First, it has a more restrictive mana cost for the exact same P/T.
Then, for ONE MORE DAMAGE, I have to pay 2W just to use the ability, then on top of all that, it doesn't untap.
UGGGH.
blindthrall
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(7 votes)
Funny. After getting a bunch of Porcelain Legionnaires, I finally retired the Heavy Ballista from my soldier deck. I thought about how it was sad that power creep had obsoleted what had been a very efficient card. Then I saw this. Now I realize, R&D doesn't want a game to last longer than five minutes.
HippyRei
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(6 votes)
It may not be good, but I'd say that this will see pretty good play in limited.
Eternal_Blue
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(5 votes)
even if it didn't untap during your next untap step, it still wouldn't be that good. unnecessary nerfings are unnecessary.
tcollins
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(4 votes)
I find it funny that there are more Arablest Elite in the background of the artwork. If i was building an army I wouldn't want to have even one of these lazy archers in it, or have this happen:
Me: Enemy troops approaching, FIRE! *Twang*
Next turn: Me: More enemy troop approaching, reload &... Arabalest Elite: Sorry sir, reloading takes quite a bit long than you would like...also those hefty bolts? They cost {2}{W} a piece...so ya.
NoobOfLore
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(7 votes)
Better than Goblin Bangchuckers in my book.
Alsebra
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(6 votes)
Seeing as non-personal ranged weapons of that timeframe took a while to reload (even arbalests), the lack of untapping does make some flavour sense.
With that said, the flavour text is kinda nice, too :)
AngelPhoenix
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(6 votes)
Um. Eww. The non-untapping is no biggie, there's plenty of ways around that to the point where you could abuse the crap out of this. But paying, not one, not two, but THREE!?!? Yeah, no thanks.
I have to disagree with you though NoobOfLore. Bangchuckers at least has an entertaining premise (hits himself in the face lol). This guy just kinda stands around.
@vandarrigna: man but it's 4 CC!!! Ack. How about I just pacify your big creature for 2 and call it a day.
BastianQoU
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
Only good thing about this card is it's flavor.. Compared to my beatstick Heavy Arbalest.. I prefer the equipment..
Vandarringa
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(5 votes)
I think the reason they can't reprint Heavy Ballista is that the rules now allow tapped blockers to do damage. I'm not sure, but I think that back in its day, Heavy Ballista couldn't deal its combat damage after tapping. When you think about its ability to stop two attackers (or a really big one) like this, this card isn't that bad. Goblin Bangchuckers is better than people think for the same reason.
TherealphatMatt
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(5 votes)
This is terrible. And ate up two of my uncommon cards at prerelease. Boo :/
dberry02
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(7 votes)
I believe they've made archers wrong in white. Whenever I think of archers, I think of something like Icatian Javelineers. I believe that archers should have limited amount of arrow counters on them when they enter the battlefield and they shoot their arrows.
This is so dumb... I'm more likely to throw Viridian Longbows into my deck and call it an archer deck than to use the actual printed white archers. And green gets stuff like Greatbow Doyen!? I always thought archers belonged to white!
It seems as though Wizards is just messing with us. They keep printing archers as if they're going to do something important with them, but they end up chickening out at the end. PLEASE WIZARDS: Either print some decent archers, or don't print them at all!
Stop teasing me!
SoulShatterer
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(5 votes)
@Mike-C: It can't be used to hit players, so yes, very, very horrible.
A3Kitsune
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(2 votes)
@tcollins: Look again. Those ain't Arbalest Elite in the background, those are a guy with a sword and shield, & 3 folk with some type of spear.
deadeye1387
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
You guys are right, Heavy Ballista, Heavy Ballista, and many other cards are better than this (but Goblin Bangchuckers is definetly not on that list. At least this guy can make a surefire shot). As for my soldier deck, I threw this out for a Brimstone Mage in half a second.
Yukikah
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(2 votes)
Ugh; I can't think of any place I would use this guy even if he did 4 damage or had 4 toughness for these costs. 4 to summon, 3 to use the ability, then wasting an untap unless you want him to be useless for a while... It just doesn't seem well thought through. Even 3 cmc I'm not feeling it, though I'm guessing there might be others that would use him for 2W.
Mike-C
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Type your comment here.
FFTHSUNSET71
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Actually, in m12 draft this is pretty good. Just leaving 3 mana open is enough to threaten the ability, which will often prevent that Chasm Drake/Assault Griffin/Skywinder Drake/Devouring Swarm from stomping on your head - and the 2/3 body protects the ground a bit as well...
