mutantman, the double-red likely comes from the fact that Granite Grip costs and does the same without providing first strike. Although simply printing an Aura superior to Granite Grip wouldn't have been a bad idea though. Afterall that one is a strictly worse red version of Blanchwood Armor.
Dingo777
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(3 votes)
this is an awesome card, have my playset already, it is an armored ascention in red, first strike intead of flying, but FS is better some times as on a vigilant guy, this is a smack in the face
VirtueVsVice
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(4 votes)
Makes a lot of cards invincible to all but creature removal in constructed. Too bad there's a lot of creature removal out there in today's constructed...
demoninabottle
★★☆☆☆ (2.2/5.0)(3 votes)
Frankly this card is powerful, and despite the slightly elevated mana cost is just a beefier Firebreathing that you don't need to boost each turn
arcology
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
very underrated and good enchantment. This is better than blanchwood armor if your opponent isn't playing red. If they are, it's only worse if they have a burn spell that blanchwood(for mountains) would sufficiently protect against. That's not often!
mdakw576
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(3 votes)
like all auras, you get 2-for-1'd too easily. It's a decent offensive buff, but honestly you're better off running another creature in place of this.
Good pick in limited though since there's less removal out there to worry about.
Cheza
★★★☆☆ (3.3/5.0)(3 votes)
>>> Afterall that one is a strictly worse red version of Blanchwood Armor.>> like all auras, you get 2-for-1'd too easily. It's a decent offensive buff, but honestly you're better off running another creature in place of this. <<< Well you might be right for normal constructed play, but this doesn't represent the whole magic community. Of course I could say, it's stupidly easy to build a constructed deck. I run a R/G singleton deck using the fasted creatures I can get and Giant Growth like effects and Burn for the rest. I even use the talons and other aura cards, just because equipments are too slow. So before I enchant a creature, my opponent should be low on lifepoints. He won't hold back mana, if he is attacked by several 2/2 creatures and rather play creatures on his own. But that's the deal. He plays a creature for cmc 4, I attack with a cmc 1 creature and pump it. So the result is, I've lost a pump card, he has lost a cmc 4 card. So the same works quite fine with auras, because it's unlikely that a 100 card deck contains mostly disruption spells like standard decks do. So a Dryad Sophisticate with a branchwood armor doesn't give you much time to topdeck an answer.
Putting a branchwood armor or this card on a Silhana Ledgewalker might not be the best combo out there, but it can be annoying... even against red. Therefore red might have some problems with the appropriate type 2 creatures by now, but it doesn't mean this spell is a bad card.
Lord_AndraK
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
For a Common this card isnt bad, well i think its awesome actually.
First strike with huge power you have a hard to kill creature.
Playing with red means youll have plenty of burn to kill anoying other firststrikers any way.
The Final point is equip a magebane armor to it and SURPRISE! cant be killed except by combat and gets a good def bonus to, only a uber creature could take it down or a few specific spells.
PS
im currently using this as a intresting idea and it works great.
littlebeast
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Lots of fun with Mordant Dragon, especially if your opponent lacks flying. Nuke a creature BEFORE normal combat damage, plus a hefty chunk out of their life total!
Other creatures I like putting it on: Goblin Grappler, Thunderblust (after persist), or anything with evasion.
RowanKeltizar
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Always pleased when I draw this. Just an awesome beat down card. Combos well with Hateflayer and the like. Also, it makes logical sense with pretty much any creature card, which I like (even though it has no practical effect during the game) unlike equipping a wurm with a sword, which has no arms!
aba1
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Personally i find this card to be fantastic with goblins
theillustriousc2
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(4 votes)
Personally I really like it in tandem with Earth Servant. It's so unlike red that no one sees it coming, ever. I love it!
Sironos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@demoninabottle
This is by no means "just a beefier firebreathing that you don't need to boost each turn", it grants FIRST STRIKE, meaning that combined with the increase in damage, your creature will rip all but the most powerful adversaries to shreds WITHOUT DYING.
This is the bane of green, their pumps not being able to keep up, their lack of removal really becoming a disadvantage, and their death touch not being able to get damage in.
Try putting this on a shivan dragon, oh yeah, when naturally pumped, it can take down emrakul without dying itself.
In a mono red, all basic lands, this is a killer, no doubt about it. Prepare to have your creature targeted right after this is played though, it's highly vulnerable to removal 2for1, especially in multiplayer.
count_dorku
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I have learned to loathe this enchantment. It's a huge pain in the backside to play against, especially when stuck on something flying.
