Its like Razor Boomerang all over again for how bad it is, run for your lifes.
Shikadi
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
it cost less mana for double the damage of razor boomerang... and untappers turn it into a machine gun. with some luck it could be decent for sealed.
JaxsonBateman
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(14 votes)
There're two big differences between this and Razor Boomerang, even in limited:
1. Razor Boomerang only did 1 damage, but more importantly... 2. Scars has infect.
Pinging for 1 damage for 5 mana is almost certainly not worth it, especially as you can't apply abilities like deathtouch, lifelink and infect to the damage. However, 2 damage for 4 mana is very good, especially if you can do it in the form of poison counters or -1/-1 counters.
The drawback isn't too bad at all. I won my prerelease with a GB infect deck, and this card certainly helped with a lot of them. With 2+ infecters on the board, I'd swap the arbalest between them and either give the opponent two poison counters without even attacking, or give a creature two -1/-1 counters (or more, depending on how feasible it was to block them and then ping them, or just ping them and let them through).
This card is repeatable spot removal, colorless, and combos well with infect. There's every chance that it'll end up giving you card advantage, which is always good. I don't think it's getting a fair wrap. I'd say it's probably a 3.5 for limited. Of course, in constructed it's garbage. ^^
ZEvilMustache
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I hate it when they print really expensive and awkward cards that I'll use anyway. Yuck.
Gwafa_Hazid
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Use infinte mana Myr combo to use this as a finisher. Infinite damage, infinite untap, so it's completely reusable and abuseable with those Myr. Sadly, this is actually useful for some strange reason.
Doom_Lich
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(4 votes)
Wow, whoever came up with Solition, my inner Johnny thanks you. This seemed rediculous, overcosted, and overraritied.
Solition makes this thing into a shotgun. If only for that, I might play it if I grab it in sealed.
EDIT: I ended up playing infect in the prerelease yesterday, and actually ended up putting this in over a copper myr. Why? Because my two Copperhorn Elf cards could untap my cheap infecters who were just blasting in damage after damage.
So let me get this straight... I need creatures. Unlike other equipment, to keep using this, I need not one creature, but two. If my opponent kills off just one, so that I'm left with one, this artifact renders my own creature totally useless.
Even once I have two creatures for this, those creatures must suck at attacking. Otherwise I'd attack. They must also suck at blocking, otherwise I'd hate the "don't untap" clause on the equipment. They must also have no relevant tap abilities, otherwise I'd use those. AND they must be somewhat durable, since if they die constantly, I'd waste each time the four mana to equip.
Now, why would I put creatures in my deck that suck at attacking, suck at blocking, and have no relevant tap abilities?
And in addition to all these drawbacks, the first shock costs me SEVEN mana, and every other shock four additional mana. Unless my creatures get killed or something, at which points it gets far more expensive.
:|
SorianSadaskan
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Only Soliton knows how to use it like a professional.
Hey I know I'm stealing StratoScythe's idea, but whatelse can I say?
HanZzz
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
In limited this card isn't all that bad. With enough mana you can use it more than once a turn, if you have more than one creature. Also this works well with the common Soliton.
With Rings of Brighthearth this becomes very cool. Sure theres better tagets for Rings. On creatures with vigilance its nifty, attack and twang same turn. Anything that untaps itself, or has a cheap buddy to untap it. All my decks id put this in already have lots of untap. And can use doublestrike, "when this creature damages a.." bonuses, lifelink, infect, wither, yada yada.
JaFaR_Ironclad
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
very good creature suppression in infect decks, especially in limited; shut down their blockers with a low-power infect creature before sending your Putrefax or Skithy across the line.
Also silly with accorder's shield in equipment metalcraft.
Stray_Dog
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Its more like a repeating crossbow if you can get it working :P
metalevolence
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Stronger in Scars than it would be in most sets, but they still took the nerfing too far. This is one clunky sonofabitch.
MrQuizzles
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Put it on a Horseshoe Crab. Inflict infinite embarrassment.
Luke_BPC
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This thing is underrated. Razor Boomerang was way overcosted, but if this was cheaper it would be scary. I did pull out the Soliton combo on the release draft, and this thing turned it into a double reusable Fireball.
hmm...maybe if we got some more artifact infect creatures, this and voltaic key could make a nice combo. Definitely need infect to make this worth it.
SleetFox
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This thing is much better than Razor Boomerang. That card had practically no upsides, whereas this is very potent with Soliton. Even without abusing it, this has a better damage/mana ratio than that awful boomerang.
Plungingforward
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Kithkins & Crossbows is good, casual fun ... just add Patrol Signaler.
Nayban
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This + 2 Myr Galvanizer's + 2 Mana producing Myr. I shouldnt have to explain that any further.
yesnomu
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Slow as hell, but still effective. This and Glint Hawk Idol sounds more like a bad joke than a combo, but it gave my friend's infect deck hell in our draft. Obviously only good in Limited, but much better than you'd think there.
justicarphaeton
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Pierluigi Aceto won GP Florence with this card in an infect deck. It's trash in constructed but pretty okay in limited, especially if you have Soliton or infectors.
ROBRAM89
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
They might as well have given it the Phyrexian watermark.
Nighthawk42
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Decent in limited format, especially with Soliton and both typically draft fairly late.
lordtian
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
has anyone thought about equipping this thing on the opponent's monsters? For example, keeping an Emrakul tapped will probably save you from losing a game.
Granted, blue has a crappy card, paralyzing grasp, i think that does the same thing for 3 mana, and journey to nowhere or even pacifism virtually outclass it for every purpose. The 7 mana cost is indeed quite steep.
