Anyone else notice his sword bears the mark of Avacyn? Pretty cool how the planes blend together in the core set and the saga continues.
Deco_y
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
This card will be wonderful to White Humans. Choosing how blocking takes place is a pretty great effect.
4.5/5
MyrBattlecube
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(5 votes)
"From the dawn of time we came; moving silently down through the centuries, living many secret lives, struggling to reach the time of the Gathering; when the few who remain will battle to the last. No one has ever known we were among you... until now." I know y'all are reading this in Connery's voice. I'm hearing it, too.
Trygon_Predator
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(11 votes)
He's mastered warcraft, that's for sure.
Doaj
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Champion of the Parish, Gather the Townsfolk, and Odric will make for some amazing wins.
HedronMyr
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
This card is going to be scary in Standard and flat out broken in limited.
Arachibutyrophobia
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
edh general?
Lord_of_Tresserhorn
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Whenever Odric, Master Tactician and at least three other creatures attack, you choose that no creatures the defending player controls can block, and you win the game.
Anti-Exalted tech, though. ;)
Kefale
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Seems like one of the best cards to pair this guy with would be Hero of Bladehold I could be wrong since it depends on if the tokens will trigger his ability mid-combat step.
superghandi88
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Kefale
That combo should work since all attackers are declared simultaneously including those tokens created by Hero of Bladehold and declaring blockers happens during a later phase of the combat step. All of your 4+ creatures are all attacking which will trigger Odric's ability to allow you to choose your blockers. Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure you're right about using that combo.
Gcrudaplaneswalker
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I think this card was meant for Avacyn Restored... Just look at his sword
SyntheticDreamer
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is going in my Human deck. I will enjoy swinging for the win with this and three Mirran Crusaders (before they rotate).
@Kefale and superghandi88: Odric doesn't work with Hero of Bladehold. The ability requires you to declare three other creatures as attackers when you have Odric himself attack, and creatures that enter the battlefield attacking weren't declared as attackers.
Totema
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(5 votes)
Looks like a young Christopher Lee to me. Fitting, seeing that he's clearly from Innistrad.
jsttu
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(6 votes)
Sean Connery, once he realizes that when attacking there can be more than one.
Bandswithother
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
"Seems like one of the best cards to pair this guy with would be Hero of Bladehold I could be wrong since it depends on if the tokens will trigger his ability mid-combat step." - Kefale
"@ Kefale
That combo should work since all attackers are declared simultaneously including those tokens created by Hero of Bladehold and declaring blockers happens during a later phase of the combat step. All of your 4+ creatures are all attacking which will trigger Odric's ability to allow you to choose your blockers. Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure you're right about using that combo." - superghandi88
"@Kefale and superghandi88: Odric doesn't work with Hero of Bladehold. The ability requires you to declare three other creatures as attackers when you have Odric himself attack, and creatures that enter the battlefield attacking weren't declared as attackers." - SyntheticDreamer
Nice as it would be, SyntheticDreamer is correct. Odric and HoBH will attack together, Odric's ability won't trigger because its conditions are not met, then HoBH's trigger will go off, resolve, and put two 1/1s into play long after Odric wanted them out.
Sutebe
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Sean Connery.dec. There can be only one.
Cyberium
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Odric and his wife sitting in the living room.
Wife: Aren't we going to... you know. Odric: I play better with group.
Even without the First Strike this would be a great card.
I especially love that he's a soldier as well, and since soldier decks are often token-heavy it shoudln't be difficult to fulfill the condition on his ability.
Winston_Churchill
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Probably my favourite card in M13. A 3/4 first strike for 4CMC is already a good deal but his ability makes him absolutely amazing, whether it be for Innistrad human spam with Champion of the Parish or M13 soldier tribal. Going to pick up a few for sure.
mrhardy12
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(2 votes)
......Until Standard decks can no longer use Battle Cry, this guy can and will win games. I mean, a mechanic that gives you a serious boost for attacking with several creatures at once (which is a White/Red/Colorless mechanic anyway) alongside a card like this guy who makes an army of at least four (including himself) an automatically unblockable assault squad (or one that can eliminate enemy creatures as it sees fit).... This guy also helps Innistrad-based White/(other colors or not) Human decks, being a Human himself.
