Yup. Pretty useless as is. Needs first strike baaaaaad.
CigarDan
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Even a toughness pump would really help here...
longwinded
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
This is actually the first Viashino ever, though its contemporary Hivis of the Scale ( originally "Summon Legend") is also a Viashino. Also interesting is that the Viashino appeared in an MtG novel, 1995's the Prodigal Sorcerer, a full year before they every appeared on a card. Supposedly Creative liked the concept enough to add them to the set as minor servants/allies of Kaervek.
Mode
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
(Creature type rant)
I already discussed animal-based humanoids that use a unique type rather than the type of animal they're based on, you can check out the talk page of Aboshan, Cephalid Emperor for a list of species that do not have a special type like Aven, Leonin or Orochi, which is the majority.
"This is actually the first Viashino ever, though its contemporary Hivis of the Scale ( originally "Summon Legend") is also a Viashino. Also interesting is that the Viashino appeared in an MtG novel, 1995's the Prodigal Sorcerer, a full year before they every appeared on a card. Supposedly Creative liked the concept enough to add them to the set as minor servants/allies of Kaervek." -- longwinded
That's a good start for the topic. This is the first card with the type Viashino ever printed. This was back in late 1996 in Mirage, still one of the very early expansions, when creature types weren't something of great importance, unless it happened to be a Legend like Aboshan, or a Wall like Blistering Barrier, since those came with special rulings. Otherwise, odds were that the creature suffered under what i call the 'name equals creature type syndrome', which occationally resulted in a trait that couldn't even be classified as a profession or a race: Auspicious Ancestor was an Ancestor, Locust Swarm was a Swarm. Nonetheless, Mirage is considered the first set of Magic's Silver Age for a reason. Creatures like that made up a far lesser part than before. In fact, Mirage might have been the first Set to genuinely care about creature types, having not only more than one Goblins, Zombie or Wizard, but also multiple Efreets, Djinn, Dwarves, Cyclops, Soldiers, Knights, Spirits, Ghosts, Dragons, Drakes, Falcons, Lions... For the first time, Wizards had established a system where the majority of creatures could fit in. Admittedly, many of those types were still more specific than they are today: Ghosts were turned into spirits, Tigers and Lions are now Cats, Wyverns got turned into Drakes, Falcons are Birds, and the various insects are now just that - Insects. So since this set had three seperate types for dragon-like creatures, it's barely surprising that they didn't simply make Viashino Warrior a Lizard or even a Dragon. And a creature couldn't have multiple types at the time, so blending those types wasn't an option to begin with.
Yet, when you look at humanoid species that are based on animals these days, or even some that date over a decade back by now - you won't find this unique treatment either. (With a few exceptions, such as Cephalids - again, for a list check out the comment above.)
I bet if this race would have first shown up in Ravnica Block (maybe even Urza Block), they would've just been Lizards. Oddly enough, in fact there exists a card with almost the same name as this very card that does depict a Viashino as well, yet, due to its very indicatory name, it is classified as a Lizard: Lizard Warrior.
The reason why they still kept their very own type might be the fact that they have been somewhat prevalent throughout the past and appeared on various planes, ever since Wizards liked their concept in The Prodigal Sorcerer so much that they decided to put them in the game. In other words, maybe they like to look at them as a tad more unique than the other humanoid animal-based races, also because they are apparently descended from Dragons. Then again, making them Lizard Dragons would make them all the more awesome - in my humble opinion, at least. The controversial part that might keep them from changing the Oracle is obviously the practical impact, since this allows new interactions with other Lizards and Dragons. But then again, is there really something bad that can come from this? Viashino and Lizards aren't notable tribal types as is, and Dragon decks (with focus on the tribal aspect) aren't a competitive type either. Lizards and Viashino would have twice the potential and get some nice casual synergies, and Dragon decks would finally get a whole species for the early game that interact with them later on. This would also work flavorwise, since - at least Dominaria's Viashinos - are closely connected with Shivan Dragons. Zirilan and Hivis are both dragon tamers of sorts. Although being a tamer doesn't make you the tamed species, so the differences despite being a descendant from dragons might not cut it after all.
But even if Viashino were simply turned into Lizards, this would still be a good move, even if just for consistency's sake.
