Pointed Discussion

(sigh) Why don't they allow both counters on a single creature? Is it just to make the template nicer?

Again, an odd concept. The cost and effect seems to imply a place in a small-creature green-white human weenie deck (even from a flavour point of view). However, in such a deck there are usually better cards to put down than essentially a grizzly's worth of counters.

The flashback is nice and fairly costed, however, and this is where I see it getting the most use. Putting four +1/+1 counters on up to four creatures might be a good way to break a turn six or seven stalemate. It's a pity it's a sorcery; as an instant it would have been very playable.

Very awesome in Limited... I got two at the Launch Party and when I got the second one in my hand I just started laughing. Then I started winning. :D

first ima prey upon your lords of the unreal, then ima make sure your illusions are prepared. oh wait, where'd they go?

Don't suppose this works with Precursor Golem, does it? If so I really like this for my GW Splicer deck.

Funny...I had the same thought just today, Son_Of_Khaine.

I don't see why it wouldn't, as long as you target only one Golem. Just read the text of Precursor Golem:

Whenever a player casts an instant or sorcery spell that targets only a single Golem, that player copies that spell for each other Golem that spell could target. Each copy targets a different one of those Golems.

So if I'm reading and understanding right, with Precursor on the table, you could target a non-Golem creature (say, a Splicer) and a Golem, and Travel Preparations will then get copied once for each Golem you control. Each copy then must target another Golem...but I don't see why it could not then ALSO target ANOTHER creature as well.

So again, if I'm understanding right, with a Vital Splicer (as an example), a Precursor Golem, and the three total Golem tokens they generate on the battlefield, you can play a single Travel Prep, target a Golem and the Splicer, then have the spell copied three more times. You can target up to two creatures (I think) per copy, as long as at least one is always a Golem. That's eight total +1/+1 tokens spread around as you choose, and you can flashback it! Now imagine that with a full-fledged Splicer and/or Precursor-centric deck. That's a lot of tokens.

Am I reading that all right, or does that a fatal flaw I'm missing somewhere?

Even if so, at worst, you can target just the single Golem with this and have it copied to each other Golem, so in the above scenario that's "only" four +1/+1 tokens. Still not at all shabby for only 2 CMC. And again, thanks to flashback, repeatable!

This card is nice, even if not so good.
+1/+1 counters are never bad, they remain where they are.
Moreover, this can also prevent immortal creatures from "regenerating".

This card surprised me with how useful it was in a GW Gavony Township/Mikaeus, the Lunarch deck. Any weenies I put on the field (especially Elite Inquisitor) got buffed out to all hell. Having to put the counters on different targets isn't so bad in a weenie deck. Mikaeus, the Lunarch and Gavony Township spread out the counters anyway, so there can easily be several threatening weenies out on the field at any time. It is indeed a shame that it is not instant, though. But hey, not every common has to be overpowered, right?

For those wondering about the interaction of this and Precursor Golem. You can chose to target only one creature with this card and give out one counter. The second one can be optional. Therefore it's a single target.

Make sure you dont put this on young wolf unless it already died. If your opponent has undying creatures, put counters on them and then use your removal spell so they wont come back

Sideboard material vs undying XD
Just for fun of course... but still

shotoku....lol. but seriously folks, if you want REAL sideboard tech against Undying,

Oblivion Ring gets the job done clean and consistent every time. Works on non-creature artifacts AND Planeswalkers too. Ring is just the best spot removal there is, period.

I love using this card on creatures with Livewire Lash

You know this is really tempting me to build that BWG corpsejack menace deck I've been toying with.

This card is pretty sick with Wild Defiance and two evasive creatures.

@JRE47: As far as I can tell from the 2011 Magic Comprehensive Rules 114.8c, something checking whether a spell or ability targets only |object| looks at how many different things are targeted. If only one thing, |object|, is targeted, then the check succeeds. Otherwise, the check fails.

If Travel Preparations targets |Golem Token A| and |Vital Splicer|, then the spell will NOT be copied, since it targets two things: not only |a single Golem| but also |a Vital Splicer|. The same goes for Travel Preparations targeting |Golem Token A| and |Golem Token B|; despite the fact that each is |a single Golem| on its own, the spell targets not only |a single Golem| but also |another single Golem|.

If Travel Preparations targets |Golem Token A| and nothing else, then the spell will be copied, since it targets only one thing, |a single Golem|. However, note that you aren't allowed to change the targets of the copies, meaning that you're stuck with the default of a single target. Hunger of the Howlpack might be the better alternative, although you can't flash it back.

Bant Birds for Modern! Thrummingbird approves!

Of course, this rotates out just as soon as the Heroic mechanic in Theros was about to make it good.

I see four Heroic triggers on one card.