I can just see this happening until Scars is cycled out: T1 - Plains, Signal Pest. T2 - Plains, Accorder Paladin. T3 - either a T1 or a T2, OR Plains, Signal Pest, Accorder Paladin. T4 - Plains, this dude. T5 - Swing for SERIOUS damage, if not game (Three Battle Cry, so this dude is at LEAST a 6/4, not to mention the +2/+0 the others get, causing at the LOWEST with a SINGLE Accorder Paladin a total of 2 + 2 + 5 + 6 damage, for a total of 15. Even WORSE if the whole thing goes off - two 3/1 creatures, two 6/1 creatures AND a 7/4 that all get to go through without ANY blocks, for a grand total of 25 damage. OUCH!)
This dude can and will be put into ANY Battle Cry-based deck until they go away, and will cause more casual players with Battle Cry decks to reign supreme in MANY games.
CarlosLiberated
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Where was he when the humans were getting slaughtered on Innistrad? He must have been trained by Ib Halfheart, Goblin Tactician. Either that or he slept in.
I want to put him in my banding deck. Why? So my opponent can just sit out the combat phase.
Phage123
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
When he was first spoiled, I didnt realize how good he would be. Then I pulled 2 at the prerelease and went 5-0 5/5
Edit: Quietus Spike.
Salient
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(3 votes)
I imagine this is going to be equivalent to "when this and at least three other creatures attack, your creatures are unblockable" at least 90% of the time.
Wicked fun.
DarthParallax
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
I'm hitting you with a Lightsaber blessed by an Archangel.
Your argument is invalid. (in my headcannon, this guy has lifelink ^_^)
Reminds me of Jedi Master Lord Hoth and his Army of Light :)
ThinkOriginal
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I realize this guy is awesome...but why is he in a set filled with the exalted mechanic?!
... or you could be rude and just run it with blightsteel colossus or Phage, but why not use whispersilk cloak on them?
boomer3599
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
its a great card if you want a nice quick battle
HikingStick
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Doaj and all,
Thatcher Revolt seems like a logical pairing in a Red/White deck. You instantly have three disposable attackers, plus Odric himself.
I play tested him in an all knight/soldier deck last night. It was mostly white, but had both black and red creature splashes, too (3x Cavern of Souls on type Human, two Clifftop Retreat, and 17 plains). Many creatures (Guardians of Akrasa, Knight of Glory, Knight of Infamy, Aven Squire) granted Exalted, allowing for buffed up solo attacks until Odric was on the scene and relieved of his summoning sickness. If my opponent could not get rid of Odric (Prey Upon and similar effects worked well), it usually ended quickly thereafter. The only deck with which I had trouble was a Zombie-heavy deck that was running a playset of Moonmist.
It played really well overall (deck here: http://deckbox.org/sets/207835 --I've made a couple of tweaks since playing that are not yet reflected). I need to do some additional tweaking, but it looks like I found my next FNM deck.
TastetheJace
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It's nice to see Count Dooku getting work again.
Oh and his head and hands back. Probably needed those.
ToastRecon
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
These aren't the 1/1 white soldier tokens you're looking for.
Ike38
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card is SUPER AWESOME! With 4 CMC, you get 3/4 first strike. For his another ability, it pretty much says that "All of your creatures are unblockable when you attack with more than 4 creatures." and sometimes it could be (at least) 4 of Prey Upon.
I love this card. It lets me win so many times in DoP 2013.
I only came here to see if I was the only one who thought he looked like Sean Connery. Glad to see I'm not alone!
Morgaledh
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I bought the Path to Victory premade deck because this guy was calling to me from it... in glorious foil. Mmmm.
Lotsofpoopy
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(3 votes)
This guy is amazing in my soldier token deck. Especially in the hands of a pro like me, this guy rules.
Hermeezey
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Count Dooku is that you?
