This is one of my all time favorite cards from Masques. A sometimes unblockable, tap to disable your opponent's strongest creature, is amazing for four mana. As versatile as it is, it pulls its weight in almost any blue deck.
majinara
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Hmmm, I like Somnophore more. It's also a blue 2/2 for 4 mana with evasion that can tap creatures. But in contrast to the squid, the Somnophore can keep attacking for damage, and tap several creatures at once.
Kirbster
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(5 votes)
I think the tapped creature would drown, eventually. Like with Giant Clam.
fissionessence
★★★☆☆ (3.1/5.0)(7 votes)
Andrew's Occasional Random Card of the Day #6 - 7/2/2011 - Sand Squid
Sometimes a top-down design goes a couple different directions, resulting in a flavorful card with awkward game play. Often, this awkward game play is known as 'tension', but I think there's a fine line between the two . . . and I think Sand Squid is a little further into the realm of awkward. Four mana for a 2/2 unblockable isn't particularly exciting, especially since it's not guaranteed to even be unblockable. Islandwalk, arggh. Alternatively, you can use it to lock down an opposing creature. Four mana for removal in the form of a vulnerable creature isn't especially good, although it is blue, so it's close. Still, though, the two options you have with this card make it 'versatile', but awkward. Essentially, pick what you want the slot in your deck to do, and find a better card. But it definitely feels like a sand squid! (Especially with its Oracle creature type update!)
On a side note, Mercadian Masques is an interesting set for me. When I started playing Magic, Nemesis was the newest expansion, so Masques just missed out on holding a lot of nostalgia for me. Still, there is a little sentimentality in it for me, so even though I hadn't been really familiar with Sand Squid before I clicked the 'Random Card' link a few minutes ago, its expansion symbol and top-down design still resonate with me more than my initial Spikey arguments might suggest.
Comments (5)
It's also a blue 2/2 for 4 mana with evasion that can tap creatures. But in contrast to the squid, the Somnophore can keep attacking for damage, and tap several creatures at once.
Sometimes a top-down design goes a couple different directions, resulting in a flavorful card with awkward game play. Often, this awkward game play is known as 'tension', but I think there's a fine line between the two . . . and I think Sand Squid is a little further into the realm of awkward. Four mana for a 2/2 unblockable isn't particularly exciting, especially since it's not guaranteed to even be unblockable. Islandwalk, arggh. Alternatively, you can use it to lock down an opposing creature. Four mana for removal in the form of a vulnerable creature isn't especially good, although it is blue, so it's close. Still, though, the two options you have with this card make it 'versatile', but awkward. Essentially, pick what you want the slot in your deck to do, and find a better card. But it definitely feels like a sand squid! (Especially with its Oracle creature type update!)
On a side note, Mercadian Masques is an interesting set for me. When I started playing Magic, Nemesis was the newest expansion, so Masques just missed out on holding a lot of nostalgia for me. Still, there is a little sentimentality in it for me, so even though I hadn't been really familiar with Sand Squid before I clicked the 'Random Card' link a few minutes ago, its expansion symbol and top-down design still resonate with me more than my initial Spikey arguments might suggest.
5/5