In constructed it's useless of course.
Ferlord
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Well, here's a possibility:
R&D probably were planning on printing a new card that was basically Brigid, Hero of Kinsbaile as an uncommon/common. To do this, they obviously had to nerf the power level of her.
They then took a realistic approach of creating a run-of-the-mill soldier. Realistically, damaging all attackers/blockers can technically be impossible, so targeting only one was the way to go. Archers have to reload their crossbow, so taking an extra turn to fire again made sense. Adding a cost to the ability basically represents him replenishing himself with arrows from a blacksmith or whatever.
Taking First Strike away was just good general design: blocking with this, then tapping it to deal 3 damage to its attackers means 5 unaltered damage: amazing in limited, no matter the untap delay.
Using that mindset, this card is exceptionally well created. It's just mediocre in limited, and terrible elsewhere.
doombladez
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Decent in limited, and at least cool flavorfully. 2.5/5
DarthParallax
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Needs to cost a bit less to activate, AND to have a relevant keyword (vigilance or first strike).
Guys- I'm going to make a bold guess: they allowed the card to just be worse because they were partial to its flavor text, and the only way to give it a keyword is to axe the flavor text.
The selective-wording, single-targeting, and not untapping are drawbacks that are all honestly neat. It's very rare that a card is too top-down, but this one is. It's got a wee too much flavor interfering with it's need to fight well.
shotoku64
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I don't see anything good about this guy.
And no, I don't think this counts as good "repeatable every other turn"" removal
robox
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
We're elite. You're not.
Burningsickle
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
it's not great, and definitely not worth adding 1 or 2 to a deck, but you would be surprised how quickly these guys soak up removal. The open combat cantrip makes opponents very hesitant to act; some opponents may even blow removal on it, allowing you to summon something far more pertinent.
Never underestimate the value of threatening cannon fodder.
Comments (25)
First, it has a more restrictive mana cost for the exact same P/T.
Then, for ONE MORE DAMAGE, I have to pay 2W just to use the ability, then on top of all that, it doesn't untap.
UGGGH.
Me: Enemy troops approaching, FIRE!
*Twang*
Next turn:
Me: More enemy troop approaching, reload &...
Arabalest Elite: Sorry sir, reloading takes quite a bit long than you would like...also those hefty bolts? They cost {2}{W} a piece...so ya.
With that said, the flavour text is kinda nice, too :)
I have to disagree with you though NoobOfLore. Bangchuckers at least has an entertaining premise (hits himself in the face lol). This guy just kinda stands around.
@vandarrigna: man but it's 4 CC!!! Ack. How about I just pacify your big creature for 2 and call it a day.
Compared to my beatstick Heavy Arbalest.. I prefer the equipment..
This is so dumb... I'm more likely to throw Viridian Longbows into my deck and call it an archer deck than to use the actual printed white archers. And green gets stuff like Greatbow Doyen!? I always thought archers belonged to white!
It seems as though Wizards is just messing with us. They keep printing archers as if they're going to do something important with them, but they end up chickening out at the end. PLEASE WIZARDS: Either print some decent archers, or don't print them at all!
Stop teasing me!
In constructed it's useless of course.
R&D probably were planning on printing a new card that was basically Brigid, Hero of Kinsbaile as an uncommon/common. To do this, they obviously had to nerf the power level of her.
They then took a realistic approach of creating a run-of-the-mill soldier. Realistically, damaging all attackers/blockers can technically be impossible, so targeting only one was the way to go. Archers have to reload their crossbow, so taking an extra turn to fire again made sense. Adding a cost to the ability basically represents him replenishing himself with arrows from a blacksmith or whatever.
Taking First Strike away was just good general design: blocking with this, then tapping it to deal 3 damage to its attackers means 5 unaltered damage: amazing in limited, no matter the untap delay.
Using that mindset, this card is exceptionally well created. It's just mediocre in limited, and terrible elsewhere.
Guys- I'm going to make a bold guess: they allowed the card to just be worse because they were partial to its flavor text, and the only way to give it a keyword is to axe the flavor text.
The selective-wording, single-targeting, and not untapping are drawbacks that are all honestly neat. It's very rare that a card is too top-down, but this one is. It's got a wee too much flavor interfering with it's need to fight well.
And no, I don't think this counts as good "repeatable every other turn"" removal
Never underestimate the value of threatening cannon fodder.