TokenArmyCommander
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Guess what? Vault of the Archangel just got a lot more deadlier for white weenie. Imagine this, plus 2 crusaders, equal human and spirit tokens, and activated Vault. Deathtouch and lifelink everything, attack with everthing, and suddenly an entire opposing side is destroyed as direct everything to your tokens. Works amazing with Honor of the Pure and Intangible Virtue.
ZioKai
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
So how does his ability work with Preeminent Captain? I'm thinking of putting in my Captain of the Watch/Preeminent Captain deck and want to know since his ability is a triggered ability does it check for the number of soldier attacking during the declare attacker's step and resolve before the Preeminent Captain's or can I have two of the Preeminent Captain's down and throw down a Captain of the Watch and Odric and then declare all of my opponent's creatures are not blocking this turn?
VasmanLight
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Odric has a scary ability indeed ...
Dabok
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(2 votes)
I choose for your creatures to...NOT BLOCK AT ALL.
Ligerman30
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Amazingly underrated. This will win you the game in limited and constructed. Also, a human (Champion of the Parish & Silver-Inlaid Dagger) and a soldier (Captain of the Watch) so he fits in with a lot of different tribal themes. It works well in token decks, AND aggressive decks. Frankly, he's really really good. You can make all your guys unblock-able or wipe out one side of the board by declaring blocks in the worst way possible for your opponent; You have their 3 mana dorks block your Intangible Virtued 3/3 Centaur creature, have your 2/2 vigilance first striker with protection from innistrad be blocked by a 4/2 trampler something or other, this card is really good. He deserves to be in a good constructed deck, seriously.
5/5 for bringin' them beats
On the topic of the HoBH nonbo, while Odric's second ability may not account for the attackers that come into play when HoBH attacks, the mechanic behind of HoBH (Battle Cry+Tokens = Happy Time) still synergizes with Odric. If you attack in with HoBH, Odric, and two other guys, the tokens will become unblockable if you so chose (and of course you will). I mean, do the math, even if you attack with HoBH, Odric, and two 1/1 tokens from thraben doomsayer or gather the townsfolk or something, and declare no blocks, you deal 16 "unblock-able". Odric makes more sense in post-rotation standard then in extended or modern anyways. I guess you could argue for synergy with Empty the Warrens, but, if your empty the warrens resolves, you've probably won anyways.
mdakw576
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
you'll rue the day you crossed me, trebek
maxiepad
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
How many assassin tokens does Vraska bring out? Three, you say...? ;)
Hilarious and epic way to finish a match with any number of opponents. It's oh so satisfying.
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Fun little card.
u60cf28
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I just simply love this card. I can basically make him indestructible, and then him along with a Predator Ooze or another indestructible card wil just annihilate the opponent
chainsmoker
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
has battalion ability before it was cool
diabloelmo
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
And this guy will immediately go into just about every Boros deck built once Gatecrash hits. Including mine.
CaptainNinJoe
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
(Sees Gatecrash's Battalion mechanic, immediately considers ordering multiples of Odric)
The one legendary from M13 I wanted. And the only one I didn't get.
Also, clarification: "attacks" and "attacking" are different. "Attack" causes a creature to go from "not attacking" to "attacking". If a creature "enters the battlefield attacking", it doesn't "attack". (Weird, huh?) so HoBH's or Preeminent Captain's ability cannot single-handedly trigger Odric.
Kelptic183
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
The fact that Odric and Edric, Spymaster of Trest have similar names and extremely synergistic abilities makes me far more happy than I should be. Seriously, it's fanfiction in the making.
SirZapdos
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
He is the man who arranges the blocks.
sonorhC
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
In case it isn't obvious, you can use his ability to decide that nobody blocks, thus effectively making all your creatures unblockable. Or, of course, you can selectively kill off a few creatures at a time by forcing them to block bigger things.
Snarblo
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
His ability should just be called Battalion + 1.
j_mindfingerpainter
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I'm imagining he's super, super good in Two-Headed Giant.
I find it counterintuitive that Sean Connery, the true James Bond, wouldn't like exalted, as James often works alone. I think the creative team should've caught that one.
