How is this an improvement to Soul Warden? (learn to autocard) On this one, the ability is a may effect, not mandatory. That means I am no longer obligated to remind my opponent that they gain life. ( happens allllll the time.) Also, yeahhh MORE clicking on MTGO :\
The new and improved Soul Warden. Swarm decks everywhere say YAY!
Tanaka348
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(5 votes)
Technically strictly better than Soul Warden in that there may be times when gaining a life is a bad thing, but in effect a bit worse because you'll probably forget more often than gaining a life is a bad thing. Still, they use may in these situations so forgetting doesn't end up being a severe failure to maintain game state penalty.
sir_dwar
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(4 votes)
An... iffy card. While gaining life can be bad at times, noone likes forgetting this card and missing the trigger.
As a side note, I finally realised that Soul Warden's effect was mandatory, not a "may" ability like I always thought.
majinara
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.7/5.0)(3 votes)
Worse than soul warden. I didn't even like soul warden. And actually I don't like lifegain in general. If a lifegain effect is part of a card I'd play anyway even without it, then yes. But not on a 1/1 dork.
Sacrier
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
this and soul warden in standard is just another reason why eldrazi won't be in standard.
True_Mumin
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(5 votes)
So now you can pretty much have TWELVE of these in a deck. I don't understand why they decided to print this. Maybe its purpose was to make white as a color even more obnoxious than it already was. Or maybe they were fresh out of ideas, whatever.
SleetFox
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
She is better than Soul Warden, not worse. Assuming you don't forget (your fault, not hers), it's good to be able to opt out of life gain, particularly if you want an infinite life combo and all the other components are mandatory, which would have caused the game to be a draw with Soul Warden.
Spideredd
★☆☆☆☆ (1.2/5.0)(2 votes)
New Soul Warden? Bah! Just remember that a life total is only a number.
For all the hum-ho over this being better than Soul Warden, who ever actually acts on their threats of playing Rain of Gore? Incidentally, the flavor text of this card is as interesting to me as the card. For that reason, I'd probably play 2 of each if ever I wanted this effect in a deck that wasn't green. Actually, looking at the flavor text of the Warden, the difference in effect is very flavorful. The Warden diligently watches the battlefield, making sure no soul is left unnoticed. The Attendant, in her grief, often is lax in her duties. After all, in the face of the Eldrazi, do her actions even matter? Very interesting.
I put this in a deck based around making saprolings and ended up with 127 life.
channelblaze
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
It's worse, since you might actually forget to gain life, as opposed to the warden. And seriously, who casts false cure to make you lose 1 life?
Killgasm87
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I gained to 810 in my life gain deck. this will help and warden will too with cradle of vitality and the avatar creature token equal to life total i swung for 768
Omenchild
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
I wouldn't say this card is strictly better, because no card is ever strictly better. How about Mindslaver? You're opponent chooses that you do not gain life. And obviously, you can forget it if it says may.
Kryptnyt
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Ok, I have a question for any judges... about the "you may" effect. Do I need to announce that I'm gaining one life immediately whenever a creature comes into play? Or move my life dice or whatever? or can I save that till the end of my turn or something? Or say "assume that I'm going to gain the life every time unless I say otherwise" would that work? My playgroup is becoming a pain in the kookus about this stuff. And if that is truly the case Soul Warden is a lot better, IMO.
CeremonialBathory
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
@Kryptnyt - You have to announce it before resolution, at least. So let's say you've got her in play and you play a creature with a Ajani's Pridemate on the field. If you swing in with the Pridemate you can't say "Oh, I gained a life for this creature I played so I'm actually swinging for three," because you'd be too late. (This is because the ability would resolve during the main phase you cast it, and attacking means you've entered the combat phase) Now, had you done that with a Soul Warden, you'd be able to do that. If you're playing casual and tend to forget things, then you should probably go with the Warden. While, technically, the Attendant is better there really aren't that many scenarios in which you would not want the life.
However, you cannot say "assume I'm going to gain the life unless I say otherwise," since doing so removes the memory and skill portions of the game. I'm not a judge, though, so take whatever I say with a grain of salt.
feeble2002
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(3 votes)
They reprinted Soul Warden under another name, again! Strictly worse than Soul Warden. Very, very strictly worse. I think WoC is running out of ideas for cards. But still a good card;)
IXOYEfreak
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
do creature tokens count as creatures for the purpose of this card?
badmallocx
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Strictly more annoying to play online than Soul Warden. YES, i want to use this ability, YES, YES, YES...
Strictly more amazing flavor text than Soul Warden.
LordRandomness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card makes me so sad.
RunedServitor
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Actually, technically, now you can forget to gain life and not gain the life with this card; it's called a missed trigger and was instigated to stop people retroactively taking actions with cards like this.
@Swag_Crow: It's amazing how a person can be so well-spoken (see Counterspell) and yet still devote their time to acting like a moron. I'm not sure if that's admirable or detestable, but good job in making me so confused.
Comments (30)
As a side note, I finally realised that Soul Warden's effect was mandatory, not a "may" ability like I always thought.
Bah!
Just remember that a life total is only a number.
Incidentally, the flavor text of this card is as interesting to me as the card. For that reason, I'd probably play 2 of each if ever I wanted this effect in a deck that wasn't green.
Actually, looking at the flavor text of the Warden, the difference in effect is very flavorful. The Warden diligently watches the battlefield, making sure no soul is left unnoticed. The Attendant, in her grief, often is lax in her duties. After all, in the face of the Eldrazi, do her actions even matter?
Very interesting.
Don't forget Auriok Champion!
Do I need to announce that I'm gaining one life immediately whenever a creature comes into play? Or move my life dice or whatever? or can I save that till the end of my turn or something? Or say "assume that I'm going to gain the life every time unless I say otherwise" would that work? My playgroup is becoming a pain in the kookus about this stuff. And if that is truly the case Soul Warden is a lot better, IMO.
However, you cannot say "assume I'm going to gain the life unless I say otherwise," since doing so removes the memory and skill portions of the game. I'm not a judge, though, so take whatever I say with a grain of salt.
-Swag_Crow