One of the better chancellors? i like that it forces them to either let somthing get countered or wait an extra turn to play somthing if its in your opening hand... but even then its just a dead card for a couple of turns.
Andon_A
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(5 votes)
This is probably the best Chancellor. You set your opponents back a turn (Maybe two) at the cost of one card in your hand needing 7 mana. Which is one or two turns easier to get because of the ability.
I can live with that.
desolation_masticore
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(4 votes)
One of the best of an intriguing, yet ultimately very underpowered cycle. Hopefully they explore this a little more in the future, but I highly doubt it.
MasterOfEtherium
★★☆☆☆ (2.6/5.0)(6 votes)
Cenobite w/ Wings. I Love if you have this ghoul in your openin hand she str8 up remands u.
blurrymadness
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(5 votes)
Could have implications in vintage to screw up T0-T1 combos. Flash one or two of these and now you can save your real counters for other stuff. They may have a god hand that doesn't work simply because you have an uncounterable counter.
JenBroness
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(7 votes)
The Chancellors are great news for reanimation decks. They're big and fat and important when they hit the field - but, unlike with other reanimation targets, they don't just sit in your hand doing nothing when you start the game.
And this is my favorite of the Chancellors, because its abilities make no assumptions about what the opponent is doing. The other Chancellors can be rendered useless by some strategies, but Chancellor of the Annex's countering mechanism is nearly always messing up someone's day.
Jake1991
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Interesting control card.
Snipe the first spell they cast and make their other spells harder to cast late game.
Amnatto
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
This is gonna be really ***y to play against... if they can get it out that is.
Magnor_Criol
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
That opening hand ability is what really shines about this card. The static ability is killer, don't get me wrong, but by 7 mana that tax of 1 won't be hard for the opponent to scrounge up.
Her first ability, though, kills the early game for the opponent. No more T1 spells. No more T2 two-drops. And it's not like it only lasts that turn; it sticks around until they finally cast something and pay it, or intentionally "pitch" a spell to it by voluntarily not paying the tax.
This is pretty brutal to what would otherwise be fast decks. You have to get her in your opening hand, yeah, and then you're burdened with a 7-drop for a while - but I think that ability is worth it.
themlsna
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Brutal.
Donovan_Fabian
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I like how it can slow down your opponent although I'm not sure by how much. I mean really, if it will only cost them that 1 more to play stoneforge mystic on turn 3 instead of turn 2, then they will do it. At least you are making them wait a turn though. Although, I'd hate to reveal this, and then on turn 2 they just put down a scute mob or a birds of paradise and pay the extra 1 mana. Plus with phyrexian mana, they can make some stuff free, and then pay the mana anyways.
Amnesigenic
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I'm surprised no one has suggested this for u/w. Clone, or god forbid a kicked rite of rep on this ***, and your opponents will be hard pressed to get more than one spell a turn through, with no mana left over. The prohibitively high mana cost is fairly easily overcome by discarding and reviving ity. This is absolutely the best of the chancellors, simply because the starting hand ability sits around waiting for your opponent to act. It is the perfect accompaniment for control, stifling early growth and giving you time to establish a defense.
DeathDark
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Such a bastard card.
I love it.
Ancient_Mossdog
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Ummm, no one thinks to look at the old mirrodin block and go "Hey, wait a minute they broke the game again" Am I wrong or does chancellor and Damping Matrix make for game over man?
This and Damping Matrix don't really interact. It's not an artifact or a creature until AFTER it's been cast.
Bursama
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
... Hello there, you white control players...
Cheza
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.7/5.0)(3 votes)
I neither like the art, nor the effect... nor the fact that it is an angel.
For the opening hand option, they could have made a Daze version with phyrexian mana instead of the island bouncing. For the static version, I would have preferred a non-counter version... a simple "spells cost 1 more". This gets really annoying to remind your opponents. I know how stupoid this will be, since Rhystic Study was quite common.
Mike-C
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Karn Liberated
SereneChaos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Free, uncounterable Force Spike. I'll take a dead card for that.