@ Corey_bayoudragonfly: You're right, you could pull some insane shenanigans with banding. Swing with Odric, a chump like Darksteel Myr, whatever you want, and a dude with deathtouch and power equal to the number of creatures your opponent can block with. Give one of them banding, and assign the opposing damage to the chump, and the deathtouch dude kills all their creatures that can block, while Odric and the other guy get through.
GearLeader
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Ladies and Gents, our Commander of Azoruis Boros decks
So this along with Aurelia, The Warleader = Broken
Smoke_Stack
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Such a beast. Battalion is a good skill but none of the gatecrash triggers are as useful as saying "Yea... nothing blocks and you take lethal damage to the face."
flavioal28
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Yep, definitely Sean Connery
multiseth
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Yah first Strike, wait what
vardaris
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
An amazing card, the current metagame hasn't helped so far for this card to shine as the metagame right now has a lot of control and boards stay relatively empty. I believe after innistrad rotates we will see much more of him, that is why I believe he must be reprinted in M14. 5/5
Vishlord
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
Rated below the Crusader of Odric, really?
Villainous1
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
And two turns later, you get Captain of the Watch down meaning your whole field of soldiers gets free unblockable swings for the rest of the (now very short) game.
LordRandomness
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Super-battalion!
MostlyLost
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(3 votes)
"Are your fatties getting rusty? Enemy creatures rattling your bolts? Give me a wrench, a hammer, and 3 other creatures and I'll fix it all!"
-Odric, Master Technician
ViashinoWizard
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I'm absolutely flabbergasted that this is rated so low. A 3/4 first striker for 4 mana isn't too shabby by itself, but his ability is insanely powerful. Yes you need to have three other creatures out, but what kind of weenie deck can't do that consistently by turn five?
WolfWhoWalks
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I used to run Darien, King of Kjeldor as my white weenie commander... then I met Odric. Such beautiful and powerful synergy with, oh, pretty much every good soldier card ever made.
In a Red/White weeny deck this thing is a monster. Let's see, pump out tokens as much as possible, slap down Odric and Furnace of Rath, go to town :) May not always work, but it can easily turn a game into a one-sided massacre. This is worth WAY more than 3.9
Oxman
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Ah, my FAVORITE general. In my monowhite solder deck he is hands down the best Commander. My other options are Darien, King of Kjeldor, Gerrard Capashen and Thalia, Guardian of Thraben. His ability works as a weak removal option, a way to make my entire army unblockable and as an easy way to ensure that my swords' triggered abilities trigger. I run LOTS of equipment. The entire mirrodin cycle of swords and worldslayer depend on him!
(Also, Darksteel Plate and Worldslayer ftw.)
Belgarath123
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Just as a rules clarification, because no one has yet mentioned it, Odric can target creatures with hexproof. This is a portion of the comprehensive rulebook
114.9. Spells and abilities can affect objects and players they don't target. In general, those objects and players aren't chosen until the spell or ability resolves. See rule 608, "Resolving Spells and Abilities."
114.9a Just because an object or player is being affected by a spell or ability doesn't make that object or player a target of that spell or ability. Unless that object or player is identified by the word "target" in the text of that spell or ability, or the rule for that keyword ability, it's not a target.
Odric can force them to block because he doesn't target them.
at0micpickle
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
"I had battalion before it was cool"
MizziumSculptor444
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I think we're missing the big issue here. Odric looks like the mingling of Christopher Lee and Sean Connery, and he wields a sacred lightsaber.
This card is phenomenal. 4 (converted) mana for a 3/4 first-strike. And as if that wasn't enough, attack with him and 3 other creatures, and you can control how opponents block - and if they block at all!
Heck, Odric's so effective I haven't gotten to use Aurelia yet, and that's saying something.
Tribor
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
You can decide that a creature won't block.
As in, you can swing for enough to kill your opponent and have him block none of it.
I hate him. >:
legendary_orp
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Good old Captain Noblocks.
Drewskithelegend
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It's no blocks day. No blocks for everyone. They did the m13 legendary creatures right. 4 of the creatures are highly playable and 2 are actually solid in constructed. I certainly played him a fair bit.