TL;DR: Since about 90% of humanoid animal species went for the animal's type, i'd really like a type change (to Lizard or even Lizard Dragon) for Viashino as well.
Tiggurix
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Mode: According to your argument, Humans should also be Apes. Which would be pretty cool, but I don't foresee it ever happening.
Comments (6)
I already discussed animal-based humanoids that use a unique type rather than the type of animal they're based on, you can check out the talk page of Aboshan, Cephalid Emperor for a list of species that do not have a special type like Aven, Leonin or Orochi, which is the majority.
"This is actually the first Viashino ever, though its contemporary Hivis of the Scale ( originally "Summon Legend") is also a Viashino. Also interesting is that the Viashino appeared in an MtG novel, 1995's the Prodigal Sorcerer, a full year before they every appeared on a card. Supposedly Creative liked the concept enough to add them to the set as minor servants/allies of Kaervek." -- longwinded
That's a good start for the topic.
This is the first card with the type Viashino ever printed. This was back in late 1996 in Mirage, still one of the very early expansions, when creature types weren't something of great importance, unless it happened to be a Legend like Aboshan, or a Wall like Blistering Barrier, since those came with special rulings.
Otherwise, odds were that the creature suffered under what i call the 'name equals creature type syndrome', which occationally resulted in a trait that couldn't even be classified as a profession or a race:
Auspicious Ancestor was an Ancestor, Locust Swarm was a Swarm.
Nonetheless, Mirage is considered the first set of Magic's Silver Age for a reason. Creatures like that made up a far lesser part than before. In fact, Mirage might have been the first Set to genuinely care about creature types, having not only more than one Goblins, Zombie or Wizard, but also multiple Efreets, Djinn, Dwarves, Cyclops, Soldiers, Knights, Spirits, Ghosts, Dragons, Drakes, Falcons, Lions...
For the first time, Wizards had established a system where the majority of creatures could fit in.
Admittedly, many of those types were still more specific than they are today: Ghosts were turned into spirits, Tigers and Lions are now Cats, Wyverns got turned into Drakes, Falcons are Birds, and the various insects are now just that - Insects.
So since this set had three seperate types for dragon-like creatures, it's barely surprising that they didn't simply make Viashino Warrior a Lizard or even a Dragon. And a creature couldn't have multiple types at the time, so blending those types wasn't an option to begin with.
Yet, when you look at humanoid species that are based on animals these days, or even some that date over a decade back by now - you won't find this unique treatment either. (With a few exceptions, such as Cephalids - again, for a list check out the comment above.)
I bet if this race would have first shown up in Ravnica Block (maybe even Urza Block), they would've just been Lizards.
Oddly enough, in fact there exists a card with almost the same name as this very card that does depict a Viashino as well, yet, due to its very indicatory name, it is classified as a Lizard: Lizard Warrior.
The reason why they still kept their very own type might be the fact that they have been somewhat prevalent throughout the past and appeared on various planes, ever since Wizards liked their concept in The Prodigal Sorcerer so much that they decided to put them in the game. In other words, maybe they like to look at them as a tad more unique than the other humanoid animal-based races, also because they are apparently descended from Dragons.
Then again, making them Lizard Dragons would make them all the more awesome - in my humble opinion, at least.
The controversial part that might keep them from changing the Oracle is obviously the practical impact, since this allows new interactions with other Lizards and Dragons.
But then again, is there really something bad that can come from this?
Viashino and Lizards aren't notable tribal types as is, and Dragon decks (with focus on the tribal aspect) aren't a competitive type either.
Lizards and Viashino would have twice the potential and get some nice casual synergies, and Dragon decks would finally get a whole species for the early game that interact with them later on.
This would also work flavorwise, since - at least Dominaria's Viashinos - are closely connected with Shivan Dragons. Zirilan and Hivis are both dragon tamers of sorts. Although being a tamer doesn't make you the tamed species, so the differences despite being a descendant from dragons might not cut it after all.
But even if Viashino were simply turned into Lizards, this would still be a good move, even if just for consistency's sake.
TL;DR: Since about 90% of humanoid animal species went for the animal's type,
i'd really like a type change (to Lizard or even Lizard Dragon) for Viashino as well.