Run it next to the Green Chancellor.
metabreed
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
My favorite of the Chancellors, nothing like being able to zone before the game has even officially started. Also, she is one of the only chancellors that really keeps on giving later in game. I love her, my deck loves her and luminarch ascension thinks she is a good and trusted friend.
Ehh, this card kinda sucks for 7 mana.. I mean, the opening hand ability is cool, but once you reveal it they know 1 of the cards in your hand, an irrelevent one at that. As for the second ability. The only decks that ability is dangerous to would kill you before you can get it one, or would be able to just destroy/bounce/exile it for a low cost.
If you plan on using this, you better hope your opponent draws a terrible hand.. and gets crap draws....
kiseki
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I hate drawing these on turn two.
CaptainNinJoe
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I'm planning a Birthing Pod deck that chains into this card. Imagine:
If you wanted to, you could use the Slime and the Exarch to take out two lands. With the Chancellor out by turn 6 via this chain, you could keep your opponent to 4 lands (if they hit a land drop for 6 straight turns) and make their spells cost more. Also, if you paid the PG in life to activate the Pod, you'd have enough mana left over to Beast Within away another land or two.
I know this is probably too slow for Standard, but I definitely want to have this ready for Casual play soon.
TherealphatMatt
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I'm not sure about this card. On one hand, you're basically slapping the tempo of your opponent in the face; particularly if they're hurting for one-drops. On the other, there's a big dud in your hand that, when you finally WILL be able to play it, won't even be that much of a bomb. By turn 7, most people won't (or shouldn't) be too pressed to find 1 extra mana.
The_Stray
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Since when does White get countering?
Tassarus
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
i own a playset, run three main, one sideboard in my W/B 'Phyrexia Redeemed' deck, opening hand draws always annoy my opponents, and i can easily have that opening hand out by turn 3: 1: swamp, Dark Ritual, Gold Myr, pay 2 life, Cathedral Membrane 2: tap Gold and Swamp, Orzhov Signet, bounce swamp for Orzhov Basilica 3: Plains, tap basilica, use the B for Culling the Weak, sac Cathedral Membrane to it, tap Plains, Gold, and the W from Basilica, and BBBB from Culling, instant Chancellor
(and Yes, i actually do that on a Regular basis)
Salient
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I suspect Vintage Dredge is going to run four of these in the sideboard to screw with opponents' ability to use anti-graveyard hate. This doesn't counteract Leyline of the Void, but it might hold off nearly every other Dredge-hate card long enough to get a foothold. (You could counteract it by playing a Mox Jet or whatever and letting that get countered before playing Tormod's Crypt, but it's harder to mulligan into a hand with Crypt + land/mox than it is Crypt alone, and if they happen to show two Chancellors...)
I like how Reanimator pilots saw the Chancellors spoiled, got excited, then saw Jin-Gitaxias and promptly fainted en masse. New Phyrexia was uncommonly kind to Reanimator.
SarpNasty
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is my bomb in my Manabarbs deck. The opening hand ability allows me an extra turn to get my combo going.
Then I can control the board state until I play this thing and watch as my opponents lost 1 more life and pay one more mana for each spell they cast.
Not to mention it's a 5/6 Angel.
RichardJesperson
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Overcosted and underpowered maybe, but a fine addition to a UW EDH control deck, especially with Augustine as the general and a lot of effects that increase opponent mana costs.
Why I could get a playset of all five chancellors for less than 10 is beyond me.
Oh well, these'll be perfect in my Mindshrieker deck. :)
DarthParallax
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
To my knowledge, this and Shattered Angel are the only Angels in New Phyrexia. Though they look similar at first glance, there's a distinct difference in the art styles, a subtle one, but it's there- and I like this one a lot better.
Also, the 'For teh EviLulz' riders on the New Phyrexia cards that are thrown here and there are rofl. These Chancellors are the 'flagbearer' cycle of this, in a way, because their Leyline-abilities are in keeping with the "Extra Pain...Just Be-cause" feeling you get with a Phyrexia-themed deck.
