This is one of my FAVORITE cards ever Uncle Istvan for the win!!!
Aaron_Forsythe
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(60 votes)
Aaron's Random Card Comment of the Day #23, 10/27/10
I included Uncle Istvan on the Time Spiral “timeshifted” sheet because he’s so off-kilter, out of the color pie, and abnormal creatively that he’s memorable--a reminder of how odd some cards were all those years ago. The people that put him in Fourth Edition, I believe, did so because they thought he was a good, representative card that should be an ongoing part of Magic. Sheesh.
Things that are wrong with this card:
1) He’s named like a unique character but isn’t legendary. That sin is forgivable in pre-Legends sets, like with Arabian Nights’ Ali Baba and King Suleiman, but not here. The Dark came after Legends, yet pretends it doesn’t exist.
2) He’s named like a unique character but isn’t rare.
3) He’s an insane dude holding a bloody axe and he’s 1/3.
4) He’s a very black creature with a very white ability. That ability kind of made sense on Wall of Shadows in Legends, but not here.
My guess is that the people putting together Fourth Edition included Uncle Istvan because, “Hey, he’s Uncle Istvan! Everyone loves Uncle Istvan! Oh, man, he’s awesome!” I’ll admit to liking this card when I first saw it, too, and I know people are going to tell me how much they love(d) this weirdo, but I don’t think cards like this are great for the game.
People latch on to outliers because they’re outliers (see: Squirrels, Beebles). I’m okay with outliers as long as they make even a bit of sense. But ideally people’s favorite cards--the ones they talk about and show their friends--are ones that accurately represent the game, stuff like Serra Angel or Sarkhan the Mad. Now that’s a crazy dude I can get behind.
CardboardElemental
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(10 votes)
Aaron, you're right that Uncle Istvan makes zero sense from a modern design or color pie perspective. But please don't discount the joy of oddballs like this guy, provided they can be made to fit the current MTG standards. Let's see more "Uncles", Norritts, Phelddagrifs, etc. pop up from time to time, they're memorable as hell, especially if you have a certain sense of humor. I started playing MTG w/Ice Age & 4th Edition, and "Summon Uncle Istvan" never failed to crack me up. I'd play him in decks even though he sorta sucked as an actual creature. Props for including him on the timeshifted sheet, btw.
ChibiUnunnilium
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(6 votes)
Personally, I loved squirrels back during Odyssey block, when they were everywhere. I think they're just fun!
This guy, though. Fun flavor, kinda boring card.
theScion
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(10 votes)
It makes me sad to hear the innovator of the current Core set thrust (bringing the "magic" back to Magic) doesn't like cards like Uncle Istvan. No, that's not what makes me sad. What makes me sad is that Aaron doesn't like him therefore does not learn why people *still* like Uncle. If he did, I call him out to prove it by making a card that does what Uncle does better. Not power-wise, or ability-wise, but instead captures the essence of 'outliers' and gives us a card that's memorable for being wacky in 15 years. It hasn't happened since maybe Time Spiral (I'm looking at you, Norin) so what makes me sad is that this lesson has yet to be learned fully and utilized.
There are a lot of things wrong with this card. There are a lot of things wrong with cards from The Dark in general (and Legends, for that matter), but these oddballs are highly sought after and make great stories. I understand the logic of the criticisms of this card, but honestly I'd learn *why* people latch onto this card so much before throwing it on the tar fire.
The Core Sets bring a lot of fun back into magic for me. I started playing in Revised due to this magic, and I know Aaron's drive for the new Core Set design was to bring that back. I'd take lessons from this and throw in more outliers in sets. Prove that one understands why these outliers were so much fun and so memorable 15 years later.
P.S. - he's not legendary because everyone has a crazy uncle. :)
Magnor_Criol
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(7 votes)
First, @theScion - crazy uncle, love it. =)
Second, theScion, CardboardElemental - I don't think you guys are reading Aaron's comments closely enough. He's not discounting the joy of oddballs like Istvan. He does understand why people like them. He even says he himself has liked this card. And he chose to include it on the timeshifted sheet, after all.
