use, you have a Cryptoplasm copying something like Halimar Wavewatch but it has 12 counters on it. If you drop a Transcendant Master and have it live long enough for Cryptoplasm to become a copy of it, it'll become a fully leveled Master.
Just don't try to build a deck around that.
The main problem that I have with this guy is that levelers make you exile your library.