I don't want them to do this often- like, dead seriously, they should wait at least 3 years before trying it again...but...I wouldn't be upset to see them try to do something like this again. "This tribe's theme is....being a dick. just go with it." I think, this might be the best way to support Archenemy as a format in a way that is distinct from supporting Planechase, WITHOUT upsetting Standard-
the difference between other Multiplayer designs and Archenemy is that in order to design cards for the Archenemy, CHANCES are you'd have to Design cards that aren't safe for Standard- unless, in two blocks, spread enough years apart, you put in just enough 'Evil' riders that an Archenemy's deck could conceivably take on a well-organized team of opponents with better card quality.
SkaerKrow
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
If you're hard-casting this card, you're probably doing it wrong. As nasty as Elesh Norn is for Frites decks, I think that this card is pure gold in its own right.
Arachnos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Temporarily paralyses the opponent if you can get it on turn 1, giving you a precious extra turn or two before they can start off. Once it is actually in play, though, it's not too hot. A 5/6 flying body is neat, but the ability won't make too much difference late enough ingame, when you can pay 7 mana for something 1 probably won't usually make much difference.
GolemEmperion
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Love this card, love taunting my friends with it "See? New Phyrexia has angels! Look at this one, doesn't she seem happy?" What I love even more is bringing her (it?) out and cutting down any of those pesky strategies that let them cast spells for 0 cost. Shut down a friend of mine who managed to get that 20 cost Eldrazi ability. He had to pay for every Eldrazi he wanted to bring out, and he didn't have much left after the casting cost. My friends hate this card.
dlgn
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Purest insanity.
Well, either that, or Phyrexia has really bad taxes.
Lash_of_Dragonbreath
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Comparing it to the rest of its cycle, Annex is certainly the most annoying one in multiplayer. A great addition for a control deck. Specially in EDH with Kaalia of the Vast, or most B/W reanimation decks.
Cubozoan
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Beautifully, utterly cruel, not to mention just plain beautiful: This is probably tied with Elesh Norn for my favorite white artwork in the set. It's also another entry in the growing family of angels who make your opponent's life very difficult: Could you imagine a Kaalia of the Vast commander deck with the likes of Avacyn, Sigarda, Iona and Linvala, not to mention Angelic Arbiter, Platinum Angel and maybe Angel of Jubilation or Shattered Angel? Assuming you played cautiously and saw fit to pack plenty of protection for Kaalia, your opponents would soon find themselves unable to do nearly anything at all!
...You'd probably lose a friend every time you played such a deck, mind you, but maybe you could get away with it if you only played it every now and then, or maybe if you were the Archenemy in a commander deck rumble >:D
wholelottalove
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
So you have to wait until you have two lands before you can cast your one drop? Um, ok.
Jack-o-Crow
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Voids turn 1 force of will letting you get that nice little reanimation or tendrils combo you're looking for.
Lordocean
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I tried this out the other day, showed it from my opening hand, my opponent made a noise and conceded immediately. That was a good card then.
Phantasm1234
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Andon_A Going by that logic, Chancellor of the Spires is far better, since they are set back MANY turns!
Comments (48)
I can live with that.
And this is my favorite of the Chancellors, because its abilities make no assumptions about what the opponent is doing. The other Chancellors can be rendered useless by some strategies, but Chancellor of the Annex's countering mechanism is nearly always messing up someone's day.
Snipe the first spell they cast and make their other spells harder to cast late game.
Her first ability, though, kills the early game for the opponent. No more T1 spells. No more T2 two-drops. And it's not like it only lasts that turn; it sticks around until they finally cast something and pay it, or intentionally "pitch" a spell to it by voluntarily not paying the tax.
This is pretty brutal to what would otherwise be fast decks. You have to get her in your opening hand, yeah, and then you're burdened with a 7-drop for a while - but I think that ability is worth it.
I love it.
<.<
Lodestone Golem.
This and Damping Matrix don't really interact. It's not an artifact or a creature until AFTER it's been cast.
