I believe this card's flavor text was voted Worst in Odyssey Block. Personally, I love nothing more than a really, really bad pun, and it doesn't get much worse than this. Not in Magic flavor text, anyway.
SavageBrain89
★★☆☆☆ (2.4/5.0)(7 votes)
At its best, its a 4/4 for two mana that increases mana acceleration: awesome. At its worst its less than average mana accelerator with really stupid flavor text: Seriously? "Bear arms"? Why?
Laguz
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(6 votes)
Terrible flavor text - thankfully, those unfunny puns have since gone the way of the dodo - and the card wasn't all that great, either. Sure, you can never go wrong with mana acceleration, but why would you play this over the elves or birds? a 4/4 with no evasion isn't going to do much of anything, especially by the time you get threshold. You can speed it up by playing book burning or something, but it's still as vanilla as ice cream and is just going to get chump blocked and then slaughtered by 5/5s.
All while the birds and elves come into play a turn earlier...
rubber
★☆☆☆☆ (1.5/5.0)(6 votes)
Actually, bad puns are thriving - in card names, no less. Take Blightning, for instance.
darthnorris
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(6 votes)
Amazing Flavor text love it!!
VirtueVsVice
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(4 votes)
@rubber
I disagree dude, Blightning's isn't that bad. It at least gives information about Grixis -- there are a lot of things with flesh but not many with brains (indicating high number of Zombies).
As for this flavor text, it actually made me literally lol Funny stuff, just don't bring it to any of the future sets please WOTC. =)
Guest1383951442
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(4 votes)
You guys need to get it together: puns are awesome! I personally found this to be quite funny, if not too original.
wolfbear2
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(4 votes)
@ Laguz
You know that this is a way powerful card, don't you? You clearly underestimate how fast people get threshold in tourniments. Sure, usely in casual it takes longer, but who cares? And a vanilla 4/4 for 2 mana is still awesome.
Most games with him go like this, early game power out your threats, mid to late game your threats you brought out early now have a 4/4 beat stick to run over the red zone with them.
ultratog1028
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(4 votes)
@phagerules1
no. that title goes to patrol hound though this is a very close second
Kryptnyt
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(7 votes)
WEREBEAR RAWR everyone needs a playset!
mdakw576
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(4 votes)
Threshold isn't a big problem when your bonus is +3/+3 on a 2 drop. Even tarmogoyf starts off the game weak, and we all know how ridiculous he is.
HairlessThoctar
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(8 votes)
Sure he starts of as a strictly worse Llanowar Elves, but the fact that unlike Llanowar Elves he can actually be useful late game when you have all the mana you'll ever need.
And I like the awful puns (in moderation).
Qazior
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(6 votes)
I lol'd @ this one's creature type: Human Bear for the win!
Auteur
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(4 votes)
One of the best threshold cards ever. Very effective in every part of the game.
DrZygfryd
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(9 votes)
I want 7
ThaBishop
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
You can do so much with this guy
Horsemanship
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Terrible flavor text. Terrible concept. Ability that makes no sense with the concept. "Druid Bear".
5/5, just because it's WEREBEAR.
faisjdas
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Ah, "The flavor text that sailed a thousand ships." Or something like that.
achilleselbow
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(5 votes)
Perfect design for threshold - useful as a small mana producer in the early game, and becomes a decently-sized creature for mid-game.
This kind of thing is some pretty tough design space. Printing it at 1 mana would make a strictly better Llanowar Elves, which is already really good. Printing it as it was, at two mana, risks losing what makes Llanowar elves so good- early game acceleration. Compare Noble Hierarch, which is usually better than Llanowar Elves, at 1 mana for a 0/1 (Sometimes 1/2).
SethLarz
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(6 votes)
Card deserves 9 stars for just existing. Not only is the idea of a werebear astounding, the card is actually really good.
LordAlvon
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I love the puns too.
LarsBM
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Werebear... Great card, great concept.
EnV
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
The flavor cracks me up
MasterOfEtherium
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(3 votes)
@ideatog Str8 Outta YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN
Hoonster
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
A creature with weird sub-type and terrible flavor text. This deserves 5 stars.