SeriouslyFacetious
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
"So yeah, guys... I had an epiphany or something like that... cause God came to me in a dream an said 'Just go around them.'"
Also, lemme give you some future sight: his ability could be keyworded as a compliment to Battalion. The templating would be weird, but here's my go:
Command - Whenever attacking creatures you control trigger Battalion this combat, you choose which creatures block and how those creatures block.
Comments (89)
4.5/5
I know y'all are reading this in Connery's voice. I'm hearing it, too.
Anti-Exalted tech, though. ;)
That combo should work since all attackers are declared simultaneously including those tokens created by Hero of Bladehold and declaring blockers happens during a later phase of the combat step. All of your 4+ creatures are all attacking which will trigger Odric's ability to allow you to choose your blockers. Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure you're right about using that combo.
@Kefale and superghandi88: Odric doesn't work with Hero of Bladehold. The ability requires you to declare three other creatures as attackers when you have Odric himself attack, and creatures that enter the battlefield attacking weren't declared as attackers.
"@ Kefale
That combo should work since all attackers are declared simultaneously including those tokens created by Hero of Bladehold and declaring blockers happens during a later phase of the combat step. All of your 4+ creatures are all attacking which will trigger Odric's ability to allow you to choose your blockers. Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure you're right about using that combo." - superghandi88
"@Kefale and superghandi88: Odric doesn't work with Hero of Bladehold. The ability requires you to declare three other creatures as attackers when you have Odric himself attack, and creatures that enter the battlefield attacking weren't declared as attackers." - SyntheticDreamer
Nice as it would be, SyntheticDreamer is correct. Odric and HoBH will attack together, Odric's ability won't trigger because its conditions are not met, then HoBH's trigger will go off, resolve, and put two 1/1s into play long after Odric wanted them out.
Wife: Aren't we going to... you know.
Odric: I play better with group.
I especially love that he's a soldier as well, and since soldier decks are often token-heavy it shoudln't be difficult to fulfill the condition on his ability.
I can just see this happening until Scars is cycled out:
T1 - Plains, Signal Pest.
T2 - Plains, Accorder Paladin.
T3 - either a T1 or a T2, OR Plains, Signal Pest, Accorder Paladin.
T4 - Plains, this dude.
T5 - Swing for SERIOUS damage, if not game (Three Battle Cry, so this dude is at LEAST a 6/4, not to mention the +2/+0 the others get, causing at the LOWEST with a SINGLE Accorder Paladin a total of 2 + 2 + 5 + 6 damage, for a total of 15. Even WORSE if the whole thing goes off - two 3/1 creatures, two 6/1 creatures AND a 7/4 that all get to go through without ANY blocks, for a grand total of 25 damage. OUCH!)
This dude can and will be put into ANY Battle Cry-based deck until they go away, and will cause more casual players with Battle Cry decks to reign supreme in MANY games.
-Odric, Master Tactician
Then I pulled 2 at the prerelease and went 5-0
5/5
Edit: Quietus Spike.
Wicked fun.
Your argument is invalid. (in my headcannon, this guy has lifelink ^_^)
Reminds me of Jedi Master Lord Hoth and his Army of Light :)
... or you could be rude and just run it with blightsteel colossus or Phage, but why not use whispersilk cloak on them?
Thatcher Revolt seems like a logical pairing in a Red/White deck. You instantly have three disposable attackers, plus Odric himself.
I play tested him in an all knight/soldier deck last night. It was mostly white, but had both black and red creature splashes, too (3x Cavern of Souls on type Human, two Clifftop Retreat, and 17 plains). Many creatures (Guardians of Akrasa, Knight of Glory, Knight of Infamy, Aven Squire) granted Exalted, allowing for buffed up solo attacks until Odric was on the scene and relieved of his summoning sickness. If my opponent could not get rid of Odric (Prey Upon and similar effects worked well), it usually ended quickly thereafter. The only deck with which I had trouble was a Zombie-heavy deck that was running a playset of Moonmist.
