Pointed Discussion

A Ring Cycle? Wagner approves of this idea.

Totema: you should see my comment on Sol Ring (the Relics version) ;)

But I am slightly more interested in that it's a COLORED Ring Cycle:

Black: EARTH
Red: FIRE
White: WIND
Blue: WATER
Green: HEART

GO PLANET! :D I seriously want to equip these 5 Rings to Maelstrom Archangel and call it Captain Planet...

One of the worst in the cycle in my opinion, as the two abilities are not really synergistic at the same level as the other rings, and there are equipment that give hexproof without you needing to pay for it. Admittedly, this is in standard while i don't think any others are, so that's a thing, and hexproof can be powerful on the right cards and/or with support.

Bottom line: it is a way to give hexproof to any creature in standard, but the cost is what kills it for me.

Captain Planet = Child of Alara.

For once, blue does NOT have the best of a set of whatever they print...

then again they have everything else. A slight victory for other colors, then you see omniscience and say, oops, nevermind...

Why does this have an activation cost instead of being always on?

I don't like this equipmen that much. Five mana for a single hexproof until end of turn, seven to do that twice? Not worth it. The +1/+1 counter part is cute, but very slow.

In limited it is playable. In other words: in constructed, it's crap. 1.5/5

Thank you, Wizards for finally finding an alternative to those god-awful lifegain trinkets. (see: Angel's Feather)

This ring is great. the abilty to give hexproof is nothing to snuff at you can bounce between 2 creatures every other one up each turn. yea it's pricey but Brass Squireis still legal. For those who are wondering why it has a activation cost it cause it last till end of turn. Say it's on a creature you pay the two that creature has hexproof until end of turn, then you move the ring over and pay the two again now both creatures have hexproof until end of turn. Unlike other equipment that provides hexproof the effect last even if the equipment is moved

Blighted Agent, come to me...

Not the best of the set, but overall the whole cycle is magnificent and a serious addition to decks. Hexproof is surprisingly flavorful for blue, but this gets expensive with an activation cost. The only other one with an activation cost is the black one, Ring of Xathrid, but that's regen so of course you have to activate it. If the hexproof was automatic, that would make better sense and this would be a better card (though it isn't bad at all).

This is a great ring. Hexproof your creature while it grows and there is nothing anyone can do about it.

The hexproof is so easy to get around. Just abuse the stack and they won't be able to protect their guy unless they spend the mana.

Maybe I'm wrong (I know someone will tell me if I am), but why would you ever pay the activation cost? If my opponent spent his last two mana to give his creature hexproof, that's the moment I'd throw a lightning bolt on the stack. This is blue. The stack is your friend when you're blue. Just by sitting out there, this prevents an intelligent opponent from targeting your creature. Sure, you have to leave two mana open, but you also have to leave two mana open for counterspell...

Replacing Banshee's Blade in my proliferate deck.

Pros: Costs one less to equip.
Hexproof is expensive to maintain, but it's worth it for Blighted Agent.
Counters go on the creatures, so it can be switched around so proliferating is more profitable.

Con: Counters go on the creatures, so the buff is lost if the creature dies.

As long as you're careful with mana use, which is how you play blue anyway, the most important creature shouldn't die anyway. And both cards grow at the same rate, since there aren't any double-striking or vigilant blue infectors I know of.

Welkin Tern's best friend in limited.

i like this card because i have land fetch in my deck so mana is really no problem. also i like moving it around on my blue creatures to pump them all up

No one mentioned Animar, Soul of Elements?

Given sufficient mana, works in a fun way with Gilder Bairn.

You can get it down turn two, before the creature you want it on comes out.

The (1) to equip is much less than most equipment (especially any that allow hexproof), and makes it easy to equip the turn your creature comes out.

The (2) to use hexproof is not terrible, as your opponent knows you can do it and might just not target it at all. It's like having infinite (colorless!) counterspells for that creature.

I think it has it's uses for protecting certain combo creatures, not to mention buffing them. Once again, I think the equip cost is the best part.

I happen to like it. I got 2 of these and I use both. One, the one being better used, I put in my unblockable dimir deck. The Hexproof really helps there and I don't feel guilty about using such a broken ability because I at least have to pay for it. It gives me a great deal of peace to be able to use all those cipher cards on a creature without worrying about burn. I don't think hexproof should ever be a static ability and I think 2 is a reasonable cost for such a powerful ability. Also, the slow accumulation of +1/+1 counters can really help. I've got a kraken hatchling to a 4/8 before and made him a removal target. I didn't have enough mana one turn to save him from a murder, but hey. He used a murder on my kraken hatchling. If that's not an advantage I don't know what is. I immediately reequipped this to my much more potent creature he could have used the murder on, my fathom mage xD. I have no idea why he thought that hatchling was more of a threat. Probably because it would have been a 5/9 blocking and killing all of his shit, perhaps?

I just think this card is underrated. They purposefully print blue monster as weaker than all the other colors. This is a way to fix that. And last time I checked blue was a pretty good stall color so you'll probably get your mana's worth out of this.

I had my doubts about this card at first, but now I find it to be incredibly useful.
Turn one I got out a Jace's Phantasm, then a couple of turns later popped this thing onto it. Game finisher swinging for 10 flying. Killed by an illusion.

Fathom Mage's favorite piece of jewelry.

Worst of the ring cycle