DacenOctavio
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I want ten playsets of this card in foil right. . . NOW.
tcollins
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(17 votes)
...and the right to arm bears!
FiveColorFinder
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(2 votes)
I have finally found it: the most horrible pun in magic.
TreeTrunkMaster
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Nothing like a reference to the second amendment... good ol' U.S. Constitution. I wonder if this flavor text was translated for this card when printed in other languages, and if so, if it makes any sense to people that see it in other countries. (I'm pretty sure the Spanish version has the same flavor text, I imagine others do also)
ROBRAM89
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Paul, you is a warbar.
Studoku
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(11 votes)
Only you can prevent forest fires!
candyapplecorn
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(3 votes)
LOL GET IT? RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS? CUZ HE'S A BEAR? GET IT? BEAR! ARMS! HA! HA! HA! HA!
ZombieSnail
★☆☆☆☆ (1.5/5.0)(2 votes)
HOLY CRAP! GENIUS!
Raszero
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Quite frankly one of my favorite cards. Bring on an ISD reprint!
Salient
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(6 votes)
I like that the Oracle revision makes him a Human Bear Druid. This card needs to see a reprint for that reason alone...
Dr.Pingas
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(4 votes)
@Horsemanship: The flavor text is supposed to be terrible. The concept is fine, although a little out-of-place as the only non-black, green Lycanthrope. And I'd wonder what you'd define as an ability that does make sense; it's a druid that goes into bear-rage when your stuff is dead.
If you take threshold on the symbolic level; an abundance of death, it makes absolute sense that a druid who previously spent his time producing mana and being a hippie would start raging with Giant Growth(a card, don't forget) once the destruction of what he loves and protects reaching a certain limit. Let's not forget that it's fairly typical in most fantasy games (WoW aside, please) for druids to turn into woodland creatures, such as bears; which are usually depicted as highly spiritual among most old animist cultures.
It would have made more sense if he wasn't a bear until you got the threshold, but, oh well. It's always nice to give your llanawars a break and throw in a man with some late-game Lightning bolt and Pyroclasm protection.
BlackFlameAshura
★★★☆☆ (3.1/5.0)(4 votes)
Best...Flavor Text...Ever...
axiobeta
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Dat flavor... good god
EvincarCrovax
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Bad now that tarmogoyf exists.
the_sixth_degree
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The fact that this card even exists fills me with happiness.
Lueseto
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Extremely-super budget Tarmogoyf. in some decks, it's power is really near, and it's worth saving more than 300 US$ in a playset :P
Mr.Wimples
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
There bear.
LordRandomness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I wanna see someone hit Threshold via one of their lands being trashed...then their druid going into a psychotic rage in response.
indestructiblefox
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(5 votes)
Does not combo with Bearscape. Bear tribal needs to get it's act together.
AvatarofBro
★★★☆☆ (3.3/5.0)(5 votes)
BEAR. ARMS. AHAHAHAHA! Is funny because is 2nd Amendment to US Constitution, but is also reference to bear's deadly arms! Is why joke is funny!
Pigfish99
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
this is quite the good card. sure, slightly more expensive than a llanowar elves, but when you hit threshold, this shit takes off!
Trygon_Predator
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(4 votes)
Mana in the early game. A beater in the late game. An unbearable, grisly pun. A pretty good card overall!
Lash_of_Dragonbreath
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It seems they tried to remake this in Dark Ascension - Scorned Villager. I'm running both in my casual human deck.
Brufff
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Should have been a reprint alongside the threshold mechanic in the Innistrad block.
GoTexans
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
That druid looks unBEARable!!!
Atiweb
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(5 votes)
I can't bear these puns.
shotoku64
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Wasn't sure about the flavor of this card, but finally settled on spicy. 4/5
Stinga
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(5 votes)
This card is great! Not only is he a mana weenie (not even that inefficient either! Just look at Leaf Gilder and ilk) but he actually becomes a highly efficient creature lategame. Assuming Threshold is agiven he is a 4/4 for two (and a colour weight of one!) which is incredible. It beats out such beasts as Watchwolf easily as it still has its mana ability when needed. And to make things even more un-bear-able it has a grizzly pun in its flavour!
