Pointed Discussion

PROTIP FOR ANYONE READING THIS: YOU DO NOT CHOOSE WHO THE CREATURES ATTACK, ONLY WHICH ONES ARE ATTACKING, NOT WHO THEY ATTACK. DON'T PLAY IT THE WRONG WAY, THIS CARD IS PROBABLY MUCH LESS POWERFUL THAN YOU THOUGHT.

-Yes, I was sad when I found out too. :(
IMO, they should reprint this as a new card, that actually functions the way you think it does and let you decide who they attack.

@greg: don't assume everyone else doesn't read the card like you seem to. It's really quite straightforward.

@jsttu No, it's not. First Glance I was ready to try to get it for my deck and saw greg's comment. Made me look twice. Thanks greg.

Hobgoblins have invented RPGs.

"My level 7 Human Office-worker picks up the iPod of Truth!"
"What's it's strength?"
"...is that negative?"

Run with Fight to the Death, in the same colors, even.

I prefer Invasion Plans for most situations

"You choose which creatures attack this turn"
"You choose how each creature blocks this turn"
So my Razia and my Agrus attack and I make your godhead of awe attack agrus and redirect 3 of the damage back to it? Sounds fun.
P.S. You read it wrong if you think its anything besides you choose who attacks and who blocks. I really don't understand why you think it meant anything else, or if you just didn't realize that this is exactly what it meant. It's not exactly game breaking but it is a pretty good card.

look at the oracle, i'm preaty shure you get to chose witch creature blocks wich

I'm really surprised this card didn't break 4/5 stars. It's red and white folks. Think of all the crap that cost one that you can do in addition to picking who attacks and how they are blocked.

The card was also designed for duels (like most cards not released in specialty sets) so I'm a little taken back that people are so surprised the wording isn't exactly what it could/should have been for multi-player settings.

Umm... This card is great 5 star material ppl, it's a red white card, play a red white weenies or aggro deck and say all my guys attack, none of yours block, you die. Just made a Jor Kadeen EDH deck as a finisher for someone

This can still work quite well in Multiplayer, depending on the circumstances.
For example, if Gisela, Blade of Goldnight is on your team,
and/or you have a small army of creatures buffed by True Conviction or Hedron-Field Purists,
it's *extremely* unlikely the chosen player will attack you.

A well-placed Vow or two also helps, as does Orim's Prayer and/or Forcefield.

I'd still be totally cool with a variant of this that allows you to choose everything, though.
Maybe someday?

@KnexWiz How did you manage to misspell "which" two different ways in the same sentence?

This is a good card, but I wish this was one mana cheaper. You can use this in either a stalling tactic "I declare that none of your creatures attack this turn" or as an alpha strike tool "None of your creatures block this turn". With this card, you have the power to dictate how combat works, and that's not something to scoff at.

Picture a casual multiplayer game, one where your board is set up with a ton of creatures and you have a fistful of mana's to spend. Wouldn't this card be a total BOMB when used together with something like Waves of Aggression? Catch 2 or more players off guard and bounce em out of the game. Take that home and chew on it.

I use this as a Lure for Spitemare and Phytohydra, making them block with everything they have. Then I fling the Phytohydra

Master DotA (Sorcery, 1RR)

Target creature you control and target creature an opponent control both gain +2/+2, double strike, trample, flying, bushido 2, lifelink, vigilance, provoke and deathtouch.

Destroy all other creatures, enchantments, artifacts, and lands. They can't be regenerated. Exile all cards from your library, graveyard and hand. You do not lose the game from drawing from an empty library.

At the beginning of your next game (and all subsequent) with the targeted player, cast Master DotA on your first turn without paying its mana cost.

Outclassed by Odric, Master Tactician.

Just a point, Sunforger can pull this from your deck if you're running both.

Who cares that you don't choose who the creatures attack?
In a worst-case scenario it says "Creatures can't attack you this turn", and still works to deal as much damage as you'd like it to do to another player.

Apart from that, you can also have it work like removal by using it during your own attack, or if the opponent chooses to attack you or another player that has creatures. Not to mention you can use it to make all your creatures unblockable in 2 colors that usually don't have something for that.

@Doaj - Hardly. This is instant speed, and doesn't rely on you attacking with Odric, Master Tactician(and 3+ other creatures as well) to work. Odric's ability is pretty cool, but doesn't allow you to muck with your opponents' combat phase. I like Odric a bunch, but I'd be inclined to run this with him. Not only can you control your opponent blocking when you attack, but you can decide how your opponent attacks you/another opponent, and how that opponent responds to best suit you.

@Anyone who can't figure out how this card works - Consult Rule 506 and the related rules. This card allows you to:

1) Declare attackers on behalf of an opponent. The attacking opponent can still select the player or planeswalker they are targeting.

2) Declare blockers on behalf of the blocking opponent(if it isn't you). This includes declaring which creatures will block, and how they will block(read the "Card Text" on the de***ion page, and not the text printed on the card image; they've clarified it).

Because apparently reading oracle text is too difficult for people:

"Cast Master Warcraft only before attackers are declared.
You choose which creatures attack this turn.
You choose which creatures block this turn and how those creatures block."

And for emphasis:

"You choose which creatures attack this turn.
You choose which creatures block this turn and how those creatures block."

What does this mean?

You can choose any number of creatures that will then attack this combat phase, if able. You may choose 0 (preventing any creatures from attacking that turn.)

You can choose any number of creatures that will then block this combat phase, if able. You may choose 0 (meaning every creature will remain unblocked, unless some other combat shenanigans happen.)

You may choose what creatures block what creatures. You may force a 1/1 utility creature to block a 5/5 trampler. You may force every single creature an opponent controls to block your deathtouch creature. If a creature cannot legally attack or block (Pacifism, being tapped, etc.) this spell does nothing to them.

I don't know how this card is hard to understand, but there you go. Any questions?

How does this work with Propaganda?

It's been said by greg2367 and Gaffy00 before, but be careful to play this card right:
It says "You choose which creatures attack this turn", not "You choose how creatures attack this turn".
You just get a "which", but not the "how" that you get for the blockers.

So while you get to choose one of the attackers for each blocker,
choosing a player or planeswalker for each attacker is the choice Master Warcraft won't allow you to make!

"4/1/2008 If the defending player controls a planeswalker, the person who cast Master Warcraft first chooses the complete group of creatures that are going to attack. Then, for each of those creatures, the active player chooses who or what it's going to attack."

Now I agree that it might be obvious to some players. But it does have counterintuitive potential, so I wouldn't be surprised if this card has been played incorrectly during various multiplayer matches on the kitchen table.

Considering that, and since this is a reprint for a multiplayer set that's also aimed at casual players,
I think a new reminder text for this would have been a great idea to prevent that issue. Something like:

(The active player still chooses which player or planeswalker each attacker attacks.)