Does this mean Thermal Navigator is going to become typed as 'Pest'?
Mata-nui3
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.9/5.0)(4 votes)
Like Myr Turbine, this should have been cast as a Phyrexian variation of the card it appears to be referencing (Thermal Navigator based on art)
ROBRAM89
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(8 votes)
Deceptively good.
Vividice
★★☆☆☆ (2.2/5.0)(6 votes)
Face Card for the Battlecry Event Deck.
Sadly a little on the weak side. Does nothing alone, promotes over-extending. Almost all other Battlecry Card are better. Possibly playable in Tempered Steel.dec
BloodDragon
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(9 votes)
This reminds me of the tale of "Bolgri and the Long Day of Squashing."
Nuisance Engine
SleetFox
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Amazing for aggressive decks, especially Kuldotha Rebirth decks, and might even be worth playing in myr decks to give them something to actually cast on turn 1. Regardless, this is a very small investment for a great effect. A bit fragile, but without flying blockers, this is a huge threat for such a tiny spell.
PrimeSonic
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(2 votes)
Not bad. If you have a few Memnites this is already an interesting first turn drop. It's an interesting first play turn for when there's nothing else around. Though honestly I would have preferred it if they had dropped they evasion and just made it 1/1 so it can actually start doing something early on.
MasterOfEtherium
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(7 votes)
Pest hah dudes beasty looks awfully familiar(thermal navigator) and man makes your mana myr and that paladin u just dropped beat face.
Nighthawk42
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Interesting in limited with equipment since he gets the evasion of flying without being targetable by spells that target flyers. Seems like it may be worth replacing a Memnite with one in certain decks, despite the higher cost.
God_Of_The_Smurfs
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Did wonders for me in draft.
Hes a firin his lazers.
armogohma
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(13 votes)
I thought he was shooting a laser out of his mouth.
Then I found his real head.
Now I'm sad.
Superllama12
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
@Infernox10: Actually, turn 2 swing for 3, b/c you pay one to make Inkmoth a creature, attack with both, Inkmoth and Pest get +1/+0, so it would be 3
Richard_Hawk
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
this guy is so good, get a sledge or axe on it and its more than just a 1 drop battle cry!
Wraique
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
He enables the following aggroriffice deck I saw on tappedout.
Turn 1: Mountain, Memnite, Signal Pest. Turn 2: Mountain, Signal Pest, Goblin Guide. Turn 3: Mountain, Kuldotha Rebirth, Kicked Whacker. Swing for 20 damage.
Prizrak
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I usually enjoy it when they come up with new interpretations of a mechanic. For instance, an Accorder's Shield grants vigilance by letting the bearer watch foes all around it in the reflection, while a Beacon Behemoth grants vigilance by sending warning signals.
But when you have a mechanic called "battle cry", don't put it on a 0/1 artifact pest. Savor the Flavor had a nice try with "their natural chirps and whirrs are reliable indicators of enemy positions and troop movements"... but that's not an inspiring battle cry. If anything, given the above examples, that should grant vigilance. :P
(Mechanics wise, I think it's a well-designed card, it's just the flavor that bugs me.)
TheJones
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Superllama12: Signal Pest doesn't have infect so it would be 2 infect counters from Inkmoth Nexus and then 1 regular damage from Signal Pest.
This seems like a solid creature to include in an infect deck since there aren't any 1 drop infect creatures (except Vector Asp can gain infect).
A0602
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
@TheJones: No, Signal Pest does not power itself up. The total damage is 2 poison and 0 regular damage.
The original post is correct...
shizaquawn
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Just started Magic again recently. Newb question, I suppose.
Player declares an attack with Signal Pest and three other creatures. Opponent responds with a Path to Exile, exiling the Signal Pest. My question is: does the triggered +1/+0 still resolve, or does the spell hit beforehand?
Metalhunter
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(5 votes)
@Shizaquawn
As soon as Signal Pest attacks the Battle Cry ability goes onto the stack. At that point a Path To Exile is too late to stop the effect from happening since the triggering effect goes on the stack immediately after the trigger happens. Path To Exile will remove the Pest but his Battle Cry is already triggered.