He's certainly not saying that he doesn't want any outliers, that he'll be squelching any oddballs in future sets. (He's also not saying he won't do that...but it's incorrect to read his comments as saying that's what he's going to do.)
His point is that in spite of the joy of oddballs, this guy isn't good for the game. It misrepresents the game in ways he thinks don't need to be misrepresented. Oddballs like, for instance, Norin the Wary are probably - and I'm making an assumption here, and apologize to Mr. Forsythe if I'm misrepresenting him - Norin is probably okay with him, because it's a fun, memory-making oddball that still represents Magic. To talk about that more probably digresses too far from talking about this card to justify here...but the point is, don't crucify Aaron because he dared to dislike a off-kilter, design-world-inconsistent, and probably poorly-thought-out card from the past for the fact it's inconsistent and poorly-thought-out. He's not hating oddballs as a whole, just the poor design that went into this one, and I'm sure he'd welcome a well-designed oddball happily. (though again...that's an assumption on my part. =p )
BuffJittePLZ
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(7 votes)
This is probably Aaron_Forsythe's lowest rated comment.
Superllama12
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(10 votes)
If only it were a "Summon Legend" Then it would say "Uncle Istvan counts as an Uncle Istvan"
PhyrexianFryCook
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(3 votes)
I really gotta get me one of these someday.
Philbo_the_Happy_Halfling
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(4 votes)
I have an idea for why he is named like a unique character but is not a legend. It's because everybody has an Uncle Istvan. It's like having a Cousin Vinny.
TehPoet
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(6 votes)
"Mah name is UNCLE Istvan... no relation." ~Uncle Istvan Crazy black dude. Weird connection to white. Old and has a big butt... Aaron McGruder must play Magic! =) (PS: The Boondocks is what I'm citing for anyone still scratching their heads there)
Snoopfrogg
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(3 votes)
actually, I LOVE this guy... well... doesn't sound right...lol. Not Constructed material, but fun casual card for sure. Oddball, that's what he is!
DlCK
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(3 votes)
lol @ "Summon Uncle Istvan"
poor old guy...
JFM2796
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
Thats the funniest creature type ever. Before the Great Creature Type update I guess Mistform Ultimus could be an "Uncle Weird" or an "Istvan."
The_Stray
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Please reprint in Avacyn Restored. Please reprint in Avacyn Restored. Please reprint in Avacyn Restored. Please reprint in Avacyn Restored. Please reprint in Avacyn Restored. Please reprint in Avacyn Restored. Please reprint in Avacyn Restored. Pleasepleasepleaseplease!
Goatllama
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
He may not know what a Wurmcoil Engine is, but he'll hold that sucker off for as long as you need him to.
Kryptnyt
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
They totally ripped this guy for Resident Evil 4. "I see you carry the same blood as us."
Kirbster
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Man, reading that really made me dislike Aaron Forsythe. More than I already did, I mean.
No one cares about Sarkhan the Mad. This ain't Dragon Ball Z.
SnackyNorph
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
My uncle has a playset of these in a mono-black deck that he guards very jealously. I love this guy. He's got kind of a Storm Crow or Chimney Imp charm to him.
Dernhelm1372
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I too fell in love with Uncle Istvan - if nothing else to create a deck called Uncle that hopefully elicited that kind of reaction from my opponent.
Oh who am I kidding. Like Aaron, it is because he is named Uncle. Unfortunately, for any deck focusing on something other than Uncle he always felt weird...like that family member that sits around at Thanksgiving with his feet up on the table, swilling PBR, telling stories about the type he was in-country in Da Nang (when the closest he got to action was hitting a cow on some Pennsylvanian back road).
That all changed when they printed Homicidal Seclusion. Now, you too can get the Deliverance feel!And, if you throw in some old school Terror and Pit Trap, you have the making of Jeepers Creepers.