DacenOctavio
★☆☆☆☆ (1.5/5.0)(1 vote)
@Lord_AndraK:
Magebane Armor merely prevents noncombat damage from being dealt to the equipped creature. For the sake of argument, it does not render the equipped creature impervious do the (debatably) most common creature removal spell in the game: Doom Blade.
We have tons of these 2 mana killers running around these days at instant speed, and that's often enough for us to leave auras like this card in the binder. The basic idea behind auras is that you play more cards to make one creature last you the game; in practice you lose precious card slots to a card that can't be used without a creature to enchant and once the enchanted creature (or creature that's about to be enchanted) is gone, you lose the aura. Most players run equipment instead.
land_comment
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I put this in a deck with a Koth + lots of Ornithopters.
Yet another overpowered Worldwake card!
Edit:
Nice, guys! Magebane armor ramps this!
TwoStars
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I play 4 of these in my B/R infect deck (don't ask why :P).
Very, very useful and can turn the tide of the game in a hurry.
definitely a 4 out of 5.
MindAblaze
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Just put it on a support guy, then they have to choose whether to waste removal on a chump who keeps growing bigger, or use it on the card made to be the threat. Win/win
Manite
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Why was this not included in Venser vs. Koth? With Koth's focus on Mountains, I'd think it would have fit perfectly.
Comments (23)
Good pick in limited though since there's less removal out there to worry about.
Well you might be right for normal constructed play, but this doesn't represent the whole magic community. Of course I could say, it's stupidly easy to build a constructed deck. I run a R/G singleton deck using the fasted creatures I can get and Giant Growth like effects and Burn for the rest. I even use the talons and other aura cards, just because equipments are too slow. So before I enchant a creature, my opponent should be low on lifepoints. He won't hold back mana, if he is attacked by several 2/2 creatures and rather play creatures on his own. But that's the deal. He plays a creature for cmc 4, I attack with a cmc 1 creature and pump it. So the result is, I've lost a pump card, he has lost a cmc 4 card. So the same works quite fine with auras, because it's unlikely that a 100 card deck contains mostly disruption spells like standard decks do. So a Dryad Sophisticate with a branchwood armor doesn't give you much time to topdeck an answer.
Putting a branchwood armor or this card on a Silhana Ledgewalker might not be the best combo out there, but it can be annoying... even against red. Therefore red might have some problems with the appropriate type 2 creatures by now, but it doesn't mean this spell is a bad card.
First strike with huge power you have a hard to kill creature.
Playing with red means youll have plenty of burn to kill anoying other firststrikers any way.
The Final point is equip a magebane armor to it and SURPRISE! cant be killed except by combat and gets a good def bonus to, only a uber creature could take it down or a few specific spells.
PS
im currently using this as a intresting idea and it works great.
Other creatures I like putting it on: Goblin Grappler, Thunderblust (after persist), or anything with evasion.
@demoninabottle
This is by no means "just a beefier firebreathing that you don't need to boost each turn", it grants FIRST STRIKE, meaning that combined with the increase in damage, your creature will rip all but the most powerful adversaries to shreds WITHOUT DYING.
This is the bane of green, their pumps not being able to keep up, their lack of removal really becoming a disadvantage, and their death touch not being able to get damage in.
Try putting this on a shivan dragon, oh yeah, when naturally pumped, it can take down emrakul without dying itself.
In a mono red, all basic lands, this is a killer, no doubt about it. Prepare to have your creature targeted right after this is played though, it's highly vulnerable to removal 2for1, especially in multiplayer.
Magebane Armor merely prevents noncombat damage from being dealt to the equipped creature. For the sake of argument, it does not render the equipped creature impervious do the (debatably) most common creature removal spell in the game: Doom Blade.
We have tons of these 2 mana killers running around these days at instant speed, and that's often enough for us to leave auras like this card in the binder. The basic idea behind auras is that you play more cards to make one creature last you the game; in practice you lose precious card slots to a card that can't be used without a creature to enchant and once the enchanted creature (or creature that's about to be enchanted) is gone, you lose the aura. Most players run equipment instead.
Yet another overpowered Worldwake card!
Edit:
Nice, guys! Magebane armor ramps this!
Very, very useful and can turn the tide of the game in a hurry.
definitely a 4 out of 5.