The opponent would have to Exile the Pest before he was declared as an attacker to prevent the Battle Cry.
Alluceanot
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Prizrak
I see it more as the flavor described on the card itself. The pest isn't making some inspiring war cry, but its revealing the enemies' position away, giving the attackers an extra advantage.
mflanaga
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Doth mine eyes deceive me? Did MasterOfEtherium Not Capitalize Every Word???
I'm so proud of you. I never thought this day would come. Good on ya.
As for the pest- he is awesome. The event deck he's in is blazingly aggressive. I'd say its weaknesses are Spell Pierceand Pyroclasm
divine_exodus
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(3 votes)
MasterOfEtherium? You ok? Good god, he must be sick. Medic! Medic!
Helles
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
what if signal pest is the only one on the field, does he give himself +1 power? Or do I always need to have 2 battle crys on the field?
K9black
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
shizaquawn: Once attacks are declared the battlecry effect will remain with the effected attackers until end of turn. Battlecry is triggered on attack and is not checked again.
blink182zombies
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I like Legacy affinity. This card is awesome.
Pontiac
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card looks like it'd be hilarious to play with.
iSlapTrees
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
what a pest
Boday1
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Absolutely insane one drop. Crucial in any swarmy deck in format, Quest for the holy Relic Weenies, Kuldotha Rebirth etc. Throw Contested Warzone into the mix and it just keeps getting better. 5/5*
Of course, three of these and an Arc Runner almost took out the same opponent one game before...until I was staring down a Steel Hellkite.
Splizer
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Piston Sledge it. Then, you have a Monkey with a Hammer!
Actually, its Mirrodin, so it would be made of metal as well. So thats a Metal Monkey with a Hammer!
And I often slap Demonic Appetite on this as part of my mono-black aggro. You know what that means?..... a Metal Demon Monkey with a Hammer!
Oleggio
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I found real fun here =)
if you wanna laugh a little check it:
http://www.5colorcontrol.com/comic.php?comic=115
CuriousThing
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I think "can't be blocked except by creatures with flying or reach" would love a keyword. Why should only reach, the defensive counterpart, get one? But as it stands now it would only apply to this, Canopy Cover, and Orchard Spirit.
infernox10
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I can't help but love this guy. T1: Inkmoth Nexus, this. T2: Land, swing for 2 flying poison. Turn 2, your opponent has 2 poison counters already. All I can say is if that isn't speedy, I don't know what is.
Tempted_Johnny
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@CuriousThing: The keyword for that ability is "Flying" :P
Think of the stack as a stack of cards. All spells and abilities go on top of the stack. The stack resolves from the topmost card to the bottom card, meaning each effect comes into play in that order. Each player gets "priority" to respond to a spell or ability that has gone onto the stack. So by shizaquawn's example: If Signal Pest attacks, Battle Cry goes on the stack, but will not go into effect until it "resolves" after each player has passed priority (cast nothing). If a player instead plays a Path to Exile on Signal Pest in response to Battle Cry on the stack, Path to Exile will resolve first and Battle Cry will be nullified.
Another example: Roil Elemental is cast and goes onto the stack. Each player gets priority to respond to this card. So a player casts Cancel in response to Roil Elemental, thus Cancel then goes on top of the stack. Priority then comes back around to the player who played Roil Elemental, so in response to Cancel he then plays a Cancel targeting the first Cancel (confusing, right?). The stack will resolve if all players pass priority (cast nothing), and it will resolve from top to bottom. In this case, the Cancel cancels the Cancel, and Roil Elemental resolves and enters the battlefield.
blkmgc
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
i use him with ninjas
blobman
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card has amazing art. Its abilitiy is great. Battle Cry has a great effect on your creature's. In addition if you power it up then it could attack and it can not be blocked by target creatures opponents control.