For the opening hand option, they could have made a Daze version with phyrexian mana instead of the island bouncing.
For the static version, I would have preferred a non-counter version... a simple "spells cost 1 more". This gets really annoying to remind your opponents. I know how stupoid this will be, since Rhystic Study was quite common.
Run it next to the Green Chancellor.
If you plan on using this, you better hope your opponent draws a terrible hand.. and gets crap draws....
T1: Land, anything (Cathedral Membrane comes to mind)
T2: Land, Porcellain Legionnaire
T3: Land, Tumble Magnet
T4: Land, Birthing Pod
T5: Use the pod to chain the Legionnaire into Solemn Simulacrum, then with the Magnet, chain Sad Robot into Acidic Slime (or Archon of Justice)
T6: Chain Slime (or Archon) into Brutalizer Exarch, into Chancellor of the Annex
If you wanted to, you could use the Slime and the Exarch to take out two lands. With the Chancellor out by turn 6 via this chain, you could keep your opponent to 4 lands (if they hit a land drop for 6 straight turns) and make their spells cost more. Also, if you paid the PG in life to activate the Pod, you'd have enough mana left over to Beast Within away another land or two.
I know this is probably too slow for Standard, but I definitely want to have this ready for Casual play soon.
1: swamp, Dark Ritual, Gold Myr, pay 2 life, Cathedral Membrane
2: tap Gold and Swamp, Orzhov Signet, bounce swamp for Orzhov Basilica
3: Plains, tap basilica, use the B for Culling the Weak, sac Cathedral Membrane to it, tap Plains, Gold, and the W from Basilica, and BBBB from Culling, instant Chancellor
(and Yes, i actually do that on a Regular basis)
I like how Reanimator pilots saw the Chancellors spoiled, got excited, then saw Jin-Gitaxias and promptly fainted en masse. New Phyrexia was uncommonly kind to Reanimator.
Turn 0: Reveal this.
Turn 1: Birds of Paradise
Turn 2: Personal Sanctuary
Turn 3: Manabarbs
Then I can control the board state until I play this thing and watch as my opponents lost 1 more life and pay one more mana for each spell they cast.
Not to mention it's a 5/6 Angel.
Oh well, these'll be perfect in my Mindshrieker deck. :)
Also, the 'For teh EviLulz' riders on the New Phyrexia cards that are thrown here and there are rofl. These Chancellors are the 'flagbearer' cycle of this, in a way, because their Leyline-abilities are in keeping with the "Extra Pain...Just Be-cause" feeling you get with a Phyrexia-themed deck.
I don't want them to do this often- like, dead seriously, they should wait at least 3 years before trying it again...but...I wouldn't be upset to see them try to do something like this again. "This tribe's theme is....being a dick. just go with it." I think, this might be the best way to support Archenemy as a format in a way that is distinct from supporting Planechase, WITHOUT upsetting Standard-
the difference between other Multiplayer designs and Archenemy is that in order to design cards for the Archenemy, CHANCES are you'd have to Design cards that aren't safe for Standard- unless, in two blocks, spread enough years apart, you put in just enough 'Evil' riders that an Archenemy's deck could conceivably take on a well-organized team of opponents with better card quality.
What I love even more is bringing her (it?) out and cutting down any of those pesky strategies that let them cast spells for 0 cost. Shut down a friend of mine who managed to get that 20 cost Eldrazi ability. He had to pay for every Eldrazi he wanted to bring out, and he didn't have much left after the casting cost.
My friends hate this card.
Well, either that, or Phyrexia has really bad taxes.
A great addition for a control deck. Specially in EDH with Kaalia of the Vast, or most B/W reanimation decks.
...You'd probably lose a friend every time you played such a deck, mind you, but maybe you could get away with it if you only played it every now and then, or maybe if you were the Archenemy in a commander deck rumble >:D
- Lotus, Channel, Fireball
- Force of Will / Scars of the Veteran
- Pay 1 more :-)
Game over.
In a variant of the flavor text on bloodtoll harpy;
"In Phyrexia, be grateful if the cost is merely your money.