Pointed Discussion

"nou"

Can I combo this with Training Grounds and spend 1 to prevent 3 damage?

Expensive but cool.

It's a 7/7 flier for 7CMC. It is tied with Woolly Razorback and Iona, Shield of Emeria for whites second most powerful card. Losing out only to Akron Legionnaire. And let's face it, that guy just sucks. The ability is icing.

Anything that smashes Baneslayer Angel's face in deserves five stars from me. I bought four last night.

YES! DEATH TO BANESLAYER.

Trying to decide whether to put this in my Angel deck, he's a big flyer so I think it counts XD

@Lotonoro
yes you can. Just like how you can pretty much use Training Grounds with Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief for a free -0/-2 and +2/+0.
I would love to see this out early game, but I guess turn 5 will do.

@magog360:
You can't use Training Grounds to reduce the cose of an ability which has a cost of X. Just like you can't use Ruby Medallion to automatically add one extra point of damage to a Fireball, you can't use Training Grounds to prevent two damage for one mana.

@UNBAN_SHAHRAZAD: actually, Ruby Medallion works with Fireball, since it (like other cost reducers) applies to the total mana cost, which includes the number chosen for X.

As an example, you control 6 untapped lands and a Ruby Medallion, and are about to throw a Fireball at your opponent's smug face. You announce X as 6, making the total mana cost {6}{R}, which is then reduced to {5}{R} by the medallion. Finally, you tap your 6 untapped lands and pay the now reduced cost, turning that smug look into a frown.

The same thing is true with Training Grounds, except you cannot reduce the cost below {1} (Though you may still choose to redirect only 1 or 2 damage, it'll still cost {1}, just like redirecting 3 damage)

I really like his ability because it doesn't need a tap so you can play it in bursts, works especially well with training grounds, pay 5 to block 15 damage.

This card hurts my brain.
First off, the good points. If someone EVER tries to kill it, you can pay X in response, giving you a shield for the rest of the turn.

Now the confusing part. Obviously the most common use will be vs combat damage. But combat damage doesn't use the stack. Normally when a step that doesn't use the stack has one created, nothing progresses until it has resolved. It also allows players a chance to play instants and abilities that they wouldn't otherwise have.
So... you pay X, combat dmg assigned, combat dmg dealt, this triggers, you and opponent may now sac creatures that would otherwise die from said combat damage.

I pulled one of these at prerelease. Nice enough card, pity it couldn't protect itself from the fireball it took to the face.

I really want to use one of these to pull the old Final Fantasy Reflect trick; zap myself with something, use the Archon to prevent the damage, and shunt it to my opponent. Just because I could.

It says "if damage is prevented this way", not, "if that much damage is prevented this way". That means, I think, that I can have X = 7, prevent 1 damage, but deal 7 damage back to my opponent. Nice!

@Azazyel: That's not right, it deals as much damage as you've prevented by paying X. It says that pretty clearly on the card. The two instances of the word damage in the second sentence of the ability refer to the same amount of damage.

If it was the way you think, it would say: prevent X damage, deal X damage to target player.

It only deals the amount of damage that was actually prevented.

5 stars for the art:

It's a Spartan on flying Lion for god's sake!

yay I love archons they have such cool abilty and such cool art!

Cool for casual and I always enjoy the odd archon =)

I like the Glarecaster more than this.

Ah its to expensive,all thats bad at ability is that he cant prevent damege you would deal to him.
so noone will attack evreyone will wait for enought damege spells to kill it (or remove ,or kill cards)
So for me it isnt so good. all u need to do it play some burning spell.

the point is his ability will be pretty usles:do you expect ur opponent todamege u when he knows u will do it back to him?
they will just kill it fast and game goes on .

Great, great card for limited. Quite expensive, but the second biggest flier, and arguably better than the biggest (Demon of Death's Gate) - the redirection shield is almost certainly better than trample and 2 power and toughness. Your opponent pretty much needs to destroy, counter, exile or condemn this card. If you're able to easily get it back or still use its ability (ie. Unsummon, Excommunicate, Pacifism etc.) you'll still be in a very strong ability. The prevention shield is insane. It's like turbofog that does a fair amount of damage itself. Given that you're bound to have 7 mana available at that point, your opponent is going to have to do one heck of an alpha strike to actually kill you; if they don't do it in one go they'll likely die to the damage redirection.

@Psyklone: what on Earth are you talking about? All five steps in the combat phase (beginning of combat, declare attackers, declare blockers, combat damage, end of combat) give players the chance to cast spells and activate abilities. This changes nothing. The last time you can activate the Archon's ability and have it affect combat damage is in the declare blockers step; neither player receives priority before combat damage is assigned and dealt in the combat damage step (unless first strike and normal damage are both involved; if that's the case you could activate the shield after the first strike damage but before the normal damage). The damage redirection part of the ability also doesn't use the stack (see the Gatherer rulings); only setting up the prevention shield uses the stack.

Glarecaster 2.0.

Although it's not great, it's pretty awesome in limited (7/7 flyer for 7=good, strong enough effect=good).

I agree, training grounds would be fun.

the ability could have better seeing as "prevent damage" is fairly easy overcome by not attacking - but 7/7 for 7 mana is not bad, actually.

Also +1 for the awesome art. I like it even more than Archon of Justice and Archon of Redemption.

Wow, must be my favorite card of all time. The damage prevention ability is really helpful, as well as devastating for the opponent.

Great for EDH. Even if they have rendered their general untargettable, you can still redirect its damage because the effect doesn't target the creature, it targets you.

As far as I can tell, this does combo with Training Grounds. If you choose 3 for X, you only need to pay {1}. You can then activate it again for additional damage prevention if needed.

I guess Baneslayer has warped everything, but I consider a 7/7 flyer for 7 CMC without any drawbacks in white to be really, really awesome. Not to mention is has an awesome ability!

I love it! Also have a foil, really pretty.

This card is a lot of fun. It can go in many different types of decks and be an offensive and defensive nightmare.
That would be enough but it works with lots of combos: Pyrohemia, Spiteful Visions, etc.
This and manabarbs gives all your lands: : do one damage to target player

Compare to Purity. Would you rather gain life or do damage? Free is better than not free, but this protects from combat damage too.

stop hitting yourself. stop hitting yourself. stop hitting yourself.

ah; 4 am sure is the pinnacle of wit...

A way to pass on MY Dingus damage to YOU for X? Sign me up for a play set.

Massively underrated and underplayed in EDH. Especially with the new legend rules ruining the ability to kill generals via clone, this card becomes more valuable against hexproof monstrosities. If you can pay 7 for him, you can likely prevent all of the damage their general deals. Plus while they're tapped out and hurting, you can swing with a creature that only Avacyn, Angel of Hope and a select few other cards can block easily.

He doesn't need to tap, so even while he beats face with his ultra-efficient body (for white anyways.) you're still protected. 5/5, should see more play.

I'm surprised no one's mentioned Gisela, Blade of Goldnight yet.