@shizaquawn The answer to your question is yes. The Path to Exile will exile the Signal Pest before its Battle Cry resolves, AND it will give the +1/+0 boost to all of your attacking creatures. I would say it isn't such noob question considering some of the other people here didn't even know it.
112.7a Once activated or triggered, an ability exists on the stack independently of its source. Destruction or removal of the source after that time won’t affect the ability.
00zau
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@CuriousThing: Call it Overpass, maybe? Things like Ledgewalker and Canopy Cover seem like the creature is using terrain to pass overhead, and this probably jumps overhead as it passes.
SnackyNorph
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
@jilting_joker Hate to be this guy, but actually, you're wrong. Once the battle cry has gone on the stack (signal pest has been declared an attacker), removal of the signal pest will not prevent the battle cry from resolving. Once activated, abilities exist separate from their source. Pretty sure someone else already cited the official rules on that one. Removing it before the declare attackers step, of course, will prevent signal pest from attacking as it no longer exists, so battle cry is never placed on the stack. Removing the creature does not counter its ability, especially when that ability affects each of your other creatures.
I really like this non-keyworded flying. It's literally the rules text but *not* flying, specifically for flavor; and I love it. It has neat interactions on rare occasion, but most of the time it's just flavor and "flying" and nothing else; which is neat.
Citz
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Cards in hand:
mox opal x 1 memnite x 2 lotus petal x 1 frogmite x 1 etherium sculptor x 1 signal pest x 1
T1: mox opal, memnite, memnite, frogmite, lotus petal, tap mox opal, tap and sac lotus, play etherium sculptor, play signal pest for free.
T2: draw signal pest, play signal pest, swing for 9.
T3: swing for 15 and game.
Yeah this combo is hard to get but hey, who doesn't like turn 3 wins involving no land plays?
HeraldOfRazia
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It may seem relatively harmless but if anybody is doubting how effective it is, take a good look at Affinity decks on the Pro Tour circuits. This thing is usually single-handedly responsible for stacking up loads of damage against opponents because of it's Battle Cry ability and the fact that it has it's own evasion built in. A staple Affinity card.
On a side note, take a look at the flavor text. That would be so incredibly annoying (and potentially fatal) in real combat.
iUseBreakOpen
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I don't understand why this is rated lower than 4 stars. It sees play in both Modern and Legacy Affinity decks. I gave it 5 stars to try to raise the average and I hope those reading this comment will do the same.
r2d2go
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Scary powerful in many decks. In artifact affinity/metalcraft, it's Ornithopter with a bonus attached. In rush, it's an anthem buff with a bonus attached. In Limited, it's a mini-bomb that you can play whenever you want in any color. 5/5
-N-
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This guy might even be playable in RDW, one damage every turn is good.
Comments (51)
Sadly a little on the weak side. Does nothing alone, promotes over-extending. Almost all other Battlecry Card are better. Possibly playable in Tempered Steel.dec
Nuisance Engine
Hes a firin his lazers.
Then I found his real head.
Now I'm sad.
4 Kuldotha Rebirth
4 Signal Pest
4 Memnite
4 Ornithopter
2 Mox Opal
4 Goblin Guide
4 Goblin Bushwhacker
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Galvanic Blast
2 Koth of the Hammer
20 Mountain
4 (Can't remember)
Playing first
Turn 1: Mountain, Memnite, Signal Pest.
Turn 2: Mountain, Signal Pest, Goblin Guide.
Turn 3: Mountain, Kuldotha Rebirth, Kicked Whacker. Swing for 20 damage.
But when you have a mechanic called "battle cry", don't put it on a 0/1 artifact pest. Savor the Flavor had a nice try with "their natural chirps and whirrs are reliable indicators of enemy positions and troop movements"... but that's not an inspiring battle cry. If anything, given the above examples, that should grant vigilance. :P
(Mechanics wise, I think it's a well-designed card, it's just the flavor that bugs me.)
This seems like a solid creature to include in an infect deck since there aren't any 1 drop infect creatures (except Vector Asp can gain infect).
The original post is correct...