Lifegain and little penalty in black, Awesome. Getting crazy deck ideas from oddly-named cards since 1994? Yes please!
Heretical_Tarp
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Should be 1WURG Legendary Creature - Human Uncle P/T = 5/1
Here's the breakdown: He's white because his ability is white. He's blue because his flowing beard lends him a sagacious air. He's red because he carries a bloody axe and has higher power than toughness. He's green because he's your uncle, and cares about the community. He can't be black, because BLACK is just TOO COOL for 'Uncle Istvan'!
Jeez, cut Black a break once in a while, Aaron. I mean, all black cards are basically crap except chimney imp (which is banned in standard tournaments for *obvious* reasons) and necropotence, which honestly is meh, even for the most Timmy of players. Uncle Istvan puts black at the power-level it needs to be at in order to play competitively in vintage.
Alienblaster
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
FASSHON MONSTAA FASSHON MONSTAA FASSHON MONSTAA FASSHON MONSTAA omoshiroi tte iitai no ni ienai nante tsumaranai desho onaji ni natte ii ko de nante itakunai tte kimi mo sou desho dare ka no RUURU ni shibarare toku wa nai no wagamama doki doki kono mama de itai FASSHON MONSTAA FASSHON MONSTAA kono semai kokoro no ori mo kowashite jiyuu ni naritai no FASSHON MONSTAA FASSHON MONSTAA FASSHON MONSTAA FASSHON MONSTAA kankaku wo togi sumasete kimi no youni sui komareteku rasen no you mitai ni I wanna be free FASSHON MONSTAA tada futsuu ni ikitai no ni hen na koto tte tsumaranai desho kimetsuke nai de ii koto nante itakunai tte kimi mo sou desho dare ka no RUURU ni shibarare toku wa nai no wagamama doki doki kono mama de itai FASSHON MONSTAA FASSHON MONSTAA tetsu no kubikazari wo hazushite tada jiyuu ni ikitai dake FASSHON MONSTAA FASSHON MONSTAA FASSHON MONSTAA FASSHON MONSTAA FASSHON MONSTAA FASSHON MONSTAA kono semai kokoro no ori mo kowashite jiyuu ni naritai no FASSHON MONSTAA FASSHON MONSTAA FASSHON MONSTAA FASSHON MONSTAA
Comments (22)
Uncle Istvan for the win!!!
I included Uncle Istvan on the Time Spiral “timeshifted” sheet because he’s so off-kilter, out of the color pie, and abnormal creatively that he’s memorable--a reminder of how odd some cards were all those years ago. The people that put him in Fourth Edition, I believe, did so because they thought he was a good, representative card that should be an ongoing part of Magic. Sheesh.
Things that are wrong with this card:
1) He’s named like a unique character but isn’t legendary. That sin is forgivable in pre-Legends sets, like with Arabian Nights’ Ali Baba and King Suleiman, but not here. The Dark came after Legends, yet pretends it doesn’t exist.
2) He’s named like a unique character but isn’t rare.
3) He’s an insane dude holding a bloody axe and he’s 1/3.
4) He’s a very black creature with a very white ability. That ability kind of made sense on Wall of Shadows in Legends, but not here.
My guess is that the people putting together Fourth Edition included Uncle Istvan because, “Hey, he’s Uncle Istvan! Everyone loves Uncle Istvan! Oh, man, he’s awesome!” I’ll admit to liking this card when I first saw it, too, and I know people are going to tell me how much they love(d) this weirdo, but I don’t think cards like this are great for the game.
People latch on to outliers because they’re outliers (see: Squirrels, Beebles). I’m okay with outliers as long as they make even a bit of sense. But ideally people’s favorite cards--the ones they talk about and show their friends--are ones that accurately represent the game, stuff like Serra Angel or Sarkhan the Mad. Now that’s a crazy dude I can get behind.
This guy, though. Fun flavor, kinda boring card.