However, this card is reusable for just 4 mana and thus could theoretically give a ramped up deck a card advantage. This combined with the fact that it does combo well with infect should probably prevent it from being terribad.
when used with 2 myr galvanizer & palladium myr, it can do infinite damage to player or creatures. an alternative to using the infinite mana combo with fireball
- Tap Myr A w/ Heavy Arbalest for 2 damage at player. - Tap Myr B for 1 mana. - Pay 1 mana and tap Galvanizer A to untap Myr A and Myr B. - Rinse and repeat, alternating Galvanizers. Oh looky here, you just wiped out every single opponent in a multiplayer if I'm not mistaken.
I can imagine it would be tricky to actually get this combo out on the battlefield, but I'm going to try it anyway with some blue control as a fun, casual deck.
NIckza
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Want to play this in a standard environment, make a U/G infect deck, use brass squire and infect dudes like blight mamba and ichor myr. free swaps.....
highdesertvike
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
This just became a light Arbalest with the introduction of Puresteel Paladin.
RxPhantom
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I'm considering running this in my Puresteel Paladindeck. Using the Paladin's free equip ability is what normally allows my Mortarpod to finish my opponent by sacrificing each of my creatures to deal 1 damage. However, if I can get them to deal 3 damage by using the Arbalest, then sac to the Mortarpod, the game gets a lot quicker. Throw in some tokens from Kemba, Kha Regent or Hero of Bladehold, and you're really in business.
Adallace
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Becomes more usable with Unwinding Clock when equipped to an artifact creature.
Cloudchaser.Kestrel
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I agree this card is horrible unless you build your deck around it - whereupon it becomes epic. Late in the game you often have mana left over and creatures to spare, this card really comes alive then as well.
I use it in a standard infinite combo deck - with midnight guard and three fiend hunters It's preferable to Wolfhunter's quiver because before I get my combo it pings for twice the damage and I can usually get a creature into play every turn.
Imprint the gem and the 'ton onto the equipped myr and gun everything down.
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It would be nearly impossible to succeed with this thing in competitive constructed, with all the sword of X and Y, that are cheaper mana wise and x10 more powerful.
Comments (43)
and untappers turn it into a machine gun. with some luck it could be decent for sealed.
1. Razor Boomerang only did 1 damage, but more importantly...
2. Scars has infect.
Pinging for 1 damage for 5 mana is almost certainly not worth it, especially as you can't apply abilities like deathtouch, lifelink and infect to the damage. However, 2 damage for 4 mana is very good, especially if you can do it in the form of poison counters or -1/-1 counters.
The drawback isn't too bad at all. I won my prerelease with a GB infect deck, and this card certainly helped with a lot of them. With 2+ infecters on the board, I'd swap the arbalest between them and either give the opponent two poison counters without even attacking, or give a creature two -1/-1 counters (or more, depending on how feasible it was to block them and then ping them, or just ping them and let them through).
This card is repeatable spot removal, colorless, and combos well with infect. There's every chance that it'll end up giving you card advantage, which is always good. I don't think it's getting a fair wrap. I'd say it's probably a 3.5 for limited. Of course, in constructed it's garbage. ^^
Solition makes this thing into a shotgun. If only for that, I might play it if I grab it in sealed.
EDIT: I ended up playing infect in the prerelease yesterday, and actually ended up putting this in over a copper myr. Why? Because my two Copperhorn Elf cards could untap my cheap infecters who were just blasting in damage after damage.
I need creatures. Unlike other equipment, to keep using this, I need not one creature, but two. If my opponent kills off just one, so that I'm left with one, this artifact renders my own creature totally useless.
Even once I have two creatures for this, those creatures must suck at attacking. Otherwise I'd attack. They must also suck at blocking, otherwise I'd hate the "don't untap" clause on the equipment. They must also have no relevant tap abilities, otherwise I'd use those. AND they must be somewhat durable, since if they die constantly, I'd waste each time the four mana to equip.
Now, why would I put creatures in my deck that suck at attacking, suck at blocking, and have no relevant tap abilities?
And in addition to all these drawbacks, the first shock costs me SEVEN mana, and every other shock four additional mana. Unless my creatures get killed or something, at which points it gets far more expensive.
:|
Hey I know I'm stealing StratoScythe's idea, but whatelse can I say?
Also silly with accorder's shield in equipment metalcraft.
Inflict infinite embarrassment.
Granted, blue has a crappy card, paralyzing grasp, i think that does the same thing for 3 mana, and journey to nowhere or even pacifism virtually outclass it for every purpose. The 7 mana cost is indeed quite steep.
However, this card is reusable for just 4 mana and thus could theoretically give a ramped up deck a card advantage. This combined with the fact that it does combo well with infect should probably prevent it from being terribad.
Roger. Equipping to Soliton.
2 x Myr Galvanizer
2 x Mana Myr (Copper Myr, Iron Myr, etc)
Now slap this Heavy Arbalest on one of those Mana Myr.
- Tap Myr A w/ Heavy Arbalest for 2 damage at player.
- Tap Myr B for 1 mana.
- Pay 1 mana and tap Galvanizer A to untap Myr A and Myr B.
- Rinse and repeat, alternating Galvanizers.
Oh looky here, you just wiped out every single opponent in a multiplayer if I'm not mistaken.
And hey, that Platinum Emperion getting you down?
Slap that Arbalest on your Plague Myr/Ichorclaw Myr instead!
I can imagine it would be tricky to actually get this combo out on the battlefield, but I'm going to try it anyway with some blue control as a fun, casual deck.
I use it in a standard infinite combo deck - with midnight guard and three fiend hunters It's preferable to Wolfhunter's quiver because before I get my combo it pings for twice the damage and I can usually get a creature into play every turn.
Myr Welder
Khalni Gem
Soliton
Imprint the gem and the 'ton onto the equipped myr and gun everything down.
But this thing reminds me of
Heavy Ballista