It played really well overall (deck here: http://deckbox.org/sets/207835 --I've made a couple of tweaks since playing that are not yet reflected). I need to do some additional tweaking, but it looks like I found my next FNM deck.
Oh and his head and hands back. Probably needed those.
I love this card. It lets me win so many times in DoP 2013.
5/5 for bringin' them beats
On the topic of the HoBH nonbo, while Odric's second ability may not account for the attackers that come into play when HoBH attacks, the mechanic behind of HoBH (Battle Cry+Tokens = Happy Time) still synergizes with Odric. If you attack in with HoBH, Odric, and two other guys, the tokens will become unblockable if you so chose (and of course you will). I mean, do the math, even if you attack with HoBH, Odric, and two 1/1 tokens from thraben doomsayer or gather the townsfolk or something, and declare no blocks, you deal 16 "unblock-able". Odric makes more sense in post-rotation standard then in extended or modern anyways. I guess you could argue for synergy with Empty the Warrens, but, if your empty the warrens resolves, you've probably won anyways.
Hilarious and epic way to finish a match with any number of opponents. It's oh so satisfying.
The one legendary from M13 I wanted. And the only one I didn't get.
Also, clarification: "attacks" and "attacking" are different. "Attack" causes a creature to go from "not attacking" to "attacking". If a creature "enters the battlefield attacking", it doesn't "attack". (Weird, huh?) so HoBH's or Preeminent Captain's ability cannot single-handedly trigger Odric.
I find it counterintuitive that Sean Connery, the true James Bond, wouldn't like exalted, as James often works alone. I think the creative team should've caught that one.
@ Corey_bayoudragonfly: You're right, you could pull some insane shenanigans with banding. Swing with Odric, a chump like Darksteel Myr, whatever you want, and a dude with deathtouch and power equal to the number of creatures your opponent can block with. Give one of them banding, and assign the opposing damage to the chump, and the deathtouch dude kills all their creatures that can block, while Odric and the other guy get through.
Well mine at least
Turn 2: Thalia, Guardian of Thraben.
Turn 3: Crusader of Odric.
Turn 4: Odric, himself.
Turn 5: Flavor.
That must have taken some kind of tactical gen---
CREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED!
-Odric, Master Technician
(Also, Darksteel Plate and Worldslayer ftw.)
This is a portion of the comprehensive rulebook
114.9. Spells and abilities can affect objects and players they don't target. In general, those objects and players aren't chosen until the spell or ability resolves. See rule 608, "Resolving Spells and Abilities."
114.9a Just because an object or player is being affected by a spell or ability doesn't make that object or player a target of that spell or ability. Unless that object or player is identified by the word "target" in the text of that spell or ability, or the rule for that keyword ability, it's not a target.
Odric can force them to block because he doesn't target them.
Effectiveness: 5/5
Artwork: 4.5/5
Originality: 5/5
Now give him flanking. He IS a master tactician, after all...
I know my post is long, but do read it. I think my points are worth considering
This is perhaps the best Battalion/Soldier Commander there is:
Legendary for
4 Mana
... With
First Strike
... That
is a 3/4
... AND
You get to determine who blocks and how they block if they block at all
(mind you and as Belgarath123 has so kindly explained can target hexproofs)
This card gives you the most ridiculous unfair advantage because it in essence makes your creatures unblockable-
Anecdote time:
ever since I rebuilt by Red-White Battalion around this, Aurelia, the Warleader, and Tajic, Blade of the Legion on a buff-evasion base working from the Battalion mechanic and specialty stacking creature abilities (Archetype of Courage, Archetype of Aggression) my battalion has never lost a single game to date.
Heck, Odric's so effective I haven't gotten to use Aurelia yet, and that's saying something.
As in, you can swing for enough to kill your opponent and have him block none of it.
I hate him. >:
They did the m13 legendary creatures right. 4 of the creatures are highly playable and 2 are actually solid in constructed. I certainly played him a fair bit.
Also, lemme give you some future sight: his ability could be keyworded as a compliment to Battalion. The templating would be weird, but here's my go:
Command - Whenever attacking creatures you control trigger Battalion this combat, you choose which creatures block and how those creatures block.