There are a lot of things wrong with this card. There are a lot of things wrong with cards from The Dark in general (and Legends, for that matter), but these oddballs are highly sought after and make great stories. I understand the logic of the criticisms of this card, but honestly I'd learn *why* people latch onto this card so much before throwing it on the tar fire.
The Core Sets bring a lot of fun back into magic for me. I started playing in Revised due to this magic, and I know Aaron's drive for the new Core Set design was to bring that back. I'd take lessons from this and throw in more outliers in sets. Prove that one understands why these outliers were so much fun and so memorable 15 years later.
P.S. - he's not legendary because everyone has a crazy uncle. :)
Second, theScion, CardboardElemental - I don't think you guys are reading Aaron's comments closely enough. He's not discounting the joy of oddballs like Istvan. He does understand why people like them. He even says he himself has liked this card. And he chose to include it on the timeshifted sheet, after all.
He's certainly not saying that he doesn't want any outliers, that he'll be squelching any oddballs in future sets. (He's also not saying he won't do that...but it's incorrect to read his comments as saying that's what he's going to do.)
His point is that in spite of the joy of oddballs, this guy isn't good for the game. It misrepresents the game in ways he thinks don't need to be misrepresented. Oddballs like, for instance, Norin the Wary are probably - and I'm making an assumption here, and apologize to Mr. Forsythe if I'm misrepresenting him - Norin is probably okay with him, because it's a fun, memory-making oddball that still represents Magic. To talk about that more probably digresses too far from talking about this card to justify here...but the point is, don't crucify Aaron because he dared to dislike a off-kilter, design-world-inconsistent, and probably poorly-thought-out card from the past for the fact it's inconsistent and poorly-thought-out. He's not hating oddballs as a whole, just the poor design that went into this one, and I'm sure he'd welcome a well-designed oddball happily. (though again...that's an assumption on my part. =p )
Then it would say "Uncle Istvan counts as an Uncle Istvan"
It's because everybody has an Uncle Istvan. It's like having a Cousin Vinny.
~Uncle Istvan
Crazy black dude. Weird connection to white. Old and has a big butt... Aaron McGruder must play Magic! =)
(PS: The Boondocks is what I'm citing for anyone still scratching their heads there)
Not Constructed material, but fun casual card for sure. Oddball, that's what he is!
poor old guy...
Please reprint in Avacyn Restored.
Please reprint in Avacyn Restored.
Please reprint in Avacyn Restored.
Please reprint in Avacyn Restored.
Please reprint in Avacyn Restored.
Please reprint in Avacyn Restored.
Pleasepleasepleaseplease!
No one cares about Sarkhan the Mad. This ain't Dragon Ball Z.
Oh who am I kidding. Like Aaron, it is because he is named Uncle. Unfortunately, for any deck focusing on something other than Uncle he always felt weird...like that family member that sits around at Thanksgiving with his feet up on the table, swilling PBR, telling stories about the type he was in-country in Da Nang (when the closest he got to action was hitting a cow on some Pennsylvanian back road).
That all changed when they printed Homicidal Seclusion. Now, you too can get the Deliverance feel!And, if you throw in some old school Terror and Pit Trap, you have the making of Jeepers Creepers.
Lifegain and little penalty in black, Awesome. Getting crazy deck ideas from oddly-named cards since 1994? Yes please!
Legendary Creature - Human Uncle
P/T = 5/1
Here's the breakdown:
He's white because his ability is white.
He's blue because his flowing beard lends him a sagacious air.
He's red because he carries a bloody axe and has higher power than toughness.
He's green because he's your uncle, and cares about the community.
He can't be black, because BLACK is just TOO COOL for 'Uncle Istvan'!
Jeez, cut Black a break once in a while, Aaron. I mean, all black cards are basically crap except chimney imp (which is banned in standard tournaments for *obvious* reasons) and necropotence, which honestly is meh, even for the most Timmy of players.
Uncle Istvan puts black at the power-level it needs to be at in order to play competitively in vintage.