Player declares an attack with Signal Pest and three other creatures. Opponent responds with a Path to Exile, exiling the Signal Pest. My question is: does the triggered +1/+0 still resolve, or does the spell hit beforehand?
As soon as Signal Pest attacks the Battle Cry ability goes onto the stack. At that point a Path To Exile is too late to stop the effect from happening since the triggering effect goes on the stack immediately after the trigger happens. Path To Exile will remove the Pest but his Battle Cry is already triggered.
The opponent would have to Exile the Pest before he was declared as an attacker to prevent the Battle Cry.
I see it more as the flavor described on the card itself. The pest isn't making some inspiring war cry, but its revealing the enemies' position away, giving the attackers an extra advantage.
I'm so proud of you. I never thought this day would come. Good on ya.
As for the pest- he is awesome. The event deck he's in is blazingly aggressive. I'd say its weaknesses are Spell Pierceand Pyroclasm
Of course, three of these and an Arc Runner almost took out the same opponent one game before...until I was staring down a Steel Hellkite.
Actually, its Mirrodin, so it would be made of metal as well. So thats a Metal Monkey with a Hammer!
And I often slap Demonic Appetite on this as part of my mono-black aggro. You know what that means?..... a Metal Demon Monkey with a Hammer!
if you wanna laugh a little check it:
http://www.5colorcontrol.com/comic.php?comic=115
T1: Inkmoth Nexus, this.
T2: Land, swing for 2 flying poison.
Turn 2, your opponent has 2 poison counters already.
All I can say is if that isn't speedy, I don't know what is.
Think of the stack as a stack of cards. All spells and abilities go on top of the stack. The stack resolves from the topmost card to the bottom card, meaning each effect comes into play in that order. Each player gets "priority" to respond to a spell or ability that has gone onto the stack. So by shizaquawn's example: If Signal Pest attacks, Battle Cry goes on the stack, but will not go into effect until it "resolves" after each player has passed priority (cast nothing). If a player instead plays a Path to Exile on Signal Pest in response to Battle Cry on the stack, Path to Exile will resolve first and Battle Cry will be nullified.
Another example: Roil Elemental is cast and goes onto the stack. Each player gets priority to respond to this card. So a player casts Cancel in response to Roil Elemental, thus Cancel then goes on top of the stack. Priority then comes back around to the player who played Roil Elemental, so in response to Cancel he then plays a Cancel targeting the first Cancel (confusing, right?). The stack will resolve if all players pass priority (cast nothing), and it will resolve from top to bottom. In this case, the Cancel cancels the Cancel, and Roil Elemental resolves and enters the battlefield.
T1: Forest, Glistener Elf
T2: Forest, 4x Mutagenic Growth, 1 Ranger's Guile
T3: The game was over last turn
It not only is a better (but tons more unlikely to actually happen) idea, but it is way less expensive.
112.7a Once activated or triggered, an ability exists on the stack independently of its source.
Destruction or removal of the source after that time won’t affect the ability.
Hate to be this guy, but actually, you're wrong. Once the battle cry has gone on the stack (signal pest has been declared an attacker), removal of the signal pest will not prevent the battle cry from resolving. Once activated, abilities exist separate from their source. Pretty sure someone else already cited the official rules on that one. Removing it before the declare attackers step, of course, will prevent signal pest from attacking as it no longer exists, so battle cry is never placed on the stack. Removing the creature does not counter its ability, especially when that ability affects each of your other creatures.
mox opal x 1
memnite x 2
lotus petal x 1
frogmite x 1
etherium sculptor x 1
signal pest x 1
T1: mox opal, memnite, memnite, frogmite, lotus petal, tap mox opal, tap and sac lotus, play etherium sculptor, play signal pest for free.
T2: draw signal pest, play signal pest, swing for 9.
T3: swing for 15 and game.
Yeah this combo is hard to get but hey, who doesn't like turn 3 wins involving no land plays?
On a side note, take a look at the flavor text. That would be so incredibly annoying (and potentially fatal) in real combat.