Captain_Sisay_2591
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Anything can pass as a Human these days...
TheWrathofShane
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Its man bear druid!
Traius
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@ CaptianSisay
Were-x pretty much implies human-x. DRUID seems pretty questionable though.
Ferlord
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Don't be so ruff on the card.
Dammit! Wrong pun!
angrybob4213
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
*reads card text*
Hmmm, this card seems pretty good actually...
*reads flavor text*
GOD. DAMMIT.
Karkain
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
I think the pun is enough to earn 5 stars. I don't think I could bear anything less.
BobbySinclair
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
I traded for this simply for the fact it was a funny bear. Then I read the flavour text and broke down laughing. Now every time a friend tries to argue a game point with me, I just pull this card out. "I have a werebear. He has the right to bear arm. To *bear* arms. You argument is invalid."
blurrymadness
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
This is the Tarmogoyf before he existed! He doesn't scale until you hit the threshold and doesn't sync up with black discard very well, but he's a 2-mana over-efficient beater who ran Zoo decks before the Goyf.
That said, he works well in GB decks that run either dredge, or cards like Commune with the Gods and Grisly Salvage (and you even get a Grisly pun!)
car2n
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
WEREBEAR STARE!!! *Roars, mauls*
SirLibraryEater
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
A 4/4 Llanowar Elves for 2? That's also a bear? And a druid? And it has the best and worst pun of all time? YUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUP!
mattrva77
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Wait... this thing is errata'd to be a Human now?! I mean.. I guess it's a dude in a costume, but I never saw it that way til now.
Comments (65)
All while the birds and elves come into play a turn earlier...
I disagree dude, Blightning's isn't that bad. It at least gives information about Grixis -- there are a lot of things with flesh but not many with brains (indicating high number of Zombies).
As for this flavor text, it actually made me literally lol Funny stuff, just don't bring it to any of the future sets please WOTC. =)
You know that this is a way powerful card, don't you? You clearly underestimate how fast people get threshold in tourniments. Sure, usely in casual it takes longer, but who cares? And a vanilla 4/4 for 2 mana is still awesome.
Most games with him go like this, early game power out your threats, mid to late game your threats you brought out early now have a 4/4 beat stick to run over the red zone with them.
no. that title goes to patrol hound
though this is a very close second
everyone needs a playset!
And I like the awful puns (in moderation).
5/5, just because it's WEREBEAR.
"There bear. There Castle."
"Why are you talking like that?"
"I thought you wanted to!"
This kind of thing is some pretty tough design space. Printing it at 1 mana would make a strictly better Llanowar Elves, which is already really good. Printing it as it was, at two mana, risks losing what makes Llanowar elves so good- early game acceleration. Compare Noble Hierarch, which is usually better than Llanowar Elves, at 1 mana for a 0/1 (Sometimes 1/2).
This deserves 5 stars.
(I'm pretty sure the Spanish version has the same flavor text, I imagine others do also)
If you take threshold on the symbolic level; an abundance of death, it makes absolute sense that a druid who previously spent his time producing mana and being a hippie would start raging with Giant Growth(a
Let's not forget that it's fairly typical in most fantasy games (WoW aside, please) for druids to turn into woodland creatures, such as bears; which are usually depicted as highly spiritual among most old animist cultures.
It would have made more sense if he wasn't a bear until you got the threshold, but, oh well. It's always nice to give your llanawars a break and throw in a man with some late-game Lightning bolt and Pyroclasm protection.
I'm running both in my casual human deck.
4/5
Were-x pretty much implies human-x. DRUID seems pretty questionable though.
Dammit! Wrong pun!
Hmmm, this card seems pretty good actually...
*reads flavor text*
GOD. DAMMIT.
That said, he works well in GB decks that run either dredge, or cards like Commune with the Gods and Grisly Salvage (and you even get a Grisly pun!)
*Roars, mauls*
YUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUP!